Apple is long rumored to be working on a tablet-like device that’s bigger than iPod Touch, but smaller than its MacBook. Most likely, Apple has observed the success Amazon had with its Kindle device that it decided to jump in. There is clearly a market for these mid-size PCs as some projected 20 million devices will be shipped this year, doubling last year’s output.

Let’s say if Apple is indeed working on such device, its dream features would be

Thin and Light - It must be comparable to the Kindle in terms of its weight and size.
Built-in wireless 3G - This was a critical feature in the Kindle which allows its users to download new books from anywhere. Better yet, the new Apple tablet should also have WiFi capabilities when such connection is available.
Clear Display - The display quality must match other Apple devices. After all, the Apple tablet should be used for viewing pictures, browsing the internet, and watching movies. Furthermore, the device should have Kindle-like fonts that functions as an e-book reader.
Innovative Keyboard - Please, get rid of the virtual keyboard used in iPhones. I never liked them, and hopefully Apple will come out with something new.
Cool Factor - Just like all Apple devices, it must appear cool to be carrying one.
Price - The Kindle sells for $359. I can see the prices goes somewhere between the Kindle and the cheapest MacBook. Anything over $1000 is too expensive.

Most likely such a device won’t be unveiled until 2010. But, maybe a prototype will be presented upon Steve Job’s return.

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This month, Hyundai is launching a system that warns motorists when they drift out of the lane they’re traveling in. Another manufacturer has developed pedestrian-detection software that works with heat-seeking cameras to alert drivers when someone is in their path.

In March, Ford will release a fully functional, dashboard computer — complete with keyboard — geared to contractors and other business folks who want to access the Web, review documents and log inventory while on the go. In the spring, AT&T will launch an in-car entertainment service with 22 satellite TV channels.

“Consumers want a vehicle that’s always on and always connected,” said Kieran O’Sullivan, vice president at Continental Automotive Systems, which supplies parts and technology to automakers. In the near future, he said, “consumers and carmakers will be able to customize the [dashboard] instrument panel to their individual tastes the same way that people customize their mobile phones.”

As consumers are growing accustomed to having mobile Internet through their smart phones, more car buyers are seeking connectivity in their vehicles that will allow them to move seamlessly between their digital lives at work and home, panelists said.

Half of the new vehicles sold in the United States are now compatible with MP3 players and 80 percent can connect with wireless Bluetooth headsets, said automotive technology expert John Waraniak, who served as the panel’s moderator.

Ford will begin installing its Works Solutions package on its full-size pickups and E-series vans this spring. The dashboard computing system costs $1,195 plus a monthly Web access fee, has a 6-inch touch screen and runs on Windows. It will allow electricians and other contractors to create Excel spreadsheets, print invoices and even access other computers.

Personally, I don’t believe in-car computing is more than just a buzz word right now. It’s not designed for safety and practicality reasons. As a consumer, I would rather carry around a mobile device that allows me to stay connected anywhere. I wouldn’t be interested in paying thousands of dollars just so I can stay connected in one car. Even though I may spend more than 2 hours in my car each day, I will be driving most of the time. Safety will be my priority while I am driving. During the times I am not driving, I would rather not spend more than I have to in the car, even the cars offers me entertainment TV, mustic, internet…

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Asus is ritzing up its LCD inventory with four new high-end displays this month — the VK266H and VW266H at 25.5 inches (beating out the manufacturer’s current top end) and the VK246H and VW246H at good ol’ 24 inches. They all feature the company’s new Splendid Video Intelligence Technology, run at at 1,920 x 1,200, and have a 20,000:1 contrast ratio, which is a significant improvement over the current Asus flagship’s 3,000:1, but the max brightness is a bit lower. Why two at each size, you ask? Actual specs are identical across the board, but the VK266H and the VK246H have built-in webcams, while the VW266H and VW246H don’t — unfortunately, pricing info is not yet available, so there’s no telling how much extra you’ll be paying to record cringe-worthy YouTube diaries.

[Via PCLaunches;]

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Surveillance specialist Lorex now plans to release two new wireless camera systems for home security, Techachino has learned, including a night vision-enabled system coming this fall that can stream over the Internet.

NEW YORK CITY (Techachino) - Lorex’ LW20022 wireless video security system — list priced at $249 — is expected to ship in two weeks. And also at this week’s Digital Life press preview, Lorex demo’d an Internet-enabled, high-resolution Easy Connect Network camera.

The LW2002W Wireless 2.4″ LCD Video Security System, a home security product that packages a night vision-enabled metal camera along with a 2.4-inch portable color LCD monitor/receiver, is due to be shipped this fall.

Video can be streamed wirelessly from the camera at distances of up to 450 feet to either the accompanying portable monitor/receiver or another compatible surveillance system or TV — meaning that you can monitor your kids or the front door to your house, for instance, from either inside the house or outside in your yard.

Each LW2002W monitor supports up to four cameras, company spokespersons said, speaking with Techachino at the Lorex booth. The camera features a 3.6mm lens. Other capabilities of the LW2002W include listen-in audio and 350.0 TV lines recording resolution.

Lomax’s line of Internet-capable wireless surveillance camerasThe Wi-Fi-enabled Easy Connect Network surveillance will stream high res video over the Internet, according to the Lorex spokespersons. The surveillance video will also be viewable from a variety of mobile devices, including Apple’s iPhone.

Factory shipment of the LW2002W to Lorex has been delayed, but delivery is now anticipated in a couple of weeks, Techachino was told.

Although the LW2002W hasn’t been officially announced, Techachino discovered this afternoon that several Web sites — including Amazon.com and the P.C. Richard & Son site — are advertising the system, mentioning in their ads that shipment has been delayed by two to three weeks.

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As Google expands its product line for mobile services, the Mountain View-based company announced BlackBerry Pearl users now have the ability to use voice search.

Specifically, users will be able to use Google Maps, getting directions or locations by voice instead of text searching.

Pearl owners can go to m.google.com/maps, press 0 to center the view of the map, press a side key and say a business name or location, and then release the button so the voice recognition software can begin to pull in results.Google designed the software for use when typing is not possible, a user isn’t sure of the exact spelling of a name, or the name is too long.

For now, the service is available only for the BlackBerry Pearl — models 8110, 8210, and 8120 — but could be expanded to other BlackBerry devices, including the Curve. It’s currently described as “experimental,” which means the results will not always be flawless.

“Like many of Google’s experimental features, we released this on a subset of phones in order to learn more about usage patterns and optimize the technology,” a Google spokesperson told Techachino Thursday. “We chose the Blackberry Pearl as it does not have a full QWERTY keyboard, making voice an even more appealing feature for users. We are always looking for ways to expand our offerings to more devices and to more users, but have nothing to announce at this time.”

Several new phones have Google Maps integrated, though similar direction services are available from mobile phone providers. AT&T and Verizon Wireless both have GPS-based services available for a few dollars per month, but voice with Google Maps is free.

Nielsen research indicates mobile phone owners use Google Mobile for 9 searches per month on average, and Yahoo for 6.7, but mobile answers service ChaCha receives more than 40 searches per month. Utilizing a voice-in, text-out platform, ChaCha users are able to search for something by voice and get a response via text.

Google already uses speech recognition with its free Goog 411 service.

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Sporting a design and feature list not unlike Nokia’s N95 and N96, Sony Ericsson’s C905 Cybershot blows Nokia’s devices away in one area: picture resolution.

Sony Ericsson officially announced today its Cybershot C905 handset which had been shown through “leaks” last week. Offering support for GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 UMTS/HSDPA 2100, Sony Ericsson has announced that the C905 will be made available in select markets as early as the fourth quarter of this year.

Evinced by the Cybershot name, this device is being marketed for its camera functions. In addition to the banner 8.1 Megapixel count, the C905 offers a xenon “real camera” flash, face detection, image stabilization, autofocus, 16x digital zoom, red-eye reduction, support for print sizes up to A3, and GPS-enabled geotagging features.But for all that marketing, one missing element is data about the lens. While blogs have speculated that Sony Ericsson would include a Zeiss lens, mainly because they have before, there’s no indication from the data we’ve been given about the lens’ actual manufacturer or specifications. Techachino has pending requests with Sony Ericsson, and once we do learn the facts, we’ll share them with you.

The built-in geotagging functionality is another of the banner features of the C905, as interest in devices providing this service has been strong this year. Among mobile phones, it is a feature still limited to the higher end of the pricing spectrum.

Onboard memory lags a bit behind its Nokia N96 competitor, which has upwards of 16 GB of storage. The C905 comes with just 2 GB on Memory Stick Micro storage, but attempts to supplement that somewhat by including a USB adaptor for frequent transfer, and support for DLNA Wi-Fi and TV-out connections, so pictures can be viewed on the user’s television.

Non-photo related features include A2DP stereo Bluetooth, Sony Ericsson’s trademark TrackID and PlayNow music services, sound recorder, 3D J2ME games, FM radio, video calling, as well as limited PIM and Email functions.

Though it’s been almost two years since Samsung first showed off its 10-megapixel handset at CeBit, and Broadcom developments could make 12-megapixel phones a reality as early as the first half of 2009, Sony Ericsson’s new Cybershot will still be one of the highest resolution offerings in consumer handsets.

Another missing data item is the MSRP, and once we learn the price, we’ll let you know that as well.

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Computers that ‘phone home’ after being stolen are guiding police to the doorsteps of thieves across the world.

Tracking technology has helped police sniff out thousands of stolen machines, uncovering UK computers as far away as Argentina, Macedonia and Saudi Arabia.

West Midlands Police recently used the technology to make arrests and recover more than 30 laptops.

Alan McInnes, general manager with the Association of Chief Police Officers crime prevention initiatives, told silicon.com the technology will help stamp out computer theft.

McInnes said: “The more widely this technology is used the more the risk goes up and the more it will devalue the attractiveness of computer theft. This tracking technology has already proven itself useful for recovering large numbers of cars, its success rate is about 95 per cent, and we hope it will do the same for computers. You not only recover the stolen property you are looking for, you often will uncover more stolen property and other related crimes.”

The most effective type of tracking software is buried within the bios of a computer’s motherboard during manufacture, making it resistant to hard disc wiping or removal.

When a stolen machine is connected to the internet it will contact a monitoring centre to report its Internet Protocol address, allowing police to trace its location through the internet service provider.

Absolute Software claims that its tracking and recovery software solution, ComputraceOne, has recovered more than 5,000 stolen computers worldwide.

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At the Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit at the University of Texas Supercomputing Center April 8, Hewlett-Packard announced the release of its first Linux-powered computer to be sold in the United States, the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC running Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 Service Pack 1.

HP was expected to offer a Linux desktop, and now it has finally done so. It’s not, however, the Linux desktop that many users expected. Instead of being a general-purpose consumer system or business PC, the Mini-Note is meant for the education market.

Chris Sieger, director of IT Services for Alexandria City Public Schools in Virginia, said in a statement, “HP listened to our needs and now is delivering a product designed by education for education.”

It may sound odd for HP to take its first step into Linux by way of education, but there is money to be made in the education vertical. Lenovo Director of Software Strategy Debra Kobs-Fortner said, for example, that Lenovo had seen its best business so far for its Linux-powered ThinkPads in the American education market.

The HP Mini is another UMPC (Ultramobile PC). Unlike Asustek Computer’s Eee PC and Everex’s CloudBook, the HP Mini is the first UMPC to arrive from a top-tier system vendor.

Like the OLPC (One Laptop Per Child)’s XO Laptop and Intel’s Classmate PC, the HP Mini is designed for the wear and tear of use by children. The 2.5-pound UMPC comes with an anodized aluminum shell that’s designed to be sturdy. It also comes with “HP DuraKeys,” a clear damage-resistant keyboard coating designed to help prevent chocolate-milk-induced system failures. It also includes the HP 3D DriveGuard, which uses a three-axis digital accelerometer chip to shut down the hard drive if it’s dropped (or thrown, or kicked).

Besides the usual array of SLED software goodies, the system also includes educational software. Jim Mann, an HP technology strategist, credited Novell with putting together an excellent collection of educational software.

The PC itself comes in two different versions. Both models are powered by a 1.6GHz Via C7 processor. They also both have 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an 8.9-inch display with 1280 by 768 resolution. They each also include a pair of USB ports and Ethernet port. The cheaper model, the one that’s aimed directly at the education market, comes with 1GB of memory and a 120GB hard drive. This system, which should be available by the end of April, will retail for $499. The higher-end system comes with 2GB, a faster 120GB hard drive and a larger six-cell battery. This system will be available by May and list for $799, HP said.

Tech Blog

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PC vendor Everex and gOS (Good OS), the Linux distribution based around Google applications, is taking the next step in online-based computing by introducing a limited edition MySpace PC.

The companies hope that the white-cased, two-pound MyMiniPC will attract what Everex officials claim is some of the more than 100 million MySpace users. As such, it’s the first PC, using any operating system, designed expressly to use with a social network.

“To me, gOS Space can be the face of Linux for the MySpace generation,” Jim Zemlin, president of the Linux Foundation, said in a statement.

Unlike Google Apps, where neither gOS nor Everex have a formal relationship with Google, this time the companies have partnered with MySpace. “The MySpace Developer Platform is all about embracing developers and empowering them to create new and exciting ways for friends to connect on MySpace and share their experiences with one another,” Chuck Rosendahl, managing director of MySpace, said in a statement. “The MyMiniPC is the perfect appliance for MySpace users and those whose activities are consistently tied to the Web and less to the desktop. It is an ideal solution for getting access quickly to the MySpace apps that matter most to our users.”

This trade paperback-book sized PC runs gOS Space 2.9. This is a customized version of gOS Linux that features a set of new MySpace Apps and a media center dock stacked with MySpace and Web 2.0 folders for news, photos, videos, music, TV and movies.

The MySpace applications available on gOS Space dock include Super Mood, Super Graffiti, Super Quotes, and Current Time. The company’s press release described Super Mood as an application that enables users to add large emoticons and personal updates to their MySpace profiles. With Super Graffiti, users can draw pictures on their friends’ MySpace profiles, and Super Quotes allows users to select quotes to display on their profiles.

The gOS Space dock also includes expandable icons, such as those gOS uses with Google programs MySpace News, Photos, Videos, Music, TV and Movies, Work, and Fun. The MySpace icon lets users get directly to the MySpace navigation bar. Besides the MySpace applications, the PC also includes the usual Linux application favorites, including Firefox, GIMP and OpenOffice. The system also includes gOS’ characteristic easy access to Google applications.

The MyMiniPC is powered by a 1.86GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core Mobile Processor T2130. It comes with 512MB of RAM and for storage it uses a 120GB hard-drive and a DVD+/-RW optical drive.

For graphics the system uses the Intel GMA (Graphics Media Accelerator) 950 chipset. The PC can transmit video via both a DVI-I Port, and a S-video port. Audio is supported by Realtek ALC268 high-definition audio.

The tiny system also comes with a good number of ports. These include an IEEE 1394 and four USB 2.0 ports, a four-in-one media card reader for data, and a Gigabit Ethernet port for networking.

The system, which the Everex Web site states is only available in limited quantities, sells for $499 with a one-year limited warranty and toll-free, 24/7 technical support.

Posted in Gadgets, Linux, Social Networking | 4 Comments | 4 Comments »