The Kindle Touch was announced back in September, and finally Australians can now get it through Amazon. However, is it a nice upgrade from the latest generation Amazon Kindle, and is the inclusion of the touchscreen a good or bad idea? Better yet, is the Kindle Touch worth the extra $30 compared to the Kindle?

Terence Huynh reviews the Amazon Kindle Touch.

Design & Features

The Amazon Kindle Touch has the same thin shell as the latest-generation of the popular eBook reader (the one that has no keyboard whatsoever). It’s lightweight, sturdy and just perfect to hold when reading at night. As well, it’s pretty simple. You have a home button at the front, and at the bottom, you have an audio jack, microUSB port and the power switch. As well, the model still retains the 6-inch screen.

There are speakers, at the very bottom of the device. However, while there is an MP3 player on board, it is not designed for that. Actually, they are not really that good sounding, and are suitable for reading text aloud by the Kindle (Amazon has included its “Text-to-Speech” feature on this model). But adding the Text-to-Speech feature is brilliant for those who find it tough to read, but prefer it to be spoken to them.

If there was a gripe about the product, it would be the implementation of the touchscreen. Yes, they kept the E Ink screen, which I prefer on eBook readers because of its similarities with printed text, the speed between recognising the gesture and showing up on screen isn’t as fast as you would want it to be. As you can see, there isn’t the physical keyboard. It has been replaced with a virtual one. However, unlike the fourth-gen Kindle, you don’t have to use navigational keys to maneuver around. There isn’t a considerable amount of lag between key presses, so you’ll not be waiting long. The touchscreen is a good addition to the product, and while it isn’t perfect, it’s something that does not feel a bit gimmicky.

The international model, however, does not have 3G support despite being featured in the US version. In fact, if you want 3G, the model that supports it is the third-generation Kindle (also known as the Kindle Keyboard). In addition, the International version does not have ads – unlike the Special Offers versions sold in the United States. That is understandable since Amazon does not have any plans to expand its deals service.

Like I said, this model does look the same as the latest-generation Kindle. The only main difference between this version and the fourth-generation Amazon Kindle is that this model has a touchscreen. As such, there is no buttons for the next page or previous page; all that is done by simply tapping on the screen. In addition, it has 4GB of storage rather than two; and up to two months of battery life (with wireless off) in comparison to one month.

But why get this than the others? One of the biggest reasons is the fact that Amazon has pretty much the largest catalogue of books for sale. In fact, you’ll find a wide range of publications – from newspapers and magazines, to even books no longer protected under copyright. That means you’ll be able to buy books such as Frankenstein for free via Project Gutenberg. If you do get the Kindle, you should read Frankenstein.

Software

As usual, the software is pretty easy to use. There is no major differences between the previous generation and this generation of Kindle readers. You still are presented with the books you have read, you still have a menu and you still have the “Experimental” section with its wacky tidbits like a web browser (why you need one is anybody’s guess, however) and a very basic MP3 player. The interface is still simplistic and basic. Black on white text, little progression bar on the bottom of each ‘page’, and no fancy graphics. If you have used the Kindle before, nothing has changed. If you are new, you’ll find it easy to use.

But this has a touchscreen. This means you’ll have to learn new gestures – but it isn’t a steep learning curve. Much of the screen has been given to move to the next page; while tapping closer to the left edge of the screen will take you back. Swiping up and down will move between chapters, while tapping closer to the top edge will activate the menu. If you need to zoom the text in or out, then you do a simple pinch-and-zoom.

Other features include, like others in the Kindle range, the New Oxford American Dictionary. Simply hold onto a word, which is then highlighted, and you are offered the definition. You can even add a note, or share it to Facebook or Twitter (again, don’t know why). The new Kindles – not the DX and Keyboard – have expanded this further with “X-Ray”, where you click on a city or character and it gives you lots of detail like its biography, and how often it appears. Good thing is that there is no Internet necessary to access these files, these are stored alongside with the book – but it would also mean that hopefully data is updated sometimes.

You can also read your PDFs and personal documents on the Kindle – but you cannot simply drag and drop them onto the device. You have to email it to them, and that is annoying because its a highly unnecessary step. But the main reason is because they have to convert it to a readable format on the Kindle. This could have been done on the software side and then transferred across, but Amazon wants to control it.

The Kindle Touch also supports Whispersync – which is used to keep track of your reading, bookmarks and annotations across any Kindle device, and reader on any mobile device or computer. So, if you were reading on the bus, found something interesting and annotated it, you can simply launch your computer and see it there as well.

Conclusions

The Amazon Kindle Touch is a brilliant addition to the Kindle family. With or without the touchscreen, the Kindle is still the number one in its market – the touchscreen seems to be an added bonus. A big library of books and publications available, and the fact that its interface is simple to use and just focuses on the text, not on apps, is made it become the king.

However, the problem is whether to get the Kindle or Kindle Touch? Well, it really just depends on if you are willing to pay an extra $30 for a touchscreen, 2GB of more capacity and one month of more battery life. (the Keyboard is only if you want the 3G)

The product is currently available on Amazon, but will soon be offered in Woolworths outlets.

All images: Terence Huynh/TECHGEEK.com.au

Amazon appears to be the front-runner amongst a number of companies that are in talks with HP over buying Palm and it struggling webOS business, after acquiring the company in April 2010, according to a report published last night.

According to VentureBeat, quoting “a well-placed source”, HP is looking to dump both Palm and webOS as soon as possible, which is a big backflip from its commitment to the webOS platform. In addition, Amazon’s deal with HP is the one that is nearing completion.

It should also be noted that Palm’s former CEO (and now HP’s “senior vice president of innovation” – very ambiguous) Jon Rubenstein joined the board of directors at Amazon. It also appears that he may have hinted at a tie-up with Amazon in an interview with This is My Next in July:

I would say Amazon would certainly make a great partner, because they have a lot of characteristics that would help them expand the webOS ecosystem. As to whether there’s been discussions or not… that’s obviously not something I’m going to comment about.

However, it might not look as daft as many people think. Amazon is expanding towards hardware – after expanding to the cloud – and creating a massive ecosystem with digital entertainment and online shopping. Acquiring Palm would give it hardware expertise for future tablets, and not to mention some patents it could use.

Amazon’s Kindle Fire is currently running a forked version of Google Android, removing everything Google and redesigning the entire UI to differentiate it from other Android tablets running Honeycomb (Android 3.x).

WebOS would allow Amazon to have its own operating system and even rival Google with deep integration with its services – something that would give it an advantage over Microsoft and Google, and could closely rival Apple.

Though, that’s all speculative.

Both companies are keeping quiet, though now everyone is keeping an eye on HP over who would take Palm and webOS from their hands.

RECAP: Amazon earlier in the night announced a revamp of its Amazon Kindle lineup with significant price drops and the launch of a US$199 tablet that has positioned it as a serious competitor towards the Apple iPad.

• Amazon Kindle gets a revamp that will see slimmer, smaller and dropping the keyboard. It will be available in Wi-Fi only for US$79 with ads or US$109 with no ads. International users will only get the no-ads version.
• Introducing the Amazon Kindle Touch. Similar to the Kindle, it also features a touchscreen that allows multi-touch gestures. It comes in Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + 3G. The Wi-Fi version costs US$99 with ads or US$139 without ads; while the Wi-Fi + 3G will cost US$149 with ads or US$189 without ads. It is only available for the United States
• The previous generation Kindle will be renamed the “Kindle Keyboard”, and will remain accessible for international users.
• The Kindle Fire exists, allowing Amazon to push its entire multimedia offerings. Hardware includes 8GB of storage and a 7-inch display. It looks like the BlackBerry Playbook and runs Google Android. Amazon is selling this very cheap at US$199, significantly lower than the iPad, and will be only available outside the United States.

Amazon has announced an update to its popular Kindle eBook reader that will see it smaller and slimmer. In addition, the new Kindle has had a price reduction of either US$79 or US$109 depending if you choose it with its “Special Offers” program.

The screen is still a 6-inch E-Ink display, but the size has been cut down as it axed the keyboard and replaced it with a set of buttons on the bottom, and the traditional next and previous buttons on the two sides – so if you are left-handed, you can still use this device. The device also features 2GB of internal storage.

The previous Kindle model now becomes the “Kindle Keyboard” and will be priced at the same range as the next version up, the Kindle touch. Because of that, this new revamped Kindle now only comes in Wi-Fi, while the Touch and Keyboard will have either a 3G or Wi-Fi product.

Outside of the United States, like us, we are only able to get the non-Special Officers product, which costs US$109.

Gallery is below.

Amazon has expanded the Kindle lineup with the new Kindle Touch for US$99 with advertising or for $139 without advertising. The new Touch adds multi-touch functions to its E-Ink display, in addition with new text-to-speech.

The Kindle Touch shares the same body as the Kindle, with a 6-inch display and weighing only 7.5 ounces. It also features 4GB of internal storage and promises to have two months of battery life (with wireless off).

It also features a brand new feature called “X-Ray” that will allow customers explore the “bones of the book”, with readers able to see any mentions of ideas, fictional characters, historical figures, places, topics or anything that just of interest; and read a much detailed description of them from Wikipedia and its community-powered encyclopaedia Shelfari.

The Kindle Touch with Wi-Fi only costs US$99 with advertising (Special Offers) or with US$139 without advertising. For Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, it costs US$149 with advertising or US$189 without advertising.

It is only available to the United States, though we do hope for international availability. Gallery is below.

It is now official, Amazon is now in the tablet game. Dubbed the Kindle Fire, Amazon is pushing its entire multimedia offerings – Books, Magazines, Movies and TV Shows – onto this new device and hopes that it can become a serious rival to the Apple iPad.

Hardware specs include a dual core processor with 8GB of internal storage. In addition, it has a 7-inch multi touch display and only weighs 413 grams.

It will run on Google Android, allowing access to a wide variety of applications. However, Amazon will only offer its own App Store rather than the Google Marketplace as the “storefront” of applications. Also, the interface has been highly customised and will not allow you to access anything below the skin. But, expect this to be rooted in order to allow for such functionality.

It also features a new web browser called Amazon Sync. Using “split browser” architecture, it promises to accelerate the power of the device by using its cloud service, and each page request from the Kindle Fire to be processed on its servers, taking into consideration of page complexity, cached content and network conditions. Amazon says this will result in a faster web browsing experience.

Amazon will also offer users free storage to its Cloud service, and will use Whispersync technology from its Kindle books to synchronise your videos, like stopping a movie on the Kindle Fire and playing it then on a TV.

The tablet is significantly cheap, priced at US$199 – significantly cheaper than the iPad, and its Android rivals. It is not available outside the United States. Gallery and the commercial is below.

The conference will be happening at Midnight on Wednesday September 28 AEST.

The tablet, which has been rumoured for months, will be a major competitor to the iPad. The speculation suggests it’ll be US$250 for a 7″ Android-based tablet and sadly won’t use E-Ink. It’s also expected to integrate Amazon services, like Kindle, the Android App Store and other products.

There may be a tablet, Kindle or both but remember, you can check out all the coverage right here at TECHGEEK.com.au. Unless you like sleep.

While Apple has failed to stop Amazon from using the word “Appstore” in the United States, it has managed to do so in, of all places, Germany. Yes, Germany.

In addition, Apple has successfully asked a court for an injunction, forcing Amazon to no longer able to accept new applications from German developers who were looking for a place to sell their application outside of the official Marketplace.

According to Dan Frommer, Amazon has sent an email alerting them to the legal action from Apple:

Subject: Important Notice for Germany Based Developers

Dear Amazon Appstore Developer,

Thank you for your participation in the Amazon Appstore for Android.  We wanted to notify you of a recent change to your Developer Portal account; for the time being, we are not accepting new app submissions from developers located in Germany.  We have been forced to impose this restriction due to a legal action filed by Apple in Germany seeking to prevent us from using the term “appstore.”  We believe Apple’s claim is without merit and are actively contesting it.

When you log into your Developer Portal account, you will notice that the options to add new apps have been removed. We hope to begin accepting new apps from German developers again soon and will notify you as soon as we are able to do so.

We appreciate your patience and your continued interest in the Amazon Appstore for Android.

Thank you,

Amazon Appstore Account Team

So yes, Apple has decided to stop Amazon from using the term “Appstore” to describe its Amazon App Store by preventing them to accept applications from German developers who do not want or could not sell their application on the Android Marketplace. All for one word, the “Appstore”.

Really, Apple? Really?

For those not in the know, Amazon recently announced their App Store for the Android platform as an alternative to the Google Android Marketplace, so those who have applications that were not able to be accepted by Google could sell their app in another trusted marketplace. However, Amazon decided to name it the “Amazon App Store”, causing all of this hoopla from Cupertino over the term “App Store”.

Yes, a simple term has managed to piss Apple off, which in turn made Microsoft pissed off over Apple’s retaliation over the term App Store. Thankfully, the court denied its request.

Oh, and just to appease (or, knowing my history with fanboy outrages, inflame) the Apple fanboys (such as James), here’s an explanation on the question on “Why can Microsoft own the trademarks Windows and Office, then?”

Well, it’s because, unlike the Appstore trademark, it was limited to the specific product. Windows is generic, yes, but Microsoft only filed the trademark for use on computers, not for all windows (the one you put in houses, made out of glass). Same goes for Office. That’s a very big difference. Why do you think Apple can keep the term “Macintosh” or “Mac”, despite it being a name of someone. It’s because it’s focused on computers.

So essentially, what I’m trying to get out of this is to say – f**k you Apple.

Bloomberg is reporting that US District Judge Phyllis Hamilton will “probably” going to deny Apple’s motion as Apple has not demonstrated that there is confusion between its App Store on its iOS devices, and the Amazon Appstore for Google Android, saying it is a “stumbling block”.

“I’m troubled by the showing that you’ve made so far, but that’s where you’re likely not to prevail at this early juncture,” she said in court.

Apple sued Amazon over the term “App Store” for its new Google Android app store, dubbed “Amazon Appstore” in order to provide an alternative marketplace on the Android platform. Apple is claiming that it is infringing on its trademark of “App Store”.

Yes, really. Apple owns the trademark “App Store”.

Apple’s trademark infringement lawsuit also brought a response from Microsoft, who questioned the viability of the trademark and asked for it to be removed. The Redmond-based company said that the term “app store” has now become common usage to describe app marketplaces by the media – noting the differences between what the companies officially called theirs and what the media labels them.

The Google-owned-and-backed Android mobile OS has been largely successful in eating market share from the iPhone, and provides strong competition to its other iOS devices – especially in the emerging tablet market, as most of the new tablets are powered by Version 3.0 Honeycomb.

Apple, however, is looking to stifle its growth by suing the big backers of the phone. It’s suing Amazon over the potential opening of another app store with a big name.

In addition, Apple has launched lawsuits against Samsung, HTC and Motorola – claiming that they have infringed their patents or, in the case of Samsung, have copied their product designs. This tactic more likely is simply to try and profit from the growth of Android, and even prevent them from getting a hold of the American market – which it dominates.

Has Apple become the new 1990s-Microsoft?

Yes it has.

The new update is expected to be released wirelessly to all Kindle 3 owners soon but there is no word on whether Kindle 1, 2 and DX owners will get the update. Big hugs for you guys.

Until the official release, adventurous users can manually download the preview software from the Amazon website.

The update will allow authors, their fans, book reviewers and any other Kindle users to create ‘public notes’, which can be shared with your ‘followers’. This could be quite interesting in the education market, seeing as a teacher could share notes on a book with an entire class of students.

The New Magazine and Newspaper Layout

Also included in the update are ‘real’ page numbers. This will scrap the old, confusing and unpopular numbering system and implement a more traditional page numbering scheme. The new page numbering system will correspond to those of printed books, allowing readers to switch between the Kindle edition and the printed edition by simply comparing the page number. So, Amazon actually does listen to customers!

Sadly the new system requires books to be updated to the new system but Amazon says that it has already

implemented the feature in “tens of thousands” of books. None of my books supported the feature yet.

The new update brings a much better magazine and newspaper layout system [picture], which was very impressive compared to the old layout.

If you want to give the update a try for yourself, you can download it here. And for the latest Kindle news, stick with TECHGEEK.com.au

[source]

[via]

Ever wanted to bring those books from the Kindle to another device, lets say your iBooks app on the iPad or even the Kobo reader that Angus and Robertson and Borders are selling? Well, you can now with this video showing you how to remove the DRM from your Kindle books.

And the guys from Too Smart Guys has kindly provided a video for you to do this trickery. Before you start, you will need the following items before you begin:

• Kindle for PC application
• Python 2.x – the latest is 2.6.4
• The Unswindle Python script
• mobidedrm.py script

Unfortunately, the scripts are gone, as they relied on code bin sites, so the guys have put together a torrent file for you to download the files so you can still accomplish it. As well, only do this if you are really really certain that you will not screw up the eBook file, or you can listen to instructions.

The video of the entire trick is below, after the jump.

“The undisputed facts further show that the combined term “app store” is commonly used in the trade, by the general press, by consumers, by Apple’s competitors and even by Apple’s founder and CEO Steve Jobs, as the generic name for online stores featuring apps,” it wrote in its filing.

“A search of Westlaw’s US ALL NEWS database found over 1,000 current articles using “app store” as the generic name for stores featuring apps.”

Microsoft has presented, at its most basic level, what it sees as two “undisputed facts” as reasons why Apple should not be granted the term “App Store”:

“App” is a common generic name for the goods offered at Apple’s store, as shown in
dictionary definitions and by widespread use by Apple and others.

“Store” is generic for the “retail store services” for which Apple seeks registration, and
indeed, Apple refers to its “App Store” as a store.

Microsoft’s filing also includes several previous cases such as “The Computer Store” and “Candy Bouquet”, and even a quote from Steve Jobs himself, on which he “criticised the proliferation of app stores for Google’s competing Android platform” – emphasis was in the original statement:

In addition to Google’s own app marketplace, Amazon, Verizon and Vodafone have all announced that they are creating their own app stores for Android. There will be at least four app stores on Android which customers must search through to find the app they want and developers will need to work to distribute their apps and get paid.

Microsoft’s filing also points out Apple’s dominance to protect the right of “app store” by filing cease and desist letters to it and its rivals; but also highlights how others have tried to not label it “app store”, when the press keeps on labelling it an “app store”:

It essentially asks for the US Patent and Trademark Office to deregister Apple’s trademark to the term “App Store” – and to be fair, Apple is known for being ultra-restrictive when trying to get people not to use terms such as “Pad” and “Pod”. However, in all seriousness, it is generic and Apple really shouldn’t have been given such a term.

But, let’s see if Microsoft succeeds in getting it un-trademarked.

Here’s what we are watching:

• Julian Assange is freed on bail by a London court. He vows to clear his name of allegations of sexual assault in Sweden and continue his work on the infamous site Wikileaks.
• After axing 4% of its workforce, Yahoo has announced the end for Delicious, the social bookmarking tool, it acquired five years ago as part of a refocus in Yahoo. ReadWriteWeb has a beautiful eulogy for the service. Also being axed are Yahoo Buzz.
• Facebook’s new Pages design has been revealed. While it looks like the same as the other Facebook redesigns, it does give you the option to “Switch Accounts” so you can act like your page or your profile.
• A credit card thief has pleaded guilty for uploading 20 songs to iTunes and Amazon only to buy those songs using stolen credit card numbers and pocketing the royalties. He managed 2,000 downloads between 2008-2009 before getting caught.

But what’s so different about it? Firstly, similar to the Kindle Bookstore, books that you buy from Google are cross-platform. So you can read on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, on your Android phone, and any device that supports Adobe eBook DRM. So Sony Readers are compatible too.

The best part is that you can also read your purchased books with a web-browser. No plugins or downloads required. But sadly, the widely popular Amazon Kindle is (currently) not supported, and may remain unsupported for a while due to lack of ePub support.

Like other eBook platforms, the Google eBookstore syncs your current location with all of your compatible devices. So you could start reading a book on your iPhone and then finish it on your Sony Reader.

And while Aussie’s can’t yet buy any of the 3 million books, we can still get some of the free public domain books. And who doesn’t enjoy a bit of Frankenstein on the go?

Yep, and while I’m so going to get angry emails from Michael Jackson fans, Tom is going to get emails from feminists calling him a sexist. Ouch.

Anyway, if you want to get our email addresses, you can get them after the jump. See you next week. Oh, and don’t forget we have a live show on December 18!

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The Top Stories

Win a MOTOROKR T505 Hands-Free Unit
http://techgeek.com.au/2010/12/03/win-a-motorokr-t505-hands-free-unit-giveaway/

Holiday Gift Guide 2010
http://holiday.techgeek.com.au

Wikileaks leaks US diplomatic cables
http://techgeek.com.au/2010/11/29/wikileaks-leaks-us-diplomatic-cables/

Amazon Denies Dropping WikiLeaks Because Of ‘Government Inquiry’
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-amazon-denies-dropping-wikileaks-because-of-political-pressure/

Lieberman Introduces Anti-WikiLeaks Legislation
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/12/shield/

WikiLeaks fights to stay online after US company withdraws domain name
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/blog/2010/dec/03/wikileaks-knocked-off-net-dns-everydns

Google search goes under EU antitrust microscope
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/11/google-search-goes-under-eu-antitrust-microscope.ars

European Union announces antitrust probe on Google
http://techgeek.com.au/2010/11/30/european-union-announes-antitrust-probe-on-google/

YouPorn, Perez Hilton Exploit Bug to Obtain Your Browsing History
http://www.switched.com/2010/12/02/bug-gathers-your-browsing-history-youporn-perez-hilton/

Apple pushes Ping with exclusive Michael Jackson song
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/12/02/apple_pushes_ping_with_exclusive_michael_jackson_song.html

Stewart’s Briefs I

Man claims phone exploded in his ear
http://techgeek.com.au/2010/12/04/man-claims-phone-exploded-in-his-ear/

Sony announces Playstation Move sold 4.1 million (to stores)
http://techgeek.com.au/2010/12/01/sony-announces-playstation-move-sold-4-1-million-to-stores/

iPad and Samsung say “I do” to ABC iview
http://blogs.abc.net.au/abc_tv/2010/12/ipad-and-samsung-say-i-do-to-abc-iview.html

Sensing Danger, Demonoid BitTorrent Tracker Ditches .COM Domain
http://torrentfreak.com/sensing-danger-demonoid-bittorrent-tracker-ditches-com-domain-101202

Gadgets

TERENCE: La Boite Concept merges laptop desk and speakers
http://techgeek.com.au/2010/11/29/la-boite-concept-merges-laptop-desk-and-speakers/

STEWART: ViewSonic Tablet coming January 2011
http://techgeek.com.au/2010/12/01/viewsonic-tablet-coming-january-2011/

TOM: iFan concept uses gusts to power your iPhone, solve lingering reception issues
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/03/ifan-concept-uses-gusts-to-power-your-iphone-solve-lingering-re/

In Other News

Women want Apple’s iPhone, men prefer Google Android, Nielsen finds
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/12/01/women_want_apples_iphone_men_prefer_google_android_nielsen_finds.html

55 people think the iPad is more valuable than the Galaxy Tab
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/02/55-people-think-the-ipad-is-more-valuable-than-the-galaxy-tab/

Rumor: January Windows Phone 7 update to be massive, catches up with iPhone
http://www.wpcentral.com/rumor-january-windows-phone-7-update-be-massive-catches-iphone

Windows Phone 7 jailbreak tool comes, goes within a week
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/12/windows-phone-7-jailbreak-tool-comes-goes-within-a-week.ars

Pursuing the future of homebrew on Windows Phone 7
http://www.chevronwp7.com/post/2057541126/pursuing-the-future-of-homebrew-on-windows-phone-7

Hulu Eyes Global Expansion
http://mashable.com/2010/12/02/hulu-eyes-global-expansion/

Richard Branson’s iPad App: $2.99, Instructions Included. You’ll Need Them.
http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20101130/richard-bransons-ipad-app-2-99-instructions-included-youll-need-them/

Twitter name mixup gets woman free Australia trip
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40421636/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/?ocid=twitter

Stewart’s Briefs II

Apple Sues Steve Jobs Figurine Maker Over Likeness
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/10/11/30/145211/Apple-Sues-Steve-Jobs-Figurine-Maker-Over-Likeness

Apple makes PhotoFast stop production of speedy 256 GB MacBook Air SSDs
http://www.9to5mac.com/38937/apple-makes-photofast-stop-sales-of-speedy-256-gb-macbook-air-ssds

Google to pay $1 for Street View trespass. Plaintiffs say: ‘This is one sweet dollar of vindication’
http://www.news.com.au/technology/google-to-pay-1-for-street-view-trespass-plaintiff-says-this-is-one-sweet-dollar-of-vindication/story-e6frfro0-1225965003103

23-Year-Old Russian Responsible for a Third of World’s Spam
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/12/23-year-old-russian-responsible-for-a-third-of-worlds-spam/67441/

We talk about Skyfire, iBookstores and introduce a new segment called Gadgets.

We are resting the TECHGEEK Tips podcast for a while because we have, in effect, run out of Tips. So do send them in at our new email address: podcasts@techgeek.com.au.

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SHOWNOTES

Apple sued for iPhone 3G iOS 4 problems
http://www.cnet.com.au/apple-sued-for-iphone-3g-ios-4-problems-339307065.htm

90-second previews coming to iTunes whether labels like it or not
http://techgeek.com.au/2010/11/03/90-second-previews-coming-to-itunes-whether-labels-like-it-or-not/

Apple finally opens iBookstore in Australia
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/tablets/apple-finally-opens-ibookstore-in-australia-20101103-17dd4.html

Apple Increases Tablet Share to 95 Percent as Android Slips
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-02/apple-increases-tablet-share-to-95-percent-as-android-slips.html

iPhone 5 Will Enable Ambitious Remote Computing Program – Source [Exclusive]
http://www.cultofmac.com/iphone-5-will-enable-ambitious-remote-computing/66825

Skyfire iOS browser approved by Apple, converts Flash video to HTML5
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/11/02/skyfire_ios_browser_approved_by_apple_converts_flash_video_to_html5.html

Skyfire’s iPhone browser ‘sells out’ due to shaky bandwidth
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-20021738-233.html

Kinect to sell 5 million before end of year?
http://techgeek.com.au/2010/11/04/kinect-to-sell-5-million-before-end-of-year/

We are the controller!’ A Kinect launch party overview
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/04/we-are-the-controller-a-kinect-launch-party-overview/

Consumer Reports debunks the ‘racist’ Kinect
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/electronics/2010/11/consumer-reports-tests-kinect-facial-recognition-problems-video.html

Samsung expects to sell a million Galaxy Tabs this year, 40 million smartphones next year
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/05/samsung-expects-to-sell-a-million-galaxy-tabs-this-year-40-mill/

First official HTML5 tests topped by…Microsoft
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/01/w3c_html5_conformance_tests/

ACCC launches legal proceedings against MSY over false warranty claims
http://techgeek.com.au/2010/11/01/accc-launches-legal-proceedings-against-msy-over-false-warranty-claims/

Facebook users squint at font size change
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9194920/Facebook_users_squint_at_font_size_change

Shortages Could Hurt Windows Phone 7 Launch In U.S.
http://www.businessinsider.com/shortages-could-hurt-windows-phone-7-launch-in-us-2010-11

Amazon’s 3G Kindle leaps ‘Great Firewall of China’
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h1yyXi97OU9cuMsAuiNQLKYdO_SQ

STEWART’S BRIEFS

SOCIAL MEDIA SOBERIETY TEST
http://www.socialmediasobrietytest.com/

ABC signs deal with Yahoo7 for archive content
http://techgeek.com.au/2010/11/02/abc-signs-deal-with-yahoo7-for-archive-content/

iOS 4.2 to be released in November, but when?
http://techgeek.com.au/2010/11/02/ios-4-2-to-be-released-in-november-but-when/

Mac mini price drops
http://techgeek.com.au/2010/11/03/mac-mini-price-drops/

Europeans wake up an hour late as Apple fails to fix iPhone alarm clock bug
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/11/01/european_alarms_go_off_an_hour_late_due_to_apple_iphone_clock_bug.html

Will you stay with Windows XP? 53% say Yes!
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1567386&p=1

GADGETS

Gucci’s 3D glasses up the ante with $225 fashion tag
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/31/guccis-3d-glasses-up-the-ante-with-225-fashion-tag/

Mac Pro Server quietly introduced as Xserve heads for the grave, starts at $3,000
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/05/mac-pro-server-quietly-introduced-as-xserve-heads-for-the-grave/

P.S. – We have a new intro. Hope you like it. If you want the full theme, you can download it at 8bitcollective. The song is called Embrace by Neometamon.

The suite, which is not as vast as the one on Windows, will feature the usual Word, Excel and PowerPoint. However, it will ditch Entourage in favour for Microsoft Outlook, its premier email client, and will have the same functions and features as the one on Windows. It will also feature the new ribbon interface that has been present since Office 2007 for Windows and Windows 7.

Among the changes include connections to Office Web Apps, SharePoint and Windows Live SkyDrive; and brought back Visual Basic so you can create macros.

“It takes every single person on the team to make this happen, and I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank everyone on the MacBU product team for their commitment to excellence and going above and beyond to get to done on Office 2011,” Geoff Price, the Product Unit Manager for the Mac Business Unit at Microsoft, wrote in a blog post.

“I’d also like to thank our many partners around the world including MVPs, beta testers and our friends at Apple. Finally, a very sincere special thanks to all of our families and friends for their support during this final push to shipping.”

Meanwhile, Amazon has leaked the release date of the office suite – with the expected release date to be October 26. The prices for the two editions – Home and Student; and Home and Business – have not been revealed, but each will come in one-licence and many-licence varieties.

As with the Windows version, upgrade pricing has been axed.

"The key things they needed to tie up have been tied up. The rumours I’ve heard are all saying next week,” the source says. However, don’t expect book publishers to say anything about it as they all signed non-disclosure agreements, meaning they can’t really give us a full answer.

There are currently two models – the Kindle 2, which sells for US$299, or the much larger Kindle DX, which is being sold for $489. However, it is unknown if both models will be sold. As well, because it uses a 3G connection to download purchased books on the device and constantly updates any notes or remembers what page you were last reading, we do not know which mobile carrier will be providing the network capacity.

No word if there will be a release for Australian users, but don’t get your hopes up. Amazon does not have any business in Australia.

The study found that, out of 2,000 online users surveyed, that those who downloaded the music from legal or illegal sources for free, they are ten times more likely to pay for music online, making pirates the industry’s largest source for digital sales.

This study effectively has found a link to piracy and legal methods. The professor – Professor Anne-Britt Gran, did relied on proof of purchase for their research, meaning that the pirate couldn’t lie in the survey. This comes a few weeks after the Pirate Bay “spectrial” concluded, with the four co-defendants being found guilty and were sentenced for a year in jail.

Hearst Corporation, known for publishing magazines like Esquire and Cosmopolitan, and newspapers like the San Francisco Chronicle, is getting set to go into the e-reader business, after industry insiders claim that it is set to launch something that hopes to do the same thing that the Amazon Kindle has done for books.

Industry sources, being quoted by Fortune Magazine, say that the new Kindle-competitor is suited to the reading ad advertising specifications that newspapers and magazines follow; and publishers will be allowed to adapt the new technology, which is likely to debut this year.

While specifics haven’t been announced, publishers like Hearst are struggling as print revenue is in decline and their online revenue hasn’t been able to fill up the gap – and e-readers and other technologies are looking set to fill that void.

This e-reader isn’t the first time that they have experimented with technology. In 2000, before the web bubble burst, publishers gave away a cat-shaped barcode scanner, called the CueCat, that would allow them to scan ads in newspapers and that would take them to the URL, making it easier for them to go to the page and not type in the web address.

The CueCat, however, turned out to be a commercial disaster – and the fact, according to its Wikipedia page, that every model had a unique serial number and that the owners could compile a list of barcodes scanned by the user, saw privacy concerns with the device.

It also didn’t help when the product had a security breach in September of 2000, leaving 140,000 users and their details exposed.

And what we have learnt from the Kindle, it would debut with a black-and-white screen, and it would have a wireless connection, either from 3G or Wi-Fi. The Kindle uses its own, and free, 3G connection to download books and other content to the device.

While I don’t really care with the device, the bigger question is that can they convince advertisers and other publishers with the new technology?

Image from: shadowstorm/Flickr/CC

Is this the new Amazon Kindle 2? According to MobileRead, they are – however, they haven’t been confirmed just yet. Also, the pricing has been leaked, and it will set you back US$359, and will be on sale from February 24. But you have to admit, even if this is not real, this looks like a better version of the Kindle.

More images after the jump.

According to Liliputing, Amazon has cut the price of the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC, HP’s own competitor to the Asus eeePC; and this is its third cut in less than a week, meaning that Amazon really wants to get rid of it. It was previously $499, then it dropped to $379.99, and now its $299. So what would you get with the “netbook” for that low price? Well:

• CPU: 1.2GHz VIA C7-M processor
• Display: 8.9-inch display.
• 4GB solid state drive, and 512MB of RAM – but that is upgradable to 2GB.
• OS is SUSE Linux Enterprise Edition
• Supports 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Ethernet
• 2 USB Ports, VGA output, ExpressCard/54 slot and an SD Card slot
• Headphone port, Mic port, 1.3 megapixel webcam, built in Mic.

Amazon will start selling the One Laptop Per Child’s XO laptop as part of the Give One, Get One program, according to an official from the OLPC.

Basically, the laptop is a low-cost and low-power laptop, which will run Linux and Windows on it and be sold to countries to help decrease the digital divide between the western nations and the poorer ones. Amazon is expected to sell them in late November, in time of the Thanksgiving celebrations and the Holiday season.

The Give One, Get One program, started last year, will allow one person to pay for two XO laptops, with one being given to the buyer and another is then donated to a child in a developing country.

Before 10am California time on a Saturday, the website was shut down and giving an error code to anyone visiting it, according to Keynote Systems – a company who measures the performance of websites.

However, Amazon’s services it provides to other companies were not affected, nor its international sites.

Amazon is one of the web giants, and it attracts massive amounts of money and traffic, with forecasters expecting the company will bring in more than US$19 million in revenue this year.