Computex

The 3D revolution continues apace with the news that if you own a Sony camera or Samsung camcorder, you may already own a three-dimensional snapper or shooter without even realizing it.

The only proper dual-lensed 3D stills camera currently on the market is the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W1. But existing Sony and Samsung models will soon benefit from post-processing that will give an extra dimension to 2D snaps and video after they've been taken, courtesy of Samsung TVs and Nvidia software.

Read more of "Sony, Samsung, Nvidia turn your camera 3D" at Crave UK.

It wasn't exactly a surprise that Asus announced its latest touch-screen tablet offerings Monday morning at Computex 2010 in Taipei, Taiwan. What was surprising to some is that the company is splitting its slate-style devices into two distinct brands.

First is the Eee Pad. Asus says it's "an ultraslim and light yet high-performance slate device designed to provide users with a real-time cloud-computing experience." A 12-inch version, called the Eee Pad EP121, is basically a keyboard-less laptop, with an Intel Core 2 Duo ULV processor and Windows 7. On paper, at least, that makes it much … Read more

It's going to be a bit longer until we see a major PC maker using Google's operating system.

Last week VentureBeat reported that Acer would show a device running Chrome OS at Computex, the big Taipei, Taiwan, IT show, and cited multiple sources. It seemed on track with the company chairman's predictions from late last year. But then on Monday, Acer refuted the story.

Acer released a statement that it "has no short-term plans for such a product." It added that "Acer is naturally interested in any product or service that enhances the overall … Read more

The first Chrome OS-based device will be introduced by Acer in two weeks, according to a report by VentureBeat Thursday.

The tech blog cites "multiple sources" saying that Acer will show Chrome OS "devices" at Computex Taipei, a yearly computer and electronics show, which opens June 1. The report doesn't specify what kind of devices.

But Chrome OS, which was introduced by Google last year, is designed to work on Netbooks, smartbooks, and tablets. Acer said in December that it would have a Chrome OS Netbook ready for mid-2010, so VentureBeat's report certainly tracks … Read more

We have the iPad. Is the Eee Pad next?

A report out of Taiwan has Asustek Chairman Jerry Shen announcing a new tablet that the company will make called the Eee Pad, which will be an iPad competitor, according to Digitimes. The device will run Android, have an Nvidia Tegra processor, and sell for between $479 and $510 beginning sometime in July. The Eee Pad will reportedly be introduced at Computex, the yearly computer exhibition to be held in Taiwan in early June.

Forbes reported in March that several tablets are on the way from Asus.

"Eee" is … Read more

I'm among the many who will purchase an iPad on April 3. I'm not some huge Apple fanboy, but I did have a hand in a successful iPhone app last year and plan on creating more this year. I'll need an iPad to test it out and show it off.

But I'm also in lust with Microsoft's Courier. It drives me nuts that I know someone here in Seattle who has one and won't let me anywhere near it. Bastard.

Then there are the dozens of other devices about to hit. Make no mistake … Read more

Android running on devices at Computex was "snappy," while Windows 7 less so, according to a Gartner report published Monday. The report concluded that there is momentum behind the ARM chip platform.

"Android is the first Linux OS backed by a strong consumer brand--Google," write analysts Christian Heidarson and Ben Lee in Gartner's Semiconductor DQ Monday Report.

Though they stopped short of endorsing the platform--saying that Android is a work-in-progress--they did offer some hope for future Android-based devices running on ARM processors versus Windows 7-based Netbooks running on Intel's Atom processor. "There is … Read more

The future of notebooks added another wrinkle at Computex last weekend: Acer's announcement of an upcoming 3D laptop running Windows 7 raises even more questions than it answers.

According to Campbell Kan, vice president of Acer's mobile computing business unit, the 15.6-inch Aspire 3D Notebook will debut at the end of October, in regions unspecified. Co-developed by Wistron, the same company behind a rumored HP 3D laptop, the screen will require tinted glasses to decode the fuzziness into the impressive pop-out imagery you'd expect. Whether it runs Nvidia's GeForce 3D Vision under the hood or … Read more

OEM manufacturer SilverPac has announced its latest digital photo frame, the SilverFrame, at the Computex tradeshow in Taipei, Taiwan. Before you brush this gizmo aside as "just another digital picture display," stop right there.

The 10.1-inch touch-screen-operated SilverFrame is probably the most advanced digital photo frame we have seen. It runs Windows CE 6.0 R2 with 512MB of RAM and supports Microsoft applications such as Windows SideShow and Live FrameIt. This means you can also surf the Web and access instant-messaging clients such as MSN.

As it is Wi-Fi-enabled, the SilverFrame (PDF) can view pictures and videos stored on social-networking sites such as Facebook, Flickr, and Picassa. It also has Bluetooth to receive images sent from your mobile phone, which can be stored in the 1GB onboard memory. As with most other digital photo frames, the SilverFrame has a multicard reader and micro USB/USB ports to import images from cameras.

According to SlashGear, the SilverFrame is on display at Microsoft's booth at Computex. But since SilverPac is just an OEM manufacturer, the company is now waiting for other firms to pick up the design.

Other noteworthy features: … Read more