It’s pretty obvious by now that I’m not that that much of a fan of the iPad, given how much I criticize the damned thing over at Gadzooki. But honestly, I might not like the iPad, but I am a big fan of the concept. My dislike for the iPad stems from mostly hardware concerns, but for the most part Apple has got it right. Tablet computers, those that are optimized for full touch screen (read: stripped-down operating systems) – and not the ones with a full-blown desktop operating system crammed into it with half-baked touchscreen support created by OEMs – are the future. Sadly, the iPad’s hardware is a bit lacking. I still can’t believe that they didn’t even put a USB drive in there.

Now Nvidia has demoed an 8.9-inch tablet that may be a winner. The tablet is rocking Tegra 2 – the heart of which is a dual core ARM Cortex A9. The Cortex A9 is a generation ahead of the A4 powering the iPad, and to top it off, this tablet also has 1GB of RAM, which leaves the iPad’s specs biting the dust. Oh, did I mention it also has twi USB ports, capacitive screen, a front-facing camera, and a widescreen aspect ratio?

If it’s not obvious from this post’s title, the operating system of Nvidia’s tablet is Google Android, which is a pretty good choice, since it’s almost as good as the iPhone OS. Well, the apps marketplace doesn’t have that the sheer amount of apps available for the iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, but it’s decent enough, if you ask me.

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PadGadget was able to get a sneak peak on the games you might be playing on the iPad once it comes out on April 3. They were able to do some digging in the iTunes web interface, and lo and behold, they saw that Apple accidentally leaked the iPad titles along with the regular iPod touch and iPhone games.

From PadGadget:

We did a quick scan and were able to find several titles clearly marked as “HD”, a common label developers are now using to indicate an iPad specific version of their app. HD is not a universal title for iPad apps, some developers are instead choosing “XL” to denote their iPad version or simply creating a universal build so that both the iPhone and iPad versions are contained in a single app. There are probably many more titles in the database that have been approved by Apple for the iPad that we haven’t yet stumbled upon. Some of the tiles we found are:

- Ammoin HD
- Azkend HD
- Flight Control HD
- Grind HD
- HD Recovery
- Labyrinth 2 HD
- NBA Hotshot HD
- Numba HD
- Plants vs. Zombie HD
- Sparkle HD
- Worms HD

Although the new HD titles appear on the iTunes web site, if you click on any of the links you simply get an error stating “the item you’ve requested is not currently available in the US store.”

So, while everyone else is eagerly waiting for the release of Apple’s iPad, us who aren’t really convinced of the iPad’s abilities to walk on water or its promises to cure cancer are looking someplace else. Enter: Microsoft’s Courier. The Courier is being marketed as a “digital journal.” Instead of Windows 7, we’re seeing the Courier has the same software that runs Zune HD, Pink, and Windows Mobile 7 Series. It makes sense, really. The iPad uses iPhone OS because full Mac OS X will not work well for touch screen interfaces. And of course Windows 7, with all its touch-screen friendly glory, won’t even give the best user experience.

According to Engadget:

The interface appears to be pen-based and centered around drawing and writing, with built-in handwriting recognition and a corresponding web site that allows access to everything entered into the device in a blog-like format complete with comments. We’re also hearing that there will be a built-in camera, and there’s a headphone jack for media playback. Most interestingly, it looks like the Courier will also serve as Microsoft’s e-book device, with a dedicated ecosystem centered around reading.

Okay, I don’t expect this to kill the iPad – there’s seriously no way anyone can beat Apple right now – but look at the potential of the Courier. Check out the video below:

Okay, this device is pretty and all, and the UI is nothing short of amazing (and totally unexpected of Microsoft – I’m kind of used to seeing them churn out releases with drab interfaces) but if you’re wondering when this will come out, you have to wait a bit. Launch date is expected to be around “Q3 / Q4,” and there’s not pricing yet – I don’t expect this to go head-on with the iPad’s price.

What do you think? Would you choose this over the iPad? I know I would, but I’d like to hear your opinions.

Adobe has been trying real hard to strike back at Apple’s insistence that the rest of the web should hurry up and ditch Flash for HTML 5. An Adobe employee blogged about how the iPad’s browsing experience will pretty much suck because it doesn’t support Flash, and now they’re quickly developing Adobe Flash Player 10.1 for Google Android.

Now check out one possible future product running the aforementioned Adobe Flash Player for Android. Via Liliputing:

Google Android doesn’t currently support Adobe Flash, which means that a fair number of web sites look like they have blank boxes when you visit them in a browser on an Android-based tablet or smartphone. But Flash support is coming soon — and a number of tablets and other devices on display at Mobile World Congress in Spain this week are sporting a pre-release build of Flash for Android.

Sascha from Netbook News stumbled across one of those tablets at the NVIDIA booth. It appears to have a 9 or 10 inch touchscreen display and an NVIDIA Tegra 2-based chipset. Tegra 2 combines a low power ARM-based processor with NVIDIA graphics, which means you should be able to watch 1080p HD video on this low power device. And since Flash Player 10.1 will feature hardware acceleration for the Tegra 2 platform, it should even be able to handle 1080p HD Flash video.

Check out a video of the said tablet:

Now Apple may be pushing for the future (and bucking the trend has almost always worked for Apple in the long run), but right now people who don’t give a damn about HTML 5 are going to look for a tablet that’ll let them play with their Farmville and other Flash games.

I’ve always been intrigued with wireless keyboards for some reason. I can’t really put my finger on it, but the prospect of lying around the house, keyboard in tow, while watching stuff on a huge HDTV is probably part of the appeal.

Oh wait, it’s not just part of the appeal, it has everything to do with it.

Anyway, if you’re using a nettop or any other computer as a media center, the MSI Air keyboard is probably for you.

From EeePC.net:

It has a keyboard where you can enter words for search boxes and has the full complement of media keys and directional pad for controlling menus. It even has hot keys for search. What’s more, it can use motion detection so you can use it as a mouse.

The RF based device needs a USB dongle to work and weighs 0.2kg. No word on how long the battery will last but it does use 2 replaceable AA batteries and goes to standby after inactivity.

So I’m pretty much sold on this except for the AA batteries. Those things aren’t exactly known for their longevity. But then I think the MSI Air Keyboard is worth giving a try, though.

Oh, yeah, one caveat: it’s available in Germany for now- no, wait, in March. So if you do find one next month, be willing to fork over €79 (US$108) for the MSI Air Keyboard. It works for Windows and Mac OS X, by the way, so I’m sure you’re thinking that it’s worth it.

Hey guys, remember the CrunchPad? Remember how it got killed even before it went into production? Right now, Fusion Garage is still pushing through with the much-delayed tablet computer, and they’ve called it… Joojoo. Yeah. I know, it’s not really the most appealing name for a product, but it’s still the same old CrunchPad everyone’s been looking for, save for the name and the fact that TechCrunch is suing Fusion Garage’s pants off in an attempt to get their product back.

In spite of the delays, Fusion Garage is finally putting the CrunchPad – wait, sorry – the Joojoo tablet in production. I think that releasing tablet computers in this post-iPad world would be a bit of an uphill battle, but Fusion Garage seems to be very confident that their tablet can go and take on Apple’s mythical tablet. Anyway, the Joojoo can handle Flash.

Chandra [Rathakrishna, Fusion garage CEO] still wouldn’t budge on revealing what’s powering the device, but he was more than happy to confirm that the tablet will support full Flash at launch, and HD Flash content once Flash 10.1 is officially released — YouTube HD will play right now using a separate player plugin that takes advantage of GPU acceleration. “We have a bigger ‘app store’ than Apple because we have the full Internet,” he told us. Nevertheless, Fusion plans to launch a “web store” that will allow people to find web applications on the Joojoo.

I wonder how they’re going to price the thing, though. Are they going head-on with Apple’s $499 pricing for the iPad, or are they going for a more competitive price?

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However Google seems to be on a collision course with Apple. After the search engine giant’s Google Voice app was pulled from the iTunes App Store, they responded by releasing the Google Nexus One. They’re also moving in the operating system business by way of the Google Chrome OS (I’ve been pretty unimpressed with it, by the way), and they’re poised to go for laptops/netbooks as well with the as-of-yet mythical Google netbook.

But it looks like they’re also going for the tablet market as well, because we’re seeing a Google Chrome OS tablet in the future. We’ve heard rants about the iPad a million times already and it’s not even out yet, so the Google Chrome Tablet is looking pretty attractive to those not yet fully convinced that the iPad is the future.

So the guys at Chromium just posted some picture mockups and a video simulation of the Google Chrome Tablet in action. Guess what? It can run more than one application!

Check out the video below:

Although I know that we’ll be seeing more touchscreen internet appliances in the future, I still don’t know if touchscreen devices are actually a good deal now or if we have to wait a couple of years more. And I still am iffy with the prospect of an all-cloud operating system, even though it makes more sense with a tablet PC over a netbook.

What do you guys think?

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I’ve only recently began to appreciate the awesomeness of using multiple monitors. I’ve always thought multiple monitors are overindulgent and for a mere blogger like me who doesn’t dabble in graphics design or video editing, a single monitor seemed enough. That is, of course until I tried setting up a nice multi-monitor setup on my laptop and I swear, I feel more productive. Dual monitors are also attributed to a 30-50% rise in productivity, so I really wanted to try that setup. Now that I use dual monitors, I don’t know how I can live and work without it.

Now remember, I’m using a laptop. Which, obviously is a portable system. And monitors aren’t exactly the most portable stuff to carry around. In fact, I’d like to meet somebody carrying around an extra monitor on a daily basis. Anyway, if a secondary mnitor that you can carry around everywhere is what you’re looking for, then the CINQ might be the gadget for you.

The CINQ is a 10.1 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel LCD screen (16:9 aspect ratio!) that you can connect to your computer via USB. The CINQ also comes with a stand and an attachment so you can mount your mini-LCD screen to your laptop. If you’re going to use a netbook, it’ll obviously topple over if you attach it, so you’re better off using the stand. Aside from it being an extra monitor, it also has an SD card reader built in.

The CINQ uses up to 2.8W of power and displays 262k colors. The display will sell for $249, although CINQ is offering $50 off that price for customers who pre-order now.

[CINQ]

As I posted on my personal blog, I bought a new Acer Aspire 4736ZG. Aside from getting myself acquainted with Windows 7 (I love it to bits), I’ve spent the better half of the holiday weekend tweaking it. I’ve installed my favorite programs I use on my old netbook, while at the same time I’ve uninstalled a LOT of OEM bloatware that came with the computer. Why OEMs like Acer like to ship in unnecessary programs that can sometimes even slow down performance is beyond me.

Anyway, I just finished removing a crapload of stickers off my laptop. Obviously, I removed only the ones advertising that my laptop has an Intel Pentium processor or a NVIDIA processor, and that huge Acer sticker advertising the specs of my laptop. Of course I left the stickers on the bottom containing my Windows product key and other information.

Rico of Technograph says it best:

The point is, those who buy computers are most likely aware of what their new gadget is capable of. Even before I bought the MSI Wind U210, I already knew it featured a 1.6GHz dual-core AMD Athlon X2 Neo CPU, a 250GB hard drive, and Radeon graphics from ATI. Why do I need a sticker reminding me of what my own netbook is capable of?

And I know wht laptop manufacturers do this: they want people to see what the laptop’s specs are when I bring it out. But here’s the rub. I paid for it. I don’t want my laptop becoming a walking advertisement. After googling for the best way to remove the stickers, I found out that I just need to use my fingernails, and I should make sure that I don’t angle the sticker for more than 45 degrees or else I might end up with lots of adhesive on my notebook. 30 minutes later, my notebook’s palm rest is clean:

Now I ask you guys, do you remove the stickers off your laptops?

Now if you’re all about traveling and you find even a netbook too big for you, maybe it’s time to consider getting one of those MIDs. I’m actually not a fan of MIDs, but imagine getting a cellphone-sized mini computer out of your pocket and booting it up to Windows XP. That’s pretty sweet if you ask me. Also, the portability potential of these MIDs are astounding.

One MID manufacturer I’m impressed with is Viliv. They came out with a new MID, and although we don’t have much in the way of specs out yet, I’d like to get my hands on this baby. The known specs of the Viliv N5 are:

- 4.8 inch 1024 x 600 touchscreen
- Intel Atom
- Wifi, 3G and GPS
- Keyboard

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