Mar 31

Microsoft Chief of Research Doubts Tablet Popularity

Posted in: Microsoft, Today's Chili

 

windows_logo.jpgMicrosoft thinks tablets are just a phase, or at least the head of research for Microsoft thinks so. Craig Mundie told the Sydney Morning Herald,

I think there’s an important distinction – and frankly one we did not jump on at Microsoft fast enough – between mobile and portable. Mobile is something that you want to use while you are moving, and portable is something that you move and then use. These are going to bump into one another a little bit and so today you can see tablets and pads and other things that are starting to live in the space in between. Personally I don’t know whether that space will be a persistent one or not. […] I don’t know whether the big screen tablet pad category is going to remain with us or not

This is a huge change from Microsoft, the company was behind a prior attempt to push tablets to consumers. Micosoft slowed down that push the mid 2000s.

Via Xbit Labs

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Mar 29

Acer Iconia Price Is Released

Posted in: tablets, Today's Chili

 

acer-iconia-tab-a500-05-370x370.jpgAcer is getting into the tablet game with the Iconia, a dual screen tablet comes at a steep price–$1,200.00. It hits stores next month.

The Acer Iconia has core i5 chip, dual touch screens and Win 7 installed. The hybrid tablet appears to be more of a tablet according to the specs.  However, you can also buy a cheaper edition with Android installed.

Via Gizmodo

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Mar 29

Quadrocopter Ping Pong

Posted in: Robots, Robots Robotics, Tech Toys, Today's Chili, Weird News

Quadrocopter Ping Pong

A quadrocopter is, as it sounds, a four-rotored flying machine, much like the Parrot.AR Drone that you’ve seen here before. Well, they’re all the rage among a number of manufacturers and DIY enthusiasts, and a group of students at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have built a pair of quadrocopters and programmed them to play a friendly ping pong match. 
The two flying machines have a tennis racquet attached to them, and the programmers position the two copters perfectly to volley the ball back and forth between them with minimal adjustment. While watching the ball fly between the two copters is interesting enough, it’s almost more interesting to watch each quadrocopter compensate for its human partner in the initial set of tests. 
Check out the full video of the flying bots behind the jump.
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Mar 28

Nook Color Gets Update With Flash & Android App Store

Posted in: Today's Chili

 

Nook ColorBarnes & Noble is stepping up its game with the Nook Color. The e-reader is starting to sound and,act more like a tablet. Barnes & Noble has plans to add Flash and a Android store for all Nook Color users.

The company appears to be out for blood. The Apple iPad 2 does not support either of the features, which will make the Nook Color that much more of an option for tablet users. The firmware update appears to be available to Nook Color users now. No word on if or when a similar firmware update will be made ready for original Nook users.

Via Hot Hardware

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Mar 25

Eurotech Improves Four-Year-Old “Wrist Worn PC”

Posted in: Today's Chili, watch

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I still can’t imagine actually wearing one of these things, but for those who want more power in their wrist than most people have in their entire body, Eurotech has just announced new “computers” that fit on your wrist.

I imagine there’s a clock functionality somewhere in here, but that’s just the beginning for this “watch.” It has 128 MB of storage, a 3.5-inch touchscreen display, and USB connectivity.

You can pair up your Bluetooth devices, connect to Wi-Fi, use GSM or CDMA data connections, scan barcodes, and even track yourself with its GPS functionality.

It’s all powered by Windows CE 6.0, and surely guaranteed to improve your wrist strength.

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Mar 23

Motorola Xoom 2 on the Way?

Posted in: Apple, ipad, motorola, Today's Chili, xoom

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According to Digitimes, everyone’s favorite source of parts manufacturer and shipping rumors, Motorola is getting ready to cut shipments on the Xoom in a major way, later this year. Motorola apparently shipped 700,000 to 800,000 units in the first quarter of the year. The total for March is expected to be around 400,000 to 5000,000 units. From there the numbers dip, however, with both April and May getting around 300,000 units. At the end of June things just cut off.

The dip has led to speculation that Motorola is already readying a follow up for the Honeycomb tablet, which was unveiled at CES in January. Of course, these numbers could also just confirm what we’ve known all along–the Motorola Xoom isn’t really selling. The tablet was the target of massive buzz at CES, but user complaints and the introduction of the iPad 2 have taken a good amount of wind out of the device’s sails.

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Mar 22

iPad 2 Hits Canada, UK, Australia, More This Week

Posted in: Apple, ipad 2, Today's Chili
Thumbnail image for ipad 2 white flat game.jpg

It’s still proving a bit tough to get a hold of an iPad 2 in the States, but Apple is going ahead with a worldwide launch of the device, rolling out the popular tablet in 25 additional countries this Friday. 

The list includes Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK.

The iPad 2 will be hitting Hong Kong, Singapore, and other as of yet unspecified countries next month. Earlier this month the company announced that it is pushing back the Japanese release of the tablet (originally due for March 25th) to an unspecified date, as the country recovers from the effects of a devastating 9.0 earthquake. 
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Mar 22

BlackBerry PlayBook Gets Pricing, Release Date

Posted in: BlackBerry, playbook, Today's Chili
playbook-2.jpg

Whether intended or not, Research in Motion has done a surprisingly good job keeping an air of mystery around its forthcoming BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The device was unveiled in September of last year, but aside from a few public appearances (including, notably, CES), we haven’t heard all that much about the thing, including such important bits of information as pricing and release date.

RIM finally released both today–the tablet will be hitting shelves next month in the U.S. and Canada for $499, $599, and $699, for the 16-, 32-, and 64GB varieties. The device will be available through Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Radioshack, AT&T, and Verizon.
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Mar 21

eBook Sales Grow in the US, Paper Books in Decline

Posted in: ebooks, Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili

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The Association of American Publishers recently released figures for the past year ending in January 2011, and the results are startling: eBooks have taken off in a large way, with sales of eBooks from various book stores doubling year-over-year from January 2010; close to 115%. The report also cast gloom over sales of traditional paper books, which declined approximately 30% over the same period. Hardcover sales were the biggest loss, dropping over 11% from January 2010 to January 2011. 
That all sounds fairly remarkable, but it’s also important to note that while the eBook market is now a $70 million dollar industry, traditional paper books are no slouch, coming in at just under $50 million, even though fewer people are buying them overall and are moving to electronic formats. 
Back in January we noted that eBooks were outselling paperback books, and last summer we noted that eBooks were starting to outsell hardcovers at Amazon. The trend doesn’t appear to be slowing down considering the explosion of tablet devices, stand-alone, and eBook apps and download services on the market. There will likely always be a place to traditional paper books, but you have to wonder where that place will eventually be.
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Mar 18

iPad 2 Delays May Increase After Japan Quake

Posted in: Apple, ipad 2, Today's Chili

ipad 2 white flat game.jpg

The horrific 9.0 earthquake that struck off the coast of northern Japan may have some unexpected effects on the technology industry outside of the country. Take the iPad 2, which relies heavily upon Japanese parts, including the battery, compass, and newly designed display glass.
Unexpected demand for the second generation tablet has already led to shortages in Apple Stores and other retailers across the US and increasingly lengthy ship times. According to a new report, the ever-deepening crisis in Japan may well lead to continued shortages for the iPad 2, as well. 
The device relies on very specific parts, so swapping one out for another may not be an option. “The iPad 2’s compass works in close coordination with the tablet’s accelerometer and gyroscope, iSuppli analyst Jérémie Bouchaud told the press. “This makes it impossible to simply replace one manufacturer’s compass with another.”

Apple has offered support in the wake of the quake, financially supporting employees in the country with payment for travel and other expenses. It has also set up donation options via iTunes. 
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