Playstation Phone

Playstation Phone headed for market soon

Courtesy of engadget

The PlayStation Phone you've long been waiting for. The device you see is headed into the market soon, likely boasting Android 3.0, along with a custom Sony Marketplace which will allow you to purchase and download games designed for the new platform


Specs (unconfirmed) 
1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 (a chip similar to the one found in the G2, but 200MHz faster), 512MB of RAM, 1GB of ROM, and the screen is in the range of 3.7 to 4.1 inches. 


Would you buy this?

White iPhone 4 delayed

The white iPhone has been delayed....again. It will be due for release this coming spring.

iPhone 4

Apple Inc said it will delay release of its eagerly anticipated white iPhone again, this time until next spring.

The latest version of the popular handset, the iPhone 4, was released in June, but the white model was delayed first to July, then to the end of the year and now to early next year.

"We're sorry to disappoint customers waiting for the white iPhone again," Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller. She declined to explain the delay.

Apple has never said exactly why the white iPhone has been so troublesome to produce. The company has only said the white model was "more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected."

Rumors about the white iPhone have been on Apple-focused blogs for months, with explanations ranging from color-matching problems to an issue with the device's backlight.

Color aside, Apple is not having any trouble selling its smartphone. The iPhone, which is available in black, has fueled Apple's growth over the past few years.

IPhone unit sales rose 91 percent to 14.1 million in Apple's most recent quarter, with a sales value of US$8.6 billion (US$NZ11.4 billion).

Apple initially had trouble keeping up with demand, but the iPhone is now available in 89 countries.

Shares of Apple, based in Cupertino, California, fell 0.3 percent to close at US$308.05.

The Zune HD

The Zune HD

The New Zune HD the Good and the Bad

The Good:

The Zune HD has a Fantastic OLED display, HD Radio tuner, long battery life, movie rentals, and subscription music integration. finally Microsoft is giving the iPod touch a run for its money.  

The Bad:

You can't use the Zune with a Mac, Marketplace purchases require "Microsoft Points," video format support is limited, audio quality lacks advanced controls, you'll need to purchase a dock accessory for HD video output, application and game selection stinks, and the recommended music subscription plan puts the real-world cost.

Should you buy one?

If you are a Microsoft user then the Zune delivers the best portable music and movie experience money can buy. So buy one.  

Microsoft Kinect in Stores Next Week

Microsoft Kinect in Stores Next Week

The Microsoft Kinect is set to hit store next week. The Kinect is a device that lest Xbox users play games without a controller. 

As showen above the Kinect is a slim bar that is placed near the users TV that can detect movements and voice commands.

The Kinect is priced at $149.99 USD with a Bundle which includes the Kinect, an Xbox 360 250GB and the game Kinect adventures is also available. 

A variety of Kinect games have become available full details on these can be viewed here.

Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer had this to say: "For me it is a big, big deal, there's nothing like it on the market." in a New York Times interview.   

Full details on the Kinect can be viewed on the Xbox website here. 

For those Xbox users, will you be investing in a Kinect? If you don't currently use an Xbox will this prompt you to buy one? 

Mac App store

What to expect from the Mac App store...

The Mac App Store will let Mac users buy apps using their iTunes accounts, then download and install apps in one step. Apple will also deliver app updates directly through the Mac App Store. Users running the current version of Mac OS X will get access to the Mac Apps Store within 90 days, Apple said.

Driving Higher App Use

An app store distribution channel for software may lead to greater use of apps, Hilwa speculated.


"Most of us use the main 10 apps on our PCs, and that's it," Hilwa explained. "But on smartphones we use far more apps because they're easy to buy and cost so much less. Jobs is making it easier to discover and buy apps," he opined.


"We'll be using more varieties of software, simply because it will be easier to buy and own," the Yankee Group's Howe said. "And the idea that I won't have to constantly do my own updates means I'll be more likely to use that software on an ongoing basis."


Going the app store route for software distribution might lead to smaller, less bloated apps, Hilwa suggested.


"Mobile apps are very granular; they only do one thing," Hilwa said. "Perhaps the app store concept will lead to smaller apps that are more granular and look more like smartphone apps. And if people can easily buy apps and compare prices, perhaps apps will get cheaper.


Impact on Software Vendors
"The Mac App Store is a completely new model for software distribution," Carl Howe, director of anywhere consumer research at the Yankee Group, told MacNewsWorld. "I think that, in the future, we'll see the old PC model of software distribution being about as relevant to software as 8-track tape decks are to music."

This will happen within two to three years, Howe remarked.

"Given Apple's control of the platform, it's certainly possible that it could use the App Store to change the way we buy applications," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderlene Group, told MacNewsWorld. "Two years is certainly possible."

Other software developers, such as Microsoft, may well follow suit, but it will "likely take more than two years" to implement an app store for PCs, Enderle said.

"We're already surfing the Web from apps now; we call them browsers," Enderle added. "If a proxy model takes off, which could be security driven, we could be using windows into secure proxy servers within a few years of the software industry offering apps through app stores," he explained.

"This is about a distribution channel strategy," Al Hilwa, a program director at IDC, told MacNewsWorld. "Jobs is saying everyone's going to love buying from Apple because they know Apple."

The traditional market for software is a third-party market, Hilwa pointed out. "You go to a store - Best Buy or what have you, buy a software package, then install it on your computer. So the publisher has to have a retail channel, a retail strategy and a distribution strategy. Now Jobs is saying you will have a distribution channel called the App Store, and this will make it easy to discover apps. You don't have to run around to figure out where to buy an app."

For more information on the Mac store Click Here

The new HP Slate

The New HP Slate

HP on Friday launched the HP Slate 500, a tablet PC aimed at the enterprise. 

Priced at US$799, the Slate has a 3MP still camera and a VGA webcam and can Windows 7 Professional 32.

Tech Specs for the HP Slate 500

HP's new tablet has an Intel Atom Z540 processor with a 512 KB L2 cache and a 533 MHz front-side bus. It uses the Intel System Controller Hub US15W chipset.

Onboard memory maxes out at 2 GB of 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM.

For storage, the HP Slate 500 uses a solid state flash drive of up to 64 GB. It can use select external CD/DVD R/RW drives that plug in through its single USB 2.0 port.

The HP Slate 500 has an 8.9-inch WSVGA wide-viewing angle multitouch screen that accepts pen and finger input. For graphics, the tablet uses an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500 and a Broadcom (Nasdaq: BRCM) Crystal HD Enhanced Video Accelerator.

The tablet comes with one combo stereo headphone and mic jack, an integrated microphone, and a power connector. It features high-definition audio and integrated stereo speakers.

It can communicate over 802.11b/g/n networks as well as Bluetooth 3.0.

The base configuration comes with a two-cell battery that offers about five hours of battery life. It weighs 1.5 pounds. The tablet measures about 9.2 by 0.6 by 5.9 inches.

The HP Slate 500 comes with HP Slate Camera, Evernote, HP Support Assistant, Adobe Reader and Adobe PDF preinstalled.

Some Thoughts...

Unlike the iPad the Slate is targeted more towards the corporate market rater than the mainstream consumer. 

"The HP Slate 500 will attract the interest of vertical industries such as construction, healthcare and engineering services that have used ruggedized tablets," Angela McIntyre, a research director at Gartner 

"Steve Jobs is right; it's all about the apps, but it's also about the apps on PCs, and there are some apps on PCs that you aren't going to get right now on the iPad," O'Donnell said. "Business applications for the iPad are limited."

The HP Slate is a very good device and is quite notably aimed at corporate clients. The $800 USD price tag might be a little excessive however. 

The New MacBookAir (Pictures)

The New MacBookAir (Pictures)

The New OS X Lion

Apples new OS X Lion...A Sneak Peek

Steve Jobs announced today what he suggested was a marriage of iOS with Mac OSX. Called Mac OS X Lion, the next version of the Mac's operating system will bring iOS features to the Mac, including bringing the App Store to the Mac.

The Mac App Store

Now Mac users have all the benefits that iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad user have with the introduction of a Mac App Store. Apple is accepting submissions from App developers next moth with the App Store to be open within 90 Days. 

Launchpad

The Mac App store is essentially similar to the iOS home screen concept. Apps can be grouped into multiple screens that can be finger-flicked left and right, and grouped into folders as they can be in iOS4.

Full-screen apps

Apple such as iPhoto and iMovie can now be viewd in full screen. Creating much more intimate user experience. 

Mission Control

Mission control is a mash-up of Mac OS X's Exposé, Spaces, and Dashboard features, making flicking and swiping among different apps easy. Mission Control will also provide support for Lion's system-level support for full-screen, menu bar–free, windowless apps.

The Run down on the New MacBookAir

The Run down on the New MacBookAir

Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said Wednesday he and his company asked themselves "What would happen if a MacBook and an iPad hooked up?" The result: two new MacBook Airs with screen sizes of 11.6 inches and 13.3 inches and instant-on capabilities, starting at just $999, and now available.

Construction

The new MacBook Air measures an incredibly thin 0.11-inches at its thinnest point and 0.68-inches at its thickest, and weighs just 2.3 pounds for the 11-inch model and 2.9 pounds for the 13-inch. Like iPad, MacBook Air was designed from the ground up to use flash storage exclusively.

Apple’s custom-designed flash storage is 90 percent smaller and lighter than a conventional notebook hard drive, contributing to MacBook Air’s mobile, featherweight design. MacBook Air’s flash storage also provides faster data access and is more reliable than notebook hard drives due to its solid state design.

MacBook Air features a full-sized keyboard for typing comfort and productivity, as well as the highly acclaimed glass Multi-Touch trackpad found on Apple’s MacBook Pro, so you can scroll through web sites, flip through photos, and resize or rotate images all from the trackpad. The built-in FaceTime camera, mic and stereo speakers are perfect for video calls with iPhone 4, iPod touch and other Macs.

Specs

Flash storage combined with power-efficient Intel Core 2 Duo processors and Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics delivers an ideal balance of mobility, battery life and performance.

MacBook Air features an 11.6-inch or 13.3-inch high-resolution LED-backlit display and Mini DisplayPort to connect your 27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display, projector or HD TV. It also has 802.11n Wi-Fi networking.

MacBook Air includes Bluetooth 2.1+EDR for wireless peripherals and two USB ports. The 13-inch MacBook Air also includes an SD card slot.

Environmental

The MacBook Air is the latest Mac notebook to achieve EPEAT Gold status and meet Energy Star 5.0 requirements. Each unibody enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. Mac notebooks contain no brominated flame retardants, are PVC-free and are constructed of recyclable materials.

Apple uses advanced chemistry and Adaptive Charging technology to create a MacBook Air battery that delivers up to seven hours of wireless productivity on a single charge and up to 1,000 recharges. The built-in battery design results in less waste, and depleted MacBook Air batteries can be replaced for $129, which includes installation and disposal of your old battery in an environmentally responsible manner.

Software

Every Mac comes with Mac OS® X Snow Leopard and the new iLife 11. The updated software suite featuers iPhoto with full screen views for browsing, editing and sharing photos; iMovie with powerful easy-to-use tools to transform home videos into fun theatrical trailers; and GarageBand with new ways to improve your playing and create great sounding songs.

Pricing & Availability

The 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air are immediately available through the Apple Store at apple.com, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The 1.4 GHz 11-inch MacBook Air with 2GB of memory and 64GB of flash storage starts at a suggested retail price of $999 (US) with a 128GB model for $1,199 (US).

The 1.86 GHz 13-inch MacBook Air with 2GB of memory and 128GB of flash storage starts at a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US) with a 256GB model for $1,599 (US).

Configure-to-order options and accessories include faster processors, 4GB of memory, MacBook Air SuperDrive® and a USB Ethernet Adapter.

New iLife 11

Apple releases iLife '11

Apple has unveiled iLife ’11 at its Back to the Mac event in Cupertino, demoing three of the suite’s updated applications- iPhoto, iMovie, and Garageband.

iPhoto ’11

Describing iPhoto ’11 as “the best version yet,” Phil Schiller- Apple’s Senior Vice President- started his presentation by showcasing the program’s newly redesigned full-screen mode. 

New slideshow templates offer auto-generated transitions, labels, and background music; Schiller previewed several themes, including one called Places- similar to iMovie ’09’s Maps- as well as a Reflections and Holiday theme.

Photo sharing, too, has been simplified. “Share via Email” allows users to select a group of photos, click the option, and have iPhoto automatically create a postcard within the program. Choose from several different templates; drag, drop, and resize photos within; and choose whether to attach the full-resolution photos or just the postcard. A new sharing panel links Flickr and Facebook accounts and shows the user’s sharing history.

Book creation, meanwhile, has undergone a complete carousel-inspired redesign. Users can pick an album, click Create, select Book, and are brought into the new full-screen book creation view. Choose a type of book, and iPhoto will auto-fill photos, using information about the album selected to create the pages.

With iPhoto ’11, users can also create and order letterpress cards in addition to the flat and folded options previously available in earlier versions of the program. An introductory video built into the Cards creator explains letterpress techniques. Cards can be personalized with both photos and words.

iMovie ’11

Improved audio editing- which Apple CEO Steve Jobs called "the number one request we got after the last version of iMovie”- led the changes to Apple’s entry-level video editing program.

Randy Ubillos, chief architect for Apple's video applications, led the demonstration highlighting new audio editing capabilities, as well as “one step effects,” which provide instantly rendered visual compositions; easy-to-build movie trailers with fifteen template themes, original scores created by the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road; People Finder, which uses face detection to distinguish the number of people in your photo and the framing of the shot; and direct sharing with Facebook and Vimeo.

Steve Jobs had this to say after Randy's presentation “Isn’t that awesome?” Jobs joked after Ubillos had finished. “You know Randy along with his team has invented all of that stuff.”

GarageBand ’11

The final program to get an on-stage demo Wednesday was GarageBand, shown off by Xander Soren, product marketing manager. Soren focused on GarageBand’s new recording and instrument tools, including new Flex Time, Groove Matching, and “How did I play?" features, more guitar amps and effects, and new piano and guitar lessons.

iWeb and iDVD

While these will be included in iLife 11 it is not clear wether they have been revamped in anyway. 

Some shots from the new iLife 

iPhoto

Books

iPhoto

iMovie

Garage Band

For more information Click Here

The New MacBookAir

Live shots from the Release earlier this morning 

Back to Mac now on

The Updates in a nutshell

1) New iLife. Redesigned iPhoto, iMovie and Garage Band.

2) Face time between iPhone/iPod Touch and Mac computers.

3)OS X Lion (Due to be released summer 2011)

 -Mac App Store

 -Launch Pad

 -Full Screen Apps

 -Mission Control

4) New Macbook Air announced

 -Instant on

 -90% lighter

 -Flash memory (ie no hard drive)

 -13.3 inch and 11.6 inch models

 - Prices between $999-  $1599 USD

Full Details of Apples announcements in subsequent posts or Click Here to visit the Apple website   

Microsoft launches cloud version of Office

Microsoft launched a fully online version of its popular Office suite of applications on Tuesday as it looks to extend its customer base and beat back rival Google Inc.

The new service, called Office 365, is available as a test from Tuesday in 13 countries, and will be on sale on a subscription basis worldwide next year.

Combining some of Microsoft's existing cloud-based services, it will be available through most browsers, including Mozilla's Firefox, Apple's Inc's Safari and Google's Chrome, and can be used on mobile devices such as Research in Motion Ltd's BlackBerry and Apple's iPad.

That means customers can get access to Office programs like Outlook e-mail, SharePoint websites and simplified versions of Word and Excel without installing software, from virtually anywhere. Customers get access to more features when the software is also installed.

The move strikes a blow against rival Google, which has had some success with its Google Apps service, which provides a low-cost, Web-based alternative to Microsoft's traditional Office software for US$50 ($67) per user per year.

Microsoft will offer the service to small companies with fewer than 25 employees for US$6 or 5.25 euros per user per month.

For larger companies and government organizations, prices will start from US$2 per user per month for basic e-mail. A fuller "professional" version will cost up to US$27 per user per month.

Office is one of Microsoft's biggest money-earners, alongside its Windows operating system. The unit that makes Office accounted for almost 40 percent of the company's profit last year.

The new service was announced by Kurt DelBene, the new head of the Office business since the beginning of this month. He took over from Stephen Elop, who left to lead phone maker Nokia last month.

Shares of Microsoft were down 3.1 percent at US$25.01 on Nasdaq, while Google fell 1.7 percent to US$607.14.