Acer has launched five smartphones based on Android OS for the Australian market without a telecommunication partner.

The new line smartphones range from AUD 499 up to AUD 999 and go on sale at the end of the month, including the company’s special edition liquid E Ferrari handset, which features a glossy red casing, a 3.5″ screen that runs on Google Android 2.1 and a chrome trim.

The other models are the standard liquid E, Stream, beTouch E120 and beTouch E130. In the event, Acer revealed that it had forged a partnership with Ingram Micro for the supply of the devices.

Mobile phone makers often launch new handsets through their telecommunication carriers before releasing it through the IT channel. But Acer said that it did not expect to close a deal with a telecommunication company until next year, in spite the fact that it has existing relationships with companies such as Telstra and Optus.

IBM said Wednesday that it to ship the z196 microprocessor on Sept. 10, which will be included in the new version of IBM’s zEnterprise System mainframe computers. The new chip boasts 1.4 billion transistors on its 512-millimeter surface, giving it 60% more capacity than its predecessor, the System z10, using the same amount of electricity, according to an IBM statement.

According to IBM, the z196 processor features new software to optimize performance of data-heavy workloads, including up to a 60 percent improvement in data intensive and Java workloads.

IBM has invested more than $1.5 billion in R&D on the zEnterprise line, including more than three years of collaboration with some of the company’s top clients around the world. 

Pricing information for the zEnterprise System was not disclosed.

SANYO is bringing the eneloop mobile booster which is designed to help charge empty batteries while on the road, this portable battery booster provides 1 Amp of power for devices like the iPad.

The lithium-ion battery provides USB power ports allowing users to easily plug and charge devices like iPads, iPhones and iPod Touches. If you’re using only one USB port with the output power of 500mA, it will last approximately four hours (2 hours with 1A output power). If you’ve got more than one device that needs charging, you need to charge two devices simultaneously supplying about two hours of power from each port.

You can charge the eneloop mobile booster using the associated AC adapter or USB. The eneloop series goes on sale in Japan first and will launch globally after that.

HP said on Monday it has launched CloudStart, a package that includes hardware, software and consulting services, and aims to speed up the construction of private clouds.

CloudStart is offered by HP Cloud Consulting Services and will use the company’s Cloud Service Automation tools, which helps enterprises with their cloud installations and provides automation tools to manage cloud-based applications, according to HP. CloudStart will also use its storage and blade servers, HP said in a statement.

HP said CloudStart should allow an enterprise to build a private cloud in 30 days. Clouds can be rolled out in a number of different ways: using a cloud service provider like Amazon, building one internally or using a mixture of the two. The latter is usually called a hybrid cloud.

According to HP, the CloudStart package is available in Asia-Pacific and Japan now, and is expected to be available in the rest of the world in December, but didn’t provide any pricing information.

IBM have signed a $3 million contract to supply KiwiRail with an asset management system.

According to the contract, IBM to provide the software and services designed to improve visibility and management of KiwiRail tracks, bridges and other network assets.

IBM’s enterprise asset management product Maximo will delivering information on the condition of the 4000km of railway track, bridges and thousands of pieces of rail equipment, as well as signals.

IBM New Zealand general sales manager Phill Patton says its business analytics software will present data on how often KiwiRail is maintaining its tracks and how it is managing its assets so it can be read by “the guy working at the line all the way up to the top”.

This will help KiwiRail maintenance crews to have up-to-date information on assets, job plans, work-order tracking and service requests.

According to China Daily report on Friday, Lenovo has set up a unit to develop a video game console for the China market, pitting it against rivals such as Microsoft and Sony.

The China Daily reported that about 40 Lenovo software engineers have been spun off from the company to work for Beijing eedoo Technology, which will be tasked with developing and marketing the “eBox” game console.

Lenovo, its unlisted parent Legend Holdings, and its private equity arm Legend Capital co-invested in the new company, but did not disclose investment figures.

Lenovo has been trying to diversify away from selling only the heavily commoditized personal computer, having launched in the past year a smartphone in its home market and announcing plans to roll out a tablet PC.

Lenovo and eedoo officials were not immediately available for comment.