Apple Tablet to be More About Video, than Print Publications?
Oct 31, 2009 Apple Tablet
The latest news concerning Apple’s rumoured tablet is an interesting twist to the purpose of this device. Although some have thought that it would be the perfect tool for graphic designers, or the ideal way to view print publications, the Apple officials are also very keen on developing the video content services they provide, specifically for portable devices.
Recently, RBC’s Mike Abramsky had a meeting with Eddy Cue, VP of iTunes and Internet Services, David Moody (worldwide Mac marketing VP) and CFO Peter Oppenheimer. During this meeting, Apple TV was discussed, but the focus was so much on portability, that the word “tablet” was almost floating in the air.
Turns out that video content is the next big thing, after music services, but it’ll require great products and services, in order to compete with cable box offers and video providers available now. Apple TV is set to evolve and maybe we’ll see the tablet giving it the needed push to total success.
[via macdailynews]
Tags: Apple Tablet purpose, Apple TV, Apple Video service, David Moody, Mike Abramsky, video content
Telstra Prepares T-Hub Tablet for Launch, Device Looks Like the iPhone
Oct 31, 2009 Tablet related
Telstra have just unveiled a brand new product, dubbed T-Hub, a tablet that looks like a bigger iPhone and packs a 7 inch display. The hardware incorporates a cordless handset and it’s in early development phase for now. Bugs are being ironed out and the UI is getting improved as we speak. Regarding the price and launch date, we have no info right now.
T-Hub is considered “the fourth screen” in the home, according to Holly Kramer, group managing director of Telstra product management. The device shares some feats with iiNet’s BoB and it uses Telstra’s PSTN network instead of VoIP. This mobile device should provide a new experience, since it packs a touchscreen display and a cordless handset, plus it supports PSTN calling.
Also, we learn that the touch experience is provided resembles the one on the iPhone and HTC and that Telstra’s product integrates support for YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, in their mobile versions.
[via crn]
Tags: 7 inch display, cordless handset, PSTN calling, T-Hub, Telstra tablet
HTC Developing “Virtual Book” Touch UI
Oct 31, 2009 E-Book Readers
HTC has been famous for its impressive interface, that managed to upgrade and enhance Windows Mobile’s features. Of course, we’re talking about the TouchFlo UI, the upgraded TouchFlo 3D and lately HTC Sense UI. However, HTC wants even more, so they’ve been working a new generation of touch UI, that may remind some of a virtual book.
As the official patent documentation states, this UI organizes the applications, widgets and web pages just like the pages of a virtual book. Each page of this “book” will be associated to a service or feature of the device, being its very own UI. If you flip pages, you’ll be browsing and selecting the services and functions of the device running the UI.
What we’ve got here is a flexible new way of messing with services, programs and widgets, that’s also very intuitive and accessible. Does this mean that we should expect HTC to develop an e-book reader as well?
[via Unwired View]
Tags: HTC interface, patent, touch UI, virtual book
Samsung Showcases a 10.1 inch Color E-paper
Oct 30, 2009 E-Book Readers, Samsung
As FDP 2009 goes on, Samsung showcases more and more products and among them we’ve spotted a color e-paper with a 10.1 inch diagonal. This component will be incorporated into future e-book readers and it measures 0.7 mm in thickness.
Samsung’s new e-paper was made through a combination between E-ink’s e-paper, a glass TFT substrate and a color filter. Its supported resolution is 450 x 600 pixels, plus it has a contrast ratio of 10:1 and a reflectance of about 12%. Expect mass production to start in a year or two.
[via samsunghub]
Tags: color e-paper, color filter, FDP 2009, glass TFT substrate, Samsung e-paper
Apple Engineers Travelling to China; Working on Tablet?
Oct 30, 2009 Apple Tablet
It turns out that Apple’s employees have taken lots of trips to manufacturing plants in China recently and they also have similar visits scheduled for this winter and the holiday season. Could this be related to the Apple Tablet rumours? The Business Insider quoted an anonymous source, saying that the Cupertino engineers have visited Asians manufacturing plants, with the clear favourite being Foxconn, Apple’s long time partner.
This could indeed mean that Foxconn is involved in the making of the tablet, as speculated previously, plus the fact that the engineers will also be working on Christmas time means that Apple is trying hard to meet a certain deadline. Could it be the launch in Q1 2010 that everyone is talking about?
Early reports show that the initial run of the product might include the production of 300,000 to 400,000 devices, ready for sale.
[via appleinsider]
Tags: Apple engineers, Apple Tablet production, Cupertino, Foxconn
ASUS Prepares an E-book Reader With WiMAX, 3G and WiFi on Board
Oct 30, 2009 Asus
ASUS has just confirmed that it’ll be launching an e-reader in March 2010 and that the device will come with support for WiMAX, 3G and WiFi. Said product will be shipped to carriers all across the US and Europe starting March and we also learn that the E-book reader will be competitively priced, in order to rival Amazon and Sony’s offers.
Last we heard, ASUS was preparing two differently-sized devices of this kind, one sporting a 6 inch e-ink display, while the other packs a 9 inch panel. It seems that the company will be trialling the devices with Taiwanese charities before making them available commercially.
It’s quite strange to see WiMAX connectivity on an e-reader, since we wouldn’t need that much speed for basic browsing and downloading new e-books, right?
[via slashgear]
Tags: Asus E-book reader, E-ink display, e-reader, launch date, WiMAX
1990 Apple Tablet Picture Surfaces… Canned?
Oct 29, 2009 Apple Tablet
The Apple Tablet is older than you think, but it was a mere prototype back in 1990, when the Apple Pen Mac device was made. The project was canned, in spite of including a fully functional Mac computer with a touchscreen based on pen interaction. Even back then, the tablet was a mere inch thick, quite a performance for 1990.
Also, the device had a case that’s smaller than the one of Mac Portable and it even supported keyboards and mice for easier input. What’s truly fascinating is that this product was “alive” long before the Newton, Palm Pilot or General Magic existed, but too bad that the folks of Apple didn’t trust that the device would be received well.
In case you’re wondering, the Pen Mac project was headed by Paul Mercer, who eventually had to listen to the Apple CEO John Sculley, who was more keen on the partnership with Sharp and the making of the Newton technology. One can only imagine how far Apple has come from almost 20 years ago till now, as far as tablets are concerned.
[via techcrunch]
Tags: Apple Pen Mac, Apple Tablet prototype, John Sculley, Paul Mercer, project
QOOQ, the Kitchen Tablet for Tech-Loving Cooks
Oct 29, 2009 QOOQ
There are tablets targeted towards the working man out there, but also portable devices that would fit a business man. How about the housewife? A solution is finally available for the gourmands or the people who love to experiment with recipes: the QOOQ. This kitchen tablet, whose name is pronounced “cook” can withstand the rough cooking conditions, like a splash of grease or being dropped in the sink.
QOOQ is basically a 10.2 inch tablet with a glass touchscreen display, a virtual keyboard, Ethernet, USB ports, an SD card slot, plus support for Wi-Fi connectivity. The device also comes with a proprietary user interface, no web browser, but you’ll have plenty of stuff to do, while messing with the huge number of recipes it provides.
It also displays info about weather, Internet radio stations and it can serve as a digital photo frame. Too bad that this is a pricy piece of gadgetry, going for 349 euros with 500 recipes installed, followed by 12.95 euros per month for recipe updates.
Tags: 10.2 inch display, glass touchscreen, kitchen tablet, price, recipe, specs
Apple Tablet Also Coming to Australia; Cupertino in Talks with Local Partners
Oct 28, 2009 Apple Tablet
The launch of Apple’s tablet is now hinted by the Sydney Morning Herald in their article over here, where they detail Apple’s talks with media companies and the evolution of the launch process. Everything we have right now are speculations, rumours and various partners of the Cupertino giant, saying they’ve been approached to provide content for the new device.
Said tablet is expected to be a bigger iPhone, but still small enough to carry in handbag, however too big for your pocket. Of course, it’ll sport a touchscren and allow its users to read newspapers, watch movies, read books and surf the web. New York Times executive editor Bill Keller has recently let some info slip during an official meeting with NY Times digital staff, mentioned the name of the future product, Apple Slate, although this is not 100% confirmed.
Meanwhile, Apple is working with music studios, trying to develop a new format for iTunes, meant to pack albums so that they’ll include notes, ringtones, music video, artwork and more, aside from audio tracks. We’re really curious to see if the Apple Tablet will hit the market before Christmas time, a crucial point of the year, as far as sales are concerned.
[via Sydney Morning Herald]
Tags: Apple Tablet launch, Bill Keller, Cupertino, iTunes new format
Apple Users Ready to Pay Up for Cupertino Tablet; PC Users… Not so Much
Oct 28, 2009 Apple Tablet
A recent study published by Retrevo shows that Mac users are willing to pay more for an Apple tablet than PC users. This info may seem a bit useless, specially since the device is yet to be announced, confirmed or specced. If you’re into numbers, 68% of respondents claimed that they’ll pay over $600 for the tablet, while a mere 36% PC owners said the same.
One shouldn’t be puzzled by the generosity of the Mac owners, since statistics have shown that they’re people with high incomes, plus they own and use more than one device. Apple has surely seen this study, so they might capitalize on the public’s desire for its new gadget and charge more than the Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook.
The problem is that the Cupertino brains should rush to launch the product, since the studies have shown that 37% of Mac owners already own or intend to buy a netbook in 2009.
[via mashable]
Tags: Apple Tablet price, Cupertino, Mac owners, Retrevo study, survey
