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Microsoft to release Kinect for Windows SDK this spring
Looks like we're not the only ones enjoying all those Kinect hacks being dreamed up and implemented by hardworking enthusiasts the world o'er. That's right: it was rumored early this year, and now it's been confirmed -- Microsoft will be releasing the Kinect for Windows SDK. According to Microsoft, "It will be available this spring as a free download, and will give academic researchers and enthusiasts access to key pieces of the Kinect system-such as the audio technology, system application programming interfaces and direct control of the Kinect sensor itself." Commercial licensing details will be made available at some point thereafter. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Exclusive: Sony 'S2' dual-screen Android clamshell and 9.4-inch Windows 7 VAIO slider due this year
So, by now you've seen the PlayStation Certified Qriocity tablet known within Sony as the "S1." But that's not the only tablet the venerable Japanese company is preparing to launch in 2011. We've been told by a pair of highly trusted and proven sources that Sony is also working on two rather unconventional tablet form factors including a dual-screen Honeycomb clamshell and newfangled Windows 7 tablet slider. First, let's look at the clamshell model sporting a pair of 5.5-inch displays -- a device first hinted at in a 2010 Sony patent application titled "Electronic Book with Enhanced Features." However, unlike the patent's blocky illustration, we're told that Sony's clamshell -- known as the "S2" internally -- more closely resembles an oval cylinder when closed as depicted in the illustration above. Spec-wise, we're told that it will be very similar in performance to the S1 with a Tegra 2 SoC and WiFi + 3G radio on the inside and front- and rear-facing cameras on the outside. And like the S1 tablet, the S2 will be focused on delivering Qriocity media to the consumer. Sorry, no word on whether the S2 is PlayStation Certified. Obviously, the S2 won't be running stock Honeycomb -- instead, Sony is currently optimizing the Android OS to make the most of those two displays. One source reports having seen Gmail running on a demonstration prototype where the list of messages is displayed on one screen with the body of the selected message displayed on the other. Maps, we're told, will display the map graphic on one display with the detailed turn-by-turn instructions or Streetview displayed on the other. Likewise, the S2 will display a video and picture navigation menu on one half of the clamshell with the selected content blown-up to fill the screen of the other. We're also told that these apps will work in a variety of orientations. Sounds interesting, to say the least. Regrettably, our sources are less than enthusiastic. Click through to find out why.
Dell Rosemount tablet will have Intel's Oak Trail inside, stylus, removable battery and remote wipe
Dell means business with its upcoming Windows 7 slate, if the whispers we're hearing are true -- we have it on good authority that the recently-leaked Rosemount will be a Latitude. An inside source says that the 10-inch tablet will not only sport Dell's storied business brand but will be geared towards enterprise through and through, with features like serviceable components (including a removable battery), software encryption and the ability to perform a remote wipe, and that it'll have a dual-digitizer to support both touch input and a stylus for fine details. We don't know about performance or battery life quite yet, but the slate will reportedly use an Atom chip, specifically Intel's Oak Trail, so we'll let you imagine the possibilities. [Thanks, Anonymous]
Toshiba to release its Windows 7 tablet in the second half of the year
We know, from the side that tablet up there looks a lot like Toshiba's still unnamed 10-inch Honeycomb tablet, but it's actually the company's future Windows 7 slate, which we were told today won't be hitting the market until the second half of 2011. The model Toshiba had on display was behind glass and wasn't actually powered on, but we did confirm that it will have an 11.6-inch display and will be powered by Intel's Atom Oak Trail processor. That's all we were able to get out of the company, but apparently that very tablet was on display at CES, and Notebook Italia gathered there that it will have 64GB of storage and 2GB of RAM. So, what's the hold up on the slate? According to Toshiba's Marco Perino, the company's putting a bit of "Toshiba flavor" on top of the OS to make it more touch-friendly. He also said that it may not come to all parts of the world as different regions will determine the local demand. We're not sure anyone is holding their breath for this one, but we'll keep you updated if we should hear more. Hit the break for a few more behind-glass shots of the tablet. %Gallery-116771%
ViewSonic ViewPad 10Pro hands-on
We promised to dig up ViewSonic's dual-booting Windows 7 and Android 2.2 ViewPad 10Pro tablet when we got to Barcelona, and here we are delivering on our word. We just got a chance to check out the 10.1-inch slate and we have to say hardware-wise, we're dealing with typical ViewSonic quality -- the 1024 x 600-resolution, capacitive screen isn't exactly high quality (horizontal viewing angles were pretty bad) and the build was mediocre at best. However, software-wise we have to say the 10Pro is pretty interesting -- the Intel Atom Oak Trail-powered slab boots Windows 7 Home Premium, but is running Android 2.2 on top. Unlike the first ViewPad 10, you don't have to reboot the device to switch between Android and Windows as the Google OS is running as a virtualization. No word on the pricing of this one, but it should be hitting the market this May. Hit the break for a quick look at the relatively-quick Android / Windows hand-off. %Gallery-116532%
ViewSonic intros dual-SIM V350 smartphone, Windows 7 / Android dual-boot ViewPad 10Pro tablet
Mobile World Congress may not have its halls open quite yet, but that's not stopping ViewSonic from giving the world a peek at what's to come. First up is the V350 smartphone shown above, a dual-SIM creature with a 3.5-inch HVGA capacitive touchpanel, Android 2.2, five megapixel camera, a microSD card slot, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 and A-GPS to boot. By supporting a pair of SIMs, it allows jetsetters to carry two SIMs from two operators in order to take advantage of different plans and networks for voice / data in different countries. Moving on, there's a highly intriguing new tablet in the waiting -- the ViewPad 10Pro. This 10-incher (shown after the break) is a "professional" slate with dual-boot functionality, enabling users to tap into Android 2.2 or Windows 7 Professional at their leisure. It's also one of the first tablets to utilize Intel's long-awaited Oak Trail platform, and it'll ship with a 1024 x 600 LED-backlit capacitive multitouch screen, inbuilt 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth and a battery good for six or so hours of life. Finally, the ViewPad 10s -- which was just unveiled at CES -- is seeing a gentle update in Barcelona, with the ViewPad 10s 3G (predictably) gaining integrated 3G functionality. Mum's the word on pricing and release, but as always, we'll be prying for more once we touch down at BCN.
Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 available for everyone on February 22nd
Get ready for it because the final release to manufacturing (RTM) of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) have just been handed off to Microsoft's OEM partners. What that means for you is that starting February 22nd you can download Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 from the Microsoft Download Center or via Windows Update. MSDN and TechNet subscribers will see the official updates a bit earlier on February 16th... about the same time they'll be released unofficially into the bitTorrent and usenet wilds.
Dell Latitude XT3 convertible tablet, hands-on (video)
Dell unveiled a mighty business laptop lineup this morning, but only a few stood out -- like this Dell Latitude XT3 convertible tablet PC with a quad dual-core Intel Sandy Bridge processor inside. Yes, it seems Dell's decided to forgo the incredible battery life of its predecessor for potent performance instead, with this particular unit packing a 2.5GHz Core i5-2520M CPU and 2GB of RAM underneath that swiveling 13-inch display. While the prototype XT3's screen seemed a little washed-out and viewing angles left something to be desired, we have to admire its matte dual-digitizer display, which takes multitouch input from at least three fingers simultaneously and also recognizes a pop-out stylus pen (the former responsive enough to navigate Windows 7 by touch alone, and the latter beyond our can't-draw-a-straight-stick-figure ability to easily test). That sunlight-readable screen isn't just for traveling artists, though, as Dell was quick to inform us that the XT3 is the company's attempt to make a convertible tablet that corporate IT will accept as one of its own, thanks to the same magnesium frame and universal docking port as the rest of the new Latitude lineup. We can't lie: we'd be pretty excited about the potential for awesome here, if we had any notion of release dates or price. Find some pictures below, and mosey past the break for a hands-on video. %Gallery-115994% Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
Last.fm radio app goes 'premium' on home and mobile devices, web and desktop streaming remain free
Last.fm has decided to tweak its offering on the app front, where it is now introducing a new subscription requirement for most mobile and home entertainment devices. From here on out, you'll have to pay for the privilege of streaming music through the company's software on devices like the iPhone and Squeezebox, though the blow is nicely cushioned by the news that there won't be any ads to dilute your aural pleasure. Windows Phone 7 won't be subject to the new fee for the remainder of 2011 in the US and UK, while Sonos devices will continue to stream freely until this summer, but eventually it seems like all these apps will cost a little bit of cash to use. And "little" is the operative word here, as Last.fm is asking for only $3 / €3 / £3 per month. If you really can't stomach the outlay, however, just stream via the web or desktop application... you tightwad. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HP twirls out TouchSmart 610 and 9300 all-in-one PCs
When almost every other computer manufacturer has copied its touchscreen all-in-one, what's a company like HP to do? Create a totally crazy pivoting and reclining one, of course! Yep, HP's newest TouchSmart 610 and 9300 Elite Business PC may look like typical 1920 x 1080-resolution, 23-inch all-in-ones when positioned upright, but that all changes when their screens recline up to 60 degrees or the entire body of the rig swivels around to do a 180. It's one seriously flexible AIO, but the new design isn't just about yoga-like tricks -- it aims to make touch interaction more comfortable and ergonomic, and on that vein HP has also updated its TouchSmart 610 consumer model with its latest TouchSmart software layer, which includes finger-friendly Hulu, Netflix, and Twitter apps as well as a TouchSmart Apps Center. The 9300 Elite Business all-in-one, as you may have caught from its name, is meant for enterprise and "customer spaces" (aka kiosks, counters, etc.), and thus only comes loaded with Windows 7. Spec-wise, the 610 can be configured with Intel and AMD desktop processors, up to 16GB of RAM, a terabyte of storage, a Blu-ray drive, while its 1.3 megapixel camera and Beats Audio speakers come standard. Naturally, the 9300 has to keep up its professional reputation, and though it cuts out the Beats, it gains Intel's latest Sandy Bridge processors, a 160GB SSD option, and a higher quality two megapixel cam with facial recognition software. You know, for "enhanced security." So, when can you pick up one of these monsters? The $900 610 is expected to start shipping on February 9th, while the 9300 will hit in May for an undetermined price. We're hoping to bring you a full review of the 610 soon, but we can tell you from our early look at it that the viewing angles were sufficiently wide and the tilting mechanism fairly rigid. Man, it's already turning out to be quite a week for HP -- that webOS event is coming up on Wednesday, but in the meantime you'll want to hit the break for the full TouchSmart press release and a short video of the reclining mechanism in action. %Gallery-115790% %Gallery-115791%
Sony VAIO YB now shipping AMD Fusion to your door for $600
The wait on AMD's Fusion has been so long that we feel like we should pop open the bubbly every time another laptop ships with it. Latest off the assembly line is Sony's VAIO YB series, which gives you a 1.6GHz processor to make similarly-clocked Atoms AMD-green with envy, 4GB of RAM and 500GB of hard drive space, an 11.6-inch glossy screen with 1366 x 768 resolution, and up to six hours of battery life for $599.99. It's available in silver and pink varieties today, or you can wait a little while longer for Amazon to get stock of its lower-specced variant, with 2GB of RAM and 320GB of storage, which will cost you $50 less. See more of the VAIO YB in our CES hands-on gallery below. %Gallery-112579%
Onkyo tablet roadmap shows a selection of Android and Windows devices in a variety of sizes
Onkyo is giving us a taste of what next, revealing its plans for future tablet onslaught that will leave no operating system untouched -- well, Android and Windows anyway. For Windows 7 lovers, the company's three SlatePC tablets, the TW317A5, TW217A5, and TW117A4 are all going to see updates through the year, including Oak Trail power from Intel sometime before June. Meanwhile, the 10-inch Android SlatePad TA117C1 and TA117C3 will receive built-in 3G and will be joined with a 7-inch, ARM-powered model later this year. Ruggedized tablets are mentioned too, but no plans for a US release for any of them. No surprise there.
Fujitsu's tablet is easy like a hammer, cozy as a scarf, and never scratchy like Windows 7 (video)
There's no denying that Meinolf Althaus brings some personality to an otherwise stoic slate. Good thing too, because the idea of Fujitsu and Microsoft spawning a stylus-driven tablet from a session of ugly-bumping doesn't elicit much excitement in the burgeoning tablet space. Enter Mr. Althaus who begins his lesson with an explanation that software user elements must be based on recognition and not on something that's remembered. You know, like a hammer (or Fujitsu's new slate) which is obvious in its usability and function. He then likens the current crop of consumer-based tablets to chocolate bars: they're great for consumption but do little to help with content creation unlike Fujitsu's Windows-based slate that's optimized for corporations -- spreadsheets naturally, not music or illustrations. The highlight, however, has to be the point in the video where he equates the Windows 7 user experience to a "scratchy" kitchen sponge that's useful for utilitarian tasks like cleaning the dishes. Fujitsu's tablet, he contends, is "cozy" like a silk scarf thanks to a custom-built layer that sits on top of the standard Win7 desktop. Brilliant. We'll take two... Meinolfs that is. You will too after watching the video embedded after the break. [Thanks, Hanson]
Microsoft: tablets affected Q4 earnings, netbooks past their peak
We had a strong (okay, really strong) hunch that the iPad was a contributing factor in Microsoft's waning Windows revenue in Q2, but there's nothing like a little confirmation from Redmond. During the earnings call, Microsoft CFO Peter Klein was asked if tablets were cannibalizing PCs, to which he responded: I think that as Bill [Koefoed] talked a little bit in his comments about netbooks and how netbooks were, they hit their peak last year in Q2, and I think what we've seen is over the course of this year in the consumer space, some of that volume being replaced with newer devices like ultra-portables and tablets. And largely, these are second devices, not primary devices. And that's caused a little bit of a drag on the consumer side. That seems like an admission that people aren't buying Windows 7 tablets, but either way, it's now crystal clear that Microsoft suffered during the back-to-school and holiday season because consumers who may have previously picked up a Windows 7 Starter netbook went for a glossy new iPad (or maybe a Galaxy Tab in the later part of the quarter) or a more powerful ULV ultraportable. Obviously, the shift to tablets is to be expected, but the latter bit about ultraportables is quite telling as well -- it seems to further confirm that people are seeking more power than Intel's Atom, although we don't really see how increased ultraportable sales would be a "drag on the consumer side" of Microsoft's business considering ultraportables run Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional. Sadly, Klein made no mention of Microsoft's future tablet plans, but stated that netbooks were past their prime. We're pretty sure that "next version of Windows" or whatever tablet OS Microsoft is planning couldn't come soon enough for everyone. Or hey, could we suggest reviving the Courier?
MSI's Windows 7-based WindPad 100W now on sale for $710
MSI's first entry into the wild, wonderful, and oftentimes wishy-washy world of tablets is now on sale, but frankly, we aren't too sure we'd be jumping to hand over our $710 -- er, $709.95 -- for the WindPad 100W. The retailer is Simply Electronics, which just so happens to rank a few rungs below Amazon in terms of heardability-ness. At any rate, those willing to take a flying leap of faith should expect a 10.1-inch device loaded up with Windows 7 Starter, Intel's Atom Z530 1.6GHz single-core processor, 2GB of memory a 32GB SSD and a battery that'll keep things humming for around six hours. Here's hoping it'll perform better than that first wave of Win7 tablets, and you know, that you actually receive one.
Visualized: the HP Slate's new job
Wondering where your HP Slate has been all these weeks since you ordered it? Well, at least one of those precious Windows 7 tablets has taken a little detour from its supposedly enterprise-centric destiny to make a cameo appearance... as a dashboard infotainment system. HP, in its inimitable wisdom, has decided to grace the opening of its Vancouver store last month with a customized GMC Yukon Denali truck, which is where we find the company's Slate casually showing off its Acrobat Reader and other big boy OS advantages. We wouldn't really say embedding the Slate into your dash is the worst idea in the world, though the rest of the characterful customizations to this Denali just might be. [Thanks, lmwong]
Neverware's Juicebox 100 squeezes new life into aging school computers (video)
Your typical school computer is probably not a machine you'd like to use on a daily basis -- perennially behind the curve in terms of technology, since educators can't afford smokin' hot video cards and primo processors year after year. Budgets and the resulting reluctance inevitably lead to stale hardware which then goes obsolete... but a tiny startup called Neverware thinks it can end the cycle of woe with virtualization technology. Its single product, the Juicebox a100, can serve up one hundred Windows 7 virtual desktops to existing hardware, pretty much regardless of its age -- all computers need is a working LAN jack, a 500MHz processor and 128MB of memory, so schools could keep their beige boxes and just upgrade the Juicebox instead. Founder Jonathan Hefter doesn't have pricing worked out yet -- and his tiny company only has three of the boxes working at present -- but he's piloted the technology in a pair of schools and is planning a beta soon -- all the while dreaming about how our mountains of e-waste could be transformed into useful computers for the poorer nations of the world. Good luck, dude! Video after the break.
MSI shows off tablet concept with an integrated projector
We're not sure how we missed this concept tablet at CES a few weeks ago -- oh right, there were over 40 something tablets hanging around! -- but MSI's projector-equipped Windows 7 slate sure is an interesting one. Yep, in addition to its crazy Butterfly and Angelow all-in-ones, MSI cobbled together a rather chunky, Atom-powered, 10-inch tablet with a built-in swivel projector. We don't have any details on the projector itself -- no lumens or resolution -- but according to Notebook Italia, it can be maneuvered to display on a wall or even flipped around to project downward onto a table. A MSI rep implied that the latter function could be used to enable some sort of laser projected keyboard (we're imagining it to be a lot like this one from Light Blue Optics), but there's no actual software in place for that yet. That seems to be a popular feature in concepts these days (see Mozilla's amazing Seabird) -- now just give us the real thing! Hit the source link for a few more shots of MSI's tablet / projector contraption. Updated: Our friends at NetbookNews spotted a video of the concept tablet on TBreak. As you'd expect this looks like one unfinished product, but hit the break to check it out for yourself.
Kinect support for Windows in the works, SDK release this summer?
WinRumors, citing anonymous sources, reports that the official software developers kit (SDK) for Kinect is currently in the works and will be released in beta some time in the next few months. Apparently, support for the device will become a part of Microsoft's XNA Game Studio and also be integrated into Windows 8 in a big way. These details come hot on the heels of CEO Steve Ballmer's statement at CES that the good folks in Redmond would eventually support the device's use on computers, but he set no timetable for the SDKs release. We can't confirm the story, but given the level of detail in the report and the author's confidence in the info, we won't be surprised if Microsoft gives all you Kinect hackers something to cheer about very soon.
HP Slate orders still delayed, still blaming 'high volume of orders'
Oh sure, it looks like some glorious Palm / HP Web OS tablets are headed our way (even if we are hearing it won't be until late summer / early fall), but you know what has been supposedly headed our way for over two months now? The HP Slate 500. Yep, HP's seemingly-abandoned Windows 7 tablet is still suffering from major delays, and according to our sources and an HP customer support rep, a "material shortage" combined with a "high volume of orders" are causing these tablets to be held up. We don't have any real details on the numbers -- although, last month we had heard they received about 9,000 orders thus far -- but we do know that our very own HP Slate, which we ordered back on November 9th, still hasn't shipped and is now slated to ship out on January 22nd. And we're definitely not the only ones still patiently waiting -- a look through the TabletPC Review forums reveals that a number of irate customers are still longing for their 8.9-inch, Atom-powered tablets -- although, many of them were offered a $100 discount in exchange for not having their tablets in time for the holidays. We've reached out to HP for further comment on this, but in the meantime, we'll be refreshing our account page and hoping our Slate finally ships out before the end of the month or, you know, at least before HP starts announcing new ones in early February.
