Jilion: Like the name the video is sublime. The video didn’t stutter once, even at full screen (1920 x 1200) and during resizing. And all of this without a browser plugin or Flash. Only works on Safari (v4.0.4+), Google Chrome (v4.0+), and IE with Chrome Frame installed with Firefox support to come. I have seen the future of the web without Flash: it is beautiful.
Jilion: SublimeVideo is probably one of the most exciting developments in HTML5 for video playback. In the last post (read SublimeVideo HTML5 Video Player) I was amazed at the stutter-free video playback on Chrome and Safari. Now you can experience the same amazing Flash-free video on Firefox.
Hexxeh: If you have an ION GPU doing the graphics work and running Chrome OS (ChromiumOS), make sure to download and install the latest Hexxeh build called Flow: it takes full advantage of NVIDIA’s ION GPU. The already featherweight OS should start flying now.
DigiTimes: Thick bezels are ugly. I think Taiwan-based integrators and LCD manufacturers agree. Taiwan’s major notebook PC ODMs are developing models sporting frameless displays or displays with very thin bezels. The companies in particular are Foxconn and Chimei Innolux, Compal Electronics and Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT), Quanta Computer and AU Optronics (AUO). Corning’s Gorilla glass will be used as the cover glass for these thin-bezelled displays. Expect Acer and HP to bring notebooks with frameless displays to market in the second half of 2010.
The result of frameless displays is that notebooks will get smaller. If you can reduce the bezel of a display the entire chassis can be shrunk. You can get a 13.3-inch LCD in a chassis designed for a 12.1-inch LCD with thick bezels. Or you can fit larger LCDs into current chassis designs. For the ultimate example of a thin bezeled TV read LG LE9500 Series LCD TV.
Samsung via Engadget: The Halo (i8520) from Samsung is the first Android (2.1 to be exact) smartphone sporting the company’s Super AMOLED display. What’s so super? The 3.7-inch Active Matrix OLED (AMOLED) display most likely manufactured by Samsung Mobile Display (SMD) features touch sensors that are embedded into the structure of the OLED. The Super AMOLED will be thinner and have more optical clarity. The pixel structure is probably the 2×2 sub-pixel PenTile Matrix that allows for a visual resolution equivalent to that of a 800×480 RGB stripe sub-pixel structured LCD.
Other specs include: 8MP autofocus camera with flash, 640×480 front-facing camera, video capture at 720/30p, DivX & Xvid playback, Bluetooth 2.1, 3.5-mm headphone connection, WiFi BGN, A-GPS, 16GB internal storage, microSD, stereo speakers, DLNA, quad-band GSM/EDGE, tri-band UMTS 900/1900/2100, and an integrated Digital Light Processing (DLP) pico-projector. Because of the integrated pico-projector, the depth of the Halo is a thick 14.9 mm. Availability is slated for Q3’10.
DigiTimes: The current iPhone 3G and 3GS smartphones are manufactured by Foxconn Electronics. The next generation iPhone will be built by Pegatron Technology. A little history: On the first of January, 2008, Asustek Computer split into three separate companies with Pegatron Technology focusing on manufacturing PC-related devices such as motherboards and add-in cards for third-party customers. If this is true, Pegatron seems to be an interesting choice for Apple.
AppleInsider: A Flash-less Hulu is in the works according to TechCrunch. And it should work quite well with the iPad. I presume it would work quite well on the iPhone too. The Flash-less Hulu is expected to be available when the iPad launches in March 2010. A Flash-less Hulu would determine an inflection point from which Flash will slowly fade into the dark.
Sony Ericsson’s Aspen is the first smartphone with Windows Mobile 6.5.3. The Aspen also known as Faith has an overall sleek design with a QWERTY keyboard that looks quite solid. Of course, that’s just my opinion from pictures without having experienced the smartphone. The 2.4-inch touchscreen TFT LCD with a 320×240 pixel format is a bit on the small side. The number of pixels is a bit on the low side too. Hopefully the hardware, OS and applications work seamlessly. Other specs include:
Windows Mobile 6.5.3 is now more finger-friendly and supports capacitive multitouch displays acknowledging pan and flick gestures. The browser is faster and memory management has been enhanced. Source: Sony Ericsson via Engadget
The G62t from HP is a 15.6-inch notebook PC powered by a Core i3 CPU upgradeable to an i5 or i7. The 15.6-inch TFT LCD features a pixel format of 1366 x 768 with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Other specs include: 3GB RAM, 160GB HDD, DVD burner (upgradeable to Blu-ray), Intel integrated graphics. The price is a very palatable US$699, especially considering you’re getting a very close copy of a MacBook Pro that costs considerably more. Source: HP via LogicBuy, Engadget
Windows Phone 7: Very similar to Zune HD. Complete revamp of start screen. “METRO” UI that is “very clean”, “soulful”, and “alive.” No multitasking and no Flash. Full Xbox gaming and Zune integration. The METRO UI is expected to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress, not hardware.
I must say Zune HD has more hardware firepower than the iPod touch. If only Microsoft had something as big and good as the iTunes Music Store the Zune HD would see considerably more sales. I am not surprised to see that a future Windows Phone 7 will make use of the Zune HD as well integrate Xbox gaming. The Zune HD UI is quite nice and simple and generally works quite well. There’s also a fairly large Xbox following. Taking advantage of just those two would be a solid start for Windows Phone 7.
Apple doesn’t have an Xbox-equivalent gaming experience. Sure the iPhone and iPod touch can game but the experience falls short of an Xbox or a PlayStation. I’m not a hardcore gamer but my preference is to mash a physical button to kick things into gear. Unfortunately the Windows Phone 7 will lack that physical connection too. But I have hope, in a Xbox controller you can stick the Windows Phone 7 into. Or maybe you can use a Xbox controller to control the Windows Phone 7. I’m sure there will be an enormous number of possible solutions, all being rather inelegant but utilitarian.
The METRO is codename for the UI that will be better than what you find on the Zune HD. I’m not sure what I should think when I hear words like “soulful” or “alive” to describe a UI. But here’s hoping the METRO UI will be a worthy competitor to the iPhone OS or webOS. I don’t doubt it will be infinitely more polished than Android since Zune HD’s UI is much better already.
Lastly, I hope Microsoft sees it fit to change the entirely awkward Windows Phone 7 name to something more cool. How about something like Xphone? Source: PPCGeeks via Engadget
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