Apple’s new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro notebooks were a surprise for their WWDC 2009 keynote, not least because most people were only expecting the iPhone 3G S. Still, we won’t turn our noses up at new unibody machines with boosted specifications, and so when Apple invited us to check out their new MacBook Pros we gladly accepted. Check out our hands-on first impressions after the cut.
A lot can happen in five months. Announced to dropped jaws at CES back in January, the Palm Pre has captured attention in a way usually only Cupertino can. Tightly patrolled demos at intervening tradeshows have only added to the allure; now, on June 6th, it’s Palm and Sprint’s chance to see whether hype adds up to sales. SlashGear have been living, breathing and sleeping Pre for the past couple of weeks: read on for our full review.
It almost seems unnecessary to go over the Pre’s hardware: it’s been pored over since the CES launch. As well as the obvious things – the 3.1-inch 320 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, slide-out hardware QWERTY keyboard, multitouch strip under the display and 3-megapixel camera on the back – there’s EVDO Rev.A, WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and a multitasking-capable processor lurking inside.
Sony Ericsson handsets are still relatively rare in the US market, and so Sony Electronics are stepping in as the official unlocked handset reseller for their cellular cousins. One of the first offerings is the W995a, a SIM-unlocked multimedia phone featuring an 8.1-megapixel camera and Walkman mediaplayer; it’s available for pre-order starting today at SonyStyle.com and will be available in stores on July 6 for around $600. Sony sent one over for SlashGear to check out.
Our previous run-ins with pico-projectors have left us vaguely disappointed, with units that will certainly fit in your pocket but underwhelm in their performance. BenQ’s Joybee GP1 has sized itself out pocket-portability but promises improved quality to make up for it; SlashGear put those claims to the test.
For $499, you get the world’s first-ever LED-based projector with a USB reader. Specs wise, you’ll find a Texas Instruments DLP projection system outputting 858 x 600 resolution, 100 ANSI lumens, a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, a built-in 2-watt speaker and VGA / component / composite inputs. Did I mention that it’s only 1.4 pound projector?!
Everything you’ve heard about Verizon Wireless offering a Netbook with Mobile Broadband network built in is 100-percent true. You’ll be able to pick one up at Verizon Wireless stores this upcoming Sunday, May 17 for a small price of $199.99 after a $50.00 mail-in rebate along with a new two-year activation on a Mobile Broadband plan.
Sling Media’s much awaited SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone is finally here and available for purchase in the iTunes App Store. The price is $29.99, which is on par with SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows, Blackberry and Symbian. The only two differences between SlingPlayer for iPhone and the other platforms are all-touch navigation and the crippling of streaming over 3G and EDGE data connection. Streaming shows from a SlingBox to the iPhone anywhere and anytime is the primary reason to shell out $30 for an app. With AT&T playing the Terms and Condition card against Sling Media (see below), forcing their hands to disable 3G in order to pass through the App Store, it renders the app completely useless when you’re not in a WiFi zone.
Recent news that Palm are tipped to be working with the Wall Street Journal to announce the Pre’s launch date on May 19th, and word that Best Buy are expecting stock of the distinctive Touchstone inductive charger on June 7th has again fueled speculation that the smartphone is imminent. It already seems likely that Pre-buyers will be queuing up for the new handset, and potentially doing so on Sunday June 7th, but it could be the week or two beforehand that makes the biggest difference to its reception.
Trying out Sony’s new OLED Walkman was a no-brainer, even if the only review unit they could provide was a Japanese model. I’ve spent a week with the NW-X1050, trying to decide whether OLED is enough to wrench the PMP crown from Apple and the iPod touch; this isn’t a review as such, as some of the functionality – notably YouTube and the Access browser – wouldn’t work, but think of it as a preview for the US model.
After the official announcement we had the chance to go hands-on with the new Amazon Kindle DX, and despite the overall family resemblance it feels a very different device to the Kindle 2. Where that e-reader prioritizes the hand-feel and portability of a paperback, the Kindle DX feels decidedly more work-oriented. The bigger screen – which refreshes a little slower than that of the Kindle 2, but not frustratingly so – is 1,200 x 824 resolution and 150ppi, and while still grayscale feels far more useful than that of its smaller sibling.
Full Kindle DX live gallery and demo video after the cut
SlashGear Japan
