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OpenTablet 7 is Flash-friendly iPad alternative

As Apple's launch date for its iPad multimedia tablet draws near, competitors are scurrying out of the woodwork. Whether its Archos, FusionGarage, or the e-reader flavor of the week, iPad rivals are quick to position themselves as the permissive, open-armed alternative to Apple's "walled garden" tech philosophy.

One of the latest contenders to step up to the iPad is the OpenTablet 7, a 7-inch touch-screen tablet that supports Flash-based applications and includes HDMI output and dual cameras.

At 9 inches by 5 inches, with a 0.59-inch thick body, the OpenTablet stays pretty close to the … Read more

A 3D classic bar game done right

10 Pin Shuffle Lite is a preview version of 10 Pin Shuffle, a physics-based shuffleboard simulator with polished graphics and a convincing interface.

The interface is simple but subtle: you look down the length of a traditional, barroom shuffleboard table, with a realistically rendered shuffleboard weight in front of you. You have a number of options for positioning and shooting the weight, with left and right arrows that slide the weight laterally, and another pair of arrows that let you rotate your aim to the left or right. You can also just tap and drag the weight into position, and … Read more

Canon rolls out four PowerShots for spring

Canon's PowerShots are my go-to cameras for best photo quality. However, when it comes to cutting-edge features or shooting options, the company tends to lag behind much of the competition. I'm still on the fence about whether this is a bad thing, but regardless, Monday it announced four PowerShots, three of them refreshes of older models as well as the new SD3500 IS. Judging by the specs, my opinion holds true.

Overall, the updated models don't appear all that different from the prior models; just some minor improvements to features, boosts in resolution (hooray, more 14-megapixel compacts), a couple new photo effects, and Eye-Fi support. The SD3500 looks good for those who like touch-screen interfaces, but otherwise it doesn't seem to break new ground for the category.

Lastly, it looks like Canon is steering clear of optical viewfinders, so if you need an ultracompact camera with one, I suggest you pick up an SD780 IS or SD1200 IS while they're still around; the SD1400 IS and SD1300 IS will replace them, respectively.

PowerShot SX210 IS 14 megapixels 14x 28mm-equivalent wide-angle lens 3-inch LCD HD video (720p) with stereo sound HDMI output Optical image stabilization Dynamic mode reducing camera shake while recording movies New Fisheye and Miniature effects Eye-Fi support SD/SDHC memory cards Lithium ion rechargeable battery Choice of black, purple, and gold $349.99, March 2010… Read more

Nikon refreshes Coolpix S-series models adding HD movie capture

Ho hum, ho hum. Another day closer to PMA 2010 and another bunch of camera announcements. This crop from Nikon fills in the company's "S is for style" line. I've listed out the few specs Nikon managed to scribble into its press release. I've marked the upsell features on the cameras so you can see just what $50 more is getting you. The most impressive thing with these, though, is that Nikon finally managed to put a 720p HD movie mode into three of the four models. Enjoy.

Coolpix S3000

12 megapixels 4x wide-angle Zoom-NIKKOR … Read more

Touch-screen model added to Fujifilm EXR lineup

Fujifilm continues to grow its selection of cameras that use its Super CCD EXR sensor technology, which makes sense since the sensors actually perform very well. And with a 5x zoom compact camera, a full-size 14x megazoom, and two 10x compact megazoom models available, it also makes sense to add an ultracompact in the mix.

The 12-megapixel F700EXR features an internal periscopic Fujinon lens with a 5x zoom. All of the manufacturer's latest shooting features are included, like Face Recognition, Pet Detection (yes, it optimizes focus on the faces of dogs and cats), tagging of photos and movies for … Read more

Digital City 67: No joy in Jet-ville (podcast)

There is no joy in Jet-ville, as Scott aptly demonstrates. Sure, he's still wearing his Jets jersey and hat, but a brave face can't hide the pain. Of course, he points out that he'd still rather attend a game in-person (even int he cheap seats), than watch it in HD 3D at home.

We also delve deep on the latest Apple tablet rumors, going over operating systems, network connections, and even the perfect tablet price. Check back Wednesday to see how accurate our guesses were.

Related links: >>Can 3D ESPN replace going to the game? &… Read more

New Kindle coming soon?

Most of the talk recently has been about Apple's looming event on January 27, where it's been widely reported that the company will unveil a tablet PC of some undetermined size. Whether this device is a game-changer along the lines of the original iPod or iPhone remains to be seen, but lost in the shuffle is the possibility that Amazon's breakthrough e-reader, the Kindle, may be on the verge of an upgrade.

To be clear, I don't have any inside information or anonymous sources telling me that Amazon's bought thousands of parts from some Taiwanese manufacturer. But let's speculate for a moment on the possibilities for a new Kindle and what it might look like.

For starters, the Kindle 2 (now called the Kindle, U.S. and international wireless, latest edition), was launched on February 9 of last year. That's relevant because in recent years Amazon has been doing its best to imitate Apple, and Apple tends to be fairly regimented in rolling out updates to its major products. For instance, new iPods tend to be announced in the fall, and new iPhones have been released in June.

You could argue that while Kindle has had upgrades to its wireless service (Amazon added an international option by moving from Sprint to AT&T) over the year--and the Kindle DX was released in May of 2009--the Kindle, now approaching a year old, is due for a bigger refresh in February, especially if Apple's slate proves to be the e-reader on steroids that many are positing it will. (As has been widely discussed, the potential big strike against the Apple tablet could be price. If it ends up being in $750-$1000 range, that's rather expensive for someone looking for a device you plan on primarily using as an e-reader).

In the last couple of days, Amazon has also made a few announcements pointing to the possibility that a new device is coming. In describing the terms of its new higher 70 percent royalty for authors using its Digital Text Platform for publishing content in the Kindle Store, Amazon said that it was planning on adding new features to both the store and the Kindle.

The next day it followed up with an announcement that it was releasing a new software development kit (SDK) so developers could create new apps for the Kindle. In its release, the company referred to the new apps being tested on the simulators for the current 6-inch Kindle and Kindle DX, but it's debatable how suitable the current Kindles are for running apps, particularly when you factor in the lag times of E-ink.

The release also has a quote from an EA Games executive talking about developing games for the Kindle platform.… Read more