The Artefact Group has come-up with this concept (WVIL) camera that has a touch interface like the iPhone, wireless capabilities and changeable SLR optics. It is a sign of how the iPhone user interface is becoming the preferred way of interacting with digital devices. And while this is the right way of thinking about the camera of the future, it is unlikely that this kind of camera will succeed. Instead what is going to happen is that with powerful new processors and graphics, we are going to see the acceleration of the software-enabled camera revolution, which will give us access to many of the SLR capabilities.

Concept Camera: The WVIL from Artefact on Vimeo. via Swipelife.

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Unless you chose today to get marooned on a deserted island, you’ve probably heard that Amazon has announced a series of new devices, including one called the Kindle Fire which has an iPad-style touchscreen and is powered by the Android operating system. On the content side, meanwhile, Amazon has also signed deals with some leading publishers to provide one-click access to their magazines and newspapers. But while it’s nice for media companies to have a strong competitor in the tablet market, dealing with Amazon puts them in the same boat they’re in with Apple: They provide the content, but the platform owner controls the relationship. And in some ways, Amazon might be worse.

The impetus for Amazon’s interest in new tablets is fairly obvious: Apple’s iPad has shown that there is a relatively huge and growing market of users interested in the convenience of a small form-factor mobile device for reading and playing games. So far, no one has come along that shows signs of playing a strong second fiddle to Apple in that market, so why not Amazon? The company has deep pockets — although not quite as deep as Apple’s — and it also has something that Apple doesn’t when it comes to the content side: an existing relationship with many users that’s based around subscribing to magazines, buying books, etc.

The need for the Kindle Fire was obvious: As soon as the first version of the iPad arrived, the Kindle looked more than a little antiquated, with its black-and-white screen, no touch interface, etc. That’s not to say there isn’t still a market for dedicated reading devices, for people who don’t like the distractions or the reflective screen of the iPad — and Amazon will no doubt continue to sell plenty of Kindles with touchscreens and other features added. But the sweet spot of the market is a device that can do many different things: stream video, stream audio, display magazines and newspapers and books in full color, and so on.

Amazon sees devices as a way to sell content

In some ways, Amazon and Apple are polar opposites, at least when it comes to the way they are approaching the tablet market. As my colleague Erica Ogg has pointed out, Apple’s main interest is in selling hardware, and it uses content as a way of doing that. It arguably had no real interest in becoming a music powerhouse, except that controlling access to those songs would give it a powerful lever with which to sell more iPods. Amazon, however, sees devices like the Kindle Fire as a way to sell more content, and that makes it simultaneously more appealing as a partner for media companies and at the same time a potentially more dangerous one as well.

The benefit for content publishers and media companies like Conde Nast and News Corp. is more or less the same as it is with Apple: They get access to the users who choose that device as a way to consume media, and Amazon handles the logistics of the relationship — the billing, the processing, and to a certain extent the marketing and promotions as well. They also get to put their content on a device that (in some cases, at least) seems to make users more likely to pay for things, which is something media companies have been wrestling with virtually since the Internet was invented — although they have to give the platform owner 30 percent of the proceeds, of course.

But the downsides of this relationship are also a mirror image of the relationship many media outlets have with Apple: The platform owner is in the driver’s seat, both in terms of what apps are allowed or not allowed, and also what information about the end user or subscriber is provided to the content creator — an issue that was a sticking point for many when Apple started trying to sign up publishers for the iPad. In the end, the platform owner is the gatekeeper of a media company’s relationship with its customers, which is the same kind of tradeoff media companies make by creating Facebook apps.

Amazon likes to compete with content partners

At least in Apple’s case, however, the hardware maker appears to have no real interest in becoming a media or content producer, since all it wants is content that makes people want more devices. In theory at least, it doesn’t particularly care where that content comes from, as long as it gets its 30 percent. Amazon is in a different boat; it has already indicated it’s happy to compete with its former publishing partners when it comes to books (its core business) by pressuring them to accept lower prices and also by signing up authors like Tim Ferriss — in effect, becoming a publisher.

Is Amazon suddenly going to get into the magazine business or the newspaper business? No. But its Kindle Singles program is appealing to more and more authors who are using that avenue as an alternative to both publishing traditional books and to magazine articles or newspaper features. Some newspapers and other publications have been using e-books and the Kindle as a tool to extend the life of their content, and that is smart — but Amazon has a clear interest in that business as well.

There’s no question that working with Amazon and a new platform like the Kindle Fire makes a lot of sense for publishers and media companies — it’s a win-win for both sides. And so long as Amazon’s interests align with those of its media partners, then everything should go swimmingly. But what about when they diverge?

Post and thumbnail photos courtesy of Flickr user Umberto Salvagnin

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In an odd coincidence, I lost my phone a day before Apple launched the iPhone on Verizon Wireless. This past Thursday morning, a review unit from Apple showed up. Still without my BlackBerry, I used the Verizon iPhone (through Google Voice) as my primary phone. Boy, it sure was fun.

As you might remember, I had broken up with my iPhone in disgust about two years ago. Frustrated by AT&T’s network coverage in the two metro regions where I spend most of my time — the San Francisco Bay Area and New York — I knew it was time to switch to T-Mobile’s BlackBerry service with UMA.

I liked the idea of a Wi-Fi-enabled BlackBerry, which allowed me to make calls from any place there was Wi-Fi, without worrying too much about international roaming charges or pokey networks. And when all else failed, I could hop on to the Sprint Hotspot for making calls via UMA.

Sure I had an iPod Touch for testing out apps and mobile web services, and yes, I had access to all sorts of Android devices, but it was the ease with which I could BBM, text, email and use Google chat that made the BlackBerry an ideal solution for me. I missed the touch interface and a full-fledged browser, but my BlackBerry worked. T-Mobile has a decent network and UMA is a great workaround for any network shortcomings. Frankly, I preferred the BlackBerry over Google Android.

But then, the iPhone on Verizon happened and I got to play with it for four days — and today, I can safely declare, this is how the iPhone was meant to be. No dropped calls, decent Internet connectivity (1.2 Mbps to 1.4 Mbps) and SMS messages that show up without any delay. The apps performed, as they should, thanks to the stable network connectivity.

The only problem I can see when it comes to using the iPhone on a CDMA network will arise when I am traveling overseas. Sure, it is not possible to check the web when talking on the phone (which is a shortcoming of CDMA), but I will take ability to complete my phone calls without dropping them once a minute over that inconvenience.

I like the idea of carrying a single device. It’s like being in love again. I will miss my BBM, but it’s time for me to mosey over to the Apple store and make the switch back. I’m on my way!

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Know More About the Latest Gadgets

With technology searing ahead at a rapid face, there are loads of gadgets hitting the markets every single day. From 3D televisions, to sleek mobile phones the latest gadgets look cool, laced with features and are very innovative. No wonder, the geeks and gadget lovers are having a party picking up their favorites and making a style statement with the latest gadgets.

Sidewinder is the first of the latest gadgets we will talk about. This sleek mobile phone is unbelievably small and is designed to be worn on the wrists. It also boasts of many applications and features like GPS, contacts, keypad and maps. The multi touch interface of this wrist phone ensures this gadget can compete with the latest smart phones too.

The new SONY VAIO E Series is another of the latest gadgets hitting the headlines. With a core i3 processor, 4 GB RAM and 500 GB hard drive, this laptop is relatively inexpensive at 0. One can buy it various attractive colors like Caribbean green and Hibiscus pink. The battery life is around 3.5 hours and at 15.5 inches this beautiful laptop has a design that can easily be customized.

Samsung recently launched the B7260 Giorgio Armani SmartPhone. The R tilting touch screen has 3.5 inch AMOLED resistive. A 5 MP camera and 8 GB memory along with a QWERTY keyboard makes it one of the most attractive latest gadgets that work on Windows mobile 6.1 professional. The phone also has Wi-Fi, GPS, FM radio and Bluetooth. The camera has capability for panorama shooting, wide range with image stabilization assisted by an LED flash. A business card scanner, mobile tracker, TV-OUT and a Pocket Office make this smart phone one of the best in terms of utility features. The 11.5 hours talk time battery life is quite impressive too.

The UE46C7000 3D LED television from Samsung is the next big thing among the latest gadgets to hit the technology world. The sleep 46 inches screen with a glossy look and a Full HD 3D logo will take the TV viewing experience to the next level when you view 3D on Blur Ray 3D DVD player or Sky satellite receiver. Content such as BBC iPlayer and LoveFilm are available along with a host of interactive games and Samsung applications. The television also allows Freeview HD for normal broadcasts and support for PVR functionality with USB along with a Freeview HD tuner and HDMI 1.4 version sockets.

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Video Rating: 4 / 5

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• A better experience for you and battery-saving efficiency for iPod touch
• An accelerometer detects when you rotate iPod touch from portrait to landscape

Touch comes to iPod. Introducing iPod touch. iPod touch features the same revolutionary interface as iPhone. Built to take full advantage of the large 3.5-inch display, the multi-touch interface lets you control everything using only your fingers. So you can glide through albums with Cover Flow, flick through photos and enlarge them with a pinch, or zoom in and out on a section of a web page. And iPod touch features a touchscreen QWERTY keyboard perfect for browsing the web in Safari, searching for videos on YouTube, finding music on the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, or adding new contacts.

Rating: (out of reviews)

List Price: $ 177.99

Price:

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• This player is the iPod touch, not the Apple iPhone
• Upgrade your player with the iPhone 2.0 Software Update for iPod touch via iTunes for an additional fee
• 8 GB of storage provides approximately 1,750 songs; includes earphones, USB cable, dock adapter/connector, polishing cloth, and stand
• Battery life provides up to 22 hours of music and up to 5 hours of video
• Music downloads from iTunes, Wi-Fi web browsing, and 3.5-inch widescreen multi-touch display

.caption { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica neue, Arial, serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; } .caption2 { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica neue, Arial, serif; font-size: 10px; font-style: italic; } ul.indent { list-style: inside disc; text-indent: 20px; } The iPod touch features Apple’s revolutionary multi-touch user interface that enables you to find and enjoy all of your music, videos, and more on its gorgeous widescreen display with just the touch of a finger. First introduced on iPhone, the multi-touch interface uses pioneering new software to present the perfect user interface for each application.

Glide through albums with the iPod touch’s amazing Cover Flow technology. View iPod touch dimensions.

Browse the Web with the included Safari browser. Or fire up a YouTube video and enjoy the show.

The iPod touch responds to your movements; turn it sideways and your video is presented in widescreen mode.

Rating: (out of 436 reviews)

List Price: $ 299.00

Price: $ 234.99

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Our top 10 MP3 players – part 1 begins with the Samsung S3 MP3 player on the 10^th place. This MP3 player comes with 4 GB of internal memory. With a simple design, 3.7 x 1.7 x 1.76 inches in dimensions and 1.76 ounces in weight, the Samsung S3 MP3 player certainly feels very comfortable in your hands. It comes equipped with a 1.8 inch display which will allow you to see pictures, even some movies. With integrated FM Radio and support for MP3, WMA, MPEG-4, JPEG and Text viewer, this MP3 player can be a great accessory.

That’s fine. Windows 7 works great. I’m writing this on a Win7 machine. But I hate Windows on my tablet computers for the aforementioned reason. It’s also the reason I’m very apprehensive of the upcoming onslaught of slate computers. I’m afraid that wonderful hardware will be passed up in favor of the disappointing iPad because of the interface. But Adobe gave me hope today in its demo of Flash and Air on the HP slate device.

The first minute or so of the demo is Adobe’s Flash Product Marketing manager talking about this and that. The real fun comes at the 1:30 mark. That’s when we get a glimpse of what appears to be an HP app manager that has clearly been designed for a touch interface. The buttons are large, uses stars to mark favorites programs or Internet shortcuts, and seems responsive enough. It’s probably safe to say that it’s an Adobe product seeing as it makes an appearance in this demo.

Even the browser seems to have been made over for the touch interface, which seems to be a custom build of Firefox. Of course it has all the multi-touch goodies like pinch zooming and two-finger scrolling, but it also feels different, too. That’s just as important as using standard Firefox or Chrome on a touchscreen is a drag without a bunch of plug-ins. And of course, Flash is fully functional, which is a clear shot across Apple’s bow.

You notice a few times throughout the demo that there are a couple of different user notifications to compensate for web’s smaller buttons and higher-resolution interface. There appears to be a small water ripple effect at 1:42 when the user hits the play button for the online video and then a dramatically larger one at the end of the Photoshop.com demo at 3:45 when he presses and holds. These effects are not shown during the HP Home demo or NYT Air app lending to the thought that they’re a browser-only effect, designed to assist browsing.

Now Adobe wouldn’t show off Windows in its demo. This was strictly an Adobe demo, but that’s fine. It answered a lot of questions about HP’s upcoming slate device. First, a full version of Windows is very much present, which is awesome. None of us wants a watered-down OS — except for iPad buyers, of course. But the demo also shows that there will be a versatile, touch-friendly interface for most tasks and multi-touch capabilities to exploit all the potential uses.

Hopefully HP, Dell and all the other mainstream tablet makers are on the same page with Adobe. They have the ability to stand up to the monstrosity that is the Apple App Store if they agree to slate standards, which will allow app developers to code one version of the their program and not worry about various screen resolutions and hardware variations.

Devin adds: This is an improvement on the smaller tablet we saw at CES. It’s about iPad-sized, which is to say a little smaller than a sheet of paper. I’m guessing an 8″ screen is what they’re working with there, though who knows what the final hardware will be. I still think that shrinking Windows is a bad start for a tablet device, as much so as puffing up the iPhone in the case of the iPad. The only device that may actually hit with a truly tablet-only OS seems to be the Courier, and that’s why I’m genuinely excited about it. The slate race does appear to be hotting up, though, and that’s a good thing.

Using a tiny projector embedded in the armband that captures taps on the human arm, Skinput can even display a dynamic graphical interface to present information and options to users. I wonder though if Chris Harrison of Carnegie Mellon University—and his partners from Microsoft Research—can find a way to integrate swipes, and reduce the response time between presses.

Both would make Skinput much more versatile, and make it easier for that killer app to build demand for the system. The possible applications of Skinput are endless, so let’s hope this is a research project that makes it into retail or B2B channels.

Post from: The Gadget Blog