eBook readers are certainly getting more and more popular, and as consumers, we’re certainly hoping that the price will drop, which should help increase the adoption rate of eBook readers. Considering most eBook readers cost around $300 or more, Freescale just might be on to something with its i.MX508 processor. This 800MHz ARM-based ship includes USB host functionality, as well as dedicated circuitry for controlling the e-ink panel; basically it’s a system-on-a-chip. The best part is that it’ll be sold for just $10 on volume, and with that can kind pricing, eBook readers could be reduced to something about $150, which is certainly much more affordable than three-hundred clams, wouldn’t you say?

Source [ubergizmo]

We’d had some indication that robot teachers could be headed to classrooms sooner or later, but it looks like things may now be progressing faster than anyone thought. According to South Korea’s etnews, the country has announced plans to invest in a so-called “R-Learning” program that promises to put robotic teaching assistants in up to 400 pre-schools by 2012, and expand to a full 8,000 pre-schools and kindergartens the following year. Those apparently wouldn’t be in charge of the class (yet), but they would be used to do things like recite stories, and could let parents check in on the classroom and send messages to their children. If that trial program proves to be successful, the robots could then be expanded to elementary schools, and the Korea Institute of Science & Technology (the folks responsible for the bots) is apparently already eyeing international possibilities.

Source [via Plastic Pals]

soundgraph.com launched a new concept of USB sub-monitors ‘FingerVU series(mdoel: 436/706)’ in Korea market, which are equipped with 4.3-inch and 7-inch touch screen respectively.

Unlike the downside of most secondary monitors in the market controlled by mouse and keyboard and users easily loose the focus of work when controls of tasks are moving between main and secondary monitors, the FingerVU can work independently from main monitor and users will not lose the focus. SoundGraph has developed the technology of touch control independently from the main monitor.

By adopting FingerUI, the interface designed for more convenient use for FingerVU, users can enjoy multimedia functions such as music, video, photo, YouTube as well as world weather, world time, memo taking, related information search, which can work as a PC.

Source

The creators of Rambler think that Twitter’s a pretty vapid service filled with useless information. So they went out and tweeted lots of insightful things! No, of course not. They just created the most worthless Twitter account of all time.

Continue… [Popkalab via Fashionably Geek via The Daily What]

Piece together all the Apple iPad tablet rumors, supposed-leaks and speculation and you’d end up with a Frankenstein’s monster of a device, one capable of hypnotizing the whole blogosphere ahead of Apple’s press conference next Wednesday.  Latest to throw their oar in is iLounge, who reckon they have the scoop on two hardware details for the touchscreen slate.  Most curious is the suggestion – so their source claims – that the iPad will have dual dock connectors.

Continue…

With the announcement of the Apple tablet most likely a week away, more details of the device are slowly surfacing. Now it seems that Apple is in talks with mobile phone operators in the UK. Apparently the tablet will not be an exclusive item, unlike the iPhone when it was originally launched. Since Apple is partnering with operators, it seems that the device will sport 3G connectivity, and will come bundled with broadband contracts. The bad news is that the estimated price of the device might be a tad high at £800, though that isn’t an official figure just yet. The operators that are mentioned to be working out a deal for this device are Orange, O2 and also Vodafone.

Source [via pocket-lint]

It’s been a quite week or two for Apple Tablet (iSlate, iTablet, etc.) rumors. This latest one is big and may make waves in the publishing industry. It’s a possible partnership between The New York Times and Apple for what could be journalisms savior. As CNET reports:

The newspaper is expected to announce in coming weeks that it will institute a metered pay plan in which readers would have access to a limited number of free articles before being invited to subscribe, according to a report in New York magazine that cited sources close to the newsroom.

Continue… [via cnet, digitaltrends]

Back in November of 2008, I first learned of the Lenovo super secret project that would eventually become the Skylight smartbook . It sounded fascinating to me that we would attempt to create an entirely new offering category in the computer space. I could only imagine a device that would behave similar to a smart phone, but be of a size and scale that would make it more suitable for viewing or typing data. The design goal was also to create something that would turn heads. It could not look like just another miniature notebook computer.

Continue… [Design Matters, at Lenovo Blogs]

Boy Genius Report has a few more rumors to add to the ones already in mad circulation in the Web, most interesting of all is the supposed “out of control” multitouch feature of the iTablet. The phrase, I suppose, is not meant to be a negative one but on the contrary. Apple has a few patents on the touch-based navigation and some of them are bound to appear for the first time on the Apple Tablet. Another interesting detail is the new Apple OS. There is indeed a new Mac OS X version, and that indeed could be Clouded Leopard. The iSlate will be an “iPhone on Steroids” if you believe the next rumor that the processor will be more powerful than we’ve seen in a device of its sort, but it will be an ARM CPU.

Continue… [via wowio, bgr]

Ion Audio launches at the CES 2010 the iTYPE desktop keyboard for iPhone and iPod touch. This new iPhone accessory is basically a computer keyboard with standard QWERTY keyboard layout and full-sized keys and a space for your iPhone/iPod touch. However, the iType can’t be used in any text input box, instead you have to type in the iType app and copy and paste to the where you want.

Source [ionaudio]