By Cynthia Herbert :: 8:49 PM
Technology website This Is My Next is reporting leaks on Motorola’s new Xoom tablet offering that could position it as an iPad 2 challenger when it is released.
Their sources say the soon-to-be-released 10.1-inch Motorola Xoom 2 is only 9mm thick – only a little thicker than the iPad 2′s 8.8mm width. It will come with a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, with 1GB of RAM, have the ability to record 1080p video, and sip energy with almost eleven hours of battery life. Optional equipment available includes a keyboard and a stylus pen.
On the software side, the Xoom 2 is said to be the first tablet that will ship with Adobe’s Flash Player 11. It will also stream Netflix in HD and will probably have the capability to wirelessly sync to your PC. Rounding out the list of leaks, it will likely have a built-in infrared communication device that helps to interact with planned home automation software.
By Gilbert Falso :: 8:34 PM
A survey of over 1,000 Facebook users shows that over 85 percent of the them strongly dislike the recent changes to the social networking site. The survey was conducted by Sodahead, a social-voting-based site.
Teens ranked at the top of the scale on the disapproval side, with 91 percent of that demographic saying that Facebook should roll back the changes. 79 percent of young adults also said they disapproved of the new changes. Women were more upset over the changes than men. Nearly 90 percent of women disliked the new Facebook, while 78 percent of men disliked it.
Facebook’s recent changes include the Ticker and the Timeline displays, which replace Facebook’s long running News Feed and Profile pages. Facebook will roll the Timeline out to users over the next few weeks, drastically changing how and what personal information users will display to their friends.
By Cynthia Herbert :: 7:46 AM
According to a survey of 1,681 U.S.-based workers released Thursday by Forrester Research, more of them are using iPhone and Android smartphones combined than use BlackBerry hardware.
The long-standing workhorse of the corporate world, Blackberry has been eclipsed by new technology from Apple and Android.
Nearly half (48%) of all respondents, said that they chose the smartphone used for their job without considering what their company supports. Only 29% said they chose the smartphone from a list of phones the company supports, while 23% said they had no choice in the matter.
Most IT shops choose BlackBerry when requiring their workers to use a specific smartphone because of its perceived security benefits, according to analysts. However, the explosion of growth in Android phones and the iPhone is forcing IT shops to revisit this decision.
The survey also found that worker satisfaction with their IT shops is not good. Fewer than half of the workers and their managers said that they were satisified with services and technologies provided by their IT department.
By Gilbert Falso :: 1:06 AM
Amazon and digital content distribution service OverDrive have collaborated to launch Kindle library lending to thousands of public libraries across the country. Users in the Seattle area have reported being able to access this option, and Amazon’s website now offers information about the new service. It was expected that it would be launched in phases, and it appears this is the case.
Patrons will be able to check out e-books from their local public library on the following tablet m0dels: Kindle 1,2, and 3, and Kindle DX. Applications will also be supported, including Kindle’s Cloud Reader. 3G is not be supported, books must be downloaded over WiFi or USB connections.
OverDrive has established a website where users can search for participating libraries. Customers will then use their library’s website to search for and select an e-book to borrow. Once they choose a book, they can “send” it to their Kindle, and they will be redirected to Amazon.com to log in to their Amazon account. The book is then delivered to their device after they authenticate.
“Libraries are a critical part of our communities and we’re excited to be making Kindle books available at more than 11,000 local libraries around the country,” Amazon’s director of Kindle marketing Jay Marine said in a statement released by the company.
By Gilbert Falso :: 8:23 PM
Former Vice President (and so-called Internet inventor) Al Gore has reportedly let slip the news that Apple will indeed be launching the next generation of it’s iPhone, the iPhone 5 in October.
Gore is a member of Apple’s board, and was speaking in South Africa at the Discovery Invest Leadership Summit when he leaked the news of next month’s launch. Gore was talking about the technology growth in solar energy and other inventions when he let this line slip, “not to mention the new iPhones coming out next month.â€
He then added, quickly, “that was a plug!â€
It is interesting to note that Gore used the plural form in his leak – iPhones. That leads many in the tech field to believe that Gore knows that in addition to the long awaited iPhone5, there will also be an updated iPhone4 as well.
Apple’s media event is thought to be planned for Tuesday, October 4th.