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FROM APPLETELL - If you still don’t know what you’re going to do with your old iPhone once you upgrade to the iphone 3G, convert it to a Wi-Fi enabled ipod.
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Motion Computing has a couple of new devices in the form of the C5 mobile clinical assistant (MCA) and the F5 semi-rugged tablet PC. The former boasts integrated mobile broadband and solid state drive (SSD) options that will certainly help it go the distance in the environment which it is used, while the latter comes with improved capacity thanks to the inclusion of an 80GB hard drive without you having to fork out an additional penny. More information on both devices will be available after the jump, so read on.

The C5 features optional integrated mobile broadband that enables mobile clinicians to improve productivity by accessing important patient information such as digital images and patient history details on-the-fly. This works great as a mobile point of care application, as it enables better collaboration with other treating clinicians and helps cut down on travel time by enabling the immediate transfer of documentation after every patient visit that will see a reduction in processing delays as well as improved billing cycle times. With the choice to throw in SSD, you can further maintain data integrity as accidental bumps and knocks won’t leave your heart in a lurch.

As for the F5 tablet pc, that semi-rugged device will now come with 80GB of storage space as mentioned earlier, making it suitable for mobile field forces in construction, government, field sales and service, and manufacturing where large amounts of data require safekeeping. While not as stable as SSDs, at least it offers a cost-effective method. Other peripherals from Motion Computing also include the Motion Mobile Dock that allows the C5 or F5 owner to juice up their devices virtually anywhere they are, as long as there is a power source nearby. In addition, the Motion Mobile Dock offers full port replication for your convenience away from the office.

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Good news for those not quite ready to take the plunge to purchase the new Nikon D700, but tiring of some of the problems they may have been experiencing with their D3 or D300; Nikon has made some more adjustments. The latest in the D3 firmware upgrades include some nifty function button customization options, although before you get too excited… no these are not the same ones featured on the D700.  There were also some adjustments to the AF and white balance mode, as well as the playback mode.

A major concern for many users of both the D3 and D300 was one that has come to be known as “Dead Battery Syndrome”, wherein the battery indicator would incorrectly register an empty battery. Nikon fixed this issue as well.

If you’re hoping to get lots of the D700 features in the firmware, it didn’t really happen.  The only one to show up is the addition of a visualization of the virtual horizon function to live view mode. The D3 changes add three more options that can be assigned to the Function, Preview or AE-L/AF-L buttons. The only totally original option is the ability to scroll between shooting menu banks (user-defined presets) with a button press and turn of the control dial. The firmware also separates the image area (FX/DX/5:4) option into two, so that you can choose to either scroll between all three image sizes or just between FX and DX.

While still not entirely perfect (then again, what is?), the updates do alleviate some of the annoying bugs that existed. Good job Nikon.

Read [Nikon]

D3 firmware v2.00 can be downloaded from the following links: [Mac] [PC]

D300 firmware v1.03 can be downloaded from the following links: [Mac] [PC]

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HP has announced that they will begin deploying more than 7,000 HP Mini-Note PC’s to K-12 students in the Fresno United School District in California.

“The HP Mini-Note is a powerful laptop that is small enough to fit on students’ desks along with their textbooks and papers, allowing them access to the Internet and educational content from around the world without leaving their seats,” said Kurt Madden, chief technology officer, Fresno United School District.

Certainly a nice perk for students in that district, it seems like they will be given regular access to the computer, which should in turn make them a little more computer literate, especially at the younger ages, but also be able to be used as a tool to aid in their education.

No information was given on what OS these Mini-Notes will be running, or just how they are being spec’d out. I would imagine that the school district would have them running Windows, but if you remember the Mini-Note offers an option to have either Linux or Windows installed.

Hopefully we will see some additional announcements coming from HP.

Read [HP] Via [GottaBeMobile]

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Aside from the obvious upcoming release of the iphone 3G, it looks like AT&T customers will have a good remainder of the year device wise. Based on a recently leaked 2008 roadmap there is a nice selection of phones that will soon be available.

It looks like the upcoming 3rd quarter is going to be dedicated to the BlackBerry with an anticipated release of the Curve 8320 with Wi-Fi and the Bold. In addition it looks like the updated BlackBerry OS will also be released during Q3, which will put the 8820, Pearl 8120, Curve and Curve 8310 up to version 4.5.

Then for those who are not quite as excited by the BlackBerry, it looks like Q4 will be the time for you, of course its almost like a flip with the 4th quarter focusing a little more on Windows Mobile 6.1 goodness. Expected to be released is the Pantech Duo, Samsung Blackjack 3, AT&T Tilt 2 and also a still unknown handset from Samsung. Of course that unknown handset is rumored to be the Samsung Omnia. The four handsets that are on track for the fourth quarter release are all going to be running Windows Mobile 6.1.

In addition to the new WM 6.1 handsets AT&T also has a few current devices that are scheduled to be upgraded to 6.1 as well. It looks like the Samsung Blackjack 2, AT&T Tilt and the Moto Q9H will be updated in July with the old Pantech getting updated in October.

Sounds like a good rest of the year is to be expected for both blackberry and Windows Mobile 6.1 fans alike, as you would expect we will keep you up to date as more information becomes available.

Via [BGR]

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Nikon has just released the D700 digital SLR camera for the masses, and this will be a huge step up for those who originally stepped foot into the world of dSLRs, starting with the entry level D40. The D700 is a totally different beast altogether as it was based upon the Nikon D3 professional dSLR, boasting pro-level performance and an extensive array of features and innovations packed into a nimble platform. Not only that, it comes with the Nikon-original FX-format CMOS sensor, Nikon’s EXPEED Image Processing System, Nikon’s renowned 51-point auto focus system with 3D Focus Tracking and two Live View shooting modes, enabling shutterbugs to frame a shot with the camera’s 3″ LCD display. Other features include a new and sophisticated Scene Recognition System as well as a new active dust reduction system. More to come after the jump.

The D700’s 12.1-megapixel FX-format CMOS image sensor provides exceptional image quality throughout its remarkable ISO sensitivity range. A large pixel size of 8.45 micrometers allows for an extremely low signal-to-noise ratio and a wide dynamic range. The 12-channel readout enables accelerated information transfer, allowing the D700 to shoot at speeds of up to eight frames per second at full resolution (using the optional MB-D10 Multi Power Battery Pack) and quickly write image data onto the CompactFlash card. The D700 offers a versatile base ISO range from 200-6400 but can be expanded to range from ISO 100 (Lo-1) to 25,600 (Hi-2) affording photographers the new-found confidence to shoot in the widest variety of lighting conditions from the brightest midday sun to dim interiors. Images previously thought to be impossible to create without complex lighting set-ups or lengthy post-processing are now captured easily and faithfully with the D700, unleashing new and diverse shooting possibilities.

You can pick up the Nikon D700 later this month, and it will retail for approximately $2,999.95 - minus the lens. Better get the missus’ permission if you want this.

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Music lovers holding a Verizon subscription will better be able to say “I can hear you now” to their favorite musical artists, as Rhapsody and Verizon team up to offer users with certain V Cast phones DRM-free PC downloads. In obvious competition with iTunes, Rhapsody is still behind in the numbers game (about 5 million in their online library as opposed to iTunes 8 million), however, the bonus of not being stuck with DRM puts them ahead in many people’s minds. This way, you can play the music on any PC, mp3 player, or other digital device. Bonus.

So how much is it going to cost you? The songs are going at 99 cents each, and most albums will be $9.99. You’ll also find a Windows-only download utility that will import your music directly into iTunes, RealPlayer, or the Rhapsody client; Mac users will get their songs in a ZIP file. Select Verizon Wireless V Cast phones (including the upcoming Chocolate 3, the new Dare, the Samsung Glyde, the Juke, the RIZR Z6tv, and the RAZR V9m) can purchase tunes from Rhapsody over the air, and get an MP3 “master” PC download in the bargain.

If you jump on the ball, Verizon is running a special through July 4th: The first 100,000 people to sign up with the MP3 store will get their first album free.  And hey…free is always good.

Via [Yahoo! Tech]

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The Blackberry Thunder which we reported before as RIM’s newest Blackberry device now has an official name, the blackberry 9500. And like we told you, it shall be officially carried with Verizon as a lifetime exclusive offering which will support high-speed HSPA and EV-DO networks. In addition to Verizon, reports had it that it will also hit the Vodafone network.

Now for some exciting new information, we also found out that the Blackberry 9500 will have a touchscreen LCD display at 360×480 resolution. What makes this LCD special? It is surprisingly bigger than the LCD display of iphone. So, you can safely say that it is also being geared up to compete with the iPhone 3G. In addition, the Blackberry 9500 is said to come with OS 4.7.0.

We’ll definitely keep an eye for more updates on the new Blackberry 9500.

Via [Blackberry News]

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Windows XP is dead! Long live Windows XP!

That traditional cheer for beloved kings may well be on the lips of most Windows users as Microsoft goes through with its deadline for Windows XP.  Today marks the first day that PC makers are no longer allowed to sell XP-based PC’s. 

Despite widespread criticism of Windows Vista, and the “Save Windows XP” movement, Microsoft did not change its deadline for the seven-year old operating system.  Microsoft reports that it has already sold 140 million copies of Vista, which is a bit surprising since most consumers actually prefer the older OS, resulting in a ‘downgrade’ option which can be obtained with some new PC’s, and even big companies have decided not to have a Vista deployment at all.  Intel’s IT department even said that it “found no compelling case” to switch to Vista.

Microsoft is undoubtedly looking at the future –- albeit a short-term one.  Not many developers, after all, will devote its effort to Vista so long as it does not have a dominating user base. 

Forcing Vista on consumer’s throats, however, isn’t a very smart move.  Industry pundits, after all, see Vista as nothing more than a paint job -– with huge drawbacks to boot.  A more strategic move, perhaps, would be to design the next Windows from the ground up.

Due to compatibility concerns, Windows 7, as the next OS from Microsoft is called in development, promises not to introduce major changes from Windows Vista.  But this is exactly the opposite of what users are asking for.  Right now, Vista just gives too many problems, requires too much computing power, and offers too little in return to be an attractive system.  With Linux making inroads in the low-end spectrum and Apple making waves in the high-end part, Microsoft’s decision to dig in and stick to its current guns may well spell problems big enough to force the software giant to take notice.

Read [CNET]

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Remember when those (horrible) white earphones were the in-thing? Well no more. Now, Sony is giving its Walkman line of Video MP3 players some wireless love with Bluetooth built-in as well as throwing in a pair of BT headphones to go with them.

Available in either an 8GB or a 16GB size, these Flash-memory based players can store thousands of MP3 tunes or hours of video for playback on its 2.4″ LCD screen. Battery life on these guys is up to 36 hrs for audio and 9 for video.

In the audio department, you can also expect WMA and AAC audio support along with the usual MP3 support, not to mention some DRM support.

Gimme!

More info from the manufacturer

Price: 8GB: $269.99, 16GB: $319.99
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

Posted in Miscellaneous