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FTA-N-More.Net For your True FTA Needs 2010-10-29T23:23:52-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/feed.php?f=34 2010-10-29T23:23:52-05:00 2010-10-29T23:23:52-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1353&p=1796#p1796 <![CDATA[Latest Electronics Technology News • Early Kinect games kill Xbox Live]]>
The un-named distributor has sent what Microsoft describes as 'a very small number' of Kinect systems to lucky buyers who might not consider themselves quite so lucky if they try to use the device and its bundled games.

Installing the games will require a firmware upgrade, which is nothing out of the ordinary, but in this case the upgrade hasn't yet been released. Attempting to install the non-existent update seems to fool the console into thinking you are trying to play a pirated game and locks the user out of Microsoft's Xbox Live on-line service.

Microsoft told gaming web site Joystiq, which originally unearthed the gaffe: "Due to a retailer error, a very small number of customers were shipped copies of a Kinect game ahead of launch. Since Kinect does not launch until Nov. 4 in the United States, customers who insert the game into their console before then will be temporarily unable to access Xbox LIVE. The retailer is contacting affected individuals directly to warn them of this situation."

So if a shiny new Kinect lands on your doorstep before next Monday you'll just have to be patient. No... really... put the disk down and step away from the console!

Statistics: Posted by The_Hatta — Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:23 pm

]]> 2010-10-28T12:59:20-05:00 2010-10-28T12:59:20-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1348&p=1787#p1787 <![CDATA[Latest Electronics Technology News • Sony PlayStation phone to join crowded field???]]>

A Sony PlayStation phone -- long talked about, but late to the mobile party -- may be coming after all.

Engadget shared photos of a prototype PlayStation phone it said may be out this year, although 2011 is "looking much more realistic."

Sony Ericsson, contacted by msnbc.com, says it "does not comment on rumours, speculation or unannounced products," which leaves the issue fairly muddled.

With the iPhone (and iPod Touch) a heavy player in the mobile games market, and Android growing quickly as well, the notion of a PlayStation phone seems almost ... quaint, something that might have made sense several years ago, but is outdated now.

Not necessarily so, says Avi Greengart, research director for consumer devices at Current Analysis.

While the PlayStation phone is "only a rumor at this point ... mobile gaming on phones is a large and growing trend."

Sony Ericsson's phones are not as high-profile or alluring as iPhones, Android devices or BlackBerrys. And Microsoft, with its new Windows Phone 7 integrating Xbox Live, looks to finally have real life. (Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)

But it's all those threats that make a PlayStation phone's chances good, says Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for The NPD Group research firm.

"Games have been among the most popular apps for smart phones, and Apple has been able to leverage developer interest in the iPhone to make the iPod Touch a more direct competitor to handheld consoles," he said.

Sony Ericsson could use a win here. The company's overall cell phone shipment ranking fell to sixth place in the second quarter, down from fourth in the first quarter, according to a recent report from iSuppli research.

That "marked the first time in at least three years that Sony Ericsson didn’t rank among the Top 5 global cell phone brands."

But, notes iSuppli, Sony Ericsson also "achieved a 15.4 percent increase in smart phone shipments during the second quarter. This made Sony Ericsson the fourth fastest growing smart phone brand during the second quarter."

With its "shift" from "volume to value-add" -- and a PlayStation phone would be that -- the company is "positioning itself to cash in on the fastest growing and most profitable segment of the global wireless market,” said Tina Teng, senior analyst for wireless communications at iSuppli.

The PlayStation phone, according to Engadget, would use Google's increasingly popular Android operating system, and Sony Ericsson CEO Bert Nordberg recently said that the company's goal is to "become the global No. 1 handset provider on the Android platform."

Engadget says the PlayStation phone will use Android and Sony's "Marketplace, which will allow you to purchase and download games designed for the new platform ... The device ... is sporting a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 ... 512MB of RAM, 1GB of ROM, and the screen is in the range of 3.7 to 4.1 inches."

Gaming website NowGamer, based in Britain, thinks the phone is fake. A "closer look at the top screen in particular reveals a number of telltale signs, such as a large amount of dirt collecting around the screen, as well as mention of 'A' and 'B' buttons on the interface."

Whether the prototype is real or not, a PlayStation phone stands a good chance, says Rubin, who makes a good point.

"A handset that has close ties to a home console has an opportunity to be a more casual companion since gamers need to carry phones anyway."

Statistics: Posted by hsh — Thu Oct 28, 2010 12:59 pm

]]> 2010-10-28T12:55:28-05:00 2010-10-28T12:55:28-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1347&p=1786#p1786 <![CDATA[Latest Electronics Technology News • T-Mobile gets first BlackBerry Bold with OS 6]]>

T-Mobile joins AT&T and Sprint in announcing a BlackBerry running Research In Motion's new and improved operating system, OS 6. But instead of being a new design, this updated phone is none other than the best-selling BlackBerry Bold. T-Mobile said Wednesday it will sell the BlackBerry Bold 9780 with OS 6 starting Nov. 17. The phone will cost $129.99 after a two year-contract.

Why is OS 6 a big deal? Anyone who's used a BlackBerry knows, yes, it's reliable and generally has great security, but it can be kludgy and slow compared to some of the sleeker, more fluid operating systems on competing phones. OS 6 has a new Web browser based on WebKit, the same engine used by Apple and Google. It's much faster than its painfully slow and frustrating predecessor.

The hallmark of the new OS is universal search, something that also is already offered on the iPhone, Android and Palm devices. It lets users search their devices by keyword to find anything on the device — in e-mail, contacts or music, for example — to that keyword. All in all, the new OS is a friendlier experience.

In August, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion and AT&T had a gala unveiling of the BlackBerry Torch. The first RIM phone to use the new operating system, the Torch resembles a Palm Pre with its slide-out keyboard. Subsequently, Sprint and RIM announced the BlackBerry Style, the first flip phone running a BlackBerry OS. T-Mobile is the first to show off a more standard-issue BlackBerry, though Verizon is apparently close on T-Mo's heels with an OS 6-equipped BlackBerry Bold of its own.

T-Mobile's Bold 9780 is not a touchscreen model, like the Torch. The new Bold has a 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash and video recording. It uses a 624 MHz processor, has 512 MB of internal memory and support for up to 32 GB with a 2GB memory card included, says T-Mobile.

Oh, and for those who don't want too traditional a BlackBerry, there will be a white model available, hopefully making it to stores sooner than Apple's ill-fated little white knight.

as seen on msnbc

Statistics: Posted by hsh — Thu Oct 28, 2010 12:55 pm

]]> 2010-09-15T22:48:31-05:00 2010-09-15T22:48:31-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1158&p=1541#p1541 <![CDATA[Latest Electronics Technology News • Mind-reading phones? The tech's evolving there]]> 'Context-aware computing' is becoming more of a reality with the rise of mobile devices

updated 9/15/2010 6:13:22 PM ET
SAN FRANCISCO — How smart do you want your smart phone to actually be? Do you want it to read your mind, even a little bit?

Intel Corp.'s research chief, Justin Rattner, says that technology has advanced to the point that "context-aware computing," an idea that's been around for two decades, is becoming more of a reality with the rise of mobile devices.

That could lead to phones that act as psychics in your pocket. Rather than simply amass secrets about you, the devices could be doing things with that information, such as predicting what you might do next and offering suggestions.

Rattner showed a few examples during his keynote speech Wednesday at Intel's annual developer conference in San Francisco.

Among them: a prototype application Intel worked on with Fodor's Travel. It learns what types of foods you like to eat and what types of attractions you like to visit, based on searches you type into the phone or locations identified using GPS. The software makes similar recommendations when you visit a new city.

Tech companies are already working to predict what people want, but only in pieces.

Search engine Google Inc., movie-rental service Netflix Inc. and online radio service Pandora try to anticipate what people want even before they know they want it.

Stringing those types of functions together with the wealth of other information that phones collect about people could pave the way for even more helpful electronics, Rattner said.

A challenge is training computers to analyze data from "hard sensors" (which measure location, motion, voice patterns, temperature and the like) and combining those findings with data from "soft sensors" (such as calendar appointments and Web browsing history).

For example, your phone could detect that you've just left work and seem to be on your way home — a location it might know from your address book. It could then automatically recommend the best route around traffic.

"Things don't get really interesting until you fuse that hard sensor data with soft sensor data," Rattner said. "It gives devices almost this sixth sense of anticipating what a user will need in the future, whether that's the next few moments or at dinner later in the day."

Rattner added that researchers are even making steps toward the "ultimate form of sensing" — a computer understanding a human's thoughts.

He acknowledged the need for stronger privacy controls as the phones have better ability to think for themselves.

Statistics: Posted by hsh — Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:48 pm

]]> 2010-09-15T22:44:39-05:00 2010-09-15T22:44:39-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1157&p=1540#p1540 <![CDATA[Latest Electronics Technology News • Nokia dials in to competition with revamped smartphones]]> 15 Sep 2010 - 11:57


Finnish cellphone giant Nokia on Tuesday unveiled its latest range of smartphones as it bids to recover lost ground to rivals Apple and Blackberry.

The launch follows a series of major changes at board level, with the recent resignations of chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo and smartphone operations chief Anssi Vanjoki.

Last week it was announced that Stephen Elop, who previously headed up Microsoft's Business Division, would take over from Kallasvuo on September 20, while Vanjoki, who is credited for revamping the company's smartphone business, would remain in his post until a replacement is found. According to media reports, he was thought to be one of the leading internal candidates for the CEO role.

"The time is right to accelerate the company's renewal; to bring in new executive leadership with different skills and strengths in order to drive company success," Jorma Ollila, Chairman of the Nokia Board of Directors, said in a statement.

That renewal process continued at Tuesday's Nokia World showcase in London, when three new smartphones -- the E7, C7 and the C6 -- were introduced. Like the flagship N8 model, unveiled earlier this year, the sleek new devices are powered by a new Symbian 3 operating system which offers hundreds of new features such as the ability to play high definition video through your phone to your wide screen TV at home.

Symbian is already the most widely used operating system for mobiles in the world, but Nokia admits competitors such as Apple and Google have started to catch up.

"Today our fight back to smartphone leadership shifts into high gear," Niklas Savander, Nokia's markets chief, told delegates in London.

"Despite new competition, Symbian remains the most widely used smartphone platform in the world. Our new family of smartphones introduced today feature the all-new Symbian OS, rewritten to be faster, easier to use, more efficient and more developer friendly."

However technology journalist Kevin Tofel, who attended Nokia World, told CNN that he feels Nokia may stem the loss of market share with their latest offerings but this is "basically a band-aid."

He added: "What Nokia is actually saying is MeeGo, their next big announcement and operating system, is really going to shake up the competitors.

"But I'm not hearing anyone from any country raving about the new products at the moment."

Statistics: Posted by hsh — Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:44 pm

]]> 2010-08-24T13:36:12-05:00 2010-08-24T13:36:12-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=963&p=1294#p1294 <![CDATA[Latest Electronics Technology News • Canon boasts successful 120-megapixel CMOS sensor]]>


Canon has just stepped up the competition with the announcement of the “world’s first” 120-megapixel CMOS sensor.

The landmark sensor boasts some large-numbered statistics, including:

•120 million pixel count
•Ready for recording full HD 1080p video
•Maximum burst shooting speed: 9.5 frames per second
•7.5x larger than than Canon’s highest-resolution commercial CMOS sensor of the same size: 16.1 megapixels
Don’t get your hopes up just yet, as there’s definitely no timeline as to when we’ll see this APS-H-sized CMOS sensor implemented into an digital SLR just yet. I’d expect to wait many years.

Statistics: Posted by Prodigy — Tue Aug 24, 2010 1:36 pm

]]> 2010-08-23T14:18:10-05:00 2010-08-23T14:18:10-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=943&p=1270#p1270 <![CDATA[Latest Electronics Technology News • Kodak intros PlayTouch pocket HD camcorder with HDMI output]]>


Kodak has just introduced its latest entry to the pocket camcorder mix. On paper, the PlayTouch comes off as a solid mini video camera, especially with its capacitive touchscreen.

The PlayTouch shoots full 1080p HD movies at 30fps and 5-megapixel stills, all of which can be viewed on that rear 3-inch capacitive touchscreen LCD complete with a glare shield. Videographers can also display their work on larger displays thanks to HDMI output, and they can squeeze up to 10 hours of video recording time when using a 32GB SD card.

Along with some preset shooting modes (including “’70s mode,” which should be trippy), users can edit video clips directly on the camera. Don’t expect the full array of Adobe Photoshop (or even iPhoto) on there, but maybe some useful basic stuff when in a bind.

Other notable specs on the PlayTouch includes onboard image stabilization, a one-touch button for uploading to Facebook and YouTube, a microphone/headphones jack, and a USB port.

Available in five shades (black, chrome, magenta, orange and teal), the Kodak PlayTouch will roll out this fall for $229.95.

Statistics: Posted by Prodigy — Mon Aug 23, 2010 2:18 pm

]]> 2010-08-23T08:14:26-05:00 2010-08-23T08:14:26-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=708&p=1250#p1250 <![CDATA[Latest Electronics Technology News • Motorola most likely iPad rival]]>
Who will give the iPad a run for its money? I would bet my bottom dollar on Motorola, or better yet, the dynamic duo of Motorola and Verizon.

The BlackBerry "Black Pad" from RIM, or Google gPad via HTC, or even or the self-proclaimed LG Optimus Tablet dark horse make for riveting speculation (among many other rumors or announcements), but Motorola has shown itself to be the most capable and consistent rival to the iPhone, which was a precursor to the iPad in many ways.

Motorola's Droid was one of the first high-end smartphones to emerge as a bona fide rival to the iPhone. Then came the Droid X, another capable competitor. And most recently, the Droid 2. And I would submit that the Droid X is a dry run for a tablet, with its galactic (by smartphone standards) 4.3-inch diagonal screen. HTC, of course, is a major force too. But any Google-HTC marketing model along the lines of the now-defunct Google Nexus One won't, by itself, rival the iPad. (The Dell Streak isn't much bigger than the Droid X and, so, isn't a tablet by iPad standards.)

If Motorola can get it right and deliver an aesthetically appealing (read: sleek, good fit-and-finish) and highly functional (read: snappy, user-friendly interface--and long battery life), people would buy it in large numbers. Why? Despite the unending--and well deserved--hoopla surrounding the iPad, there's always plenty of room for a decent alternative, as the Droid proves. And, surprisingly, no decent iPad alternative exists (i.e., slapping Android on a sloppy clone of the iPad is not a viable strategy against the iPad).

That could change very quickly, however. Android (or the Chrome OS) on a 10-inch screen, Adobe Flash, access to Verizon's FiOS cable service, dual cameras, with a powerful but fuel-efficient Texas Instruments or Nvidia processor inside? Bring it on.

Statistics: Posted by Prodigy — Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:14 am

]]> 2010-08-20T19:05:23-05:00 2010-08-20T19:05:23-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=871&p=1185#p1185 <![CDATA[Latest Electronics Technology News • Hot Android smart phones in short supply]]>
NEW YORK — The seemingly recession-proof smart phone is suffering from a side effect of the rough economy: Manufacturers simply can't build enough of the gadgets because chip-makers that rolled back production last year are now scrambling to play catch-up.

The chip shortage means Apple's rivals are having trouble making enough phones to compete with the iPhone, a problem expected to persist through the holidays. It's also affecting wireless carriers, some of which are seeing delays in improving their networks, and it could even raise computer prices.

There isn't an across-the-board shortage of chips, but rather problems with certain components here and there. If just one of the 20 to 30 critical chips that go into a smart phone is unavailable, the whole production line screeches to a halt.

Sprint Nextel, for instance, couldn't satisfy demand for HTC's Evo 4G, the first phone to use a faster "4G" network, in parts of the country. Motorola said shortages of a wide range of chips, from memory to camera sensors to touch-screen controllers, are contributing to problems supplying enough of the new Droid X phones to Verizon Wireless. The carrier's online store reports a two-week wait for shipping orders.

The chips that go into smart phones compete for production capacity with other chips at the gigantic factories run by contract manufacturers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and United Microelectronics Corp. Makers of a vast array of electronics, from TVs to data center switches, also depend on the factories.

The chip-making industry had a tough start to 2009. February sales were only $14.2 billion, down 30 percent from the year before, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.

Although sales sprang back later in the year, manufacturers were spooked and reined in investment in chip factories. Capital spending plunged 41 percent to $25.9 billion in 2009, after dropping 31 percent the year before, according to research firm Gartner. Total chip production capacity shrank.

Now the factories are having trouble scaling up production fast enough. The chip factories, or "foundries," are running at 96 percent capacity, up from 56 percent at the depth of the recession, according to the SIA.

"The semiconductor guys are really continuing to operate on all cylinders," said Linley Gwennap, president of research firm The Linley Group.

Gartner predicts worldwide investment in the chip industry zooming 84 percent this year to $47.5 billion. That forecast is up from March, when it looked for a 56 percent increase.

While investment is recovering, it takes months to set up new production lines and upgrade existing ones. That's why executives see shortages lasting until next year. Gwennap also sees caution in the industry because the global economic recovery is starting to look quite tentative.

"Even where companies are facing shortages, they're saying 'Nah, I'm not sure I want to invest right now, because demand could turn down any minute.' That makes for a very difficult environment," he said. "In normal times, companies would be hiring, investing in more equipment and factories and trying to increase supply, but these aren't normal times."

Though consumers may have to wait for new phones, they're unlikely to notice price increases. Phone prices are heavily subsidized by carriers, and competition in the industry means it's likely someone in the supply chain will absorb higher prices for the chips.

However, research firm iSuppli warns that prices for PCs could rise this year because of short supplies of memory chips. The prices for these commodity chips are highly volatile. Smaller memory-chip manufacturers need to replace factory equipment, and tool suppliers are struggling to keep up, iSuppli said.

Makers of computer and phone networking equipment were the first to report problems this spring. They continue to face constraints, which means trouble for U.S. wireless carriers that are struggling to increase network capacity to cope with data traffic from the iPhone and other smart phones.

Alcatel-Lucent and LM Ericsson AB, the two largest makers of equipment for U.S. phone companies, have both reported problems making deliveries. They're both suppliers to AT&T Inc., which has complained that it can't beef up its wireless data network as fast as it would like, as it's trying to deal with traffic from the iPhone.

Computer networking giant Cisco Systems is also feeling the pinch and expects problems to continue through the year.

"We continue to see challenges in procurement of components this quarter," Cisco CEO John Chambers said recently. "Supplier lead times now appear to have stabilized, but are still longer than we would like."

Apple is an exception. Although the company can't keep the iPad and iPhone 4 in stock, it blames that on demand outstripping assembly line capacity, not on problems procuring the right chips.

That may be partly "dumb luck" on Apple's part, Gwennap said, but it could also be a case of it being "good to be the king."

"As a chip supplier, you're going to service your best customers first," he said. "If my choice is to try to make Apple happy or some smaller customer of mine, I might take all of my supply and give it to Apple."

Statistics: Posted by hsh — Fri Aug 20, 2010 7:05 pm

]]> 2010-08-10T15:38:19-05:00 2010-08-10T15:38:19-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=710&p=962#p962 <![CDATA[Latest Electronics Technology News • HP readying WebOS tablet for early 2011?]]> HP readying WebOS tablet for early 2011?



A few tidbits about Hewlett-Packard's plan for WebOS are leaking out from a company meeting held Monday.

Engadget said Tuesday it heard from several "trusted sources" present at the all-hands employee meeting that HP Senior Vice President Todd Bradley pointed to the first quarter of 2011 for when the company would be shipping a tablet loaded with WebOS. The sources also reported that the internal code name for the project is Hurricane.
Bradley, the former CEO of Palm, heads up HP's Personal Systems Group, which absorbed Palm in July, along with its mobile operating system, WebOS. HP has said from the moment it announced the acquisition that it planned to use WebOS in a variety of ways across its consumer product lines, including tablets, Web-connected printers, and smartphones.

HP CTO Shane Robison reiterated that last week at the Techonomy conference. He told CNET that while WebOS may also eventually be an option on Netbooks, it won't replace Windows for people looking to do productivity tasks.

If HP does end up shipping the tablet within the first three months of next year, it'll be a much quicker product turnaround than the Windows 7 Slate the company made a show of at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. HP has remained mum on the future of the device since acquiring Palm, other than to say it is re-evaluating the product and determining the next steps.

Statistics: Posted by Prodigy — Tue Aug 10, 2010 3:38 pm

]]> 2010-08-10T15:32:07-05:00 2010-08-10T15:32:07-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=708&p=960#p960 <![CDATA[Latest Electronics Technology News • Motorola Droid X success inspires Motorola to rival iPad]]> Motorola Droid X success inspires Motorola to rival iPad



Droid X is a super hit smartphone, and it even had crossed the Motorola’s expectations. Though Motorola Droid X didn’t beat iPhone 4 in terms of the sales, but it has given iPhone 4 a great competition. Motorola Droid X is a really a fully loaded Android smartphone, and no doubt it’s one of the best smartphones Motorola has ever designed.

Thanks to Android, as Motorola has seen a lot of success these days with their Android based sets. Motorola managed to grab a respectable market share not just in United States, but also in countries like India.

Motorola Droid X success inspired Motorola Inc big time! And looks like Motorola engineers are working their butts off to push more and more smartphones into the market. Motorola is all set to launch the much awaited Motorola Droid 2 in next few days. Also Motorola unveiled Milestone XT720 in US just a few days ago.

Motorola Tablet PC is now the talk of the gadget town. Motorola is reportedly designing a tablet PC, which would be similar to that of an Apple iPad in terms of the size and dimensions. Like all their smartphones, this tablet PC too will run on Android OS. Earlier this is a mere speculation, but now the Boy Genius Report added more strength to the speculation.

Motorola Tablet will sport a 10 inch screen, and 1 GHz or 1.3 GHz processor. Motorola Tablet will feature Android 3.0 OS!!! This tablet might make its debut by the end of 2010.

Statistics: Posted by Prodigy — Tue Aug 10, 2010 3:32 pm

]]> 2010-08-09T08:47:41-05:00 2010-08-09T08:47:41-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=675&p=911#p911 <![CDATA[Latest Electronics Technology News • Flash / Frash Ported to iPhone 4 !! [Video]]]> Statistics: Posted by The_Hatta — Mon Aug 09, 2010 8:47 am

]]> 2010-08-09T08:39:05-05:00 2010-08-09T08:39:05-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=674&p=910#p910 <![CDATA[Latest Electronics Technology News • Attention Kmart shoppers: $149 Android tablet on aisle 5]]>
Update (August 7th): It appears that Google hasn't licensed Android to Augun and as such the Android Market will not work on this product.

A Kmart circular came out last week with an uber-geeky product that perked up a few ears in the gadget community. Augen's 7-inch Gen-78 Android tablet which runs Android 2.1 --take that Sony (SNE) and Dell (DELL)! -- is on sale for $150 (normally $170). The tablet is as bare bones as it gets, but it does work and has some features which may interest those who can't reconcile the $500+ price of Apple's (AAPL) iPad.

* Android 2.1 (no skinning) 800x480 Display
* WiFi 802.11G
* 2GB of storage +SD card slot (up to 32GB)
* 256MB of RAM (same as iPad)
* HDMI out for 720P viewing on an external display
* Android Market access
* eBook reader
* YouTube app, Maps (is that Skype I see on the bottom left?)

To make things even more interesting to hackers, Cyanogen already has Android 2.2 Froyo working on the tablet. Yes, including Adobe's Flash. The hacker interest should only make devices like this more appealing.

That's a pretty interesting set of features for less than a third the starting price of an iPad. In this depressed economy, it isn't hard to imagine more than a few people interested in this product. Kmart perhaps got ahead of itself in advertising the unit as well. The unprecedented demand combined with lower than expected supply means you can't hardly find one in any Kmart across the country. Kmart, however, is keeping potential customers updated on its blog:

UPDATE: The Augen 7" Android Tablet's SKU is 811470015254; if you bring this number with you up to the register as you request your raincheck, this may make the process a bit faster.

UPDATE (8/3/10): The unexpected demand for this product is continuing to cause some product shortages but we're working to replenish our supply as soon as possible.

UPDATE (8/5/10): Kmart strives to continuously find exciting consumer electronics products and offer them at Smart prices to our customers. On July 25th Kmart had unexpected phenomenal response to the Augen 7" Tablet which runs on the Android OS. This product that was featured in the Kmart circular for $149.99 and has currently sold out. Eager customers who found shortages of the tablet were offered "rain checks" through July 31st to ensure they could secure the Augen tablet at the advertised price at a later date.

This high demand is exactly what Google (GOOG) wants. Quantity. More people browsing the web and viewing their ads in more places. I'll be honest: I don't trust my toddler with an iPad but this thing will be great for watching Gumby (don't ask) at home and Sesame Street in the car. Besides watching Google's YouTube Ads, I might do some web browsing as well. You're welcome Google.

It is also a great way to start out with Android for people curious about the platform but unwilling to sign up for a mobile plan.

This very well could be the first Android that functions as an 'iPod touch for Android', an important segment of the market that hasn't yet been 'touched' by any of its hardware manufacturing partners.

Speaking of iPod, bargain hunters should also note that Apple does offer its base model (refurbished) iPod touch for $149 online. Obviously, you get a quarter of the display, but you do get the tidy Apple experience.

A VERY (almost NSFW) amateur video unboxing/review of the Augen Android tablet is below.

Statistics: Posted by The_Hatta — Mon Aug 09, 2010 8:39 am

]]> 2010-08-09T07:07:07-05:00 2010-08-09T07:07:07-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=671&p=907#p907 <![CDATA[Latest Electronics Technology News • Europeans realize dream of single charger for all cellphones]]>
That annoyance will end next year, for Europeans at least. Thanks to the efforts of the European Commission, most cellphones sold in Europe will have a one-size-fits-all charger starting in 2011. So far, 10 major cellphone makers, including Apple, Motorola, Samsung and Research In Motion, have signed on to the agreement.

Americans will have to wait. Without a government agency setting a deadline, it’s up to handset makers to make the switch to a single standard. All consumers can do is let their old chargers gather dust in a drawer, while hoping manufacturers will eventually converge on a standardized charger.

“For the FCC, this is probably number 5,000 on their list and it is legislative priority number 10,000 at this point,” says Joe Banos, chief operating officer for Wilson Electronics, which makes cellphone boosters and antennas. “We believe the US will ultimately follow Europe here, but the question is when.”

Today each cellphone ships with its own charger. Different companies use different connectors—and often different models from the same company do too, making it difficult for users to borrow a charger. And when it’s time to toss the phone, the charger also goes into the bin.

A universal charger means consumers don’t have to get a new charger with every mobile phone. As a bonus, it’ll be easier to borrow a charger when in need.

And if all that isn’t enough, there’s the green aspect. One-size-fits-all means fewer chargers will wind up in the landfill, less electronic waste, and fewer resources consumed in manufacturing chargers.

In 2009, the European Commission said it reached a voluntary agreement with handset manufacturers to use the micro-USB connector for the charger. Starting in 2011, all phone models sold in Europe would then have compatible chargers. Now, that agreement is taking effect.

Changing the rules in the US
Smartphone makers in the United States are moving toward something similar, but more slowly. Motorola and Samsung have said they will offer a standard charger here but haven’t committed to a deadline. It’s a complex game where each handset maker is optimizing for itself, but collectively those decisions might help realize the goal of having a universal charger, probably centered on micro-USB.

“For the most part it is already happening here with smartphones,” says Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at the Altimeter Group. “An HTC Evo charger will charge a Nexus One or Incredible, as long as it has a micro-USB connector.”

The major holdouts in the US are Apple and Research In Motion. Apple uses a proprietary 30-pin connector for its iPhone, while many BlackBerry chargers and devices are engineered so they will work only when paired together, says Wilson’s Banos.

But even among companies that use micro-USB, it’s still not a standard.

“There’s the flat, wide mini-USB connector; the short, squat micro-USB; and different versions in between,” says Allen Nogee, an analyst at In-Stat research. “They are all still using different versions of the USB connector.”

But if you can get a connector to fit into the phone, it doesn’t matter which model it is for or which company made it, because all USB-based chargers deliver the same voltage, say experts.

The push to change the situation in the US could come from accessories makers for smartphones, says Nogee. Today, when you buy a new battery pack or car charging kit, it comes with a little bag stuffed with connectors so users can pick the right ones for their phones.

“It is much more expensive for these companies to support different phones and connectors,” says Nogee. “But the problem is that so far, accessories makers haven’t had enough say in the phone manufacturing process.”

Ultimately, economics will force handset makers in the US to change, say industry experts. As companies move to a universal charger in Europe, they will bring the same connectors to US models.

It’s not clear how Apple will make the change, but it is certain that if the company moves to a micro USB-based connector for its new iPhone model in Europe, US customers can expect the same.

“It makes so much sense that I believe the US will follow,” says Banos. “It would be insane not to.”

Statistics: Posted by hsh — Mon Aug 09, 2010 7:07 am

]]> 2010-08-08T19:31:13-05:00 2010-08-08T19:31:13-05:00 http://www.fta-n-more.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=668&p=904#p904 <![CDATA[Latest Electronics Technology News • Worldwide smart phone growth powered by Android]]>
The worldwide smart phone market grew by 50 percent last year, "driven in large part" by makers of phones using Google's Android operating system, said IDC Research, the second firm this week to report on Android's growing importance.

Manufacturers Samsung and HTC posted the highest year-over-year growth rates among vendors, IDC said, with Samsung having a 172 percent increase and HTC, 128 percent over last year.

"Four of the top 10 vendors, all of whom predominantly ship Android-powered smart phones, posted year-over-year growth rates greater than 100 percent," the research firm said, with the top supplier of Android phones last quarter being HTC, based in Taiwan.

"Emerging smart phone suppliers, such as HTC, that are allied closely with Google gained share at the expense of the historic top smart phone players last quarter," said Kevin Restivo, IDC senior research analyst in a press release. "This is largely a result of greater consumer interest in smart phones generally and Android devices in particular."

Earlier this week, The NPD Group noted the same thing in terms of consumer interest in Android devices such as the HTC Droid Incredible and Motorola's Droid, with Android phones being the top sellers among consumers in the United States in the second quarter.

Other Android phones, more recently released, such as HTC's Evo 3G/4G on Sprint's network, and Motorola's Droid X on Verizon Wireless' network, are in high demand.

Worldwide, Nokia remains the No. 1 smart phone vendor. Many of Nokia's phones are not offered by wireless carriers in the United States. IDC noted that with the upcoming launch of Nokia's new operating system, the company hopes to reach more customers.

as seen on msnnbc

Statistics: Posted by hsh — Sun Aug 08, 2010 7:31 pm

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