New rumored details emerged today about tablets from two competitors: Apple and Microsoft. iLounge says they have 10 new pieces of info on Apple’s tablet while Gizmodo seems to have received yet another exclusive video detailing what Microsoft is thinking. The two are at opposite ends of the tablet spectrum but overall, I am sensing they both miss the mark.
Apple iPad (like they’ll actually pull one out)
iLounge says Apple has been playing around with three different tablets that run iPhone OS. That makes good sense as Apple would be foolish not to leverage the 85,000 and growing far too fast, applications currently residing in the Apple App Store. Word is the tablet isn’t meant to compete with netbooks, rather it is more a big iPod touch with and without a 3G radio; think “light communication device”.
Windows Courier (it doesn’t run Vista, yay!)
Meanwhile, over at Gizmodo, the new video shows off how much Microsoft loves Nike. Or at least how much the Courier team wants to design shoes. The Courier uses a combination of inputs to move data around: finger swiping and the infamous stylus for text entry. The double screen is right at home as a journal-like companion. The thing looks gorgeous.
And I’m done with tablets
Here’s the rub, neither machine solves a problem. The Apple is an extension of the iPod, the MS is trying to create another device to lug around. Neither says, “hey you, stop carrying that [insert favorite device name here], use this instead.” Neither makes me smack my head and say, “Hot damn, I need that.”
Yes, all the sneaker designers want the Courier and the geek in me would love to play with these gadgets, but at the end of the day, if neither product solves a problem, they’ll spend their lives behind glass. Neither makes a compelling argument to get me to buy them.
The bigger problem is between my smartphone and PC, I don’t need a third screen. Or at least, these incarnations don’t make it clear why I need that third screen. Yes, it is totally unfair to judge these before even their manufacturers will confirm them, but really: why? For surfing I don’t feel like doing on my phone, the PC is usually there. A mid-range screen seems a bit gluttonous now, doesn’t it?
Think tablets are the next pet rocks? Let us know if you’ll be sleeping in the street to get a hold of these, if, you know, they actually make it to market.
The Federal Communications Commission is certainly upholding President Obama’s promise to fix some of the issues with Internet connections in the US. Last week, there was the proposed ideas of Net Neutrality and this week it comes to broadband speed and penetration. Turns out, as most of us already knew, the state of broadband in the US isn’t all that great. The FCC at its September monthly meeting outlined the state of broadband in the country and how to make it better. This is leading up to the national broadband plan it has to come up with by February 2010.
Turns out, according to the preliminary findings, the Internet is becoming more important for consumers, education, employment, and the all-important health care improvements. Each of these reasons requires, at least in some part, broadband connection. The preliminary findings, however, find that only about two-thirds of Americans have broadband at home, about 33 percent have access, but don’t use it, and another 4 percent don’t have access at all. On top of that, broadband speeds can be up to 80 percent slower than what the ISPs advertise to their customers.
To fix these problems, the FCC says it will take $20 billion for universal 768 kbps - 6 Mbps and up to $350 billion for country-wide 100 Mbps, with, of course, added fees for reaching all the rural areas of the country. Of course, these monetary figures come with no time tables, so it is hard to say when or if we will get that 100 Mbps across the country. Even if it does take a long time, if the service is cheap enough, I’m sure we can all agree on getting 100 Mbps. Of course, there are monetary issues with the plan, like the fact that the US is in massive debt, but it’s still nice to dream about 100 Mbps anywhere and everywhere in the country.
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There have been quite a few security issues in the news this past week. Let's take a look at some of the top stories:
Poisoned iPhone MMS Searches
Hackers wasted no time in exploiting the release of the much anticipated MMS functionality for the iPhone. AT&T finally made it available on Friday (September 25, 2009), and experts say that now that 6 out of the top 10 search results for search phrases involving the keywords iPhone and MMS are malicious, directing to sites that try to push fake anti-virus scareware. This is a tactic that hackers use to exploit holidays, hot topics and news headlines. Just a week or two ago it was used to poison searches about actor Patrick Swayze, who died of cancer on September 14th. To protect yourself, stick to reputable, well known sites for your information. Read [PCWorld]
Microsoft releases free anti-virus software
Today, Microsoft released its new (and free!) anti-virus software package, called Microsoft Security Essentials. It replaces Live OneCare and offers virus, spyware and rootkit protection without the bloat of Norton or McAfee. It's fast and simple with a slick, clean interface and is poised to give AVG some real competition. With no resource hogging extras like firewalls and browser plug ins, its footprint is small and it doesn't slow down boot up or shut down times. You can download it here. Read [CNet]
iPhone app reveals potential privacy issue
iPhone users who have installed the version of the free app called mogoRoad received a rather rude surprise: spammy phone calls from the developer urging them to upgrade to the paid version. When confronted the company claimed Apple had given them the users phone numbers but Apple doesn't ever release such info, so a French site did some digging and discovered something startling: it's not only possible, but very easy for an app to access the phone number of the iPhone it is installed on. This might be a feature designed to enhance the functionality of some apps, but it does raise privacy concerns. Apple hasn't had any comment on the discovery but hopefully they will be coming down hard on the developers of mogoRoad and any others who abuse this "feature." Read [PCWorld]
Bank forces Google to shut down GMail account that did nothing wrong
A blunder by an employee of Rocky Mountain Bank resulted in a GMail user having their account shut down, even though they did no wrong. The employee somehow sent an email containing over 1,000 customer names, addresses, SSN numbers and loan information to a random GMail address, apparently due to a typo. Once the mistake was realized the bank sent another email to the address asking that the info be destroyed and that the user contact the bank. When they got no reply they contacted Google and asked for the user's information.
Google said they could honor the request without a court order so the bank went to court and forced Google to shut down the account. The bank and Google have since come up with a way to resolve the issue but until the court approves their motion to dismiss the case, the GMail user (who has not been identified) remains locked out of their account. The bank had no comment. One hopes they will at least issue an apology to him/her for punishing them for their employee's mistake! Read [ComputerWorld]
Assassination poll yanked from Facebook
Finally, in yet another example of why Facebook simply can't keep refusing to implement better security where its 3rd party apps are concerned, it was forced to yank yet another app after the Secret Service informed them of a poll that asked "Should Obama be killed?" Over 700 people took the poll before it was yanked, but the results are unknown. The Secret Service is currently trying to find the person who created the poll. Read [CNet]
It's a cell phone - no, it's a GPS unit! Actually the new nuvifone from AT&T Wireless and Garmin are both of those things and more. The unit integrates Garmin's popular GPS service with voice, data, and web browsing services, all in a sleek 4.4 x 2.3' package with a 272 x 480 WQVGA touchscreen.
The device cam be used as an in car or pedestrian navigation unit with turn by turn directions. It also offers one touch navigation from contacts or email and a safety feature that tells you where you are and directs you to the nearest police station, gas station or hospital. It can even remember where you parked your car. No more wandering parking lots at the mall or sporting events.
“The nuvifone weaves location into nearly every facet of its functionality making it ideal for people who depend on location to navigate everyday life,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin’s president and COO. “The nuvifone has Garmin’s easy-to-use interface, so navigating to a meeting directly from its calendar or contacts pages, or geotagging an email or photograph with a location stamp, is intuitive, useful and fun.”
The nuvifone also offers a full HTML browser with built in navigation features. Just touch a location and it will show you how to get there. A full QWERTY touchscreen keyboard makes emailing and texting easy.
Other features include a 3MP camera with auto focus and geo-tagging, the ability to use voice, data, and navigation at the same time, Bluetooth, WiFi andn 4GB of on board memory with up to 16GB additional memory available via the MicroSD slot. It also functions as a music player with MP3 playback. The 1200mAh battery is said to offer 4 hrs of talk time and up to 250hrs of standby time.
The nuvifone will be offered exclusively by AT&T and be available on October 4th for $299 after a $100 rebate and with a 2 year contract. An additional feature, which AT&T is calling Nuvifone Connect Premium Services and includes weather, fuel price updates, movie times, and traffic updates, is available for $5.99 a month.
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The phone that made me do a 180 on my stance on Moto is coming very soon. Pre-sale for the Moto Cliq will start October 19 to November 1, 2009. That pre-sale is for existing T-Mobile customers. The phone will be in stores on November 2, 2009. What's the cost? $199.99 with a two-year agreement.
If you haven’t heard about the Motorola Cliq, it is Motorola’s Android phone that uses the MotoBlur UI as a shell. The MotoBlur UI puts your social networks in one place. A feature that gets lots of talk is seeing status updates when people call you. If you’ve got an angry friend, maybe you don’t want to take the call.
We had some hands on time with the Cliq and you can watch video below and see pictures right here.
Some experiences have to be seen to be believed, but not every experience is suitable to having a camera in your hands. The ContourHD1080p is a wearable 1080p camera that you can strap to a helmet or just your bare head if you so desire. The camera uses MicroSD cards so there isn't some cable attached to the camera to a memory unit. It's a self-contained barrel shaped camera.
The Contour comes with video editing software so you can show off your adventures. VholdR knows that this camera will be in some different situations so it has a laser alignment setup so you can tell the camera that it is level. Plus, there's a big record switch (no tiny buttons here) so you can hit record even if you are wearing gloves. The ContourHD1080p also has an aluminum body so it can handle some drops and it is also weather and dust resistant (note - it is not water or dust proof). The camera costs $329.99 and will be available mid-October 2009.
A lot of people use ZAGG's invisibleShield product to protect their electronics since they add little bulk but protect screens and other parts of your device from scratches. Now, ZAGG has picked up the rights to the "Golden Shellback" technology that is now going by the name of "HzO." HzO is a technology that coats gadgets to make them waterproof. All of the components are covered in a transparent coating—videos show devices like a BlackBerry or iPod touch continuing to function under water. Take a look at the video below to see this technology in action. Expect to see ZAGG offer some kind of HzO service or to start selling their own coated goods like ColorWare PC does. As a spaz, it's only a matter of time before my computer winds up in some water or coffee. I look forward to seeing ZAGG use this tech.
Toshiba is finally putting a Cell processor in a television and will show it off on October 5, 2009. Announced back in CES 2009, Japan gets this super-TV first. What purpose could having a Cell processor have in a television? Toshiba says they will use the processor to upscale standard definition video to higher quality. Think of your television having a built in upscaler like a lot of DVD players.
Before you start thinking that Toshiba has grand designs to put together a PS3/TV combo, Toshiba has already claimed that they will not be doing that. Not at all. Toshiba actually developed the Cell with IBM and Sony. Expect Toshiba to eventually build combination Blu-ray/televisions and probably give access to IPTV directly from the television without the need for a set top box. The Cell is a very powerful processor and putting it in a television opens up what a simple TV can do.
Last week, rumors flew that Verizon didn’t want the new Palm Pre on its network. The news crushed the hopes of many who want to see a killer device like the Pre on a network as big as Verizon. It turns out, the rumor was just that according to E-Commerce Times, Verizon will get the Pre.
Analysts say their checks reflect a big push by Palm in early 2010. Palm’s supply chain is gearing up for a big launch, consistent with a launch for Verizon. So where is the problem?
Some say the Street.com made the announcement to suppress the public offering of Palm, which closed yesterday. Losing a big deal like the Pre on Verizon would mean a lot to a company trying to come back from a business coma and investors would certainly flinch at the news. Whatever the reason, Verizon has confirmed it’s commitment.
In fact, according to the Examiner.com, Verizon will get an enhanced version with more memory (or expandable SD slot) and possibly a bigger screen. That would make good sense as Verizon could tout the new, exclusive features over its pal Sprint.
The Latitude Z from Dell is the first laptop to offer the ability to charge the computer without the use of a power cord. Instead, you will place the notebook on a special stand that creates an inductive charging field. Dell's engineering department described the science behind the wireless charging similar to the technologies used for cordless toothbrushes and electric shavers.
The charger will recharge the battery for the Latitude Z at the same speed as a traditional power cord and is said to not affect other electronic devices. Additionally, an optional wireless docking station will be available through Dell. Audio jacks and USB cables can be connected through the station. As long as the Latitude Z is within 9 feet of the station, it can wirelessly access the devices connected to it.
Other features of the Latitude Z include the new Latitude On, a secondary motherboard within the notebook that has an ARM processor, graphics card and Wi-Fi chip. The notebook weighs only 4.5 pounds and is only 0.5-inches thick.
The charging stand will add on an extra $199 to the price and the docking station will also cost $199. The base price for the Dell Latitude Z is $1999.
When you buy a cell phone, one of the things to look for is the true cost of ownership. Sure a phone costs only $99, but with its service plan is it cheaper than a $199 phone on another carrier? That's where BillShrink came in to help. Now, BillShrink is opening its "BIllShrink Savings" service that will help you figure out other ways to save money.
Here's how this works: you can find a bank that pays some actual interest. Some banks can claim a high interest rate in the first couple of months, but the rate may lower over time. BillShrink Savings combines interest rates and creates a profile to determine which place makes more money for you over a time period. If you tell BillShrink how much money you will put in the account, you can further fill out the profile so BillShrink can find out which banks pay more with a minimum balance. BillShrink Savings will tell you what combination of CDs and savings accounts can make you the most money.
Inputting your work address and company name also can shape the profile. Certain benefits are given to certain businesses. In an example where a person lived in California and worked for Google - BillShrink can give you information for credit unions that have particular qualifications. These credit unions may pay more than a traditional bank.
Additionally, BillShrink Savings takes ATM fees into account. Where there is a fee at ATMs, fees are calculated over a time period and information on how much it will cost you to use a particular bank and ATM is available. There is a Google Maps mash up that shows ATMs with fees. Fee data are synthesized from a number of places included ATM databases and clearing houses. Users cannot update the Google Map with new fee data yet.
You can select what kind of bank you want - a small, medium, or large one. You can also drill down using savings account features such as ATM access, bill pay, direct deposit, and more.
BillShrink users do not have to be concerned about bank sponsors buying placements. No bank can change positioning in the system and all the calculations are available from the site directly to the user.
This service requires a user to sign up, but there is a benefit. Since rates change weekly, users are updated on changes to the rates so the you can make more money.
With Windows 7 around the corner, there are a lot of announcements of new PCs. Check out the new Toshiba Satellite T100 Series. These notebooks will start at 3.49 pounds and use the Intel ultra-low voltage processors which means better battery life as Toshiba claims about 9 hours. One of the nicer trends in notebooks has been lowering the weight while keeping some style in the design.
Toshiba's Satellite T100 series comes in red and black (one has the color option of white as well). Each color has a carbon fiber like design if you like that kind of thing.
Both have WIndows 7, multi-touch trackpads, HDMI port out, 5-in-1 memory card reader, 802.11 b/g/n and 10/100 Ethernet, and webcam with face recognition.
If you're looking to get rid of some of your gear, you can check out this excellent Gadgetell Guide on how to stay on the bleeding edge of tech. If you're feeling a different type of green, you can also recycle your gear. There is a new program called "The TradeUps" program from Market Velocity Inc. and Enable Holdings which will be accessible via uBid.com.
If you have old tech like phones, computers, music players, cameras, or even PDAs, this recycling program will give you cash back. If your tech has a value of zero, then you can still recycle for free. There is no charge for recycling your tech other than for shipping.
We at Gadgetell are big fans of helping out while we're on earth—recycle your electronics instead of throwing them out.
It was a few weeks back when we saw a few Sprint branded HTC Hero reviews pop-up online, and now it looks like round 2 of that process has begun. Except this latest seems to have focused on unboxing and first thought style videos. Personally, I love watching video unboxings and having an interest in the Hero makes these worthy of some attention, at least for me anyway.
Overall, we are not learning a whole lot new in these videos, but they are offering a nice look at the phone itself. So without further adieu, here is a video from jkOnTheRun as well as two Android specific sites which includes AndroidGuys and Phandroid.
Of course, unboxing videos typically lead to more in-depth reviews, and that should be good news especially for anyone considering an HTC Hero purchase.
There have been quite a few security issues in the news this past week. Let's take a look at some of the top stories:
It's a cell phone - no, it's a GPS unit! Actually the new nuvifone from AT&T Wireless and Garmin are both of those things and more. The unit integrates Garmin's popular GPS service with voice, data, and web browsing services, all in a sleek 4.4 x 2.3' package with a 272 x 480 WQVGA touchscreen. 
Toshiba is finally putting a Cell processor in a television and will show it off on October 5, 2009. Announced 
Last week, rumors flew that Verizon didn’t want the new Palm Pre on its network. The news crushed the hopes of many who want to see a killer device like the Pre on a network as big as Verizon. It turns out, the rumor was just that according to E-Commerce Times, Verizon will get the Pre.
The Latitude Z from Dell is the first laptop to offer the ability to charge the computer without the use of a power cord. Instead, you will place the notebook on a special stand that creates an inductive charging field. Dell's engineering department described the science behind the wireless charging similar to the technologies used for cordless toothbrushes and electric shavers. 
If you're looking to get rid of some of your gear, you can check out this excellent Gadgetell Guide on how to stay on the bleeding edge of tech. If you're feeling a different type of green, you can also recycle your gear. There is a new program called "The TradeUps" program from Market Velocity Inc. and Enable Holdings which will be accessible via uBid.com. 
It was a few weeks back when we saw a 
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