Motorola XT720 Now Available At Wind Mobile

Wind Mobile Canada has begun selling Motorola’s latest Android smartphone ‘XT720‘ on their network. The handset is sold for $430 (regular price $450 – $20 rebate) – rebate available until September 30, 2010. To remind you, the XT720 packs a 3.7-inch 480 x 854 multi-touch capacitive touchscreen display, a 550MHz processor, an 8-megapixel autofocus camera with Xenon flash, a 512MB of internal memory, a microSD card slot (up to 32GB), 720 HD video recording support, GPS, WiFi, an HDMI port, a 3.5mm headset jack and runs on Android OS.

New Apple TV starts shipping - will AirPlay work?

Apple TV!

I had heard rumors that the Apple TV was delayed until mid-October. Moments before checking on those rumors this morning, I received notice that my own Apple TV would be arriving by end of week. So far it sounds like mine is shipping on time, so I’m not sure if the mid-October date is just for people who order it today, or if other pre-orders are now delayed. Either way, I’m glad that I pre-ordered.

have been anxiously waiting for my Apple TV to arrive since I purchased it on announcement day. When Matt Miller told us we don’t need one, I was forced to write about why I thought it was worth the purchase. Thankfully, even though it will have been almost 30 days before I receive my Apple TV, I’m still just as eager to add it to my home media tools.

According to my shipping statement, I should have it in my hands no later than Friday of this week. Since the current shipping build of iOS doesn’t support AirPlay, I’m going to upgrade another iPhone to a developer build and see if I can start having fun. For me, AirPlay seems like one of the best selling features of the new Apple TV, and even though it might not be supported yet, it was teased in Jobs’ speech, and is currently enjoying its own page on Apple.com–not yet updated to show video.

RIM unveils its tablet, the 'PlayBook'

Playbook!

Research in Motion today unveiled its first tablet offering called the "PlayBook."

The device is due early next year in the U.S., with international availability coming in the second quarter of 2011. RIM has not yet announced a price.

The 7-inch, 9.7mm-thick tablet, which was debuted by RIM's President and co-CEO Mike Lazaridis at the company's DevCon event in San Francisco, features an HTML5-capable browser, both front- and rear-facing HD cameras, and HDMI and USB ports.

On the inside, the PlayBook runs off of a 1GHz dual-core chip and has 1GB of built-in RAM. It will also come with a special version of the BlackBerry software that features multitasking and 1080p video playback. Other specs of note include 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and support for Adobe Flash 10.1.

Lazaridis said that the device is "enterprise ready" and that it will fit in with the company's existing server architecture. The company said in a press release that it plans on "working with developers and select corporate customers next month to begin development and early testing efforts."

Of note, the initial version of the PlayBook appears not to ship with a 3G or 4G cellular antenna. Instead, users are expected to pair the device with their BlackBerry phones (via Bluetooth) to enable data connectivity when out of range of a Wi-Fi connection. The company's press release says it "intends to also offer 3G and 4G models in the future."

Windows Phone 7 ads, launch dates trickle out

Microsoft published two new Windows Phone 7 ads this weekend on its YouTube channel, featuring the HTC Mondrian from AT&T. They've since been removed, but not before WM Poweruser snatched and reuploaded them. They're amusing to watch, to say the least, and something tells us that the software giant did not push them out early accidentally. When the first Windows Phone 7 ad that appeared promised a revolution, we were curious. Now we're seeing AT&T's interpretation of this marketing push: get a life that doesn't involve being stuck to your phone all day. The implication is that Windows Phone 7 is designed in such a way that you can simply "glance and go" without having to embarrass yourself in public like with current "stand and stare" phones. It's a refreshing take on the world's obsession with mobile.

Microsoft is holding an annual event in New York City on October 11, where it will showcase Windows Phone 7, among other technologies. The launch date for Chile is rumored to be October 21, according to Neowin. The US and Canada, meanwhile, should start seeing devices as of November 8, according to Windows Phone Secrets.

3D TV Without Glasses In The Works

Japanese electronics maker Toshiba Corp. said Tuesday it is developing technology for a 3-D television that won't require special glasses

Company spokeswoman Yuko Sugahara confirmed such technology was in the works. But she declined to comment on a report in the Yomiuri newspaper that the Tokyo-based company plans to start selling the new TVs by the end of the year.

Mainstream 3-D TVs now on sale, such as those from rivals Panasonic Corp. and Sony Corp., require glasses. But there are already screens that don't require glasses, mainly intended for store displays. They require the viewer to stand in specific spots for the 3-D effect to emerge, and the image quality is much lower than that of screens using glasses.

Yomiuri said Mitsubishi's technology involves transmitting different images at various angles to create an illusion of dimension and depth, a principle used by current glasses-free monitors.

Electronics companies have been investing heavily in 3-D technology for televisions, betting that people will want a 3-D experience at home following the success of blockbuster movies such as "Avatar," which was screened in 3-D.

Some gadgets such as handheld game machines from Nintendo Co. can deliver 3-D images without special glasses.

"Many people don't like to wear glasses to watch TV for a long time, especially people who must wear 3-D glasses over regular glasses,"

Panasonic Lumix

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 14.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 4.6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 2.7-Inch LCD (Orange)

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 was rated a 4 out of 5 and given an Editors' Choice award for its excellent image quality, fast performance, simple operation, and spectacular 720p30 HD video capture. It's also waterproof to 33 feet, and drop-proof to 6.6 feet. Oh, and it's freeze-proof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. "With top-notch image quality and an unrivaled HD video capture experience, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 is one of the best ruggedized cameras you can buy," PCMag Camera Analyst PJ Jacobowitz said in his Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 review.