On Gear Live: iPhone 16e Review: Apple Just Killed the Budget iPhone

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On Thursday night's show, O'Brien claimed that Apple and its team of engineering wizards was "getting a little cocky". Team Coco then proceeded to spoof the iPad's desktop, thinness, "a pair of cheap cameras," and how we Americans seem to take everything said with an accent and lend it more credence than it actually deserves.

O'Brien, whose humor is perhaps more warm-hearted than his late-night rivals, completely leaves Steve Jobs or a parody of Jobs out of the fake launch video, almost certainly because of Jobs' struggle with cancer. The omission allows the humor to fall where it should: on Apple's iconic status, and how the iPad 2 might be considered a bit more like an iPad 1.5.

Click to continue reading Conan O’Brien pokes fun at Apple’s iPad 2

Gallery: Conan O’Brien pokes fun at Apple’s iPad 2


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Take a look at the future of mobile virtual reality with the String Labs Augmented Reality Showcase app for the iPhone. This amazing new application is a tech demo from String Labs, celebrating the launch of their brand new augmented reality platform. Download the free app from the iTunes app store, and head over to the String Labs website to print out the five available image targets.

Choose from Pharaoh's Fury, Clayful, Scrawl, Proto, and Sneaker. When you launch the app, you can focus your rear camera on the image targets, and play with the games and utilities that show up in virtual reality. There are fun games, creative artistic drawings, and random virtual three eyed pets to play with. Check out our video, where we walk you through each one of the five image targets, and give you a taste of the technology. Take a look at the future of mobile virtual reality, and imagine all the possibilities.

What do you like about these new applications? Can you dream up an innovative way to use augmented reality? Share your idea's with us in the comments below. 

Read More | String Labs

Gallery: Hands-on with the String Labs Augmented Reality Showcase iPhone app


Apple iPad 2

No, the Apple iPad 2 is not a game changer. Instead it simply, firmly establishes Apple once again as the front-runner in the tablet wars. Apple and chief executive Steve Jobs (who made an appearance and received a standing ovation) focused on all the right areas to ensure that the Apple iPad will remain the tablet you have to rule out before you buy any others.

As I predicted, Apple added not one, but two cameras. This makes perfect sense, though I was not particularly happy to hear an Apple exec say on stage that the iPad is perfectly suited for these cameras and FaceTime. Why couldn't the first-generation iPad, which I own, also have been considered perfect for at least one camera? Apple didn't say anything about the resolution on the cameras, though we know the rear one can capture 720P, more or less - the Apple definition for "High Definition." Please, no one tell Steve Jobs that someone on the iPad team sneaked by an accessory that outputs full 1080p from the device (more on that later).

Click to continue reading Apple iPad 2 hands-on

Gallery: Apple iPad 2 hands-on


At this mornings iPad 2 event, Apple showed the video above for the first time. It's about six minutes long, and gives a peek into everything you should expect from the new iPad, as well as some details about what's going on under the hood, and a look at the new iMovie and Garageband iPad apps.

Gallery: iPad 2 video introduction


If you missed the live footage of HP's 'Think Beyond' webOS event this morning, check out the event in its entirety above for a look at the introduction of the TouchPad, Veer, and Pre 3.

Gallery: Complete video of HP ‘Think Beyond’ event, featuring TouchPad, Pre 3, and Veer webOS devices


The peeps over at iFixit got their hands on the new Verizon iPhone 4, and immediately disassembled it to give us the goods on what's changed on the inside. While the Verizon and AT&T models do look very similar on the outside, there are quite a few things under the hood that've changed. Things ike the back cover, the silent vibrator, and the Qualcomm MDM6600 chip (which supports both CDMA and GSM networks) are things you wouldn't find on the AT&T model. Take a look at the video above, which provides a great explaination.

Click to continue reading Video: Verizon iPhone 4 gets disassembled, changes revealed

Gallery: Video: Verizon iPhone 4 gets disassembled, changes revealed


We had some screenshots and short videos in the past, but last week Google did the first in-depth presentation of their latest version of the Android system: Honeycomb. This hour long video shows enthusiasts everything that Honeycomb can do. Unlike previous versions of Android that were optimized for smartphones (and were simply stretched to tablet sizes,) Honeycomb was made for tablets. You'll see a better visual interface, and acceleration technologies for 2D and 3D. After the OS itself, they show off some devices in action, including the Motorola Xoom. Check it out if you're thinking of getting an iPad alternative.

Click to continue reading Watch Google introduce Android 3.0 Honeycomb

Gallery: Watch Google introduce Android 3.0 Honeycomb


Xperia PLAY

The Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY becamse very real last night, as it was highlighted in a very cool Super Bowl XLV commercial that featured the Google Android robot getting a back-alley body modification to add thumbs to his arms so that he could get his game on. This Xperia PLAY is the world's first PlayStation certified smartphone, and we're looking forward to February 13th, when all the details will be revealed. Check out the commercial after the jump.

Click to continue reading Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY Android PlayStation phone Super Bowl commercial

Gallery: Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY Android PlayStation phone Super Bowl commercial


News Corp. mogul Rupert Murdoch unveiled his iPad-only newspaper, The Daily, today at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

"In the tablet era, there's room for a fresh and new voice," Murdoch said.

The Daily will feature nearly 100 pages of original content produced each day. Among the bells and whistles included are HD video and 360 degree photos. Readers can subscribe to the publication which will be delivered to the iPad automatically each morning and can opt to be billed each week for $0.99 or each year for $39.99. Murdoch said that comes down to $0.14 a day.

On hand were Apple's head of Internet Services, Eddie Cue; The Daily Editor Jesse Angelo; and News Corp.'s head of digital Jon Miller.

"It's the first national daily news publication built from the ground up for the iPad," Cue said.

Click to continue reading News Corp.‘s iPad publication, The Daily, now available

Gallery: News Corp.‘s iPad publication, The Daily, now available


 

Motorola has released a teaser for the forthcoming Xoom tablet.

"2011 Looks a lot like 1984. One Authority. One design. One way to work. It's time for more choices," says the clip.

It seems to be a shot at Apple, with the text of the video appearing over an image of a globe sporting the iPad maker's signature white ear buds.

The preview advertises the Xoom's speed, boasting its dual-core 1GHz processor, 1080p HD video playback, and 3G upgradable to 4G. It also emphasizes the tablet's flexibility. It will run on Android 3.0 Honeycomb and use Adobe Flash Player. The Xoom will also have a five-megapixel rear-facing camera and a two-megapixel front-facing camera. Apple's next-generation iPad is also rumored to include dual-facing cameras.

Click to continue reading Motorola attacks iPad in their awesome Xoom teaser ad

Gallery: Motorola attacks iPad in their awesome Xoom teaser ad


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