SlashGear

Plastic Logic QUE delay confirmed: arrives Summer 2010

Chris Davies — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:00:48 +0000

As expected after this morning’s report, Plastic Logic have officially confirmed that the launch of the QUE ebook reader will be delayed until Summer 2010. In an official statement from company CEO Richard Archuleta, the decision is described as “to fine-tune the features and enhance the overall product experience.”

Plastic Logic are promising free shipping to preorder customers as an apology for the delay; the QUE was originally expected to ship in mid-April 2010. The device – which uses an E Ink display like other ebook readers, but paired with a unique plastic backplane of Plastic Logic’s own design – is being positioned as a business device, with pricing to match. The entry-level model kicks off at around $650.

Plastic Logic statement:

From: Richard Archuleta
Subject: QUE proReader Shipping Update

Thank you for being one of the first customers to order a QUE proReader from Plastic Logic. We appreciate your business.

Today, I wanted to personally inform you that we are postponing the first QUE proReader shipments until this Summer in order to fine-tune the features and enhance the overall product experience.
Within the next month we will send you an email with more details about your order. If you also ordered accessories for your QUE proReader, we plan to ship them at the same time as your QUE proReader.
I can imagine that you want to get your QUE proReader as soon as possible. We are sorry for the delay. For your inconvenience, the shipping charges will be on us.
Please note that we will not charge your credit card until your order is ready to ship.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at QUEhelp@PlasticLogic.com.
Once again, thank you for being one of our first QUE proReader customers.
Best regards,

Richard Archuleta
CEO
Plastic Logic

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The Palm Paradox

Michael Gartenberg — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:41:44 +0000

It’s been a rough few weeks for the folks at Palm. First false rumors about Palm shutting down production lines, followed by less than stellar results have once again started the usual suspects putting Palm on either some death watch or have them about to be sold to (insert vendor’s name here _____). Regarding the second, I don’t believe Jon Rubenstein came out of retirement to build a world class product only to have it sold to (insert vendor’s name here _____). But with regards to the whole death watch theme, Palm reminds me a lot of TiVo these days. It’s not just the death watch meme that’s plagued TiVo for years, it’s the fact that Palm suffers from their own version of the TiVo paradox.

What’s the TiVo paradox? It’s a term I coined to explain how hard it is to market the contextual value of features. A distinct conflict existed between consumer understanding of TiVo features and their ability to value the functionality. This was the TiVo paradox. While the purpose of TiVo features was clear and consumers valued features exclusive to TiVo, they don’t learn to appreciate the entire package of features until they used them. The net result was a rabid fan base of users who loved and praised the product and other users who couldn’t understand the cost of a $500 “digital VCR”.

TiVo’s features were relevant to the TV viewing experience based on a user’s immediate contextual need; the pause and rewind live TV feature is the killer feature for a sports fan, while remote access to the electronic programming guide is key to the busy traveler’s DVR experience. Without trying these features, users are unaware of their overall value as they come together as a whole. Want to pause TV when the phone rings? That’s the killer app at that moment. Recording a show using an EPG to simply search for it? That’s the killer app at that moment. Skipping commercials when you watch recorded content? That’s the killer app at that moment. Contextual functionality ONLY comes together when you get to see the whole, not a piece or part. When you see only pieces, you just get a very expensive VCR not a TiVo.

This is exactly the issue I think Palm is having right now.

Palm’s features by themselves are not “killer applications”. In fact, they look a lot at the surface like most of the other phones that are out there. There are, however, a multitude of features related to things like Synergy that are totally contextual, that at a given moment in time BECOME the killer app for using the device. It’s something you see reflected in the base of the webOS user. Those who use webOS are totally fans of the experience and don’t discuss issues such as a lack of applications. They focus on the contextual experience that delivers on the notion of mobile social context.

The problem for Palm (as TiVo learned) is this is a nasty marketing problem since there’s no good way to get the message across in 30 seconds. It’s important for Palm to start focusing it’s marketing on getting the message of mobile social context out there; at the same time Palm needs a better way to leverage the fan base that make up webOS users, since those are the folks who have made the leap of faith and for whom the light bulb has already lit up. I don’t think Palm is anywhere close to being down and out but they need to re-think how to tell a great story of engineering and technical achievement and break the Palm Paradox.

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iPhone Pro concept adds slide-out gaming controls, MagSafe [Video]

Chris Davies — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:28:11 +0000

If we’re being honest, we far prefer clever renders of what designers think the next-gen iPhone should look like rather than so-called “leaked” shots that smell unduly fake. Italian design firm ADR Studio have thrown their oar in with this, the iPhone Pro, coupling iPad styling with some Transformer-like slide out panels offering gaming controls.

Video demo after the cut

It’s not the first time we’ve seen designers attempt to cater to gamers with their iPhone concepts. Given Apple’s attempts in recent months to position the smartphone – and its iPod touch cousin – as a legitimate gaming handheld we wouldn’t be surprised if the company themselves were looking at how to make the control experience better, though we don’t imagine they’d quite take the step to giving the next-gen phone wings.

Elsewhere in the iPhone Pro concept there’s a MagSafe connector for easier charging, a bigger display and a front-facing camera for video calls. The power button slips from the top to the back and gains some MacBook Pro style too. We doubt this is what Apple really have lurking in the wings for release later this year, but it’s good enough to tide us over for a while at least.

[via Recombu]

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Sony PSP Go suffering appalling Japanese sales?

Chris Davies — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:05:26 +0000

Rumors of a Sony PSP Go relaunch seem all the more believable this week, as the latest – unofficial – sales figures for the handheld are released in Japan. According to market watchers Media Create, Sony sold a mere 1,275 PSP Go devices in the first week of March; contrast that with Sony’s own PSP, which sold 64,808 devices in the same period.

In fact, in the ten week period between December 28th 2009 and March 7th 2010, Sony are believed to have shifted a grand total of 17,618 PSP Go units. Again, that pales in comparison to the regular PSP, of which 667,961 were sold.

[via CrunchGear]

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Lenovo L2261 Wide, L2361p Wide & L2561x Wide with Multitouch 1080p LCDs outed

Chris Davies — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:21:10 +0000

A trio of new Lenovo LCD displays have been outed, though so far they’re yet to show up on the company’s own site. The Lenovo L2261 Wide and L2361p Wide are 21.5- and 23-inches in size, while the Lenovo L2461x Wide with Multitouch is 23.6-inches and, as the name suggests, offers a multitouch-capable touchscreen layer. All three support Full HD 1080p.

The Lenovo L2261 Wide has 250cd/m2 brightness and a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, along with an anti-glare screen coating and an integrated PSU. Connectivity includes VGA and HDCP-compliant DVI-D, though no HDMI, and the display adjusts for tilt and swivel but won’t rotate for portrait use.

As for the Lenovo L2351p Wide, that looks a whole lot more like an LCD HDTV and gains an HDMI input too; it also has a 0.3-megapixel webcam, speakers and a microphone, along with a three port USB 2.0 hub. It too offers 250cd/m2 brightness and a 1,000:1 contrast ratio.

Finally, the Lenovo L2461x Wide with Multitouch has a 2-megapixel webcam, speakers and microphone, along with HDMI and VGA, a four-port USB 2.0 hub and an LED lightbar that’s controllable from a capacitive touchstrip. There are also various Windows shortcut buttons on the front panel, while specs include 300cd/m2 brightness and 1,000:1 contrast.

According to the three datasheets (in the gallery below) all of the new monitors will arrive in March 2010. No official word on pricing, but Thinkpads have dug up a couple of listings ranging from $549 to $1149 for the L2461x.

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iPad gets open ePUB support; 3G control detailed

Chris Davies — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:52:39 +0000

If you’re still wavering about slapping in your credit card details for an iPad preorder, perhaps some new tidbits about functionality might change your mind. Apple have quietly added a few new details to their iBooks and 3G pages, including confirmation that readers will be able to load non-DRM ePUB format titles to their iPad via iTunes.

That accompanies support for Apple’s own, DRM-encrypted ebooks and digital content that will be purchased on-device through the iBookstore. Previously, while we’d known which format Apple would be using, it was unclear whether titles from outside of the iBooks ecosystem would be supported. Still, it looks like there’ll be no way to download such content directly onto the iPad itself.

Meanwhile Apple have thrown up some screenshots of the 3G management system by which owners of the iPad WiFi + 3G models will be able to control their mobile data usage. As well as being able to sign up and cancel on-device, there’ll also be a running total – useful for those on the 250MB package ($14.99 per month) – and the ability to switch between that and the unlimited data package ($29.99) or add a one-off 250MB boost ($14.99). It’s also been made clear that you can sign up and cancel as often as you like.

[via Everything iPad 1 and 2]

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Lian Li PC-T1R Spider case gets tested: arachnophobes need not apply

Chris Davies — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:26:49 +0000

Bizarre PC cases are nothing new, but Lian Li’s PC-T1R Spider does manage to look different even in that unusual crowd. Described as a “test bench” case – that is, one which leaves the components open and accessible for frequent tinkerers – the PC-T1R takes a mini-ITX board and a slimline optical drive, while looking like a spider with half its regular legs.

techPowerUp got their hands on a pre-production version, and they seem impressed. It’s the distinctive looks which swung opinion for the Lian Li; they actually say it’s not much of a test bench case, since you need to do some serious cable tying if you want to keep them out of the way, and the whole thing flexes around the multiple joints.

Still, we can see the new Lian Li garnering the same sort of fanbase as flocked to the Antec Skeleton, one of the better known – and similarly eye-catching – test bench cases of late. Lian Li are yet to announce final pricing, but the PC-T1R Spider is expected to come in at around €150 ($205) and be available in black or red.

[via CaseModBlog]

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Apple iPad Keyboard Dock won’t ship until mid-April

Chris Davies — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:47:24 +0000

Hoping to pick up one of Apple’s more useful iPad accessories along with your iPad preorder? Unfortunately it looks like early-adopters will have to suffer with the onscreen keyboard for a while, as according to the Apple Store the iPad Keyboard Dock – while available to purchase now – won’t ship until mid-April 2010.

That’s in contrast to most of the other official iPad accessories, which are listed as set to ship in time for April 3rd. The official Apple iPad case comes in at $39 while the iPad Dock Connector to VGA adapter is $29. If you can cope without the QWERTY and just want a docking station, the iPad Dock is $29 and will also ship for April 3rd.

In fact, the only later accessory is the Apple iPad 10W USB Power Adapter, which is priced at $29 but not expected to ship until late-April. Looks like heavy iPad users will have to get used to carrying their AC adapter between home and the office until then.

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Apple iPad up for preorder now

Chris Davies — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:32:14 +0000

The Apple Store is back, and as expected the iPad is available for preorder. Apple’s touchscreen tablet is currently available to order in its WiFi-only form, priced from $499 with 16GB of flash storage. Orders placed today are expected to ship on April 3rd in the US.

However, while Apple Stores worldwide went down, only the US one is actually accepting preorders. In fact the updated store is still to confirm pricing for the iPad outside of the US, something which Apple have proved reluctant to tell us about.

Of course, if you want a 3G-enabled version of the iPad – which uses an unlocked GSM modem (with AT&T compatible bands, though not T-Mobile USA) and a microSIM card – you’ll have to wait a little longer. Those models are set to arrive in late-April 2010, priced at $629, $729 and $829 respectively for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models. So, who’s preordering today? Let us know in the comments.

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Bike concept for 10 to 15-year-olds is coolest bike ever

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:03:56 +0000

This has been the week of cool bike concepts. Earlier this week I talked a bit about the cool carbon fiber electric bike. Today I ran across a really cool bike concept aimed at kids from 10 to 15 years old, though I can’t see why older folks who like cool design couldn’t ride it too.

The concept is called Bike 10 to 15 and looks like the bike Tron learned to ride before his parents bought him a light cycle. For some reason the thing also reminds me of what an Xbox branded bike might look like. The big feature of the concept is a seat that can be adjusted to any height along with the bar the seat sits on.

The frame also stretches horizontally to put the rider in the correct position. Any guy who rode a bike too big for them will tell you having that bar at the right height is important, particularly if you plan to procreate later in life.

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Final Cut saw blade cuts and sands at same time

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:47:55 +0000

I am a DIY kind of guy, in some instances anyway. I change my own oil; I can hook up your home theater and fix your computer. I’m not that great when it comes to building stuff from a pile of wood though. I can build it, but it might not be straight or stand up and stuff. If you like to build things that require power tools and wood the Final Cut saw blade may be the coolest gadget in your toolbox.

Final Cut looks like a plain old saw blade for your table saw. The difference is that on the sides of the saw blade where there is usually nothing, the Final Cut blade has sand paper. That means you can cut your trim pieces and sand the cuts at the same time.

I once had a dog named Gordy that liked to eat toilet paper, which was cool because he could drop a deuce and wipe at the same time. The Final Cut saw blade is sort of like good ol’ Gordy taking care of two things at one time. You can get a 10-inch blade for $64.95 and replacement sand paper discs for $27 per four pack.

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Asus P6X58D Premium mainboard for Intel LGA1366 CPUs launches

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:32:37 +0000

Asus was whipping new mainboards out at CeBIT earlier this month and now that the show is over, Asus is still offering up new hardware. Asus has unveiled a new mainboard today called the P6X58D Premium aimed at enthusiasts looking to build up a sweet Intel LGA1366 rig.

The new board supports the 32nm 6-core processors that are on the roadmap and has lots of other high-end features. The board has six SATA 3Gb/s ports and a pair of 6Gb/s SATA ports too. It also has two USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel and eight more USB 2.0 ports to boot.

The board supports up to 24GB of RAM and uses the Intel X58 chipset with ISCG10R. Asus uses the NEC USB 3.0 controller and has the mainboard has a pair of FireWire ports. Both 3-way SLI from NVIDIA and CrossFireX from ATI are supported. The board uses a fanless cooling system and supports DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC sound.

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Novothink Solar Surge for iPhone and iPod touch debuts

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:17:13 +0000

One day I hope that all my gadgets get power from the sun or other methods that don’t require me to remember to plug them in. I like my iPhone, but the thing sucks down power when I play games on it like a boozehound with a fresh six-pack. If you are out all day with your iPhone or iPod touch and want some extra juice, Novothink has a new solar charger called the Solar Surge that is just for you.

The Solar Surge is a slip on case that is a bit reminiscent of the Mophie Juice Pack with an open top. The Surge has a solar panel on the back and an internal lithium ion battery that provides extra run time for your iPhone.

The Solar Surge can also be plugged into a USB port to charge when you aren’t out in the sun. The iPhone version has a 1320mAH internal battery and the iPod touch version is 1500mAh. Both versions use smart changing to stop drawing power when the battery is full. 3G talk time on the iPhone using the thing is up to four hours longer than without it. The iPhone version is $79.95 and the iPod touch version is $69.95.

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Qualcomm patent app shows multi-fold device to replace smartphone and tablets

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:02:40 +0000

We all know that half the cool stuff we see in patent applications won’t ever make it to market. I have decided that lots of the really cool patents applied for are nothing more than a way to capitalize on the possibility of such tech coming in the future and being able to sue. Qualcomm has filed a patent application for a multi-fold device that looks interesting.

The patent app shows a device that can be spread out flat to be used as a TV, folder into a cell phone or folded into a tablet style device with a keyboard section. The idea is interesting, but the gaps created at the fold lines would drive me crazy if I tried to watch TV on something like that.

The patent app also says that the UI will change depending on how the device is folded. That would mean when folded like a cell phone you would get a thumb pad and number pad for calls. Fold it like a notebook and get a keyboard on one section and a display on the other.

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Apple Store down: iPad incoming

Chris Davies — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:54:07 +0000

It should come as little surprise, what with the well-publicized iPad preorder sale starting today, but the Apple Store has been taken down for updating. Apple’s new tablet kicks off at $499 and is expected to go on sale at 8.30am EST; of course, Apple could surprise us and add a few more updates into the mixture as well. Recent rumors have tipped an updated Mac Pro desktop, using Intel’s new Core i7-980 Gulftown processor.

There has also been disappointment recently regarding Apple’s apparent reluctance to put one of the newer Core i5 or i7 processors into their MacBook Pro line, which is currently still using the last-generation of Core 2 Duo chips. Still, we wouldn’t be surprised if Apple kept today’s excitement solely for the iPad.

The WiFi-only iPad models will be priced at $499 for the 16GB iPad, $599 for the 32GB iPad and $699 for the 64GB iPad. Unfortunately we’ll have to wait until late-April for the 3G version of the tablet, which will be priced at $629, $729 and $829 respectively for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models.

Apple iPad demo video:

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HTC Incredible snapped in Verizon livery

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:51:37 +0000

Other than the iPhone, it really seems to me that Verizon gets most of the cool phones first. Maybe AT&T is afraid another cool phone that users actually use for data on their network will do them in. We have been hearing grumblings about the HTC Incredible for a while now and the device has been spied all decked out for Verizon service.

We know some of the details on the handset already. The beastie will get an 8MP camera with dual LED flash and a Snapdragon processor running at 768MHz rather than the 1GHz it is capable of. I would guess that the CPU speed is underclocked to reduce heat and extend battery life.

Other know features of the device include 512MB of ROM, 512MB of RAM, Android 2.1 with Sense UI, an optical track pad, FM tuner, and WiFi. The handset uses a big 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED screen with a resolution of 800 x 480 and a 1300mAH battery.

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QUE proReader delayed until summer

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:43:02 +0000

I am not typically one to pre-order products. I like to be able to just walk into a store, buy the thing, and take it home. One of the reasons I don’t like pre-orders is that you never really know when you will get the device until it actually ships. Such is the case with the geeks who pre-ordered the expensive QUE proReader a while back.

At the time pre-orders started the reader was supposed to ship in the middle of April. One person who pre-ordered the device has sent an email received from the CEO of QUE over to Engadget. According to the email, the QUE is being delayed until sometime later in the summer.

The reason given in the email is that QUE wants more time to “fine tune features and enhance the overall product experience.” When companies spout marketing speak like that, what I really hear is “the thing doesn’t work right and we are fixing it.” The upside if you have pre-ordered is that your credit card hasn’t been charged yet and you can cancel and take your $650 to $800 depending on the version you ordered and get yourself an iPad or two.

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Zoom drops new G2Nu and G2.1Nu guitar pedals for rockers

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:32:13 +0000

My lack of musical talent has been well documented. I attribute my musical inability to the lack of interest in any sort of practice. Guitarists have all sorts of gadgets and gear they can use to make their music sound better and different like effects pedals and other stuff. A company called Zoom has unveiled a couple new effects pedals for guitarists called the G2Nu and the G2.1Nu.

The new pedals offer features that were created with the help of Steve Vai. The devices get overdrive/distortion sounds along with twenty different guitar amp and stomp box effects for different sounds that include gain settings and harmonic character.

The pedals have patches that offer musicians sounds from the 60’s and 70’s and the G2.1Nu adds an integrated expression pedal for more control over the sound. Both of the devices can allow for recording to a computer with USB outputs and feature a 1.9-inch LCD for settings and more. Free software to allow the user to monitor and capture tones on the computer is available for download to go with both the devices.

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Wood + ratcheting tie down = ladder perfect for city folk

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:16:47 +0000

About this time last year, I bought a new house. The new place has ceilings that are 12-feet tall in some rooms. The company who designed the AC system must have thought it would be funny to put the place where filters go on the 12-foot ceiling, which meant my 6-foot stepladder was no good. I don’t own a truck so when it came time to buy that new 10-foot stepladder so I could change the filter I ended up driving down the highway, with the top down on my convertible, trying to hold a 10-foot ladder with one hand and shift gears at the same time.

You always hear about designing a better mousetrap, but what about designing a better ladder? This ladder concept is actually cool, and looks like something you could whip up yourself. The thing uses one of those ratcheting motorcycle tie downs and a couple pieces of wood. When you need to carry the ladder somewhere or store it, the ladder comes apart easily.

The tie down works like a handle for carrying it around and keeps the thing from falling apart when you are at the top. The downside to the design is that it’s one of those ladders that needs to lean on something, not a stepladder. Still, the design is cool and the thing is a great idea.

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HOTT MD500 super-budget Android MID taunts us on video

Chris Davies — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:59:02 +0000

Remember the 7-inch HOTT MD700 MID spotted back at CES 2010 and tipped to be arriving at distributors priced at $120 apiece? The Chinese company is back with another, smaller model, and the best news is that it should be even cheaper: the HOTT MD500 has a 4.8-inch display and runs Android, and will be just $92 for distributors (assuming you only use microSD for storage).

Video demo after the cut

HOTT are referring to the MD500 as their “iPad killer”, though given the disparity between the screen sizes that seems a little tongue-in-cheek. The 4.8-inch touchscreen runs at 800 x 480 WVGA and the whole thing is a little smaller than the Archos 5 Internet Tablet currently on the market.

Currently the MD500 runs Android 1.5 with HOTT’s own UI enhancements, and inside is a Rockchip ARM9 chipset capable of multiple video codecs. In fact the only real disappointment here is the limited battery life; HOTT reckon you’ll only see 5hrs of ebook reading or 3hrs or video viewing. Still, if it can reach the market for under $120 or so after it hits mass production this summer, we reckon there’ll be a few people willing to live with that.

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Galaxy dual core GTS 250 video card makes geeks drool

Shane McGlaun — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:55:21 +0000

If you are a PC gaming geek that likes new gaming hardware for your rig, step back a bit so you don’t drool all over your $150 gaming keyboard before you read this. Galaxy has unveiled its suitably awesome dual-core GTS 250 retail edition video card with dual fans to keep things nice and frosty.

According to Galaxy the card turned in a 3Dmark Vantage score of P13946 putting in somewhere between the GTX 285 and GTX 260 in performance. The cards cooling solution has a pair of 7cm fans and the surface of the cooler is made from aluminum.

That is all the details that Galaxy is giving up on the slick dual GPU video card right now, which admittedly isn’t much. The company isn’t willing to part with important specs like GPU clocks, pricing, and availability.

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OutRun real-world gaming cart simulates road, allows for real accidents

Chris Davies — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:31:12 +0000

Take a SEGA OutRun arcade cabinet, strap on a go-kart and get a university to fund the whole thing, and you’re approaching Garnet Hertz’s “immersive driving experience” project. The UC Irvine post-doctoral researcher has adapted the road-ready (though we’re not sure how legal) setup to track the upcoming highway and convert it into the 8-bit on-screen graphics. That way, you drive a real vehicle down a virtual road.

Given there’s more to road safety than tracking the white lines Hertz’s system follows in order to fashion its graphics – which come complete with OutRun-style palm trees, naturally – the golf cart based vehicle only manages a 15mph top speed. Hopefully the driver thus has enough attention to keep an eye on other vehicles and pedestrians.

Still, the researcher doesn’t actually expect any of this to end up on the open road; instead, it’s intended to highlight the limitations of computer vision and the discrepancies between real-life and games. ”No matter how good computer vision is, it is never going to be completely perfect” Hertz explains, “Computer vision is never as good, as complete, as the real world.”

[via Kotaku]

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Sony PlayStation Move no memory hog but has controller limitations

Chris Davies — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:14:58 +0000

So, we already know the Sony PlayStation Move controller is coming Fall 2010 and should be priced – in “starter kit” form – at under $100, but we’re still seeing more tidbits about the motion-control system drip out GDC this week. There’s good news and bad, unfortunately, including a limitation on multiplayer support in part thanks to the PS3’s own Bluetooth connectivity capabilities. Turns out, while up to four-player gaming is possible, that’s not if everyone wants to use both the Move controller and a sub-controller.

Sony have confirmed to Gizmodo that the PS3 will either support four Move controllers on their own, or a pair of them with sub-controllers. That means that motion-only games will be suitable for up to four players, but anything requiring extra degrees of control that a sub-controller would bring will only be usable by two gamers at a time.

Four PlayStation Move controllers can connect to a PS3 at one time (or two PlayStation Move Controllers and 2 PlayStation Move sub-controllers).

It’s unclear to what extent this is a system limitation and what Sony themselves have coded in; apparently the PS3’s Bluetooth connectivity can only deal with up to seven connections at a time. Still, Sony have done good work slimming down the Move system elsewhere; according to Joystiq it’ll only demand 1-2MB of system memory.

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Barnes & Noble eReader for iPad promised, but will Apple approve?

Chris Davies — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:53:37 +0000

Apple have made no secret of the fact that they’re positioning the iPad as an ideal ebook reader device, but if Barnes & Noble have their way – and if they can navigate the App Store guardians – iBooks won’t be the only way to buy ebooks on the tablet. According to the retailer’s blog, a version of their free B&N eReader app – already available for the iPhone and iPod touch – is in development for the iPad, and B&N expect it to be ready at roughly the same time as the iPad itself.

The software should allow pretty much the same functionality as versions for other platforms, together with B&N’s own dedicated nook ebook reader (which we reviewed late last year). That will mean you can buy content directly from the app through B&N’s eBookstore (which has over 1m ebooks, magazines and newspapers) together with access existing purchased content.

What remains to be seen, of course, is how happy Apple are with the prospect of on-device competition for the ebook and digital magazine market. They’ve put a lot of work into their own iBooks app – and the necessary content deals behind it – and as would-be rivals in the digital music industry have discovered, aren’t afraid to block competitors from their devices if they think they’ll be treading on their toes.

[via Everything iPad]

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Unreal Engine 3 hits Palm’s webOS: gamers ahoy!

Chris Davies — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:32:49 +0000

Palm’s Pre and Pixi aren’t exactly known as gaming powerhouses, but that could go a long way in changing now that Unreal Engine 3 is arriving for the webOS platform. Announced at the Game Developers’ Conference this week, the new UE3 release – which should be available to licensees soon – works hand in hand with Palm’s Plug-in Development Kit (PDK) beta.

Unreal Engine 3 is the engine behind Unreal Tournament 3 and Gears of War, among multiple other titles, and from what we’re hearing from the GDC its performance on webOS was surprisingly good. There’s even a minimal frame-rate preview version for webOS’ card view, though if you leave your game mid-play to enjoy it then we don’t see you lasting the level. Since the Pre is based on the same processor that iPhone 3GS game developers have had such success with recently, we’re hoping that this could be the shot in the arm Palm needs to stay topical.

[via The Official Palm Blog]

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HTC Touch Pro2 Android hack: best hardware keyboard on Android to-date? [Video]

Chris Davies — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:15:52 +0000

Loading Android onto hitherto Windows Mobile devices isn’t exactly new – we’ve seen various builds of Google’s platform on everything from the Samsung Omnia i900, the HTC Diamond and dual-booting on the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 – but until now each of the implementations have been pretty half-hearted. Arriving full of functionality and just gagging to get its binary on your HTC Touch Pro2, however, comes xda-developers’ latest release, complete with fully working voice, SMS and data support.

Video demo after the cut

PocketNow booted up their test Pro2 with the new ROM to put it through its paces, and shot the demo video you can see below. There’s no lag and the Android build takes advantage of the WVGA touchscreen.

Now, we made no bones about our appreciation for the Touch Pro2 when we reviewed it back in 2009, with an excellent hardware keyboard and sturdy build quality only really let down by the native Windows Mobile OS. Load up Android, however, and the experience is a lot more interesting; in fact this could be the best keyboard on an (albeit unofficial) Android handset to date.

[via Android Community]

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Fusion Garage’s Joo Joo Hits FCC, Reveals Plenty

Evan Selleck — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:29:09 +0000

Remember the Joo Joo? Of course you do; we just covered it, after all. Letting you know that the future tablet from Fusion Garage got a bit of an upgrade in the User Interface department, before it’s ultimate release later this month. But, you know what’s better than knowing your latest gadget won’t have a bland, boring desktop? Getting to look at its insides, thanks to some documents found in the FCC’s databanks. And, believe it or not, the Joo Joo has some good things going for it.

First and foremost, we’ve got the NVIDIA Ion combined with Intel’s Atom N270. Second, despite the fact we’ve heard from Fusion Garage themselves that the Joo Joo won’t be shipping at the end of March with 3G on board, the FCC reveals that there is indeed a 3G card in there, so maybe something is changing. However, while we love the combination of Ion and the Atom N270, we have to admit that we’re not really sure the battery life is going to be anything to write home about. While the Joo Joo’s main competition is primed at a 10 hour battery life, there’s some speculation going around that the Joo Joo will barely make 5.

It’s going to just be a few short weeks before Fusion Garage unleashes their tablet, so before long we’ll be able to give you all the gory details, instead of banking on FCC documentation. Though, after seeing the upgraded User Interface and knowing that an application store of some sort is shipping with the fully HD-capable tablet makes our hearts flutter a bit. Essentially, we just can’t wait to get our hands on a new gadget.

[via Engadget]

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Apple’s iPhone OS 4.0 Brings Full-On Solution for Multitasking

Evan Selleck — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:29:35 +0000

Whether or not you consider this three years in the making or not, this rumor has several thousand people out there breathing a large sigh of relief. One of the most highly regarded (missing) features on the iPhone, it seems that times are certainly changing, as Apple have gone ahead and included the feature into the new build of their Operating System. Oh, did we forget to mention? This is just a rumor.

Apple’s been thinking about multitasking from the get-go. They’ve mentioned it a couple times, at a few key points over the years since the launch of the iPhone, and there’s never been any question that the Cupertino-based company has been working on some kind of multitasking technology. There’s all sorts of reasons why Apple didn’t want multitasking on their device, primarily the concern for battery life, security, and resource allocation. But, there’s also the fact that the iPhone lacks the kind of User Interface generally seen for multitasking devices. The multiple homescreens are great for the iPhone, but unless Apple has created some new UI elements, it might be kind of hard for them to launch such a feature.

Luckily, they’ve got some pretty bright minds bunkered at headquarters. According to the words whispered into the ears of AppleInsider, it seems that Apple has found a “full-on solution” to the multitasking conundrum. Whatever that means, we don’t know, but we can guess that it’s going to be unlike anything we’d expect. The details of the feature, along with the entirety of the iPhone OS 4.0 are under lock and key right now, because apparently the OS isn’t ready for prime time. In fact, it seems that it’s still a ways off. As soon as we hear more, we’ll pass it on.

[via SlashPhone]

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Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Series Push Notifications Get Detailed for Gaming

Evan Selleck — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:12:29 +0000

Have you heard? The Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) is going on right now, which is why it shouldn’t go as a big surprise that all these companies are announcing things there. Yes, they’ll generally have a video game/gaming twist to it, but that’s okay. Especially when we have Microsoft presenting, and they’re giving details on how push notifications are going to work on the upcoming mobile Operating System.

Right up until the official announcement of Windows Phone 7 Series, there came a time when multitasking came under fire. Was it going to be included? Would Microsoft really ditch such an integral feature (and one that’s been highly scrutinized by the competition)? Well, at least in the form of their online “multiplayer” games, it looks like push notifications are going to be the rule, rather than the exception. As the video explains, this is going to be the best way to run these games. As we’ve mentioned before, asynchronous, turn-based games are definitely going to happen on Windows Phone 7 Series, and this methodology is going to make sure they run smoothly.

However, this is dealing with gaming. And while they do show that the live tiles, the ones that are displayed on the phone’s “home screen”, and explain that they are going to get updated in real-time, we’re wondering just what this means for third-party applications, as well as first-party ones. Will there be no multitasking at all? (Outside, of course, listening to music and the like.) Will Pandora, which was noted during the initial keynote, work while you’re sending a text message? These are the questions that people are still asking, and even though we may have just shed some light on it, we’ve certainly not illuminated the depth of the cave quite yet. MIX10 anyone?

[via Pocket Now]

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Intendix Meshes the Line Between Brain and Computer, For a Price

Evan Selleck — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:43:20 +0000

Welcome to the future, ladies and gentlemen. What we have here, by definition, is exactly where technology should be going. While we love all our gadgets, from the smallest magnets to the largest LED TVs, it’s this kind of tech that makes our spines tingle. After all, even if it may not work as well as it does in all those science-fiction movies, it’s sure going in the right direction. Intendix wants to make it possible for those who may not be able to speak, to finally get what they want to say out to those around them, and we can’t help but love the process.

The Intendix computer was debuted during CeBIT 2010, but there were some key details missing from the presentation. The technology itself was created by the Austrian Guger Technologies, or g.tec, to better improve the lives of those with any kind of locked-in syndrome, or any other kind of situation that may prevent someone from telling people what they want or need. And yes, you are right about what it does: the system is a thought-to-computer network, which works by placing an EEG helmet on the user. From that point on, the user can “text,” or trigger an alarm if needed. The system is also able to speak the text out-loud, copy or print text to or from an email, or to issue commands to an external device. The system works at a rate of about five to 10 characters per minute.

There’s no other way to look at this: it’s mind control, but in a far more healthy, and lucrative fashion. Trying to help others is never a bad thing, and we’re hoping that the Intendix makes it to as many people as it can who need it. However, like any other thing that’s needed, there’s always a price tag. What we’re looking at now is about $12,250 for a single unit. There’s also no word on widespread distribution or manufacturing, but hopefully that gets cleared up soon.

[via Akihabara News]

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