SlashGear Week In Review - Week 51 2009
Here we are again with another week in review, the last week in review before Christmas! That Google Nexus One smartphone that seems incapable of staying out of pictures and video popped up again with word at first that it was good for EDGE on AT&T. A later update found that support for AT&T at all was unknown.
That cool Kohjinsha DZ dual-screen netbook has landed on a video review. I really like the idea behind this netbook, I still want to know about battery life on the thing, and I hope some mainstream netbook makers are looking to offer similar machines.
A new concept called Synaptics Fuse tipped up this week and the thing looks like a cross between a smartphone and a kids toy to me. It's packed with squeeze, scroll, and stroke sensors and is an interesting concept for sure. MSI added new models to its X-Slim range with a new X350 and X600 Pro. The machines have WiMAX options and can be fitted with a Core 2 Duo processor.
JVC unveiled some cool looking and very thin home theater sound bar systems called the TH-BS7 and TH-BA3. These thin systems would look great on the wall along with your HDTV. Slides leaked out showing that NVIDIA is set to debut a couple new high-end video cards called the GTX 360 and the GTX 380. The GTX 380 looks to be more powerful than anything ATI is offering now.
The Nokia N900 has been confirmed for Vodafone aiming at a launch in January. We bet the thing will be offered free with certain plans. The FCC outed a new Samsung ST5500 camera with WiFi with 14.2MP and 7x optical zoom. Samsung was fast to point out the specs could change before launch.
Viewsonic released a boring netbook called the Viewbook VNB102 that has nothing interesting about it. The machine is like every other netbook on the market for the last year. I guess netbooks are like the field of dreams for these companies, just because you build it, customers will not come. Corsair unveiled a massively expensive RAM kit this week with 24GB in six DIMMS. The big downside was the kit costs over $1300.
Toshiba unveiled some new 64GB NAND chips this week that would be fantastic for the iPhone. Here's hoping they find their way into the next model to hit the market. The Google Nexus One turned up on another video this week. We wish someone would just give us a full video breakdown, they must fear the Google ninjas.
LaCie unveiled a small external HDD called the Rikiki that has 640GB of storage and is about the size of a tiny monkey. Apple won a permanent injunction against Psystar this week. The judge didn't specifically name Rebel EFI in the injunction but said Psystar would sell the software at its peril.
Cherrypal unveiled the $99 Africa netbook aimed at developing countries. The company also announced an updated Bing netbook for those of us with more loot to spend. The WarMouse Meta has debuted with 18 buttons and packing a laser sensor. I would never remember where I bound the macros on the thing.
AAXA has debuted its M1 projector that is both bigger and brighter than the pico. It had better be much brighter, that Pico was nearly useless in anything but total darkness. I am not sure how I feel about Bond's preferred car marquee building a city car. Aston Martin has unveiled the Cygnet that looks like a cross between a Mini and a DB9.
The Barnes & Noble Nook has been hacked to add a full web browser to the device. That would actually be a cool feature, but I am sure the data consumption will be higher and AT&T won't be happy. Word came in this week that the NVIDIA Ion 2 launch had been delayed at the request of manufacturers. The crux of the delay is to let the computer makers sell the remaining original ION devices.
The best news this week was that the 3D Blu-ray specs had been completed and that the PS3 would support 3D. I will be glad to see 3D movies in the home, but we will surely need a new TV to enjoy 3D on the PS3. SplitFish started shipping its Dual SFX Evolution controller. The thing looks pretty cool, but I bet it takes some getting used to.
The Asus Eee 1005P and 1005PE netbook broke cover this week. Both the machines are running the Intel Pine Trail platform. Research firm IDC reports that the PC market is back to growth. This year the growth is minimal, but through 2013 the prediction is for double-digit growth.
CES is right around the corner and one of the cool gadgets we will be looking for is the Notion Ink Tegra Android smartpad. This thing should be all kinds of cool. Fusion Garage and Michael Arrington are continuing with their legal battle over the failed CrunchPad. Fusion Garage still maintains it owns the IP behind the design.
The iPhone has beaten Windows Mobile in market share for the U.S. smartphone market. Windows Mobile is the only mobile OS losing market share according to a recent report. That's it for this week, have a Merry Christmas!