The new Apple iPod touch, announced today, includes the retina display from the iPhone 4, an Apple A4 core, 3-axis gyroscope, and FaceTime support thanks to the addition of a front cam.

Apple is streaming it live. Engadget has live coverage (below).

The rear cam is capable of HD video — but it will cost you: $229 for 8GB, $299 for 32GB. They’re available next week. The iPod nano is even smaller and has a tiny screen, for $149 for 8GB or $179 for 16GB. The new iPod shuffle will sell for just $49 and comes in five different colors.

In iTunes 10, Apple announced Ping — a social network for music. Ping is for social music discovery. You can follow people and you can be followed.

The new AppleTV box is small — a 4th of the size of the current ATV.

It’s got HDMI, USB, optical audio and Ethernet. “It’s all rentals and you don’t store anything on it — you just rent them.” TV shows are $.99.

In addition to renting, you can also stream Netflix or watch anything on YouTube. You can get photos from Flickr and MobileMe. And you can stream content from your computer. You can also push the video you’re watching from your iPad to your TV.

It’s just $99 and will be available in 4 weeks.

Among other things, Apple will compete with Roku, which just dropped the prices across the board, with the base model now costing $59. The 802.11n-equipped Roku HD-XR is $99, while the same model sans the wireless is only $69. Roku has hundreds of channels with over 50,000 choices — from movies, TV shows and sports, including everything from Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, and MLB.com. Google TV is expected to add its own box by the end of the year.

View full post on dailywireless.org

Amazon.com’s new headquarters in Seattle is equipped with an interactive, touch-screen transit kiosk that shows real-time public transit information and local amenities. It uses OneBusAway, a suite of tools to make using public transit easier for King County riders.

People can view “real-time arrival times for Metro bus routes, find streetcar stops and arrival times, as well as pinpoint nearby restaurants, shops and services on an interactive neighborhood amenities map.”

The 40-inch, map-based kiosk combines the accessibility of touch-screen technology with neighborhood amenity information and real-time arrival information for transit.

The kiosk taps into live data feeds from the popular OneBusAway application, King County Metro, Sound Transit and the Seattle Streetcar, as well as a comprehensive, updated database of South Lake Union amenities.

Perhaps your nearby solar-powered, Wi-Fi enabled, bus stop will sprout $300 touch-screen tablets. You’d think newspapers would be all over on it.

Low power Organic LEDs, flexible, efficient CIGs solar, tablet computers, 4G wireless, and WiFi-enabled smartphones are the new urban environment. Now. Today.

Juniper Research says the combined revenues from pay apps, value-added services, subscriptions and advertising is expected to rise from just under $10 billion in 2009 to $32 billion in 2015.

Related Dailywireless solar articles include; SF Gets Solar Wi-Fi Bus Shelters , Open Transit Apps Compared, How to Create Transit Applications, Social Bicycles: Cheaper Bike Sharing, Bike Sharing Gets an App, Apps for The City, Augmented History, SOLARBrella Powers Laptops & Hotspots, Solar-powered WiFi Flowers, Solar WiFi Park Bench, Meraki: Wall Warts and Solar Power, Cell Towers Go Green with Renewables and Emergency Communications Applications.

View full post on dailywireless.org

Amazon.com’s new headquarters in Seattle is equipped with an interactive, touch-screen transit kiosk that shows real-time public transit information and local amenities. It uses OneBusAway, a suite of tools to make using public transit easier for King County riders.

People can view “real-time arrival times for Metro bus routes, find streetcar stops and arrival times, as well as pinpoint nearby restaurants, shops and services on an interactive neighborhood amenities map.”

The 40-inch, map-based kiosk combines the accessibility of touch-screen technology with neighborhood amenity information and real-time arrival information for transit.

The kiosk taps into live data feeds from the popular OneBusAway application, King County Metro, Sound Transit and the Seattle Streetcar, as well as a comprehensive, updated database of South Lake Union amenities.

Perhaps your nearby solar-powered, Wi-Fi enabled, bus stop will sprout $300 touch-screen tablets. You’d think newspapers would be all over on it.

Low power Organic LEDs, flexible, efficient CIGs solar, tablet computers, 4G wireless, and WiFi-enabled smartphones are the new urban environment. Now. Today.

Juniper Research says the combined revenues from pay apps, value-added services, subscriptions and advertising is expected to rise from just under $10 billion in 2009 to $32 billion in 2015.

Related Dailywireless solar articles include; SF Gets Solar Wi-Fi Bus Shelters , Open Transit Apps Compared, How to Create Transit Applications, Social Bicycles: Cheaper Bike Sharing, Bike Sharing Gets an App, Apps for The City, Augmented History, SOLARBrella Powers Laptops & Hotspots, Solar-powered WiFi Flowers, Solar WiFi Park Bench, Meraki: Wall Warts and Solar Power, Cell Towers Go Green with Renewables and Emergency Communications Applications.

View full post on dailywireless.org

Product: ID49C07u

Manufacturer: Gateway

Wired Rating: 8

Dashing good looks and cutting-edge performance don’t have to come at a steep price, and for scholars heading back to school this fall, there’s only a handful of machines that strike this trifecta.

And Gateway’s ID series — embodied here in its ID49C07u — has all three. Specs include an Intel Core i3 at 2.26 GHz, 4 GB of DDR3 RAM and a 500-GB hard drive. Performance is impressive for a sub-$1,000 unit. While gaming chops are basically nonexistent, general app performance is on par with machines that cost twice as much. There’s no Blu-ray on this unit — and only Intel’s integrated HD graphics — but those are trade-offs worth the uber-affordable $680 price tag.

No slouch in the looks department, the ID49 rocks a modern design, with a platform keyboard and, intriguingly, a track pad that illuminates from beneath when clicked. The gesture area is, unfortunately, a love-it-or-hate-it feature. The entire pad is one big button, depressing into the unit completely when you click on it. While it’s an interesting design choice, clicks require too much effort, and if you don’t have your fingers positioned over the very bottom of the pad, your clicks won’t register at all — although the pad will still depress and make a sound. The light-up effect can also be distracting when the machine is not in use (and the screensaver effects kick in).

The 14-inch (1366 x 768 pixels) wide-screen laptop manages to stay under five pounds while keeping battery life at 2 ¾ hours long and screen brightness exceptionally high. If your academic achiever is looking for a slightly smaller machine than the usual 15-incher — but still wants a machine that performs well and feels plenty spacious — Gateway’s ID series is full of win.

WIRED Solid performance for a great budget price. Modern styling. Well-positioned USB ports. Very portable, fairly lightweight and quite slim.

TIRED Still not used to the mega-click touchpad after a week of testing. Keyboard has next to no travel. Needs a serious kick in the graphics pants.

View full post on Wired Product Reviews

Streaming service Netflix has updated its iOS application with support for the iPhone and iPod touch.

View full post on Macworld

In the past we have seen announcements in advance of Nokia World so that Nokia could then announce other new and exciting products at NW. Today we see the announcement of the Nokia X3 Touch and Type device (X3-02). This device has something of a rare form factor with a standard 12 button phone keypad and a 2.4 inch resistive touchscreen display. It is a low cost phone, MSRP of EUR 125, that is designed to give those who love using phone keypads the chance to also experience the touch user interface.

There are millions of people who have become quite proficient at one handed, no looking, SMS with a standard phone keypad and this device lets them continue this behavior. The X3 is only 9.6mm (0.38 inches) thick and still packs in 3G, WiFi, FM radio, microSD card slot and 5 megapixel camera. It is powered by S40.

The other X3 device announced at Nokia World 2009 is labeled the X3-00 and has a slide down keypad without a touchscreen display.

View full post on Nokia Experts

It never ceases to amaze me some of the awesome talent over at XDA Developers and this is another one of those times. Only a few days since the Droid 2 graced us with its presence and they have already been able to port the multi-touch keyboard to other devices including the EVO, Desire, and the N1. Now there are still some bugs especially with the Droid 1, and it only works on some of the ROM’s but at least it is a push in the right direction.

So far it is comfirmed working on:

• CM6 Nightlies/Tests (Incredible)
• jdfroyo v1.9 (Incredible)
• Skyraider 2.? (Incredible)
• 8/1 froyo leak (Incredible)
• aiccucs 4.2 (Incredible)
• CM6 (EVO)
• Bugless Beast 4 (Motorola Droid)
• Ultimate Droid Extreme Froyo 6.00 (Motorola Droid?)
• CM6 (Nexus 1)
• modaco r21 (Nexus 1)
• DeFrost 2.6a (Desire)
• ** THIS HAS KNOWN ISSUES CAUSING THE HARDWARE KEYBOARD TO DO WEIRD STUFF ON THE DROID 1!!!!

If you are interested on trying it on your device head on over to the source link and download the APK. Let us know what you think.

Droid 2 Multi Touch Keyboard Ported To Several Devices

View full post on Google Android News Android Forums

It never ceases to amaze me some of the awesome talent over at XDA Developers and this is another one of those times. Only a few days since the Droid 2 graced us with its presence and they have already been able to port the multi-touch keyboard to other devices including the EVO, Desire, and the N1. Now there are still some bugs especially with the Droid 1, and it only works on some of the ROM’s but at least it is a push in the right direction.

So far it is comfirmed working on:

• CM6 Nightlies/Tests (Incredible)
• jdfroyo v1.9 (Incredible)
• Skyraider 2.? (Incredible)
• 8/1 froyo leak (Incredible)
• aiccucs 4.2 (Incredible)
• CM6 (EVO)
• Bugless Beast 4 (Motorola Droid)
• Ultimate Droid Extreme Froyo 6.00 (Motorola Droid?)
• CM6 (Nexus 1)
• modaco r21 (Nexus 1)
• DeFrost 2.6a (Desire)
• ** THIS HAS KNOWN ISSUES CAUSING THE HARDWARE KEYBOARD TO DO WEIRD STUFF ON THE DROID 1!!!!

If you are interested on trying it on your device head on over to the source link and download the APK. Let us know what you think.

Droid 2 Multi Touch Keyboard Ported To Several Devices

View full post on Google Android News Android Forums

It never ceases to amaze me some of the awesome talent over at XDA Developers and this is another one of those times. Only a few days since the Droid 2 graced us with its presence and they have already been able to port the multi-touch keyboard to other devices including the EVO, Desire, and the N1. Now there are still some bugs especially with the Droid 1, and it only works on some of the ROM’s but at least it is a push in the right direction.

So far it is comfirmed working on:

• CM6 Nightlies/Tests (Incredible)
• jdfroyo v1.9 (Incredible)
• Skyraider 2.? (Incredible)
• 8/1 froyo leak (Incredible)
• aiccucs 4.2 (Incredible)
• CM6 (EVO)
• Bugless Beast 4 (Motorola Droid)
• Ultimate Droid Extreme Froyo 6.00 (Motorola Droid?)
• CM6 (Nexus 1)
• modaco r21 (Nexus 1)
• DeFrost 2.6a (Desire)
• ** THIS HAS KNOWN ISSUES CAUSING THE HARDWARE KEYBOARD TO DO WEIRD STUFF ON THE DROID 1!!!!

If you are interested on trying it on your device head on over to the source link and download the APK. Let us know what you think.

Droid 2 Multi Touch Keyboard Ported To Several Devices

View full post on Google Android News Android Forums

The Squeezebox Touch is a great way to connect Internet music sources and your own collection to a set of external speakers, especially in a home theater.

View full post on Macworld

Image: Agile Tortoise

Like many, I first learned about letterboxing through an excellent article in Smithsonian Magazine back in 1998. I thought it was a fantastic idea, and longed to travel to England where it all began. If you are unfamiliar with letterboxing, visit one of two major sites that teach you about it, give clues to the boxes and list plenty of other information: Letterboxing North America and AtlasQuest.

The basic idea of letterboxing is very similar to geocaching. The puzzles specify a starting point, and then you follow clues to find the letterbox. GPS devices aren’t used, but instead you do things such as, “Walk 20 paces toward the tallest tree,” or perhaps you’ll have to decipher a cryptic poem to lead you to the box. Once you find the letterbox, inside you will find a rubber stamp and a log book, at the very least. You should have also brought your own rubber stamp and log book, along with an ink pad in case the box doesn’t have one, and a pen to write your name and the date in both books. Use your stamp to stamp their book, and their stamp to stamp your book. Sometimes there are other interesting things inside the letterbox, such as a traveling letterbox stamp. Those you can take to another letterbox and deposit there. Despite the popularity of geocaching, the more high tech version of letterboxing, letterboxing itself is still a very active pasttime.

To add to the fun, there are now some high tech tools to assist in letterboxing. BoxFinder by Agile Tortoise, an app for the iPod Touch or iPhone, will allow you to take your clues with you, paper-free. If you have an iPhone, you can search for letterboxes from wherever you have signal. If you have an iPod Touch, you’ll have to do the search from somewhere with wi-fi, and then you can save the search to bring the clues with you.

BoxFinder’s search feature allows you to search for letterboxes near your location, by address or by letterbox name. If you don’t have an address, just a city, it can perform that search as well. Once you have the list you want, you can save the list, email the list information, view the clues on the web, or open them in Safari. Those last two options are very similar, and I’m not sure why both are included. Viewing the clue on the web takes you, within BoxFinder, to its place on the web. I wouldn’t ever open the clues in Safari because it quits BoxFinder and you lose any unsaved search data.

This app uses the information located on AtlasQuest and Letterboxing North America, both of which contain international letterbox listings. To try out the international search possibilities, I saved searches for letterboxes in Bath, England, and Paris, France. Hopefully I’ll make it to both places one day, but in the meantime it’s a glimpse into European leisure time.

There are letterboxes all over the world, with thousands of them in the United States, so including some letterboxing on a future trip is easy. Adding letterboxing to some of your travels is even better than doing it at home, since with every new destination you’ll have new boxes to discover. Once you’ve been letterboxing from home for a while, you’ll quickly exhaust the local boxes.

While I think BoxFinder is quite useful, and I will use it on all my future letterboxing adventures, I do think there is room for improvement. It is a simple app and does what it does well, but I wish you could save individual letterboxes, rather than just saving search results. It’d be handy to do a search, and save only the ones you want to visit. I also wish that there was a way to mark information about the letterbox hunt, complete with the date and a notes field for such things as who was with you, what the hike was like and any other details.

There is at least one other letterboxing app that is somewhat more sophisticated (with a higher price to match), but if you’re looking for simplicity, ease of use and a great price, this one does the job. It does a few things and does them well.

BoxFinder is available at the iTunes app store for $1.99.

Wired: A simple app that allows you to search for letterboxes nearby or near an address. Does what it needs to do.

Tired: I wish it had some additional useful features.

Added after publication: BoxFinder has just been updated to include mapping of letterbox locations (for those that there is enough information to place on a map) and the ability to save individual letterboxes. Additional improvements will come in the future.

Note: I received a free copy of this app for review.

View full post on GeekDad

I know, I know, for many of us it may be more than just a little tempting to gently stroke that little green robot as you boot up your phone or a newly installed ROM for the first time. We all have enough loving for the green guy to go around, but sometimes it may be best to keep our hands to ourselves. Now, not every phone goes through this process depending on the flavor of Android and manufacturer, but chances are if you are the sort of person who wants to skip it you have experienced the setup tutorial more than enough times.

This quick tip is actually quite simple. When beckoned to “touch the Android” just press the four corners, starting in the upper left, in a clockwise order and you can get right into configuring the phone the way you want to. Load up your WiFi, add a few accounts…do whatever, the way you deal with withdraw from not touching the Android is up to you.

[PocketNow via Gizmodo]

View full post on Android Phone Fans

Stuck with an HTC HD2 but really wishing it was an HTC EVO 4G? You can get closer than ever by replacing that tired version of WinMo with Android, and thanks to the HTC Linux team you’ll now get a properly functioning touch screen. The release (also supporting other variants of Linux such as Ubunutu) isn’t quite stable, but soon enough your “practically an EVO” might just be running Android well enough to fool even the most discerning cell phone connoisseurs at a quick glance.

[via Engadget]

View full post on Android Phone Fans

The update to Android 2.1 for the HTC Hero is a two part process. In order to install the actual OS update properly handset owners must first perform a maintenance update that gets the Hero all geared up for bigger and better things. But now — citing some issues that prevented some users from even installing the preparatory update — T-Mobile is pulling the first half of the upgrade for their G2 Touch (that’s what they call their version of the Hero).

Straight from the horses mouth:

“Recently we released a minor maintenance update for the G2 Touch and we have noticed that a small number of customers were experiencing issues when installing this. After investigating this we have decided to temporarily remove the update. As soon as our investigations are complete we will let you know when the maintenance update will become available”

Now if you were one of the unlucky ones to experience the technical hang-up, you may be left staring blankly at a G2 Touch screen mocking you with a flashing triangle warning you of the obvious fact that your device has ceased to operate properly. If that’s the case, fear not. T-Mobile’s forum has you covered. If on the other hand you just want to know when you can get back to updating your phone as normal, well we just don’t have an answer for you just yet. Stay tuned.

[via EuroDroid]

View full post on Android Phone Fans

Remember that could-be Android-based media player listed as a Samsung device? The Samsung YP-MB2 looked to be a mobile internet device with all the trappings of the Samsung Galaxy S, and it looks like that just might be the case. The device is now rumored to be coming to market as the Samsung Galaxy Touch, as the line of Galaxy Android phones and devices grows.

What you should be getting is what amounts to a Galaxy S sans phone connectivity, very much like the iPod Touch in relation to the iPhone. Throw in Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and you have a little family of devices that almost mirrors that of Apple’s. If only a company that didn’t use the TouchWiz interface had beat them to it…

The Samsung Galaxy Touch is most likely dropping in August for around $330.

[via AndroidGuys]

View full post on Android Phone Fans

Touch Racing Nitro is a great racing game, though it takes some getting used to thanks to the unique controls. Instead of the virtual directional pad popular in most iPhone games you lead a race car on a virtual leash controlled by your finger.

The control system is a break from the many racing games that have the user steer the car by tilting the iPhone as if it is a steering wheel. Because the controls take a bit of getting used to, it is highly recommended that you play through the Touch Racing Nitro tutorial to get a feel for them (even the app’s home page includes the phrase “Warning! Extremely challenging” in the title).

During gameplay the race car follows your finger around the track. The race car will be sped up or slowed down based on how far your finger is from the car. (…)
Read the rest of Finger Race with Touch Racing Nitro

All App Reviews © AppCraver.com, 2010. |
Finger Race with Touch Racing Nitro | Best iPad Apps | Best Free Apps

View full post on AppCraver

Mssmison has released a new ROM for the HTC Vogue: Touch CDMA called sense 2.1 with lwp, Release 1.

Okay, a new base build here, I started with the sprint hero dump for CDMA, ported it first to GSM and then to the vogue. Then I figured out how to get LiveWallPapers working in HTC Sense.

From what I know we`re the first, no one else figured out how to do this yet, unless it`s the Nexus which uses the Desire port as a base.

I`ve shared the files with some old friends Zenulator and Jamezelle who will be releasing builds for their devices as well with this included.

I also removed the htc ringtones and added assorted ogg ringtones, this helps alot with phone speed. also disable your vibrate for the phone app.

Head over to Mssmison’s AndroidSPIN Developer Homepage for more info and Downloads.

View full post on AndroidSPIN | Your No.1 source for Android news.

NRK P3 Touch Edition
NRK P3 now for Touch Editions! Nokia S60 5rd ed. Get NRK P3 for free – straight to your pocket. In addition you get 4 unique radio channels: Entertainment from Radiosepsjonen, rock from Pyro, hiphop from National Rap Show, and the hit channel mP3.

Read more on All About Symbian

“I really don’t know how to describe it other than to say you have to see it to believe it… If you checked out a magical version of The Elements from the Hogwarts library, this would be it.”

This was how Theodore Gray describes his application, The Elements: A Visual Exploration for the iPad. I had the opportunity to review the application over the weekend with some science-y friends of mine. All were in agreement: if books like this were around when we were in school, it would have been a lot more fun to learn the periodic table.

Then again, this is no book. The Elements is an iPad application based on Theodore Gray’s beautiful hard cover book, The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe. Containing similar information, the pictures and data come to live in the iPad application in a way they never could in a book.

After starting the application you are presented with the entire periodic table of the elements. Upon closer inspection, each element is a picture of something physical that is either the element itself or an idea that represents the element. While things like carbon are relatively easy to photograph, Einsteinium requires a little more photographic license. Each picture in the table is also moving, enticing you to touch it and learn more.

When you do, you’re presented with a nice large picture of the element and a fantastic amount of information provided by WolframAlpha. This requires an active internet connection as the data is pulled off the internet. But while the amount of information available is deep, the interface to mining all this data is clean and understandable. It feels like something out of science fiction, yet there it is in my hands.

There is a button to press that advances the screen to a write up of the element and includes additional pictures, which represent how that element exists in everyday life. The pictures are gorgeous and perfectly shot. Each can be interacted with as well, allowing you to spin them around and examine them more closely. This helps visualize each element much more than a 2d picture ever could and adds a lot of magic to the app. Each image can also be viewed in 3d with a pair of 3d glasses, which run around 5$ from the publisher’s site.

Additionally, the write-ups themselves are as much entertaining as they are informative. My hats off to Theodore for making exploring the elements a real joy.

The only complaints I heard were from a high-school physics and chemistry teacher. He was duly impressed with the application but frustrated by the lack of one feature in particular. The interface steps you through each element in detail by its atomic number, but does not allow you to move up or down within a group. For example, comparing the noble gases would be easy if you could navigate up and down group 18 without having to return to the application’s home page each time.

But this is a minor complaint given the application’s purpose: describing the stuff that makes up everything around us. Not only is it fascinating, seeing this information presented on the iPad particularly engages the reader in a way I was not prepared for. Fundamental science took on new meaning and I felt like a kid again discovering this stuff for the first time. Publishers should take note: this app makes learning science fun.

The Elements: A Visual Exploration for the iPad (iTunes) $13.99

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this app for review.

More images from the application appear after the break. Read the full story

Product: Reader Daily Edition

Manufacturer: Sony

Wired Rating: 4

Wired

Entourage eDGe

Archos 9 PC Tablet

Sony Reader Daily Edition

Coolreaders Cool-er

Astak 6″ EZ Reader

iRex Digital Reader 1000S

Barnes & Noble Nook

Amazon.com Kindle DX

Apple iPhone

Amazon.com Kindle 2

Touchscreens make everything better and more intuitive, right?

Not so fast: Sometimes adding touchscreen technology has drawbacks that seriously outweigh the benefits. Exhibit A: the Sony Reader Daily Edition.

It’s an e-book reader that, like most others currently on the market, uses an E Ink screen. Unfortunately, while E Ink on its own is crisp and readable — not to mention easy on the batteries — it has a lower contrast ratio than the LCD screens most of us stare into all day long. But when you add a layer of touch-sensitive technology on top of the virtual ink, as Sony has done, the contrast ratio gets even worse, and the screen goes from pleasingly Etch-a-Sketch-like to downright murky and gray.

Another problem: Sony uses resistive-touchscreen tech, not the capacitive sensors used in most modern smartphones. That means it takes some real pressure to get the screen to respond. Combine that with E Ink’s slow refresh rate (it can take several seconds for the screen to respond to a command) and you need Zenlike equanimity, or catatonic levels of lethargy, to use the thing without flying into a frustrated rage.

It could be we’re just so jacked up from a steady diet of Twitter, Facebook and Google Buzz updates that we’re unable to grok the Reader’s slower, more contemplative pace.

Apart from the touchscreen, the Sony Reader Daily Edition has a lot going for it. Its 7-inch screen is bigger than the 6-inch display found on the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook. While an inch doesn’t sound like much, it translates into substantially more real estate — and a very usable “landscape” view that puts two pages side by side.

The Reader’s hardware is stylish, with a clean, conservative design and an attractive, leather-like flip cover. It is easily the most attractive e-book reader we’ve seen yet, and it’s a marked contrast to the Kindle’s Speak-n-Spell aesthetic.

Built-in 3G wireless (from AT&T) means you can browse, purchase and download books without having to sync with a computer. It also supports one of the features Sony most eagerly touts, namely the ability to subscribe to newspapers like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post. A WSJ subscription costs $15 for four weeks. Once you’ve subscribed, each day’s paper is automatically downloaded to the device every morning.

For that to work, though, you have to leave the wireless turned on (there’s a handy switch at the bottom for turning it on and off). Unfortunately, while the Reader’s battery lasted more than a week with the wireless off, it ran down in less than a weekend when we left the wireless on. In other words, if you want to have the morning paper waiting for you when you wake up each day, you’d better leave wireless on and plan on plugging the device into the wall for a recharge every day or so.

Overall, while we like the looks of the Sony Reader Daily Edition, we find it hard to recommend it. The touchscreen’s downsides, the device’s high price and the fact that a slew of new e-reader technologies are just around the corner make a strong case against buying it now. If Sony improves the screen and continues to polish the interface, they might just have a winner in version 2.0.

WIRED Gorgeous industrial design puts other e-readers to shame. Larger screen than on most e-readers. Built-in dictionary. Subscription support might help keep some of our favorite newspapers alive another day or two.

TIRED Screen is even lower contrast than other E Ink displays. Touchscreen should be called “press-screen,” because you have to apply significant pressure to get it to respond. Store is poorly organized and slow. Interface makes it difficult to find some features. Wireless quickly drains the battery. Steep price compared to other e-readers.

View full post on Wired Product Reviews

After seeing some potential issues with the Nexus One multitouch, Android and Me has taken some time to visit the topic a bit more in depth. It appears as though the Nexus One touchscreen is not really "broken" like first reported, but more so limited by the hardware. The screen used in the Nexus One, the ClearPad 2000, is indeed designed to handle multitouch functionality, and in many cases like Google Maps, or the gallery, these features work rather well.

The issue appears to become most transparent when third party developers use more complex motions in their games, and the device can simply not keep up. While unfortunately it doesn’t seem like there is an immediate fix for this, besides developers "dumbing" down their games to not include these extreme multitouch needs, we can all hope that HTC will upgrade their choice to the ClearPad 3000. Check out the performance of this screen after the jump. [via Android and Me]

read more

View full post on Android Central