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April 06 2012
Next Generation Of E-Ink Kindle To Sport New Front-Lit Screen
home
Living in Seattle, you tend to find yourself in the company of tech people all the time. With Microsoft, Amazon, Adobe, Google, and a dozen other major companies established in the area, it's never a surprise when you find out the guy next to you at the bar is working on Windows Phone 8 or Half-Life 3. This week, I was lucky enough to get a chance to see what Amazon has cooking for its next generation of e-readers. Their new offices and the mysterious Lab 126 are just down the street, after all, so I'm actually surprised it hasn't happened before now. Back in November, I speculated that the new Kindles and Nooks and what have yous might have glowing screens, the likes of which we've seen occasionally but were never fully implemented. It turns out Amazon was thinking the same thing, and actually bought a company that was, I am told, the world leader in light-guide technology. They've finally gotten it to the point where it's ready to be released, and a new generation of glowing Kindles will be coming our way sometime this year.
home
Living in Seattle, you tend to find yourself in the company of tech people all the time. With Microsoft, Amazon, Adobe, Google, and a dozen other major companies established in the area, it's never a surprise when you find out the guy next to you at the bar is working on Windows Phone 8 or Half-Life 3. This week, I was lucky enough to get a chance to see what Amazon has cooking for its next generation of e-readers. Their new offices and the mysterious Lab 126 are just down the street, after all, so I'm actually surprised it hasn't happened before now. Back in November, I speculated that the new Kindles and Nooks and what have yous might have glowing screens, the likes of which we've seen occasionally but were never fully implemented. It turns out Amazon was thinking the same thing, and actually bought a company that was, I am told, the world leader in light-guide technology. They've finally gotten it to the point where it's ready to be released, and a new generation of glowing Kindles will be coming our way sometime this year.
Better Late Than Never: RIM Preps Refreshed PlayBook With 4G
4gplaybook
The BlackBerry PlayBook is about to get the gift of 4G. That is of course if a random leaked image and FCC documents are believed. And why not? Even though the PlayBook is almost a year old, RIM is actually selling more now than ever. The PlayBook is a fine tablet. The OS is competent and slick. It packs all the standard BlackBerry apps and functions. Much as the iPad is a great iPhone companion, the PlayBook should be the BlackBerry user's tablet of choice. The PlayBook is a fine tablet now. But it didn't launch that way.
4gplaybook
The BlackBerry PlayBook is about to get the gift of 4G. That is of course if a random leaked image and FCC documents are believed. And why not? Even though the PlayBook is almost a year old, RIM is actually selling more now than ever. The PlayBook is a fine tablet. The OS is competent and slick. It packs all the standard BlackBerry apps and functions. Much as the iPad is a great iPhone companion, the PlayBook should be the BlackBerry user's tablet of choice. The PlayBook is a fine tablet now. But it didn't launch that way.
April 05 2012
The Meh-Too Crowd
glass_photos4
It's been a while since I came to Google's defense but I think it's time to talk about what an absolute downer it is to dig through a lot of tech commentary these days. The most recent example came after the launch of Google's Glass project, a HUD for future travelers that will let us connect to our world in a fairly non-obtrusive way. Arguably, the product is pretty pie-in-the-sky, but all things being equal, the potential device, even if it includes a small subset of the features we saw in the video, is pretty cool. Instead of oohing and guffawing and going back to, you know, living his life, Old Man Gruber took some time out to dump three links to examples of the potential problems Glass faces. He noted, quite rightly, that only the worst companies created flashy videos of non-existant tech.
glass_photos4
It's been a while since I came to Google's defense but I think it's time to talk about what an absolute downer it is to dig through a lot of tech commentary these days. The most recent example came after the launch of Google's Glass project, a HUD for future travelers that will let us connect to our world in a fairly non-obtrusive way. Arguably, the product is pretty pie-in-the-sky, but all things being equal, the potential device, even if it includes a small subset of the features we saw in the video, is pretty cool. Instead of oohing and guffawing and going back to, you know, living his life, Old Man Gruber took some time out to dump three links to examples of the potential problems Glass faces. He noted, quite rightly, that only the worst companies created flashy videos of non-existant tech.
Project Glass Could Be Called Google Eye When It Lands On Your Face
Google Eye
Project Glass sounds like a super-villain secret weapon, so Google may need to give its wearable augmented reality device a friendlier name. Luckily the search giant owns the domain GoogleEye.com, so the high-tech monocle may be called Google Eye when it eventually starts selling to the public. Google has the URL locked down through registrar MarkMonitor, which it also uses to handle google.com and gmail.com. Google registered the URL in June 2003, so it may have been dreaming about being mounted on your face for a long time.
Google Eye
Project Glass sounds like a super-villain secret weapon, so Google may need to give its wearable augmented reality device a friendlier name. Luckily the search giant owns the domain GoogleEye.com, so the high-tech monocle may be called Google Eye when it eventually starts selling to the public. Google has the URL locked down through registrar MarkMonitor, which it also uses to handle google.com and gmail.com. Google registered the URL in June 2003, so it may have been dreaming about being mounted on your face for a long time.
Don’t Hold Your Breath For A 3D Samsung Smartphone
samsung-galaxy-s-III
Of all the peculiar gimmicks a smartphone manufacturer could lean on to make a device stand out, 3D always seemed like one of the most pointless. Sure, it sounds great in theory — who doesn’t want fully immersive video and apps — but actually using it on-the-go can be a completely different story. As it turns out, Samsung is right there with me. In an effort to combat some of the more fanciful Galaxy S III rumors floating around, the company told Engadget today that they have no intention to release a 3D smartphone any time soon.
samsung-galaxy-s-III
Of all the peculiar gimmicks a smartphone manufacturer could lean on to make a device stand out, 3D always seemed like one of the most pointless. Sure, it sounds great in theory — who doesn’t want fully immersive video and apps — but actually using it on-the-go can be a completely different story. As it turns out, Samsung is right there with me. In an effort to combat some of the more fanciful Galaxy S III rumors floating around, the company told Engadget today that they have no intention to release a 3D smartphone any time soon.
Nokia Lumia 900 Review: Head-To-Head With The Lumia 800 And iPhone 4S
Screen shot 2012-04-05 at 9.39.16 AM
Yep, I'm writing another post on the Lumia 900. It'll be my fourth in the span of 24 hours, but there's just so much to talk about. So after receiving a fly and a die, getting checked out by our camera crew, and being weighed by yours truly, we're putting the Lumia 900 up against baby brother Lumia 800 and the titan of smartphones: the iPhone 4S. Which will come out victorious? Well, that all depends on what you need and want, so let's not beat around the bush any longer.
Screen shot 2012-04-05 at 9.39.16 AM
Yep, I'm writing another post on the Lumia 900. It'll be my fourth in the span of 24 hours, but there's just so much to talk about. So after receiving a fly and a die, getting checked out by our camera crew, and being weighed by yours truly, we're putting the Lumia 900 up against baby brother Lumia 800 and the titan of smartphones: the iPhone 4S. Which will come out victorious? Well, that all depends on what you need and want, so let's not beat around the bush any longer.
Nest 2.0 Adds Advanced Energy-Saving Features
nest-thermostat-energy-history-iphone3
An update to the Nest thermostat is rolling out to device owners over the next two days, just in time for AC season. The improvements include advanced energy monitoring - essentially more data about your current energy usage - and something called Airwave, a program that will turn down your air conditioner and run the fan for a period of time, thereby saving energy.
nest-thermostat-energy-history-iphone3
An update to the Nest thermostat is rolling out to device owners over the next two days, just in time for AC season. The improvements include advanced energy monitoring - essentially more data about your current energy usage - and something called Airwave, a program that will turn down your air conditioner and run the fan for a period of time, thereby saving energy.
Here’s A More Realistic Look At Google’s Project Glass [Video]
Because walking and texting isn’t dangerous enough, Google Glasses will put AdSense 5mm in front of your retina. Disclaimer: I actually don’t know if Google plans on using in ads in their glasses.
The video above comes by way of Reddit and was made by Tom Scott. It humorously shows what the future could hold through the eyes of Project Glass. Of course the Google Glasses are likely made in such a way that they won’t completely dominate a person’s field of vision but there’s no way they won’t be distracting to some. Instead of walking with their head down looking at their phone, pedestrians are going to wander around in a zombie-like stupor, completely immersed in a YouTube video being shown on their glasses. I can’t wait.
Microsoft’s SemanticMap: After Project Glass, Another Take On How To Make The World More User-Specific
SemanticMap_04
Augmented reality seems to be all the rage this week: Microsoft earlier today got in touch to give us the heads up on some technology it's been working on -- its designs for how to make a user's experience of a location specific only to that user -- one day after Google revealed more details about its own take on that idea in the form of Project Glass. Called SemanticMap, the idea is technology that lets physical signage change based on a specific user, that user's location and what that person is looking for. Unlike Google's glasses, Microsoft's technology doesn't require the user to have any special headgear or other equipment; and it makes use of three key bits of technology that Microsoft is working on and will very likely become more and more ubiquitous in the years ahead: face analysis, gesture recognition and proximity detection. Microsoft has already been using some of this to good effect in the Kinect.
SemanticMap_04
Augmented reality seems to be all the rage this week: Microsoft earlier today got in touch to give us the heads up on some technology it's been working on -- its designs for how to make a user's experience of a location specific only to that user -- one day after Google revealed more details about its own take on that idea in the form of Project Glass. Called SemanticMap, the idea is technology that lets physical signage change based on a specific user, that user's location and what that person is looking for. Unlike Google's glasses, Microsoft's technology doesn't require the user to have any special headgear or other equipment; and it makes use of three key bits of technology that Microsoft is working on and will very likely become more and more ubiquitous in the years ahead: face analysis, gesture recognition and proximity detection. Microsoft has already been using some of this to good effect in the Kinect.
Apple and Facebook Should Be Terrified Of Google-Tinted Glasses
Project Glass Logo
Google's augmented reality eyewear is coming to disrupt your face and your business model. If you don't even have to pull your phone out to take a photo, get directions, or message with friends, why would you need to buy the latest iPhone or spend so much time on Facebook? It could be a year before Google eyewear reaches stores, but that's why these and other tech companies need to strategize now. If they wait to see if the device is a hit, the world could be seeing through Google-tinted glasses by the time they adapt. Apple and Facebook's best bet might be to team up...
Project Glass Logo
Google's augmented reality eyewear is coming to disrupt your face and your business model. If you don't even have to pull your phone out to take a photo, get directions, or message with friends, why would you need to buy the latest iPhone or spend so much time on Facebook? It could be a year before Google eyewear reaches stores, but that's why these and other tech companies need to strategize now. If they wait to see if the device is a hit, the world could be seeing through Google-tinted glasses by the time they adapt. Apple and Facebook's best bet might be to team up...
April 04 2012
Fly Or Die: Nokia Lumia 900
Screen shot 2012-04-04 at 10.29.30 AM
The Nokia Lumia 900 is set to be the question mark of the week. The embargo lifted last night, so everyone and their brother is posting a review, proudly giving yeas and nays on the first hard-core Nokia/Microsoft mobile offering. But what do John and I think? Well, the answer is two-fold, but the big guy and I always find common ground somewhere. With the Lumia 900, it's Windows Phone itself.
Screen shot 2012-04-04 at 10.29.30 AM
The Nokia Lumia 900 is set to be the question mark of the week. The embargo lifted last night, so everyone and their brother is posting a review, proudly giving yeas and nays on the first hard-core Nokia/Microsoft mobile offering. But what do John and I think? Well, the answer is two-fold, but the big guy and I always find common ground somewhere. With the Lumia 900, it's Windows Phone itself.
Nokia Lumia 900 Review: Initial Impressions (Video)
Screen shot 2012-04-03 at 1.15.53 PM
Now that 9pm has rolled around and the awkwardly timed embargo has lifted, I can finally talk to you guys about the phone I've been playing with for the past week: the Nokia Lumia 900. I'm not going to get too detailed, as a full review and a head-to-head battle will go live in the coming days, but I wanted to hit you guys with initial impressions as early as possible. To put it plainly, I think this is a swell phone.
Screen shot 2012-04-03 at 1.15.53 PM
Now that 9pm has rolled around and the awkwardly timed embargo has lifted, I can finally talk to you guys about the phone I've been playing with for the past week: the Nokia Lumia 900. I'm not going to get too detailed, as a full review and a head-to-head battle will go live in the coming days, but I wanted to hit you guys with initial impressions as early as possible. To put it plainly, I think this is a swell phone.
April 03 2012
NSF-Funded Project Aims To Enable Print-On-Demand, Customizable Robots
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In some of the old science fiction stories I remember from Weird Tales and Ray Bradbury and the like, robots always figured. But they always came the way you might expect a new dryer or hot water heater to arrive. In a big box, packed in straw or foam, heavy and metal of course as they always were back in the day. But the world of robots is different from the way they imagined it then: the metallic golems of yore have given way to a sort of Cambrian explosion of potential robot types, imitating everything from worm to dog to bird. A team of researchers hopes to both expand that robodiversity and change the way our future companions are delivered. Funded by the NSF, they've begun a 5-year-long project exploring the idea of on-demand robots. MIT is leading the effort, specifically Professor Daniela Rus from CSAIL. They have researchers from University of Pennsylvania and Harvard on the team, and the object is to "make it possible for the average person to design, customize and print a specialized robot in a matter of hours."
main
In some of the old science fiction stories I remember from Weird Tales and Ray Bradbury and the like, robots always figured. But they always came the way you might expect a new dryer or hot water heater to arrive. In a big box, packed in straw or foam, heavy and metal of course as they always were back in the day. But the world of robots is different from the way they imagined it then: the metallic golems of yore have given way to a sort of Cambrian explosion of potential robot types, imitating everything from worm to dog to bird. A team of researchers hopes to both expand that robodiversity and change the way our future companions are delivered. Funded by the NSF, they've begun a 5-year-long project exploring the idea of on-demand robots. MIT is leading the effort, specifically Professor Daniela Rus from CSAIL. They have researchers from University of Pennsylvania and Harvard on the team, and the object is to "make it possible for the average person to design, customize and print a specialized robot in a matter of hours."
No LTE, No Problem: Sprint’s $100 LG Viper Goes Up For Pre-Order On April 12
viper
Sprint still hasn't launched their new LTE network yet, but if a new announcement about a LTE-capable handsey is any indication, they're getting pretty close. Though the existence of a Sprint-bound Galaxy Nexus probably overshadowed it a bit, Sprint has announced that LG's eco-friendly Viper handset will be available for pre-order beginning on April 12 with a release soon to follow.
viper
Sprint still hasn't launched their new LTE network yet, but if a new announcement about a LTE-capable handsey is any indication, they're getting pretty close. Though the existence of a Sprint-bound Galaxy Nexus probably overshadowed it a bit, Sprint has announced that LG's eco-friendly Viper handset will be available for pre-order beginning on April 12 with a release soon to follow.
Please Don’t Let This Be What The EVO One Looks Like
evoone
Well, I suppose it was bound to happen. Just one day before HTC and Sprint kick off their so-called collaboration event in New York City, the team at PocketNow has gotten their hands on what they claim is the first press shot of the device to be unveiled: the EVO One. The device’s supposed internals sure seem to be a treat, at least according to a tip that Android Central received a few days ago. The ICS-powered EVO One is expected to sport a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, a 4.7-inch 720p AMOLED display (which The Verge rightly notes is a slight letdown compared to the One X’s Super LCD 2 panel), an LTE radio, 16GB of onboard storage, and Beats Audio support.
evoone
Well, I suppose it was bound to happen. Just one day before HTC and Sprint kick off their so-called collaboration event in New York City, the team at PocketNow has gotten their hands on what they claim is the first press shot of the device to be unveiled: the EVO One. The device’s supposed internals sure seem to be a treat, at least according to a tip that Android Central received a few days ago. The ICS-powered EVO One is expected to sport a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, a 4.7-inch 720p AMOLED display (which The Verge rightly notes is a slight letdown compared to the One X’s Super LCD 2 panel), an LTE radio, 16GB of onboard storage, and Beats Audio support.
February 29 2012
Map Your Own 3D Space With Metaio Creator Mobile
creatorMobile
Yesterday, Metaio CTO Peter Meier ran a small demo for me that describes how their new Creator Mobile software allows any user to map a 3D space with a coordinate system, so they can then add their own digital, Augmented Reality content to that space. This mobile app will work in conjunction with their desktop solution called simply Metaio Creator (video description at this link), which is where the content is actually associated with the coordinate system, via "drag and drop".
creatorMobile
Yesterday, Metaio CTO Peter Meier ran a small demo for me that describes how their new Creator Mobile software allows any user to map a 3D space with a coordinate system, so they can then add their own digital, Augmented Reality content to that space. This mobile app will work in conjunction with their desktop solution called simply Metaio Creator (video description at this link), which is where the content is actually associated with the coordinate system, via "drag and drop".
Video: This Isn’t The iPad 3… But We Can Dream, Right?
Screen shot 2012-02-29 at 10.20.44 AM
Are you ready for the iPad 3? We are. We've got all kinds of coverage on when Apple's unveiling the little darling, what you should expect, and whether or not a little iPad is even something Apple would consider. But to break up the monotony (and annoyance) of truth mixed with rumor, I decided to hit you guys with a straight-up lie. So to be clear, this is not the iPad 3. Not even close. But... I really want it to be. The folks over at Aatma Studio did the same type of concept video ahead of the iPhone 5 announcement last year, and it was just as awe-inspiring. Check it out after the jump.
Screen shot 2012-02-29 at 10.20.44 AM
Are you ready for the iPad 3? We are. We've got all kinds of coverage on when Apple's unveiling the little darling, what you should expect, and whether or not a little iPad is even something Apple would consider. But to break up the monotony (and annoyance) of truth mixed with rumor, I decided to hit you guys with a straight-up lie. So to be clear, this is not the iPad 3. Not even close. But... I really want it to be. The folks over at Aatma Studio did the same type of concept video ahead of the iPhone 5 announcement last year, and it was just as awe-inspiring. Check it out after the jump.
Windows 8: The Road Ahead
win8samsung-002-8
If Windows Vista was Microsoft's folly - a mish-mash of ideas not fully baked and aimed at multiple constituencies - Windows 8 is Microsoft's rebirth. To get ecstatic about it isn't quite the direction I'd like to take this mini-review, but let's just say that Microsoft is on the cusp of getting things right. As we said before, Windows 8 will ruffle a lot of feathers. The first and most obvious comparison is with the new Windows Phone interface. The "Start" menu is gone, replaced by what amounts to the entire Metro UI. This UI - the one with the multiple, animated squares, is the one that matters.
win8samsung-002-8
If Windows Vista was Microsoft's folly - a mish-mash of ideas not fully baked and aimed at multiple constituencies - Windows 8 is Microsoft's rebirth. To get ecstatic about it isn't quite the direction I'd like to take this mini-review, but let's just say that Microsoft is on the cusp of getting things right. As we said before, Windows 8 will ruffle a lot of feathers. The first and most obvious comparison is with the new Windows Phone interface. The "Start" menu is gone, replaced by what amounts to the entire Metro UI. This UI - the one with the multiple, animated squares, is the one that matters.
Toshiba Intros World’s Thinnest And Lightest 10″ Tablet: The Excite 10 LE
x10
When Toshiba first entered the tablet space, they specifically told us "we're not focusing on thin and light, we're focusing on usability." This was true — both the Thrive and Thrive 7" have a host of ports and the big guy even has a removable battery. But it would seem that Toshiba is ready to switch up the strategy, as the company is today announcing the world's thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet, the Excite 10 LE.
x10
When Toshiba first entered the tablet space, they specifically told us "we're not focusing on thin and light, we're focusing on usability." This was true — both the Thrive and Thrive 7" have a host of ports and the big guy even has a removable battery. But it would seem that Toshiba is ready to switch up the strategy, as the company is today announcing the world's thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet, the Excite 10 LE.
Breaking! Windows 8 Wallpapers Leak Ahead Of Official Debut
img0
Wallpapers! Microsoft is holding a big Windows 8 event today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona where it's expected to announce (release?) the final Windows 8 beta. Plus, as if that isn't enough, the Windows 8 wallpapers and lockscreens are supposed to be unveiled. I know, right? Wallpapers! Lockscreens! But alas. The wallpapers from the Consumer Preview release leaked early. Win8China got the exclusive and posted a rar file containing the seven wallpapers and six lockscreens. Most of the wallpapers are of the standard floral variety but one is a clever Metro-ish style of the Windows 7 betta fish. Interestingly enough, two of the wallpapers are clearly designed for a dual-screen layout, stating loud and clear Windows 8 will support a more robust multi-monitor support.
img0
Wallpapers! Microsoft is holding a big Windows 8 event today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona where it's expected to announce (release?) the final Windows 8 beta. Plus, as if that isn't enough, the Windows 8 wallpapers and lockscreens are supposed to be unveiled. I know, right? Wallpapers! Lockscreens! But alas. The wallpapers from the Consumer Preview release leaked early. Win8China got the exclusive and posted a rar file containing the seven wallpapers and six lockscreens. Most of the wallpapers are of the standard floral variety but one is a clever Metro-ish style of the Windows 7 betta fish. Interestingly enough, two of the wallpapers are clearly designed for a dual-screen layout, stating loud and clear Windows 8 will support a more robust multi-monitor support.
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