Apple has ended months of speculation by officially unveiling the iPad 2, company’s most anticipated second-gen tablet that will start shipping Stateside on March 11th and March 25th in other countries, with prices as follows: $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB), $699 (64GB), add $130 for 3G. The formal announcement which took place this morning at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California was super exciting, with Apple CEO Steve Jobs surprisingly taking the stage himself.

The iPad2 is only 8.8mm thick, 33% thinner than the original one (and thinner than iPhone 4), weighs 1.35 pounds, and has that same 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS display (Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating) that offers a full capacitive touch screen, supported by 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch. Apple promising a “nine times faster on graphics” 1GHz custom built A5 (dual-core) chip (twice faster on cpu), while tablet capacities are claimed to be the same traditional ones, at 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of flash storage.

The iPad2 comes either in black or White hues, with 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1 plus EDR technology, as well as a large speaker on its back, microphone, 512MB or RAM, and a 30-pin dock connector, downstairs. The new iPad will also be available in a 3G flavor with speeds up to 7.2Mbps, while battery life is estimated at 10 hours or so. In addition, the industry giant and innovator says “…that 2011 will be the year of iPad 2″ with 65,000 apps compared to 100 only on Google’s Honeycomb.

So, what else is new in iPad 2, you ask? Well, there are two built-in cameras inside, one on rear, capable recording a 720p video at 30fps, and a front-facing one, supporting 5x digital zoom. Some cool accessories that Apple is tossing, such as the HDMI video out which will run for $39, and a stunning smart cover case, made of materials like micro-fiber and “magnet” elements – that’s $39 for the plastic version or $69 for the leather.

Software wise, iOS 4.3 being announced (available for download on March 11, free of charge) with new iTunes Home Sharing features, Airplay updates, and Nitro Javscript Safari improvements, delivering much faster surfing results. Other than that, we’re looking at the new ability to “share your 3G connection via wifi” which is best known as Mifi personal hotspot, a lovely revamped Photo Booth edition, supporting nine live video streams at once, Apple’s FaceTime feature for video conferencing purposes , a whole new version of iMovie, that takes advantage of the iPad’s big screen (about $4.99) and the most famous “touch instruments” OS X app, GarageBand  that will join the lineup with 8track recording, 250+ loops, effects, amps and plenty stuff more for a very small price tag ($4.99).

So there you go ladies and gentlemen. Who’s buying the new iPad and who’s not?

Hit the jump for the video introductions along some few more pics and full PR notes.

[Apple]

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It’s been a while since we’ve last heard from Onda, but it seems like the Chinese brand has now managed to return to business, this time on a new shape and form embodied in a 7-inch slate/PMP device, known as the VX560, and might (just might) remind you of quite another tablet machine on another world entirely. But it’s not. In fact, it’s just a natural evolution of the product, that now boasts a 800 x 480 touchscreen display, stuffed with an ebook reader (supporting PDF, PDB, and CHM files), and outputs 1080p videos via HDMI, along some other common formats such as H.264-MKV, AVI, MOV, MPG, and FLV. Still no word about price or availability for our Western audience across the globe, but looks like Eastern chaps will get their chance to add one to the cart in the not too distant future.

[viaIMP3]

ICD is no stranger to the growing interest in modern tablets technology at all. In fact, the company has already shown us some of its most unique and attractive Android-powered nifty slates, it has launched over the past three months, and boy they look good, aren’t they? Back then, no one seemed to care that much. Today, on the other hand, when multiple players (especially the big ones) such as Apple and HP, have taken the wraps off their own handy-dandy tablet machines, it’s a whole new world out there, and ICD seems to understand that pretty well, otherwise it wouldn’t have thought of launching yet another one, would it? And its latest revelation, also known as the Gemini, is definitely a game changer in this boiling sphere, with 11.2-inch 1366 x 768 capacitive touchscreen on top and some very impressive line of components seating under the lid – amongst you’ll find a 2 mp front-facing webcam along a 5 mp autofocusing slit on the back, FM radio, SD card reader, GPS, 802.11 b/g/ n WiFi connection, Bluetooth, HDMI, MicroUSB port, dual stereo speakers, a 40Wh removable battery and last but not least, Nvidia Tegra 2 SOC  – here that iPad, JooJoo, HP Slate et all? Still no word about pricing or shipping dates, but we’re all over the place to bring the latest updates. Meanwhile, you can check out the specs and comparison sheet, right after the break.

[via Slashgear]

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Pasen has been known for years for its average line of PMP products, but now, as it looks, the company has finally managed to somehow move on the  right direction with its latest and hopefully greatest MID5 android tablet – is that a tablet? Anyway, this 5-inch MID/Slate Android device boasts a 800 x 480 LTPS LCD display, along WiFi, micro SDHC slot, USB hub, Rockchip RK2808 processor, a built-in speaker and HDMI output, supporting 720p H.264 video files, as well as other common formats like AVI, MOV, DIVX, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, VCD, DVD, RM, or RMVB and audio codecs such as MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, or OGG. Battery wise, you get to play up to 10 hours of music tracks or about 4.5 hours of video playback, so wouldn’t you want one, after all?

[Pasen]

Word on the streets is that Apple plans to announce a new iPhone machine, its fourth generation, somewhere around April of this year. A quick look at previous models, compared to what we think a good, viable and essential smartphones should look these days, made us realize there’s A LOT to be accomplished. Checkout the list we’ve made and feel free to add yours:

This is NOT the new iPhone. Please click this link and read all about the new iPhone 4.

1) A 5 megapixel camera (At least) – I mean seriously, 3.2mp camera isn’t enough these days when most mobile devices pack 5mp and even stronger.

2) A better auto-focus camera with a better optical zoom – People hate carrying around so many gadgets in their pockets, so a better camera that can deliver better focus would definitely save most of us the hassle of taking a digital camera with us.

3) Front facing camera (for video chat/skype) – Every simple phone has it, so why not? From one hand, I can hear the mobile companies getting intimidated from the fact that users will actually have live video chats in their phones, something which would probably make them speak less than before, but on the other one, we’d tell them: don’t fight with it, deal with it! (And same goes for the Google voice app).

4) Xenon flash – And closing the camera session, a good flash system would completely make a differece, don’t you think so? Bring the light!

5) Record video in HD 720p – The world is changing, and so does video quality. HD videos are part of our lives now, so a 720p video recording feature, integrated in phones, should be too (period!).

6) Hide app icons – Different people use different apps, and customized platforms are getting very popular these days, so having the ability to make apps like youtube, calender, calculator or others disappear, can definitely be a useful add-on.

7) Revamped design – Some would argue about this one, as the iPhone is hands-down one of the most good looking devices we’ve seen in years, but still there’s a plenty of room for a change, like maybe a bigger display (4-inch anyone?), or a squarish frame – less rounded on the edges.

8 ) Multitasking – Multitasking, multitasking, multitasking. Said enough. everyone’s been yelling this for years and yet nothing. C’mon Apple, we need this one ASAP! In an online environment where most users do several tasks concurrently, it’s crucial to allow apps (IM, music, photos, etc) to run in the background.

9) Silverlight support – Yeah, yeah…we all have our pride here, but lets make things a bit different. The more plugins our phone supports the better it would be – is there anybody listening?

10) Flash support – Same as Silverlight. Enough with the kindergarten games. Both Apple and Adobe should finally seat together and work things out. At the end of the day, it’s about us, the users and how we surf the internet nowadays, and lets face it Cupertino, flash is needed, whether you want it or not.

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Asus has already proved it can go hand-to-hand with tech pace and bring up-to-date laptops that match the latest criteria one by one. And that is probably the reason the company has just released the Eee PC 1201PN, a Pine Trail netbook powered by Nvidia’s ION 2 graphics that suppose to replace the 6 months old 1201N which had the same looks, only with ION’s first chipset edition and a previous Atom N330 CPU version. The new one, which was spotted at the Taiwanese booth in CeBIT, packs a 12.1-inch 1366×768 LED display, along that Atom N450 Pine Trail processor, and NVIDIA’s Ion 2 for the graphics tone. Other than that, the 1201PN offers basic specs like 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi connection, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and 6 cell battery with working hours “TBD”. Stay tuned for more to come, meanwhile checkout Joanna’s hands-on video after the break.

Update: And looks like the 12.1-inch ASUS Eee PC 1201PN, powered by ION 2 chipset, is now available on Amazon for a starting price of $484, which seems pretty impressive if we take into consideration that really amazing lineup, which includes a Intel Atom N450 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 201M for the graphics.

[via engadget]

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Top-notch navigating systems with 3D maps and live traffic reports are probably some of the things that come to your minds when hearing the name Mio. And while GPS systems have turned to be part of our day-to-day usage, one can argue it would just be enough to satisfy today’s self indulgent clients. I mean, lets be series for a moment, don’t you want the all-in-one package instead of carrying so many gadgets around? Well, someone in MIO has already figured that out, otherwise we’d probably seen yet another nav box hitting our headlines, no? And getting into details, we speak about the company’s latest Moov V780 MID – Entertaining machine that has recently popped out with a 7-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen and should officially see first lights at CeBIT 2010. It has a strong 600MHz processor tucked with an HDMI output, DVB-T digital TV support, a built-in WiFi and optional WiMAX connection. Furthermore, it’s claimed to include the new Mio Spirit navigation software, but OS wise, you won’t be seeing anything but Windows CE running inside, not to mention an Android 2.0. Price and availability are still to be unveiled, hopefully this coming week, at the Hannover show.

Update: The good guys at jkkmobile have managed to put their hands on MIO’s new V780 MID while at CeBIT, and we’re lucky to have their video up and ready to be watched, right after the break. As you can see, the V780 will presumably offer an optional cradle where users will be able to place the V780 in and do their stuff with a real QUERTY keyboard attached – something we have seen in Lenovo’s U1 Hybrid machine, remember?

[Mio]

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It looks like the good guys at Philips have finally decided to invigorate their relatively known GoGear lineup with contemporary specs and a chic design. For this matter, the company has just rolled out the Muse, a 3.2-inch touchscreen PMP which boasts either 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB sizes at your choice, covered by a slim metal brushed chassis, etched with a single rocker button, down the lane. The player, that will hopefully go out somewhere this year, priced within the range of $155 – $185, is claimed to include a built-in FM tuner, a microSD slot (supporting up to 32GB cards), and a 720p HDMI output. It suppose to support most common audio formats through the open sourced Songbird player, instead of Windows Media Player (interesting!), and said to be capable of importing song lists from services like iTunes, Last.fm and 7digital. Stay tuned.

[via Pocket-lint]

Chinese company RAMos has launch a new PMP lineup which includes the T17FHD and T13FHD models, both to handle 1080p videos adequately. Make no mistake, these are not MIDs or tablets, just media players with a built-in HDMI port and touchscreen display on top. Starting with the T13FHD, made of zinc alloy magnesium, you get  a 4.3-inch display along a USB host, TV output and a headphone jack, positioned to the left, while the second, T17FHD, literally sports the same screen size with 800 × 480 resolution, but also packs 16GB of flash storage, a microSD card slot, ebook reader compatibility and wide range of formats support, including H.264, MPEG1/2/4 decoding, MKV, RMVB, AVI, MOV, MPG, MPEG, DAT, MOV, MP4, MP3、WMA、WAV、RM、OGG、and JPG、BMP、PNG、GIF image files. No word about price or availability at this point.

[via imp3]

We’re not used to such big players, the kind that recently announced by Aluratek at the CES show in Vegas, but that’s probably the fun part of discovering new gadgets, isn’t it? Well, maybe, depends who you’re asking and how portable it is. This one, the 8.9-inch Cinepal media player, doesn’t look so handy, especially when it’s hard to determine whether it’s a digiframe, a tablet, a PMP or just an e-reader. The answer probably falls somewhere in between. Anyway, you can get it next month for $179, that will grant you 4GB of internal storage, together with an SD / SDHC expansion slot, a 6 hours of battery time and wide range of codecs compatibility, including DivX DRM, AVI, VOB, DAT, MPEG, H.264, MKV, MP3, WMA and JPEG files support. It would also run your 720p video files wherever you go, but frankly, we can’t imagine ourselves taking it for a journey or a quick short walk. PR stuff after the jump.

[via laptopmag]

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Remember the Mini 5101 that HP released 6 months ago to target high-end customers with business related aspirations? Turns out it’s not alone – as a matter of fact it has a new twin brother that carries the title Mini 5102. The latest, which belongs to the growing Pine Trail family, packs inside an Atom N450 processor along a 10-inch display, offered with a WSVGA or WXGA panels. But as a premium portable device, one can guess it boasts a lot more than usual. What else is new? We’re talking about a Broadcom HD video accelerator, added to the pile, while keyboard is at 95% from the regular one. Besides that you can toss inside any possible operating system available, either it’s FreeDOS, SUSE Linux, Windows XP or Windows 7 Starter/Premium editions. Battery wise, you can choose between 4-cell and 6-cell flavors, but the most attractive alternative, marked as optional, is that super cool capacitive (multitouch) touchscreen which turns that netbook into a tablet (well, not exactly, but you know what I mean). It ain’t going to be cheap, boys and girls, but we still can;t tell how much and when. PR words added after the break.

Update1: Apparently, the Mini 5102 cover is made out of a stunning brushed aluminum plate and the chassis hides an optional handle for ‘A-grades’ students. Checkout the hands-on video the good people at engadget just shared.

Update2: We’ve added another video from the CES show that demos HP’s touchscreen netbook capabilities, this time with a snapdragon and Android platforms running inside. Check it out right after the break.

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It’s not a party without Dell, you know it, we know it and the guys at Dell apparently know it, as well. And that is probably the reason why the company just rolled out an Atom N450-based Inspiron Mini 10 lineup, available on Dell’s online page for $299, joining the growing batch of netbooks to include the Pine Trail platform as part of their specs. True, we’ve already seen it last month when Dell proudly announced the Mini 10 new design and features, but today, it gets official. To recall, for that very competitive price -offered, you receive a 10-inch netbook, tucked with a full fledged keyboard, a 9.5 hour battery, built-in GPS, an integrated HDTV receiver, an optional TV tuner and a powerful Broadcom Crystal HD graphics accelerator. Pick a color and ride into the future.

[Dell]

Think of getting a new media player? The kind that would both play your HD content and give your bank manager a reason to smile? iToos M6HD might be the right solution, as the Chinese PMP breaks into the market moments before 2009 ends, with a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 TFT display and an HDMI output that will pump your 1080i videos on your LCD TV. It houses 4GB of internal storage with an SD card expansion, it has an FM radio tuner, but boasts a wide range of codecs support (including H.264 and MKV). And for the best part, it would cost ya only $58.50 (kind of).

[via Akihabara News]

Intel’s Pine Trail platform is live, kicking and ready to go. The latest introduction of that series comes from Dell and its Inspiron Mini 10 which is now reported to include the Atom N450 processor, which suppose to give a little boost to that Windows 7 Starter the netbook runs. Besides that, for a starting price of $299 you should see basic specs like 10.1-inch 1024×600 display,160GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM and 3-cell battery, all packed under that same slick and squarish hood. However, for extra charge you’re being offered – and whether or not you want to accept it’s up to you – to enhance your experience with a 1366 x 768 display, a six-cell battery, producing 9.5 hours work time in one single charge, four shiny colors, Bluetooth, WWAN, GPS, TV tuner and a strong Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator for flawless high-def chime – that would probably cost you few hundreds dollar more, but should be worth a try. PR announcement added after the break.

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Chinese corp RAmos seems to be releasing HD players on a monthly bases – our feeling only – and those of you who’ve been thinking it would slow down a bit, should think again, as the company rolls out yet another one, the T11TE, priced at $177.45 and houses a 5-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, paired with microSD slot expansion, 16GB of flash storage, dual 3.5mm jacks(?) and of course, a 1080P HDMI output, to pump high-def videos on your tele – although it runs other common formats such as DAT, MPG, MPEG,VOB, MP4, MOV, AVI, DVD Video, ASF, WMV, MKV, TS, RM,and RMVB. Other than that, this half-inch thick PMP will record voices, thanks to its built-in mic or help you share your music around, with those integrated stereo speakers it boasts. No word whether it would make its way Stateside or not, surely it won’t keep that “new player” title for long.

Update: Checkout the video we’ve added after the break.

[via PMP Today]

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MSI is about to enlarge its growing HD PMPs lineup, proudly releasing the MT-V887, which apparently follows the company’s high-def trend, packing a Rockchip RK2728B chipset that can broadcast H.264 and 720p videos, once get pumped on a tele, via composite/component outputs, already built into the chassis. However, those who prefer watching through the integrated 4.3 inch display, will have to settle with merely 480 x 272 screen resolution, which practically downgrades their view quality to usual standards and make it look less sharp, less crisp than they really are. Besides that, for an undetermined price/availability, this Chinese media player will also offer either 4GB or 8GB capacities at your choice, together with a text reader, a multi-language interface, a built-in mic, and slick robust frame, crammed with silver or black colors. Western arrival is doubtful, our desires are mute. Stay tuned for further updates.

[via imp3]

Here we are, standing again with Chinese corp Newman, that recently announced its latest A36HD device, which apparently boasts a regular 3-inch display (no touchscreen), along a microSD card slot, 4GB or 8GB capacities to choose from, the regular audio-video lineup and a nice slick silver frame, covering it all from every possible direction. As probably figured from those “HD” initials, marked in its name, this 8mm thick PMP supports 720p videos when pumping them out on your LCD TV, through the integrated TV-output, already been included. Other than that, it packs a usual built in mono speaker, to let you share your music loud, and a 3.5mm Jack in case you want to have some privacy. No price or availability details to be mentioned yet, but be sure they will probably stay relevant for Eastern residents only.

[via akihabaranews]

Viewsonic officially gets into the portable HD-compatible world, announcing the VPD400 MovieBook, a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 media player, supporting 720p video files along other common media formats, including AVI, RM/RMVB, FLV, MP4, MOV, PMP, MPG, VOD, DAT, H.264, H.263 and MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, APE, OGG for audio. Other than that, this stylish all-in-one device – sized only 113mm x 74.5mm x 13.8mm – sports 8GB of internal memory, together with a micro SD slot expansion and AV Output for full sized TV entertainment. Battery is set to work 12 hours of audio playback and six if you’re watching a video. that, as a fact, would give you the benefit of watching HD movies, view photos and read any digital book whenever on the go. Too bad it lacks a WiFi connection, but color wise you get to choose out of Black, White or Pink. No price or availability details available at this point.

Update: Checkout the unboxing video, made by the good guys at NetbookNews, and added after the break. BTW, just in case you were wondering, the VPD500 comes with a 5-inch display while the 400 version packs only 4-inch screen.  

[Viewsonic]

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Check this out guys, Microsoft has just rolled out firmware version 4.3 for its fabulous Zune HD players. The update, originally released in order to solve pesky playcount syncing issues, surprisingly adds/upgrades some neat UI features – amongst you can find the long awaited 3d games and applications support, together with a wider touchscreen keyboard and autofill text suggestion bot. Other improvements offer a faster browser and better webpages rendering engine, while apps and loading time have turned slightly snappier than before. The v4.3 release is now available when clicking “Player Update” in your Zune, so hurry up and make it vibrant.

Update: In addition to that new Zune HD firmware update, Microsoft has released a slew of pretty cool (and free) 3D games – already available through the Marketplace slot – amongst you can find titles like PGR: Ferrari Edition, Lucky Lane Bowling, Vans Sk8: Pool Service, Piano, Checkers, and Audiosurf. Full PR was added after the break, along with a gaming experience demo.

[Via MobileTechWorld]

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Still in development, the Zii EGG prototype – which hopefully will go live somewhere next year – is one desirable media device we’d like to see floating around. With a 3.5-inch multi-touch display, WiFi, GPS, and 1080p HD support – it just can’t go wrong. In fact, it seems to be walking the right directions, with its mother company, Creative, choosing the Android 1.6 path, and making it look pretty promising on this new nifty portable bud. Too bad the entire UI is a bit sluggish and the integrated webcam is not exactly functional (not to mention the inaccurate signal marks at the top). Yet, it’d surely improve in the next build, we’re positive, very very positive. But ’till then, hit the jump and watch the video.

[via anythingbutipod]

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