Microsoft Kinect Teardown

The Microsoft Kinect has been torn down to reveal what’s inside.

The teardown doesn’t go in to the depth that we see with some of the Apple [AAPL] products, but you do get to see how the Kinect is put together and what is used to capture video.

It’s made of two main parts: a projector and an IR VGA camera. The former bounces out a laser (don’t worry, Microsoft insists it’s safe) across the entire field of play, which the camera picks up to separate you from your sofa on what’s called a ˜depth field.’ It’s essentially all the pixels that Kinect gets back as IR noise measured in varying colour dependant on how close they are to the system. That way bodies appear a bright shade of red, green etc, and things further away appear grey.

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RIM BlackPad Could Arrive November at $499

RIM is still rumoured to be working on the BlackPad. We heard last week that the device was to get a 9.7 inch screen, Bluetooth, WiFi as well as cameras on the front and back.

We now hear that Quanta will be manufacturing the tablet and that they will be building two million units in September in preparation for a launch in November.

Price wise, the tablet is also rumoured to be starting at $499. When we say starting, it isn’t clear at the moment if several models will be launched like Apple [AAPL] did with the iPad, or if RIM will just stick to the one model. [Read more…]

EFO iPazzPort Mini Keyboard Unveiled (3rd Gen)

EFO has launched the 3rd gen iPazzport keyboard. The small device has a BlackBerry look and houses a small QWERTY keyboard along with a touchpad above that.

The keyboard is wireless and comes supplied with a wireless USB dongle and allows you to use it with HTPC, IPTV or CARPC devices as well as games consoles such as the Xbox 360, PS3 and any other device that can receive text input from an external keyboard.

The iPazzport costs $45 and is available from here. [Read more…]

iOS 4.1 Gets Email Based FaceTime Support

We have heard previously that FaceTime call requests could soon be made via email. We now see that iOS 4.1 Beta 3 has the email FaceTime call functions available. This indicates that the next generation iPod touch 4 could get a front facing camera.

The option is found in iOS 4.1 Beta 3 in the Contacts application where two options to connect the FaceTime call are given. The first is via the regular phone number and the second, as pictured above, is by email.

The reason an iPod touch 4 would require email to active the FaceTime call is that no physical number can be attached to the device leaving the option of email the next best thing. [Read more…]

HTC Desire HD Captured on Video

More details of the HTC Desire HD have surface this morning including a quick video showing off the hardware (embedded below). The new details confirm that the Desire HD will run Android 2.2 and that it will have a 4.3 inch WVGA touchscreen. Other details confirmed include the 8 megapixel camera capable of capturing video in 720p HD.

The 1GHz CPU is confirmed by 247Android as being from Qualcomm.

There isn’t much else at the moment although all we really need now is the official name, release date and pricing. [Read more…]

Verizon iPhone 4 Due in January – Rumor

According to TechCrunch, we could be seeing the iPhone land on the Verizon [VZ] network in January. The reasons for this are related to tracking what components are in demand. In the case of the iPad, large 9.7 inch screens were being built which helped give some of the details away.

What we hear now is that Apple [AAPL] has placed an order for a large amount of CDMA chips. As the iPhone 4 and other models do not currently use CDMA, it is believed that they are being purchased for the Verizon iPhone 4. TechCrunch also go on to say that the iPhone 4 will arrive on Verizon in January 2011. [Read more…]

Motorola Droid 2 Price Details

The price of the Motorola Droid 2 has been revealed unoficially. We say unoficiallt as the pricing details were captured from a display unit as pictured above.

When launched later this week, the Motorola Droid 2 will cost $199 which will require a 24 month contract to be signed. If you prefer it off contract then the price is $599.

The release date of the Motorola Droid 2 is rumoured to be August 12 which comes from some other leaked documents found last week. [Read more…]

HTC Desire HD Android 2.2 Smartphone Spotted

The smartphone pictured here is supposed to be the HTC Desire HD. The device is said to run Android 2.2 from Google [GOOG] and have a large 4.3 inch touchscreen along with an 8 megapixel camera. The camera is capable of capturing video at 720p HD.

Powering the Desire HD is a 1GHz processor and 4GB of memory can also be found inside.

It isn’t clear if this device is the HTC Desire HD. Firstly, it’s a leaked shot with no “official” details known and secondly, PMPToday points out that it looks more similar to the HTC EVO 4G. [Read more…]

Apple Covent Garden Store Opening Tomorrow at 10am

Apple [AAPL] is opening the Apple Covent Garden Store tomorrow at 10am. The store will become the worlds largest Apple store and will be looked after by 300 staff members.

Other interesting facts about the store include it’s two glass staircases, the largest Genius bar of any Apple store, and it will hold the most stock of any store in the world.

The Covent Garden store covers three floors and has a Start Up room where Apple employees can help you configure your newly purchased gadgets. [Read more…]

Portable Scanner – CopyCat Launches

The CopyCat is a portable scanner that allows you to easily capture documents whilst on the move. The device costs £79.99 over at Firebox and is capable of scanner in colour.

The device has an SD card slot built in that allows 2GB of images to be stored although the memory card isn’t provided with the portable scanner. A 2GB SD card costs around £7.99 although many homes have spare SD cards available in older cameras that could be used. [Read more…]

ASUS Windows Phone 7 Appears

Not much information is known about the picture above, but from what PocketNow say, it looks to be an ASUS smartphone running the Windows Phone 7 operating system.

The picture was captured in Pakistan and shows the three physical button setup below the screen as well as what looks to be a forward facing camera on the top right of the bezel. It appears that the device is either a prototype, or perhaps a developers model due to the serial number printed on the top of the phone just above the screen. [Read more…]

ASUS Eee Tablet Coming October for under $599

The ASUS Eee Tablet was introduced at the end of May this year. We now hear that it will launch in October of this year with a price tag under $599.

Originally we heard that the price tag would be $199 – $299 with a September launch. These lower prices of course could be related to subsidised prices though which would fall inline with about how much we’d expect to pay for a tablet with a carrier contract. [Read more…]