Are you reading?

Onyx International may just be breaking into the e-reader world, but it’s pretty confident that its Boox will be a hit when it ships (at least to the US) in three or so months. We spoke with representatives from the company that were on hand here at CeBIT, and while they wouldn’t divulge a definite price, they were adamant that it would be cheaper than Sony’s PRS-700 Reader (which is $400). The model they had on hand wasn’t quite ready for shipping, as the final model will sport a slightly different chassis than the white shell used for display. The OS, on the other hand, seemed ready to go, and we were able to catch an Onyx employee as he walked through a number of the menus and options. Have a look at the video after the break to judge for yourself if it’s ready to compete with the big boys.
Gallery: Hands-on with Onyx International’s Boox e-reader

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Screenshots were leaked. People “in the know” said it would happen. Heck, even HTC spoiled the surprise ahead of Microsoft’s announcement. But we now finally have official confirmation from Microsoft itself — WinMo 6.5 does exist, and is on its way.

The new OS should be pre-installed on phones coming out in Q4 2009; sadly, it sounds as though no existing WinMo devices will be “officially” upgradeable. Not sure why though.

What’s new about Windows Mobile 6.5?

Here’s what:

• Focus on Touch Friendliness with new Honeycomb Design
• New version of Internet Explorer which adds zoom slider and frequently-used commands
• New redesigned menus that can be used stylus-free
• Fingerable contacts and home screens

It may not seem like a lot of feature changes, but they are important changes nonetheless. Many frustrations with WinMo in general may quite possibly be eliminated with this new version, but we’ll wait until we get some hands-on time with the OS to actually judge it.

Honestly, it’s only a short matter of time before we start seeing unofficial upgrades available — at least in our opinion anyway.

Sound off! Do you like the new features and styles? I, for one, think the honeycomb design makes a  lot of sense.

via Engadget

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We’ve already seen restaurants with touch-sensitive tables and 3D menus, so it’s just natural for Fujitsu to explore the possibility of installing e-newspapers into popular cafes. The outfit is working with SoftBank and Mainichi Newspapers in order to test the feasibility of placing e-readers in certain eateries, which would allow patrons to check up on the day’s latest headlines while waiting for their coffee and eggs. As expected, the companies are closely monitoring whether the idea would promote sales and boost customer satisfaction, and unless they do something horribly wrong, we can’t see this not having those effects. In order to make ends meet, the terminals will flash advertisements if the reader sits for an extended period of time, though they should shy away once a customer starts fiddling. If you’re eager to check things out, hop a flight to Japan and have a sit at Termina Kinshicho Fujiya Restaurant before February 13th.
Source

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By Evan Ackerman

This prototype MP3 player was designed and fabricated by a Japanese engineer. It’s controlled entirely through an accelerometer, which measures things like movement and impacts. If you want to skip a track, for example, just give the MP3 player a tap on one edge, or tilt it over to alter the volume.

“The MP3 player does not have any buttons nor dials that shown in right photo and it has an acceleration sensor instead of the mechanical switches. Therefore all playback commands to the player are given in defined motions, such as inclination, tilt and shock. The player detects the motion with the built-in acceleration sensor and recognize it as a playback control command.”

There are all kinds of devices with accelerometers now, including most higher-end cellphones. Often, the user interfaces are cluttered with options and menus and buttons, and it would be a cinch (wouldn’t it?) to enable some sort of accelerometer control. It doesn’t have to be comprehensive or complex; for example, just being able to tap the case of my iPhone and have it pause and play while it was in a coat pocket would be incredibly handy.

::cough:: Hint hint…

VIA [ Hacked Gadgets ]

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Samsung’s P3 has been official in other parts of the globe for awhile now, but the outfit has decided to wait until CES to make it so here in the States. As anticipated, the PMP arrives with its “evolutionary” EmoTure user interface, 4/8/16/32GB of internal storage, haptic feedback, a 3-inch WQVGA display, DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement technology and a Music Hot Touch Key that enables users to instantly access favorite music features / selections without having to wade through multiple menus. The device itself is just 0.39-inches thick, and it also boasts a voice recorder, FM radio and Bluetooth support. Check it sometime during the first half of this year in matte black / matte silver motifs.
Gallery: Samsung gets official with P3 PMP at CES 2009
Source

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If there’s one problem with modern operating systems it’s that they’re all rather planar. Sure, OS X, Vista, and others have some 3D tricks up their sleeves, stacking windows and layering them on cubes and such, but when you get down to business everything’s rather more Flatland than Lawnmower Man. Apple, at least, has a plan for changing that in its patent application titled “Multidimensional Desktop,” unearthed by MacRumors, describing a way in which depth could be added to your typical virtual desktop. The patent covers dozens of scenarios, including geometric icons representing applications or documents being attached to the side surfaces, possibly replacing the rather tired “File, Edit, etc.” menus at the top with positional hotspots on the right. Another example describes how light emanating from one 3D icon, a little sun representing the weather, could illuminate the other icons. It all sounds rather conceptual, but with the amount of detail included here (not to mention the familiar dock at the bottom) it’s hard to label this is as just a flight of Cupertino creativity not intended for release.

[Via MacRumors]