KEY POINTS:
Finnish cellphone company Blokia put out a new 'smart' cell phone - fans in Finland queued in balmy sunlight for three days to be the first in the world to get their hands on the stunning new END96 smart phone which plays music, synchronises with PCs, takes pictures and gets email - oh yeah, and it's a phone.
However, as the doors opened, a fist fight developed between Finnish phone fans and a representative of the carrier Ovapaydafone, which published its controversially expensive data plans the day before.
"I be sick at this s..t!" stated an inebriated END96 fan to a member of the press. "Sick!"
He was then, true to his word, sick. It was noted that he still bought an END96.
A happy Blokia spokesperson said they hoped for similar displays of END96 affection when the model was progressively rolled out around the world.
Using the latest 3G technologies, the END96 is a multi-band cell phone, has infrared, Bluetooth, global positioning technology, polyphonic ring tones, plays MP3s, displays 16.7 million colours and comes with 8GB - or, in shocking pink, 16GB - flash memory for music and application storage.
Blokia is proud of its 'touch button' technology. You touch buttons and the phone does things. The END96 also integrates with 'any' PC - as long as it has been updated with Service Packs 63, 65, 105b, 121c, MS Integration Module Pack 6.3 and use the N-Z series of video cards with 128MB+ VRAM, have more than 2GB RAM installed, 20GB hard drive space, and face west.
At the same time Blokia launched its Appz Stor, with the first applications available being a reindeer tracker and a beetroot recipe browser.
A Blokia spokesperson said there were 'dozens' more Appz expected "in the future".
Acher opens Acher Store in Melbourne: Acher opened a new computer store in Melbourne, selling Acher computers and 'well chosen' accessories. An Acher spokesman said that it was important that Acher stores sold products that complemented the sensational looks and designs of Acher computers, and to promote the singular Acher brand and ethos.
The first customer into the store, at 9:20am, had his hand shaken by three employees and was given a free XX size t-shirt.
What did he buy? Nothing - he wanted to report a problem with his mouse.
