I’m not really looking forward to CES next week, but LG.Philips has me frothing with the announcement of multiple LCDs ranging from 32- to 84-inches with multi-touch interfaces, handwriting recognition and transreflective backlighting. Can you imagine what your TV viewing experience will be like with any of new sets? It’s going to be mind boggling. Oh wait, i forgot to tell you one thing. They’re all being used as public displays. *sad clown* I guess you’ll have to weather the storm of teeny boppers and d-bags at the mall to really get a hands on with one. Does it even matter what the specs are on these? I didn’t think so, but in case you feel like geeking out then check out the PR.

Press Release

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

An image surfaced on the BlackBerryForums this morning that purports to be of the upcoming BlackBerry 9000 series. The forum member with the scoop claims that the device has no touchscreen, and that rumors are raging even within RIM as to whether touchscreen devices are in the works. What can supposedly be confirmed is that the device in the picture is part of the 9000 series, 3G is being tested on multiple devices, and that HTML email is in the works for the BlackBerry service, possibly in conjunction with the launch of the 9xxx devices.

[Via Pocket-lint]

 

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Filed under: Cellphones

It seems pretty clear by now that the images and videos floating around of an iPhone running firmware 1.1.3 are legit, but if you still have doubts as to their veracity, a new walkthrough that's been posted should put those to rest. We've already been nauseated by seen the jiggly icon home screen, and now we get a look at the new multi-recipient SMS feature as well, along with a brief rundown of Google Maps' impending cell-based location tracking -- which should also help Apple legal narrow its search for this rogue iPhone to somewhere in the Lynnwood, Washington area. Click down below to catch the full vid after the break.

Continue reading iPhone firmware 1.1.3 video walkthrough posted

 

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It appears the rumored touchscreen BB is just a myth if you believe what first time poster Cooper over at BB Forums has to say. This photo was purportedly taken in Waterloo at the RIM campus. The 9xxx line won’t see a touchscreen for a long time and it seems as though it’s a myth internally, too according to Coops. I have a hard time swallowing this one. If anything, this looks like a redesign of the Curve. A couple characteristics of this particular RIM device stand out; its rounded corners and keyboard. The photo also appears in an eBay auction located in Texas so that is a testament to Cooper’s credibility or lack there of.

He/she goes on to give tid bits about 3G devices and HTML e-mail being tested. Whether they will appear on the 9xxx line or not is up for debate and will allegedly be coming out in six to eight months.

Blackberry 9000 [BB Forums]

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Australia’s telecommunications minister has announced that the country will be requiring ISPs to provide filtering tools for blocking pornography and other “inappropriate” material. According to the report, anyone that wants uncensored Internet will still be able to opt-out of the state censors, and the government will not do anything that affects download speeds.

While some will undoubtedly argue this is a huge infringement of free speech, there are a few important differences between Australia’s proposed policy and those of other countries like China and Iran, who arbitrarily block web sites from being used (for some examples of how other countries censor the Web, check out our round up of the year in censorship). Although Australia’s policy basically gives the government the ability to determine what appropriate is content and what isn’t, the “opt-out” option is an important distinction. It’s similar to public libraries in the US, where filters are often present but can be overridden at your request. On the other hand, the government could track those “opt out” requests, which does create privacy issues.

That said, it is still a fairly significant move when a Western-style democracy imposes censorship on Web access. It could provide impetus for government officials in other parts of the world to say “well, if Australia’s doing it …” and usher in an era of government controlled Web access, which, isn’t in most people’s best interest.

The important thing to track in Australia’s case will be what ultimately constitutes “inappropriate” content. If the country starts using filters to silence opposing views, then it is no better than China, but if it simply blocks out child pornography and articles on how to create bio-chemical weapons and the like (and, still lets those that seek out that sort of content get it if they request it), then there is no great foul here.

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Filed under: Laptops

If you think the market for small, white, Linux-based UMPCs is overcrowded, you're wrong. Dead wrong. Enter the Taiwanese-made E-Lead Electronic "Noahpad" PC, a tiny little laptop which the company affectionately refers to as a "classmate, roommate, and travelmate." The system is based on a 1GHz Via Eden CPU, has 512MB of RAM, a 30GB hard drive, a touch-based (rather than tactile) keyboard, and a 7-inch LED-backlit display. The Noahpad comes default with Ubuntu 7.10 installed, though the device is apparently capable of running XP as well -- if you just have to. Among the more interesting aspects of the unit are its unique split keyboard (which appears to be where the "Noahpad" touch input is put into action) and flipping / folding hinge design, that -- according to the company's promotional material -- will allow you to use the system in all sorts of bizarre ways (see above). The UMPC is set to be unveiled at CES this January, but for now you can hit the via and read links for more info.

[Via Pocketables]

 

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Filed under: Laptops, Wireless

There's a WiMAX shindig coming our way at CES next Monday courtesy of Intel, Sprint and Asus. From the sound of things it'll primarily be Sprint and Intel letting everyone know how very, very fast WiMAX is -- and how ahead of the curve we should know they are on deployment and chipsets -- but things will get a little extra interesting when the companies start showing off WiMAX "mobile solutions": actual devices that actually play around with the new wireless standard. Asus in particular will be one to watch, since it's showing the sequel to the Eee PC, bedecked in WiMAX garb. That's as much info as we have at this point, and we're guessing Asus won't be launching the new Eee PC in the coming months while the current model is still selling so well, but we're looking forward to a peek all the same.

[Via Notebook Italia]

 

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Filed under: Peripherals

It's not like mood lights haven't been used in unorthodox manners before, but Mongoose Studio's RGBy3.0 puts a twist on the traditional color changing device by enabling it to take the hue of whatever it sits atop. Apparently, the portable creation rocks color sensors that interpret the shade beneath, and subsequently, the LEDs within change to mimic it. As of now, it looks as if the device is still in prototype stage, but rather than just crossing your fingers hoping that it goes commercial, why not check out a video of it in action after the jump?

[Via Technabob]

Continue reading Mongoose Studio's RGBy3.0 gets all chameleon on us

 

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Warner Music will sell music through Amazon’s online store without DRM (copy protection) technology, according to a New York Times story by Jeff Leeds. This is a big step for Warner, given that earlier this year Warner CEO Edgar Bronfman said that selling MP3s would be “completely without logic or merit.”

The next question is whether Warner will make a deal with Apple to sell MP3s on iTunes too. The NYT article says Warner plans to do so, but the LA Times implies the opposite. The two other majors that sell MP3s are split on this point, with EMI selling MP3s through multiple stores including iTunes, and Universal Music selling MP3s through other online stores but refusing to do so through iTunes. Is Warner willing to inconvenience its customers in order to undercut Apple?

By the way, the Times article makes a simple but common mistake, in saying that “the industry faces increasing pressure to bolster digital music sales as its traditional business — selling CDs — suffers a sharp decline.” CDs are digital too, and they lack DRM (attempts to add DRM to CDs failed disastrously), but news stories and commentary often ignore these facts. I guess “Warner to adopt another DRM-free digital format” wouldn’t seem quite so newsworthy.

Three of the four majors (all but SonyBMG) now sell MP3s. It’s only a matter of time before the last domino falls, and the industry can move on to the next stage in its evolution.

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Filed under: Household

Considering that there are quite a few nations out there aiming to ditch incandescent bulbs in the not-too-distant future, it follows logic that we should start making LEDs more suitable for in-home use. Of course, we've already seen a couple of advancements in the area, but scientists at Glasgow University -- along with the Institute of Photonics at the University of Strathclyde -- have reportedly found a way to make traditional LEDs a fair bit brighter. The process, dubbed nano-imprint lithography, involves "making microscopic holes in the surface of LEDs to increase the level of light they give off." Unfortunately, said process is still quite time consuming and expensive, but you can rest assured they're working to make the process quicker, simpler and cheaper for the good of mankind.

[Via FarEastGizmos]

 

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