Liliputing have compiled a round-up of tablets expected to be released in 2010. It seems that Apple’s iPad will be closely followed by many other similar models. Is the competition catching up?

2010 is shaping up to be the year of the tablet. And by tablets, I generally mean 5 to 10 inch computers with touchscreen displays and no keyboard. Some run Windows. Others run Google’s Android operating system or custom Linux distributions. And the elephant in the room is the upcoming iPad which will run a version of the iPhone operating system.

But I don’t mean to imply that 2010 will be the year of the tablets the way 2009 was the year of the netbook. Because that would imply that this is going to be a hugely popular product category and that sales will be through the roof. We don’t know if that’s going to happen yet. The truth is, there aren’t very many tablets available for purchase at the moment. Many won’t be out until mid-year. And it’s not at all certain what people are looking for in a tablet — or if they’re even looking for devices in between a smartphone and netbook/notebook at all.

What I do mean is that dozens, if not hundreds of companies are busy pumping to new products to compete in this space. There’s a huge variety of tablet-style products making the rounds at trade shows and other events. It’s not clear how many will see the light of day, but here’s a roundup of a few new tablet-style devices I’ve spotted in the last few days:

Huawei SmaKit S7 Android tablet

This 7 inch touchscreen device showed up at Mobile World Congress recently, where Charbax from Armdevices.net got a chance to check it out. You can watch his video overview after the break, but the hardware looks pretty decent, and the Android operating system has been skinned and customized to give you access to several different home screens for entertainment,web, communications, and so forth.

The tablet can handle 720p HD video playback on its 800 x 480 pixel display or on an external display with an HDMI output. It has integrated 3G capabilities allowing it to function as a phone, and you can use a Bluetooth headset with it. You should also be able to access the Android Market to download and install pretty much any Android app. It’s currently running Android 1.6, but a version with Android 2.1 should be available later.

There’s also a docking station for connecting external devices through USB and audio/video ports.The SmaKit S7 should be available toward the middle of the year… somewhere.

Video after the break, as well as details on two other new tablets.

Digitalris X9 Windows tablet

This 9 inch tablet also features WiFi and 3G capabilities. It also adds GPS and Windows 7 to the mix. It features a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270, 2GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive and has a multitouch display.

ChinaGrabber is selling the X9 selling for $789.99, although I suspect it might actually be a bit cheaper if you’re in China and can pick it up without exporting it overseas first. The site also provided a short hands-on video showing the tablet

Here’s a little hands-on-video, courtesy of ChinaGrabber.

via SlashGear

Mastone Prowave Android Tablet

The folks at Slashgear spotted this Android-powered tablet from Mastone at Mobile World Congress last week. It’s powered by a Freescale iMX515 processor and features 3G and WiFi wireless networking.

Like Huawei, Mastone has customized the Android user interface by adding a few widgets and applications. There’s no word on pricing or availability for this model.

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UsingWindowsHomeServer have reviewed our DashView car mount for iPhone. Here is what they had to say:

Main Features:

• Low profile docking mount to hold your iPhone securely in place. Will even hold your phone whilst in a low profile case.

• Easily adjustable strong yet flexible arm provides clear viewing from any position.

• High-grip suction pad with strong locking lever – easily and quickly attaches to your windshield or other nonporous surface.

• Swivelling ball and socket joint to quickly adjust the viewing angle from landscape to portrait.

• Simply access the home button to activate voice control on iPhone 3GS.

• Includes 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable for connection to your car’s audio system.

• 2 year manufacturers warranty.

WHATS IN THE BOX?

The box contains the mount, the iPhone holder and an audio cable.

USING THE DASHVIEW

Using the dashview was very simple. First you clip the holder onto the mount, then you stick the mount to your windscreen, then you put your iPhone into the mount and you position it. Simple!

And yes, the eagle eyed amongst you will notice the picture I took above is actually the dashview attached to my window rather than my windscreen – it made for a better picture

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’ve been looking around for a windscreen mount for my iPhone for a while now and the only ones I kept finding were ones that also has tuners in, or chargers, or any host of other additions, when all I wanted was a cheap and easy mounting solution.

This certainly does the job, and does it well!

Those of you with the iPhone 3GS and the TomTom navigation software may find this a much cheaper solution that the recently announced £99 TomTom windscreen mount.

The new Cygnett Dashview is available now at £14.99 including VAT and is available from www.orange.co.uk.

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1. Computer experts review the GrooveRazor earphones
2. Review of the ‘Maestro’ on ComputerTakeaway
3. Our ‘GrooveDuo’ kit reviewed on ComputerTakeaway

UK magazine PC Advisor has reviewed our i-TS tower speaker:

(click to enlarge)

Elevate your iPhone or iPod music to a new level of listening with the Unison i-TS. A statement of powerful and precise performance, this freestanding vertical speaker system ensures crisp and authentic playback of every song on your iPhone or iPod playlist.

• 2.1 stereo channel output
• Built-in clock display
• Alarm clock function – wake to your own tunes
• Built in AM & FM radio with automatic radio tuning
• LED backlit display (choice of white or blue light)
• Plays & charges your iPhone or iPod
• Remote control included
• Composite/S-video output for iPhone & most iPods
• 12 month manufacturer's warranty

And in Australian magazine Zoo Weekly:

Find out more about the i-TS tower speaker system at our website

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Tech Savvy Mama has featured a couple of Cygnett products in her Valentine's Day Gift Guide.

The site is designed to "help the parents of the world navigate an overwhelming world of technology and provide the best that exists for their children".

Although Valentine's Day was last weekend, the products featured are great gifts all year round – for a loved one, or for yourself!

Here is what she had to say about our BassBall rechargeable mini speakers:

Thanks Leticia!

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ComputerTakeway.com is an independent review site for all things technology. They recently had a look at our GrooveDuo kit. Here's what they had to say:

If you have read the review we gave the Cygnett GrooveRazor earphones, you will know we were very impressed with the quality of sound reproduction for the price and Cygnett have coupled these with a handy iPod mains charger and iPod USB cable as the GrooveDuo kit (currently exclusive to Tesco).

The GrooveRazors differ from many other forms of in-ear headphones in that they are designed to be worn supported by their wire which are looped over the top of the ear and then the earphones is positioned and held in the ear canal.  This setup provides a very secure and comfortable system that remains firmly in place even during heavy exercise (jogging and also gym use).  The cable tie also helps to secure the headphones securely in place and reduce vibration whilst moving.  The audio reproduction is impressive given the price, with clear mid and high ranges and delivering a punchy bass note.  The silicon buds also provide excellent noise isolation (three pairs are supplied).

The included charger is solidly made and comes with a USB iPod charging/connection cable and a red LED indicates power use.  Using this mains charger any iPod can be charged using the supplied cable, but that is not to say that other devices such as phones and other MP3 players can't be charged using this mains charger; far from it, any device that can be charged through USB can be charged in the same way.

 If the original set of GrooveRazors is anything to go by this kit should last a while, one of the team has been using the GrooveRazors for quite some time now for their regular gym trips, and they still haven't managed to break them!

The GrooveDuo is a great accessory which, although aimed primarily at the Apple iPod range, would make a great accessory set for any MP3 player or mobile phone that can be charged from USB and which has a standard 3.5mm jack for headphones.  At only £29.99 (at the time of writing) you could pay a lot more for a lot less!

 

Check out the GrooveDuo kit and other great products by clicking the image below

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Following on from yesterday's post which had random examples of great iPhone photography, we thought we'd have a quick look at the best apps you can download to help you take and edit photos on your iPhone.

Some of these are for serious editing, and some are more for fun. We haven't used them all so if you want to let us know what has worked best for you, or maybe an app we have missed, please add your comments at the bottom.

Oldbooth

This clever little application can change boring profile photographs into comic portraits, or even give them an authentic old world feel. All you need to do is take a new photograph or select a photo from your iPhone photo library and then select a mask from Oldbooth. There are stacks of male and female bodies to choose from and you can resize, rotate and even adjust the brightness of your photo to match. Once done, just fit your profile photo into the mask and you have a brand new, old world photograph of yourself. You can download Oldbooth from the Apple App Store for US$1.99.

Polarize

Want to add a funky retro look to your photos? Polarize will do the job for you!

iSwap Faces

CameraBag

Get creative with this great editing tool. CameraBag enables you to apply 8 different filter effects to your photos, based on camera type. For instance you can apply a fish eye filter, or select '1962' to turn your color photograph into a black and white image. Other filters enable you to give your images washed out highlights, or unique coloring. You can even crop the images using the 'Helga' filter. CameraBag is available to download in the Apple App Store for US$2.99.

Pano

Amaze your friends with some fantastic panoramic pictures you took with your iPhone. Of course you do need to buy the 3rd party application Pano create the panoramas, but at US$2.99 it is well worth it. All you need to do is select, or take a few consecutive photographs and Pano will stitch them together seamlessly. The application comes with a handy guide to help you line up the shots and make the resulting photograph look professional. You can download Pano from the Apple App Store for US$2.99.

Night Camera

Photographs taken at night from your phone tend to come out blurry due to the longer exposure time needed under poor lighting conditions. Night Camera helps to sharpen photographs taken on your iPhone at night. When you depress the shutter, Night Camera takes accelerometer readings for 3 seconds and when it determines that your hands are steady enough, it will take the photograph. At only US$0.99, Night Camera is an essential iPhone application for any photographer.

(thanks to Brainz and HongKiat for some of these leads)

And TopTenReviews have listed their top ten iPhone photography apps.

What do you think? Are you ready to be the next Annie Leibovitz or Helmut Newton?

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Most would think that the iPhone's two megapixel or three megapixel camera would limit the quality of photographs taken. However, there are people out there taking amazing photos.

Check out some of the ones that caught our eye:

(Pierre Bedat)

(Jonas Peterson)

(bananajode)

(BadrNaseem)

(caleb)

(Sean McCoy)

(caleb)

And visit the iPhone Photography Awards page to see the winning photos from their 2008 and 2009 competitions.

2009 winner:

(Marianne Hong)

2008 winner:

(Michael Hopkins)

Have you had success with your iPhone's camera?

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Tech Savvy Mama has featured a couple of Cygnett products in her Valentine's Day Gift Guide.

The site is designed to "help the parents of the world navigate an overwhelming world of technology and provide the best that exists for their children".

Although Valentine's Day was last weekend, the products featured are great gifts all year round – for a loved one, or for yourself!

Here is what she had to say about our JellyBean iPhone cases:

Thanks Leticia!

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From everybody at Cygnett, we hope you have a magical

and romantic Valentine's Day today. Treat your loved

ones extra special and be treated specially in return,

and fill the world with love and affection.

On Valentine's Day
The valentine card said to the stamp
Stick with me and we'll go places!
While the farmer gave his wife
Hogs and kisses!
And the caveman gave his wife
Ughs and kisses!

On Valentine's Day
The chocolate syrup said to the ice cream
"I'm sweet on you!"
While the pencil said to the paper
"I dot my i's on you!"
And the light bulb asked his girlfriend
Do I mean a whole watt to you?"

On Valentine's Day
The bat said to his girlfriend
"You're fun to hang around with."
And the paper clip said to the magnet?
"I find you very attractive."

On Valentine's Day
The nearsighted porcupine
Fell in love with a pin cushion!
And the elephant said to his girlfriend
"I love you a ton!"

On Valentine's Day
One pickle said to the other
"Your love means a great dill"
Even skunks celebrate Valentine's Day
Because they're very scent-imental!

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i-TS Tower Speaker

Elevate your iPhone or iPod music to a whole new level of listening with the Unison i-TS. A strong statement of powerful and precise performance, this freestanding vertical speaker system allows simple docking of your iPhone or iPod for powerful and authentic sound for every song on your personal music playlist. Designed to provide a complete acoustic experience, the Unison i-TS has a vertical construction that provides the best possible tonal balance found in music. With two midrange speakers, dual dome tweeters and a five-inch subwoofer, the detail and depth of sound will fulfil your every expectation.

Harnessing the expertise of audio professionals, this freestanding speaker system retains a striking presence. Conventional speakers normally use large volume cabinets to achieve a satisfying bass level. Unison does the same inside the slender confines of the i-TS by using heavy components house in a solid membrane. The Unison i-TS ensures precision performance with minimum distortion, with an assurance that you are getting an honest and pure reproduction of your music. Without taking up valuable space on shelves or benches, instead fill your room with full-spectrum sound. Hear every piano key, every whispered lyric, every individual bass beat.          

The Burton Mail in the UK also took a look at the i-TS:

(click to enlarge)

(The Burton Mail – March 2010 edition)

Check out the i-TS at our homepage

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