Rubinstein bids HP goodbye

post from Ubergizmo on 29 January 2012 11:26:19 PM. © Ubergizmo

Jon Rubinstein is a name that is famous among the consumer electronics industry, where he is famously known for developing the original iPod for Apple as well as being the CEO behind Palm, where we did see him in action before as he took to the stage at CES 2009 and 2010 to introduce new phones and products for the Palm market. Well, all good things come to and end, and sometimes when things do not work out either, those too, should have an amicable parting – and Jon Rubinstein has just done that, after fulfilling his commitment to HP.

The once senior vice president for product innovation for the Personal Systems Group at HP did not reveal his future plans on just what he intends to do, but there are rumors flying around that he wants to take a break from it all at the moment. Sounds fair enough, and I am quite sure that Rubinstein has earned more than enough over the years in order to take a long vacation without worrying about whether there is going to be any money in the bank left at the end of the month. Good luck in your future endeavors, Jon!

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: webOS 2.2.4 update rolling out to Pre 2 phones, WebOS write-off costs HP $3.3B,

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http://www.ubergizmo.com/2012/01/rubinstein-leaves-hp/

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Idolian IdolPad tablet

post from Ubergizmo on 29 January 2012 11:24:46 PM. © Ubergizmo

No matter how high end you make a particular device, there will always be a market for the masses who tread between value and performance. After all, the rich will always have their own playthings, while most of us who live from month to month are always on the lookout for something that gives the best bang for the buck. The Idolian IdolPad tablet is one such device that has joined the masses of Android-powered devices that allow you to play Angry Birds on the go without missing a beat. For just a Benjamin, the Idolian IdolPad will run on a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor, sporting 512MB RAM, 4GB of internal memory, HDMI out, a microSDHC memory card slot, and runs on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system – all the while playing nice with Google’s official Android Market so that you can get your fix of free apps (as well as paid ones, if those happen to appeal to you). The processor might be single-core, but you do get what you pay for, and just how many other tablets out there in the market come with such specifications at that price point? The potential downside would be its resistive panel display with a rather stingy resolution count of just 800 x 480 pixels.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: RedPad tablet for the Red Army, Fake tablets deluge coming your way?,

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NEC to shed 10,000 jobs after dismal forecast

post from Ubergizmo on 29 January 2012 11:07:41 PM. © Ubergizmo

The weather is not looking up for those working at NEC, as a revised financial forecast for FY 2011 was recently released, where their executives’ crystal balls predicted an annual $1.3 billion loss. This would mean it is the company’s third loss for a quarter in the past four years, and in order to avert further bleeding of their coffers, NEC has announced that they will take the painful decision of making around 10,000 folks redundant in their current positions. Bloomberg Businessweek reported that President Nobuhiro Endo announced the cuts, where the majority of the cuts will affect NEC’s mobile phone handset business, and around 7,000 of them are said to lose their jobs in Japan alone. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: NEC to introduce new WUXGA 24" LED displays next year, NEC developing "super-resolution" technologies for sharper image magnification,

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http://www.ubergizmo.com/2012/01/nec-to-shed-10000-jobs-after-dismal-forecast/

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Sprint Galaxy Nexus registration page is now live

post from Ubergizmo on 29 January 2012 11:06:42 PM. © Ubergizmo

If you have always wanted the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, but did not bother to sign up with Verizon (read our review on the Verizon-bound Galaxy Nexus), here is another chance for you – with a different carrier, of course. It seems as though there is a choice for consumers now who want Google’s current flagship phone model, and Sprint has stepped up to the plate by putting the registration page for the Galaxy Nexus live. This Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone will deliver the “pure Android” experience right out of the box, and if you are interested, just head on here and sign up. With 32GB of internal memory and a dual-core 1.5GHz processor in this puppy, you will not find yourself running out of storage space on your mobile device anytime soon – unless, of course, you are one who loves to shoot video in High Definition video wherever you go. Now that’s a surefire way to fill up the space inside the Galaxy Nexus super fast (and any other phone, for that matter).

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Samsung Galaxy Nexus LTE confirmed for Sprint, Sprint Galaxy Nexus LTE arriving?,

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http://www.ubergizmo.com/2012/01/sprint-galaxy-nexus-registration-page/

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Sony Xperia S spotted at FCC

post from Ubergizmo on 29 January 2012 11:05:37 PM. © Ubergizmo

Whenever a consumer electronics device is being prepared to be released to the masses in the US, it will have to jump through all the hoops and loops set up by the FCC. While the Sony Xperia S has already been spotted in the past, said smartphone (which has already dropped the ‘Ericsson’ moniker if you have noticed), has already been seen roaming through the hallways of the FCC. Commission documents that claimed the Xperia S will come with its very own anti-stain housing alongside a fast charging-ability (that is certainly handy in this day and age) will look as though it resembles the proper bands for AT&T’s 3G spectrum. While it will play nice with AT&T’s frequencies, that does not mean the Xperia S will be hook up with the rest of AT&T’s merry band of handsets, never mind that the Sony Xperia Ion recently joined AT&T’s LTE line-up. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Sony Xperia S shipping this month in the UK?, Top 10 CES Gadgets,

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX50

post from Ubergizmo on 29 January 2012 11:00:59 PM. © Ubergizmo

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX50 is a cousin of the WX70. Both share the same functionalities, but the DSC-WX50 is a bit more affordable because it uses a 2.7″ LCD display where the WX70 has a better 3″ Display. Optically, both cameras are the same as they use Sony’s 16 Megapixel CMOS sensor, and a 25mm lens with a 5X optical zoom. Sony has also added “Clear Image Zoom”, which is a digital zoom technology that produce sharper images than the conventional digital zoom that simply “magnify” the image. This remains nonetheless a digital zoom technology. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX70, Sony NEX-7 launch postponed due to floods in Thailand,

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX70

post from Ubergizmo on 29 January 2012 11:00:55 PM. © Ubergizmo

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX70

Sony has just announced its Cyber-shot DSC-WX70 compact camera that is equipped with a 16 Megapixel CMOS sensor, a 5X optical zoom and a 3″ LCD high-quality display. The camera has built-in image stabilization system and can record 1080i video (60FPS) while shooting 12MP photos at the same time. Externally, it looks like a classic compact camera that is about the size of a deck of cards. At the bottom, you will find the battery compartment, and a nearby Micro-USB slot for transferring files to a computer. It wasn’t clear if the camera could be charged over USB (I believe that some Sony Cameras can). It is possible to connect the camera to a TV via HDMI and it wouldn’t be surprising if you could display 3D photos on a compatible TV as well (I haven’t tried yet). (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX50, Sony NEX-7 launch postponed due to floods in Thailand,

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http://www.ubergizmo.com/2012/01/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-wx70/

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V Stylish 18.2 MP Glass
Design Camera

post from Ubergizmo on 29 January 2012 11:00:30 PM. © Ubergizmo

Sony launched the stylish new Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V featuring a beautiful reinforced glass design, a look that will go well with your iPhone. With fierce competition coming from the high-end smartphones that now deliver high megapixel cameras with good lenses and sensors (Xperia Ion with 12 MP Exmor R sensor and Nokia Lumia 900 with Carl Zeiss lens), it is hard for point-and-shoot to remain attractive to highly demanding consumers.

Beside the innovative and stylish design, the DSC-TX200V packs serious performance in its slim body, thanks to a enhanced 18.2 MP ?Exmor R? CMOS sensor and a new BIONZ processor that deliver ?Extra High Sensitivity? technology for enhanced low-light shooting capabilities. Other new features include the Optical SteadyShot Active Mode, that provide better image stabilization and a super fast auto focus with a speed of approximately 0.13 seconds in daytime and 0.25 seconds in low-light situations (speed vary based on shooting conditions), according to Sony.

Despite its elegant appearance, the Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V is also a tough cookie, and ?reinforced glass design? means the camera is waterproof (up to 5m,16 feet), dustproof and freeze-proof (up to 14^oF).

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V will be available in March in silver, red and violet for about $500. Check the features list in the complete article.

(more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W620 and DSC-W610, Top 10 CES Gadgets,

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http://www.ubergizmo.com/2012/01/sony-cyber-shot-dsc-tx200v/

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Thailand embraces Twitters censorship move

The kingdom of Thailand is the first country in the world that has agreed to Twitter’s recent controversial move that allows certain countries to censor tweets, and the Thai authorities have also done their bit to endorse this new policy in a public announcement. According to ICT permanent secretary Jeerawan Boonperm who told the Bangkok Post that this move was a ?welcome development?, it goes in line with the government’s stance that continues to uphold the utmost reverence for their revered King. After all, it was just in 2011 that the Thai government contacted Facebook, sending in a request to remove over 10,000 pages which violated its lese majeste law that prevents criticism of any sort of the country?s king and royal family. This led to the famous blocking of YouTube slightly more than half a decade ago, and the moment all the offending videos were removed from YouTube, said service was then made available again in Thailand. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Twitter filters content by geographical boundaries, Tweeting Sensor "talks" to Twitter,

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http://www.ubergizmo.com/2012/01/thailand-embraces-twitters-censorship-move/

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Transform sound into energy

I have always liked the idea of how Sebastian Shaw always knocked himself up (you can stop laughing now) each morning in order to have a reserve of strength throughout the day, and Bishop, who hails from the future and is capable of absorbing energy and using it in other creative methods, have such creative mutant powers. Us humans can only fantasize of such a situation, but perhaps the future might arrive sooner than we think – researchers over at Purdue University have come up with a new medical implant that is extremely partial to music – by developing a pressure sensitive microelectromechanical system (MEMS) that relies on sound waves as a source of potential energy. (more…)