Toshiba Thrive Gets Cool Video Plus — Giveaway Contest

Toshiba Thrive Gets Cool Video Plus — Giveaway Contest

The Toshiba Thrive was announced back at CES and it has taken its time to work out any kinks and find a good price range before hitting the market. Pre-orders for the tablet have just recently begun with a release scheduled for mid-July. As part of the promotions leading up to the launch, Toshiba has unleashed a neat little unboxing video full of special effects and also created giveaway contest for a free limited edition Thrive.

The Toshiba Thrive is a 10.1-inch tablet running Android 3.1 Honeycomb with an NVIDIA 1GHz Tegra 2 dual-core processor, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The tablet will also feature a special haptic display, lock-screen button, pre-installed Swype keyboard UI, a Resolution Plus software for upscaling video content, and a removable battery rated for up to seven hours. It also supports Wi-Fi, HDMI, Bluetooth, and full-sized SD card slot.

The tablet was rumored early on to have a $700 price tag, but seeing how the Motorola XOOM sales went, Toshiba chose a much wiser $430 starting price for the 8GB model. An optional docking station can be had for an extra $59.99.

Windows Phone Tango Update — Tipped Before WP8 Apollo in Late 2012

Windows Phone Tango Update — Tipped Before WP8 Apollo in Late 2012

The successor to Windows Phone 7.1 Mango has been named, with reports out of Taiwan claiming that Microsoft is readying an update codenamed “Tango.” According to DigiTimes‘ supply chain sources, Microsoft is already signing licensing agreements with OEMs for use of Tango; Compal is name-checked as one such licensee, with the manufacturer already tipped to produce Nokia’s first Windows Phone models, as well as Acer’s, later in 2011. Interestingly, while Nokia was expected to shift to in-house production of Windows Phone hardware in 2012, only using Compal to get the initial handsets out of the door, the talk in Taipei is of ODM orders with Compal only increasing over that period. However, that’s based on Nokia reducing its R&D budget, something the company has already told us will predominantly come from phasing out Symbian and slimming MeeGo development. In fact, there will be increased investment in low-cost chipsets.

Now, a name doesn’t exactly tell you what you can expect in terms of new functionality on your smartphone, unless of course Tango gives it dance lessons. Still, it’s apparent indication that Microsoft plans at least one more – presumably significant – update to the platform, before Windows Phone 8 “Apollo” arrives sometime in 2012.

TAG Heuer LINK Released As Swiss — Luxury $6700 Android Handset

TAG Heuer LINK Released As Swiss — Luxury $6700 Android Handset

There comes a time in every mobile OS’s life when someone makes a device for it that’s so luxurious that only Kanye West will own one. You’ve got your Galaxy S II our there right now for over $600 if you want it in the USA right this moment, but how about if you want to drop over $6k? How about speaking with Swiss watchmakers TAG Heuer? They’ve got a device coming out that’s called the LINK – made of 316L Stainless steel, Gold, Diamonds, Black PVD, Titanium, Rubber, Calfskin leather, Carbon leather, Alligator and Lizard skin, ringing in at 4700€, aka $6700 USD.

This device will be running Android 2.2 Froyo with a fully customized UI on the top, has a candybar shape, and will be able to use “any SIM card” connecting over Edge & HSUPA working with 3G, has 4 Band GSM/Tri Band WCDMA, AGPS, Wifi, WAPI, and stereo Bluetooth. And such a wild device like this would never be able to get in under Google’s radar and get approval for the Android Market, would it? It sure did – you’ve got access to the full official Google Android Market and all of its thousands of apps, with a few fine favorites already built in: Google Search app, Google maps, Gmail, YouTube, and a lovely new oddity E-Blogger.

Promise Technology ships Thunderbolt Storage System

Promise Technology ships Thunderbolt Storage System

There are a few storage systems that will work with the new Apple and Intel designed Thunderbolt port for more bandwidth for devices. Promise has announced that it is now shipping a new storage device that uses the Thunderbolt port. The new storage device is called the Pegasus RAID solution. The Pegasus comes in 4-bay and 6-bay flavors depending on the needs of the user. The storage arrays support from 4TB to 12TB. Both the 4-bay and the 6-bay version are available for order from the Apple Online Store. The Pegasus device can be used for professional level video storage and editing and can play multiple streams of 8 or 10-bit HD video via the Thunderbolt port on new Mac computers. The storage devices were designed from the ground up for media and entertainment users. The Thunderbolt port provides the storage devices lots of bandwidth for data.

The Pegasus can deliver up to 864MB/s, which is 20 times faster than USB 2.0 and eight times faster than FireWire 800. The device ships with made for Mac OS X management software. The devices are also made to be quiet and green with little power need. Both of the devices support RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, and 10 and have dual Thunderbolt ports. The 4-bay solution is $999 and the 6-bay is $1,999.

Pentax WG-1 GPS Now Available in Shiny — Orange and Bright Beyond Belief

Pentax WG-1 GPS Now Available in Shiny — Orange and Bright Beyond Belief

If there’s one thing I love, it’s multiple colorways, and what I mean when I say that is that if you make a device, and I’m talking to you OEMs, I love to see it in several different color combinations. Just yesterday we had a post up on Android Community about the onset of colors in the chassis of Android devices, now let’s talk for a moment about the Pentax WG-1 GPS camera – a device which we last spoke about back in February as a rugged alternative to the fragile point and shoot devices that are so common in today’s digital landscape. Today we see a colorway that doesn’t make your eyes freak out and jump our of your head: Shiny Orange!

You’ll notice how I keep saying Shiny Orange. It’s not because that’s what I’ve decided to describe the color as – that’s the way the color is presented in the original release from Pentax in Japan! How about that! It’s always fun to see companies being more free with their descriptions of their products, especially when that freedom brings a fanciful sort of nature to the whole situation.

The device you’re looking at here has the ability to track and record positional data with each image you photograph, much like most of your smartphones equipped with cameras today, but here with a 14-megapixel sensor encased in, again, an ultra-rugged casing. This device can survive being dunked in water up to 14 feet, is totally shockproof for falls up to five feed, and is crushproof up to 220 pounds of force. So it’s not like you can toss it off a mountain only to be run over by a semi truck and drown to the Titanic, but it’s rough nonetheless.

Optimus Mini Six Hits — Production; Popularis Delayed

Optimus Mini Six Hits — Production; Popularis Delayed

Art Lebedev’s Optimus Project studios promised that the Mini Six companion keyboard – a compact accessory with six buttons each integrating a user-customizable display – would be here later on in 2011, and now the company has confirmed that it’s in the early production stage. In effect a doubled version of the Mini Three, the Mini Six does differ in that it uses new, more compact LCD displays for its keys.

Those displays, thanks to the relentless march of panel technology, mean Optimus can fit a 64 x 64 pixel screen into a smaller housing than in previous products. On full-sized keyboard that will mean easier typing and more compact form-factors, though for the Mini Six it will really just mean that the overall housing is smaller and your full-color icons are smoother and crisper.

As for the Optimus Popularis, the successor to the original Optimus Maximus – which had OLED keys and a massive price tag – that has been delayed again, and will apparently arrive in 2012. The company previously suggested that it would launch in late 2011. No word on pricing for either it or the Mini Six at this stage.

Nook Color First To Get Angry Birds With — Location-Based Magic Places

Nook Color First To Get Angry Birds With — Location-Based Magic Places

Rovio has been busy developing a new location-based feature for its immensely popular Angry Birds game. The new game format called Angry Birds Magic will have real-world tie-ins that let users unlock extra game content depending on where they’re physically located. Today, we find out that the lucky users of Barnes & Noble’s Nook Color e-readers will be the very first to try out Angry Birds Magic. Angry Birds Magic works by using either NFC or GPS data to unlock special game content. For instance, if you have an NFC-enabled device you will be able to tap it with another NFC-enabled device or with a location-specific NFC tag to unlock extras. GPS data can also be used to determine your location and reward you with extra content depending on where you are.

Barnes & Noble was able to snag a sweet deal with Rovio to have the Angry Birds Magic debut on the Nook Color. When Nook Color users are connected to the Wi-Fi network at a Barnes & Noble store, they will be able to use the “Might Eagle” bird for free. The Mighty Eagle is an all-powerful bird that destroys everything on screen. In return, Barnes & Noble will be making room for Angry Birds merchandise and even offer free Angry Birds stickers and temporary tattoos.

The Nook Color slots in between an e-reader and a tablet, as it sports a full color screen, runs Android OS, and even offers web browsing, apps, and email. More advanced users have even been able to root the device to run their own custom ROMs. The Nook Color currently sells for $249.

Nikon Shows Off Wild Looking — Prototype And Concept Cameras

Nikon Shows Off Wild Looking — Prototype And Concept Cameras

Nikon isn’t exactly a company I associate with out there designs and concept devices. The company does design some though and has several concepts and prototypes on display in France at the Hello Demain exhibition. The first of the concepts in the photo below is a very interesting looking camera that has more than just interchangeable lenses. Apparently the camera has interchangeable LCD, lens, and grips to customize the camera to your needs. That is a cool idea, we can customize the lens to our needs with a DSLR, why not the rest of the camera too $564 .

The next is an odd one called Nikon Multi-Ball. It looks like one of those cameras that you sit somewhere at a party and it takes photos all around the place to create a large scene. Exactly what it does or is we don’t know. Nikon Rumors thinks it may be a 3D-panorama camera. There is also a prototype camera with a giant 6-inch screen and handles on each side. It looks really strange to me and presumably would be more like a media player able to show photos and video on a big screen than a camera alone.

The final design also has no detail offered by Nikon and is called the i-Ball. It looks like an eye, hence the name, and if I had to guess I would say this is a webcam. That might be totally off though. What do you think about these cams? I think the first one with three interchangeable parts is the most interesting and perhaps the most likely to jump to the real world.

MySpace Heads To The Bargain Bin, Low $20-30M Bids

MySpace Heads To The Bargain Bin, Low $20-30M Bids

Ever since Facebook began picking up steam, MySpace steadily shrunk in popularity. Almost 50 percent of the MySpace staff have recently been laid off and now the site is up for sale. News Corp purchased MySpace back in 2005 for a whopping $600 million, but the latest bids for the site are coming in between only $20 to $30 million.

MySpace was one of the most popular social platforms back in the mid 2000's. However, over the years it was impacted by negative news of sex-offenders on the platform giving it a reputation as being a pervert haven. As Facebook leaped ahead, MySpace had to re-focus as a music and entertainment oriented social network, but has continued to lose money.

News Corp. is said to be closing a deal by this week and has so far had at least two bidders—Specific Media and Golden Gate Captial. Both bidders are lesser known with Specific Media being an advertising network and Golden Gate Capital being a private equity firm. Both buyers intend to continue MySpace as a social platform with a focus on music and entertainment. The bids, however, were very low at between $20 to $30 million.

Industry Analyst — Predictions For The Next Gen iPhone 5

Industry Analyst — Predictions For The Next Gen iPhone 5

Industry analyst predictions for the next-gen iPhone have been all over the place. Rumors initially pointed to an iPhone 5 coming in September, however, later evidence suggested that only a minor upgrade dubbed the iPhone 4S. Soon, insider tips suggested both phones to be on their way. But once again, the winds have changed and now possibly only the iPhone 4S will show up this fall.

According to BMO Capital analyst Keith Bachman, not only are early rumors of an iPhone mini false, but also any plans for an iPhone 5 this September. In a note to investors, Bachman insists that Apple will only be offering a modest upgrade in specs packed into the current iPhone 4 form factor. He even dropped iPhone shipment estimates for the quarter from 18 million down to 17 million. He further suggested that the upgrade would be so minor that the iPhone 4 would not become a budget model and that the iPhone 3GS would continue being the low-end offering at $99.

HP Offers $50 TouchPad Mail In Rebate — For Pre And Pixi Owners

HP Offers $50 TouchPad Mail In Rebate — For Pre And Pixi Owners

HP may be trying to make up for the upset they caused when they denied over-the-air updates for customers of older Pre, Pre Plus, Pixi, and Pixi Plus phones. Back in February when the company introduced webOS 3.0, they confirmed that phones older than the Pre 3 could not be upgraded. So now, it appears as a form of apology, HP is offering Pre and Pixi owners a special $50 mail-in rebate on the upcoming HP TouchPad tablet.

For some, that may suffice, but the majority of webOS loyals may see the gesture as very half-hearted. First of all, the offer only applies to the 32GB TouchPad model that retails for $599. For those that had no plans to purchase the 32GB model, the offer is pretty meaningless. Secondly, since the original problem meant that Pre and Pixi owners essentially had outdated phones, a rebate or discount on a future phone would make more sense.

In order to take advantage of the offer, you will have to present proof of purchase for one of the specified phones and make the TouchPad purchase before July 31st. The 9.7-inch tablet will be the company’s very first entry into the tablet market and is slated for release on July 1st with pre-orders already being taken at select retailers. The TouchPad will also be the first device to run webOS 3.0.

Apple Issues Refunds After Final — Cut Pro X Complaints

Apple Issues Refunds After Final — Cut Pro X Complaints

When Apple first previewed the next-gen flagship film editing software, Final Cut Pro X, back in April, it was touted as a “jaw-dropping” completely revamped 64-bit masterpiece. And, all for an amazing never before seen low price. However, since its debut last week, loyal users that went for the upgrade have indeed jaw-dropped but not in a good way. Luckily, many that complained were able to get refunds, something not typical of Mac App Store sales $5462.

The new Final Cut Pro X quickly became one of the top selling apps being sold exclusively in the Mac App Store. But, its over one thousand ratings are mostly one star. The software has had many of its pro features stripped away and isn’t backwards compatible, meaning movie projects made in the prior version cannot be opened.

The Mac App Store’s policies usually make all sales final, but it looks like Apple is hearing the complaints loud and clear. Many upset customers filed requests through a customer service form and were able to get refunds issued.

Alienware M18x Crams New — NVIDIA GTX 580M GPU inside

Alienware M18x Crams New — NVIDIA GTX 580M GPU inside

Alienware and NVIDIA have a long history of unveiling new computers that use the latest NVIDIA hardware inside. Alienware has announced a new notebook computer called the M18x that uses what NVIDIA claims to be the fastest notebook GPU ever. NVIDIA also says that the new GPU will come in the M17x notebooks soon too. The M18x is the first notebook to use the new GPU.

NVIDIA points out that the machine will work in SLI modem inside the gaming notebook as well for blazing fast performance. The Alienware M17x will offer a single GTX 580M and will use Optimus technology to allow for up to five hours of run time when doing simple things like browsing Facebook. NVIDIA says that the single GPU is also powerful enough to deliver 100 fps in Call of Duty Black Ops.

NVIDIA says the new GTX 580M has up to six times the tessellation performance than any other notebook GPU. The GPU supports 3D Vision, 3DTV Play software, and Optimus technology along with SLI in certain notebooks. The GPU also supports PhysX, CUDA, and uses Verde notebook drivers. There is no word on pricing or availability of the notebooks at this time.

Adobe Courts Grumpy Final Cut Pro — X users With Switch Endorsements

Adobe Courts Grumpy Final Cut Pro — X users With Switch Endorsements

Adobe has gone on the charm offensive with dissatisfied Apple Final Cut Pro X users, attempting to persuade them to jump ship from the allegedly “dumbed-down” video editing package to its own Premiere Pro software. The company has pushed out a number of videos and profiles highlighting previous switchers – and the success they’ve had since – as well as tutorials showing how straightforward it can be to make the jump from Final Cut Pro $546.

Final Cut Pro X was released last week after much anticipation from video editors. However, that excitement turned, in some cases, to disappointment, with complaints that the software lacked backward compatibility with projects created in older versions, as well as some of the previously standard features they had come to rely on. In response, Apple has begun offering special refunds to users wanting to step back to previous versions.

4G LTE iPhone 5 and iPad 3 — Hinted in LulzSec Leak

4G LTE iPhone 5 and iPad 3 — Hinted in LulzSec Leak

So you remember that End of 50 Days letter the good fellas of LulzSec sent out yesterday Turns out one of the files they leaked, the AT&T one to be exact, may well align some numbers to point to an AT&T 4G LTE release of both the iPhone 5 and the iPad 3, both of them in August or September of this year, 2011. Sounds pretty raw! What we’re seeing here is a bit of older news on how AT&T plans on rolling out tiered pricing for their upcoming LTE rollout. It’s the date of this proposed “migration” that has us double-looking.

If you’ll look back at history, there’s quite the line of suggestions suggesting that the iPhone 5 OR the “iPhone 4S” will be released in August or September. First there’s one for iPhone 5 in September from April 20th, another from June 27th saying iPhone 4S AND iPhone 5 are coming in Q3, another for LTE in 2012, iPhone 4S in September from May 18th. Then there’s a June 13th post about a September launch for the “next iPhone,” one for the iPhone 5 coming Spring 2012 with the iPhone 4S coming again in September, an April 11th post about the iPhone 5 coming in September, one for the iPhone 5 in August, and one from May that’s supposedly coming directly from AT&T and Apple that says No New iPhone Until September.

Sound like enough details to you Now note that this LulzSec leak of an AT&T document says that they’ll be aiming to have their LTE network up and running by August or September of 2011 with an iPad and iPhone “migration” slated to start at that same time.

Also note the iPhone and iPad you see in the image above comes from an industrial designer by the name of Roman Vladamir Sima – they are only conceptual and should be taken as such. The original letter sent out with this set of information can be found at LulzSecurity, and the torrent containing the file you see above plus about a billion more can be found past a couple of clicks on that same site.

Rymble Merges Real — World With Social Networking Online

Rymble Merges Real — World With Social Networking Online

No, that isn’t the spinner from the board game Life you see in the image below. It a contraption called Rymble by Symplio that is intended to merge virtual social networks with the real world. It is a sort of real world notification system. It will allow you to see what is going on when you are not on the site for Facebook or other networks. The maker describes it as a “living internet object” $543 that mirrors what happens on the social network for likes messages, and requests using movement of the Facebook wheel and sounds.

I think the thing might get annoying; some of the people on my Facebook page are constantly liking and posting everything from “I’m bored” to “I just ate Mexican food.” I had one of these it would be spinning constantly. The device can be linked to a favorite topic, artists, team, band, or any other subject and it will move to show you when that topic is being talked about.

The skins that sit on top of the base that has all the guts of the system are completely customizable to allow you to track whatever you want. You will be able to have your own skins created for anything you want to follow and artsy types can make money from every skin they design. The device isn’t available just yet and there is no indication of when it will launch or how much they will cost. Check out the video below for more detail.

Vizio Reveals 2H 2011 — TVs Plus Google TV Sets

Vizio Reveals 2H 2011 — TVs Plus Google TV Sets

Vizio has recently been making some buzz with their budget-friendly Android tablet readying for launch within the next two months. And now it’s back to their TVs, as the company just revealed a detailed roadmap for upcoming TVs for the second half of 2011. The new offerings will also include Vizio’s first Google TV sets with the XVT 6 series.

The XVT 6 series will be 3D TVs offered in 47-inch and 55-inch sizes. Both will run Android 3.1 Honeycomb, which Google announced to be its future Google TV platform back at I/O. This means that the Android Market will also be arriving with these new TVs, although Vizio’s Via Plus services will still remain. The TV sets will feature 480Hz LCD panels, and support for both Bluetooth and touchpad controls. They should ship by this December and include four pairs of 3D glasses.

Additionally, Vizio will be offering new XVT Razor Cinemawide screens that boast 21:9 aspect ratios similar to what you get in actual movie theaters. It will have a 2560×1080 resolution with 120Hz refresh rate and come in both a 50-inch and a 58-inch model. However, there won’t be support for Google TV or touchpad controls. But, there will be Bluetooth support, smart-dimming LED backlights, and four pairs of 3D glasses. This series is scheduled to ship this October.

NetSecure Kudos Credit Card — Solution Hits Canada

NetSecure Kudos Credit Card — Solution Hits Canada

Generally when we are talking about a credit card processing system for mobile phones we are looking at a system for the iPhone. A new mobile processing solution has turned up specifically for Canadians that are using a BlackBerry smartphone. The system comes from NetSecure and is called Kudos. The company also makes systems that will work for the iPhone and Android devices as well.

Once the card reader is connected to the smartphone the payment processing can be done for credit cards and debit cards at lower fees. Small businesses in Canada have had few services to choose from so an extra choice is a good thing for business owners. The Kudos kit is a point of sale kit in a box. It includes a swipe terminal, POS software, and a merchant account.

The software is offered for laptops and for mobile phones. The rate per transaction is 2.9% with no monthly of ongoing fees. The Kudos kit is available for Canadians for $49.99 normally and is available at no charge right now while supplies last.

Kensington Orbit Wireless — Mobile Trackball Up For Pre Order

Kensington Orbit Wireless — Mobile Trackball Up For Pre Order

If you say Kensington to me, I automatically think about the notebook locks and the little port for those locks that is on just about every small computer on the market to keep them from being stolen. Kensington makes a lot more than just notebook locks though with a full range of peripherals and other stuff. The latest peripheral to come out of Kensington is the Orbit Wireless Mobile Trackball.

The Trackball is an input device that works like a mouse and is favored by people with carpal tunnel or those that have little room for mousing. You move the ball to control the cursor and the little wireless version is sized for portability. The Orbit uses 2.4GHz wireless tech and comes with a tiny nano receiver that can be stored inside the Orbit when needed.

The Orbit has touch scrolling for zipping through pages fast. The peripheral is also ambidextrous so left handed users can play. Kensington ships the Orbit with TrackBall Works software for customization and the device is plug-and play. It will work with Mac or PC computers and can be pre-ordered now for $59.99.

ISIS Mobile Payments — To Start In Austin

ISIS Mobile Payments — To Start In Austin

 

Being able to “tap and pay” with your smartphones will be widespread next year according to the predictions of Google exec Eric Schmidt. The company has begun rolling out its Google Wallet mobile payment system after last month’s announcement. And to keep up, competing mobile payment service ISIS—a joint venture between AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile—is speeding up the delivery of its system, now set to start in Austin, TX.

ISIS will deliver a similar NFC-based mobile wallet system that links your existing Visa, MasterCard, or other major credit card with your mobile account. Originally, the group had greater ambitions to completely replace conventional credit card networks with its own comprehensive offering that would make revenue both on transaction fees and ads. This would essentially mean competing head-to-head against Visa and MasterCard. Plus, Visa announced its own plans for mobile payments.

They have since had to scale back possibly realizing the clout of Visa and MasterCard and also to roll out their service quicker. ISIS had previously announced that their first trial city would be Salt Lake City, making Austin the second city to be announced for their trial program set to start within the first half of 2012. Austin residents will be able to use ISIS-enabled NFC handsets to tap and pay at participating store.