There seems to be a problem with the iPhone 4. Locking up? Eh. To be expected. Battery issues? Eh. Nothing so terrible. Exploding, and giving off a  ”dense smoke” followed by a radiant, red glow? Yeah. That’s a problem. A very serious problem. Unless it has a hot-plate app that we’re all unaware of, this is serious lawsuit material.

This happened on November 25. Apple must have paid a boatload to keep this thing quiet through Black Friday and the shopping weekend. But it did happen. According to passengers, and a flight attendant on Australia’s popular Regional Express.

After landing, a flight attendant noticed a passenger’s iPhone was beginning to give off a dense, dark smoke, and that the mobile device began to glow red. Perhaps this dude, excuse me, bloke, was using or developing a branding iron app that is supposed to be all the latest advancement with local cattlemen and livestock farmers. Seriously though, props to the flight attendant who quickly followed protocol, snagged an extinguisher and put out the radiant iPhone technology. No passengers or crew were injured, and Apple has yet to publicly address the issue.

I know the new iPhone has the pretty sweet speech to text feature, but I’m curious if it also possesses a self-extinguishing capability? My phone may not be so smart, but it knows better than to set itself on fire.

Look and Feel
The iMainGo X is designed to look like a portable cassette player–a Walkman, for those old enough to remember the existence of such a thing. It might be more accurate to describe it as a really fat wallet with speakers on one side and a clear plastic window that allows you to see through to your mobile device on the other. The case of the iMainGo X is very sturdy and the exterior is a smooth, black fabric that feels durable and looks quite sleek. The clamshell case opens via a zipper to reveal an interior that consists of the internal hardware (including a rechargeable battery and amplifier) and a “slot” for your mobile device (ostensibly, an iPod or iPhone, although any small mp3 player with a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack will work). I was happy to discover that my iPhone fit in without forcing me to remove the thick plastic case I use. A piece of foam is included to ensure that even smaller devices (like an iPod Nano) will fit in snugly and safely.

Interface

There is no interface to speak of here. The clear window in the case allows you to directly manipulate your iPod or iPhone while it’s inside the case, although it can be difficult to manipulate a touchscreen device (like an iPod Touch or iPhone) through the plastic with accuracy. Switching tracks and adjusting volume is all done via your mobile device, not the iMainGo X itself. On the other side of the case, there’s a power switch, charging port and several other ports for plugging in headphones and even a microphone (so you can use the iMainGo X as a sort of mini-megaphone). It’s not entirely clear why you would want to plug headphones into the iMainGo X when you could connect your headphones directly to your iPod or iPhone, but one possibility is so that you can share your private audio with a friend–there are two headphone ports on the case.

Technical Specs

The iMainGo X’s speakers are 37mm premium high output stereo speakers that output 2.1 W per channel. The battery is a rechargeable lithium-ion that claims to have a life of 12 hours. The charging cable in included in the box. Unlike some other iPod speakers, the iMainGo X does not charge the battery on your phone or mp3 player. Charging the battery on an iMainGo X takes about six hours, which can be a bit of a bummer if you don’t plan ahead and give it a charge well in advance of use.

Sound

For portable speakers, the iMainGo X sounds great. The audio is clear and the volume can be adjusted up to a level that would be more than adequate for a small party. The bass isn’t booming, but it is more powerful than you would expect from such a small device. I listened to music and podcasts and found no instances where I was disappointed with the quality of the sound. At the upper end of the volume scale, audio gets a bit distorted, but this is par for the course with devices of this sort.

Portability

The iMainGo X is much to large too fit in anyone’s pockets, but it can easily be carried in a purse or small bag. It comes with a carry bag and a lanyard that allows you to wear it around your neck, but I had a hard time imagining myself using either item.

Best Features

• Sounds great
• Rechargeable battery–no chance of running out of AAs!
• Durable, enclosed design of the device makes you feel like your iPod or iPhone is safe from the elements

Needs Improvement

• It would be nice if the battery charged in less than six hours
• Perhaps a bit too bulky
• If you get a phone call while your iPhone is inside the iMainGo X, you have to unzip the case in order to remove your phone and take the call

It turns out that Roku isn’t content to rest in its position as a leader in the media streaming world, though. The Roku 2 was just unveiled and it features something that was previously unheard of among media streamers: motion-controlled gaming.

That’s right, the Roku is now taking on the Nintendo Wii–and a very big name is along for the ride: Angry Birds. The new Roku controllers work much the same way as Wiimotes do, albeit with a little less technological sophistication. The tremendously popular game Angry Birds is the flagship launch title, but Roku has plans to make a large library of casual games available to Roku 2 users.

Three models of the Roku 2 will his store shelves soon: the HD, XD and XS. They will be priced the same as the their original Roku counterparts, although they are all much smaller and feature-rich.

The XD comes with a 1080p video output (a feature lacking on the HD) and the XS comes with a game remote, which will run you about $30 if purchased separately.

Th Nintendo 3DS looks pretty sweet I have to say. The depth and layers that you’re working within are a bit mind blowing. Bringing back old classics in a new tricked out format makes the new console accessible and fun to all players – hardcore or not.

Titles include all your own favorites in a new 3D way: Mario Kart, Star Fox, Super Mario 3D, Kid Icarus: Uprising and Luigi’s Mansion 2. Of all the games I thought Star Fox looks pretty sweet even though I wasn’t much of a fan in the past.  A camera on the Nintendo 3DS allows viewers to see each other. As you play you will see little boxes with thumbnails of live footage of your fellow players. You can watch them and gauge their reactions throughout the game.

There are more games in the works for the 3DS system:  Resident Evil, Mario & Sonic, Ace Combat 3D, Tetris, Driver Renegade, Pac Man, Tekken, and Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D.

The Nintendo 3DS will be available before the end of the year.

To have a look at some of the titles available for the E3 check out the video below:

Also check out Nintendo’s new console the Wii U with all new controllers!

The New Controller on the Wii U is ridiculous! 6.2 inch screen allows for game play even if you can’t get to your  television you can play right on the controller. It also has a touchscreen, microphone, speakers, and accelerometer. They showed a golfing game where you place the controller on the ground, and the screen shows a golf ball, use the wii golf club and hit the ball against the screen. It also allows for asymmetrical game play.

There is SO Much that can be done with this new controller – the possibilities are endless. It’s like an ipad for your Wii console.  It allows for a deeper and wider game play that is just UNMATCHABLE in terms of other consoles. It seems like other consoles are one step behind again.

Some of the titles include more “hardcore” gamer games: Darksiders II, Batman: Arkham City, Assassins Creed amd Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Online are just some of the titles coming up on the console.

Check out the trailer below:

We’ve got more information below:

Mass Effect 3

Today BioWare’s Ray Muzyka jumped on stage and talked about some of the new features on Mass Effect 3 and its integration with Kinect. The Kinect add on definitely looks cool – considering the game will have voice recognition that will enable you to have conversations with the characters in the game.

Not in a “hey how are you doing?” kind of way, instead of selecting which dialogue option you want you can would speak the line you want to use instead. Voice controls will also allow you to tell your comrades what to do while battling.

Xbox Live Online Features

The Xbox Live dashboard looks like another neat feature being added to the Xbox. Again this uses voice to navigate. Beyond that you will now be able to view Youtube, Hulu and other content providers through your Xbox. Also searching Bing will be a breeze with voice control options.

In the future you will also be able to watch television on your Xbox 360. The company has already begun working with TV providers to provide you with content. Soon you’ll be able to watch what you want, and DVR the stuff you want to see later. The release date? Fairly soon – they are looking to launch in the fall of 2011.

What are the new titles?

Looks like there may be a partnership between Disney in the works. USA Today has reported that Redmond is introducing Disneyland Adventures. This game allows you to visit a virtual Disneyland. You can walk, fly and interact within the famous park. Not really excited about this title – a tour of Disneyland just seems more of an interactive commercial than an actual game but we’ll have to see.

Another title is Fruit Ninja – a popular iPhone game turned Kinect venture. The game will work with the Xbox 360’s motion-sensing cameras. This will definitely be a hit even though it isn’t very groundbreaking.

Any other games in the works?

While there has been rumours that Mass Effect 3 has the potential to have Kinect support  – other titles haven’t exactly wow’d audiences. Other titles that have been leaked previously are Kinect Star Wars, and the kids game Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster.  Other possible rumors have included a new console announcement or Xbox TV.

 Are you excited about any of the Microsoft Info Leaked today?

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) conference is only a DAY away and we’re already getting some E3 previews on what’s to be expected from the big show on its 16^th year.

One of the big names at the E3 conference this year is, of course, Activision. They’ve already got some big name titles coming out this year that are starting to create some buzz.

The confirmed Activision games that will be highlighted at the show are Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty Elite, Spider-Man: Edge of Time, Wappy Dog, PROTOTYPE 2, Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure,Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and X-Men Destiny.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has already gained some steam and is already being classified as the most anticipated game of 2011. In an interview with Senior VP of Merchandising at GameStop, Bob McKenzie said:

“Last year, Call of Duty: Black Ops became the most pre-ordered title in our history. Already, this year, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is significantly ahead of that pace. Our customers’ response to the reveal of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has been amazing.”
Check out the Trailer for Call of Duty:  Modern Warfare 3 below:

What is your favorite Activision title being released this year?

The New Wii 2

One thing we can expect this year is the much anticipated unveiling of the WII 2. Currently, the Wii is the most popular of the three major gaming consoles – but one thing hasn’t been able to do is attract hardcore gamers to their console.

Meet the Wii 2.

While Microsoft and Sony unveiled their new motion-sensor systems last year, Nintendo sat back and took it in stride. Smart move considering the two titans were just trying to compete with the Wii. Now this year, Nintendo can take it one step further with their new console.

“They know they’ve kind of lost touch with that market, and we’re really curious to see if they’re going to go out against Sony and the Xbox and compete for that audience,” said Dan Hsu, co-founder of gaming site Bitmob.

“Nintendo’s done a great job of reaching out to that casual market … so it might be a situation where they’ve seen how well games like the ‘Call of Duty’ series have done and they say, ‘Let’s try to get back a little into that (hardcore) side of the market.’

Sony’s NGP

Sony’s Next Generation Portable has been buzzing since January. Although Sony is not everyone’s best friend right now after the big hack took down the network for three weeks – they will probably use this time to woo back their customers while at the same wowing them.

The NGP seems like it’s going to be a big deal:

“Blurring the lines between interactive and entertainment,” reads Sony’s add for the unreleased device, which is expected to have impressive specs and will support top titles like “Call of Duty.”

“It is a bit of a breakthrough,” one source says, “You’ve got the controller and gameplay that will allow you to do some things on that handheld that you haven’t been able to do before.”

Are you excited to see the New Wii 2 and Sony’s NGP?

RuneScape

Runescape, for those that don’t know, is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) released in 2001. The game has around 10 million active accounts per month, and 156 registered accounts in all. It’s considered the world’s most popular free MMORPG.

The Examiner recently posted a Wildstalker Hat Slideshow that offers a detailed walkthrough and explanation. It will tell you exactly how to get the hat and how to use it.

What does the Wildstalker hat do?

If you’re looking to keep track of wilderness kills and other stats – they can be worn, in your inventory or in the bank. By unlocking the brag emote – players can morph into a statue once they reach ten kills. Although keep in mind, kills before May 25, 2011 release won’t register.

Check out the Slideshow here and the video below!

The game is seemingly taking over the world! It’s already available on Facebook, Windows and Droid phones and is even soon to be released on the Blackberry Playbook.

Users have access to over 70 levels online as well as some levels exclusive to Chrome. This is a pretty interesting move. It seems like it’s going to start a completely new app war – one that’s browser based.

Get the app on: chrome.angrybirds.com

For those of you who just can’t seem to get over Angry Birds – we have the cinematic trailer below:

What do you think about the new Angry Birds release? Will you be playing it online?

Google’s Google I/O developers conference started today in San Francisco’s Moscone Center. The conference started a good number of attendees – especially since there wasn’t much expected in terms of big announcements this year.

So far there’s been a lot of talk about the Android – lots of devices and apps coming soon. Again, not much new news there.

What WAS new was the new movie rentals feature being added for both mobile devices and computers. The service will cost roughly $1.99 for each movie rental for a 24-hour period. They didn’t share much details about which movies would be available but that will definately be something to watch out for in the near future.

Next up was music news. Apparently, Google wants you to be able to store all your music (up to 20k songs) on the cloud and access it from any connected device. They showed the ability to import music from iTunes with all the playlist, play counts and ratings information attached. Not bad, however will it be free? They made it seem as though the beta version would be but beyond that it seems to be up in the air.

We’ll keep you updated on any more interesting news as the conference moves along – Day two is usually much more exciting. What’s more exciting that music and movies news though? I’m not sure.

If you’d like to see the keynotes from today watch the video below for a live feed:

What do you think about the new additions to Google’s repertoire so far? Does the movie rentals and music features interest you?

Why is this important?

Microsoft is trying to making its mark in the smartphone and communications market. By incorporating Skype into their products they can really make it a household name.

They have already stated that they plan to integrate Skype with the Xbox console, Outlook, and all windows smartphones.

Why I Worry?

The free-calling services are one of the best features of Skype and Microsoft seems to be anti-free. So I wonder what the future of Skype will be once incorporated into everything. Maybe it will be free on Outlook but part of paid services on Xbox? Who knows!

Skype is 170 million strong – its users spent 207 billion minutes on voice and video calls last year. However, because of the free calling services I just spoke of they did lose $7 million in revenue.

Do you think this will help Microsoft catch up to Google? Are you happy with the Buy?

They announced that the “hacktivist” group Anonymous (Hackers associated to 4Chan? Remember them? ) are definitely linked to the cyber-attacks and may have been linked to the data theft as well. In a letter to Congress, Sony spoke of the denial-of-service attacks that flooded Sony servers on the day that PSN was literally taken down. They have connected these attacks to the federal court case involving Sony and a hacker.

“What is becoming more and more evident is that Sony has been the victim of a very carefully planned, very professional, highly sophisticated criminal cyber-attack designed to steal personal and credit card information for illegal purposes.” They wrote in a statement.

So knowing all of this information – Honestly does it really help? I’ve already heard of class action suits against the company. The fact of the matter is they have waited SO long to release any information about what exactly happened to cause this, and it seems that a free month worth of premium service just isn’t going to cut it.

What to see what others had to say about this? Check out our last PSN post!

What do you think?

Apparently Japan is back online and the UK is set to be online soon.

Why did this all happen?

The company suffered a massive security breach – a hack. The hacker stole approx. 77 million users’ credit card information.  

Sony Updated users in this statement:

“Following a criminal cyber-attack on the company’s data centre located in San Diego, California, Sony Network Entertainment International quickly turned off the PSN and Qriocity services, engaged multiple expert information security firms over the course of several days and conducted an extensive audit of the system.

Since then, the company has implemented a variety of new security measures to provide greater protection of personal information. SNEI and its third-party experts have conducted extensive tests to verify the security strength of the PlayStation Network and Qriocity services.”

For all the trouble – Sony is giving each user 30 free days of PlayStation Plus Premium services as well as some free downloadable content for all the trouble.

We’ll have more for you when it comes back online.

Nothing that we’ve heard is confirmed, so don’t get too attached to anything that you see or read about this top-secret project. It’s quite possible that everything that has come out so far is an elaborate hoax. Then again, much of what we’ve seen and heard makes perfect sense.

Let’s start with this image. It is allegedly a concept drawing for the new console. We recommend expanding it to full size and taking a close look.

click to expand to full-size

IGN did a mock-up of the controller. This image is definitely not real, but it gives a good indication of what the controllers could end up looking like.

What we see in the images above appears to be a clear move away from the look and feel of the Wii (and, in particular, the Wiimote). Gone are the long, rectangular Wiimotes and in their place are controllers that look very similar to those of the Nintendo GameCube. The key difference is that these controllers have LCD screens. This wouldn’t be the first gaming system to use controllers with screens in them (the Sega Dreamcast did that back in the late ’90s), but it would be a marked change from what Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft are doing with their consoles today.

If we read the text in the image, we see evidence of how these screens are to be used. For 4-player games that divide the screen into quarters (like Mario Kart), the controller’s LCD screen could be used to mirror your quarter of the screen. This could potentially be very useful in games where it’s currently possible to cheat by peeking at your opponent’s screen. For a game like Madden, it would be fantastic to be able to select your plays without your opponent seeing what you’re doing. For RPGs and similar games, it would be useful to display maps or inventory lists on your controller.

It also seems possible that these new controllers will allow gamers to play games even when they’re not in the same room as the TV. They could be taken to a bedroom or the bathroom and used much the same was as the Nintendo DS and iPod Touch are used for gaming these days (admit it–you play games when you’re sitting on the can). The console would be needed to do actually run the game software, but it’s not crazy to think that it could stream games to each controller via wifi.

Now that we’ve gone over the basics of what we see in the leaked image, a few thoughts jump out. The first is that it would be a bit unusual (albeit hilarious) to see Nintendo move away from motion-based game soon after Sony and Microsoft finally caught up (with the releases of the Move and Kinect, respectively). The second is that controllers with LCD screens are probably going to be very expensive.

Project Cafe isn’t expected to hit shelves until late 2012 (probably in time for Christmas). It will be the first of the next-generation consoles to hit the market (new models of PlayStation and XBox aren’t expected until 2013 at the earliest). It will also probably have a unique name that, given Nintendo’s eclectic history of naming consoles (Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii), will come right out of left field.

At the unveiling, Nintendo’s chief executive Satoru Iwata asked the group, “Is maintaining high-value games a top priority, or not?”  He noted that there are two sides to the gaming business – smartphone devices with thousands of apps on one side and gaming consoles on the other. Smartphone apps intent is to have users create as much software as possible because quantity leads to more money. For gaming consoles – it’s all about the quality of the software.

The device will start at $250 with games averaging around $40 a piece. When the device went on sale in Japan at the end of February, it sold out its initial production run of 400k units. Amazon.com has already reported the device as a top seller based on strong preorders.

Although I’m not a fan of 3D television or movies – I think this is a great idea for Nintendo.  This is the future of 3D technology. You don’t need to buy anything extra and you don’t have to wear the weird glasses.  It’s not as intrusive as other 3D devices.  While the prices of the games are a little steep, I’m sure the prices will go down eventually or certain games will come out at lower price points.

What do you think about the unveiling of the new Nintendo console? Good or bad idea? Would you buy it?

The biggest surprise of the event was that Steve Jobs was present. There have been rumors that his health is failing, but he looked happy and relatively healthy (if a bit on the skinny side) today. Apple fans have to be thrilled to see Steve, although the questions about what will happen to the company when he’s gone remain. With any luck, he won’t be leaving us any time soon.

The second-biggest surprise was that the iPad 2 will be available very soon–March 11, to be exact. Many industry insiders had predicted that it might not ship until April or even May. There was also a mild surprise when it was announced that the iPad 2 will ship in white and black. Jobs poked fun at the failure of the white iPhone 4 (we still haven’t seen any sign of it) that the white version of the iPad 2 would be ready for the initial launch date.

Jobs seemed very excited to show off some new covers for the iPad. They come in polyurethan and leather versions (with about a $30 price difference) and snap onto the iPad 2 with magnets. They do exactly what you’d expect a cover to do: cover the front (glass) side of the iPad when it’s not in use. You can get a look at how it will work here. It’s hard to get excited about a cover, but they seem useful enough. I’d still favor a full case because I’m paranoid about scratching the backs of my Apple devices.

Finally, Jobs and company announced iOS 4.3 (we didn’t get many details about it, except for the fact that it will include the ability for iPhone 4 users to create a mobile hotspot) and a few new apps that have been tailored for use on the iPhone (Photo Booth and GarageBand).

Overall, it was one of the least exciting Apple events in recent memory. There isn’t really a compelling reason to upgrade to the iPad 2 if you currently own an original iPad, but the fact that the iPad 2 won’t cost any more than the original iPad will make it attractive to those looking to purchase their first tablet computer.

Here are five things we can expect to see and hear at the event:

The iPad 2 will be thinner and lighter. It seems like every new Apple product gets smaller. The new iPad will be no exception. In addition to a more streamlined case, the new iPad will have a flat back (which will allow it to be placed on a flat surface without wobbling).

The screen isn’t getting much better. When the iPhone 4 was introduced, it came with a revolutionary new high-resolution screen that Apple called “Retina Display.” Many industry insiders expected the iPad 2 to get a high-resolution display, but the latest rumors say that won’t be happening (at least not until the iPad 3 in announced).

There will be at least one camera. The iPad 2 is expected to be FaceTime-ready, meaning it can be used for video chat. It will have a front-facing camera for sure, but it also might have a camera on the back. Neither camera is expected to be a high-resolution camera (insiders predict a 1MP camera), so you won’t be ditching your digital camera any time soon.

MobileMe might become free. Apple used to charge $99 for their MobileMe service, which included the ability to synch contact, calendars and mail across all your devices, in addition to the ability to locate a lost mobile device. The company recently made the Find My iPhone app free and now it appears Apple might just make the entire MobileMe package a freebie.

Steve Jobs probably won’t be there. The Apple CEO is ailing and he likely won’t be present for today’s event. It’s possible that he could make a brief appearance, but don’t expect him to be the one on stage making the announcement.

The Windows Phone has been a running joke in the tech sector. It lags far behind the iPhone and Android phones in terms of sales. Ballmer made sure to mention how happy Windows Phone 7 users are, but he conveniently failed to say just how many phones had been sold (according to some reports, Windows Phone captured only a 3 percent share of the market). Steve Jobs certainly never forgets to tout his sales numbers.

Microsoft also announced a partnership with Nokia, a company that has rapidly been losing relevance in the mobile world. The partnership makes sense. Perhaps the two sinking ships can help each other plug their leaks. Then again, maybe the added weight will only cause them to take on more water.

Nokia’s first Windows Phone is expected to hit store shelves by the end of 2011.

After the Google Android announced their strategy of having Android on every device they can get their hands on – Apple had to come up with a plan of their own.

But will the mini iPhone be the trick?

The idea of the iPhone nano has been around since the iPhone was first created – but now this rumour is getting steam.  According to PCWorld, the new iPhone will be one-third smaller than the current model, have no home button and a contract-free price of $200.

Is it true?

 According to the Bloomberg report published last Friday, Apple is working on a dual-mode phone with a universal SIM card that runs on GSM & CDMA networks. But will this be in mini form? That’s yet to be determined.

If this does happen, it allows Apple to be offered at a many different price ranges which could have enormous potential in the future.

What do you think about the iPhone Nano Idea? Would you buy it?

What went wrong for the once immensely popular Guitar Hero franchise? Certainly a number of different factors were at play. The public became bored with music games, especially as each update to the Guitar Hero franchise added few new features.

The game’s primary competitor, Rock Band, fractured the music gaming market and led to oversaturation. In an interesting twist, Rock Band was produced by the same company that developed Guitar Hero. In 2005, indie game studio RedOctane and Harmonix collaborated to create Guitar Hero. The game was sold to Activision in 2006 for around $100 million. Harmonix then went on to release Rock Band, the first music game to add a microphone and drums to the experience (Guitar Hero soon followed).

While Guitar Hero was tremendously profitable for Activision over the course of its life, earning a reported $2 billion, the franchise has been bleeding money since the most recent holiday season. Activision was forced to make the decision to shut down production and lay off the Guitar Hero division’s 500 employees.

The next big question for Activision is whether it’s biggest game franchise is next. Call of Duty still sells games in record numbers, but Activision is certainly flirting with market oversaturation for that game, too. As long as the company sticks to a strict plan of releasing no more than one new physical and one new downloadable Call of Duty title each year, it should leave gamers wanting more.

Before we get into the details, let’s take a look at some amateur video from the unveiling:

The TouchPad has techies buzzing this afternoon. Unlike other iPad competitors, the TouchPad isn’t any smaller or lighter than the original iPad. In fact, it’s the exact same size: 9.7 inches. It weighs in at a healthy 1.6 pounds, so this is not the tablet you want if you find the iPad too heavy.

Where the TouchPad differentiates itself is its features. It offers WiFi, of course, but it also offers wireless charging. That’s right, you just place the device onto a charging pad and it sucks up the electricity without the use of any wires. Very convenient. It also charges via micro-USB for tranditionalists who can’t bear to give up their wires.

The TouchPad has a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video chat (a feature that’s expected in the iPad 2 but missing from the original iPad). It also offers a unique audio engine and a neat feature called Tap-to-Share that allows users to transfer a website, file or even a text message from a phone to the TouchPad (or the other way around) by just tapping the two devices together (gently, we hope).

The TouchPad runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-CPU APQ8060 1.2-GHz processor. From what we’ve seen, the Snapdragon looks very snappy.

Other specs that matter: the TouchPad comes in 16GB and 32GB models, the screen resolution is 1024×768 and it has Bluetooh capability, an accelerometer, a magnetometer (compass) and a gyroscope.

The TouchPad is expected to go on sale in the summer.

Apple is notoriously tight-lipped, so we still don’t know what the device will be officially named. The obvious choice is “iPad 2″, but Apple has been known to get creative with its naming conventions (MacBook Air, iPod Nano, iPhone 3GS).

What we do know, if reports are to be believed, is that the new iPad will be lighter and thinner than its predecessor. It will feature front and back cameras that will allow it to run FaceTime, Apple’s video chat application. It won’t take the place of your digital camera, though. Not only would using an iPad to take photos be cumbersome, but the iPad 2’s camera is expected to be a 1 megapixel camera (adequate for video chat, but certainly not for documenting your family vacation). It will also feature a larger and more powerful speaker.

The iPad 2’s screen will apparently not be getting an expected upgrade, however. The iPhone 4 (released in June, 2010) featured an ultra-high resolution screen that Apple called the “Retina Display.” Many expected the iPad 2’s screen to feature the same technology, but recent reports suggest that it will not. The is a curious omission, but Apple will surely spin it in a way that won’t make it seem so glaring. They have to save some features for the iPad 3, I guess.

Apple sold 14.8 million iPads in 2010, accounting for more than $8 billion in revenue. Some analysts have estimated that those numbers could double in 2011.

If you’re already the owner of an Android phone or tablet, you’re probably familiar with the history of the operating system. Names like Gingerbread and Froyo are familiar to you. If you’re new to Android, all you really need to know is that it’s the operating system that runs phones like the Samsung Galaxy S and HTC Evo 4G.

What’s New in Honeycomb?

Honeycomb is designed with tablets in mind. There are new buttons for multi-tasking and notifications. Since tablets have larger screens than phones, there’s more room for open apps and widgets.

There are now templates, which allow developers to create richer and better notifications. The most notable difference is that you now see pictures of people who are messaging you.

Honeycomb also has better performance, particularly with regards to 2D and 3D graphics. Google clearly recognizes that gaming is a major reason why people are buying Android phones and tablets and they want to make sure that game graphics are as smooth and high-resolution as possible. The graphics in Honeycomb are also very fluid as you transition between apps and widgets.

We saw a brand new camera UI, which was cool. Honeycomb will support video chat on devices that have front-facing cameras. This is Google’s answer to Apple’s FaceTime chat (which is on the iPhone 4 and is expected to be on the iPad 2 when it’s announced soon). Video chat is possible on Android devices through Google Talk.

We also were introduced to the Android Market Web Store. Now it’s possible to browse a buy apps on a computer, rather than on your mobile device. App purchases automatically and wirelessly sync to your Android mobile device. The site is live now at market.android.com.

We also got a look at Google Body, which was described as the Google Maps of human anatomy (ou can use it to look up various health and body-related questions) and CNN iReport, an app that allows regular people to upload photos and videos and take part in the news creation process.