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GSM Touchscreen BlackBerry Storm Specs Leaked, Thunder Name Ditched
Posted by Wilson Rothman at 11:50 PM on September 23, 2008
Although Verizon definitely has dibs on the touchscreen BlackBerry Storm when it launches in the US, AT&T and T-Mo customers are watching the European rollout of the GSM version to see what's up for their future. Today BlackBerry News published a leaked spec sheet that confirms iPhone-elbowing performance: 3.2MP camera, video recording, 1GB internal memory plus MicroSD slot for up to 8GB more, and a blazing 7.2Mbps of HSDPA connectivity. In related news, PocketLint UK has all but confirmed this phone will be called the Storm like its US sibling, and not the Thunder, as had previously been reported widely. More specs and another leaked pic below.
It looks like a few shots of the T-Mobile G1, the first Android phone, have leaked a little early on 
This toy wristwatch is Star Warsishly perfect: it's a digital blue and white Artoo-themed digital watch with a mini detachable infra-red remote control R2D2. I'd be sending this trundling down the desks in my office to put a smile on my colleagues faces in a pew-pewing instant! (Well, I would if I worked in an office. Here it'd just get chewed by the cats.) Doesn't look like it makes Artoo's trademark beeps, though: you'll just have to be a big kid and supply 'em yourself. It's out now for about $US40. [
Microsoft has informed their investors that Windows Mobile 7, formerly slated for early 2009, would be pushed back for a release sometime in late (second half) 2009. Microsoft did not comment as to any specific reasons for the setback, but it's hard to see the Android launch timing as a complete coincidence (though maybe it is and the entire tech world is not driven by deep, dark conspiracies). [
Amazon's just officially announced that the Amazon MP3 Store will come pre-loaded on the HTC G1 Android phone. It's a special optimised version of the store which lets T-Mobile G1 users "search, download, buy and play music from Amazon MP3." That means six million DRM free songs from major and independent labels will be at the fingertips of G1 users, though you need Wi-Fi to download tracks (browsing and sampling can be done over the phone network) and albums cost less than $US10 with individual tracks going for around $US0.90. Press release below.
You only have to take one look at this spent piece of used trash to know that nothing good can come out of her petrol eyes and twisted gesture. Kaoru Tomiishi is her name, and she has admitted that she killed her 6-year-old son with a mobile phone strap, probably the most inane and naff cheapo object of modern culture. She initially tried to cover it, but after the body was found thanks to the GPS inside the same mobile phone.
Over at 
That plain old yellowish-green helicopter is the really the first production version of the VH71... the future Presidential Marine One. It's been a year since the prototype 
Scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have come up with this freaky adaptive liquid-lens that can capture 250 in-focus images per second. It's essentially droplets of water in a pair, trapped in a chamber and driven by a high-frequency sound wave to oscillate.
Sigma's new SD15 and DP2 cameras are incremental developments of the original 
Lensbaby has just revamped its line of creative bendable "distorting" lenses at Photokina, and added a new type. This new Composer disposes with the bellows bend/focus system of earlier Lensbabies and has ball-and socket twisting with a focussing ring at the front to let you select the in-focus sweet-spot in your photos. It's also got a new Optic Swap system which lets you swap out the lenses inside for different options: these include standard lenses and a Holga-alike plastic lens. The Lensbaby original is replaced by the similar Muse, with the new swap system, the Control Freak which replaces the Lensbaby3G has it too. Both Composer and Control Freak will cost $US270, while the Muse is $US150. Check out the press release below.
100GB CF cards.... holy moly that's huge. Pretec's saying it's the world's largest capacity CF, and I'm not going to argue. It's a 233x speed card, capable of access rates at 35MB/s and it, along with its smaller sibling, is being shown at Photokina this week. Not satisfied with that though, Pretec's also extending its range of ultra-fast cards (apparently the world's fastest) with 333x speed and 50MB/s data rates in 32GB and 50GB capacities. The 333x 32GB and 233x 64GB are due to ship now, for $US630 and $US400, and the 233x 100GB and 333x 50GB by the end of the year. But Pretec's being shy about pricing those, or indeed even showing a product pic. Press release below.
We've crossed the palm-sized threshold in the contest for the tiniest USB keyboard. Joel lusts for this one, and yet, Chen does not think such a device would be useful without a mobile phone connector — Why? Mobile Phones already have text entry and clearly, and the USB keyboard's utility is all about its size. I can't wait for these to get even smaller and I will be there watching when they collide with Smartphone-sized QWERTYs. I defend these fantasy gadgets difficulty of use by the fact that you'll be able to keep a spare on your keychain one day. [
I love the new Microsoft ads, from Seinfeld to the I'm a PC montage, but I'm no expert. Vanity Fair asked 7 Advertising pros to comment on Microsoft's campaign. They put answers in cute little old fashioned Windows error prompts. One thought: There are lots of CEOs here, but I'd prefer to see more creative director share their thoughts. [
The 
Fuji announced a 3d digital imaging system that uses modern image processors to take images with similar quality found in modern cameras. The dual lens system can also be used for future applications including instantly stiched together panoramas from two simultaneous shots, or using one CCD to shoot video while the other shoots stills. (Things regular cameras can do now, with not much difficulty.) What's interesting is that Fuji simultaneously developed a 3D imaging ecosystem including an 8.4 inch, 3D LCD display that needs no glasses and a 3D printer. [
The first weekend here, Lisa's family gave us their awesome seats to a baseball game between the Yomiuri Giants and the Osaka Tigers, my first Japanese baseball game ever.
Today is one of those days that designers celebrate and dread: Adobe unveils its latest Creative Suite—Number 4—with new pro versions of Photoshop, Premiere, InDesign, Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver, After Effects and more. Heavy users wait with bated breath to see if their desired tweaks have been added, knowing that if the answer is "yes," then somebody's going to have to spend some dough fast—full versions run from $US1,700 to $US2,500 for the full Master Collection. If the answer is "no," it could be another year before the problems are solved.
Jumping the gun a bit, the official site for T-Mobile's—and the world's—first Android phone is live. That "heavy Google branding" 
A component maker called Digital Imaging Systems has announced it will soon ship a camera module for phones and other devices, capable of shooting single images at 3488x2616 pixels—over 9 megapixels. Another great fact for the sell sheet is that the low-powered CMOS will allow for 30-frame-per second 720p high-def video recording. The module contains the imaging sensor plus an auto-focus apparatus, aperture and mechanical shutter. It sounds great, but those tiny optics don't instill faith in me, a convert to the "glass makes the picture" school. Miracles of microphotography can happen, but I will believe this only after I see it. [
Techgage is reporting credible evidence to support a rumour that HP is going to shut down the VoodooPC operation, citing both an internal e-mail discussing layoffs, and the fact that the company returned over 300 power supplies to Topower, a hardware partner. It would be strange for HP to be shutting down its boutique hardware shop, given the fact that it is just now ramping up promotion of its newest, totally cool