No 3G Web Browsing Possible With Amazon's New Kindle Touch

Amazon confirms that its touchscreen Kindle e-reader--expected to reach consumers next month--won't support Web browsing over its 3G wireless connection.

"Our new Kindle Touch 3G enables you to connect to the Kindle Store, download books and periodicals, and access Wikipedia--all over 3G or Wi-Fi," an Amazon "official" explained in one of its customer forums.

"Experimental web browsing (outside of Wikipedia) on Kindle Touch 3G is only available over Wi-Fi,"the official wrote, but added, "Our Kindle Keyboard 3G will continue to offer experimental web browsing over 3G or Wi-Fi."

According to the moderator of a Kindle users forum in the United Kingdom, Amazon recently changed the 3G Touch's product description to state that Web browsing could only be done via the device's Wi-Fi connection. However, when customers called customer support, they received conflicting answers. That made it necessary for the clarification by the Amazon official.

The clarification cost Amazon some orders for the Touch, which will be selling for $149. "No 3G browsing; order canceled...," Curtis Yee declared in the Amazon forum. "Now I have to cancel my Touch 3G for Wi-Fi only version," lamented Emilio L. Maranon III in the forum. "Just found out this...," wrote Jian Fang. "On my way to cancel my Touch 3G..."

Kindles and Web Browsing

Web browsing on the Kindle has been an issue with the device since it was introduced. Surfing the Net with earlier versions of the device was like swimming under water with cement shoes. It wasn't until Amazon incorporated a Webkit browser into the third generation of the e-reader last year that browsing became something to be used rather than something to be avoided.

Amazon announced the touchscreen versions of its Kindle e-reader last week, along with the Fire, a color tablet ($199), and a new button version of the Kindle for $79. While the Fire has garnered much of the limelight from those introductions, the Touch--the Wi-Fi-only version, not the 3G version--could hit a real sweet spot in the market.

While the $79 Kindle is cheaper, the Wi-Fi Touch's more intuitive touchscreen probably will be more attractive to consumers. In addition, moving through an e-book by touching it is also closer to what a reader experiences with a paper book--a bonus when trying to wean dead-tree readers to new-fangled e-readers.

The device's $99 price puts it in impulse-buy territory for some gift-givers. Of course, Amazon isn't doing early gift shoppers any favors by waiting until November 21 to release it.

Battery life should also be a selling point of the Touch. It's rated at two months, twice as much as that of the $79 model, and has twice the storage capacity of its lower-priced brother,--4GB compared to 2GB--or 3000 books versus 1400 books, although it's doubtful that many folks are going to store even 1000 books on an e-reader.

How about the high-end Touch with 3G? At $149, it's getting close to the Fire. That's too expensive for users looking for a basic e-reader. Those who want more functionality will be more likely to cough up the additional $50 and go for the Fire.

Can the Next-Gen iPhone Fend off Android?

Diehard fans will buy the new iPhone, regardless of what Apple will announce on Tuesday, but unless the refresh is more substantial than expected, the company will have to work harder to fend off stiff competition from Android.

Anecdotal evidence in advance of Tuesday's scheduled iPhone unveiling indicates Apple's newest model will look exactly like the iPhone 4 on the outside, with bumped-up specs on the inside. If that’s the case, Android phones are already ahead of the curve.

Three main improvements are expected in the new model: a faster dual-core processor, likely the A5 chip used in the iPad 2; more RAM -- 1GB up from 512MB; and an 8-megapixel camera, improved from 5 megapixels in the iPhone 4. Motorola’s Droid Bionic has all that plus 4G connectivity for fast data transfers, while the Samsung Galaxy S II has an even faster processor (1.2GHz dual-core). The incoming iPhone seems to be merely catching up with Android handsets that were launched earlier this year.

iOS 5, the next version of the mobile OS powering iPhones and iPads, is also mostly a feature catch-upwith Google’s Android OS. As with Android, iOS 5 users won’t need to be connected to a PC to update the software on their phone. Also similar to Android, iOS 5 will feature a notification drawer and browser tabs. Other features such as the iMessage service are already found on BlackBerry phones.

Dell Launches New Ultrathin Laptop First in China

Dell launched a new ultrathin laptop in China on Friday called the XPS 14z, which is slated to arrive in other markets later this year to take advantage of the coming holiday shopping seasons.

Dell is marketing the XPS 14z as the world's thinnest, fully featured laptop with a slot for a DVD drive. In terms of thinness, it measures 23 millimeters (0.9 inches) and is built with an aluminum case, making it resemble Apple's MacBook Pro line of laptops.

The laptop has a 14-inch HD display screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. Users can choose to buy Dell's XPS 14z with either Intel's second generation Core i5 or Core i7 processors. Dell claims the laptop has a 7-hour battery life. In China, the starting price of the laptop is 7,699 yuan (US$1,205).

Dell launched the device first in China, right before the country's National Day holiday. In a statement on the product launch, Dell noted that China has become the world's largest PC market. In the second quarter, the country surpassed the U.S. in PC sales and shipments, according to research firm IDC. (See also Top 10 Ultraportable Laptops.")

Dell is the world's second largest PC vendor. But the company is at risk of losing that position to rival Lenovo, which is the fastest growing among the world's top five PC vendors. Lenovo's chairman said earlier this month, he expects his company to overtake Dell in market share by the end of this year.

While Dell's strength has been in the U.S. market, the company is focusing more on developing markets, said Tracy Tsai, an analyst with research firm Gartner. In Asia, 14-inch laptops have been the most popular among consumers, she added.

However, the XPS 14z's price could be unappealing to most Chinese consumers. In Asia, PCs in the $600 to $800 price range tend to do best among mainstream consumers, Tsai said.

Dell is launching its XPS 14z as PC vendors move toward selling more ultrathin laptops. At the end of May, chip maker Intel announced plans to push for a new class of thin and light laptops known as "Ultrabooks", in an effort to improve portable PCs. Dell said the XPS 14z is not an Ultrabook.

The XPS 14z is, however, part of a trend by the PC industry to create more value with laptops and make the user experience similar to smartphones and tablets, Tsai said. Intel and PC vendors want to reduce laptop boot up times, give them longer battery life and also make the devices lighter, she added.

Tablet Fire Sale: 5 Cheap Tablets

Between the popularity of Apple's iPad and the looming threat of Amazon's Kindle Fire, times are tough for other tablet makers. But their loss is your gain, as retailers have resorted to offering deep discounts on tablets that were, in all honesty, not worth their starting prices.

Here's a roundup of tablets that have recently received price cuts, along with a discussion of why you might want to consider buying each of them now.

BlackBerry PlayBook

The BlackBerry PlayBook is Research In Motion's 7-inch QNX-based tablet. QNX is the operating system that's supposed to represent RIM's future. The PlayBook originally started at $499 for the 16GB model, but you can now find it starting at just $299 at Best Buy.

Pros: Powerful multitasking capability permits apps to run in the background without restrictions, and swipe-based navigation works perfectly with the PlayBook's small screen. The PlayBook also handles Adobe Flash better than many Android tablets.

Cons: It has hardly any noteworthy apps, performance is buggy, and there's no native email or calendar (yet).

Verdict: RIM says that it's not abandoning the PlayBook. This is probably true, given how crucial QNX is to the company's future. This tablet is worth a look on the strength of its potential--but only after RIM adds email, a calendar, and Android apps to the platform.

HTC Flyer

A 7-inch Android tablet, the HTC Flyer runs Android 2.3 with HTC's Sense interface on top. Its starting price was $499, but the going rate will drop to $299 on October 1. The Flyer works with an active digitizer pen (sold separately for $80) that allows users to draw and scribble notes in a handful of apps.

Pros: The Flyer is a bit chunky, but its rounded edges and aluminum finish feel nice in the hands. A set of capacitive navigation buttons rotate from portrait to landscape mode depending on the hardware's orientation, reducing the chance of accidental presses.

Cons: Android 2.3 was meant for phones, not tablets. And because it uses that OS, the Flyer can't run tablet apps from the Android market. Also, the Flyer's single-core 1.5GHz processor seems outdated in a dual-core world.

Verdict: Its freshly lowered price enables the Flyer to edge out Samsung's original 7-inch Galaxy Tab as the go-to tablet for anyone who wants what amounts to a blown-up Android phone. Not a terrible option by any means, but certainly not state-of-the-art.

HP TouchPad

HP's first and only tablet was a failure when its starting price was $499, but the TouchPad quickly became a hit when its price plunged to $99 in August. The last we heard, HP had quickly sold a batch of these 10-inch tablets to its own employees, and it's not clear whether any will be left over for the bargain-hungry public. On eBay, new TouchPads are on sale for Buy It Now prices of $239 and higher.

Pros: WebOS's card-based multitasking is among the best on the market, and an active homebrew scene should keep the software in shape.

Cons: The tablet is thick and heavy compared to the iPad 2 and Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1. The WebOS software isn't as smooth or intuitive as Apple's iOS, and no one has a clear idea the operating system's long-term viability. Don't expect much activity in the App Catalog from now on.

Verdict: Even at eBay prices, the TouchPad is the least-expensive 10-inch tablet you'll find. It's probably best suited for users who like to tinker; if all else fails, you can always install Android.

Acer Iconia Tab A500

There's nothing special about Acer's 10-inch Android Honeycomb tablet; but its single, full-size USB port lets you connect a mouse, a keyboard, a gamepad, or an external hard drive. The Iconia Tab A500 originally cost $450, but you can now pick it up at Best Buy for $400.

Pros: The full-size USB port comes in handy, and aluminum trim adds a subtle touch of class.

Cons: It's big and heavy, and its display has some quirks according to our hands-on review.

Verdict: There's not much to recommend at $400. But a $300 refurbished model at Best Buy? If you need a tablet that plays well with your external USB devices, the Iconia Tab is your cheapest option.

Apple All Set to Launch Itself in the Television Market with “APPLE TV”

Apple has started to innovate even in the television market as is planning to invade the living room of people by the end of 2012 with one of its most phenomenal innovations the APPLE TV. Please don’t confuse it with the current Apple TV, which is just a palm size gadget allowing users to stream contents to their television sets. It is a real Television with much aided facilities.

Apple TV will be available with iOS and is not limited to just watching movies and cable TV but also you can play games, run different applications and share what you watch or play in the Apple television. It will run applications like FaceTime, Skype etc. and will also work with other iDevices.

Gorilla Plus GPS Navigator launched by Sanyo and NTT DoCoMo

Sanyo and NTT DoCoMo has recently made an announcement about the launch of their latest GPS Navigator called Gorilla Plus. This latest device comes along with 5 inches of backlit touchscreen display that offers bright and clear images. The Gorilla Plus device will come loaded with 8 GB of internal memory.

The users will be able to get real time traffic information with the help of this navigator and moreover the user will also have access to the parking spot information, latest map updates and other useful information like weather at destination.

The Gorilla Plus also comes packed with quick start feature of Sanyo, and has a maximum GPS fix time of 10 seconds. This latest device will also be capable of uploading the Point of Interest and various other information from the computers through a SD card. So if you are in search for the latest GPS navigator with impressive features then the recently launched Gorilla Plus is a good choice.

iBall Announces a Tablet for the Masses – The iBall Slide

In the past couple of years, every major and minor player in the industry has come up with their own tablet computer. It was only a matter of time before Indian companies jumped onto the bandwagon too. After Reliance and Beetel recently announced their versions of budget tablets, yet another Indian company, iBall, has come up with the goods. Presenting the iBall Slide – the tablet of the masses.

Running on a 1 GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, the iBall Slide is a 7-inch slate offering a WVGA resolution. The device comes with 8 GB of built in storage, which is expandable up to 32 GB. Although there is no official word on the amount of RAM, 512 MB seems like the best guess, looking at all the other specs of the tablet.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray

In a world addicted to size zero, Sony Ericsson launched its slimmest and sleekest smart phone with a 9.4mm thickness and 100g weight. Running Gingerbread Android OS, it supports a 512GB RAM, 1BG memory with only 300 MB available to users and 4GB microSD card slot expandable up to 32GB.

Data transfers can happen over GPRS, Wi-Fi hotspot connections, EDGE, 3G, WLAN, Bluetooth and a USB port. An 8.1 mega pixel high quality camera with autofocus and LED flash has latest features like Geo-tagging, face detection and image stabilization and it lets you capture your special moments. Other high-end features are HD video recording, video light, smile detector and self-timer. With Google Android as its backbone, it supports all the apps available in the Android Market and services provided by Google.

Motorola Strikes the Market with the Motorola Photon 4G Phone

Motorola speeding itself to hold the market of mobile phone launches the Motorola Photon. The phone is a true and elegant stylish piece yet powerful.

The Motorola Photon runs with the speed of 1GHz powered by dual core ARM Cortex A9 Processor. It has Android 2.3 as operating system mounted in Gingerbread chip. The phone has a 1GB RAM and 2GB inbuilt memory expandable upto mammoth 32 GB.

The phone has a big 4.3 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen, 540×900 pixels display with 16 million colours. The phone comes with 2 cameras, 8 Megapixels rear camera and a VGA front camera. The phone can record HD quality video of 720 pixels @ 30 fps.

Logitech Launches Keyboard for Android Tablets

Logitech is one of the leading brands when it comes to accessories related to computers and tablets.And now they are hoping to continue the success as tablets begin taking a foothold.After recently launching accessories for general Android tablets in a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse and speaker, Logitech is now getting more specific.Today sees the company announcing an exclusive accessory for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the form of a Bluetooth keyboard/tablet stand and carrying case. Features include an aluminum lid and ZAGG's award winning protection to (keep it secret), keep it safe.