December 29, 2009

5 Must-have Features For Upcoming Apple Tablet (iSlate)


With the amount of news and rumors floating around regarding the upcoming Apple tablet, it is almost certain that we will very soon see the mythical device. Various blogs have talked about everything from device hardware to the manufacturing plant where it will be made. It is rumored that the tablet will have a 10-inch touchscreen, feature an in-house ARM processor and will be designed for multimedia and eBook content. Most analysts believe that Apple tablet will change the netbook/tablet market like iPhone did with smartphone market. I think the five features discussed below will play a very important role in Apple tablet’s success when it is launched.
  1. Operating System: Almost everyone thinks that Apple tablet will have an iPhone like OS only with higher resolution support. But Apple knows better, iPhone OS was designed for sub 5-inch screen size and just increasing the resolution won’t solve many problems. Also using Mac OS X Snow Leopard on the tablet will not work, as the OS is not designed for touchscreen use. The Operating System on the tablet will be Mac OS X derived like the iPhone OS, but very different from both the operating systems. It will have elements from both the operating systems like App Store support from iPhone and run multiple applications like Mac OS X.
  2. Longer Battery Life: Most netbooks today offering 5 hours of battery life and if Apple wants to capture some of the netbook market they will have to offer at least 50 percent increase in battery life, say 8 hours or more. Also the tablet is a device that is designed to be used on the move, so if it could offer whole day use on a single charge it would make the device more useful.
  3. iTunes Integration: The biggest factor behind iPod and iPhone success has been iTunes. After iTunes online music store was launched iPod growth exploded, and similarly, iPhone sales grew exponentially after iTunes App Store was launch last year. iTunes has played a big hand in success of the two devices and it will again play a very important role in success of Apple tablet. Apple could add an eBook store to iTunes for the new tablet, or offer App Store support for the tablet, or they might even have a totally new idea up their sleeves that we don’t know about.
  4. Wireless Sync: Apple tablet like netbooks won’t be the primary device for most users. It will be their second or third computing device and hence data sync between all the computing devices will become very important. Most iPhone and iPod users sync their devices with laptops via USB, but syncing a 10-inch tablet with a laptop would be a problem. This is the main reason why wireless sync becomes very important. Apple could use WiFi pairing that will allow wireless syncing between two devices via a router or directly when ever the two devices are near each other. This will keep the data up to date and offer hassle free syncing.
  5. Price: The most important feature of Apple tablet will be price. If Apple is offering the tablet for $800, when netbooks are selling for around $300-$400 most customers won’t care about the tablet, even if it offer better user interface and functionality. Price will play a very important role in success of Apple tablet. iPhone sales more than tripled when Apple lowered the price to $199. Apple could offer the tablet with subsidiary from a wireless carrier, but $60 a month for 5GB of wireless data is just too much. Apple will need to price the tablet in $500-$600 range to gain traction in the market. A price point above $600 will make it out of reach for most customers looking to buy their second or third computer.
[Via TechzTalk]

December 28, 2009

Technical Specs of Google Chrome OS Based Netbook Leaked


According to IBTimes, Google Chrome OS based netbook will have ARM CPU powered NVIDIA Tegra chipset and not Intel Atom processor. Google has already talked with several hardware manufacturers and they want the netbook to have standard specifications.
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Apple Tablet will Feature 10-inch Display with Strengthened Glass.


Digitimes, the website that has been reporting about various manufacturing partners for upcoming Apple tablet for past one year has now posted that Innolux and not Wintek will be the initial supplier of touch panels for the tablet. Innolux is the panel making subsidiary of Foxconn Group, which will be the manufacturer of the tablet.
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December 26, 2009

Apple Acquires iSlate Domain Name in Many Countries


MacRumors reported few days back that Apple has acquired islate.com domain name in 2007 via a brand protection firm Mark Monitor. According to the website, Apple’s name was temporarily exposed as the actual owner of iSlate.com for several weeks in late 2007. TechCrunch further investigated this report and found that Apple has also acquired iSlate related domain names in other countries again via Mark Monitor, a company that has worked with Apple in past.
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December 25, 2009

Apple Files Patent Application for Keystroke Tactility on Touchscreen Surface


Apple has filed patent application titled “Keystroke Tactility Arrangement on a Smooth Touch Surface”. In the patent application Apple describes various methods that can be employed to provide tactile feedback when typing on the touchscreen.
In the first method, Apple describes use of articulating frame that may provide key edge ridges that define the boundaries of the key regions or may provide tactile feedback mechanisms within the key regions.
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December 24, 2009

NY Times: Steve is Extremely Happy with the New Tablet


Following the Apple tablet rumor day yesterday, the flow of Apple tablet rumors continues today also. New York Times’ Nick Bilton has posted on Bits blog that he has no doubt that Apple will release a tablet like device in 2010, there are too many signs that point in this direction. He wrote:
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Today is Truly Apple Tablet Rumors Day


The day started with the news/rumor that Apple is preparing for an announcement next month that will bring the new Apple tablet to the market. This rumor was followed by BGR post that said that Apple would announce a 7-inch tablet in January. And, now Financial Times’ tech blog has posted that Apple has rented a stage at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco for several days in late January.
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December 23, 2009

Google Nexus One Specs And Hands On Experience


Engadget has posted complete specifications of the Nexus One handset that Google gave to its employees and which is rumored as the first phone from Google. The Nexus One features 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED touchscreen, 1GHz Qualcomm QSD 8250 processor, 512MB RAM, 512MB Flash memory, 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, quad-band GSM, tri-band HSPA (900/1700/2100), WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, A-GPS and microSD card slot.
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Apple Tablet Definitely Coming in 7-inch Size (Update)


BGR has posted:
“We’re really going out on a limb here, but one of our very connected sources let us know that they’ve heard very solid information about Apple’s upcoming tablet. It has been widely reported recently that the size of the tablet is 10-inch, but there was also talk about a 7-inch model. Our connect said there is 100% a 7-inch Apple tablet, to be announced in January, and whether this is in addition to a 10-inch model, they don’t know."

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Next Gen iPhone with 5-Megapixel Camera and Apple Tablet Launch in January


MacRumors is reporting that one iPhone developer has noted a single instance of iPhone OS 4.0 being used in their Pinch Media analytics. Last week, it was reported that Apple has started testing iPhone 4.0 software and earlier this month, Eldar Mutazin, editor in chief of Mobile Review Twitted that Foxconn received orders for next generation iPhone. The two reports clearly indicate that Apple has already started testing next generation iPhone like it did last year before releasing the iPhone 3GS in June 2009.
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December 22, 2009

Video Showcasing Apple’s Recent 3D Patent in Real World Use


Software Advice has posted a video showing how Apple’s recently revealed 3D technology patent can be used in ultimate display for construction plans. Last week, a patent application filed by Apple for 3D display technology was released. In the application, Apple described methods that could change the perspective of the 3D objects on the display based on the relative position of the user.
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Notion Ink to Showcase 10.1-inch Android Based Tablet at CES 2010


Like 2007 was the year of smartphones (iPhone), it looks like 2010 will be year of tablet computing. Many companies like Dell and Asus have already said that they will introduce devices in tablet form factor next year, and many other companies have started shipping tablet devices. One notable new addition to the tablet lineup for 2010 is Notion Ink’s yet unnamed tablet that uses Pixel Qi’s screen technology.
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December 21, 2009

Intel Introduces Next Generation Atom Processors


Intel has officially introduced their new Atom platform codenamed “Pine Trail”. The new platform combines NM10 Express chipset with next generation Atom chip that has processor with graphics built-in and the memory controller built-in. According to Intel, new Atom platform will offer better battery life, thinner design and faster performance. The netbook CPU will consume 20 percent less power and will be 60 percent smaller in size, whereas the nettop CPUs will consume 50 percent less power and will be 70 percent smaller in size than pervious generation.
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December 17, 2009

Intel Reveals Core i3, Core i5 Processors and New Integrated Graphics Engine


Intel today revealed some details about its upcoming processor lineup that will be introduced at next month’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2010). Intel will showcase 17 new processors at CES, which will include the new Core i3 and Core i5 processors. Both the processor lineup will be based on Nehalem microarchitecture and will be made using 32nm process technology. This will make the new processors smaller, faster and more power-efficient.
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December 16, 2009

iPhone OS Overtakes Windows Mobile’s User Share in US


iPhone has been the second best selling smartphone in US behind all the RIM handset combined for past two years. But now, according to the latest data from ComScore, iPhone OS’s active user base in the United States in October has surpassed Windows Mobile OS user base to capture second spot behind RIM in Smartphone OS market share in US.
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December 11, 2009

Will Apple Use Pixel Qi’s New LCD Screen Technology in Upcoming Tablet?


Pixel Qi has introduced new LCD screen technology that offers lower power requirements, easy readability in direct sunlight along with full color screen with fast video refresh rate. Pixel Qi says, “Our screens use ½ to ¼ power of regular LCD screen, and when integrated carefully with the device can increase battery life between charges by 5-fold.” Pixel Qi has started sampling the screen and will start shipment in quantity in Q1 2010.
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iPhone Sales Rising in China and Foxconn Receives Orders to Manufacture Next Gen iPhone


China Unicom, Apple’s carrier partner in China announced today that they have now sold more than 100,000 iPhones since launch on October 30th. These results indicate that since the opening week the iPhone sales have increased, as China Unicom only sold 5000 phones on the launch week. It means that iPhone sales have gone from 5000 to about 24,000 per week in past few weeks.
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December 10, 2009

Next Generation Wireless Technology to Bring Data Transfer Speed in Gigabits


Two wireless technologies will very soon bring gigabit data transfer speeds to our homes. The first technology is new WiGig that runs on 60GHz spectrum and can transfer up to 7Gbps data. The second technology is the one we all love and use every day – WiFi. The new 802.11ac standard will bring up to 1Gbps download speed on 80Mhz or 160MHz spectrum.
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Asus Developing Eee Pad Inspired by Still Unannounced Apple Tablet


According to Digitimes, “Asustek Computer is making preparations to launch a new device named Eee Pad featuring a 4- to 7-inch panel, and which will offer a combination of tablet PC and MID functions, according to industry sources. Current details of the Eee Pad suggest the product has been inspired by the rumors of Apple’s planned tablet device, the sources commented.”
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December 9, 2009

Samsung Formally Launches ‘bada’ Smartphone Platform


Yesterday, Samsung unveiled its “bada” smartphone platform and showcased the bada SDK for partners and developers at an event in London. According to Samsung, the new smartphone platform will provide unique benefits and unprecedented opportunities to developers, mobile operators and consumers.
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Apple to Start Tablet Production in February and Launch in March or April 2010


Oppenheimer’s analyst Yair Reiner, today revealed in his note to investors that Apple is preparing to launch the new Tablet and the company has been reaching out to book publishers with a very attractive proposal for offering content on forthcoming tablet platform. He believes that Apple is offering same 70/30 split to book publishers that it offers to developers on App Store compared to 50/50 split given by Amazon on Kindle platform.
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December 8, 2009

Beta Version of Google Chrome Brower for Mac Released and Initial Impression of the New Browser


Google today released the highly anticipated beta version of its Chrome browser for Mac. According to Google, the main features of the Chrome browser for Mac are speed, stability, security, new tab page, Omnibox, themes and incognito mode. The Chrome for Mac has been in development for almost a year now and was released to developers six months back. The beta version released today is the first public release of the Chrome browser for Mac.
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CrunchPad Demoed as New JooJoo Web Slate by Fusion Garage


All the complications between TechCrunch and Fusion Garage aside, Fusion Garage’s CEO Chandra Rathakrishnan officially launched the JooJoo Web Stale, which was previously known as CrunchPad. Chandra emphasized in the webcast that “Despite what was written, there is no suit filed today. We own the IP and will defend it. TechCrunch didn’t contribute a single line of code… As Michael wrote in his own April 2009 blog post, ‘All credit should go to Fusion Garage.’”
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December 7, 2009

Apple Passing on Next Generation Intel Arrandale Notebook CPU


It has been rumored for past few months that Apple will release new MacBooks based on Arrandale processor early next year. However, BrightSideofNews claims that Apple has refused to adopt the Arrandale processor that comes with integrated graphics chipset. The website says:
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December 3, 2009

Intel Introduces Single-Chip Cloud Computing Processor with 48 Cores


Intel Labs has designed a new single chip cloud computing solution that offers 48 processor cores on a single die and high speed on chip network for inter-core communication. Intel says that this single chip could one day offer high-performance cloud computing in ultraportable form factor.
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November 26, 2009

Digital Camera Deals For Black Friday and Christmas Holidays 2009

Retailers have posted digital camera deals for Black Friday and Christmas holidays 2009. Most camera deals will be available on 27th November, but some deals will be available till Christmas this year. Listed below are the deals categorized store-wise and the comparable Amazon pricing:

Product DetailsPriceAmazon Pricing
Best Buy:
Canon EOS Rebel T1i DSLR 15.1-megapixel sensor with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens$699.99
Canon PowerShot SD 1200 IS 10-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom$149.99
Fujifilm Finepix Z37 10-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom$119.99
Nikon CoolPix P90 12.1-megapixel camera with 24x optical zoom$299.99
Nikon CoolPix S60 10-megapixel camera with 5x optical zoom$179.99
Nikon D3000 DSLR 10.2-megapixel sensor with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G DX VR lens$499.99
Sony Cybershot W180 10.1 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom$99.99
OfficeMax:
Canon PowerShot A1100 IS 12.1-megapixel camera with 4x optical zoom$149.99
Canon PowerShot A480 10-megapixel camera with 3.3x optical zoom$94.99
Canon PowerShot SD780 IS 12.1-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and free Photo Keychain$249.99
Canon PowerShot SX120 IS 10-megapixel camera with 10x optical zoom and free Photo Keychain$249.99
Kodak Easyshare C182 12-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom$109.99
Kodak Easyshare M340 10-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom$109.99
Kodak Easyshare M341 12.2-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom$129.99
Kodak Easyshare Z950 12-megapixel camera with 10x optical zoom$229.99
Nikon CoolPix L20 10-megapixel camera with 3.6x optical zoom$99.99
Nikon CoolPix S570 12-megapixel camera with 5x optical zoom$149.99
Olympus FE-4000 12-megapixel camera with 4x optical zoom$99.99
Olympus FE-46 12-megapixel camera with 5x optical zoom$99.99
Olympus Stylus 550 10-megapixel waterproof camera with 3x optical zoom$159.99
Olympus Stylus 9000 12-megapixel camera 10x optical zoom$199.99
Sony CyberShot W290 12.1-megapixel camera 5x optical zoom$209.99
Sony CyberShot W220 12.1 megapixel camera 4x optical zoom$129.99
Radio Shack:
Casio Exilim EX-Z33 10.1 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom$89.99
Nikon CoolPix S220 10-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom$129.99
Olympus Stylus 7010 12-megapixel camera 7x optical zoom$149.99
Staples:
Canon PowerShot A1100 IS 12.1-megapixel camera with 4x optical zoom$129.99
Kodak EasyShare M340 10-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom$109.99
Nikon CoolPix L100 10-megapixel camera with 15x optical zoom$199.99
Nikon CoolPix L20 10-megapixel camera with 3.6x optical zoom$99.99
Nikon CoolPix S570 12-megapixel camera with 5x optical zoom$149.99
Nikon D3000 10.2 megapixel DSLR with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-s DX VR lens$499.99
Olympus Stylus FE-4000 12-megapixel camera with 4x optical zoom$99.99
Sony CyberShot W220 12.1-megapixel camera with 4x optical zoom$129.99
Walmart:
Kodak Easyshare C182 12-megapixel camera 3x optical zoom$69.00
Nikon CoolPix S230 10-megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and 3-inch touchscreen$139.00
Sony CyberShot S950 10-megapixel camera with 4x optical zoom$79.00

November 25, 2009

Notebook Deals For Black Friday and Christmas Holidays 2009

Electronic retailers Best Buy, Walmart and many others have started posting notebook deals for upcoming Black Friday and Christmas holidays 2009. Most deals are available on Black Friday 27th November, but some deals will be available till Christmas this year. Listed below are the deals categorized store-wise and the comparable Amazon pricing:


Product DetailsPriceAmazon Pricing
Best Buy:
HP Laptop with 15.6-inch screen 2GHz Intel Celeron Processor model: G60-507DX$197.00
HP Laptop with 15.6-inch screen, 2.1GHz AMD Turion M500 Processor, 6GB RAM and 320GB hard drive$599.99
HP Laptop with 15.6-inch screen, 2.1GHz AMD Turion M500 Processor, 8GB RAM and 500GB hard drive$699.99
Sony Vaio with 15-inch screen, Pentium Dual Core Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive and Windows 7$399.99
Sony Vaio with 15-inch screen, Pentium Dual Core Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive, Windows 7, Sony headphones, Built-in Blu-ray drive and Blu-ray movie$479.99
Toshiba Laptop with 16-inch screen, Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 3GB RAM and 250GB hard drive$399.99
Toshiba Laptop with 16-inch screen, Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive Printer and case$499.97
OfficeMax:
HP Pavilion Laptop with 15.6-inch screen, AMD Sempron Processer, 3GB RAM and 160GB hard drive$379.99
Sony Vaio 15.5-inch screen, Intel T4300 3GB RAM and 320GB hard drive$549.99
Radio Shack:
Acer Laptop with 15.6-inch screen, AMD Athlon 64 X2 Processor, 4GB RAM and 320GB hard drive$399.99
Staples:
Dell Studio Laptop with 15.6-inch screen, 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo T6600 processor, 4GB RAM and 500GB hard drive$599.98
HP Laptop with 15.6 screen, Intel Celeron Processor 900, 3GB RAM and 160GB hard drive$299.98
HP Laptop with 15.6-inch screen, Intel Pentium Processor T4300, 4GB RAM and 250GB hard drive$399.98
HP Laptop with 17.3-inch screen, 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 Processor, 4GB RAM and 320GB hard drive$599.98
Sony Vaio 15.5-inch 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo T6600 processor, 4GB RAM and 320GB hard drive$599.98
Walmart:
Acer Laptop with 17-inch screen, Intel Pentium Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive$498.00
eMachine Laptop with 15.6-inch screen, AMD Processor, 2GB RAM, 160GB hard drive$198.00
HP Laptop with 15.6-inch screen, Intel Processor, 3GB RAM and 250GB hard drive$298.00
HP Laptop with 17-inch screen, Intel Processor, 4GB RAM and 320GB hard drive$398.00


[Via TechzTalk]

November 20, 2009

Apple Patent Application Shows Methods for ‘Pushing’ UI From Devices to Accessories


According to a recent patent application by Apple, the company is working on methods to allow devices like iPod to push their graphical user interfaces to accessory devices for the purpose of controlling the media devices remotely. In the patent application Apple says:
Existing remote GUIs are defined and controlled by the remote control device, and consequently, they may bear little resemblance to a GUI supplied by the portable media device (such as browsing or searching a database, adjusting playback settings, etc.) may be unavailable or difficult to find.

Read More

November 19, 2009

Rumor: Apple Tablet Delayed Until Second Half of 2010 and will Feature OLED Screen


Digitimes is reporting that Apple reportedly plans to postpone the launch of its tablet PC from an original March launch to the second half of 2010. The delay is cause by Apple’s plans to switch some components and add a model using 9.7-inch OLED panel from LG Display. Digitimes’ sources say that in addition to Foxconn Electronics, Quanta Computer and Pegatron Technology are also expected to be manufacturing partners for Apple’s two tablet PC models – one with 10.6-inch LCD screen and other with 9.7-inch OLED screen.
Read More

November 18, 2009

Qualcomm in Talks with Apple for iPhone Chips


Qualcomm’s CEO Paul Jacobs told Bloomberg “We continue to discuss it (with Apple), but haven’t made it yet. Hopefully, in the future, we will have the opportunity.” Paul was replying to a question related to chip supply for use in Apple iPhone.
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Phishing Scam Targeting Apple Customers


9to5Mac has posted an email from one of the readers, which could be a new phishing attack targeting Apple customers. The email says:
We recorded a payment request from “Apple Inc.” to enable of $7548.45 on your account.
The payment is pending for the moment
If you made this transaction or if you just authorize this payment, please ignore or remove this email message. The transaction will be shown on your monthly statement as “Apple Inc.”
If you didn’t make this payment and would like to decline it, please download and install the transaction inspector module (attached to this letter).

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Apple Already Developing Next Generation Mac OS X 10.7


MacRumors believes that an error message posted to a database recording changes to the open source “launchd” framework, which oversees booting of Mac OS X and administers processes running on the system, might be the first public evidence of next generation Mac OS X. The text string in the error message contains 11A47 – a reference to the Mac OS X build number being used.
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November 17, 2009

Asus and Toshiba Most Reliable Laptops


SquareTrade has analyzed failure rates for over 30,000 new laptop computers covered by SquareTrade laptop Warranty plans and found that one-third of all laptops will fail within 3 years. Asus and Toshiba were the most reliable laptops over a period of three years followed by Sony and Apple with both performing better than average.
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Verizon to AT&T: Stop Being a Crybaby and Improve Your Network


In the ongoing battle between Verizon and AT&T regarding “There’s A Map For That” ad campaign by Verizon, the company today filed an aggressive legal response to AT&T’s lawsuit. The lawsuit asked Verizon to pull the ads from the air. The ads highlight the poor 3G coverage offered by AT&T in comparison to Verizon. The legal response starts with an aggressive introduction:
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Rumor: Apple’s Black Friday Deals Leaked


BGR has posted a shot of Apple’s yearly Black Friday deals (image above), which they got from one of their connects. Their sources say that Apple will email this deals out shortly. The deals will be available on November 27th only and some stores will open at 6AM that day. The image shows that Apple will offer up to 30 percent discount on iPods, up to 25 percent on Macs and up to 15 percent off on Apple accessories, software and hardware.
Read More

November 16, 2009

Microsoft Disputes Windows 7 Vulnerability Claims


Chester Wisniewski of Sophoslabs posted that in a test done by the labs 8 out of 10 viruses affected Windows 7. He wrote in his post “Windows 7 disappointed just like earlier version of Windows. You still need to run anti-virus on Windows 7, the new OS is no cure for the virus blues.” However, Microsoft didn’t like the results and called the findings biased.
Read More

New Battery Technology Could Offer 10 Times More Capacity than Lithium-Ion and Upcoming Zinc-Air Batteries


A new battery technology developed by Fluidic Energy may solve the problem. The new technology called Metal-Air Ionic Liquid (MAIL), which uses ionic liquid salts in place of liquid to conduct electricity is much more stable and isn’t prone to drying and eventual decay. Also as the new battery can use metals denser than zinc to store much larger charge in the given volume.
Researchers at Fluidic Energy estimate that they can improve battery capacity by up to 900-1,600 watt-hours (Whr) per one kilogram (2.2 pounds) mass. That is 11 times more than lithium-ion batteries available today.
Read More

Sprint Starts Selling Palm Pixi


Sprint today started selling the second webOS based phone from Palm. The new Palm Pixi is available on Sprint for $99.99 with two-year contract and after $100 mail-in rebate. The phone comes with 2.63-inch (320x400) touchscreen, 2-megapixel camera, Dual-band CDMA2000, EVDO Rev A, Bluetooth, GPS and 8GB of onboard memory.
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November 14, 2009

Benchmarks Show Significant Performance Boost on Core i5 and i7 iMacs


Last week, Apple started shipping the new 27-inch iMac based on Intel’s Core i5 and Core i7 processors, and various websites have posted benchmarking results for the 2.8GHz Core i7 iMac and 2.66GHz Core i5 iMac. Timon Royer’s blog has posted Geekbench 2 benchmark results for all four processor configurations available for iMac.
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ICD Announces 15-inch Vega Tablet Based on Android 2.0


nnovative Converged Devices (ICD) has announced new Vega tablet that will feature a 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 resistive touchscreen. The Android 2.0 based device will have NVIDIA Tegra chipset, 512MB RAM, 512MB NAND flash, microSD card slot, 1.3-megapixel webcam, dual digital microphone, ambient light sensor, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth and 3G network support.
Read More

November 13, 2009

AT&T Issues a Letter to Customers to Set the Record Straight on Verizon Ads


Verizon ads are definitely cause lot of trouble for AT&T. The company today issued a letter to its customers clarifying details about its 3G network. The letter tilted “AT&T Sets the Record Straight on Verizon Ads” says:
To Our Customers:
As the U.S Market leader in wireless data service, we typically don’t respond to competitors’ advertising. However, some recent ads from Verizon are so blatantly false and misleading, that we want to set the record straight about AT&T’s wireless data coverage.

Read More

Dell Officially Announces Mini 3 Smartphone


Dell today officially entered the smartphone race with the new Mini 3 handset. Dell has partnered up with China Mobile and Claro to launch the phone in China and Brazil. The Mini 3 smartphones are designed around the Google Android platform to deliver power, flexibility and customization opportunities for both users and carrier, according to Dell.
Read More

Battery Life Comparison: Windows 7 Vs. XP


Few days back, we posted results of benchmarking tests done by PC Mag on Windows 7, Vista and XP. Results were equally divided between Windows 7 and XP in the six tests, as Windows 7 came on top in 3 and XP won 3. Vista didn’t win a single test. All the tests done by PC Mag were performance based and none measured the impact of the OS on the battery life. Well, now many tech websites have posted battery life comparison between XP and Windows 7. And the results are unanimous, XP trounces Windows 7 in every battery life test.
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November 12, 2009

Apple Files Patent For Improved Pen Aware Computer Systems


Pen based computing has largely been a niche market, but it looks like Apple plans to bring pen based computing to the mainstream, like it brought mp3 player with iPod and touchscreen with iPhone. In a patent application filed by Apple titled “Method and Apparatus for Acquiring and Organizing Ink Information in Pen-aware Computer Systems”, the company talks about methods that can be used to improve accuracy of pen-based inputs. Apple says that the pen-based input methods used today are inadequate for many users.
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Microsoft Now Says: Mac OS X Didn’t Inspire Windows 7


Yesterday, we wrote that Microsoft’s partner group manager Simon Aldous said “One of the things that people say an awful lot about the Apple Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it’s very graphical and easy to use. What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7 – whether it’s traditional format or in a touch format – is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics.”
Well the above statement would have definitely annoyed Ballmer and hence company today disowned Simon by calling him ‘uninformed’ and ‘inaccurate’. Brandon LeBlanc posted on Microsoft’s Windows Blog:
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AMD Reveals Its Processor Roadmap


AMD will start 2010 with introduction of their new Danube –mainstream notebook platform, and Nile – the third generation of AMD’s ultra-thin notebook platform. Both the platforms will be designed to give more than seven hours of battery life. Danube will bring AMD’s first quad-core mobile processor almost one year after Intel introduced its quad-core mobile processors.
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November 11, 2009

Performance Comparison: Windows 7 vs. XP


PC Mag has posted results of benchmarking tests they ran on Windows 7, XP and Vista. The website used a 1.73GHz Toshiba Satellite m45-S269 laptop with 1GB RAM and 100GB hard drive for the tests. PC Mag compared Startup and Shutdown time, Picasa video encoding time and results of benchmarking tools including Geekbench, SunSpider and PCMark05 for the three operating systems.
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Microsoft Executive: With Windows 7 We Created a Mac Look and Feel in terms of Graphical User Interface


If you have used both Mac OS X and Windows 7, you can clearly see that Windows OS was inspired by Mac’s user interface. And, now Microsoft executives are also accepting the fact. In an interview with PCR, Microsoft’s partner group manager, Simon Aldous said:
“One of the things that people say an awful lot about the Apple Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it’s very graphical and easy to use."

Read More

Apple iPhone News Roundup


According to Strategy Analytics, Apple became the world’s most profitable handset maker in third quarter of 2009 surpassing Nokia. Apple’s operating profit from sale of iPhone came in at $1.6 billion in Q3 2009 compared to total operating profit of $1.1 billion reported by Nokia. This means that two iPhone models, iPhone 3G and 3GS generated more profit for Apple than the total profit Nokia achieved by selling over 100 different handset models.
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AT&T Says to Verizon: “There’s a misrepresentation for that”


Yesterday, we reported that Verizon’s ad campaign showcasing poor 3G coverage offered by AT&T has improved Verizon’s brand perception. And, AT&T is not happy about that. So the company has published information that shows Verizon isn’t telling the whole story. In the publication titled ‘There’s a misrepresentation for that’, AT&T says:
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November 10, 2009

Ricoh Officially Releases Details About Upcoming GXR Camera


Yesterday, information about the new GXR system from Ricoh was leaked, and today, Ricoh came out clean and provided complete details about the new camera system. The new GXR system offers interchangeable slide mount ‘lens units’ – sealed modules containing both optics and sensor, meaning it can switch from a large (APS-C) 12-megapixel CMOS sensor with fast prime lens to a tiny 10-megapixel CCD sensor with 24-70mm lens. Ricoh claims that the GXR system based cameras are the world’s smallest and lightest digital camera with the ability to change lenses.
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Analyst: Verizon Sold 100,000 Motorola DROID in First Weekend


Broadpoint AmTech Analyst Mark McKechnie estimates that 100,000 Motorola DROID phones were sold on the launch weekend. According to Mark, Verizon had 200,000 DROID phone on hand, and most stores sold at least half of their stock. He says by end of 2009 Motorola will sell 1 million Google Android based phones and the number will reach 10 million in 2010.
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