TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities » Devices

New Microsoft 720p HD Webcams Revealed [MS LifeCam 5000, 5001 and 6000 Announced With New TrueColor Technology]

Mike — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:09:04 +0000

Microsoft has announced a new series of HD webcams for desktop and laptop computers, delivering a new color correction technology called TrueColor. The new Microsoft LifeCam 5000, 5001 and 6000 models feature 720p video recording and the new color technology that maintains accurate color levels even in less-than-desirable conditions.

The new LifeCam line by Microsoft includes the MS LifeCam HD-5000, HD-5001 and the HD-6000 webcams. The LifeCam HD-5000 and HD-5001 are designed for desktops, different only in the color options with the former being black and the latter getting a white faceplate. The LifeCam HD-6000 is designed for laptops, featuring a connection clamp that allows for 360 angle viewing of the rotatable webcam head.

All three LifeCam webcams capture true 720p HD (a 1280×720 resolution) and use Microsoft’s TrueColor technology. This technology uses both hardware and software to adjust exposure and color tones to process the incoming image and balance its color levels for accurate imagery. The desktop-minded Microsoft LifeCam HD-5000 and HD-5001 will begin shipping later this month for $50 each, while the laptop-oriented HD-6000 will begin shipping in May for $60.

Original Post Link: New Microsoft 720p HD Webcams Revealed [MS LifeCam 5000, 5001 and 6000 Announced With New TrueColor Technology] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Plastic Logic QUE E-Reader Delayed Until Mid-Summer [Originally Due in April, The QUE Will Face "Enhancements" Before Its Summer Release]

Mike — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:23:36 +0000

Plastic Logic CEO Richard Archuleta has emailed pre-order customers of the Plastic Logic QUE ProReader device, announcing that its mid-April release will not be met. Instead, the QUE e-reader will undergo a series of enhancements that will push back its release to an unspecified date “this summer”.

The Plastic Logic QUE ProReader is a flexible, large-format e-book reader with a 10.7-inch touchscreen display that interfaces with the Barnes and Noble e-book store. The device was made official at CES 2010, ushering in pre-orders that expected a mid-April release. While Plastic Logic CEO Richard Archuleta didn’t state competitive factors in the company’s needs to enhance the QUE device, it is easy to assume that the release of the Apple iPad and the refined JooJoo tablet took the proverbial wind out of sails at Plastic Logic. During this delay, Plastic Logic hopes to “fine-tune the features and enhance the overall product experience”, so it is safe to assume that new features will arrive to improve its competitive offering against the iPad, JooJoo and other e-reader/tablet devices.

If you were amongst the Plastic Logic QUE ProReader pre-order customers, fret not. Your credit card charges have been released, freeing up a pretty penny to re-evaluate where you want to spend your e-reader/tablet money. While the iPad may be the obvious choice, this writer can’t wait to see that JooJoo in action with its new UI and control functionality. Otherwise, of course, you can wait it out and see what tricks Plastic Logic has up its sleeve for the upcoming summer release.

Original Post Link: Plastic Logic QUE E-Reader Delayed Until Mid-Summer [Originally Due in April, The QUE Will Face "Enhancements" Before Its Summer Release] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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HOTT MD500 MID Revealed [Cheap Chinese Tablet MID Offers 4.8-inch Screen, Android, ARM Processor, Sub-$100 Wholesale Price]

Kevin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:17:09 +0000

Chinese company Hott has come out with a “hot” (pardon the pun) new Android MID tablet that looks pretty interesting. The folks at Hott are positioning the MD500 as an “iPad Killer” and while it will be smaller than the iPad, it’ll be a lot cheaper.

Hott will reportedly be selling the device for only $92 to the retailers, for the version that users microSD for it’s main storage. Of course, you’ll pay a bit more with markups but the device certainly looks like it could be sold cheap enough to compete with the iPad.

As mentioned, it will have a 4.8-inch screen (resolution 800 x 480), which is a decent size and is roughly the same sizes of the Archos 5 MIDs – and the Dell Mini 5 should also be roughly the same size too. It will be running Android 1.5 along with Hott’s own UI wrapper on top.

For hardware, it’s got an Rockchip ARM9 processor which, Hott claims, is powerful enough for rendering high-quality video, though they didn’t give out any numbers (720p or 1080p).

Battery life will be a bit weak on this device, coming in at just five hours. While that’s a bit disappointing, if you look at the positive side of it, it’s probably a bit more powerful than the other MIDs in this class.

The device will hit mass production this summer. Watch for it to hit retailers (perhaps from another manufacturer) sometime after that.

Original Post Link: HOTT MD500 MID Revealed [Cheap Chinese Tablet MID Offers 4.8-inch Screen, Android, ARM Processor, Sub-$100 Wholesale Price] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Chinese Labor Shortage Getting Better [Not All Factories Affected By Labor Shortage, Labor Shortage Getting Better, Shenzhen To Be At Full Strength By Mid-March]

Kevin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:40:47 +0000

In case you haven’t followed the news, China’s Shenzhen region where a ton of popular consumer electronic gadgets are made is facing a serious labor shortage to the tune of 820,000 workers missing. We reported on that story two weeks ago, and now, we’ve learned that while a majority of Chinese tech factories are still facing labor shortages, the situation is improving.

Not all Chinese factories were affected by the great post-Chinese New Year labor shortage. Every year, Chinese workers are given a hefty bonus check and a two-week holiday every year for the Chinese New Year. While many Western tech companies may have to deal with their supply lines drying up for two weeks every year in February – this year, many workers didn’t return.

Many young people leave China’s poorer Northern and Coastal regions to work in the South’s lucrative factories. After the two-week holiday break for the Chinese New Year, many workers either quite their jobs in the tech-heavy Shenzhen region or they simply never returned to work. Website Fudzilla reports that the Chinese government implemented new policies that decreased incentives for workers to travel from the coastal areas to work in the Shenzhen region.

Ray Chen, president of supplier Compal, is reported by Fudzilla as saying that his company handled the labor shortage with “aggressive hiring” and lucrative cash incentives for employees who signed employment contracts. Although Compal is back to full strength, many of their suppliers who produce parts they need still have their area factories undermanned.

Although we haven’t seen any tech gadgets be delayed because of the labor shortage, I think we’ll all be glad when it’s over. Mr. Chen estimated that the entire Shenzhen region will be back to full manpower by mid-March.

Original Post Link: Chinese Labor Shortage Getting Better [Not All Factories Affected By Labor Shortage, Labor Shortage Getting Better, Shenzhen To Be At Full Strength By Mid-March] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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New JooJoo Tablet UI Revealed [JooJoo Tablet UI Gets Flash Pre-Release]

Mike — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:02:32 +0000

After a slight delay of their release timetable, Fusion Garage has unveiled a slick new user interface for the JooJoo tablet. The JooJoo tablet has received a UI upgrade with a new visual theme, new software control functionality and the addition of flash support.

The new JooJoo tablet UI has received a translucent menu bar on the top of its screen and a customizable wallpaper background. It adds new control functionality, allowing single-touch mouse control and double-touch scrolling, enabling easier use of websites and other apps which recognize scroll wheel functions. The new JooJoo interface will also feature a floating keyboard, shrunk to fit the 12-inch display, which can be moved as needed and can receive double-touch keypunches for fast typing.

The JooJoo tablet will also work with flash upon its release, in-browser or via a dedicated flash viewer. This keeps the JooJoo up-to-speed for the latest YouTube and Hulu videos, still boasting 1080p support over the Apple iPad’s 720p offering. These visual upgrades and the addition of flash give it a neck up over the iPad, although the Apple tablet still has its own benefits over the JooJoo tablet.

The JooJoo tablet, delayed for shipping late last month, will ship with this upgraded UI and flash support on March 25th.

Original Post Link: New JooJoo Tablet UI Revealed [JooJoo Tablet UI Gets Flash Pre-Release] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Samsung eReader US Availability Imminent [Samsung eReader Release Timed with Confirmation of Samsung and Barnes & Noble Partnership]

Andrew — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:12:00 +0000

Samsung have acted to confirm the imminent US availability of their first eReader for the US market whilst also confirming that they have entered into a partnership with none other than Barnes & Noble – allowing Samsung eReader end users to access Barnes & Noble’s expansive digital library of more than 1 million eBooks, eMagazines and eNewspapers.

“We are very excited to be entering the explosive eReader market with a device that brings the best of a traditional reading experience into the digital age,” said Reid Sullivan, Senior Vice President at Samsung Electronics America. “Samsung prides itself on identifying and fulfilling unmet consumer needs through innovation, and the eReader is emblematic of that approach. We are partnering with the best in the business to offer access to an extensive array of content, and have developed innovative features and technologies designed to make reading that content as personal and intimate an experience as reading a hard copy book has always been.”

The Samsung eReader comes with a 6” E-ink 600 x 800 resolution display offering 8-gray scale whilst, in terms of supported file formats, the device takes in e-pub, PDF/a, TXT, bmp and jpg formats. Additionally the Samsung eReader also features both integrated speakers and head phone jack allowing users to take advantage of the eReader’s built-in text to speech (TTS) capabilities which ‘allows users to continuously enjoy their favorite content even while driving or during crowded commutes.’ It also packs MP3 player functionality, Bluetooth 2.0 and WiFi (802.11 b/g) connectivity whilst, in terms of storage, you’re looking at 2GB of onboard memory which can be supplemented up to a maximum of additional 16GB of storage capacity with microSD memory cards.

The Samsung eReader will set you back just shy of $400.

[Just noticed I've double posted as this was already covered - doh! - ed.]

Original Post Link: Samsung eReader US Availability Imminent [Samsung eReader Release Timed with Confirmation of Samsung and Barnes & Noble Partnership] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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1Cross Tech Android Tablet Revealed At CeBIT 2010 [1Cross Tech Device Is One Part MID, One Part E-Reader]

Mike — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:33:12 +0000

1Cross Tech, an unfamiliar name in the tech circuit, has released a new Android-powered tablet designed as a mobile internet device and an E-Reader in one. The 1Cross Tech tablet features an e-ink ebook reader on the left side of the fold and a touchscreen LCD on the right.

The 1Cross Tech hybrid tablet appears to take a bit of visual inspiration from the Microsoft Courier digital journal tablet, as well as functional queues from the Apple iPad. It is designed as a booklet device, where the two screens can be folded together like a traditional hardcover book. The left side of the device features a 6-inch, 600×800 e-ink display, where the right side includes a 3.2-inch, 480×320 resistive touch LCD. The unit runs Android 1.6, giving the unit a mobile browser and an OS to manage the units ebook collection. Sadly, the unit will not connect with the Android market at present, but 1Cross Tech hopes to add this functionality soon.

The new 1Cross Tech Android Tablet will be powered by an ARM processor that has yet to be named, as well as a 2,000mAH battery with storage provided by MicroSDHC cards. It will feature WiFi, Bluetooth and optional 3G and GPS connectivity. The 1Cross Tech tablet does not yet have pricing or ship dates, but it has been suggested that this hybrid tablet will meet the market for around $400.

Original Post Link: 1Cross Tech Android Tablet Revealed At CeBIT 2010 [1Cross Tech Device Is One Part MID, One Part E-Reader] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Sony DR-350USB, DR-320DPV & DR-31DPV PC Headphones Now Official [Stylish Sony Headsets With Removable Multi-directional Microphone Arm]

Alex — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:22:11 +0000

Sony have officially announced a new set of stylish PC headphones that include the Sony DR-350USB, the DR-320DPV and the DR-31DPV. Meant for gamers, Skypers or music listeners, the most interesting models of the three are the ones pictured below that connect to your computer via USB, have 30mm driver units and a multi-directional microphone arm that allows you to mute whenever you want, making them ideal for gaming. The DR-350USB comes in black, gold and red.

On the other hand, the Sony DR-320DPV are similar with the DR-350USB as they feature adjustable headband and foam earpads, connect via the audio socket and have volume control instead of the mute function. The DR-320DPV comes in gold, blue, red and black.

Last but not least, the lower-end Sony DR-310DP are available in pink, white, silver and green, and given its slender band it’s a fact that they’re aimed at dudettes. Along with a separate volume control, the DR-310DP come with a microphone located into the headphones.

The new Sony DR-350USB, the DR-320DPV and the DR-31DPV headphones will be available this April, but at this moment we have absolutely no clue how much they’ll cost. We’ll keep you posted though.

Original Post Link: Sony DR-350USB, DR-320DPV & DR-31DPV PC Headphones Now Official [Stylish Sony Headsets With Removable Multi-directional Microphone Arm] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Apple’s iPad Not to Get iPhone Tethering, Says So Apple’s Steve Jobs [iPad Tethering to iPhone Officially Not Supported; Unofficially Who Knows What Will Happen?]

Chris — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:32:12 +0000

Yesterday we found out that the Wi-Fi iPad will be available in U.S. stores starting with April 3 while iPad pre-orders will kick off on March 12. It’s no wonder that excited iPad customers are getting their cash ready to get one of the three Wi-Fi iPad models available so far.

One of those customers based in Sweden fired off an email straight to Steve Jobs asking him whether the Wi-Fi iPad will be able to use the iPhone’s 3G connection. Surprisingly Steve Jobs answered from his iPhone and his answer was short and to the point: “no.”

It’s only logical for Apple not to want to support iPhone tethering on the Wi-Fi iPad. If you want 3G you should pay an extra premium 3G fee of $130 for the 3G iPad which is coming only at some point later in April.

Unofficially some clever folks might find a way to enable iPhone to iPad tethering in the near future although such a tethering feature isn’t really supposed to work.

The main point here is that the main man from Apple is using an iPhone decided to personally respond to this inquiry which means this is a serious matter. We can only assume he must have gotten before this question and maybe he’s just a little tired of having to answer it.

While we do understand Apple’s personal attachment to hard cold cash they should also understand our same needs. Paying an extra $130 for the 3G antenna it’s just a little too much. Here are, once again, the official iPad prices which you will find in Apple stores later this year:

Wi-Fi iPad:

16GB – $499
32GB – $599
64GB – $699

3G iPad:

16GB – $629
32GB – $729
64GB – $829

An earlier report this year suggested that Apple could decide to cut down prices should the iPad not sell very well. But something tells me that the whole talk about iPad availability this week might have convinced a lot more people to pre-order the device, just to make sure they are among the first ones to get it.

Oh and just as a side note, given all the iPhone OS 3.1.3 issues you guys have been telling us about, it looks like Steve Jobs is still using on iPhone OS 3.1.2. Wonder why?

Original Post Link: Apple’s iPad Not to Get iPhone Tethering, Says So Apple’s Steve Jobs [iPad Tethering to iPhone Officially Not Supported; Unofficially Who Knows What Will Happen?] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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iPad Pre-Orders to Begin March 12; iPad Going to Stores on April 3 [Apple’s Wi-Fi iPad Available in Stores in April Only But You Can Order One Next Week]

Chris — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:09:41 +0000

This week has been really crazy when you consider all the iPad release-related rumors we’ve heard. Analysts and suppliers have indirectly fought in a statements’ war and we have no real conclusion for you regarding the availability of iPads for March. But today it looks like we have some official release and pre-order dates, so get ready to purchase your Wi-Fi iPad soon.

Considering that the iPad will only be available in stores on April 3, can we assume that there are indeed some iPad manufacturing problems? Earlier this week we heard that the iPad is coming on March 26 and now we know it’s only coming a week later, on April 3.

In case you want to make sure you’re going to get your hands on an iPad Wi-Fi version then you’d better pre-order yours starting with March 12.

I don’t think I have to go through the pros and cons of purchasing a first-gen iPad again since we looked at the device from all the possible angles since Steve Jobs unveiled it in January.

I will however say again that a Wi-Fi 16GB iPad, currently priced at just $499, is a great deal. It’s a lot less than what we were expecting and in case you won’t like the device you can resell it later and get some of that money back.

Not sure whether you want to buy it or not? Well in case you love the iPhone and/or the iPod touch then the iPad is only a logical upgrade. You’re already using the iPhone to check mail and run apps so why not do the same on a device that has a much larger screen?

The iPad is not good at multitasking, at least not yet and it was never intended to replace your main computer be it a desktop or a laptop. The iPad is that really unnecessary device that can make our lives easier while also constantly reminding us that it is still an incomplete Apple project.

In case you hate the iPhone then you won’t probably get the iPad but you’re bound to end up playing with a different tablet eventually. It’s expected that in 2010 alone more than 10 million tablets will be sold. They won’t be only Apple iPads.

Whatever happens, folks, make sure you do tell us exactly how you feel about the iPad once you finally get it delivered to your door.

Original Post Link: iPad Pre-Orders to Begin March 12; iPad Going to Stores on April 3 [Apple’s Wi-Fi iPad Available in Stores in April Only But You Can Order One Next Week] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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iPad Envy Infecting 27% of Non-Apple E-Reader Owners [ChangeWave Research Details The Pre-Release Demand For The Apple iPad]

Mike — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:25:30 +0000

ChangeWave Research has released a survey of the current E-Reader market as it relates to demand for the Apple iPad prior to its release. ChangeWave surveyed consumers who owned E-Reader devices through February 27th, finding 27% of these consumers wished they had waited for the release of the iPad to make their purchase.

For consumers who do not yet own an E-Reader device but plan on making a purchase in the next 90 days, 40% said they will be purchasing an Apple iPad, to 28% who prefer the Amazon Kindle. Much of the iPad demand, however, comes from consumers who will prefer the device for its non e-reader features like web browsing and email. Beyond this group of immediate buyers, however, 62% of potential iPad buyers will wait 2-12 months before purchasing an Apple iPad.

At first glance, a 27% rate of buyers remorse for not buying an iPad and a 40% group of early adopters seems quite low. Compared to the Apple iPhone, however, these numbers appear more favorable. 4% of the ChangeWave survey respondents said they are very likely to purchase an iPad, compared to 3% in the pre-release cycle of the iPhone. 9% of “somewhat likely” buyers will opt for the iPad, compared to 6% for the iPhone prior to its release.

Those numbers are a bit misleading, at least in this writer’s opinion. There are several inflating factors that likely diminished pre-iPhone demand, and several factors that could be inflating iPad demand. The iPhone entered a thick, competitive market in which consumers are most often locked into long term contracts with their carriers, preventing them from buying when they want without paying hefty fees. The iPad is entering a market with only two major players, the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook. There are no long-term contracts for e-reader consumers, meaning anyone can purchase freely without fees. Taking these factors into account, it is possibly that there is in fact less demand for the iPad than there was for the iPhone. At the very least, it suggests that this survey by ChangeWave Research could be less-than conclusive.

Original Post Link: iPad Envy Infecting 27% of Non-Apple E-Reader Owners [ChangeWave Research Details The Pre-Release Demand For The Apple iPad] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Microsoft Courier Tablet Coming Late 2010? [More Rumors Revealed About Courier's Release Date, OS]

Mike — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:45:28 +0000

More rumors about Microsoft’s official entry into the tablet market have arrived, beginning to add flesh to the initial details that hit the web last year. The rumors suggest that the Microsoft Courier Digital Journal Tablet may arrive in late 2010, with hardware details beginning to materialize.

Details about the Microsoft Courier “Digital Journal” Tablet were shared by a trusted source to Engadget, who published a piece speculating on what (and when) the Courier tablet will be. These details first suggest that Microsoft will call its product not a “tablet”, but a “digital journal”– which also suggests that the device’s input will be stylus-based and focus on hand writing.

The Courier digital journal is said to measure less than an inch thick, and when its dual screens are shuttered it should span little more than 5×7-inches. It should operate on the Tegra 2 platform, with an OS based on a system similar to the Zune / Microsoft Pink systems, which could mean the Courier tablet will run on its own version of Windows CE.

The Microsoft Courier Digital Journal tablet was also mentioned to begin shipping in Q3/Q4 this year, a pretty large window for a device that has yet to receive an official release. The rumors published by Engadget do seem logical, and could present an honest, significant competitor to the Apple iPad. Of course, we’ll update you the moment official news hits, but these rumors will have to satisfy us for now.

Original Post Link: Microsoft Courier Tablet Coming Late 2010? [More Rumors Revealed About Courier's Release Date, OS] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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No iPads Coming This Month… Or Maybe Just Mine! [How Analysts Keep Playing with iPad Launch Numbers; 200,000 Units Now Rumored to Ship in March]

Chris — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:14:09 +0000

First we heard there will be 300,000 then 600,000 to 700,000 iPad units shipping in March. Now we hear that only about 250,000 units will be available later this month which is really sad and troubling. Not because we necessarily need the device but because it’s either analysts or manufacturers, Apple included, that are toying with our already mixed feelings regarding this particular new tablet.

Would it be so hard for anyone to come clean? Are there any production issues? If yes then start pre-orders already and those people really interested in the iPad will be the first ones to sign up for it. If no then everything will go on as scheduled and even more people will buy it when it becomes available.

We don’t need all this drama around the launch and I guess it’s safe to say the device won’t be a flop. It will sell very well even if it has plenty of flaws which we’ve been able to spot from day one.

Bringing the bad news this time around was Think Equity’s analyst Vijay Rakesh which apparently has Taiwanese sources telling him that there are “minor delays” in production of the iPad. Well if there are delays and 200,000 to 250,000 is the actual number of iPads that will be available there weeks from now, then they are hardly minor. Major would be the better word suited to describe those issues.

It is believed that in April Apple will be able to ship around 1 million iPad units as long as it will have as many buyers for them. So, if your Wi-Fi iPad doesn’t arrive in March you will most certainly get it in April. Not to mention that some of the hungry iPad customers are actually waiting for the 3G version which is coming in April anyway. Just to make it even easier for you I’ll happily donate my spot in line for a Wi-Fi iPad for you and keep waiting some more, maybe something more interesting comes out.

So what do you say, folks, will tomorrow bring a new number of iPads available for March?

Original Post Link: No iPads Coming This Month… Or Maybe Just Mine! [How Analysts Keep Playing with iPad Launch Numbers; 200,000 Units Now Rumored to Ship in March] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Sony to Make iPad Competitor and iPhone-like Smartphone? [Sony Is Rumored to Launch New Gaming-based Handset & PlayStation Netbook in March 2010; We Are Rumored to Get Excited]

Chris — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:52:56 +0000

One of the most interesting rumors we’ve heard in a while concerns Sony and its future plans in the mobile world. The manufacturer is said to be working on some new projects which include a gaming-based phone and a netbook/eBook reader/PSP hybrid device, both ready to fight against Apple’s similar creations, the iPhone and the iPad. And both ready to run PlayStation games on a new mobile platform.

This whole thing comes as a surprising shock especially since The Wall Street Journal is reporting that these hot new devices are coming at some point in March 2010.

Well it’s March already and we knew we were expecting the Wi-Fi iPad to arrive by the end of the month. But where have these Sony rumored devices been hiding? How and why has Sony been able to neutralize any potential leaks and rumors that would have hinted plans about such gadgets in the past?

We knew the iPad was coming long before this January despite Cupertino’s paranoid policy about disclosing information about upcoming devices prior to their actual launch. But Sony has apparently been able to fly under the radar and make these new iPhone and iPad competitors.

To be honest, a PSP Phone has been rumored in the previous years but if I recall correctly Sony was not willing to share with Sony Ericsson some of its proprietary gaming-related technology. Thus the project never took off, according to rumors of course, and we all witnessed how the iPhone and later the iPod touch became popular gaming devices.

Now Sony will work with Sony Ericsson in order to develop the new smartphone and we’re really excited to see what these two companies can come up with. A Sony tablet is also in the works but we have no specifics on it yet so we’ll have to make do with the new gaming smartphone and netbooks that are about to be released this month. Anyone equally anxious to see them in action?

Original Post Link: Sony to Make iPad Competitor and iPhone-like Smartphone? [Sony Is Rumored to Launch New Gaming-based Handset & PlayStation Netbook in March 2010; We Are Rumored to Get Excited] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Bluetooth 4.0 Set to Roll Out This Year [Bluetooth Special Interest Group Say Bluetooth 4.0 Set to Land Q4 2010]

Andrew — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:35:09 +0000

According to the Bluetooth Special Interest Group the new Bluetooth 4.0 standard could start rolling out in devices such as smartphones, headsets and hands free kits in the last quarter of this year.

Designed specifically to be employed in low power devices such as watches, though equally capable of being utilised in other higher powered gadgetry, the new Bluetooth 4.0 standard, unlike its predecessor, will happily run on devices powered by coin batteries whereas previous versions require batteries of triple-A standard or higher.

According to Charles Golvin, principal analyst at Forrester Research, Bluetooth 4.0 will offer devices such as cameras, portable gaming devices and tablet PCs – where energy usage is critical in terms of device endurance – to ‘exchange low-level information without using much energy’ without all the functionality of the present Bluetooth standard being lost whilst the new specification will allow for the same WiFi connectivity as Bluetooth 3.0 (which, in essence, acts to jump onboard a WiFi connection allowing data transfer speeds of up to 24Mbits per second).

Original Post Link: Bluetooth 4.0 Set to Roll Out This Year [Bluetooth Special Interest Group Say Bluetooth 4.0 Set to Land Q4 2010] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Cool Leaf Debuts Buttonless Input Devices [Minebea Introduces Cool Leaf System Qwerty Input Devices Keyboard, Calculator & Remote Control]

Desi — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:50:59 +0000

Will keyboards and calculators of the future be totally key less? Minebea, who have developed a button free input system named Cool Leaf, thinks maybe so.

Minebea Co. Ltd in collaboration with Osaka University professor Kazuo Kawasaki created some pretty nifty input devices which were unveiled Tuesday in Japan. The most noticeable attribute in the Cool Leaf system line, is that all three products introduced were keyless. That’s right no keys. By aiming to combine an aesthetically pleasing design with practical application, Minebea has decided to go with a shiny flat mirror like surface combined with a Qwerty keyboard that uses force sensors and the world’s first “electrostatic capacity type touch panel and a load sensor” to detect, instead of keys.

The surface is made of a transparent acrylic board, under which there is a half mirror-type film, which is made of new material by Toray Industries. Further beneath the surface, there is a capacitive touch sensor panel and light guide plate-type backlights. When Cool Leaf system devices are on, you can see letters and numbers, but when they are turned off the surface resembles a mirror.

Besides looking pretty, the super flat surface is intended to keep dust, dirt, crumbs and other stuff from finding it’s way inside your keyboard or other input device and make cleaning easier. Smudging may be likely, but no more stuck keys. No word yet on if Cool Leaf system products are water resistant, but that would be a neat feature. Although the Cool Leaf series make great eye candy, one has to wonder how easy and practical these products are to use, since there is no way to ‘feel’ your way around the device.

So far only three Cool Leaf system products have been introduced and none or yet commercially available. Minebea has not yet stated when these products will be become available, or how much they will cost; however it has stated that it plans to expand Cool Leaf to other digital devices, that may be planned for production in the future. When Cool Leaf system devices do become available at your local tech store, you can bet they will be surrounded by curious faces and perhaps some interested on lookers.

Original Post Link: Cool Leaf Debuts Buttonless Input Devices [Minebea Introduces Cool Leaf System Qwerty Input Devices Keyboard, Calculator & Remote Control] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Apple Keeping Pre-Release iPads Under Close Watch [Rupert Murdoch Confirms WSJ iPad App, Says Pre-Release iPad Is "Under Padlock"]

Kevin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:47:56 +0000

The Wall Street Journal is one of the most important financial newspapers in the world, and likewise, they’re one of the few that can afford to get away with charging for their website. News Corp magnate Rupert Murdoch revealed that the WSJ will be releasing an iPad app (a modified version of their popular iPhone app) and said some interesting things about the iPad.

Rumors have been circulating that Steve Jobs made a world tour of notable print publications a week or so again in New York, apparently on some sort of iPad promotion tour. The Wall Street Journal was allegedly one of these publications that he visited.

During a Q&A following Murdoch’s announcement that the Wall Street Journal would now feature a “Metro” section that would cover New York local news, he was asked about the iPad and confirmed the existence of the WSJ app. He went on to say that the Wall Street Journal (a major newspaper) was only granted one pre-release iPad for development of the app.

Murdoch said that the iPad was “under padlock and key” and the key is “turned by Apple every night.” So, iPad waiters can rest easy knowing that the WSJ developers aren’t getting to take home the iPad at night.

Speculation for the improved iPad WSJ app has it featuring a higher resolution and inline video. Murdoch said that the WSJ app will be coming to five other devices by the end of the year, including Nook and Kindle.

Original Post Link: Apple Keeping Pre-Release iPads Under Close Watch [Rupert Murdoch Confirms WSJ iPad App, Says Pre-Release iPad Is "Under Padlock"] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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iPad Production On Track as Scheduled? [Unofficial Sources Say There Will be Enough iPads in March; 600,000 to 700,000 iPad Units Expected to Ship This Month]

Chris — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:09:22 +0000

What better way to drive up sales of an already over-hyped device like the iPad than to tell people there won’t be enough iPads to go around at launch? We’re not saying that what we’ve heard a few days ago about the iPhone was just a marketing strategy to drive up iPad sales this month but today we’re hearing that suppliers will be able to make far more than 300,000 iPads in March.

In fact it’s expected that anywhere between 600,000 to 700,000 iPad units will be ready to ship in March alone with one more million units ready in April.

In case you forgot, although it’s really not possible with all the iPad- and tablet-related talk currently happening everywhere on the Internets, the Wi-Fi iPad is going to be sold in the U.S. and other international markets this month with the 3G iPad coming in stores only by the end of April.

While unofficial sources did say that suppliers will be able to make plenty of iPads for March, neither Foxconn Electronics nor Apple commented on the matter. But it looks like the March release is still on track and the Wi-Fi iPad models will not be postponed to April.

In related news we hear that iPad sales will commence on March 26 which seems pretty consistent with Steve Jobs’ keynote held back in January. It also looks like Apple employees will start training on the the iPad this month and Cupertino will start promoting the iPad on TV. New iPad commercials are expected to start airing on March 15 and we’ll bring them to you as soon as they hit the web.

These internal Apple plans, if proven correct, also suggest that the iPad launch is going according to schedule so maybe you won’t have to wait in line for an Apple tablet after all.

Original Post Link: iPad Production On Track as Scheduled? [Unofficial Sources Say There Will be Enough iPads in March; 600,000 to 700,000 iPad Units Expected to Ship This Month] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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AT&T Sees iPad As Mostly A WiFi Device, Despite the 3G iPad [Despite Dell's Claims, AT&T CEO Doesn't See Many 3G iPads Getting Out There]

Kevin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:14:45 +0000

AT&T’s CEO Randall Stephenson spoke at an investor conference and made some interesting comments regarding Apple’s products. While he sees the iPhone as an important part in AT&T’s lineup, he imagines that the iPad will be mainly a “WiFi driven product”. AT&T is, of course, providing the 3G service contract for the 3G-enabled WiFi.

When Stephenson was asked about the iPad, he said he didn’t think it would bring in a lot of new 3G subscriptions as he feels that people would mostly use in with WiFi. Despite this (or perhaps in light of this), the iPad will offer a month-by-month 3G subscription service from AT&T. This is pretty rare from a North American telcom, who typically lock customers into two-year service agreements with locked, subsidized phones.

This is (sort of) in direct conflict to comments from the head of Dell’s Mini program, Neeraj Choubey, who said last week that AT&T loves the idea of tablets using 3G because they can now sell two or more 3G connections per customer. Following that Choubey said that Dell was in talks to get bundled 3G on the Dell Mini 5 and other tablet phones from the computer maker.

AT&T exclusivity contract for the iPhone in the United States has been huge for the oft-lampooned telcom. When Stephenon was asked about the length of the exclusivity deal with Apple, Stephenson declined to answer directly but said that he saw the iPhone as “an important part” of AT&T’s phone offerings “for quite some period of time”.

When asked about bandwidth demands on AT&T’s 3G networks in iPhone-heavy areas like New York City and San Francisco, Stephenson said that they were improving their networks to account for high smartphone data usage.

Original Post Link: AT&T Sees iPad As Mostly A WiFi Device, Despite the 3G iPad [Despite Dell's Claims, AT&T CEO Doesn't See Many 3G iPads Getting Out There] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Sony Dash Now Available to Pre-Order from SonyStyle [Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer with Netflix, Slacker & YouTube Support To Hit Retail 15th April]

Andrew — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:20:44 +0000

We’ve featured the Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer here on TFTS a couple of times and now, by way of a heads up for you looking to get your hands on the somewhat more mature Chumby, we can advise that the Sony Dash has just been made available for pre-ordered via Sony’s SonyStyle online portal.

The widget enabled Sony Dash, which, incidentally, offers full compatibility with Chumby widgets (meaning there’s already over 1,500 apps available), comes with a 7” WVGA (800 x 480) LCD touchscreen display, offers wireless connectivity (meaning it can be relocated in your home whilst in range of your WiFi home network – though the fact that the Dash runs on mains power only – there’s no internal battery – means its not truly a portable MID device) and, thanks to the wide range of apps already available not only does the Sony Dash offer support of online services such as Netflix, Slacker internet radio and YouTube but also the likes of Titter, Facebook are represented – and, of course, you can also access your mail too via the Dash using services such as GMail.

Aside from this, the Sony Dash will also serve as a digiframe a clock, with alarm functionality and it’ll happily play ball with a host of audio and video file formats.

The Sony Dash, which will commence shipping as of April 15^th, can be pre-ordered now via SonyStyle for just shy of $200.

Original Post Link: Sony Dash Now Available to Pre-Order from SonyStyle [Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer with Netflix, Slacker & YouTube Support To Hit Retail 15th April] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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ASUS DR-900 E-Reader Officially Revealed [Asus 9-Inch, 3G-Ready Ebook Reader Shown Off At CeBIT 2010]

Mike — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:12:12 +0000

ASUS has revealed a new, 9-inch ebook reader device at CeBIT 2010 to compete with the Amazon Kindle and other large-format e-reader devices. The ASUS DR-900 E-Reader is a near feature match for the Amazon Kindle DX, sharing similar size, hardware and connectivity options.

The new ASUS DR-900 E-Reader includes a 9-inch e-ink display, similar button-style navigation to the Amazon Kindle DX, standard WiFi connectivity and an option for a 3G-equipped model. Like other e-ink ebook readers, the ASUS DR-900 sips power, lasting long enough for 10,000 page turns on a single charge. The screen itself features a 1024 x 768 resolution, with software capable of displaying ebooks and other documents in PDF, ePub and HTML file formats. The new DR-900 has been hinted to also carry text-to-speech capability and RSS, but ASUS’ press release left a bit to be desired on the stat front. The rest of the DR-900 hardware includes a USB connection, a 3.5mm audio jack, storage options of either 2GB or 4GB and an SD card slot.

The drawback to the ASUS DR-900, at least at present, is the lack of a content partnership like what Amazon boasts with its Kindle. What good is an ebook reader without books? Expect ASUS and other third party e-reader manufacturers to address this in the coming months, with more news of open platform ebook retailers and related news.

Original Post Link: ASUS DR-900 E-Reader Officially Revealed [Asus 9-Inch, 3G-Ready Ebook Reader Shown Off At CeBIT 2010] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Apple iPad Encounters “Unspecified Production Problem” [iPad Shortage to Hit Later This Month; Only 300,000 Wi-Fi iPads to be Available?]

Chris — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:32:39 +0000

We were not expecting this to happen but it looks like Apple won’t have enough iPads to go around at launch date. A recent report suggests that the company might only be able to count on 300,000 units at first which means all future iPad owners should be prepared for standing in line in order to get their tablet from Apple this March.

An “unspecified production problem” has been spotted and analyst Peter Misek with Canaccord Adams claims that said problem could determine Apple to postpone the launch by up to a month. But would Apple really do such a thing? After all Steve Jobs said the Wi-Fi version of the iPad will be available at the end of March and it will be really strange not to see Apple deliver on that promise.

So chances are that the Wi-Fi iPad will be harder to buy than initially expected. The production issue will affect most U.S. markets and we can also expect international markets to be hit by the shortage. In fact we might see Apple launch the iPad in the USA alone and delay the launch for its international customers. Apple apparently expected to have around 1 million iPad units available at launch and 300,000 will surely not be enough to meet demand.

The analyst suggested that Apple will sell around 1.2 million iPad units in its 2010 fiscal year and 3.5 million iPads in its 2011 fiscal year.

Naturally we’ll be waiting for Apple to confirm in any way these speculations. And we’re also waiting for Apple to announce pricing details for various countries in which the Wi-Fi iPad should arrive at the end of March. After all we’re not going to take the words of any analyst over Apple’s so don’t despair just yet, folks! Your Apple is on its way and if you waited so much time for it, you’ll certainly manage to wait a couple of extra weeks in case there will indeed be an iPad shortage.

Original Post Link: Apple iPad Encounters “Unspecified Production Problem” [iPad Shortage to Hit Later This Month; Only 300,000 Wi-Fi iPads to be Available?] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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iTab Digital Tablature Reader Revealed [iTab Tab Reader Display Connects To Your Guitar For Tab Sheet Music On The Fly]

Mike — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:22:01 +0000

Guitarists can now ditch the sheet music and printed guitar tab and fast forward to the current tech generated, where touch-enabled media reader devices have become the norm. The iTab Digital Tablature Reader is a 5-inch touchscreen device that stores and displays up to 4GB of guitar tab.

As shown above, the iTab guitar tab reader can be mounted to your guitar’s headstock, but can also be used as a tabletop device on your amp, mic stand, music stand or otherwise. It features a 5-inch touchscreen display with its own UI that’ll allow its users to scroll through and display a massive collection of tab. For guitarists who need a bit of accompaniment, the i-Tab can also store and play back MP3s on the unit’s built-in speakers, or send them to an amp with the included headphone output. If you’re in an environment with a TV, the iTab also includes a tv connection (type unknown) for a larger display when needed.

The iTab guitar tab reader will begin shipping in April for $200 USD. The headstock mount (and a wallet-style carrying case) will be sold as extra options, not included in the base price.

Original Post Link: iTab Digital Tablature Reader Revealed [iTab Tab Reader Display Connects To Your Guitar For Tab Sheet Music On The Fly] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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iLet Mini HAL Tablet from Haleron Costs Just $199 [iLet Mini HAL Won’t Impress with Features But at Least It’s Cheap]

Chris — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:31:45 +0000

Back at CES 2010 we’ve seen a Haleron Mio iLet Tablet and now we have an iLet Mini HAL tablet to look at. It looks like everyone is building tablets these days and the Haleron model here just goes to prove that point. Unfortunately the iLet Mini HAL will not be able to comfortably fight the iPad but at least it will be more than affordable.

The iLet Mini HAL will cost just $199 and it’s supposed to start shipping tomorrow, March 1, 2010. Curios what this baby can do? Well here’s a list of specs for you, folks:

CPU: VIA ARM with Freescale MX Integration 600MHz
7″ TFT LCD TOUCH SCREEN /Resolution: 800*480
Multimedia Codes: Supports MP3/Audio Format ,AVI, Motion JPEG/Video Format supports word docs, excel, PowerPoint, YouTube, games, several video formats, ePub, text, html eBook formats
RAM: 128MB DDR2
HARD DISK: 2GB NAND FLASH, Supports to 32GB Flash or 250GB USB
Communication: Ethernet 10/100M, WIFI: 802.11B/G, 3G USB optional
SD x 1(support up to 32G HCSD)
USB x 2
Stereo Audio out x 1
Microphone in x 1
Audio: High-Fidelity stereo speaker output
16 hours active battery – 72 hours standby
Software: Ocean Android OS (Upgradable) plus Many Pre-Loaded Apps
10GB Cloud Storage via Halerons iConnect
Colors: Black or White
Software: Android Apps. Free Apps at iConnect
1 Year Guarantee

Note: Ocean version of Android is based on Android 1.6. All Ocean versions are upgradable

These are all the official specifications and features of the iLet Mini HAL, as quoted, without all the spelling errors, hopefully, from the official website.

As you can see the iLet Mini HAL will run Ocean Android but for $25 extra you can have order yours with Windows CE 6.0 on board. Not that you’d want anything like that, would you?

So, seriously now, folks, would you buy the iLet Mini HAL? Unlike the iBoard and the iMat this one is an actual product, but doesn’t seem like it deserves much attention.

Original Post Link: iLet Mini HAL Tablet from Haleron Costs Just $199 [iLet Mini HAL Won’t Impress with Features But at Least It’s Cheap] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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JooJoo Tablet Shipping Delayed to March 25 [Former CrunchPad Tablet Postponed Due to "Manufacturing Issues"]

Chris — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:27:51 +0000

Not that we’re advising you not to go for Michael Arrington’s former CrunchPad currently known as the JooJoo tablet from Fusion Garage, but the device is still nowhere to be seen. That pretty much says a lot about how much you can trust this particular company.

The JooJoo was supposed to be arriving on February 25. However that date came and went without us seeing reports from happy/unhappy JooJoo customers pop up all over the web. That’s something really weird considering that Fusion Garage promised to ship the JooJoo within 8 to 10 weeks after pre-order.

Now if you pre-ordered your JooJoo back in December you will have to be ready for some more waiting. The device might only be available around March 25, and there’s nothing that would convince us that this time around Fusion Garage will deliver as promised.

The short press release says that due to some manufacturing issues the JooJoo will not be shipped to your door earlier than March 25. It seems that the “manufacturing issue centers on fine tuning the touch sensitivity of the capacitive screen.”

In other words, if that’s not fixed by March 25 you’ll be entitled to some more waiting. The good news is that Fusion Garage is not particularly happy about the way everything turned out so far and in order to keep unhappy customers at bay the company is willing to throw in a free JooJoo accessory “to compensate for the delay in the delivery of their JooJoo.” We’re probably talking about the $30 stand for the tablet.

I’m not sure if Fusion Garage is aware of it but Apple, its direct competitor, will start selling the Wi-Fi iPad in the last week of March. I guess it’s pretty clear who will get all the attention and the loads of cash from curious customers. Hint hint, Fusion Garage, it’s not you!

Original Post Link: JooJoo Tablet Shipping Delayed to March 25 [Former CrunchPad Tablet Postponed Due to "Manufacturing Issues"] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Apple’s iBooks Prices May Be Lower Than You Think [Source Reports That The Dreaded $14.99 eBook Price May Just Be The Maximum On iPad's iBooks Store]

Kevin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:44:12 +0000

Earlier this month there was a controversy over the price of eBooks. Amazon claimed that the “Big Six” book publishers were now pressing for variable $14.99 pricing in the Kindle Store, (vs. the Kindle’s average price of $9.99) and the impending iPad was seen as their leverage in the discussion. Now, the New York Times is reporting that the iBooks store will have a variable pricing, and some titles will be lower than the $14.99 expected.

The New York Times cited “three people familiar with the situation” who said that Apple has secured a part of the deal that they will be able to sell the most popular books “on sale” at a cost lower than the $12.99 – $14.99 range that most books will sell at.

The New York Times speculates that most books will sell in the $12.99 – $14.99 range, but once they make an appearance on a best-seller list (ironically, the New York Times best-seller list is one of the most respected in the industry), then Apple would be able to sell the book at a lower price.

While it might seem strange that they would sell a popular book at a cheaper price, the New York Times reports that is a common practice at brick and mortar book stores who offer a slight “best-seller” discount.

The NYT’s sources also say that Apple views physical books, not Amazon and the Kindle Store, as their primary competitors with the iBooks store and the iPad. The sources have also revealed that the debate of eBook pricing is being fiercely debated within book publishers, so the eBook pricing drama might not be over yet.

Original Post Link: Apple’s iBooks Prices May Be Lower Than You Think [Source Reports That The Dreaded $14.99 eBook Price May Just Be The Maximum On iPad's iBooks Store] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Dell Mini 5 To Be First In Line Of Tablets [Dell GM Of Tablets Reveals They're Aiming At The iPad, Competitive Prices, Bigger Screens]

Kevin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:59:42 +0000

Dell’s head of the tablet business sat down with Wired magazine and revealed that the Dell Mini 5 tablet is just the first in the company’s line of tablets, and he minced no words over admitting that they’re gunning for Apple and the iPad.

Michael Dell first leaked the existence of the Dell Mini 5 at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month. We’ve now learned that the device will be just first in a long product line of tablets from Dell. This is according to the General Manager of the tablet division at Dell, Neeraj Choubey.

Choubey hinted that future products in the Dell Mini line (although, that name is still not official, Wired reported) will have bigger screens, and their prices will be competitive. They’re also in talks with telcoms to offer a 3G internet package, like Apple is offering with AT&T and the iPad. Choubey told Wired that AT&T loves the idea of the iPad because now they’re selling more than one 3G/mobile phone subscription per user.

Choubey says that the Dell Mini 5 will surpass the iPad in a few areas. While the iPad will run at 4:3, the Dell Mini 5 will have a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is the native ratio for widescreen HD video content. A market analyst that Wired talked to said that companies like Archos have offered Dell Mini-like tablets for years, and none of them have sold particularly well.

While the Dell Mini 5 won’t have the back library of iPhone apps like the iPad will, Choubey says they will attempt to get all Android apps to work on the device – so apps out for the Droid, Nexus One and other Android devices will work on the Dell Mini 5. Oh yeah, the Dell Mini 5 will be able to run that pesky Flash, too.

It’s no secret that there isn’t any love lost between Apple and Dell, and now it looks like the two are pairing up to being challenging each other in the tablet market.

Original Post Link: Dell Mini 5 To Be First In Line Of Tablets [Dell GM Of Tablets Reveals They're Aiming At The iPad, Competitive Prices, Bigger Screens] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Apple iPad UK Pricing Tipped Ahead of Official Debut [iPad Tablet to Retail From £389, More Expensive Than US Counterpart]

Alex — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:36:06 +0000

Just when we least expected, our good friends from Geeky Gadgets have been tipped regarding the Apple iPad UK pricing, and as you probably hinted, the stylish tablet is going to sell for a lot more than it does on the other side of the Atlantic, as the entry-level 16GB WiFi iPad will start selling for £389, the 32GB model at £439 while the 64GB version should be available for £489.

At today’s exchange rate that means that the iPad WiFi models are selling for $593, $670 and $745 respectively, which means that UK customers are going to pay a premium for the tablet as in the US it costs $499, $599 and $699 for the 64GB model. Although there’s nothing regarding the 3G capable iPad price, the same source thinks that the iPad is going to debut in the UK in April, rather than the currently release date quoted on Apple’s website for March.

None of these have been confirmed and Apple kept tight lipped about pricing so far, so better take it with a grain of salt until we have something official.

[via Geeky Gadgets]

Original Post Link: Apple iPad UK Pricing Tipped Ahead of Official Debut [iPad Tablet to Retail From £389, More Expensive Than US Counterpart] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Adobe: Apple Blocking Flash For Corporate Gain [Adobe Product Manager Claims iPhone, iPad Are Without Flash Because Flash Apps Could Replace Paid Apps]

Kevin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:01:54 +0000

When it was noticed that the iPad was without Flash, Apple was quick to point out that it’s buggy and slow. Rumors also circulated that Steve Jobs was taking up some noble cause to bring down Flash’s dominance on the web and popularize HTML5. A manager from Adobe is now stating that Apple is blocking Flash for one reason – profit.

Adobe Product Manager Adrian Ludwig went on the offensive at biconews.com as he defended his company’s product against Apple’s claims. His first point is that Flash has been running on mobile phones for some time now, with none of those models featuring a loss in stability or battery life.

Ludwig says that Apple has blocked Flash on the iPhone and iPad for their own profit. As he puts it, if users could go to Hulu to watch recent TV shows, they wouldn’t need to purchase them from iTunes.

Likewise, Ludwig says that Flash games and applications hosted on the web would lure people away from the paid apps on the iPhone and iPad – of which, Apple takes 30%. Ludwig pointed out that other scripting languages, Java, Ruby, .Net and Python are also blocked on the iPhone OS, and from his point of view, it’s all about protecting Apple’s profits.

It wouldn’t be the first time that the Jobs administration at Apple has done something like this. After all, he did kill the Apple Clone program – and originally the iPod Shuffle only worked with the Apple-branded headphones. And Apple’s draconian and secretive iTunes App Store approval process is hardly open.

With the upcoming HTML5, Adobe’s Flash does seem to be in dire straights, but Mr. Ludwig does make some valid points. Which side – Apple or Adobe – is telling the truth on the real reason for the iPhone OS’s lack of Flash support? We’ll let you decide, but the truth is likely somewhere in the middle.

Original Post Link: Adobe: Apple Blocking Flash For Corporate Gain [Adobe Product Manager Claims iPhone, iPad Are Without Flash Because Flash Apps Could Replace Paid Apps] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Garmin Disappointed By Nuvifone Sales [GPS Maker's Phone Venture With ASUS Sells Poorly, Garmin Has Bad Quarter Overall]

Kevin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:45:01 +0000

GPS pioneers Garmin announced during their quarterly financial statement that they’re pretty disappointed with the sales of their nuvifone – their line of smartphones that’s being produced between them and ASUS. Currently, they’re offering four different models of the nuvifone, but those aren’t enough to help Garmin who posted a dreadful quarterly report overall.

It’s no secret that Garmin and their PND (personal navigation devices) have been hurt by the free turn-by-turn GPS apps from Google and Nokia. The Garmin-ASUS Nuvifone was seen as Garmin’s attempt to say on the cutting edge with this new GPS market. It’s worth stating, however, that Garmin also has a large business producing GPS units for aviation and that business is well.

Although Garmin still posted a profit in Q4 2009, the stock market is all about growth and Garmin lost profit margins vs. Q3 2009, which caused their stock price to lower (ironically, after the stock’s price dropped, speculators rose the price to 10% above where it was on a day where the tech sector lost 2% overall).

Garmin admitted during the conference call that they’re being hurt by the smartphone turn-by-turn apps, and they expect their personal navigation units to fall in sales by another 4% this year.

Garmin vowed to spend more money developing future models of the nuvifone for future versions. Financial analysts told Reuters that they expect Garmin to spend money on more R&D and to give the nuvifone another year to determine if they can play in the smartphone market.

Original Post Link: Garmin Disappointed By Nuvifone Sales [GPS Maker's Phone Venture With ASUS Sells Poorly, Garmin Has Bad Quarter Overall] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Nintendo DSi LL Coming To US March 28th [Larger Screen Nintendo DSi Coming For $190 With eBook Support]

Mike — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:32:01 +0000

Nintendo has announced the United States launch of the Nintendo DSi LL, a larger version of its popular portable gaming device. The Nintendo DSi LL will begin shipping on March 28th for $190 each, including newly announced eBook support.

Nintendo first revealed the DSi LL last fall, showing off its larger, 4.2-inch screens and a full-size pen stylus as compared to the original, smaller Nintendo DS devices. To cash in on the buzz about e-reader devices that were all the rage at CES 2010, Nintendo has added eBook support to its Nintendo DSi LL system. While books will likely be available for purchase and download, the eBook system will not operate as a downloadable app, but will require a DS cartridge when in use. Users can then flip the device on its side and view it as a standard book with two open pages.

The new Nintendo DSi LL will begin shipping on March 28th for $190. The e-reader system will ship later, with a 100 Classic Books title arriving on June 15th that will show off the DSi LL’s reader chops. With a device directed ad adult users, the addition of eBook support seems like a clear win for Nintendo.

Original Post Link: Nintendo DSi LL Coming To US March 28th [Larger Screen Nintendo DSi Coming For $190 With eBook Support] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Spring Design Alex eReader Delayed to First Week of March [Spring Design Alex eBook Reader Postponed to March; Was Supposed to Arrive Yesterday]

Chris — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:30:20 +0000

In case you were not aware of, that Spring Design Alex eBook Reader we’ve talked about a while ago is not ready to hit the streets. In fact the eReader has been postponed to a first week of March release which doesn’t sound very good for us or for the manufacturers.

As we already know March is going to be the month when Apple starts selling the iPad. As flawed as it might be, the tablet is still a great device for both browsing the web and reading eBooks. More importantly the Wi-Fi iPad versions are pretty affordable too with pricing starting at just $499. Isn’t that something you would be interested in? The device is so affordable that you can simply try it out and then, in case you won’t like it, sell it to someone who will appreciate it more. Sure you’ll lose some money but not that much.

Now the Alex reader will cost you $359 which seems like a lot to pay for the device. Sure it has a more than interesting design that offers you both a regular 6-inch e-Reader and a 3.5-inch color touchscreen but the dual-reader seems just a little too expensive when compared to the Kindles or the nook.

The Alex eReader was supposed to be available on February 22 already but that didn’t happen. Customers are not able to order it yet and the official website reads:

Thanks for your patience. We’re almost ready with our Alex store.
Keep checking in and by the first week of March you’ll be able to order your Alex online.
–The Spring Design Team

That’s pretty annoying especially for the folks that were impressed by the Alex reader and wanted to get one ASAP. We’ll be following this one closely as it will be interesting to see how the Alex reader will compete against the iPad next month. Which one are you buying?

Original Post Link: Spring Design Alex eReader Delayed to First Week of March [Spring Design Alex eBook Reader Postponed to March; Was Supposed to Arrive Yesterday] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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iPad Coming to Best Buy; to Sport PowerVR SGX Graphics [iPad SDK Reveals New Features as iPad Demand Rises Past Original iPhone Demand]

Chris — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:47:02 +0000

In case you missed reading iPad-related news here on TFTS then I shall bring you all the latest rumors regarding the upcoming tablet from Cupertino. February is almost over and we’re just a month away from seeing the device in Apple store all around the world.

Initially the Wi-Fi iPad versions will be found in stores while the 3G-enabled iPads are coming only by the end of April. And it looks like the device won’t be available just in Apple and AT&T stores. Just as suggested earlier this month the iPad will be available in Best Buy locations and other retail locations that happen to receive Apple’s assistance will also get it. This is not a rumor anymore as it has been officially confirmed by Tim Cook, Apple’s COO, at the Goldman Sachs annual tech conference in San Francisco.

That must be good news for future iPad customers that will want to get the device. An RBC/ChangeWave new survey says that more people are interested in buying the iPad now, compared to the initial iPhone interest. Since the original iPhone became a hit product we can only assume that the iPad will also sell very well.

And news regarding the iPad keeps coming in. It looks like the latest iPad/iPhone SDK has revealed new features like a front-facing camera, camera flash and video conferencing. While we can’t be sure that the first-gen iPad will receive any of these features we’re definitely thinking that the next iPhone 4G will see some of that action.

But what has been confirmed so far thanks to the new iPhone 3.2 Beta 3 SDK documentation is that the iPad will use a PowerVR SGX chip for those amazing graphics we expect it to deliver. The iPad should offer us a better graphics experience than current iPhones and iPod touches but we still have to wait before being able to iPad graphics performance ourselves.

So are you going to buy the iPad in March?

Original Post Link: iPad Coming to Best Buy; to Sport PowerVR SGX Graphics [iPad SDK Reveals New Features as iPad Demand Rises Past Original iPhone Demand] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Acer Shelving eReader Product [Acer's Chairman Says Market Isn't Big Enough, Still Uncertainty]

Kevin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:22:56 +0000

Last month Acer quietly announced a trio of new products, one of which was an eReader. We’re now learning that Acer has stopped development of their eReader project because of market uncertainty. Besides the fact, Acer Chairman Wang Jeng-tang said that “the size of the e-reader market is not that big”.

When Acer unveiled their plans for the eReader last month, they didn’t exactly have many details. We didn’t learn anything other than the fact they were working on one. It isn’t really clear how far along they were in development. Of course, the eReader market is flooded with product offerings. Sony, Amazon, Barnes and Noble have a few well known offerings while there are a ton of lesser known products out there (and you can’t forget the impending iPad from Apple).

Acer’s Jeng-tang also told reporters that the eReader industry has a whole had yet to come up with an established business model, with some eReader manufacturers selling their own books, and others depending on the users getting their own eBooks from somewhere.

Jeng-tang said that while production on the device has been stopped, they were still “studying the feasibility” of running a successful eReader marketplace. Acer is, of course, the world’s second largest computer manufacturer.

In the same press conference, Jeng-tang said that Acer was continuing to develop CULV notebooks. He says that they were frustrated by the low processing power of some CULV processors but Intel’s latest offerings in that space are good.

Original Post Link: Acer Shelving eReader Product [Acer's Chairman Says Market Isn't Big Enough, Still Uncertainty] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Brother SV-70 eReader [Japanese Printer Company To Release Expensive, Big, Enterprise eReader]

Kevin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:59:49 +0000

The folks at Brother make darn good printers and all-in-ones. Last year, they attempted to enter the eReader market with the SV-100B, which was pushed as a “document reader” and was large and expensive. This year, they’re continuing the trend with the SV-70, another large-panel eReader device.

The Brother SV-70 will have a 9.7-inch screen, which is considerably bigger than the Kindle 2, but roughly the same size as the super-sized Kindle DX. It’ll have the same dimensions as last year’s SV-100, including a thickness of 15.5mm. In order to cut the price from the SV-100, they’ve cut some of the features. The SV-70 will now only have enough memory for 500 e-Pages. They don’t specifically say how much that is – although it’ll also have an SD card slot.

Other features that have disappeared from the SV-100 is the Bluetooth connectivity. The SV-100 could connect to a mobile phone via Bluetooth, then use the phone’s cell connection as sort of a mobile modem for downloading new documents. This has been cut, as well.

The SV-70 does have some features. It can power on in just five seconds, and Brother promises 52 hours of continuous use. The electronic paper display can be viewed in direct sunlight (but they all can) and you can password protect your display.

For getting content on and off the SV-70, you can use the aforementioned SD card slot, or the USB 2.0 port. It’ll also come with bundled software for Windows that’ll help you manage getting your content on the SV-70.

No word on pricing yet, but the SV-100 sold for the steep price of $1,092. Nothing on the release date yet, or if it’ll even be released outside of Japan.

Original Post Link: Brother SV-70 eReader [Japanese Printer Company To Release Expensive, Big, Enterprise eReader] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Origin Eon 18 Gaming Laptop Revealed [Ex-Alienware Execs Launch Rival Gaming Notebook]

Mike — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:17:04 +0000

The high-end PC manufacturer Origin has released a new performance and gaming laptop. The Origin Eon 18 laptop is an 18.4-inch gaming pc, the brain child of three former Alienware execs who departed from the company upon its acquisition from Dell Computer.

The Origin Eon 18 gaming laptop promises high-end gaming performance with topped-out specs. It is powered by an Intel Core i7 Extreme processor (or a Quad or Core 2 Duo option), 8GB of RAM and up to 1.5TB of storage. It features an 18.4-inch LCD display running dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285M graphics cards with a quoted “50% more performance” that prior models, although we’re not precisely sure how to translate that marketing speak.

The Origin Eon 18 also features HDMI connectivity for Blu Ray and other devices, a fingerprint scanning system for security and a 2.0MP webcam with microphone. Beyond that, the Origin Eon 18 has been given a stylish case design, one that’ll turn heads and capture the attention of anyone who recognizes its brand. Those may be few and far between for now, but the unit is shipping now for a price of $2,070. It’s safe to assume you will start seeing this one pop into gaming circles soon-ish.

Original Post Link: Origin Eon 18 Gaming Laptop Revealed [Ex-Alienware Execs Launch Rival Gaming Notebook] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Entourage Edge Delayed [Academia's Dualbook eReader Getting Pushed Back, Price Pushed Up]

Kevin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:31:58 +0000

Earlier this month we covered the Entourage Edge, a dual-screen eReader that had a focus on academic books and texts. One of the device’s dual screens is a color LCD touchscreen, which will be useful for people perusing college textbooks. Reports have come out that the eReader is being delayed one month, and having the price increased.

When the Entourage Edge was shown off at CES early this year, they promised a February release date and a $490 price tag. Now, the ship date for “new orders” has been pushed back to March (although Entourage says that orders already placed are shipping this month). Also, the price of the device has risen $9 to $499. According to Entourage, that is due to the Documents To Go software – a great mobile office suite.

To refresh you on the Entrourage Edge, it will have a 9.7-inch E Ink monochrome touchscreen on one side, and a 10.1-inch LCD touchscreen on the other side. The screens will be able to rotate around, which sounds like what we’ve seen on convertible tablet notebooks.

For an input device, you can either choose to use a stylus on the E Ink display, or use the LCD touchscreen as… well a touchscreen, or bring up a virtual keyboard. The device will have 4GB of storage, or roughly 3000 textbooks. It’ll read ePub and PDF file formats, as well as play a number of audio and video files.

As said above, they’re now accepting preorders for $499 with a ship date in March.

Original Post Link: Entourage Edge Delayed [Academia's Dualbook eReader Getting Pushed Back, Price Pushed Up] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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Steve Jobs Explains iPad’s Lack of Flash Support [Flash to “Hog” the CPU & Drain the Battery of the iPad; No Flash for the iPad]

Chris — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 23:45:00 +0000

Yes, I know, you guys already know that Steve Jobs & Co. do not appreciate Flash on their devices including the iPhone and, more importantly, the iPad which is all about a fabulous Internet experience. But why is Apple so against Flash? Is Flash bad for you? Is HTML5 going to come and sweep us of our feet instantly?

Steve Jobs apparently explained the lack of Flash in their upcoming iPad tablet at the WSJ while he was demoing the device. Naturally the guys from Wall Street Journal employ Flash a lot to animate their website so it will be weird for their regular readers not to be able to access some of that content on the iPad. Apple’s CEO is said to have been quite clear about Flash and what it does to the iPad.

Apparently Adobe’s software is a “CPU hog”, a source of “security holes” and an “old technology” that needs to be replaced. Maybe I’ll have to tell you yet again how HTML5 is not exactly around the corner coming to save our websites and the animations they contain. So in the mean time we’d love to still use Flash on our computers no matter how flawed it is. And I am sure Adobe would have some sort of response for Apple. After all, last time I checked Adobe was still working on improving Flash.

Moving back to Steve Jobs’ explanations it looks like the main reason for ditching Flash is battery performance. According to Jobs the battery life would go from 10 hours down to 1.5 hours if the CPU would be busy with Flash. Well what if we could test that for ourselves? But that won’t happen anytime soon, would it?

Therefore it will be interesting to see how well the iPad really does perform and how will various newspapers and magazine adapt their content to be fully accessible on Apple’s tablet. Unfortunately it will take a while until everyone moves to the aforementioned HTML5 and we’re probably going to see quite a few Flashless iPad versions until that happens.

Picture from Gawker.com

Original Post Link: Steve Jobs Explains iPad’s Lack of Flash Support [Flash to “Hog” the CPU & Drain the Battery of the iPad; No Flash for the iPad] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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HP Slate Tablet to be Cheaper than the iPad? [HP Reported to Offer Cheaper 3G-Enabled iPad Competitor; Microsoft’s Courier Still in the Works?]

Chris — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:41:22 +0000

Remember HP’s Slate? You know, the tablet Steve Ballmer presented at the beginning of the year at CES instead of the much anticipated Microsoft Courier? Well it looks like HP is trying to figure out a way of offering a cheaper 3G-enabled tablet to fight against the iPad.

Neither Steve Ballmer nor HP officials really told us what the Slate is going to be like. Instead everyone waited to see what Cupertino was doing. Apple launched the iPad at the end of January and since then we’ve seen a lot of tablets surface. But the HP Slate is yet to be officially unveiled and we might be in for a longer wait than anticipated.

Nothing is official just yet but it’s being reported that HP will meet its U.S. and Tawianese partners in order to “tweak prices and features” of the Slate. The word on the street is that the 3G Slate will cost less than the cheapest 3G-enabled iPad. The 16GB iPad 3G is supposed to retail at the end of April for $629. Is HP ready to beat that price?

Will HP have the same content universe waiting patiently to be discovered by tablet users? The iPad will offer you access to iTunes, the App Store and the iBook Store. What will the Slate offer in terms of content?

From a different point of view we expect the Slate to be everything that the iPad isn’t. We will probably have multitasking support since the device will Microsoft’s Windows 7. Flash support, webcam, USB, card support and maybe even a HDMI port might be found on the upcoming Slate although at this point we really have no idea how it will look and feel like in the end.

And the word on the street is that the Courier still lives and Microsoft is working on it. That doesn’t mean it will be released to the masses in the near future but maybe Redmond is prepared to offer us a home-made tablet after all.

Original Post Link: HP Slate Tablet to be Cheaper than the iPad? [HP Reported to Offer Cheaper 3G-Enabled iPad Competitor; Microsoft’s Courier Still in the Works?] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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iiView vPad Tablet Revealed [New vPad Tablet Offers Netbook Specs, Windows 7 Starter, 10-inch Screen]

Kevin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:23:37 +0000

Even before the oversized iPod Touch iPad was announced we saw tons of slate-style tablets emerge from companies hoping to take a piece of Apple’s pie. The folks at iiView have introduced a new tablet, dubbed the vPad which will come with a 10-inch screen.

In addition to the screen, the vPad will come with an Intel Atom N270 processor and 1GB of RAM, along with a 160GB hard drive. It’ll be running the cheap Starter edition of Windows 7, which is crippled but it runs well on Atom processors and probably saved $75 off the cost of the tablet.

iiView’s choice of a N270 has been getting a lot of flack from the tech coverage, with a lot of reporters saying that watching YouTube and Hulu is “impossible on a N270,” and that they should of added “a N450 Atom.” Both of these are fallacies.

It’s true that the Atom N270 lack an HD accelerator, but YouTube and 95% of Flash video runs fine with an Atom N270. Some Flash video, including Hulu, will run poorly. I speak from personal experience on the matter.

Secondly, the N450 Atom, which is based on Intel’s Pine Trail architecture, offers an improvement in only one area over the earlier Atom processors, and that’s its improved power consumption. We covered this in our original article covering the launch of the Pine Trail line.

At any rate, the vPad won’t be a extreme video machine like the iPad seems like it will be, but it’s pretty much a netbook in a tablet form, which means its fine for netbook uses, like word processing and net surfing. The default configuration will cost $500 (a bit pricey) while a 3G-enabled version will cost $700.

Original Post Link: iiView vPad Tablet Revealed [New vPad Tablet Offers Netbook Specs, Windows 7 Starter, 10-inch Screen] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

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