Hasta La Gadget!

ABI Research is a company that looks at all sorts of markets within the technology industry. The latest research published from the company predicts that 20 million ultraportable computers will ship globally in 2012. According to ABI, the adoption of thin and light portable computers during the first half of 2012 was disappointing.

ABI says that Intel may have jinxed itself with the prediction that 40% of all notebook computers sold this year would be its ultrabook machines. According to ABI, the most popular ultraportable on the market today is the Apple MacBook Air. ABI cites a couple of reasons why the adoption of ultrabooks has been slow, including the fact that they came to the market at a price well above consumer expectations, and some people are waiting for Windows 8.

ABI says that the majority of PC OEMs have moved a from low profit netbook computers and towards tablets. The research firm says that the netbook vendors left are focusing on the education market. ABI predicts that there is an opportunity for x86 and ARM processors in the low end computing market.

Whether or not the launch Windows 8 will spur ultrabook adoption remains to be seen. The computers are still more expensive than comparable notebooks. Next-generation ultrabook systems may fare better according to ABI. Next-generation machines are expected to have lower prices and touchscreen interfaces by 2013 according to the company. Growth of 53% for the ultraportable market is expected between 2012 and 2017.

ABI Research expects 20 million ultraportable computers to ship globally this year is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Most folding bikes make a big compromise: they’re either incredibly portable with tiny wheels, or offer normal proportions but prove a pain in the ass to transport. Mikuláš Novotný’s solution, however, seems to offer the best of both worlds. More »

Based on the various first impressions and test runs of the Nokia Lumia 920’s camera, there certainly was no reason for Nokia to have faked the promo shots of the device to begin with, but unfortunately they did. The company has since issued an apology and has launched an investigation into the matter, and according to the Wall Street Journal, Nokia has concluded their investigation and in an email statement sent to them, they had this to say:

“We concluded the internal investigation, and our findings confirm that poor judgment was exercised in the use of the materials. As a result, we have taken appropriate action.”

Nokia did not confirm what the “appropriate action” was, but given this was quite a gaffe on the launch of their brand new flagship device in a super competitive market, the last thing we expected Nokia needed was bad press so we wouldn’t be surprised if some heads rolled. Anyway that is only our speculation but hopefully this concludes the rather unfortunate incident.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Nokia Lumia 920 could arrive on AT&T come 2nd of November, Report: Nokia to begin selling Lumia 920 in November,

The “Likes” of our friends on photos, pages, links, and etc. on Facebook are a good way to seeing what our friends have been up to and also a great way to find out about new stuff. It seems that Facebook has picked up on that fact as well and according to its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference a couple of days ago, it was hinted that Facebook could be looking at developing a social search engine of its own. Instead of trawling through the internet for relevant information based on your search query, what Facebook has in mind is something very different and will search among content generated by Facebook users instead.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because this is pretty much what Google had in mind when they developed Google+ (socially relevant data), but given Facebook’s larger user base, we guess Facebook might have an advantage here. In an example given where a search query for a sushi restaurant is entered, instead of just spitting results back at you based on your location and restaurant reviews, this new social search engine will take into account the preferences of your friends and family. So perhaps a place that has been checked into often by friends or family will rank higher than just your regular search results. No word on when Facebook will launch this, but it does sound pretty interesting. What do you guys think?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Skype for Windows beta – allows signing in with Microsoft, Facebook accounts, Facebook for BlackBerry 3.2 available for download now,

Anyone who’s tried to get in shape knows that dieting and keeping track of all the calories you consume can be a huge pain. Thankfully, there are some new gadgets coming to market that help make it easier to track your activity and how many calories you burn. One of the companies offering some of the more interesting devices is called Fitbit.

Fitbit has a new device called the One that can be pre-ordered right now for $99.95. The One is designed to track all sorts of things so you don’t have to. During the day, it can act as a pedometer tracking your steps, distance, calories burned, and stairs climbed.

At night, the device is designed to measure your sleep cycle to help users learn how to get better sleep, and it will wake you in the morning. The device has an integrated silent alarm that vibrates to wake you in the mornings. It will give you statistics such as how long and how well you slept and how many times you woke during the night. The device syncs with the iPhone or iPad or your computer wirelessly using Bluetooth and will soon support Android devices.

The Fitbit Zip is a simpler device available now for $59.95 in multiple colors. It’s an activity tracker and is able to track how many steps you take, how many calories you burn, and the distance you travel. It’s basically a high-tech pedometer that can wirelessly sync using Bluetooth technology to your iPhone, iPod or a computer. It too will get support for certain Android devices soon.

Fitbit One and Fitbit Zip break cover is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.