Archos 70 Internet Tablet - Android 2.1 8GB $275 & 250GB $350

By Ray Nicolini

Slim and light Android™ internet tablet At home and on the go. The slim and light design of the ARCHOS 70 internet tablet makes it both portable and generous for sharing your best moments with your family and friends. All the functions of a computer: your apps, the Internet, your photos, music and videos, eBooks and 3D games.

Best design ever How can this high resolution 7” multi touch screen fit into such a slim and light tablet ?Learn more Connected Android™ tablet A connected mobile device with a sublime user interface, 3D graphics accelerator, WiFi connectivity... Learn more Up to 250GB* : the best portable HD** video playback experience anywhere The ARCHOS 70 internet tablet has a wide 7” high resolution touchscreen and thus guarantees an unequalled comfort of view for movies and TV shows in HD quality.Learn more

Built-in webcam and microphone Have video chats, film important moments of your life and share them on the Internet or display them on TV with the built-in HDMI connection. Learn more  * 1GB = 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity is less. ** Maximum resolution = 1280 x 720 pixels *** Only available on Android™ 2.2 Froyo (c) copyright 2008, Blender Foundation / www.bigbuckbunny.org  A revolutionary tablet with built-in WiFi The Web browsing experience with the Android™ browser is intuitive and complete thanks to Flash 10™*** compatibility. Get the latest news, send both personal and professional emails and chat with your friends. Learn more Your own world of Android™ applications Play the latest 3D games with the OpenGL 3D graphic acceleration, check news and social networks plus add hundreds more applications via the AppsLib store. Learn more

Slim and light design How can the ARCHOS 70 internet tablet be so slim and so light? Both Flash and Hard drive models’ design are extra light and flat thanks to its patented technology with overmoulded stainless steel structure: 10 mm (0.43 inch) and only 300 g (11 oz) for the Flash model, making it so easy to fit in your handbag or your briefcase.

The leg stand You can comfortably enjoy your movies or TV shows using the leg stand to prop it up on your lap or table.

Capacitive multitouch screen The wide7” touchscreen combined with a g-sensor lets you experience a never-seen-before viewing quality. The 800 x 480 pixels high-resolution display is so sharp that you can fully enjoy your pictures’ smallest details. In addition to the HD resolution, the 16:9 format is just perfect for rendering all your videos in the best quality. Android™ Android™ is the application framework developed by Google for connected mobile devices, coming with a full pack of connected apps such as a web browser and email application. The 5 home screens of the Android user interface allow advanced personalization: icons can be placed, moved or erased with just a flick of a finger. Thanks to the home screen widgets, users can instantly access their favorite applications. Android™ on TV Basically, this is what you see on your product screen, but ten times bigger. With its TV output, the ARCHOS 70 internet tablet displays every Android™ sceen on your wide screen TV*. You can then browse your files or the Internet from your couch. And guess how immersed in your 3D games you could be using the device as a steering-wheel! This is just staggering! Tethering (Using your portable phone as a modem) Want to be connected anywhere? Just plug your mobile phone equipped with 3.5 G & Bluetooth™ technology, simply pair it up to your ARCHOS 70 internet tablet via Bluetooth™ or even via USB cable. This will give you easy access to Internet directly on your device anytime and anywhere. There’s no need to pay an extra fee when you already have a data service plan***. Home Streaming from your PC The ARCHOS 70 internet tablet hasSamba and UPnP protocols: this means that you play your movies, videos, and photos on your ARCHOS, but these files are really located on your computer in another room. You don’t need to store everything on your ARCHOS to enjoy viewing it on your ARCHOS! Your files fly through the air over WiFi. The ARCHOS 70 internet tablet is the small and convenient portable computer that you’ve always dreamed about. Unique Android™ Multimedia Applications On top of Android’s latest version, ARCHOS, still at the forefront of innovation, brings you exclusive applications: The internet tablets feature music, video and photo applications, developed by ARCHOS, that enrich the user experience with smooth browsing through the album covers and with widgets added to the home screen to give instant access and control to media. These unique Android™ applications allow users to amplify their digital experience. One of these functions, 3D album cover application, allows you to glide through your music by album covers. You can also make your own music playlists or browse your songs and music by favorites, recently played or recently added. Because you want to enjoy your videos and TV shows without re-encoding them with complicated software, ARCHOS makes your life easier by supporting audio and video formats beyond the standard ones of Android™. It can even display subtitles and alternate audio tracks, all you have to do is drag, drop, and play! What other functions were created for you? An internet connected Photo frame application with 3D transitions, and the ability to sync your pictures with your Facebook©, Picasa© or Flickr© account.  (c) copyright 2008, Blender Foundation / www.bigbuckbunny.org  Up to 250GB* : the best portable HD** video playback experience anywhere The ARCHOS 70 internet tablet has a wide 7” high resolution touchscreen and thus guarantees an unequalled comfort of view for movies and TV shows in HD quality.  * 1GB = 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity is less. ** Maximum resolution = 1280 x 720 pixels Good vibrations The ARCHOS 70 internet tabletboasts a new music application adding 3D cover animation support and the ability to add a mini music widget to the home screen, in order to control your music at any time. And as it is an ARCHOS music player, the ARCHOS 70 internet tabletplays all the music formats you’ll need to keep your digital music experience as simple as it should be. Sublime quality for your pictures If you’re more into personal photos, why not open the new Gallery application and show your latest vacation to your friends or even share them via a wireless network. Read or Edit your Office Documents™ (Word™, Excel™, PowerPoint™) The ARCHOS 70 internet tablet combined with the OfficeSuite application allows users to easily create, revise or edit all of their Office documents. This office suite, compatible with Microsoft Office ™, gives users the ability to manage all of their Word™, Excel™, and PowerPoint™ documents. This application also serves a central location for managing both online and offline documents. This application has a multitude of improved features that include: extraction of ZIP files, zoom mode, downloading files, text encoding options, etc. ... The ARCHOS 70 internet tablet is also compatible with other formats such as pdf, rtf, e-books, etc. ... Multiple Connections The user can easily connect accessories to the ARCHOS 70 internet tablet. By connecting a USB keyboard or Bluetooth™, the tablet turns into a real PC, ideal for working with office files. Thanks to the USB host, there is nothing easier than transfering photos or files directly from a mass storage device directly to the device. Cameras, USB keys and USB hard drives are easily accessible with the ARCHOS 70 internet tablet.  Want to work on a larger screen? The ARCHOS 70 internet tablet can be connected a computer screen very easily via the HDMI port. Now you can check your email, edit your documents and practice your presentation on a computer screen, anywhere you go. The power of a PC By connecting the tablet to WiFi, the user will be able to do everything that he used to do with a PC at home, but on the go. With Flash 10™**, users can surf the real Internet and access to all their favorite websites. With a high resolution display (800 x 480) combined with a 1GHz ultra-powerful high speed processor, the ARCHOS 70 internet tablet can surf the web like never before. This powerful tablet uses the Android™ browser to make browsing the web easy and fun with a very intuitive user interface. For example, if you want to zoom in on the news just press the piece of text you want and the display will be automatically resized to the paragraph you want to read. The user can also easily check e-mails at any time with the Android™ email client. This application gives users the ability to manage multiple email accounts (Gmail, Hotmail, etc..) directly on their ARCHOS 70 internet tablet. Possibilities beyond Android™ with the ‘Dual OS’ Just like a PC, the ARCHOS 70 internet tablet can be freely programmed in alternative ways. This gives developers programming options in addition to the applications that can be created for the Android platform. To have total control of your Internet Tablet, ARCHOS has opened up this device, thus allowing creative minds to program their own tablet, or create what could be the tablet of the future. ARCHOS has decided to « open » its ARCHOS 70 internet tablet by proposing to install and replace the system running Android originally installed on the machine. Developers and programmers can choose for the operating system running under Linux distribution Ångström. Developers can install this OS on an ARCHOS 70 internet tablet and join the Linux community which is developing a new interface, new icons, drivers, programs ... dedicated to this platform. Skilled developers and programmers can now choose to switch over to a true standard Linux environment as offered by the Ångström Linux distribution. Developers can put this on their ARCHOS 70 internet tablet devices and join other enthusiasts who are experimenting with various ideas and interfaces based on the Linux operating system. AppsLib Just tap the Appslib icon on the home screen of the ARCHOS 70 internet tablet to immediately discover a large choice of Android™ apps to download for the widest variety of needs you might have. It's so easy and quick. Application Want to check the weather, the latest news, your social network account or read ebooks? Simply select the app and it will be available in a couple of seconds. Games Additionally, this product has a superfast CPU with OpenGL 3D graphic acceleration and a g-sensor to offer you excellent performance for playing the latest 3D games found on the Appslib. Tech Specs Product capacity •  Flash Serie: 8 GB**** flash memory + Micro SD Slot (SDHC compatible) •  Hard Drive Disk Serie : Hard Drive: 250 GB**** Hard Drive Display characteristics • High resolution screen, WVGA 800 x 480 pixels, 7'' TFT LCD, 16 million colors • Capacitive multitouch screen Application Framework Android 2.2 Froyo7 Processor • ARM Cortex A8 at 1 GHz with DSP • Graphic accelerator: 3D OpenGL ES 2.0 Video Playback1 • MPEG-42 HD (up to 720p, 30 fps@6Mbps) • MPEG-42 (ASP@L5 AVI, up to DVD resolution, 30 fps@8Mbps) • H.264 HD (HP@L3.1 up to 720p, 30 fps@5Mbps) • WMV9/VC1 (AP up to 720p 30 fps@10Mbps) • M-JPEG (Motion JPEG Video) in VGA resolution With optional plug-in (downloadable on www.archos.com): • Cinema: MPEG-2 (up to DVD resolution MP/D1, 30 fps@10 Mbps) With the above codecs, the device can play video files with the following extensions: AVI, MP4, MKV, MOV, WMV, MPG, PS, TS, VOB, FLV, RM, RMVB, ASF, 3GP Audio Playback1 • MP3 CBR & VBR • WMA, WMA-Pro 5.1 • WAV (PCM/ADPCM) • AAC, AAC+ 5.13 • OGG Vorbis • FLAC With optional software plug-ins (downloadable on www.archos.com): • AC3 5.1 Photo viewer4 JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF Subtitles Support subtitles files with .srt, .ssa, .smi, .sub extensions Webcam Yes Pre-installed applications • Aldiko, Ebuddy, Wikipedia, Avecomics, HubKap, Deezer, Mewbox, Raging Thunderlite (a 3D car demo game), WordNewspaper, Touiteur, Fring Interfaces • USB 2.0: Mass Storage Class (MSC) • Micro SD (SDHC compatible) on flash version • USB Host: Mass Storage Class (MSC) (adapter micro B/A sold separately) • HDMI output5 (Mini HDMI / HDMI cable sold separately) Communication protocols • WiFi (802.11 b/g/n) • Bluetooth 2.1 EDR Miscellaneous • Built-in speakers • Built-in leg stand • Built-in Microphone • G-sensor • Front VGA Camera Power source • Internal: Lithium Polymer battery • External: Power adapter/charger Battery life • Music playback time6: up to 36 hours • Video playback time6: up to 7 hours • Web surfing6: up to 10 hours Scalability • Device automatically downloads latest firmware updates when the WiFi connection is activated • Updates can also be downloaded at www.archos.com and updated via USB mass storage Dimensions & weight • ARCHOS 70 internet tablet Flash series: 201 x 114 x 10 mm – 300 grams / (7.91 x 4.49 x 0.43 - 11 oz) • ARCHOS 70 internet tablet Hard Drive series: 201 x 114 x 14 mm – 400 grams / (7.91 x 4.49 x 0.55 inch – 14 oz) Minimum system requirements • Microsoft® Windows® XP, Vista, 7 or higher • Mac • Linux • USB 2.0 interface Package includes ARCHOS 70 internet tablet, earphones, Standard USB cable, Quick Start Guide (QSG), legal and safety notice, power charger. * Maximum resolution = 1280 x 720 pixels ** Only available on Android™ 2.2 Froyo *** The function of relaying your internet connection may not be authorized by your mobile phone operator or may require a special data plan option. Please refer to your contract. **** 1 GB= 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity is less. 1/ Certain bitrates, resolutions, and/or file variations may not be compatible. 2/ MPEG-4 ASP@L5 AVI (MPEG-4: ISO standard by Moving Picture Experts Group; AVI: audio/video file container by Microsoft) without GMC and Quarter pixel. 3/ Does not read AAC protected files. 4/ Certain resolutions and file sizes may not be compatible. 5/ External video output disabled for Macrovision®-protected contents. 6/ Rechargeable batteries have a limited number of charge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced. Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. Test run with low backlight. 7/ Available in November 2010

Soulja Boy & Sean Kingston - BBM Song

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FilmOn Live TV – Free Mobile WiFi Streaming Of International News Channels & More!

By Ray NicoliniVia www.Blackberryrocks.com

Edwin let me know about a website he came across called FilmOn. At first glance this website only seems available for desktop computers, iPads and Droid devices but a quick visit with the BlackBerry Browserpresents you with a mobile-optimized website. The mobile site allows you to stream live TV using your BlackBerry’s WiFi connection and includes channels like CBS LA, KTTV Fox, Ion Life, NBC HD, Sky News, BBC News, CNN International and more.

Most of the channels available in the United States seem to be West coast based but there are internationalchannels with a focus on specific countries like Spain, Russia and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. I have to mention that FilmOn does offer certain explicit channels that are extremely NSFW and should only be viewed if you’re 18 years of age or whatever the age requirement is for your locale. These explicit channels should be viewed at your own risk, BlackBerryRocks.com is not responsible for your actions.

That being said, if you want to check it out go to filmon.com from your BlackBerry browser to be redirected to the mobile website. I’ve confirmed the live streaming to work smoothly on BlackBerry devices running OS 6.0 but do not know how it will work on devices running earlier OS versions. If you decide to check it out be sure to let me know how it works for you in the comments!

Boxwave’s Keyboard Buddy cases gives your iPhone 4 physical keys

By Ray Nicolini              Via www.9to5mac.com

Uh Oh. Jobs won’t be happy with this one. Boxwave has revealed yet another physical keyboard attachment for the iPhone and this one looks pretty substantial. The Keyboard Buddy is a full on iPhone 4 case complete with cutouts for the camera, volume rocker, and everything else. The case snaps on to the iPhone 4 securely and the keyboard is bluetooth for easy connection. The case includes a USB cable for charging and turns on an off to conserve battery and switch between Apple’s touch keyboard the case’s physical one.

Boxwave’s website claims the keyboard can last up to 45 days on a full charge and the case ships injet black for 69.95 after a %10 discount. You can now pre-order the Keyboard Buddy at Boxwave’sonline store and it is shipping December 14th worldwide. Hopefully we can get a review unit to show you if its truly a magical accessory.

Setting up foursquare for BlackBerry

By Ray Nicolini

Via www.CrackBerry.com

Foursquare allows you to connect to and meet new friends while exploring your city using the GPS on your BlackBerry device. By exploring and finding new places, members are rewarded by earning points, badges and becoming mayor when they “check-in.” Users can also share tips and their location with friends and followers by linking their account to Twitter and Facebook.

Foursquare can be downloaded through BlackBerry App World or OTA at http://foursquare.com/blackberry/beta. Please note that it is mandatory to do a battery pull after installing even if the application does not prompt you to do so as per the company website. 

Setting Your BlackBerry's User Permissions

After your phone reboots, you must modify your BlackBerry’s User Permissions so that foursquare can properly connect to the internet.

1. On your BlackBerry, go to "Options" > "Advanced Options" > "Applications"
2. Scroll through the list to find the "foursquare" app
3. Hit the menu button and select "Edit Permissions" from context menu
4. Change the permissions for "Connections", "Interactions" and "User Data" to "Allow"
5. On exit, save the changes
6. Start up foursquare!

Logging-in For The First Time

Now that you’ve changed the app permissions, locate the foursquare icon on your home screen or in the Downloads folder to begin.

Existing users can enter in their email address /phone number and their password. New users should click on the need an account link in the lower right hand corner. With the foursquare app, you can create an account from your phone without the need to visit their website.

Creating A New Account

In the create account screen enter in a first name, last name, phone number (optional), email, password, birthday and gender. For gender you can select I’d rather not say. Then all you need to do is click the Create Account button and you’re all set.

To make the most of Foursquare you will want to upload a photo of yourself. To do this, click on the "Me" icon that resembles a face in the upper right corner. From there you can upload a photo as well as add more details to your profile.

 

Please note: members can modify their name and privacy settings by accessing their account information on the foursquare website. In addition, if you decide to create an account via your home computer you have the option of joining by using your existing Facebook account.

Adding Friends to Foursquare

Now that you’ve created an account you can add your friends and be able to track their whereabouts wherever they go and vice versa. Simply scroll down in the welcome screen and select add friends on foursquare.

 

Friends can be added four ways: scanning your address book, accessing your Twitter account (if applicable), searching by name, and by phone number. When a match(s) is found you will be presented with the list and can choose which ones to add to your account. Your friends will receive a notification asking them to approve your request.

Checking-in And Dominating Venues

Now that you’re setup all you have to do is click on Check-in. In order to determine your location and create a list of nearby venues, Foursquare accesses the device's GPS. Once you have selected a venue you are on your way to collecting points, badges and even becoming mayor!

 

 

 

Linking To Other Social Media Accounts

Finally, Foursquare can be linked to your Facebook and Twitter accounts, allowing you to share the venues you've visited and the badges you've earned. Linking accounts is optional and not mandatory to participate. If you choose to do you, access your profile from their website athttp://foursquare.com (device or computer), log in, and click on Settings. Then scroll down and find the section labeled Linked Accounts.

Once this is complete you can explore and share all the new places you visit with your friends and followers. Congratulations and have fun!

 

Why Facebook Mail Can Kill Gmail and Everyone Else

By Ray Nicolini

Get ready for a new invasion wave from Facebook: Mail. According to Techcrunch's sources, a full webmail client integrated with The One and Only Social Network will debut next Monday. If I were Google, Yahoo or Hotmail, I'd be very nervous.

Facebook Mail could be a killer, not only because of its potential instant size, but because of its natural advantage at making mail more useful.

Size matters

Facebook has 500 million active users. Gmail is estimated at 170 million registered users, while Yahoo has 303 million and Hotmail is still king of the hill at 364 million. Of course, not every Facebook user will jump on its mail bandwagon, but chances are that a huge percentage of the user base will. In fact, it's not a crazy assumption that almost everyone will, even if that means having yet another mail account added to your computer, phone or tablet.

First, because Facebook users are already used to their internal messaging system. For many, this could just be a convenient upgrade that will let them add these messages to their mail boxes. Remember that Facebook's mail is rumored to have external mail client access as well as its dedicated webmail interface.

But, most importantly, Facebook's users would probably jump in because the social nature of Facebook fits perfectly with the social nature of mail. The irony here is that their mail system could be a raging success because of what many people criticize: Facebook tracks all your moves.

Their not-so-secret weapon

Since Facebook knows how you interact with all your contacts, they would be able to perfectly separate what is important from what is not. Having used Gmail's Priority Box for a while, I've the feeling that Facebook could do a much better work at that using all their data and some clever, but not overly complicated logic.

But it's not only about separating what is important and what is not. Their tracking data could allow them to do other things, like prioritizing mail from the woman who just became your fiance or lowering the priority of that ex who keeps mailing you. They can also let you enable easy filtering options to automatically prioritize your mail and file into separate boxes.

Ultimately, that's what people like about Facebook. It's always prioritized communication, this closed playground where only your friends and contacts get to interact with you. If they can provide a mail system that will allow the controlled entry of external people while keeping the playground fun, clean, and safe, they have a winner. [TechCrunch]