It’s called an e-dictionary. We don’t know why, but that’s how this thing is being marketed. While common thinking dictates that a portable media player can also feature a dictionary, it seems like iRiver wants to capitalize on the sudden rush of e-books with this e-dictionary.
In case you’re the type of guy who’s excited about the iPad, you might want to check out Apple’s iPad page, where the first iPad commercial is now playing. First played during the Oscars, the new commercial really didn’t show anything new, although the smooth interface is still pretty cool to watch. Or maybe we’re just hyped about the song. Or how it’s amazing that the screen doesn’t smudge with all the finger-flicking. Anyway, the video ends with a reminder that it’s due out on April 3rd, but if you’ve been following the iPad, we’re pretty sure you already knew that.
Have you ever been in a situation where you and maybe four other guys need to go online, a Wi-fi hotspot isn’t available, and only one of you has a 3G modem? That might sound farfetched, but it could happen, right? Especially since everyone (or at least almost everyone) brings a laptop or Wi-fi mobile device, everyone needs to go online at some point in time for any reason, and not everyone signs up for a 3G USB modem. Connect One’s Wi-REACH personal Wi-fi hotspot aims to help (almost) everyone out, allowing that one guy who had the foresight to pick up a 3G modem to plug in and share his connection.
Remember the Sony Dash? The $200 tabletop do-it-all (almost-all, at least) with a 7-inch screen and a Wi-fi connection that was announced back in January? It’s about to get a pretty significant upgrade that should make that $200 price tag (for a digital clock-slash-media viewer-slash-internet viewer) a little bit more worth it. Sony has just announced that they’ll be adding a custom Netflix app to the Dash that’ll give it the ability to stream in TV shows and movies via a Wi-fi connection. The video streaming app will come at no extra cost (thankfully keeping the price at $200) and should be available when the Dash goes on store shelves this April.
Mozilla has just announced that they’ve released a mobile version of their Firefox web browser. The good news is that we can get a mobile phone-based browser that we’re all (or at least those of us who use Firefox) familiar with. The bad news is that the first version of Firefox Mobile will be for Maemo-based mobiles only, so unless you own a Nokia N810 or N900 (Nokia’s “mobile computer”), you’re going to have to wait for another version.
…you might want to think things through. Yes, it’s an awesome feat of technology in its own right (we covered some of the highlights here) but it does have a lot of limitations. By far the largest limitation is that it runs on an iPhone platform—not an open operating system like you’d normally have on a cheaper standard netbook. As such, the iPad’s platform ties pretty much everything you want to run on it to Apple’s own services.
After months of endless rumors and speculation, Apple finally lifted the veil and officially released their tablet-slash-oversized-iPod touch device. We all thought it would be the “iSlate,” but they turned the tables on everyone and gave it the most obvious name that everyone thought of, but never considered: the iPad. So what exactly is it? Apparently, the rumors were true: the iPad will run on a souped-up version of the iPhone operating system (iPhone OS 3.2), a new Apple-developed processor called the A4 chip, it looks like an oversized iPhone and features just about every function you can pack into a net-connected touchscreen tablet.
Sony’s Dash is another “tablet”, but of a different sort. While it has a 7-inch touchscreen and a touch-based interface, it won’t be like the Windows-based device like HP’s Slate (or Apple’s rumored “iSlate,” which will run on an Apple-designed OS). Described as a “personal internet viewer,” the Dash looks more like a souped-up digital photo frame more than a full-on tablet.
The Android-powered Archos 5 internet tablet is now available in the US via Amazon. The Internet tablet-slash-multimedia player, which features a 4.8-inch touchscreen and HD 720p-quality playback, starts out at $390 for the entry-level 160GB model, while a version that comes with a 32GB solid state drive is available for $370. Amazon also lists a top-end 500GB model that comes with a 500GB hard drive, but stocks aren’t currently available.