After adding every possible feature in their Apple Ipod touch 4th generation including a touchscreen with a dazzling display, people thought that the Ipod had finally reached its pinnacle and could get no better. Well, they were wrong. Rumors have started circulating the web about a new soon to be released Ipod. A connection toggle switch has been added as evident by the leaked photos. This implies that the new Ipod will get 3G connectivity. This would mean unlimited text messaging at virtually no cost. The always connected status will be very useful for communication and entertainment alike. Another plus point is that this dual core A5 powered gadget can compete with the majority of smart phones in gaming as well as other apps. This would, in fact, make it a competitor of Iphone as well as Ipad. These new features are bound to push up the prices of the next Ipod Touch but that is something we will have to wait and see. It is currently at the 10th position of Top 10 most awaited gadgets.
Amazon Tablet
My sources tell me Amazon’s tablet computer will run Android but feature Intel-based innards, and not an Nvidia Tegra processor, but what beats at the heart of Jeff Bezos’ secret creation is barely half the story here. The all-but-confirmed Kindle successor should be available online before the end of this year – perhaps before Summer’s end – and while we don’t know anything official about it, most everybody and their “sources” agree that the thing will run Android. And no, really, I actually have sources. I promise. It almost has to given that Amazon’s gone and built their ownAndroid App Store already. And that’s what makes the Amazon Tablet rumor so interesting: Not only does Amazon have the name and reach to get an attractive piece of hardware into millions of hands at a competitive price, but they also have the content and retail inventories to sweeten the pot with all sorts of tie-ins. From streaming movies to music lockers in the cloud to discounts on old fashioned retail goods, Amazon can literally offer it all. I could be way off here, but it just might be that the newest challenger to Apple’s handheld kingdom comes in the form of a tablet that doubles as a gateway to daily deals on diapers and dining room sets, and not just apps and movie rentals.
Samsung Galaxy S II
This thing is a flat-out beast. Processing horsepower, display quality, thin/light/sexy factor, and build quality: The Galaxy S II has it all, or at least the pre-production versions I’ve played with do. And get this, I actually kinda liked the newest version of Samsung’s TouchWiz UI when I saw it on the SGSII. Three million strong couldn’t wait to pre-order this Android phone before May had even arrived, and I can’t wait for a version to ship in the States.
iPad 3
I say we’ll see a new iPad – or an iPad-esque device – from Apple before the year’s out. Sean says I’m crazy. I say Apple needs a flagship product for the Christmas shopping season, and they’re too deep into this “touch-based future of computing” trip they’re on not to come on strong with another so-called magical and revolutionary product before 2012. Sean’s not writing this post, so he doesn’t get to call me crazy again. (But I am editing it, and I still say Noah is crazy. – Sean) Mentions of a 1536 x 2048 resolution display in iOS 5 beta have fueled the fires of speculation this week, and I’m siding with the kids on the ‘iPad 3 for Xmas!’ side of said fire. Though I kind of think the next iPad will be somehow different than the first two. If only I knew how
HP TouchPad
Seems like forever and a day ago that Jon R and I headed to a building in San Francisco’s Fort Mason for HP’s webOS press event. Seems like so long ago that we turned to each other and said, “Wow, TouchPad looks really cool.” Seems like a long time since HP got us all excited for the second coming of webOS, but this time with some big-time corporate muscle behind it. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that long ago, but man I want TouchPad to hit the streets already so we can all decide for ourselves if webOS still has a future. I, for one, really hope it still does. Only a few more weeks until July 1!
Sony S1 and S2 Tablets
I know their gaming and entertainment network was recently the victim of a high-profile, massively damaging hack. I know their Pictures division then suffered a smaller but similarly devastating hack. And I know that they haven’t churned out an honest-to-goodness home run of a smartphone or gadget in awhile. But PS Vita has a ton of potential, and I grew up on the Sony Walkman and cut my cell phone teeth on SE’s K- and W-series phones – so the Sony name still holds some mystique for me. What we’ve seen of Sony’s fledgling Android tablets, the S1 and S2, look interesting and unique. Here’s hoping they don’t let us down. Seriously, Sony, don’t pull an Echohere.
Headphones, Then and Now (infographic)
Did you know that headphones date back to 1919? According to this infographic from Denon(below), those old battery-powered radio headphones eventually gave way to cardboard versions in 1958, when full-spectrum sound gave the audiofile crowd a richer set of highs and lows to enjoy.
But what really juiced up the headphone market was a separate gadget — the Walkman (1979). As portable music became the rage, it seemed everyone was on the go with a compact set of cans. Fast forward to 1990, and in-ear buds and wireless options entered the fray, leading to today’s widespread selection of portable listening gear that can fill practically any audio need — whether making calls, hitting the road (or jogger’s path), tuning in or tuning out.
So the next time you dig out those earbuds or unfold your noise-canceling headset and pop them into your device of choice, take a second to marvel at them. While the package may be small, nearly 100 years of technology went into that compact wonder, just to make sure you could listen to whatever you want, wherever you want.
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