Hasta La Gadget!

There’s no question that Canon and Nikon still dominate the interchangeable lens camera (ILC) market, but with Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, and now Pentax all launching compact, inexpensive, mirrorless models in recent years, the legacy manufacturers have some catching up to do. In an interview confirming the restoration of pre-quake production levels in Japan, Canon camera division head Masaya Maeda told Reuters that the company is “considering the technical aspects” of creating a mirrorless camera, following up by saying “we will launch an interesting product next year.” The comment doesn’t exactly make a mirrorless Canon a sure thing, but it’s as solid a commitment as we can expect for now.

One possible concern for Canon is that entry into the new ILC category would cannibalize the company’s higher-end point-and-shoot offerings, which likely offer higher margins. But if mirrorless models gain market share over traditional DSLRs and Canon doesn’t have its own cam to match, the company could find itself racing to catch up, rather than dominating the ILC category as it has done in the past. Competition from Canon isn’t likely to start a price war, since there isn’t much elasticity at this point, but it could put pressure on other manufacturers to push the limits with image quality, accessory selection, and perhaps even lead to a future lens standard — though we’re probably more likely to see a Pentax Q that can actually capture DSLR-quality images far before manufacturers decide to adopt a universal lens mount.

Canon restores camera production in Japan, hints at mirrorless model in 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In this week’s Gadget Lab podcast, the crew shines the spotlight on the TouchPad tablet, HP’s response to the iPad.

What’s so interesting about the TouchPad? HP made the product with the same business strategy as Apple’s: One company designs both the hardware and software of the product — aka “vertical integration.” That allows for the operating system to be optimized for the hardware components, which should provide a smooth and polished experience similar to the iPad.

Despite this strategy, reviewers of the TouchPad found that many parts of the TouchPad’s webOS software felt sluggish and unfinished, and dinged the product for having access to only 300 apps. Our Mike Isaac didn’t have an issue with the small number of apps, however, because the 300 available were enough for him to enjoy the product.

I take a quick peek at Windows Phone Mango, the latest version of Microsoft’s mobile operating system. Rather than review the software, I’ve taken on an uncomfortable assignment: I’ve removed my SIM card from my iPhone and stuck it inside the Windows phone to live inside the Microsoft world for a few weeks. I’ll have a full report on the experience.

Finally, we wrap up with this week’s rumor that there will be two new iPhones introduced in September. While we believe the iPhone 5 is inevitable, a second lesser model seems unlikely.

Like the show? You can also get the Gadget Lab video podcast via iTunes, or if you don’t want to be distracted by our unholy on-camera talent, check out the Gadget Lab audio podcast. Prefer RSS? You can subscribe to the Gadget Lab video or audio podcast feeds

Or listen to the audio here:

Gadget Lab audio podcast #118

http://downloads.wired.com/podcasts/assets/gadgetlabaudio/GadgetLabAudio0118.mp3

Well, lookie here! Seems that ThinkPad Tablet’s getting more real by the hour. For what it’s worth, Lenovo hasn’t exactly done a laudatory job keeping its next major Honeycomb tablet under wraps, but flaunting it in public? Now that’s just asking for it. According to ZTOP, the enterprise-centric Tablet will arrive within three to four weeks boasting Tegra 2 silicon, a 10.1-inch display (1280 x 800) and an optional folio / cover that might just steal the show. According to the report, it’s a leather-wrapped case that contains a full-on keyboard and optical tracking sensor, presumably using a USB connector to make the magic happen. Think Clamcase, but tailored for Lenovo. There’s no mention of a price on that one, but we’re guessing it ain’t gonna be tossed in gratis. Tap the source for one more look, and expect to hear more on the whole kit and kaboodle as July draws closer.

ThinkPad Tablet shown off with keyboard-laden folio cover, could ship within a month originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 06:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPhone 4 was released in June 2010. Rumors peg Apple's next iPhone to launch in September this year. (Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com)

Should we expect to see two new iPhones in September? Although it’s an interesting possibility, it doesn’t seem very likely.

Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore claims that Apple will be releasing two iPhone models in September: a completely new model — referred to as the iPhone 5 — and an essentially souped-up iPhone 4 called the iPhone 4S.

“With Nokia and RIMM struggling, the time is right for Apple to aggressively penetrate the midrange smartphone market (i.e. $300-500 category) to dramatically expand its [total addressable market] and market share,” Whitmore says.

Whitmore believes that an unlocked iPhone 4S with a $350 price tag and a prepaid voice plan would be able to penetrate markets that previous iPhone models have been unable to. Such markets include Africa, Asia and Latin America, where prepaid voice plans far outnumber post-paid plans, which dominate here in the United States.

Image: Deutsche Bank

The rumor of an affordable, prepaid iPhone has been floating around for several months now, particularly from financial analysts — and often with little to no actual proof. The most evidence for such a phone stems from statements by Apple COO Tim Cook that Apple understands “price is a big factor in the prepaid market,” especially in China, and that it is “not ceding any market.”

Other rumors about the upcoming iPhone that carry a bit more clout include the September launch date, improved A5 chip and 8-megapixel camera sensor and stylistic changes such as curved glass and a flat metal back.

A dual iPhone-model release seems pretty unlikely for several reasons. Firstly, financial analysts typically have a pretty poor track record at predicting anything Apple-related — although they did get a few things right about the iPad before it launched. Whitmore has no proof to substantiate his claim.

And as for affordability, Apple substantially reduces the price of previous iPhone models whenever a new one becomes available. The iPhone 3GS is currently sold for $50, for example. Apple and its carriers, AT&T and Verizon, would only need to introduce a new prepaid pricing option for older iPhone models; there’s no need to create an entirely different phone model for markets that favor prepaid voice plans.

Apple also recently made its GSM model available unlocked for $650. Not cheap, but an option for those who don’t want to stick with AT&T or Verizon’s standard data plans here in the United States, or for those who want to use it internationally.

Apple just has no need to release two new iPhone models in September, or whenever the company decides to lift the curtain on its latest smartphone.

Nothing livens the day like a blurry screen grab of some Javascript, especially when it hints at the ghostly form of a social networking tool that doesn’t officially exist. The code was spotted hiding in plain sight at Google Profiles by Austrian blogger Florian Rohrweck, who fortunately enjoys browsing computer-speak more than playing in the park. Rohrweck noticed the word “circles” used repeatedly in the context of people adding and maintaining groups of contacts, and made the connection to the Google Circles social networking platform that was feverishly rumored and then vehemently denied earlier this year (a saga fully recapped at the More Coverage link). It’s impossible to know whether these few lines of code represent a forthcoming service, another social layer on top of existing services, or just pure experimentation on the part of Google devs. In any case, the circular references have apparently now been zapped, leaving us with nothing more than that screen grab — oh yeah, and Facebook.

Google code reveals inner Circles, a social secret weapon? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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