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Microsoft Launches Windows 8- Surface Tablet

October 25, 2012 by

In dueling releases a few hours apart Microsoft first took the wraps off of its latest operating system, Windows 8, and then off of its Surface tablet family that will be some of the first hardware that will run the OS.

The operating system rollout is one of the biggest from Microsoft in a while as it is aimed at moving the company in a new direction, away from being viewed as primarily one for desktops and laptops but also a provider for the growing mobile/digital environment.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer talked up the new OS at the company’s event in New York and noted that Microsoft has brought together the best of two worlds, PCs and tablets. He also mentioned that the company has reworked a good deal of its existing apps and other technologies to work with Windows 8 from its MSN.com website to new products that are just now being released.

Microsoft expects that there will be approximately a combined 400 million Windows 8 phones, tablets and PCs in a year, which it will need as the company faces an uphill battle currently getting app developers to create for its platform first, and sometimes at all.

Windows 8 will be available for download to upgrade existing PCs in more than 140 markets and 37 languages starting tomorrow. For most users there will be three different versions to choose from, one Windows RT, ,designed specifically for tablets that run ARM-based microprocessors Then there will be the more mainstream Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro.

Also available tomorrow will be its Surface tablet, and it is marketing it as more than a tablet, but also as a type of laptop and I think that is a good tool to both help differentiate it from Apple’s iPad but also could help open the door to wider acceptance in businesses as a replacement technology for existing PCs.

There will be two basic versions of the Surface tablet– those that run Windows RT and those that run Windows 8 Pro. Aside from that it is basically the same system. For the RT version It will weigh in at 1.5lbs and have a 10.6-inch display that has 1366 x 768 resolution. Powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 core it will have 2GB RAM and be available with either 32GBs or 64GBs of storage.

There are two 720p HD LifeCams, one front and one rear facing; it will have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity as well as a USB 2.0 port. The Windows Pro version weights a bit more at two pounds and will have a choice between 64GB and 128GB storage and this tablet is powered by Intel’s Core i5 processor. It has a USB 3.0 port. The RT version will be available tomorrow at $499 while the Windows Pro will have pricing and availability announced at a future date.

Filed Under: Apple, Apps, Intel, iPad, Microsoft, Surface, Tablets, Windows 8 Tagged With: , , , , ,

Apple Enters the 7-inch Space With iPad Mini

October 23, 2012 by

The suspense has been gone for some time but now that Apple has officially taken the wraps off of its latest member of the iPad family, the 7-inch iPad Mini we can actually look at the details and see how it compares to its rivals in this space.

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook officially unveiled the latest at an event held in San Jose, Calif. today, seven months after its last iPad release. Apple’s iPad Mini is 53% lighter than the last generation iPad at 0.68 pounds, and has a 7.9-inch Retina screen with a 1,024 x 768 resolution, the same resolution as the iPad . Apple said that since the displays are the same resolution there should be no issue using existing iPad apps on the newest tablet. It features a 5MP backward facing camera and is capable of connecting to a 4G LTE network.

The iPad Mini starts at $329 for a 16GB version, $429 for the 32GB model and $529 for the 64GB model and Apple will start taking orders for the tablet on Friday and said that it expects to ship the Wi-Fi version at the end of next week with the cellular version to ship two weeks later.

Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller said that the iPad Mini’s rivals in the 7-inch space were failures. Well Apple will have the chance now to show that it is better since its two top rivals, Amazon and Google, sell their 7-inch tablets at cost with the Google Nexus 7 starting at $199 and the Amazon Kindle at $159, both significantly lower than what Apple is selling the iPad Mini for.

There is no doubt that the company has had tremendous success with the larger iPads since its debut, with over 100 million sold and a dominating, almost 70% market share so far. This might be why Apple had been originally disparaging of the 7-inch market but the success first of Amazon’s Kindle tablet followed closely by Barnes & Noble’s Nook and Google’s Nexus 7 have shown that there was a large demand out there for smaller devices.

Tablet market no longer just Apple vs. Android
It should be noted that while Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Google have been getting all of the press for their popular 7-inch offerings, more are expected from additional companies, starting with Acer’s announcement of its Iconia A110. The 7-inch tablet is approximately $30 less than the Nexus 7 at $230 and will have a 1024 x 600 resolution display, but this is another Android-based system.

However the Windows 8 revolution is about to hit us as Microsoft seeks to establish itself as a major player not only in the tablet operating space with its Windows 8 operating system but also as a provider of hardware with its Surface tablets, all of which will be unveiled this week.

Plenty of the Windows 8 hardware OEMs such as Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Asus and Lenovo have already taken the wraps off of their devices in advance of the official unveiling and Intel has talked about the features that t will bring to the space with its technology and processors. However, so far none of the OEMs, that I am aware of, have talked about 7-inch tablets, although Samsung has offered one in the past. I suspect that just like Apple they will be visiting the space, and soon.

It would not be an Apple event if there was just one center of attention. The company announced a new 13-inch MacBook Pro that features its retina display technology, a notebook that weights in almost a pound lighter and 20% thinner than previous versions. Currently available it has a $1,699 starting price tag. Then there is a Mac Mini at $599 and a new iMac with up to a 27-inch display and an interesting new hard drive/flash combo starting at $1299 for the version with a 21.5-inch display.

Filed Under: 4G LTE, Android, Apple, Apps, Asus, Barnes & Noble, Dell, Google, Intel, iOS, iPad, Kindle, Lenovo, Microsoft, Nook, Samsung, Surface, Tablets, Windows 8 Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Mobile Sports Report TechWatch: New Nexus, Windows 8, iPads on Horizon

October 22, 2012 by

This should be the start of a great couple of weeks for techies. Apple has its event on Wednesday, purportedly to announce the new iPad Mini but with Apple they could have an entirely different product to surprise the market, although I doubt it. Then Microsoft takes center stage the following day in New York to announce its Windows 8 operating system and show off its Surface tablets, along with the offerings from its OEMs.

The following week Microsoft unveils Windows 8 Phone along with Nokia and other partners in San Francisco. At the same time Google is hosting an Android event in New York. After all of this settles it will be time to look for the holiday gifts, at least the ones that you are going to get for yourself to keep your mobile sports jones going.

The Google announcement looks as if there will be several major components, according to Cnet. The next generation of the Android operating system, 4.2 will be on the table as well as a Nexus 4 phone from LG and a larger Nexus tablet, the Nexus 10, this time made by Samsung.

Google to settle with FTC?
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google is considering settling a case with the Federal Trade Commission over claims its Motorola Mobility unit violated antitrust laws. It has to do with how it licensed patents that were listed as industry standards.

Acer’s 7-inch tablet priced at $230
According to a report in the WebProNews Acer will be listing its 7-inch Iconia Tab A110 at $230. Slated for release on Oct.30 the tablet will have a 1024 x 600 resolution, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage while powered by a Nvidia Tegra quad-core processor.

4K is now Ultra HD
If you have been looking at cameras, televisions and other devices that list among their features that they are 4k you probably know that it means that they have a horizontal resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels. Well now the Consumer Electronics Association has decided to toss that into the trash and use the term Ultra HD when used with televisions that support 4k.

The minimum requirements to use the Ultra HD tag will be resolution of at least eight million active pixels, which is a minimum 3,840 x 2,160 resolution. Displays must have an aspect ratio of at least 16×9 and must have a digital input capable of carrying native 4K video, instead of relying solely on up-converting.

Apps bolster smartphone usage
Market research firm NPD has studied the issue of whether additional apps lead to more time on a smartphone. It found that yes, the connected consumer does spend additional time using the smartphone. The company’s Connected Intelligence SmartMeter found that when comparing monthly usage of minutes per day for August 2012 versus August 2011, Android smartphone users spent nearly one-fifth more time on their smartphones daily – 247 minutes, or over four hours versus 210 minutes or 3.5 hours. While I think many intuitively have believed this it is very nice to have someone actually do the research to back up opinions.

Filed Under: Amazon, Android, Apple, Apps, Asus, Google, iPad, Microsoft, Samsung, Surface, Tablets, Wall Street Journal, Windows 8 Tagged With: , , , , ,

GoPro takes Hero to Level 3

October 22, 2012 by

GoPro has enhanced its popular Hero line of action cameras with the unveiling of its Hero3 family that should meet the needs of the most demanding user by following the company’s tried and true method of continually making the devices faster and more powerful.

The Hero3 moves GoPro into the realm of the 4k resolution capabilities in its top end offerings. The Hero3 family has a trio of models, each designed for different users at different price points, starting with the Hero3 Black at the high end.

The Black comes with 4k resolution, or ultra high definition, capabilities and has a 12MP image sensor that is coupled with an enhanced low light performance. It is capable of recording video at 1080p, 1440p, 960p and 720p resolutions.

The $399.99 camera supports up to 64GB MicroSD cards for storage and has built-in Wi-Fi making it very easy to transfer images and video to more permanent storage or to large screen displays for viewing. It can take still in three resolutions, 12MP, 7MP and 5MP and has burst speed of 30 frames per second and also has both time lapse and continuous capabilities. It has a waterproof case good to 197 feet and is gear mountable.

Next up is the $299.99 Silver Edition, targeted as the natural replacement for the company’s previous workhorse offering, the Hero2, but it comes it 25% lighter at under 3 ounces and 30% smaller while sharing the same basic specifications such as the ability to capturing ultra-wide 1080p 30 fps and 720p 60 fps video plus 11MP photos at a rate of 10 photos per second but also has built-in Wi-Fi.

The $199.99 entry level White Edition is waterproof to 197 feet, and is capable of capturing 1080p 30 fps and 720p 60 fps video plus 5MP photos at a rate of 3 photos per second. As with all of the new generation Hero3 cameras it has built-in Wi-Fi. All of the cameras are expected to be available by the end of the month.

There are a growing number of developers in this space with Polaroid jumping into the market recently with a trio of offerings while Sony has been making waves with its Bloggie Sports Camera line.

Filed Under: Apps, GoPro, Outdoor Activities, Polaroid, Sports Action Cameras, Wi-Fi Tagged With: , ,

Mobile Sports Report Friday Grab Bag: Legos Leap, Ravens Grasp Social Media

October 19, 2012 by

It seems that all anyone could talk about at the start of this week was the amazing feat that Felix Baumgartner accomplished by setting a free fall record and breaking the sound barrier while doing so with a jump from 128,097 feet above sea level.

Now you can watch the entire event played out before you, by Legos!

Intel’s weak Q4 Outlook
Intel’s earnings were released this week and they disappointed, with its profits falling 14% amid a decline in sales of personal computers. The company had revenue of $13.6 billion and reported a profit of $2.97 billion.

The company warned about its outlook for the next quarter as it expects demand for personal computers to remain weak and the global economy to be soft. Also an issue is the demand for tablets, which appears to be siphoning away sales, although Intel will be looking to move further into this space when Microsoft releases its Windows 8 operating system later this month.

FBI warns on Android Malware
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has issued a release that said that a number of different malware apps are attacking mobile phones that run the Android operating system. Some of the latest known versions of this type of malware are Loozfon and FinFisher. Loozfon is an information-stealing piece of malware.

IC3 has a list of helpful hints that are designed to help prevent infection or to let you know how to deal with one when it occurs. Among them are use encryption is offered on the phone, use a pass code and be careful with apps that use Geo-locate.

NBC Sports Group in 4-year partnership deal with Formula One
NBC Sports Group will be showing all of the Formula 1 Grand Prix races starting next year including qualifying and practice rounds after it signed a 4-year deal with the Formula One Management. Four races will be on NBC and the remaining 16 will be available on NBC Sports Network.

The 2013 F1 Grand Prix schedule starts next March and runs through November and will include 20 races in 19 countries with the season starting on March 17 in Australia on NBC Sports Network and concludes on Sunday, Nov. 24 in Brazil on NBC.

NPD Group breaks down Windows Surface rumors
Want an advanced look at the forthcoming Windows Surface Tablet? Well we cannot help you there but the NPD Group has taken the trouble to parse down all the rumors and provide what appears to be a solid outline of the product and the company’s plans for it.

It looks as if there will be 3-5 million built and available on the initial run and that it will feature a Tegra processor, 32 and 64GB of flash memory, and a 1377×768 screen with a starting price in the range of $499 for a base model and the next step up at $100 more.

The Baltimore Ravens: Digital Powerhouse
There is an short piece in the Baltimore Sun about how the Ravens have embraced digital and social media as tools to not only reach out and embrace and inform the fans but also as a tool to publish and profit from that experience.

The image with the article is where the meat is, it shows that the team has a unified approach that includes Twitter, Facebook and mobile alerts along with mobile apps and other digital media all tied into its BaltimoreRavens.com site.

Apple loses too cool appeal
Apple has lost its latest legal round with Samsung when Britain’s Court of Appeal backed a lower court’s earlier judgment that Samsung’s Galaxy Tablet did not infringe on Apple iPad copyrights. The reason the lower court used was that the Galaxy is “not as cool” as the iPad.

Can’t we all be friends? Google event to compete with Microsoft’s
It seems that increasingly plotting the date for a hot new release has become a tough chore as a requirement seems to be to steal a rival’s thunder as well as promote your own product. Many believe that Apple’s iPad event that is expected for next week is one such scheduling example.

Now Google has jumped on the bandwagon and is hosting an Android launch event in New York City on Oct. 29, the same day that Microsoft is launching Windows Phone 8 in San Francisco.

Filed Under: Android, Apple, Apps, Facebook, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, Google, Intel, iPad, Lawsuit, Microsoft, NBC Sports, Red Bull, Samsung, Smartphone, Tablets, Windows 8 Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Guest Blog: Pickmoto Rates the ESPN Pickers and Finds them… Average

October 18, 2012 by

(Editor’s note: This is a guest blog from the folks at Pickmoto, a fantasy sports mobile app.)

Football studio shows are fans’ ambient noise, like waves crashing or birds chirping … only the waves are a typhoon and the birds are tucans with megaphones. The analysts talk as if they know how you watch them – getting ready in the morning, eating, before you fall asleep. If they speak with less than complete force, we won’t pay attention.

At Pickmoto, we’re trying to figure out who we should tune in to and who we can put on mental mute. ESPN publishes a dozen “Experts” picks every week. We created a fake user for each Expert and entered all of their picks through 6 weeks. Of course, these guys don’t know they are playing Pickmoto. So their picks deserve some slack for being out of context.

But not much slack according to their Week 6 performance. Mort was the only one who cracked .500 and saw his Pickmoto score go up. (Editor’s note: See the Pickmoto FAQ for explanation of the scoring.)

The odd thing is it was not a crazy week. Sure there were upsets. But there weren’t any shockers. The Titans over the Steelers qualifies on paper – 85% on Pickmoto took the Steelers. But considering how lackluster Pittsburg has looked, you’d think at least one “Expert” would have foresaw struggles on the road in primetime.

And that’s the point. The “Experts” offer evidently little insight. Their picks are nearly uniform and uniformly boring. Removing Mort from the equation, the other 11 unanimously or just short of unanimously picked the Steelers, Falcons, Eagles, Bucs, Ravens, Cardinals, Patriots, and 49ers. Those teams were 3-4.  

No NFL game is a no-brainer. Last week we might have conceded that Raiders-Falcons was an exception. But the Silver and Black were one horrible Carson Palmer interception return for a TD away from taking a lead with 2 minutes to go.

Yes, hindsight is 20/20. And yes, these guys undoubtedly know way way WAY more football than we do. But it’s still frustrating when we see them day after day, segment after segment yammering on about blitz packages, injuries to the secondary, and trick Tebow plays. Their picks demonstrate a lack of recognition of the strongest, most consistent, most important force in all of football: PARITY.

ESPN Pickmoto Standings Thru Week 6
Chris Mortensen – 582
Seth Wickersham – 535
Keyshawn Johnson – 352
Adam Schefter – 337
Ron Jaworski – 230
Merrill Hoge – 225
Cris Carter – 206
Eric Allen – 205
Mark Schlereth – 166
Mike Golic – 153
Mike Ditka – 138
Tom Jackson – 120

—–

Pickmoto (www.pickmoto.com) is recreating the fantasy sports experience on mobile. Its first app for the 2012 NFL season is free for iPhone and iPad. Pickmoto asks the most basic question in sports – which teams will win. There is a crowdsourced scoring system that rewards correct picks based on their popularity – the less popular, the more points. The basketball app will be out at the end of October and a College Bowl app will be available in December.

Filed Under: Apps, ESPN, NFL, Sports Betting Tagged With: , , , ,
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