Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Nokia's HumanForm concept oozes appeal

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CNET News Crave Nokia's HumanForm concept oozes appeal Christopher MacManus by Christopher MacManus November 14, 2011 4:21 PM PST Follow @sonyinsider Everything you know about smartphone design will change one day.

(Credit:Nokia)

There seems to be a big brainstorm at the Nokia Research Center lately. It recently showed off the all-touch-screen Gem concept and a mind-bending flexible device interface.

One of its latest innovations is a radical new piece of concept hardware called HumanForm.

This fish-shaped concept is a departure from the rectangular devices we gawk over these days, and gives us an peek at a future where smartphone design has evolved beyond limitation. The soul of HumanForm contains part nanotechnology, a flexible display, and kinetic interaction.

Related storiesNokia Gem concept phone begs to be touchedFlex it, baby! Nokia's new interface is seriously twisted

Nokia bills the concept as "a visionary solution beyond touch screen and voice communication where technology becomes invisible and intuition takes over."

If HumanForm ever becomes real, users can bend the transparent display to navigate around the social-network-oriented interface. Aside from the entire phone being touch screen, it would also have support for gestures. Browsing images could occur simply by twisting the phone or bending it backward to zoom in.

HumanForm could also have an "electro tactile" enhanced display, which could, for example, give an image of rocks a bumpy feel. Be sure to check out some real-life images of a HumanForm mockup at Pocket-Lint.

Christopher MacManus Crave freelancer Christopher MacManus is now investing his energy writing for CNET after covering the Sony brand on various Web sites of his own for nearly a decade. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, FPS gaming, and his miniature Australian shepherd. Christopher is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. E-mail Christopher.

Follow @sonyinsider Topics: Smartphones, Future Tech Tags: flexible, Nokia, concept, HumanForm @import "http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/Ads/common/info_board/info_board.css";   Explore the BlackBerry Mall on CNET Learn about the new BlackBerry smartphones, read CNET editors' reviews, check out the latest BlackBerry videos and participate in the BlackBerry forum Visit the BlackBerry Mall on CNET

 

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Less than half of app users have paid for an app

Less than half of app users have paid for an app | Crave - CNET CNET Home Reviews Cell Phones Camcorders Digital Cameras Laptops TVs Car Tech Forums Appliances Cell Phone Accessories Components Desktops Games and Gear GPS Hard Drives & Burners Headphones Home Audio Home Video Internet Access Monitors MP3 Players Networking and Wi-Fi Peripherals Printers Software Tablets Web Hosting You are here: News Latest News Webware Crave Business Tech Green Tech Mobile Security Blogs Video Photos Media Cutting Edge Apple Politics & Law Gaming & Culture Microsoft Health Tech RSS Download Windows Software Mac Software Mobile Apps Web Apps CNET TV How To Phone Tablet Computer Web Home Theater Marketplace Log In | Join Log In Join CNET Sign in with My profile Log out
CNET News Crave Less than half of app users have paid for an app Amanda Kooser by Amanda Kooser November 14, 2011 4:33 PM PST Follow @akooser Infinity Blade screenshotI paid $5.99 to stab this mythical creature on my iPad.

(Credit:Screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET)

App users are a tight-fisted bunch, according to a recently released Pew Internet & American Life study. Pew reports that only 46 percent of U.S. cell phone andtablet users who have downloaded apps have paid for one.

That means that 16 percent of adults in the United States have paid for an app. That's a boost from the 13 percent polled by Pew who reported parting with their cash in May 2010.

Pew queried 2,260 adults over the age of 18 between July and August of this year, including 916 interviews conducted over cell phones. The numbers might not look so rosy for app developers who would much rather have paying customers than freeloaders.

Those same app developers might want to look into tablet apps as potential cash cows. The study found that tablet users are more likely to a pay for apps--and pay higher prices.

There must be some lure to a big screen that makes all those pretty apps so hard to ignore. I remember back when Infinity Blade first followed my iPad home. I felt compelled to cough up the $5.99 adoption fee.

For people who do pay for apps, 52 percent report spending $5 or less on an app. On the higher end, 17 percent report paying more than $20 for a single app.

Do you shell out for apps? Vote in our poll and tell us in the comments how tight your purse strings are.

(Via CNET UK)

Amanda Kooser Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET's Crave blog. When not wallowing in weird gadgets and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto. Amanda is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive.

Follow @akooser Topics: Smartphones, Tablets, iPad Tags: apps, tablet, Pew Internet & American Life @import "http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/Ads/common/info_board/info_board.css";   Explore the BlackBerry Mall on CNET Learn about the new BlackBerry smartphones, read CNET editors' reviews, check out the latest BlackBerry videos and participate in the BlackBerry forum Visit the BlackBerry Mall on CNET

 

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Polaroid Z340 Instant Digital Camera: Say cheese!

Polaroid Z340 Instant Digital Camera: Say cheese! | Crave - CNET CNET Home Reviews Cell Phones Camcorders Digital Cameras Laptops TVs Car Tech Forums Appliances Cell Phone Accessories Components Desktops Games and Gear GPS Hard Drives & Burners Headphones Home Audio Home Video Internet Access Monitors MP3 Players Networking and Wi-Fi Peripherals Printers Software Tablets Web Hosting You are here: News Latest News Webware Crave Business Tech Green Tech Mobile Security Blogs Video Photos Media Cutting Edge Apple Politics & Law Gaming & Culture Microsoft Health Tech RSS Download Windows Software Mac Software Mobile Apps Web Apps CNET TV How To Phone Tablet Computer Web Home Theater Marketplace Log In | Join Log In Join CNET Sign in with My profile Log out
CNET News Crave Polaroid Z340 Instant Digital Camera: Say cheese! Amanda Kooser by Amanda Kooser November 14, 2011 12:02 PM PST Follow @akooser Polaroid Z340 Instant Digital CameraWhere are the bell bottoms?

(Credit:Polaroid)

Polaroid instant cameras conjure up images of bell bottoms and avocado-colored appliances from the boom days of the 1970s. You can get in on the retro wave with the new Polaroid Z340 Instant Digital Camera.

The Z340 pretty much takes the original Polaroid concept and updates it. It's a 14MP camera with a 2.7-inch LCD display and an integrated printer that spits out 3x4-inch color prints.

The printer part uses inkless printing technology from Zink Imaging. The special Zink paper has embedded dye crystals with a polymer overcoat for protection. Heat activates the crystals to form the image.

Polaroid has dipped its toes into the instant digital camera waters before. The C-211Z came out in 2000 with a $799 price tag, but sunk into tech oblivion. It didn't help that it cost $1 per print to use the contraption.

Prices have improved a little. A pack of 30 Zink sheets for the Z340 costs $19.99.

Lady GaGa unveiled a preview of Polaroid's efforts atCES early this year. She sported some Polaroid shades and showed off the GaGa-inspired GL30 Instant Digital Camera. The GL30 didn't appear as promised, but we now have the Z340 available instead.

The Z340 is a little on the chunky side, weighing almost 1.5 pounds. It costs $299.99 and gives you up to 25 prints on a battery charge.

Weight and pricing aside, this is really all about instant gratification and reveling in the retro without having to hunt down original Polaroid film or wear a beige polyester turtleneck.

Amanda Kooser Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET's Crave blog. When not wallowing in weird gadgets and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto. Amanda is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive.

Follow @akooser Topics: Cameras, Gadget news, Retro, Geek culture Tags: Polaroid, Z340 Instant Digital Camera, camera, Zink Imaging @import "http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/Ads/common/info_board/info_board.css";   Explore the BlackBerry Mall on CNET Learn about the new BlackBerry smartphones, read CNET editors' reviews, check out the latest BlackBerry videos and participate in the BlackBerry forum Visit the BlackBerry Mall on CNET

 

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