Wired: Modbook to Ship in January
27 December 2007 12:00 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
My favorite product from Macworld Expo 2007 (as in, a year ago) was the ModBook tablet Mac from Axiotron/Other World Computing. After promising that it would ship in May, Modbook was beset by delays. Wired's Gadget Lab reports that the first production units are due to ship is less than two weeks.
Axiotron, the California company who promised us a Mac-based tablet way back in January, is finally about to ship its ModBook this January. The information comes, as often happens, from a reseller. Other World Computing contacted blogger JK with an order update, telling him that the ModBook will begin shipping on January 8th.The GPS equipped, touch screen MacBook is pretty much just a regular model with a Wacom tablet embedded into the screen (and no keyboard). And while the product page still doesn't list a shipping date, the prices are there: $2280 and $2580, depending on processor speed.
WIll Axiotron make their deadline or will Apple beat them to the punch?
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MIT Working on Pedal/Charging System for Notebook Computers
12 November 2007 08:43 EST
Chris Barylick
I have something of a love/hate relationship in the works with the exercise bike in the gym of my building these days.
On one hand, it provides a good cardio workout when it's too cold to go biking outside.
On the other hand, it's doing its very best to kill me.
According to an article over on MIT news, students over at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have designed and built an exercise bicycle that uses "pedaling power" to charge a laptop computer. Per the bike's instructions, you can now "multitask with no problem--[you can] bike while you work!"
The pedal-powered laptop began as a class assignment for Introduction to Civil and Environmental Energy Design, students being asked to design and build a device that converts mechanical power into electrical power.
Class members Piotr Fidkowski, Sebastian Figari, Sara John, Kendra Johnson, Julia Kiberd, Tina Lai and Devon McCorkle teamed up to work on connecting an exercise bike to one of the computers in a dorm's Athena cluster (grouped workstations for student use). The group was encouraged by their instructor, research associate John Germaine, lecturer Jessica Banks, technical instructor Steven Rudolph and teaching assistant Matthew DeJong--team leader Johnson contacted Oliver Thomas and Laxmi Rao of Information Services and Technology (IS&T), the MIT office that oversees the Athena computers.
Click the jump for the full story...
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Zune 2 Coming Wednesday (Yawn)
02 October 2007 10:41 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
Did you hear that yawns are contageous? Too bad that Zunes aren't, huh? Although they're pretty lame, they appear to have jumped on the flash bandwagon. Apple should add some for of social networking and/or WiFi sharing (hell, I'd settle for WiFi syncing) to the iPod and put Zune out of its misery forever.
Well, we'd heard new Zunes were coming tomorrow (or maybe October 16th) and it looks like retailers are starting to receive display units -- everyone, say hello to the new Zunes. Barring some Photoshop trickeration, it looks like we're getting two flash models and a slimmed-down hard drive edition, but we'll leave it to you to figure what this all means in the comments.
Tags: Zune, 2.0, Microsoft, Flash
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Palm Kills the Foolio
04 September 2007 10:32 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
Palm Inc. (PALM) said Tuesday it will take a charge of less than US$10 million as it cancels a planned new companion device for its Treo smartphone. Dubbed the Foleo, the sub-notebook-like device was referred to as the Foolio by its critics because it was sort of a smartphone and sort of of a laptop — but didn't really have the functionality of either. (Thanks Vic)
Engadget :: Palm kills the Foleo dead
Palm CEO Ed Colligan just posted a message to the company's official blog stating that they've decided to cancel the Foleo mobile companion "in its current configuration" in order to "focus all of our energies on delivering out next generation platform and the first smartphones that will bring this platform to market." In a way we're sort of disappointed that we'll never at least get to play with one and put it through its paces, but it's definitely the right move -- Palm needs to focus on one thing right now, and that's coming out with a category-killing smartphone.
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We Want Your Apple TV Stories #2
12 April 2007 02:38 EST
Chris Barylick
With about a month having passed between the Apple TV's release and today and an active community working on hacks, workarounds and new features for the device, we want your current stories about what you've done with yours:
What was your first impression of the machine? Was it easy to set up? Did you have any problems setting it up? What workarounds did you have to use? Have you upgraded it yet or tried any hacks that have come out for it? Was there a feature or set of features missing that put you on the fence about buying one in the first place? And, finally, what additional modifications would you like to see created for it, either by Apple or the user community?
Send us your stories and we'll make sure the best stories are published in a round up tomorrow. This isn't a ticket to instant fame, the affections or the opposite sex or a brand new Ferrari sitting in your driveway, but if you've had a memorable experience with Apple's hippest new device, let us know.
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We Want Your Apple TV Stories
28 March 2007 12:58 EST
Chris Barylick
And not just your Apple TV stories. Your brains would also suffice.
The Apple TV's been out for over a week now and a number of you have gotten your hands on one. We'd like to know what you've made of it and what your overall opinion of the device is, especially considering how much of a break this is from what Apple typically produces and the new markets the company's trying to enter.
What was your first impression of the machine? Was it easy to set up? Did you have any problems setting it up? What workarounds did you have to use? What would you like to see changed or added to a future version? Have you upgraded it yet or tried any hacks that have come out for it? Was there a feature or set of features missing that put you on the fence about buying one in the first place?
If so, let us know and we'll make sure the best stories are published in a round up tomorrow. This isn't a contest and there are no terrific prizes to be won, but we'd just like to know what you make of Apple's coolest new toy.
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The Apple Core: Apple tablet coming soon?
27 November 2006 09:40 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the concept of an Apple tablet. It would be a great machine for commuting, allowing me to keep up with news and email on-the-go. New reports indicate that Apple may be close to releasing such a beast in 2007.
Citing sources in Taiwan Australia's Smarthouse claims that Apple researchers have built a fully working prototype of tablet Mac and three companies in Taiwan are bidding for a potential launch in mid 2007.
Quanta and Hon Hai Precision Industry (a.k.a. Foxconn Electronics Inc.) are Taiwanese companies that make notebooks and other devices for Apple. Both have signed confidentiality agreements with Apple for the Tablet Mac according to the report.
Read the rest of the story on my ZDNet Blog: The Apple Core.
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12 USB devices you might not want
01 November 2006 12:01 EST
PowerPage Contributor
PC Magazine has collected 12 of the weirdest USB-powered devices, and displayed them on a page titled '10 Weirdest USB Devices'.
Amongst the gems are memory sticks made of real sticks, the fondue (sorry, FUNdue) set pictured, a disco ball and a hamster wheel.
It seems to me that the hamster wheel was a wasted opportunity. Wouldn't it have been better to install a mini-generator in the wheel's hub, and let the hamster earn its sunflower seeds charging my PowerBook's battery supply?
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Sony Ericsson Bluetooth Watch
10 October 2006 11:00 EST
PowerPage Contributor
Sony Ericsson have launched the MBW-100 Bluetooth Watch. The analogue watch will go on sale globally during Q4 of 2006 with a guideline retail price of EUR 300.
Designed in partnership with fashion watchmaker Fossil, the MBW-100 sports an OLED display beneath the watch face which displays who is calling you on your mobile (well, as long as your mobile is a Sony Ericsson K610, K610i, K618, K790, K800, V630, W710, W850, Z610 or Z710). A key press on the watch rejects the call, or diverts it to the phone or bluetooth headset.
The watch also allows you to play, pause and skip to the next track on your phone's music player, notifies you of text messages received and lets you know when your are out-of-range from your phone.
And now the bad news. It weighs 190 grammes. That's 5 grammes more than my 60 gigabyte iPod Photo. 190 grammes is twice the weight of your average candy-bar mobile phone, so why not just have the phone built in to the watch? An attractive lightweight wristwatch-style phone which paired to a bluetooth headset might get me wearing a watch again!
Oh, and Sony also get the 'Tautology of the Week' award for this excerpt from the official press release:
"Most consumers cannot do without the indispensable tools for their busy lives"
Nice.
(Contributed by: Brett Jordan)
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USB Batteries
24 September 2006 03:15 EST
PowerPage Contributor
Fresh from the 'What-A-Good-Idea' department comes the USBCELL. This 1300mAH rechargeable battery has a hinged cap that folds back to reveal a USB connector. This can then be plugged-in to any full-size, powered USB port, avoiding the need for separate recharging devices, cradles or cables.
At 1300mAH, the USBCELL is half the capacity of many conventional rechargeable batteries. However the conveniencce of being able to recharge or top-up by simply plugging into a USB port is a definite plus.
AAA and 9 volt batteries are being planned, along with power-supplies for a wide range of portable devices including mobile phones and game consoles.
Contributed by Brett Jordan.
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Gadget Charging Station in Airports
19 September 2006 08:10 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
While traveling this weekend to Austin City Limits festival in Austin, Texas this weekend (more about that on my personal blog later, promise) I stumbled across this cool gadget charging station in the George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport (IAH) airport. The Charge Carte kiosk is brought to you by the same people who extort US$3 out of road-weary travelers to rent luggage carts in airports.
The concept is simple: insert US$3 in the Charge Carte machine and you get 30 minutes of gadget charging time. Many devices are supported, the top row of three is all iPod chargers, the rest are phone chargers for Treo (yay!) Motorola, Nokia, Blackberry, Nextel, LG and Samsung rides. The company claims that a 30 minute charge should provide up to 50 percent of the power capacity of a dead gadget and that their rapid charge technology will charge a cell phone or PDA up to twice as fast as a standard outlet charger.
I didn't have to use it (luckily) but it's a great idea nonetheless.
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Hands-on with the Apple iTV prototype
12 September 2006 03:35 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
We're as surprised as you, but Apple actually put their iTV units on display right after the show! Really, there isn't a whole lot here that we didn't already see in the keynote and up on their site, but it's definitely Mac mini sized in terms of footprint, and is a sexy little bugger. Click on for lots more pics!
Hands-on with the Apple iTV prototype - Engadget
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Miuro: your iPod, on wheels!
07 September 2006 08:01 EST
PowerPage Contributor
Fresh from the 'Who the heck would buy one of those?' department, Yahoo.com reports: [edited]
The Miuro turns an iPod music player into a dancing boombox-on-wheels. The 14-inch-wide machine from ZMP blares music as it rolls and twists from room to room.
The $930 (yes, you DID read that right, ed.) Miuro — short for "music innovation based on utility robot technology" (ouch! ed.) — responds to a handheld remote control and WiFi trasmissions from a PC to play music from iTunes and other programs.
At a demonstration in Tokyo, the 11-pound Miuro did a preprogrammed dance, rolling about and pivoting to music.
"This is a robot version of music-on-the-move that's so popular," said Miuro designer Shinichi Hara, who also creates album jackets for Japanese pop stars. "I designed it to have a gentle look because it becomes a part of everyday life by integrating robotics and music," Hara said.
The robot went on sale Thursday in Japan by Internet order, and overseas availability is expected in the second half of 2007. ZMP is hoping to sell 10,000 Miuros in the first year, targeting sales of more than $8.5 million.
ZMP President Hisashi Taniguchi said robotic technology adds another convenience to mobile music. "The robot helps you listen to music wherever you are without even thinking about it," he said. "Sometimes I don't even have the energy to put on a CD."
Separately sold options add a camera and sensors to the robot so it will map out its own position and remember routes.
Contributed by: Brett Jordan
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Analyst sees Zune, hears static
30 August 2006 11:10 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu said he has looked at the Zune documents that Toshiba filed last week with the Federal Communications Commission and is not impressed.
"We are frankly underwhelmed by the much-hyped Zune device," Wu said in a research note on Wednesday. "It appears that the Zune is essentially a repackaged Toshiba Gigabeat that has seen limited success."
Apple | News.blog | CNET News.com
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Gaming Goes Pink
29 August 2006 09:26 EST
PowerPage Contributor
The release of a new games console in Japan is always an event. Huge, police-managed queues are not uncommon. However, when the Nintendo DS lite was released in Japan, it wasn't the length of the queues that made headlines, but their content.
For the first time in gaming history, there were females in the queues. And not just teenage manga lookalikes. The Nintendo DS's friendly interface and games like Nintendogs, Animal Crossing and Brain Age have drawn a wide range of Japan's demographic into the joys of gaming.
The pink Nintendo DS was released on July 20, and has been a tremendous success.
Never one to miss a marketing trick, Sony has responded with pink versions of their PS2 and their PSP.
Contributed by: Brett Jordan
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The Laptop Crusade - More on the $100 Laptop
15 August 2006 10:12 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
For nearly a year, Béhar has been at work on the most visible and most controversial project of his career. His client, a nonprofit offshoot of the MIT Media Lab, had dreamed up a radical new computer. Depending on who you asked, it was either soon-to-be-legendary vaporware or a shortcut to modern education for tens of millions of poor kids around the world. The plan called for a garage full of experimental technology: radio antennas that network computers up to 10 miles apart without satellites or towers; a dual-mode display that switches to monochrome in bright light; a power scheme that lets the computer run indefinitely without an electrical outlet. But nothing worked together. Media Lab cofounder Nicholas Negroponte was looking for someone to puzzle together the technology – someone to make it bright and iconic, rainproof, dustproof, heatproof, drop-proof, spillproof, and intuitive to a Thai or Nigerian child who had never seen modern technology. Negroponte would offer the laptop to governments who would commit to buying at least a million computers each; it promised to outsell every other laptop in the world in just a few years. Oh, and one more thing: The machine would need to cost one-fifth the price of the cheapest laptop at Wal-Mart. The Media Lab dubbed the project One Laptop per Child, but everyone else knew it simply as “the $100 laptop.”
Wired 14.08: The Laptop Crusade
technorati tags:$100, Laptop, Notebook
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Nintendo Wii, the Anticipation Grows
14 August 2006 05:09 EST
PowerPage Contributor
With an expected release date of late November 2006, details of Nintendo's latest console are causing a growing wave of speculation. Much of it is in the context of how different it is from Sony's next console, the PS3, which is slated for release at a similar time.
The disparity in the length of queues to try out the Wii and PS3 at E3 2006 have become a thing of geek legend. And the price differences (c. £450 vs £150) are equally significant when considering items that are going to be at the top of many people's Christmas lists this year!
To view some of the reasons why I believe that the Wii is going to be a Christmas hit, visit this link for a five-minute video montage of some Nintendo ads.
And if you're willing to turn down your politically correct antennae, this perceptive and hilarious spoof of the recent Apple ads will tell you more about the differences between the consoles than any comparison charts or discussion forums will!
(Contributed by: Brett Jordan)
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Mylo, Yet Another Gizmo to Lug Around
09 August 2006 09:22 EST
PowerPage Contributor
Wired reports:
Hoping to tap into the growth of wireless networks across college campuses, other public spaces and within homes, Sony is introducing a new pocket-sized gadget for instant messaging and other internet-based communications.
The Sony mylo, slated for availability in September at a retail price of about $350, is a first-of-its-kind product that uses Wi-Fi networks, analysts say. It is not a cellular phone and thus doesn't carry monthly service fees. And though it could handle web-based e-mail services, it doesn't support corporate e-mail programs.
Instead, the slim, oblong-shaped gizmo that has a 2.4-inch display and slides open to expose a thumb keyboard specifically geared toward young, mainstream consumers for messaging and internet-based calls. As long as a Wi-Fi network is accessible, a mylo user could chat away or browse the web.
The mylo — which stands for "my life online," — will be marketed toward 18-24 year-olds, the multitasking generation that relies heavily on instant messaging and is already viewing e-mail as passe, Sony said.
Sony has partnered with Yahoo and Google to integrate their instant-messaging services, and is looking to expand mylo's support to other services as well, most notably the leading messaging provider, America Online.
(Contributed by Brett Jordan)
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Review: Nokia 770 Internet Tablet
31 July 2006 10:01 EST
R. Emory Lundberg, Assoc. Editor
Summary: The Nokia 770 is the best bridge-device yet between mobility and the web2.0 world. It is a solid go-to device for messaging and presence, as well as having a very capable browser. It can appear a bit sluggish at times, but it is a very flexible device with a lot of untapped potential. Having said that, Nokia has been making steady improvements to the device in the form of software updates.
I am running the 2006 edition of the software. I am also only going to cover the things I actually use my 770 for, since it does a lot of things, but I think it may be interesting for people to know how I use the device.
The Nokia 770 is easy to like. It runs Linux and X11, has a slew of little applications and allows easy third-party access, and also speaks WiFi and Bluetooth allowing you to talk to the Internet with ease.
Physically the device feels great, it is a good weight and the build quality is nice. It feels substantial and not cheap. It really freaks me out when I’m using something that feels hollow and brittle. I really like holding and using the 770. There are some minor construction issues, namely that when you have the 770 in its metallic sleeve you can’t reach the stylus because its blocked by the lip of the jacket. I don’t know how something like that got through QA.
So it has a stylus and a touchscreen, and it does handwriting recognition but I haven’t used that yet. It doesn’t have a PIM and it doesn’t sync against anything. It isn’t a PDA but is more of a surfboard for IM, Presence, Browsing, and Email. It can also be transmogrified into a softphone via Gizmoproject or Google Talk.
When you first boot the device up and do some simple configuration you’ll be dumped out to a desktop of sorts, which is also activated by using the Home key on the device. You can run little widgets that do things like pull RSS feeds, access Internet radio, or give you easy access to your favorite search engine.
Read more (including about 17 screen shots)...
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Time Gets First Dibs on Nintendo Wii
10 May 2006 09:20 EST
PowerPage Contributor
In a move consistent with its desire to attract a 'non-gamer' audience, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of Mario, Zelda... now Director and General Manager of Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development) invited one of Time's non-gaming reporters to try out its new hardware. The result is an entertaining and informative article that reinforces my admiration for Nintendo's refusal to accept the status quo.
I encourage you to read the whole article, but here are some excerpts to whet your appetite...
All three [major games consoles] - PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube - are showing their age... Microsoft launched its next-gen Xbox 360 in November of last year; Nintendo and Sony will launch their new machines this fall. Those changeovers, which happen every four or five years, are moments of opportunity in the gaming industry, when the guard changes and the underdog has its day. Nintendo... will attempt to steal a march on its competitors with a bizarre wireless device that senses a player's movements and uses them to control video games. Even more bizarre is the fact that it might work.
Contributed by: Brett
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Repetitive Motion Injuries Invading the Mobile Handheld World
31 October 2005 07:31 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
The Associated Press reports that doctors are warning users of wireless handhelds to keep typing to a minimum:
Chris Claypool was addicted to his BlackBerry wireless handheld. Like many users, he never thought twice about pecking away at lightning speed, replying to a wave of e-mails from clients around the globe.Last year, the 37-year-old agricultural sales director from Post Falls, Idaho, noticed a throbbing sensation in this thumbs whenever he typed. He switched to tapping with his index finger, then his middle digit and finally his pinky. But his thumbs pained him to the point where he can't even press the buttons on his TV remote control.
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First Look: Sony Playstation Portable (PSP)
01 April 2005 12:06 EST
R. Emory Lundberg, Assoc. Editor
For some gamers, March 24 was a very important day.
I have never done a lot of gaming on the computer mainly because most of my computers are Macs and to be honest, there isn't really a great showing of games for the Mac. There are some exceptions, and the best titles do make their way over, but sadly there isn't a huge library of options, and when it comes to mobile gaming, the PowerBook isn't my first pick when I am looking for entertainment. The other thing about gaming on the computer is that you're constantly at odds with game developers who keep requiring faster and faster machines, and more expensive equipment upgrades every time you want to play a new game!
For these reasons, I usually stick to playing games on consoles, both large and small. The Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP has always been a go-to device when waiting in line at the DMV, or when traveling. It also lives in the beside table, dutifully waiting for an opportunity to serve up an hour of Final Fantasty I & II these days, as well as letting me play my favorites from gaming days of yore.
On March 24th, I woke up at 6am and made my way to the local Best Buy to stand in line in hopes of being one of the first to get my hands on a Sony Playstation Portable (PSP). I had been closely watching the release schedule of games for the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP, and while I like the Gameboy Advance SP as much as anyone else, I was really undecided on which device I'd like to actually buy. Read More...
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First Look: Sony Playstation Portable (PSP)
01 April 2005 12:06 EST
R. Emory Lundberg, Assoc. Editor
For some gamers, March 24 was a very important day.
I have never done a lot of gaming on the computer mainly because most of my computers are Macs and to be honest, there isn't really a great showing of games for the Mac. There are some exceptions, and the best titles do make their way over, but sadly there isn't a huge library of options, and when it comes to mobile gaming, the PowerBook isn't my first pick when I am looking for entertainment. The other thing about gaming on the computer is that you're constantly at odds with game developers who keep requiring faster and faster machines, and more expensive equipment upgrades every time you want to play a new game!
For these reasons, I usually stick to playing games on consoles, both large and small. The Nintendo Gameboy Advance SP has always been a go-to device when waiting in line at the DMV, or when traveling. It also lives in the beside table, dutifully waiting for an opportunity to serve up an hour of Final Fantasty I & II these days, as well as letting me play my favorites from gaming days of yore.
On March 24th, I woke up at 6am and made my way to the local Best Buy to stand in line in hopes of being one of the first to get my hands on a Sony Playstation Portable (PSP). I had been closely watching the release schedule of games for the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP, and while I like the Gameboy Advance SP as much as anyone else, I was really undecided on which device I'd like to actually buy. Read More...
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