Introducing the Apple iPad

The wait is over and speculation can now be put to rest. Apple unveiled their newest creation today, the iPad.

 

So the iPad is supposed to be somewhere between the smartphones we all use and a laptop. They say in order to create that category they have to create something that is far better at doing some key tasks…better than a laptop, better than the smartphone. And no…a netbook doesn’t fit this category because netbooks aren’t better than anything.

 

So initially it looks like an exploded iPhone, but the idea is for developers to release apps that have special functionality with the iPad.

It’s .5 inches thin, 1.5 pounds, and sports a 9.7 inch IPS display with full capacitive multitouch. It has a 1 GHz Apple A4 chip and seems to fly through tasks almost flawlessly. Available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB with 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1. Has an accelerometer and compass and about 10 hours of batter life with over a month of standby time.

Also comes with built in 3G, with all models unlocked. They have a special deal with AT&T where they’re offering up to 250 MB a month for $14.99, and $29.99 a month for unlimited data. Compared to the average $60 a month for an aircard, that’s pretty good. Plus it’s prepaid so there is no contract and no commitment to AT&T!

They’re taking a crack at the ebook market. The iBooks app looks pretty cool:

And now for pricing:

WiFi models will start shipping in 60 days, and in 90 days for a 3G model.

Not sure if I’m too impressed at what almost seems like just a really big iPod Touch (no camera, no phone). I was really hoping for a full-fledged tablet Mac that runs OSX. We’ll see where this goes. No multitasking?? Seriously?

Read more at: Engadget's live blog

Windows 7 “GodMode”…

…is not very "Godly" at all. The name would have one believe that this unlocks some secret set of features or controls, but really it's just a glorified control panel. Still pretty cool, but that name is ridiculous.

By creating a new folder in Windows 7 and renaming it with a certain text string, users are able to create a single place to do everything from Defrag the hard drive to change the homepage, customize the mouse, change network settings, change battery settings…it's all there.

It is super easy to access GodMode, simply create a new folder and then rename the folder to the following:
"GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}" (without quotes)

Once that is done, the folder's icon will change to the control panel icon and the folder will contain tons of control options. Again, far from what I would consider a true GodMode, but it is definitely an easy way to get to all kinds of controls. Microsoft has been asked for more details on the feature and how it came to be. But so far, the M$ boys are not talking.

3D Games For Palm Pre Are Here!!

The app world for the Palm Pre just got real hot. Earlier today at CES, Palm announced the release of some very good looking games. Now we get to see developers tap into some of the power of the Pre! The Electronic Arts CEO, Travis Boatman was there to talk about the new SDK and show some new apps, including Sims 3 and Need for Speed. The games support full 3D graphics and they look real good. These new apps will be available today.

Source: http://www.precentral.net/palm-brings-games-native-development?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Precentralnet+%28PreCentral.net%29

Palm Introduces 3D Games for webOS

Hot Game Titles from EA, Gameloft, Glu Mobile and Laminar Research Available Today in Palm App Catalog

LAS VEGAS, Jan 07, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- 3D gaming has landed on the Palm^(R) webOS(TM) platform. Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ:PALM) today introduced several graphics-intensive game titles for webOS, from leading game developers EA Mobile(TM), a division of Electronic Arts Inc.; Gameloft; Glu Mobile; and Laminar Research. Demonstrated at Palm's CES event, the games will be available today in the Palm App Catalog for Palm Pre customers.

"We are very excited about the potential of webOS as a platform for mobile 3D gaming," said Katie Mitic, senior vice president, Product Marketing, Palm, Inc. "This is a key application category, and we've worked closely with some of the leading game developers to deliver a great game experience for our customers."

Seven 3D games were introduced today in the Palm App Catalog for Palm Pre customers:

• "Need for Speed(TM) Undercover" (EA Mobile)
  
• "The Sims(TM) 3" (EA Mobile)
  
• "MONOPOLY(TM)" (EA Mobile)
  
• "Asphalt 5: Elite Racing" (Gameloft)
  
• "Let's Golf!" (Gameloft)
  
• "Glyder 2" (Glu Mobile)
  
• "X-Plane" (Laminar Research)
  

Five other mobile games were also introduced: EA Mobile's "Tetris^(R)," "Sudoku," and "SCRABBLE^(R)," and Gameloft's "The Oregon Trail" and "Brain Challenge."

"Recent improvements to Palm webOS represent major advancements in enabling world-class mobile gaming," said Travis Boatman, vice president of Worldwide Studios for EA Mobile. "These innovations have allowed us to quickly bring our best IP to the platform."

The developers introducing titles today have had early access to the Palm webOS Plug-in Development Kit (PDK), which extends the Palm webOS Software Development Kit (SDK) with a set of tools, documentation and APIs that let developers write plug-ins for their webOS applications. The PDK lets developers easily integrate C and C++ code into their webOS applications, enabling new functionality, including immersive 3D games. A public beta version of the webOS PDK is scheduled to be available to all developers in March.

"The performance of the platform allowed us to create these great games in a limited timeframe," said Baudouin Corman, vice president of publishing, Americas, Gameloft. "webOS allows us to deliver an outstanding gaming experience, and we look forward to bringing our best games to Palm customers worldwide.""We expect the plug-in model to play an important role in the evolution of the webOS platform, just as plug-ins have with web browsers," said Mitic. "And with this plug-in, we are making it super-simple for developers to bring the hottest games to webOS."

The Palm App Catalog currently offers more than 1,000 webOS applications for download. Palm's unique over-the-air model also makes it easy for customers to get webOS updates and new features delivered directly to their phones. For example, at CES today, Palm announced that video recording, editing and sharing capabilities will soon be available for users of webOS phones. This new video capability will be delivered automatically to current and future Palm Pre(TM) and Palm Pixi(TM) products via an over-the-air update.

Palm also demonstrated Flash content in the browser on a Palm Pre and expects a free Adobe Flash Player 10.1 plug-in to be posted to the Palm App Catalog in the coming months. Palm expects webOS to be one of the first mobile platforms to support the full Flash Player in the web browser.

More information about the webOS PDK is available at the newly updated Palm Developer Center (developer.palm.com). More information about games for webOS is available at www.palm.com/applications.

About Palm, Inc.

Palm, Inc. creates intuitive and powerful mobile experiences that enable consumers and businesses to connect to their information in more useful and usable ways. The company's groundbreaking Palm^(R) webOS(TM) platform, designed exclusively for mobile application, introduces true multitasking and Palm Synergy(TM), which brings your information from the many places it resides into a single, more comprehensive view of your life.

Palm products are sold through select Internet, retail, reseller and wireless operator channels, and at the Palm online store (www.palm.com/store).

More information about Palm, Inc. is available at www.palm.com.

Palm, Pixi, Pre, Synergy, and webOS are trademarks of Palm, Inc. MONOPOLY and SCRABBLE (in the U.S. and Canada) are trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.

SOURCE: Palm, Inc.