Ask Mimo and they’ll tell you that this is far from their first rodeo when it comes to USB LCD screens.  In fact, we can’t remember another company that has been so pervasive in the space.  And to add to their continuing dominance in the USB monitor space, the company just announced the Mimo Magic Touch.

At a glance, we’re looking at 10-inch touchscreen monitor that is connected and powered by USB.  Pretty standard when you consider their previous offerings.  But what makes this version different from the rest of the pact, is that it is capacitive.  If you recall Mimo’s other iterations were touch resistive, which made then almost anything but touch friendly.  In this version you should expect far greater accuracy and more importantly sensitivity; no more punching a whole in your monitor with your finger trying to navigate the web.

They say that the Mimo Magic Touch is four-point multi-touch, though you’ll need to be running Windows 7 or later – sorry Mac users.  If the dock/stand isn’t your thing you can mount it on the wall using a VESA compatible mount or just hold it in your hands, provided you’re willing to deal with a USB cord draped across the room.

In the specs department we’re looking at a 1024 x 600 resolution with 200 nits of brightness and a 300:1 contrast ratio.  Size wise, it’s less than 1-inch thick and weighs under 1lb.  You know, just in case you plan on taking this thing on the road.

Price? For an additional $30, $330 to be exact, you can score the higher end model (yes, the lowered end version costs $300), which includes 2 additional USB ports for connecting other gadgets, though you’ll need to plug in the AC plug if you have plans to charge anything.  The Mimo Magic Touch is available now.

Most of the watches we look at tend to embody all the same qualities, which is to tell time.  In other words they’re very functional, but don’t extend beyond the orthodox, which in turns means their functionality, or utilitarian value is limited.

The Mutewatch throws the above statement on its head.  While it appears to be a gray, rubber strap, it’s in fact a a touchscreen watch.  Tapping on the would be display illuminates the time.  To set the clock or alarm you just tap directly on the digits.  But unlike other watches, which generally requires you to cycle through the digits, you can tap on the top or the bottom to increase or decrease the amount.  And to erase the alarm all you need to do is “pinch” (in an Apple like fashion) the touchscreen.

But the wow factor doesn’t stop there.  The Mutewatch has a built-in vibrator which means you can set a silent alarm, allowing to be notified that your time allowance during a speech is drawing to an end.  It also sports a motion sensor, which allows you to activate the screen with a quick flip of the wrist.  So if you’re sleeping, which generally means little to no movement, the Mutewatch detects this and increases the vibration to insure you’re woken up at the set time.

The display is capacitive LED and adjusts the the intensity according to the surrounding light.  And despite the touchscreen, it’s hand washable.  You can expect battery life to last for up to 2 weeks and takes 2 hours to recharge.  It will automatically enter hibernation mode when the watch’s power draws low or detects no action after a week’s time.

The Mutewatch is available now in red, white and gray for $375.

Watches, traditionally speaking, don’t have much of a place when it comes to a gadget blog.  But we’ll make an exception for Nixon’s Synapse watch.

First and foremost it has a touchscreen interface that lets the user manage its functions.  Up to 4 different time zones can be displayed simultaneously and it’s equipped with a timer, chime alarm, and a stainless steel finish that can be submerged up to 100 meters.  Available in four different finishes for $200-$250.

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Garmin unveiled their next flagship GPS fitness watch today, the Forerunner 610.  Like their previous fitness watches, the 610 includes auto lap, pace, heart rate, distance and time.  Runners can modify the screen to show up to 4 of these stats at any given time, or cycle through info by tapping the touchscreen. Garmin has built the Forerunner 610 to withstand inclement weather, as well as sweat, all the while still allowing users to access the touchscreen with gloves on.

Like past Garmin Forerunner devices, fitness fanatics can upload their workouts to Garmin’s Connect website and download other users’ routes and stats for a virtual trainer or partner in crime.  In addition to audible alerts, the Forerunner 610 includes a vibration feature that notifies runners of intervals and other note worthy information – ideal for those that run with headphones in their ears or jog in areas with a hefty amount of street noise.

The Training Effect feature, new to the Forerunner line, “measures the impact of exercise on aerobic fitness and lets you know how the workout improves your fitness during the workout”.  They’ve also added a run/walk training feature, which allows the auto lap feature to remain intact for joggers that run for a distance, walk and then continue to run – a growing trend.

The Forerunner 610 appears to be available direct from Garmin for $349.99.

Garmin® Adds Its First Touchscreen GPS Watch to Forerunner® Family

OLATHE, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced the Forerunner 610 sports watch – a slim, yet robust and weather-proof touchscreen solution for serious runners seeking an extra advantage. Forerunner 610 can stand up to rain, sweat and splashes, and is responsive enough that it can be operated with running gloves. Forerunner 610 was announced in preparation for world-class marathons in Boston and London as well as the Australian fitness expo where it will be prominently displayed at Garmin booths in each location.

“From giving the basics such as pace, distance and time to monitoring your effort through heart rate, creating interval workouts and racing a friend on the other side of the world, Forerunner 610 becomes a necessary partner for all serious runners.”

“Running with Forerunner 610 is like having a coach with you every step of the way,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “From giving the basics such as pace, distance and time to monitoring your effort through heart rate, creating interval workouts and racing a friend on the other side of the world, Forerunner 610 becomes a necessary partner for all serious runners.”

Now it is easier than ever to see how far, how fast and how hard you have worked. Forerunner 610 puts it all at your fingertips. Designed for the runner who is constantly seeking improvement, Forerunner 610 is Garmin’s new flagship model. Forerunner 610′s sleek stylish design complements the highly responsive touch screen and high resolution display. This innovative design has drawn praise from the International design community by winning the coveted Red Dot Design Award, the world’s largest and most renowned design competition in a field of thousands of submissions from over 60 countries. To see the Forerunner 610 in action, go to www.garmin.com/touch.
Forerunner 610 uses a vibration motor for alerts such as heart rate, pace and distance when audible tones cannot be heard (heart monitor included in some bundles or available separately). With the heart rate monitor, Forerunner 610 also allows runners to track their training intensity via the new Training Effect feature. With the right information, it is not necessary to be a coach or sports scientist to help you train effectively. Training Effect measures the impact of exercise on aerobic fitness and lets you know how the workout improves your fitness during the workout.

In a true race against the clock, Forerunner 610 introduces Virtual Racer™. With this new feature, Garmin has an answer for every excuse – no more, “I could have beaten that time” – where runners can race themselves over their previous bests or against other users’. These can be taken from runs stored on the watch or downloaded wirelessly from the huge and expanding Garmin Connect™ running community (http://connect.garmin.com). Here users can quickly and easily log their workouts, track their totals, set goals, share workouts with friends and family and participate in an online fitness community of more than 50 million activities around the world. Garmin Connect displays metrics such as time, distance, pace, elevation and heart rate. This information is shown through charts, illustrations, reports and a variety of map representations including street, photo, topographic, and elevation maps.

With the growing popularity of the run/walk training method in the distance running community (example: a runner runs for five minutes, walks for one minute and repeats for the duration of the course), Garmin has included a new run/walk alert. This alert allows Forerunner 610′s other features, such as, Auto Lap and Auto Pause, to remain active during a run/walk session.

Forerunner 610 is the latest breakthrough from Garmin, which has spent more than 20 years developing technologies and innovations to enhance users’ lives, making Garmin a household name in the automotive, aviation, marine, wireless, outdoor and fitness industries. For more about features, pricing and availability, as well as information about Garmin’s other products and services, go to www.garmin.com, www.garmin.blogs.com and http://twitter.com/garmin. To watch step-by-step, feature-specific tutorial videos for Forerunner 610 and other Garmin products, visit the online learning center at www.garmin.com/learningcenter.

1.5 out of 5 stars

When I undertook a month period without a laptop – only using an iPad – the most difficult readjustment when I returned to my laptop was to stop touching the screen. On the iPad, it’s very convenient to just flick the screen or click on links instead of using a mouse. The Dell Inspiron Duo offers a similar feature, utilizing a capacitive touchscreen capable of bringing together the best of both tablets and netbooks. Does it succeed, or fall flat on its face?

Dell’s Inspiron Duo is a netbook with a capacitive touchscreen meant to bridge the gap between tablets and netbooks. Many people, myself included, have been looking for a laptop solution with tablet qualities (or vice versa), but the major setback has been with Windows. Microsoft has consistently built operating systems capable of supporting tablets and touchscreens, but those controls have always been secondary to standard computing UI, the keyboard and mouse. Of course, Apple changed tablets forever by succeeding with the iPhone, and then the iPad.

The Inspiron Duo, behind the iPad and Galaxy Tablet

Netbooks are known for being slow, but are also capable of running Windows 7, though generally they run the lightest version, Home Starter. For touchscreen functions to work, Dell was forced to use the heavier Home Premium version of Windows on the Duo. Dell’s own software for touchscreen functions is always on by default, in case users flip the screen around and want those extra features. And, of course, Dell included bloatware like McAfee, a highly-rated but top-heavy virus protection application.

The Duo comes with a 1.5GHz dual core Atom processor, 2GB of RAM and integrated graphics. This may sound fast for a netbook, but as described below the Duo is actuallysluggish. When I first started the Duo, it booted so slowly that my initial thought was to reformat the netbook, thereby wiping out all bloatware and speeding up the machine. But I couldn’t because I needed to test the laptop as is. In addition, doing so would remove the necessary touch software.

Inspiron Duo on the bottom is easily 3 times as thick as the iPad, and heavier than both true tablets

After shutting down most of the unnecessary applications (through MSconfig), the Duo ran much better, though it’s still slow. Saving Word documents takes 5-7 seconds, some 480p and 720p streaming video stutters uncontrollably, even after fully buffering. General computing is a pain. All testing was performed after the Duo had been cleaned and the slow software had been shut down without actually uninstalling or removing any applications.

Touchscreen

The first thing I noticed about the touchscreen is that it needed calibration. Unlike most tablets, Windows requires calibration to read touch presses accurately. Dell even saw fit to enlarge the display 125% so that users would be able to use the touch display more precisely, which also stretches everything displayed. Images and text are all skewed and pixelated in the default view, and I immediately reset the screen to 100%.

Once calibrated, the touchscreen works extremely well. Its pinpoint accurate, the 10.1” screen is smooth and flows easily. The technology behind the touchscreen seems to work as well as any other touchscreen but the software behind it is a big letdown.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Anyone familiar with Windows-based touchpads knows that the software was built specifically for two things: to be used with a keyboard and mouse with touch gestures the secondary option; and to be used with a stylus for touchscreens. This was how Bill Gates envisioned it over two decades ago and how Windows 7 was built. That is, in my experience, the core of Windows for touch controls.

Knowing this, Windows 7 on a machine like the Duo makes the Duo suffer. In many respects, I could never replace an iPad with the Duo. In other words, the Duo may look and act like a tablet, but it isn’t a tablet. It uses software that’s still based on a premise that no longer exists today. The Duo will always be a “tablet PC”, which business people bought ten years ago and never used. Anyone interested in replacing their current tablet, or anyone who wants to get a tablet with all the added benefits of a full-fledged laptop, needs to define what it is they want in a device before making that purchase decision.

Aside from the touch capabilities of the screen, the viewing angles on the Duo are awful. Built with tablets in mind, it’s a no-brainer that viewing angles should be a highlight for the Duo, but no. Tilt the screen too far or sit at too high an angle and the colors invert. Turn it a bit too far to the right or left and the screen, or at least part of it, will appear with faded colors. Just getting the sweet spot on the Duo is a problem, especially when holding the laptop like a tablet. It doesn’t just work ?????, and that’s a huge problem.

The whole issue with the screen is far worse when thinking about sharing pictures or video. I once used the iPad for a presentation instead of a projector and the results were exceptional. I would never even consider using the Duo in a similar fashion. The viewing angle is too poor to take into the field. Business users interested in wowing their audiences will not find that oomph in the Duo.

General Use and Performance

When Dell first announced the Duo, I told my brother to hold off on buying an iPad. He wanted to buy one to stream video comfortably, but wasn’t interested in paying for Hulu+. The Duo is a smart choice for such users because it’s still a laptop, and will stream any media no matter what major media conglomerates say or do. That is perhaps the best thing about the Duo, that users can watch streaming video on it as if it were a tablet, with all the benefits of using a laptop, and none of the extra cost.

The left side of the Duo, which has the flip-open USB and 3.5mm auxiliary ports…

And the right side, even emptier than the left with just the power button

As explained earlier, the Duo has a few major setbacks when it comes to general use. First is how bloated it is, which can only be partially corrected. If interested users have no qualms about skipping the included Dell Stage software, it would be smart to reformat, as long as you do so with a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium or better. I can’t guarantee that setting up the Duo as a Tablet laptop will be easy, however, as I didn’t do so for this review.

The Duo has2 USB ports, a single 3.5mm auxiliary port for stereo sound, and the power connector. No VGA/HDMI out, no Ethernet port, no media card reader…we get bubkis. On my first day playing with the Duo, I wanted to stream video to the big screen and couldn’t. “Wi-Fi only” means that even at home data transfer speeds are throttled(limited to) to whatever your wireless network can handle. Furthermore, the connectors have flip-open plastic covers for protection, which just gets in the way.

Using a laptop fulltime with just 2 USB ports is difficult, though having access to the touchscreen does eliminate the need for a dedicated mouse. As I did months ago with the iPad, I could now scroll – albeit less comfortably- by dragging the scroll bar up and down – instead of relying on the middle mouse scroll wheel. In fact, all of the main mouse functions can be achieved using the touchscreen. Right clicking uses the same three-second gesture to activate as it does on Microsoft’s Kinect: hold for three seconds and the left click becomes a right click. This is a slow process, and it’s more convenient to just use the touchpad’s buttons instead.

Even an episode of Castle is ruined thanks to the poor viewing angles on the Duo

The keyboard is decent, even good when compared to netbooks. The keys are small and easy to press, but at the same time there’s too much space between the keys which makes it too easy to misfire. The touchpad is frighteningly small. The surface is rough and it’s so tiny that it almost looks like Dell wants people use the touchscreen instead. As admirable as that may be, Windows 7 is just not built for it.

One larger concern in general use is not the screen size, but the multiple bezels. Like all smartphones, the glass and screen are separated by a slight black region of glass. On the Duo, that amounts to another square inch added to the entire glass plate. Then the actual frame, the true bezel, adds another square inch. The 10.1” screen looks tiny when compared to the laptop’s body; there’s a 10” screen on a 13” case. This gives users a larger perceived size for the display, in effect making the computer appear bulky and the screen tiny.

Forgive me for sounding like Jeff Foxworthy, but you can tell a computer runs slowly when it takes a full 10 seconds for the Windows search bar to find Word. There are load times for everything, from Office applications to loading webpages. Yes, even some heavier websites run slowly because the hardware needs extra time to process it. Physically turning the Duo to portrait mode takes anywhere from 4-7 seconds to switch over completely. Saving documents takes just as long. Some high quality 480p video and average quality 720p video will stutter, and are unwatchable.

If you require the performance an average netbook can offer, the Duo is on par with last year’s high-end models. If, however, you plan to use it as a media and viewing device, as long as you don’t expect anything better than DVD quality video and never have to share, there won’t be a problem, just some lag.

Battery Life

Performance on the Duo is mediocre, and sometimes tragic. Netbooks, in my opinion, don’t offer enough to warrant a purchase, especially when compared to recent inexpensive ultraportable notebooks. However, the key differentiator between the two is battery life. No ultraportable can boast the 8-12 hour battery life some netbooks can, and a 10-15% drop in performance is worth the extended use. Who wouldn’t want to compute throughout an entire transatlantic flight?

The Duo fails on both sides of this argument, taking the maximum drop in performance and offering a sad joke for battery life.

The average tested battery life of the Duo is between two to three and a half hours, depending on use. I can’t sit in a café and watch a whole movie over Wi-Fi. It couldn’t last through the entire Superbowl while word processing. Battery life just stinks. Everyone claims they buy tablets and netbooks for the apps, the small size, usability…but the reality is we want great battery life. Swap ten hours with five and nobody will buy that netbook or tablet. So what the hell happened with the Duo?

The main point for battery life is this: the Duo has a fraction of what tablets and netbooks offer. At best, you’ll be able to squeeze out three and a half hours with minimal Wi-Fi use and the lowest screen brightness. At worst, with heavy Wi-Fi and media use (such as streaming video) and average brightness, you’ll get two hours. For a netbook or tablet, battery life on the Duo is an absolute failure.

Docking Station

The Duo has an accessory docking station from JBL, which is sold with the Duo for an additional $100. It acts as both a speaker system for the Duo and a dock, with an Ethernet port, two additional USB ports, an auxiliary port and a media cart reader. The dock, as you can see in the image above, is made specifically for the touchscreen design, so you won’t be plugging it in and typing away when connected.

The JBL dock is a convenient way to plug in the Duo while showing off the touchscreen. The irony in this case is that, as mentioned earlier, Windows 7 just doesn’t successfully handle a touch-only interface which limits the Duo when solely using the touchscreen.

As a speaker dock, it will play any music or videos and produce better sound than the average laptop speakers. The sound quality from the JBL speaker dock is decent. Sound isn’t rich – the dock isn’t always pitch-perfect in the mid-range and high notes are a bit sharp – but the audio is clean. The dock also does a good job of acting as a sort of stand and speaker so that you can view media on it. If Dell’s software supported it, it could make a good digital photo album. Right now, however, using the speaker dock for anything other than a music player seems farfetched.

If the Duo is going to be your sole laptop and you’d like better audio when at home, get the docking station. If not, pass on it. The extra USB ports and memory card reader don’t help without external monitor support, and having a faster internet connection through cabled Ethernet is not worth the $100 laptop stand.

Conclusion

The Dell Inspiron Duo has a lot of promise. So much promise that I told my brother and some friends to wait for it before deciding on a tablet-like device. And it does have many great uses. It’s impossible to watch a plenty of streaming media without paying on a tablet, while the Duo has no such restrictions. I like using the touchscreen and being able to scroll, to quickly tap on windows, and to use certain gestures. It’s a brave new world and Dell has certainly pushed forward in an excellent direction.

But the company bit off more than it could chew. Windows 7 simply isn’t ready to compete with Android and iOS, let alone other upcoming mobile operating systems and hardware, like the Blackberry Playbook tablet or Android’s soon-to-be-released Honeycomb firmware upgrade specifically for tablets. Just comparing Windows 7 against the three year old iOS puts Microsoft’s beloved operating system to shame. Dell clearly had little choice if they wanted to include the best features of a regular netbook with the touch capabilities of a tablet.

Dell is, however, responsible for the preposterous battery life and slower-than-life processing. At $550, the Duo is certainly competitively priced with tablets, but if anyone walked into a Best Buy and tried the Duo, they would walk away instantly. The Duo isn’t smooth, it isn’t fast, and in nearly every way it pales in comparison to older, less powerful hardware. There are plenty of people who would be happy to pay double the price for a more powerful, faster machine, but it’s clear the company was aiming for a certain price point. Because of this, the Duo is seriously handicapped against even the weakest of competitors.

All that would be secondary if the battery life were at least three times as long as it’s current minimum of two hours. With at least six hours of battery life, the poor performance could be overlooked. After all, we all want to continue typing or touching away. But the Duo can’t even stream a 2+ hour movie. Slow performance and awful battery life are such major setbacks that it makes the terrible viewing angles almost insignificant.

I have no doubt that the Dell Inspiron Duo will live on as a stepping stone for other, similar devices in the future. Even today, as I type this review using the Duo, passersby are stunned by the rotating screen and ask how it works. There is something magical about it that attracts the eye. For now, however, it’s best to leave it as a fond memory and to look forward to what the future will bring.

4 out of 5 stars

Pros:

• 7″ design is excellent, a great form factor for tablets
• Hardware, software and data is fast as can be
• Excellent battery life

Cons:

• Android OS currently has no benefits for tablets; makes it a glorified smartphone
• Proprietary connector makes it feel like an iPad, but without any spare cables lying around
• No Wi-Fi only model, high prices on most carriers

The expectations are tremendously high for a tablet to compete properly against the iPad, and Samsung took up the challenge. After seeing their Galaxy S phones (the Fascinate and Epic 4G), we had high expectations for the Galaxy Tablet. What we didn’t foresee was how similar the larger device is to the cellphones which have been dominating the Android phone market.

With the Galaxy Tab, there was an expectation that it would change everything for Android users. Ironically, it does not, just as the iPad didn’t reshape the industry overnight as so many expected. However, unlike the iPad, the Galaxy Tab is far too similar to the Galaxy S phones, mostly due to identical operating systems. The Tab runs on Android 2.2, which was never optimized for tablets. Because of this, the Galaxy Tab is, for all intents and purposes, a larger Android device which cannot make phone calls through a phone carrier.

For someone who doesn’t already own an Android phone, that shouldn’t be a big concern, though until Samsung clearly states that the Galaxy Tab will be receiving the Android 3.0 update, expected sometime this month, there’s no way to know the lifespan of the Galaxy Tab. We expect it to support the update shortly after release, but you should know regardless.

The Galaxy Tab is a 7” tablet, which is significantly smaller than the 9” iPad. As seen in the picture above, the difference is stark. The Galaxy Tab has much less screen real estate, but is also much lighter and much easier to hold one handed. Unlike the iPad, which is a two-handed tablet – that is to say it almost always requires the use of two hands, either both holding the device or one hand holding on strongly while the other is used for navigation – the Galaxy Tab is more like a phone, where one or two hands can be used based on convenience, not on size or weight. That means it’s just as comfortable to type with your thumbs on the Galaxy Tab’s virtual keyboard horizontally as it is vertically. In retrospect, the iPad’s keyboard when held horizontally is made for two hands, and is just a tad too big for thumbs when held vertically.

Size is the key differentiator between the Galaxy Tab and the iPad. In many ways, it keeps them from being directly competing products. On the one hand, the iPad is made as a companion device for two hands, but isn’t necessarily comfortable to hold one-handed for reading or simple web browsing. On the other, the Galaxy Tab is light and small enough to hold one handed while your other hand rests comfortably. They both have the same basic functions, and yet they feel so different that it’s almost like comparing two equally powerful laptops, one 12” and one 17”. The larger one may feel better to use, but the smaller is better for travel. Neither is better, simply different.

For comparison, here’s the Kindle 1st gen on top of the Galaxy Tablet

The HTC Desire, and Motorola Droid 2 behind it, beside the Galaxy Tablet

That is, for their functions. The Galaxy Tab feels good to hold in one hand or two, both horizontally and vertically. The studded back makes it easy to grip, though the four touch-sensitive buttons take up space which could be used to better grip the front of the tablet. Like the Galaxy S phones, the power/standby button is on the right side, and below it the volume rocker. As seen in our first impressions and unboxing video, the bottom of the Galaxy Tab has two speakers and a special connector specific to the Samsung’s tablet, though the connector is surprisingly similar to Apple’s 30-pin cable used for all iPod and iPhones. On the left is the device’s single microphone, and on the top is a 3.5mm jack. There are two cameras, a front facing 1.3MP (1280×1024) and rear 5MP camera with LED flash.

Picture quality is very good, which shouldn’t be a surprise considering how good photography is on the Galaxy S phones we tested (the Fascinate and Epic 4G), as well as the more recent Samsung Focus. Though the Galaxy Tab drops down from a 5MP to a 3.2MP camera, picture quality is still very high, even in low light. Take a look at some of the photos below to see for yourself (click to see full-size images). The added size and weight of the device helps keep it steadier in the hand. Camera options are standard, with no real editing tools built into the camera app, though 3rd party applications will, or already have, enabled more customization in photography. Panorama photography is good, but not great.

My original concern with photography was that the Galaxy Tab would be too big. It is in some respects, but having a good camera works well with any device. Ultimately, we want whatever’s on-hand when there’s a picture to be taken. The front camera is also fairly good, and certainly good enough for video calls or a quick vanity shot. Video quality is also above par, though the resolution is limited to 720×480 (480p). This is certainly enough for YouTube and most TVs, but video junkies won’t be thrilled at the less-than HD video quality.

Applications on the Galaxy Tab are, as expected, fast. This is no surprise considering the hardware is identical to the already tested Galaxy S phones, with the exception of a higher resolution display (600×1024). Compared to the Galaxy S phones, there is a slight difference when running applications on the tablet. They are just a bit slower. But when compared to other phones like the Droid 2, the Galaxy Tab is faster to both boot and run applications. That is to say, it’s still blazingly fast for an Android device, just not the fastest.

The particular model I tested runs on Verizon’s 3G network, not the newer LTE (equivalent to 4G) network. In Los Angeles, Verizon is the second best carrier (behind Sprint, which dominates LA county with excellent coverage), and service was very good to excellent in all areas.

Battery life on the Galaxy Tab is excellent, depending on your use. Samsung rates 7 hours with Wi-Fi use, and I’ve found that to be a steady average. Watching flash content will quickly lower that number down to 3-4 hours, and if it’s 720p, down to 2-3. Then again, if you carry the tablet with you and use the 3G model, even with push email it can stay on for over a week without needing a recharge, with only minimal use. There’s no reason the Galaxy Tab can’t run for hours, though it should be noted that depending on your usage, battery life can go from two and a half hours to a week and a half. Once again, Samsung’s 7-hour estimate is fairly accurate for standard use (meaning daily use, having several applications open at once, but limited flash content). Suffice it to say, the Galaxy Tab won’t need to be plugged in daily like your phone.

What is the real selling point for me is the form factor. As a 7″ device, it fits in both one and two hands comfortably. You can read one-handed like you would with a book, which the iPad is just too big for. The widescreen display isn’t optimal for viewing web pages horizontally, but watching media is much better when the screen is entirely filled. Furthermore, when sitting on the couch, the Galaxy Tab is, frankly, more comfortable than the iPad. It’s smaller, lighter, and fits in a single hand effortlessly. Ultimately, that’s what a tablet should do.

As it stands, the Galaxy Tablet is a very strong device, though it’s limited mostly by software. Should Android 3.0 release soon and should carriers (and Samsung) push out their own version of the update quickly, we will reevaluate the Galaxy Tablet. However, for now, it is simply a larger Android device, meaning anyone with an Android phone will not have a reason to buy one whatsoever, especially if the Android phone is newer and large, like the Evo 4G. The purchase price is also a concern. An online search yields results from $447-$767 for a new, off-contract Galaxy Tablet. This particular model, on Verizon, costs $500 direct and a month-to-month contract starting at $20 for 1GB/month, with free tethering and hotspot functionality and a $35 activation fee.

It’s our best guess that the UI and all together feel of Microsoft’s Surface hasn’t changed all that much over the years, at least that was our experience about a year ago.  And just when we thought the product had all but met its demise – they still haven’t appeared at a ubiquitous rate in hotel lobbies and bars as Microsoft had hoped some years ago – the company goes and launches the second iteration of the product, the Surface 2.

Microsoft has partnered with Samsung for the hardware and is using an NEC camera, which MS calls “PixelSense”.  As a result the Surface has been slimmed down to a mere 4-inches thick, which basically means it can go any where a flat screen TV could go, not to mention it can display in full HD.  Inside the box is a dual-core AMD Athlon II X2 and Radeon HD 6700M graphics cards supported by Windows 7′s GPU acceleration.  

The screen itself measure 40-inches and much like the previous model it is still resistant to spills and heavy items.  It can handle up to 50 simultaneous touch points, capture text (OCR) and work with a tagging system that can be adhered to the bottom of a can of soda or beer to enable apps to automatically launch when placed on the Surface.

The reported price of the Surface 2 is $7,600 – half the cost of the original - when it launches later this year.  We’d love to review one, but something tells me it will be a challenge scoring this piece of kit.

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• Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-470UM (1.33GHz, 3MB L3Cache) +512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5450 [HDMI, VGA]
• 50% OFF! Two 6 Cell Lithium Ion Batteries (standard)
• External Tray Blu-ray player & Lightscribe SuperMulti DVD burner
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Other features:

• 4GB of DDR3 RAM
• 500GB hard drive at 7200rpm
• webcam and fingerprint reader
• 12.1-inch touchscreen

HP has it for $1,304.98 – $400 coupon (NBP426577) + free S&H = $904.98!

Don’t forget the $400 coupon: NBP426577 (expires: soon)

It’s $949.99 – $100 coupon (DTR51947) + no ship = $849.99!

The coupon, DTR51947, expires soon

Massive price drop since last year on the Asus Eee PC T91SA-VU1X-BK 8.9-Inch Intel Atom Netbook Computer.  Amazon has it for $469.99 – $190

instant

off + no ship = $279.99!

Specs:

• 1.33Ghz Intel Atom Z520 processor
• 1GB of RAM
• 8.9-inch 1024×600 resolution touch panel with LED backlighting
• 16GB SSD storage
• 1-inch thick body
• Includes stylus
• .3MP webcam
• SD/MMC card reader
• 5 hour battery

The price is $849 – $200 coupon (USPB1Q1111) + no ship = $649!

Don’t forget the $200 coupon: USPB1Q1111

This is Hyundai’s giant 70-inch touchscreen table.  The deets are few and far between.  In fact, they’re pretty much devoid of any existence.  But one thing is for sure: it looks like a giant iPhone 4.  No?

We do know that is supports multitouch, can display a full HD picture, can be used as a TV and will probably never be affordable to the general public.

Read

Watches that have too many functions are annoying. But if you throw in the ability to use a Bluetooth headset to listen to your watches’ FM radio, find out your GPS coordinates and send out an SOS signal to local emergency services, it becomes easier to forgive the rather bulky gadget hanging from your wrist. In this case, the GS2000, and the bulk is welcome, since it’s a touchscreen watch.

Its GPS function works by sending a message to the GPS tracking device, which will in turn send you a text message with your longitude and latitude, which you can then use in Google maps to plot your location. Not exactly the fastest method, but could work in a pinch. The device is waterproof and fully unlocked, working with all four main GSM frequencies worldwide.

On a more creepy note, you can set up one of these watches to alert a few mobile phones when it has left a certain area. The feature is called Geo-fencing, as in fencing someone in.

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It’s $1,264.98 – $300 (Coupon: NBE725947) + free shipping= $964.98!

COUPON: NBE725947 needed!

Add the following items to your cart to use the $300 coupon: Intel Core 2 Duo SU9600 (1.60GHz, 800MHz FSB) w/512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4550 Graphics, 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm), External Tray Lightscribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer, Webcam + Fingerprint Reader, Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth, Two 6 Cell Lithium Ion Batteries (standard)

It’s $1,264.98 – $300 (Coupon: NBE725947) + free shipping= $964.98!

COUPON: NBE725947 needed!

Add the following items to your cart to use the $300 coupon: Intel(R)Core(TM)2 Duo SU9600 (1.60GHz, 800MHz FSB) w/512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 4550 Graphics
, 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm), External Tray Lightscribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer, Webcam + Fingerprint Reader, Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth, Two 6 Cell Lithium Ion Batteries (standard)

Rumors of a touchscreen iMac surfaced today.  Word is that it will run both OS X and a version of iOS (the iPhone/iPad software).   If true, Apple is set to hold a special event to announce the new product/iteration within the next 60 days.  Course, you could just drop some serious coin and get one of these.

Do we think the rumors of a touchscreen iMac are true?  Well, we’ve been hearing about a new iMac for sometime so it’s probably safe to assume that the product is due for a refresh.  At this point in the game all the tech exists, though this would be Apple’s first attempt at a touchscreen of this size (20-inches+).

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Swype, an application that brings a new, faster way of texting to touchscreen phones, is hitting most Android phones tomorrow via an official application. Swype has been available already preinstalled on select models of Android phones, six in all, but this new application will be for any touchscreen phone running Android. Users slide their finger across a virtual keyboard, which automatically guesses which word you’re trying to type for improved speed. There have already been Guinness World Records broken using this method, so it should help out most people.

The Swype app will be available from Swype’s website tomorrow.

Logitech is aiming for the business world with their new ThinkCenter M90z all-in-one Touchscreen PC. The 23-inch touchscreen display promises a powerful workhouse for an AIO PC — it houses Core i3 or i5 CPUs, a webcam, HDD or SSD option, and DDR3 RAM in its slim profile. It’s also packing a very green design, especially for an all-in-one, with high energy efficiency and a recycled material construction. So now there’s no excuse to be on Facebook instead of working.

The ThinkCenter M90z is available now starting at $899.

Lenovo Injects Innovation into Desktop for New Breed of Business PCs

First Large Business-Focused 23-Inch All-in-One Desktop/Port Replicator Monitor & Smallest Dual CPU Workstation

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – June 10, 2010: Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) today announced five new PC products that inject innovation back into the desktop computing space. The industry’s first large business-focused 23-inch all-in-one (AIO) desktop, the ThinkCentre M90z, blends strong performance and IT features with sophisticated style and advanced web conferencing design. The super-compact ThinkStation C20 redefines expectations for a small dual socket workstation. Meanwhile, the ThinkStation C20x offers an extra boost of memory and more powerful processors, making it the highest performance workstation of this form factor.

Lenovo is also introducing two new “first of their kind” monitors: The first port replicator monitor – the Lenovo L2230x wide – attaches to ultraportable laptops for greater convenience and productivity in the workspace. The ThinkVision L2321x wide, the first “duo” display monitor, combines two screens into one for multitasking and running legacy applications using a widescreen display.

“While more and more people are using mobile devices, there are lots of environments where desktop products simply make more sense, and these latest Lenovo products showcase how our new innovations are leading in all-in-one desktops,” said Peter Hortensius, senior vice president, Think Product Group, Lenovo. “We believe all-in-one is the future of desktops, so we created the ThinkCentre M90z to deliver everything large enterprise customers need: no compromised performance, customized ergonomic features and a full web conferencing experience.”

ThinkCentre M90z – A Full-Scale Commercial AIO

The ThinkCentre M90z has beauty and brains, packing the full performance of a traditional desktop into a slick 23-inch display. It comes equipped with choices of the latest Intel Core i5 and i3 processors, DDR3 memory, selection of hard drives or a solid state drive, a DVD player and optional WiFi/Bluetooth. The space-saving, slim AIO can fit just about anywhere in a home or office by using one of the optional ergonomic stands: frame, height adjustable, extended arm or wall mount arm.

Lenovo designers detail the story behind the design of the AIO here.
And here the Center for Severe Weather Research takes the M90z out on the road tornado chasing.

The M90z also takes web conferencing to a higher level with a number of optional features that give it both style and substance:

Optical touchscreen that can be easily cleaned/Lenovo SimpleTap interface included
Unique web camera on/off switch for physical control of the camera
Autobrightness control to intelligently save energy
Array microphone for clear audio with mute button
Touch capacitive monitor buttons for elegant convenience

While the M90z saves space and fights clutter on the desk, for IT departments, it includes a full complement of manageability features for large businesses. Lenovo’s ThinkVantage Technologies productivity tools are included, and the M90z supports Intel vPro and Lenovo’s Hardware Password Manager for encrypted hard drives. Additionally, users can easily remove the back to upgrade the AIO.

ThinkStation C20/C20x – A Fit for Finance & Wealth Management
Lenovo designed the ThinkStation C20 and C20x workstations with the ultra-compact, number-crunching performance needed to drive financial markets. With space at a premium at standard traders’ desks, the C20′s small size – it’s 46% smaller than the Dell Precision T5500 and 31% smaller than the HP Z600 – without compromising on performance. Its size allows for more ThinkStation workstations to be installed in a rack or trader desk versus the competition. An analyst can also attach and run up to eight monitors. Lenovo engineered many industry “firsts” to package high performance into such a compact design. New Lenovo-developed technologies include a patented slim, rotatable optical drive and a tri-channel cooling system.

The workstations offer:

Choices of Intel Xeon 5600 Series processors
Up to 96GB of DDR3 memory on the C20x with 12 available DIMM slots
Up to two NVIDIA FX4800 class graphics
Native SAS support on the C20x
Certified for compatibility with SBFI Trading and Control Room Furniture

“SBFI believes the smaller size and reduced heat output of the ThinkStation C20 and C20x workstations will provide greater flexibility for users who have high processing requirements and are a great match for our products,” said Andrew Plumbly, International Business Director, SBFI, Ltd. “This will enable users to do more with the space they have.”

Lenovo L2230x Wide and ThinkVision L2321x Wide Monitors – More Than A Monitor
The Lenovo L2230x Wide and ThinkVision L2321x Wide monitors let users do more with two-in-one capabilities. The L2230x Wide monitor makes connecting from a laptop simple and economical by combining a port replicator and 21.5-inch monitor into one device. For an 11-inch laptop, the monitor provides nearly 200 percent extra display space and an easier way to work.

The monitor connects to peripherals through USB and is the first to allow direct plug in of an Ethernet cable. The L2230x Wide provides a cost effective solution at just $259.99 compared with purchasing a port replicator and monitor separately.

Lenovo engineers developed a creative solution to give business customers the best of both worlds with the ThinkVision L2321x Wide monitor. The “duo” monitor features a dual display function so users can work in split screen mode: For example, with 2:1 mode users can view full screen PowerPoint slides on one part of the display and run other applications on the other. The “duo” inputs both VGA and DisplayPort video and comes with a vertical stand that can be height adjusted.

More Gains in Green – M90z First TCO Certified Edge AIO
All of the new PC products incorporate greener designs. As the first TCO Certified Edge AIO, the ThinkCentre M90z sets a new standard for AIO environmental considerations and ergonomics. All the products are highly energy efficient by meeting Energy Star 5.0 standards. Many of the models are rated EPEAT Gold, and the products also use high amounts of recycled materials with the M90z using the equivalent of 65 plastic bottles. Other green highlights include: The C20 and C20x are the only 80 Plus Bronze Certified compact workstations and both monitors are TCO Certified Edge.

Pricing and Availability1
The ThinkCentre M90z all-in-one desktop is available beginning immediately through business partners and later this month on www.lenovo.com with models starting at approximately $899. The ThinkStation C20 and C20x workstations will be available in mid-June with models of the C20 on the web starting at approximately $1,199. The C20x will be sold through business partners. The Lenovo L2230x Wide and ThinkVision L2321x Wide monitor will be available in mid-July through the web and business partners and are priced at $259.99 and $279.99, respectively.

For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter and Facebook.

About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Lenovo’s business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.

It would seem that the multitouch table is now a dime a dozen.  Well not quite, but you get the picture.  Gesturetek, hot on the heels of Merel Technologies mTouch table announcement has unveiled their 42-inch and 70-inch interactive table, the GestTable.  We’re not sure about the 70-inch version, but the 42-inch unit can be locked together in multiples to form one cohesive display, complete with multitouch capabilities.

Not to be outdone, Gesturetek has also developed some sort of interactive 3D display where guests “can interact in free space with on-screen computer-generated characters, avatars or real-time video images of themselves.”  We assume that the “free space” part means you won’t have to touch a physical surface to move or manipulate objects.

Too bad the press release is devoid of a price or launch date. 

GestureTek® to Showcase 42″LCD Multi-Touch Table and 70″ Freestanding Multi-Touch Display at InfoComm 2010

New technology compatible with Microsoft Surface Toolkit for Windows Touch
InfoComm 2010

LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GestureTek, award-winning inventor and long-time pioneer of gesture control systems, announced it will showcase its new GestTable™, a 42″ LCD multi-touch surface computing solution, along with the new GestDisplay™, a 70″ turnkey freestanding multi-touch unit, at InfoComm 2010 in Booth N1870. The technologies will run new multi-touch applications for retail, advertising and public spaces. InfoComm runs June 9 to 11 at Las Vegas Convention Center.

“Our hardware innovations nicely compliment our deep insight into all forms of advanced display and digital signage applications, particularly multi-touch, immersion, 3D vision, mobile device interactivity, object recognition, motion and object tracking, and even face tracking”

Sleek, Stylish, Modular LCD Multi-Touch Table in High Def

The GestTable is a 42″ LCD multi-touch unit featuring high-definition 1920 x 1080 p resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio, a precise and responsive tracker and an ultra-speedy response time, with multiple cameras running at 100 frames per second. The shallow panel less than 10″ deep can be sold separately, dropped into a turnkey table or built into custom furniture. Units can also be locked together in modular format to enable large images to be presented across multiple screens. Systems are also designed for vertical presentation using a standard LCD TV mount. In addition to supporting Windows 7 HID (Human Interface Device), TUIO and NUITEQ’s latest Snowflake Suite Release 1.9.1, the GestTable is also compatible with the Microsoft Surface Toolkit for Windows Touch. This means that developers experienced in Microsoft Surface can easily create multi-touch content and applications to run on the GestTable.

Turnkey Freestanding Multi-Touch with Extra Large Screen and Extra Slim Base

The new GestDisplay 70″ MT is a freestanding vertical multi-touch display that features a large-format screen with a 70″ diagonal surface and a streamlined base that measures just 22″ deep. This turnkey, plug and play unit produces bright, clear, crisp multi-media imagery, even in harsh lighting environments. With virtually no frame or technology to be seen, images appear to be floating in free space. Attractive, eye-catching and easy to set up just about anywhere, the system functions both as ready-made digital signage for branding and advertising, and as an easy-to-use interactive information presentation system, for way-finding or retrieving product information. Most notably, it employs the natural dynamics of gesture and multi-touch. The GestDisplay supports the same output techniques as the GestTable, including the Microsoft Surface Toolkit for Windows Touch, Windows 7 HID and TUIO.

Full Suite of Turnkey, Plug and Play Interactive Display Products Now Available

GestureTek’s GestTable LCD multi-touch table, GestDisplay vertical multi-touch system and Cube™ portable interactive floor, represent GestureTek’s full suite of turnkey, plug and play interactive display solutions. They are easy to set up, easy to use and easy to maintain. All technologies feature multi-patented, award-winning gesture control software from GestureTek.

“Our hardware innovations nicely compliment our deep insight into all forms of advanced display and digital signage applications, particularly multi-touch, immersion, 3D vision, mobile device interactivity, object recognition, motion and object tracking, and even face tracking,” says Vincent John Vincent, Co-Founder and President of GestureTek.

GestureTek Shares Expertise in 3D Vision for Attractions and Large-Format Displays

Systems integrators, exhibit fabricators, designers and content developers attending InfoComm are encouraged to visit the GestureTek booth to find out more about how GestureTek is using multi-touch and 3D depth-sensing technology to bring attractions to life.

Several successful installations use GestureTek’s proprietary multi-touch interface to add a collaborative element to the user experience. Other successful installations use GestureTek’s patented custom 3D vision tracker to create a virtual reality environment where guests can interact in free space with on-screen computer-generated characters, avatars or real-time video images of themselves.

“The burgeoning roster of flagship organizations that have used GestureTek technology – including LG Electronics, Clearwire, Old Navy, Hugo Boss, Pennzoil, Walt Disney World, CNN, Pepsi, Vodafone, Sony, Samsung, Intel and Gillette – is testimony to GestureTek’s long-time pioneer status and successful focus on solving difficult computer vision problems to power robust industrial, enterprise and consumer applications,” adds Vincent.