2009 September - SlashGear

Archive for September, 2009

Novatel WWAN/WiFi card to bring embedded MiFi to Dell notebook?

Chris Davies, Sep 24th 2009 Discuss [0]

Are Novatel planning to put a MiFi module inside Dell's Latitude E4300? That's one interpretation of the company's recent FCC filing, which shows a dual-mode WiFi and WWAN module capable of concurrently using both wireless radios, and with antenna connections for the E-series notebook. Read The Full Story

Wacom Bamboo tablets get official: multitouch and pen input

Chris Davies, Sep 24th 2009 Discuss [1]

Wacom have finally got around to officially announcing [pdf link] their Bamboo Touch multitouch tablet, a week after at least one person was able to pick one up from their local Best Buy. The Wacom Bamboo Touch is one of the company's second generation of the Bamboo line, which also includes the Bamboo Pen & Touch, which responds both to a pen stylus (for accuracy) as well as fingers. The tablet automatically switches between the two modes, depending on whether the user has touched the surface with their finger or if the stylus nib is near. Read The Full Story

Microsoft Pink Turtle and Pure phones leak

Chris Davies, Sep 24th 2009 Discuss [0]

Crystal ball, secret tunnel or loose-lipped mole; we don't know how Gizmodo are doing it, but hot on the heels of the Microsoft Courier dual-touchscreen tablet leak comes shots of Microsoft's two upcoming Pink cellphones. The Microsoft Turtle (the squarish model) and Microsoft Pure (the more traditional handset) are both manufactured by Sharp and will be co-branded, and like the Sidekick - which Sharp also manufactured for Danger - will be targeted at a messaging-friendly youth market. Read The Full Story

Vodafone 360 launches: social media, apps plus Samsung H1 and M1

Chris Davies, Sep 24th 2009 Discuss [2]

Vodafone have announced their latest mobile networking and app platform, Vodafone 360, bringing Facebook, Windows Live and Google contacts sync, software downloads and mobile content to the carrier's cellphones. While Vodafone 360 will support numerous Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices, the carrier is also launching two new Samsung devices which will be 360 branded: the Samsung H1, with a 3.5-inch OLED touchscreen, and the Samsung M1, with a 3.2-inch TFT touchscreen. Read The Full Story

O2 Palm Pre launching October 16th from free [Updated]

Chris Davies, Sep 24th 2009 Discuss [0]

O2 have just announced that they will be launching the Palm Pre in the UK on October 16th. The handset - the GSM version of the Sprint device that has been available in the US for several months now - will be priced between free and £96.89 ($159) depending on contract. Update: O2 in Germany and Ireland will also get the Palm Pre on October 13th and 16th respectively. German pricing details here; Irish details after the cut. Full contract details after the cut Read The Full Story

Monster Turbine Pro headphones debut

Shane McGlaun, Sep 23rd 2009 Discuss [1]

Monster is a well-known name in the audio and home theater market with all sorts of gear from cables to power conditioners and surge protectors. Monster also offers a full line of headphones for different uses. Today monster has announced a new set of headphones called the Turbine Pro In-Ear Speakers. Read The Full Story

Columns

When real is a little too real for me

Michael Gartenberg, Sep 23rd 2009 Discuss [0]

pacman One of the things I can’t help notice, playing the latest and greatest video games, is how this generation of consoles and PCs have the ability to provide the most realistic worlds I have ever seen with the most intense level of detail and real-world physics models. It makes sense: games are, at their heart, simulations and thanks to Moore’s Law the processing power of today’s devices mean that I can model the world in ever more detail and sophistication.

To me, however, that’s not necessarily a good thing. The problem is that there’s a danger of real becoming a little too real, at least for me. I won’t get into the issues of video game violence (for me it’s simple: parents that are worried about video game violence should watch what their kids play) but watching the latest boxing titles and seeing someone get hit in the face really hard is a little disturbing to me. Sure, I love titles like COD, but as we get to the point of creating really convincing simulations we also begin to face the danger of losing the most important aspect of game play. Fun.

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