Sony's New eReader is the Lightest in the World

It's a toss up between Amazon's Kindle and Barnes & Noble's Nook as to which one wins the popularity contest in the eBook reader market, but according to Sony, its new Reader Wi-Fi (model PRS-T1) trumps them both when it comes to being lightweight.

Sony's Reader Wi-Fi weighs just 168 grams, or less than 6 ounces. That makes it the lightest 6-inch eReader the world has ever seen.

(Image Credit: Sony)

"Slipping effortlessly into a bag or pocket, Reader Wi-Fi is no bigger than a paperback book," Sony said in a statement. "8.9mm thin and weighing just 168 grams it’s supremely comfortable to hold, with a gently curving profile that fits naturally in your hand."

The Reader Wi-Fi also features an enhanced touchscreen, access to the Reader Store, it's the first eReader to allow book lovers to borrow eBooks wirelessly from public libraries via na on-screen Public Library icon, 2GB of storage capacity (enough to hold around 1,200 books, according to Sony), microSD card slot, and one month battery life (3 weeks with wireless on).

Look for the Reader Wi-Fi to ship in October for $149.
Maximum Tech's take: Under 6 ounces is a pretty remarkable achievement. The third generation Kindle, which itself is comfortable to hold, weighs between 8.5 (3G) and 8.7 ounces (Wi-Fi), while the Nook Touch Reader checks in at 7.48 ounces.

Read more »

Lenovo puts out 7-inch Android tablet, names it IdeaPad A1

Remember in July when we found a mysterious, 7-inch Lenovo tablet? Well, now it's September, and it's not so mysterious anymore. It's called the IdeaPad A1, and on top of the brilliance that is a 7-inch Android tablet, it's also only $249.

It's not as advanced as Lenovo's other offerings, but it sure does give you plenty of bang for your buck. In fact, at only $249, it still manages to pack some killer specs, like a 1GHz Cortex-A8 processor, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, dedicated GPS, and a screen resolution of 1024 x 600. Naturally, it has front- and rear-facing cameras with 16GB of storage to store those pictures on. In terms of connectivity, it's pretty loaded: WiFi and Bluetooth, of course, and also that dedicated GPS, which means you won't need to have an internet connection to navigate yourself around town.

The IdeaPad A1 only half an inch thick, and weighs less than a pound. You can also get its magnesium alloy casing in black, white, pink, or blue. So at $249, I'd say this is one heck of a deal. You can pick one up stateside in September.

[source]

Read more »

Samsung announces Galaxy Note, 5.3-inch phone/tablet hybrid

This week has been quite busy one for smartphone giant Samsung. Earlier, they released the much-anticipated Galaxy S II smartphone for the US. However, no one was expecting to see what they released this morning: a huge smartphone (or tiny tablet) called the Galaxy Note.

The device's main selling point (and source of confusion) is the massive 5.3-inch HD display. It should certainly be an awesome display, with Samsung's Super AMOLED technology and a 1280 x 800 resolution.

However, this great display also makes the phone huge, so much so that many will consider it too big to be a smartphone. The Dell Streak also tried to make the 5-inch display work, and while it found a home with niche users, it has never gone mainstream.

Samsung calls the Galaxy Note a "Smart Mobile Device," but the company still claims it maintains "smartphone portability." As you can see in the above image, a phone application appears to be included, which implies that this device is supposed to be as mobile as a phone. Still, it remains to be seen if the device's size is practical in normal use.

The remainder of the specification list is also impressive, including a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 8MP back and 2MP front cameras, WiFi, Bluetooth, and both HSPA+ and LTE 4G (although the announcement was not specific about whether there would be different versions of the device for different carriers). Samsung chose Android 2.3 Gingerbread to power the device, and as usual included their custom TouchWiz interface.

One of the most interesting inclusions is something Samsung calls the S Pen, a pressure sensitive pen that can be used with the Galaxy Note. A similar concept was previously used with the HTC Flyer, which many have found quite handy. Fortunately, Samsung made the good decision to include a slot for the stylus in the device, as it will be much more accesible and less likely to be lost that way. 

Even though I don't know what I would use it for, I want to own one of these devices. I really like the huge, high-resolution display and the S Pen, not to mention the rest of the specs are very high end. However, the market may frown upon a device that is just a little too big to be a phone. What do you think about the concept?

[source]

Read more »

Intel resuscitates MeeGo, claims they are committed to the platform

 

When Nokia announced that they would be using Windows Phone 7 as their primary smartphone operating system, many wondered about the fate of their other OS, MeeGo, which they were developing in a partnership with Intel. Based on the silence of Intel and the content of Nokia's announcement, many figured the open-source OS project was dead.

 

Apparently, Intel has now decided that they won't let MeeGo go down without a fight. The company stated today that they "remain committed to MeeGo and open source, and will continue to work with the community to help develop and meet the needs of customers and end users." This doesn't sound like they will be putting too much effort into it, but anything is better than them letting MeeGo die.

Before the Nokia/Windows Phone 7 deal, MeeGo was shaping up to be a very good OS. Combined with Nokia's hardware, many thought it had the potential to threaten Android and iOS. As such, many people (including me) were saddened when Nokia announced they would no longer be working on MeeGo. Even if it doesn't work out, I am glad to see that Intel is at least giving MeeGo a little bit of a chance.

[source]

Read more »