On March 1, 2011 Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took the stage of the conference center in Bellevue, Washington to address a bunch of Microsoft MVPs (enthusiasts). At one point he held up the tablet you see in the photo above and made some comments about it. I, quite honestly, can’t remember what he said that day. And, if I did, the information might still be covered by an NDA. So, instead, I will reimagine that day and theorize what may have been going through Mr. Ballmer’s mind as he addressed a gathering of Microsoft MVPs (enthusiasts).
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Category: Mobile Devices
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MobileNote: Steve Ballmer’s March 2011 tablet comments reimagined…
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$130 Chipmunk themed tablet with Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4)? Sure, why not?
Archos is a funny company. I remember seeing a number of mobile multimedia devices from them years ago. But, I’ve never seen any of the many Android tablet models they announce year after year. Here’s another one I’ll probably never see. At $130 it may be the least expensive Ice Cream Sandwich based tablet available. And, you get an Alvin and the Chipmunks theme too.Its specs look pretty good for a $130 device. They exceed the more expensive Kindle Fire and Nook Color.
7-inch display
800×480 pixel resolution
WiFi
380 grams
1GB system memory
4GB flash memory
microSD slot
Front facing camera with microphone -
New Microsoft PhotoSynth for Windows Phone app incompatible with 1st gen Windows Phones
The first Windows Phone devices released in the fall of 2010 had hardware limitations imposed by Microsoft. Thus, the entire first generation of devices lacked components that were common even back then. Among the hardware missing from the reference design and the devices based on it is a gyroscope. This component has become increasingly important in games and motion based activities. Microsoft’s design shortsightedness has come back to bite it less than two years after the first Windows Phone devices were released. Its own recently released PhotoSynth panoramic camera app for Windows Phone (first released for the iPhone) won’t work correctly with the entire first generation of Windows Phone devices.Gee… Thanks, Microsoft, for not future proofing your smartphones! 🙁
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In the Mobileviews review queue: Wicked WI2150 Jaw Breaker with Mic Earbud
Here’s another one in the review queue.Wicked WI2150 Jaw Breaker with Mic Earbud
These earbuds list for $29.99 but is available on Amazon for a mere $15.25. Note that it has a microphone. So, you can use it with your phone. I’m having a problem coming to a conclusion about these earbuds though my current opinion is favorable. More later…
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Smule/Khursh Songify for Android released: Android audio latency solved? Not so fast… (Podcast 55)
GigaOm reported on the first music app from iPhone music creation app pioneer Smule.Music app maker Smule finally gives Android some love
It references an interview discussion I had with Smule CTO Ge Wang last year (December 2011) in which he said that Smule had not released Android apps because of the platform’s audio latency problems. However, as GigaOm’s article rightly notes: Smule started with Songify because the app doesn’t have the realtime audio needs that other Smule apps do. But she said that Smule has come up with a work-around for Android’s latency problem that will be deployed in Magic Piano.
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In the MobileViews review queue: Energizer USB Chargers
OK. I admit it. I am woefully behind in reviewing a bunch of mobile accessories and hardware. It is embarrassing and, unfortunately, rude to the nice PR people who provided these items. So, the least I can do is let people who stumble upon this blog know what is in my review queue.
First up? Two products from Energizers new USB Chargers series. The first is the Energizer Dual Wall Universal USB Charger with an unusual list price of $28.56 but available for less than $12 from Amazon. The second is the Energizer 10 Watt USB Wall Charger and Cable with a list price of $24.99 but available from Amazon for less than $18. Both models have folding prongs making them potentially useful travel chargers. More later on this pair of gadget chargers.