We know the feeling of set-top box fatigue as much as anyone, so naturally we were interested in Sony's Internet TV Blu-ray player -- just like the Sony Internet TV, it lets you add Google TV to your system without adding any more boxes. At the same time, we're always wary of combo devices -- they're often a jack of all trades and master of none. And so we set out playing with Sony's second riff on Google TV with the hope that it could serve both duties without sacrificing any features or functionality that we'd expect if we bought two devices. Obviously if you're in the market for both a Blu-ray player and a Google TV device and price is the most important factor it's an easy decision, but you'll have to click through to find out the true cost of having one fewer box under your TV.
This review is primarily of the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray player hardware -- make sure you read our full Google TV review to get a feel for the platform itself!
Hardware
The first thing you'll notice about the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player is that it's white. We don't know about you, but we're not colorblind when it comes to our home theater gear, and we pretty much only want black, silver, or other dark colors in our equipment rack. We're also not a fan of the player's non-standard width, but we do actually like the fact that it's slot loading. Once we get beyond the color and size, we got caught up on the large power brick, which is inconvenient -- Sony's other Blu-ray players have integrated power supplies, and that's the way we like it. At least it isn't a wall-wart type, we suppose.
There are a total of four USB ports (one on the front) which comes in handy for external drives and maybe even accessories down the road -- althoug not surprisingly, the Logitech USB camera for the Revue doesn't work with the Sony. The Sony also lacks the built-in IR emitters of the Revue -- there's a wired two-headed IR blaster, but after using the Revue's built-in emitters we much prefer them to stringing IR blaster cables. This all brings us straight to our biggest complaint: there's also no IR receiver. This is a definite deal breaker for some -- you can't use a universal remote or home automation controller to control the player while watching Blu-ray discs. This wouldn't be a big deal if the included QWERTY remote had better Blu-ray player control buttons, but as it stands right now, it isn't exactly enjoyable to navigate your favorite movie.
As we said in our Sony Internet TV review, we generally like Sony's QWERTY remote, but it's far from perfect. Aside from the fact that it looks like a P-Touch label maker, using the optical mouse will drive you nuts. Add in the fact that our thumbs get confused which circle is for navigation and which is for Home, Back, etc, and it can be pretty frustrating -- these multiple competing interfaces are a problem with Google TV in general. Of course you'll be able to use your phone to navigate the device if you really don't like it, but Sony's apps aren't available yet. The remote does have just about every function under the sun, though, and it does have an IR emitter so you can control your TV's power and volume. There's also an odd AMP button on the remote, which toggles control of either your TV's volume or your AVR's. It has a little LED light on it so you know which is which, but we never understood people who used their TV's speakers if they have an receiver, but the remote doesn't do macros so we sort of get it. The good news is that as a text input device, it's really good, and hey - that's its main purpose in life.
Blu-ray playback
The Internet TV Blu-ray player has most of the features we've come to expect from a modern Blu-ray player, like the ability to bitstream all the latest lossless codecs, resume non-BD-J titles, and, of course, playing back discs, including interactive BD-J content. But if you were hoping for a tightly integrated Google TV and Blu-ray playback experience, we're sorry to smash your dreams: there's almost no integration whatsoever. At the least this is simply annoying, but at the most it can be extremely frustrating: you can't eject a disc while watching TV, for example -- you have to first go to the Disc Player application, and then hit eject. You also can't use Dual View while you're watching a Blu-ray disc, and switching to anything else is basically like stopping the disc, which isn't good considering most Blu-ray Discs won't resume after stop thanks to a deficiency in the design of the Blu-ray interactive platform. Luckily when you hit the Home button on the remote you are warned, but sadly hitting the Top Menu button without holding down the FN key at the same time will take you straight to your cable box's guide without a warning. This is just one of many examples of why the QWERTY remote doesn't make a good Blu-ray remote -- a problem that's exacerbated by the lack of an IR receiver, since you can't use a universal remote. HDMI-CEC is supported though, so you should be able to use your TV's remote to control playback.
All that said, Blu-ray playback quality was flawless, and loading and unloading discs was almost as quick as the BDP-S570, which is saying something as the 570 was the fastest player we've ever tested. The player had no problem outputting all the latest lossless codecs and it happily sent our HDTV a 1080p24 signal without issue.
Software
For the most part the Internet TV Blu-ray player's software is the same as the other Google TV devices, but there are a few differences. For starters, setup took about half as long as the Revue, for reasons we can't really explain. The Sony version of Google TV includes Sony's Qriocity video store, and you have the choice of enabling a quick start mode which pits saving power against being impatient. We did find it a bit odd that the Disc Player application wasn't on the Bookmarks page out of the box, and we couldn't figure out how to add it either. And now we come to our biggest problem with Sony's Internet TV devices: the HDMI passthrough won't pass 5.1 content from our DVR. Nope, instead glorious discrete surround sound is down-mixed to stereo. And if you're thinking you'll just turn the box off to watch your shows with surround sound, think again -- the player doesn't pass any video or audio when it's off.
The built in DLNA client wasn't anything to write home about, and was just as mediocre as most of the other slow DLNA clients we've played with. Overall it works, which makes it a useful feature when you don't care about anything except having a way to consume your pictures and music. The one problem we did have was playing a song and then trying to hit the TV button, only to find the music was playing over the TV's audio. It took us a second to figure out to go back in and stop it first, but it wasn't the the end of the world or anything.
Wrap-up
We're sad to say that the lack of IR sensor to use a universal remote and the inability to pass 5.1 surround sound from our DVR makes this box all but useless to us. Of course we recognize that not everyone has a programmable remote and a surround sound system, but we suspect those people could care less about Blu-ray playback as well. While Sony might improve some of this with firmware updates, at $400 we'd recommend you instead buy a $300 Logitech Revue and stand-alone Sony BDP-S570 Blu-ray player if you're looking to add Google TV to your setup. Sure it'll run you almost $100 more than the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player, but we think it's worth the extra Benjamin -- and input switching -- to enjoy real surround sound and use a modern programable remote.
Microsoft may have missed out on being the first to stream Netflix in 1080p with surround sound, but it's still improving access to the service with a new app for Windows Phone 7 arriving on the same day a dashboard update brings Watch Instantly access to Xbox 360-owning Canadians. The free app should be easily found in the Marketplace Video Store, but just in case you don't have an HTC Surround or similar device in your immediate vicinity check out this demo from March embedded after the break.
Calling this thing a "universal Blu-ray player" seems a bit disingenuous (at least compared to models that have used that moniker in the past), but there's no question that Yamaha's latest does a good bit more than simply play back your newest Blu-ray Disc. The BD-A1000 offers 1080p playback via HDMI, component outputs, coaxial / Toslink digital audio ports, an RS-232C control socket and an Ethernet port, but unlike many BD decks, you'll also find a pair of USB ports (one on the front, one on the rear). Moreover, this guy can tune into Netflix, Blockbuster and YouTube without any fancy software hacks, and as expected, it'll handle BD-Live and BonusView content as well. Too bad that $699.95 MSRP is bound to scare just about everyone away.
YAMAHA AVENTAGE BD-A1000 HIGH PERFORMANCE, 3D-READY BLU-RAY DISC PLAYER ADDS A NEW DIMENSION TO HOME THEATER ENTERTAINMENT
A Complement to Yamaha's AVENTAGE Receivers, this Sophisticated Unit Offers First Class Video and Audio Playback for Hours of Music and Video Enjoyment
BUENA PARK, Calif.––Yamaha Electronics Corporation, the innovator in home theater and digital audio and video reproduction, today introduced the BD-A1000 Blu-ray Disc Player. Offering impressive HD video and audio qualities, the BD-A1000 features content playback from NetFlix, Blockbuster and YouTube Internet video streaming, along with dual USB (front/rear) inputs for a wide-array of audio and video sources.
The BD-A1000 represents Yamaha's first universal Blu-ray player, and adds a new dimension to home entertainment with a multitude of internet-related, interactive features such as BD-Live and BonusView, which provide secondary video/audio for enhanced commentary and information, as well as features for existing and future entertainment options via USB memory.
Integrating Yamaha's most advanced technology with stylish design, the BD-A1000 is engineered for maximum operating convenience with the Yamaha AVENTAGE line of AV receivers. By pressing the SCENE BD/DVD button on a current Yamaha AV receiver remote control, users can turn on the power to the receiver and the BD-A1000, and begin disc playback. The BD-A1000 offers full HD Audio decoding, 1080p/24Hz-compatible HDMI and 7.1 multi-channel analog output with four 2-channel DACs. It has Disc and USB multimedia format compatibility for AVCHD, WMV, JPEG (HD), MP3 and WMA. The BD-A1000 also provides full integration with home automation solutions and is also Control4 certified.
"Home theater enthusiasts are demanding versatile content compatibility, and Yamaha offers the most versatile entertainment options," said Tom Sumner, President, Yamaha Electronics Corporation. "The new Yamaha AVENTAGE BD-A1000 highly enhances the visual and audio experience and is the ideal match for Yamaha's AVENTAGE series of AV receivers."
Additional features include an RC-232C integration control, on-screen display GUI, dual USB ports for video, music and photos playback, and detachable power cable.
The Yamaha BD-A1000 carries an MSRP of $699.95.
For more information, write Yamaha Electronics Corporation, P.O. Box 6660, Buena Park, CA 90620; telephone (714) 522-9105; email infostation@yamaha.com; or visit www.yamaha.com/hometheater.
A report this morning from the South China Morning Post claims that Amazon's 3G-boasting Kindle is selling fast on the so-called "gray" market in China because of its 3G internet connectivity and browser. The device, it seems, offers the Chinese a rare opportunity to side-step the "great Firewall" of the Chinese government, which restricts access to sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Amazon does not officially sell the Kindle in China, which has the world's largest internet-connected population at 420 million. The Kindle, which seems to have been overlooked by the Chinese authorities thus far, makes use of Amazon's own network, Whispernet.
There's been a lot of speculation about what'll happen to ye olde Droid 2 when the GSM-enhanced Droid 2 Global finally busts loose, but it looks like we might now have the answer: it gets a lower price tag. The original model has now fallen to $149.99 on contract on Verizon's site, and evidence from the carrier's internal systems (see after the break for that) suggests it'll be hanging around at that price until at least the tail end of January. Meanwhile, that same internal screenshot is also showing the Droid X holding steady at $199.99 until December 30, so we wouldn't count on getting any sweet deals -- or a dual-mode version of the 4.3-inch beast -- at any point in 2010. Interestingly, the Droid 2 R2-D2 edition is holding steady at $250, so you'd better really want it. Go ahead and follow the break for the evidence.
Update: The Droid Incredible is now $150 direct from Verizon, too -- and considering how universally well-liked that thing is, the Droid 2 might still be a tough sell at the same price. Decisions!
There still isn't much in the way of actual details or pictures, but 4/3 Rumors is reporting that it's heard from sources who say the Panasonic GF2 Micro Four Thirds camera (successor to the GF1) will be announced as soon as next week. What's more, those same sources say that the camera will be the smallest mirrorless camera to date, and that it will use the Panasonic G2 12-megapixel sensor. That rumor is further backed up by a new listing for a GF2 at the Korean Radio Research Agency, although that unfortunately doesn't provide any details beyond the name. You might not want to ditch your GF1 just yet, though -- while camera will supposedly be announced next week, it apparently won't actually be released until sometime early next year.
There's always been tension between Apple's tight control of the iOS App Store and the DRM-free license requirements of the GPL, and it seems like things are coming to a head over VLC, the open-source video player. As you'll recall, VLC was just released for the iPad and iPhone in the past few months, but the port was done by a company called Applidium -- not VLC developer VideoLAN, which holds the copyright and licenses the code under the GPL. VideoLAN now says that since VLC for iOS includes Apple's FairPlay DRM, it's in violation of the GPL and must be pulled -- and that "concerned users are advised to look for applications on more open mobile platforms for the time being." That's certainly fair enough, although we do find it a bit sensationalist that the takedown notice was sent to Apple and not Applidium, since it's technically Applidium that violated the GPL. Then again, the statement was written by VideoLAN developer Rémi Deni-Courmont, who is also senior MeeGo software engineer, so we can see why he'd be interested in promoting a "more open" project. Whatever the case, it doesn't seem like VLC for iOS is long for this world -- you'd best go grab it as quickly as possible. Like, now.
Update: It seems like there's significant dissension in the VideoLAN ranks, as the project's official Twitter page now says there are no problems and is linking to another forum post with some armchair legal analysis of Apple's App Store Terms and Conditions. That sounds like we're in for months of arguing, since huge GPL projects like VLC have layers upon layers of nested copyrights, and no one person can really pursue action without the consent of everyone else, but we'll keep an eye on things. In the meantime, we'd suggest VideoLAN find a lawyer or two to give them a definitive answer on the GPL / App Store question -- it'll save everyone a lot of time and frustration.
The story of the Galaxy Tab has been quite a saga, to say the least. In fact, it was actually back in May that we first heard rumblings of Samsung's plans to unleash a 7-inch Android tablet much like its Galaxy S phones, but it was only after months of painful teasing -- including a cruel look at just its packaging on the Engadget Show -- that Sammy finally unveiled the Galaxy Tab to the world at IFA. The Tab certainly packed the specs -- a 1GHz processor, full Flash support thanks to Android 2.2, dual cameras, support for up to 32GB of storage and WiFi / 3G connectivity -- to put other Android tablets to shame, and our initial hands-on with it only had us yearning for more. Without pricing and availability, however, the story was at a cliffhanger. Of course, those details trickled out over the next few months, and here in the US, Samsung finally announced that all four major US carriers would be getting Tabs to call their own. Verizon then finally took the lead in announcing pricing, and revealed that its Tab would hit contract-free for $600 -- Sprint followed with the same no-contract pricing along with a $400 two-year contract option.
Indeed, it's been quite a long journey, but even after all of that, some of the major questions are still left unanswered. Does the Tab provide a more complete and polished experience than all the other Android tablets out there? How are Samsung's specially tailored apps? And ultimately, has a tablet finally hit the market that can rival Apple's iPad? We think it's about time we answer those questions and finally open what might be the most important chapter of the Galaxy Tab story -- the official Engadget review. We knew you'd agree, so join us after the break.
It's getting increasingly hard for manufacturers to differentiate the look of these all-screen gadgets, but Samsung's done a commendable job distinguishing the Tab from the others with its contrasting front and back surfaces. The back of the rounded-off device is coated in white shiny plastic (whether it will remain ghost white over time remains to be seen), while the front consists of a familiar flush black bezel and glass screen. (Note: we were sent the Sprint version of the Tab and there may be slight aesthetic differences amongst the carrier versions.) The screen and bezel do appear less glossy than the iPad -- you'll still want to keep the Windex (or Brasso gadget polish) and chamois close by, though. Speaking of clean, that's exactly how we'd describe the rest of the design -- there are four touch buttons on the front side, a headphone jack on the top edge and a volume rocker, microSD card slot and power button on the right edge. However, we don't see why Samsung couldn't have made room for a micro-USB port -- you have to charge it and sideload content using Samsung's proprietary charging cable.
To be honest, our real appreciation for the device's design comes more in terms of its form factor. Unsurprisingly, 7-inch tablets are much better for one-handed use than larger-screened ones (i.e. the 9.7-inch iPad or 11.6-inch ExoPC), and the 7.4 x 4.7-inch Galaxy Tab is no different. Steve Jobs may not think the size is optimal, but we loved being able to wrap our smaller hand around the 0.83-pound / 0.47-inch thick Tab when reading a book or hold it like a phone and use our thumbs to type on the on-screen keyboard. Sure, it's not as light or thin as the 0.53-pound / 0.33-inch Kindle or 0.48-pound / 0.4-inch Dell Streak, but it's still light enough to hold up in bed without fearing that you'll drop it on your face.
The overall build of the device is top-notch, and though it may appear to some like an enlarged Captivate or Fascinate, it feels more solid than those plasticy phones. We're not saying it's a rugged device by any standard, but it does feel incredibly durable, and we didn't worry too much when it mistakenly fell off the couch. By the way, the Tab's smooth back causes it to slide off things every so often -- so we'd suggest keeping this little guy in a case or nabbing a stand for it. We do wish the Tab had a built-in kickstand like the Evo 4G and Archos 7. Think about it, Samsung.
Screen
The Tab doesn't have a Super AMOLED screen like its Galaxy S smartphone brothers, but the 1024 x 600-resolution LCD is still stunning. It's notably better than most other tablet screens we've seen of late, which, of course, means that the first thing we noticed was its stellar viewing angles. (You know us and our hang-up with viewing angles.) Tilting the screen off-axis doesn't cause color distortion and sharing it with a friend didn't require us to make any adjustments.
The display itself is extremely bright and colors appear extremely crisp. While some have complained that it looks a bit oversaturated, you can adjust the color saturation in the display settings to your liking. As with the iPad, it's hard to make out what's on the glossy display in the sun, but when we took to shooting some video around New York City on a sunny day we were still able to make out all the controls. While the Tab's resolution isn't as high as the iPad's 1024 x 768-resolution IPS panel, the screen does have better pixel density, which translate to a crisper e-book and webpage reading experience than the iPad. (You know how some of us feel about pixel density.)
Just like the Galaxy S phones, the capacitive screen is extremely responsive, and as we said in our preview, easily matches the iPad in terms of sensitivity. Not once in the last few days of testing did we have an issue making selections with a light tap or scrolling down the length of a long page with a light flicks. Similarly, the four-way accelerometer is quite responsive in most applications (it tends to be slower in the browser) and quick to adjust when turned. As with the iPad using OS 4.2, there's no physical button for turning it off, but you can do so within the screen settings menu. The two speakers on the bottom of the tablet are noticeably louder than your average smartphone (okay, maybe save for the HTC Surround), but if you're planning to have the Tab rock out a party you'll want to connect a set of speakers.
Software: TouchWiz and Android
As we've said throughout a number of our previous tablet reviews, that nice screen is only as good as the software that runs underneath it. And in the case of the Tab, the software is going to be extremely familiar to anyone that's ever used a Galaxy S phone with Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 Android layer. As you probably already know, we've never been particularly big fans of the cartoony design of the interface -- it just feels rather kiddie-like -- but it does provide some nice polish for average consumers and on a tablet it adds more to the generic Android smartphone experience.
"Android isn't ready for tablets." Everyone's heard it, and while we'll get into some of that in the next few sections, the Tab's central UI -- the panes, app drawer, home screen, Swype keyboard -- lends itself nicely to the 7-inch screen. Similarly, the sightly re-skinned Android browser scales nicely to the 7-inch display. Is it just an enlarged version of Google's smartphone OS? Yes, but we've never seen anything wrong with that.
Samsung apps
On the other hand, that doesn't mean there aren't core parts of the OS that require tweaks to take advantage of the added screen real estate, and unlike the many others making Android tablets, Samsung has done more than just throw on the stock applications. Below is a rundown of the core apps Samsung has developed specifically for the Tab.
EMail -- The core of the email app looks like those on the Galaxy S phones, but when you flip the display into landscape mode you get a Microsoft Outlook-like pane that displays your Inbox on the left and the messages on the right. We preferred managing and responding to mail in this app over the Gmail app, which is just the smartphone version.
Calendar -- The calendar app is equally as attractive. In landscape mode you can adjust it so your calendar takes up the entire screen or with a similar two pane view that shows a listing of upcoming events.
Messaging, Contacts -- These are pretty self-explanatory. Even though the Tab isn't technically a phone since all the US carriers have restricted its calling ability, you can use the messaging app to send SMS or MMS messages or e-mails to other contacts. Like the others, you've got a two pane view in landscape mode -- you can look at your contacts on the left side and message from the right.
Media Hub - This one has started to pop up on some Galaxy S phones as well, but the Tab is perhaps the best suited to take advantage of Samsung's new movie and TV store / player. At this point there's over 1,000 videos from MTV, Universal and Paramount, and while there is a decent selection of current titles -- we downloaded the Jersey Shore episode of South Park for $1.99 -- you'll come up empty when you start searching for older flicks. Nope,E.T nor Terminator, just to name a few, aren't available. Of course, everything here is DRM-protected so we had zero luck trying to drag it to our desktop. However, you will be able to log into your Media Hub account on up to five other Samsung devices to watch any previously purchased content. Media Hub isn't a bad over-the-air alternative, but at this point we'd recommend buying content through Amazon's Unbox and sideloading it for use on multiple devices.
Note: Samsung also has a Readers Hub app, which contains access to Kobo's e-book store and other reading content, but Sprint's decided not to preload it.
The Tab also comes preloaded with a handful of third-party applications, including Facebook, Amazon's Kindle, and Qik. (There's a "Free Games" shortcut on the main screen which is nothing but a link to Gameloft's site. Uh, not cool, Samsung.) All of those scaled the 7-inch display quite well -- there weren't any formatting issues or pixelation -- however, that experience really depends on the app at the moment. For instance, Angry Birds looked beautiful on the larger screen. Seriously, it looks so incredibly awesome on the larger display that we spent the last four days replaying the game! Apps like Pandora, Facebook, Twitter, TweetDeck, YouTube also scale well, but other apps like USA Today, Engadget, Raging Thunder 2 Lite, and Speed Test don't. The latter apps are still usable, but you've got to deal with an incredibly large border of blank screen around them.
Samsung claims that any app that abides by Google's coding and design standards should work just fine, but even the apps that do scale obviously weren't built or optimized for tablets, so the experience really is like having a larger smartphone. We don't need to tell you how many of these companies could build better tablet apps if given the right SDKs -- we've seen them all do it with the iPad. Of course, the iPad was in a better situation at its launch: Apple had rolled out development tools for creating larger screened apps and a few of them we already available in the iPad app store, but Google has provided no such direction yet. We've heard that engineers at the Googleplex are in fact working on optimizing apps for tablets with the Honeycomb release and possibly rolling out a separate section of the Market, but until that happens it really comes down to trial and error and living with smartphone-sized designed software on a larger display.
For the most part, the browsing experience on the Tab is rock solid -- pages loaded quickly over WiFi and scrolling / zooming on most pages was snappy. When loading a few sites -- like this very technology site -- we did notice the scrolling to be a bit jittery and not as smooth as on the iPad. However, we do like that there's the ability to change the brightness within the browser. But, obviously, the Tab differs from that other tablet with its full Flash support. So, is it everything you've been waiting for? Thanks to its 1GHz processor, the experience isn't as slow as we've seen on other Android 2.2 devices, but we can't really say we took advantage of the feature all that much. While it's nice to be able to load videos within sites and not have to battle that blue lego block, we were repeatedly given the "this video is not optimized for mobile" message when we hit play. Overall, videos played just fine, but Flash definitely slowed down the rest of the browsing experience. What about other Flash heavy sites? Well, as you can see above, Hulu is a dead end -- we got the same error message even when we logged into our Hulu plus account in the browser. (Hulu, please release a Plus app for Android ASAP!) On that same vein, we had no issues loading a Flash game site like Canabalt, but because it was built for mouse and keyboard environments we couldn't figure out how to jump and avoid death by bricks. What does it all mean? The Tab's Flash capability is a nice fallback, but if you've been thinking it's the killer tablet app you should think again. Not to sound like Steve Jobs or anything, but scaled-up smartphone apps and Flash compatibility alone don't create a well-rounded tablet platform -- it's going to take native apps for the Tab to be truly competitive.
Camera(s)
The Tab's dual cameras are a big differentiator against the iPad, and we do have to say they both came in pretty handy over the last few days. We warn you: people will look at you oddly when you pull it out and take shots with its giant viewfinder! The 3 megapixel cam with LED flash on the back aren't going to replace your point and shoot, but it did take some decent still shots. There's a few samples in the gallery below: the flash was helpful when nabbing some stills on a darkly lit street and the outdoor pics are quite sharp. The camera interface consists of the standard Android controls, and per usual it handled auto-focus and white balance. Oddly, there's no macro mode, but the panoramic mode was great for taking wide-angle shots -- just make sure to hold it extremely steady to avoid blur. There is also a continuous mode, which will take a sequence of nine shots -- it took us a while to figure out that you've got to hold down the camera button to get it snapping. We should note that the panoramic and continuous modes are limited to taking 800 x 600-resolution photos.
It's a bit of a bummer that there's no HD video recording -- the Tab shoots at 720x480 -- but motion capture is quite smooth, and there were no stuttering issues like we've seen on Galaxy S phones. We should mention here that the Galaxy Tab requires you have a micro SD card inserted to use the camera, so it's a good thing Sprint tosses in a 16GB card. Oddly, we couldn't save anything to the 2GB of internal memory or access it when mounted to our Mac or PC. (If you're interested in the European version, our UK review unit has 16GB of internal storage, which is accessible when mounted.)
The 1.3-megapixel front facing cam obviously doesn't take as crisp or detailed shots, but it's perfectly fine for video chatting, awkwardly posing with a friend, or checking your teeth for leftover lettuce. As you can see from the picture above, we were able to get a video call going using Qik over WiFi, although there was quite a lot of delay and in some cases a serious amount of pixelation. We did attempt to use Fring, but the app hasn't been optimized for the tablet yet, and we couldn't get two-way video calling working. Fring's audio was much better, however.
Performance and battery life
Perhaps the best part about the Tab is that you don't have to worry about the sluggish performance we've seen on other Android and Windows tablets. The entire experience is very snappy, and it kept up with us even when we had four or five applications open. Of course, there were times when it would freeze up -- notably when we had a game of Angry Birds running and we were attempting to test a 720p video -- but chances are you won't be taxing the 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor and 512MB of RAM that much. As we mentioned earlier, Flash videos within the browser took a few seconds to appear and did slow down the general browsing experience, but once we were able to hit the play button they ran smoothly. General video playback on the Tab was also quite smooth -- high quality YouTube videos and local 720p content played beautifully at full screen. Similarly, graphics heavy games like Raging Thunder 2 had no issues running and taking advantage of the accelerometer. If you're looking for how the Tab fares on Android benchmarks, it scored consistently over 14 MFLOPS in Linpack.
So, how about that battery life? It's pretty good. After periodically surfing the web and reading on the Tab for about a day and a half with just 3G on, the battery is at about 20 percent. On our taxing video rundown test, which loops a standard definition video at about 65 percent brightness and 3G off, but WiFi on, the Tab's 4000mAh battery lasted for 6 hours and 9 minutes. That's around the same as some of the other Android tablet's we've tested, but not as long as the iPad's 9 hours and 33 minutes.
3G speeds and pricing
We've been testing the Sprint version of the Tab in New York City and have been experiencing fairly standard upload and download speeds: download throughputs have averaged around 1,043kbps and the uplink around 521kbps. Of course, we're day dreaming that Samsung and Sprint are whipping up a 4G Tab as we speak, but for now you're stuck with 3G versions.
Sprint offers two 3G plans for the Tab: 2GB for $29.99 a month and a 5GB option for $59.99 a month, but is it worth attaching a 3G plan to this device? It certainly makes sense to have mobile broadband baked into the Tab, and the Sprint Hotspot feature, which adds an extra $29.99 a month, could be useful for connecting other gadgets to the interwebs. However, we've always had a hard time recommending netbooks that require a two-year contract, and tablets are a similar beast, which is why the $600 no contact version makes more sense in our minds. While it's more money to pay up front than the contract deal (the hardware is only $400 when you commit two years of your life to Sprint), we think it's a better option than committing to paying a minimum of $720 in data over two years. Compared to Apple's offering, the $600 price is actually $29 less than the 16GB / 3G version of the iPad. Those that don't need 3G connectivity whatsoever are better waiting for the WiFi version of the Tab, which we keep hearing will arrive soon.
Wrap-up
After spending the last couple of days with the Galaxy Tab, we can confidently say it's the best Android tablet on the market. Now, that's not saying much given the state of the Android competition, but we can also assuredly say that the Tab is the first true competitor to Apple's iPad. Its crisp display, compact form factor, touch-friendly software and dual cameras undoubtedly have what it takes to win over the average tablet seeker. However, we still have some reservations right now. Google hasn't yet provided any direction on Android as a tablet platform, which means that the Tab is held back by lagging application support and software that doesn't fully take advantage of the extra screen real estate. Remember, that when the iPad launched many developers were already working on tablet specific apps and Apple had an iPad app store in place. Put simply, without that ecosystem and support from Google, Samsung is left to its own devices -- literally. Just today Samsung rolled out an emulator for the Tab that uses the Android SDK and the company says it's working with Google and plans to use future iterations of Android, so we'll have to see what happens -- but for now it looks like the saga of the Samsung Galaxy Tab still has several chapters to go.
The argument used to be that carriers' higher pricing for smartphone data plans were what kept them out of the low end, regardless of the upfront on-contract cost -- but now that T-Mobile has rolled out a 200MB / $10 package, phones like the Comet -- a T-Mobile branded version of the Huawei Ideos announced at IFA -- might actually pose a serious threat to the livelihoods of dumbphones everywhere. Why's that? Well, the carrier will be charging a ridiculously low $9.99 on contract after $50 rebate for it, featuring 7.2Mbps HSPA, FM radio, integrated Swype, microSD expansion up to 32GB, and 802.11b / g / n atop Froyo; in fact, the only immediately-obvious downside to it is that it's got just a 2.8-inch QVGA display. As you might recall, Huawei worked closely with Google to design the Ideos as an Android device for the masses, and we came away with a pretty positive impression with it when we checked it out at IFA -- so we're bullish that this thing is going to make some waves in its Comet guise. It launches on November 3 -- and you'll be able to get it in prepaid guise through some third-party retailers for "less than $200."
We'd all like to think that when we leave our homes absolutely nothing happens there -- except maybe a Roomba making its solitary rounds or a pooch waiting somberly by the door. Of course that's not the case, lots of things can go wrong in your absence and if you're of the paranoid variety surely you've entertained a few of those ideas. With a camera capable of remote monitoring you can assuage some of those fears, and the models from Dropcam are about the easiest we've seen to use. But, at $199 to $279 with monthly monitoring fees ranging from $8.95 to $24.95, they sure aren't cheap.
Whether you go for the $199 Dropcam or the $279 Dropcam Echo (which adds audio to the mix) you're stuck with a QVGA webcam -- that's 320 by 240 worth of pixels that simply wouldn't do on a cameraphone these days and seems awfully poor for a dedicated camera. But, what you're really paying for is the ability to work wholly independently.
Either cam can connect via Ethernet or WiFi, but must be first setup over a wired connection before they can be programmed to hit your hotspot. Once properly configured you can ditch the network cable and stick it anywhere you can get power and a signal. That's quite comparable to the Logitech Alert cameras we recently reviewed, which rely on HomePlug networking to deliver both data and juice over a single cable.
Using mounts that either sit on a table, clamp to a shelf, or screw to the wall you can more or less position the thing how you want, and then its time to go online and see what you can see.
Testing
To view the footage you must go to the Dropcam site, where video is streamed through your browser, or get yourself the iPhone app. (No Android app is available yet, it's in beta, but the site works reasonably well in the browser -- if you have Flash enabled.) There is no way to keep footage locally on your network and, while this is great if you want to share your camera with the world (as many Dropcam users do), it's not so great if you're a privacy freak.
It's also not so great if you want to archive your footage locally. Watching your stream live is free, but to go back to anything over the past seven days you'll need to pay $8.95 monthly, and to go back for a full month it's $24.95. Spring for that and you can navigate your footage and download clips, which come in at 152kbps MP4 files. You can also set up notifications if something moves.
The quality is, as you can see, less than optimal. Even with lowered QVGA expectations we were disappointed with the results here, which gave us flashbacks to when Quickcams had PS2 keyboard adapters for power. The Logitech Alert cameras, at $300, delivered much better quality -- day or night.
Wrap-up
The big selling point of the Dropcam models is that they work completely independently of a computer. If you have a location with WiFi but no PC it won't take you five minutes to get one of these streaming footage online. But, the Alert system can work similarly independently and, if you have a computer, offers the added benefit of archiving footage locally for free. To do that here you'll need to pay at least $8.95 a month, which, as they say, adds up quick.
Update: The review was updated to mention the Android app, which is currently in beta.
SCHEMA is a conversational humanoid robot at Waseda University in Japan with some pretty serious skills. As you'll see in the new video video they have posted (which is embedded below), SCHEMA is able to participate in a three person conversation without losing the plot, and is perfectly capable of understanding which speaker is which and what has been said by whom. It's an impressive performance, to say the very least.
TomTom's just launched two new navigational devices, the GO 2405 TM and the GO 2505 TM. These units boast several updated software features, including 'instant' route planning (which is actually continuous routing), and a redesigned interface which makes use of pinch-to-zoom and swiping gestures. The GO 2405 TM has a 4.3-inch display and will run you $299, while the 2505 TM is a 5-incher and retails for $319. Both are available now at Amazon, Best Buy, and TomTom.com, and will be available at retail stores sometime in mid-2011. Full press release is below.
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TomTom Introduces Next Generation Navigation Devices
New GO Series Offers Faster Routing, Enhanced Software and New Look and Feel
CONCORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TomTom, the world's leading provider of location and navigation solutions, announced today the launch of its newest generation of navigation devices in the United States. The new TomTom GO 2405 TM and GO 2505 TM devices will offer consumers a powerful navigation experience with faster routing, an enhanced software platform, and a new look and feel.
"The GO Series combines new software architecture and enhanced routing to provide our consumers with superior driving intelligence."
"At TomTom, we are continuously working to deliver innovative navigation solutions for our consumers," said Tom Murray, senior vice president of market development, TomTom. "The GO Series combines new software architecture and enhanced routing to provide our consumers with superior driving intelligence."
Smarter, Faster Routing
TomTom is committed to providing drivers with a world-class navigation experience and now has created a patented, high-speed algorithm that allows for instant route planning. The GO 2405 TM and GO 2505 TM utilize this innovative technology to conduct continuous routing. By regularly monitoring traffic information, these models will recommend the best current route to drivers.
Intuitive User Experience
The GO 2405 TM and GO 2505 TM are the first TomTom products to include a new, enhanced user interface. With more-intuitive software, users will be routed to any destination within a few taps. Additionally, drivers will experience seamless routing with voice recognition navigation commands.
Complete New Look and Feel
The new devices also feature capacitive touch screen technology and a brighter display. Drivers will be able to navigate through menu screens with just a swipe of the finger and can pinch and zoom for easy map viewing. Furthermore, the device will be secured with a new click and lock magnetic mount that can easily be docked and un-docked with one hand.
Features Overview
The devices offer exciting new features that enhance drivers' user experience, including:
* Instant and continuous routing * Crisp, sharp graphics and intuitive user menus * Pinch-to-zoom and swipe from screen-to-screen using gestures * Bluetooth® hands free calling* to maximize safety * Voice recognition to operate the device with verbal commands * A click & lock mount to keep the device securely mounted while driving * Expanded driving view on 4.3" (GO 2405 TM) or 5" (GO 2505 TM) glass touch screens
In addition to the new features, drivers will continue to benefit from TomTom's most popular offerings, which include:
* Lifetime Traffic & Map Updates** * Announces Street Names * Advanced Lane Guidance
Availability and Pricing
The TomTom GO Series is initially available at Amazon.com, BestBuy.com and TomTom.com in the United States. The devices will be available at retail stores in mid-2011. Prices begin at $299.
We just received a tip and some screencaps, purportedly from the Apple-verse, with a word of warning about Monster's headphone lineup. Apple is apparently blaming the "conductive flanges" used in many of Monster's earbuds for erratic stopping and starting of playback on Apple devices. The point of this internal memo seems for support staff to recognize that what a consumer might assume is a defect in an Apple product might actually be a Monster problem. Interestingly, Apple's list of problem headphones doesn't mention any of the Beats-labeled products that Apple actually sells, and is limited to Monster headphones that include "ControlTalk" tech for controlling playback with a cable-mounted mic / volume / pause remote, modeled after Apple's own iPhone-bundled earbuds. We're not sure if this means Monster is mis-applying Apple standards or just has a manufacturing defect, and it's also unclear if this problem also extends to the ControlTalk-equipped products in the joint-developed Beats lineup, but if you've been having some trouble with random stop-starts in your music on your $400 pair of Copper Turbines (and you aren't listening to James Blake), perhaps this will clear up some confusion. A full list of the affected 'buds is after the break.
This one comes as no surprise, but T-Mobile has announced today that the availability of tethering and WiFi hotspot capabilities for "select smartphones" in its lineup in time for the holidays -- and as is often the case with Big Magenta, they're offering the service at a much more aggressive price point than its larger competitors: $14.99 a month on top of your $30 unlimited data plan buys you unlimited tethering on T-Mobile's glorious HSPA+ network (and in its non-HSPA+ areas as well, of course). We still don't know whether this'll start to roll out on November 3rd as was rumored, but that'd be a nice way to get into the holiday spirit, wouldn't it? Don't get us wrong -- we'd prefer if they offered it for free as part of your $30 package, but in our post-apocalyptic world of streaming video and incessant browsing on the go, that just wasn't gonna happen.
Separately, T-Mobile is also announcing an alternative to that $30 smartphone data: a new 200MB plan clocking in at $10 on a new two-year deal or $15 a month without a contract extension. As you might imagine, tethering isn't available with this one -- we suspect it's just an answer to the new fad adopted by AT&T and Verizon of offering a tiny-bucket data plan alongside your regular gluttonous-bucket package.
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T-Mobile Kicks Off the Holidays With a Compelling Lineup of Affordable Android-Powered Smartphones and New Low-Cost Data Service Plans
T-Mobile Is Making It Easier for Families to Stay Connected This Holiday Season and Beyond
BELLEVUE, Wash. - Nov. 1, 2010 - T-Mobile USA, Inc. today announced new products and service plans designed to help families stay connected without busting their holiday budgets. Beginning Nov. 3, T-Mobile is planning to offer a variety of new Android™ smartphones, including the T-Mobile® Comet™, LG Optimus T™ with Google™ and Motorola DEFY™ with MOTOBLUR™, each for less than $100.
"We're heading into this holiday season with our strongest and most affordable lineup ever of Android-powered smartphones," said Cole Brodman, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile USA. "Combine that with low-cost data service plans and even easier ways to give T-Mobile products as gifts, and we believe families will make the move to smartphones -- enriching how they communicate in the new year."
Affordable Android Smartphones for All T-Mobile's compelling suite of affordable Android smartphones appeals to each member of the family, even first-time smartphone users. In addition to providing access to the mobile Web while on the go, Android-powered smartphones provide customers with one-click access to their favorite Google services, such as Google Maps™, Gmail™, YouTube®, and over 100,000 applications in Android Market™. For less than $100 with qualifying rate plan on a two-year agreement (plus taxes and fees), T-Mobile customers can purchase any of the following devices during the holiday season: The T-Mobile Comet offers a compact form factor, 528 MHz processor, 2.8-inch full touch screen display and a 3.2 megapixel camera. Perfect for customers who are ready to make the affordable transition to their first smartphone, the T-Mobile Comet is also available for prepaid customers at less than $200 (plus taxes and fees), the lowest-priced 3G Android smartphone in the T-Mobile portfolio. The T-Mobile Comet is available in a black finish. The LG Optimus T is an easy-to-use smartphone with a user customizable home screen, 600 MHz processor, 3.2-inch full touch screen display and a 3.2 megapixel camera with video capture. Featuring Voice Actions for Android pre-loaded on the device, the LG Optimus T allows customers to perform commands through voice entry, such as calling, texting, e-mailing and navigating to a specific destination. The LG Optimus T is available in a burgundy or titanium finish. Slim and pocket-able, the Motorola DEFY is equipped to withstand all that life throws your way. The DEFY is scratch- and water-resistant, as well as dust-proof, combined with MOTOBLUR™, an 800 MHz processor, a 3.7-inch full touch screen and a 5-megapixel camera with flash and video capture. The Motorola DEFY is available in a black and linen finish. The Motorola CHARM™ with MOTOBLUR features a full QWERTY keyboard for easy messaging, a 2.8-inch touch screen paired with a BACKTRACK™ pad for simple navigation, and MOTOBLUR, making it easy to keep up with family and friends. Also featuring a 600 MHz processor and a 3 megapixel camera, the Motorola CHARM is available in a golden bronze or cabernet finish.
Services Families Can Afford In addition to affordable Android-powered smartphones, T-Mobile is delivering new low-cost data service plans expected to be available this holiday season, making data even more accessible for families. New value offers include these: Mobile data plans. With T-Mobile data plans, customers will have two options for data: the Web – 200MB plan or the Web – Unlimited plan. The Web – 200MB plan will be available for $10 per month with a new two-year service agreement or contract extension for a limited time or for $15 per month, which will not require a two-year contract extension. The Web – Unlimited plan will be available for $30 per month. Both data plans will be sold paired with a new or existing voice and text message plan. Tethering and Wi-Fi Sharing service plan. T-Mobile is offering a new tethering service plan that enables select smartphones to function as wireless modems for connecting devices, such as laptops, tablets and netbooks to the Internet through the T-Mobile network. Customers can add the Tethering and Wi-Fi Sharing plan to their Web – Unlimited $30 monthly plan for an additional $14.99 per month.
Availability The T-Mobile Comet, LG Optimus T and Motorola DEFY are expected to be available starting Nov. 3 at T-Mobile retail stores, select dealers and online at http://www.t-mobile.com. The T-Mobile Comet will also be available as a prepaid Android smartphone at Best Buy, Radio Shack and Target. T-Mobile expects its new mobile data plans and tethering service plan will be available this holiday season.
Making it even easier for consumers to give T-Mobile devices and accessories to their friends and families this holiday season, T-Mobile Gift Cards can be purchased and redeemed at select T-Mobile retail stores nationwide.
For more information on T-Mobile products and services, visit http://www.t-mobile.com.
We didn't exactly think that the oStylus capacitive pen was a runaway hit at $75 plus shipping, but at half that? Now we're talking. Founder Andrew Goss just pinged us to say that the company's first capacitive pen is now selling for half of the original MSRP, or $37.50 for those terrible with numbers. The only difference is the shedding of a limited run engraving; these pens are still handmade in-studio, so the build quality will match that of the one we reviewed. We still maintain that this unit is best in the hands of doodlers, and capacitive input devices as a whole still have aways to go, but this ain't a bad price if you're looking to experiment.
What first we thought was the Light is actually something wholly different -- and rather less exciting. What we have here is called simply the AD8000 MID, a 7-inch device from ZTE with an 800 x 480 resistive touchscreen. Power comes courtesy a 600MHz processor, smarts courtesy Android 2.2, and there's up to 16GB of storage internally and SDHC expansion for when that's tapped out. 802.11b/g are your wireless options, while 10 hours is rated as maximum battery life while listening to music, though that drops to six if you're cruising the web and/or watching videos. The FCC has kindly posted the thing's full operating manual including all specs if you'd like to know more, but since Archos already has this segment rather well covered we'll go back to waiting for the Light to light up our lives.
We gave a fortunate sect of consumers a taste of WiMAX during our recent reader meetup in the Big Apple, but now it's available to all: as promised, Sprint has just gone live with New York City's first 4G network. With the holiday sales season just around the bend, this honestly couldn't have come at a better time, and considering the bandwidth strain that hamstrings the city, it could very well make things easier on everyone if the adoption rate is high. Moreover, Sprint has blessed Hartford, New Haven, New Brunswick, Trenton and Tampa with WiMAX as of today, bringing the grand total of lit cities to 61. So, LTE -- whatcha waitin' for?
Update: Naturally, Clearwire has launched 4G in NYC as well. Of course, we're splitting hairs with branding by now, but there it is.
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Sprint Unveils First 4G Mobile Network in the Big Apple
Sprint Expands the Power and Immediacy of 4G to 61 Markets, Now Available in New York City, Hartford, New Haven, New Brunswick, Trenton and Tampa
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The wait is over, starting today, Sprint (NYSE:S) 4G – the next generation in wireless service – is available to customers in New York City, Hartford, New Haven, New Brunswick, Trenton and Tampa. With Sprint 4G, wireless customers can experience mobile downloads, video chat capabilities and turbo-charged Web browsing up to 10 times faster than 3G service1 – all on the first wireless 4G network from a national carrier.
"Sprint has provided customers with 4G service since 2008 and we're proud to extend our leadership to six more cities today, including New York City"
Customers around the country can take advantage of the Sprint 4G Network with a range of 4G-capable devices already available from Sprint. New Yorkers and tourists visiting the Big Apple can quickly access information about the latest Broadway shows and find the latest, greatest places to eat with their Samsung Epic™ 4G and use Google Goggles to pull up facts about each using visual search technology powered by Sprint 4G. They can use video chat on their HTC EVO™ 4G to show friends a live view of Yankee Stadium, and coffee-house dwellers can power up the Overdrive™ 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot to share 4G speeds with up to five WiFi-enabled devices – such as an iPad™, laptop, camera or game console – making downloads, streaming video and Web browsing fast.
"Sprint has provided customers with 4G service since 2008 and we're proud to extend our leadership to six more cities today, including New York City," said Matt Carter, president of Sprint 4G. "Sprint is the first national wireless carrier to make 4G a reality for our customers and with the addition of these six new markets we are now in 61 cities, including Chicago, Baltimore and Houston, and are growing. By the end of the year Sprint 4G plans to light up several major new markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Denver and Washington DC to name a few."
Sprint is delivering the power of 4G as the majority shareholder of Clearwire, the independent company that is building the WiMAX network. For more information, visit www.sprint.com/4G.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 48.8 million customers at the end of the third quarter of 2010 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, Common Cents Mobile and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. With its customer-focused strategy, you can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint
1 "Up to 10x faster" based on download speed comparison of 3G's 600 kbps vs. 4G's 6 Mbps. Industry published 3G avg. speeds (600 kbps-1.7 Mbps); 4G avg. speeds (3-6 Mbps). Actual speeds may vary by plan or based on other factors.
2 Sprint 4G is now available in 61 markets: California – Merced, Modesto, Stockton, Visalia; Connecticut – Hartford, New Haven; Delaware – Wilmington; Florida – Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa; Georgia – Atlanta, Milledgeville; Hawaii – Honolulu, Maui; Idaho – Boise; Illinois – Chicago; Maryland – Baltimore; Massachusetts – Boston; Michigan – Grand Rapids; Minnesota – Minneapolis-St.Paul: Missouri – Kansas City, St. Louis; New Jersey – New Brunswick, Trenton; New York – New York, Rochester, Syracuse; Nevada – Las Vegas; North Carolina – Charlotte, Greensboro (includes High Point and Winston-Salem), Raleigh (includes Cary, Chapel Hill and Durham); Oregon – Eugene, Portland, Salem; Pennsylvania – Harrisburg, Lancaster, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, York; Rhode Island – Providence; Tennessee – Nashville; Texas – Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Killeen/Temple, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, San Antonio, Waco, Wichita Falls; Utah – Salt Lake City; Virginia – Richmond; and Washington – Bellingham, Seattle, Tri-Cities, Yakima.
As with all patent applications, it's a bit early to get too excited about this one, but a recently published filing from Apple dubbed "Nitriding Stainless Steel for Consumer Electronic Products" is one of the more interesting we've seen from the company as of late, especially when you consider its recent acquisition of Liquidmetal's intellectual property. Whereas Liquidmetal promises to let Apple create metal devices that are stronger and not limited to the usual structural or strength limitations found in conventional metals, this new patent application suggests that the company might also be working on a nitride coating for stainless steel that's described as "both scratch and impact resistant." What's more, the application suggests that the coating would not affect the appearance of the underlying stainless steel, and not cause any RF interference either. As pointed out in the application itself, that means it could be used on laptops, portable media players and, yes, even cellphones -- or it could simply be filed away with the countless other applications that haven't seen the light of day. Here's hoping for the former.
The Canalys numbers are out, and with Android coming off an 886 percent jump reported at the end of the second quarter we were expecting something big. So, here it is: Android is up 1,309 percent worldwide from this time last year, taking over 43.6 percent of the US smartphone market in the third quarter. In terms of mobile operating systems that makes it the dominant player in America, but with Apple capturing 26.2 percent it now jumps into the lead when it comes to hardware, beating out RIM's 24.2 percent. That's a swap from last quarter, where BlackBerries beat iPhones 32 to 21.7 percent, and worldwide things are looking the same: Apple at 17 percent compared to RIM's 15. However around the globe it's Nokia and the Symbian Foundation still dominating the stage as the leading smart phone OS vendor, owning 33 percent of the market compared to 38 last quarter, while Microsoft sits at a lowly 3 percent. With WP7 ready to rock the world, and Ballmer ready to release the advertising hounds, that's a figure we'll be keeping a close eye on for the next few quarters. Update: NPD has posted its third quarter smartphone market share and Mobile Phone Track reports; they basically back up Canalys' report, though NPD gives both Apple and RIM slightly less market share. Interestingly, RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8500 series is identified as the second-best selling phone in the US in the quarter, while the lowly LG Cosmos for Verizon takes third. Weird, huh?
ViewSonic's heavy foray into the tablet market has been no secret, but we've been a bit uncertain as to where on the map its products would land. Until now that is. According to ViewSonic's American team, the company will be kicking off its US tablet invasion with the ViewPad 7 in November. Just as we'd heard, the 7-inch device packs an Snapdragon processor, Android 2.2, two cameras (a 3 megapixel cam on its rear and a VGA front facing one), 512MB of memory and 3G capabilities. Sure, it sounds a heck of a lot like the rest of the other Android tablets we've been seeing, but according to ViewSonic this one will most definitely have access to the Google Market and come preloaded with Google's apps. Well, that's a horse of a different color, though its $479 MSRP seems a bit high to us. What about the ViewSonic fans out there that have been eyeing the Android 1.6 / Win 7 dual-booting ViewPad 10, you ask? Well, they'll have to wait until the first quarter of 2011 to get their hands on that one, though at least that gives 'em time to save up the $629 that it's expected to retail for. We should note here, that the ViewPad 10 is identical in design to the Tega v2 we recently reviewed and similar in specs -- it has a 1.66GHz Atom processor, 16GB SSD, 1GB of RAM and Windows 7 Home Premium. We're still unsure where the 10-inch, Android 2.2 G-Tablet that was recently spotted in a Sears circular fits in, but we're definitely getting the hint that Viewsonic's in it to win it with tablets.
Thousands of open-sourced apps available for 7" Android 2.2 3.5G capable ViewPad 7 and 10.1" dual-boot Win 7 and Android 1.6 ViewPad 10
WALNUT, Calif. – November 1, 2010 – ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, today announced its ViewPad line of Android-based devices, featuring the ViewPad 7 and ViewPad 10.
"Leveraging our 20-year display heritage, these new ViewPad solutions provide users with anytime anywhere connectivity," said Jeff Volpe, vice president and general manager for ViewSonic Americas. "With access to the universe of Android apps, our new ViewPads are perfectly suited for enjoying digital entertainment and social media. Office productivity is also a snap with robust web browsing functionality."
ViewPad 7 – The Android 2.2 ViewPad 7 combines a powerful processor with 3.5G capable data technology in a lightweight, pocket-sized 7" form factor. With an 800x480 WVGA LCD screen, this device is one of the only 7" tablet solutions with Android Google Mobile Services (GMS). As a result, consumers can connect to a selection of more than 100,000 apps and games along with Gmail, YouTube and more for a superior and convenient entertainment solution that fits today's mobile lifestyle.
With its wireless 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth® connectivity the ViewPad 7 supports instant messaging, VoIP, and all the web browsing and USB connectivity functions of a capacitive multi-touch device. The ViewPad 7 features 2 built-in cameras: a 3-megapixel, auto focus camera in the rear and a 0.3 megapixel camera in the front. In addition to the integrated 512MB of memory, the ViewPad 7 offers up to an additional 32GB of storage capacity via the micro SD card slot, along with battery life of up to 10 hours. The result is the ultimate device for connected fun and multitasking – in a compact size easier to carry than a netbook and with better media performance than a smartphone.
The ViewPad 7 will be available in late Q4 2010 for an ESP of $479. Third-party accessories and ViewCare™ extended warranties will also be available at launch.
ViewPad 10 – Innovative and productive, this 10.1" dual-boot Wi-Fi device gives users a choice between Windows® 7 Home Premium and Google Android 1.6 within the same device. With a high performance, high speed Intel® Atom™ 1.66GHz processor, integrated 1GB of memory, 16GB SSD hard drive and expandable micro SD slot, the ViewPad 10 is ideally designed to view Flash-based content and Office programs with Windows, and for an optimized mobile entertainment experience with Android. Additionally, the 1024x600 LED backlit panel includes a G-sensor and capacitive multi-touch for intuitive navigation across multiple applications. Teamed with a 1.3-megapixel webcam with built-in microphone, the ViewPad 10 is great for videoconferencing as well.
The ViewPad 10 with dual-boot OS will be available in Q1 2011 for an ESP of $629. Third-party accessories and ViewCare™ extended warranties will be available at launch.
For further information on ViewSonic products, please visit ViewSonic.com or follow ViewSonic on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
About ViewSonic ViewSonic® Corporation is a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions. ViewSonic develops, markets and supports a broad range of innovative products, including LCD TVs, computers, LCD monitors, projectors, digital photo frames, digital signage displays and digital media players. For further information, please contact ViewSonic Corporation at 800.888.8583 or 909.444.8888; or visit ViewSonic.com.
ViewSonic's Finch Club offers resellers an opportunity to benefit from specialized product training and discounts. To sign up, please visit FinchClub.com. ###
Trademark footnote: All corporate names and trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies.
This news release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's expectations with regard to future events. Actual events could differ significantly from those anticipated in this document.
A Nokia tablet running MeeGo has been churning through the rumor mills since earlysummer. Speculation, however, began as soon as Nokia and Intel joined forces on the open source OS back in February. Eldar Murtazin, the ultimate Nokia insider, was first to give the Nokia tablet a name: Z500. Fast forward to yesterday, when reports first surfaced of people successfully replacing valid handset names in the store's URL with "Z500." Instead of being rejected as an unsupported device, the store seemingly accepted the Z500 device name as you can see in the screenshot above (the Ovi store now rejects the modified terminal ID string). Eldar had this to say on Twitter in response:
Rumour mill. As far as I know Nokia Z500 (Nokia Meego tablet) is under question. Nokia arent happy with price/features.
So now we have a name and with any luck, we'll see a MeeGo-based Nokia tablet sometime in 2011 as followup to its Windows-based Booklet. If not, then we'll always have the WeTab.
So, the dual-screen (9.7-inch E Ink and 10.1-inch LCD) Entourage Edge was too big for you, eh? That's understandable. But what about the Pocket Edge, the self-described "world's first mini dualbook" with a 6-inch E Ink panel and 7-inch resistive touchscreen LCD. It's an eBook reader and 7-inch tablet all in one and it's up for a $399.99 pre-order on Amazon right now. What could possibly go wrong?
It's out, right on schedule and it's a biggie. The new Fall 2010 Xbox Live Dashboad update is being rolled out right now in preparation for Kinect to hit shelves on November 4th (or November 10th in Europe). The update includes Netflix search, Zune music, an ESPN entertainment hub, and much much more. Since you probably overslept anyway and don't have time to do the update before heading into the coal mines, why not check out our in depth preview of the update from a few weeks ago. Go ahead, don't cost nothin'. Otherwise, Major Nelson has the full breakdown in the link below.
Apple legal has been abnormally busy over the last year as it engaged a who's who of cellphone makers and government agencies. They've also come down hard on Sanho Corporation's HyperMac subsidiary for using MagSafe and iPod connectors without approval. In response, HyperMac announced that it would stop selling MagSafe cables thereby rendering its HyperMac lineup useless for charging the non-removable batteries in Apple's MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro (although they can still charge USB connected devices like the iPad and iPhone). Now Daniel Chin, President of Sanho Corporation, is informing us that they'll be changing the HyperMac name to "HyperJuice" as part of its ongoing "comprehensive licensing negotiations" with Apple said to cover a "wide array of technologies and issues." He also reminded us that you only have a few hours left to snag a HyperMac with the all important MagSafe cable as sales will be suspended as of midnight tonight -- 00:00 US Pacific Time. Hey, with few alternatives, you might as well go down swinging selling.
While Steve Jobs doesn't like the form factor and Google thinks that Froyo is less than ideal for tablets, we were pretty impressed by the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab's ability to run Android 2.2. Today it's officially on sale in UK shops as previously announced. It's supposed to be coming to all the major UK carriers in addition to Carphone Warehouse, Dixons, and T-Mobile shops. At the moment, we're seeing it in stock at the Carphone Warehouse under a variety of plans ranging from a £499.99 with a £10 pay monthly plan on Talk Mobile that includes 1GB of data. On the other extreme is a £99.99 deal that requires a £40 per month two year contract that includes 5GB of data on Three. It's also offered for a standalone price of £529.99. And please, whatever you do don't call it a UMPC, that was so 5 years ago.
Update: We've just heard that Orange is also launching the Tab at similar price points, starting from £499. Similarly, Vodafone's offering the same tablet for £499 across all of its monthly contracts. On the other hand, O2's slapped a staggering £599 tag onto the device for all of its plans -- a very odd move, we'd say (link only works within the UK).
If you're a home theater or home automation buff then you're certainly familiar with Philips' Pronto lineup of remote controls. Unfortunately, Philips has decided to discontinue its Pronto business after failing to find a buyer. Here's the official quote:
"In December 2009, Philips announced the intention to relocate some of its existing remote control activities in Leuven, Belgium to Asia. At the same time, the intention was communicated to investigate alternative strategic options for the Pronto business, as this activity no longer fits with the Philips strategy. Following thorough research, no suitable partner was found for the acquisition of these activities. As such, Philips confirms today that it will discontinue the Pronto product line and related activities."
An iPhone bug already seen when Australia switched between Daylight Savings Time and Standard Time a few weeks ago has now hit Europe. Twitter just lit up with reports of recurring iPhone alarms going off an hour later than usual. So even though the iOS clock changed correctly over the weekend, the alarm did not. Thing is, according to a ZDNet Australia report from more than three weeks ago, Apple acknowledged the bug with a promise to fix it with a software update. So why wasn't it rolled out in time to avoid this mess in Europe? Let's see if Apple fixes it before North America makes the switch on November 7th, otherwise, you've been warned.
Update: Deleting and re-adding the alarms will NOT fix the issue. We've now tested a number of scenarios under iOS 4.1 on European iPhone 4 and 3GS devices for ourselves. The bug (demoed on video after the break by Roman) appears when using a repeating alarm for anything other than "every day." So for example, your alarm will go off an hour late if it's set for "weekdays," or "weekends," or every "Monday." The following alarms are not affected by the bug:
An alarm that doesn't repeat (repeat set to "never")
An alarm set to repeat "every day"
You can test yourself by creating a repeating alarm (but not every day) to go off one minute in the future and 59 minutes in the past.
Update 2: Some US readers are now waking up to alarms reportedly going off an hour early.
Remember the halcyon days of motion gaming? When the Wii was selling to everyone and everyone's grandmother in such huge volumes that Nintendo couldn't keep up? That time is long-past and, after the most recent disappointing earnings report from Nintendo (which isn't the first), people are beginning to ask the obvious question: when is the thing getting cheaper? For $200 gamers can now choose between a shiny new Xbox 360 or a Wii, and while crimson bundles might help, a price cut would help more. That's not coming soon according to President and CEO Satoru Iwata, saying: "we cannot say [a Wii price cut] will never happen, but we are not thinking of it for the near future." So, when? Well, the last time he said it wasn't getting a price cut that's exactly what it got five months later. Maybe March, then?
Someone's found their way into an internal database and pulled out details on three Verizon phones -- the Samsung Continuum, Samsung Zeal and Motorola Citrus, all of which will reportedly drop on the 11th of next month. We don't have any reason to doubt that, as all three showed up on a recent rebate, but there's more to these leaked screens than a release date. For instance, the Continuum will apparently sport a Swype virtual keyboard on top of a 3.4-inch Super AMOLED screen, to say nothing of that secondary display, and the Motorola Citrus explicitly doesn't support tethering. The Samsung Zeal, meanwhile, isn't a modern smartphone at all, but rather a dual-hinge device with "magic" e-ink keys that change from a standard dialer to a four-row QWERTY layout. Isn't it nice to have all that sorted out?
When Logitech first introduced wireless peripherals, we'd be lucky if our alkaline cells lasted a week, but these days the firm's low-power mice can go months on a charge. Now, the company's taken the next logical step, and made a solar keyboard. With an ultra-slim 1/3-inch profile and a full slate of laptop-style chiclet keys, the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 isn't your average rack of buttons to begin with, but the ambient light solar panels installed on the top of either side should mean you'll never need to plug it in to recharge. That's not a claim we'll be able to test easily, of course, as the company tells us its low-power integrated circuits can theoretically run for three months even if you leave it in a dark desk drawer. It uses the same 2.4GHz Nano Unifying receiver as several other Logitech wireless products, too, meaning you'll only need a single one of your netbook or set-top-boxes' precious USB ports. That's often a concern on MacBooks as well, though you can see from the prominent Windows key this particular product doesn't quite have a Mac-friendly setup.
Though we're obviously far away from being able to tell you how the solar panels fare in normal use, we're typing up this article on one of the boards right now. So far, we're loving the flat, firm feel of the slab and rounded finger-friendly indents on each key, though the QWERTY layout's actually a little cramped for our tastes. We'll let you know how it holds up over the long haul. Find it next month for $80, though, if you're already sold.
Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 Powered By Light - Even Indoors
FREMONT, Calif. - Nov. 1, 2010 - Today, Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) introduced the Logitech® Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 - the company's first light-powered keyboard. The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard powers itself whenever there's light, even indoors, making battery hassles a thing of the past.
"The keyboard is still the best input device for typing emails and IMs, updating your Facebook™ page or posting responses to your favorite blogs - and the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 is the next big innovation in keyboard technology," said Denis Pavillard, vice president of product marketing for Logitech's keyboards and desktops. "The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard is powered by light but can work in total darkness for up to three months. Plus, with its PVC-free construction and fully recyclable packaging, it's designed to minimize its footprint."
Powered by Light - Even Indoors
To give you hassle-free convenience, the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard powers itself through its integrated solar panel - no power bricks or charging cables needed.
The included solar power app (available for download at logitech.com/k750/solarapp) features a lux meter to help you get the necessary light, makes it easy to get at-a-glance information about battery levels, and even alerts you when you need more power.
Logitech's first solar keyboard can be powered by indoor light and stays charged for at least three months in total darkness. Plus an integrated power-indicator light eliminates surprises.
Only 1/3-Inch Thick
But Logitech did much more than bring solar power to the keyboard. At only 1/3-inch thick, the sleek Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard looks good. With its rounded edges and thin profile, this stylish, streamlined keyboard is a joy to hold and behold.
Feel-Good Typing
The low-profile keyboard features Logitech Incurve keys™. Using a concave design, Incurve keys support the shape of your fingertips, while helping guide your fingers to the right keys. In addition, the soft, rounded edges make it easy for your fingers to glide from key to key.
Powerful, Reliable Wireless Connection with Logitech Unifying Technology
The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 offers Logitech Advanced 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity, keeping you connected with virtually no delays or dropouts, so you get all the benefits of a cord, with the convenience of wireless. Logitech Advanced 2.4 wireless also includes 128-bit AES encryption with the keyboard - one of the highest levels of security available.
Plus, the tiny Logitech® Unifying receiver is small enough to stay in your laptop, so there's no need to unplug it when you move around. And you can easily add up to six Logitech Unifying and Unifying-ready mice and keyboards - without the hassle of multiple USB receivers. Pricing and Availability
The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe in November 2010 for a suggested retail price of $79.99 (U.S.). To learn more about the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 please visit www.logitech.com or our blog for more information.
Did ViewSonic's 10-inchtablets catch your eye? We've got good and bad news. The good news is that the G-Tablet (with a 1GHz processor and Android 2.2) is now on sale at Sears for $379.99 -- even less than we were told. The bad news is that the Intel Atom N455-powered ViewPad 10 apparently is, too. We say apparently because Sears seems to have crossed some wires when putting the latter slate up on its site, most egregiously stating that that dual-booting device does both Windows 7 and Android 2.2 for the exact same $379.99. Last we heard, the ViewPad 10 -- like the eerily similar Tega v2 -- could only do Android 1.6 alongside Microsoft's OS and would cost quite a bit more. Don't rely on Sears to cut you a deal, folks.
At last, progress. We've heard whispers of "rural broadband expansion" thrown from halls of politicians for months on end, but it looks like a small company across the pond is cutting through the red tape and getting down to business. Deltenna's WiBE -- described as a device to deliver fast broadband to rural areas that are far from the phone exchange -- is available starting today in the UK and Ireland. It's purpose? It connects to nearby 3G networks and creates a mobile hotspot, not unlike a MiFi. The difference is that it delivers a data throughput around 30 times greater than a 3G USB modem, and the connection range is "typically between three and five-times that of the 3G dongle." The theoretical maximum is 7.2Mbps, with extensive testing demonstrating a typical download rate of 2.8Mbps in rural regions. Cetag Systems in Ireland and Buzz Networks in the UK will be first to offer it, with pricing set at £425 (less with bundles) in England and €299 through Cetag. Wildfowl sold separately, though.
iPlayer in the Lake District, Spotify in Snowdonia, email in the Cairngorms
1st November: Deltenna's WiBE, a device to deliver fast broadband to rural areas that are far from the phone exchange, will today become available to consumers and businesses in the UK and Ireland through its reseller network.
The gadget connects to the 3G mobile network and creates a web hotspot - even when a mobile phone, dongle or MiFi device wouldn't register a 3G signal.
Recent independent tests for a UK broadcaster showed that in areas of weak signal the device delivers a data throughput 30-times greater than a 3G USB modem dongle. And the connection range is typically between three and five-times that of the 3G dongle.
The WiBE's maximum throughput is 7.2Mbps and extensive tests in the UK demonstrate a typical download speed of 2.8Mbps in rural regions. These are achieved through Deltenna's patented directional antennas and alignment algorithms.
Users connect laptops, smartphones or VoIP phones to the device via WiFi.
The device automatically tests each mobile cell in range to determine the fastest available download speed and configures its aerials to achieve the best possible connection and block any interference.
The first companies to offer the WiBE are Cetag Systems in Ireland and Buzz Networks in the UK. Buzz will resell the WiBE with its VoIP service under the name Hubb@.
The WiBE is also undergoing trials with major network operators and was recently selected by the UK Trade and Investment to represent the best of British innovation at Mobile World Congress 2011.
Notes to editors UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is a UK government funded organisation that works with UK-based businesses to ensure their success in international markets, and encourage the best overseas companies to look to the UK as their global partner of choice.
You are standing in an open field as usual, or perhaps you're in the darkness, likely to be eaten by a grue, but the words aren't etching their way into your soul from the familiar computer terminal -- they're on freshly printed paper. Like a player piano, the Automatypewriter lets you play games like Zork by automatically keying in letters via a series of solenoids and fishing line to tell you where you are, and it records your input, too; every time you type "XYZZY" in vain, it's an Arduino board that sends signals to the text parser, which directs a hollow voice to pity your foolish word. Forget the iPad typewriter -- this is old-school. See it in action after the break, or hit the source link for the schematics to build one yourself. Just be sure to install Planetfall, too.
We like the Google TV, we really do, we just think it needs another few months in the oven before it's really going to rock anyone's world. It won't just be Google that makes or breaks it, though, and innovative uses like GameString Adrenalin are certainly going to help. That site offers what it calls "Personal Cloud Gaming," letting you stream the output from seemingly any game on your PC to a browser, where it can be played on a number of devices. Chrome within the Google TV is just one of them, but given how something like a Revue comes with a keyboard and is usually attached to a big display it seems like a good choice. We can't be sure what the lag is like when playing in this way, but the video embedded below does make it look pretty snappy -- though hopefully the service doesn't force you to listen to the same classic Prodigy that trailer does. Right now the service is in free beta, so have at it at the source link.
Show full PR text
GameString Adrenalin Fires Up World of Warcraft for the Google TV
VANCOUVER, BC - Oct 28th, 2010- AfterCAD is pleased to announce that the very first game of Blizzard's World of Warcraft has been played on the new Google TV, using the GameString Adrenalin™. service.
"Using GameString Adrenalin, you can now play high quality game titles using the new Google TV." said Chris Boothroyd, CEO of Aftercad. "The Google TV is pretty cool and we thought it could also serve as a great game console for people who would want to play games they already have on the big screen right along side all of the other great content available on the Google TV. Now you can have it all!"
Aftercad has recently expanded its 3D web publishing efforts to include GameString.com for game developers and Renderjam v2 for CAD and GIS 3D broadcasting and remote access. As cloud computing continues its assimilation of other verticals, developers are looking to cash in on the new cloud gaming methods being touted by the current crop of cloud gaming services. The technology used by Aftercad GameString is different than other cloud gaming efforts and delivers the ability to leverage the full power of Flash or HTML5 on the client's computer or mobile device. This improves game performance and offers Game Publishers more options when designing and deploying games for the web.
"World of Warcraft is a popular game here with the staff at Aftercad so we felt it was appropriate that it should be the first 3D game played on the Google TV." said Boothroyd. "It works really well and you can watch the YouTube Video here":
"Our GameString technology represents the next generation in cloud gaming as it doesn't rely on downloads, plugins, java or obscure codecs to work. The proof is in the fact it works with the Google TV right out of the box while other cloud gaming services will have to write an app to run it on. For Game Publishers looking to leverage the cloud to spice up the production values for Flash based social games, it is clear our approach is the way of the future and the way to go."
To sign up for the GameString Adrenalin Beta, point your browser to adrenalin.gamestring.com
About AfterCAD
AfterCAD is a leading provider of innovative products and solutions that enable the viewing and publishing of complex 3D over the web. AfterCAD's technology allows organizations to publish, share, annotate and manage 3D data for Digital Prototyping, Manufacturing, Building Information Modeling and Gaming.
For more information, visit http://www.aftercad.com
We played devil's advocate with Verizon's $599 Galaxy Tab, but it looks like the T-Mobile version of Samsung's Android 2.2 tablet is going to cost a Benjamin more -- it's ringing up at $699.99 right now at Amazon unsubsidized. If we were you, we'd wait and see what kind of deals can be had in-store come November 10th, but if you simply must have one immediately you'll be able to use it with one of Magenta's standard mobile broadband plans. $25 a month gets you 200MB with 10-cent-per-megabyte overage fees, whereas $40 buys you unlimited use with a 5GB speed cap, and you can purchase blocks of prepaid data an 100MB, 300MB and 1GB increments at the usual rates. It's a bit of a shame we're paying the price of a decent laptop for a seven-inch smartphone sans cellular calls... but you didn't really need that rent money, right?
Heard of the FnacBook, Telecom Italia eBook or Thalia Oyo? It's looking like they're all one and the same -- a Sagem product called the Binder with a six-inch SiPix capacitive e-paper touchscreen. It's also got the standard accelerometer, 2GB of internal flash, a microSD card slot and support for ePub and PDF, but there's one feature that sets it apart from the pack: a cellular modem that'll give FnacBook buyers free 3G service a la the Amazon Kindle's Whispernet. French carrier SFR is subsidizing that little venture, so it's not part and parcel of buying into Sagem's device, but if you find yourself holding onto a different rebrand we suppose you'll still have 802.11 b/g WiFi for your Steig Larsson downloads. Fnac's already taking preorders at €199 (about $277); devices ship November 10th. PR after the break.
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Sagem Wireless Launches Ultra-Light eReader
Pocket-sized Binder eReader combines full wireless connectivity with award winning design
Paris, 28 October 2010 – Sagem Wireless, the leader in the design and development of customised connected devices and services, today announced the launch and commercial availability of Binder – an ultra-light eReader. Delivered to customers as a white-labelled product, the eReader can be ordered today from FNAC, the leading French retailer, as the "FnacBook" and in November through Telecom Italia as part of its digital publishing and eBook project.
eReader
The Binder measures just 152mm x 123mm x 10.7mm, making it smaller than an average paperback book – but with memory capable of storing over 12,000 non-illustrated books. It combines e-paper technology together with embedded 3G and WiFi connectivity to create an eReader that delivers a true "library in your pocket" user experience.
The Binder marries award winning ergonomic design with a capacitive touch screen to deliver a crisp display and contrast in an easy to grip form factor. The full 3G and WiFi connectivity enables the user to receive on-demand the latest magazines and newspapers direct to the device. Supporting all the major text, image and music file formats and Adobe DRM protection, the Binder enables the user to easily switch between their home screen, books, news and other content using the tab-based shortcut buttons.
"The eReader market has developed quickly but until now has been plagued by a simple trade-off – do you want a smaller form factor and less features, or a fully connected experience but with a device that is no longer pocket-sized?" said Jérôme Nadel, EVP Marketing & User Experience, Sagem Wireless. "By focusing on the user experience and using the latest technology, we have developed a device that solves this conundrum. The Binder product combines 3G and WiFi with a feature-rich experience to deliver a true connected lifestyle device."
In contrast to other lightweight eReader devices, the pocket-sized Binder supports eBook and MP3 formats, full note taking capabilities using the virtual keyboard, up to 16GB of memory, and a long battery life equivalent to over 8000 page turns. The Binder's sleek and usable design has been recognised by the Observeur du Design, an annual exhibition organised by the Agency for the Promotion of Industrial Creation, as one of the 150 most outstanding product designs of 2010.
FNAC is retailing the FnacBook at €199 complete with WiFi and free 3G from mobile operator SFR. For more information on the FnacBook, visit http://www.fnac.com/Guides/High-Tech/fnacbook/. For more information on Telecom Italia's eBook project, visit http://ebook.telecomitalia.com/.
Product Specifications: Size: 152mm x 123mm x 10.7mm Weight: <240g Memory: 2GB internal flash; up to 16GB microSD Screen: 6" Sipix ePaper with capacitive touch and Accelerometer automatic screen rotation Connectivity: GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA, HSDPA, WiFi, USB 2.0 Multimedia: Text formats (TXT, Epub, PDF, HTML), picture formats (JPEG, PNG, BMP) and music formats (MP3) including full playlist support
About Sagem Wireless Sagem Wireless provides customised connected lifestyle devices and services to leading consumer lifestyle brands and mobile network operators worldwide. Using technology innovation and customer insight as strategic tools in the product design process, Sagem Wireless develops a range of connected lifestyle devices personalised to the specific needs of different customer segments. With industry leading technology partners and its own R&D centres based in Europe and Asia, Sagem Wireless offers pre-requisite manufacturing expertise intrinsic to the product design process that relies on both flexibility and the highest level of quality to assure successful entry into new and existing markets. For more information, visit: www.sagemwireless.com
This one comes as no surprise, but T-Mobile has announced today that the availability of tethering and WiFi hotspot capabilities for "select smartphones" in its lineup in time for the holidays -- and as is often the case with Big Magenta, they're offering the service at a much more aggressive price point than its larger competitors: $14.99 a month on top of your $30 unlimited data plan buys you unlimited tethering on T-Mobile's glorious HSPA+ network (and in its non-HSPA+ areas as well, of course). We still don't know whether this'll start to roll out on November 3rd as was rumored, but that'd be a nice way to get into the holiday spirit, wouldn't it? Don't get us wrong -- we'd prefer if they offered it for free as part of your $30 package, but in our post-apocalyptic world of streaming video and incessant browsing on the go, that just wasn't gonna happen.
If you're a home theater or home automation buff then you're certainly familiar with Philips' Pronto lineup of remote controls. Unfortunately, Philips has decided to discontinue its Pronto business after failing to find a buyer. Here's the official quote:
An iPhone bug already seen when Australia switched between Daylight Savings Time and Standard Time a few weeks ago has now hit Europe. Twitter just lit up with reports of recurring iPhone alarms going off an hour later than usual. So even though the iOS clock changed correctly over the weekend, the alarm did not. Thing is, according to a ZDNet Australia report from more than three weeks ago, Apple acknowledged the bug with a promise to fix it with a software update. So why wasn't it rolled out in time to avoid this mess in Europe? Let's see if Apple fixes it before North America makes the switch on November 7th, otherwise, you've been warned.
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