Gadgety News

Hmmmmm………Uh-oh!…something else to taunt the battery of the lovely iPhone!

Apple has apparently patented a new display technology that will allow their iBlowers to have always-on displays with almost no battery cost whatsoever.

OOoooo, tell me more

Only part of the display would be activated using a secondary backlight located under the main one.

According to Apple, the objective is to give feedback to the user at all times, even when the main display is turned off:

The primary backlight system may block light from the secondary backlight system except for those one or more regions. Thus, the size and shape of the status indicator may be set by sizing and shaping the transparent or semitransparent regions of the primary backlight system. In addition to setting the size and shape of the icon, the color of the icon may also be set by adjusting the color of the light provided by the secondary backlight system.

For example, each indicator may have a particular color, blinking speed, or light intensity. These properties may be programmed into the electronic device by the user, or may be hard-coded or hard-wired into the system. Thus, when the secondary backlight is turned on, the properties of the light provided by the secondary backlight system may depend on the status of the device. Also, if the status of the electronic device changes while the secondary backlight is on, the properties of the light provided by the secondary backlight system may change to reflect the new status.

To avoid sucking the battery dry the backlight system will be low-power and looking at the diagrams they may not even be actual pixel-based icons but will be ‘cut-outs’ illuminated by individual LED lights shining through the main display.

Apple Insider

The swines!

The people over at Laptop Magazine have not only managed to get all over the Garmin Nuvifone prototype they’ve rubbed our noses in it and posted vids and pics aplenty (links at bottom).

The good thing for us lot is that we can see the UI in action :0)

They say that the screen is nice and big, and the User Interface appears to be very GPS-centric.

On using the QWERTY keypad they reported it as ”spacious enough” and uses an “auto-complete dictionary” (predictive text).

The main page is pretty well set out with a row of icons for calling, searching, and mapping, and finger swipes stream them across the screen.  Smooooooth.

On the device that was tested the applications seem to be SMS, Google Search, email and media player.

Apparently some apps didn’t load properly and some of the display units were frozen in a borked limbo state.

But, as I said earlier, this is a prototype version and I’m sure (hope) that Garmin will have sorted all this out before the release in the 4th quarter of the year.

Still unsure that the $500 price tag is fixed or that it shall also be available in white.

Laptop Blog - Handson With Nuvi 

Laptop Blog UI Action Vid

It’s been a while since I’ve reported anything about the Xperia X1. Infact it was the Sony advert on YouTube.

But, those lucky little so-and-sos over at Boy Genius Report have managed to get their sticky mits all over Sony Ericsson’s wonder phone!!

The low-down is that it’s flaunting an 800 x 480 screen, optical joystick, HSDPA and these are all very groovy.

The keyboard, on the other-hand (which looks like it should be a joy to type on) leaves a lot to be desired apparently. Oddness.

The Panel interface is still queued up to feature but BG didn’t have any shots.

Here’s some that Engadget posted though: Panel Interface Pics

BoyGeniusReport | 

The lightweight Linux variant Splashtop that’s pre-installed on some Asus motherboards is bounding over like a playful puppy to a range of Asus notebooks, providing instant-on functions like wireless, web browsing, Skype, etc.  Good boy!

Since the software runs from the RAM there’s no need for the full OS to boot up - this also means that it saves that all important battery life.  Roll over. 

I reckon that this and other similar software will start popping up on more systems.  Beg.

Have a goosey at the press jibba-jabba.  Fetch!

Splashtop comes to ASUS Notebooks Complete range of ASUS notebook models provide ‘instant-on’ Internet and media access May 29, 2008 - SAN JOSE, CA - DeviceVM today announced the release of their award winning Splashtop™ software on numerous ASUS notebooks.

Splashtop is a light-weight operating system that allows consumers to use their computers seconds after hitting the power button. Models spanning a wide range of segments are to ship with Splashtop pre-installed by ASUS starting in June this year. “The integration of Splashtop into notebooks represents a big step forward in portable computing, where instant ‘on’ and ‘off’ is essential,” said Mark Lee, co-founder and CEO of DeviceVM. “We are pleased to introduce Splashtop to portable computing together with our partner ASUS.” Branded “Express Gate” by ASUS, Splashtop software enables users to browse the web, watch videos, listen to music, chat with friends, share photos, and more - just seconds after turning on their PC. Express Gate is already available on a wide range of PC motherboards from ASUS.

The notebooks announced today are the first to integrate Express Gate for the broad consumer market, including the M70T, M50V and M51T multimedia series and the stylish F8Va/Vr series. “ASUS is always committed to bring customers the most innovative solutions,” said Henry Yeh, General Manager, ASUS Notebook Business Unit. “With Express Gate, users will experience a new, fast, and secure way to surf, chat and play on ASUS notebooks for a new computing experience”

**ASUS booth will showcase Express Gate at Computex in Taipei International Convention Center TF1L & 101B, June 3 - 7. Please come by for more information.

Splashtop