The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Dell has “been developing a pocket-sized device for tapping into the Internet” that would run on Android. Dell reportedly may begin selling the device later this year through mobile providers.
At the Computerworld in Tokyo back in March, Michael Dell confirmed that the company was “exploring smaller-screen devices.”
Read the full story at WSJ.com
The Times has a sprawling article on Acer in its Sunday business section that’s worth a skim. The somewhat glowing piece traces Acer’s ascent up the computer value chain as it made the successful shift from OEM to brand-name seller of consumer laptops. The article credits Acer’s aggressive move into netbooks for helping to power its recent market share gains during the global recession.
The article also places Acer’s reinvention in the context of the larger transformation of Taiwan into a major tech manufacturing, and now, marketing hub that has spawned scores of successful consumer tech companies such as Prime View International and ASUSTeK.
Read the full story here.
Anyone searching for tangible evidence that Michael Jackson remained the “King of Pop” despite the freakshow that was his life in recent decades need look no further than iTunes. Within 24 hours of Jackson’s shocking death, songs, albums and videos by and related to the mega-star were dominating the charts in the iTunes store.
By my count, 40 of the top 100 songs were by Michael Jackson or The Jackson 5, including six of the top 10 led by “Man in the Mirror” at #2 and “Thriller” at #3. Of the top 100 albums, 25 were by Michael Jackson or The Jackson 5, including 9 of the top 10 led by The Essential Michael Jackson at #1, Thriller at #2, Number Ones at #3, Off the Wall at #4 and Thriller: 25th Anniversary Edition at #5. Finally, 39 of the top 50 and 57 of the top 100 music videos were by Michael Jackson, including all of the top 10, with “Thriller”, “Billie Jean”, “Black of White”, “Smooth Criminal”, and “Beat It” taking the #1 – #5 spots.
Meanwhile, a similar story has unfolded at Amazon.com, where 50 of the top 100 MP3 downloads were by Michael Jackson or The Jackson 5, including “Thriller” at #2, “Man in the Mirror” at #3 and “Billie Jean” at #4. In addition, 40 of the top 100 in Music (CDs and vinyl…yes vinyl) were from Michael Jackson or the Jackson 5.
Apple’s iPhone 3G S went on sale last week and the reviews are in. Not surprisingly, the new device’s speed was highlighted in every review, with three reviewers (Mossberg, Engadget, CrunchGear) using the word “snappier” to describe the performance of the iPhone 3G S. Here are the highlights:
AllThingsD (Mossberg)
New iPhone Is Better Model–Or Just Get OS 3.0
- Both the new phone and the new operating system performed well, with a few small exceptions
- changes as more evolutionary than revolutionary
- power users will crave the new model’s much-better performance, battery life, storage and other features
- the new model proved dramatically snappier in every way than my iPhone 3G
Read the full review
Engadget
iPhone 3G S review
- we’ve come to expect a bit more pedal to the floor from Apple
- For our oft-used phone actions – we definitely felt like the 3G S was snappier than its predecessor
- If you’re an avid gamer looking for the device with more power, the difference will be crystal clear: the 3G S obviously flexes in this department
- Video recording on the iPhone 3G S is really quite impressive
Read the full review
NYTimes (David Pogue)
Apple Fills in Some Gaps With Latest iPhone
- the speed boost hits you between the eyes
- built-in three-megapixel camera is much better
- new universal-search feature could not arrive at a better time
- new iPhone doesn’t just catch up to its rivals — it vaults a year ahead of them
- usual 10 rational objections to the iPhone have been whittled down to about three: no physical keyboard, no way to swap the battery yourself and no way to avoid using AT&T as your carrier
Read the full review
CrunchGear
The iPhone 3G S has landed
- price is right and the features are great
- everything on this phone is snappier – Maps especially
- Overall, this is a good, evolutionary upgrade
Read the full review
Gizmodo
iPhone 3GS Review
- the speed of the iPhone 3GS will amaze you
- doesn’t blow us out in the feature department. Instead, it’s like getting a bigger TV or a faster car
- video really shows how fast the iPhone 3GS is
- you wouldn’t expect battery life to be improved, but it is
- the best all-around smartphone available
Read the full review
WIRED
Apple iPhone 3G: Speed, Smarts Keep iPhone 3GS at the Front of the Mobile Race
- not as dramatic an advance as the previous ones
- Apple has indeed ramped up the speed
- offers a boatload of improvements on the iPhone 3G with no real downside and the same price
- Multitasking still limited
Read the full review
CNET
Apple iPhone 3GS – 32GB (with video review)
- finally adds common cell phone features like multimedia messaging, video recording, and voice dialing
- doesn’t make the same grand leap that the iPhone 3G made from the first-generation model
- still a compelling upgrade for some users
- we still don’t get Flash Lite, USB transfer and storage, or multitasking
Read and watch the full review
SlashGear
Apple iPhone 3G S Hands On (includes unboxing video)
- loads quicker
- sluggishness as the handset churns through content is removed
- both video and photos are lighter than our tastes prefer
- physical design of the iPhone 3G S is still great
Read the full review
This person, sitting right across from me, was glued to his Kindle for the duration of my 40 minute commute. There were roughly 50 people in the train car in which we were sitting. That represents 2.0% penetration, and my guess is there was at least one other Kindle – putting that number at close to 4.0% – on the train (what are the odds that the only Kindle was right next to me).
Earlier this month Taiwan-based Prime View International (PVI) announced that it had agreed to pay approximately $215 million for E Ink. Now, we’re learning through PaidContent that the deal migh be in jeopardy as several of E Ink’s biggest investors are balking at the sale price. E Ink’s more than 100 shareholders range from former employees to venture capital firms, hedge funds, and strategic investors, including Motorola, Intel and Hearst Corp.
According to a story in The Boston Globe, “some directors and major shareholders believe the would-be buyer, electronic display maker PVI, is paying too little for the electronic paper technology driving the surging popularity of the Kindle 2 reader.”
E Ink’s CEO, Russ Wilcox, has responded with this statement: “I’m marching forward and closing this transaction. I’m 100 percent committed to making this deal close and making it a successful deal. Because of our growth, there is a need for financing, and PVI will inject resources into this business.”
Of course, the future (read, the next 12 to 18 months) of electronic paper is all about color (and video) – that’s where the real mass-market opportunity lies. Competing technologies such as as Pixel Qi’s 3Qi screens, and the electrofluidic display technology (EFD) currently being developed at the University of Cincinnati pose a legitimate threat to E Ink. If E Ink is unable to extend its existing monochrome display lead into the color display space, then selling out for $215 will look like a genius move.
Read the full story at The Boston Globe
More coverage at PaidContent
Apparently, Amazon’s Kindle DX has been on the move since going on sale June 10. I say apparently, because we don’t know the actual number of units that have been sold. Nevertheless, Amazon reportedly sold out of the Kindle DX just two days after first making the new 9.7″ eReader available on its site. Initially, a note on Amazon.com indicated that the device would be in stock again on June 17th, in time for Father’s Day. But, earlier yesterday that was changed to June 22nd, suggesting Amazon continues to be deluged with orders. Whithout visibility into actual sales volume, people will continue to speculate that Amazon is intentionally keeping inventories tight to generate “sold out” buzz.
