Without any mention of hardware or software, The Doghouse Diaries pretty much nails a list of what we can expect from the tablet. Or rather, how we're all going to react to it. Look out for 19! [The Doghouse Diaries]
The latest version of the Zune software, 4.2, was just released. Not all that much changed, but the update lays the groundwork for some more significant feature additions to Zune software and the Zune HD, most importantly in codec support.
Microsoft is just calling this a "maintenance" update, and there are only a couple actual changes to be seen. Most importantly, the software now supports Xvid, Divx and AVI videos, though it'll have to convert them to play on Zune hardware. However, those videos will be natively supported after another firmware update to the Zune HD, which should come this spring. So there's not much to get excited about quite yet, but it's great to see Microsoft actively supporting the Zune HD like this. [Zune]
It'll all be over soon. The mystery. The anticipation. The rumors. Oh, the rumors. After the tablet is announced tomorrow, another stage in the gadget life cycle will begin. So take one last soak in every tablet rumor worth reading.
We'll be continuously updating our ongoing rumor roundup until our liveblog actually starts tomorrow morning. And the last 24 hours is always the most exciting. Anyone catch CNBC lately? So, catch up on what's been leaked, what's been whispered, what's been sneezed—you don't wanna be behind everybody else, do you? [Apple Tablet Rumors, Photo Credit: Steve McQuillen]
Droid draggin'? Apps crawlin'? Android creepin'? Then maybe you should overclock your Droid to 1.1GHz, like this guy! But really no, don't.
The boys at AllDroid have figured out how to overclock the Droid's ARM Cortex A8, normally clocked at 550 MHz, to 1.1GHz. That's twice the frequency, in case you're comically terrible at math, which can't be safe on a processor with no active cooling, stuffed into a metal phone. But whatever, it's the joy of the hunt, right? Or something? Here's how you can try it; it's a fairly involved process, so don't even try unless you're already familiar with rooting, overclocking, and bricking the shit out of phones for questionable reasons.
The AllDroid guys seem to have settled on 800MHz as a safe, cool, stable frequency, and 1.1GHz as a rough top end; past that, I imagine things get too crashy to be fun. [AllDroid via MobileCrunch]
Last week Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy claimed that they had a soda-powered RC car in the works, and they have delivered on that promise with the "Ene Pocket."
The car runs on Sony's Bio Battery which, in turn, gets its energy from breaking down sugars like those found in soda and fruit drinks. Therefore, the efficiency of the car depends on the liquid used (apparently, grape juice is the best). Obviously, a toy like this is intended as an eco-friendly alternative to electricity, but unless you are sifting through dumpsters for the residue in Red Bull cans, all you are really doing is wasting food. At any rate, the car is still in the prototype phase, so there is no word yet on when it might actually be available for sale. [Gigazine via Inhabitat]
It's pretty much agreed that the magical thing about the Apple tablet, the reason it could succeed where every other has failed, is going to be the interface. The software. But what's under the hood?
There are two arbiters of what's inside the tablet. The software, and the battery. If it's running an enhanced version of the iPhone OS, which seems likely, that says a lot. If you not-so-unreasonably expect 4-6 hours of usage out of this thing, it also says a lot. (Apple product rule: There's never enough battery life.) Together, they scream mobile guts.
The last three iPhones have run on processors using the ARM architecture, like basically every other smartphone on the planet. The iPhone OS is designed to run on ARM processors, so if the tablet's using iPhone OS, logic and Occam's Razor says, it's running on ARM too. But, you're asking, how's a chip architecture that's used in smartphones gonna power a big ol' tablet?
I talked to Ars Technica's chip maven Jon Stokes about tablet silicon for a while. Even going down the ARM path, there's a couple of ways to go about it. A persistent (and plausible) rumor is that the little chip company Apple bought, PA Semi, is finally debuting their wares in the Apple tablet. Previously, PA Semi worked on the Power architecture (remember PowerPC?), but what they excelled at, Stokes says, was creating incredibly efficient chips. So it's possible they were put to work on a chip for the tablet using the ARM architecture, especially given ARM's comments implying Apple's an ARM licensee.
Another ARM possibility is a custom system on a chip using the ARM Cortex A9, which is designed for smartbooks (those weirdly nebulous things between a netbook and a laptop). It's the heart of Nvidia's Tegra2 wonderchip, for instance, which is itself in tablets, like the very neat Adam one we saw at CES. The Cortex A9 is multi-core, fast and power efficient, even if it's outgunned on straight performance by Intel's Atom. (For more on the Intel/ARM device chasm, check out this piece by Stokes.) The major "problem" with this possibility is that the Cortex A9 is vapor at the moment (much like the tablet, oho), and hasn't shown up in anything actually shipping yet.
The other major piece of silicon to worry about is graphics. How pumped are the tablet's graphics powers going to be? Gaming could be a huge deal, and we've heard EA is all over the tablet. But are the games just going to be, uh, supersized versions of iPhone games? Again, if it's a big(ger) iPhone, Apple could license a PowerVR graphics part, like they've used in the iPhone 3GS, or perhaps even one from Qualcomm, who picked up AMD's Imageon mobile graphics a year ago. Don't expect anything crazy, like a fire-breathing GeForce 285 GTX. Like Stokes says, sticking with ARM makes sense if they're expanding on that platform. What we could see, maybe, is a dedicated HD video decoder that's popping up in some netbooks to handle H.264 video.
The only other real consideration, I think, is the screen. AMOLED isn't happening. Not only would it be too expensive, no one's actually mass producing 10-inch AMOLED panels—not enough for millions of tablets, anyway. Pixel Qi's screen tech, as much as I love it, is too rough around the edges, even if it very conveniently comes in a 10-inch size. So! Conventional LED-backlit LCD it probably is. The resolution is probably, at minimum, 1280x720 but probably more. Why? Pixel density. A 10-inch, 1280x720 screen is roughly 138ppi, lower than the iPhone's 163ppi or the new iMac's 208ppi. If you're going to seriously read on this thing, the higher the pixel density, the better.
And, uh, networking. Wi-Fi, how could it not? Supposedly, it'll have 3G. From which carrier(s), who knows? If it's on Verizon, it'll probably be on AT&T, too. Everything else, like RAM and storage, I'd argue, is nearly inconsequential, at least in terms of how you'll use it. Some gigabytes of flash-based storage that's a multiple of 16, like 64GB or 128GB. If it multitasks, it'll need more RAM, not less. It'll have a headphone jack. Maybe a camera (more likely yes than no, is the latest 'consenus'). People would like it to take an SD card, like the current MacBook Pros, but it probably won't. Oh, here's a real quandary: Real USB port, or iPod dock connector? We'd guess the latter. Hmmm!
The bottom line is that, for whatever specifics we might be wrong about thanks to secret hardware partnerships, it's probably going to look a lot more like a (big) smartphone inside than hulking notebook. Just like the outside.
According to Rodney Charters, director of photography on 24, print media might not be the only thing Apple's tablet is saving in coming months. Charters cheerfully Tweeted that Jack Bauer might wield the ubergadget later this season on 24.
The production team on the show, which recently aired the fifth episode of its eighth season, is apparently working behind the scenes to outfit its hero with Apple's forthcoming device. This morning Charters announced:
Hmmmm looks like we may get an iSlate into Jacks hands for Ep 20 getting giddy with excitement
and later updated, with a bit more certainty
Got a bit too excited probably more likely Episode 22 but Apple provided fingers crossed
In any event, it's a testament to the hype surrounding the device that it's even managed to make its way into the dreams of fictional characters. I'm sure Jack, too, is giddy with excitement. [Rodney Charters]
You might think this 9" PLEN hobby robot a little on the pricey side, but that's before you've seen him dance. Or skateboard! Better yet, you can control him with and Android app from your phone, via Bluetooth.
The $3,000 robot from Akazawa is part of a limited edition of 50, so if you do happen to be charmed by his android wiles, you should get on that soon. Me, I'm happy just to kick back and watch the little guy dance, clap, and kick his way into our hearts. [AudioCubes via Android Guys]
In today's Remainders, the tablet-confirming Tweet from a German retailer that wasn't really from a German retailer, a video of the Air Force smushing faces with seven Gs, an iPhone app that keeps track of all those rumors, and more!
Markt Up
This morning, technology websites were buzzing with news that the Apple tablet's price had been leaked by a German retailer. The source: a Tweet from German electronics giant Media Markt which claimed the tablet would be available on March 1 for roughly $600 with a T-Mobile contract or $1000 without. This seemed fishy to us. Why would a German retailer be privy to all of this information on Apple's supersecret device? Well, a few hours later our skepticism was confirmed: a Media Markt representative confirmed that the Twitter account was not an official one. The real question here: who's getting their kicks pretending to be a big German electronics store on Twitter? [MacRumors]
Barf Bag
Today Wired dug up this little gem that reminded us why we didn't pursue our dreams of joining the Air Force. Though the video is nearly half a decade old, and thus not quite fresh enough to warrant a post, there is something truly timeless about watching men and women of all shapes and sizes contorted into entirely different shapes and sizes by the face-smushing, mind-melting, puke-inducing power of seven Gs. [Wired]
Scary Berry
If the unicorn is the iPhone's spirit animal in the great Gadgetverse, this monster is surely the Blackberry's. [iRumors
Love playing the rumors game but having trouble keeping track of them all? There's an app for that! David Weiss's Prediction was approved by Apple today and lets you to stay on top of all the latest speculation from the palm of your hand. Even better, it lets you log your take on each rumor so you can see how your gadget prescience plays out in the long run. If that's a little too high tech for you, Weiss put together a handy PDF of all of the prevailing Apple tablet rumors that you can print out and fill out before tomorrow's event. [Daring Fireball]
10 A.M. PT, Wednesday, January 27, 2010. That's when Steve Jobs (or Phil Schiller) will step onstage and (probably) announce the Apple Tablet. But you, you should tune in early, because our liveblog is going to start first thing.
We'll have our usual pre-game countdown, with observations of the line, celebrity look-a-like sightings, angry rants about how cold it's going to be in SF, and photos of what people are wearing. Us? A tasteful Target and Walmart ensemble, naturally.
And if you're a developer, work in the industry or are a member of the press that will be at the event tomorrow, email Brian Lam (his email's in the masthead on the left <—) for info on a meetup tomorrow night. [Liveblog]
It's rumored by some that Apple will announce that the iPhone is becoming available from carriers other than AT&T on Wednesday. That would mean you could leave AT&T while staying with Apple, among other interesting things.
Price War
If you want an iPhone in the US, you're stuck with AT&T. If the iPhone becomes available on more carriers, people have a choice. And if the phones are equal across the carriers, people will be choosing based on rate plans and coverage instead of whichever carrier has the phone they want.
This would hopefully lead to lower prices, especially for services like text messages, data and voice. There's already a mini-price war going on between Verizon and AT&T, who have both dropped their unlimited calling plans to $70. If they're both fighting for iPhone customers, one expects this to only continue.
Tethering
AT&T still doesn't offer tethering for the iPhone, while Verizon is offering it on phones such as the Palm Pre Plus. If Verizon has tethering, how fast do you think AT&T would scramble to get it? Assuming it's a choice by AT&T, and not some other weird technical issue, we think it would happen pretty fast. These are the benefits of competition.
Coverage and Reception
AT&T's network might not be terrible, depending where you live, but one thing is for sure: it's stuck providing coverage for the biggest wireless data hog ever made. Verizon has a great network that really hasn't been challenged. On the one hand, Verizon might handle the iPhone with aplomb. On the other, AT&T aced our 3G test and still sucks when the iPhone is on it. Is it the network, or is it the phone?
As for the assumption that Verizon getting the iPhone would lighten the load on AT&T, well, it would be nice if half of the AT&T users just went over to VZ, but that's definitely not how networks—or businesses—work.
3G vs. 4G Wireless Data
If we don't get a Verizon iPhone this year, the general expectation is that we'll see an LTE iPhone on Verizon in 2011. (LTE is the 4G wireless protocol that both VZ and AT&T are supporting.)
But if Verizon gets it sooner, it might not have Apple breathing down its neck for a sturdy LTE network by next summer. That could be bad news for not just iPhone users, but anyone looking to get an LTE phone. Remember: 3G was available when the original iPhone was released, Apple was just too cautious to hop on board before it was ready.
GSM vs. CDMA
Verizon runs a CDMA network, which would require a CDMA iPhone. CDMA phones are more difficult to hack than GSM phones, which would be a hit for the thriving homebrew and jailbreaking scene that currently exists. Not that Verizon—or Apple—would care.
Furthermore, a CDMA iPhone wouldn't be able to travel outside of the US without a GSM radio, as most international carriers use GSM, just like AT&T. Many of Verizon's BlackBerry's offer CDMA phones with GSM radios for international roaming, so it's possible the iPhone could get it too.
This candy apple Sophie Madeleine limited edition LP is just oozing with style that no one can digitize. [Sophie Madeleine via boingboing]
Check your watch. Fist pump. Clap. Raise the roof. Release mosquitoes. Fist bop. Wave your lighter. Repeat as necessary. That's the Bill Gates Boogie. [Guest of a Guest and CrunchGear]
Well, this had to happen eventually: someone from an Apple tablet partner—McGraw-Hill's Harold McGraw III—has confirmed the tablet's coming tomorrow, that it'll run an iPhone-style OS, that it's "terrific", and that he'll probably never work with Apple again.
MacRumors caught the slip during a CNBC segment, in which the anchor lobs a softball closer question about the—excuse me, a—tablet, from Apple, maybe. Instead of deflecting, Mr. McGraw just started talking about it as if it'd already been announced:
Yeah, Very exciting. Yes, they'll make their announcement tomorrow on this one. We have worked with Apple for quite a while. And the Tablet is going to be based on the iPhone operating system and so it will be transferable. So what you are going to be able to do now is we have a consortium of e-books. And we have 95% of all our materials that are in e-book format. So now with the tablet you're going to open up the higher education market, the professional market. The tablet is going to be just really terrific.
Holy hell, guy. So, now we know a few things about the tablet! It's real, it's going to have a wide media strategy that at the very least includes textbooks, and it may be exactly what we predicted it will be, and apparently it doesn't suck, according to this man in a suit who is heavily invested in its success, or at least was, until he barfed up his NDA all over CNBC's anchor table. We reached out to the company regarding the slip, they're not calling back.
Don't worry, McGraw-Hill guy, you'll still get a Christmas card from Steve this year. Just make sure to have it checked for anthrax. [MacRumors]
Most of Gizmodo is comprised of whippersnappers who can only just remember the Bigtrak from the '80s, so we asked an actual, genuine, grey-haired old man* to tell us his thoughts upon hearing it's to make a comeback this year.
Back in 1980, Bigtrak's chunky all-terrain monster truck looked like the most exciting toy on six wheels, especially with its futuristic programmable navigation system, but it was a fad that passed faster than a Sinclair C5.
Forget remote control, you had to laboriously punch in the direction and distance you wanted it to go before it would do anything. Few kids really got their heads around how to program it and fewer still could actually afford one on 1980s-level pocket money.
Our school bought a Bigtrak and Trailer—its only accessory—as a teaching aid and the novelty soon wore off. As my dad was headmaster of the school, it's now sitting in my parent's attic, gathering dust and eBay value. 30 years on, it seems I've got the last laugh against my schoolyard enemies.
With the seriously scaled-down reissue about to go on sale, interest in the hulking originals will be sky high, but I'd love to get one of the new smaller models when they go on sale.
*genuine grey-haired old man being my fiance. Sorry, Jim! [Pocket Lint via Wired]
The Newton, like the forthcoming tablet, was introduced with expectations that it would revolutionize personal computing. Apple's then-chairman noted, "It has been said that Apple either walks on water or it sinks." That was after the Newton, well, sank.
This vintage NYTimes review, dated September 23, 1993, is remarkable for how forward-thinking it was—except it's clear now, more than 16 years later, that the Newton isn't the ancestor of a tablet as we currently conceive of it. The Newton was the pre-iPhone.
The operating system is "communication enabled," which means, in theory, that all data can be faxed, e-mailed, beamed via infrared or sent to a desktop computer or printer. It is also ready for voice, video and other advanced technologies if or when they become available.
The possibilities are grand. For example, one can imagine cellular phone circuitry being shrunk to fit in the Message Pad's credit-card-sized PCMCIA slot, or a Newton being shrunk to fit in a cellular phone.
"One can imagine" indeed. It only took 14 years for the Newton to be "shrunk into a cellular phone."
The one-pound Message Pad, which is about the size of a slim video cassette, is unlike any other Apple computer, and indeed is unlike most personal computers. It has a radically new operating system, a new microprocessor and a new mission: to become the first "anytime, anywhere" pocket computer and communicator for business executives.
On the Newton's meager app selection:
There are only a few simple software applications available for Newton, including one that makes it easy to split the tab at a restaurant and calculate the tip, among other common executive arithmetic chores. To be fair, this makes the Newton slightly more useful than the Tandy Corporation's rival P.D.A., called Zoomer, which contains a data base of birth stones and state flowers.
But the overwhelming message of this review is a measured "wait and see."
The bottom line on the Newton Message Pad is that Apple promised too much and failed to deliver a useful device for everyday executive chores. On the other hand, the Message Pad practically hums with untapped potential, and six months (or moths) to a year from now it is likely to be a popular executive tool.
Will the tablet be a sinker or a walker-on-water? Or, like some have predicted, neither of the above? We'll see on Wednesday. [NYTimes]
American soccer star Clint Dempsey is injured, possibly through the World Cup. In our time of greatest need emerges: a crazy soccer ball-kicking machine from BP Castrol Japan.
The big guy will, it turns out, make an appearance in South Africa this summer, but only to show off its wares. But don't worry, American soccer fans! We've got plenty of time before then to get it naturalized. In the meantime, just watch it work, and be thankful no part of your body is defending against it on a free kick. [MSNBC via CrunchGear]
Feel like revisiting Windows 3.1, but can't be bothered firing up a time machine, hot tub or otherwise? This web-based OS emulation (simulation?) should do the trick, by which I mean give you crippling flashbacks. [MichaelV via Crunchgear]
World peace? Twenty minutes in a steel cage with a heavily sedated Steve Ballmer? No, His Jobsness cares not for these trifles. And after seeing what his one wish truly is, I can't say I blame him. [Fredo&Pid'jin]
