Saudi Arabian Telecom company STC launched in a partnership with HTC the first Arabic-enabled Android smartphone HTC Hero in the middle east and arab countries.

HTC Hero cost 2399 SAR (around $640 US) and include 1Gig internet subscription for free a value of 1200 SAR (around $320 US).

iPhone 3G is already available in Saudi Arabia by Mobily(second private telco in KSA), the 8G iphone is actually sold for 2400 SAR with a 250MB free.

STC, the largest telecommunication provider in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, covers an area of two million sq km, providing coverage to more than 100,000 km of highways and 98 per cent of inhabited areas across Saudi Arabia.

It has a larger customer base than any other provider in the Middle East – more than 19 million GSM, four million land line and one million DSL customers, the statement said. To date, STC has won telecom licenses in Kuwait and Bahrain and acquired shares in companies in Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and South Africa and is continuing to develop its outreach to become a global service provider.

Acer have just announced their Android-powered Aspire One netbook but without giving any availability date. The netbook will be priced around $250 according to previous reports but the hardware is not much promising especially the battery lifetime which will last between 2 and 4 hours while connected to internet.

The idea of dual boot is not really hot though, Acer considered Android for fast internet browsing and social networking, and windows 7 for productivity. “Switch OS” will be available as option to switch between the two operating systems. Probably the first product that offer two operating systems pre-installed. If Android is not yet ready for productivity I don’t think it’s a wise decision to adopt it or release a dual-OS at this time.

A live android distribution is already available for netbooks but using Android interface as it, which is optimized only for smartphone usage. Actual Android interface is not user friendly, so Acer will most probably release another port of Android platform with an optimized interface for netbook usage.

Below Acer press release :

Mobility is the key. The key to understanding the Acer Group comprehensive range of mobile products offering users anytime, anywhere connectivity to be online all the time and socialize around the clock.

But anytime, anywhere connectivity is no longer enough: users demand fast and easy Internet access.

Acer Group decision to develop different solutions featuring also Android™ operating system brings users simple usability and instant Internet access, for greater efficiency on the go.

Building a better mobile ecosystem would enrich the lives of countless people the world across: enabling a greater openness in the mobile environment, allows everyone in the industry to innovate more rapidly and respond better to user’s demands.

This is why Android™ winks to the future: it is open source; it can be extended to incorporate new cutting-edge technologies as they come along and is the best answer for all the people that use Internet as a window open to the world, helping them to keep up with their social and business Internet centric life.

Acer Group goal is to respond to user’s demand faster and with the finest solutions.

Acer Group is the first to offer a mixed range of products based on Android™, a platform specifically created for mobile device: this means giving users a richer and more integrated experience, for a truly rewarding Internet and online experience on the go.

The dual-boot netbook brings along a true revolution as it gives the best of two worlds. It offers the immediacy, the ultrafast connectivity and speed of Android™ for instant access to web browsing, emails and social interaction together the full and reliable productivity of the Windows® environment, simply by clicking to switch OS.

Boot up the Acer Aspire One with Android™ in a matter of seconds for ultrafast connectivity. When you need top productivity, just switch OS to take advantage of Windows® 7 functionalities. There is not even need to reboot. Plus, all Internet connections established on Android™ platform remain up and running even if you reboot the netbook or suspend the session.

With the new Aspire One with Android™ OS, instant access to Internet and emails is not a dream any longer. Only 18 seconds to be able to chat, send emails or search the Internet and if you are in a hurry to go, it takes just 3 seconds to shut down.

Acer Android™ smartphone brings the latest technologies and innovation to create consumer excitement, in a reliable and easy to use mobile device.

A fast and attractive user interface combines intuitive usability and unique applications.

Building on the processing and graphical capabilities of Qualcomm Snapdragon™ and WVGA resolution, it is ideal for multimedia entertainment (music, videos, pictures, games) and enjoying location based applications.

Secondary color touchscreen supplements text with web-based or any linked multimedia content; Enables users to enhance original text with their own embedded video, audio, photos and notes

FREMONT, CA – OCTOBER 19, 2009 — Spring Design today announced Alex™, the first e-book based on Google Android featuring full browser capabilities and patented dual screen interaction technology, the Duet Navigator™. The Alex livens up text with multimedia links, adding a new dimension to the reading experience and potentially creating a whole new industry for secondary publications that supplement and enhance original text. Alex’s dual-screen display design brings together the efficiency of reading on a monochrome EPD (electronic paper display) screen while dynamic hyperlinked multimedia information and third party input on its secondary color LCD screen, actually an integrated Android mobile device, opens a rich world of Internet content to support the text on the main screen.

Alex is the first Google Android-based e-book device to provide full Internet browsing over Wi-Fi or mobile networks such as 3G, EVDO/CDMA and GSM. With its dual-screen, multi-access capability, it provides the entire Web universe as a handy reference library, prompting users to delve into its vast information base to complement, clarify or enhance what they are reading. Alex is the first truly mobile wireless e-book device that gives users their own personalized library on the go, whenever and wherever they need it.

Spring Design pioneered its patented dual-screen device with ‘touch and extend’ capability in 2007, and has been working with major book stores, newspapers and publishers over the past two years to share its vision and the capabilities of the dual screen device. Alex brings together the efficiency of an EPD display with the responsiveness and richness of navigational convenience of the LCD screen. Its removable SD card gives users extensive storage, allowing them to expand their text with multimedia “add on” editions.

Ideal for professional, educational and entertainment markets, Alex dynamically transforms the reader’s experience with images, videos and notes inserted as ‘Web grabs’ or with custom text created by the user or other secondary authors pertaining to the subject being displayed. Users can create their own images and notes and capture them to augment the original text or just dynamically grab relevant content with Link Notes™, Alex’s innovative multimedia authoring tool to enhance multimedia publishing.

“This is the start of a whole new experience of reading content on e-books, potentially igniting a whole new industry in multimedia e-book publishing for secondary authors to create supplementary content that is hyper linked to the text. We are bringing life to books with audio, video, and annotations,” said Dr. Priscilla Lu, CEO of Spring Design. “This gives readers the ability to fully leverage the resources on the Web, and the tools available in search engines to augment the reading experience.”

Alex™ features a 6″ E-Ink EPD display and 3.5″ color LCD display, earphones and speakers. A removable SD card will free up library space on the device while letting users archive content for future reference. The enhanced Android OS is optimized to support integration between the color and monochrome displays while preserving battery life. Users can capture and cache web content from their online experience on the LCD screen, and toggle to view it on the EPD screen without taxing the battery life. Browser features such as bookmarking, history, and security settings are built in and the device, with full Android browsing capability, is mobile-enabled with smart phone capabilities.

Spring Design is currently in discussion with, and enlisting major content partners and plans to release the Alex device for selected strategic partners by the end of this year.

About Spring Design:

Spring Design Inc., founded in 2006, delivers innovative e-reader solutions and products to the e-book market, offering overall “Link Notes”, a content authoring and multi-media publishing tool as add on editions to original text. Spring Design Inc. is located in Fremont, California with engineering offices in Taiwan and China. Spring Design Inc. pioneered its patent-pending dual screen design with Duet Navigator™ capability in 2006, and has been working with major book stores, newspapers and publishers over the last 2 years, sharing the vision and the capabilities of the dual screen device. Spring Design’s innovative patented technologies incorporate the seamless interaction of dual display and multi-online access in a single device, benefiting and leveraging the technology and resources of the Web to enhance the reading experience with “Web Grab”.

Contact:

Company:
Eric Kmiec
VP Sales & Marketing
1-(916) 337-4528
eric.kmiec@springdesign.com
www.springdesign.com

Public Relations:
Pat Meier-Johnson
1-(415) 389-1700
patmeier@patmeier.com