RIM's PlayBook aims at iPad
IT'S TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2010 I'M JEFF BAKALAR , AND IT'S TIME TO GET LOADED.
RESEARCH IN MOTION ANNOUNCED ITS MUCH ANTICIPATED TABLET DEVICE YESTERDAY, AND IT IS NOT CALLED THE BLACK-PAD. INSTEAD THE COMPANY IS CALLING IT THE PLAY-BOOK. RIM SAYS THAT IT'S THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL TABLET. IT HAS A 7-INCH TOUCH SCREEN, TWO HD FRONT AND BACK FACING CAMERAS, A 1 GHZ DUAL CORE CPU, 1 GB OF RAM, WI-FI AND A HTML5 BROWSER WITH FLASH-SUPPORT. THE NEW DEVICE DOESN'T RUN BLACKBERRY OS 6, BUT A NEW TABLET OS BASED ON Q-N-X, A COMPANY RIM PURCHASED LAST YEAR.
MICROSOFT IS SAYING IT WILL ABANDON THE WINDOWS SPACES PLATFORM FOR WINDOWS LIVE IN FAVOR OF THE MORE POPULAR WORDPRESS BLOGGING INTERFACE. THIS MOVE MIRRORS WHAT THE COMPANY DID WITH ITS VIDEO SHARING SITE SOAPBOX, OPENING UP THE OPTION TO POST TO YOUTUBE OR FACEBOOK AS WELL.
WITH APPLE RELAXING ITS APP STORE RULES, APPS THAT USE GOOGLE'S VOICE SERVICE ARE STARTING TO APPEAR IN THE APP STORE. BUT THE BIG ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IS WHETHER GOOGLE ITSELF WILL RELEASE AN OFFICIAL APP. ACCORDING TO TECH-CRUNCH, IT IS. THE TECH BLOG IS REPORTING THAT GOOGLE'S VOICE APP HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED, AND THAT THE COMPANY IS WORKING ON UPDATES TO SUPPORT I-OS 4 AND MULTITASKING.
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT HAS ASKED CONGRESS FOR PERMISSION TO WIRETAP ANY COMMUNICATION SERVICE, INCLUDING EVERYTHING FROM ENCRYPTED BLACK-BERRY MESSAGES TO SKYPE CALLS, TO FACEBOOK MESSAGES. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAYS THAT NEW ENCRYPTED COMMUNICATIONS EFFECTIVELY PREVENT THE GOVERNMENT FROM WIRETAPPING, SO YOU CAN ADD THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO THE EVER-GROWING LISTS OF COUNTRIES THAT ARE PUSHING FOR INCREASED ACCESS TO PRIVATE COMMUNICATIONS.
AND FINALLY, LOGITECH IS ABOUT TO RELEASE A NEW GAMING HEADSET THAT CAN WIRELESSLY RECEIVE AUDIO FROM THREE SEPARATE GAME CONSOLES. THE F540 WILL RETAIL FOR $150 AND LET XBOX 360 AND PLAYSTATION 3 USERS ALSO CHAT AS WELL. THE F540 WON'T SUPPORT SURROUND SOUND, BUT CAN CHARGE OVER USB FOR UP TO 10 HOURS OF PLAYTIME. LOOK FOR THE F450 IN STORES AND A CNET REVIEW NEXT MONTH.
THOSE ARE YOUR HEADLINES FOR TODAY I'M JEFF BAKALAR FOR CNET.COM, AND YOU'VE JUST BEEN LOADED.
Up Next
Wikipedia to join Web blackout to protest SOPA
Up Next
Wikipedia to join Web blackout to protest SOPA
Watch CNET Update!
Watch CNET Update!
Get touchy with BlackBerry 10
Get touchy with BlackBerry 10
Microsoft's got the hots for Nook
Microsoft's got the hots for Nook
CNET Update has launched!
CNET Update has launched!
One last time to get Loaded
One last time to get Loaded
The battle over e-book prices
The battle over e-book prices
Why Facebook snatched Instagram
Why Facebook snatched Instagram
The Flashback phenomenon
The Flashback phenomenon
Would you wear Google Glasses?
Would you wear Google Glasses?
Tech Shows
Latest News All latest news
What AirPods Rumors Tell Us About Apple's Health Ambitions
What AirPods Rumors Tell Us About Apple's Health Ambitions
Robosen's Megatron Transformer Is Too Much Fun for an Evil Robot
Robosen's Megatron Transformer Is Too Much Fun for an Evil Robot
Apple May Give FineWoven Accessories One More Season
Apple May Give FineWoven Accessories One More Season
US vs. TikTok: What Happens Next
US vs. TikTok: What Happens Next
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
What to Expect at Apple's May 7 iPad Event
What to Expect at Apple's May 7 iPad Event
Most Popular All most popular
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
First Look at TSA's Self-Screening Tech (in VR!)
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: More AI at a Higher Cost
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
'Circle to Search' Lets Users Google From Any Screen
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Asus Put Two 14-inch OLEDs in a Laptop, Unleashes First OLED ROG Gaming Laptop
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Samsung Galaxy Ring: First Impressions
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Best of Show: The Coolest Gadgets of CES 2024
Latest Products All latest products
Robosen's Megatron Transformer Is Too Much Fun for an Evil Robot
Robosen's Megatron Transformer Is Too Much Fun for an Evil Robot
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
Battle of the Humanoid Robots: MenteeBot Is Ready
2025 Audi Q6, SQ6 E-Tron: Audi's Newest EV Is Its Most Compelling
2025 Audi Q6, SQ6 E-Tron: Audi's Newest EV Is Its Most Compelling
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Hands-On with Ford's Free Tesla Charging Adapter
Nuro R3 is an Adorable Self-Driving Snack Bar
Nuro R3 is an Adorable Self-Driving Snack Bar
First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day
First Look: The $349 Nothing Phone 2A Aims to Brighten Your Day
Latest How To All how to videos
Tips and Tricks for the AirPods Pro 2
Tips and Tricks for the AirPods Pro 2
How to Watch the Solar Eclipse Safely From Your Phone
How to Watch the Solar Eclipse Safely From Your Phone
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Windows 11 Tips and Hidden Features
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Vision Pro App Walkthrough -- VisionOS 1.0.3
Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra
Tips and Tricks for the Galaxy S24 Ultra
TikTok Is Now on the Apple Vision Pro