This has been popping up around the nets today. Nokia maker of my precious N810 that I am currently in a love hate relationship with has as Cheuvreux analyst David Hallden put it; “I think they’re doing a ‘Crazy Ivan’.”  This of course referring to naval maneuvers when a submarine makes a sudden sharp turn; remembered notably in ‘The Hunt for Red October.’

With the mounting pressure from global economic woes and a diluted market share (thanks Apple and Samsung) Nokia’s hand has been forced and cuts have been made to the entire portfolio. Could this be a sign that Nokia is hell bent to keep it’s 40% market share?

Hmmm, well until my n810 gets a complete Bluetooth stack/client maybe they need to get knocked down a peg or two…it’s not the price it’s the features.

More Nokia info on canada.com via Reuters

Nomad’s new pistol grip, which attaches directly to the bottom of the Nomad handheld with four screws looks to make in-the-field bar-code scanning point and shoot. The black rubber overmolding provides a cushioned, lightweight grip, and the trigger is built to accommodate a variety of hand sizes. Note the attached lanyard to help prevent drops for all you butter fingers.

The Nomad’s new love grip doesn’t compromise that sexy ruggedness. The new grip maintains an IP67 rating agianst dust and moisture, and it still meets those stringent MIL-STD-810F military standards for drops, vibration and temperature extremes…splendid.

In addition, the Nomad retains its all-day usage of eight hours on a battery charge, offers a range of compatible battery options, delivers a rate of up to three scans per second and offers easy field-to-office connectivity. See our previous review of the Recon X Series.

The new pistol grip has a suggested retail price of US$109 and is available through Nomad dealers. For more information on the Nomad, visit http://www.trimble.com/rugged

Palm, Inc. today said it has sold its two-millionth Centro smartphone, confirming the $99 product’s growing momentum with traditional mobile phone users who want to move up to a phone that offers more functionality. Hmmm, OK.

Quote:

Recent data released by AdMob, the largest advertising network on the mobile web, further echoes the momentum of Palm’s smallest, lightest and most affordable smartphone. According to the company’s Mobile Metrics report (http://www.admob.com/s/solutions/metrics), Palm Centro leapt onto the list of mobile phones worldwide in May as the No. 8 device, and moved up in June to No. 7. AdMob cites the growth of inexpensive phones, such as Palm Centro, as a primary driver in mobile Internet usage.

Our comment: “Meh…”

http://www.palm.com/centro

Targus Inc., maker of laptop computer cases and accessories, announced today its Zip-ThruTM 15.4” Corporate Traveler Laptop Case, the first in Targus’ line of checkpoint-friendly laptop cases.

Targus’ Zip-Thru case is designed to meet guidelines established by Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which focus on the screeners’ ability to get a clear image of the laptop when properly secured in the bag. In developing the Zip-Thru case, Targus worked in conjunction with TSA authorities to test the product through an actual airport screening device.

Designed with the same features as the lightweight and durable Corporate Traveler laptop bags, the Zip-Thru cases’ patent-pending design splits the case down the middle, thereby isolating the laptop on one side to allow for clear x-ray scanning. The bag also provides ample space for accessories, files and other devices.

The first Zip-Thru case will be available in black and made of durable ballistic 1680 denier nylon. It measures 16.93” x 6.5” x 13.98”, weighs 3.74 pounds and has an MSRP of $99.99.

Jointech readies its Asus EEE killer by not actually making a EEE killer. The lappy certainly has the look of the Asus darling, however beating at the JL7100s heart is Windows CE 5.0 riding atop a Samsung processor. It’s cute and tiny and as the Asus crowd teases on it you just want to put in on your shoulders and buy it a balloon.

The ultra portable sports 7” LCD at 800x480 resolution with a typical cadre of RAM for an embedded WinCE device; 64MB of RAM for storage and 64 megs of RAM for program use. The specs indicate an for option 8GB storage expansion via USB which there are 3 of.

JoinTech does manage to bring this to us at a slim 1.5 lbs in a svelte 8.6 x 6.5 x 1.4 frame.

The usual selection of WinCE apps are there such as an MS word/excel/powerpoint viewer; MSN messenger, pocket IE, media player, ect.

Run time is placed at 4 hours with a 72 hour standby.

http://www.jointech.com.hk/jl7100.html
[via Engadget]

On Thursday, Sony will provide a software update to the Reader, a thin slab with a 6-inch screen, so the device can display books encoded in a format being adopted by several large publishers. That means Reader owners will be able to buy electronic books from stores other than Sony’s.

The International Digital Publishing Forum’s epub e-book standard received a big vote of support this morning when Sony announced that effective immediately its Sony Reader will now support the standard. Beginning in August, all new devices shipped will use epub, and right now owners of existing devices can go to http://esupport.sony.com to update their device’s software for epub support.

Publishers supporting Epub include Simon & Schuster, Penguin Group, HarperMedia, Hachette Book Group, HarperMedia and Harlequin Enterprises Ltd.

[Via Engadget]

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6581363.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080724/ap_on_hi_te/tec_sony_reader

The majority of comments I’ve seen related to iPhone gaming is the lack of physical gamepad controls. True the iPhone does not have physical gamepad controls, but the accel/touch based controls should not be underestimated, they have great potential for certain game genres.

OS X Reality has posted up a their take on the whole iPhone Gaming thing:

No one controller type fits all game genres, take PC vs consoles for example. Console gamers can argue all they want, but a gamepad will never give you the level of precision a mouse will for RTS or FPS gaming. Case in point, in Shadowrun they had to nerf the PC gamers to keep the playing field even between Xbox and PC players, this is exactly why developers do not like mixing console with PC gamers, even though technically there is no reason they can’t, its really just a matter of fairness.

On the flip side, a keyboard will never give a gamer the level of control needed for racing/flight/fighting games. Imagine for a moment if you were racing around a track with a variety of turns that range from light bends to sharp turns, with a gamepad joystick you could adjust your turns easily by moving the joystick less or more in the direction of the turn, with a keyboard there is no middle ground, either you are doing a full turn or no turn at all, the closest you could get to adjusting your turn with a keyboard is by tapping the turn key, sounds fun doesn’t it?

Read OS X Reatlity: iPhone Gaming: Play to your Strengths

This past weekend, ‘The Last HOPE’ conference was held in the heart of New York City, at the legendary Hotel Pennsylvania. ‘HOPE’ of course stands for ‘Hackers on Planet Earth’, this latest iteration being the seventh, and also supposedly the ‘last’. The conference first launched in 1994 and proceeded to become a bi-annual affair in 2000. All but one conference was held at Hotel Penn, so over the years, the hotel itself has become an integral part of what makes HOPE the conference it is.

Quote:

The seventh HOPE conference was held this past weekend in NYC and I was there to take in the numerous talks. Such subjects covered were lock picking, Wikipedia’s evils, YouTube, FOIA, hardware hacking and a lot more. Special talks were also given by Steven Rambam, Steven Levy, Adam Savage and Jello Biafra.

http://techgage.com/article/hackers_on_planet_earth_2008_the_last_hope/

HardwareLogic has a review up on the Vizo Shuttle SHE-260ST External HDD Enclosure. They liked the fact that it is one of the smallest and lightest external hard drive enclosure you can buy, its solid aluminum construction with no vibration or rattling, and the good accessory bundle…the screwdriver was a plus

However the units PCB is hot-glued in place with a potential for damage to occur, no documentation, and no eSATA capability or support (Huge FAIL in our books)

Quote:

“Today, Vizo introduces a new product to their already burgeoning lineup: the SHE-260ST. This 2.5” external hard drive enclosure promises greater value, innovation, and most important of all, functionality than the rest of its competition. Having forged a solid reputation for producing quality computing accessories in the past, Vizo is intent on marketing this enclosure to both professionals and enthusiasts alike. Will the SHE-260ST make the grade? Can it withstand other highly successful and equally priced external enclosure solutions? Read on as we’ve done the hard work for you in order to find out!”

Vizo Shuttle SHE-260ST External HDD Enclosure Review

Realistic Vegas-Style Gambling App Now Available Through Apple App Store

Lucky 7 Slots is the second in a series of applications that Griffin is rolling out for the Apple App Store. Griffin apps are available for download directly onto the iPhone or via iTunes, and give users the convenience of accessing the game at all times, even when iPhone is in Airplane Mode.

To play Lucky 7 Slots, simply place a bet and set the reels rolling. The machine begins the game with 1000 credits and allows you play between one and three credits a spin. When you’re finished playing, Lucky 7 Slots keeps track of your winnings. Smooth, fast-moving graphics and audio give Lucky 7 Slots a real-life look and feel.

* Easy to play slots simulator
* Fast animation and graphics
* Keeps track of your winnings and hands played, won and lost
* An iTunes App Store exclusive

Pricing and Availability
Lucky 7 Slots is priced at $1.99 and is now available for download at Apple’s iTunes App Store. For additional information on Lucky 7 Slots, please visit the product page at http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/lucky-7-slots 

Sony Ericsson unveils its latest additions to the Walkman phone family: the W902, W595 and W302, and seven new music accessories. The list of features found on Walkman phones continues nifty things like the music recognition application TrackID, SensMe, for matching your mood to the music and Shake control to change tracks with the flick of your hand. What if your hand is already busy…

With the W902, it’s also a mobile phone for those that want it all, with a five megapixel camera and video capturing and sharing capabilities, an 8GB Memory Stick Micro (M2). It’s UMTS/HSDPA 2100 and EDGE/GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Volcanic Black, Wine Red and Earth Green in Q4 of 2008.

The W595 Walkman is for those who want to share sounds with their friends. Play songs through the built in stereo speakers or Bluetooth your sounds to Sony Ericsson’s range of wireless speakers. It’s UMTS/HSDPA 2100 and EDGE/GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Active Blue, Cosmopolitan White, Jungle Grey and Lava Black in Q4 of 2008.

The new W302 Walkman is an affordable no-compromise slim handset. The phone comes complete with a two megapixel camera, FM radio, TrackID and 512MB Memory Stick Micro (M2). It’s EDGE/GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Midnight Black and Sparkling White in Q4 of 2008.

Sony Ericsson announces three new Walkman phones…

[via Engadget]

Esquire, one of America’s iconic magazines, is turning 75 this year. As part of the celebration of this milestone, the October issue will be the first magazine ever to embed a revolutionary digital technology - electronic paper - into a mass-produced print product.

In partnership with the all-new Ford Flex Crossover and in collaboration with E Ink Corporation, the world’s leading supplier of electronic paper display (EPD) technologies, Esquire’s groundbreaking cover will make a profound statement about how the print medium can expand its capabilities while continuing to exploit its own unique strengths. Ford will prominently feature its highly-anticipated Ford Flex on the inside cover, utilizing the same E Ink Vizplex flexible display technology, in a double-page advertisement.

Esquire will distribute 100,000 issues with the special cover on newsstands. They will be available at Borders, Barnes & Noble and select newsstand vendors.

http://media.ford.com/newsroom/release_display.cfm?release=28680
Via…MobileRead
image credit: NY Times

The Kensington SX300R is one of a host of products now on the market designed to help music lovers take tunes from their iPods into their homes. What sets the SX300R apart is its sleek, stylishly simple, one-piece design with a flat panel speaker on one side and a universal iPod dock on the other. The SX300R’s sound, while not as full-bodied as some, nevertheless has a feeling of quality perfectly suited for a smaller space, and performs better than expected given that the speaker itself is only three quarters of an inch wide.

In keeping with iPod’s updated black look, the new SX300R comes in a black plastic shell, as opposed to Kensington’s previous SX200, which was white. The SX300R is compatible with all iPods with 30-pin dock connectors, including iPod nano, and can be connected to non-docking iPods such as iPod shuffle, as well as, other MP3 players with an accessory adapter or a 3.5mm headphone cable (not included). The unit including base is 16 by 7.25 inches high, and at only 4 inches deep, it’s an easy fit for a desktop or even a window sill.

Read our full review of Kensington’s SX 3000R Speakers with FM Radio for iPod…

I guess it’s a Nokia Internet Tablet sort of day…then agian I have one so I notice these sort of things. Here is post via IIT:

Good news! The folks from fring just announced today that the first version of fring for the Internet Tablet is now available for download. For those who are not familiar with fring, it lets you make free calls and live chat with all your fring, Skype, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, SIP, Twitter, Yahoo! and AIM friends.

fring is available in all sorts of platforms - Symbian, Windows Mobile, iPhone, Java ME, and now Maemo. If you are connected to a high-speed connection, calls made to other mobiles running fring is free. Calls however to landlines and regular cellular contacts can be made via SkypeOut or via SIP.

Download and let’s strart fringing!

John a.k.a jmayson over at InternetTabletTalk.com has managed to run Microsoft Windows 3.1 via DOSBOX on his Nokia N810.

Here is a how to for installing Win 3.1 on DOSBOX: http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewtopic.php?t=9405 But first you will need DOSBOX for your N810, try here: http://pupnik.de/dosbox.html

Or you can Google the instructions: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Win+3.1+in+DosBox+

Heck I was thinking if I still had a 3.1 distro around I would give this a try.

More: Running Windows 3.1 on an N810