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2010.07.15 11:53:00 AM
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Re: iPad帶領平板電腦產業走向泡沫？
Acer said to be launching 7-, 10-inch Android tablets before the end of the year
Acer's already offered some indication that it planned to launch at least one Android-based tablet before the end of the year, and it looks like we're starting to get few more tidbits of information. According to DigiTimes (reasonably reliable when it comes to Acer rumors), the company is planning to launch both 7-inch and 10-inch tablets sometime in the fourth quarter of this year, both of which will reportedly be ARM-based and run Android 2.2 (complete with Flash support_. Details are otherwise still pretty light, but DigiTimes is backing up earlier talk that Acer's looking to partner with mobile carriers on the devices, which we presume means they'll both at least have a 3G option.
iHome wants to get rid of your loose cables and chargers and replace them with their base docking station. The not-so-elegantly named iB969 is a good looking hub that charges your iPhone, iPad, and any ol' gadget that connects through USB.
The iHome iB969 has a built in stand for the iPad, two universal docks for iPhones or iPods and an expandable, rubberized rest area for anything else you have. The wood grain finish adds a nice touch plus the idea of having a base station for all your charging needs is pretty awesome, but iHome is charging $129 for this goodness. I'm not really sure having a central hub to charge is that important to me. If it was, I would just get the $60 iDapt i4 instead. [iHome via CrunchGear]
Experimental design team Aircord Labs has released a proof of concept video demonstrating an iPad with 3D capabilities visible to the naked eye. The effect is achieved with a specially designed projector that beams images into a pyramid shaped screen.
Once projected, viewers can move around the floating imagery, almost as if they were real objects in space. At the moment, the design is very pretty to look at and very little beyond that. But it shouldn't be hard to imagine practical, fun. Think 3D blueprints for engineers, or getting a better look at a new pair of shoes before buying. Or, let's just be honest and admit this will be quickly adapted for porn. [Aircord Labs via CreativeApplications]
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Video may have killed the radio star, but the PC and a host of other seemingly outdated consumer gadgets live on in the face of many attempts to replace them.
Sales of smartphones and tablets are on the rise, pushed by companies like Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) and Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) that say the newer devices can displace computers, but PC sales also keep on booming. Intel (INTC, Fortune 500) reported last week that its second quarter was its best ever, boosted by strong PC sales. And analyst group Gartner predicts computer sales will rise 22% this year.
diggEmail Print CommentIt's not just PCs. Digital cameras, laptops and MP3 players have become nearly ubiquitous tools for even the Luddites among us, even though smartphones can perform many of the same tasks that their single-function brethren can.
But a confluence of events among device manufacturers and service providers suggests that the end for the desktop computer and other "has-been" devices really is on the horizon. Unconnected gadgets are finally starting to lose their luster and are beginning to be replaced by more multi-functional, connected devices.
"We've been talking about this for 10 years, but what's new is that component costs have come down, the ecosystem of services has become more mature, and these devices are supporting a wider variety of content now than ever before," said Susan Kevorkian, mobile media and entertainment program director at IDC.
In other words, new gadgets have become cheaper, more functional and offer more bang for the buck than devices like the PC, MP3 player and netbook. High function but low-end smartphones are now available on low-cost wireless carriers like MetroPCS (PCS), Sprint's (S, Fortune 500) Boost Mobile and Leap Wireless' (LEAP) Cricket, and devices like e-readers have begun price wars.
Most importantly, newer gadgets offer more than just the devices' primary functions themselves; many have a multitude of services that come with them. Tablets and e-readers have 3G connectivity, the ability to download a host of apps and access to GPS services, which most music players and laptops can't handle. Some services like Netflix (NFLX) and Amazon's (AMZN, Fortune 500) Kindle apps allow users to begin watching a movie or reading a book on one device and finish it on another device.
"Consumers want content anywhere, on the go, and a seamless experience across multiple devices," said Dmitriy Molchanov, consumer electronics analyst at Yankee Group. "It's not just about the device anymore but the service that comes with the gadget."
As a result, smartphones sales rose nearly 57% in the first quarter over the same period last year, according to IDC. And Apple has already sold 3 million iPads since April. Forrester Research expects tablet computer sales to overtake desktop PC sales in the United States by 2013. The installed base of smart phones worldwide will also overtake all PCs by 2013, according to Gartner.
What's in, what's out
Yankee Group recently published a study analyzing gadgets for their ability to connect to tasks that consumers crave like social networks, applications and multimedia content. The analysts then examined those devices' potential to connect to services like GPS, subscription services and wireless networks.
The study found that smartphones, tablet computers, e-book readers, connected cars and connected televisions had the highest potential to be "transformative" in those important areas, and would become the next ubiquitous and "game changing" devices.
On the other hand, portable navigation devices, MP3 players, digital cameras and desktop PCs had largely already made their mark, and will soon be replaced by the newer devices, Yankee Group predicts.
Some are already getting replaced. Half of consumers have watched video on their MP3 players in their homes, according to a Yankee Group study. Google, for instance, said it experienced a huge spike in mobile searches during this year's Super Bowl, as searchers opted to go online on their phones rather than laptops or computers.
Still, there will continue to be a market for some "outdated" devices. Smartphone cameras still don't take photos as well as most digital cameras, and word processing is much easier and richer on a PC than on an iPad. Many are hesitant to put their entire photo album exclusively online without some backup on a PC's hard drive, said Van Baker, an analyst at Gartner.
And connected gadgets with services may be great, but if more carriers stop offering unlimited data plans -- like AT&T (T, Fortune 500) recently did -- using connected devices for streaming Netflix movies, browsing the Internet and downloading apps may soon become an expensive enterprise.
"Are these devices going to go away rapidly? No," said Van Baker. "There will always be some who want a phone just to talk on."
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Video may have killed the radio star, but the PC and a host of other seemingly outdated consumer gadgets live on in the face of many attempts to replace them.
Sales of smartphones and tablets are on the rise, pushed by companies like Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) and Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) that say the newer devices can displace computers, but PC sales also keep on booming. Intel (INTC, Fortune 500) reported last week that its second quarter was its best ever, boosted by strong PC sales. And analyst group Gartner predicts computer sales will rise 22% this year.
diggEmail Print CommentIt's not just PCs. Digital cameras, laptops and MP3 players have become nearly ubiquitous tools for even the Luddites among us, even though smartphones can perform many of the same tasks that their single-function brethren can.
But a confluence of events among device manufacturers and service providers suggests that the end for the desktop computer and other "has-been" devices really is on the horizon. Unconnected gadgets are finally starting to lose their luster and are beginning to be replaced by more multi-functional, connected devices.
"We've been talking about this for 10 years, but what's new is that component costs have come down, the ecosystem of services has become more mature, and these devices are supporting a wider variety of content now than ever before," said Susan Kevorkian, mobile media and entertainment program director at IDC.
In other words, new gadgets have become cheaper, more functional and offer more bang for the buck than devices like the PC, MP3 player and netbook. High function but low-end smartphones are now available on low-cost wireless carriers like MetroPCS (PCS), Sprint's (S, Fortune 500) Boost Mobile and Leap Wireless' (LEAP) Cricket, and devices like e-readers have begun price wars.
Most importantly, newer gadgets offer more than just the devices' primary functions themselves; many have a multitude of services that come with them. Tablets and e-readers have 3G connectivity, the ability to download a host of apps and access to GPS services, which most music players and laptops can't handle. Some services like Netflix (NFLX) and Amazon's (AMZN, Fortune 500) Kindle apps allow users to begin watching a movie or reading a book on one device and finish it on another device.
"Consumers want content anywhere, on the go, and a seamless experience across multiple devices," said Dmitriy Molchanov, consumer electronics analyst at Yankee Group. "It's not just about the device anymore but the service that comes with the gadget."
As a result, smartphones sales rose nearly 57% in the first quarter over the same period last year, according to IDC. And Apple has already sold 3 million iPads since April. Forrester Research expects tablet computer sales to overtake desktop PC sales in the United States by 2013. The installed base of smart phones worldwide will also overtake all PCs by 2013, according to Gartner.
What's in, what's out
Yankee Group recently published a study analyzing gadgets for their ability to connect to tasks that consumers crave like social networks, applications and multimedia content. The analysts then examined those devices' potential to connect to services like GPS, subscription services and wireless networks.
The study found that smartphones, tablet computers, e-book readers, connected cars and connected televisions had the highest potential to be "transformative" in those important areas, and would become the next ubiquitous and "game changing" devices.
On the other hand, portable navigation devices, MP3 players, digital cameras and desktop PCs had largely already made their mark, and will soon be replaced by the newer devices, Yankee Group predicts.
Some are already getting replaced. Half of consumers have watched video on their MP3 players in their homes, according to a Yankee Group study. Google, for instance, said it experienced a huge spike in mobile searches during this year's Super Bowl, as searchers opted to go online on their phones rather than laptops or computers.
Still, there will continue to be a market for some "outdated" devices. Smartphone cameras still don't take photos as well as most digital cameras, and word processing is much easier and richer on a PC than on an iPad. Many are hesitant to put their entire photo album exclusively online without some backup on a PC's hard drive, said Van Baker, an analyst at Gartner.
And connected gadgets with services may be great, but if more carriers stop offering unlimited data plans -- like AT&T (T, Fortune 500) recently did -- using connected devices for streaming Netflix movies, browsing the Internet and downloading apps may soon become an expensive enterprise.
"Are these devices going to go away rapidly? No," said Van Baker. "There will always be some who want a phone just to talk on."
(CNN)
HP最近的動作,似乎也感受到個人行動裝置的魅力 !!
HP looking to secure 'PalmPad' trademark
We already know that HP, the new owner of Palm, is intent on cranking out a tablet based on WebOS, the innovative mobile platform that the touchscreen Palm Pre is based on. Now comes word that HP is seeking a trademark for the word "PalmPad," along with chatter that the new slate device might even accept input from a digital pen.
MyHPMini (via PreCentral.net) found HP's trademark filing in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's online database. The request itself, which was filed July 9 and has yet to be approved, doesn't tell us a whole lot besides the facts that HP wants the word "PalmPad" for itself and that the trademark would apply to products running the gamut from "computer hardware" and "computer software" to "electronic notepads" and "mobile digital electronic devices" — an awfully broad range of gadgets.
Still, the "PalmPad" name will ring a bell for anyone who's ever heard of the iPad, although Examiner tech writer Daryl Deino reports that an HP source tells him that the name is no more official than Hurricane, a earlier (rumored) code name for the WebOS tablet.
Deino has another interesting tidbit from the same anonymous source: that the PalmPad (or whatever it ends up being called) will have a capacitive touchscreen capable of accepting input from a digital pen, as do HP's existing "tm" line of TouchSmart notebooks.
That would be a handy feature for anyone who wants to scribble notes onto the tablet without having to tap on a virtual QWERTY keypad, or drafting sketches on a job site.
Of course, we're getting a little ahead of ourselves here. All we know for certain is that HP is prepping a series of WebOS devices that'll include "slate PCs and netbooks," while even the "PalmPad" name is (apparently) up in the air.
Still, the prospect of a tablet that runs on Palm's easy-to-use, multitasking WebOS (it's hard to beat the WebOS "deck" of apps, which you can swipe to switch or flick up to quit) plus support for digital pens is pretty enticing.
So, should HP call its WebOS tablet the "PalmPad"? Like the idea of digital pen input, or should HP go the all-touch way, a la the iPad?
It may not stand out from the pack quite as much as Toshiba's dual-screen Libretto W100, but it looks like the company will soon be expanding its tablet options a bit further. The latest addition was revealed in Australia by Toshiba's Mark Whittard, who showed off a prototype of a so-called "Smart Pad" tablet but unfortunately revealed few details about it. He did say that it would have both HDMI and USB connectivity, however, and that it could run either Android or Windows 7 -- Toshiba apparently hasn't decided which, though. There's no indication of a price either, but Whittard says Toshiba is looking to launch it "before October."
