Samsung announces the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus

We have still not satisfied ourselves with all the amazing possibilities the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has given us. While we are still enjoying the flagship tablet from Samsung, the company has made a surprise addition to its line of Galaxy Tabs in the form of the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. This new tablet from Samsung’s stable features some pretty impressive specifications such as Android 3.2 and an Exynos chipset with a 1.2GHz CPU.

Samsung's latest addition to its Galaxy line-up

Speaking at the unveiling of this new 7-inch slate, JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business said that, “Samsung pioneered the seven-inch tablet market with the launch of the GALAXY Tab, marking an innovation milestone in the mobile industry. Building on the success of the GALAXY Tab, we’re now delighted to introduce the GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus reloaded with enhanced portability, productivity and a richer multimedia experience. GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus is for those who want to stay productive and in touch with work, friends and content anytime, anywhere.”

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus is slim at a mere 9.96mm and weighs 345g making it quite portable and having the ability to fit in a jacket pocket or a handbag. Apart from the size and weight of this tablet, it features a 7-inch PLS LCD display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, 1GB RAM along with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI that is laced in with the Android Honeycomb OS. The Tab 7.0 Plus features two cameras, a three megapixel shooter at the back and a two megapixel front camera for video calling. As far as connectivity matters, this slate features GPS, Bluetooth, quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support, tri-band 3G with 21 Mbps HSPA as well as WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n at 2.4GHz and 5GHz.

This tablet comes in two storage capacities which are 16GB and 32GB. Apart from the on-board storage, the tablet also features a MicroSD card slot for expansion possibilities up to 32GB extra. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus will initially be launched in Indonesia and Austria and a global release will follow shortly after that. As of now no word is known on the pricing of the Tab 7.0 Plus.

Opinion: Can Xbox Live and Windows 8 Work Together?

Microsoft may not be aggressive enough about Xbox Live for Windows 8.

>Zoom If you have read my columns before, it should be no secret I am not quite convinced Windows 8 will be a slam dunk for Microsoft. I don’t believe the touch interface will make sense for most computers sold next year. According to Gartner and IDC, 400-million PCs are forecast to be sold next year, with more than half of those expected to be notebooks. I find it hard to believe many users will enjoy using one hand to move Windows tiles around the screen while their other hand holds the display to prevent it from wobbling back and forth.

One particular feature I like about Windows 8 is Microsoft’s decision to bring the Xbox Live interface to Windows. But, I have to admit I am confused about the functionality, so far, and somewhat concerned Microsoft could miss the mark similar to how it did on Windows Phone. Are my expectations too great, or could Microsoft do more?

Experience

One Windows 8 coverage issue I find largely missed is how Microsoft fundamentally changed Windows development. If you listen closely to those Windows 8 presentations, you will notice how Microsoft focuses on the user experience first and technology second. To clarify, this means Microsoft is bending technology around the user experience. All previous Windows versions were focused on incorporating new technology and then building the user experience around it. This shift in Windows 8 development is a big deal.

If we consider the touch interface as a given, then the Xbox Live Metro App in Windows 8 is a good exampleof Microsoft’s goals. What we saw at the Build conference was an app designed just like the "light" Xbox Live interface. Its key design goals were to make the interface user-friendly and deliver plenty of reasons to use the app on a daily basis. Using the app, you can interact with your friends, see what games they’re playing and review your achievements. It's all about "the social", Microsoft said. But I would hope that social is not Microsoft’s primary focus for the Xbox Live app.

I am wondering; do we really want such an app on the PC? If its purpose is integration, then sure we do. It's certainly nice to be able to check on what your Xbox Live friends are up to while on a PC. However, I would argue that while "social" is nice to have, it’s not a critical feature. I have been waiting for a must-have feature of the Metro app, but I’ve yet to see it.

Alternative Experience

Perhaps because I consider Xbox Live an entertainment interface I just don't see it as a social interface. While the content isn’t in place yet, Microsoft said games, music, movies and TV shows will be coming to this Metro app. That means it’s too early to make any judgments, so I’m not going to complain too much about it.

Xbox is a passionate brand within Microsoft that’s capable of moving mountains. However, I was surprised Microsoft didn’t put any Xbox Live (Metro) content in the spotlight at its Build conference. I would have liked to see how Microsoft imagines certain games to be played on different platforms addressed by Windows 8, which ranges from low-performing tablets to powerful PCs. Sure, a touch game on a tablet may be fun, but how much fun is the same game when played on a touch PC with a vertical screen? You may be able to play a casual tablet game on your PC, but it won't deliver the same experience and it may not be much fun.

In the same way, a complex FPS will be nearly impossible to control on a touch screen. Bridging the gap between multiple types of games, game genres and multiple device types with different types of input will be quite a challenge for Microsoft–a challenge that boils down to one question: Where does Metro and touch make sense? I haven't seen an answer to that yet and have some doubts that this can work out in the way we would expect. Xbox Live could, in fact, be trimmed down to a social tool with rudimentary access to (gaming) content until we figure out what the PC of the future looks like.

The Question

I am not part of Microsoft's Windows 8 team, so judging the impact of Xbox Live for Windows 8 in this article would be very premature. I am pretty sure even Microsoft is still figuring out the "experience" that this app needs to deliver to represent the Xbox brand inside Windows. What I know, however, is that we have a good number of gamers in our readership. I'd like to pick your brain. What if you were in charge of this app? What would be the single most important feature you would be focusing on to deliver a certain experience? What experience would that be? Touch? Voice? The good old gamepad?

Is social integration more important than content? What about the cross-platform integration with Windows Phone and the console?

Printer Concept Ditches Ink, Uses Sunlight Instead

Who needs a laser printer when you can have a tanning printer!

Replacing ink cartridges can be both troublesome and costly. Nowadays you can even find a printer that costs less money than its ink cartridges. Optimistic about the future of printers, designers Hosung Jung, Junsang Kim, Seungin Lee and Yonggu Do have created the Tanning Printer concept. Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like.The tanning printer is a solar powered printer device that ditches conventional ink cartridges and uses the sun's energy to 'tan' your paper. As strange as it sounds, similar devices known as thermal printers have actually been around for quite some time. Current technology exists for thermal printing using special thermo-sensitive paper, but none of these devices harness the power of the sun to do so.

The Tanning Printer uses a magnifying-like system that somehow 'tans' paper in order to create black and white printed pages. We're a bit skeptical as to how this printer will work indoors during the night, but the concept is definitely interesting. Ink cartridges can be quite wasteful and any idea that gets rid of those is worth exploring. 

Smartphone Concept Features Rotating Twin Displays

Smartphones concept uses second display as virtual keyboard and gamepad.

ZoomDesigned by Abhi Muktheeswarar, the "Rotatable Twin Touch Display Mobile Phone", is an interesting phone concept that gives users more freedom than any smartphone out there. With two capacitive touch screen displays, users are able to have virtual keyboards, gamepads, and menus that don't interrupt browsing or gaming.ZoomThe device's design is a bit reminiscent of T-Mobile's Sidekick, with its rotating screen and keyboard. Users are able to position the two screens into whatever is comfortable and convenient for their phone usage. Since the primary use of the secondary screen seems to be a virtual keyboard, we're having a bit of a hard time seeing the benefits of using a second touch screen rather than a physical keyboard.ZoomSure the screen could be used for more than a virtual keyboard, but one touchscreen already eats up enough battery power. Having two screens could become quite detrimental to the phone's battery life. Be sure to check out Tuvie's article for more renders of the concept.

Firefox 7.0.1 Available for Download Now

Another day, another new Firefox released!

>Zoom

UPDATE: Mozilla has just pushed out version 7.0.1, which takes care of that pesky missing add-on bug. All is well now, though, so update with confidence!

Does it feel just like yesterday that you updated to Firefox 6? And the day before it Firefox 5? Well, today it's time for Firefox 7.

Today Mozilla released released Firefox 7 across all major platforms. According to Mozilla, Firefox 7 manages memory more efficiently to deliver quicker browsing experience. Promised performance improvements in Firefox 7 include: faster at opening new tabs, clicking on menu items and buttons on websites. Heavy Internet users will also supposedly enjoy "enhanced performance when lots of tabs are open and during long web browsing sessions that last hours or even days."

New tools in Firefox make it easier for developers to build snappy Web experiences for users. A new version of hardware-accelerated Canvas speeds up HTML5 animations and games in Firefox. This allows developers to build more compelling and interactive Web experiences like Angry Birds or Runfield.

Firefox now supports the W3C navigation timing spec API so developers can measure page load time and website navigation against bandwidth speed, website traffic and other factors. This API allows developers to test user experiences remotely and easily and quickly optimize websites and Web apps for different types of users.

To help improve future versions of Firefox, users can opt in to Telemetry. Telemetry is a tool built on Mozilla Privacy Principles that allows users to provide anonymous browser performance data in a private and secure way that they control.

Download Firefox 7.0.1 at the links below:

• Windows
• Mac OS X
• Linux
• Linux x64

Games of October 2011

After a rather hectic month of gaming in September, October continues to pummel gamers with some highly awaited titles. 

RAGE (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

Calm down dude

A post-apocalyptic shooter with a ton of vehicular action thrown in for good measure, Rage marks the return of developer id Software (Doom, Quake) after a rather long sabbatical. This is the first time id are prepping a game for consoles, but so far, the game looks stellar on every platform. Besides gorgeous visuals, players can expect a dangerous and interesting world to explore as a survivor of a meteorite impact in the not-so-distant future. Since travel conditions aren’t ideal, you’ll rely on your trusty buggy to move around the game that can also be repaired and upgraded.

Batman: Arkham City (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

You can't stop Batman

Games based on comic books more often than not tend to suck, but developer Rocksteady stuck to their guns and invested in a true AAA Batman title. Their gamble paid off and the game was appreciated the world over not just by Batman fans, but gamers who were merely aware of the caped crusader. With Arkham City, Rocksteady have expanded upon their love for the Batman universe, injecting it into a massive, highly detailed open world game that will offer players a ton of stuff to indulge in, be it crime solving, combat or exploration. 

Forza Motorsport 4 (Xbox360)

Driving Ms Daisy

We loved Forza 2, and while its successor left us a little underwhelmed, Forza Motorsport 4 is pulling out all the stops, with a stunning new graphics engine, Kinect functionality that extends from menu navigation and the Autovista mode to head tracking during races, and an all new career mode that benefits from exclusive Top Gear content. Of course, Forza’s deep customization options return, allowing you to not only fit your car with performance upgrades, but also to design custom paint jobs. 

Battlefield 3 (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

Answering the call of umm duty

The Battlefield series has been around forever on PCs, but it was only after the Bad Company games that the world stood up and took notice. With the return to the Battlefield moniker (not to be confused with the Bad Company games), DICE have upped the ante by including a fleshed out single-player campaign in addition to a co-operative mode for two players, a first for a game in this series. Besides this, players can also expect a brand new engine, as well as a reworked multiplayer component that aims to provide gamers with a more well-balanced online experience.

Serious Sam: BFE (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

Going Mental

We’re not too sure if BFE stands for ‘Before First Encounter’ or “Big F*****g Encounter’ but either way we’re glad the Serious Sam series is back. At a time when everyone’s going in for grit and realism, it’s refreshing to see a simple game that hands you large weapons and encourages you to kill over hundreds of enemies at each level. Aiding you in the genocide of Mental’s troops can be 16, yes 16 of your friends as the game now has support for co-operative play with sixteen players online. Expect new weapons, enemies and a new melee system that we’re pretty intrigued about. 

UPDATE: Serious Sam: BFE has been pushed back to November.

Spider-Man Edge of Time (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

Oooh shiny

Now that Treyarch has moved on to the Call of Duty franchise, developer Beenox have taken over the Spider-Man franchise from them. Their first title, Shattered Dimensions performed quite well at sales and they’re now working on a follow-up titled Edge of Time. In it, Spider-man 2099 must travel back in time to save current day Amazing Spider-man who has been assassinated by an “evil scientist”. Now both Spider-Men must work together to save uhh Spider-Man. Playing around with the very fabric of time will obviously affect gameplay, as well, so the future would get affected depending on how certain events play out in the past

Wi-Fi Gigabit Speeds Just One to Two Years Away

Qualcomm Atheros president Craig Barratt said that it will be one or two years before consumers see routers supporting 802.11ac.

ZoomCraig Barratt, president of Qualcomm Atheros, recently statedthat Wi-Fi gigabit speeds within the home (via 802.11ac) is just one or two years away from becoming reality. He made this revelation during an interview at GigaOM's Mobilize conference on Tuesday as he explained how Wi-Fi technology will soon get better and faster.

As reported earlier, 802.11ac is the next step past 802.11n in the Wi-Fi ladder. It will be fully backward compatible with all previous generations of Wi-Fi, and in the 2.4 GHz spectrum, it will be identical to 802.11n. The major innovation with 802.11ac will be that in the 5 GHz band, the spec will offer "substantially" higher throughput. That said, users will see gigabit speeds using the 5 GHz band.

But as GigaOM points out, most consumers don't have a gigabit connection to the Internet. "We are driving more content around the home," Barratt said. "And actually in many countries, they already enjoy substantially larger broadband connections into the home, so optical networks are being deployed on every increasing scales. And in the next several years, we do expect much higher bandwidth connections into the home as well."

Why we need higher bandwidth connections and faster wireless speeds should be fairly obvious: we're data hogs. We like our games, our movies and our television shows streamed right to our desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, consoles and HDTVs. The higher the resolution, the more bandwidth we'll need to satisfy our hunger for multimedia. But much in the way software and hardware drive each other forward, the same applies to multimedia and bandwidth.

Barratt pointed out that consumers also need a strong Wi-Fi network to offload much of that data consumption from cellular networks that typically charge high prices for small allowances of data. But as he states, gigabit speeds on Wi-fi networks -- whether they're at home or at the local Starbucks -- will be one or two years away.

"A lot of work is happening in the standards group right now," he said.

Yet even if 802.11ac will be finalized within a year or two, will most households be ready? Will consumers need that kind of throughput if broadband connections are still piping internet in at up to 15 Mbps? As it stands now, even Wireless N is faster than what most broadband providers are bringing into the home.

Amazon's Silky Web Browser May Go PC, Android

A recent batch of domain names purchased by Amazon hints to a possible Silk release on the PC, Android and Mac.

ZoomWednesday Amazon said that its just-announced web browser, Silk, would be an exclusive to the Kindle Fire Android tablet. The company described the "split browser" as cloud-based, as it will reside on both the end-user's device and Amazon's massive Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) server fleet, the latter of which will pre-cache user web browsing. With each page request, Silk will dynamically determine a division of labor between the mobile hardware and Amazon EC2, ultimately providing a faster web browsing experience (we give a thorough explanation on how Silk works here).

But now there's indication that the web browser may find its way onto other devices. According to reports, Amazon has scooped up over 500 new domain names including amazonsilkforandroid.com, amazonsilkformac.com and amazonsilkforpc.com. Naturally the company may simply be shelling out money to keep its Silk brand out of the hands of cybersquatters and the like. The domain purchases were even reportedly made through MarkMonitor, a brand protection agency.

So then case closed? Maybe not. Possible cloud browser rival OnLive was supposedly releasing a cloud-based web browser over the summer, but so far it hasn't appeared. The company is currently working to push the OnLive Player app out the door for tablets, and that's not expected to arrive for another month at the least (soon). That said, the OnLive browser will likely launch sometime after that.

According to the company, the browser will allow Flash, Quicktime, Silverlight and other software to be rendered on the server just like the company's PC game offering. The pre-rendered data will then be streamed directly to users from the company's 10 GB/s servers. Ultimately this means that web content and streaming multimedia, no matter the definition, can be viewed across multiple devices universally including a tablet, smartphone, and even an old AGP-based PC.

"On any device that you’re going to be using the OnLive system, there is a browser," OnLive CEO Steve Perlman stated in an interview. "Whether it’s a tablet, or whether it’s a PC or Mac, you do have a browser. We don’t feel the need to completely replace the browser you have. What we would rather do is give you a browser that accelerates things that are tough to do with a local browser."

Of course, there will have to be some balancing in regards to the cloud-based browser and the actual gaming service.

"The current plan is just to let it out there, to have it one of the features of the (free) service," Perlman said. "It’s complicated because we have to go and be reasonable about usage. If people go nuts on this thing, and for example, it provides flash capabilities to iPad, you can easily see how people can go and just use it; forget the game service and just use it for that. What we’re going to do is kind of monitor it, and see what kind of (demo)graphic and usage we have. If people are being reasonable, that’s fantastic. We’ll let them go wild on it."

It would be interesting to see how Amazon's Silk performs up against OnLive's own browser, but for the moment, neither are available. Then again, Silk may never come to the PC despite Amazon's newly-acquired domain name hinting otherwise.