Peter George Country Manager for Parrot believes that the majority of Hi Fi dealers are still locked in "yesterday's world". As a result he is selling his new speakers that are Wi Fi and Bluetooth enabled via selected department stores such as Myers and consumer electronics retailers.
"We are currently expanding our retailers and we are looking at the specialist channel. The only problem is that the traditional Hi Fi dealer is a dying breed and I doubt whether they can deliver the volume or even the market that we are looking for with these speakers".
The new Zikmu wireless speaker range, which come in a multitude of colours have room for an iPod dock in one speaker while the other speaker is wireless and Bluetooth enabled.
According to Christina Sanz Oritz, the global VP of marketing for Parrot the development of the speakers was a battle between the technology engineers and designer Phillipe Starck, due to the difficulty of combining "sleek functional design" with the latest in networking technology and Apple content systems.
"It was difficult and at times we almost gave up. We wanted the best design with the best technology and sometimes that is very difficult when you are dealing with two different cultures, one functional and the other aesthetic ".
The Zikmu Parrot speakers designed by Philippe Starck look like works of art with their bright colours and aerial curves.
The speakers allow users to dock an iPhone, iPod, or iPod Touch and recharge it while controlling the music through a remote. Additionally, you can stream audio wirelessly from your Mac, iPhone, smartphone, PC or MP3 players via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Finally, an analogue Hi-fi input enables you to connect your CD players or TV set.
The Zikmu concept is based on a unique combination of various acoustic technologies, made possible by means of sophisticated signal processing (DSP). Flat panel, NXT technology uses a different principle from a conventional loudspeaker.
According to Zikmu, a honeycomb membrane structure is vibrated by a set of exciters located in carefully defined positions resulting in uniform energy distribution through the room. The bottom part of the loudspeaker contains a sub-woofer placed in the down firing position.
The unit is essentially a bass-reflex system. Bass reproduction is amplified by placing the housing as close as possible to the floor and the driver is equipped with a neodymium magnet for maximum power in a minimum space.
2011年3月31日 星期四
2011年3月30日 星期三
Hands On: Asus EeePad Transformer review
Asus today launched its innovative Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) tablet, the EeePad Transformer. Which is vying to be the first such tablet on sale in the UK. It's a 10.1in tablet that can be bought with a unique docking station that adds a full QWERTY keyboard and extra ports. Android 3.0 Honeycomb is the tablet version of the popular smartphone software, with support for larger screen sizes. For more details, read our full review of Honeycomb now.
We had a chance to play with the Transformer and its dock, as well as some of the software Asus has pre-installed. The Transformer is powered by Nvidia's Tegra 2 platform, a combination of a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor and a GeForce GPU for hardware graphics acceleration. It felt really quick and responded well to touch input - we watched YouTube and HD videos playing in full screen without any hiccups.
Asus EeePad Transformer docked
Asus has used an IPS panel, normally found on expensive professional monitors, and covered it with tough Gorilla Glass, and it's one of the best displays we've seen on any device. Viewing angles are wide and there's an oleophobic (oil resistant) coating that makes touch input smoother as well as reducing the smears of oily fingerprints that plague most smartphones and tablets. Colours are vibrant, contrast is excellent and the brightness level is adequate for outdoor viewing.
Build quality on both the tablet and the docking station is superb. Each has a solid metal frame, with a textured plastic back panel that makes it easier to grip. There was absolutely no flex in either the tablet or the dock, and the keyboard panel had no flex in it. This was a pre-production sample, so some of the keys were in the wrong place or weren't functional, but we found it easy to type on, with a light, crisp action that will please touch-typists.
There's a 5-megapixel camera mounted on the back as well as a front-facing 1.2-megapixel camera for video calling, although no video calling software was evident. The Transformer will initially be available in 16GB and 32GB versions, although you won't be able to buy the dock separately for a while, and it's only available as a bundle with the 16GB version at present. On its own, the Transformer apparently weighs 680g, and with the dock it's 1.3kg, although it felt heftier to us.
We had a chance to play with the Transformer and its dock, as well as some of the software Asus has pre-installed. The Transformer is powered by Nvidia's Tegra 2 platform, a combination of a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor and a GeForce GPU for hardware graphics acceleration. It felt really quick and responded well to touch input - we watched YouTube and HD videos playing in full screen without any hiccups.
Asus EeePad Transformer docked
Asus has used an IPS panel, normally found on expensive professional monitors, and covered it with tough Gorilla Glass, and it's one of the best displays we've seen on any device. Viewing angles are wide and there's an oleophobic (oil resistant) coating that makes touch input smoother as well as reducing the smears of oily fingerprints that plague most smartphones and tablets. Colours are vibrant, contrast is excellent and the brightness level is adequate for outdoor viewing.
Build quality on both the tablet and the docking station is superb. Each has a solid metal frame, with a textured plastic back panel that makes it easier to grip. There was absolutely no flex in either the tablet or the dock, and the keyboard panel had no flex in it. This was a pre-production sample, so some of the keys were in the wrong place or weren't functional, but we found it easy to type on, with a light, crisp action that will please touch-typists.
There's a 5-megapixel camera mounted on the back as well as a front-facing 1.2-megapixel camera for video calling, although no video calling software was evident. The Transformer will initially be available in 16GB and 32GB versions, although you won't be able to buy the dock separately for a while, and it's only available as a bundle with the 16GB version at present. On its own, the Transformer apparently weighs 680g, and with the dock it's 1.3kg, although it felt heftier to us.
2011年3月29日 星期二
NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 29 March 2011
Upon wake-up, CDR Kondratyev performed the regular daily check of the aerosol filters at the Russian Elektron O2 (oxygen) generator which Maxim Suraev had installed on 10/19/09 in gaps between the BZh Liquid Unit and the oxygen outlet pipe (filter FA-K) plus hydrogen outlet pipe (filter FA-V). [Dmitri will inspect the filters again before bedtime tonight, currently a daily requirement per plan, with photographs to be taken if the filter packing is discolored.]
Kondratyev also terminated his 10th experiment session, started last night, for the long-term Russian sleep study MBI-12/Sonokard, taking the recording device from his Sonokard sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-Med laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground. [Sonokard objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember's physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.]
Afterwards, Dmitri conducted the periodic maintenance of the active Russian BMP Harmful Impurities Removal System, starting the "bake-out" cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #2 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. The process will be terminated at ~4:30pm EDT before sleep time. Bed #1 regeneration was performed yesterday. [Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods. The BMP's regeneration cycle is normally done every 20 days. (Last time done: 3/7-8).]
The three crewmembers undertook the standard 90-min. OBT (on-board training) session with procedures designed to respond to a rapid depressurization emergency. A joint drill debrief with ground specialists via S-band at ~12:15pm EDT wrapped up the exercise. [Objective of the exercise is to provide proficiency training for crew response during depressurization. The training exercise is performed under the most realistic emergency conditions possible. Instructors & OBT experts at the control centers (TsUP-Moscow, MCC-Houston, COL-CC/Oberpfaffenhofen and SSIPC/Tsukuba) stood by to send commands as required and respond to crew questions. The crew moved throughout the station in order to simulate emergency response actions per procedures at specific checkpoints; they communicated & coordinated simulated actions with the control centers as if this were a real event.]
FE-5 Nespoli checked out & activated the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) for the subsequent operation of the BXF (Boiling eXperiment Facility) payload, replaced the faulty SAMS TSH (Space Acceleration Measurement System Triaxial Sensor Head) power cable (#3) with a new one (#1) and realigned the BXF camera lens for the experiment run, controlled from the ground.
In the JAXA Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module), FE-6 worked on the CBEF (Cell Biology Facility), setting up the NANOSKELETON-2 payload for experiment run 1. [Activity steps included gathering & configuring the payload items from stowage, taking photography of the NANOSKELETON-2 sample bags with the NIKON D2X, mixing the sample solutions, setting up Bag Cartridge A & MEU A (Measurement Experiment Unit A) with the samples, attaching two MEU A units at the CBEF IU (Incubator Unit) for Micro-G and starting the experiment. Later, the experiment was closed out and all payload items put back in stowage. NANOSKELETON is one of the micro-G experiments conducted by JAXA for industrial application. In the experiment, the TiO2 (titanium oxide) "nanoskeleton" is synthesized with a mixture of CTAB surfactant solution and TiOSO4-H2SO4 solution under isothermal conditions (40 degC), to quantitatively investigate the effects of gravity during a chemical reaction process. The experiment uses oil (TMB) to enlarge the pore size of the honeycomb structure; therefore, this experiment will attempt to clarify the effects of gravity such as the flotation of oil and convective flow, by evaluating the retrieved samples. Experiment output on orbit consists of the temperature samples plus images.]
Kondratyev also terminated his 10th experiment session, started last night, for the long-term Russian sleep study MBI-12/Sonokard, taking the recording device from his Sonokard sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-Med laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground. [Sonokard objectives are stated to (1) study the feasibility of obtaining the maximum of data through computer processing of records obtained overnight, (2) systematically record the crewmember's physiological functions during sleep, (3) study the feasibility of obtaining real-time crew health data. Investigators believe that contactless acquisition of cardiorespiratory data over the night period could serve as a basis for developing efficient criteria for evaluating and predicting adaptive capability of human body in long-duration space flight.]
Afterwards, Dmitri conducted the periodic maintenance of the active Russian BMP Harmful Impurities Removal System, starting the "bake-out" cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #2 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system. The process will be terminated at ~4:30pm EDT before sleep time. Bed #1 regeneration was performed yesterday. [Regeneration of each of the two cartridges takes about 12 hours and is conducted only during crew awake periods. The BMP's regeneration cycle is normally done every 20 days. (Last time done: 3/7-8).]
The three crewmembers undertook the standard 90-min. OBT (on-board training) session with procedures designed to respond to a rapid depressurization emergency. A joint drill debrief with ground specialists via S-band at ~12:15pm EDT wrapped up the exercise. [Objective of the exercise is to provide proficiency training for crew response during depressurization. The training exercise is performed under the most realistic emergency conditions possible. Instructors & OBT experts at the control centers (TsUP-Moscow, MCC-Houston, COL-CC/Oberpfaffenhofen and SSIPC/Tsukuba) stood by to send commands as required and respond to crew questions. The crew moved throughout the station in order to simulate emergency response actions per procedures at specific checkpoints; they communicated & coordinated simulated actions with the control centers as if this were a real event.]
FE-5 Nespoli checked out & activated the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) for the subsequent operation of the BXF (Boiling eXperiment Facility) payload, replaced the faulty SAMS TSH (Space Acceleration Measurement System Triaxial Sensor Head) power cable (#3) with a new one (#1) and realigned the BXF camera lens for the experiment run, controlled from the ground.
In the JAXA Kibo JPM (JEM Pressurized Module), FE-6 worked on the CBEF (Cell Biology Facility), setting up the NANOSKELETON-2 payload for experiment run 1. [Activity steps included gathering & configuring the payload items from stowage, taking photography of the NANOSKELETON-2 sample bags with the NIKON D2X, mixing the sample solutions, setting up Bag Cartridge A & MEU A (Measurement Experiment Unit A) with the samples, attaching two MEU A units at the CBEF IU (Incubator Unit) for Micro-G and starting the experiment. Later, the experiment was closed out and all payload items put back in stowage. NANOSKELETON is one of the micro-G experiments conducted by JAXA for industrial application. In the experiment, the TiO2 (titanium oxide) "nanoskeleton" is synthesized with a mixture of CTAB surfactant solution and TiOSO4-H2SO4 solution under isothermal conditions (40 degC), to quantitatively investigate the effects of gravity during a chemical reaction process. The experiment uses oil (TMB) to enlarge the pore size of the honeycomb structure; therefore, this experiment will attempt to clarify the effects of gravity such as the flotation of oil and convective flow, by evaluating the retrieved samples. Experiment output on orbit consists of the temperature samples plus images.]
2011年3月28日 星期一
First Isogrid panel produced via automated layup
Isogrid Composites Canada Inc. (ICCI, Montreal, Quebec, Canada) announced on March 25 that it has produced the first large-surface isogrid panel using its patented automated layup system. The panel, which measures 2 ft by 4 ft (0.61m x 1.2m) is believed to be the first Isogrid panel produced by automated multiple layup heads.
Such structures are normally relegated to hand layup in order to eliminate prepreg build-up at the triangular intersections of the ribs. The ICCI patented process eliminates nodular build-up, which allows composite sheet facing on both sides of the structure, providing strength and stability to the panel comparable to honeycomb, but eliminates the honeycomb moisture and other related disadvantages.
The isogrid design is noted for its extraordinary strength and impact sustainability. The "close-cluster" design of the triangular isogrid ribs is made possible by the miniaturized layup head design which is about the size of a hand. Weighing only 4.7 lb/2.1 kg, the 0.625-inch/16-mm thick panel comprises 86 plies of prepreg faced on a single side with a single layer of carbon composite sheet.
Although the panels are structurally sound with a single side faced, sheathing both sides increases strength approximately 40 percent inch. The panels, which are well suited to aircraft flooring, bulkheads and dozens of alternate aerospace applications, can also be shaped for curved structures as well as cylindrical and cone shapes. Thinner panels are being reviewed for rail and automotive transportation markets where honeycomb isn't compatible with structural integrity requirements.
The goal of multiple head layup, according to Dr. Bijan Deris, ICCI Composite Products team leader, has always been to reduce the Isogrid-design manufacturing time for large panels and shapes from several days to a matter of hours. ICCI is a company dedicated to designing systems capable of producing isogrid structures in commercially viable production times. "Already we have been able to reduce panel production time to about one-fifth the time of hand layup," says Deris. "And this is using only two heads." The company is building a larger, faster multi-head system for panels up to 8 ft by 10 ft (2.4m by 3m).
The development of the system is being conducted with the Canadian National Research Council Canada (CNRC) Aerospace Manufacturing Technology Centre (AMTC). Montreal.
Such structures are normally relegated to hand layup in order to eliminate prepreg build-up at the triangular intersections of the ribs. The ICCI patented process eliminates nodular build-up, which allows composite sheet facing on both sides of the structure, providing strength and stability to the panel comparable to honeycomb, but eliminates the honeycomb moisture and other related disadvantages.
The isogrid design is noted for its extraordinary strength and impact sustainability. The "close-cluster" design of the triangular isogrid ribs is made possible by the miniaturized layup head design which is about the size of a hand. Weighing only 4.7 lb/2.1 kg, the 0.625-inch/16-mm thick panel comprises 86 plies of prepreg faced on a single side with a single layer of carbon composite sheet.
Although the panels are structurally sound with a single side faced, sheathing both sides increases strength approximately 40 percent inch. The panels, which are well suited to aircraft flooring, bulkheads and dozens of alternate aerospace applications, can also be shaped for curved structures as well as cylindrical and cone shapes. Thinner panels are being reviewed for rail and automotive transportation markets where honeycomb isn't compatible with structural integrity requirements.
The goal of multiple head layup, according to Dr. Bijan Deris, ICCI Composite Products team leader, has always been to reduce the Isogrid-design manufacturing time for large panels and shapes from several days to a matter of hours. ICCI is a company dedicated to designing systems capable of producing isogrid structures in commercially viable production times. "Already we have been able to reduce panel production time to about one-fifth the time of hand layup," says Deris. "And this is using only two heads." The company is building a larger, faster multi-head system for panels up to 8 ft by 10 ft (2.4m by 3m).
The development of the system is being conducted with the Canadian National Research Council Canada (CNRC) Aerospace Manufacturing Technology Centre (AMTC). Montreal.
2011年3月27日 星期日
Is Android Right For You?
We’ve have already looked at Windows Phone 7, and according to the latest statistics, most Canadians figured out a long time ago that iOS is right for them (coming in a future column) but Android seems to be the curious choice for mainstream consumers these days.
It is ubiquitous. From the $150 LG Optimus Chic to the $599 Motorola Atrix (to $799 Xoom tablet), and hundreds of devices in between, you can’t seem to escape its diminutive robot interior. Since launching in 2008 it has proliferated to 350,000 activations per day on almost every carrier around the world. Its primary backing manufacturers, HTC, Samsung and Motorola especially, have benefited from its open source roots, and adroitly add features to the stock experience to differentiate from the myriad choices out there.
But Android is still seen primarily as a competitor to iPhone, and to the “walled garden” of Apple’s App Store. Created and backed by Google, it has been deemed the open alternative, a platform where ideas, customization and, most importantly, choice are both welcomed by its fans and vilified by its detractors. No one can deny that Google has created a virtual monster, and like it or not, you’re going to see at least one Android device beckoning at you when you seek out your next smartphone. Is Android right for you? Read on to find out.
Similarities:
Most smartphone operating systems rely on an icon-based home screen workflow, where a limited amount of essential information is made available to the user, and by downloading applications from its requisite marketplace, more features are made available. iOS has perfected this model.
Android makes use of this idea, but expands and complicates it with the addition to the home screen of widgets and a permanent notification bar. Indeed, without even opening an application, a great deal of information can be gleaned, from weather to stocks to tweets.
The permanent expandable notification bar at the top of the screen is also a huge advantage to the notification systems in other mobile platforms. It means that, unlike the current iOS system, notifications can be stacked and actioned at the users’ convenience. But it’s not exactly pretty: each notification, though uniform in its top-down, boxy presentation, is designed by the developer of the app. webOS done a lot to improve its notification system in its 2.1 version, and Android has picked up some of that for 3.0 Honeycomb, where the notifications are at the bottom of the screen as individual little icons that expand once touched. Very intuitive.
Differences:
Android is slightly different in its makeup than most of the other mobile platforms out there in that its component parts are built primarily on heavily customized, yet off-the-shelf Linux parts. Due to its open source nature, Google agrees to open-source the code of each new version after it is finalized (though it has delayed the release of Honeycomb for compatibility reasons). This allows anyone to compile the code and attempt to run it either on a device, or emulated on their computer. It also allows for a very active developer community.
While HP’s webOS has a thriving developer community, it is significantly smaller than its Android equivalent for a number of reasons, but mainly because there are far fewer handsets out there.
To some extent, Android’s biggest advantage and its greatest liability is the quasi-legal status in which many of these developers’ custom ROMs exist. I will touch on this later.
Touch-love:
Android was designed for scalability. It has been installed successfully on hundreds of handsets at different resolutions and screen technologies. From the 2.8” screens of the Motorola Charm to the massive 7” screen of the Samsung Galaxy Tab, it scales very well. It also allows for touch and hardware keyboards alike in any number of configurations.
But mainly Android was designed to be used with capacitive touch screens at 3” and above, and over the years many improvements have been made to its multitouch capabilities. If you are concerned that by moving to Android you will lose the fluid browsing and pinch-to-zooming of your iOS or webOS experience, you don’t have to worry. In fact, technically, Android is as capable as any mobile OS. If an app of feature does not exist that does on another platform, you can rest assured that someone will cook up a version of their own.
Half-baked:
At times, the problems with Android stem from that previous sentence. Due to the largely un-moderated nature of the platform, there is no limit to what you may code, and load, onto your device. Sideloading, or installing apps from outside the official Android Marketplace, is not only possible but encouraged. That leaves all Android phones vulnerable to malicious code. Even apps installed from the Marketplace do not have to be approved by Google, and enforcement is only done when complaints are received. Apps updates are pushed immediately, which is nice, but because the code isn’t checked for bugs or API adherence the prevalence of buggy code increases.
So, with Android you have a choice. It can be quite rewarding to discover a polished, unique, capable app from a small developer in the Android Market. But there is equal chance of installing a dud, a clone of a popular iOS app that mimics nothing but the name, or worse, an app with malicious code. By default, Android does not enable sideloading apps, which provides some protection. (AT&T has gone one step further and disallowed the process altogether.)
It is ubiquitous. From the $150 LG Optimus Chic to the $599 Motorola Atrix (to $799 Xoom tablet), and hundreds of devices in between, you can’t seem to escape its diminutive robot interior. Since launching in 2008 it has proliferated to 350,000 activations per day on almost every carrier around the world. Its primary backing manufacturers, HTC, Samsung and Motorola especially, have benefited from its open source roots, and adroitly add features to the stock experience to differentiate from the myriad choices out there.
But Android is still seen primarily as a competitor to iPhone, and to the “walled garden” of Apple’s App Store. Created and backed by Google, it has been deemed the open alternative, a platform where ideas, customization and, most importantly, choice are both welcomed by its fans and vilified by its detractors. No one can deny that Google has created a virtual monster, and like it or not, you’re going to see at least one Android device beckoning at you when you seek out your next smartphone. Is Android right for you? Read on to find out.
Similarities:
Most smartphone operating systems rely on an icon-based home screen workflow, where a limited amount of essential information is made available to the user, and by downloading applications from its requisite marketplace, more features are made available. iOS has perfected this model.
Android makes use of this idea, but expands and complicates it with the addition to the home screen of widgets and a permanent notification bar. Indeed, without even opening an application, a great deal of information can be gleaned, from weather to stocks to tweets.
The permanent expandable notification bar at the top of the screen is also a huge advantage to the notification systems in other mobile platforms. It means that, unlike the current iOS system, notifications can be stacked and actioned at the users’ convenience. But it’s not exactly pretty: each notification, though uniform in its top-down, boxy presentation, is designed by the developer of the app. webOS done a lot to improve its notification system in its 2.1 version, and Android has picked up some of that for 3.0 Honeycomb, where the notifications are at the bottom of the screen as individual little icons that expand once touched. Very intuitive.
Differences:
Android is slightly different in its makeup than most of the other mobile platforms out there in that its component parts are built primarily on heavily customized, yet off-the-shelf Linux parts. Due to its open source nature, Google agrees to open-source the code of each new version after it is finalized (though it has delayed the release of Honeycomb for compatibility reasons). This allows anyone to compile the code and attempt to run it either on a device, or emulated on their computer. It also allows for a very active developer community.
While HP’s webOS has a thriving developer community, it is significantly smaller than its Android equivalent for a number of reasons, but mainly because there are far fewer handsets out there.
To some extent, Android’s biggest advantage and its greatest liability is the quasi-legal status in which many of these developers’ custom ROMs exist. I will touch on this later.
Touch-love:
Android was designed for scalability. It has been installed successfully on hundreds of handsets at different resolutions and screen technologies. From the 2.8” screens of the Motorola Charm to the massive 7” screen of the Samsung Galaxy Tab, it scales very well. It also allows for touch and hardware keyboards alike in any number of configurations.
But mainly Android was designed to be used with capacitive touch screens at 3” and above, and over the years many improvements have been made to its multitouch capabilities. If you are concerned that by moving to Android you will lose the fluid browsing and pinch-to-zooming of your iOS or webOS experience, you don’t have to worry. In fact, technically, Android is as capable as any mobile OS. If an app of feature does not exist that does on another platform, you can rest assured that someone will cook up a version of their own.
Half-baked:
At times, the problems with Android stem from that previous sentence. Due to the largely un-moderated nature of the platform, there is no limit to what you may code, and load, onto your device. Sideloading, or installing apps from outside the official Android Marketplace, is not only possible but encouraged. That leaves all Android phones vulnerable to malicious code. Even apps installed from the Marketplace do not have to be approved by Google, and enforcement is only done when complaints are received. Apps updates are pushed immediately, which is nice, but because the code isn’t checked for bugs or API adherence the prevalence of buggy code increases.
So, with Android you have a choice. It can be quite rewarding to discover a polished, unique, capable app from a small developer in the Android Market. But there is equal chance of installing a dud, a clone of a popular iOS app that mimics nothing but the name, or worse, an app with malicious code. By default, Android does not enable sideloading apps, which provides some protection. (AT&T has gone one step further and disallowed the process altogether.)
2011年3月22日 星期二
Samsung shows off 'thinnest tablets ever,' Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1
The tablets are just 8.6mm thin, slightly beating out the iPad 2 which sits at 8.8mm.
In regards to weight, the smaller tablet clocks in at 16.6 ounces and its larger brother is 20.9 ounces. The iPad weighs in at 21.28 ounces.
Each of the devices runs on the tablet-optimized Android 3.0 Honeycomb, and have Samsung's updated TouchWiz UI.
TouchWiz brings "live panels" which allow for content customization. The UI also adds an "app tray" with your most used applications. All widgets are resizable within TouchWiz, and the Wi-Fi app is improved, says Cnet.
At launch, however, the devices will have vanilla 3.0, as TouchWiz will be part of a later update.
Each of the tablets run on 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processors, have 3MP standard cameras, 2MP front-side cameras, 1280x800 resolution, and full 1080p playback. Flash 10.2 for tablets is coming soon, although the smartphone version works just fine.
In making sure the tablets are competitively priced, the 10.1 will start at $500 for the 16GB/Wi-Fi model and the 8.9 will start at $469 for the Wi-Fi/16GB model.
HSPA+, LTE and WiMax versions are all coming during the summer.
In regards to weight, the smaller tablet clocks in at 16.6 ounces and its larger brother is 20.9 ounces. The iPad weighs in at 21.28 ounces.
Each of the devices runs on the tablet-optimized Android 3.0 Honeycomb, and have Samsung's updated TouchWiz UI.
TouchWiz brings "live panels" which allow for content customization. The UI also adds an "app tray" with your most used applications. All widgets are resizable within TouchWiz, and the Wi-Fi app is improved, says Cnet.
At launch, however, the devices will have vanilla 3.0, as TouchWiz will be part of a later update.
Each of the tablets run on 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processors, have 3MP standard cameras, 2MP front-side cameras, 1280x800 resolution, and full 1080p playback. Flash 10.2 for tablets is coming soon, although the smartphone version works just fine.
In making sure the tablets are competitively priced, the 10.1 will start at $500 for the 16GB/Wi-Fi model and the 8.9 will start at $469 for the Wi-Fi/16GB model.
HSPA+, LTE and WiMax versions are all coming during the summer.
2011年3月20日 星期日
Sony S2 Honeycomb dual-display and VAIO Windows 7 slider tablets tipped
Sony's tablet ambitions extend to more than just the S1 in 2011, according to the latest
batch of rumors. Loose lips have been flapping, and tipped a dual-touchscreen Android 3.0
Honeycomb clamshell internally known as the Sony S2, along with a 9.4-inch Windows 7 VAIO
slider, for release in around Q4 2011. According to Engadget‘s sources, the Sony S2 will
have a pair of 5.5-inch displays sandwiched into an oval cross-section hinged chassis,
running a heavily customized Honeycomb install on Tegra 2.
The NVIDIA chipset will be paired with 3G and WiFi, and Sony's engineers have reportedly been
hard at work modifying Android to play nicely with the double displays. For instance, Gmail
could split the message list and individual email previews between the two panels, while
Google Maps could show the regular view on one screen and either Streetview or turn-by-turn
directions on the other pane. It's a similar concept to the dual-screen ereader patent
application Sony submitted in mid-2010.
Unfortunately, the sources also sent along some pessimism with the scant details, suggesting
that the $699 Sony S2 is a "dog" and being met with some serious push-back within Sony. Of
particular concern is the distance between the two displays, though apparently the company is
still pushing for a pre-holiday 2011 release in the US, Europe and Japan.
As for the Windows 7 tablet, that's set to slot into Sony's VAIO laptop line-up with a 9.4-
inch touchscreen and a mere Intel Pinetrail Atom processor. The company's equivalent of the
Samsung Sliding PC 7 Series and ASUS Eee Pad Slider, and sounding a lot like an oversized
VAIO UX, it's tipped for an October retail debut with a price headed northward of $799.
batch of rumors. Loose lips have been flapping, and tipped a dual-touchscreen Android 3.0
Honeycomb clamshell internally known as the Sony S2, along with a 9.4-inch Windows 7 VAIO
slider, for release in around Q4 2011. According to Engadget‘s sources, the Sony S2 will
have a pair of 5.5-inch displays sandwiched into an oval cross-section hinged chassis,
running a heavily customized Honeycomb install on Tegra 2.
The NVIDIA chipset will be paired with 3G and WiFi, and Sony's engineers have reportedly been
hard at work modifying Android to play nicely with the double displays. For instance, Gmail
could split the message list and individual email previews between the two panels, while
Google Maps could show the regular view on one screen and either Streetview or turn-by-turn
directions on the other pane. It's a similar concept to the dual-screen ereader patent
application Sony submitted in mid-2010.
Unfortunately, the sources also sent along some pessimism with the scant details, suggesting
that the $699 Sony S2 is a "dog" and being met with some serious push-back within Sony. Of
particular concern is the distance between the two displays, though apparently the company is
still pushing for a pre-holiday 2011 release in the US, Europe and Japan.
As for the Windows 7 tablet, that's set to slot into Sony's VAIO laptop line-up with a 9.4-
inch touchscreen and a mere Intel Pinetrail Atom processor. The company's equivalent of the
Samsung Sliding PC 7 Series and ASUS Eee Pad Slider, and sounding a lot like an oversized
VAIO UX, it's tipped for an October retail debut with a price headed northward of $799.
2011年3月14日 星期一
Review: 2011 GMC Acadia Denali
The Denali brand began as a luxury trim package for the 1998 GMC Yukon, whereupon it quickly became apparent that affluent buyers would pony up for big wheels and large quantities of chrome. In fact, the Denali was so successful that GM designers penned a new, bolder front end, rearranged some body panels and the more expensive Cadillac Escalade was born. Over the years, the Denali brand also migrated to the Sierra pickup, yet despite the brand's popularity, the growth inexplicably stopped there.
That's changed for 2011, as GMC has breathed new life into its Denali franchise with a high-rent Acadia. Does the long-successful brand have the staying power to move away from boxy SUVs and trucks in favor of a kinder, gentler crossover?
With 68,295 U.S. sales in 2010, the Acadia was the second best-selling GMC-branded vehicle behind only the Sierra pickup. Data from AutoPacific shows that the median price for this "Professional Grade" CUV was a substantial $40,000, which suggests this family wagon is a cash cow for General Motors. There was a time when a $40,000 price tag would elicit gasps from car buyers and the media alike, but nowadays, many non-luxury crossovers can crest that mark. The Acadia Denali is obviously no different, as standard features like a head-up display, 20-inch wheels, bi-xenon headlamps, moonroof and a leather steering wheel with wood accents can cost a pretty penny.
Our all-wheel-drive tester came in at $50,125 after options including touchscreen navigation ($1,890) and rear seat entertainment ($1,445) were added to the $45,220 base price. Still experiencing sticker shock? Bear in mind that a similarly equipped Acadia SLT2 with optional 20-inch wheels will set you back $2,000 more than the Denali. And you don't get the Buick Enclave-inspired sound deadening package and all that attention-seeking chrome.
Many can no doubt live without the shiny stuff, but there are still many American car buyers who continue to place a premium on bling. And the Acadia Denali has plenty of it, with the lion's share affixed to the trademark honeycomb grille. The Adacia Denali actually has two portions of honeycomb, as the chrome lower fascia is separated by a front bumper that also features a strip of the shiny stuff, just like the Yukon and Sierra Denali models.
In all, GMC's design staff has done an admirable job of differentiating the front end of the Denali from the run-of-the-mill Acadia, with body-color moldings, a new hood with a convex scoop and a rounded gap above the bumper. The rest of the Acadia Denali is mostly carryover, with few changes besides the moldings and a pair of Denali badges at the base of each front door. It's certainly not a style that's for everyone, but it does clearly stand apart as the best Acadia money can buy. Check out the Autoblog Shortcut for a video illustration of what makes this Acadia Denali-worthy.
That's changed for 2011, as GMC has breathed new life into its Denali franchise with a high-rent Acadia. Does the long-successful brand have the staying power to move away from boxy SUVs and trucks in favor of a kinder, gentler crossover?
With 68,295 U.S. sales in 2010, the Acadia was the second best-selling GMC-branded vehicle behind only the Sierra pickup. Data from AutoPacific shows that the median price for this "Professional Grade" CUV was a substantial $40,000, which suggests this family wagon is a cash cow for General Motors. There was a time when a $40,000 price tag would elicit gasps from car buyers and the media alike, but nowadays, many non-luxury crossovers can crest that mark. The Acadia Denali is obviously no different, as standard features like a head-up display, 20-inch wheels, bi-xenon headlamps, moonroof and a leather steering wheel with wood accents can cost a pretty penny.
Our all-wheel-drive tester came in at $50,125 after options including touchscreen navigation ($1,890) and rear seat entertainment ($1,445) were added to the $45,220 base price. Still experiencing sticker shock? Bear in mind that a similarly equipped Acadia SLT2 with optional 20-inch wheels will set you back $2,000 more than the Denali. And you don't get the Buick Enclave-inspired sound deadening package and all that attention-seeking chrome.
Many can no doubt live without the shiny stuff, but there are still many American car buyers who continue to place a premium on bling. And the Acadia Denali has plenty of it, with the lion's share affixed to the trademark honeycomb grille. The Adacia Denali actually has two portions of honeycomb, as the chrome lower fascia is separated by a front bumper that also features a strip of the shiny stuff, just like the Yukon and Sierra Denali models.
In all, GMC's design staff has done an admirable job of differentiating the front end of the Denali from the run-of-the-mill Acadia, with body-color moldings, a new hood with a convex scoop and a rounded gap above the bumper. The rest of the Acadia Denali is mostly carryover, with few changes besides the moldings and a pair of Denali badges at the base of each front door. It's certainly not a style that's for everyone, but it does clearly stand apart as the best Acadia money can buy. Check out the Autoblog Shortcut for a video illustration of what makes this Acadia Denali-worthy.
2011年3月13日 星期日
Why You Should Not Buy An iPad 2: iOS
Like many tech enthusiasts, I followed last week's Apple event closely. Steve Jobs
unexpectedly took the stage, but the company announced an expected product: the iPad 2.
Although not nearly as revolutionary as the original, the second generation model brings
refined hardware improvements. Extras such as cameras are also a great addition, however
there is one major flaw: iOS.
Do Hardware Specs Matter?
This questions comes up quite often and the answer is not simple. Apple's original iPad was a
game changer since there was nothing else like it on the market. Tablet PCs had been around
for ages, but they still ran a desktop operating system. While I adore Windows 7 and use it
primarily for all my work, it is far from being ideal for tablets. With the introduction of
iOS, hardware specs for tablets became more along the lines of a smart phone rather than a
laptop computer.
Although 2010 was definitely the year of the iPad, 2011 has an entirely new landscape.
Competition such as the BlackBerry PlayBook, HP TouchPad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab
10, and LG G-Slate each offer a very similar set of features. There are some benefits and
drawbacks to each which we highlighted in our series of infographics, but the specifications
are roughly the same. They are so close in some regards that it truly does not make a
difference to consumers.
Software Matters Too
While hardware specifications were all the rage for ages, easy to use and intuitive software
has pushed for consumer friendly devices. Apple made a great decision when they chose to run
iOS on the iPad instead of Mac OS X last year. The interface was efficient, familiar, and
simple. The iPhone was already a hit and the iPad was a perfectly complement to the family.
Although I do not own an iPad, I spent some time using and reviewing it last year. There were
many missing features at the time, however iOS ran incredibly smoothly. Fast forward a year
later, not much has changed aside from the addition of multitasking. The new iPad 2 makes
things faster with a dual-core processor, but the operating system is nearly identical.
This creates a major issue for Apple as we head into the flooded market of tablets in 2011.
The current iOS for the iPad is essentially an enlarged version of the operating system for
the iPhone and iPod touch. The platform was a great start, but the original design does not
take advantage of the tablet form factor. Although I was hoping for a new refreshing
interface, Apple did not announce a major software revamp for the iPad 2 aside from a few
minor enhancements.
There are many amazing iPad apps that take advantage of 9.7 inch screen, but the operating
system does not go far enough. Google, HP, and RIM have started from the ground up with new
tablet operating systems that take the slate form factor into consideration from the OS
level. BlackBerry Tablet OS, webOS 3, and Android 3.0 Honeycomb each offer many user
interface improvements which are more innovative and intuitive than iOS.
For instance, HP's latest webOS 3 lets users stack sets of applications together for
organized multitasking. Google's Android 3.0 Honeycomb has an impressive notifications panel
for keeping up to date with the latest information without letting pop ups disrupt work flow.
It is not just about multitasking and notifications either, these new breed of tablets offer
creative home screens with widgets and improved navigation for getting things done fast.
unexpectedly took the stage, but the company announced an expected product: the iPad 2.
Although not nearly as revolutionary as the original, the second generation model brings
refined hardware improvements. Extras such as cameras are also a great addition, however
there is one major flaw: iOS.
Do Hardware Specs Matter?
This questions comes up quite often and the answer is not simple. Apple's original iPad was a
game changer since there was nothing else like it on the market. Tablet PCs had been around
for ages, but they still ran a desktop operating system. While I adore Windows 7 and use it
primarily for all my work, it is far from being ideal for tablets. With the introduction of
iOS, hardware specs for tablets became more along the lines of a smart phone rather than a
laptop computer.
Although 2010 was definitely the year of the iPad, 2011 has an entirely new landscape.
Competition such as the BlackBerry PlayBook, HP TouchPad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab
10, and LG G-Slate each offer a very similar set of features. There are some benefits and
drawbacks to each which we highlighted in our series of infographics, but the specifications
are roughly the same. They are so close in some regards that it truly does not make a
difference to consumers.
Software Matters Too
While hardware specifications were all the rage for ages, easy to use and intuitive software
has pushed for consumer friendly devices. Apple made a great decision when they chose to run
iOS on the iPad instead of Mac OS X last year. The interface was efficient, familiar, and
simple. The iPhone was already a hit and the iPad was a perfectly complement to the family.
Although I do not own an iPad, I spent some time using and reviewing it last year. There were
many missing features at the time, however iOS ran incredibly smoothly. Fast forward a year
later, not much has changed aside from the addition of multitasking. The new iPad 2 makes
things faster with a dual-core processor, but the operating system is nearly identical.
This creates a major issue for Apple as we head into the flooded market of tablets in 2011.
The current iOS for the iPad is essentially an enlarged version of the operating system for
the iPhone and iPod touch. The platform was a great start, but the original design does not
take advantage of the tablet form factor. Although I was hoping for a new refreshing
interface, Apple did not announce a major software revamp for the iPad 2 aside from a few
minor enhancements.
There are many amazing iPad apps that take advantage of 9.7 inch screen, but the operating
system does not go far enough. Google, HP, and RIM have started from the ground up with new
tablet operating systems that take the slate form factor into consideration from the OS
level. BlackBerry Tablet OS, webOS 3, and Android 3.0 Honeycomb each offer many user
interface improvements which are more innovative and intuitive than iOS.
For instance, HP's latest webOS 3 lets users stack sets of applications together for
organized multitasking. Google's Android 3.0 Honeycomb has an impressive notifications panel
for keeping up to date with the latest information without letting pop ups disrupt work flow.
It is not just about multitasking and notifications either, these new breed of tablets offer
creative home screens with widgets and improved navigation for getting things done fast.
2011年3月9日 星期三
Google Android 3.0 'Honeycomb' review
Honeycomb is a whole different beast from the Google Android we've come to know. While
previous versions of Google's mobile operating system were built for smartphones, Honeycomb -
also known as Android 3.0 - is the first to be designed specifically for tablet PCs. And
seeing it in action, it certainly shows.
Motorola's recently launched Xoom is the first in a series of tablets that'll run the
Honeycomb OS. The Motorola Xoom has made plenty of headlines for its high-end specs: The
tablet boasts a dual-core 1-GHz processor with 1GB of RAM. It has 32GB of internal storage,
plus the option for additional storage via an integrated MicroSD slot. And all of that is
housed beneath a beautiful (if slightly glare-prone) 10.1-in display.
But the truth is, while the Xoom's hardware is impressive, it's the software that's the much
bigger story. I took a long look at Honeycomb to see how it compares to earlier versions of
Android and to its popular competitor, Apple iOS for the Apple iPad.
Google Android Honeycomb
Google Android 3.0 'Honeycomb': The home screen advantage
When you power up an Android Honeycomb tablet like the Xoom, you'll find yourself on one of
the device's five available home screens. These home screens and the functionality they
provide are among the most significant advantages Honeycomb offers over competing tablet
platforms.
Where the iPad's operating system is basically a blown-up version of what you get on the
iPhone - static rows of square-shaped icons - Honeycomb includes several features that take
full advantage of the tablet's ample screen real estate.
Among the most useful features are the widgets, which are effectively live, functioning apps
that run right on your home screen. You can have a widget for your email, for example, that
allows you to view and even scroll through your inbox. Other widgets let you browse your
calendar, flick through news stories or see the current weather for your area, without ever
opening a thing.
The idea of widgets, of course, isn't new to Honeycomb; as any Android smartphone user knows,
widgets have long been a part of Google's mobile operating system. With Honeycomb, however,
widgets have become more interactive than ever - you can now scroll, flick and interact
within the widgets themselves. And given the large screen size of a tablet, their potential
becomes far more significant.
On a single screen of the Xoom, for example, I'm able to simultaneously see my inbox, my
upcoming appointments and my local weather forecast. I also have scrollable access to all of
my Chrome bookmarks, synced continuously from my PC. I'd imagine that after growing
accustomed to this kind of advanced-usage scenario, many users would be reluctant to return
to the static environment a platform like Apple's iOS provides.
Honeycomb, like past Android versions, also affords you the freedom to use your home screen
space as you see fit; you can drop any combination of widgets and app shortcuts where you
like. The actual method for customizing is quite different in Honeycomb than in previous
Android releases; while it may be an adjustment for Android phone users, it strikes me as a
far more intuitive approach.
On an Android smartphone, adding a widget requires you to either long-press your home screen
or tap your phone's "menu" button to find the command. Adding app shortcuts and changing
wallpapers are separate processes.
In Honeycomb, on the other hand, you simply tap a "plus" icon at the top-right corner of the
display to enter an all-in-one home screen customization tool. There, you find thumbnails for
your five home screens, along with lists of every widget, app shortcut and wallpaper on your
tablet. You can touch any item to select it and drag it onto a home screen. Then, on the home
screen itself, you can touch and hold any item to move it around or eliminate it altogether.
Is it simple enough that a 2-year-old could figure it out? Not necessarily. But this is a
tablet, not a toy - and what you lose in foolproof simplicity is a trade-off for what you
gain in powerful functionality.
previous versions of Google's mobile operating system were built for smartphones, Honeycomb -
also known as Android 3.0 - is the first to be designed specifically for tablet PCs. And
seeing it in action, it certainly shows.
Motorola's recently launched Xoom is the first in a series of tablets that'll run the
Honeycomb OS. The Motorola Xoom has made plenty of headlines for its high-end specs: The
tablet boasts a dual-core 1-GHz processor with 1GB of RAM. It has 32GB of internal storage,
plus the option for additional storage via an integrated MicroSD slot. And all of that is
housed beneath a beautiful (if slightly glare-prone) 10.1-in display.
But the truth is, while the Xoom's hardware is impressive, it's the software that's the much
bigger story. I took a long look at Honeycomb to see how it compares to earlier versions of
Android and to its popular competitor, Apple iOS for the Apple iPad.
Google Android Honeycomb
Google Android 3.0 'Honeycomb': The home screen advantage
When you power up an Android Honeycomb tablet like the Xoom, you'll find yourself on one of
the device's five available home screens. These home screens and the functionality they
provide are among the most significant advantages Honeycomb offers over competing tablet
platforms.
Where the iPad's operating system is basically a blown-up version of what you get on the
iPhone - static rows of square-shaped icons - Honeycomb includes several features that take
full advantage of the tablet's ample screen real estate.
Among the most useful features are the widgets, which are effectively live, functioning apps
that run right on your home screen. You can have a widget for your email, for example, that
allows you to view and even scroll through your inbox. Other widgets let you browse your
calendar, flick through news stories or see the current weather for your area, without ever
opening a thing.
The idea of widgets, of course, isn't new to Honeycomb; as any Android smartphone user knows,
widgets have long been a part of Google's mobile operating system. With Honeycomb, however,
widgets have become more interactive than ever - you can now scroll, flick and interact
within the widgets themselves. And given the large screen size of a tablet, their potential
becomes far more significant.
On a single screen of the Xoom, for example, I'm able to simultaneously see my inbox, my
upcoming appointments and my local weather forecast. I also have scrollable access to all of
my Chrome bookmarks, synced continuously from my PC. I'd imagine that after growing
accustomed to this kind of advanced-usage scenario, many users would be reluctant to return
to the static environment a platform like Apple's iOS provides.
Honeycomb, like past Android versions, also affords you the freedom to use your home screen
space as you see fit; you can drop any combination of widgets and app shortcuts where you
like. The actual method for customizing is quite different in Honeycomb than in previous
Android releases; while it may be an adjustment for Android phone users, it strikes me as a
far more intuitive approach.
On an Android smartphone, adding a widget requires you to either long-press your home screen
or tap your phone's "menu" button to find the command. Adding app shortcuts and changing
wallpapers are separate processes.
In Honeycomb, on the other hand, you simply tap a "plus" icon at the top-right corner of the
display to enter an all-in-one home screen customization tool. There, you find thumbnails for
your five home screens, along with lists of every widget, app shortcut and wallpaper on your
tablet. You can touch any item to select it and drag it onto a home screen. Then, on the home
screen itself, you can touch and hold any item to move it around or eliminate it altogether.
Is it simple enough that a 2-year-old could figure it out? Not necessarily. But this is a
tablet, not a toy - and what you lose in foolproof simplicity is a trade-off for what you
gain in powerful functionality.
2011年3月7日 星期一
MPSI WindPad 100A Honeycomb Tablet with Tegra 2 Dual-Core Processor Demoed in [Video]
We've been passed a video apparently filmed during CeBIT in Germany by The Inquirer
of a relatively new, not yet released, but not completely unannounced Android 3.0
Honeycomb tablet by the name of Windpad. The full name they're going with thus far is
MSI WindPad 100A, MSI of course standing for our good pals at Micro-star
International, a Taiwanese electronics firm that was more than glad to show off the
pad to an intrepid reporter. This tablet is approximately the same size as the
Motorola XOOM at 10.1-inches in the display (capacitive), but has some excellent if
not odd features that are quite enticing.
First you'll notice the trackpad – but wait, where is it? It's essentially
invisible, sitting right up there in the upper right hand corner for you to use with
your thumb so that you'll not have to hold the tablet with one hand, a practice which
the presenter says is unhealthy. At the moment we're not entirely sure if what we're
seeing along the righthand side of the display is four physical buttons or if it's
just dips in the glass showing where four buttons are accessible by touch – and is
the trackpad a nubbin, or a tiny flat pad? We'll see soon enough.
Inside is what we hear will be a 1GB Tegra 2 dual-core processor, a completely custom
user interface (that more than likely every developer from here to Japan will reduce
back to Honeycomb basic,) which includes a dock showing home, web browser, books,
gallery, movies, music, and apps – which we believe means we'll be able to fill this
dock with whatever we like. Either way though, again, more than likely this UI will
either change before the release or be changed by hackers once its out. Additionally,
we know this tablet will have storage of 32GB in an solid state drive. On the back of
the tablet there's a 5-megapixel camera while the front has a 2-megapixel camera.
Along the righthand side, (and remember we're landscape here,) is a full-sized USB
port (for a keyboard, says the presenter) as well as a power cord port. On the left
side you'll find a power button, miniUSB port, HDMI port, SD card reader, headphone
jack, and a switch that locks the orientation of the screen. There will be two
versions shipped, though we're not sure where and on what carriers, one just Wifi and
the other 3G. The unit weighs in at 800g which is 1.764 pounds which, as you may
already know, is about .
More enhancements are in place made to move you further and further away from having
to use your fingers at all including a feature in their photo gallery allowing you to
simply tip the tablet one direction or the other to move to and from neighboring
photos. But they haven’t forgotten about fingers, of course, noting that they’ve
got up to four finger touch when you want to use them all.
The tablet has a rather unique form factor in that the display is there with its
averaged sized black bezel, but then there’s a sort of dip and bonus white plastic
bezel around that for comfort in holding. Not only that, they mention that this extra
border adds protection for the main panel if you decide to drop it – smart! This
along with the tough aluminum back should keep this tablet in the game while you’re
whipping it across your house when you realize how difficult Monster Madness can
really be.
The battery lasts 8 hours (which is definitely not quite as good as the XOOM,) but
the price is definitely set to compete, starting at 399 EURO, according to this
report. This tablet is set to release near the middle of 2011, which puts it right in
contention with the big fat giant wave of tablets coming out at that time – so we
wish it good luck, unless it can come faster and actually be one of the first
Honeycomb tablets.
That is the most important part, again, the fact that although you’re seeing this
video of the device running Android 2.3 Froyo, but that it’ll be mass-produced with
Android 3.0 Honeycomb – if it can make it inside the next couple months, it might
have a really good chance of selling the heck off the shelves.
Check out another video from CharBax from way back at CES 2011 below — why has this
received such a small amount of press? We just can’t figure it out – maybe it’s
too cute.
of a relatively new, not yet released, but not completely unannounced Android 3.0
Honeycomb tablet by the name of Windpad. The full name they're going with thus far is
MSI WindPad 100A, MSI of course standing for our good pals at Micro-star
International, a Taiwanese electronics firm that was more than glad to show off the
pad to an intrepid reporter. This tablet is approximately the same size as the
Motorola XOOM at 10.1-inches in the display (capacitive), but has some excellent if
not odd features that are quite enticing.
First you'll notice the trackpad – but wait, where is it? It's essentially
invisible, sitting right up there in the upper right hand corner for you to use with
your thumb so that you'll not have to hold the tablet with one hand, a practice which
the presenter says is unhealthy. At the moment we're not entirely sure if what we're
seeing along the righthand side of the display is four physical buttons or if it's
just dips in the glass showing where four buttons are accessible by touch – and is
the trackpad a nubbin, or a tiny flat pad? We'll see soon enough.
Inside is what we hear will be a 1GB Tegra 2 dual-core processor, a completely custom
user interface (that more than likely every developer from here to Japan will reduce
back to Honeycomb basic,) which includes a dock showing home, web browser, books,
gallery, movies, music, and apps – which we believe means we'll be able to fill this
dock with whatever we like. Either way though, again, more than likely this UI will
either change before the release or be changed by hackers once its out. Additionally,
we know this tablet will have storage of 32GB in an solid state drive. On the back of
the tablet there's a 5-megapixel camera while the front has a 2-megapixel camera.
Along the righthand side, (and remember we're landscape here,) is a full-sized USB
port (for a keyboard, says the presenter) as well as a power cord port. On the left
side you'll find a power button, miniUSB port, HDMI port, SD card reader, headphone
jack, and a switch that locks the orientation of the screen. There will be two
versions shipped, though we're not sure where and on what carriers, one just Wifi and
the other 3G. The unit weighs in at 800g which is 1.764 pounds which, as you may
already know, is about .
More enhancements are in place made to move you further and further away from having
to use your fingers at all including a feature in their photo gallery allowing you to
simply tip the tablet one direction or the other to move to and from neighboring
photos. But they haven’t forgotten about fingers, of course, noting that they’ve
got up to four finger touch when you want to use them all.
The tablet has a rather unique form factor in that the display is there with its
averaged sized black bezel, but then there’s a sort of dip and bonus white plastic
bezel around that for comfort in holding. Not only that, they mention that this extra
border adds protection for the main panel if you decide to drop it – smart! This
along with the tough aluminum back should keep this tablet in the game while you’re
whipping it across your house when you realize how difficult Monster Madness can
really be.
The battery lasts 8 hours (which is definitely not quite as good as the XOOM,) but
the price is definitely set to compete, starting at 399 EURO, according to this
report. This tablet is set to release near the middle of 2011, which puts it right in
contention with the big fat giant wave of tablets coming out at that time – so we
wish it good luck, unless it can come faster and actually be one of the first
Honeycomb tablets.
That is the most important part, again, the fact that although you’re seeing this
video of the device running Android 2.3 Froyo, but that it’ll be mass-produced with
Android 3.0 Honeycomb – if it can make it inside the next couple months, it might
have a really good chance of selling the heck off the shelves.
Check out another video from CharBax from way back at CES 2011 below — why has this
received such a small amount of press? We just can’t figure it out – maybe it’s
too cute.
2011年3月2日 星期三
Conclusion
Conclusion
The Xoom represents a strong start in the tablet space for Motorola. The company has
outfitted with the Xoom with all of the specifications you'd want in a tablet. It's
super fast, well built and it's currently the only tablet that runs Android 3.0.
Honeycomb ushers in a tablet specific Android OS, which thankfully does not feel like
a misplaced phone OS. Google has incorporated parts of Android that help to provide
for a familiar experience and have a high appeal to those who enjoy personalizing
their device(s). There are some gaps in the OS that make it feel incomplete and the
lack of tablet specific apps in the Android Market is disappointing, but not
surprising. With a slew of tablets expected to hit the market in 2011, the apps will
come. A number of differentiating features (Flash support, 4G, microSD expansion) are
all coming soon, but not available now. This makes for an experience that might be as
refined as one would expect, but it's a terrific beginning. Google and Motorola will
move quickly to address the missing pieces.
In the end, the Motorola Xoom is an extremely capable tablet and one that will
certainly improve over time. If you are ready for bumps in the road that accompany
early adoption, there is plenty to like about the Motorola Xoom.
The Xoom represents a strong start in the tablet space for Motorola. The company has
outfitted with the Xoom with all of the specifications you'd want in a tablet. It's
super fast, well built and it's currently the only tablet that runs Android 3.0.
Honeycomb ushers in a tablet specific Android OS, which thankfully does not feel like
a misplaced phone OS. Google has incorporated parts of Android that help to provide
for a familiar experience and have a high appeal to those who enjoy personalizing
their device(s). There are some gaps in the OS that make it feel incomplete and the
lack of tablet specific apps in the Android Market is disappointing, but not
surprising. With a slew of tablets expected to hit the market in 2011, the apps will
come. A number of differentiating features (Flash support, 4G, microSD expansion) are
all coming soon, but not available now. This makes for an experience that might be as
refined as one would expect, but it's a terrific beginning. Google and Motorola will
move quickly to address the missing pieces.
In the end, the Motorola Xoom is an extremely capable tablet and one that will
certainly improve over time. If you are ready for bumps in the road that accompany
early adoption, there is plenty to like about the Motorola Xoom.
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