MSI WindPad 100 and 110 Tablets Unveiled at Computex 2010

MSI announced their entries into the tablet market today at the Computex 2010, by unveiling their new WindPad 100 and 110 tablets. The WindPad 100 runs on an Intel Atom Z530 CPU and is speedy enough to run Windows 7 Home Premium with which it comes preloaded. MSI has also added on a custom UI on top of the OS called the WindTouch UI.

The WindPad 110 on the other hand is an Android slate powered by an NVIDIATegra 2 processor. Both the devices sport 10 inch capacitive touchscreens and have USB and Video out capability.

The WindPad 100 weighs incredibly light at just 1.7 pounds and will have 2GB of RAM and a 32GB SSD for storage. The WindTouch UI layer is a basic skin on top of Windows that helps for quick access to common applications. It will also have two USB ports, HDMI and a webcam. The WindPad 100 is slated to hit the market later this year with a pricetag of $499.
The WindPad 110 on the other hand was much more mysterious in that there was no concrete info on its pricing or availability. The prototype tablet shown runs on stock Android 2.1 and unconfirmed information says it will be going on sale at $399 by the end of the year.

The Perfect Sangria

Sangria Recipe

750mL Bottle of Red / White Wine

1 L of Ginger Ale

8 oz (1cup) Orange Juice

1 oz Triple Sec

3 oz Vodka

Frozen Fruit

Ice 

Official FMyLife BlackBerry Application Now Available As Free Download

Antoine and the FMyLife team let me know that they’ve released an official BlackBerry application. With the FMyLife app you can submit your own FMLs, browse through submitted FMLs, vote and leave comments. Besides for viewing the last, top, flop, random or moderating FMLs, you can view them within the following categories:

• Love
• Money
• Kids
• Work
• Health
• Intimacy
• Miscellaneous

I can’t find a compatibility list but I’m sure the app is available for most BlackBerry devices. To download the FMyLife app click here from your BlackBerry browser or go to fmylife.com for more info. Quick FYI, some of the content on FMyLife is considered NSFW.

If you successfully download and run the app let me know how it worked for you in the comments!

iPad OS 3.2 Jailbreak, with Spirit

Since there are now a lot more Canadians with iPads, as of this weekend, I thought it would be a good idea to go over jailbreaking, and why it might be for you. We may have talked about this already, but I’m sure there are quite a few new visitors to the site, now that the iPad is finally available in Canada.

Let’s start fresh. What is jailbreaking? Jailbreaking is a way to bypass the locks and restrictions Apple puts on the device, allowing you to install 3rd party applications that you will not find in the App Store, customize the look of your iPad, and much more.

The process of jailbreaking your iPad is incredibly easy, on the current firmware. It is a free, simple tool called “Spirit”, available cross platform, Mac, Windows, and Linux. You can download it from their website: www.spiritjb.com. Once you have downloaded it, unpack it to your desktop, and open it up. Connect your iPad to your computer, and Spirit will recognize it automatically. Click the “Jailbreak” button, and your iPad will flash for a second, and then have a pinkish, celestial image on the screen, with a progress bar. Your iPad will reboot, when it’s finished.

Here’s a quick video of the process:

When your iPad has finished rebooting, you’ll have a new app store on your home screen called Cydia. This is where you find some great mods hacks and tweaks for your iPad, as well as some great apps that were submitted to the Apple App Store, but were rejected for some reason. You’ll find free and paid apps here, just like Apple’s App Store. You will also find plenty of great themes.

Here’s a short list of free apps from Cydia, that I recommend downloading right away.

1. Backgrounder – This will be the main reason most people jailbreak their iPad. Backgrounder gives you multitasking on your iPad, something Apple will not offer until OS 4.0 for iPad is released in the fall. This allows you to run multiple applications, at the same time, having them run it the background, while you perform other tasks. You choose how you want to activate and deactivate Backgrounder and you will see a badge on the app’s icon, letting you know it’s running in the background. This will run your battery down a bit faster, but it a very useful feature.

2. SBSettings – This is a great addition to your iPad, that gives you quick access to some of your settings, with a quick swipe of the status bar. It can be accessed from within any app, so you won’t have to quit what your doing.

3. Winterboard – This is what you need, if you want to change the look of your iPad. There are manyiPhone themes already compatible with iPad, and there a more and more iPad specific themes coming out everyday. Themes can contain different icons for your apps, fixed wallpapers, different docks, different sounds, and more. You’ll have to play around with this, to see what you like. Here’s a sneek peek at a new theme I’m working on, called OS X Tiger for iPad.

Click to enlarge

There are some great paid apps to look for in Cydia, like WiFiSync, which allows you wirelessly sync your iPad to iTunes on your computer, over your home WiFi network, and Infiniboard, which allows for vertical scrolling of your pages and the ability to add a lot more apps.

If you like games there are some great Nintendo and PlayStation game emulators available. The newest, and best one (in my opinion) is SNES (HD). This is a full featured Super Nintendo emulator, that uses an iPhone as the controller, over BlueTooth. This does a great job of recreating the Super Nintendo experience.

So that is just a brief glimpse into the world of jailbreaking. There is always the risk of your iPad becoming “bricked”, or inoperable, but this is usually fixed by doing a fresh restore in iTunes. If you decide this is for you, you do this at your own risk, as we cannot take responsibility for anything that might happen in the process.

If you’d like to learn more about jailbreaking, you can follow me on Twitter: @TorontoWireless

China Knockoff iPed

iPad and iPad 3G Launches on Bell and Rogers Network

The iPad and iPad 3G have just launched in Canada. If you don’t know what the iPad think of it this way:  The iPad is to the iPhone like a Big Mac is to a cheese burger; a Dr Evil to Mini me, that sort of thing. It’s basically a large iPhone with a 9.7″ higher resolution display with a faster processor (1Ghz vs 600Mhz) and no ability to make calls over the network in a tradional sense anyways. There are 2 versions; one with WiFi and another with WiFi and HSPA. You can choose from 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions which cost $549, $649 and $749 while adding 3G costs $129.

3G services requires a micro SIM card which you can get from Bell or Rogers. 500MB of data costs $15 for 30 days or $35 5GB. If you use up all your data before 30 days is up you can purchase more. Both include unlimited WiFi at Rogers and Bell hotspots. Apparently you can sign up for Rogers plus purchase more data using just the iPad. There’s no need to phone in. Both provide tools to let you view your usage from the iPad.

Bell is allowing use of their Mobile TV until August 31st. Rogers is working on letting you share data from your Rogers phone’s existing data plan (that might come later).

You can pick up a Rogers or Bell micro SIM card from the Apple store, Best Buy or Futureshop. I just checked the Apple online store and it seems you can only choose to include a Rogers micro SIM for an additional $0.20

Cradlepoint PHS300 - Tech Look

iPad Spotted in Toronto, Canada a day early

While the iPad is officially launched in Canada tomorrow, at least one person in that Country has gotten his iPad a day earlier. It seemed that the fault lay in the hands of the UPS delivery person who claimed “I swear the launch was today,” and hence hand delivered the iPad to me who resides in Toronto, Canada. Hopefully, I will enjoy being king for a day among my peers - without losing it in a bar as I celebrate the all-too-temporary jubilant moment in the tech world. If you were in my shoes, what would your reaction be, and how would you go about with your 15 minutes of fame?

Zentral Home Command Products for BlackBerry Coming Soon?

Special thanks to Sandy from AudioVox for sharing some information with us on how the Zentral Home Command products are coming along. While at the WES2010 I got to see some of the Zentral Home Command in action and I am really looking forward to when these products become available.

Not only can you control your Garage door from your BlackBerry Device but the new Zentral Home Command products will turn your Blackberry into so much more! With Zentral, you will have useful solutions for controlling and navigating home audio and video equipment, iPod and Home Control through your Blackberry,

Audiovox is looking for a release sometime this fall but they now have a landing page for the Zentral Home Command products. You can check this out by going HERE!

The Smartphone AV Remote for Blackberry allows the consumer’s phone to “talk” with an AV remoteContinue reading by clicking HERE!

Elecite Theme Creators Test Out BlackBerry Storm 3 - Sketched Out & Specs Released

Via PocketBerry by Mac Jadalhack

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Who would mind this? Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like RIM is up to renovating their product line this far.  Or not.  According to the folks over at Elecite, they have played around with the Storm 3 and have mocked up these images based on their user experiences.  As a BlackBerry Storm 3, this is pretty darn sexy though.  As more of the attention lately has been focused on the all new BlackBerry Bold 9800, we’ve sort of lost touch on the Storm 3.  So what do we know about this BlackBerry Storm 3? It looks like it has 16GB of internal memory via SSD hybrid technology, 10 hour talk time and 3G with a 300 ppi screen resolution.  Sound exciting so far?  It has some sleek glassy material added to it which Elecitesays “entices your fingertips with its sharp, confident form factor.”  Also, it has a high resolution dual-lens reflex camera which comes in handy for video chatting and conferencing (and taking pictures of course).  The device is running OS 6.o, as we predicted and is very snappy and responsive at the same time.  Audio and video format playback is now doubled as it supports many file types now.  Lastly, the all time BlackBerry favorites are there: WiFi and the all new Bluetooth 3.0.  We haven’t heard of any one else reporting a BlackBerry Storm 3 testing so this is quite exciting for us all.  For now we have these mocked up images rockin’ Elecite themes, but boy are they sexy.

BlackBerry Apps for the Blogger

Alright, so you finally did it. You started your own blog - Congratulations. Let your voice be heard, let your words ring true. Let the world know of your great discoveries; a new, innovative invention, a moving musical composition or even the three month old slice of pizza lying beneath your couch (at least it looks like pizza). Whether it is informative, adventurous, NSFW or just plain witty, your blog is your own and you should love it and live it. Say it loud and say it proud. Just don’t use caps - that’s just annoying. 

Besides trying to get past writers block or even trying to decide what to actually call your blog, you should decide how to manage it. Do you honestly want to spend all of your time sitting at home or in a WiFi café sipping java, updating others about your sedentary life? Or, do you want to be out in the world, living and posting until you thumbs wear down to stubs? Good! Stubby thumbs it is then. To keep you happily blogging and posting, here is a collection of apps you can use to manage your blog. If you like them, maybe you can post something about them.

With this collection, I tried to cover a far amount of blogs you can use. Some prefer something of their own creation - their own design. Others make use of Twitter, Facebook and similar sites, as their main blog.

Say cheese

Perhaps some of you out there like to post reviews of applications, share humorous or embarrassing BlackBerry Messenger chats or even odd device errors. The best way to get the story across is with a screenshot. They do say a picture is worth a thousand words. If that’s the case, maybe I should have stopped this article at the first image. Recently, I’ve been snapping screenshots with SnapScreen. Using this application is quite smooth, especially if you assign it to a convenience key. You capture the image, choose a filename and even email it off, all within seconds. It’s especially good at dealing with camera shy applications. SnapScreen is available for $3.99 until May 13th.

Your photography needs may go beyond what’s happening on your screen and rather to what’s happening around you. I know it’s hard to pry your eyes away from your BlackBerry, but just bear with me. vPost is a great way to capture what’s happening in multiple images, videos or audio clips and email them or post to your blog or favourite social network. You can also geo-tag your media files (Google Maps and BlackBerry maps are supported). vPost is available in both a free version (named Vayyoo) and a premium version for $9.99.

When you have something to share with your readers, family or friends, you want to share it right away. You want them to see important moments as they happen. Qik has been working hard on offering live video streaming with their BlackBerry application (works with both WiFi and Network). You can also share your videos via Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and many other social networks. Videos and streaming can be set to public or private. You do have to set up a free Qik account to get started; the Qik application is also free.

Took the words right out of my mouth

The name WordPress is synonymous with blogging. Wordpress.com has been capturing the thoughts of its users since late 2005. The websites owners have also made a mobile application, WordPress for BlackBerry, available. WordPress for BlackBerry helps you keep your blog updated, by enabling users to edit pages, as well as upload posts and media. Now you can keep your fellow linoleum fanatics up to date with your latest find. WordPress for BlackBerry is free.

Another option to look out for is CellSpin. This application also helps you post blogs, as well as new and existing media to Wordpress.com, but also covers other sites such as: LinkedIn, Google Blogger and Live Journal. CellSpin allows you to email the same content to contacts at the same time. CellSpin also has other applications that focus on one type of media; for photos only, use Photo Spin, Audio Spin for audio file, etc. Personally, I say forget the individual apps - stick with CellSpin, which costs $2.99.

Their, they’re and there. It’s pretty embarrassing when you tell someone “Your an idiot”, only to be reminded that you should have used “You’re” instead. I’ve been caught once in one of my articles before and my heart sunk; something so simple could easily cause your face to go read (or is it red?). Rather than hauling around a dictionary with you, put one on your BlackBerry. I’m not talking about the spell check we all use; I’m talking about Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. This application squishes 20 volumes of the popular dictionary into the size of 2 volumes. You’ll be able to figure out which words to use by understanding various terms (i.e. literal), phrases and dialect. You can also learn proper pronunciation. Shorter Oxford English Dictionary is available for $49.99.

Cowering from Criticism

Don’t be too upset if someone doesn’t agree with what you are saying. Then again, if an angry mob arrives at your door step demanding blood, you may want to rethink the direction of your blog. Reply Storm will get you connected to those who will offer feedback on your site. The opinions from visitors to your site then arrive via email; with the most perceptive being pointed out to you. TheReply Storm application is available for $5.99.

File management

There are some things that you do want to do on your computer versus your BlackBerry. Perhaps you wanted to edit some media before posting them. What if you didn’t have a data cable, micro SD card or SD card adaptor? Bluetooth, maybe, but options are always nice to have. FileScout is a favourite, when it comes to managing files on my BlackBerry. If I ever get careless with where and how I store documents and media, I can turn to this application to help me create directories and move the appropriate files. You can even zip and unzip files too. FileScout costs $6.99.

You need to work on a computer, but aren’t able to access one. You could turn to Documents to Go, on your BlackBerry. The standard version should already exist in your applications folder. If you want more functionality, you can try the premium version. Docs to Go Premium allows you to create new files, rather than only edit saved ones. You have greater access to various fonts, characters and formats. Docs to Go Premium will cost $49.99.

If you wanted a hard copy of an article or an image that you’re particularly proud of, then print it. Is it on your BlackBerry? Rather than emailing the files and printing them from a computer, Remote Print enables you to do it wirelessly. It saves time and allows you to produce copies quickly, if need be. Remote Print is available for $7.99.

With these applications, you should be amply equipped to spread your thoughts and ideas to everyone who will read them. If you’re using something else other than the apps listed, don’t blog and complain that they weren’t named; leave a comment.

Lenovo IdeaCentre Q150 Targets your living room

Lenovo seems to have a little something for everyone this time round, with the IdeaCentre Q150 being marketed towards those who want an affordable and yet effective living room entertainment system. It definitely ought to be able to squeeze into even the most crowded living rooms, measuring just 0.82" wide and 6.7" in height, capable of sitting or placed anywhere without being noticed or out of place. This pocket-friendly nettop PC can be hooked up to an external display, where it comes with an optional NVIDIA ION 512MB graphics processor that is capable of offering smooth Full HD (1080p) video via the onboard HDMI output, an optional multimedia remote with an integrated trackball mouse and mini keyboard, as well as letting you check emails, browse the web and watch Internet streaming video from the comfort of your favorite lounge chair. With prices starting from $249 as it arrives in the market at the end of next month, this looks to be a hot seller among the middle class demographic who are aiming to jump aboard the HTPC platform for the first time.

My Thoughts on the iPad A Month Later

Review By: Jason Cipriani from www.berryscoop.com 

Right after getting the iPad I shared my first impressions with you guys.  They were mixed with excitement about a new product, yet confusion on how it would fit into my life.  After a month with heavy use on the iPad I can say that it has fit into my everyday blogging, browsing, occasional game playing life. Is it or can it replace a laptop?  Would I recommend it to a friend?  What would I change?  Read on to find out.

In my first impressions post I talked about having a hard time adjusting to the shape and figuring out how to hold it while typing.  That issue has been eliminated as I have adjusted to it, and in fact I can type almost as fast on it (without looking) as I can any wireless device I have used, including my BlackBerry.  One capability I really love is the fact that my Apple Bluetooth keyboard works on the iPad.  A few times now I have set the iPad in the dock and hooked up the keyboard to blog away.  In fact, I am doing it right now.  The best part about this isn’t that it is faster to type and enter information, it is the fact that the keyboard shortcuts for such things as copy and paste work!  There are some issues with the WordPress application with not always giving me the option to paste information I have copied from different apps on the iPad into the blog post.  This becomes a non factor with the keyboard as I can use the keyboard shortcut to paste the text into the post.  Even the shortcut for undo works, love it!

I have used the iPad primarily for blogging, email, and browsing the internet.  All of which is presented to the user in a fun interactive manner.  To be honest, it has become my device of choice to surf the internet on when I am around the house.  It’s small and light frame with a full interactive screen makes browsing the internet fun again.  Kind of like it was for the first year after you started browsing, you remember what I am talking about.  That is exactly how I feel when browsing the internet in the iPad.

The applications for the iPad have gotten me in nothing but trouble.  I have spent more on applications in the last month, strictly for the iPad, than I have total for every other device I own combined.  My favorite application by far is LogMeIn Ignition.  With this application I am able to log into both my work PC and my MackBook Pro at home anywhere I have a Wi-Fi connection.  This service has saved me a few times already.  There area  ton of other applications I have purchased but this isn’t the type of post to go through them one by one.  I love what developers have done so far, but feel there is so much more that they can do, and in time I am sure they will.

I have converted quite a few books over to ePub format and have enjoyed reading them on the iPad.  This is one of the biggest parts of the iPad that I want to use but need to free up my time to take advantage.

If I had to do it all over again I would get the iPad in a heartbeat.  I would also tell any family member, no matter the age (within reason) that they should purchase one as well.  My only regret is not getting a 3G iPad.  I haven’t had the need to use the iPad while out and about yet, but I have always said it is better to have something and not need it than to not have it and need it.  For the first time around Apple nailed it, with iPhone/iPad OS 4.0 on the horizon (this fall for the iPad) which will enable multitasking I can honestly see myself leaving the MBP at home while I take just the iPad on business trips.  The greatest thing about all of this is the fact that Apple can only improve it from here.

iWatch Projector Watch concept put iPhone on your wrist

iWatch Concept projector watch Concept: ADR Studio

From the iPhone 4G concept designers ADR Studio, the latest creation is the iWatch. The concept’s slogan is “It’s time to change the time.” And indeed it would. A little on the bulky side the 16GB device not only tells time, but according to its creator it also has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to sync with an iPhone or iPad. A weather forecast system, integrated RSS reader for keeping tabs on the news, an LCD projector to display photos and of course multiple strap colors to choose from.