Tech Today w/ Ken May

Electronic paper has come a long way, but displaying content in color in a way that makes sense (refresh rate, resolution etc.) is still a problem. One of the bigger companies working on color e-papers is Fujitsu whose FLEPia is among the most advanced devices out there. The FLEPia went through several iterations since its launch in 2007, and now Fujitsu has showcased the latest version last week in Tokyo. As you can see in the video embedded below, the new device is more of an evolution than a revolution, especially with regard to the refresh rate (0.7 seconds is still too slow). But they’re getting there: just like the already commercialized FLEPia Lite , the prototype has an 8-inch screen displaying 4,096 colors. At 220g, the new model is 60g lighter than the FLEPia Lite, with

Plantronics has two, count ‘em, two new headsets — one cancels noise out, the other keeps noise in. The Voyager 520 is a noise-canceling Bluetooth headset “featuring robust noise-canceling technology for business-quality performance”. It’ll set you back $99.99, available in August. For the less-mobile (but still pretty mobile), there’s the sound-isolating .Audio 480 Virtual Phone Booth headset “for laptop multimedia and Internet conversations.” It’s the smallest computer headset that Plantronics has pushed out yet. Analog version available for $89.95, USB for $109.95 — also available in August. I have a Gamecom Pro1 headset from Plantronics and it’s real, real nice. Good stuff outta Santa Cruz, California. Plantronics Delivers Superior Sound and Noise-Cancellation with New Voyager Bluetooth Headset Plantronics Launches the .Audio 480 Virtual Phone Booth Headset

Research In Motion is done. They’ll be bought in the next year or so, their products will roll into whoever buys them – Microsoft, most probably – and they’ll go the way of Nokia, Danger, and countless other mobile platforms. They’ll exist independently for a while and then be subsumed. It’s over. Here’s why. Read More

Just last week we posted a video of the new Nook (which we just reviewed ) running Angry Birds . Not exactly the best match for an e-paper display, but it does show that the underlying Android install is sound and functional. Further proof comes this weekend, with forum-dwelling hackers installing the ADW Launcher home screen and even the Kindle app on it. Sure, the animation is busted, but it could still be super useful. Oh, and by the way, it has Bluetooth . That wasn’t in the specs, but is probably part of the chipset they used. Was Barnes & Noble going to announce this? Doesn’t matter much, we know now! Looks like the “Nook Touch” is going to be about as popular a hacking platform as the Nook Color. I wonder if the similarly-specced Kobo will get a similar treatment?

We’re here at Google’s massive HQ in New York City (they own an entire block) for what Google was calling a “partner event” but everyone knew was really an “NFC event” . Sure enough, Stephanie Tilenius, Google’s VP of Commerce, has taken the stage to announce Google Wallet and Google Offers. Right off the bat, Tilenius wanted to make it clear that this would be an open platform. She invited “payment networks, carriers, banks, join us in creating tomorrow’s shopping experience”. And some of those partners are already on board. Citi, Mastercard, FirstData, and Sprint are the initial partners. Read More

Here it is, ladies and nerds: the Pioneer AppRadio. As the name implies it’s centered around applications in a smartphone-ish sort of way. All the big boys are here: RDIO, Pandora, and Google Maps along with the driver-centric apps of INRIX and MotionX-GPS Drive. This is possible through the Pioneer AppRadio iOS app that serves up data and app access to the head-unit from a connected iPhone or iPod touch. It lacks the native iOS support we had incorrectly heard it has , but features enough compelling features to earn a good deal of respect. The aftermarket audio scene has been somewhat stagnant over the last decade. The biggest innovation was navigation and perhaps the addition of a USB host, but GUIs and even prices have stayed about the same. Pioneer has a real chance with the AppRadio to push the rest of the industry into embracing connected data and, in a way, learn to take a back seat to the smartphone by servering a more companion role — as it should be. A WVGA (800 x 480) 6.1-inch capacitive multitouch serves up all the action. But there’s nothing behind it. The screen doesn’t flip down to reveal a fancy iPhone dock or even an optical drive. iPhones and iPod touches connect to the unit through a Dock Connector cable that hooks into the rear of the radio so it’s up to the installer to hide this wire. Updates and more apps come by way of a Pioneer iOS app. When an iDevice is connected it unlocks all the wonders of Google Maps including search, routing, directions and even drop pins bookmarks. The iDevice serves up reformated apps to the AppRadio and Pioneer wrangled several popular apps to hit the device at launch and custom versions of RDIO and Pandora are currently available. This iDevice dependency comes at a price, though. While the AppRadio can certainly stand on its own without a connected device, it loses most of its appeal. Also, Android owners need not apply. Pioneer isn’t servering their kind as Bluetooth connectivity seems only for phone functions and not for streaming content or data connectivity sharing. The AppRadio doesn’t have an optical drive and I worry about the capacitive screen handling direct sunlight. Still, the AppRadio is a welcomed addition to the car audio aftermarket scene. Pioneer hasn’t announced the price or exact release date yet, but the press announcement states that the “AppRadio will be available in late June with a suggested retail price below $500.” Side note: big props to our graphic guy Bryce for making a nearly accurate hardware rendering based on blurry FCC pics and several emails from a tester. The OS is clearly wrong, but he nailed the button design.

This is sort of silly but still worthwhile. Of course prices of developing technologies drop over time, but the infograph from Wired is still fun if for nothing else than a bit of nostalgic reminiscing. I can recall the first two plasmas we got while I worked at Circuit City: a Panasonic for $10k and a Pioneer for $12k. Of course that was back in the wild and crazy times of 2002 when credit was available to anyone with a pulse and a social security number.