It’s time for the 3.0.1 update to SwiftKey, one of the most in-depth 3rd party onscreen keyboards available for Android right this minute. This update takes the 3.0 update and adds several boosts to already existing features such as Smart Space – where before you were only getting spaces without tapping the space bar if you had everything spelled correctly, now there’s two-word corrections and spacing as well. This update also changes out SwiftKey’s voice recognition for the official Android Ice Cream Sandwich / Jelly Bean voice input from Google.
This update for SwiftKey 3 will be free to all those who’ve already purchased the keyboard and will be the version you pick up if you head to the Google Play app store today. SwiftKey 3.0.1 has two new themes for your keyboard including white on light blue and white on pink. The space bar has also been updated – made just a bit longer and taller here in this new update.
There are several new languages in this update including Malay and Urdu, and prediction has been upgraded as well. Prediction sees the words you’ve used in your current sentence and the sentences you’ve created in the past, learning as it goes to predict what you’re going to say. If you say the same phrases day in and day out, you’ll only have to tap your prediction row to make it all happen.
The quick punctuation key has been modified a bit to reflect the collection of characters that exist inside it as well. Those of you used to working with SwiftKey will notice the improvements instantly, while those of you who’ve used it in the past and are just coming back to it now will only see the changes once you realize how much faster you’re typing here in the present. You can find this app in the Google Play store now in both free (limited) and full editions!
As the world awaits the arrival of BlackBerry 10 hardware, the Wall Street Journal has a report from RIM CEO Thorsten Heins that the company is ready to start showing off the “nearly complete” devices to carriers next week. Separately, CrackBerry has heard the same from its sources, along with word that more internal employees are becoming a part of the beta test group (already plugging away since May on alpha dev units like the one shown above) as well. As RIM is preparing to ramp up production of test devices, the CEO was also ready to confirm more details about the hardware, including that two devices are due at launch — one all-touchscreen and one QWERTY / touchscreen combo — with plans to expand to six models evenly split between the two options, and that it will stick with removable batteries.
Before RIM tries to convince end users early next year that its new OS was worth the wait, it will have to persuade potential carrier partners. Fortunately, if you believe one unnamed WSJ source, it’s already showing a “marked improvement” over existing phones that makes BlackBerry more competitive with Android. We’re not sure if that will keep BBM addicts on the hook until new hardware launches, but with the roadshow about to commence we should hear more concrete details soon.
So Apple could be working on an iPhone with a thinner display, you say. Look what we have here, possibly in the nick of time: it’s a newly granted Apple patent for a screen with in-cell touch, where the LCD and touch recognition are integrated into one panel instead of stacking up in separate layers. Apple’s implementation would slim things down by either having electrodes share duties, both driving the display and taking finger input, or stuffing two electrodes into each pixel to accomplish the same goal. The net effect isn’t just one of squeezing a device into a thinner chassis; the company also envisions costs coming down by reducing the number of parts and streamlining the manufacturing process. As envisioned, the screen looks like an ideal fit for a significant revamp of Apple’s mobile display technology, although we’d be careful about assuming that this or any in-cell touch implementation is a lock for potentially imminent iOS hardware. Apple first filed the patent in early June 2007, before the original iPhone had even marched into a retailer — display technology has come a long way since then.
It’s time to get serious about touch-screen computers here in the summer before Window 8 is formally released – and Lenovo’s got your back with a massive all-in-one called the IdeaCentre A720. This 27-inch display-toting AIO works with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, an all-glass “frame-less” front, and an Intel Quad-core Core i7 CPU (Ivy Bridge) under the hood. And it folds flat so you can play touchscreen table hockey – what more could you want?
Hardware
Any review you see of this device – if you don’t run out and buy it right now, that is – will tell you that it’s quite gorgeous. Without appearing too similar to what the market has dubbed “Apple-esque”, this Lenovo machine carves out a new space for the manufacturer, prepping us for a future that’s very bright for sleek-looking and sleek-feeling computers. The display is, again, massive, you’ll be working with just the touchscreen on it’s own if you wish or with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard (included), and you only need to pop the power cord in to get started.
Hit the power button on the lower right of the display (behind the display, rather, as the outer rim angles inward) and the machine lights up with loveliness. You’ve got a 10-point touch-screen experience ahead of you with several light-up touch-sensitive buttons under the rim near the bottom of the screen as well. There you can brighten up or dim down your display, change sound levels, and adjust what’s on your screen with a touch in several other ways.
The bottom left of the machine has two HDMI ports, one in, one out. There you can connect with your smartphone – as most smartphones now have such a connection in one way or another, or you can push content out to a much more major-league HD display. In other words, you can make this computer the biggest wired remote control of all time!
You also have one USB 3.0 port on that side and three USB 2.0 ports on the back. Also on the back is your power port and Ethernet port as well. Then there’s your ability to adjust the display. The whole computer is massively heavy – ringing in at 11.6kg or 25.6 pounds. You’ll be able to view the display anywhere between 90 degrees straight up and down and 0 degrees (flat). Moving the display (as demonstrated in our hands-on video below) is extremely easy yet keeps the machine tight in place wherever you want to leave it.
The speaker grilles you’ve got up front of the base are part of this machine’s Dolby Home Theater v4 setup, and they sound rather nice. This machine presents one of those situations where you wont be needing additional side-speakers all around just to hear it across the room – you’re set! Along the right side of the base of the machine you’ve got a Blu-ray Disc slot where you’ll be able to read and burn Blu-ray disks as well as CDs and DVDs.
Also included in the review pack we’ve received is the optional TV tuner so we can pick up some sweet channels and make this an even more inclusive device. This package also includes an IR Windows Media Center remote control which has worked like a charm with the included receiver which you simply plug in to the machine and click away.
Up top on the front of the screen you’ve got a 720p HD webcam so you’ll be able to Skype the whole night through – and also make use of some brand new interactive Kinect-like games as well (you’ll see more of this in our hands-on video below as well.) Have a peek at some additional features inside this device in the following readout:
System – LENOVO Lenovo A720
Manufacturer
Lenovo
Product Type
Desktop
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Motherboard
LENOVO ChiefRiver
Processor
Intel Core i7-3610QM
Processor ID
GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9
Processor Frequency
2.29 GHz
Processors
1
Threads
8
Cores
4
L1 Instruction Cache
32.0 KB
L1 Data Cache
32.0 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
L3 Cache
6.00 MB
Memory
8.00 GB DDR3 SDRAM 799MHz
FSB
99.8 MHz
BIOS
LENOVO E5KT20AUS
Software
For graphics you’ve got a lovely NVIDIA GeForce GT630M 2GB discrete graphics which you’ll certainly need to love as there aren’t any options for switching when you pick up this machine. That said, we’ve had no problem working with any game that’s been thrown at the machine with Batman: Arkham City flowing like a charm and Diablo III having no graphics issues to speak of. Playing Batman with a wireless game pad and this massive display was an extra treat as the hardware lends itself to a pushed-back appearance. In other words, there’s nothing to distract from the fun.
Because this is a touchscreen-centric device, Lenovo has included a hub where you can play a set of games that work entirely with touch. You’ve got 10-finger touch sensitivity, which makes things rather interesting for the updated Pong they’ve got ready for you, and you can play the keyboard as well – the musical keyboard, that is. This system is demonstrated in the hands-on video we’ve got prepared for you right here, as it were.
You’ll see that not only does this computer make use of its touchscreen surface to make music and to play games, it’s ready to make use of the camera as well to play some interesting video games. The camera-centric games aren’t nearly as fine-tuned as the touchscreen games, which is why you won’t see them advertised as a feature on this system. They are there though, and they’re fun to work with. Windows 7 is here as well, and it’s clear that though this system is working with a perfectly legitimate set of extras (like a pull-out onscreen keyboard) to make your experience nice in the meantime, Lenovo has prepared this system for Windows 8 – that’s not an official statement from them, but it seems pretty clear when you’re working with the machine.
As for performance, you’ll find this machine working perfectly well for an all-in-one system, and with the quad-core i7 under the hood, you’re good to go for processing video and playing hardcore games at your leisure. Of course it’s no beastly custom-made gaming computer, but it’s really not meant to be. What you’ve got here is more an entertainment machine than a workhorse.
Benchmark Score – LENOVO Lenovo A720
Section
Description
Score
Total Score
Windows x86 (64-bit) – Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Integer
Processor integer performance
10910
13347
Floating Point
Processor floating point performance
20119
Memory
Memory performance
8240
Stream
Memory bandwidth performance
8392
It would be nice to have a more vast collection of touch-friendly applications out there in the world of Windows 7 right this minute, but alas, someone has to go first with the hardware. You’ll find Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja – as well as the awesome two-finger version of space hockey – to be more than enough to play with until the new wave of touchscreen apps comes on later this year.
Wrap-Up
The Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 is a home run for Lenovo. You won’t find a better touchscreen PC for this price, not until Windows 8 makes touchscreen PCs a commodity. For now they’re still somewhat of a rarity – and this machine is one of the good ones. This machine is well worth the cash and ready to be your school or home-friendly all-in-one computer right this minute. You’ll find this all-in-one monster available online right now for right around $1849 straight from Lenovo.
Apple is working on making the iPad Smart Cover live up to its billing, considering fitting a flexible display and touch-input system to the case according to a newly published patent filing. The concept would turn at least one of the spines of the Smart Cover into a display strip, used to expand the working space of the tablet’s screen and potentially including touch-sensitive controls to navigate media playback and other features without interrupting the currently active app.
The new Smart Cover would attach via magnets as now, but also include a data and power connection similar to the MagSafe socket on MacBook computers. Apple’s application explores various combinations of functionality, from a single strip to all four of the panels being digitally-enabled.
That could mean the Smart Cover could be turned into a keyboard or even, as Apple’s diagram below suggests, a combo keyboard and touchscreen. We’ve seen similar from Microsoft with the Surface keyboard cover, but Apple’s system would go on stage further by implementing a flexible display, too.
Alternatively, the whole inner panel could respond to touch input, turning it into a digital sketchpad of sorts. Those panels might not actually flex to hold the iPad upright, instead having a stiffened keyboard section and a separate folding element to prop the tablet up at a more usable angle.
Of course, patent applications do not necessarily lead to commercial applications of technology, but even if it was limited to touch controls only this seems like a reasonable direction for Apple to go in. We’ve already seen flexible e-paper, such as from Plastic Logic, which would add little to the iPad’s power consumption but still be capable of color images and refresh rates suited to video playback.
Clarion has announced pricing and availability of the Next GATE, a touchscreen navigation and multimedia interface that puts iPhone apps at easy reach on your car’s dashboard. Launched back at CTIA, when we snatched a quick fondle, the Clarion Next GATE hooks up to the iPhone via a wired connection and spreads its display across a 7-inch LCD touchscreen, with support for Pandora and TuneIn streaming media, Vlingo voice recognitoin and more.
There’s also INRIX Traffic reports and content from InfoGation, along with a special Facebook interface for car use and weather updates. More apps are expected to arrive on the Next GATE as developers get to grips with it now that it’s on sale.
The 7-inch display runs at 480 x 800 resolution, so don’t expect crisp Retina Display quality photos as you might get on a new iPad, but the chunky icons are likely to be more important for use on the road. However, there’s also voice control, with a built-in microphone and speakers, and users can also take advantage of Siri.
That voice control means voice-dialing and emailing, among other things, which should help you keep your hands on the road. There’s more on the Clarion Next GATE in our full hands-on, and you can buy one from Amazon, Best Buy or Crutchfield from $249.99.
Intel is kicking off its ultrabook symposium in Taipei tomorrow, and details have emerged of exactly what the company will be showcasing for the platform going forward. NetbookNews sat down with Navin Shenoy, the Vice President of Intel’s Architecture Group, and gleaned some information as to what to expect. As you might imagine, Intel is keen to promote ultrabooks and bring even more to market. Currently there are around 35 designs available to buy, but Intel says there are at least 140 designs for the platform.
Intel is also hoping to hit a very aggressive $699 price point for entry-level ultrabooks going forward in order to stave off competition from Apple’s MacBook Airs. There have been a couple of Sandy Bridge-based models that have briefly touched that price, but Intel is hoping for a wider range of ultrabooks to start hitting that specific number.
Standard ultrabooks are currently flooding from the market from a variety of manufacturers, but Intel hinted that around 40 ultrabooks with touch capabilities would see the light of day soon enough. Those models will launch around the fourth quarter, coinciding with the release of Windows 8 which places a new emphasis on touch operation.
Finally, the company once again hinted at its next-generation processor, Haswell. The processor will mark another jump in speed for Intel, but also bring with it reduced power requirements. Intel is pitching the 22nm processor as the first System on a Chip for the PC, claiming that it will use up to 20 times less power than Ivy Bridge. That low-power requirement will be especially important for ultrabooks, enabling true all day computing and bringing them closer to ARM-based tablets.
Microsoft has finalized its acquisition of multitouch-magic firm Perceptive Pixel, bringing the complex infinite-point touchscreen developer in-house with the Windows maker. Announced last month, the deal hasn’t been fleshed out with details as to exactly what Microsoft intends to do with Perceptive Pixel, but company founder, president and CTO Jeff Han will be reporting as part of the Office team.
“I’m excited to share that all closing conditions for Microsoft’s acquisition of Perceptive Pixel (PPI) have been met, and the deal is completed” Microsoft Office Division general manager Giovanni Mezgec said in a statement today. “We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome PPI to the Microsoft Office Division. PPI’s expertise in hardware, software and thought leadership will contribute to success in broad scenarios such as collaboration, meetings and presentations.”
Perceptive Pixel specializes in large-scale touchscreens that recognize huge numbers of contact points. The displays – which come in table-top and wall sizes – can also be used with special active styluses that can be tracked for latitude/ longitude, distance, time/depth, x/y/z coordinates and other information about the pen tip, even before it touches the surface of the display.
That could well be translated down into a smaller-scale display, such as a next-generation Microsoft Surface. “Our innovative controller technology flawlessly differentiates styluses from fingers while tracking input from each stylus separately and eliminating false touches” Perceptive Pixel says of its pen system. “You can easily annotate or draw on screen with one hand while repositioning on-screen objects with your other hand. And you can rest your wrist comfortably on the screen as you write or draw with the active stylus because our devices recognize and reject a palm or forearm touch input.”
There’s more on Perceptive Pixel in our hands-on with a vast 82-inch model back in January. Terms of the Microsoft acquisition are still to be revealed.
Redmond’s upcoming Surface slate is brimming with potential — but Microsoft recognizes that building its own tablet comes with some inherent risks. In the firm’s recently submitted annual report, Microsoft tells the Security and Exchange Commission that the new family of slates could loosen ties with some of its partners. “Our surface devices will compete with products made by our OEM partners,” the report reads, “which may affect their commitment to our platform.” This, of course, echos Acer’s sentiment, which accused Microsoft of forgetting the PC builders that helped it become what it is today. Then again, maybe Acer was just preemptively upset it wouldn’t get picked for Windows 8’s starting line-up.
The One Laptop Per Child’s project just got one step closer to updating its venerable XO portable through a newly-struck licensing deal with Neonode. The XO Touch 1.75, a slight rebranding of the as yet unreleased XO 1.75 we saw last year, will use Neonode’s MultiSensing to give the laptop a multi-touch screen that’s both very responsive and eco-friendly in the same breath. Even as it samples finger input at up to 1GHz, the new OLPC system’s 300 DPI display will still use under 2W of power and remain viewable in bright sunlight — students can even wake up the new model with a gesture instead of using anything so crude as a power button. As important as these advances are to bringing touch to remote schools, we still have some questions about the release schedule and the cost. The XO 1.75 was originally due this year, but we don’t know if the Neonode pact will alter the timetable or hike the target price. We’ve reached out to the OLPC team for comment and will update if there’s new details.
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