smartech

So Google has finally launched the most anticipated Nexus One, and if you happen to live in one of the following 4 countries – the US, UK, Singapore or Hong Kong – you can get it right away from Google’s website, priced at $529.99 without a contract or merely $179 including a T-Mobile two year plan (in the US). Other people will have to wait at least until Spring 2010, when it believes that Google will be adding more countries to its smartphone lineup. The phone itself is an HTC brand, coming with a 3.7-inch 800×480 AMOLED display, which regretfully doesn’t support multi-touch at the moment, although Google says it’s not an hardware issue but a software tweak and it’d consider adding screen gestures capabilities in the future. Besides that, you get a fast 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor,paired with a 5 megapixels camera including an integrated LED flash that can shoot MPEG-4 video and have it uploaded directly to Youtube. Additionally, this 11.5mm thick device has a built-in compass, GPS, WiFi, A2DP stereo Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack, a multicolored LED under the trackball, an accelerometer for landscape view and two mics, positioned on front, for complete noise cancellation. It runs all common frequencies and compatible with HSDPA 7.2Mbps, UMTS Band 1/4/8 (2100/AWS/900), HSUPA 2Mbps and of course, GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz). The 1400mAH battery inside is claimed to provide 5 hours of 3G browsing and 7 hours of 3G talk time, while storage wise, you receive only 512MB of internal flash along with a 4GB micro SD card, expandable up to 32GB. See the full specs here.

Moving forward with the details, the Nexus One packs Google’s “latest greatest” Android 2.1 platform – also known as Eclair – which crams some nifty stuff inside, like the voice recognition feature that works throughout the entire UI and activates almost any feature in the phone. That way, you can use your voice to write SMS messages and notes (speech-to-text), or tell the Google Earth search engine where should it go. Other than that, Google has implemented a Cooliris technology into the Nexus One gallery app, so you get 3D visualization whenever looking at images in landscape mode. It has a lot of widgets to offer, such as weather and news RSS, and the smartphone’s homescreen customization is interactive and houses 5 panels to store your apps and shortcuts. Stay tuned. Video is right after the break.

Update1: And looks like Adobe is now jumping on Google’s bandwagon by demoing its Flash 10.1 beta on a Nexus One superphone. Check it out after the break.

Update2: Well, what do you know, the European version of Nexus One, apparently supports multitouch capabilities out-of-the-box, while US devices don’t. We’re not so sure why, but as someone suggested, the trigger for the abyssal differences might be the fact that Apple has a US Patent on multitouch which doesn’t apply on European countries. Maybe. Google says it’s carefully reviewing this issue at the moment.

Update3: Different from what has been reported, Google’s Nexus One seems to be incompatible with “n” draft wireless connectivityand official specs state it supports only 802.11b/g WiFi frequencies. We’ll have more about this soon.

Update: You knew it had to happen sooner or later, did you? No? then get this – iFixit guys have taken Google’s Nexus One on a mission and disassembled it into small pieces of technology craft. See the results here and after the break.

Read more…

So the guys at Gizmodo were lucky and generous at the same time, to share with us the future of touchscreen tablet PCs, the way it looks through Redmond’s eyes. The “top-secret” model that was surprisingly exposed out of the labs called the Courier, and seems to portray a sort of a futuristic booklet prototype that presumably packs dual 7-inch displays that can be used either with a stylus pen or multitouch gestures. A built-in 3MP camera seems to be included as well at the back cover, while “home” button is  placed at the middle, sending users back to default page whenever they want. Charging mode is believed to be inductive (like Palm Pre’s Touchstone), while both external design and UI platform are said to be made in collaboration with outsourced agencies. The rest unfortunately is still considered enigmatic, but to get a sense of feeling just hit the jump, watch the video and start dreaming.

Update: ZDNet guys are saying the entire Courier platform is hovering a Windows 7 OS (although you can’t install Windows 7 apps on it) , and that the mission is being defined as “an incubation project” which aims to go live somewhere on mid-2010.

[via Gizmodo]

Read more…

TabletKiosk storms into the tablets market with a new 12.1-inch tablet pc device which apparently boasts the desert-like name, Sahara NetSlate a230T, and seems to have Intel’s Atom N270 processor along with some other cool specs that include either a mandatory 120GB hard drive or the optional SSD flavor, 1GB of RAM (upgradable to 2.0 GB), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Dual-Band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity, an optional 3G/3.G WWAN Module, and design wise, a sleeky rounded-edges frame, housing two stereo speakers on both sides. Display, as mentioned, sized at 12.1-inch and sports a multi-touch screen experience, in case you’re using the embedded Windows XP OS, although the company will also provide some other alternatives on top of that, like openSUSE Linux version or Microsoft’s Windows Vista OS, which practically grants users a free copy of Windows 7, the moment the platform comes out . At that end, the a230T tablet machine is now listed on TableKiosk’s online shop, ready to be shipped right away – but before getting one, talk with your banker, it’s $1395 for the entry level model.

[via tabletkiosk]

Assuming these two following roadmap slides, that recently surfaced up on Eeeuser.com, are real, one should expect seeing a lot of intensive activity from Asus direction, in the coming months, as the Taiwanese corp apparently planning to retake over the jammed US netbooks market, by tossing inside some new and advanced mini-laptop devices, hoping to convince all those tech junkie spendthrifts open their empty wallets wide and buy themselves a piece or two. However, with so many cheap and reasonably “specs balanced” alternatives available around, Asus journey, getting to early adopters’ geeky hearts is probably longer and much harder than it may look on the ground. Nevertheless,  according to these latest treasure troves, found in the wild, In Q3 and Q4 of 2009, we’re going to be seeing a brand new 1005HA-P unit, packing a 250GB HDD, paired with Atom N280 processor and offered with optional Windows 7 OS that will set you back for $399, with shipping arrangements, expected to get started somewhere in October. Another “Seashell” like, upgraded version, is the 1005HA-M Atom N270 unit, that runs a Windows 7  Starter Edition flavor and has 250GB HDD storage – all priced at $349. More on that, is the all new 12-inch 1201N Eee PC netbook which will likely include NVIDIA’s latest Ion platform, sitting next to Intel’s Atom N270 processor, 250GB HDD, 2GB RAM, Bluetooth 2.0 and 802.11n WiFi connectivity, set and ready to transfer your relays for $499, sharp when it’s up for release in mid-October. And last but not least are these two models, the 1008HA netbooks that somehow dropped out from the list, and the T91 multi-touch tablet that runs a copy of Windows 7 OS as well, while storage capacity features 32GB SSD and price tag stands at $549. The other slide is just over the break, so hit the jump and read the facts.

[Via Netbook News]

Read more…

Turns out a staff member named DaHarder, at DAP Review website, was lucky enough to get his hands on one of the few Creative Zii EGG multimedia prototypes available in the market, and kindly shared his recent experience on two short preview videos, that can be found after the break. From his impressions, one can learn the Zii EGG machine (that Creative was just beginning to ship), boasts a 3.5-inch screen display which “compares very favorably” to Sony’s S series OLED, with “shockingly” bright and vibrant colors, while sound quality is described as “the best sounding Creative player” ever heard “and that’s without any EQ/Z-F”. Pretty exciting, isn’t it? Hit the jump to take a look.

Update1: And, in case you were looking for one more evidence that will make you believe Creative’s new prototype machine is rockin’, the good guys at AnythingButiPod have managed to put their hands, as well, on one of those Zii EGG developer editions available at the market, and posted their impressions on a clear and bright video that can be watched after the break, still with Plazma OS only rather than Android.

Update2: It’s not out yet, but Creative has just released a firmware update for the Zii EGG machine, version 92.02, which apparently adds media playback support for SD cards, along with some other cool features, including a neat 3D “clothesline”  add-on for landscape view, and a one of a kind stretching feature for browsing lists, that may influence the way we flip long screens. Hit the break to see the news.

[Via DAP Review]

Read more…

With so many rumors and speculations floating around, it’s time to organize the latest details we know about the coming release of the Zune HD. Apparently, according to a Gizmodo tipster, the official debut is now scheduled to September 15th (one week past September 8th). In addition, both Zune HD 16GB and 32GB models are already available for a pre-order in Amazon and Newegg, priced at $219.99 and $289.99, respectively (requires a $25 deposit).  From what we know, the player itself will be equipped with a tiny impressive on-screen keyboard that brings up a nice small arch graphic whenever you tap a letter, to distinguish it from its neighbors (See image after the break). Other than that, the internet browser is claimed to be an Opera one, but we can’t be 100% sure, yet. Meanwhile, until things get more clear (and there’s not much time left), checkout the latest hands-on video from CrunchGear, or the Grand Tour video (courtesy of Tech Flash Videos), featuring Brian Seitz of Microsoft’s Zune team demonstrates the Zune HD. Hit the jump, to read the updates.

Read more…

We’re not so sure what Creative is trying to do, and what is the final product we’re about to see in the following months, but one thing for sure, the latest Zii EGG handheld, the company has just introduced as an Android-based device, powered with the new “Plaszma” platform that was created for developers and OEMs, is really rocking our geeky brains with tons of high class features and updated specs that include a 3.5-inch 320×480 multi-touch display (Capacitive 10-point multi-gesture touch display), along with up to 32GB of internal flash memory, paired with SDHC slot (supports up to 32GB of external SDHC Card), 256MB Mobile DDR RAM (similar to the iPhone 3GS), dual cameras for video conferencing, as the front camera supports HD quality, 3-axis accelerometer, a built-in speaker, a mic, and of course, WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR connectivity are also included in Creative’s “StemCell Computing” project, to let you connect with outbound entities. Other than that, this amazing machine (which you have to admit, looks exactly like an iPhone), packs X-Fi audio processing and supports OpenGL ES and HD playback with 1080p video output (via HD cable). Creative says the platform itself is “market-ready” for OEM manufacturers and can be bundled with different outfits for retail price of $400, but until we figure out whether it will be released as an mp3 player, mobile phone or other alternatives, checkout the video demo after the break.

Update1: With so much potential, stuffed into a one small device, it’s just a matter of time until we’re going to see more neat features, demonstrating the Zii EGG phenomenal specs to the world, and as for a start, hit the jump to checkout the other video, introducing the Zii, running a racing game demo, using both its accelerometer and OpenGL ES capabilities.

Update2: You know the drill, first comes the introduction, then it’s the traditional dissection, which in this case is up, courtesy of the FCC report (and not a cracking group), that every company has to pass through, to ge its productst into the US market. Hit the break to see the inside part of the Zii.

Update3: And if web surfing is something you find yourself using quite often while on the go, mind you that Creative has officially chosen Opera as the main browser inside the Zii Egg. Good or bad, it’d be up to you to decide, once the Zii gets available.

[Via DAP Review]

Read more…

Remember the Eee PC T91 tablet netbook from Asus? Turns out it will support multi-touch handling with Windows 7 inside, as the Taiwanies officially unveiled full specs details of this cool swiveling machine, which includes an 8.9-inch touchscreen, together with Intel Atom Z520 processor, 1GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD. The cool thing about this one (as noted above) is that Asus will now have a capacitive touchscreen that will comply with multi-touch gestures, once installing Windows 7 inside, and if that’s not enough, the entire system will go for £449 ($684). Hit the jump to take a look at the video preview from Computex.

Update: According to Netbook Market, the T91 will start shipping today, so stay tuned for more images to come out.

[via Slashgear]

Read more…

After so many rumors and speculations floating around, Microsoft has finally announced the Zune HD, which suppose to make its first appearance somewhere this fall, competing head-to-head with Apple’s popular iPod Touch player. Regretfully, there’s nothing much to share in terms of specs or features, but from the very few fragments we’ve managed to collect, you briefly can figure out it’ll probably pack a 3.3-inch 480 x 272 OLED capacitive touchscreen, together with a built-in HD Radio receiver, 720P HD output (via dock station), integrated WiFi connection and accelerometer sensors for landscape usability. Additionally, you might find a designated Explorer browser for internet surfing purposes and hopefully, a mashup interface with Xbox / Xbox Live gaming consoles. Still, no pricing or capacity details to write about, although one should expect either 16GB or 32GB flavors inside, but this way or another those rumored images earlier published, make no place for mistakes – Zune HD is live and kicking. Full press release after the break.

Update1: The guys at Gizmodo have managed to put their hands on the freakishly new Zune HD while hanging around D7′s conference hall. First images indicate an incredibly thin-and-light design, combined with a stunning 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen, basic Zune UI, adjusted to the touch navigation mode and rounded edges, build with a big “Home” button placed at the bottom lefte.  Hit the jump to watch the video or their link for even more images.

Update2: Zune Insider has officially confirmed that Zune HD will be running NVIDIA’s Tegra chipset inside, which means – full high-def video compatibility in the palm of your hand. Still no word about final release dates, but we’re following.

Update3: Rumors around claim the new Zune HD will be priced somewhere betweem $249 and $280 for the 16GB version, while a 64GB modelis on the prep for a late release. Stay tuned.

Update4: Both BestBuy and Amazon have just listed up the Zune HD on their inventory system , priced at $220 for the 16GB model, and $290 for the 32GB version, coming on September 8th. It’s less than a month to go, so stay tuned.

Read more…

According to a tipster, Microsoft will presumably release a new Zune player with HD capabilities, somewhere this year. Naturally, we have no other details, nor any specs of the new device itself, but if this info is correct, and it sure looks reliable, the Zune 4th Generation should be available with a wide and sharp touchscreen, supporting high-def video and some other features, which you can find in the iPod Touch players. Stay tuned for more to come.

Update1: More uncertain specs show up across the cyber world, revealing a 16:9 AMOLED display with multi-touch usability (capacitive), joining the mini-HDMI output and the HD Radio feature, both bundled inside, along with a full HTML browser, to wirelessly surf the web. And while we have no special ability to determine “details accuracy”, you should take our word when we say it’ll be offered either in 16GB or 32GB capacities. However, In case you look for even more speculative rumors, Zune fanboys will also tell you the new HD device might support 3D XBox games, thanks to the integrated NVidia chipset, which we really hope to see included. Other than that, a worldwide release is said to take place somewhere around September, so stay tuned for real things to come.

Update2: May 12th 2009 – According to ZDNet, the next Zune / Windows Mobile device (AKA: Chassis 1) will feature a whole bunch of top-notch specs, including a 3.5-inch multi-touch display along with ARM v6+ processor, 1GB of RAM, OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics hardware, 3 megapixel camera, GPS navigation system, WiFi / Bluetooth connections, built in accelerometer and even Nvidia’s Tegra platform, integrated with TI’s OMAP 3  and “Qualcomm 8k” chipsets, to handle those strong requirements. Of course, these are just rumors, and we can’t take them that serious, although we do hold an opinion that Chassis 1 will be strong enough to match market demands.

[Via Engadget]

Read more…

After the Mini 9 and the Mini 12, Dell rolls out the 10-inch version, which naturally answers the name Mini 10. The new netbook comes with more advanced specs, including an integrated 3G cellular connectivity, a built-in TV tuner edge-to-edge keyboard with multi-touch capabilities and an amazing 10-inch display, supporting 720P 1366 x 768 resolution. Other details are pretty usual, as the Mini 10 features an Atom Z530 CPU and 802.11 Wi-Fi connection. No further info to share, concerning memory, storage options, pricing or availability. Stay tuned.

Update1: apparently, you can find it in Tesco, with specs including 1.6GHz Atom Z530, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, a multi-touch trackpad, Windows XP and 10-inch display (of course) for £349 ($480). Mind you, the top version which includes built-in GPS and optional WWAN might be priced much higher.

Update2: Turns out the Tesco thing was just a fiasco, and the 10-inch Dell netbook was apparently just a Mini 9 version, so i guess you should probably wait further more.

Update3: It seems like QVC.Com is taking orders and first buyers will be able to get their Dell Mini 10 on March 20th, while Dell.Com will be taking orders on the 26th.

update4: the Inspiron Mini 10 is now available at Dell’s website, six days before the reported date. Naturally, it’ll include all the aforementioned specs, with a starting price that suppose to be similar to QVC’s 559$ price tag.

Update5: Bummer. The Dell Mini 10 comes with a non-upgradable RAM slot. The meaning is that you won’t be able to add more memory to the already-exist 1GB stick, and while other brands give their users a full access to replace their RAM or Hard Drives, this move from Dell looks very foolish.

Update 6: Despite some disturbing delays, those who prefer buying the native 1,366 x 768 resolution screen (with 720P support), instead of the regular 1,024 x 576 display, can finally get it for extra $35 in Dell’s website.

Update 7: From now on, Chinese users will also be able to get the Mini 10 in their country, as the new netbook was just announced there and will be available on China Mobile with a full 3G data package.

Update8: Dell just added a new configuration to the Mini 10, allowing you to upgrade your brand new netbook into a 6-cell battery, by dropping only $30 more.

Update9: Looks like Dell’s Mini 10 netbook can now be ordered with Ubuntu http://bit.ly/hkXch.

[Via Pocket-Lint]

Read more…

We’ve already seen “Multi-Touch” capabilities in Asus 1000H, but it’s always nice to learn that you’ll be able to find them in Lenovo S10 netbooks as well, as the company announced it will add a multi-touch trackpad in addition to a bigger screen size, turning the ideapad S10 from a 10-inch netbook into a 10.2-inch device. They should be available in black, white, red, blue, or pink colors somewhere around March, however, the price will top the regular $349 version, so be patient Lenovo avids. Meanwhile, checkout the full press release after the break.

Read more…

Microsoft has revealed a very nice demonstration, at the All Things Digital conference, showing some snippets of the next windows 7 OS (coming up in 2009) with amazing multi-touch capabilities that were shifted from the Microsoft Surface to a Dell Latitude XT tablet PC. The images undoubtedly prove that Microsoft wants to change the user interface experience by assimilating finger gestures that let you move, rotate or shrink images, navigate maps, play the piano and a lot more, with a simple touch of a finger. Checkout the video to see the future:

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.

[via windowsvistablog]

Great news for those who own Windows Mobile Devices, but continue staring at iPhone users with jealousy, as Flick Software Research has announced the release of iSwish interface and iZoom pinch software applications that amazingly simulate Apple’s multi-touch user experience, along with some other cool features, including screen flicking, animated icons, fast scrolling and even the neat zoom in-out pinching mode. It seems to be working flawlessly on Dell Axim PDA and some other Windows Mobile units, so check out the demo and expect this applications to come out in few days.

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.

[via engadget]

Now it’s official, the Microsoft Surface is coming out stateside in 2 weeks from today, and will be available in AT&T stores around New York, San Antonio, San Francisco and Atlanta. We are talking about a 30-inch multi-touch screen table that can display photos, videos, interactive coverage maps and more. At first, costumers will be able to get a demonstration of Samsung BlackJack II, by placing it on the surface, later on, AT&T is going to add more cellphones to the Microsoft Surface data, and enable visitors to make comparison between them. In addition you will be able to drag ringtones, graphics and videos to the phone, once it is atop the Surface, which is pretty amazing. To learn more about this great device, check out the video here.

[via engadget]

Tuesday is here and new reports are coming from Cupertino’s direction, as Apple has just updated its online store, coming up with a new MacBook and MacBook Pro lineup, equipped with mighty Penryn CPUs and the famous multi-touch technology, as seen on the new MacBook Air. Other specs include 2.4GHz – 2.6GHz with 200GB or 250GB storage for the pros, and 2.1GHz – 2.4GHz with 120GB – 250GB for the Macbooks. The 17-inch model gets 1,920 x 1,200 pixels with LED backlighting and a powerful NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphic card, up to 512MB GDDR3. The rest seems to resemble to the old models.

Update: Apple says that both MacBook and MacBook Pro Battery life has improved, compared to the old models. Check out the table [via gizmodo] :

[via apple]

Tuesday is here and new reports are coming from Cupertino’s direction, as Apple has just updated its online store, coming up with a new MacBook and MacBook Pro lineup, equipped with mighty Penryn CPUs and the famous multi-touch technology, as seen on the new MacBook Air. Other specs include 2.4GHz – 2.6GHz with 200GB or 250GB storage for the pros, and 2.1GHz – 2.4GHz with 120GB – 250GB for the Macbooks. The 17-inch model gets 1,920 x 1,200 pixels with LED backlighting and a powerful NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphic card, up to 512MB GDDR3. The rest seems to resemble to the old models.

Update: Apple says that both MacBook and MacBook Pro Battery life has improved, compared to the old models. Check out the table [via gizmodo] :

[via apple]

Teclast unveils a new PMP with a multi-touch screen. The T50 might be just another multimedia player, but with multi-point touch sensors, it pretends to compete with the iPod Touch. The player features a wide ultra-high-resolution screen with the same iPod Touch capacitive touch-screen, RMVB / RM / FLV / AVI video support and dual-core independence high-quality audio processor. Teclast says a new T59 version is in development and will be released with larger screen, GPS, DMB-TV, multi-point touch and more. No further details regarding price or availability.

[via engadget]