Section: Computers, Mobile Computers Samsung is working on an Android tablet, but details of the device have been rather scant. A picture of the device is already known, but today, JK Shin revealed some of the key features as well as an expected release timeframe in an interview with Forbes. The Samsung Galaxy Tab will sport a front facing and rear facing camera for video chat. The rear facing camera is a 3.2MP, but no word on the front facing one. In addition, it boasts a 7 inch Super AMOLED touch screen, 1.2GHz A8 processor, 16GB of storage expandable via microSD, and it will run Android 2.2 out of the box. Expect GPS, WiFi, and 3G connectivity standard on the Samsung Android tablet. Apparently, the Galaxy Tab will be available before October, which is really just around the corner. Hopefully we will see official specs, pricing, and availability soon because a Galaxy S-like tablet is a very interesting concept. Via [SamsungHub] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Audio, Speakers  At least that’s what Yoel Fink, an associate professor of materials science and researcher at MIT claims. Fink and his lab have been working on producing piezoelectric fibers, that is fibers that can convert motion into electricity or vice versa. If you happen to know anything about speakers they operate in the same fashion, taking electricity and converting it to motion that can then produce sound. Fink has managed to create these piezoelectric fibers by applying graphite in order for the rigidity of the material to vibrate, creating sound.
Of course, the possibilities for this type of type of material are endless; with it being an extremely scalable technique we can expect countless of scenarios in which these special fibers can interact with their environments. Read [MIT News] Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile  The Samsung Wave has been dazzling, selling its way past expectations and closing in on its one-millionth unit. This is absolutely shocking to me. As a tech enthusiast, a smartphone like the Wave using a first generation operating system (Bada) should not sell anywhere close to that many units. Yet, somehow Samsung has managed to prove just about every western tech-blogger wrong, making huge profit margins along the way.
While the Wave is selling like hotcakes, the Galaxy S is getting quite the showing by selling 300,000 units in South Korea alone. The Galaxy S which is hitting multiple carriers in the U.S. and over 100 countries is going to be a global hit in my opinion. It is a good thing to see a company such as Samsung pushing forward in the mobile space. Now the question is, who is going to take them on? Read [SamsungHub] Via [IntoMobile] Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking So some guy from New York has recently field a law suit claiming that he owns 84% of social networking juggernaut Facebook. Paul Ceglia’s lawsuit, filed on June 30th, claims that that a contract he signed with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg gives him majority ownership of the website. The contract, which was signed on April 28, 2003, was in order for Ceglia to design and develop a website with a $1,000 payment. In addition, Ceglia would receive 50% stake in the product with an additional 1% interest in the company for every day after Jan. 1, 2004, until completion. “We believe this suit is completely frivolous and we will fight it vigorously,” a Facebook spokesperson said. Both Ceglia and his lawyer have not commented or returned calls as of yet. I can’t imagine how many more of these bothersome trials Zuckerberg can go through without completely losing his mind. This reminds me of that Coldplay song “The Scientist” which several other “talented musicians” have claimed to have written over the past few years. I’m not seeing this case going any further than an out-of-court settlement to get Mr. Ceglia’s to shut his trap. I can’t imagine why Zuckerberg wouldn’t just get one of his geeky buddies at Harvard to make the website for a box of ramen noodles and a bucket of chicken wings. In any case, the moral of the story is: watch your neck when you sit atop the mountain. Read [WSJ] Full Story » | Written by Tarun Kunwar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks  Amazon was selling a refurbished Kindle 2 earlier today for $109.99 and now there is an equally a good deal on a Sony Reader. The specific model of the Reader is the 505-LC and its available by way of Books-A-Million. The price—$99. Or if you happen to be a Books-A-Million club member you can get it for $89.10. But with that, I would rather spend the extra $10 bucks and get the Kindle, not only do I like Amazon, but the built-in 3G access is a plus.
Product [Books-A-Million] Via [CrunchGear] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Websites 
We already heard Motorola will be limiting the amount of Droid X’s every Verizon Wireless retail store will have in stock, so finding one could prove difficult during the initial launch period. Fortunately for people who plan on buying the Droid X right away, Wirefly will be the first authorized retailer to sell the highly anticipated Android smartphone as soon as the clock hits 12:01 AM over on the West Coast. Andy Zeinfeld, chief executive officer of Simplexity, parent company of Wirefly, has this to say about the launch: "There is currently such a huge demand for Android-powered smartphones that they fly off Wirefly's virtual shelves the moment they hit the market. We expect the DROID X to be just as popular and are excited to offer this highly-touted device from Verizon Wireless to our millions of valued customers on the official launch. Our sale kicks off at 12:01 am PST on July 15 – many hours before retail stores open their doors - so those who want to secure their own DROID X won't have to wait until sunrise to order it."
Pricing will remain the same with Wirefly, but it definitely beats having to wait in line for a device that could be sold out. Standard FedEx shipping is free, courtesy of Wirefly, but that does mean you’ll have to wait at least a day to receive the Motorola Droid X. Will you be one of the first in line to order the Motorola Droid X online at Wirefly? Read [PR Web] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Video, Portable Video, Communications, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers, Gadgets / Other 
Itching for an Android-based tablet? Sick and tired of people gushing over the iPad? Maybe the Archos 5 internet tablet is right up your alley. The unit got fondled for a short time over at Mobility Site and the results might surprise you. Instead of being a saucy alternative to all things “i”, the device seems a bit off. Running Android 1.6, the Archos 5 size puts it in a tough class, neither really pocketable or seemingly big enough to justify carrying around a bag to hold it in. This “neither this nor that” is familiar to me in reviewing Archos gear. The hardware itself was rated very nice, well put together and stylish. However, the hardware wasn’t the biggest issue encountered. “After working for a day in the Android Market I will never complain about the iTunes App Store. At times trying to dig through the Android Market seemed like the original Cydia, filled with lots of potentially useless applications in Chinese and low rez wallpaper collections, intermingled with Family Guy ringtones.” Ouch. We make a big deal about apps these days, those 3rd party programs that turn your device into a gaming rig, GPS navigator, PDA, shopping tool, internet kiosk and anything else developers care to make it. Android’s numbers have been lagging Apple’s but that will change soon. What doesn’t seem to be changing at a great pace is the quality of apps. “The truth of it is, it is clear to me that the Android markets needs a good broom and maybe a flamethrower taken to it, but because of its inherently untamed nature, it can be what the App Store isn't..and that is ALIVE.” Good and bad right? Good in the feeling of being a part of something at it’s genesis. The knowledge that someday you’ll tell a grandchild on your lap, “yup, I was there at the beginning.” And of course bad in that the fit and polish just isn’t there. It’s been my experience that Archos devices are quirky. The Archos 5, despite having Android on board, seems unable to outrun the quirkiness. At just $276 though, you might be able to live with a little quirkiness. Read: [Mobility Site] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, Computers, Hardware, Gadgets / Other Some interesting news came out of MobileBeat 2010 held in San Francisco on Monday - a flexible display running webOS. No, such a product will not be coming later this year, but there is a strong chance we can see this technology employed further down the road in 2011 perhaps running Palm’s webOS now under the jurisdiction of HP. The display constructed of Mylar sheets uses a very minute amount of power making it an environmentally friendly. HP’s Phil McKinney is the one who talked about the possibility of a flexible display at MobileBeat. The reason we believe webOS could be used on such a product is because of this statement by McKinney: “These are the kinds of display technologies that will change what we think of in form factors, both in products from Palm with flexible displays, and with HP.”
Even if nothing comes of this, it’s still nice to know HP is working on integrating webOS in some unique fashion, even if it is on a printer. Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Business News, Computers  Sure, everyone wants the latest and greatest. And while I am not going to argue one way or the other for Windows 7, it is the latest—at least as far as Windows is concerned. That aside though, it seems that quite a few people and work places are still running old software and old hardware at this point. Shocking, people do not spend lots of money when they do not need to. Of course, that goes against what many tech bloggers think, say and do. But in reality—people use what works and more importantly what they can afford.
With that, according to Tammi Reller, who is the CVP of Microsoft Windows; - 74% of business computers are still running Windows XP.
- The average age of a PC is currently 4.4 years old, which is the highest in about 10 years.
And while these stats are entirely realistic to believe, Microsoft appears to see it as a good thing. After all, that means 74% of people who can still upgrade to Windows 7. Plus plenty of people that soon may need to upgrade their computer—and in turn end up with Windows 7. With that, Steve Ballmer also made mention that Microsoft expects to sell 350 million licenses for Windows 7 this year. Read [Business Insider] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile  Windows Phone 7 is already playing catch-up to mobile operating systems like Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. But, if they want any chance at surviving the competitive marketplace, applications and their developers are going to have to be key players to the platform.
As of today, these developers can start getting their hands dirty with the new Windows Phone Developer Tools Beta. These tools, Microsoft claims, are the near final versions of the tools that will be distributed on launch day. With this announcement, Microsoft has also responded to the wide demand for developer devices in which to actually test and debug the applications. They had this to say on the matter: “Starting next Monday (July 19th), we start shipping the devices more broadly. Sadly, we will not be able to meet all of that demand. We are planning to set up deploy and test labs in major cities to make it a little easier for everyone who wants to have access to a preview phone to have it. More on that soon. Lastly, to get your name in the queue, assuming you haven't already sent in an email, you can now send an email to wp7req@microsoft.com. A field representative will get back to you as soon as possible. Again, these are preview phones, so they are limited in quantity. When you send email, please include the following information: Your name
Company name, if applicable
What city/state/country you are located in
App(s) you plan on developing (category and brief description)”
Well here it goes for Microsoft. This is their last chance of getting in the market before they get left behind completely. If it was me heading the drive into the market, I would set a boat load of money aside to pay developers to make interesting and unique applications for the new platform. Read [The Windows Phone Developer Blog] Via [IntoMobile] Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Broadband Cards, Computers, Wireless Despite the T-Mobile webConnect Rocket USB modem only being a few months old at this point—we are still seeing word of a webConnect Rocket 2. That said, nothing has been officially announced by T-Mobile as of yet. Instead these details are coming courtesy of some leaked images. Either way though, the leaked images tell a pretty good story. As to what we can expect to see in terms of the webConnect Rocket 2.0—out of the box support for the Mac (and PC) as well as a microSDHC card slot that can handle cards of up to 16GB in size. Plus, just like the current webConnect Rocket—it offers 4G and 3G web surfing. In the end, this is a nice upgrade, but not one that will necessarily make your current Rocket feel outdated. That is, unless you really need the microSDHC card slot. Finally, so far nothing in terms of a release date or pricing. Via [TmoNews] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile Just because Verizon discontinued the Droid Eris does not mean that it is done supporting it. At least that’s what is assumed now that a leaked photograph of the scheduled update shows a list of features set to hit Droid Eris owners. The details: - Improved audio and audio controls.
- Enhanced speed dial.
- Improved text, video, and picture messaging functionality.
- Contact sync via Backup Assistant, Microsoft Exchange ActivesSync, and Facebook.
- Weather App and Widget has been stabilized and improved.
- The Eris will now be able to sync with the Jabra Bluetooth headset.
- Sync Gmail contacts with your phone.
While I’m sure many Droid Eris users are disappointed they will not be receiving the Froyo update (at least this time), Verizon has been able to maintain its customers trust by doing some maintenance on the device. The over-the-air update has already hit a select few Droid Eris owners as of 6/28, but the remaining will be sent out starting July 16th. Read [Droid Life] Via [Unwired View] Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks  If you have been dreaming of getting a Kindle for a low low price (and don’t mind buying refurbished) then now is the time to act. Amazon currently has the Kindle 2 on sale as a refurbished item for $109.99. Of course, it should go without saying, but this deal will likely not last that long. In the end you will get a Kindle 2 at roughly $80 less than a brand new model. Plus you still get the perks such as a 30-day return policy and warranty.
Product [Amazon] Via [Kindle Review] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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