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Monday, April 11, 2011

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Acer changes its logo, hopes to start afresh

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 11:34 AM PDT

Over in Acer HQ, it's out with the old and in with the new. Having bid ciao to former CEO Gianfranco Lanci, the Taiwanese company is now slapping a fresh coat of paint and a softer typeface upon its corporate identity. The new Acer green is lighter and brighter and the more rounded new shape looks a lot safer for kids to play around with, should the occasion ever arise. We doubt this will make a big difference in the company's push to be "more like Apple," but hey, at least we now have a visual marker to distinguish the products that came before this shift in strategy to those that come after.

Intel rolls out Atom Z670 Oak Trail processor for tablets

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 11:27 AM PDT

Well, it's a bit past the end of March, but Intel has now finally gotten official with its new Atom Z670 processor for tablets, which you might know better by its Oak Trail codename. Built using a 45nm manufacturing process, the Z670 runs at 1.5GHz and promises to support 1080p video with the aid of Intel's GMA 600 integrated graphics, while also keeping power consumption to a minimum and allowing for smaller, thinner, and fanless devices. As we've seen, there's also plenty of manufacturers already lined up to release devices based on the processor, and Intel says we can expect to see over 35 "innovative tablet and hybrid designs" from the likes of Fujitsu, Lenovo, Razer and Viliv over the course of 2011. What's more, Intel also took the opportunity to tease its next generation 32nm Cedar Trail platform that it will be showing off at its Developer Forum in Beijing, saying that it will enable a "new wave of fanless, cool and quiet, sleek and innovative netbooks, entry-level desktops and all-in-one designs." Full press release is after the break.
Show full PR text
New Intel® Atom™ Processor for Tablets Spurs Companion Computing Device Innovation

Company Outlines Plans to Accelerate Intel Manufacturing Lead with Intel® Atom™ Processor Family and Move Faster than Moore's Law

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

* Over 35 innovative "Oak Trail" design wins from customers including Evolve III*, Fujitsu Limited*, Lenovo*, Motion Computing*, Razer*, and Viliv* available starting in May and throughout 2011.
* "Cedar Trail," Intel's upcoming netbook and entry-level desktop platform, will deliver features including Intel® Wireless Music, Intel® Wireless Display, PC Synch and Fast Boot, as well as improvements in media, graphics and power consumption.
* Innovation beyond the PC: Embedded Intel Atom Z670 creates smaller, thinner, fanless devices for mobile clinical assistants, industrial tablets and portable point-of-sales devices.
* Intel is accelerating its Atom product line to move faster than Moore's law, bringing new products to market on three process technologies in the next 3 years.
* Atom platforms harness Intel's unique "operating system of choice" strategy for Google* Chrome* and Android*, MeeGo* and Windows*, delivering personalized experiences.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intel Corporation today announced that the Intel® Atom™ platform, formerly codenamed "Oak Trail," is now available and will be in devices starting in May and throughout 2011. Over 35 innovative tablet and hybrid designs from companies including Evolve III*, Fujitsu Limited*, Lenovo*, Motion Computing*, Razer*, and Viliv* are based on "Oak Trail" and running a variety of operating systems.

In addition, at the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing, the company will give a sneak peak of its next-generation, 32nm Intel Atom platform, currently codenamed "Cedar Trail." This solution will help to enable a new wave of fanless, cool and quiet, sleek and innovative netbooks, entry-level desktops and all-in-one designs.

"The new Intel Atom 'Oak Trail' platform, with 'Cedar Trail' to follow, are examples of our continued commitment to bring amazing personal and mobile experiences to netbook and tablet devices, delivering architectural enhancements for longer battery life and greater performance," said Doug Davis, vice president and general manager of the Netbook and Tablet Group at Intel. "We are accelerating the Intel Atom product line to now move faster than Moore's law, bringing new products to market on three process technologies in the next 3 years."

The new Intel Atom processor Z670, part of the "Oak Trail" platform, delivers improved video playback, fast Internet browsing and longer battery life, without sacrificing performance. The rich media experience available with "Oak Trail" includes support for 1080p video decode, as well as HDMI. The platform also supports Adobe* Flash, enabling rich content and Flash-based gaming.

With these significant improvements in power-efficient performance, the Intel Atom processor Z670 allows applications to run on various operating systems, including Google* Android*, MeeGo* and Windows*. This unique flexibility delivers both new experiences and more choice when it comes to tablets and hybrid designs that combine the best features of the netbook and tablet together.

The platform also helps deliver smaller, thinner and more efficient devices by packing integrated graphics and the memory controller directly onto the processor die. The processor is 60 percent smaller than previous generations with a lower-power design for fanless devices as well as up to all-day battery life 1. Additional features include Intel® Enhanced Deeper Sleep that saves more power during periods of inactivity as well as optimized Intel SpeedStep® technology. An integrated HD decode engine enables smooth 1080p HD video playback at a fraction of the power consumption.

In addition, Intel Atom Z670 processors come with the Intel® SM35 Express Chipset, delivering a lead-free2, halogen-free3 design with high-speed USB 2.0 for greater performance and Intel® High-Definition Audio to enable premium home theater sound.

Also ideal for small form-factor and portable embedded designs, the platform provides an excellent solution for a range of tablets in retail, medical and industrial applications. Solutions such as mobile clinical assistants allow medical staff to directly input data into patients' electronic files and avoid paper charting. This can result in a reduction in errors, better workflow, higher productivity and reduced paper handling and overhead costs. In addition to the Intel Atom Z670, Intel is offering the Intel® AtomTM processor Z650 for embedded devices with 7-year lifecycle support on Windows and MeeGo operating systems.

Based on Intel's leading-edge 32nm process technology, the next-generation "Cedar Trail" platform will feature improvements in graphics capabilities including Blu-ray 2.0 support, a dedicated media engine for full 1080p playback and additional digital display options including HDMI output and DisplayPort. New features will include Intel® Wireless Music, Intel® Wireless Display, PC Synch and Fast Boot. In addition, the enhancements made in power consumption and TDP will enable fanless designs with longer battery life. This means great acoustics without the hum of a fan and improved ruggedness and aesthetics of the design. Intel is currently sampling "Cedar Trail" to all major OEMs and ODMs. Users can look forward to a new generation of innovative mobile and desktop designs based on the "Cedar Trail" platform in the second half of 2011.

For more information, video, photos and benchmarks visit www.intel.com/newsroom/atom.

About Intel

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world's computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com.

Intel, Intel Atom and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries. *Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

1Software and workloads used in performance tests may have been optimized for performance only on Intel microprocessors. Performance tests, such as SYSmark and MobileMark, are measured using specific computer systems, components, software, operations and functions. Any change to any of those factors may cause the results to vary. You should consult other information and performance tests to assist you in fully evaluating your contemplated purchases, including the performance of that product when combined with other products. For more information go to http://www.intel.com/performance.

2 Intel 45nm product is manufactured on a lead-free process. Lead-free per EU RoHS Directive (2002/95/EC, Annex A). Some RoHS exemptions may apply to other components used in the product package.

3 Applies to components containing flame retardants and PVC only. Halogens are below 900 PPM bromine, 900 PPM chlorine, and 1500 PPM combined bromine and chlorine.

Google Latitude, now with 100 percent more check-in deals

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 11:05 AM PDT

A couple of months back, Google brought check-ins to Latitude, its location-sharing service, through Google Maps 5.1 for Android. Naturally, iPhone users only recently received the same functionality, but some would argue they should be grateful to be included at all. (Kidding. Sort of.) Now, Latitude's inching closer to direct competition with Foursquare and Groupon by offering check-in deals at retailers like RadioShack, American Eagle, Quiznos, and Finish Line. Google is currently namechecking over a dozen nationwide partners, and that list will surely grow as the bandwagon approaches Mach 5. Curious as to how this all works? Check in at RadioShack, for example, and you might receive ten percent off an in-store purchase. Offers are tied to check-in frequency, building on Latitude's three-tiered status system; higher status means better deals. If you'd rather peek nearby offers before you decide to leave the house, head to Google's official check in page in the source link below.

HP demos Citrix running on Touchpad, tries to make webOS corporation-friendly (video)

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 10:44 AM PDT

Lest you thought HP's Windows 7 slate was for large businesses and its upcoming webOS ones were reserved for consumers, not so fast. In a video (embedded after the break for your viewing pleasure), HP touts Citrix running on its forthcoming Touchpad to show it can play nice with enterprises' IT departments, too. As with Chrome OS, Citrix Receiver runs inside the browser, letting people choose the desktop apps they want. Both platforms, it seems, are capable of running computer-aided design applications in the cloud, with HP showing a 3D model in AutoCAD. The frame rate isn't as fluid as HP would have you believe, but getting started appears idiot-proof, thanks to some large, tap-able icons. In any case, with 80 percent of the Fortune 100 already deploying the iPad, it's wise of HP to woo corporate customers with webOS. Isn't that right, Microsoft?

Transformer rooted before ASUS can get it out the door

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 10:21 AM PDT

ASUS Transformer Rooted
When ASUS dumped the source code for its 10.1-inch, Honeycomb-powered Transformer tablet online we knew it was only a matter of time before someone cracked it open and bent it to their will. Before it hit store shelves here in the US MoDaCo founder Paul O'Brien managed to get his hands on one of the upcoming Android devices and, with a little help from Twitter user BumbleDroid, gained root access to the tablet. So, you'll still have to hang out for a bit before getting yours, but at least when it lands you won't have to wait to get your hack on.

[Thanks, Alessandro]

OSCar eO will bring EVs to the Dakar rally (video)

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 09:56 AM PDT

OSCar eO will bring EVs to the Dakar rally (video)
The Dakar is the most grueling race in the world and, while that historic location is no longer the destination, the race itself still serves as the most brutal punishment a car (or bike) can take. If you can cover 5,500 miles across some of the roughest terrain in the world you know you built it right. The RÄ«ga Rally-Raid Team has done just that in the past, and for its next attempt it'll make things more interesting with a series hybrid powertrain. Its car is called the OSCar eO, an EV with enough batteries to make it between 150 and 300km on a charge. However, most Dakar stages are well longer than that, so the car also carries an on-board generator, a Nissan-sourced engine fueled by a 200 liter fuel tank. That's 53 gallons worth of the good stuff to keep this thing going over the kind of terrain you can see in the video below, with regenerative dampers helping to add juice as well. Will the whole contraption make it all the way to Dakar Lima? We're hopeful, but then again we all know how well sand and electronics get along.

ShairPort emulator cracks open the door for more unofficial AirPlay streaming options

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 09:34 AM PDT

There's already a few unofficial AirPlay applications out there, but looks like developer James Laird has now gotten right to the heart of the matter and enabled a whole host of new streaming possibilities. Here's apparently managed to crack the private key used by Apple in the AirPort Express (literally by ripping one open and dumping the ROM), and he's used that to build an emulator dubbed "ShairPort," which will let you stream music from iTunes to any third-party software -- or hardware, for that matter, if someone decided to go as far as to build a device that takes advantage of the private key. Have something in mind? You can download the emulator at the source link below.

SCEA vs. Geohot: Sony wins a not-quite flawless victory

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 09:18 AM PDT

Well, after all the talk of TROs, tweets, and YouTube user info, it seems that the SCEA vs. Geohot litigation has come to a rather uneventful conclusion. According to Sony's Playstation Blog, the case has been settled, and Hotz has agreed to a permanent injunction preventing him from distributing his PS3 jailbreak hack ever again. Of course, while this settlement has cowed the man who did the initial distribution deed, the jailbreak genie's out of the bottle, and no court order can ever put it back.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Olion's Moov caught on video beaming an iPhone to a TV using a little WHDI and a lot of magic

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 08:49 AM PDT

Olion's Moov caught on video beaming an iPhone to a TV using a little WHDI and a lot of magic
Chubby DIY iPad cases aside, there aren't too many options if you want to bring video wirelessly from a mobile device to a wall-mountable TV. The Moov from Olion is one of the few, but sadly it doesn't really exist just yet. Don't be thrown off by a name shared with a windshield-mounted GPS, this is a battery-packing case for iPhones. Slot one in and you get instant, wireless streaming of data to a WHDI-compatible receiver. Video resolution is fair at 1,024 x 768 while latency is said to be less than 1ms at up to 30-feet in range. That's quick enough to get your Need for Speed on, as shown after the break, while the internal battery is said to provide enough juice for three hours of video streaming. Olion doesn't have a shipment date or price in mind right now, still searching for partners of the manufacturing kind. If you have the requisite means of production maybe this could be a match made in silicon -- and in love.

[Thanks, Aviram]

Windows 7 closes gap with XP, is poised to steal top market share this month

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 08:26 AM PDT

As recently as a year ago, Windows XP was the kingpin of PCs in the US with 43.1 percent market share. But that's rapidly changing. StatCounter shows that while Mac OS X is creeping up slightly and Windows Vista continues its death march, Windows 7 is on the rise, steadily closing the gap with trusty ole' XP. Last month, XP's share sank to 32.17 percent, while Windows 7's edged up to 30.84 percent, leaving the latter poised to overtake XP -- something the much-maligned Vista never did. And if early numbers are to be believed, it's already happened: StatCounter says that for the first week in April Windows 7's share (among desktops, at least) totaled 31.71 percent, compared with XP's 31.56. Either way, it seems Microsoft has convinced consumers that it's finally safe to upgrade.

Panasonic's AG-3DA1 camera will shoot 3D video, Robonaut vlogs on the International Space Station

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 08:04 AM PDT

NASA's Robonaut 2 is something of a celebrity around these parts, owing to his dashing good looks and insatiable appetite for publicity, which can now be put to good use with a new toy the landlubbers are sending his way: a professional 3D camera. The human-aiding robot that presently calls the International Space Station home will soon be joined by Panasonic's AG-3DA1, a full 1080p 3D video recorder with twin lenses and dual 2 megapixel 3MOS sensors. Panasonic is also loading up the next Space Shuttle Atlantis flight to the ISS (scheduled for June 28th) with 25.5-inch 3D LCD monitors and rugged Toughbook laptops to help with documenting proceedings aboard the research vessel. The new shooter costs a whopping $21,000, and though it's not clear whether NASA paid for it or Panasonic just decided to be charitable, the space agency should have the cash to splash after deciding to shelve the James Cameron-approved project to slap a zoom-equipped 3D imager on its next Mars rover. We're just wondering if the human world is quite ready for 3D video blogs from its favorite robotic astronaut.
Show full PR text
Panasonic AG-3DA1 Full HD 3D Camcorders Planned for First Flight to Space Onboard the NASA Space Shuttle Mission

3DA1 3D Camcorders to Document Training and the International Space Station after being delivered on June 28th Mission of Space Shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station
2011 NAB Show

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--2011 NAB Show -- In a new dimension for 3D, Panasonic Solutions Company today announced that its AG-3DA1 Full HD 3D camcorder is headed to space to document the International Space Station on the final mission of the NASA Space Shuttle.

"Panasonic is delighted that the 3DA1 3D camcorder is playing a vital role in documenting the NASA mission"

Panasonic is supplying NASA with AG-3DA1 3D camcorders, BT-3DL2550 25.5" 3D LCD monitors and ruggedized Toughbook laptop computers to document the training and preparation leading up to the June 28th launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station. Testing and training for the June 28th launch are currently taking place at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

After being delivered during the shuttle mission, NASA astronauts will use the lightweight 3DA1 to document the International Space Station in 3D. While at the International Space Station, the astronauts will conduct a number of scientific missions that they will capture with the 3DA1.

"Panasonic is delighted that the 3DA1 3D camcorder is playing a vital role in documenting the NASA mission," said John Baisley, Executive Vice President, Panasonic Solutions Company. "Human spaceflight is about the discovery of new things and places. The amazing 3D images that the 3DA1 produces may allow a new and unique view of the exploration of space for many applications."

About the AG-3DA1

The AG-3DA1 is the world's first professional, fully-integrated Full HD 3D camcorder that records to SD card media. The AG-3DA1 will democratize 3D production by giving professional videographers a more affordable, flexible, reliable and easier-to-use tool for capturing immersive content as well as providing a training tool for educators. At less than 6.6 pounds, the AG-3DA1 is equipped with dual lenses and two full 1920 x 1080 2.07 megapixel 3-MOS imagers to record 1080/60i, 50i, 30p, 25p and 24p (native) and 720/60p and 50p in AVCHD. It can record for up to 180 minutes on dual 32GB SD cards in Panasonic's professional AVCHD PH mode, and offers professional interfaces including dual HD-SDI out, HDMI (version 1.4), two XLR connectors, built-in stereo microphone and twin-lens camera remotes. For more information, visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast.

About Panasonic Solutions Company

Panasonic Solutions Company empowers people whose jobs depend on reliable technology. The company delivers collaboration, information-sharing and decision-support solutions for customers in government, healthcare, education and a wide variety of commercial enterprises. Products and services within the company's portfolio include Panasonic Toughbook® mobile computing solutions, projectors, professional displays (including both plasma and LCD), and HD and 3D video acquisition and production solutions. As a result of its commitment to R&D, manufacturing and quality control, Panasonic is known for the reliability and longevity of its products. Panasonic Solutions Company is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, which is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC).

StripeSpotter turns wild zebras into trackable barcodes

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 07:42 AM PDT

We've heard plenty of stories over the past few years about tagging animals with RFID chips, but we've never been particularly keen on the idea. Well, now a team of researchers has come up with a much less invasive way of tracking individual animals -- specifically zebras -- by essentially using their stripes as barcodes. StripeSpotter, as it's known, takes an isolated portion of a photograph of a zebra and slices it into a series of horizontal bands. Each pixel in the selection is then fully converted into black or white, and the bands are in turn encoded into StripeStrings, which eventually make up a StripeCode that resembles a barcode. All this information is stored in a database that allows researchers to directly identify particular animals without ever having to get too close. StripeCode may be a zebra-centric application for now, but its developers see it making a mark across the food chain with the inclusion of other distinctly patterned beasts, like tigers and giraffes. Animal tracking hobbyists can get their own free copy of the application by clicking on the source link below.

Nokia E7 review

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 07:15 AM PDT

Over the years, we've seen a steady stream of business and messaging-centric landscape QWERTY smartphones come and go, with HTC arguably leading the pack via its collection of Windows Mobile, Android, and WP7 devices featuring sliding keyboards and tilt-out displays. But few of HTC's offerings are as iconic or memorable as Nokia's line of Communicator clamshell phones -- starting with the Nokia 9000 in 1996, continuing with Symbian S80 models, and culminating with the Nokia E90 atop S60v3.

The Nokia E7 is the latest in this distinguished succession of Communicators and the manufacturer's current flagship device, dethroning the Nokia N8 which continues on as the company's media mogul. Now that the E7 is finally shipping in the US, we can begin to answer a few outstanding questions about Nokia's latest high-end device. Is it the greatest Communicator to date? Can it carry the torch for Symbian in the immediate future? And more importantly, how does it fare in today's shark-infested Android and iOS waters? Jump past the break for our full review.
Nokia E7 review




Hardware

Let's make one thing abundantly clear: black or silver, the Nokia E7 is one gorgeous piece of hardware. It might not have the proportions of the Dieter Rams-inspired iPhone 4, but it's a handsome and refined phone that can definitely compete in terms of materials and build quality. The E7 design language mimics its N8 sibling, and consists of a flattened aluminum cylinder that features a 4-inch glass-capacitive touchscreen on one side, a glass window protecting the 8 megapixel camera and dual-LED flash on the other side, and tapered plastic covers hiding antennas and connectors at each end. From the front the E7 looks like a larger N8, but in order to accommodate the physical keyboard, the body is sliced longitudinally into two sections. The thinner "half" houses the tilt-out display and the menu key (centered below the touchscreen), the other "half" contains the keyboard, the camera, and most of the electronics. Without a camera pod sticking out the back, the E7 ends up being thinner than the N8 overall, and one of the slimmest landscape QWERTY devices we've come across.

The E7 feels hefty in a reassuring, confidence-inspiring way -- as a point of reference, it's almost the same weight and size as the HTC Thunderbolt, but about 6 mm (1/4-inch) narrower. Fit and finish are impeccable, and so is the attention to detail: there's a machined and polished bevel surrounding the camera window in the back of the E7 and lining the edge of every control on the aluminum body. The top cap contains a 3.5 mm headphone jack, the power / profile key, a mini-HDMI port (behind a plastic door), and a micro-USB connector with a charge indicator. At the opposite end, the bottom cap hosts a microphone and a single speaker. We found a few niggles here. While the headphone jack supports stereo accessories (3-pin) without any problems, it's electrically incompatible with most non-Nokia headsets (4-pin). The speaker is very loud and clear but is positioned such that it becomes muffled slightly as soon as the phone is placed face-up on any flat surface. On the right edge of the E7 you'll find a SIM tray (that's easily removed with a fingernail), a volume slider (which feels downright awkward), and the camera shutter button. The screen-locking slider benefits from the same excellent spring action as on the N8 but lives by itself on the left edge, where it's easier to access when using the keyboard.

The tilt-out display and physical keyboard are the stars of the show. Nokia chose a hinge mechanism similar to the one it implemented on the N97 and N97 mini. Unfortunately, on the E7 this mechanism is universally difficult to open -- almost everyone fails the first time, and risks slipping and dropping the phone in the process. We eventually figured out a sure way to operate the hinge, but it's not intuitive, and requires the (preferably symmetric) application of the right amount of force in the right spot and at the right angle. Assuming you overcome this initial hurdle, the mechanism is spring-loaded in both directions and opens / closes with a satisfying "clunk". Once open, the touchscreen rests at a 30-degree angle from the keyboard, which is equally suited for typing as it is for watching videos. The hinge, back of the display, and base of the keyboard are all cast from a suitably light, strong alloy. We didn't detect any play in the mechanism even after using the E7 for a month, but we did notice that our older review unit was easier to open than the newer one. It's worth noting that the silver model features black accents, including the touchscreen, back of the display, hinge mechanism, keyboard, camera window and flat edges of the end covers.

We're really impressed with the keyboard on the E7. It's one of the best we've used in recent memory -- on par with the keyboard on the HTC Arrive, but with an aligned 4-row layout instead of a staggered 5-row design. Tactile feedback is fantastic despite the short key travel and, unlike the N97 and N97 mini, the space bar is centered properly.

The 4-inch ClearBlack AMOLED touchscreen is bright and beautiful, even in direct sunlight. Colors are vivid, and contrast and viewing angles are excellent, as you'd expect from this type of display. Interestingly, the US version exhibits a slightly warmer color temperature. Resolution is a different story, and pixel-density enthusiasts will be disappointed. With a mere 640 x 360 pixels (what Nokia calls nHD), the E7 makes even a 4.3-inch WVGA display look high definition. Of course, we realize this is a limitation imposed by software, but in this day and age of qHD devices, it misses the mark. We also observed some strange color banding on our European review unit (see here), which might be a manufacturing defect since the problem is absent from the other one. A sheet of Gorilla Glass protects the touchscreen and houses the proximity and light sensors, the earpiece, and a front-facing camera (VGA). Strangely our US model acquired a few small scratches on the display within hours of being unboxed, despite being treated gently, while the other one survived an entire rough and tumble week at CTIA unscathed.

The E7 features almost the exact same internals as the N8: a somewhat lackluster 680MHz ARM 11 CPU, a Broadcom BCM2727 GPU, 256MB of RAM, about 350MB of phone storage, and 16GB of internal mass storage. You'll also find a complete set of radios with support for UMTS / HSPA (pentaband, including AWS), GSM / EDGE (quadband), WiFi b / g / n, Bluetooth 3.0, and AGPS -- there's even an FM receiver. Unlike the N8, there's no MicroSD card slot for additional mass storage, no Nokia 2mm charging port for legacy power sources, and no FM transmitter to annoy your friends with on roadtrips. The E7 also shares USB On-The-Go with its sibling, which allows it to host a number of common USB devices such as flash drives, self-powered hard drives, keyboards, and even optional accessories such as Nokia's own Digital Radio Headset. Both the European and US variants ship with a USB On-The-Go adapter, HDMI adapter, stereo headset, micro-USB cable, and micro-USB charger.

The E7 and N8 come with the same 1200mAh BL-4D battery which is not user-replaceable, and without any visible Torx screws we're not even sure how to access the battery in a pinch. In our tests, call and reception quality lived up to Nokia's usual high standards and battery life was excellent for a fully specced smartphone. The E7 handily beat our Android handsets with almost three days of light duty -- usually about 30 minutes worth of calls, a dozen text messages, three email accounts and one Twitter account being monitored and tended to (that's hundreds of messages), plus the occasional photography (with upload) and music playback each day. Note that during our battery tests we enabled WiFi, turned off Bluetooth, and powered our devices down at night. Needless to say, this is exactly the kind of endurance you'd expect from a business-centric phone like the E7.

Camera

The E7 is equipped with an 8 megapixel EDoF (Extended Depth of Field) camera and dual-LED flash. In typical Nokia fashion the optics and sensor are top notch. This, together with superior image processing results in beautiful shots. As you can see in our sample pictures, color balance and exposure are excellent, and noise is kept under control without obliterating detail. While it's no match for the phenomenal N8, the E7 camera stands out amongst today's smartphones. There's however one massive, glaring problem -- the elephant in the room, if you will -- and that's the EDoF lens. Depth of field becomes meaningless with this camera. Sure, everything from 60cm (two feet) to infinity is perfectly in focus, but just like with a fixed-focus lens it's impossible to take closeup shots. Nokia waxes poetic about how EDoF means no moving parts, allows for a thinner device, improves shooting speed, and makes it easier for the average person to use the camera. We're reminded how the 8 megapixel sensor captures enough information that images can be enlarged and cropped without a huge impact on quality. This is all true, but we feel EDoF is too much of a compromise especially when it's combined with a decent sensor and optics. It just takes away an entire layer of creativity from the picture taking experience when compared to an autofocus lens.
Nokia E7 sample shots

When it comes to video recording, the E7 captures smooth 720p HD content at 25fps with great results. EDoF actually helps here since most phones don't support continuous autofocus during video recording, and instead rely on a sub-optimal preset focus, user-controlled initial focus, or touch-to-focus during capture (like on the iPhone 4). While EDoF precludes closeups, a digital zoom is available with little (if any) effect on video quality. As a bonus, audio is recorded in stereo and sounds very clear. Our sample video was recorded on the E7 and then edited with the bundled video editor. Sadly, this caused the audio to get out of sync, which is a known bug. The camera interface on the E7 is pretty much identical to the one on the N8 and is reasonably easy to use. Most controls are easily accessible, and additional settings are nestled within menus. There's no built-in panorama mode, but a separate app with that functionality is available to download for free from the Ovi Store (see sample here). We only have a couple minor usability complaints: the shutter key is hard to find by feel, and the camera window is flush with the body of the E7 making the glass prone to scratches when the device is resting face up on a flat surface. Overall, the E7 camera delivers strong performance, but we really hope Nokia ditches EDoF and reverts to using autofocus on future flagship products.




Software

We're going to be frank here: Symbian breaks what is otherwise great hardware. Most of what we mentioned about the software in our N8 review applies to the E7 -- it's the same tired routine, a frustrating user experience that quickly becomes a burden day-to-day. Now, before you get up in arms, you have to remember that we've been Symbian users for a very long time, so we're well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of this once-glorious OS. The sad reality is that when measured against the other major platforms Symbian is no longer competitive, especially at the high-end of the market, and that's even more true today than it was six months ago after the launch of the N8. With that disclaimer out of the way, let's look at some specifics. Our European review unit was running what was formerly known as) Symbian^3 PR1.1 while our US model was one release behind at PR1.0, and both devices were using browser version 7.2. Other than the firmware, the most obvious difference between the two appears to be the bundled apps. Beyond the standard set of Nokia apps, which includes the Ovi Store, our US phone came preloaded with Quickoffice, F-Secure, National Geographic, Paramount Movie Teasers, OviMapsChallenge, Climate Mission, Psiloc World Traveler, Vlingo, and topApps. The European variant also included CNN Video and E!, but lost topApps.

Under the hood Symbian is pretty efficient which helps with battery life and multitasking, and provides adequate performance even on run-of-the-mill processors. Unfortunately the E7 often still feels sluggish, despite being faster than most past Symbian devices. The Webkit-based browser -- which used the be one of Symbian's gems -- has stagnated into oblivion over the years, and is now a complete mess. You're simply just better off installing Opera and calling it a day. Email configuration is extremely unintuitive: by default, accounts are proxied on Nokia's servers unless you decline the terms of service during setup. Only then does the email client give you direct access to your account. But it's not all doom and gloom. To this day, Symbian still provides the most comprehensive Bluetooth functionality of any mobile platform. A few apps stand out as examples of what Symbian is capable of. Ovi Maps is an excellent alternative to the ubiquitous Google Maps that supports offline navigation and provides better mapping in most parts of the world. Gravity is a fantastic Twitter client that pushes the envelope of what can be done with Symbian in terms of UI design. It takes full advantage of push notifications and even includes its own on-screen QWERTY keyboard with a portrait mode, something that's still missing from the base OS. The photo and video editors are also quite noteworthy for being powerful and easy to use. But ultimately, these are just a few shining stars in a dead constellation.

Wrap-up

After spending several weeks with the Nokia E7, there's absolutely no doubt that the it's one of the sexiest pieces of hardware we've played with in recent months. Perhaps it's not the greatest Communicator Espoo has ever bestowed upon us, but it comes close and offers the most balanced set of features of any Symbian device to date. This makes it Nokia's de facto flagship smartphone and Symbian's ambassador for the foreseeable future. Devoted Symbian fans will likely be unfazed by the official $679 asking price for the E7 (unlocked and unsubsidized) and will seriously consider picking one up (or its N8 sibling), but for the rest of us the E7 misses the mark. While providing excellent battery life, proper multitasking, and some unique functionality that will please power users, Symbian remains an unmitigated disaster, with a sluggish, frustrating, and cosmetically antiquated user experience. We just can't recommend the E7, especially in light of what the Google and Apple ecosystems have to offer. Dear Nokia, please give us an E7 with a higher pixel-density display, an autofocus camera, a current-generation processor, and a tasty serving of Windows Phone. Oh, and do it soon -- the sharks are starting to smell blood.

Gartner: Apple will dominate tablet space for years, Android won't drink its milkshake until after 2015

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 06:51 AM PDT

Gartner: Apple will dominate tablet space for years, Android won't drink its milkshake until after 2015
The inundation of tablets upon these very pages from day to day should give you an idea that manufacturers see this as a golden opportunity to grab a big chunk of a fledgling market. According to Gartner, though, the prospects are a little less rosy -- for the next five years, anyway. Analyst estimates indicate that the tablet market will boom over the next five years, from 17,610,000 units last year to 294,093,000 in 2015. No, not 294,092,000. 294,093,000. Apple will be the dominant force, its market share not dropping below 50 percent until the terminal year of this study. Android will take up the lion share of the other half, with the remaining dredges shared by MeeGo, WebOS, and QNX. The latter, which powers RIM's upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook, is scheduled to have a 10 percent share. That'll be the closest thing to a threat that Google and Apple will face -- if you believe any of this.

Update: The figures above are in thousands of units.

Apple hires carbon fiber expert to posit composites

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 06:25 AM PDT

If you're going to compete in the consumer electronics business then you'd better have a solid grasp of industrial design and materials science. Otherwise, you're just another manufacturer trying to eke profit from drab slabs of commodity plastic. With the exception of the MacBook, Apple's entire Mac lineup is currently cut from aluminum. However, Apple's been caught experimenting with its newly acquired Liquidmetal materials recently, even as rumors swirl around new ultra-lightweight and durable carbon fiber components and enclosures. Speculation about the latter has been fueled by an Apple patent application for a process that would use carbon fiber materials woven into the reinforced device housings of mobile telephones, laptops, desktops, and tablets. Interestingly enough, the patent app was filed by Kevin M. Kenney (developer of the first all carbon fiber bicycle frame) on behalf of Apple back in 2009, a man who changed his job title to "Senior Composites Engineer at Apple Inc." on LinkedIn at some point after March 1st (according to Google cache). Of course, a carbon fiber laptop is far from unique -- just reference the Sony G11 from 2007 or 2008's Voodoo Envy 133 if you want to see how it's done. But if Apple makes a wholesale shift to carbon fiber in the months ahead then you can expect the horde of me-too OEMs to follow suit a year later. See the before and after LinkedIn profiles for Kenney after the break.

JBL ships AirPlay-enabled On Air speaker dock, charges stiff premium for wireless luxury

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 06:00 AM PDT

It's a familiar face, sure, but there's a key ingredient thrown here that's been lacking on JBL's prior iDevice docks: AirPlay. We're still waiting (and waiting) to see if Apple's going to expand its licensing program to allow third-party vendors the ability to toss in AirPlay video streaming, but for now, JBL's taking advantage of what's out there. The On Air Wireless AirPlay speaker dock -- which is shipping today to Best Buy and Apple Stores after being teased a few weeks ago -- is now good and official, enabling consumers to wirelessly stream their iTunes library from Macs, PCs, iPhones, iPods or iPads right to the dock. Aside from a rather unorthodox design (which should go a long way to dispersing jams in a 360-degree fashion), you'll also find a color LCD, digital FM radio, an inbuilt alarm clock, DSP technology and a proprietary adapter that enables it to be worn as headgear at your next rave. We're guessing that final bit makes the $349.99 price tag entirely more palatable.
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HARMAN Unveils New JBL On Air™ Wireless AirPlay® Speaker Dock for Greater Seamless Music Experience in the Home

Featuring signature JBL® radial design and Apple's AirPlay technology, the device lets music lovers enjoy their entire iTunes® library from any room in their home – without using wires

For product information: http://www.onair.jbl.com/

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE: HAR), today announced the new JBL On Air™ Wireless AirPlay® speaker dock, the newest in the JBL® lineup to provide music lovers an even more seamless music experience within the home. With AirPlay technology built in, the JBL On Air Wireless lets you play music from your iTunes® library on a Mac or a PC, and from an iPhone®, iPad® or iPod touch® device over your existing Wi-Fi® network. Users will enjoy album artwork and song information on the bright color display, and can use the included remote control to play and pause music, as well as navigate to next and previous tracks. AirPlay requires iTunes 10.1 or later and iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 4.2 or later.

Three advanced JBL transducers deliver rich, full-spectrum sound uniformly across a wide-listening area. Distinct stereo imaging is often less than ideal with desktop sound systems, but the JBL On Air Wireless dock's unique HALO (horizontal acoustic level optimization) design delivers clean, powerful sound that JBL products are known for. It also employs proprietary JBL technology – digital signal processing – to maximize sound quality and output under any listening conditions.

"Since the unveiling of our very first iPod dock, HARMAN has always been at the forefront of creating the most cutting-edge products for consumers," said David Slump, president, HARMAN Consumer Division. "With the new JBL On Air Wireless speaker dock, JBL will set the standard again by introducing a solution for music lovers to store, access and listen to their music content for an even greater seamless music experience within the home."

Pricing and Availability

The JBL On Air Wireless speaker dock will be available in April 2011 for $349 MSRP at Best Buy and Apple online and retail store locations throughout the U.S. To learn more, visit http://www.onair.jbl.com.

Product Features

JBL On Air Wireless AirPlay Speaker Dock at a Glance:

· AirPlay wireless music streaming
· Color LCD screen
· Works with Wi-Fi networks
· iPod/iPhone dock
· Digital FM radio with RDS and 10 station presets
· Clock with dual alarms
· Three JBL transducers with 360-degree HALO acoustics
· Proprietary DSP technologies

Samsung Galaxy S II to be available May 1st in the UK

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 05:50 AM PDT

Samsung has just delivered a most welcome (and concrete) bit of news for British smartphone lovers. Its next do-it-all Android superphone will be available on May 1st in the United Kingdom. The Galaxy S II will emulate its predecessor by being made available "across all major networks and retailers." The press release promises a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, which indicates we're looking at the Exynos 4210 variant of this handset. We'll try to track down availability information for the rest of Europe, but at least Brits can now stop fretting about the delay / non-delay of this marquee phone's launch.
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SAMSUNG ANNOUNCES UK AVAILABILITY OF THE GALAXY S II

Samsung's most powerful smartphone yet set to hit UK shores on 1st May

11th April 2011, London, UK – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., today announces that its slimmest and lightest smartphone yet, the Samsung Galaxy S II (Model: GT-I9100), will be available in UK shops on 1st May 2011. The Galaxy S II is the first handset to offer Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus screen technology, the largest, brightest and most colourful screen available in Samsung's portfolio of devices.

Super slim (8.49mm) and lightweight (116g) Samsung's Galaxy S II runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and is super-fast thanks to its dual-core 1.2GHz processor. The device's exceptionally bright screen makes it perfect for watching movies and TV or playing games and looking at apps, with its ground-breaking 'organic' LED technology, Super AMOLED Plus also saving energy so you can enjoy watching content without affecting the battery life.

The Galaxy S II is built for multi-tasking, its dual-core processor makes switching between applications and loading web pages such as Google, Yahoo and YouTube quick, whilst superior 3D hardware means games and videos can be loaded and played with ease. What's more, there's immediate access to content and services such as catch up TV and movie downloads, thanks to super-fast connectivity and WiFi, with speeds up to 21Mbps which provides increased download speeds, and Bluetooth 3.0+HS which reduces data transfer times significantly.

Simon Stanford, Managing Director, Mobile, Samsung UK and Ireland said: "From the moment it was revealed at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona there has been a huge buzz about the Galaxy S II, so we're pleased to announce that it will be available for UK customers to buy from 1st May. Our slimmest, lightest, fastest smartphone is our first device to offer of Super AMOLED Plus screen technology, alongside the most advanced technical specifications including the latest Android OS and a dual core processor. We're confident it's a great package for anyone wanting a superior smartphone experience."

The Galaxy S II also features an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p HD recording and playback, Samsung's patented AllShare technology so you can share pictures, movies, and music with other devices and Samsung's new Kies Air which lets people manage their smartphone contents from their PC via local WiFi connections.

A new 'Live Panel' feature on the Galaxy S II allows aggregation of live web, social networking and application contents to a single customisable home-screen, whilst it's possible to place all the important parts of your life onto three adjacent home screens which you can switch between simply by pressing and holding on the screen. As with all the Samsung Galaxy family, the Galaxy S II features Samsung Hubs, providing a huge range of entertainment content, advanced mobile games and the ability to manage social networking accounts.

The Samsung Galaxy S II will be available in the UK across all major networks and retailers.

Acer's Windows-powered Iconia W500 up for pre-order for $549, ships April 15th

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 05:28 AM PDT

Acer already announced UK pricing for the Windows 7 and Android Honeycomb versions of its Iconia Tab, and now it's ready to take both stateside. Days after Best Buy started taking pre-orders for the Android 3.0-powered Iconia Tab A500, the Windows-based W500 has shown up on B&H's site for $549. Like its cousin, the W500 has a 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) display, HDMI-out and dual cameras, though it steps up to 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, AMD Radeon HD 6250 graphics, and a 1GHz Ontario (C-50) AMD Fusion APU. It also comes with a keyboard dock, putting it in the same price range as ASUS's Android-based Eee Transformer, which costs less but doesn't include its similar-looking keyboard. Acer rates the W500's three-cell battery at up to six hours -- a far cry from the iPad's promised 10-hours and, perhaps, a good reason to wait for slates featuring that lower-power Fusion APU AMD's been shopping around to tablet makers. B&H says it'll ship starting April 15th, but head on over to its website if you're psyched enough to place an order now. Or you can keep saving your pennies for Acer's other Iconia.

Ralph Lauren's solar-panel backpack charges your phone in hours, your credit card in seconds

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 04:52 AM PDT

We here at Engadget are in favor of hitting the books from time to time, but we can't have lame gadget-less backpacks hurting our true techie rep. That's why we're excited to see Ralph Lauren outing its first solar-equipped knapsack as part of its RLX sports line. Four solar cells around back harness the sun's power to generate 3.45 watts -- completely juicing up an iPhone in a purported two-to-three hours, assuming you've got "proper sunlight orientation," of course. Like the optional orange hue (it also comes in black), the sun-sucking cells aren't particularly low profile -- but for $800 don't you want something, uh, recognizable? Still, if you simply must be that guy be sure to hit the source link and don't look back, but for everyone else, might we recommend a portable USB charger for a little less coin?

HTC Flyer hits UK pre-order status at £600, comes with 3G and 32GB of storage

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 04:15 AM PDT

The one Android tablet that isn't riding NVIDIA's Tegra 2 dual-core chip and Google's Honeycomb iteration (but might still be worth buying) has this weekend become available to pre-order in the UK. The Carphone Warehouse is listing a £600 ($983) fee for owning the HTC Flyer, which is more or less a match for the €669 price Amazon.de is offering to German slate lovers. In exchange for a dozen rose-tinted notes with the Queen's face on them, you'll get a 7-inch, 1024 x 600 display, encased in an aluminum unibody case and powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm chip. HTC's Sense UI has undergone some tablet-friendly tweaks and there is of course that Scribe stylus to flex your artistic muscles with. 3G connectivity and 32GB of storage flesh out the Flyer's hardware offering, while the underlying Android Gingerbread OS is promised to get a Honeycomb-flavored update, most likely some time this summer.

Rogue modder rips off stingy consumer, puzzles repairmen... all with a USB thumb drive

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 03:45 AM PDT

Welcome to today's episode of "You Get What You Pay For," starring some poor sap in Russia who bought an external hard drive in China for a "very, very low price." It seemed like a bargain, until the schmo noticed that video files were picking up from the tail end, as if the preceding footage had vanished. When the folks at a local repair shop tore the disk apart they found a dinky 128MB thumb drive running in a loop, emptying itself when full only to start saving more data. Laugh all you want, but the repair guys (and us, frankly) are still scratching their heads as to how those scam artists pulled off this mod in the first place.

[Thanks, David S.]

LG adds 'Tweet-TV' enabled Android phone to its list of Mobile DTV prototypes

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 02:52 AM PDT

Whenever mobile digital television broadcasts finally take off LG will be ready and its latest concept design -- following the autostereoscopic 3D screen shown at CES -- is the Tweet-TV pictured above. At the National Association of Broadcasters show this week it's demonstrating the prototype Android phone with a Harris MDTV antenna that also pulls in relevant tweets and displays them over the broadcast being watched. Whether or not a dose of social networking will help MDTV succeed where others have failed remains to be seen but first we'll see if it manages to reach 40% of the US population later this year. The press release and a bigger picture follow after the break.



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LG ELECTRONICS SHOWS EXPANSIVE CAPABILITIES OF MOBILE DIGITAL TV, DEMONSTRATING 'TWEET-TV' SOCIAL NETWORKING, ELECTRONIC COUPONS, 'GLASSES FREE' 3D

Prototype displays, Smartphones highlight flexibility of mobile DTV standard

LAS VEGAS -- Apr 08, 2011 / (http://www.myprgenie.com) -- As mobile digital television broadcasts ramp up this year, the television receiver of the future will fit in the palm of your hand and do much more than just deliver breaking news, weather alerts, and favorite shows. In fact, the very digital TV broadcasting system used to deliver today's information and entertainment programming to mobile devices can also deliver up-to-the second social networking updates, engaging three-dimensional (3D) telecasts, and electronic coupons that would help eliminate the need to clip or print out coupons.

The first mobile digital TV that displays 3D images broadcast via the ATSC Mobile DTV Standard is being demonstrated by LG Electronics at the 2011 NAB Show here this week. The prototype 7-inch receiver is designed with auto-stereoscopic capability that eliminates the need for special viewing glasses to see stunning 3D TV images.

LG also will show an innovative social network services application for the first time. Viewers engaged with Tweet-TV would be able to interact with program content and submit their comments on programs. The broadcaster consolidates the real-time comments and transmits those short messages with the video and audio, enabling a transparent conversational overlay. The application enables viewers to carry on an open discussion of program content or reply to questions that could be part of an audience quiz.

In addition, to show how local TV broadcasters can now offer more than just linear TV channels, LG Electronics is showing its first Android-enabled smartphone prototype equipped with Mobile Digital TV (MDTV) reception, which offers conditional access functionality for future subscription broadcasts and the capability of receiving "non-real time" data such as electronic coupons or "real-time" data reception with applications like Tweet-TV.

"The ATSC Mobile DTV standard offers broadcasters remarkable flexibility to address the changing demands of consumers and advertisers," said Dr. Skott Ahn, president and chief technology officer, LG Electronics, Inc. "As broadcasters continue their national rollout of Mobile DTV, LG is proud to lead the transition with the latest innovations in mobile DTV services like 3D and applications like Tweet-TV and Electronic Coupons."

The demonstrations are made possible through a cooperative effort with Harris Corporation, which has developed the necessary MDTV transmission equipment, and local DTV broadcasters KLAS-TV, 8 News NOW in Las Vegas. Roundbox, a leading mobile software provider, is providing non-real time data services that power the Smartphone coupon application, as well as the Electronic Services Guide (ESG) for all three of the innovative applications for ATSC MDTV.

Tweet-TV with Mobile DTV

In collaboration with Roundbox, LG is demonstrating the new "Tweet-TV" mobile DTV application that will allow viewer "tweets" to be displayed interactively on a mobile DTV receiver while a program is airing. A Harris MDTV transmitter will deliver viewer tweets that are received as data files and displayed in a transparent panel over a portion of the LG mobile DTV screen, a prototype version of an LG Android smartphone.

Glasses-Free 3D Mobile DTV

In the Las Vegas demonstration, the 3D signals are being internally transmitted at the Convention Center to receivers throughout the North Hall. Receiving the signal is LG's prototype receiver built around the LG2161 demodulator chip and LG-exclusive 3D formatting circuitry that combines the side-by-side left and right images for seamless viewing without the need for 3D eyewear commonly used for 3D TVs.

The seven-inch barrier-type LCD display shows lifelike 3D images that appear to jump right off the screen. With its built-in antenna, the device also receives conventional 2D 416x240 resolution MDTV broadcasts and scales images up to 800x480 resolution. It also functions as an attractive digital photo frame when not being used as a Mobile DTV receiver.

Electronic Coupons from your Smartphone

Non-real time services such as electronic couponing and video-on-demand are made possible by the versatile ATSC Mobile Digital TV standard now being deployed by broadcasters throughout the U.S. KLAS-TV 8 (RF channel 7) is transmitting digital coupons for electronics stores and restaurants during CES.

The smartphone prototype for both the Electronic Coupon and Tweet-TV demonstrations is LG's first full-touch CDMA device with built-in Mobile DTV circuitry. Running the Android 2.2 (Froyo) operating system and LG's second-generation MDTV chip, the fully-featured Smartphone includes a 3.2" HVGA screen, 3 megapixel camera, GPS and Wi-Fi capability, and other features such as an accelerometer, digital compass, and ability to play back a variety of audio and video codecs.

Chips Available for Portable Device Manufacturers

Co-developer of the technology at the heart of the ATSC Mobile DTV Standard, LG Electronics is producing the critical component for Mobile DTV reception -- the LG2161R single chip design that includes both the tuner and demodulator in a tiny seven-by-seven millimeter square package. This key component of mobile DTV receivers already can be found in a variety of new products being introduced by various manufacturers this year for mobile DTV, from laptop USB accessory receivers to prototype netbooks with integrated mobile DTV tuners.

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Apple reportedly hires top UK gaming PR execs from Nintendo and Activision

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:56 AM PDT

As you may have noticed, Apple has been more serious about gaming lately that it was even during its Pippin-fueled haze in the mid-1990s, and it's now offering yet more evidence of just how invested it is with a pair of new hires. While the company isn't confirming the move just yet, MCV is reporting that Apple has snatched up Nintendo UK's former head of communications, Rob Saunders, who just left the big N last week and will apparently be focusing on PR for iOS apps at Apple. What's more, he'll reportedly be joined at Apple by former Activision PR director Nick Grange, who's said to be focusing specifically on the iPad -- which, as we've seen, can be a pretty versatile gaming device in its own right.

CyanogenMod 7.0 is now final, ready for your consumption

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 01:07 AM PDT

Is your phone manufacturer's Android ROM not treating you quite the way it should? Worry not, Cyanogen's got your back as usual and has just released the final v7.0 of the CyanogenMod, now based on Android 2.3.3. There's an extensive list of supported Android handsets, which is now also augmented with a couple of tablets: the B&N Nook Color and the Viewsonic G Tablet. As usual with custom ROMs, we advise reading up and making sure you know what you're doing before you do it, but if you're already up to speed on the latest in homebrewed Android, this is the moment you've been eagerly waiting for. Full details of the changes made in version 7 plus instructions on how to get it set up on your Android device can be found below.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

LG shows off 47-inch transparent IPS LCD with multitouch and Full HD resolution (video)

Posted: 11 Apr 2011 12:16 AM PDT

Where Samsung leads, LG inevitably follows (and vice versa, of course). The Korean electronic arms race has now heated up by an extra few degrees with LG's demo of a crazy new 47-inch display that packs in everything a geek could want: IPS technology, 1080p resolution, multitouch, and some good old transparency... just because. This so-called Window Display is sadly intended for advertisers and other digital signage proprietors, meaning that even if it wasn't still at the concept stage, it likely wouldn't be populating living rooms anyway. Ah well, so long as LG makes sure John Anderton and the precrime unit get one, we'll be happy. Video for the rest of us after the break.





Photoshop Touch apps and SDK extend desktop functionality to iPad and other tablets

Posted: 10 Apr 2011 11:21 PM PDT

Any discussion about Adobe and the iPad seems to always devolve into a Flash vs. HTML5 debate. For today at least, Adobe's hoping to temporarily refocus the conversation on a trio of new tools that extend desktop Photoshop functionality to the iPad via native iOS apps. First up is Adobe Eazel, an iPad drawing app that lets you create a five-fingered painting on the iPad before transferring it back over WiFi to the Photoshop application running on your Mac or PC. Adobe Nav turns the iPad into a Photoshop companion device by extending live controls and menu bars from the Photoshop workspace to the iPad's display. Finally, there's Adobe Color Lava which turns the iPad into a hi-tech color mixing palette. Of course, these are just the first in what Adobe hopes to be a full range of Photoshop extensions hitting app stores just as soon as devs get their talents around Adobe's Photoshop Touch programming tools (consisting of a Photoshop scripting engine and enhanced SDK) for Android, BlackBerry, and iOS devices (available for Mac and Windows platforms today). Expect to see the Eazel, Color Lava, and Nav Photoshop Touch apps arrive next month -- alongside the 5.5 update to Adobe's Creative Suite (and free Photoshop update for CS owners) expected on May 3rd -- with prices ranging from $1.99 to $4.99. Until then, why not feast your eyes on a video preview posted after the break?


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Adobe Photoshop CS5 Integrates Tablets into Creative Workflows

New Touch SDK Kick-Starts the Development of Interactive Tablet Apps that Communicate Directly with Photoshop CS5

SAN JOSE, Calif. - April 11, 2011 - Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the Photoshop® Touch Software Development Kit (SDK) inviting developers worldwide to create mobile and tablet applications that interact with Adobe® Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended software, uniting the fun and interactive experience of touch devices with the power and precision of Photoshop. The Photoshop Touch SDK and a new scripting engine in Photoshop CS5 now opens the door for Android™, BlackBerry Tablet OS and iOS apps to drive and interact with Photoshop on the desktop. Adobe today also launched Creative Suite® 5.5, a significant mid-cycle release to the industry-leading design and development software for virtually every creative workflow across print, video, mobile and online media (see separate press releases).

Using the Touch SDK, Adobe has developed three initial Photoshop CS5 companion apps for Apple iPad: Adobe Color Lava for Photoshop, Adobe Eazel for Photoshop and Adobe Nav for Photoshop. The apps are designed to enable users to create custom color swatches, paint and drive popular Photoshop tools from tablet devices.

"Our research shows that creatives are adopting tablets faster than any other group and we heard loud and clear that they want to use their devices to interact with Photoshop, the tool they depend on most of all," said John Loiacono, senior vice president and general manager, Digital Media Solutions, Adobe. "The apps that we announced today show some of the creative ways tablets can work with Photoshop and over the next few months Photoshop's vibrant developer community is going to dazzle us with innovative apps that further integrate tablet devices into creative workflows."

Photoshop SDK Encourages Creative Development
Adobe has developed three initial Photoshop Touch apps: Adobe Color Lava, Adobe Eazel and Adobe Nav. Adobe Color Lava, allows creative professionals to use their fingertips to mix colors on the iPad, creating custom color swatches and themes to transfer back into Photoshop. Adobe Eazel, which takes advantage of cutting-edge painting technology, lets digital artists create rich realistic paintings with their fingertips and introduces a new kind of interaction between "wet" and "dry" paints. These paintings can then be sent directly to Photoshop CS5 for compositing or for taking the artwork further. Lastly, Adobe Nav increases workflow efficiency by letting users select and control Photoshop tools using the iPad as the input surface, customize the toolbar, browse and zoom in on up to 200 open Photoshop files or easily create new files. All three applications take advantage of the iPad tablet's touch screen for a truly immersive, tactile, on-the-go experience. While the first applications available are for the Apple iPad and the iOS, the Photoshop Touch SDK makes development possible on other devices, including Android and BlackBerry PlayBook.

Utilizing the Touch SDK, developers will have wide access to Photoshop functionality with the freedom to innovate and create new apps or add capabilities to existing ones. Adobe has already engaged with a number of developers across the industry to incorporate tablets and other devices into creative workflows that empower Photoshop users in new and groundbreaking ways.

Pricing and Availability
Developers can access the free Adobe Photoshop Touch SDK today for Windows and Mac OS platforms on the Adobe Application Manager at www.adobe.com/devnet/photoshop. Current Photoshop CS5 customers can experience the value of the connection to devices by downloading and installing a free patch available on www.adobe.com or via the Adobe Application Manager, beginning May 3, 2011. The Adobe Color Lava, Adobe Eazel and Adobe Nav applications for Photoshop are also expected to be available in early May 2011, ranging in price from US$1.99-$4.99, on the iTunes App Store. For more information or to sign up to be notified when the apps become available for purchase, visit www.photoshop.com.

Adobe Photoshop CS5 and CS5 Extended are available through Adobe Authorized Resellers, the Adobe Store and Adobe Direct Sales. Estimated street price for Adobe Photoshop CS5 is US$699 and US$999 for Photoshop CS5 Extended.

Today, with the launch of Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 product family, Adobe also announced a new flexible subscription-based pricing plan. With subscription pricing customers can use Adobe Photoshop for as little as US$35 per month. For more information about Subscription Editions, visit www.adobe.com/go/cssubscription.

Education pricing for students, faculty and staff in K-12 and higher education is available from Adobe Authorized Education Resellers and the Adobe Education Store at www.adobe.com/education/purchasing/education_pricing.html. More information regarding education volume licensing for higher education and K-12 institutions can be viewed at www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/volumelicensing/education.

For more detailed information about features, OS support, upgrade policies, pricing and international versions please visit: www.adobe.com/go/photoshop. Join the Photoshop community on Facebook (www.facebook.com/photoshop) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/photoshop).

Adobe Photoshop Family
Building upon the history of Photoshop innovation and leadership, Adobe offers a line of Photoshop solutions for every level of user. Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended software are at the heart of the Photoshop family, providing unrivaled power and editing freedom. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom® addresses the workflow needs of serious, amateur and professional photographers, helping them find, manage, enhance and showcase images in powerful ways. Adobe Photoshop Elements software provides accessible tools and sharing options for photo enthusiasts. Snap-shooters can quickly and easily share and edit photos with simple gestures using the free Adobe Photoshop Express mobile application on their iPhone or Android devices. Photoshop.com completes the Photoshop line providing easy access to learning resources, product information and online Photoshop Express tools.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

Mushroom TelePorter does HD streaming over cellular, won't beam your on-air talent anywhere

Posted: 10 Apr 2011 09:01 PM PDT

Mushroom TelePorter does HD streaming over cellular, won't beam your on-air talent anywhere
If you need to be live and on the scene but can't be followed around with a remote truck and its retractable 100-foot antenna, you need a TelePorter. The camel-case 'P' should tell you that this is not the final realization of Gene Roddenberry's dream, rather a device created by Mushroom Networks, long known for products with goofy names like the PortaBella, which aggregates the bandwidth from multiple wireless modems to make one super mobile hotspot. The TelePorter basically takes that tech and adds some video wizardry to it, plus packaging that enables it to be mounted to the back of a camera. The result is live, full-HD streaming of footage straight from the camera and into the ether. Mushroom wouldn't tell us a price, saying that it varies based on configuration, but unless your camera's as big as the one pictured after the break we're thinking this might just put a real hurting on your budget.



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Mushroom Networks Unveils TelePorter™ with HD, The Industry's First True-HD Live Video Streaming Solution over Cellular

Breakthrough Technology Utilizes Bonded Cellular Broadband Cards to Transmit Broadcast Quality Video from the Field Transforming Any Video Camera into a Portable One Person News Crew


SAN DIEGO, CA – April 11, 2011 - Mushroom Networks, Inc., innovators of Broadband Bonding™ technology, today announced TelePorter with HD capability. TelePorter is the market's first cellular-based true high-definition (HD) live video streaming package able to transmit high-quality/low-latency video suitable for television broadcasting. TelePorter is a remarkable breakthrough for video content providers. It delivers real-time HD video from any location where cellular broadband service is available, eliminating the need for expensive satellite or microwave connections.

TelePorter allows the transmission of live video by utilizing the combined throughput of multiple cellular data cards from a combination of carriers. For example: utilize the full bandwidth of Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint bonded together to broadcast live news from the field using any video camera. This technique is far superior to load-balancing or other like solutions which can have high delays, high latency or not enough total bandwidth severely limiting capabilities. Because of its small form factor and light weight, TelePorter is accessible even in the most difficult terrain.

"TelePorter is the technological answer broadcasters have been waiting for. With its ability to beam live HD video back to the newsroom, or even directly to a website, they can bypass the need for expensive satellite or microwave uplinks and cumbersome news trucks," stated Dr. Cahit Akin, co-founder and CEO of Mushroom Networks. "A cost effective means for transmitting live HD video is not solely limited to TV broadcasters but opens the door to anyone needing to create and distribute live content such as a blogger covering events or even Homeland Security agents protecting the borders."

The technological achievement for reducing the latency necessary for live HD broadcasting is in largely due to a powerful new quantitative framework for describing quality of service (QoS) in packet switched networks coined 'Network Calculus'. Developed by Mushroom Networks' founder and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Rene Cruz, Network Calculus employs the concept of a Service Curve which takes into account the worst case scenario of delay and latency associated with the transmission as packets traverse through a winding system of network elements to its final destination. This breakthrough technology significantly lowers packet latency to the point where transmission of high-quality video over cellular broadband is feasible for interactive applications even while traveling at speeds of over 65 miles per hour.

"By coupling our core Broadband Bonding technology with Network Calculus modeling we are able to effectively use statistics to smash the barrier of unpredictable behavior associated with cellular service to guarantee a certain level of quality necessary for transmitting HD video with extremely low latency," said Dr. Cruz.

Mushroom Networks' TelePorter product lines employs industry standards for analog and digital video and audio inputs at the mobile location turning any video camera into a suitable device for live broadcasting. Similarly the output of the TelePorter at the newsroom side is also industry standard analog and digital video and audio outputs.

TelePorter with HD capabilities will be on display at booth #SU9211 from April 11 to April 14 at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. For more information please call 858-452-1031 or visit the website at http://www.mushroomnetworks.com.

About Mushroom Networks
Mushroom Networks, Inc., is a privately held company based in San Diego, CA, providing patent pending Broadband Bonding solutions to a range of Internet connection applications. The company's flagship product line targets SMBs, enterprises, multi-tenant buildings, and broadband service providers and bonds dissimilar broadband access technologies forming a single highly reliable broadband pipe that can easily scale based on needs. Mushroom Networks was a finalist for the coveted XCHANGE Tech Innovators Xcellence Award, 2007 CONNECT® 'Most Innovative New Product' award, 2008 CONNECT® 'Most Innovative New Product' award, Network World's "top technology trend of 2008" award, and nominated for the best investment opportunity within the fixed telecom sector by Telecom Council of Silicon Valley. For more information, please visit http://www.mushroomnetworks.com or call 858-452-1031.

Game Boy makes music of a different sort (video)

Posted: 10 Apr 2011 08:14 PM PDT


Don't get us wrong, we know that Nintendo's original 8-bit portable can create some killer sounds -- we'd never sell chiptunes short. That said, you haven't truly heard Game Boy music until you watch the video above.

Vulkano Flow now available, does 480p placeshifting for under a hundred bucks

Posted: 10 Apr 2011 07:12 PM PDT

Monsoon has announced the "general availability" of a new placeshifting box, the Vulkano Flow. As we learned during CES, this box has a $99 price tag and trims last year's Vulkano to just the placeshifting essentials. It's most similar to the Slingbox Solo in that it will accept HD inputs but can only stream video at a max 720x480 resolution, which could be passable watching on a PC with a small screen or one of the mobile apps (iOS, Blackberry, Android, $12.99/ea.) There are a few hands-ons and reviews out already, with ZatzNotFunny noting a few tweaks were still necessary to get things running while The Gadgeteer has a bevy of screenshots for you to check out the UI. Monsoon's other new box, the Blast, is still launching in "the near future," which builds on the Flow's specs (detailed after the break) with DVR recording capability and HDMI output for $199.

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Monsoon Multimedia Announces Vulkano Flow General Availability

Vulkano Flow Allow Consumers to Carry Their TV Anywhere on Smartphones, PCs, Macs, iPads and Tablets for Only $99

SAN MATEO, CA – April 6, 2011 – Monsoon Multimedia, a leading provider of video convergence products, today announced the general availability of the Vulkano Flow mobile accessory for TV anywhere. When connected to any set-top box, the new Vulkano Flow streams any TV channel a subscriber receives to mobile devices, tablets and computers inside or outside of the home.

The Flow has a simplified installation process and allows TV content viewing of any channel on iPhone, Android and BlackBerry smartphones and tablets, iPads, Macs, PCs and soon on Windows 7 and Symbian devices. The Vulkano Flow is now available as a mobile accessory for $99 at Fry's Electronics, Amazon, TigerDirect and other leading retailers or through Monsoon's website: www.myvulkano.com.

"According to analysts, 2.5 billion phones, tablets and other mobile gadgets will be capable of connecting to the Internet around the globe by 2015, and video is becoming a huge part of how people are communicating and entertaining themselves," said Colin Stiles, EVP of sales and marketing at Monsoon. "We wanted to provide consumers with an affordable TV streaming accessory for their smartphones and tablets to watch their television programming service during their commute, while they are out of town or wherever they are regardless of their TV service provider."

After moving through the intuitive set-up process, Flow owners can download Vulkano apps onto their devices from www.myvulkano.com or from the respective device app store. Users can then select channels from the integrated electronic programming guide (EPG) to watch and control their TV service through a wired Ethernet, Wi-Fi or 3G connection from anywhere in the world. Software players for PCs/Macs, iPhone and iPad devices also come with Pause/Live functions to provide users with the option to fast-forward and rewind the content they are viewing.

Summary of Vulkano Flow Features:
• Place shift television programming and view on smartphones, Android tablets, iPads, PCs and Macs
• Pause, fast-forward or rewind live TV
• Browse EPG for shows and episode descriptions
• Mark channels as Favorite for quick access
• Watch and control your live TV on the go via Wi-Fi or 3G
• Connect to all major TV sources - cable, DVD, satellite, DVR, TiVo
• Stream video at H.264 standards at rates as low as 150kbps
• Connects wirelessly through Vulkano's on board .11n WiFi to home router
• TV content is passed from the set-top box's analog output (component, composite) to Vulkano; using resolutions up to 1080i

Pricing and Availability
The Vulkano Flow is now available at www.myvulkano.com or from Fry's Electronics, Amazon, TigerDirect and other leading retailers and etailers for $99. The Flow comes pre-loaded with PC and Mac players, while iPad, iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, tablet and additional smartphone applications can be purchased for $12.99 each in the respective app stores.

About Monsoon Multimedia
Monsoon Multimedia provides advanced, standards-based multimedia products and convergence technologies for the PC, Mac, iPad, tablets and major smartphones. Founded by the founders of Dazzle and Emuzed, the company has offices in California, India, Russia and Singapore. For more information, please visit www.monsoonmultimedia.com.

For regular Vulkano updates follow us at www.Twitter.com/MyVulkano

Become a Fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MyVulkano

US Navy's solid-state laser sets boat ablaze (video)

Posted: 10 Apr 2011 06:02 PM PDT

See that flaming wreckage in the picture above? A laser did that, mounted on board a second vessel similarly bobbing on top of the ocean last week. Yes, even though the United States Navy told us that legitimate seafaring death rays might take another decade to materialize, basic weaponized lasers are ready today, as the 15-kilowatt gun attached to the USS Paul Foster happily demonstrates. Of course, as you'll see in the video after the break, a beam of such minimal power takes a moment to burn through even an unshielded engine and ignite the fuel therein -- once we get some 100+ kilowatt lasers up in there, we shouldn't have such problems.


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Test Moves Navy a Step Closer to Lasers for Ship Self-Defense
By Geoff S. Fein
Office of Naval Research

ARLINGTON, Va. - Marking a milestone for the Navy, the Office of Naval Research and its industry partner on April 6 successfully tested a solid-state, high-energy laser (HEL) from a surface ship, which disabled a small target vessel.

The Navy and Northrop Grumman completed at-sea testing of the Maritime Laser Demonstrator (MLD), which validated the potential to provide advanced self-defense for surface ships and personnel by keeping small boat threats at a safe distance.

"The success of this high-energy laser test is a credit to the collaboration, cooperation and teaming of naval labs at Dahlgren, China Lake, Port Hueneme and Point Mugu, Calif.," said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Nevin Carr. "ONR coordinated each of their unique capabilities into one cohesive effort."

The latest test occurred near San Nicholas Island, off the coast of Central California in the Pacific Ocean test range. The laser was mounted onto the deck of the Navy's self-defense test ship, former USS Paul Foster (DD 964).

Carr also recognized the Office of the Secretary of Defense's High Energy Joint Technology Office and the Army's Joint High Powered Solid State Laser (JHPSSL) program for their work. MLD leverages the Army's JHPSSL effort.

"This is the first time a HEL, at these power levels, has been put on a Navy ship, powered from that ship and used to defeat a target at-range in a maritime environment," said Peter Morrison, program officer for ONR's MLD.

In just slightly more than two-and-a-half years, the MLD has gone from contract award to demonstrating a Navy ship defensive capability, he said.

"We are learning a ton from this program-how to integrate and work with directed energy weapons," Morrison said. "All test results are extremely valuable regardless of the outcome."

Additionally, the Navy accomplished several other benchmarks, including integrating MLD with a ship's radar and navigation system and firing an electric laser weapon from a moving platform at-sea in a humid environment. Other tests of solid state lasers for the Navy have been conducted from land-based positions.
Having access to a HEL weapon will one day provide warfighter with options when encountering a small-boat threat, Morrison said.

But while April's MLD test proves the ability to use a scalable laser to thwart small vessels at range, the technology will not replace traditional weapon systems, Carr added.

"From a science and technology point of view, the marriage of directed energy and kinetic energy weapon systems opens up a new level of deterrence into scalable options for the commander. This test provides an important data point as we move toward putting directed energy on warships. There is still much work to do to make sure it's done safely and efficiently," the admiral said.

About the Office of Naval Research
The Department of the Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps' technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 70 countries, 1,035 institutions of higher learning and 914 industry partners. ONR employs approximately 1,400 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel, with additional employees at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C.

Inhabitat's Week in Green: magic airplane skin, Japan's nuclear leak, and the circuit board table

Posted: 10 Apr 2011 05:00 PM PDT

Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.

As the nuclear crisis at Japan's Fukushima power plant continues to devastate the region and one reactor sprung a leak releasing tons of radioactive water, this week Inhabitat reported that green algae could play a critical role in cleaning up the spill. We also brought you Japan's latest radiation-detecting robot, and we took a look at how fallout from the controversial crisis is affecting energy policy around the world -- China is cutting plans for future reactors in favor of solar fields while Germany may trade 17 nuclear plants for wind farms.

In other news, green transportation went from the soaring skies to the deep blue sea this week as we looked at NASA's self-healing "magic skin" that will protect planes from lighting, and Sir Richard Branson unveiled a streamlined eco sub that will explore the ocean's depths. We also learned that the European Union is set to kick off an electric F1 racing championship just as Tesla took top place in the 5th Monte Carlo Alternative Energy Rally. Finally, we looked at two innovative technologies for enabling human movement -- a robotic exoskeleton that gives paraplegics the ability to walk and a prosthetic suit that lets people swim like mermaids.

This week we also spotted several awesome example of green gadgetry - a colorful Legotron camera made out of everyone's favorite building bricks and a geek chic binary table constructed entirely from vintage circuit boards. We also spotted a concept for an energy-generating playground that harnesses the literal power of play.

Switched On: Pen again

Posted: 10 Apr 2011 04:00 PM PDT

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Last week's Switched On discussed how some next wave notions from a decade ago were trying to reinvent themselves. Here's one more. Surging smartphone vendor HTC is seeking to bring back an input method that many wrote off long ago with its forthcoming Flyer tablet and EVO View 4G comrade-in-arms: the stylus.

A fixture of early Palm and Psion PDAs, Pocket PCs and Windows Mobile handsets, slim, compact styli were once the most popular thing to slip down a well since Timmy. Then, users would poke the cheap, simple sticks at similarly inexpensive resistive touchscreens. After the debut of tablet PCs, though, more companies started to use active digitizer systems like the one inside the Flyer. Active pens offer more precision, which can help with tasks such as handwriting recognition, and support "hovering" above a screen, the functional equivalent of a mouseover. On the other hand, they are also thicker, more expensive, and need to be charged. (Update: as some have pointed out in comments, Wacom's tablets generate tiny electromagnetic fields that power active digitization, and don't require the pen to store electricity itself.) And, of course, just like passive styli, active pens take up space and can be misplaced.

The 2004 debut of the Nintendo DS -- the ancestor of the just-released 3DS -- marked the beginning of what has become the last mass-market consumer electronics product series to integrate stylus input. The rising popularity of capacitive touch screens and multitouch have replaced styli with fingers as the main user interface elements. Instead of using a precise point for tasks such as placing an insertion point in text, we now expand the text dynamically to accommodate our oily instruments. On-screen buttons have also grown, as have the screens themselves, all in the name of losing a contrivance.

Few would want to return to those days of stylus-driven interfaces, but styli can still be helpful for a number of tasks, including diagramming, drawing and sketching, signing documents and handwriting recognition. In this regard, their status has become similar to keyboards on capacitive-touch devices -- great when you need them, but a form factor compromise when you don't. So, just as the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer works with an optional keyboard, HTC will make its Scribe pen an extra, taking a tentative step toward bringing back the stylus, though not a half-hearted one -- the company allows one to write anywhere in the Sense user interface, supporting the stylus input method with the backing of software.

The pen paradox is that, for all the contention that has been fostered between multitouch and styli, the two can shine when used in tandem, assuming the user interface has been created with both in mind. This was a key attribute of Microsoft's aborted Courier project, although Microsoft Research has also demonstrated the combination on other devices. Demo videos show that multitouch and pen together can provide more flexibility than using either alone, although some of the combinations are far more sophisticated and perhaps more abstract than simple gestures such as swiping and pinch-to-zoom. They tend to work better on mid-sized to large screens, ranging from tablets and PCs to Surface-like displays.

Perhaps Microsoft will put that R&D to work in the next version of Windows. For that operating system, the company must create an overhaul of its user interface anyway if it is to go toe-to-toe with iOS and Android as a viable tablet experience. As an add-on to today's finger-focused touchscreens, however, the stylus continues to face pointed challenges as it overcomes its stigma. The pen may be mightier than the sword, but it will soon be tested on its ability to cut through a field of otherwise undifferentiated tablets.

Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) is executive director of industry analysis for consumer technology at market research and analysis firm The NPD Group. Views expressed in Switched On are his own.

EraThink EraPalm runs like a netbook, looks like a portable gaming handheld

Posted: 10 Apr 2011 03:04 PM PDT

Looking at this odd bird of a device on display at the China Consumer Electronics Fair inspires tired cliches about mating gadgets. But really, it took a wild night between a Windows 7 tablet and a portable gaming console (with a possible cameo by a UMPC) to spawn the EraThink EraPalm. This handheld runs Windows 7 and has a 5-inch (800 x 480) capacative touchscreen that slides out to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard -- all of which is reminiscent of the extinct OQO Model 02, except for the gaming controls flanking the display. Newpad spent some with the little guy, and reports some netbook-like specs including an unspecified Atom Z processor, 3G connectivity, and Ethernet, HDMI, VGA, and USB ports. (Then again, it does one better with GPS and support for 1080p video.) Want a closer gawk? Click the source link for a couple more hands-on shots.

[Thanks, leungxd]

Google snags PushLife, will probably use it to push music to your Android phone

Posted: 10 Apr 2011 01:36 PM PDT

At last year's Google I/O we were tantalizingly teased with the idea of music streaming to our mobile devices. Since then, there have been hints and leaks, but nothing official from Google on when or how this new service would be rolled out. Well, now we can add a big piece to that puzzle with the news that Google has acquired mobile entertainment company PushLife, which has been developing a music app of its own for the Android and BlackBerry platforms. PushLife offers one-click purchases from an integrated music store, an overview of tunes you have both on your smartphone and on your computer (with the ability to access both sets on the phone), and automatic playlist syncing with iTunes or Windows Media Player libraries. There's even more fanciness, such as recommendations based on the song you're playing, artists bios and photo galleries, plus the inevitable Twitter and Facebook integration. The Canadian startup is believed to have cashed in to the tune of $25 million and will soon be shutting down its independent operations. Also soon: Google I/O 2011. Hint, hint, Google! Demo video after the break.



New Symbian UI stars in pulled promo vid, takes Three UK for a dizzying spin

Posted: 10 Apr 2011 12:28 PM PDT


Something's going on in Espoo, and YouTube just gave us a very good idea of what it might be -- with only two days remaining before Nokia's London announcement, a new Symbian UI is popping up in promotional videos alongside the sleek X7 and stylish E6. Unfortunately, all three such videos are listed as private now, but we managed to nab one right before it got canned, demoing an improved Symbian with smooth scrolling that follows one's finger, a browser purportedly three times faster and a portrait QWERTY keyboard -- yes -- all courtesy of a Three UK representative. Find the remaining two (currently inactive) videos after the break, and let us know if you see them wake from cryo-sleep, please!



at 12:07 PM

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