Gizmodo: Touchscreen

New OLED Tech Has Built-In Touch Control, Works Like Magic

matt buchanan — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:45:00 EDT

One of drawbacks with traditional touchscreens is that the touch action requires layers of junk between the light source and the surface you're smudging, which makes it dimmer. Fraunhofer IPMS is showing off a breakthrough in OLED tech that doesn't need any of the crap, since the OLED itself reads touch signals. Obviously, that opens up all kinds of sweet possibilities, since OLEDs are incredibly efficient (and this touch tech doesn't make them any less so) and brilliant. A phone with a gorgeous, insanely bright OLED touchscreen? Sign me up. [Science Daily via OLED Display via Engadget]

Elettronico Faucet: Touchscreen Controls, Connects to a Plumbing Network

Sean Fallon — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:20:00 EDT

We are only talking about a sink here, but I must admit that I am a sucker for a captivating design. That having been said, the Elettronico Faucet by Carlo Frattini definitely caught my eye. The allure of the system centers around an LCD display that can be used to turn the faucet on and off, control flow rate, temperature and even other faucets / showers in the house. Essentially, the Elettronico would be part of a plumbing network that would give you command over everything from one screen. It is the most exciting thing to happen to pipes since...uh, wait. Nevermind. Unfortunately, there is no word on pricing or availability at the moment.

[Frattini via Trendir via Newlaunches via DVICE]

Asus Planning to Release Touchscreen Eee PC Within Six Months

John Herrman — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:10:00 EDT

Asustek executive Samson Hu has confirmed his company's plans to release a touchscreen Eee PC variant for sale by Q1 of 2009. It's not known whether the devices will look like the touch panel Eee mods that have been floating around or take the shape of a tablet, but we'll see in January when the first models are shown at CES. That's not all though — further announcements indicated that the Eee line is changing is some more subtle ways.

Hu stated that Intel Atom dual core processors will start making an appearance in their products as soon as they can get their teeny tiny little hands on them. Company President Jerry Chen, apparently feeling left out, chimed in to say that there would be another refreshed Eee coming at around $300. With an even lower low end, Atom dual-core processor models and touchscreen units it's not really clear what Eee designation is supposed to mean anymore, though I'd say "things that Asus makes that someone might actually want" sums it up pretty well. [Digitimes]

Archos 5 Lightning Review

Benny Goldman — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:20:00 EDT

The Gadget: Archos 5, the touchscreen "internet media tablet" with HD video viewing, game support and web surfing, is poised to take on the comparatively puny-in-screen, puny-in-storage iPod touch.

The Price: $450 as tested ($350 60GB model with optional $100 DVR station add-on).

The Verdict: The Archos 5—actually the company's sixth-generation handheld—is nice, but it's not the iPod touch killer I was hoping for after the initial demo.

On one hand, the touchscreen interface is a fantastic upgrade over their last gen. The UI is more modern looking and the touch controls are responsive and more intuitive than their button counterparts. The 4.8-inch screen—a slight upgrade over the previous model's 4.3-incher—is a great size for watching videos without straining your eyes. (The iPhone and slimmer iPod touch have 3.5-inch screens.)

But despite its better look, the menu system is a pain to navigate. Certain options are lumped in categories where they don't fit, and there's an entire menu devoted to selling accessories and software function add-ons. Archos is known to sell barebones players that you have to amp up with software and hardware add-ons. But this one already has a web browser and a capable media player, so it's pretty annoying when the unit begs you to buy it upgrades. Worst of all, there's no way to turn the ads off.

Web browsing is as much of a pain. It only runs in landscape, and code-heavy sites such as Giz and ESPN never seem to fully load. The e-mail program is not clean or simple enough to be useful as a true on-the-go replacement.

While the DVR station streamed video from Archos to TV over HDMI—and did it in good detail—it uses an S-Video input to record shows onto the unit, so they look garbled, with the wrong aspect ratio and out-of-sync sound. The TV guide itself is serviceable, though slow and unattractive when compared to a TiVo or a standard cable box guide.

The Archos 5 is an improvement and brings Apple-like features to an otherwise standard PMP. However, beyond size and capacity, there is a distinct difference between the Archos 5 and the iPod touch. When it comes to quickly hitting the web, checking e-mail or listening to music, the iPod touch is smooth, and looks good, begging to be held. The Archos is far more clunky in its execution. Despite being the hands-down winner when it comes to watching video, it simply isn't as touchable. [Archos]

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Phone Will Miss Xmas Release Date in US

Sean Fallon — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:54:00 EDT

It looks as though the highly anticipated Nokia 5800 XpressMusic (aka 'Tube') will not make its way to the US in time for the Xmas season. Instead, Nokia seems to be content with focusing on emerging markets like India, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Russia and Spain before setting their sites on developed markets like the US. Analysts seem to think the move makes sense from a business perspective, but customers waiting patiently for Nokia's first touchscreen Symbian S60 phone may feel otherwise. [Reuters]

Fujitsu Concept Phone Can Be Pulled Apart, Reconfigured

Elaine Chow — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:00:00 EDT

Proving that Japan always has the coolest concept phones, this Fujitsu device shown at CEATEC lets you separate your screen and touchscreen keypad in whatever configuration you like. Both parts can be used separately or stuck together by magnets, and where you stick the screen on the keypad determines what the touchscreen shows. The screen module contains software functions, including video recording and games, while the keyboard is responsible for communication tasks, such as 3G and radio. No idea whether this will be one of the few CEATEC concepts that make its way into reality, but I sure hope I see it on shelves someday. [Akihabara News]

Samsung's M8800 Pixon Cellphone Hits, With 8-Megapixel Autofocus Camera

Kit Eaton — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 05:21:00 EDT

This is Samsung's promo video for the upcoming M8800 cellphone (aka Pixon) with 8-megapixel camera. In fact it looks very much like a compact camera from the rear, and its 3.2-inch screen bears the same TouchWiz interface as the Omnia. That screen is a 400 x 240 pixel touchscreen with touch keyboard and handwriting recognition, and the phone has AGPS, accelerometer and FM radio. Read on for hands-on photos and full specs.

• Quad-band GSM, tri-band HSDPA
• 107.9x54.6x14.9mm, 110 g
• 3.2-inch touch screen display (240 x 400 pixels)
• 8 megapixel camera, auto focus, face recognition with smile detection and blink detection, WDR (wide dynamic range), ASR (advanced shake reduction), GPS geotagging, ISO 1600, WVGA (720x480 pixels) and VGA (640 x 480 pixels) @30fps video recording
• Built-in GPS receiver
• Accelerometer
• DivX playback
• FM radio with RDS
• microSD card slot
• Bluetooth
• Landscape virtual QWERTY keyboard
• Handwriting recognition
• ShoZu integration - direct image and video upload
• Office document viewer

Interestingly, there's no mention of Wi-Fi in that list of specs. It'll be out early November (in Russia, at least) for around $800. [ via GSMArena]

LG Renoir Surfaces; Shows Off Touchscreen, 8MP Camera, Fingerprints

Jack Loftus — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:30:00 EDT

We brought you a shiny stock image of LG's Viewty successor, the Renoir, back in August, and today we're bringing you the requisite fingerprint-laden in the wild photos (with watermarks!). They give a more accurate depiction of this puppy's 8MP monster, complete with Schneider-Kreuznach certified optics, xenon flash and ISO up to 1600. There's a phone in there too, with quad-band GSM, a 3-inch touchscreen, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0, and Wifi. The Renoir will be available sometime in October. Maybe they'll take that plastic band off the outside by then. [Toys and Gadgets via BGR]

HP Denies OS Rumor, Most Likely Confused With Upcoming Touchsmart UI

Sean Fallon — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:30:00 EDT

HP has denied recent rumors regarding a secret "Skunk Works" operation aimed at developing their own OS to replace Vista. They believe the rumors were confused with a plan to develop a custom touch-enabled UI for their upcoming Touchsmart notebooks ahead of Windows 7. [Electronista]

HTC Touch 3G Pictures and Specs Leak: Touch 3G and Viva Officially Confirmed

Kit Eaton — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:20:00 EDT

Looking a lot like original HTC Touch, this HTC Touch3G was found by Engadget hiding on the HTC Touch HD official page. It looks like it's got Europe-style 3G, 3.2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, AGPS, Wi-Fi and a 2.8-inch screen. The data also says it's got the TouchFLO UI, and quad-band GSM. So this phone's not the Opal, since that's got EDGE and a Ti Omap processor and this has HSDPA and a Qualcomm chip. It's not quite as simple as a 3G Touch update, since it's also got GPS. We'll have to wait for HTC to stump up official news. Update: It's now official.

So it turns out it is a pretty decent upgrade/remake of the original Touch: it's mentioned in the following official HTC press release, which also mentions the HTC Viva. That's a new name, but you should recognize it: actually the HTC Opal we mentioned before, and it's targeted at developing markets.

Taoyuan, Taiwan — September 16th, 2008 — HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile phone innovation and design, today introduced the HTC Touch 3G and HTC Touch Viva.
Continuing HTC’s touch-phone tradition, the Touch 3G and Touch Viva utilize TouchFLO, HTC’s finger-touch optimized navigation experience enabling quick, one-touch access to the people, messages and information people want.
“The HTC Touch 3G and Touch Viva embody our commitment to build a family of touch phones that are powerful and stylish but also offer something to everyone,” said Peter Chou, president and CEO, HTC Corporation. “Whether you’re a professional or a student you can now get an HTC touch phone with a beautiful touch user experience.”

HTC Touch 3G
The Touch 3G offers an uncompromising touch phone experience with powerful Internet capabilities including wireless download speeds up to 18 times faster than standard 3G. As part of this browsing experience users can zoom and pan Websites with one-hand. This true mobile broadband experience allows users to navigate more easily, leveraging the mobile Internet in a variety of ways. With the Touch 3G, customers can search for and watch streaming video from YouTube, get directions and mapping using Google Maps for mobile and stay updated on the latest news with the integrated RSS reader.

HTC Touch Viva
The Touch Viva blends an affordable touch phone with the benefits of HTC’s TouchFLO, an easy to use phone and an optimized mobile Internet experience. In addition, with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, users can easily synchronize their calendar, contacts, emails and more with their personal computer.

Availability
Both devices will be available in early October 2008 in a variety of markets. The Touch 3G will be available in four colors: sophisticated black, noble gold, sparkle blue and modern brown while the HTC Touch Viva will be available in Storm Gray.

Product Specifications
HTC Touch 3G
• Size: 102 x 53.6 x 14.5 mm
• Weight: 96g
• Connectivity: GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz & WCDMA / HSPA: 900/2100MHz. HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
• HSDPA 7.2 Mbps
• Software/Operating system: HTC TouchFLO with Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
• Display: 2.8 inch QVGA screen
• Camera: 3.2 megapixel
• Internal memory: 256 MB flash; 192 MB RAM
• Memory card: microSD™
• Bluetooth®: 2.0 with EDR
• GPS: GPS/AGPS
• Interface: HTC ExtUSB™ (mini-USB and audio jack in one; USB 2.0 High-Speed)
• Battery: 1100 mAh
• Talk time: WCDMA: Up to 360 minutes*** / GSM: Up to 400 minutes***
• Standby time: WCDMA: Up to 450 hours*** / GSM: Up to 365 hours***
• Chipset: Qualcomm® MSM7225™ 528 MHz
HTC Touch Viva
• Size: 104.5 x 59 x 15.75 mm
• Weight: 110g
• Connectivity: GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• Software/Operating system: HTC TouchFLO with Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
• Display: 2.8 inch QVGA screen
• Camera: 2 megapixel
• Internal memory: 256 MB flash; 128 MB RAM
• Memory card: microSD™
• WLAN: 802.11 b/g
• Bluetooth®: 2.0 with EDR
• GPS: GPS/AGPS
• Interface: HTC ExtUSB™ (mini-USB and audio jack in one; USB 2.0 High-Speed)
• Battery: 1100 mAh
• Talk time: GSM: Up to 480 minutes***
• Standby time: GSM: Up to 270 hours***
• Chipset: TI OMAP 850, 201 MHz

[HTC via Engadget

Asus Working on Omnia-Rivaling Smartphone, Says Rumor

Kit Eaton — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:09:00 EDT

Leaked photos of an Asus smartphone have hit the intertubes, and make it look like the maker of the Eee PC has the Samsung Omnia in its sights. The photos of the Glaxy7 show a slim candybar cellphone that appears to be touchscreen-only—it looks too slim for a slide-out keypad—with a 5-megapixel auto-focus cam, front camera and a main touchpad/trackball controller. Specs are rumored to include a 3.5-inch screen, Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro running Glide 1.5 UI, 3G, quad-band GSM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AGPS, and 4GB of on-board memory. Little else is known for sure about the cellphone yet, particularly regarding pricing or timing. Watch this space. [WMpoweruser via CrunchGear and Pocket-lint]

Touchscreen BlackBerry Storm Caught on Video

Elaine Chow — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:03:15 EDT

The BlackBerry Storm / Thunder, which should be coming to Verizon sometime in November for $199, has finally been caught on video! At roughly 2:55, BREW Ninja whips out the touchscreen-y smartphone and shows off some of its apparently underwhelming (to him, at least) features—an accelerometer, a screen that functions as a button, and an ugly-as-sin on-screen keyboard. Watch the entire video for more info on the HTC Coke (which seems to be taking a couple of design cues from the Diamond) and LG's fashion clamshell for Sprint, the Lotus. [BREW Ninja via CrackBerry]

Microsoft Surface Predicts the Election with McCain and Obama Bobbleheads

Dan Nosowitz — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:40:00 EDT

MSNBC had an impromptu demonstration of its new Microsoft Surface table this morning, and gave political analyst Chuck Todd a chance to play with his dollies. At first, the goateed Todd moved states around, zooming, coloring and highlighting with his finger. Though he didn't really have a full handle on all the features himself, the demo was pretty much Surface as usual, until he brought out his bobbleheads.

When Todd placed McCain and Obama bobblehead dolls on the Surface, the national map would change colors to show each candidate's specific chances. Put on the Obama bobblehead, and the map turns varying shades of blue. Use McCain, and it turns red. Then he turned Dark Helmet and made the bobbleheads fight each other, revealing the true reason he ordered them up in the first place. The off-screen newswoman didn't seem too impressed, quipping, "Now the five-year-olds are glued to the television," but I'm 22, so the joke's on her! [MSNBC]

NLighten IT7202 72-inch Touchscreen HDTVs Put Google Earth At Your Fingertips

John Mahoney — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:20:50 EDT

Rear-projection may be deader than dead as far as the biggies are concerned, but the folks at nLighten are intent to squeeze a bit more life out of these 72-inch 1080p DLP sets by sticking an infrared camera inside next to the light source that detects cursor points from an IR-tipped pen, allowing for a simple (no multitouch) touchscreen interface. It can act as a standard Windows mouse allowing for 1080p touchscreen Google Earth, or any other app.

The 72-inch IR-pen screen is priced at $3,000, and a similar version that uses camera triangulation from cameras mounted on the top of the bezel for actual finger touch control will set you back $4,000. As you can see in the video, the finger-touch seems to be a bit finicky, but the IR pen control is smooth as silk. [CEDIA 2008]

nLighten Technologies introduces three 60 inch & 72 inch Touch Screen DLP
Rear Projection Displays
Superior Pictures & Easy Intuitive Display through Superior Technologies

Denver/CEDIA EXPO 2008 – (September 3, 2008) – nLighten Technologies Inc. an innovative
products provider, as well as manufacturer of specialty displays and residential displays,
today introduced its 72 inch ﬁnger touch screen, DT7200. This new product adds to its
core line ups of 60 inch and 72 inch pen touch DLP Rear Projection Displays, IT6002 and
IT7202. The product is ideal for conference room, point of information display, or
classroom. nLighten is committed to fulﬁll the fast growth for high-deﬁnition super large
display with touch screen capability.

Keeping pace with market trends, the nLighten DT7200 oﬀers high deﬁnition resolution
(1920 x 1080: 1080P) which enables users to take advantage of the latest high deﬁnition
video or PC content and enjoy true HD video playback without compensating clarity of
pictures. In addition, the superior technology of Texas Instrument’s DLP-engine provides
greater contrast and deep black levels for richer detail in dark scenes on 72 inch large screen
DT7200 incorporates high sensitivity camera sensors for faster response, a much superior
product as it compare to other technologies that use ﬁlms or coatings over the screen,
eliminating ghosting, and trailing images.

nLighten’s IT6002 and IT7202 have pen touch feature which turn your conference room,
classroom or media room in your residence into an interactive room. IT6002 and IT7202’s
large touch-sensitive displays invite your audiences to focus on the presentation materials
and retain information easier.
h&72inch TouchScreenDLP
riorTechnologies
Collaborating large screen high deﬁnition displays and touch function, nLighten’s new
DT7200, 72 inch Finger Touch screen DLP Display, and IT6002 and IT7202, 60 inch and 72
inch Pen Touch screen DLP Displays, oﬀer fast and precise response to the movement and
can be enhanced by featuring nLighten’s software solution for interactive eboard
application.
“Touch screens are an eﬃcient and intuitive way to access and interact with on-display
information, and appeal to a wide variety of users and applications”, said nLighten President
Jack Kuo. “The technology of ﬁnger touch compliments nLighten’s standard display line
ups.” “We recognize the increase demand for touch screen capability with large screen size
displays from our channel partners. “
nLighten is showing all three True High Deﬁnition Touch Screen DLP Rear Projection Displays
at CEDIA EXPO 2008 booth #826, September 4 ~7, 2008, Denver, CO.

About nLighten
nLighten Technologies Inc. is a research and development of large screen size HD DLP
Display. With oﬃce located in Fremont, CA, and its manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China,
nLighten is becoming a global leader of specialty display technology providing large screen
high deﬁnition monitors and ATSC TVs for most demanding environments such as
conference room, classroom, and home theater. Home theater Enthusiasts depend on
nLighten to provide superior performance when image quality is the highest expectation.
For more information, visit www.nlighten.com.
Phihong USA Corporation, a subsidiary of Phihong Technology Co., Ltd. , Taiwan, is the
exclusive distributor to market the full line of nLighten products and does the technical
supports for North American market.

Palm Treo Pro Review

Adrian Covert — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:30:00 EDT

The Gadget: The Treo Pro is a 3G-equipped, Windows Mobile 6.1-running, touchscreen smartphone that's just a sliver bigger than the iPhone 3G. Completely redesigned, it's Palm's best looking phone in years.

The Price: $550 (Unlocked, no contract)

The Verdict: In terms of design, performance and non-OS features, this is the best hardware Palm has ever made. Though my personal dislike of WinMo has me wishing it ran the PalmOS, the truth is that this is a phone for the corporate crowd, and WinMo 6.1 can do things and reach audiences the PalmOS never could. That it is aimed towards a business crowd also justifies the $550 unlocked price tag. People in the corporate world travel to other countries, and need to switch SIM cards quickly and effortlessly.

The feature that deserves the most mention is the redesign—because it's beautiful. Not only is the phone comparable in size and weight to the iPhone 3G (just a bit wider and thicker), but it's visually appealing. The shiny black case, and jewel-style Centro keyboard gives it a look that is appealing and eye-catching without being gaudy. Rounded edges prevent it from feeling too sterile, and the flush screen marks the first time a Palm touchscreen hasn't been sunken in.

Like the Palm 800w the Treo Pro it has been given many of the same key features. The 320x320 resolution screen, GPS and one-button wi-fi are all present, and the 400 MHz processor and 256 MB RAM really run Windows Mobile 6.1 well. It's as fast and responsive as I've ever seen the platform run, due in large part to having proper components. And the 1500 mA battery means you can get a few days worth of moderate usage between charges.

As far as real-life performance goes, the full-sized keyboard is definitely more useful than the one on the Centro, but the lack of definition between keys caused me to make typos on a semi-regular basis. Anywhere signal strength was strong, the 3G was speedy, and call quality was loud and clear. The GPS, complete with turn-by-turn navigation, worked well enough, but seemed to take an abnormally long time to connect to the satellite. And the touchscreen was as responsive and pinpoint accurate as Palm has ever made.

Some of the custom Palm features from the 800w, such as their own chat-style SMS interface and the GPS search bar on the home screen are absent, which is unfortunate, because they were both useful. And in direct light, the screen had a tendency to washout and be difficult to read, even on the highest brightness setting. A dedicated button to take you back to the home screen would have also been nice, but it doesn't kill the phone.

If you're looking for a Windows Mobile phone, I'd strongly consider the Treo Pro, as it has a good balance of design, features and performance for the user. And even if you're not looking for a WinMo phone, it just might tickle your fancy enough to have one around. [Treo Pro on Giz]

Cowon's S9 Curve PMP Looks Exactly Like it Sounds it Should

Kit Eaton — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:45:00 EDT

Cowon's stealing a march on the imminent IFA show by teasing with some info on its new S9 PMP ahead of time: and you know, it's an attractive beastie. The S9 Curve looks to take its name quite literally, having sleek metallic-looking curved edges, and possibly even a curved rear-end if that photo's anything to go by. Inside the case we know there's a 3.3-inch AMOLED touchscreen, capable of 16 million colors, a powerful-seeming 500 MHz CPU, T-DMB, Bluetooth connectivity, media player functions and an electronic dictionary app. It'll also run for 40 hours from just one charge, and has an accelerometer. But there's no info on price or release dates or its storage capacity, as yet. It just looks fab. [PMPToday]

Archos Gen-6 5G PMP is 3G Web Surfing, HD Video, Touchscreen Beauty

Benny Goldman — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Archos just revealed what that curtain tease was all about: the 6th Gen Archos 5, 5G and 7 series PMPs. The 4.8" flagship 5G ditches the tired interface and buttons of the Gen-5 device for a slick UI and touchscreen-only operation. It's got Wi-Fi, HD video support, web browsing, email, a huge HDD (up to 250GB), and built-in HSPDA 3G connectivity. It's also got dock connectors, GPS, DVR, video/audio recording and more. In short, it's everything that the iPod touch isn't, and I got to touch it.

The interface on the 5G is incredibly smooth, scrolling is similar to the iPod touch, and the included Opera web browser does zoom and looks excellent. The device is intuitive and the touchscreen is responsive and big enough to really enjoy movie watching.

The 5 and 7 are also great devices, featuring 4.8" and 7" displays, respectively. They are 3G capable with a separate dongle, and otherwise feature all the great specs of the 5G. The 5 will be available in 60-, 120-, and 250GB varieties, while the 7 carries either 160GB or 320GB under the hood. The products will retail between $350 and $550 when they arrive in September (5), October (7) and January (5G). It's a good day for the little portable-media underdog. Spec sheet down below. [Archos]

All applicable to both series unless otherwise noted:

Capacity
*60GB hard drive stores up to 80 Movies, 600,000 photos or 30,000 songs
*120GB hard drive stores up to 160 Movies, 1.2 million photos or 60,000 songs
*250GB hard drive stores up to 300 Movies, 2.5 million photos or 145,000 songs

Display
* High resolution screen, 800x480 pixels, 4.8'' TFT LCD, 16 million colors
* Touchscreen

Video playback
* MPEG-48 (ASP@L5 AVI, up to DVD resolution)
* WMV (MP@ML, up to DVD resolution) included WMV protected files
* M-JPEG (in QVGA resolution)

With optional software plug-ins:
* HD support: MPEG-4 (ASP 720p) & WMV HD (MP 720p)
* H.264 up to DVD resolution with AAC
* MPEG-2 MP@ML up to 10 Mbps (up to DVD resolution) and AC3 stereo sound (5.1)

Audio Playback
* Stereo MP3 decoding @ 30-320 Kbits/s CBR & VBR, WMA, Protected WMA, WMA pro 5.1, WAV (PCM/ADPCM).
* With optional software plug-ins
*AAC9 and AAC+ stereo audio files
*AC3 stereo audio and 5.1 sound files (via SPDIF output of DVR Station)

Photo viewer10
* JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF

PDF viewer
* Reads PDF documents (may not implement all PDF features)

Video Recording11
* Via the optional DVR Station or DVR Snap-on. Records NTSC/PAL/SECAM in MPEG-4 AVI format with stereo sound, VGA resolution (640 x 480) @ 30 or 25 f/s

Audio recording
* Via the optional DVR Station or DVR Snap-on: Stereo line-in, WAV (IMA ADPCM or PCM) format
* Voice recording via the optional FM remote and its built-in microphone in WAV format (IMA ADPCM)

Email client
* Compatible with Email accounts supporting POP3 and IMAP services
* Import/export of vCard contacts

Interfaces
* USB 2.0 High-Speed Device (compatible USB 1.1 at a lower speed): Mass Storage Class (MSC) and Media Transport Protocol (MTP)
* USB 2.0 Host: Mass Storage Class (MSC) and Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) with optional Mini Dock, Battery Dock and DVR station

Connections
* Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) connection. Free Web Browser (Opera® Web browser with Adobe Flash® 9 video support) upon registration
* 3.5 mm mini jack for headphones
* Accessory connectors to connect to the DVR Station and other ARCHOS accessories

Miscellaneous
* Built-in speaker
* Built-in leg stand

Power source
* Internal: Lithium Polymer battery
* Device charges via computer USB port
* External: Power adapter/charger (via optional accessories)

Battery life
* Music playback time: up to 12 hours
* Video playback time: up to 4 hours

Scalability
* Device automatically downloads latest firmware updates when the WiFi connection is activated
* Updates can also be downloaded at www.archos.com

Dimensions & weight
* Approx 127,5 x 78,3 x 12,9 mm (for 60GB* model) – 250gr
* Approx 127 x 78,8 x 19,4 mm (for 120/250GB* models) – 300gr

Minimum requirement system
*Microsoft® Windows® Vista, XP, ME, 2000 or higher
* MAC OS X and Linux (with Mass Storage Device Support)
* USB 2.0 interface

Package includes
* ARCHOS 5, headphones, ARCHOS USB cable, DVR Station adapter, screen cleaning cloth, Quick Start Guide (QSG), legal and safety notice.

Pricing
* 60GB model - $350
* 120GB model - $400
* 250GB model - $450

7 Series

Display
* High resolution screen, 800x480 pixels, 7'' TFT LCD, 16 million colors

Dimensions & Weight
* Approx. 190 x 110 x 16 mm ; 7.48" x 4.33" x 0.629"
* Approx. 640 gr.; 23oz

Pricing
* 160GB model - $450
* 320GB model - $550

Casio PCP-1200 Photo Printer Has 7-Inch Touchscreen, Keyboard for Some Reason

Kit Eaton — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:52:00 EDT

This new photo-printer from Casio is one mixed-up gizmo: As well as standard photo-printing functions, it's got a 7-inch touchscreen and a full keyboard. So is it a mini computer with printer aspirations, or a printer with computing aspirations? Hard to say, but it's supposedly able to edit the photos you pop in from a memory card or mobile phone, and produce custom greetings cards, calendars and the like. And it comes with hundreds of built-in stamps and illustrations. You'd better be seriously into DIY greetings though: the PCP-1200 costs a whacking $500 in Japan. [Far East Gizmos]

Lexus Nuaero Concept is Straight Out of Starship Troopers

Jack Loftus — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EDT

Does one reach for a camera or a can of RAID when the Lexus Nuaero concept pulls into the driveway? Sure Jon Rådbrink's design looks incredibly cool, fast and futuristic; but then again I've also spent the last few minutes looking over my shoulder to see if Sigourney Weaver was about to burst from the wall in a load lifter to do battle with it in my office. As it turns out, there's a lot more to this design than just looks, and Rådbrink believes the car's "low weight and large presence" will be the way premium cars could be manufactured in the future. Oh, and it's loaded with tech, too.

To drive this catamaran-inspired luxury car, the driver would use a drive-by-wire steering pad and a completely customizable multi-point touch screen. Rådbrink contends that our hands are far more accurate for driving than our feet, so he's eliminated pedals. Everything is controlled via the steering wheel. "Since the car is powered by electrical motors [found in each of the four wheels]," Rådbrink says, "there is no transmission and you break intuitively by pushing the steering wheel away from your body."

The kicker is that this 14.5-ft. car is designed with lightweight materials meant to increase mileage and efficiency. How light is light? Try roughly the same weight as the diminutive SMART fortwo. "I believe that this design paradox of low weight and large presence could be the way we’ll define premium in the future," Rådbrink said. Just don't forget the futuristic airbags if this ever makes it into production. [Jon Rådbrink via DZEEN]

Samsung T919 Touchscreen Handset Confirmed For U.S. T-Mobile Customers

Jack Loftus — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:43:00 EDT

There's no price or release date announcement attached to these images of the Samsung T919 just yet, but we do know it's coming to U.S. T-Mobile customers. Some day. We also know it sports the 1700 MHz WCDMA band, a five megapixel camera and a front-facing secondary camera. Wi-fi support is speculated, but not confirmed. [TMO News via BGR]

Low-End Korean GPS is Basically High-End 7-Inch Screen PMP, for $190

Kit Eaton — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:40:00 EDT

The normally navigation-focused guys over at Navigadget have spotted something interesting: The "low end" Easycar U7 GPS system heading for Korean drivers at the moment is basically a pretty high-end media player with a 7-inch touchscreen. As well as helping you navigate, the 0.75-inch deep gizmo plays audio and video files, has a text reader, photo-viewer and accepts digitally-broadcast TV. Check out the gallery to see it in action, and go mad when you learn it costs the equivalent of just $190.

Where did you see a fairly thin PMP with a 7-inch screen and all that functionality for that small an amount of cash? I know there's exchange-rate shenanigans happening, but it sure makes most GPS systems over here seem like a rip-off.

Let us know your take on this guys: Are the Koreans just lucky buggers, or are the GPS makers over here ripping us off?
[Navigadget]

Giz Explains: The Magic Behind Touchscreens

matt buchanan — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT

Touchscreens. They're everywhere, as if electronics makers aren't cool unless their phones or media players have them, and soon that will be true for laptops as well. Touchscreens aren't going to completely replace the mouse and keyboard in the next year or two, but we're hurtling toward a future where they're the dominant way we interact with devices. The catch is that "touchscreen" can describe a few very different technologies that all perform a similar function. Here's a breakdown of the most popular techniques for making touchscreen magic happen—and the crazy new techniques that will succumb to your caresses in years to come.

At a basic level, they all perform the same function—sensing a disturbance in the force when your finger or stylus or whatever pointy object you've got touches the screen, and then extrapolating that into knowing where you're touching it and relaying that to the software. The differences lie in how each screen detects a touch.

Resistive touchscreens are the ones you've probably put your greasy fingers on more than any other kind, mostly because they're the cheapest and oldest. They're in most touchscreen cellphones, many tablets and the Nintendo DS, to name a very few.

How it works: On the bottom you've got a layer of glass, and on top of that, you've got two more: a conductive and a resistive layer. They've got a sliver of space between them. And on top of that you've got one more layer, which is the one you touch. So, when you push down on the screen, the conductive and resistive layer touch each other, which changes the electrical current running through 'em, and the device can tell from that where your finger or stylus is touching.

Good and bad: While resistive is a good deal cheaper to manufacture at the moment, one downside is that it's hard to do multitouch, because of the constraints and shortcomings of a pressure-based system. Another problem is that the multiple layers of touch technology on top of the LCD block an awful lot of light—think of how much dimmer the DS's bottom screen is than the top one.

Capacitive touchscreens are a bit fancier. They used to be really expensive, but the costs are coming down, so you're seeing them in more stuff, like this touchscreen phone from Apple you might have read about, or Dell's Latitude XT tablet.

How it works: At its most basic level, you've got a layer on top of the actual display panel that has an electrical charge running through it. Since you've got your own electrical mojo going on, when you touch the screen (presumably with your finger), it registers an electrical change. By measuring how much you're mucking up the electrical field and where the biggest disturbances are, the device can determine where you're touching it.

Good and bad: It's far easier to do multitouch with capacitive, and fewer added layers mean more light comes through for a brighter display. Still, because it's all about electrical fields interacting and conductivity and stuff, a hand with a mitten on it will have a hard time making stuff happen, and if you wanna use a stylus, you'll need a special one.

Infrared touch sensing, currently most famously used by Microsoft's Surface table, takes a slightly different approach. Because it works well with larger products, you might end up seeing this one quite a bit, especially from Microsoft.

How it works: Basically, the image on the surface is projected from underneath it, along with infrared light. Also underneath are infrared cameras that can see when the light is reflected by objects (like your fingers or cellphones or whatever), and those images are processed and translated as you move and gesture with pictures and virtual objects.

Good and bad: The good thing about this is that it uses existing technologies that come very cheap; the bad news is that the apparatus itself can be bulky, hence the need for Surface to be hidden inside a table, or at least a large globe. Also, it's sensitive to light, so flash photography or strong sunlight can throw off its game.

More, more, more!! There are some \way more advanced touchscreen technologies that aren't yet in wide use. The surface wave acoustic system uses tranducers and reflectors that detect if the ultrasonic waves being sent between them are disturbed (absorbed, actually), meaning something is touching it. Upside is that no metal crap in the panel means 100 percent brightness and awesome clarity. But apparently dust and crud can affect it, so not good for anywhere dirty.

Sharp and others have released prototype touchscreens with optical sensing tech built directly into the display. They are sensitive enough to detect your finger rubs right down to the pixel. Besides making multitouch easy, it can also double as a scanner because of the whole optical deal. Right now it's for small screens like phones—it can scale to notebook size, but not any larger. Of course, they, like infrared, can be affected by undesired light fluxuations.

Mary Lou Jepsen—the engineering honcho behind OLPC's original XO Laptop and founder of the Pixel Qi LCD development firm—told us recently she is pushing for in-cell touchscreen tech, which would make touchscreens cost the same as regular LCDs and be the same thickness, since touch sensitivity would be part of the LCD's own matrix. The issue is that it'll only work with devices specifically coded to use it; it's not a plug-and-play touchscreen like you could order online for your home DIY fake iPhone. If you're wagering that this secret sauce will help achieve the impossibly low pricetag on OLPC's next baby, the XO-2, you win a cookie.

And that's just about everything you need to know about touchscreens to get by. Resistive and capacitive are the major two to know for now, though you might start hearing a lot more about the other ones soon enough.

Something you still wanna know? Send any questions about touching, feeling or screening to tips@gizmodo.com, with "Giz Explains" in the subject line. Top image from David Nguyen, featured in this Giz Photoshop contest.

Leaked Advert Image Could be First Showing of Palm Centro2

Kit Eaton — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:30:00 EDT

At Palm Addicts they've somehow got hold of a leaked advert that looks like it's for Palm's update to the Centro, the Centro2 smartphone. Take a peek—it's pretty convincing. ~~There's of course no way to know whether this is real or a piece of Photoshopped fakery~~ and it's difficult to glean much info on the device from the photos, though the advert is pushing the phone's PDA organizer aspects. The big difference is the missing keyboard, but whether that implies a touchscreen or some sort of slide-out pad is unclear. It also seems to have media controls at the top, and Palm Addicts thinks it's running Windows Mobile. Update: Sadly this is a fake, created for a marketing class. Sorry, Palm fans. [Palm Addict. Thanks, Sammual!]

Modder Adds Working Touchscreen to PSP

John Mahoney — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:00:00 EDT

PSP modder jube808 has equipped his PSP with a DIY touchscreen, as part of his efforts to add features he feels Sony dropped the ball on with his beloved handheld. The on-screen keyboard looks pretty responsive, and can be used with fingers or a stylus. Such a mod is probably making PSP homebrewers salivate with PSP/DS hybrid potential. Another video has a closer look at the whole rig.

[PSPzProject via Kotaku]

HP Developing Touchsmart Notebook

Mark Wilson — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:15:00 EDT

We liked the HP Touchsmart IQ506, the touch-controlled all-in-one PC, not just because it worked well (which it did), but because it was trying something different—not merely copying other products on the market. Now HP has revealed to the Wall Street Journal that they are aiming "to get touch-enabled notebook computers on the market within the next 18 months." Unfortunately, doing some quick calendar math in our heads, we realize that 18 months means 2010. And while we know we'll probably live to see the day, life is but "a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more." (HP didn't tell the WSJ that last part.) [WSJ via Electronista]

iRiver Spinn Controller and UI Caught on VIdeo: Sleek, But Confusing

Kit Eaton — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:47:47 EDT

We've talked a few times about iRiver's Spinn PMP with its revolutionary controller, and now its UI has been captured on camera. Check out the radio-dial-like menu selection system, which looks pretty sleek and shiny. You dial through/click the menus with the feature wheel on the unit. Or by jabbing at the touchscreen. Hmm.... so the purpose of the big wheel is as an additional control that doesn't offer the flexibility of touchscreen controls? It's a little confusing: as is the UI itself, to my eyes at least. [IRiverfans via Engadget]

Plica Concept Phone Answers Question Of 'What Is Better Than One Touchscreen'

Jason Chen — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Although quite wide and thick, the Plica concept out-iPhones the iPhone by having two screens where there was only one. What's better about two screens? You can use one of the screens as a keyboard, leaving the other free for viewing things. Or, you can just look at something at twice the resolution as before. Do we really have to explain why having more screens is awesome? Too bad this is only a concept, because we might actually pick one of these up. [James Piatt via Tuvie]

Smudgy Pictures of Nokia's Tube Show New, Bland Interface

Elaine Chow — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:30:00 EDT

A bunch of new photos and specs for Nokia's Tube, a.k.a. The 5800 XpressMusic, have been leaked to the internet. The alleged iPhone killer will apparently come with a 16:9 16 million color TFT LCD display with 640 X 360 pixel resolution, haptic feedback, a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, Dual LED flash, a built-in GPS and 140MB RAM. Also, lots of grease and fingerprints, it seems.

It looks like Nokia's updated the interface since the last round of leaked pics, but while the new design is cleaner, it's also flat and uninteresting. If Nokia wants even the slightest sliver of possible iPhone users to sit up and take notice, this had better not be the last version of the phone's UI. [Boy Genius]

Cowon P5 Portable Media Player Has 5-inch Touchscreen, Haptics, Usual Cowon Goodness

Jason Chen — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:51:21 EDT

Cowon's upcoming P5 will improve on their A3 and Q5W portable media players (which we've both reviewed) with the addition of a haptics touch-feedback feature. The rest is fairly similar: a 800x480 screen, FM radio, stereo Bluetooth, TV-out, stereo speakers, USB, extreme codec support and 40GB-80GB sizes. There will still be Wi-Fi, but you'll have to get it tacked on after the fact with a dongle. The Korean price is $430ish by the end of the month. No US info yet as far as we know. Maybe we can trade them an early sneak peek at Starcraft 3 for this? [Cowon via CNET]

Panasonic Shows Off Surface-Like Digital Wall

Matt Hickey — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EDT

Microsoft's getting some competition for its Surface device. Panasonic is showing off a very Surface-like product it's calling Digital Wall, and it's exactly what it sounds like. While at this point it doesn't appear to offer all the the features of Surface it could also come in much cheaper that the Microsoft version, and for many people that's the key. Hit the jump for a short video of the Digital Wall in action. [Digital World Tokyo]

HTC Diamond To Lose its Crinkles, Get Smooth Back-Side, Codename Victor

Kit Eaton — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:30:00 EDT

The HTC Diamond isn't even out yet in the US, but a leaked photo shown over at BoyGeniusReports seems to show that HTC is planning a new version that doesn't have the Diamond's trademark crinkly, angular shape. The smooth-sided, round-reared phone is dubbed "Victor" apparently, and seems to be in every function identical to the Diamond. Except being perhaps a little less pointy to hold. [BGR]

Samsung D980 Dual-SIM Touchscreen Phone Hits Intertubes

Kit Eaton — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 06:56:00 EDT

Samsung has kept developing its LG Prada knock-off F480 full-touchscreen phone and turned it into the D980. This is a dual-SIM version of the phone, hitting China first in a D988 version and then apparently the rest of the world as the D980 DuoS. It's a tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE device, with 2.6-inch QVGA screen and 5-megapixel auto-focus cam with a flash. There's no pricing or timing info yet, but since Blam had some bad things to say about the F480 cellphone back in February, let's hope they've improved the touchscreen too. [Unwiredview]

Apple: Yellow iPhone 3G Screen Is "Warmer" By Design

Jack Loftus — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:10:00 EDT

As Brian noted in his iPhone 3G review, its screen is warmer (more yellow) than the previous iPhone's. That's intentional, Apple’s senior director of iPhone product marketing, Bob Borchers, told MacWorld in its first official response on the matter. It's meant to make the display "more natural" and less like harsh fluorescent lightning.

Wireless Info has the exhaustive numbers on the matter. The iPhone 3G's screen is not only brighter, its color temperature is around 6800 to 7054 Kelvins, while the first iPhone's was about 8300K. So it is definitely more yellow. (Here are some head-to-head shots.)

That said, when we had two of our iPhone 3Gs side-by-side, one of them was noticeably yellower than the other, even though all the settings were the same. So there could still be some issues out there. Let us know what you see. Update: Ars confirms a fix we saw on Macrumor's forums—if your screen is too yellow, check your firmware and update it to 5A347 if you've got 5A345. That seems to reduce the pee tinge. [MacWorld, Wireless Info]

Garmin Oregon Touchscreen GPS, First Images Emerge

Kit Eaton — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:57:00 EDT

Monday's leak of info about Garmin's upcoming Oregon touchscreen GPS line has now been followed by some images and screenshots. And though the mapping functions pretty much follow the earlier Colorado line, the units look very different—apparently being pretty buttonless indeed. For walkers, the 200 is a simple basemap unit, the 300 has worldwide maps with shaded relief, while the 400t adds in preloaded U.S. topographic maps and a 3D view. The 400i has maps for US inland lakes and the worldwide basemap, while the 400c has BlueChart® g2 coastal charts for sea-farers. When on sale in the Fall, the 400 units will cost $639.99, the 300 $533.32 and the basic 200 $479.99. Press release below.

Garmin’s Touchscreen Oregon™ Series Gives
Outdoor Enthusiasts the World at their Fingertips

OLATHE, Kan./July 10, 2008/PR Newswire — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd.
(NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today introduced the Oregon series of
handheld GPS devices for outdoor, marine and fitness enthusiasts, combining an intuitive
touchscreen interface, rugged, resilient design and a variety of preloaded mapping options.

“The Oregon’s vibrant screen is responsive to the touch of your finger, yet resistant to the forces of
nature,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “Combining the touchscreen
interface of our iconic automotive devices with the preloaded features of the acclaimed Colorado
series makes this the ultimate outdoor handheld.”

Easy to learn and simple to use, the waterproof Oregon features a high-sensitivity GPS receiver,
preloaded mapping and a high-resolution, color 3-inch screen that reacts as users tap or drag
through menus and options. On a mountain or an ocean, satellite reception is even faster than
before thanks to Garmin’s new HotFixTM feature, which automatically calculates and stores critical
satellite information and can use that information to quickly calculate a position without waiting for
data collection from the satellites.

The Oregon 400t gives hikers preloaded U.S. topographic maps in state-of-the-art 3D elevation
perspective. The Oregon 400i offers anglers shoreline details, depth contours and boat ramps for
U.S. inland lakes and navigable rivers. The Oregon 400c is a saltwater specialist, providing chart
coverage for the coastal U.S. and Bahamas. The Oregon 300 features a worldwide basemap with
shaded relief. The Oregon 200 provides a basemap that can be easily supplemented with
additional mapping or charts for your adventures on land or at sea.

Garmin knows its users have many interests, so the Oregon lets you customize five profiles —
automotive, marine, recreation, fitness or geocaching — making the most beneficial features for
each activity the easiest to access through quick shortcuts.

The Oregon series plays well with others, as the 400t, 400c, 400i and 300 allow for wireless
exchange of tracks, waypoints and geocaches between other Oregon units and Colorado models.
Each of these models is equipped with a barometric altimeter and electronic compass and is
compatible with Garmin’s heart-rate monitors and speed/cadence sensors.

Geocaching is even easier with the Oregon, which quickly downloads online information for every
cache, such as location, terrain, difficulty, hints and description, so that you don’t have to tote
printouts with you. Cachers and collectors will be hunting for a limited-edition geocoin minted to
commemorate the launch of the Oregon series. Oregon users can experience Wherigo™, the
newest GPS-based activity from Groundspeak, the people who made geocaching a worldwide
phenomenon. Wherigo (pronounced "where I go") is a toolset for creating and completing
adventure games, historical tours or other innovative activities in the real world.

Weighing only 6.8 ounces with 16 hours of life from two AA batteries, the Oregon has a microSD
card slot that is ideal for loading additional MapSource detail. For more about the Oregon’s
features, pricing and availability, go to www.garmin.com and www.garmin.blogs.com.

[GPSTracklog]

V12 Design Delivering Dual Touchscreen Laptop Within Two Years

Sean Fallon — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:43:00 EDT

It looks as though an Italian company named V12 Design might beat the OLPC's XO-2 laptop to the dual touchscreen punch with their dual LCD laptop called the Canova. According to Laptopmag, V12 developed its design four years ago and is currently working on a second generation version with a US manufacturer. The plan is to have the device on the market within 16 months.

An interview with Valerio Cometti, the founder and managing director of V12 Design, confirmed that the upcoming version would support multitouch input and that a microphone would be built into the design for voice commands. Unfortunately, the image pictured above is the first gen version and no images of the current Canova design have been released. However, if they are on target with their prediction, we could have one in our hands by 2010. [V12 Design via Laptop Mag]

Nokia Haptikos Tactile Touchscreen Patent Is a Bit Like Apple's

Kit Eaton — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:39:12 EDT

Among the rush of Apple patents relating to touchscreens over the last year came one on tactile feedback touchscreens, and Nokia seems to have been thinking along the same lines. Almost exactly the same lines, since Nokia's Haptikos tech is a system of fluid-cells driven by piezoelectric actuators that push up through a flexible touchscreen. And that sounds a lot like Apple's sub-surface, adjustable tactile "keys." But apparently the Nokia tech is aimed at "variable and controllable user perceived surface roughness or friction coefficient" rather than buttons. Fascinating stuff, nevertheless. [Unwiredview]

EeePC 900 Gets a Touchscreen Mod That's So Good We Want It Standard

Jason Chen — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:59:59 EDT

If we didn't know that this was done by a user, we'd swear that this touchscreen Eee PC was made by Asus themselves. The video shows a super sensitive and responsive screen, flicking quickly up and down on a web page with either the finger or stylus. On a laptop of 10-inches or smaller—what we like to call "tardtops"—a touchscreen fits just perfectly. Why get a Kindle when you have a light, touchscreen laptop that can be carried with you and supports lots of colors? Nice work jkkmobile. [JKKMobile]

Sony Touchscreen Gaming Patent is Looking iPhone-ish

Adrian Covert — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:50:10 EDT

The image pretty much says it all, but Sony appears to be working on a gaming device that is all screen and all play. The touchscreen gadget in the patent would have haptic feedback, accelerometers, a microphone, and internet capabilities. Not sure how this fits in with the PSP phone rumors, but its interesting nonetheless. [PSP Fanboy via Electronista

Motorola Blaze Adds Another Touch Screen Handset to the Pile

Jack Loftus — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:49:13 EDT

The Boy Genius Report has a first look at Motorola's answer to the "Touch Screen Wars," called the Blaze. From the looks of the branding, this touchy-feely handset is coming to Verizon, complete with a special Verizon-only operating system. BGR says the touch screen is decent, and the mobile browser is "OK," but nothing to write home about. Email and texting functionality are also lambasted by BGR, as is the crush-the-screen-to-make-it-work haptic touchscreen feedback. Specs include a 2 megapixel camera, EV-DO Rev. A support, GPS, and Bluetooth. They didn't sound too keen on the Blaze, but they didn't write it off completely. Thoughts? [Boy Genius Report]

Apple Patents Cheapie iPod Classic Touchscreens

Mark Wilson — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EDT

When Apple releases a new generation of iPod, it's smaller, but Apple aims to keep profit margins in check too. A new patent points to Apple possibly developing a lower-cost touchscreen for the iPod classic. Instead of utilizing thick glass panels, the design takes advantage of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic. We see this PET in the iPhone/iPod touch already, so the transition would probably be a positive one despite the use of, ick, more plastic. [Patent via MacNN]