Archive for the ‘Tablets’ Category
Samsung Galaxy Tab no comments
Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy Tab today and is unveiling it in Berlin at IFA. Some of the specs:
- Android 2.2 (Froyo)
- 7-inch TFT-LCD; 1024 x 600
- Cortex A8 1.0GHz processor
- Full HD video playback
- Adobe Flash support
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 2.5 G (GSM/GPRS/EDGE)
- Gyroscopic sensor, geo-magnetic sensor, accelerometer, light sensor
- 16 GB or 32GB internal memory; card slot
- Size: 190.09 x 120.45 x 11.98mm (7.48 x 4.74 x .47 inches); weight 380g (13.4 ounces)
It’s too bad Samsung couldn’t use their Super AMOLED display, as that would have made it more viewable in sunlight. It probably would have made the Tab more expensive as well.
The Tab will have access to the Android Market and Samsung will have some apps of its own design available as well.
The Readers Hub is where you will do your ereading on the Tab, and Kobo announced on their blog today that the Kobo reading app would be powering it. For periodical reading you will have PressDisplay and Zinio. This is a good score for Kobo, and it can’t hurt Borders either when the Tab comes stateside.
Like the Dell Streak, the Galaxy Tab has telephony functions and can be used for video conferencing. Obviously with a device of this size you will want to be using a USB headset. A front facing camera as well as a rear facing video camera are part of the package.
Samsung says that the Galaxy Tab will be launching in Europe in a couple of weeks. The US, Asia and other markets will get the Tab in coming months.
The video below was uploaded to YouTube by PhoneArena.
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Hands-On Video of Velocity Micro Cruz Reader no comments
Gadgetnutz has posted a hands-on video of the Velocity Micro Cruz Reader made at Velocity Micro’s headquarters.
The Cruz reader, at least from what we can see in the videos released so far, seems much more responsive and faster than the other color LCD tablets in this price range.
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eReader & Tablet News 8/21/2010 no comments
Another busy week for ereaders and tablets and all things related. Some of the things I didn’t get to cover elsewhere:
The shipping date for new orders of the latest
generation Kindle 3 has been pushed back again. If you place an order now, your Kindle 3 will be shipping on September 17.
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Overheard at a Kobo company party (via eBooknewser) – the Kobo ereader is rumored to have another price cut coming by Christmas and will be reduced to $99.
Although Barnes & Noble is sometimes credited with starting the brief ebook reader price war that resulted in $139 Kindles and $149 NOOKs, Kobo actually lit the fuse when they released their eReader for $149 – as has been noted by Nate over at The Digital Reader and proudly proclaimed by Kobo itself.
So will this start a new round of price slashing? Not likely. At its current price of $149, the Kobo eReader is too high when compared to the wireless only versions of the Kindle and NOOK as it is a more basic ereader with less features and is based on older hardware. It should be priced at $99 now.
Kobo has also just announced a new way to win a free Kobo eReader. All you need to do for a chance to win one of three eReaders is to follow @Kobo on Twitter. This contest will end on August 30, 2010. All the details and fine print that you could possibly want can be had at Kobo.com.
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Digitimes is reporting that Qualcomm is going to set up a production facility for its Mirasol color displays at the Central Taiwan Science Park in Longtan, Taiwan. Digitimes says that volume production of the 5.7-inch screen that Mirasol has been sampling should begin in early 2012.
Excuse me, but what about the press release from Mirasol dated June 6, 2009, in which Mirasol said that a dedicated fabrication plant built in collaboration with Foxlink and at the same location had commenced operations.
I guess that earlier facility must have only been for making the samples.
If Mirasol is not going to have their color display ready until 2012 I think we can count them out of being used in the first color ereaders. Actually, isn’t the world supposed to end in 2012? We may none of us live long enough to see an actual Mirasol display in an actual product!
E Ink Holdings now appears likely to hold the distinction of being the first color epaper. Hanvon has already been reported as readying an ereader using a color E Ink display for release later this year. Amazon, are you really going to sit by and let Hanvon beat you to market with a color ereader?
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Velocity Micro has the Cruz Reader up for pre-order at its website with an expected shipping date of early September. The Cruz tablet is also available to pre-order and will ship in late September. The Storypad children’s ereader does not yet have a pre-order option, and is still shown as “coming soon.”
The Cruz Reader is available for pre-order at Fry’s, Neweggand Borders; the Cruz Tablet is available at Borders.
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While I’m not a particular fan of People Magazine, I am a fan of the way in which they are treating their subscribers. Readers who subscribe to the paper edition will now have free access to the digital version on the iPad.
This is something that I think all magazine publishers should offer, or at the very least you should be able to switch from the paper to the digital format if you wish. Apparently this is not only in the hands of the magazine publishers however.
The NYT reports that because Apple is supposed to get a cut of any app sold through iTunes, some rather long negotiations were required before Time Inc., publisher of People, was able to offer the free digital edition on the iPad. Print subscribers will now be able to enter a verification code to receive the People app at no charge. Time reportedly wants to offer the same type of deal for other magazines it publishes.
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At its latest earnings call yesterday, HP announced that it will be releasing both a Windows-based and a Palm WebOS-based tablet. There were rumors a few months ago that HP had killed its Windows 7 tablet.
(via FT Techblog)
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The Scott Pilgrim comic book series by Bryan O’Malley is now available as an iPad and iPhone app. This is actually a reading app for the comics which gives you some free sample content and from which you can purchase the six volumes in the series.
The first five volumes are $6.99 each and the sixth and final volume is $11.99. Volumes you purchase can also be accessed via the comiXology website on your PC or mobile device.
The Scott Pilgrim series became a NYT bestseller and was adapted into a favorably reviewed film starring Michael Cera and directed by Edgar Wright.
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Verizon has announced (via GigaOM) that it will be releasing an app early next year that will allow its FiOS subscribers to watch programming on their iPads. Initially the iPad app will only allow you to watch content within your own home. Verizon is also working on a video-on-demand application that should work across multiple devices.
Meanwhile, HBO has nixed any hopes that it would join the Netflix stable of streaming video partners. Instead it appears that HBO will probably create its own streaming service.
Besides a number of popular series of its own, HBO also owns the exclusive streaming rights to content from Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox and Universal. (via eCommerce Times)
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Stream TV eLocity A7 Android Tablet 2 comments
Stream TV Networks announced today that it
is readying a new 7-inch Android-based tablet. The company says the eLocity A7 tablet will officially launch on August 24, 2010, at which time it will release the full technical specs and begin taking pre-orders.
So far the only information we have is that the eLocity A7 will be 8.2 x 4.8 inches and run on Android. Stream TV says that they will be working with leading national online retailers to sell the new tablet.
Stream TV says that, “The introduction of the eLocity A7 tablet is the first step in Stream TV’s strategic growth plan to bring to market innovative products featuring state of the art technology designed to transform consumer communications and a digital lifestyle.”
CEO Mathu Rajan of Stream TV comments, "We look forward to the launch of the eLocity A7 tablet, which provides a cutting edge solution to meet the needs of technology enthusiasts with a beautiful, versatile and affordable device. We believe we have created a worthy competitor to the iPad."
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Notion Ink Adam Prices Announced no comments
Notion Ink has released probable pricing for the Adam tablet. Depending on optional features, the price range is expected to be around $399 to $499. This includes both the LCD and Pixel Qi variants, with options such as Wi-Fi only and 3G available for both. This sounds quite reasonable and very competitive.
Notion Ink says that its Adam tablet should hit the FCC in the middle of November or possibly sooner. We will hopefully see the Adam shipping shortly after the FCC finishes playing with it. So at the moment it looks like December at the very soonest and early 2011 at the latest.
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Motorola Working on Tablet Powered by Verizon no comments
Bloomberg reports that Motorola is working on a tablet with Verizon. The device is said to sport a 10-inch screen and to be Android-based. The new tablet is expected to be integrated with Verizon’s FiOS service, which would enable users to watch television on the device.
No word on other specs or pricing, though the new tablet will no doubt be competitively priced with the iPad. Motorola’s new tablet should be out in time for the holiday season this year.
The tablet market is really getting crowded, providing even half of the announced tablets actually get released – I wonder how many of these new iPad killers will actually make it to market. Not that I doubt this one; it makes sense for both Verizon and Motorola to have a tablet. Likewise Blackberry’s Blackpad – Blackberry is loosing marketshare with its cell phones.
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eReader and Tablet News – 8/2/2010 no comments
Research in Motion Tablet in the Works?
Bloomberg reports that it has been told by sources that RIM is planning on introducing a tablet this coming November. Reportedly the tablet will be called the BlackPad.
The device is said to have a 9.7-inch display, and will include both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connectivity. Users will be able to connect to the Internet via their BlackBerry phones. Pricing is said to be similar to the iPad.
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Random House Expects Ebook Sales to Surge
Reuters reports that Random House CEO Markus Dohle says that Random House ebook sales could account for more than 10 percent of the company’s revenue by next year. Currently in the US ebooks represent about eight percent of revenue. Dohle made the remarks in an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel.
Dohle also seems skeptical of predictions that ebooks will overtake pbooks within the next five years, "I don’t share this view, that’s too aggressive, too much hype for my taste," he said. "The share will probably be somewhere between 25 and 50 percent by 2015, even in the United States."
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Kindle eBook Gifting on the Way?
Before the official announcement of the Kindle 3, Amazon executives conducted private showings of the new devices with technology reporters and some of the larger blogs. The Amazon reps are well schooled on what not to let slip out and are generally tight-lipped when it comes to releasing information that Amazon is not ready to disclose yet.
Lance Ulanoff writes at PCMag.com that in his private meeting with Amazon VP of Kindle Content Russ Grandinetti he brought up the issue of not being able to gift ebooks, which draws a lot of complaints from ereader users. Ulanoff reports that Grandinetti may have hinted at good things to come:
"Stay tuned, we know gifting is important," he said. "We have a long experience with trying to make people’s holidays really good." And, he added, Amazon is working on making this year’s holidays good.
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eBooks, eReader & iPad News – 7/18/2010 1 comment
A quick look at some of the recent ereader and iPad news that I didn’t get to cover elsewhere.
App Inventor for Android
So you have an idea for a most excellent app for your Android device but don’t know how to program it? Well, now there’s an app for that. Google will soon have a beta version of App Inventor that easily lets you create apps with no programming knowledge by using a visual interface. The visual interface is said to make building an app easy for those who don’t know how to program.
The App Inventor comes with most Android functions available as modular building blocks, ready to plug into your creation. There are blocks for everything from using the GPS-location sensor or the phone features of your Android phone to blocks that perform more programming-like things such as storing information, repeating actions or performing certain actions under certain conditions.
Google will be opening up access to the App Inventor over the coming weeks. To get started you will need to fill out the online form at the link above.
via NYT
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iPad Software Update
Apple has released software update iOS 3.2.1 for the iPad. In addition to various bug fixes and improvements the following are addressed:
- Improved Wi-Fi connectivity
- Fixed an issue that could prevent copy and paste of single-page PDF attachments in Mail
- Addressed an issue that could cause video playback to freeze
- Improved reliability of video-out when using iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter
- Added Bing as an option for Safari’s search field
Compatible for both the Wi-Fi and 3G models of the iPad. To download the update connect your iPad to your computer and iTunes should detect and install the new software. You may need to click on your iPad in the left pane to get to the Update button on the Summary tab.
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3G nook at FCC
Barnes & Noble has applied with the FCC for a 3G version of the nook ereader. B&N’s internal project names for the 3G nook are CR Nook 3G and Bravo Delta 3G. There is not a lot of other info – schematics, photos and antenna specs have been withheld at the request of B&N. Too bad – maybe Apple could have learned something to improve the antenna of the new iPhone. 
via Best eReaders
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Neonode Signs zForce License Agreement
Neonode is an interesting touchscreen maker of very responsive IR-based touchscreens. The company announced recently that it had “signed a technology license agreement with one of the leading e-publishing companies in China in partnership with one of the largest ODM companies in Taiwan. The zForce license includes Neonode’s patented touch screen technology supporting high resolution finger navigation with gestures and sweeps.”
The last time I wrote about Neonode was when the company’s zForce touchscreen was to be used in one of the Chinese ereaders. That was just before Amazon bought TouchCo, which was a touchscreen startup.
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eBooks Becoming Big in Japan?
At the moment, most of the ebooks available in the Japanese language seem to be either manga or shorter light romance and porn. That could change soon. The Mainichi Daily News reported recently that NTT Docomo will be entering the ebook market in the early part of next year.
NTT Docomo is Japan’s largest cell phone carrier, and is most interested in marketing ebooks to its mobile phone customers. In Japan dedicated ereaders have never really taken off; most Japanese who read ebooks do so on their phones, which probably explains why a lot of the available ebooks are shorts. The introduction of the iPad to Japan may help change this.
Sony also recently announced that it was partnering with Asahi Shimbun Company (one of Japan’s largest newspaper publishers), Toppan Printing Co (one of Japan’s leading publishers) and KDDI Corp (telecommunications operator) to form an ebook distribution company.
Sony seems to be aiming its ereader business in other directions besides the North American market where it faces very stiff competition from Amazon’s Kindle and the Barnes & Noble nook ereaders.
A few days ago the WSJ JapanRealTime blog wrote that Dai Nippon Printing Co., LTD, which is one of Japan’s larger printing houses, is now also planning to open an ebook store by this autumn. The new store will offer about 100,000 titles from various publishers.
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Velocity Micro Cruz Readers and Tablet no comments
Velocity Micro has announced that it will be releasing three new color LCD ereader/tablet devices: The Cruz Reader has a 7-inch screen and will sell for $199; the Cruz Tablet, also with a 7-inch screen and priced at $299; and an ereader for kids dubbed the Cruz StoryPad and priced at $149. These are all Android-based. Some of the features:
Cruz Reader: 
- 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi; Web browser
- High res video and High quality audio playback
- Built-in dictionary, notepad, calendar, alarm clock, contacts, games and other apps
- Accelerometer
- USB
- SD card slot; 2GB SD card included
- User replaceable battery; 6 – 10 hours battery life, 24 hours standby
- Resistive touchscreen
- Docking station (Reader only)
Cruz Tablet adds:
- 802.11n Wi-Fi
- Microphone
- 4 GB internal storage; package includes 8GB SD card
- Capacitive touchscreen with multitouch
Cruz StoryPad:
- Kid friendly, drop resistant
- Simplistic and intuitive navigation
- Available in pink, blue or green
- SD card slot
Supported ebook formats are: ePub, PDF, TXT and HTML. DRM content from Borders.
The Cruz Reader and the Cruz StoryPad will be available in August, while the Cruz Tablet is scheduled for September 1, 2010. I haven’t found a picture of the StoryPad yet. UPDATE: Velocity Micro has sent me a photo of the StoryPad, which I have posted here.
The video below is a promo from Velocity Micro. The device seems reasonably fast and the touchscreen looks quite responsive.
Velocity Micro is an online custom PC shop, but also sells preconfigured systems through Amazon,
Velocity Micro has been around since the early ‘90s, but unless you are a PC gamer or order your desktops through a custom builder, you may not have heard of them. Building custom PCs is a very competitive space with very low margins, so unless you are doing something right you don’t last for almost 20 years.
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A New Rugged Tablet from Xplore no comments
Xplore makes ruggedized tablets designed for 
use on the battlefield and in other hostile environments. Yesterday the company announced a new rugged tablet PC dubbed the iX104C4HD which is designed for the civilian market.
The iX104C4HD is built to withstand continuous vibration, drops of 2 meters and has an extended thermal operating range of –4° F to 140° F.
Some of the features:
- Processor: Intel U2500, 1.2 GHz Dual Core
- Operating system: Windows 7 or Windows XP Tablet Edition
- Memory : 1GB DDR2 (expandable)
- Hard Drive: 160 GB with SSD options
- Display: 10.4-inch XGA TFT, Optional resistive touch digitizer (Dual Mode) Optional Dual Mode AllVue™ Xtreme LCD technology for enhanced indoor/outdoor display
- PCMCIA card slot
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, optional EVDO
- Two USB 2.0 ports, Serial port, LAN 10/100/1000 Mbit
- Built-in fingerprint scanner
- Overall size: 11.2 x 8.25 x 1.6 inches; Weighs 5.2 lbs
- Battery life up to 4.5 hours; recharge time 3.5 hours
- Custom mounting options for a wide variety of vehicle types
As you would expect, something this hardcore does not come cheap – pricing ranges from around $3,000 to over $4,000.
