CrunchGear |  |
- In-Depth Hands-On: Galaxy Nexus And Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0)
- Daily Crunch: Active
- Ice Cream Sandwich: “Native Resolution” Is 720p
- PlayStation Vita Will Debut In US And Europe On February 22
- Micro Four-Thirds Lenses Too High-Quality For You? Try This One!
- Vodafone and Canonical Release a Webbook in South Africa
- Intel’s Q3 Results: PC And Cloud Growth, Atom Market Continues To Shrink
- More Supply Line Leaks Hint At Smaller iPad
- Video: Hands-On With Motorola’s iPod Nano Challenger, The MOTO ACTV
- Street By 50 Over-The-Ear Headphones Pictured And Detailed
- Verizon Officially Unveils The World’s Thinnest Smartphone: The Motorola Droid RAZR
- Motorola Challenges The iPod Nano With MotoACTV Smart Watch
- RIM Announces 1 Billion App World Downloads
- Archos 80 G9 Tablet Review: Fun But Ugly
- Actroid-F: Japan’s Super-Realistic Humanoid Gets A Brother (Video)
- I Heard You Liked 3DS Circle Pad So I Put A Circle Pad On Your Circle Pad
- Doxie Go: Wireless Scanner (mostly) Cuts the Cord
- Vudu And Dolby Team Up For 7.1 Audio On Streaming Movies
- Here Comes The Modern Warfare 3 Gear: Logitech Outs MW3 G105 Keyboard And G9X Gaming Mouse
- Samsung Galaxy Nexus Leaked: Image, Specs And Launch Date
| In-Depth Hands-On: Galaxy Nexus And Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) Posted: 19 Oct 2011 01:02 AM PDT  Say goodbye to Android as you know it. Ice Cream Sandwich (otherwise known as Android 4.0) is coming, and it’s the biggest upgrade Android has seen to date. But fancy new software isn’t the only thing Google’s been working on: they’ve also just announced their new flagship Android device, the Samsung-made Galaxy Nexus. I got to spend a solid chunk of time with both the new hardware and the new software, and have returned with a venerable mountain of first impressions, insight, and the best damned demo video you’ll find anywhere.
The Demo Video:The HardwareAs an army of now-unemployed webOS employees could tell you: without good hardware, good software is nothing. Fortunately, the Galaxy Nexus is — at least from what we’ve seen so far — good hardware. Really good. As in, quite possibly the best looking piece Samsung has ever built. Take the resoundingly solid design of the Galaxy S II, add the subtle curve of the Nexus S’ display, throw in some svelte curves for good measure — Ta-da! You have the Galaxy Nexus. Appearing from the side as something not unlike a teardrop, the Galaxy Nexus tapers from above down into an ever-so-slightly thicker base. Unlike the “hump” found on the rump of the Motorola Droid X (or even the just announced Droid RAZR), however, Google tells me that the deeper base is designed as such for sake of ergonomics, rather than as a store-all for the device’s thickest components. Also unlike the Droid X, the Galaxy Nexus’ wider bit doesn’t detract from the device’s overall look. There was one bit of the body that I wasn’t a fan of, though: the battery cover. Like many a Samsung before it, the Galaxy Nexus’ battery cover is made up of a chintzy-feeling plastic. You wouldn’t notice until you pulled the cover off… but once you do, it just sort of sticks with you. My opinion may be swayed a bit after having seen the exceedingly slick Kevlar rear of the Droid RAZR this morning — though arguably, the RAZR’s rear panel isn’t removable. Samsung has been improving their Super AMOLED series of displays at a breakneck pace, and they didn’t ease off the gas for this one. With an HD resolution of 1280×720 (a first in the mobile world) and coming in at a mindblogging 4.65″, I couldn’t help but wonder: would the screen be too big? The answer is no. In most cases, it felt no larger than the now relatively commonplace 4.5″ screen. Why? It’s all about the buttons. Where previous devices might’ve put their capacitive hardware keys, the Galaxy Nexus puts more display. The buttons become a part of the screen itself, allowing the screen to appear to be a more comfortable 4.5″-or-so during regular use, expanding out to 4.65″ (by hiding the onscreen buttons) only when it’s most beneficial to the experience (like during video playback.) This on-screen button trickery is an optional offering of Ice Cream Sandwich, so expect other manufacturers to pick it up stat. Though I didn’t manage to finagle a sample shot to offer up as evidence, the quality of the device’s front and rear camera seemed about average. I tested the device in a relatively low-light room, and I was neither harshly disappointed nor overwhelmingly impressed. The Software (Android 4.0/Ice Cream Sandwich)Ice Cream Sandwich is Android as it should be. It’s the first time I’ve used Android and felt that Google has stepped anywhere near that truly fine balance between power, flexibility, usability, and good ol’ fashion beauty. Android has always been powerful — it just never really looked all that good doing it. Ice Cream Sandwich looks good. Really good. Oddly, I never liked Honeycomb, the tablet-only predecessor from which Ice Cream Sandwich takes so many visual cues. Both Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich share a generally dark motif. Stretched out across a tablet’s display, that darkness can come across as a depressing, empty void. On the smaller display (as weird as it is to classify a 4.65″ display as “smaller”) of a smartphone, however, it’s sharp. I’m also a sucker for symmetry, and the center-aligned icons of ICS on a phone (as opposed to the side-aligned icons on a Honeycomb tablet) just look better. Ice Cream Sandwich’s Finer Features:
Ice Cream Sandwich is pretty. It’s polished. It’s animated, and shiny, and jam-friggin’-packed with gradients and alpha translucencies. What it’s not — at least not yet — is flawless. There was a crash here and there, and a tense moment or two when a slider just… wouldn’t.. work. Google was quick to note that the build I was seeing was a relatively old one — but even if it weren’t, they still have weeks to stomp out the lingering bugs for the initial release, and months before anyone really expects Ice Cream Sandwich to trickle out onto a wide array of devices. They’ll fix it up right. This is the first time in a while I’ve been genuinely excited about Android from a software standpoint, and I look forward to seeing more of ICS in the future. We will, of course, give it a full review as the launch approaches, so be on the lookout for that Google provides search and advertising services, which together aim to organize and monetize the world’s information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers a plethora of online tools and platforms including: Gmail, Maps and YouTube. Most of its Web-based products are free, funded by Google’s highly integrated online advertising platforms AdWords and AdSense. Google promotes the idea that advertising should be highly targeted and relevant to users thus providing them with a rich source of information....
   |
| Posted: 19 Oct 2011 01:00 AM PDT  Here are some of yesterday’s Gadgets stories: Street By 50 Over-The-Ear Headphones Pictured And Detailed Vudu And Dolby Team Up For 7.1 Audio On Streaming Movies Doxie Go: Wireless Scanner (mostly) Cuts the Cord The "Live Shell" Lets You Broadcast Live Video Via Ustream Without A PC
  |
| Ice Cream Sandwich: “Native Resolution” Is 720p Posted: 18 Oct 2011 07:45 PM PDT  While introducing the new Galaxy Nexus today in Hong Kong, Samsung’s senior VP for product innovation, Kevin Packingham, said something that surprised me a little. He said that Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, is “specifically designed” to work with 720p as its native resolution. That seems a bit odd considering there will likely be only a handful of phones with displays capable of that. Furthermore, almost every tablet running Honeycomb is running a 1280×800 display. Not that 80 pixels is a huge difference, but it’s significant for app developers. In a way it’s forward looking, as 16:9 and high-density displays are definitely growing in popularity, but the fact is that for a good long while they’re just plain going to be expensive, part of the high-end superphone crowd. If Android 4.0 is supposed to be the road on which Android 2 and 3 finally meet, setting a standard neither one seems to use is a bad place to start. It may simply be that Google is embracing the fact that the Galaxy Nexus with its big 720p screen is, realistically speaking, going to be the only ICS device out there for a while. Maybe 4.1 will bring the various tools required accommodate lower resolutions and different aspect ratios. A native resolution isn’t a bad choice for a pilot device, though. If ICS doesn’t have to fit onto the great unwashed variety out there just yet, they can nail down UI principles, hunt down bugs, and generally focus on looking good — and then their next job can be entirely composed of adapting that work to new resolutions. It’s also possible that Packingham was just overstating the case.
  |
| PlayStation Vita Will Debut In US And Europe On February 22 Posted: 18 Oct 2011 04:59 PM PDT  Sony’s Playstation Vita has long been slated for a December release in Japan, but Sony has just announced at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco that their new portable will be hitting shelves stateside and in Europe on February 22. While hardcore pocket gamers will have already committed these specs to memory, here’s a quick recap. The Vita packs (among other things) a 5-inch OLED touchscreen, a pair of dual analog sticks, an ARM Cortex A9 processor, a rear touchpad, and much much more into a body that measures in at 182.0 x 18.6 x 83.5mm Pricewise, we’re still looking at $249 for the WiFi-only model, while an extra $50 nabs you the AT&T 3G-enabled variant. Sadly, no mention was made of data pricing, so your guess is as good as ours at this point. It’s quite possible that the Vita could adopt AT&T’s tablet data tiers, with $15 netting users 200MB and $25 yielding 2GB, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Vita gamers were privy to their own special data bundles. I’m sure a handful of gamers were hoping against hope for a holiday launch window (myself included), but hey — at least now we know how much longer we have to save up our pennies. In the meantime, here’s our hands-on video from E3 to help tide you over:
  |
| Micro Four-Thirds Lenses Too High-Quality For You? Try This One! Posted: 18 Oct 2011 03:41 PM PDT  When I go on a trip or just out a-shooting with my camera, I often have a moment of slight panic, in which I try to decide whether I should take my nice big expensive lens with me and risk getting it damaged during the adventure, or take the cheap one for less impressive pictures but also a load off my mind. It’s really a problem when lenses cost more than cameras. So if you’re shooting an Olympus or Panasonic M4/3 camera, this is probably an even worse problem. There just aren’t many budget lenses out there, and the pancake wide-angles you’d want to take with are probably also your favorite prime. Can’t risk it! So why not pick up one of these “Lo-fi” manual lenses from Photojojo? Now, just to cut through the nonsense, let’s acknowledge that bokeh isn’t an “effect” so much as just the result of wide apertures in general. And vignetting and lens flare generally accompany lenses of poor quality. But that’s kind of what lo-fi means, right? This little lens will only set you back $90 (free shipping), and though it won’t get you crystal-clear portraits, it might add a little personality to your shots. The 25mm (50mm equivalent) lens itself isn’t plastic, and it opens up to an impressive F/1.4, but there’s “toy camera quirk” that I assume is a coated or otherwise modified element in the assembly that gives that lo-fi charm a boost. Whatever the quality of the images, an F/1.4 lens for $90 is probably a good thing to have around. Good party lens. But be aware! It is all manual! No automatic exposure, no autofocus. Just like the old days!
  |
| Vodafone and Canonical Release a Webbook in South Africa Posted: 18 Oct 2011 03:24 PM PDT  Vodafone and Canonical today announced the Vodacom “Webbook”, the fruit of a joint effort to develop a low-cost mobile computing solution for South Africa. Most of the specs are about what you’d expect for such a device, with one extremely interesting twist: it’s powered by a Freescale IMX 51 processor (Cortex A8) CPU in order to lower cost and power consumption. This represents the first mainstream consumer Linux distribution built for the ARM platform. I spoke with Chris Kenyon, VP of Canonical’s OEM Services Group, about the device. Kenyon’s group of about 130 people work with original equipment manufacturers, like Vodaphone, to develop and nurture Ubuntu-powered solutions. For the Webbook, Kenyon told me that Vodaphone had a specific product concept in mind and they approached Canonical to help flesh out the details. This included building and rigorously testing a complete Ubuntu 11.10 installation for ARM. The Ubuntu installation on the Webbook is a pretty standard one: there wasn’t much tweaking required to get it working correctly. The biggest addition Canonical made to the Webbook was to pre-load it with lots of links and content relevant to the local market. According to Kenyon, emerging markets like South Africa not only represent huge potential sales volumes, but also introduce some interesting technology leaps. For example, wired networking is a rarity, while wireless networking has long been ubiquitous. Similarly, developing markets don’t have nearly the same kinds of legacy software baggage. These factors allow something like the Webbook to have a real chance at success in ways that simply don’t materialize in most of the developed world. While we sip lattes and gaze at our sundry tablets, much of the rest of the world is still struggling to get access to any computing platform. It might be tempting to dismiss the Webbook in the same way we regularly dismiss netbooks here on TechCrunch, but “clamshell devices will remain a vital part of computing for years to come,” said Kenyon. From the Vodafone press release: “With the Vodafone Webbook, Vodacom customers will be able to enjoy a portable internet experience with the Ubuntu operating system with various software applications, 24 months warranty and free software updates.” The Canonical press release notes that Ubuntu is known in “the developing world as a legal, full-featured and flexible technology that offers manufacturers and purchasers a real alternative that embraces an operating system, a compelling application stack and access to the cloud.” The legal aspect is an interesting one to keep in mind. Ubuntu’s core mission is to make computing available to everyone. As Kenyon observed, this means “more than just software” and the Webbook is just one of many examples of this. Canonical is expecting to ship on more than 10 million devices from name brands like Lenovo, Acer, and others. I expect we’ll see more market-specific devices like the Webbook next year.
  |
| Intel’s Q3 Results: PC And Cloud Growth, Atom Market Continues To Shrink Posted: 18 Oct 2011 01:51 PM PDT  Intel has released their Q3 financials, and for the most part it’s good news for their investors. Their revenue (GAAP) was a record $14.2bn, up $3.1bn from last year’s Q3. Gross margin is down by 2.6%, but net and operating income are both up quite a deal, $3.5bn (16%) and $4.8bn (17%) respectively. Their CFO reports that it was their most profitable quarter ever. The source of this prosperity is, according to intel, “double-digit growth in notebook PCs” and “strength in the data center fueled by the ongoing growth of mobile and cloud computing.” The PC Client group saw a 22% increase in revenue to $9.4bn, attributable to the growth in notebook PCs, many of which sported Intel’s new Sandy Bridge Core processors. Their biggest competitor in this space, AMD, only last week released their response to Sandy Bridge, and in addition to being late to market it is reported to be under-performing compared to Intel’s line. So growth in this area is likely to continue unabated for the time being, apart from erosion of the PC market by tablets, phones, etc. Intel’s Data Center Group is up $2.5 billion in revenue, a 15% increase, though competition here is likely greater and margins smaller per processor. The field itself is growing quickly, however, and for every smartphone Intel isn’t powering, there’s a new server they are powering. But all is not well in Santa Clara: their Atom group is down 32% to $269mn, a tiny fraction of what it was during the netbook rush of 2009 and 2010. And of course no data is reported for mobile chipsets (other than wireless chips for WiMax and so on), because Intel has almost literally no presence in that sector. CEO Paul Otellini has said on the record, however, that they intend to bring x86 to phones in 2012. Whether that’s part of their intended $4.3bn in R&D spending isn’t clear — and anyway, that wouldn’t include the cost of the sweetheart deals they’d have to cut with handset makers. One little piece of trivia: they’ve added around 3400 employees this quarter, bringing them to almost exactly 100,000. Congratulations to Intel on this milestone. The rest of the results, along with commentary and extra information, can be found here at Intel’s Investor Relations page. Intel is best known for producing the microprocessors found in many personal computers. The company also makes a range of other hardware including network cards, motherboards, and graphics chips. Intel created the first commercial microprocessor chip in 1971, but it was not until the success of the personal computer that microprocessors became their primary business. In the 1980’s they were an early developer of SRAM and DRAM memory chip, and during the 1990s they invested heavily in new microprocessor...
  |
| More Supply Line Leaks Hint At Smaller iPad Posted: 18 Oct 2011 01:20 PM PDT  The rumor that was making its way around before the iPad 2 debut last year is back for an encore. At the time, it was suggested that the iPad would be getting a refresh and a smaller, low-cost version at around 7″ would also come out. It would have directly contradicted Jobs’ own dismissal of that smaller form factor, but the rumor mill churned mightily anyway. And of course there was no mini-iPad, only the thinner and faster iPad 2. Now those whispers are starting back up again, as LG Display and AU Optronics are reported to have sent samples of 7.85″ LCD panels to Apple. With the rest of the market differentiating along size and power lines, and perhaps the greatest single threat to the iPad (such as it is) being Amazon’s 7″ Fire tablet, it’s in the air that perhaps Apple is reconsidering the single-form-factor aspect of the iPad. This I don’t really buy. While I do eventually see the iPad splitting off into a few versions (the high-res version, for example might cost more, while the original 1024×768 iPad would be the budget version), I’m not convinced Apple is eager to make its now-iconic (in the tech world at least) tablet just one of many. It’s the same reason they haven’t released an iPhone XL with a 4″ screen, nor made the iPod touch any smaller than its big brother. Their UX and ID experts are confident in their decisions, and why shouldn’t they be? But that doesn’t mean that Apple can’t experiment. As one of the world’s largest tech companies, it has to have an entire research division dedicated to this kind of thing. Chances are they accepted these samples so they could check the quality, test glue and other materials, and just be more informed about what the possibilities are. A smaller or larger iPad isn’t an impossibility, but as everyone else is already in that space, Apple would like to be able to come into it saying “well we actually waited and did it right.” Besides, considering how well the iPad is selling right now, they’ll want to let this design ride for a bit. [via Unwired View]
  |
| Video: Hands-On With Motorola’s iPod Nano Challenger, The MOTO ACTV Posted: 18 Oct 2011 01:07 PM PDT  This morning, Motorola dropped a bit of a surprise with the MOTO ACTV, an iPod Nano-esque thimble of a device. Does the world need another tiny, crappy audio player? Probably not. But what about a tiny, Android-powered audio player that focuses on gauging exercise? Still, probably not — but hey, it’ll be fun to hack!
Now, lets be clear: the idea of a device that gauges your athletic ability isn’t a new one — nor was it new when Apple introduced the new iPod Nano with Nike+ integration. As they tend to do, Apple just made things suck less, introducing a somewhat-flashy device that just about anyone could comprehend. Motorola wants to go deeper. The ACTV is a bit more focused, diving far deeper into the niche that is hardcore athleticism. If the iPod Nano is 90% media and 10% exercise, the ACTV is split 50/50. Whereas the Nano is mostly a tricked-out pedometer, the ACTV has things like GPS, a heart-rate monitor, and a snazzy cloud-based backend for monitoring all of your stats over time — plus fancy tricks like Bluetooth pairing (allowing you to screen calls while gettin’ your run on without having to sweatily paw at your handset.) I spent some time with the ACTV this morning, albeit in a tiny office rather than out on the track. Read on for my impressions. First impressions:
The key feature here is Motorola’s backend, which the device automatically syncs with (via WiFi) to provide reports on your efforts. Have you gotten faster over time? Is your heart in better shape now than it was a month ago? This is the deal maker/breaker; if its not good enough, it’ll be hard to justify a separate, dedicated $249 device when a $199 iPod Touch (which, in an armband, is hardly more noticeable) has access to apps like Runkeeper. Sadly, this feature seemingly wasn’t ready for a preview just yet. To step away from the intended use case here for a second: man, do I hope Motorola didn’t go out of their way to lock this thing down. If the trends we’ve seen with iPod Nano are indication, hackers/modders will have an absolute field day with this thing. What do you think? Any gym/track rats out there already breaking into a sweat over this one? Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MSI) is a data communications and telecommunications equipment provider that succeeded Motorola Inc. following the spin-off of the mobile phones division into Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. in 2011. The company is headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. Motorola Solutions is composed of the Enterprise Mobility Solutions division of the former Motorola, Inc. Motorola Solutions also previously had a Networks division, which it sold to Nokia Siemens Networks in a transaction that was completed on April...
  |
| Street By 50 Over-The-Ear Headphones Pictured And Detailed Posted: 18 Oct 2011 11:46 AM PDT  SMS Audio is gear up to launch 50 Cent’s headphone line. The top-tier wireless cans leaked (which eventually lead to their official release) but the company just released pics and technicial info on the wired versions. Price and exact release data is still missing, though. The Street By 50 headphones seem very similar to the wireless model, Sync By 50. They both feature 40mm drivers, memory foam ear surrounds, and optional mic. Plus, they’re professionally tuned — whatever that means. The wired versions just seem to be missing the onboard media playback controls found on the Sync. Also, don’t pass judgment on the very blue color scheme.; they’ll also be available in black. The company previously told us that the plan is to release the whole line, which will also include earbuds, in the coming months, which likely means a pre-holiday launch. Until then, it seems the SMS Audio is satisfied with dripping info to the press. Expect pictures of the in-ears next.
  |
| Verizon Officially Unveils The World’s Thinnest Smartphone: The Motorola Droid RAZR Posted: 18 Oct 2011 09:20 AM PDT  Update: Check out our hands-on impressions here! If you remember from a teaser video posted a few days ago, today is a big day. Verizon and Motorola have finally announced the much-anticipated Droid RAZR, the next LTE beast to grace big red’s shelves. Here at the launch event in New York City, we’re hearing four words over and over again: faster, thinner, smarter, and stronger. And that’s exactly how we’d describe the new Droid RAZR. The latest in Motorola’s line of Android smartphones takes heavily from its Droid brethren in terms of design, looking a lot like the Droid X/X2. It has that same “hump” along the upper back edge, likely making room for the camera and other goodies, but has dropped some weight with an even thinner waist line than its Bionic cousin. It’s also stronger, as promised in that teaser video, with a Kevlar fiber casing which, Motorola promises, will “withstand the back pocket test.” Ready for specs? Of course you are. The Droid RAZR touts a solid 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED 960×540 display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 1GB of RAM, and of course, support for Verizon’s 4G LTE network. In fact, Verizon is claiming that this is its thinnest LTE-capable device to date, with a 7.1mm waist line. That Kevlar fiber casing isn’t the only “rugged” quality on this phone — it also comes with Motorola’s new Splash Guard technology and a stainless steel core. The new flagship also boasts an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with dual-LED flash and autofocus (capable of video capture in 1080p). Sanjay Jha claims the phone will offer 12.5 hours of talk time and 8.9 hours of video playback. It’ll also come with Moto’s web top desktop app, if you go ahead and grab a Motorola Lap Dock. The RAZR also packs a microUSB port for charging along with HDMI out, naturally. Motorola has included support for its MotoCast application, which streams content (whether it be pictures, movies, or music) between the PC and the smartphone. Business users will also have corporate access to email, the ability to view/edit Word documents, Citrix Receiver for remote access to desktop, along with added password enforcement. Another awesome software feature would be the ability to sync your new MotoACTV watch with the Droid RAZR. In other words, you’ll be able to check text messages and see phone calls while you’re out jogging or hitting the gym. Pre-orders will start on October 27, and in-store/online availability begins in “November”. The Droid RAZR will cost $299 on-contract. Update: Check out our hands-on impressions here! Company: Motorola Mobility Website: motorolamobility.com Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications and is focused on advancing the way the world connects. From broadband communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility and public safety solutions to mobile and wireline digital communication devices that provide compelling experiences, Motorola is leading the next wave of innovations that enable people, enterprises and governments to be more connected and more mobile. Motorola (NYSE: MOT) had sales of US $22 billion in 2009 Verizon Communications Inc. delivers broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s largest wireless network that serves nearly 102 million customers nationwide. Verizon’s Wireline operations include Verizon Business and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers converged communications, information and entertainment services over Verizon’s fiber-optic network.
  |
| Motorola Challenges The iPod Nano With MotoACTV Smart Watch Posted: 18 Oct 2011 09:10 AM PDT  In a plot twist not many of us were expecting, Motorola took an opportunity at its NYC press event this morning (where we expect to see the Droid Spyder unveiling) to announce MotoACTV, a new smart watch. CEO Sanjay Jha announced it has a 600MHz processor, and weighs in at just 35 grams. MotoACTV combines a GPS-enabled watch with a smart music player, which learns songs that make you work harder and plays them more often. The new watch also offers a built-in heart rate monitor (sans the chest strap), and relays every performance stat (including duration, distance, avg. pace, calories burned, and avg. heart rate) back to you through a bluetooth headphone set. The MotoACTV watch tracks your running, walking and cycling stats outside, with treadmill and step machine stats recorded while you’re indoors. The watch also has an FM radio. The watch also syncs with your PC, letting you access a dashboard of your performance stats at MotoACTV.com. MotoACTV will be available nationwide on November 6, with an 8GB version going for $249.99, and a 16GB model going for $299.99. Company: Motorola Mobility Website: motorolamobility.com Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications and is focused on advancing the way the world connects. From broadband communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility and public safety solutions to mobile and wireline digital communication devices that provide compelling experiences, Motorola is leading the next wave of innovations that enable people, enterprises and governments to be more connected and more mobile. Motorola (NYSE: MOT) had sales of US $22 billion in 2009
  |
| RIM Announces 1 Billion App World Downloads Posted: 18 Oct 2011 09:07 AM PDT  Mike Lazaridis, the belegaured co-head of RIM, took the stage at DevCon Americas to announce some strong numbers. First, RIM has just announced 1 billion App World downloads, which amounts to about 5 million downloads per day. The service is on pace to hit 2 billion this year. Mike went on to proudly state that on average, a BlackBerry app is downloaded 43% more than its iOS or Android counterpart. Part of this success is thanks to the smaller library amount but also because the BlackBerry App World is now available in 130 counties and supports 26 currencies with carrier billing in 10 countries. The platform is still going strong with 165 million RIM smartphones in current circulation and there has been an 80% increase in BBM users this year, up to 50 million. Lazaridis apologized for the recent outage and reiterated his promise to supply $100 in apps and services to every Blackberry user, thanking partners for their largesse. The initial statistics were fairly slim and RIM didn’t break out sales of phones vs. Playbook tablets.
  |
| Archos 80 G9 Tablet Review: Fun But Ugly Posted: 18 Oct 2011 07:47 AM PDT  Short Version: The Archos 80 G9 tablet isn’t necessarily something I’d recommend for the hardcore tablet enthusiast, but it certainly gets the job done. Powered by pure Android 3.2 Honeycomb, the tab offers everything you’d expect out of Android and a nice variety of ports, albeit with a somewhat rough build-quality. Features:
Pros:
Cons:
Long Version: Body While it’s not exactly fitting with my tastes, I wouldn’t say the Archos G9 is ugly. The slate deviates from your more minimalist designs like the iPad and the Galaxy Tab, and instead adds a little flare. The G9 sports a dark grey bezel, along with a lighter grey plastic casing that has rounded edges. Along the side you’ll find a microUSB port for charging, HDMI out, and the lock button. There’s also a full-sized USB port that’s meant to hold a 3G dongle, but unfortunately that’ll only work in Europe. To those of us in the States, it’ll merely act as a full-sized USB slot. The build of the Archos 80 G9 tablet is probably what I have the most beef with. Granted, it comes with a totally sturdy little kickstand, which is a useful addition, but on the whole you can tell that is isn’t a top-quality build. If you press just slightly against the smooth plastic back panel, either on the 3G USB port or the kickstand area, the plastic depresses and makes a bit of a cracking noise. Worse, the plastic depresses enough to affect the display, making it look like you’ve been pressing way too hard on the touchscreen. In terms of size, the G9 is just right. I’ve played around with plenty of 10- and 7-inch tabs, but the 8-inch segment seems to be somewhat untouched. I found that its a great size for gaming, as you aren’t sacrificing too much screen real estate for a better grip. Processor/Battery The processing power on this little guy had me impressed. Android 3.2 Honeycomb ran like a dream powered by the G9′s dual-core OMAP 4 SoC chip. Even with a little stress test — me zipping my finger across the interface/web pages as fast as possible — the tab had no trouble keeping up. However, once I had a few things going at once (a few apps, a movie, and the browser), the processor certainly lost pace. I started to feel the lag when I tried to add a few more tasks to the list and the next app I launched abruptly crashed. Battery life, on the other hand, was a pleasant surprise. Archos promises 7 hours of video playback, which the G9 stood up to brilliantly. I spent an entire day conducting work from the G9 last week, and though it wasn’t the most efficiently I’ve ever worked, the G9 stuck with me throughout the day. It’s worth noting, however, that the tablet gets slower and slower as battery life decreases. With a full charge, hitting the lock button wakes the G9 up almost immediately. Once battery life gets low, it takes a few seconds to wake up and perceive gestures. Display The 1024×768 LCD display on the G9 was better than expected, showing very minimal differentiation from pixel to pixel. This becomes most clear while watching HD movies, which I did plenty of. Even better, this is the kind of tablet that many people can enjoy viewing content on at once. Even at a 45 degree angle off to the side, the screen still displays great quality and color. Thanks to the kickstand, I guestimate you can have up to five or six people watching a movie at once. However, the screen becomes increasingly difficult to see from lower or higher angles. Taking it outdoors isn’t necessarily ideal, but with screen brightness turned all the way up I was still able to use it as an e-reader. Viewing video and pictures was more difficult, though. Sound Audio, on the other hand, may make it difficult for you and your friends to enjoy the movie. Before I turned on my air conditioner, my roommates and I were comfortably watching a few music videos. After the AC went on, we had to turn the volume all the way up to the max just to hear it. In the same vein, audio sounded a bit fuzzy, especially when pushed to the max. As far as tablets go, audio quality was adequate but nothing to get excited about. Camera Unfortunately, the G9′s front-facing web cam was not all that pleasurable to use. At first, it didn’t work at all until I downloaded a firmware update. Ever since it’s worked, but been super buggy. At times, the viewfinder simply goes black. If you happen to take a picture during the “black periods,” the picture is also a large rectangle of black. When it does work it’s unsurprisingly grainy, but at least gets the job done where it counts: video chat. Conclusion At just under $300, the Archos G9 is a fine slate. It comes packed with all the essentials, and has a battery life that should last around as long as you do. But if you’re looking for a high-quality tablet, this probably isn’t it. I’d recommend it as a Christmas gift for a tween, or perhaps a mobile computing device for someone older (who does mostly simple tasks like browsing the web and answering email). Size-wise it’s a great fit for someone who enjoys gaming, and it’s certainly light enough to travel with you. This is not a tech geek’s tablet, and if high-quality is what you’re expecting out of it, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Configuration options:
  |
| Actroid-F: Japan’s Super-Realistic Humanoid Gets A Brother (Video) Posted: 18 Oct 2011 07:43 AM PDT  Do you remember Actroid-F, the super-realistic humanoid that we’ve shown you last year? Her makers, robot venture Kokoro and Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), have apparently been working hard since then to create a “brother” for her. According to AIST, people kept asking the institute why it only manufactured a female robot, and they not only did that, but also built cameras into the new robot’s eyes to make him look at people (or other robots) while communicating. Here’s a video showing the male humanoid interacting with his sister (in English, shot by Diginfo TV):
  |
| I Heard You Liked 3DS Circle Pad So I Put A Circle Pad On Your Circle Pad Posted: 18 Oct 2011 07:11 AM PDT  Capcom has let slip that an official Nintendo 3DS add-on circlepad – the circular joystick on the left side of the console – will be available for purchase in February to coincide with the launch of Resident Evil: Revelations. The dual circlepads will allow for more accurate aiming in many titles and I can definitely see the value, even over the 3DS’s built-in gyroscopic sensors. I’ve found that playing games like Star Fox in 3D is quite difficult because you leave the 3D sweet spot. Nintendo World has no further info on the pads and there’s no description of the size, cost, or US availability. All I know is that it makes the 3DS look huge.
  |
| Doxie Go: Wireless Scanner (mostly) Cuts the Cord Posted: 18 Oct 2011 07:00 AM PDT  Doxie, the cute but functional document scanner, last made waves with its ability to send scanned items to Evernote, Dropbox, or your iPhone. That functionality was handy, but you still needed to dig out your Doxie scanner, attach it your PC or Mac, and then perform the scan. Doxie’s cutting the cord today with Doxie Go: a cordless self-contained scanner that saves scans to its internal memory. At your convenience, tether the scanner to your PC or Mac (or iOS device, with optional accessory kit) and transfer your scanned documents to your hard drive. This makes the scanner operate much more like a digital camera. The internal memory stores about 600 pages of scanned documents. You can also scan directly to USB stick or SD card and completely avoid the need to connect the Doxie Go to an USB port. That’s the kind of innovation we like to see in this post-PC era! Doxie Go is no speed demon, at about 8 seconds per page, but that’s a small concession for the convenience of quality scanning anywhere you happen to be. Doxie Go will produce a much better image than trying to snap a picture of a document with your iPhone. And the included Doxie 2.0 software now allows you to create searchable PDFs, which might be a handy feature. Doxie Go packs a Lithium Ion battery good for about 100 scans per charge. It’ll charge over USB (while you’re syncing with your PC) in about two hours, or you can get the optional Doxie GoKit for $20, which includes a wall charger and international power plugs. The cordless Doxie Go addresses one of the gripes I had when I reviewed the original Doxie scanner: the poor placement of the USB cable with respect to the flow of paper through the device. With Doxie Go, you can scan anywhere that’s convenient and attach the scanner to your PC anywhere that’s convenient because scanning and synchronizing are two separate tasks. Scanners used to be all the rage, and now we take the task basically for granted due to the proliferation of all-in-one printer/fax/scanner monstrosities. It’s nice to see someone tackling the headaches of just scanning. Doxie Go will set you back $199. It’s available for pre-order now, with the first units expected to ship mid-November.
  |
| Vudu And Dolby Team Up For 7.1 Audio On Streaming Movies Posted: 18 Oct 2011 06:38 AM PDT  Streaming movies just got a little more tempting for the home theater enthusiast. Starting with Vudu’s release of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, select movies will stream with Dolby’s bandwidth-friendly Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 audio. It’s almost time to throw-out your Blu-ray player, kids. High quality audio on streaming movies is convergence at its finest. Vudu has long been known as the innovator of high-quality streaming media. Well before Walmart acquired the streaming company, Vudu introduced high-def movies and stunning 1080p HDX titles back in 2008. Now, here in 2011, Vudu is breaking expectations again with 7.1 audio. "We're thrilled to announce that the first entertainment content for an over-the-top or broadcast environment has been released in 7.1-channel surround sound, the best possible audio experience available for this type of delivery. It's great to collaborate with a leader in HD streaming like VUDU to enable consumers to enjoy the latest 7.1 films," said John Couling, Vice President, Products and Platforms, Dolby Laboratories. "Today is just the first step. We look forward to having the opportunity to work with additional content providers to deliver premium-quality 7.1 surround sound to more consumers." More than 30 files have been mixed in 7.1 audio for their theatrical release and DD+ allows for similar mixes in a home theater. Dolby states that more than 430 million device have the goods necessary to process Dolby Digital Plus including TVs, set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, and mobile phones. Vudu has a real chance to steal some of Netflix’s subs if they can quickly roll out more 7.1 audio titles. I, for one, long ago gave up high-quality audio for the convenience of streaming media and would love to reclaim my ears. VUDU, Inc. provides digital technologies and services that deliver Internet entertainment to consumers’ HDTVs and home theaters. It offers VUDU Box and VUDU XL, which provides access to movies and TV shows; and VUDU Wireless Kit, which connects VUDU box to the Internet. The company also provides accessories, such as replacement remotes, power adapters, and power supplies and AC cords. It offers its services through movie studios, independent studios, and distributors. The company offers its products through its authorized...
  |
| Here Comes The Modern Warfare 3 Gear: Logitech Outs MW3 G105 Keyboard And G9X Gaming Mouse Posted: 18 Oct 2011 06:01 AM PDT  Collect all the things! Logitech’s latest venture involves slapping Modern Warfare 3 logos on their wares and selling them at the same price. Yep, you can show your FPS allegiance without paying a silly premium. The upcoming MW3 G105 gaming keyboard and G9X gaming mouse will cost the same as their standard counterparts. A move that is consumer-friendly and, at the same time, rather scary. The G105 gaming keyboard hits with backlit keys, anti-ghosting technology, and six so-called G buttons for macro commands. The G9x gaming mouse isn’t exactly new. This mouse is a staple of Logitech’s gaming offering with interchangeable grips, swappable weights and on-board memory. The G105 is available now for $79.99 while the G9x should hit stores early next month. These prices are surprisingly the same as the standard version, which states that Logitech is walking a dangerous path. It’s hard to turn back once you journey down the road of sponsorship. Here’s hoping that this MW3 gear is a one-off thing and Logitech isn’t planning anymore. The last thing I want to see from Logitech is mice with NHL logos and Sesame Street keyboards. Logitech designs and manufactures computer and electronics peripherals such as mice, keyboards, speakers, and remote controls.
  |
| Samsung Galaxy Nexus Leaked: Image, Specs And Launch Date Posted: 18 Oct 2011 05:33 AM PDT  Well it would seem that NTT DoCoMo, one of the largest wireless carriers in Japan, has let slip the Samsung Galaxy Nexus announcement just a couple hours early. According to a tweet, “the latest Android OS smartphone with Google and Samsung Electronics [will be] announced on October 19 in Hong Kong tomorrow. DoCoMo is almost equivalent to the fastest in the world, scheduled for release in November. More later.” (Anyone who’s fluent in Japanese, please feel free to add clarity that Google Translate can’t.) Although we’re still waiting to confirm specs that have already been leaked, an Italian blog called Android HDBlog seems to have an official image (full-size version after the break). We’re not sure that this is 100 percent the real deal since we’d expect text in the image to be in Chinese. (The official announcement will be in Hong Kong.) Still, the blog claims that this comes straight out of Japan where what they call “the Japanese operator” has confirmed availability for November 20. According to Android HDBlog, these are the specs we’ll be seeing on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus:
We’re still unsure whether or not there’s support for a microSD card, but I would be kind of shocked if there wasn’t. Developing… [First image via Ameblo.jp] Google provides search and advertising services, which together aim to organize and monetize the world’s information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers a plethora of online tools and platforms including: Gmail, Maps and YouTube. Most of its Web-based products are free, funded by Google’s highly integrated online advertising platforms AdWords and AdSense. Google promotes the idea that advertising should be highly targeted and relevant to users thus providing them with a rich source of information....
  |
| You are subscribed to email updates from TechCrunch » Gadgets To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
