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Latest gadgets on display at Techshowcase

Photo by Glenn TuckerThe scene at the Techshowcase event at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess

From cellphone musical greetings to 20 MBps Internet Bermuda’s communications providers showed off a number of new and planned offerings at the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce’s Techshowcase 2011.Highlights included:* A planned 20 MBps broadband Internet service for the residential market by CableVision, through Logic and other Internet service providers.* North Rock Communications’ Follow Me service which provides one virtual number that rings on your cellphone, work phone or any other number you select.* Digicel’s InTunes which lets you greet your callers (as they call) with different songs or advertisements.Bermuda CableVision’s planned new offering received some of the most buzz.Ironically the cable TV provider showed off the new 20 MBps speed as a way to watch faster, smoother, better quality streaming video- on your computer.The company has applied to Government to offer the new 20 MBps residential service.“Presently our 20MB product for high-speed data is at the Telecommunications Communications for approval. We felt that it would be cool at a Tech Show to show what the possibilities for the future are, along with all the new gadgets and services that are being introduced by other vendors,” said Terry Roberson, Bermuda CableVision general manager.Pricing for the planned new 20MB service has not been set yet but CableVision’s Ultimate High Speed Internet- 8Mpbs- costs $55 per month.“It is just the beginning of what we are able to offer,” added chief technology officer Jacob Simon, noting the company is awaiting Government’s proposed telecoms regulatory reform. “We welcome competition.Digicel showed off its new Flix, InTunes and Premier Division Football Feed services for cellphone customers.The Flix app gives local movie times and allows users to review movies.The Premier Division feed gives subscribers Bermuda game schedules and score updates at half time and the end of each game. Each alert costs 10 cents.Most exciting was the new Digicel InTunes service that allows its cellphone customers to greet callers with music or advertisements.Basically, as someone is calling you, they will hear a company’s advertisement or the music of your choice.The service allows you to choose different songs for different callers, times of the day and days of the week.The cost to add Digicel InTunes to your phone is $3 per month. And each song costs $2.North Rock Communications was promoting its new Follow Me service: “Never give out your office extension or cell number again.”The service gives you one virtual number that will ring when someone calls your cellphone, work phone or any other number you select.The one number will direct friends, family or clients to you whether you are in the office, on the road or playing golf, North Rock said.The virtual number will also have a mailbox attached to it and you get an e-mail when you have received a new voicemail with an attachment to listen to it.And, clearly gearing up for the proposed regulatory overhaul, Logic showed off the techie-acclaimed Slingbox gadget.It allows you to watch and control your home TV or cable TV package of channels from virtually anywhere, anytime on your desktop.So, conceivably, you could watch 3pm. English football games from your desktop at work or wherever!The gadget costs anywhere from $200 to $450 and while Logic no longer stocks them, they are available online and locally in stores.It basically transfers your cable in your home to any web browser.