Here is one drawback about this dongle is that some flatscreen TVs will not carry USP ports, but usually this means these flatscreen TVs are old school.  Still, the whole selling point of this dongle is to allow users to stream movies and video games through Android OS on many old school flatscreen TVs that are capable of projecting contents at 1080p.  Nonetheless, I think this drawback can be fixed quickly if you are willing to spend around $20 bucks or a little more or less, depending on how skillfully you are with shopping around for bargains on USB chargers and extenders.  Quick look on Amazon and I see that there is a Belkin Mini Surge Protector Dual USB Charger goes for $12.  Adding USB extender cable for some bucks, and then I guess you can really extend the USB cable of this dongle to plug to a wall outlet for powering the dongle this way.

The specifications for Alaways Innovating HDMI dongle are ARM Cortex-A9, 256 MB up to 1 GB of RAM, built-in Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, NFC module, and an accelerometer.  If you watch the videos right after the break, you will see that this USB dongle can stream movies from Netflix, Hulu, and so on.  Since Android is a complete operating system for mobile, expect that you can surf the Internet on your old school flatscreen TV with this USB dongle.

Engadget suggests this Always Innovating HDMI dongle goes for $79.  Expect this little gem to make an appearance at CES 2012.  CES 2012 will go live in couple days more.  In my opinion, this USB HDMI dongle from Always Innovating is one awesome product.  This gem might lead the way for the future where everyone just needs to carry their own personal dongle so they can bring their TV everywhere.  Oh, let not forget this little gem right now can already allow you to play video games anywhere.  Well sort of, as long that anywhere means that somewhere has a stationary flatscreen TVs or computer monitors that would accept HDMI connection.

I can see a future where people would not need XBOX 360 console (Live) or even PS3 console (Playstation Network) to enjoy video games and movies.  In fact, I think mightier dongles with more capabilities might even allow users to be able to install different operating systems onto them;  users might use such dongles as mini-computers, set top boxes, and video game consoles — all on the go.  Talking about mobility for electronic/digital forms of entertainment on another whole level right?  Of course, no such thing as a mightier dongle exists yet, but at least now we have the so called Always Innovating HDMI dongle.

Will you buy Always Innovating HDMI dongle when it comes out?  I think I might want one, but as Engadget suggests, they don’t really know when this dongle will be available for customers to buy.  Let hope Always Innovating releases their HDMI dongle to the market very soon.  For your entertainment, check out the videos of Always Innovating HDMI dongle right after the break.

Source:  http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/07/always-innovating-hdmi-dongle-android-tv-video/

Related articles

• Roku’s Streaming Stick shrinks the Roku box into a dongle (reviews.cnet.com)
• Always Innovating HDMI Dongle puts Android on your TV (slashgear.com)
• Roku Streaming Stick smartens up your TV (pocket-lint.com)
• Roku unveils Streaming Stick, squeezes box into MHL dongle (engadget.com)
• Roku shrinks its set-top box with the Roku Streaming Stick dongle (zdnet.com)
• Boxee Box Gains Live TV Tuner Via USB Dongle (digitalhomethoughts.com)
• Always Innovating HDMI dongle brings Android to your ‘dumb TV’ (video) (engadget.com)
• You Won’t Believe How Much This USB Cable Costs (gizmodo.com.au)

Image via Wikipedia

HP announced that they will release webOS to the open source software community.  Why HP is so generous?  As how one CNBC commentator put, HP has lost somewhere around 3 billion dollars in trying to unwind the webOS platform (I would love to give him the credit, but I don’t know his name).  Anyhow, even though we might not know of webOS as intimately as how we are with iOS and Android, we might have to agree that webOS is pretty formidable mobile operating system for smartphones and tablets.  Unfortunately, HP isn’t doing so well in marketing webOS to hardware manufacturers right after they had bought Palm (the creator of webOS), and so there aren’t many mobile devices are using webOS.  HP knows that it’s losing money by just holding on to webOS.  If HP ditches webOS entirely, it might arouse angers from few users who are already the reluctant owners of few webOS devices.  Furthermore, ditching webOS entirely equates to accepting complete loss.  I think HP wants to dish out one last effort in salvaging whatever could be saved of webOS by releasing it to open source community.

I think if there are enough developers who take advantages of open source webOS, webOS might stay relevant enough and entice HP to jump back into the wagon of making devices for webOS and reap real profits.  The fear is that webOS might not generate enough tractions to build enough velocity onward, and webOS might just be another open source software.  Keep in mind though, webOS is designed and built with big ambition in mind and backed by huge amount of resources which are now dwindling down to open source; webOS isn’t something cheesy and it has huge potential going forward as long there are enough ongoing contributions in improving webOS as from this point onward.  It’s hard not to be excited if you’re a mobile developer, because there probably aren’t that many open source projects in the mobile category have the same caliber as webOS.  I predict (as bold and crazy as usual) that webOS will garner plenty of contributions in free codes and adoptions.  Perhaps, webOS can be reborn as something that even Android, Apple, and Windows Phone OS have come to fear.  They fear of giving up whatever size of the pie to webOS?

Source:  http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2011/12/hps-decision-
means-webos-could-end-up-more-open-than-android.ars?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=
Feed%3A+arstechnica%2Findex+%28Ars+Technica+
-+Featured+Content%29

Related articles

• HP: webOS to live on through open source, hardware lineup still dead (for now) (engadget.com)
• HP open sources webOS, but don’t expect any new hardware (venturebeat.com)
• HP will open source webOS (intomobile.com)
• WebOS lives on as an open-source project, HP declares (news.cnet.com)
• Sorry, WebOS is doomed to fail (news.cnet.com)
• HP to offer webOS as open-source software (sfgate.com)
• HP To Keep webOS Alive By Making It Open Source (techcrunch.com)
• HP issues a “stay” for WebOS (tabletscooptoday.wordpress.com)
• HP throws WebOS to open source community (go.theregister.com)
• HP’s punt on WebOS (tech.fortune.cnn.com)
• HP’s Whitman: We’ll Make WebOS-Powered Tablets In 2013 (techcrunch.com)
• In An Internal HP Email, Meg Whitman Assures webOS’ Best Days Are Still Ahead – TechCrunch (techcrunch.com)
• Hewlett-Packard Gets Zilch for WebOS (blogs.wsj.com)
• WebOS lives! HP decides to open source the platform (gigaom.com)
• HP expected to reveal webOS’ fate today: What’s on the cards? (zdnet.com)
• HP to offer webOS as open-source software (seattlepi.com)
• Could the Fate of HP’s WebOS Be Revealed Today? [VIDEO] (mashable.com)
• HP will decide the future of webOS today. Place your bets now. (thenextweb.com)
• HP’s final decision on webOS should come Friday (electronista.com)
• HP: WebOS is Now an Open Source Project (mashable.com)

Image via Wikipedia

I can’t help myself for feeling giddy.  Republic Wireless has the best wireless deal in town?  I’ve never heard of Republic Wireless till today, because I’ve never read or heard anybody talks about them before.  I would have care less about Republic Wireless if they haven’t announced that they’re offering unlimited wireless plan for $19 per month.  Wait, what are the catches?

It seems that Republic Wireless relies on the probability of not everyone will hog the wireless network, therefore it would be OK for them to allow a Hybrid Calling technology where smartphones will hog WiFi network whenever WiFi is available.  This is one of the catches of Republic Wireless’s $19/month unlimited wireless plan.  This catch goes on dictating how users cannot abuse the wireless network.  Repeated abusers will be booted out of the wireless network or the service altogether.

So, how much bandwidth can one use on Republic Wireless’s wireless network?  Republic Wireless at now allows 400 minutes of talk, 600 MB of data, and 200 texts for each month.  In my opinion, WiFi does make a big different!  To tell the truth, 400 minutes of talk, 600 MB of data, and 200 texts for each month on wireless network seems to be very stingy.  It’s more of like for emergency usage.  With that being said, I don’t mind to piggyback ride my WiFi network for calling someone or surfing the web or send text messages at all.

Republic Wireless hints that they might roll out an application that will allow different types of smartphones to use their Hybrid Calling technology.  For now, it’s only possible for certain specific modified Android smartphones to tap into their Hybrid Calling technology.  It’s unclear to me what Android smartphones would that be!

Source:  http://www.pcworld.com/article/243389/republic_wireless_rolls_out_19_
unlimited_voice_data_text_service.html#tk.rss_news

Related articles

• Yup, That Unbelievable $19 Unlimited Data/Voice/Text Plan Is Mostly Real and You Should Sign Up [Dealzmodo] (gizmodo.com)
• Republic Wireless: $19 per Month for Voice, Text and Data (techland.time.com)
• Republic Wireless Offers Unlimited Calls, Text, and Data for a Rock-Bottom $19 a Month [Cellphone Service] (lifehacker.com)
• Republic Wireless Offering Unlimited Everything for $19/Month (phonescoop.com)
• Republic Wireless Launches Its First Phone And The $19/Month Wireless “Hybrid Calling” Plan – Here’s Everything You Need To Know (androidpolice.com)
• Republic Wireless now taking subscribers for $19 unlimited wireless service (slashgear.com)
• Disruptive $19/Month Carrier Republic Wireless To Sell Handsets For $99 Until November 27 (techcrunch.com)
• Republic Wireless goes live, brings unlimited data, text and calls to LG Optimus users (engadget.com)
• Republic Wireless relies on Wi-Fi for dirt cheap $19 mobile service (venturebeat.com)
• Republic Wireless goes live with $19 month all-in plans (electronista.com)
• Republic Wireless launches $19 unlimited everything plan, but you have to follow some rules (intomobile.com)
• Republic Wireless Rolls Out $19 Unlimited Voice, Data, Text Service (pcworld.com)

As of now, Samsung isn’t yet announcing the price for Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7.  If Samsung prices this tablet too high, then it will not be able to compete against iPad 2.  People don’t mind about having less features and capabilities on their tablets as long the price is right.  To clarify though, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 does have more capabilities and features than iPad 2 in a way that it touts Super AMOLED Plus screen, smaller in size if you like a smaller tablet, and so on.  Too bad it does not have quad core processor yet since the future tablets should have quad core processors for smoother gaming.

HP TouchPad is the testament to the price is right.  After HP announced that it will get out of hardware business, it slashed the price for HP TouchPad to roughly around $99 at some stores, and every last one of HP TouchPad was sold out.  HP even announced lately that it will make more of HP TouchPad even though it had announced to not invest in hardware business any further.

I can see Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 to overtake iPad 2 if the price is right.  Anyhow, check out the videos of Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 right after the break.

As you can see in the video, dual core could not perform the same way as quad core in controlling the smoothness and the lifelike behaviors of lights.  Also, the way the ball rolled and the drapes reacted to the ball were simulated so real as if these objects were of real environment.  GigaOM suggests that Android tablets will reap the benefits of quad core chip, and so iPad 2 of today may become obsolete in couple more months in term of hardware spec.  How you like quad core chip in a tablet now?

Source:  http://gigaom.com/mobile/nvidia-tegra-3-kal-el-quad-core-demo-video/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OmMalik+%28GigaOM%3A+Tech%29