Tobii unveils laptop with integrated eye-control at CeBit

On kickoff day (March 1) at CeBit in Hanover, Germany, a company unveiled a new eye-controlled laptop. The company, Tobii, has embedded the eye-control technology inside a Lenovo laptop and said the product is the result of a collaboration between the two companies.

The laptop being shown is, Tobii said in a press release, still a "conceptual prototype." There are 20 units, reportedly split evenly between Tobii Technology and Lenovo for development and demo purposes.

The Tobii technology allows users to point, select and scroll on the laptop. The company did not go into further detail on how the technology works. However, they added that the following enhancements to the user-interface would be available:

You can zoom pictures or maps and automatically center on the area you are looking at; The computer can auto-dim and brighten the screen when it recognizes your eyes to increase battery time. Eye control can also speed things up by enabling new and intuitive ways to switch between open windows, and browse your emails and documents.

This could be a boon to disabled users, but also to gamers. Tobii said that the eye tracking could someday enable users to aim with their eyes; in-game characters might even interact with you and give you actual eye contact.

You can read the full press release at the Tobii link below.

Via: SlashGear, Tobii

Webtop docks will be coming to all high-end Motorola smartphones in the second half of 2011

Motorola is planning similar laptop-like docks, similar to that of the Atrix 4G, for all its high-end smartphones, the company reported on Monday, Feb. 28th, during a presentation by CEO Sanjay Jha to investors. That means that Webtop apps and their corresponding docks will be gracing Motorola's high-end smartphones in the second half of this year, which makes sense: the Atrix 4G and its dock could be an ecosystem that spreads across carriers.

It's unclear if each device would get its own customized dock, or if Motorola would adapt them to use the dock already created for the Atrix. 4G. If the latter, that, of oourse, would mean that all of them would have to have the ports in exactly the same position for each phone, which might prove limiting.

Alternatively, we could see Motorola differentiating between them to ensure more hardware sales, just as manufacturers did (and still do, though less often) with cell phone chargers.

One problem we noticed when we played with the Atrix 4G and its dock is that the dock, the way it was created, will not work with extended batteries. Since those create a "bump" in the back of the smartphon, it simply wouldn't work when we played around with inserted an extended battery in the back of the Atrix 4G (since Motorola has a history of using the same batteries across devices, we used a 3500mAh designed for the Droid X). With the bulge, the Atrix 4G wouldn't slip into the proper position.

One negative for the Atrix 4G was, for us, the AT&T network. We simply didn't want to return to the land of dropped calls after moving to Verizon. A move to spread the Motorola and Webtop dock love to other carriers would be a great move by Motorola.

Another negative is the fact that AT&T charges $20 to use the Webtop dock with the Internet connection of the Atrix 4G. We can't fault them, really: it's sort of like tethering a laptop.

To be honest, the dock itself, sold seperately for $500, is way too expensive. Combining them for a total of $500, as AT&T has, is better, but still not great. One thing: our experience with the laptop dock and the Atrix 4G did show us that the more you use it, the better you like it.

Watch a short demo video below.

LG wins preliminary injunction; PS3s to be seized at European customs

LG has won a preliminary injunction against Sony in an ongoing patent battle between the two Asian electronics companies. LG has argued that the Blu-ray laden PlayStation 3 infringes on a number of LG's patents related to the playback of BDs.

The ruling by the civil court of justice in the Hague, reported on Feb. 28, means that any new PS3s entering the U.K. and the rest of Europe will be seized by customs. This will take place for at least 10 days.

Sony is bound the appeal the ruling, and quickly, as well. After all, the company imports about 100,000 PS3s a week into Europe.

If LG were to manage to get the injunction extended, Sony PS3s could become in short supply on retail shelves. Reportedly, the company has only two or three weeks supply of the PS3 in Europe.

Earlier in February, LG called for an ITC investigation into the PS3's Blu-ray use. At the time, LG said it wanted the ITC to ban "entry into the United States" for the PS3.

It is, however, unlikely the ITC would go that far.

Via: Guardian

Motorola CEO says Xoom selling 'relatively well'

Motorola Mobility Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Jha told analysts at a conference on Monday, Feb. 28 in San Francisco that Motorola Xoom sales have started "relatively well." The Xoom is a 10.1-inch dual-core tablet that is the first true rival to the iPad, and the first tablet shipping with Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), the first tablet-optimized version of the platform.

Relatively well actually doesn't sound like a resounding endorsement. The Motorola Xoom sells for $800 sans contract, or $600 with a 2-year service agreement. It is frequently compared to the lowest-priced iPad, which has no 3G and half the storage. A comparable iPad (first generation) costs $729, but is surpassed in nearly all hardware specifications by the Xoom. Additionally, the Xoom will receive a free upgrade to LTE in the spring.

At the same time, Apple's iPad 2 announcement event is scheduled for Wednesday. There have been rumors that the wi-fi only version of the iPad 2 could ship as early as later in the week.

Jha also added that Motorola plans to offer tablets in a variety sizes, offering choice for the end user, in hopes of countering the appeal of the iPad. It's this sort of multiple form factor choice that some say led to Android overtaking iOS in the smartphone segment globally.

Although not confirming any particular sizes, Jha referred to a 7-inch size quote often. He also referred to the 10-inch size as for "professionals."

Motorola Mobility (MMI) stock was down $0.41 to 30.20 at the end of Monday's trading.

Via: Engadget, Business Week

Estimate: 1 million Verizon iPhone 4s sold in debut weekend

The lack of lines at Verizon, Apple, and other retailers in terms of the Verizon iPhone have some people worried (including Verizon shareholders, probably), but while there's no real way of knowing yet how many devices were sold in the first weekend, TheStreet believes that the device passed the magic 1 million mark.

TheStreet made that guesstimate on Monday, Feb. 28. In comparison, AT&T sold 1.7 million iPhones 4s on during its debut weekend last year. Remember that the device is now getting creaky with age (for high-tech), 1 million would be a great number.

To come up with that number, TheStreet used the fact that Dan Mead, Verizon Wireless head, told media this past weekend that 60 percent of the company's iPhone 4 sales were from preorders. Given that recent analyst estimates say Verizon's iPhone preorders were about 600,000 (once again, a guesstimate), then that would extrapolate to 1 million iPhone 4s sold on the Verizon network in the device's opening weekend.

Of course, the question arises: where's the crowing?  Apple generally releases information when a device or service passes a significant milestone, and one would think that 1 million is a good figure.

Verizon says it will not release the actual sales figures until its Q1 earnings report in April. It's also possible that sales were tempered by the fact that the iPhone 5 is about 4 months away. It's believed that device will be a dual-mode GSM / CDMA device. It won't be, most believe, an LTE device, and certainly not on AT&T's network, which won't begin testing of its own LTE service until mid-2011.

Apple aims for iPhones for the masses, hints at a cheaper iPhone

Reports surfaced some time ago that Apple was mulling a cheaper iPhone, and a research note by Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi, issued Monday, Feb. 28, seems to point to that happening sooner, rather than later.


The report said that Sacconaghi, after an interview with Apple COO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer and VP of Internet Services Eddy Cue, came away with a bunch of bullet points, Asymco's Founder and Managing Director Horace Dediu has been Tweeting information about the meeting as as well.
For one, Tim Cook, handling day-to-day operations at Apple in CEO Steve Jobs' absence, called the iPhone the "mother of all halos." By that, he meant the "halo effect," which is a marketing term used to explain the bias shown by customers towards certain products because of a favorable experience with other products made by the same company. In other words, the iPhone has helped expand Apple's sales of other products, to an extent not previously seen.

Sacconaghi wrote, and Dediu Tweeted that Cook “appeared to reaffirm the notion that Apple is likely to develop lower priced offerings.” In fact, Cook, said that Apple did not want its products to be “just for the rich,” and that the company is “not ceding any market.” The company has some “clever things” in planning in order to address the prepaid market, too.

Cook went a bit hyperbolic, adding that the iPhone was just below food and water on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a psychological theory. It is often visualized as a pyramid with the largest and most basic levels of needs at the bottom, and the need for self-actualization at the top. Cook added that ultimately all phones would be smart phones.

Although admitting that the competition in the tablet market could actually be more intense than the smartphone market, Cook emphasized that Apple has a strong head start, which it does, with the Motorola Xoom, the first truly capable Android rival, just launched on Feb. 24.

Oppenheimer noted that Apple has only 175 carriers today, versus 550 for RIM. Carrier expansion is something Apple is focused on, as well. He also indicated that Apple would likely continue to use its balance sheet to do partnerships to secure supplies of key components, which is something Apple has done to control its costs.

Apple has scheduled the iPad 2 event for Wednesday, March 2, at 10AM PST at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The iPhone 5's refresh is expected to hit in the June / July timeframe. Apple was up nearly $5 to about $353 in late day trading (EST).

AT&T to resell the Kindle 3G, beginning March 6

Consider this a win-win for both Amazon.com and AT&T (in its non-iPhone exclusive state). AT&T is now Amazon.com's latest Kindle distributor, AT&T announced on Feb. 28, which makes a lot of sense: AT&T is the wireless carrier that the 3G Kindle uses in the U.S.

Kindles won't reach AT&T retail outlets until March 6. This probably won't generate a huge spike in sales (let's face it, the easiest way to order is still online, and ordering from Amazon.com results in no sales tax for most buyers, too). Still, this is definitely a good move for both sides.  Note that only the 3G version will be sold, not the wi-fi only version.

AT&T can use the new partnership to emphasize the fact that Amazon.com trusted the carrier enough to use it for its 3G service (although to be honest, in the U.S., if you wanted the widest coverage for a GSM device there wasn't much of a contest). Amazon.com has another partner that can show off the device in a store (which is how a lot of folks still want to do: examine the device in front of them and in their hands).

You can read the full press release below.

AT&T INC : Amazon Kindle 3G Coming to AT&T Stores Nationwide

DALLAS, Feb. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* today announced it will begin selling Amazon's bestselling Kindle 3G in AT&T company-owned retail stores nationwide beginning March 6. Amazon's Kindle 3G continues to be powered by the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T. AT&T will include Kindle 3G in its connected devices displays throughout AT&T company-owned stores, offering customers the opportunity to test drive the device onsite. The latest generation Kindle has received rave reviews from the New York Times, Wired, CNET, PC World, PC Magazine, and more, and has recently become the bestselling product in the history of Amazon.

"Amazon has without question pioneered the eReader space with Kindle, and it's exciting to not only connect this device through our network, but now offer it in our stores to readers around the country," said Glenn Lurie, president, emerging devices, AT&T. "As the first dedicated eReader offered in our stores, we are confident the Kindle will be an attractive addition to our in store connected devices lineup."

Kindle 3G, which connects over Wi-Fi as well as AT&T's mobile broadband network, wirelessly downloads books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a 6-inch, high-resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper.

"We're excited to work with AT&T to offer Kindle 3G to AT&T customers across the country," said Mike McKenna, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. "Customers tell us they love Kindle 3G because of its light weight, battery life of up to one month, and advanced paper e-ink display that works in direct sunlight. Customers love being able to think of a book and be reading it in less than 60 seconds thanks to AT&T's wireless network."

The new Kindle 3G boasts the advanced paper-like Pearl E Ink display that is easy on the eyes and works outside in direct sunlight, massive storage of up to 3,500 books, up to one month of battery life with the wireless off, no monthly wireless fees or annual contracts, and light weight which makes it easy to take with you everywhere you go -- all for only $189.

Kindle offers the largest selection of the books people want to read. The Kindle Store now has more than 810,000 books, including new releases and 107 of 111 New York Times Best Sellers. Over 670,000 of these books are $9.99 or less, including 79 New York Times Best Sellers. Kindle lets you "Buy Once, Read Everywhere" - on Kindle as well as on free Kindle apps for iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and Android-based devices. Amazon's Whispersync technology saves and synchronizes your full Kindle library of books, bookmarks, last page read, highlights and annotations across all of your Kindles and Kindle apps so you never lose your place or are without your reading.

Via: BI, AT&T

White version and other things to expect for the iPad 2

Apple's iPad 2 event is scheduled for Wednesday, March 2, and the rumors are flying in at a furious pace. The latest is that the iPad 2 might come in white, as well as black, which probably means it won't come in a "hard to make white work well" design as with the iPhone 5, which has seen months (and months) of delay for the white version.

A purported iPad 2 part landed on in the hands of 9 to 5 Mac on Monday, Feb. 28. The site received a white bezel from iFixYouri, a site that repairs iDevices, and that has also worked with 9 to 5 Mac in the past.

Also lending credence to the part is that the piece reportedly comes from Shenzhen, the home of the Foxconn facility that manufactures a number of iDevices for Apple. It also includes a small hole which would most likely be for the almost-certain-to-appear front-facing camera, an upgrade from the iPad to the iPad 2 that most (honestly, everyone) are expecting. The position of the hole also aligns with leaked screen protectors.

Giving credence to the white iPad 2 rumor is the fact that the piece includes a small hole for what will presumably be a front-facing camera — a feature long thought to be included in the next-gen iPad. As 9to5Mac points out, the hole also matches up with leaked iPad 2 screen protectors that have also come out of Asia.

In fact, Apple has, since introducing FaceTime with the iPhone 4, stated it wanted all its products to sport the video chat feature, so the odds of a front-facing camera on the iPad 2 are about as close to 100 percent as you can get.

As noted, Apple has had its struggles with the white iPhone 4. However, that device has a unique glass design that is rumored to be the issue in the white version. It's unlikely the iPad 2 will share that design.

The new part also has a slightly slimmer bezel, which fits with the rumors that have been going around for some time. It will likely maintain the same screen size (9.7 inches) and the same resolution (1024 x 768), as Apple won't be going to a retina display with the iPad 2, most believe. That said, there's no way they will stand pat; the iPad 2 will have some sort of screen improvements, perhaps to fire back at the Kindle's ability (and ads) that note its superior outdoor reading capability.

Additionally, the iPad is guaranteed to a dual-core processor to keep up with the competition. It will also most likely get a RAM increase, to at least 512MB.

The iPad 2 might even include the recently released Thunderbolt I/O technology (nee Intel's Light Peak). Some early case prototypes for the iPad 2 showed an opening for a port that’s too small to be a USB port, and it was originally suspected to be for a Mini DisplayPort. Since Apple has made Thunderbolt compatible with Mini DisplayPort as part of its Light Peak implementation, that might be what is going to show up there.

Thunderbolt provides 10Gbps transmission rates, with Intel saying when it goes to fiber optic cable instead of copper it could reach 100Gbps. The 10Gbps rate is already twice that of USB 3.0.

The iPad 2 will probably be slightly lighter (one of the early complaints was that weight made it unwieldly as an e-book reader in bed), but although recent rumors have swirled around a possible carbon-fiber case, but that's probably unlikely, most believe.

Although Apple is likely to ship the iPad 2 with iOS 4.3 (as we know they have been shipping beta versions to developers), it's also possible that the iPad 2 event will include a preview of iOS 5 (which will probably ship for the iPhone refresh in the summer, given Apple's past history).

One final note is that an image of an iPad 2 showed up earlier, but it's now believed to a fan-based creation, not an actual image of the iPad 2.

Is that enough speculation? The iPad 2 excitement is ramping up, and will likely reach a fever pitch by tomorrow night, with the event at 10AM Wednesday morning (PST).

Parody article stating King Abdullah buying Facebook to quell Middle Eastern unrest fools media

While it might make sense in terms of trying to stem the Middle Eastern unrest, it really makes no sense in real-world terms. In addition, the last sentence in the article should have clued folks in that this was just a parody: (Sunday Humor article at Dawnwires.com are meant to humor our readers. They may or may not be the truth).

The parody that claimed dozens of newspapers and blogs in the Middle East was posted at DawnWires on Sunday, Feb. 27. The article suggested that King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia was planning to buy Facebook, for $150 billion, to quell the unrest in the Middle East.

The initial paragraph of the spoof said:

Inside sources within the kingdom suggest that he is very upset with Mark Zukerberg for allowing the revolt to get out of control. In a personal meeting between Mark Zuckerberg and King Abdullah on Jan 25, 2011, Zuckerberg had promised that he would not allow any revolt pages to be formed on Facebook even while he allowed Egypt and Libya revolt pages to be formed. But little did King Abdullah know Zuckerberg. Had he seen the movie “Social Network”, he would have been better advised than to trust Zuckerberg.

Even without knowing it's a parody, that paragraph has to lead to a chuckle, and make one wonder about the seriousness of the "article." Commenters, as well as Middle East media, took the article seriously. One said:

The freedom of many people is threatened. If Zuckerberg is a human being, he has to refuse the offer no matter how big it is.

In an example of Middle Eastern media being tricked by the joke, the Tehran Times printed the article, pretty close to word for word, without attributing DawnTimes, either. It also hasn't printed a retraction or pulled down the article.

Interestingly, besides the note at the end, DawnWires also stated the article was posted to "Lol News," another clue many missed.

Via: DawnWires

The WaitingRoom Facebook app encourages your love interest to ditch their current S.O

Some people stay in relationships simply because they are afraid that their prospects aren't good. They don't have the confidence to leave. For them, there's a new Facebook app, which launched last Friday, Feb. 25. It's called WaitingRoom.

Some criticized the Facebook app Breakup Notifier, which would let a user know via email if someone they were interested in changed their relationship status. That app was banned last week, just prior to the launch of WaitingRoom.

Instead of letting you know when someone changed their relationship status, WaitingRoom encourages them to change their relationship status. In other words, it gives them a push toward breaking up with their current significant other. Or at least, it sort of does that.

Let's say you are interested in a certain attached Facebook friend. When you use WaitingRoom, that friend gets an email that states there is someone in their "WaitingRoom" who is interested in them. It's unnecessary for the person being pursued to have the app installed.

Once the person becomes available, the identity of their admirer is revealed. Nicely, the site waits 48 hours, just in case there's a little remorse and the person reunites with their past love (how often have we seen that happen ... more often than a pursuer would like).

It also means, though, that you can't change your status without having to wait, and thus having your S.O. notice (assuming they pay attention to these sorts of things). That, in and of itself, could lea dto a break-up.

Of course, the pursued is sort of playing a game of Russian Roulette. They don't know if the person pursuing them is Brad Pitt, or Alfred E. Neuman.

For the pursuers, here's what WaitingRoom says:

No one will know if you've downloaded the app, we never publish anything to your Facebook feed. We won't share anything about you -- that is, until the person you're waiting on becomes single.

For the pursued, it says:

If you're already in a relationship, WaitingRoom will give you the confidence to become single again -- if that's what you really want.

All these relationship apps seem to have cropped up after Breakup Notifier was banned. So which do you think is a more positive app: Crush Notifier or WaitingRoom?

Via: WaitingRoom