Kindle so-so for students, UW study concludes

Researchers at the University of Washington are about to present a report on a pilot project that had computer science students use a Kindle DX for their course reading.

College textbooks are a holy grail for the electronic book industry, but apparently they still have a ways to go, based on the UW study, conducted during the 2009-2010 school year.

"There is noe-readerthat supports what we found these students doing,"first author Alex Thayer, a UW doctoral student in design and engineering, said in a release."It remains to be seen how to design one. It's a great space to get in to, there's a lot of opportunity."

Seven months into the study, more than 60 percent of the students had stopped using their Kindle regularly for academic reading - and these were computer science students, who are presumably more sympathetic to an electronic book.

Although the device has note-taking capabilities, some students still tucked paper into the Kindle case to write notes and others would read near a computer that they could use for reference and other tasks that weren't easy on the device.

The study used the DX, which is the largest Kindle, a $379 model with a 9.7-inch diagonal screen. It involved 39 first-year graduate students incomputer scienceand engineering, with ages ranging from 21 to 53.

Some conclusions, as listed in the release:

- Students did most of the reading in fixed locations: 47 percent of reading was at home, 25 percent at school, 17 percent on a bus and 11 percent in a coffee shop or office.

- The Kindle DX was more likely to replace students' paper-based reading than their computer-based reading.

- Of the students who continued to use the device, some read near a computer so they could look up references or do other tasks that were easier to do on a computer. Others tucked a sheet of paper into the case so they could write notes.

- With paper, three quarters of students marked up texts as they read. This included highlighting key passages, underlining, drawing pictures and writing notes in margins.

- A drawback of theKindleDX was the difficulty of switching between reading techniques, such as skimming an article's illustrations or references just before reading the complete text.Studentsfrequently made such switches as they read course material.

- The digital text also disrupted a technique called cognitive mapping, in which readers used physical cues, such as the location on the page and the position in the book to find a section of text or even to help retain and recall the information they had read.

The study will be presented at next week's Association for Computing Machinery conference on human factors in computing systems, taking place in Vancouver, B.C.

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Review: Eee Pad tablet transforms into laptop

(AP) -- The tablet computers that compete with the iPad have mostly been uninspiring. The Eee Pad Transformer stands out with a design that isn't just copied from the iPad: It's a tablet that turns into a laptop.

For $399, $100 less than the cheapest iPad, you get atablet computerwith a 10-inch screen and hardware that doesn't cut corners. It's fully usable on its own. For another $149, you can buy a keyboard that connects to the tablet. Together, they look and open like a small laptop.

The Transformer is made by Asustek Computer Inc., the Taiwanese company that started the brief"netbook"craze a few years ago by selling small, inexpensive laptops. With the keyboard attached, the Transformer is nearly indistinguishable from a netbook.

But before you get too excited about the prospect of a laptop-tablet hybrid that combines the best of both worlds, I have to tell you that you're not getting a Windows laptop in the bargain. The Transformer runsGoogleInc.'s Android software, originally designed for smartphones.

That means it doesn't run full-blown Windows programs or connect to peripherals such as scanners. This isn't all a bad thing, as Android comes with important advantages, such as a long battery life, programs designed for touch input and a computer that comes to life almost immediately when you open the lid.

The keyboard may sound a bit expensive for $149, but it does more than help with typing. It has atrack padwith"mouse buttons,"just as you'd find on a laptop. It also contains an extra battery that charges the tablet's battery, two USB ports for connecting peripherals and a slot for SD memory cards, used in most digital cameras.

I tested thebattery lifeby playing ahigh-definitionvideo over and over again, with the screen set to medium brightness. I got a respectable nine hours from the tablet alone and 13 hours with the keyboard attached. That compares with 10 hours for the iPad 2.

The screen uses the same technology as the iPad's, making it easy to read from any angle and in any orientation. It is slightly larger than the iPad's and has a slightly higher resolution.

The Transformer has two cameras, as we expect from this year's tablets. The picture quality is so-so but more than adequate for videoconferencing through Google Talk.

Of course, you could get an iPad and an accessory keyboard instead. There are good reasons for doing so - I'll talk more about the software below - but let's stick for the moment to discussing what's good about the Transformer.

The iPad doesn't make any particular accommodation for a keyboard. The accessory ones connect using short-range Bluetooth wireless technology, which can be a hassle to connect and troubleshoot. It also means the keyboards need separate batteries - Apple's own model uses two AAs. The battery in the Asus keyboard doesn't need to be charged for the keyboard to work, and in any case, it uses the same charger as the tablet.

Most iPad keyboards don't attach to the tablet itself, because there's nothing to hang on to. This is fine if you're at a table, but juggling an iPad and a separate keyboard on your lap can be difficult. Some iPad keyboards are built into a case, which covers the tablet and forms a laptop-like unit, though an inelegant one.

The Transformer has two slots for the keyboard to lock into, forming a sturdy whole that's easy to use on a lap or tummy, for those really lazy moments on the couch.

There's another nice thing about the Transformer keyboard: The keys are designed for the software. There are keys that bring you to the Home screen and Settings. Others control screen brightness, volume and media playback. There are buttons for the Back and Menu functions of Google's Android software.

This isn't the first time we've seen small laptops running Android, but it is the first time I've used one that runs Honeycomb, the first Android version specifically designed for tablets rather than smartphones. The update makes Android much better at taking advantage of a 10-inch screen.

But as tablet software, Android is still far behind Apple's iOS software for the iPad. The biggest problem is the low quality and poor selection of applications from outside companies. Many of my favoriteiPadapps, including Netflix and The Wall Street Journal are not available at all. Others, such as The New York Times, are available only in inferior versions, designed for thesmartphonescreen rather than the tablet.

I also had frequent crashes when using the applications. The Transformer is perhaps the bestAndroidtablet out there, especially considering the price, but the software is still a major weakness. Still, the beautifully integratedkeyboardshould tempt people who don't want to decide between a tablet and a laptop.

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NTT Docomo's new smartphone features wireless charger

(PhysOrg.com) -- Charging your cell phone can be a hassle, mostly because you have to find your cord, and if you are anything like most people, you don't have just one charging cord lying around your house. Wireless charging is an option for some devices but currently if you want to charge without the cord you are going to have to put out a second investment in your phone.

Buying a wirelesscharging stationand a special battery pack, such as the ones put out by Energizer can easily set you back more than an extra $100. When you consider that asmartphonecan run you up to $500 by itself you can see how that pair is a significant investment in your tech. One that may be too hefty for some.

NTT Docomo Inc is looking to change that. They have created a Smartphone that can be wirelessly charged, without buying extra hardware. The phone, which is expected to go on sale in July or August of 2011 in Japan, has been dubbed the Aquos Phone f SH-13C. The Aquos Phone f SH-13C is designed to be compliant with the Qi standard, which was developed by the Wireless Power Consortium, an industry organization for wireless charging systems.

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Image: Akihabara

The phone will be manufactured bySharp Corp, and will be waterproof. The phones battery will be made bySanyo ElectricCo Ltd. and it will come with a lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack containing a coil and an integrated circuit chip for wireless charging. This means that you could, in theory, charge the battery pack without the phone.

Two models of the charger; Wireless Charger 01 and the Pocket Charger 02 are expected to be released. Each will cost about¥4,000, or roughly US$49.46.

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Sony unveils 3D and color e-paper displays at this week's SID 2011

(PhysOrg.com) -- Sony unveiled a 13.3 inch flexible color e-paper device and two glass free 3D displays. The announcement was made at the 49th SID International Symposium, Seminar&Exhibition which is the world's largest academic conference on display technologies. The conference is being held this week in Los Angeles, CA (USA).

Sony’s 13.3 inch flexible colore-paperhas a thickness of 150 microns and weighs 20g and uses a plastic substrate. The e-paperdisplayhas a 13% color gamut (NTSC), a reflectance of 10% and a 100,000:1 contrast ratio.

The display’s 800 x 1200 pixel array consists of red, green, blue, and white sub-pixels. The sub-pixel measures 169 microns x 169 microns and the resolution and gradation of the screen are 75ppi and 16, respectively.

The e-paper display is manufactured by applying adhesive to the glass substrate and attaching a plastic substrate. Amorphous TFTs are then formed on it with a180°C or lower temperature process. The plastic substrate is then finally removed from the glass substrate.

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Sony's 13.3 inch flexible color e-paper.

Sony’s 3D displays come in a 10 inch and 23 inch size and can deliver a 3D image without the use of any special glasses. The method uses a backlight for 3D images positioned between an LCD panel and a backlight for normal 2D images. Switching between 2D and 3D is accomplished by lighting one of the two backlights.

The backlight for the 3D images are LED’s placed on the light guide plate and its edges. On the light guide plate scatter patterns are produced at even intervals in the horizontal direction to direct light to the outside.

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Sony’s 3D 10 inch and 23 inch displays deliver 3D images without the use of any special glasses.

The 3D effect is produced by the LED light sources being reflected on the scatter patterns to go to the back side of the panel as if lights are partially controlled by using"parallax barriers."The result shows different images to the right and left eye.

Sony’s 24-inch 3D LCD display has six viewpoints, and its pixel count is 960 x 360, and its brightness is 86.1cd/m². 3D images are best viewed between distances of 80 to 160cm. The 2D mode, the pixel count of the display becomes 1,920 x 1,080 and has a brightness of 192cd/m².

Sony states that the new method can be applied to displays between 4 to 30 inches and hopes to commercialize it within a few years.

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Acer's Iconia laptop skips keys in favor of double touch screens

In this world of virtual this and virtual that, there comes a product that offers something really different than everybody else. The Iconia from Acer America is not a laptop nor is it a notebook. Acer is calling it a"touchbook"because it has no keyboard. The Iconia is a portable computer that open up like a clamshell-style notebook with a screen on the upper portion, but it also has another screen where the keyboard should be. That's right: It's a dual screen notebook.

The screen on the bottom portion can be used as a second display but in order to control the computer to do anything, the Iconia displays avirtual keyboardon its multi-touch screen. Directly beneath thekeyboardis a virtualtouch pad. So you have a touch pad on a touch screen. It may seem a bit confusing, but when you see it, you'll get it.

With a virtual keyboard, you can do things that would be almost impossible on a physical keyboard. To begin, just placing both of your palms on the screen as if you are going to type will cause the Iconia to display the keyboard without doing anything else. Nice. This is a full size QWERTY keyboard. And since it's virtual, you can cause it to do many things you really couldn't do with a real one. For example, it supports many different languages so when you select one, the virtual keys will reflect any character differences for that language. It also has predictive text input for natural speed typing while avoiding mistakes. And since it is completely software-driven, future enhancements are planned, including displaying a font's character style on the keys themselves.

TheAcerRing takes full advantage of the multi-touch screen. Just place all five fingers on the screen to evoke the Ring. Making a grabbing gesture lets you rotate the ring in either direction. Now you can easily scroll through applications and features with a single motion.

The Iconia also includes a Gesture Editor. It's a really easy way for you to personalize the Iconia by setting customized gestures to do a variety of functions. The editor lets you first define the gesture and then assign a function to it. It couldn't be more simple. For example, you can launch applications, open websites, view your desktop and more. With the browser, just swipe from left to right to page forward and right to left to page back. You can even use a gesture to lock your computer.

The included SocialJogger puts all of your social media in one place. You can check for updates from your Facebook, YouTube and Flickr contacts at one glance. You can have three different windows showing the different features while the top screen displays the results from any of them.

Of course, since the Iconia has two screens, you can use the bottom screen to display two different sets of information or one big one. The Iconia itself opens to an almost flat position, making it possible to display one large virtual screen. This is ideal for displaying a Web page's content for less up-and-down scrolling. Of course you can display any open window to fill up both screens to see a word processing document, spreadsheet and virtually anything else. It's really up to you. Check the Acer website for availability and pricing information.

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Pioneer shows off its 52-inch WWS-DT101 multitouch table

(PhysOrg.com) -- Pioneer has announced the creation of its new WWS-DT101, it is a touch screen table PC that has an area of 52". The screen, which gratefully can support multitouch input, is based on a Full HDTV, and runs of proprietary software that Pioneer has developed in house, though the systems PC component is based on the Windows 7 64Bit operating system. This makes it not too far off the mark of the similar table developed by Microsoft itself earlier this year.

The WWS-DT101 multitouch table is able to share data with mobile devices, such as theiPhoneoriPad, with the help of any standardWi-Ficonnection. The table PC is also able to use TransferJet technology for sharing with enabled devices. If a large amount of data needs to be shared, or the device in question is not Wi-Fi enabled, then sharing can be done with the use of USB ports built into the table.

The Pioneer multitouch WWS-DT101 will be powered by an Intel Core i7 CPU that is being supported by 6GB of RAM. More details on the rest of the hardware have not been released at this time.

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Sadly, the same can be said about both the date when this system is expected to be released and the price point at this moment. So, if you were ready to buy, you are going to have to wait a while, or choose a different option in the growing table PC world. Though, for now they are likely to be cost prohibitive for the majority of home users.

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RIM recalling 1,000 PlayBook tablets

Blackberry maker Research In Motion (RIM) said Monday it is recalling around 1,000 PlayBook tablet computers because of an operating system issue.

The Waterloo, Ontario-based company said most of the affected devices were still in the distribution channel and had not reached customers.

RIMsaid the affected PlayBooks may not be able to properly load software upon initial set-up.

"RIM is working to replace the affected devices,"it said in a statement.

"In the small number of cases where a customer received a PlayBook that is unable to properly load software upon initial set-up, they can contact RIM for assistance,"the company added.

According to technology blog Engadget, the faulty PlayBooks were shipped to US office supply giant Staples.

RIM shares were down 1.30 percent at $42.68 in pre-market trading.

RIM released the PlayBook in April to mixed reviews. The device is RIM's answer to Apple's hot-selling iPad and its first foray outside the mobile phone realm.

RIM is offering three models of the PlayBook. A version with 16 gigabytes of storage for $499, a 32GB model for $599 and one with 64GB for $699. The prices are the same as for comparable models of the iPad.

RIM describes the PlayBook as the first"professional-grade"tablet and has stressed its integration with its BlackBerry smartphone, a favorite among business users.

The PlayBook has a seven-inch (17.8-centimeter) touchscreen, smaller than the iPad's 9.7 inches (24.7-cm) and at less than a pound (425 grams), the PlayBook is lighter than theiPad2's 1.3 pounds (590 grams).

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Seagate portable storage goes wireless (w/ video)

(PhysOrg.com) -- Seagate's GoFlex Satellite is the first portable hard drive, with integrated Wi-Fi and battery pack, that lets you stream 500 GB directly to any mobile or Wi-Fi equipped device without using any cables.

Seagate’s 500 GB drive isn't much physically larger than some of their other portable storage devices however the lithium-ionbatteryprovides portable power that last up to 5 hours of continues video streaming and 25 hours of standby.

Seagate’s GoFlex Satellite is able to create its own wireless hotspot to stream media to any device equipped with a Wi-Fi connection. The device is capable of making three separate connections simultaneously, and can stream an HD movie over each one of those connections up to 150 feet away with no picture freeze ups.

Seagate has also developed an app for the new iPad and iPhone specifically designed for the drive. The app can buffer an entire movie in less than seven minutes, minimizing the time that the drive is actually in use and conserving the battery. Video can also be streamed to anyWi-Fienabled device using a web browser.

Video below is a review of Seagate’s GoFlex Satellite HD performed by Engadget.

This video is not supported by your browser at this time.

Seagate’s GoFlex Satellite is available immediately for preorders from Seagate.com and will be available later this summer. No specific date has been released.

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RIM's new PlayBook tablet falls short of Apple iPad

More than a year after Apple Inc. released the iPad, the search for a credible challenger to the market-changing tablet computer is still on.

Devices running Microsoft's Windows haven't found much interest. Nor, surprisingly, have gadgets running Google'sAndroidsoftware, even though that operating system now leads the smartphone market. And Hewlett-Packard'sTouchPadhas yet to hit store shelves.

NowBlackBerrymakerResearch In MotionLtd. is throwing its hat in the ring in the form of a 7-inch tablet called thePlayBook.

The PlayBook represents a major departure for RIM. The device is one of the first produced by the company that's not a handset. What's more, the PlayBook'suser interfaceand operating system are completely different from those running on its BlackBerrys. And, at least right now, the PlayBook can't run any of the apps designed for those devices.

These changes are largely positive ones. The BlackBerry operating system feels like yesteryear's technology compared with Android and Apple's iOS. It was designed for devices with keyboards running text-centric applications such as email and messaging, not for touch-screen devices running video or the multimedia apps that many consumers use on smartphones these days.

In contrast, the PlayBookoperating systemfeels much sleeker. It's made for atouch-screendevice, allowing users to easily scroll Web pages, launch apps and switch between applications with the swipe of a finger.

The PlayBook's flat, rectangular shape and plastic back won't win any design awards. But the design is utilitarian, slender and largely functional, making the device much more compelling than most recent BlackBerrys.

But its power button is so tiny it's hard to depress with normal-size fingers.

The PlayBook has a beautiful, high-resolution screen that contains almost as many pixels as the iPad's, even though it's more than 2 inches shorter on the diagonal. Videos looked great on it.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has argued that a 7-inch screen is ill suited for tablets. After using theiPadand contrasting it with 7-inch devices such as Samsung's Galaxy Tab, I tended to agree with him.

But the PlayBook has made me reconsider. It's easier to carry around than the iPad. And thanks to its widescreen format, the Playbook's display has more than enough room when held in landscape mode to display two pages of an e-book or to display the list of messages from your inbox and an individual message at the same time.

Web surfing, though, isn't as pleasurable. I frequently had to zoom in on the text of the pages for words to be legible, something I haven't had to do on the larger iPad screen.

One thing I loved about the PlayBook was how it switches between applications. If you swipe up from the area below its screen, your current application will shrink to something like a thumbnail and will appear beside thumbnails of other open applications. To change apps, you simply swipe left or right to the one you want and tap on it. To close apps, you can flick them off screen or tap a small"x."

But for all its strengths, the PlayBook has some significant drawbacks and feels like a product that was rushed to market.

Most notably, the device doesn't have built-in email, calendar or address book applications. To access such features, users either have to go through a Web browser or beam the applications over to the PlayBook from a BlackBerry device using software called BlackBerry Bridge.

The BlackBerry Bridge software allows users to access email and check their calendars as if those applications were running on the PlayBook itself. But because the Bridge software requires the PlayBook and BlackBerry to connect over Bluetooth, it can drain the battery life of both devices. And if you don't have a BlackBerry, you're out of luck.

Even if you have a BlackBerry, you may not be able to use BlackBerry Bridge. Right now, AT&T doesn't support the software, which means RIM isn't allowing AT&T BlackBerry users to download it. Users can find copies of the software floating around the Net, but they may not be the latest version.

The PlayBook has other shortcomings. There are few apps available for it, including many of the most popular ones. Right now, you won't find Pandora Internet radio, Amazon's Kindle app or"Angry Birds."

The only version of the PlayBook now available is one running Wi-Fi. You can't yet get one with a built-in 3G or 4G antenna. So if you want to access the Internet outside of a hotspot, you have to tether it to a BlackBerry using the Bridge software

Also, there's no"universal search"feature on the device, so finding a particular app or file can involve a lot of scrolling through lists of them. And with prices that are the same as comparable iPads, the PlayBook, with its much smaller screen, is just too expensive.

RIM has said it plans to address many of these issues. PlayBooks with 3G and 4G antennas are in the works and the company plans to add native calendar and email apps in an upcoming - but as yet unscheduled - software update. Meanwhile, the company plans on supporting a wide range of software, from apps developed for Android to those developed for older BlackBerry devices, in an effort to boost the number of apps the PlayBook can run.

Those fixes will help make the PlayBook a more worthy challenger to the iPad. But without them, it's not in the same ring.

RESEARCH IN MOTION PLAYBOOK TABLET:

-Troy's rating: 6.5 (out of 10)

-Likes: Beautiful high-resolution screen, sleek user interface, compact size

-Dislikes: Pricey for its size; lacks native email, calendar and address book applications;"Bridge"software providing such apps only works on BlackBerrys and not those on AT&T's network; overall few available apps; tiny power button

-Specs: 1GHz dual-core processor; 7-inch, 1024 x 600 pixel screen; 3-megapixel front facing and 5-megapixel rear-facing cameras.

-Price: $500 for 16-gigabyte model, $600 for 32-gigabyte model and $700 for 64-gigabyte model

-Web: blackberry.com

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Tablets leave netbooks in the dust as even laptops lag

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EyeLock brings biometric security to your websites

(PhysOrg.com) -- Biometric security is always a field of interest for those people who need to keep your data secure. Currently, it is used in a wide variety of high security applications, mostly by large companies with large amounts of customer data to protect. But, in the future you may be able to use a retinal scan to sign into your favorite social networking sites such as Facebook, and your email.

The company behind this idea is the Hoyos Group which is a New York-based company that was founded in 2005. They have created a new product, called EyeLock, which was first unveiled at the Finovate conference in San Francisco. The device, which is a portable iris-scanner about the size of a business card, is also a USB drive. This allows it to work with a variety of machines.

Once the user has installed a special program they can choose which applications to EyeLock. You can give the system software your log in information for those sites. The next time you want to sign into your favorite site all you have to do is hold the scanner in front of your eye. The tool will then automatically log you into your site. Users who wear glasses will be happy to find out that they do not have to remove them in order to complete the scan.

This will be the first time that irisscanning technologywill be an option for users on the consumer market. Since it will allow for the tracking of multiple log on the devices will no doubt be convenient. Though it may make signing onto your favorite sites more secure users should be aware that if they lose the device they will have a lot of different passwords to change since no device is un-hackable and the passwords are stored on it.

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Review: For smartphones, what's too big or small?

(AP) -- With scores of smartphones available, one obvious way for them to stand out is with size. Two new phones take that to extremes: HP's tiny Veer 4G and Samsung's massive Infuse 4G.

Both have the foundations of good smartphones, including great operating software and the ability to run on AT&T's high-speed"4G"network. But their sizes present some major weaknesses, too.

Spending some time testing these phones made it clear that size does matter. Picking a phone that's too large or too small can make the experience dismal.

I started on the smaller end of the spectrum with the pint-sized Veer, which comes in black or white and is cuter than a cache of cat videos on YouTube.

Styled like a mini version of its bigger sibling, the Pre, the Veer is about the size of a stack of credit cards with a bright 2.6-inch screen on top. The screen slides up to reveal a small keyboard. Its battery is rated for a not-so-generous maximum of five hours of talk time, and it includes 8 gigabytes of storage. It costs $99 with a two-year service contract with AT&T.

The Veer is so tiny that it doesn't even have a built-in headphone jack, a standard smartphone feature that must have seemed too big to cram into its little package.

Instead, its magnetic charging port doubles as a connector for a headphone adapter, which is included. I kept worrying that I'd lose the adapter - until I realized I could just stick it on the fridge.

The Veer uses the webOSoperating software, which was developed by Palm before Hewlett-Packard Co. bought it last year. The webOS is clean, intuitive and smartly designed. You can see open applications as little"cards"that you can slide across the screen, tap to enlarge or flick to dismiss. There's also a search feature for quickly searching data stored on the phone and on the Internet.

The Veer's tiny screen, however, made my hands feel enormous, which they aren't for someone who is barely 5'3". I also felt clumsy holding the phone, especially with the keyboard closed, as it felt too small for my hand. Like a slippery bar of soap, it almost flew out of my hands several times as I tried to slide open the keyboard. Calls sounded OK, but it was weird holding such a tiny nugget of a phone up to my ear.

The phone includes access to HP's App Catalog, which has Foursquare, Facebook and some other popular apps you'd find on the iPhone or a phone running Google Inc.'s Android software. There are only about 6,000 apps in all, though, so the selection is much slimmer than iPhone's or Android's. You won't find an app for eBay or the"Words With Friends"game here.

The Veer seems most well-suited for"snacking."You'll be fine looking up a restaurant, checking email, updating Twitter or any other simple task.

But trying to use it extensively for a single task is difficult and not worth the trouble. Although Web pages looked sharp on the screen and videos streamed well over AT&T's"4G"network, I didn't really want to read full news articles or watch clips on such an itty-bitty screen. My fingers felt cramped on the tiny keyboard, so I didn't have the patience to send extensive messages.

While the Veer is too small, in some ways the Infuse is too big. This Frankenphone has a brilliant 4.5-inch display, more massive than nearly every other smartphone on the market. It made a great media player, but it felt awkward to make calls on since it is so wide and tall.

Typing on its large virtual keyboard was often error-free, though sometimes uncomfortable because the phone felt so large in my hands.

It's not big all over: The phone is a bit thicker than an iPhone, which seems pretty thin given its enormous display. And it's fairly light, too, at 4.9 ounces, which is just a fraction of an ounce bigger than Apple's device.

The phone is fast. It opened apps quickly and responded well to my taps on the screen. Over AT&T's 4G network, it was fine at streaming videos and loading webpages. The Infuse is rated for up to eight hours of talk time, so there should be plenty of juice for checking emails, updating Facebook and making calls (which sounded decent).

It's probably best at playing videos, which I really enjoyed doing on the Infuse because its screen is so sharp and big. More so than many smartphones, the display seems appropriate for watching TV episodes or even full-length films (which you can rent or buy from the built-inSamsungMedia Hub).

One cool perk: It includes an HDMI adapter, which fits into its charging port so you can connect the phone to your high-definition TV with an HDMI cable and watch videos on the larger screen. The adapter also has a charging port on it, so you can charge your phone simultaneously.

The Infuse's 8-megapixel camera is good, though I sometimes had trouble focusing it. It had a bright flash and a number of adjustable settings. You can always add a camera app from the Android Market if you want more options such as color filters. There's also a much lower-resolution camera on the front for taking photos or videos.

The Infuse has 16 GB of internal memory and 2 GB more on a microSD card. It costs $200 with a two-year AT&T contract. The phone runs version 2.2 of Google Inc.'s Android software, which is available on plenty of other devices but isn't the latest version for smartphones.

I'm a fan of compact electronics, and I'm a sucker for a big, bright touch screen. But these phones both felt too extreme for me.

When it comes tosmartphonesizes, I'll stick with a medium for now, though.

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Pioneer to sell augmented reality navigation system for cars

(PhysOrg.com) -- Virtual reality may take us to worlds that worlds that we have never been to before, but augmented reality can make the world that we already live in a better, or at least a more digital, place. It should be no surprise then that augmented reality technology is showing up everywhere, and being integrated with the technology we already use every day to make things easier or just more fun.

Pioneer has announced the creation of its new AVIC-VH09CS system. The AVIC-VH09CS is an in-dashnavigation systemthat makes use of augmented reality in order to not only get you to where you are going, but keep you abreast of what is going on when you are on the road.

The AVIC-VH09CS system has, in addition to the functions found in a standardGPS unit, has what is known as scouter mode. The scouter mode makes use of a windshield mounted camera to show you what is going on around the car, with a wider angle then you would get from drivers side view alone. The system then augments your view of the road by placing arrows on the lanes in order to help you follow directions.

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AVIC-ZH09CS

If you have ever been faced with a multiple road junction with seven turns at the light and the vague directions"Turn right in 200 yards", then you can see how this can quickly become a lifesaver. The system is also able to identify common locations of landmarks andtraffic lights, to make using the kind of directions you might get from a friend easier to follow.

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The Pioneer AVIC-VH09CS is expected to go on sale inJapanlater in May, It will retail for roughly $3,700.

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Samsung releases the D9500 3D 75-Inch LED TV

(PhysOrg.com) -- Samsung has officially announced the creation of the D9500 TV today. This very large screen TV, which comes it with 75 inches of screen, is not only bound to take up most of your wall space, but is able to give viewers one big 3D display.

Unlike some new 3D displays, found on screens as small as the Nintendo 3DS and as large as smaller flat screen TV's, this massive screen does require the use of a pair of active shutter 3D glasses if you want to be able to view the screen in 3D.

The screen can give a solid level ofimage quality, even if you do not have the3D glasseson, the screen has a resolution of1080p, which is high definition. When you pair this with a 240-Hz refresh rate, it is easy to see how the picture will still be good when it is not in 3D mode.

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The Samsung D9500 is a smart TV, which means that it has built-in Wi-Fi, that allows users to browse the web, have a really big chat inSkypeor play a super sized game of Farmville. Using the web does not require a keyboard, because that is built into the remote. The Samsung D9500 comes with a flip remote that has a full QWERTY touchscreen keyboard.

This jumbo-sized screen is going to be sold in Korea in the beginning, and its cost will keep away people who do not truly love their media. The D9500 is expected to retail for roughly $17,600.

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Samsung Infuse 4G Debuts May 15

AT&T and Samsung today announced the upcoming availability of the Samsung Infuse 4G.

TheSamsungInfuse 4G will be the thinnest 4G smartphone available in the U.S. and will feature the largest screen -- at 4.5 inches -- in AT&T’s smartphone lineup, and the largest touch screen on any Samsung phone. Powered by a 1.2 GHz application processor and running the Android 2.2 platform, the device delivers a brilliant display using Samsung’s next-generation Super AMOLED Plus technology which features 50 percent more sub-pixels for better contrast. The display also offers unmatched outdoor viewing quality, even in the brightest sunlight.

With the Infuse 4G, Samsung and AT&T are raising the stakes on pre-loaded content that is not available on any other device. In collaboration with Rovio, the Infuse 4G will feature a special edition of Angry Birds pre-loaded on the smartphone. Players can unlock a special“Golden Egg” level of the game, and once the special level is completed, users can register to win Samsung prizes exclusive to Infuse 4G users.

The smartphone also includes an 8-megapixel camera/camcorder with auto-focus and flash that shoots HD video with incredible detail. A front facing camera is perfect for self portraits or video chat. Customers can also watch hit movies and TV shows from preloaded apps like Samsung Media Hub, U-verse Mobile and U-verse Live TV.

The first 500,000 Infuse 4G units sold will include a $25 voucher for consumers to get started on downloading content from Media Hub. With Media Hub’s progressive downloading feature, users can start watching their content almost immediately as the rest of the file downloads to the Infuse 4G. Plus, all Media Hub content can be shared among five Media Hub-enabled devices on the same account. The Infuse 4G also comes with a 2GB microSD card with preloaded trailers for upcoming summer movies.

Compatible with the Infuse 4G and other devices on the Android 2.2 platform or better, AT&T has also launched a new, fun app called JustUs. The app combines both social media and text activity from five favorite contacts into an animated wallpaper, keeping users better connected with those that matter most. Customers can download the app for free in Android Market today.

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Fusion of work and play shapes Lenovo laptops

Chinese computer colossus Lenovo is infusing its leading business laptops with more fun features as Internet Age lifestyles blur lines between work and play.

Lenovo was at the San Francisco headquarters of Dolby Laboratories this week to show off theater quality sound, rich viewing and quick graphics handling in a ThinkPadlaptop computerline that has become a top choice for businesses.

"We are adding elements that are more relevant and interesting to consumers,"ThinkPad marketing director Tom Butler said while demonstrating new features that included audio enhanced with Dolby Home Theater 4.

Long popular with big corporations, Lenovo recently launched ThinkPad models aimed at small businesses whose operators tend to shop for gear at retail shops and whose employees increasingly make work computers part of home lives.

"We see a clear merger of consumer and business in the small business space,"Butler said.

"At the same time workers are using systems 24 hours a day, seven days a week,"he continued."They are taking them home and checking personal email, searching the Web, playing music videos and other multi-media."

Dolby software added to freshly released ThinkPadlaptopmodels dramatically ramps up the quality of any audio from film soundtracks or music to Internet conference calls.

"Even though you are listening overstereo speakerswe are able to create a virtual surround-sound experience,"said Kevin Brennan of Dolby.

"We are trying to re-create the immersive, cinematic experience that you enjoy at the movies, but on your personal computer,"he continued.

Lenovo is the first to put Dolby Home Theater 4 on a business computer, according to Brennan.

"Lenovo is walking the walk and talking the talk by incorporating new features,"he said.

Digital lifestyle enhancements included game-speed graphics, vivid screens, and HDMI ports for routing films or other data-rich digital content tohigh-definition televisionscreens or muscular speakers.

ThinkPad laptops had keys devoted to quickly launching multimedia and slot-loading for DVDs.

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An arcade docking station featuring a Lenovo IdeaPad. Chinese computer colossus Lenovo is infusing its leading business laptops with more fun features as Internet Age lifestyles blur lines between work and play.

"There is going to be a coolness factor to Lenovo's brand,"said Lenovo 'ambassador' Stephen Miller.

"Like houses and phones, a computer says something about who you are,"he continued."We understand there has to be this consumerization feel."

Lenovo is the world's top seller of business laptops and the fourth largest computer company overall, according to Miller.

Lenovo's Bill Dominici provided an early look at an Edge 91Z all-in-one desktop computer hitting the market.

All the computing hardware was built into a sleek 2.5-inch (6.4 centimeter) thick black monitor with a 21.5-inch (54.6 centimeter) screen boasting high-definition imagery.

The starting price will be $699 with a"rich configuration"to be sold for $1,100.

"It competes quite nicely against an Apple (computer),"Dominici said while showing a 91Z to AFP.

"The business employee is really starting to drive the decision around what they are going to have on their desktop or what notebook they are going to carry, whereas IT managers used to rule the roost,"he added.

TheLenovoteam was mum about any plans to field a tablet computer in a market dominated by Apple's coveted iPads. Butler said his company was tuned into the trend of tablets being woven into home and work life.

"The tablet is absolutely going to be part of the experience and the market,"Butler said.

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Long queues for iPad 2 in China

Apple fans queued up for hours Friday in China to snap up the iPad 2 as the updated version of the popular tablet computer went on sale in the world's biggest Internet market.

Apple's four stores in Beijing and Shanghai began offering theWi-Fimodel of the lighter, thinner, camera-equipped touchscreen device, which went on sale in the US on March 11 and in countries across Asia last week to great fanfare.

"It's convenient and it's great fun. I've been looking forward to getting one for more than a month, since I learned that Apple was going to launch it inChina,"22-year-old Liu Yan, who runs a magic shop, told AFP.

Liu purchased the most expensive model -- the 64-gigabyte version selling for 5,288 yuan ($815). The cheapest 16-gigabyte version sells for 3,688 yuan. Both black and white models were on offer.

Apple employees told AFP that hundreds had queued overnight outside the store in a trendy upscale shopping mall in the city centre. Hired security guards maintained order throughout the day.

By 5:00 pm, queues had waned, but the glassfront store was still jammed with customers including 22-year-old Flora Wang, who said she wanted to buy an iPad but was still deciding whether to buy the original model or the updated one.

"The screen is so big,"said Wang, as she played a game and browsed the online app of Spanish fashion brand Zara.

The iPad was also on sale at authorised dealers in China, such as electronics chain stores, but was not available late Friday on Apple's online store for China.

China has a booming grey market for Apple products to satisfy pent-up demand -- perhaps prompting the California-based high-tech giant to gradually shorten the lag time between the US and China launches of its coveted gadgets.

TheiPhoneofficially went on sale in China in October 2009 -- more than two years after its US launch. The original iPad, which debuted in the United States in April 2010, hit store shelves in China in September.

Apple plans to have 25 new stores in China by the end of this year.

With the world's top Internet population at more than 457 million users, China is a key market for tablet computer makers -- research firm Analysys International estimates tablet sales will reach 4.5 million units here in 2011.

"It is not surprising to see people lining up for the iPad 2, but I don't think there will be a supply crunch due to heavy demand,"Sun Peilin, an analyst at Beijing-based Analysys, told AFP.

"Sales will normalise and then pick up in the second quarter,"Sun said, adding that iPad prices on thegrey markethad dropped off on Friday as the official launch went into full swing.

Apple sold 15 million iPads last year, generating $10 billion in revenue and establishing the multi-tasking device as a"must-have"consumer item for many.

It quickly dominated the tablet computer market and was swiftly followed by offerings from the tech industry's main players, from Samsung and Dell to BlackBerry maker RIM and Toshiba. Sony unveiled its tablet models last week.

In March, Chinese computer giant Lenovo launched its owntablet computer-- the LePad, powered by Google's Android software -- at home as it tries to compete for a share of an increasingly crowded market dominated by theiPad.

It is due to go on sale outside China by June.

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