We have seen many interesting wrist watches with all sorts of unique features, the latest comes from well known company Citizen where in Japan they have just released two models of bluetooth watches that are part of the Virt M series.
Motorola Xoom as a test for life beyond the iPad
Is the iPad a one-hit wonder or will the tablet market take off broadly in 2011? That's the question Motorola's Xoom tablet will likely answer.
And this broader market, of course, includes Hewlett-Packard's WebOS tablet and RIM's PlayBook, among others. But Motorola's Xoom stands as the biggest potential consumer rival to the iPad 2 because Motorola is a first-tier supplier that has already competed mightily against Apple in the smartphone market (think Droid) and, more importantly, packs in plenty of eagerly awaited goodies, including: Google's Android Honeycomb operating system for tablets, a powerful dual-core processor, a high-resolution (1,280x800) display, dual cameras, and lest we forget, the Verizon 3G (and soon-to-come 4G) network.
That said, tucked into a research note I received on Friday from Ashok Kumar, an analyst at Rodman & Renshaw, was this morsel: "The magnitude of tablet opportunity beyond Apple is unclear." And he also writes that "we believe that iPad volumes in the current quarter will dry up ahead of the iPad 2 launch."
So, will we see long lines at Verizon stores the day of launch, like the iPad? Or has the tablet novelty worn off enough that it's not a line-forming impulse-buy anymore? And/or is it principally a phenomenon linked to the cachet of Apple products?
Based on my own experience, I believe that the media tablet is more than a one-hit wonder. The sheer utility of my iPad has cut my laptop use almost in half, as I've written before. (And the iPad trumps my iPhone too, in a number of respects, like mapping.)
So, what kind of numbers do we need to see? Considering that the market is still nascent, that's a tough call. Kumar said that Apple shipped between 6 and 7 million iPads in the most recent quarter, "with the lower end (Wi-Fi) dominating the mix." With Apple as the high-water mark, we can't expect those kinds of numbers from Motorola initially.
Asia-based rumors claim Motorola is aiming to ship as many as 800,000 out of the gate and RIM a bit more. Those would be healthy numbers.
And Motorola appears to be doing all it can do to make interesting accessories, too--like this speaker dock and Bluetooth keyboard, among other add-ons.
Who knows, the tablet, in one form or another, could eventually make the laptop obsolete. That would result in huge, market-upending numbers. But I'll leave that highly-speculative analysis for next year.
Motorola's Xoom may determine how real the broader tablet market is.
(Credit: Motorola)That said, tucked into a research note I received on Friday from Ashok Kumar, an analyst at Rodman & Renshaw, was this morsel: "The magnitude of tablet opportunity beyond Apple is unclear." And he also writes that "we believe that iPad volumes in the current quarter will dry up ahead of the iPad 2 launch."
So, will we see long lines at Verizon stores the day of launch, like the iPad? Or has the tablet novelty worn off enough that it's not a line-forming impulse-buy anymore? And/or is it principally a phenomenon linked to the cachet of Apple products?
Based on my own experience, I believe that the media tablet is more than a one-hit wonder. The sheer utility of my iPad has cut my laptop use almost in half, as I've written before. (And the iPad trumps my iPhone too, in a number of respects, like mapping.)
So, what kind of numbers do we need to see? Considering that the market is still nascent, that's a tough call. Kumar said that Apple shipped between 6 and 7 million iPads in the most recent quarter, "with the lower end (Wi-Fi) dominating the mix." With Apple as the high-water mark, we can't expect those kinds of numbers from Motorola initially.
Asia-based rumors claim Motorola is aiming to ship as many as 800,000 out of the gate and RIM a bit more. Those would be healthy numbers.
And Motorola appears to be doing all it can do to make interesting accessories, too--like this speaker dock and Bluetooth keyboard, among other add-ons.
Who knows, the tablet, in one form or another, could eventually make the laptop obsolete. That would result in huge, market-upending numbers. But I'll leave that highly-speculative analysis for next year.
Report: Future iPad, iPhone to have Qualcomm chips
Apple is reportedly switching up the wireless chipset used in future versions of both the iPad and iPhone.
(Credit: iFixit)Is Apple moving to a new wireless chipset supplier for the next iPad and iPhone?
An unnamed but "reliable" source is quoted by Engadget today saying that Apple is going to ditch the current Infineon chipsets used in both devices and move to Qualcomm instead. The report seems entirely plausible.
Verizon already let it slip that it's going to have an iPad that runs on its network. It's very likely that will be for its CDMA network, and not LTE. The current iPad model only works on GSM networks. Apple probably doesn't want to have to make two different iPads the way it's currently making two different models of iPhone (one with GSM chips for AT&T et al., and one with CDMA for Verizon and perhaps other future carrier partners), so switching to a chipset that allows the device to connect to both networks would be smart. Qualcomm has that, or is going to, very soon.
It's long been rumored Apple would eventually start shipping a dual-mode iPhone--a report that the iPhone 5 would work on GSM and CDMA networks hit back in October--so going that way with both of its flagship mobile products makes a lot of sense.
Engadget also notes that while the next iPad won't have a USB port, it will have an SD card slot, and has some images of what it would look like.
This Is Google's New Android Music App [VIDEO]
Video footage of the new version of the Google Android music app has leaked, revealing a revamped and colorful user interface.
First posted on XDA Developers and spotted by Engadget, the 50 second footage provides a demonstration of the new features of Android's default music app.
The updated app is much easy on the eyes that its predecessor. The vibrant colors of the album covers captured our attention, while the elegant transitions and album stacking strike us as being more like the iPhone's iPod music player. It's more readable as well.
Our guess is that you'll see the new music application launch with Android 3.0, aka Honeycomb. The Android interface has long needed an upgrade to keep it competitive with the design of the iPhone UI. We've heard that Android 3.0 will bring much-needed graphical and usability updates to the OS. The leaked music app is likely a preview of what we can expect.
First posted on XDA Developers and spotted by Engadget, the 50 second footage provides a demonstration of the new features of Android's default music app.
The updated app is much easy on the eyes that its predecessor. The vibrant colors of the album covers captured our attention, while the elegant transitions and album stacking strike us as being more like the iPhone's iPod music player. It's more readable as well.
Our guess is that you'll see the new music application launch with Android 3.0, aka Honeycomb. The Android interface has long needed an upgrade to keep it competitive with the design of the iPhone UI. We've heard that Android 3.0 will bring much-needed graphical and usability updates to the OS. The leaked music app is likely a preview of what we can expect.
PlayStation Phone Coming in Spring 2011
Sony's long-rumored PlayStation Phone could soon become a reality. The company will launch a device blending the features of a PlayStation Portable and cell phone in the spring of 2011, according to a report in Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper on Tuesday.
The device will be based on the PSPgo and will retain the PSP's familiar gaming controls, the report said.
The PSPgo is a smaller version of the PlayStation Portable and went on sale in late 2009. It links to Sony's PlayStation Network service and relies on a Wi-Fi link for downloads of software, music and movies. Despite extensive promotion by Sony, sales of the PSPgo have been weak and the company has been looking for a way to boost demand.
The new device is being developed by Sony Ericsson and will go on sale first in Europe and the U.S., according to the Asahi Shimbun.
"The report isn't based on anything that we have announced," said Ayano Higuchi, a spokeswoman for Sony. "We do not comment on rumor or speculation."
Sony has been avoiding comment on rumors of the PlayStation Phone for several months. Development of the device has been reported by several media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, and earlier this month a video appeared on YouTube that purports to show a development handset from Sony Ericsson.
Speaking to reporters last week in Tokyo, Kaz Hirai, head of Sony's gaming business, said that if Sony was to compete in the cell-phone gaming market it would be with a device that appealed more to core gamers.
He said the device would carry the PlayStation's DNA and match Sony's vision of gaming, which is different to those of companies developing Android and iPhone games.
Should Sony be about to launch the phone in the U.S., it could make an appearance at next week's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Sony typically uses the annual event to debut products and services that it plans to launch in the U.S. market in the first half of the year.
Martyn Williams covers Japan and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Martyn on Twitter at @martyn_williams. Martyn's e-mail address is martyn_williams@idg.com
The device will be based on the PSPgo and will retain the PSP's familiar gaming controls, the report said.
The PSPgo is a smaller version of the PlayStation Portable and went on sale in late 2009. It links to Sony's PlayStation Network service and relies on a Wi-Fi link for downloads of software, music and movies. Despite extensive promotion by Sony, sales of the PSPgo have been weak and the company has been looking for a way to boost demand.
The new device is being developed by Sony Ericsson and will go on sale first in Europe and the U.S., according to the Asahi Shimbun.
"The report isn't based on anything that we have announced," said Ayano Higuchi, a spokeswoman for Sony. "We do not comment on rumor or speculation."
Sony has been avoiding comment on rumors of the PlayStation Phone for several months. Development of the device has been reported by several media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, and earlier this month a video appeared on YouTube that purports to show a development handset from Sony Ericsson.
Speaking to reporters last week in Tokyo, Kaz Hirai, head of Sony's gaming business, said that if Sony was to compete in the cell-phone gaming market it would be with a device that appealed more to core gamers.
He said the device would carry the PlayStation's DNA and match Sony's vision of gaming, which is different to those of companies developing Android and iPhone games.
Should Sony be about to launch the phone in the U.S., it could make an appearance at next week's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Sony typically uses the annual event to debut products and services that it plans to launch in the U.S. market in the first half of the year.
Martyn Williams covers Japan and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Martyn on Twitter at @martyn_williams. Martyn's e-mail address is martyn_williams@idg.com
Electrolux Bio Robot concept refrigerator stores your food in green gel
This concept design by Yuriy Dmitriev uses biopolymer green gel to keep your food fresh.
The non-sticky gel essentially absorbs the heat from food items and radiates it again at different wavelengths, a process called luminescence. Because of the pods, food will stay fresh and odorless while in the fridge. The device has no door and does not ever need to be washed. While this product may be a few (or many) years from production, we wouldn’t mind storing all our food in this eco-friendly green goop.
Celsius LeDIX watch phone costs $300,000
The new LeDIX watch phone by Celsius X VI II costs more than many houses and does less than many free phones, but looks pretty amazing doing it.
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