CrunchGear

CrunchGear

Link to TechCrunch » Gadgets

Daily Crunch: Resolution

Posted: 21 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Amazon Throws A Minor Curveball With HTML5-Powered Kindle Format 8

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:59 PM PDT

bookhtml5

Amazon has announced an update to the Kindle file format integrating many HTML5 tags and CSS attributes. Many expected a concession by Amazon in the form of an EPUB-compatible upgrade, and this comes as a slight surprise — but it’s a natural evolution of the format, really, and of course everyone is already familiar with the toolset.

In a way this makes Kindle formatted books nothing more than extremely long webpages, but that’s really a matter of perspective. Flexible layouts and well-known rules for handling text, fonts, images, and so on mean that the file format is adaptable to many devices, zoom levels, resolutions, and so on.

The full list of new tags and such can be found here; there’s no video or audio tag, tellingly, but apart from that it seems a fairly normal collection of HTML elements and CSS stuff.

It’s probably a good thing that they’re leaving behind the venerable MOBI format, and their choice upon moving away from it was either to join the enemy ranks (EPUB), build a new format from scratch (tedious), or embrace a buzzword that just happens to fill most of the requirements of an ebook file format. Add a few hooks for Kindle-specific functions, change the extension, and you’ve got yourself a versatile new format for rich bookmaking.

This naturally occurs after the release of the Fire, which will benefit more than any other e-reader from this decision. Children’s books, comics, and textbooks seem to be the most obvious applications.

As for the e-ink devices, Amazon says that in the next few months “our latest generation Kindle e-ink devices” will have access to the format as well. I think that leaves out everything up until the latest batch. But their publishing tool will apparently make a copy (if possible) that will work on the older devices, presumably in the old format and lacking any HTML5-powered bells and whistles. Tablet and PC Kindle clients (like their Cloud Reader) will be able to take full advantage.

Microsoft Talks Portrait Mode For Windows 8

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 04:42 PM PDT

landy

Most people right now think of Windows 8 as Microsoft’s big tablet effort. But I wonder whether it will ever actually be installed on more tablets than traditional laptops and desktops. After all, it’s not just Windows 7 Tablet Edition — it’s the next version of Windows, period.

But there’s an wrinkle on tablet systems that has to be addressed that rarely, if ever, comes up on laptops: orientation. While very few people use their display in portrait mode, it’s extremely common to do so on tablets. Many apps and webpages work better when displayed vertically. So far, so normal for a tablet interface, but it must be just a little demoralizing to be working on something that a majority of users will never once encounter. Still, it must be done and they seem to be doing it well.

The stylized look of the Metro interface means it’s no small task to redo some apps, but they understand the usage scenarios and make things work. I like that things are optimized for thumb work in portrait mode, since it’s more likely you’ll be holding it with both hands in that situation (as opposed to it sitting in a stand or on a table, when it is more likely to be in landscape).

But I don’t really agree with this sentiment here:

We've received questions and feedback about whether Windows 8 is "landscape first" or "portrait first." Our point of view is that both portrait and landscape orientations are important, and experiences can be great in either orientation. Rather than picking a posture and orientation for optimization, we designed an experience that makes sense regardless of how the device is held, one that feels tailored for the app and its content.

While choice should certainly be allowed, it seems like they’re prohibited from making some strong design decisions by refusing to take sides on this. I’m not saying every app should be locked into one orientation, but at the same time, I think it’s useless to pretend that some won’t work better in one or the other. But then again, there’s no accounting for user preference, and people would likely be frustrated if they tried to turn their favorite app on its side and only got an indication that this wasn’t possible.

Even if the experience is “worse,” it’s a user choice that can’t be ignored. That’s the kind of restriction Apple is willing to Make, but not Microsoft (unless they have to) — it’s two schools of design, and both have their advantages.

In the post, they also reveal that the minimum resolution that will support all of Windows 8′s UI features (multitasking, charms, etc) will be 1366×768. The way things are going, that many pixels could be fit onto a 5″ screen before long. I’m not sure I’d want that, exactly, but it’s a fun idea.

The Scourge Of Pentile Returns With The Galaxy Nexus

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 02:51 PM PDT

8-buttons

As a man once said: “Fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.” How true that saying is regarding the promises of high-definition mobile screens. Samsung fooled me once with the Galaxy S series, the Pentile-based display of which gave me headaches just to look at. And now, after they fix that problem with the Galaxy S II, I hear they’ve brought it back for the Galaxy Nexus? Can’t get fooled again, Samsung. Can’t get fooled again.

If you’re not familiar with Pentile displays, here’s a quick rundown: in traditional LCDs, each pixel is made up of one red dot, one green dot, and one blue dot or sub-pixel. If you look closely at the screen from some angles, you can usually make them out. A Pentile display, however, lets pixels share dots by using a different dot layout and algorithms for determining what pixel gets which dot and when. The end result is technically a higher resolution, since you can get more pixels out of the same number of dots:

No better demonstration of this than the Galaxy Nexus itself: the total number of red, green, and blue dots in its screen is 1,843,200. Coincidentally, that’s the exact same number of sub-pixels as the iPhone 4. But those sub-pixels are making up 1280×720 = 921,600 pixels on the Galaxy Nexus, and 960×640 = 614,400 pixels on the iPhone. Does it seem logical to you that a display can increase the number of pixels created by a number of sub-elements by a third and suffer no ill effect?

They couldn’t do it on the Galaxy S, and it was visible to the naked eye. Text and borders had a sawtooth effect from the way dots were shared between pixels. The Galaxy Note shows a polychromatic artifact effect on high-contrast things like black-on-white text. Will it be the same with the Galaxy Nexus? I haven’t held one in my hand so I can’t be sure, but I’m guessing that the combination of Pentile sub-pixel layout and a larger pixel pitch to begin will indeed make it visible.

Some people don’t notice, and some don’t care. But if you’re picky about the quality of your display, make sure you set eyes on this thing before you buy it. For me personally, it’s a dealbreaker sight unseen. A man’s got to have principles.

Toshiba Shows Mobile LCD With 2,560 × 1,600 Resolution And 498PPI Density

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 12:00 PM PDT

Picture 6

If you thought the 4.5-Inch LCD screen with 720×1,280 pixels resolution Hitachi showed three weeks ago is cool, think again: Toshiba today took the wraps off a mobile LCD that’s even better. Sized at 6.1 inches, it boasts 2,560×1,600 pixels resolution and 498 pixels-per-inch density.

Needless to say, the direct-view-type screen is the first of its kind. It has a contrast ratio of 1,000:1, displays 16.7 million colors and offers a 176° viewing angle (horizontally and vertically).

Here’s how a set of Japanese characters looks like with different PPI:

Toshiba plans to showcase the LCD next week at the FPD International 2011 exhibition in Yokohama, Japan.

In August, the company announced it will merge its small LCD business unit with those of Sony and Hitachi.

Nearly Half Of Leica Sold Off To Blackstone Group For Rumored $179 Million

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 11:43 AM PDT

leica2

Comparing Leica and Kodak is an interesting exercise. While they’re not the same by any stretch of the imagination, both rode the wave of photography throughout the 20th century and, come the age of digital imaging, both stumbled. Kodak is starting to leverage its IP and Leica has found a new prosperity in its high-end digitals.

But Kodak is still in its crisis period and Leica appears to be well past. So much so that they’re selling nearly half of the company in order to make a big push in emerging markets. What use “emerging markets” have for $5000 cameras, clearly Leica knows better than I.

44% of the company was sold to Blackstone Group LP, which considers it a “medium- to long-term investment. The price was not disclosed, but the Wall Street Journal cites a source close to the matter who put the purchase at $179 million. If true, that would put their valuation at just north of $400m. That’s a far cry from the $82m Andreas Kaufmann paid for the nearly the entire company back in 2004, but with $250m and yearly sales and $36m in net income, it easily passes the smell test.

They’ve shown steady growth over the last few years, but that’s been primarily in Europe and the US, markets already familiar with the brand and, generally speaking, quite rich. The investment by Blackstone gives Leica some capital to work with in expanding their business to Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Their plans were not detailed beyond that.

That kind of money is sufficient to fuel research and development of an entirely new camera system. Is this Leica signaling that the M system is going to have a new sibling soon? It’ll be a while before the deal goes through and the money is put to use, but I’d say that’s a fairly good bet.

[via Leica Rumors and PetaPixel]

Crayola Trace & Draw Lets Your Kids Get Dangerously Close To Your iPad

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 11:10 AM PDT

Press-Release-Header

In the future, when imagination dies, scientists will point to the Crayola Trace & Draw as a watershed moment. “Kids weren’t drawing, after this thing,” they’ll say. “Art died. They just traced.”

The Trace & Draw is a shatterproof case that goes around your iPad two and, coupled with a free app, allows you to slap a sheet of paper over your iPad and let the wee ones trace images and animations. It includes a marker and “50 sheets of pre-sized tracing paper” which suggests that this might be a sort of razors and blades sort of situation, which makes it even more confounding.

They cost $39.99 each (the same price as the similar iGuy case for kids) and, if nothing else, makes a good, strong case for giving junior the reins.

You can pick one up here or wait until they end up in Odd Lots in four months.

Feet On With Fila’s New Skele-Toes EZ Slide Monkey Shoes

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 10:28 AM PDT

scaledwm.IMG_0058

As a fan of barefoot shoes I jumped (not very high, because you don’t get a lot of air with bare feet) at the chance to try out Fila’s new Skele-Toes EZ Slide barefoot shoes AKA the crazy monkey shoes not made by Vibram.

These shoes are marketed as “casual” monkey shoes and are not designed for running. They are, luckily, fairly attractive in a “weird dude who wears barefoot shoes” kind of way but the first thing you’ll notice is that they have four toes instead of five. This is the EZ part of the name and they make them considerably easier to put on and take off. They also make you feel like Fred Flintstone.

They’re quite sturdy, with a thick rubber sole (relatively thick when compared to Vibrams) and two huge velcro straps along the heel and instep. The shoes fit more like sneakers than running shoes which is obviously why Fila is selling these to casual users. Sadly, most of this odd design is intentional. Vibram recently sued Fila for patent infringement and I suspect most of the 2.0 improvements are based on not trying to look like Five Fingers shoes.

I wore these around the neighborhood last weekend and did a bit of biking in them. While I don’t want to equate them with 21st century Crocs, I worry that this style may soon trickle out of the world of high-performance running (and the fat people like me who think barefoot running helps them a bit on their short runs) and into the world of backyard barbecues and 30-something Dads toddling through Disneyland, much as I imagine myself doing in the next few years.

I found the Skele-Toes to be quite comfortable if slightly less abrasively ugly than Vibrams. Fila made these into sports shoes rather than performance foot gloves and while I wouldn’t go marathoning in them they’re fine for treadmills and biking. At $60 they’re also a bit less expensive than Five Fingers ($80 for the Sprints, for example and few online sales to be found). I’m generally inclined to recommend these to folks who may want to dip a toe (chortle) into barefoot running but, to be clear, these aren’t “performance” shoes. However, for six bills (and these are Filas so they’ll probably go on sale sooner than later), you’ve got some conversation starters, to be sure.

Product Page

Click to view slideshow.


Amazon Extends Trade-In Program To Kindles, Non-Amazon E-Readers Welcome

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 09:44 AM PDT

amazon_kindle

If you’re looking to upgrade your e-reader, Amazon just made the transition that much easier. Today the online retailer extended its Trade-In program to cover Kindles and other e-readers. Trading in a Kindle should net you anywhere from $25 to $135 depending on the model and the device’s condition.

After entering your old e-reader into the system, Amazon will award you with a gift card for the value of your device. And if you’re about to toss your old Kindle in the garbage over shipping costs, think again — Amazon offers free shipping.

With the Kindle Touch and Kindle Fire on the horizon, I wouldn’t be surprised to see many e-reader owners take advantage of this program. Simply visit Amazon’s Trade-In page and enter in the name of your model.

The whole process shouldn’t take more than a couple minutes, and not only will you be making money off of what will soon be garbage, but you’re also helping save the planet. Go Earth!


Crunchbase

Company: Amazon
Website: amazon.com
Launch Date: October 21, 1994
IPO: NASDAQ:AMZN

Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) is a leading global Internet company and one of the most trafficked Internet retail destinations worldwide. Amazon is one of the first companies to sell products deep into the long tail by housing them all in numerous warehouses and distributing products from many partner companies. Amazon directly sells, or acts as a platform for the sale of a broad range of products. These include books, music, videos, consumer electronics, clothing and household products. The majority of Amazon's...

Learn more


Motorola Admiral Hits Sprint On October 23 With $100 Price Tag

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 08:59 AM PDT

admiral_dyn_r_vert_hero_sprint_m

Move over, Kyocera DuraMax — Sprint has just officially announced the Motorola Admiral, the first Android smartphone in their growing Direct Connect lineup.

The Admiral takes a 1.2GHz processor, 4GB of internal storage, and 3G hotspot support and wraps it all in a mil-spec 810G compliant body. The 3.1-inch VGA display swathed in Gorilla Glass sits above a 4 row QWERTY keyboard, and a 5MP camera occupies the device’s rear.

Durable body aside, the Admiral’s other claim to fame is its support for Sprint’s CDMA-powered Direct Connect. With the iDEN network slated to be shuttered in favor of bolstering their CDMA coverage, Direct Connect allows users to chirp to fellow Sprint and Nextel customers with the same reckless abandon as before.

If you’ve been waiting for a rough-and-tumble smartphone that lets you bark orders to your crew as well as it lets you fire off a few emails, the Admiral may be worth a second glance. Expect it to hit Sprint’s sales channels on October 23 for $99 after a $50 mail-in rebate.

Vizio 8″ Tablet Owners Get Three Free Months Of Hulu Plus

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:49 AM PDT

vizio-tablet1

The Hulu Plus application debuted on Vizio’s wallet-friendly tablet back in August, and that partnership seems to have some life in it yet. New and existing owners of the Vizio 8 tablet will be getting three free months of Hulu Plus service, presumably to lure the truly media-hungry away from other devices.

Here’s how it will go down: a new software update for the Vizio 8 is going live today, which will preload the Hulu Plus app onto the tablet. From there, it’s a simple matter of creating a new Hulu Plus account (don’t forget to have a credit card handy) and you’re off to the streaming video races.

It bears repeating that the Vizio 8 only packs a WiFi radio, so don’t expect to blow through old episodes of Ally McBeal while you’re lounging on the beach. Still, having Hulu’s full catalog available in a small package will do in a pinch when you’re lazing about on the couch and the remote is just a little too far away.



Going Geek Pays, Asus Details The Techie Transformer Prime And Padfone

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:02 AM PDT

asiadday22011keynote2004 (1)

Asus has long been a niche brand trying to break into the mainstream but two of their upcoming products won’t help their cause. The Transformer Prime and Padfone scream geek. They’re clearly aimed at the techie demographic that’s increasingly getting the cold shoulder from the top CE brands. And why not? The Transformer Prime seems like a worthy successor to the original and the Padfone looks mighty fun although not that practical. Asus (hopefully) doesn’t expect to sell these products to your mom. They want you to buy ‘em.

Asus CEO and resident salesman Johnny Shih recently took the stage with Walt Mossberg at the AsiaD conference where he revealed the sleek convertible Transformer Prime tablet. A 10-inch display is opposite the Zenbook-styled backplate revealed yesterday in the cryptic teaser video. It runs a quad-core NVIDIA chip and draws power from a 14.5-hour battery. Of course there’s an optional keyboard dock. Johnny didn’t reveal the pricing or launch date but Asus plans on detailing the tablet in full at an official launch event on November 9th.

The Asus Padfone made a Computex Taipei debut back in May but Asus still isn’t ready to ship the tablet/cell phone hybrid. The strange contraption is currently set for a Q1 2012 release, which means it will probably be a mainstay at Asus’ CES booth. But when it finally does ship, it will do so in style with Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Transformer Prime and Padfone are not real iPad competitors. The iPad success comes from reaching an audience that doesn’t care about quad-core processing or even know what it is. And that’s fine. The techie crowd is largely ignored by tablet makers chasing the Apple. Hitting outside the norm is a strategy has largely worked well for Asus, who with the original Transformer, underestimated demand as the tablet quickly sold out. Instead, Asus is going after consumers that care about multitasking, open source operating systems, modding and the signification of the Prime designation. If Android tabs can’t beat the iPad, (they can’t) Asus is wisely targeting the growing market that doesn’t want an iPad. The Transformer Prime, with his ally in disguise, the Padfone, will lead this charge.

[image courtesy of Engadget]


Crunchbase

Company: Asus
Website: asus.com

ASUS is well known for high-quality and innovative technology. ASUS offers a complete product portfolio to compete in the new millennium.

Learn more


Will RIM and Porsche Design Unveil A New BlackBerry Next Week? (Update: Confirmed)

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 07:00 AM PDT

9980-15

Here’s a noodle-scratcher to start your day off: Stuff Middle East is reporting that RIM and Porsche Design are teaming up for an event next Thursday that promises to show off an “exclusive collaboration” between the two companies. Could the rumored Porsche Design BlackBerry finally see the light of day?

For those who didn’t catch it the first time round, photos of a funky-looking BlackBerry allegedly called the “Knight 9980″ first surfaced back in September courtesy of a Chinese forum called MaxPDA. It didn’t look like any other BlackBerry we’ve seen before: the Knight has a more angular chassis than your typical BlackBerry and (disconcertingly) what looks to be a much flatter keyboard.

The reason for the radical change in design was because the Porsche Design team was supposedly in charge. They may seem like a strange choice, but Porsche Design has transcended the automotive trappings of its parent company to design everything from feature phones to hard drives to bobsleds, so a special edition smartphone doesn’t come entirely out of the blue.

Personally, I think this is one to file under “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Unveiling a niche, fashion-forward device seems like a very strange step for a company that has just recently recovered from a multi-continent outage and is working to regain the trust of their customers. If people don’t feel like they can rely on their BlackBerrys, then what would drive someone to buy another one, let alone one that seems to put form ahead of function?

Sure, fans of limited-edition gadgetry will probably snap them up anyway, but something about this situation just feels odd. I’ve reached out to RIM for some clarity on the situation, but haven’t received a response at time of writing. Stay tuned for updates.

UPDATE: A RIM representative has confirmed that the invite-only event will be taking place in Dubai next Thursday.

Daily Crunch: Form

Posted: 20 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT