Android phone users have a nice surprise coming to them-in the form of Flash. Bsquare Corporation is putting the finishing touches on Flash Lite 3.1, and porting it to ARM-based phones. The player will enable Android phone users to play videos, and enjoy other websites that require Flash Player. Because it’s “Lite,” however, the player will not have the same capability that your computer does when encountering Flash features.
Flash, the multimedia platform designed by Adobe, is standard-fare on most websites. Flash 10 is the most current Flash player designed by Adobe. On mobile devices, however, Flash capabilities through the new Flash Lite 3 will be able to render websites up to Flash 8.
Bsquare, identifying themselves as “the mobile and embedded systems experts,” has development-stage partnerships with software producers and device designers. They assist these larger firms, firms like Microsoft and Adobe, in creating and implementing mobile technology.
As of right now, Microsoft has completed the plans for a Windows 7 overhaul. Although the official release date for the Microsoft’s new operating system is a few months in the offing (October 22), marketing execs at Microsoft thought it prudent to release the beta version of the upgrade software prior to the official launch. The move will allegedly bring in bulk orders prior to the official launch date, as well as boost excitement for the new OS.
The upgrade software, found at Microsoft’s TechNet site, is better known as MAP: Microsoft Assessment and Planning toolkit. Essentially, the tool gives anyone from a small business owner to a corporate network administrator the ability to determine and plan for system upgrades.
Although the toolkit is still in its beta version, a new version will come out soon. Microsoft has set hopes high for Windows 7, and the MAP toolkit should advance hopes and drive sales.
The buzz of recent rumors floating from Cupertino wouldn’t be complete without the prediction of the Nano and Touch being equipped with a camera. Experts are leaning more toward the rumor that the Nano alone would gain the embedded picture clicker, and would hopefully have better resolution than just 2.0 megapixels.
The prospect of having a camera on your MP3 player may seem a bit unnecessary. That is one argument that casts the rumor toward the ’suspicious’ category. However, Apple is always one to surprise. Cameras on telephones seemed a bit over-the-top at first, too, until every phone came out with them. Some have begun suggesting that iPhones will next have a video feature, which could place them a notch above the Nano camera capability. That would still keep the iPhone in the always-better category of Apple’s products.
One feature of the discussion that elicits curiosity is the close relationship between the iPhone and the iPod, not to mention the Touch. Since the iPhone can do everything that the Touch and Nano can do, why add features to either one that makes them more like each other? Will there be a middle ground where they twain shall meet in one device? It’s too early to predict. Other tech rumors, surveyed elsewhere, suggest the birth of a new iPhone in the not-so-distant future.
Somewhere along the line, someone called it “Pink.” Nobody is really sure why. For the ill informed, “Pink” is the codeword arbitrarily assigned to the latest Microsoft rumor. The rumor? A brand new phone produced by none other than Microsoft + Verizon.
Is the rumor valid? It certainly has some valid points. One has to admit that the number one tech company plus the number one phone company equals a winning combination. With the runaway success of the iPhone, someone has to wage competition. No one is better suited to the job than Microsoft and Verizon.
Microsoft has been left in the lurch when it comes to smart phones. Sure, they have some nice software and it’s gotten a lot better. Yes, they made a valiant effort when they signed a deal with Verizon to make LiveSearch the default search engine for all new Verizon phones. But these were only steps in the right direction. All along, the iPhone was selling like crazy, and the App Store, crossed the 1 billion threshold. Who cares about Live Search when users have already downloaded over a billion apps and consumers have bought more than 30 million iPhones?
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Prolific iPhone game developer (and self-proclaimed “first-party” developer) Ngmoco has been busy lately. The company is working hard on developing Star Defense, which is expected to be their next big blockbuster hit. At the same time they’ve had the time to develop and release more bonus levels for their previous hit Rolando.
Star Defense is a hybrid RTS/tower defense game, and it looks gorgeous. While the “fighting bugs in space” theme calls to mind the visual look of Blizzard’s original StarCraft, the gameplay is entirely original. Endless hordes of aliens run across the playing field, which isn’t the flat square of most TD games but instead a sphere or cube that players must rotate in order to see the entire playing field. Graphics and sound effects are top-notch, and show tremendous amounts of polish — this truly does look like a “first-party” game.
Touch Arcade has a new hands-on look, complete with video. They note that the graphics (planets, units, and background stars and nebulae) are “impressive” and also that the gameplay “feels very solid. Make no mistake, tower defense fans are in for something special.”
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“This economy” is now a euphemism for the “terrible mess we’re in.” It’s hard to go through a normal business conversation without someone spitting out “this economy” as if it’s a four-letter word. Market gurus can’t agree when it will be over. But whatever the case, some indicators suggest that the technology sector will rally faster than the rest of the economy.
False Perceptions
One can pile argument upon argument as to why the tech sector will not rally soon. Consider the layoffs. Nearly every large technology company performed rounds of layoffs. Why? The answer is grim, but true. Recessions provide a great opportunity for top-grading staff. Although lots of good people were relieved of their jobs, it was part of a cyclical pattern of cutting costs. Consider also the dismal slump in tech sales. This too, has a viable explanation. Tech sales are directly linked to consumer spending. Consumers stopped spending because they were scared. It happens during every economic hiccup. But the sales slump is not a forever slump. It is merely a readjustment-a necessary pause, as in a piece of beautiful music. So, while tech companies cut costs and moaned, there were viable reasons behind the cost-cutting that didn’t signal the demise of the industry.
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There’s no argument now: the iPhone App Store has been a resounding success for Apple. Since this morning, Apple has been counting down to the one-billionth download from its App Store. Given that the App Store was introduced not too long ago, that’s quite an achievement. The company’s currently showing a “live” download counter that’s somewhere in the 900,000s.
Ars Technica notes that Apple was bragging only a few months ago about half a billion app being downloaded. Obviously, the app store has only continued to take off since then — not lease because of Apple’s heavy promotion of various applications on its recent iPhone commercials and the “funnest iPod ever” promotions for the iPod touch.
So what’s in it for you? Apple’s running a contest from today until the billionth app is downloaded. Every app purchase enters you in a drawing for $10,000-worth of iTunes credit, a 17″ MacBook Pro, a 32GB iPod touch, and a Time Capsule. You can also enter the drawing for free (up to 25 times per day) on Apple’s site.
Apple’s also showing off the best apps on the platform, drawing attention to the top 20 most downloaded paid and free apps “of all time.” Games Tap Tap Revenge and Super Monkey Ball are highlighted.
Have you ever wanted multi-touch technology to control your computer in the palm of your hand? Well Elantech has developed a prototype of a Smart Remote Controller that does exactly that. It consists of two touchpads with some navigational buttons in the center. The Smart Remote Controller uses directional sensors to tell whether you are holding it like a joystick or like a remote control.
It has many different functions it can be a wireless mouse, TV remote control, joystick, keyboard, presentation controller, handwriting touchpad, and a biometric reader. It uses an onscreen menu to easily switch between each function. There is also a pop up diagram that shows what you are doing in each mode.
No word on when or if this controller will be made for the general public, so we will have to wait and see. Here is a video of the Smart Remote Controller in action going through all the functions.
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With this week’s release of the new Apple iPod Shuffle we have an overall look at this product even its inner guts. You can see what makes up this very simple piece of gadgetry. It measures just a little over 1.5 inches becoming the world’s smallest mp3 player. Inside the package you will find the iPod Shuffle, Apple earbuds (with in-line remote), USB cable, and a quick start guide. You will also need the newest copy of Apple iTunes 8.1.
• 4GB or 1,000 Songs
• Silver or black color options, aluminum case with a stainless steel clip
• Controls have been moved to a in-line 3 button remote
• “VoiceOver” Text to speech artist and track names and battery life in 14 languages
• 10 hours of playback (Down from 12 hours in previous gen)
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This year at CES 2009 Intel displayed the “fastest processor on the planet” along with their newest products. Intel showed off the Intel Core i7, Intel Core Centrino 2, and the Atom processor.
The Intel Core i7 Processor combines Intel’s Turbo Boost technology with Intel’s Hyper-Threading technology. To maximize performance they’re 8 processing threads with 8MB level 3 cache and 3 channels of DDR3 1066. It has the best memory performance of any desktop platform and delivers the maximum performance of 3-D games and images.
Intel’s Centrino 2 Processor offers a new experience in mobile processing by allowing multitasking. Included in the processor is a minimum of 3MB smart cache and a 1066 front side bus that makes the performance 50 percent faster. The Centrino processor offers the longest battery life possible you can watch an entire Blu-Ray movie on one charge. Also the processor technology has integrated with the wi-fi, which makes your wireless connection 5 times faster.
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