How long does it take to get an 8GB memory card to the market? If you’re Eye-Fi, and the card is the WiFi 802.11n-toting Eye-Fi Pro X2, then it’s a couple of months; the company has announced that its latest wireless-enabled memory card is shipping from today, promising faster transfer speeds and improved overall performance.
According to the Eye-Fi blog, that’s all down to their new X2 engine, which bundles together a 200 MHz ARM926 processor with an MMU, dedicated flash and radio interface engines, and encryption acceleration hardware. Combined, they’re good for improved WiFi-triangulation geotagging accuracy and “Endless Memory”, Eye-Fi’s new system whereby images and video are automatically deleted from the X2 once the card has verified that they’ve been correctly uploaded to the server.
The Eye-Fi Pro X2 will also come with Eye-Fi Center, the newest version of the company’s desktop manager app for PC and Mac. Eye-Fi Center will also be available for existing Eye-Fi owners, though so far we can’t find it to download on their site. As for the Eye-Fi Pro X2, that’s available for $149.99.
From one delayed ebook reader to another, and it’s now the turn of the Spring Design Alex to throw some grist into the rumor mill. According to our tipster the company’s Android-based dual display ereader – which has an E Ink panel up top and an LCD touchscreen underneath – will go on sale at the company’s site come Tuesday March 16th.
Spring Design had previously been promising early March 2010 availability for the Alex, though that time period came and went. In fact, at time of posting the company’s store page still reads “Thanks for your patience. We’re almost ready with our Alex store. Keep checking in and by the first week of March you’ll be able to order your Alex online.”
Before that, a February 22nd release had been suggested. We’ve got a request in with Spring Design for more information, and will update as and when we hear back from them.
As expected after this morning’s report, Plastic Logic have officially confirmed that the launch of the QUE ebook reader will be delayed until Summer 2010. In an official statement from company CEO Richard Archuleta, the decision is described as “to fine-tune the features and enhance the overall product experience.”
Plastic Logic are promising free shipping to preorder customers as an apology for the delay; the QUE was originally expected to ship in mid-April 2010. The device – which uses an E Ink display like other ebook readers, but paired with a unique plastic backplane of Plastic Logic’s own design – is being positioned as a business device, with pricing to match. The entry-level model kicks off at around $650.
Plastic Logic statement:
From: Richard Archuleta
Subject: QUE proReader Shipping Update
Thank you for being one of the first customers to order a QUE proReader from Plastic Logic. We appreciate your business.
Today, I wanted to personally inform you that we are postponing the first QUE proReader shipments until this Summer in order to fine-tune the features and enhance the overall product experience.
Within the next month we will send you an email with more details about your order. If you also ordered accessories for your QUE proReader, we plan to ship them at the same time as your QUE proReader.
I can imagine that you want to get your QUE proReader as soon as possible. We are sorry for the delay. For your inconvenience, the shipping charges will be on us.
Please note that we will not charge your credit card until your order is ready to ship.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email us at QUEhelp@PlasticLogic.com.
Once again, thank you for being one of our first QUE proReader customers.
Best regards,
It’s been a rough few weeks for the folks at Palm. First false rumors about Palm shutting down production lines, followed by less than stellar results have once again started the usual suspects putting Palm on either some death watch or have them about to be sold to (insert vendor’s name here _____). Regarding the second, I don’t believe Jon Rubenstein came out of retirement to build a world class product only to have it sold to (insert vendor’s name here _____). But with regards to the whole death watch theme, Palm reminds me a lot of TiVo these days. It’s not just the death watch meme that’s plagued TiVo for years, it’s the fact that Palm suffers from their own version of the TiVo paradox.
What’s the TiVo paradox? It’s a term I coined to explain how hard it is to market the contextual value of features. A distinct conflict existed between consumer understanding of TiVo features and their ability to value the functionality. This was the TiVo paradox. While the purpose of TiVo features was clear and consumers valued features exclusive to TiVo, they don’t learn to appreciate the entire package of features until they used them. The net result was a rabid fan base of users who loved and praised the product and other users who couldn’t understand the cost of a $500 “digital VCR”.
TiVo’s features were relevant to the TV viewing experience based on a user’s immediate contextual need; the pause and rewind live TV feature is the killer feature for a sports fan, while remote access to the electronic programming guide is key to the busy traveler’s DVR experience. Without trying these features, users are unaware of their overall value as they come together as a whole. Want to pause TV when the phone rings? That’s the killer app at that moment. Recording a show using an EPG to simply search for it? That’s the killer app at that moment. Skipping commercials when you watch recorded content? That’s the killer app at that moment. Contextual functionality ONLY comes together when you get to see the whole, not a piece or part. When you see only pieces, you just get a very expensive VCR not a TiVo.
This is exactly the issue I think Palm is having right now.
Palm’s features by themselves are not “killer applications”. In fact, they look a lot at the surface like most of the other phones that are out there. There are, however, a multitude of features related to things like Synergy that are totally contextual, that at a given moment in time BECOME the killer app for using the device. It’s something you see reflected in the base of the webOS user. Those who use webOS are totally fans of the experience and don’t discuss issues such as a lack of applications. They focus on the contextual experience that delivers on the notion of mobile social context.
The problem for Palm (as TiVo learned) is this is a nasty marketing problem since there’s no good way to get the message across in 30 seconds. It’s important for Palm to start focusing it’s marketing on getting the message of mobile social context out there; at the same time Palm needs a better way to leverage the fan base that make up webOS users, since those are the folks who have made the leap of faith and for whom the light bulb has already lit up. I don’t think Palm is anywhere close to being down and out but they need to re-think how to tell a great story of engineering and technical achievement and break the Palm Paradox.
If we’re being honest, we far prefer clever renders of what designers think the next-gen iPhone should look like rather than so-called “leaked” shots that smell unduly fake. Italian design firm ADR Studio have thrown their oar in with this, the iPhone Pro, coupling iPad styling with some Transformer-like slide out panels offering gaming controls.
Video demo after the cut
It’s not the first time we’ve seen designers attempt to cater to gamers with their iPhone concepts. Given Apple’s attempts in recent months to position the smartphone – and its iPod touch cousin – as a legitimate gaming handheld we wouldn’t be surprised if the company themselves were looking at how to make the control experience better, though we don’t imagine they’d quite take the step to giving the next-gen phone wings.
Elsewhere in the iPhone Pro concept there’s a MagSafe connector for easier charging, a bigger display and a front-facing camera for video calls. The power button slips from the top to the back and gains some MacBook Pro style too. We doubt this is what Apple really have lurking in the wings for release later this year, but it’s good enough to tide us over for a while at least.
How long does it take to get an 8GB memory card to the market? If you’re Eye-Fi, and the card is the WiFi 802.11n-toting 
