iOS Devices

From the Toys section:

Canon’s new Rebel T1i will hit the sweet spot for many Pro-sumers.  It contains $1500 50D‘s 15.1Megapixel sensor and 5D-Mark-II-like 1080p video capture (only 20 frames per second with mono – built in sound – boo!) yet only retails for $899.  It also comes in the smaller Rebel casing so you can fit it in your purse European carry-all.   The good news?  It is starting to hit retailers like Amazon now.  See reviews below.

Official press release
Reviews: Gizmodo, Engadget, CNet, DPReview

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Canon’s new EOS Rebel T1i is packed with features, both refined and new. In addition to its admirable performance with an all-new 15.1 Megapixel Canon CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 Image Processor, a 3.0-inch Clear View LCD with anti-reflective and scratch resistant coating, and compatibility with the EOS System of lenses and Speedlites, the EOS Rebel T1i adds remarkable Full HD video capture at resolutions up to 1920 x 1080.

An HDMI port allows for quick connections to high definition TVs and monitors for easy viewing of your stills and video. The entire operation is simple and easy even if you are a beginner. You’ll have uncompromised EOS Digital performance with power and flexibility right in the palm of your hand.

EOS Rebel T1i Highlights

New 15.1-megapixel CMOS sensor with DIGIC 4 Image Processor
Canon’s CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensor captures images with exceptional clarity and tonal range and offers the most pixels in its class. It offers many of the same new technologies as used by Canon’s professional cameras to maximize each pixel’s light gathering efficiency. Its APS-C size sensor creates an effective 1.6x field of view (compared to 35mm format). Canon’s DIGIC 4 Image Processor dramatically speeds up all camera operations for intuitive operation and offers improvements in both fine detail and natural color reproduction. It works in concert with the EOS Rebel T1i’s image sensor to achieve unprecedented levels of performance in all lighting situations.

14-bit A/D Conversion
With the EOS Rebel T1i, analog to digital signal conversion is executed by a 14-bit processor, which generates digital data with incredibly smooth tones. A feature that originally appeared in top-of-the-line pro digital SLR cameras, the 14-bit conversion gives incredibly smooth transitions from light to dark colors with far less risk of "banding." A sky at sunset is a perfect example. With this rich 14-bit gradation, the EOS Rebel T1i offers RAW images of the highest quality that can be processed with Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software. Even JPEG files, which are always finished at 8-bits per channel, use the full 14-bit conversion initially to generate the best possible color and tonal detail.

Full HD video capture at 1920 x 1080 resolution
The EOS Rebel T1i shoots brilliant video, even in full high definition. By simply selecting Movie mode on the EOS Rebel T1i’s mode dial, the camera’s 3.0-inch LCD lights up, and it’s ready to go. Shooting is at a frame rate of 30 fps when shooting SD or HD quality video (640 x 480 and 1280 x 720 pixels, respectively) and at a frame rate of 20 fps in Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) recording. Sound is recorded through the camera’s built-in microphone. Playback modes are simple to access, and all Live View AF features can be used in shooting video.

Live View Function for stills and video
With Live View Function on the EOS Rebel T1i, you can enjoy nearly every camera function available in normal shooting, all with the convenience of composing on the camera’s brilliant 3.0-inch LCD monitor. You can zoom in and navigate the composition and there’s even a grid overlay for architectural shots. Live View focusing modes include Quick mode, Live mode and Face Detection AF mode and these are easily selectable through the convenient Live View Function menu.

Wide range ISO setting 100-3200
The EOS Rebel T1i features a greatly expanded ISO range that makes shooting possible in situations previously impossible without flash. With an expanded setting to ISO 3200 (ISO expansion: 6400, 12800), along with the DIGIC 4 Image Processor’s improved noise-reduction technology, your creative possibilities are nearly endless. Combine the EOS Rebel T1i with one of Canon’s EF/EF-S lenses with Optical Image Stabilizer and watch your shooting possibilities expand even further.

3.0-inch Clear View LCD (920,000 dots/VGA) monitor
The EOS Rebel T1i has a 3.0-inch high resolution LCD monitor that features 920,000 dots/VGA for far more detail than previous Rebel-series LCDs. It’s the same screen found on professional models such as the EOS 5D Mark II. A number of features enhance usability: an anti-reflective and water-repellant coating provides a clearer and more smudge-resistant surface and screen brightness can be adjusted in 7 steps in accordance with ambient light.

Auto Lighting Optimizer for superior highlight-shadow control
The EOS Rebel T1i’s Auto Lighting Optimizer is yet another image-quality tool that comes to the rescue in tricky lighting conditions. It can actually lighten dark areas of a scene while ensuring that bright areas maintain tonal detail. It’s available in all shooting modes, including P, Tv, Av and Manual.

Creative Auto goes a step beyond auto allowing control
Especially for beginners looking to expand their photographic horizons, the EOS Rebel T1i offers Creative Auto mode. While basic settings are based on full automatic operation, shooting guides on the LCD screen enable you to make corrections based on simple to follow guidelines. In essence, with Creative Auto mode, you can learn about photography while taking stunning photographs.

Compatible with over 60 Canon EF/EF-S lenses and most EOS System accessories
EOS Rebel T1i is compatible with all Canon lenses in the EF and EF-S lineup, ranging from ultra-wide angle to super telephoto lenses. Canon lenses employ advanced optical expertise and micron-precision engineering to deliver unprecedented performance in all facets of the photographic process. Special optical technologies, such as Aspherical, ultra-low dispersion, or fluorite elements are featured in the universally acclaimed L-series lenses, and Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer technology is featured in select lenses, including the EF-S 18-55mm IS lens bundled with the EOS Rebel T1i, to minimize the effect of camera shake. With Canon lenses, you can truly maximize the quality and performance of the EOS camera.

Flash Photography
The EOS Rebel T1i features Canon’s acclaimed E-TTL II flash metering system. With any EX-series Speedlite, E-TTL II provides reliable flash output whether shooting fill-in flash pictures in sunlight or using flash in total darkness. With E-TTL II, the exact same 35-zone metering sensor used for measuring ambient light is also used for flash metering–giving even finer metering command of the image area. If you prefer a broader area for flash metering, there’s a menu setting to change to "Average" flash metering–where the entire 35-zone area is measured evenly for flash exposure.

T1i DSLR with optional Speedlite

Software

Canon EOS Digital Solution Disk (Version 20)
The EOS Rebel T1i comes bundled with a Canon EOS Digital Solution Disk, which features powerful software programs designed to extend the EOS experience to the computer. These include Canon’s EOS Utility (Version 2.6), Digital Photo Professional (Version 3.6), ZoomBrowser EX for Windows (Version 6.3), ImageBrowser for Macintosh OS X (Version 6.3), the Picture Style Editor (Version 1.5), PhotoStitch (version 3.2), WFT Utility (version 3.3). Each application is designed to perfect the captured images and streamline the digital workflow.
_{Compatible Operating System
Windows: Windows XP SP2 or SP3/ Windows Vista (all version except the Starter Edition)
Macintosh: OS X 10.4 to 10.5}

EOS Utility (Version 2.6) for Macintosh or Windows handles the connection between the camera and computer, whenever they’re connected via USB. It allows remote controlled shooting from the computer, handles downloading of images from the camera to the computer, and allows seamless linking to either Canon’s ZoomBrowser EX/ImageBrowser or Digital Photo Professional software once images have been copied to the hard drive. Furthermore, it’s used to upload settings back into a USB-connected camera.

Digital Photo Professional (Version 3.6) is an image processing program that enables high-speed RAW image processing, high-speed previewing for real-time image adjustment and support for sRGB, Adobe RGB and Wide Gamut RGB color spaces. Because it’s CMS (Color Management System) compatible, Digital Photo Professional allows for easy image layout and printing in Adobe RGB in conjunction with Easy-PhotoPrint and PictBridge printers. It also features the Dust Delete Data Detection tool for cleaner images.

Picture Style Editor (Version 1.5) enables you to create custom Picture Style profiles that can be used to customize the appearance of JPEG and RAW images captured with EOS Digital SLR cameras. Picture Style files created with Picture Style Editor can be loaded into the EOS cameras that support Picture Style and may also be used when processing RAW images in Canon software applications Digital Photo Professional, ZoomBrowser EX (for Windows) and ImageBrowser (for Mac).

ZoomBrowser EX (Version 6.3) for Windows and ImageBrowser (Version 6.3) for Mac OS X are the easy, user-friendly options for viewing and editing of JPEG and even RAW image files. Both allow viewing of numerous types of images including finished TIFF and BMP files. Both also have a variety of search options for finding images, allow re-naming of single images or batches of files, and offer a variety of options for printing without using a separate image-editing program.

Product Description
Canon’s new EOS Rebel T1i is packed with features, both refined and new. In addition to its admirable performance with an all-new 15.1 Megapixel Canon CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 Image Processor, a 3.0-inch Clear View LCD with anti-reflective and scratch-resistant coating, and compatibility with the EOS System of lenses and Speedlites, the EOS Rebel T1i adds remarkable Full HD video capture at resolutions up to 1920 x 1080. An HDMI port allows for quick connections to high definition TVs and monitors for easy viewing of your stills and video. The entire operation is simple and easy even if you are a beginner. You’ll have uncompromised EOS Digital performance with power and flexibility right in the palm of your hand. Exposure Control – Program AE (Shiftable), Shutter-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Depth-of-field AE, Full auto, Full auto, Programmed image control mode, Manual exposure, E-TTL II autoflash program AE ISO Speed – ISO 100-3200 (in 1-stop increments), H1 – 6400 H2 – 12800; Basic Zone modes – ISO 100-3200 set automatically Retractable, auto pop-up flash – E-TTL II autoflash Full HD video capture at 1920 x 1080 resolution with HDMI output for HD viewing of stills and video Live View Function for stills (Quick, Live and Face Detection AF modes) and video Auto Lighting Optimizer for superior highlight-shadow control Wide range ISO setting 100-3200 (ISO expansion – 6400, 12800) Creative Auto goes a step beyond auto allowing control over frequently-changed settings Lens Mount – Canon EF mount (compatible with over 60 Canon EF/EF-S lenses and most EOS System accessories) Battery Type – Rechargeable Battery LP-E5 Dimensions (WxHxD) – 5.1 x 3.8 x 2.4 in./128.8 x 97.5 x 61.9mm Weight – 16.9oz. /480g (body only)

http://www.cnet.com/av/video/flv/universalPlayer/universalSmall.swf

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thepartim-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001XURPQS&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

The quarter wasn’t all roses for Apple.  Turns out, it has been reducing employee hours at the Apple Store to the tune of 1600 equivalent jobs.  We say ‘equivalent’ because not all workers were full time.  Currently Apple Retail employs 14,000 full-time equivalent workers, down from 15,600 at the end of Apple’s first fiscal quarter, according to a filing with the SEC.  The reduction of numbers wasn’t a result of any particular directive or massive layoff, Apple just slowed hiring as the normal high turnover of retail lowered job numbers.

The per store revenue fell to to $5.9 million from $7.1 million year over year.  Overall, revenue increased just 1 percent to $1.74 billion, yet 45 new stores having opened last year.  So, Apple wasn’t immune.  

While Apple is reducing numbers, they might want to consider some "turnover" in their iTunes Apps Store approvers.

Who got the new MacBook Pro and Time Capsule?  Anyone?  Please let the billionth app be iFart.  Big ups Apple.

Update: From Apple’s PR:  The one billionth app, Bump created by Bump Technologies, was downloaded by Connor Mulcahey, age 13, of Weston, CT. As the grand prize winner of Apple’s one billion app countdown contest, Connor will receive a $10,000 iTunes® gift card, an iPod® touch, a Time Capsule® and a MacBook® Pro.

Tim Cook was pretty harsh on the Netbook world yesterday with his comments:

“When I look at what is being sold in the notebook space today, I see cramped keyboards, terrible software, junky hardware, very small screens — just not a consumer experience, not something we would put the Mac brand on, it’s a segment we don’t play in….I think it’s a stretch to call it a personal computer.”

But we know Apple likes to harsh on a market it is about to dive into (See Steve Jobs’ comments on video iPods) and destroy.  Perhaps Cook, and Jobs before him, are laying the groundwork for the differentiating factors in their entry into the Netbook world?

So, what do Cook’s statements mean for a prospective Tablet/Netbook?

Cramped keyboard – This means one of two things:  Apple will have either a full sized keyboard or no physical keyboard.  A full sized keyboard would be a great addition but unless it is an IBM Butterfly model (remember those?) it will stretch out the size of the device to near MacBook Air proportions.  Technically, you need 11.5 inches diagonally to include a full sized keyboard.   That would put it very close to the MacBook Air’s 13-inch display.

Apple also has a fantastic full-sized, yet portable Bluetooth keyboard already.  Incorporating that Bluetooth keyboard into a tablet would be the best of both worlds.  See more on an Apple Netbook keyboard here.

Terrible software = Windows XP.  XP is now on 90% of Netbooks after Linux had originally been the default OS (Microsoft lowered its prices to $15)   It is a 7 year old OS and has been plagued for years with security holes and virus issues.  It also wasn’t designed for a netbook – though ironically, most of the displays back in 2002 were about the same resolution as Netbook screens – they were just 17 inch CRTs.  – or like the 17 inch display that Lauren picked.

Intrestingly, Microsoft is toying with the idea of putting a three application limit on Windows 7 as well.

Junky hardware – not much to be said here.  What can be expected for $300?  Apple will come in with some indestructible design that could double as a piece of art…but at what cost?  Apple could even the playing field a bit by using a cheaper, in-house ARM/PA Semi processor/mobo and allowing the extra money to be spent on design/materials/build. 

All of that being said, we are perfectly happy with the hardware on the ASUS Eee 1000HE.  Some Netbooks aren’t really that bad.

Small screen – This is interesting because the top end of the netbook world is sitting on some solid 10.2 inch LCD screens.  Apple is either implying that it will go with a bigger screen or it is pointing the finger at the smaller Netbook screens which are in the 8-9 inch range.  Apple has, on many reports, been ordering up some 10 inch touch displays.  We are thinking that resolution independence will allow you to do more with less.  Frankly, we’d love to see a 720P screen like the new Dell Mini 10 sports.  That would really be a good tie in with iTunes/differentiator to the rest of the market.  Then there is OLED.

All of that being said, Apple could just introduce something like we showed you last month and many of us would be very happy.

Today’s earnings call beat most analyst expectations.  With the exception of snapping over five years of Mac growth with a 3% downturn, you’d have to rate Apple’s performance as exceptional. Some notes:

• iPhone sales blew everyone away.  Although Apple reported iPhone sales of 3.8 Million (Called it!), they measured only until March 17th, the date of the 3.0 Beta release.  That means the rest of the quarter’s sales haven’t been tabulated and won’t be until 3.0 is released this summer.
• Apple’s Mac Sales were down 3% largely due to 11% decline in educational sales.  However last year they had just released the MacBook Air which generated extraordinary amounts of sales.  Also the PC industry in general saw double digit losses on mostly low margin netbooks.
• Music sales were up 3% – even in this economy
• iPod marketshare – over 70% in the US and growing overseas
• NetBook?  Same answer. We can’t build a product that they’d be proud of.  "For us it’s about doing great products. When I’m looking at what’s sold in the Netbook market, I see cramped keyboards, junky hardware, very small screen, bad software. Not a consumer experience that we would put the Mac brand on."  "We offer the touch and iPhone" "If we find a way to deliver an innovative product that really makes a contribution, we’ll do that. We have some interesting ideas. The product pipeline is fantastic for the Mac."- Tim Cook
• Steve Jobs’ return? Status Quo – end of June (misses WWDC)
• Why stay with AT&T?  CDMA is dead and Apple wanted one phone for the world.
• China?  Apple hope to have an iPhone there within a year.

These things are never pretty.  PreCentral (via BGR) dug up an internal AT&T document detailing the limitations of the Palm Pre – as should be explained to customers considering both.  It just shows to go ya, AT&T is taking the Pre seriously.

Update: It has been taken down

We really don’t have words to describe this one.  Apple, can you please, please hire some competent people to man your App Store approval process?  Maybe pay above minimum wage and enforce some sort of drug testing (not that any type of drug would make you this stupid).  As new parents, we have to say in all seriousness, this has gone beyond abhorrant.

 I can’t wait to take this down after Apple pulls it.

AT&T reported today that they had 1.6 million iPhone activations domestically in the March quarter.  Last quarter they activated 1.9 million iPhones and Apple ended up with 4.4 Million iPhones sold.  Piper’s Gene Munster showed off his algebra chops  by running this formula: 4.4/1.9=x/1.6.   x=equaling the number of global iPhone sales for the March quarter, which in this case equals 3.7 million iPhones total.  That is assuming nothing has changed in the last 3 months. 

We tend to think this could go higher because of things like unlocked iPhones being sold(out) in the US and international adoption rates increasing faster than the US.   Apple’s stock price seems to be doing pretty OK on the news.

For the record, Shannon Cross, of Cross Research, notes that the 44% ratio of AT&T iPhone activations/Apple iPhone units sold in the latest quarter followed a 35% ratio in Q3. She splits the difference, assumes AT&T activated 38% of total Apple phones sold, and comes up with a forecast of 4.2 million units.
Tavis McCourt, of Morgan Keegan, contends the 1.6 million is consistent with his more conservative forecast of 2.9 million iPhones sold, with sell-through of 3-4 million units.

Tune in here later today to find out the rest of today’s earnings numbers.

The Register is today reporting (and also Smarthouse) that an LG insider spilled the news that Apple will soon be updating its MacBook Pro line to include an OLED option.

"An LG staffer has made the very bold claim that 15in Apple notebooks equipped with OLED displays will appear within months… the mole added that once Apple’s unveiled its 15in OLED notebook, LG will then launch its own standalone 15in OLED panels later in the year."

This would make the price of the OLED option MacBook get pretty steep, according to the Register who quote a £2000 ($2700) starting price.  That doesn’t seem that hefty to a high end MacBook Pro buyer.  It would also – theoretically – make the MacBook Pro thinner and lighter.  And tastier.

The Register went on to say that they expected some larger screen OLED displays for televisions (And perhaps Apple Monitors?).  One interesting thing about OLED displays is that not only are they extraodinarily thin, they can also be curved slightly.

Could this be the minor upgrade our tipster was speaking of?  We can only hope!

We just got a call in from our favorite Apple source who says that Apple is going to have a minor update at WWDC for MacBooks and MacBook Pros.  He said he wasn’t sure what the minor upgrade was but there was speculation that there might be some sort of 3G hardware built-in and/or speed bumps.  Perhaps even non-removable batteries on the smaller sized laptops.  Again, that part is just speculation at this time.

Also, he said there would be a big Pro apps update.  Final Cut Pro, Aperture, Logic, Shake should all see significant updates.  

We are still waiting on news of the 10-inch netbook/tablet device.  We don’t have any specifics or timeframes yet because this project is being kept under lock and key.  We hope to have something better in the coming weeks. 

Update: Whoa! could we be looking at OLED Display updates?!

That’s all … for now.

Ars points out that the new iPhone OS has some special speech-related references with a codename Jibbler.  It looks to provide voice synthesis and also rudimentary voice recognition for functions like voice calling and possibly more advance featres like voice navigation of Springboard, the Finder of the iPhone.

Our sources turned up references to classes and methods named VSSpeechSynthesizer, VSRecognitionSession, SBVoiceControlDisableHandlerActions, SBSensitiveJibblerEnabled, and SBVoiceControlSoundCompletion. SB refers to SpringBoard, and VS likely refers to Voice Services. The separate Voice Services classes leave open the possibility that Apple may eventually allow access to these services via the official SDK. There’s no indication whether these voice features will be tied to newer hardware expected this summer or if the features will be compatible with existing iPhone hardware.

Finally, these functions could help out with assisted services for disabled users and help in their ability to interact with the iPhone and the iPod touch.

Apps like Google Mobile and Vlingo have used voice recognition on the iPhone but the means to do so has never been built into the Core OS..until now.

It really is interesting to see this web of companies all entering into each others territory.  Google is building an OS to compete with Microsoft and Apple.  Microsoft is making an iPod touch-like Zzzune. 

Adobe today is announcing their foray into the home television market space (AppleTV and many others) with Flash for TV.  Adobe said it expects the first available products with the new Flash runtime will likely be televisions shipped later this year.

Hardware and chip partners for the project include Broadcom, Intel, NXP Semiconductors, Sigma Designs and STMicroelectronics. Distribution partners include Comcast, Disney Interactive, Netflix, New York Times Co. and Atlantic Records.

Phonenews has posted some welcome (if true – we’re not so sure how legit this one is) information on upcoming iPod and iPhone AV cables.  Until now, Apple has made its users buy expensive, specially-chipped cables if they wanted iPods and iPhones to connect to TVs.  Because of this complication and cost, the cables haven’t sold very well. We also hear that the new Zune will have HD out.

Phonenews thinks that is about to change:

Apple will remedy this with a cable, which is known simply as the Apple AV Cable. The cable will function similar to the Xbox 360 Component AV Cable. The consolidated cable will support both component and composite output, allowing users to plug in to both HDTV and SDTV displays without the need for multiple cables.

The reason that Apple is doing this has been confirmed by PhoneNews.com. The next generation of iPhone and iPod touch will make broad and sweeping changes to HD display capacity on the devices. First, Apple will likely offer at least one version of the iPhone and one version of iPod touch with an even higher resolution screen, targeting both Microsoft’s Zune HD, as well as HTC’s Touch HD and Touch Pro2.

Currently the iPhone and iPod touch do not exceed 480i and 480p (respectively) in terms of video resolution. However, the next iPhone and iPod touch will enable full HD playback, with 720p and 1080i output modes.

Multiple options will be given to users to get HD video onto their TV, via iPhone and iPod. First, consumers will be able to store HD shows on their devices directly. However, considering the limits of flash storage, this is a time consuming process. Enter Bonjour. Apple will also provide the ability for users to plug their iPhone into their HDTV, and gateway onto a user’s Wi-Fi network, and access their entire iTunes library on their HDTV.

The end result is that a user can sit at their HDTV, using an Apple AV Dock and an Apple Remote, controlling their iPhone much as they do an Apple TV today. This ensures that a new iPhone owner will be able to purchase, for under $100, all the equipment needed to access (via the iPhone) all of their computer-stored HD content, on their HDTV.

A welcome and timely upgrade if true.  We aren’t so sure how well HD Video will stream over Wifi to the new iPhones.  They’ll also have to have some serious video muscle in them.  We’ll believe it when we see it.

According to Ben Lorica from O’Reilly, "Books as Apps" is the fastest growing segment of application developement in the App store.  Here’s what’s happening: Instead of just selling an eBook through Amazon and the other online distributors, Publishers (with help from developers like Scrollmotion) are creating their own app out of a book.  They can then sell the app with all of the freedom that Apple has allowed its other developers.   The "Books as Apps" category has grown 280% in the last three months alone and is threatening to overtake categories like Entertainment and Games.  Read more.

We told you last week about the PeaPod, a small electric powered "neighborhood vehicle" with green creds and anemic top speeds.  At the time, Peter E. Arnell, the man behind the name of the vehicle, rambled though the car’s use of an iPhone as the center of the navigation and entertainment system – which we thought was innovative.

He neglected to mention that the iPod or iPhone, with its special PeaPod application, could also function as the car’s ignition system.  We’re not sure exactly how the functionality would work (what if someone else jailbreaks and steals the app?  Or what if your iPhone breaks an you have to get a new one with new serial number?) but the worst case scenario, you are loosing a 25MPH vehicle.  You can always hop on a bike and chase down the perps to get your car back.

We know the story with Sling on the iPhone is turning into an ugly one. Still want to get quality TV on your iPhone?  Good news!

According to SAI, there is a Hulu app coming to the iPhone and it is "BAD ASS". 

Hulu is in the process of developing an app for Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone and iPod touch, we have learned from a plugged-in industry executive. The app is coming soon (within a few months) and is "badass" — as excellent as Hulu’s Web site. Video will work over both wi-fi and 3G[nice!], we’re told.

We absolutely love the sound of this and would even be happy to throw a few bucks toward the developers.  It will be interesting to see what AT&T thinks about streaming not Uverse video all day over their network.  Something tells us, it isn’t going to be as easy as it seems.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgZs3a74rX8&hl=en&fs=1]

BGR is reporting some interesting ZuneHD specs, some of which look pretty solid.  Notably, it would be the first mainstream device with NVIDIA’s Tegra ARM chips that are supposed to blaze.  Also, a large, touch OLED screen would be a first in a mainstream electronics device as well.  We’ll have to wait until August to see if Apple will match these so far imaginary specs.

•  ~3.6-inch OLED full toudchscreen [iPod=3.5 inch]
• NVIDIA Tegra powered [Damn!]
• 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB versions
• HDMI Connection to stream straight to your TV
• HD Radio
• Web browser
• Wi-Fi compatible, with wireless marketplace[O RLY?! is this thing going to run WINMOB?]
• Released, early fall
• International release of the Zune device itself
• Home AV packs, Car packs, Charge packs

Also, wtf is HD radio?

The Wall Street Journal iPhone App (iTunes link) just hit the iTunes Store.  We’ve downloaded and are looking through it as we type.  It isn’t full of content yet but we’re sure more will stream in as time goes on.  Even though the video section only has six videos, we were able to Walt Mossberg’s MobileMe re-review. 

While we generally like the NYTimes content better, the WSJ.app does a lot of things better than their iPhone app (which came out almost a year ago).  The ‘photo flipping’ of articles is great and the video works really well as well.  A very positive, polished first experience.

If you are a fan of the Journal, this app will make a great addition to your reading collection.  (and the articles are free!)