Full FeedArchos will unveil new Android powered Internet Media Tablet
Several days ago, it was known that Archos would be selling the Windows 7 powered Archos 9 PCtablet in the United States as well as Europe. Such news is pretty significant as Archos wants the tablet to take center stage before many other netbooks running Windows 7 can be released to the public. In addition, it was known that Archos would be unveiling some sort of Android mini tablet come September 15. Only a few specs and features were announced such as a 500GB hard drive, 3G connectivity, WiFi, Bluetooth, and a 7 hour battery life. Today, there are reports indicating the Android device will be a 5 inch touch screen Internet Media Tablet.
If you are familiar with Archos products, then you have probably heard of the Internet Media Tablets before - as they were announced a little under a year ago. Those devices are pretty much your average PMPs, except with strong Internet connectivity features, and other Archos features. In addition, if we look back to February, Archos did make an announcement regarding Android OS in an Internet Media Tablet-like smartphone. While I don’t think the new Archos device will be an exact smartphone, it is said to bear similarities to normal phones, without all those calling features.
It will be interesting to see what is unveiled on September 15, and how that device will do compared to the Windows 7 running Archos 9 PCtablet.
Via [The Inquirer]
RelatedWindows 7 RTM to be available on July 13?
According to multiple sources close to Microsoft, the gold build of Windows 7 is set to be available on July 10, while the RTM, or release to manufacturing, is set to be available on July 13. Unfortunately, Microsoft has not made any official statements, so this is just a rumor that many perceive to be true.
Basically, the RTM is significant because it is the version of a specific software that is most similar to the official version. It is important to remember RTM is simply for manufacturers to make sure all their hardware/peripherals are compatible with the new OS. The day when the general public can purchase machines running Windows 7 is still October 22. Another reason the RTM date is important is because that should be the version that contains all the major fixes to bugs. If all goes well, the October 22 release of Windows 7 will be pretty much the same as the RTM.
Coinciding on the same day is the Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans. Again, July 13 may not be the date for the RTM, but many sources have confirmed it as such. It will be interesting to see if Microsoft comes out with any official statements.
Via [Neowin]
RelatedThe EU does away with a cell phone tax
Recently, the EU was in discussion about a possible cell phone tax in Europe, which would pretty much affect everyone who wished to purchase a phone. Of course, big cell phone manufacturers such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson protested such a tax because their sales would fall.
Currently, the EU is based in Sweden, and after a vote was held in a meeting yesterday, it was clear what the public wanted. The vast majority of the EU members voted for duty-free cell phones. As you can imagine, cell phone sales are already falling in Europe due to bad economic times, and a higher tax would have only further plummeted sales.
Back in December, the EU searched for a way to differentiate these “multi-functional devices” we call cell phones. They came up with two pretty broad categories - cell phones with TV reception, and cell phones with GPS navigation. Basically, any phone with TV receivers would have been slapped with a 14% tax, while phones with GPS navigation would have been slapped with a 3.7% tax.
All major cell phone manufacturers are happy with the EU’s decision and I’m sure the citizens of Europe are as well. Whether cell phone sales turn around any time soon remains to be seen.
Via [Reuters]
RelatedTiVo announces a new upgrade program for existing customers
Today, TiVo announced a new program that will allow current users to upgrade their current DVR set up to a new HD DVR set up. Many TiVo customers probably don’t have the income to purchase all this luxury equipment, such as HD DVR, and are often stuck using their regular DVR. Well, starting today TiVo is rewarding their veteran customers by offering them $50 off an HD DVR.
Basically, as long as you have been a TiVo customer for a year, you are eligible for the $50 discount. All you have to do is sign onto your TiVo account and you can save $50 or more off a brand new HD DVR. It looks like the program is a mainstay as TiVo hopes to keep customers as well as gain new ones with exciting offers and promotions. Remember, TiVo allows for instant Netflix streaming, access to YouTube videos straight from your television, Amazon Video On Demand access (as well as HD video access), and advanced search for broadcast and broadband content.
Thanks Jessica for the information.
Company Site: [TiVo]
Related300,000 Pres sold in June, predicts an analyst
Whenever a hyped phone debuts in its first month, it is always interesting to see how well it does, compared to other hyped phones. As you can imagine, every number released by Palm and analysts would be compared to Apple. According to Ed Snyder, of Charter Equity Research, 300,000 Pres have been sold by Sprint and Palm in its inaugural month of June.
300,000 represents hope for a struggling Palm company and certainly is a nice number for Sprint. Consider this, Palm only shipped 351,000 phones in the quarter before the Pre launch. Already in the first month of the Pre launch 300,000 units were shipped, and let’s not forget the 70,000 in May. In addition, Snyder estimates that 15,000 Pre units are manufactured everyday just to keep up with the strong demand. Moreover, if this continues pace, 1 million units could be shipped within the first quarter of launch, a mighty feat.
Take these numbers with a grain of salt because no official records have been released by Palm yet. My bet is they are waiting for a truly startling number to occur before they release any information. The Palm Pre looks to be doing pretty well, especially with the amount of downloads the App Catalog has seen. Hopefully, Palm and Sprint can keep up with consumer demand.
Read [Barrons] Read [Digital Daily]
RelatedRemote DVRs A-OK says Supreme Court
If you have Cablevision, then you probably know about its remote DVR features, which allow you to record TV shows remotely for later viewing within Cablevision offices. Previously, there was a petition questioning the legality of remote DVR usage which reached the Supreme Court. Once there, the United States Supreme Court disposed of the petition, a move greatly appreciated by the CEA.
CEO and President of CEA, Gary Shapiro, had this to say about the remote DVR technology, “The ability to record television programming has become commonplace to millions of Americans which has benefited consumers and allowed the consumer technology and content industries to contribute billions of dollars to our economy and create millions of jobs.”
He goes on further to say that it doesn’t matter how you record shows, whether it be a box, or in an office. Another argument used by Shapiro is the fact that Apple and Google already offer similar services, so it makes sense that remote DVR technology such as this is allowed to prosper.
This always seemed like an odd case. Why would remote DVRs be illegal when regular DVRs were legal? If you had a very long cable between your hard drive and your set top box, that would be illegal? With the Supreme Court denying to review the lower court’s decision, expect more cable providers to start setting up remote DVR functionality. Just imagine never filling up your hard drive space on your DVR. Or just imagine the cable companies telling you that you get 5 hours of DVR space and for a fee you can get more space. Hmm…one of those options seems a lot more realistic than the other.
Nokia eying Android for new netbook in 2010
Several days ago, we learned that Nokia and Intel announced a partnership in which they hope to create new, innovative products. According to Daniel Amir of Lazard Capital Markets, he foresees Nokia adopting the Android technology to incorporate in a netbook by 2010.
In addition, the Android netbook will be equipped with an ARM processor and will be geared towards the average mobile customer. Nokia will be distributing the netbook through other carriers. They are already known for their quality smartphones, and with a quality netbook geared towards the mobile community, they could make a decent profit. Amir continues to say “Considering this market is dominated by the PC players, we believe Nokia could face an uphill battle to succeed in this market.”
With the new Intel partnership, Nokia has a lot of unique opportunities in which to create a netbook. They can opt with the Android technology (which hasn’t proved itself as a netbook OS yet) or work with Intel for a stable, strong netbook. In addition, a recent survey notes 60% of netbook users use their netbook as a cheaper PC. If that is the case, Nokia could capitalize on the users who want an even smaller device, with strong capabilities - something like an even more mobile netbook.
Either way, it will be interested to see what Nokia produces in the coming years, whether it be with Android, Intel, or both.
Read [GigaOM]
RelatedHP announces several new Pavilion and Compaq desktops
Today, HP announced several new desktops at affordable prices. The new computers include the HP Pavilion Slimline s5000 series, HP Pavilion p6000 series, the HP Pavilion Elite e9000 series, and the Compaq Presario CQ5000.
The Pavilion Slimline s5000 series features 2GB DDR2 memory, operates on Windows Vista Home Basic edition, features a 320GB hard drive, runs on am AMD Athlon Single Core LE1660 processor, and sports a 6-in-1 memory card reader. The computer only costs $289. Keep in mind there are other computers in the same 5000 series that feature better specs, as the computer listed is the most basic version.
Next up, we have the p6000 series which is pretty similar to the s5000 series. Basically, it also operates on Windows Vista Home Basic edition, runs on an AMD Sempron Single Core LE1300 processor, features 2GB DDR2 memory as well as 320GB hard drive. Since it does not come with as many capabilities as the previously mentioned computer, it will sell for $269. Again, this is only the most basic computer in the p6000 lineup.
Moving on, we have the Pavilion Elite e9000 series, which is more advanced than the two previous computer lines. First off, it operates on a 64 bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium. It runs on an AMD Phenom II X2 545 Dual core processor, sports 4GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB hard drive, 15-in-1 memory card reader, and has a dedicated 512MB NVIDIA GeForce G210 graphics card.
Since it features higher-end specs, the price is also higher, as it will cost you $599. The $899 computer in this lineup features 6GB RAM and a 750GB hard, just to list a few details. Lastly, we have the Compaq Presario CQ5110F Desktop, which will sell for $379. In terms of Operating System, it runs on Windows Vista Home Premium, features an AMD Athlon X2 7750 dual core processor, 3GB RAM, and a 320GB hard drive.
Read [HP]
RelatedPentax announces the new Optio W80 digital camera
Pentax has just released information on their new digital camera, the Optio W80. Continuing with their quality digital cameras, the W80 is no different as it should please both casual photographers and serious photographers. To begin with, it is waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, and weather proof in the sense of handling extreme cold temperature (such as 14 degrees Fahrenheit).
As for “shockproof,” it can withstand a fall from three feet (which will definitely be a nice feature to those with shaky hands), and in terms of waterproof, it can go underwater at a depth of 16 feet. Basically, you can take pictures in the rain or underwater, without worrying about possible water damage. In addition, it is a 12MP camera, with 5x optical zoom, wide angle 28mm lens, and a “Super Protect” coating which protects the device and lens from fingerprints and oil.
It features a 2.5-inch LCD screen with anti-reflective technology, HD movie capture, Fast Face Detection Technology, Anti-Shake technology, and super close focusing, which allows very close objects to be in clear focus. It is set to be available in July 2009. The Pentax Optio W80 will be available in several versions including a cardinal red, gunmetal gray, or azure blue for $299.
Nokia and Intel officially announce a new partnership
The rumor was true. An announcement came today about a new partnership between cell phone manufacturer Nokia and chipset manufacturer Intel. Both are major players in their respective fields. Together, they hope to create new products that will revolutionize the mobile communication world.
Whenever two different companies team up to produce a new, innovative product; the consumer comes out the winner. Personally, I can’t imagine Intel and Nokia producing anything groundbreaking, but they could improve upon existing technologies.
A main goal of the two companies will be to “define a new mobile platform beyond today’s smartphones, notebooks and netbooks.” Of course, that is left up to interpretation as no specific details of future projects has been released. A main concept that will be present in their product will emphasize always being connected to the web, many mobile applications, as well as a pocket-size form factor with a powerful processor. As of now, they have plans to create Linux running software, and Intel will get a license to use Nokia’s HSPA/3G technology.
An optimistic Anand Chandrasekher, Intel Corporation senior vice president and general manager, Ultra Mobility Group, had this to say about the new partnership:
“This Intel and Nokia collaboration unites and focuses many of the brightest computing and communications minds in the world, and will ultimately deliver open and standards-based technologies, which history shows drive rapid innovation, adoption and consumer choice. With the convergence of the Internet and mobility as the team’s only barrier, I can only imagine the innovation that will come out of our unique relationship with Nokia. The possibilities are endless.”
It will be interesting two see what these two powerful companies can come up with. Hopefully, we hear a product announcement in the coming weeks and months.
Read [Intel & Nokia Press Release]
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Palm Pre Information & Updates
Palm just introduced their next-gen smartphone, the Palm Pre, and next-gen operating system, Palm webOS. Gadgetell's got the latest Pre and webOS information and news for you right here.
