Trusted Reviews on the ViewSonic ViewPad 10:
Where the ViewPad 10 – and indeed the vast majority of other tablets – really can’t compare with the iPad is in screen quality. Rather than the latter’s IPS panel, with its excellent viewing angles and great contrast, here we’re back to good old TN. This manifests itself in relatively poor viewing angles lesser contrast and colour. That said, from the right angle, it’s still quite nice to use.
Good old TN? I’m afraid there is little good about TN but maybe the low price. If ViewSonic really wants to compete in the tablet market it will need to realize one very important fact: the display makes the tablet.
Thomas Ricker, Engadget, on the HTC Trophy:
Try as we might, we can’t put it down even though we have an iPhone 4 and Galaxy S at our immediate disposal. The HTC Trophy may not be our smartphone champ but it’s definitely a winner.
Let me get this straight: it’s not a champ but a winner? Confusing. Most likely the newness of Windows Phone 7 is what’s contributing to the heightened interest. The HTC Trophy sports a 3.8-inch TFT LCD with a WP7-standard 800×480 pixel format. My guess: eventually the iPhone 4 or the Galaxy S would be picked up more.
US Patent & Trademark Office → AppleInsider: Apple’s patent application titled “Nitriding Stainless Steel for Consumer Electronic Products”:
In addition to providing a durable, hard surface that is both scratch and impact resistant, the nitride layer allows for the natural surface color and texture of the underlying stainless steel to remain visible to the user. It is this natural surface color and texture of the stainless steel that adds to the aesthetically pleasing appearance of the consumer electronic product, thereby enhancing the user’s overall experience.
I’m not too worried about stainless steel getting scratched. How about a nitride coating over glass?
Sarah Ellison, Fortune, on the Verizon iPhone:
Verizon, sources say, will sell its own version of the iPhone 4, which will work on Verizon’s CDMA-based 3G network. Unfortunately for globe trotters, the first version of the phone likely won’t be built to work outside the U.S. — it probably won’t carry a special chip that can turn it into a “world phone.”
I live in an area where AT&T is simply terrible. Just this morning I was not able to get any 3G connection so I had to switch over to 2G, which is slow but more dependable. I’m paying $25 per month for this fast 3G connection that AT&T brags about. Can I take much more of this? Probably not. If I trust this Fortune article to be true then I best be heading back to the Apple Store to return my iPhone 4.
An interesting tidbit: According to Lowell McAdam, COO at Verizon Wireless, the average Droid user consumes more data than the average iPhone user.
Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic, on the TSA’s new pat-down procedure that requires meeting resistance, a.k.a your balls:
… the obvious goal of the TSA is to make the pat-down embarrassing enough for the average passenger that the vast majority of people will choose high-tech humiliation over the low-tech ball check.
That high-tech humiliation involves a back-scatter body imaging device, affectionately called “The Dick-Measuring Device” that sees under your clothing.
The machine captures an image of your naked self, including your genitals, and sends the image to an agent in a separate room.
What happens when the guys in the separate room thinks they see something?
The pat-down, while more effective than previous pat-downs, will not stop dedicated and clever terrorists from smuggling on board small weapons or explosives. When I served as a military policeman in an Israeli army prison, many of the prisoners “bangled” contraband up their asses. I know this not because I checked, but because eventually they told me this when I asked.
I’m driving to CES.
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