Xperia X10 To Get Pinch-to-zoom in Q1 2011
Since the release of the Xperia X10, perhaps even before, there has been a lot of discussion as to whether the Xperia X10 would be capable of multitouch. As you know, the answer turned out to be a resounding no. At one point, Sony Ericsson declared that the hardware of the Xperia wasn’t able to handle multitouch. Today finds the handset maker issuing an about-face.
Yes, dear folks, you’re reading it right. Multitouch is on the way but it will take some time and it will be pinch-to-zoom only. You see, when the two fingers cross each other on the X- or Y-axis, the phone starts to behave weirdly. Those of us across the pond, and those of us on AT&T don’t care. It’s still brilliant, and welcome anyway!
Chinese ePad – iPad, Internet Explorer and Android, all on one box
When Chinese manufacturer/retailer Wise Technology came up with the marketing strategy for its ePad, it created a mood board of all the rival products and software… and then stuck it on the box.
The packaging and tablet take inspiration from the iPad, the “e” in the name is from Internet Explorer, and an errant Flash logo has appeared on, what is obviously, an Apple-inspired home screen – signifying that the ePad runs on Android. Even in the accompanying photos, it physically transforms from an iPad-alike into a Samsung Galaxy Tab.
We suspect that the truth is that the nice flock wallpaper shots of the device are the best indication of what you’ll get in the box; something fatter but similar to Apple’s hugely successful device. While the other pics possibly show off the operating system, as the ePad itself is operated on Android 2.1.
In fact, the spec list of the bizarre knock-off is reasonable, possibly even impressive. It sports a 10.2-inch (albeit resistive) touchscreen, with a 1GHz CPU. There’s 256MB of RAM and 2GB of flash storage (upgradable by up to an extra 32GB through memory card). And there’s two USB ports.
But its biggest attraction, apart from being able to pass it off as a genuine iPad to your mates (if they’re looking at a peculiar angle, and in the dark) is that it costs $174.99 (£110 UK).
The company also has a 7-inch version for $139.99 (£88 UK), but there’s not quite as much mimicry at work with that one.
Google Docs now supports mobile editing
While Android and iOS aren’t short on productivity applications for cobbling together a .doc and sending it on its way, we’ve been really hankering for native Google Docs support since pretty much day one. Google is finally ready to deliver, and it looks like they’ve actually put some thought into the UI, particularly on the phone end of things. Edits show up in near realtime across platforms, and you can even edit tables embedded in documents — though don’t try to get too fancy, the tools still look pretty basic. Android also allows you to insert text using voice recognition. Currently Google Docs will be supporting Android devices with Froyo and iOS devices with 3.0 or newer (including the iPad), with the functionality rolling out over the next few days. There’s a video after the break demonstrating the new features.
Onkyo outs 3G Windows 7 tablet for Japan only
Onkyo’s outed a new Windows 7 tablet — seems to be all the rage these days — with KDDI 3G onboard. The 11.6-inch TW317A7 tablet (which is essentially a re-badge of the ExoPC Slate which we reviewed) boasts a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 32GB SSD, plus Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, card reader, two USB 2.0 ports, and stereo speakers. The 11.6-inch multitouch display has a 1366 x 768 resolution, and the tablet brings with it Onkyo’s new custom ExTOUCH software which is apparently designed to enhance finger input in the OS and boasts a dedicated app launcher. The TW317A7 will be available in Japan very soon — as in this week — but Onkyo has yet to announce pricing.
AIVAnet 