Future Forecast: 5 Inch Android Smart Phones
Tablets are becoming the new craze thanks to the Apple iPad, but it seems that the smart phone industry is not about to lose its customers to the newfangled devices. Now, it appears that some Android smart phones are taking the hybrid route, with many 5 inch screen Android tablets being announced.
The first hybrid device to be available is Dell’s very own Streak (or Dell Mini 5). This handset not only featured the Google Android operating system, but was also very first smart phone to come with a 5 inch capacitive touch screen display. By crossing the foothold to the tablet industry, Dell is able to offer a device that can match up to a tablet, but still offer phone functionality (which is not present in the iPad). From the looks of it, Dell is not the only company with the same idea.
According to new rumors, Sony Ericsson is planning a brand new smart phone, and with a 5 inch capacitive touch screen, the Android operating system and a slide out keyboard with tilting screen, the device transforms from smart phone to tablet to mini netbook in an instant. Initial images of the new handset are still grainy, and so far, details are still scarce.
This new announcement of an SE mini tablet is excellent news for Android fans. While the Dell streak is an impressive handset, Sony Ericsson has been in the smart phone industry longer and their Android handsets have always been very impressive.
Samsung has also announced their tablet device, the Galaxy Tab. This one is more tablet than phone with its 7 inch touch screen display, but still allows for phone functions. As a Galaxy series device, it also uses the Google Android operating system and from Samsung’s initial announcement, the 7 inch screen will not be the only option available.
Asus Shows Off Two Tablet Devices
Asus is competing with Apple for the tablet industry and is also making a claim to the tablet PC market. With several new devices shown off at the Computex that was held in Taiwan, it is easy to see the new direction that Asus is planning to take.
The first major device is the multimedia tablet, the EP101TC. This may seem like a tablet computer, but actually, it is a big smart phone that uses Windows CE as an operating system. Overall, it features many of the things one would expect from the Apple iPad: web browsing, media playback, extra OS features. The only edge iPad really has is support for eBooks and the fact that it actually looks better.
In terms of size, the two devices look pretty much alike and with Asus still not revealing the final weight or the actual battery lifespan so it is still hard to tell how good it is to hold and how long it can hold off against iPad’s impressive 10 hour battery life.
Of course, there is far more to tablet devices than just the basic media browsing device that Apple is known for. There is also tablet computing, and that is the second market that Asus is gunning for.
According to the reports, the EP121 is a 12 inch device that is running the Windows 7 Home Premium OS. Asus has been secretive about the full specs on this tablet, but we expect the RAM, CPU speed and hardware to be top-notch. Windows 7 is known to be a very resource heavy system and it would be a shame to trim down the hardware just for the sake of portability.
Speaking of which, users can actually hook up the EP121 tablet to a dock and keyboard and it can be used as a desktop computer; the dock comes complete with all the ports needed.
People: Generally Happy with the Apple iPad
Despite the fact that Apple is current the biggest bully in the tech industry and that the iPad lacks one of the core features that one would expect from a dedicated multimedia playback device, people are generally happy to own the latest Apple branded gadget.
And this time, there is more to the sales than just the hype and popularity that have been built up by the iPhone and the iPod series. Thanks to the touch screen display, using the internet has been made very easy; in fact, it is actually far easier to learn how to navigate the internet using a touch screen as compared to a keyboard and mouse. Many users who are aged over 50 find the touch controls are very intuitive. After all, using one’s own hand is simply basic nature.
Of course, there is more to Apple’s device than just being able to use a touch screen. It also helps that the device’s 9.7 inch touch screen display is bright and clear –though the glass tends to reflect too much light and the glare you will get under direct sunlight will render the screen completely blocked. The iPad’s battery life also helps a lot, at 10 hours on a full charge –and sometimes even longer, you can use the iPad at almost any time during the whole day without any worry or need to plug into an outlet. So far, regardless of whether you are browsing the internet, reading an eBook or running an App, the battery drain is constant.
For those who have not bought an Apple iPad, there is nothing to worry about. Despite having missed out on the pioneer tablet device, the same advantages of the iPad will also be present in other tablets (with the exception of the battery and the iTunes apps).
Apple’s iPad: Still Delayed in UK
Well, it seems that Steve Jobs is perfectly fine with keeping the rest of the world waiting for the Apple iPad. Then again, this is the same man who is too stubborn to enable multitasking, support flash, cut and paste or even have removable batteries. It seems that it should no longer be surprising that the man finds nothing wrong about completely forgetting about the rest of the world while he addresses his US based market exclusively for an entire month.
The problem here is that the iPad was supposed to be coming out this weekend (or slightly later). But due to the lack of foresight on the part of Apple (or so they would want the public to believe), they have not been able to anticipate the large demand for the touch screen tablet and will have to delay the launch in order to keep up the needs of the market.
Seriously, if Apple can commit thousands of iPads for universities to give to students, surely they can manage even a UK based release of the device. In any case, Apple is already at a point where another delay would be seriously bad for them. With the pre-orders for the iPad already confirmed to be coming this May 10th, it seems that the last announced end of May launch will be pushing through on schedule.
The Apple iPad is a touch screen tablet with a large 9.7 inch display. Many people reviewed the device and are in agreement that the iPad’s touch screen interface turns the web experience into something that anyone can appreciate better than having to use a keyboard and mouse. Adding more to the accessibility of the iPad; the battery on the tablet will last for a full 10 hours on a full charge.
More Tablets to Come
Consider this: if the iPad was made before the invention of the internet, then the internet would have been invented for the iPad.
This may seem like a tall tale, but considering how efficient the iPad has turned the internet experience into, it could be very well said that the technologies were designed for each other (though in this case, the internet would have been invented as a way to get news to the public faster). Anyway, despite the iPad’s lack of Flash and other drawbacks, it has proven that the tablet has indeed a use to our society.
So now we stand at the dawn of a new era of technology as tablet devices have changed the way we access digital media from having to boot up big complicated computers to simply picking up an electronic touch screen.
The iPad is not going to be the last tablet from Apple, and Apple is certainly not going to be the only company making tablets. It has already been announced that other companies such as Nokia, Sony, Microsoft, Google, HP and more have been working on their own tablet devices –some even before Apple started theirs.
But there is no doubt that the iPad has set the standards for the industry. And with that, just what are we supposed to expect?
First off, all tablets are expected to have high speed and energy efficient CPUs. ARM has already proven their A4 technology. The new Atom is reported to be able to run for similar lengths of time as well. This will be the core of all tablet devices. Web access will be a standard, as well as the addition of a SIM (or mini-SIM) holder for either 3G or the upcoming 4G networks. Of course, all of these devices will come with touch screens.
Get to know more about the upcoming tablets that would be facing the Apple iPad at Mobile Choice UK.
Princeton finds iPads Messing Up with Campus Network
It seems that there is a minor problem with the configuration of the Apple iPad and how it handles IP addresses that are assigned to it.
According to the tech folks at Princeton University, the Apple iPad does not refresh the IP address it is given despite having gone past the expiration time of the address. When being hooked up to the campus server, the behavior has been known to cause the iPad to react abnormally as well as causing problems for the in-campus network as well.
As such, there has been an announcement that iPad users are now being asked to refrain from using their devices until a fix or patch for the problem has been released. It is confirmed that the campus has already contacted Apple regarding the matter and both parties are working on a solution.
Aside from this little hiccup, the iPad has been sitting in the middle of several hardware-based controversies. This is not the first time that the iPad has been the source of connectivity problems. Many early buyers of the device have found that the iPad has problems connecting to WiFi routers. It was later revealed that the OS is unable to handle routers that use dual band technology.
In other iPad related news, it seems like waiting for the major iPad OS fixes and patches will be a lot easier now that Apple will be asking to wait an even while longer as the international release for the famous touch screen tablet has been pushed back. The device launched successfully in the United States but according to Apple, they are having problems keeping up with the demands. The iPad is now expected to launch sometime late this May.
Read more about the news regarding the Apple iPad at Softpedia
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Apple iPhone 4.0: Problems with Ads and Apps
It was surprising to hear Steve Jobs talk about new embedded advertisements as if it was a great thing for end users. Granted that it will bring in more revenue for companies, the fact of the matter is that the average end user hates ads. In fact, it is even hard to find a minority of end users who enjoy having ads.
Now, the iAds feature is apparently going to being plenty more advertising content in almost everything that an iPhone user will be doing; looks like the inclusion of the Multitasking option is not just for the user, but also for Apple to be able to run the iAds app in the background as well.
Steve Jobs has not identified iAds as an app per se, but it will certainly be running in the phone’s background regardless. And from the looks of it, the feature is part of the new OS as opposed to an optional element that users can choose to not install.
The only hope here is that there will be an opt-out choice too.
Apple is also going to cause app developers some serious grief as they have practically banned the use of Adobe Flash for developing software for the iPhone. Many developers rely on Flash to iPhone compilers in order to convert their works into iPhone compatible format. This little ban on Adobe may be a critical business move on the part of Apple, but it certainly does not win them any brownie points from the developer community –dictating which programs can be used in development has always been a major problem.
The new OS update was announced last Thursday night.
Get to know more about the new features, details and overall impact of the iPhone 4.0 OS update at Tech Radar.
Apple’s iPad has Plenty to Offer the Casual Gamer
If you love your video game console, then expect to be utterly disappointed with the quality of games available on the iPad. At best, these games are obviously meant to keep you amused for a certain amount of time until you grow tired of the repetitive gameplay and pay up for the next title that catches your attention.
Such is gaming on the Apple iPad. Despite the fact that there are already over 800 iPad games already available for players, the actually gameplay value of these titles are little or no better than those old coin op arcade titles. Still, plunking down a substantially small amount of money for one or two games to keep entertained is reasonable. But purchasing enough to actually net you a good title on Steam or a bargain bin console classic would be shame.
On the other hand, if fiddling around with a joy-pad controlled video game was never to your liking and all you really want to do is to enjoy some games that would have you exercise your hand eye coordination, then getting an iPad to simply check your web profile and play some casual game titles is the perfect thing for you.
If the already huge library of amusing titles were not enough, then iPad owners can turn to an even bigger library of apps for the iPhone and the iPod Touch –the touch screen tablet is compatible with old applications.
Aside from playing games and browsing the internet, the iPad also works as en eBook reader. Fans of the older Kindle do not need to worry about migrating, Apple supports the Kindle eBook reader app which lets you log in to your Kindle account and access your library.
Find out more about casual games being released on the Apple iPad tablet at Reuters.
Gearing Up the iPad
The Apple iPad is not going to be sold outside of the United States until later this April 24 when Apple finally brings the device out for an international launch, but that will not stop you from foraging through your pile of iPhone and iPod Touch accessories that you will be using when the iPad finally comes out.
The good thing about Apple devices is that they are often compatible with accessories and add-ons for other Apple gadgets. This applies to chargers, speakers, microphones and more. So before you decide to finally retire your old set of Apple speakers, you might want to see if you can use it for the touch screen tablet.
According to Apple fans, the iPad requires much more in terms of power as compared to the iPhone. This means that charging the device using iPhone chargers will be slow, but at the same time, the chargers will allow you to connect to a wall outlet as opposed to being stuck using a USB charger.
The only thing to be mindful of is that most low power chargers will not even work on the iPad and the ones that do will charge the iPad very slowly –best use this to leave the device charging while it is shut off. In terms of speakers, the iPad can connect to almost any Bluetooth speaker, but it will not recognize microphones.
For those still undecided about purchasing an iPad, the device may be expensive and does appear as an unneeded piece of technology, but it certainly beats plenty of other devices in terms of convenience.
The touch screen tablet is by far, the best device to use for casually browsing the internet. The large screen is better than any mobile phone while the touch controls are more intuitive than a mouse and keyboard will ever be.
Read more about accessories and add-ons for the Apple iPad at Macworld
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Apple to Finally Show Off iPhone OS 4.0
With all the attention on the Apple iPad, it takes a moment for anyone to step back and realize that this touch screen tablet is not going to be the Cupertino based company’s main attraction for 2010. In fact, the Apple iPad is playing as second favorite next to the upcoming iPhone 4G smart phone.
Of course, details on the new device are still scarce, but if there is something that Apple intends to show off early, it’s the new iPhone 4.0 operating system. Right now, the biggest news about the news that has been going around lately is that it will feature Expose-like multitasking capabilities –presumably by tapping on the home key twice to bring up a list of running programs.
The addition of multitasking is big news for Apple fans that are used to having basic functionalities being held back. Things that are present in other devices that people take for granted such as multitasking, cut and paste, removable batteries or even support for Adobe Flash. Even the recently released Apple iPad touch screen tablet is devoid of all the listed features above with the exception of cut and paste.
Speaking of the Apple iPad, the device was successfully launched in the United States last April 3 and has hit about 300,000 units sold within the first day alone. According to recent reports, the number has already hit 700,000 by April 5 and many are expecting sales figures to go past the 1 million mark by the end of the week.
Both the iPhone 4G and the iPad are expected to be big items on the wish lists of tech enthusiasts and gadget lovers for 2010.
For the full details on what to expect with the upcoming iPhone operating system 4.0 and everything else Apple and tech, go to Pocket Lint.