This is the year that we get to see plenty of new firsts –the first Google branded smart phone, the first standalone touch screen tablet device, the first commercial 3D display screens, and many more. 2010 has always been a favorite setting for some science fiction writers and while we may have not found the ultimate in renewable power sources or commute in flying cars there are still plenty of things that technology can astound us with.
Indeed, just a little over a decade ago, it would have been hard to envision the social networking site Facebook and microblogging tool Twitter as easy and accessible web services. The average high end smart phones are capable of running 3D games, augmented reality apps and of course, take videos in HD format.
Google’s Android mobile platform is an advancement that has not been talked about much in science fiction, but it does enable people to achieve a close result. This open source platform gives developers the freedom to play around with whatever functions they can think of –giving the device an almost unlimited degree of versatility (limited only by the hardware’s capabilities). Even Google’s very own apps are already awe inspiring. Take the Google Goggles for example; it is practically a device that precedes Star Trek’s translations devices (just point the phone camera at text written in a different language and the phone will translate it to English).
The tablet has also become a major figure in the tech industry. For now, circulation of the device is still limited as only Apple’s iPad is available and it has yet to be launched worldwide. But if the US sales are to be measured, at least a million units of the tablet was sold in the first month of sales alone. It will not be long before a touch screen tablet is a common household commodity –and with the upcoming Android tablet, we can expect to see more of their technology in use.
Posts Tagged ‘Google-Tablet’
Future Forecast: Androids, Tablets and More
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010Apple’s iPad: Delayed, Again and Again
Monday, May 17th, 2010
It was just a few weeks ago that the world had to be utterly disappointed with the fact that the Apple iPad would not be available by the end of April. After the device launched successfully in the US, many believe that the tablet was the future of the internet and many people wanted to own one –sadly, the device is only being sold in the US and the UK and international launch was not due until much later in April.
Still, the world waited patiently for the iPad, and more patiently still after Apple announced that they are having trouble producing enough stocks of the touch screen tablet to meet the US demands. While many were obviously disappointed at the re-scheduled May 28 launch date, it was something that many still wanted to wait for. Now, with just a couple of weeks away from the new date, it appears that Apple is once again experiencing more trouble stocking the device as they have made a new announcement in the Apple online store –the tablet is now due to be released on June 7.
The new schedule is not just a major delay, but also an insult to the any people worldwide who have waited to try out the touch screen device. Many tech experts are now also advising the market to hold back on tablet purchases and wait for more devices to be available –giving people a better choice of products aside from Apple’s iPad.
The next big contender in the tablet market is made by Google and as shown in the Web 2.0 Expo, the Android toting touch screen device comes equipped with all the best features including native support for Flash and AIR content. Google and Adobe have been keeping quiet about the details of their new device, but some representatives have hinted that NVIDA technology may be running under the hood of this hot ride.
Google: Let the Tablet Wars Commence
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
The touch screen tablet industry is currently dominated by Apple’s iPad device. Not that there are no other devices such as the Archos, but even those fail to live up to the standards that Apple has set in the industry. Simply put, Apple has reinvented tablets and their iPad is the forerunner of the industry.
After the last Web 2.0 Expo however, it appears that Apple is not going to stay as the only main player in the industry for long. Rumors about a Google made tablet have already been making rounds as early as the time when iTablet started popping up and the only other major Google based question aside from “when the device will be available” was “which” –as in “which OS will be used, Android or Chrome?”
The matter seems to have been settled as of last week as Google showed off a touch screen tablet that is reportedly using NVIDIA technology, the latest Android operating system and native Flash and AIR support. Google’s device seems to be loaded with all the big features that are already present in the iPad such as web browsing, eBooks (thanks to Google Editions), Android apps and of course, media playback. The addition of Flash and AIR support will give Google and advantage over the iPad as Apple’s products will never be able to support Flash based content.
And yes, the Android browser will be supporting HTML5 and h.264 content as well.
There are those who believe that the tablet wars will be a bigger version of smart phone competition with Android offering a fierce fight but Apple still able to hold its’ ground. However, looking at the industry as it is now, the iPad has only been able to establish itself in the US with the global market still wary of the tablet device.
With industry experts already telling many buyers to wait for the Android tablet before making a choice, it appears that Apple just missed its chance to fully indoctrinate the market.
Google’s New Tablet Brings Everything You Need: Even Flash
Friday, May 7th, 2010
If there is one thing that a million of iPad owners (and yes, there are a million as of last week) are lamenting on right now, it is the fact that they cannot access their favorite Flash based Facebook games on the touch screen tablet.
It may seem silly if you do not make use of the social networking’s extra features, but there are plenty of people obsessed about taking care of their virtual pets, their virtual farms, virtual establishments and more. Even if Steve Jobs is saying that there are 50,000 free game apps in the iTunes store, none of these apps connect to Facebook profiles and will allow users to spam their friend’s walls with bragging posts on how big the tomatoes on their farms are (or something like that).
Is the lack of Flash an issue? According to Steve Jobs, it is not, but plenty of others say that it is. Even for people who do not rely on Flash for games. There are many websites that are made using Flash. These functions cannot be done without and despite Apple’s determination to get the public to shift to HTML5 that change will not happen overnight.
Of course, there is more to the Android tablet than having native Flash and AIR support. The device that was shown off at the Web 2.0 Expo was fast, responsive and delivered a tablet experience that was more than just an oversized smart phone.
The image quality was excellent, and while no official specs are available at the time; the screen has proven to be perfect for viewing pages at whole width, and the browser is able to load content extremely fast.
Sadly, Google is very quiet about this brand new device. The only thing they are letting on is the fact that somewhere along the production process NVIDIA is heavily concerned; could this mean that this is a GPU based tablet? -Only time will tell.