Nokia plans to unveil tablet by this fall, analyst says

Nokia is working with suppliers and designers in an effort to bring a new touchscreen tablet device into market by this fall, an analyst at Rodman Renshaw told TheStreet.com yesterday.

The mobile phone giant, based in Espoo, Finland, apparently hopes the new tablet can compete the new, well-hyped Apple iPad and similar products like the HP Slate from Hewlett-Packard , the Dell Streak from Dell or Lenovo Group Ltd.'s IdeaPad S10-3.

Nokia could not be reached to comment on the report.

The analyst, Ashok Kumar, told TheStreet.com that the tablet computer could be a key product for Nokia , which already has a long line of portable Internet devices, including the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet and the Booklet 3G netbook.

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"Nokia hasn't fielded any breakaway products in years," Kumar said. "This is a new window, and Nokia had better be at the starting gate if and when the product category takes off."

Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld . Follow Matt on Twitter at @matthamblen , or subscribe to Matt's RSS feed . His e-mail address is mhamblen@computerworld.com .

From the labs - iPad battery tests and application performance

Apple’s iPad is impressive in many ways; having seen its responsiveness in demos and its touted long-life battery claims, I was anxious to get my hands on one for some real-world testing. And my results show battery life that exceeds Apple's claim and quick application performance.

Battery tests

Apple claims up to 10 hours of battery life when “surfing the web, watching videos, or listening to music.” I connected the iPad to my home’s wireless network and transferred a movie rented from the iTunes store from my MacBook Pro to the iPad. Once the movie was loaded and playing, I unplugged the fully charged iPad and took note of the time.

Four hours and 15 minutes later, I checked the battery level and saw that it had gone down by 30 percent. I checked back every couple of hours to restart the movie, and finally, after a full 11 hours and 25 minutes, the iPad stopped the movie, briefly showed the home screen and then shut down.

Usually, when a company makes a claim of battery life, you expect that claim to be a best-case scenario based on a hard-to-recreate situation that’s nearly impossible to recreate. In this case, it appears that Apple’s claims were conservative, as I was able to exceed the claim by 85 minutes in a power-hungry scenario.

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For comparison’s sake, I ran the same test on the second generation iPod touch (late 2009), which Apple claims is capable of up to 6 hours of video playback. The iPod touch, didn’t fare as well, playing the movie for just 4 hours and 53 minutes before shutting down.

I also timed how long it took to recharge the iPad. It took just shy of 4 hours to fully recharge the iPad under the optimal conditions - sleeping and plugged into its 10W power charger.

Macworld (US) senior editor Christopher Breen, in his article that looks at the iPad as a iPod, tested the iPad battery life when playing audio only. When he wrote his article, the iPad had run for over 43 hours and still had 71 per cent of battery life left.

Sybase updates mobile app for iPad, Android

Enterprise software vendor Sybase plans to update its mobile device enterprise management software, called Afaria, so it can work with iPads as well as with devices running Google's Android OS, the company announced Tuesday.

Administrators use the Afaria Web console to centrally manage mobile phones in an enterprise, allowing them to perform such tasks as resetting passwords, managing applications, configuring a device and remotely killing a device lost by an employee.

A feature pack due out in May for the current version of Afaria will "extend that control to the iPad," said Mark Jordan, senior product manager for Afaria.

Jordan said it did not take a great deal of effort on Sybase's part to extend support the iPad, given that Afaria already supports the iPhone. "Apple is pretty consistent in how it manages devices right now," he said.

While primarily designed for consumer use, the iPad has been eyed by enterprise software vendors as a potential work device.

Jordan said that the device, for instance, could work really well in medical centers, where doctors and nurses roam about the facilities. The iPad could be a light, easy-to-use, relatively inexpensive device used to collect and access information.

As with the iPhone, Apple will allow enterprise applications to be installed on the iPad. An organization would need to register with Apple, which will provide a certificate to digitally sign the application so that it could be run on the devices. The enterprise app would then have to be installed through a non-wireless connection, Jordan said.

Sybase is not alone in modifying products for the iPad. Citrix released versions of its Receiver client and GoToMeeting software programs for the iPad.

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In addition to iPad support, this feature pack for Afaria will also include some basic management for Android-based devices. The initial capability will offer centralized password setting and remote device killing.

Jordan admitted that Google's control of Android is looser than Apple's control of the iPad, so Afaria can work only those devices that fully comply with Google's specification for enabling enterprise management features.

"Handset makers may or may not support some of functionality to certain degrees, but we're using standards-based approach," so if manufacturers support the standards, Afaria will support their devices, Jordan said.

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Video: iPad stress test (look away if you're nervous)

If you get an iPad, make sure to buy a protective case for it. Compared to the iPhone, Apple's latest tech toy is more prone to easy damage.

In our iPad stress tests - a supersize version of the iPhone stress tests that we performed with Apple's smartphone - the tablet computer started showing damage after a few drops onto a carpeted floor.

Though the touchscreen itself held up well and still responded to touches and gestures, a strip of garbled pixels appeared at the top of the display after we dropped the iPad from a seated position three or four times.

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Water isn't very iPad-friendly, either. Our stress-test unit started malfunctioning immediately after being doused with coffee and water, even though the iPad connector port was somewhat covered. Water entered the iPad's innards via the headphone jack on the top, and within a minute or two, the touchscreen display became unresponsive and splotchy.

Apple's tablet is extremely resilient in a few ways, however. Surprisingly, all that glass on the front is practically invulnerable when it comes to everyday wear-and-tear.

Its well-coated screen is literally scratch-proof: We couldn't produce any scratches on the display even when we tried to etch it with a nail; you definitely won't need to buy one of those stick-on screen protectors.

The glass did start showing signs of physical damage after a couple of drops onto concrete. But even in those extreme circumstances, the screen cracked only after we dropped the iPad face-down onto the pavement.

The back of the iPad, on the other hand, is a scratch magnet. Keys and the aforementioned nail dinged it up significantly, so a protective case is still a good idea if you plan on toting it around alongside other objects in a bag.

After our iPad became fully inoperable from the combination of water damage and drops onto concrete, we went ahead and threw a baseball at it. The iPad was no match for a Little League-caliber fastball, so if you're sitting in foul-ball territory with it, bring a glove.

You'll also be happy to know that an average-weight adult can sit on the iPad without inflicting any damage. It just isn't very comfortable.

All in all, the iPad is a solidly built machine, but the pixel problems after only a few drops onto a carpeted floor surprised us a bit. This gadget has a lot of potential to be used by kids, so you'll definitely want to buy a protective case if you have a youngster at home.

Editor’s Note: This article is reprinted from the Today @ PC World blog at PCWorld.com.

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Google Buys Episodic

Google has made its fifth acquisition of the year: video service Episodic, which is presumably being drafted to help out with the Google-owned Youtube video service.

Episodic, a San Francisco-based start-up founded by Noam Lovinsky and Matias Cudich, describes itself as a "comprehensive platform for broadcasting live and on-demand video to the web or any web-enabled device." Episodic announced the acquisition in a blog post on Friday.

Episodic is an online video hosting service and publishing suite, and features the capability to publish live streams and on-demand content. Users also have control over advertisements and ad breaks in their videos, as well as an in-depth analytics tool that gives them real-time information on viewers' experiences.

Episodic also allows users to make money off of their video channels by inserting advertisements or charging viewers for content (via credit card). These options are available for both live streams and on-demand video. Episodic is also optimized for viewing on mobile devices, including the iPhone.

For the time being, new account sign-up has been put on hold, though users can register to be contacted once the acquisition has been sorted out.

According to Tech Crunch, the service will, in fact, be "folded into Youtube" and the Episodic staff will join the Youtube offices next week.

This either means that Google plans on taking over and redoing online video, or that Google is just looking to keep to its promise to buy one small company each month. Since January 2010, Google has bought Microsoft Word online component DocVerse, photo-editing site Picnik, email app maker reMail, and social search company Aardvark.

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Guinness World Records comes to iPad

If you like to be dazzled and amazed by some of the most outrageous human accomplishments and oddities of nature, the Guinness World Records app might be for you. Designed specifically for the iPad and with a fancy pseudo-3D look,the app looks positively futuristic.

The iPad application features over 140 records for you to browse through, divided among six categories: strangest, craziest, fastest, deadliest, tallest, and most expensive. You'll be able to flick through them and get more details for each of them with various charts, timelines, and facts to capture your imagination.

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With 25 videos and over 150 photographs, the app has a rich library of media. There's a virtual globe you can spin to see world record attempts from around the world in the GWR Day mode. There's also a Gamer's Edition mode and some information on how to be a record breaker, so that you can be the next featured person in the Guinness World Records app.

Guinness World Records: At Your Fingertips Lite is availableon the App Storefor free and is compatible with any iPad running iPhone OS 3.2 or later. A full, paid version of the app is forthcoming.

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Jon Burgerman, Kate Moross & more show customised Lomo cameras from today

A travelling exhibition that comes to London this week celebrates the cult Lomography camera the Diana, featuring customised versions created by leading creatives including Rob Ryan, Jody Barton, Jon Burgerman, and Kate Moross.

'Lomo' cameras have gained cult status in recent years thanks to their 'imperfectly perfect' images, which are typically colour-drenched, low-fi and with unpredictable contrast, giving a retro, authentic feel. The manufacturer, Lomography, has capitalised on the cameras' hipster status, releasing a slew of special editions and customised versions.

The Diana World Tour started in Hong Kong and has travelled to Tokyo, Seoul, Porto, Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, New York and now London. It is at the Lomography Gallery Store April 2-30. As well as featuring cameras customised by illustrators and graphic designers, it includes models by graffiti artist Ninety, fashionistas Philip Treacy and Tatty Devine, and others.

For more information visit the Lomography Gallery Store website.

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