Archos Shows 5 Tablets for Fall

Showing just how fired up Archos is about the tablet market, the company announced 5 new Android tablets to ship starting in September. They’ll start at and under $100, although some might be called PMPs (portable media players) rather than true tablets.

The products include the first Android PMP promoted below $100, and then the largest Android tablet to date (sporting a 10.1 inch screen), said the company.

The devices are also thinner and lighter than other tablets, says Archos because they use a new over-moulded PVD stainless steel structure. They’re based on Android 2.2 (Froyo) says Engadget, and all or some offer kickstands, WiFi-n, accelerometers, 1GHz processors and they can be tethered to a 3G phone via Bluetooth or USB for full broader Internet access.

The smaller Archos 28 and 32 are PMPs or “Internet tablets” depending on your definition. They offer email, web browsing, music and video streaming, 3D gaming, eBook access, social networking and other apps. The A32 with 3.2 inch screen ships in September with a built-in camcorder and 8 GB of storage at $150. The Archos 28 with 2.8-inch screen will ship concurrently with 4GB of memory at $100 (or $99.99 to be exact).

There’s the Archos 43 with 4.3 inch screen has a 2 MP HD camcorder for 720p video and 8GB storage. There’s a rear facing camera and the price is $200.

The Archos 70 and 101 (with 7- and 10.1-inch screens) have a built-in webcam for video calls. The 70 comes in 8 or 250 GB at $275 or $350. The 101 has 8 or 16GB at $300 or $350. Engadget says the 101 is lighter than the iPad and called it a true contender to Apple runaway hit tablet.

Source: Archos and Engadget

Borders Brings eReader to $99

Borders dropped the price of its basic eReader to a low of $99 and added 2 new models from Velocity Micro.

With Amazon and Barnes & Noble in an all-out price war, Borders is fighting back with a wider selection that starts at lower price points.

As of September 1, the Aluratek Libre will fall to $99.99 at Borders, down from $129 and the Kobo eReader will drop to $129,99 down from $149.

In addition, Borders announced it will carry Velocity Micro’s Android-based Cruz Reader R101 and Cruz Tablet T103, which are now available for preorder for $199.99 and $299.99, respectively.

The Cruz Reader forgoes E Ink for a 7-inch color touch screen that can display video. It runs on Android with built-in WiFi and full web browsing. It also includes a docking station that turns the eReader into an interactive media hub and picture frame. It has 256MB of storage, USB and SD slots and comes with a 2GB SD card. It links to the Borders eBookstore and provides 10 hours of use and over 24 hours of standby time. It will be available September 30.

The Cruz Tablet adds capacitive touch screen ability, improved Wifi (802.11n) and greater storage at 4GB with an 8GB SD card. It will be available October 15. It may also work with a docking station, which is offered as an option.

The Cruz Reader is also available at NewEgg.com and is slated for additional stores starting in September.

Source: Velocity Micro via Yahoo! Finance

KnowledgeFest Adds JL Audio, Aamp

JL Audio and Aamp of America have been added to the list of suppliers exhibiting at KnowledgeFest 2010 this October.

They join other exhibitors including Alpine, Audiovox, Kenwood, Stillwater Designs/Kicker, Pioneer and Sony as well as Aquatic Marine, Avidworx, DICE Electronics, Dual Electronics, Got2BeWireless, InstallerNet, Memphis Audio, Metra, Nav-TV and Scosche.

The car electronics show will be held October 10-12 at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Dallas. We’ll be there, and you should go too! To register go to http://www.knowledgefest.org/.

Source: MERA, the Mobile Electronics Retailers Association which sponsors KnowledgeFest

Rydeen to Sell gPad Tablet PC

Rydeen Mobile Electronics will launch in November a tablet PC running Android that may be used in the car or as a general purpose 7-inch iPad-like slate PC.

Called the gPad, it has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth. It can access turn-by-turn voice directions via Google Maps so it may be used as a portable GPS device in the car.

The gPad may ship with Android 2.2 (Froyo) at launch, but that is not yet certain, said Rydeen. The tablet will have a front facing camera which can be used with Skype, Memory is 2GB and the tablet accepts up to 32GB microSD cards. The gPad runs on a Marvell ARMADA 166 processor.

“We see this expanding us beyond just car market, but we also see this as expanding us within the car market using this type of technology as a car specific product,” said national sales manager Jim Newell.

“Tablets are going to become so much a part of people’s lives. The tablet is small enough and light enough so that people will take it out with them, where they wouldn’t take a laptop.”

A car mounting kit may be offered.

The device will be available for mass distribution, said Rydeen.

Separately, Rydeen also announced a new rear vision back up camera for the car, which is 40 percent smaller than its previous model. The new HD705N-170B camera mounts on the car’s exterior via a universal mount. It uses a super CMOS III image sensor with Night Vision technology for a rear view of 150 degrees in low light. The unit also now operates at a lower voltage. It may be used with Rydeen’s combo rear view mirror/monitors.

The camera also comes in a version with an OEM look that specifically mounts above the car’s license plate at $180.

Source: Rydeen

Staples Gets the Kindle

Amazon is slowly offering its Kindle eReader through other leading retailers—the latest of which is office supply chain Staples.

Staples said today it will sell all 3 versions of the Kindle including the $139 Wi-Fi (6-inch) model and the Kindle 3G (6-inch) for $189 plus the Kindle DX with the larger 9.7-inch screen at $379, said the AP.

Target began selling the Kindle in June and J&R Computer and Music World received the Kindle DX a month ago. HMS Host stores in airports also sell the Kindle.

An Amazon spokesman said in July, “Ideally we want to sell Kindle where customers want to buy it. So we will work on expanding our retailer network.”

Staples has the rare privilege of selling all 3 Kindles. Target only sells the 6-inch models and J&R only sells the larger DX through its stores, but not its Web site.

Source: AP via Yahoo Finance

Craziest Subwoofer on the Planet

This $13,000 fan is actually a home audio subwoofer that delivers deep bass but spins like a true fan, when turned on. Eminent Technology’s TRW-17 Woofer has no cone-type woofer but it creates bass frequencies down to 1 Hz, where standard $1,000 subs only operate down to 30Hz, says Steve Guttenberg’s Audiophiliac blog on CNET. The fan er woofer makes an entire room pound with bass, claims Guttenberg.

The exact price of the TRW-17 is $12,900; but maybe Eminent could find a way to make a slightly cheaper 12 volt model for the car.

Source: CNET

Cadillac Prepares Crash-Proof Car

Cadillac says it’s working on a crash-proof car.

The company may include Doppler radar in its cars to spot obstructions or traffic jams ahead, said Cadillac director of global safety, John Capp. And even deeper in the future, Capp envisions cars that can drive themselves autonomously. The cars could communicate with each other, and with traffic signals and buildings.

“We see things moving toward a point in the future where perhaps vehicles won’t crash,” said Capp. “We work on developing advanced safety technologies for Cadillac that alert drivers to potential dangers around them.”

Cadillac, of course, already has a number of advanced driver safety products. Its 2010 DTS Platinum includes lane departure warning, blind spot alert and adaptive cruise control.

The media buzz is getting louder on driver safety products, and also on driverless or autonomous, crashless cars.
Source: Cadillac

iPod Out for Car Explained

iPod Out is a new car radio feature expected to appear in aftermarket models later this year or early in 2011 as well as in BMW car radios in 2011.

It basically converts your car radio into an iPod/iPhone screen because it uses the same exact user interface of the Apple handhelds on the car radio. So now when you connect your iPod touch or iPhone to the car radio you see the exact same menu and files as you would on your iPod.

Plus the radio also controls the iPod or iPhone.

The benefit is that all car radios can now have a uniform user interface with the same Apple display for song title, artist, etc. The catch is that car radio makers must be approved licensees of Apple that elect to support the feature.

BMW was the first to announce compatibility with iPod Out starting in 2011, shortly after Apple revealed the feature to its licensees a month ago. And many aftermarket radio companies are expected to show iPod Out-ready radios at the SEMA Show later this year and the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

Alpine said it is not commenting on the feature and Pioneer didn’t respond to our inquiry but privately, suppliers say the new radios are under development by many brands.

iPod Out should make it easier for salespeople and consumers to learn how to operate car radios (instead of Sony offering its own interface, and JVC its own menus).

It works only with music from iPhone/iPod touch models running iOS 4, so the nano and classic are not supported. Also the iPad is not currently supported although car radio makers are hoping that may change, perhaps with news issuing from Apple’s press event scheduled for September 1 in San Francisco.

Source: CEoutlook

Apple iPad Back in Stock

If you want an iPad, you no longer have to wait 2 weeks. Apple is now showing 24-hour shipping on all iPad models via its online store, just in time for the back to school season.

With competitors such as Toshiba, Samsung, RIM, Motorola/Google, HTC, Acer and others said to be preparing new tablets, all are going to be fighting for components, which are said to be under constraint.

As we reported earlier, the iPad will take a 74.1 percent share of global tablet shipments this year. Its stake will drop only slightly next year to a 70.4 percent share of shipments and even in 2012, its share will still amount to almost 2/3rds of tablet shipments or 61.7 percent, according to iSuppli.

In July, iSuppli said it expects Apple to ship just shy of 13 million iPads in 2010, tripling to 36.5 million in 2011 and growing to 50.4 million in 2012.

Source: Apple via TG Daily

iPhone Car App for Crash Warning

A new smartphone app can do what a $1,700 luxury option on a BMW does: let you know when you are closing in too fast on the car ahead of you.

The “Augmented Driving” app from imaGinyze turns your iPhone into a driver safety device. It audibly chimes if the car ahead gets too close or if there’s car in a neighboring lane. According to ReadWriteWeb the accuracy of the app depends on how well you mount your iPhone on the windshield, which could prove a problem. Like a cheap radar detector, it might chime all the time and become more of an annoyance than a safety tool. Then again, the app costs $3. (see video below)

The Augmented Driving app is an example of what’s known as “augmented reality.”

Another such app is Wikitude Drive, which converts your phone to a super realistic GPS device. The app “shows a video” of the actual road as your navigation map so instead of a line you get a photo-real view of the road ahead.

The app is in beta testing in the U.S. by its Austrian developer Mobilzy. And it’s slated for Android phones.

It overlays a live video stream of the road onto GPS navigation. If you tap the screen you can toggle back and forth from the live view to the normal GPS map. It should help you keep your eyes on the road because you are not trying to decipher a 2D map. The app won a grand price at Mobile World Congress in the Global Navteq LBS Challenge 2010. (See video).

Wikitude Drive by Mobilizy

Wikitude Drive – Test Drivers Wanted from Wikitude on Vimeo.

Source: Mobilizy, ReadWriteWeb via CEA SmartBrief, Imaginyze

iPad Docks Get Real

Although the iPad has been on sale since April, docking products that work specifically with the tablet are just starting to reach the market.

iHome will ship next month perhaps the first clock radio product that docks with the iPad, and a new KeyCase iPad Folio converts the tablet to a netbook.

iHome will release in September a $199 clock radio that works with the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. It can charge and play the devices when docked and it lets you wake up to music from the devices.

You get audio enhanced by digital signal processing by Bongiovi Acoustics and it uses Bluetooth so you can listen to music wirelessly or use the device as a speakerphone. It comes with an app to create custom alarm settings, plus an FM radio and it’s available for pre-order now.

The KeyCase iPad Folio combines a Bluetooth keyboard in a case that can hold the iPad to create a clamshell “netbook.” It is on sale at one UK retailer and is slated for U.S. availability for $92 according to AppleInsider.

The keyboard has a battery life of 45 to 90 hours when used with the iPad. It takes 4 to 4.5 hours to charge using a standard Apple USB iPod connector cable.
The KeyCase Folio was approved by the FCC a week ago and is supplied by Chinese firm Shenzhen Paoluy Silicone Technology Co., Ltd.

Sources: AppleInsider, iPad.net and iHome

Netflix App for iPhone/iPod touch

If you’re a Netflix subscriber you can now view movies on an iPhone or iPod touch at no extra cost.

Netflix released an app that allows subscribers on a $9 a month plan or higher to watch TV episodes and movies streamed to an iPhone or iPod touch. The app works over both WiFi and 3G networks. Users can choose a movie directly from their iPhone or iPod. They can fast-forward, pause and rewind the video stream and they can resume watching on a different device at their bookmarked spot. The app works on iOS 3.13 or later.

Source: Netflix

New Apple iPod Touch Expected on Sept. 1

At its September 1 press event Apple is widely expected to show an iPod touch with front- and rear-facing cameras so the device can offer video chat, or the FaceTime feature now on the iPhone 4.

The new iPod touch is also widely expected to get the same bright Retina Display on the new iPhone 4 and a similar square form factor.

The speculation gets a little hazy after that, but some products that may or may not make an appearance on Wednesday at 10 am AM PDT at the San Francisco event include a new nano, an improved Apple TV and a new MacBook Air. A new social-oriented and web-based version of iTunes is possible. The launch of an iTunes TV rental store at 99 cents per episode is said to be under development but not quite ready for release next week.

We may see a nano that loses the click wheel, reports iPodnn.

A Gleacher & Co. analyst, Brian Marshall, expects only minor announcements about iTunes and Apple TV. “It’ll be about the iPod. Apple TV, that’s still chugging along. They will likely introduce [an Apple TV] in a sleeker case with more storage, but that’s not going to be a big deal,” quoted Computerworld.
This will mark the 5th consecutive year that Apple has introduced new iPods in September.

Source: ipodnn and Computerworld via Reuters

Photo: The current iPod touch may get an an update September 1., Yahoo!News

Audiovox Cuts FLO TV for Car to $199

Audiovox’s FLO TV for the car will get a $199 price tag this September, effectively slashing the price of the high tech car TV product in half, according to two reliable sources.

President of Audiovox Electronics Tom Malone, told us earlier in the month that the company has been looking at alternative pricing for its $399 FLO TV car tuner system that delivers 20 channels of pay TV to the car, but Audiovox did not respond to our request for confirmation of the new pricing.

FLO TV for the car has been on sale through retailers since approximately March and received mixed reviews by 12-volt specialists. It is slated to go on sale at Best Buy this quarter.

FLO TV has been offered in cellular phones for years and has not lived up to the expectations of parent company Qualcomm, which said in July that it may sell the service.

Malone said he believes FLO TV has a very strong future and that the right pricing and programming packages could ignite demand in the car.

Audiovox recently announced a new merchandising program for FLO TV for members of the ICE buying group who sell Code Alarm security products.

Source: CEoutlook (exclusive)

GPS Tracking: No Need for Warrant

Some general news regarding GPS tracking devices is making headlines today. Government agents can slap a GPS tracking device on your car parked in your driveway, and track you, legally.

This is now the case in California and 8 other Western states, a U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has ruled. The government requires no search warrant to enter your driveway and then track your car, because you have no reasonable expectation of privacy in your driveway, said the Court.

Time magazine today called the ruling bizarre and scary and wondered if the U.S. will become a totalitarian state.

This case began in 2007, when Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents wanted to monitor an Oregon man suspected of growing marijuana. They snuck onto his property at night and and put a tracking device under his Jeep.

The Oregon man, Juan Pineda-Moreno challenged the DEA’s actions but the court in January ruled it legal and a second group of judges this month, ruled to let the decision stand.

To make matters worse, the court also ruled that once a GPS device has been planted, the government can track people without a warrant. Now there is a battle underway in federal and state courts regarding this issue and the issue is likely to wind up in the Supreme Court.

Source: Time magazine

Apple Press Event Sept. 1

Apple is holding a press event on Wednesday, September 1, in San Francisco, where it may reveal a new iPod touch, nano or Apple TV.

News agencies said the invitations show a guitar, and so the event carries a music theme, but Apple has not revealed details.

Apple typically unveils new iPods around this time of year.

Source: Reuters and AP

Kindle 3 Ships Today; Outsells Past Models

Amazon said its new Kindle 3 models are the fastest selling Kindles to date.

In the four weeks since the new generation of Kindles were introduced, they have been ordered more heavily than in any prior Kindle launch, said Amazon. They include the $139 Kindle (known as Kindle 3) and $189 Kindle 3G.

The eReaders are also the most heavily ordered product than any other sold on Amazon.com.

The new Kindles were originally introduced in last July, but Amazon sold out quickly. Today they began shipping again–two days earlier than previously announced.

“Kindle is the best-selling product on Amazon.com for two years running and our new generation Kindles are continuing that momentum,” said Steven Kessel, Kindle senior VP.

Source: Amazon

Garmin Issues GPS Recall

Garmin is recalling approximately 1.25 million nuvi portable GPS devices that include batteries that can overheat.

Almost 800,000 of the recalled nuvi devices were sold in the U.S. and they used a battery produced by a 3rd party.

Garmin said it found an overheating in less than 10 cases on certain nuvi models, and none of the incidents caused an injury, nor serious property damage. It decided, however, to proactively issue the recall.

Models affected include the 200W, 250W, 260W, 7xx and 7xxT (where xx is a two-digit number). Only products manufactured within a certain date range are at risk.
Users should visit www.garmin.com/nuvibatterypcbrecall to determine if their model is recalled. They can also call 866-957-1981.

Garmin does not expect the recall to have a material adverse effect on financial operating results. The battery supplier has agreed to share the cost of replacement battery packs and all other costs of the recall program, said Garmin.

Source: Garmin
Photo: Garmin nuvi 765

Sharper Image Color eReader

The latest e-reader to offer an LCD color screen instead of an E Ink version is MerchSource, which is planning a $159 eReader to be called the Literati by The Sharper Image.

MerchSource sells electronics and other products under names such as Animal Planet, Emerson, and Vivitar. In this case, it made a licensing deal with The Sharper Image, according to The New York Times.

The 7-inch eReader uses WiFi. It links to Kobo’s eBookstore and will ship in October to stores including Best Buy, Bed, Bath and Beyond, JC Penney, Kohl’s, and Macy’s.
For ease of use, it comes preloaded with 25 public domain titles.

Source: The New York Times
Photo: Literati by Sharper Image via The New York Times

Apple iPad Share To Stay Above 2/3rds for Years

Don’t expect the Apple iPad to lose much share through this year and next, even with a deluge of competitive tablets on the way this fall and early in 2011.

The iPad will take a 74.1 percent share of global tablet shipments this year. It’s stake will drop only slightly next year to a 70.4 percent share of shipments and even in 2012, its share will still amount to almost 2/3rds of tablet shipments or 61.7 percent, said iSuppli.

Even with an outpouring of tablets to reach the market over the next six months, “it will take some time for these companies to get their products to market, longer for them to offer necessary software support and infrastructure, and an even lengthier period to begin to rival the overall user experience Apple is able to deliver,” said iSuppli director of monitor research Rhoda Alexander.

iSuppli based its conclusions on the smart phone market. It took Apple iPhone competitors almost 3 years to launch successful rivals. Even the Google G1 and the Palm Pre could not compete. Truly comparable devices with some superior features didn’t emerge until 29 months later starting with the Motorola Droid, followed by the HTC Evo 4G, 36 months from the iPhone’s launch in 2007.

“Companies are quickly developing products that match or exceed some of the surface hardware specifications of the Apple iPad. But it’s still unlikely that any of the competitors will be able to equal the overall performance experience of the iPad…we don’t see anything in the marketplace at present that seems likely to rival what Apple is offering in tablets today,” said Alexander. That’s not good news for the Dell Streak which launched in August.

iSuppli acknowledged expectations of a Samsung a Galaxy tablet, and RIM BlackPad. But it said HP’s expected WebOS tablet will be the closest iPad rival. HP has years of experience in producing PC-type products. But its tablets won’t likely be ready until 2011.

As for a Google Chrome OS tablet rumored for Black Friday, November 26, iSuppli said, “that seems unlikely, given that iSuppli sources indicate the initial Chrome OS does not have touch screen display support. Any touch-enabled Chrome-based device would be more likely to appear in 2011 or beyond. Even then, Google faces some significant challenges in premiering a new operating system and migrating directly from smart phones to tablets,” Alexander said.

Some other rumored tablets include a Toshiba product due as early as September/October for global distribution. It will have a 10-inch screen and run Android with Nvidia’s Tegra 2 processor, said Digitimes.

In the first quarter, a Google/Motorola branded tablet may be offered through Verizon using Android’s upcoming 3.0 (Gingerbread) OS. Acer may offer a Gingerbread tablet at that time as well.

Many Windows 7 based tablets are also due by Christmas, although analysts say that Windows 7 is not an ideal OS for tablets.

In July, iSuppli said it expects Apple to ship just shy of 13 million iPads in 2010, tripling to 36.5 million in 2011 and growing to 50.4 million in 2012.

Source: iSuppli

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