Review Horizon

Good news, everybody. Popbox Media Center is available at Amazon for pre-order for only $129. While no definite date is provided for shipping, the fact that Amazon makes it available means we on’t have to wait too long. As usual, expect an in-depth review here as soon as I will receive it. Look after the break for supported media formats and detailed specifications. Read More…

The newly announced Kindle firmware update from Amazon brings the device in the realm of social media. The version 2.5 to be released next month includes Facebook and Twitter support. It will also (finally) include support for book collections and other goodies as zoom and pan for PDF documents and two larger font sizes. All in all, a nice set of free functionality added, we’ll see how all this will impact the already strained cellular network. Based on the initial previews, the Facebook support will be somewhat limited, allowing you to share interesting passages, but we’ll wait for the release date to take a better look.

A very good news indeed for the HTPC aficionados using Windows Media Center. Windows 7 Embedded version will soon be available and, most important, include Windows media Center functionality. Expect a flurry of devices to pop up, with vastly reduced start time for your media consuming pleasure. It is true, there are many other embedded devices available already on the market (or announced) like POPBOX, but the market is only now heating up, so I’m very sure Microsoft will find its place. Now if you can only buy a box capable of 1080p and MKV under $200, that would be a deal. Visit Microsoft’s website for more info.

HP just announced that they will buy Palm for $1.2 billion. This is certainly a very big news, and a move that may alter the smart phone market in an important way.

“We’re thrilled by HP’s vote of confidence in Palm’s technological leadership, which delivered Palm WebOS and iconic products such as the Palm Pre,” said Jon Rubinstein, Palm CEO. “HP’s longstanding culture of innovation, scale and global operating resources make it the perfect partner to rapidly accelerate the growth of WebOS.”

Gamestop has the PS3 Little Big Planet Game of the Tear Edition for $26.99 – 15% coupon (15NEW – 15% off any new in-stock Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii title) = $22.94 and free shipping. If you live in states like California, there is also tax to be added. Check it here.

Description:

Winner of over 80 multiple awards, including several Game of the Year awards, LittleBigPlanet™ returns with its signature “Play, Create and Share” experience, plus irresistible new bonus content valued at more than $30! You can play 18 brand-new levels, create your own experiences with bonus costume and level packs, and then go online to share your levels with other players around the world. You can also play more than 1 million user-generated levels that have been uploaded since launch! There is no better time to join the world of LBP!

Bonus: Get $10 off a future order when you purchase Little Big Planet Game Of The Year. The $10 coupon code will be emailed within 24 hours of order shipment. Online Offer only.

Today, during f8, Mark Zuckerburg unveiled the result of the latest Microsoft – Facebook collaboration, a platform that will allow creating and sharing of Microsoft office documents with your Facebook friends. The site, located at Docs.com, is open to the public and allows log-in using your Facebook credentials.

The service will be a direct competition with Google Docs and is based on Office 2010 platform. Clound creation and sharing tools will also be embedded in the stand-alone Office 2010 suite. Time will tell if Microsoft will beat the mighty Google at its own game, but the popularity of both Facebook and Office suite might actually do that. Microsoft also owns 1.6% stake in Facebook bought in 2007 for $240 millions.

It was a long wait, but it might just worth it. The  is available for pre-order at Amazon for $599.

Product Features

• Intel Atom N270; 1GB DDR2 RAM; MS Windows XP Home
• Ultra Wide Band built in transmitter and external receiver; WLAN 802.11 b/g/n; 10/100/1000 LAN; Bluetooth V2.1 Read More…

The final Bluetooth version 4.0 specification was published today by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) – sounds like politics, doesn’t it? The main goals for the new standard is to create Bluetooth devices that are using less power and are capable of running from standard coin-cell batteries like watches, small sensors, etc. AES-128 encryption is supported as well.

The high speed version of the Bluetooth 4.0 devices will use 802.11g standard to cary its signal at similar transfer rates, so in theory we might be able to stream media (video, music, photos) between devices or towards TVs. The maximum range could be upwards 200ft. Expect devices using Bluetooth 4.0 technology to pop up by the end of the year.

Amazon has the Westinghouse 15.6″ 720p LCD HDTV PT-16H610S for $75 and free shipping. It is 720p capable and includes HDMI and NTSC/ATSC tuner:

Technical Details

Due to the latest change in iPhone’s SDK licensing, which states that Apple will reject any application not developed using native tools, Adobe has no choice but to exist from this field entirely. Embedded in their recently launched suite CS5, Flash CS5 also contains tools to convert the Flash applications into iPhone compatible apps, but very soon these tools will prove completely useless. This is only the last move in a battle between Apple and Adobe that has the attention of every technology lover around the world and will soon affect the life and businesses of thousand iPhone software developers.