Tech4front » Concept

10-Inch BlackBerry PlayBook Scrapped – More Production Focus Placed On QNX BlackBerry

Robb — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:25:26 +0000

According to a report by BlackBerry enthusiast blog N4BB, RIM has cancelled development of the 10-inch BlackBerry PlayBook to focus on the first QNX powered BlackBerry set to debut in early 2012. RIM’s current BlackBerry OS has the company spinning its wheels while slipping down hill losing market share to the likes of Android, the iPhone, and even Windows Phone 7.

Unfortunately for RIM, QNX is not the next BlackBerry operating system. BlackBerry 7 holds that distinction, however, the operating system still based on what we know as the BlackBerry OS is being called “dead on arrival” and “so insignificant that it didn’t warrant the time it took to develop.”

Microsoft To Discontinue The Zune Media Player

Robb — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:58:17 +0000

After 4 years of very mediocre sales, Microsoft has decided to stop creating new models of the Zune media player, and, instead focus on integrating Zune software into other platforms such as Windows Phone 7 and XBox 360.

Although I never personally owned a Zune, I’d be hard pressed to say that the hardware, especially the hardware in the Zune HD, was not better in almost every way than on Apple’s iPod. The problem for the Zune, however, wasn’t the hardware. It was iTunes…

iTunes and digital music downloads are almost synonymous and iTunes completely dominates the market with over 77% market share in 2010. Although the the Zune’s hardware was quite good, it never stood a chance at converting someone that already had a library of DRM protected downloads from iTunes. I think that in the case of the Zune, Microsoft was simply just too late to the game.

RIP Microsoft Zune… 2006-2011

[Source via SMR]

Brilliant And Infinite USB Plug

Rod — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:55:38 +0000

When you look at this solution it appears so damn obvious. If you’ve ever played with Lego you are probably kicking yourself for not inventing this. A Chinese design student, Gonglue Jiang, has shown us an elegant way to bypass our current limitations.

If you are are wondering how this setup will power a finite number of devices let alone an infinite number, Gonglue has come up with an external power connector to join into the Infinite Chain.

Concept today. I want it tomorrow. Sign me up!

[Via Engadget]