HP Touchsmart 600 with Core i7 Processor
Feb 4th
HP’s multitouch all-in-one range is the latest to feel the cool touch of Core i7 on its flanks, with the launch of the HP TouchSmart 600 Quad series. Now available with either Intel’s Core i7-720QM 1.6GHz CPU or Core i7-720QM 1.73GHz CPU, the updated TouchSmart 600 packs up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, up to 1.5TB of HDD and a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT230M graphics chipset.
What that basically means is that the specs are unchanged beyond the processor, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Starting from $1,699.99, you can load up the TouchSmart 600 Quad series with a slot-loading Blu-ray drive and TV tuner, all lurking behind the 23-inch 1080p-capable touchscreen display.
All the usual Windows 7 multitouch gestures – pinch-zoom, rotate, etc – are supported, and HP load their own finger-friendly UI, HP TouchSmart Home. It’s available to order now.
Symbian OS to be Open Source
Feb 4th
The source code for the ten-year old Symbian platform will be completely open source and available for free starting Thursday. The transition from proprietary code to open source is the largest in software history, claims the Symbian Foundation.
“The dominant operating system provider out there is Symbian,” says Lee Williams, executive director of the Symbian Foundation, “and now we are offering developers the ability to do so much more.”
Symbian OS
Symbian, which powers most of Nokia’s phones, has been shipped in more than 330 million devices worldwide. But in the last few years, Symbian has seen more than its fair share of changes. In 2008, Nokia, one of Symbian’s largest customers, acquired a major share in the company. Nokia then created the Symbian Foundation to distribute the platform as an open source project, and began the process of opening up the source code that year.
Meanwhile, the operating system has seen new rivals crop up. Google’s Android, which is based on a Linux kernel, has become a favorite among handset makers such as Motorola and HTC. And it’s based on an open source foundation too.
Symbian’s move to open source has been completed four months ahead of schedule and it offers mobile developers new ways to innovate, says Williams. Any individual or organization can now take, use and modify the Symbian code for any device, from mobile phone to a tablet.
Similar as it may sound to Android’s promise, there are major differences, says Williams.
“About a third of the Android code base is open and nothing more,” says Williams. “And what is open is a collection of middleware. Everything else is closed or proprietary.”
Symbian is also ahead of Android in that it will publish its platform roadmap and planned features up to 2011, he says. And anyone can influence that roadmap or contribute to new features.
“Open source is also about open governance,” says Williams. “It’s about letting someone other than one control point guide the feature set and the asset base.”
But will that be enough for Symbian to steal away customers lured by a snazzier and younger rival?
Apple iPad
Jan 28th
Apple’s touchscreen tablet is making headlines today with the announcement of their keenly awaited handheld PC. According to sources, there have been three separate prototypes of the device they’re calling the “iPad”, starting with a 7-inch display which was then junked for a larger, 10.7-inch capacitive touchscreen running at 720p resolution.
Apple-iTab
The hardware – which resembles an overgrown iPhone, complete with curved back – will run the iPhone OS, and come in two different versions they claim. One will have 3G integrated, the other just WiFi, but both will be media- and internet-centric; Apple apparently envisage the iPads not only continuing to offer their existing media, gaming, app and browser functionality, but also taking bites out of ebook and e-magazine markets.
Interestingly though, the new iPad will not have the following:
- No jaw-droppingly new user interface
- No built-in camera
- No Flash support
- No user-replaceable battery
- No TV subscriptions
Furthermore what it won’t also do is take on netbooks, with the iPad being described as a “light communication device” and “iPhone OS media player”. They suggest it’s 80-percent likely to reach the market, with just Steve Jobs standing in the way of a release; assuming he says yes, the iPad will be announced on or before January 19th 2010, with a release in May or June. And finally there is still no news on the release of iPhone software 4.0
Wrist Computer
Dec 22nd
This is one of the latest and coolest gadgets to hit the market based on conceptual wrist computing. And here is the explanation of W200 wrist computer gadgets from Glacier reports release.
Wrist Computer
“The RobCo Pip-Boy (PIP stands for Personal Information Processor) is an electronic device manufactured by RobCo Industries, using ultra-modern super-deluxe resolution graphics, which coupled with its capability to store large amounts of information and transfer data to and from holodisks and from data tubes make it the obvious choice for the wandering explorer, the out-on-his-own newbie or the all-around survivalist expert…the 3000 model has a built-in radio and Geiger Counter. [Like earlier models] the Pip-Boy 3000 features a biometric lock that can only be opened by a skilled technician. Read the rest of this entry »
Reasons to buy Nokia Booklet!
Dec 22nd
Nokia’s first PC (as opposed to the phones they refer to as multimedia computers) got a lot of hype when it was announced and is getting a lot of mixed reviews from folks who complain mostly about price/performance and that you can get better specs in a netbook for less money. After spending some time with a Booklet 3G, I’m once again reminded that there’s more to a purchase than speeds and feeds, and that value, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. So I’m not going to discuss the relatively slow processor or hard drive. We can agree that the Booklet isn’t a speed demon. It is, however, how a good PC experience should be and that’s worth paying for in my opinion.
Nokia Booklet 3G
1. Style. The Booklet’s got style. It’s small, thin elegant and doesn’t feel like it’s made out of plastic. The metal construction of the body, the solid heft and firm click of the keys make it feel like it’s a product that came from Cupertino, CA not Finland. In fact using it at Starbucks, several people asked me if I was using an Apple (even though the lid CLEARLY says Nokia). If your product gets confused with something made at 1 Infinite Loop, that’s a good thing. Almost every other netbook on the market feels cheap and toy like by comparison. Read the rest of this entry »
