I'm sure all the fandroids and geeks alike just jizzed their pants seeing it and the Honeycomb preview video. Regular Joe and Jane consumers just got more confused on how to work it.
I wonder what those who thought an iPad with a rear-facing camera was stupid think of the rear-facing camera on the Xoom.
If they’re devotedly anti-Apple, they love it! Unless Apple comes out with a rear-facing camera before Motorola’s (very likely) in which case they’ll hate it Until the Motorola comes out, and then they’ll like it again....
Quote:
Originally Posted by NasserAE
Pull the barometric pressure form the web based on current location then measure device altitude. You need barometric pressure to measure altitude.
Actually, GPS satellites deliver 3-axis 3D positioning: altitude included. So measuring air pressure isn’t the only option. (Has anyone seen an iOS or Android app make use of GPS-derived altitude? Does Location Services support that axis? I mean real altitude—not just assuming you’re on the local surface, which many apps do because that is usually sufficient.)
Having a barometer is neat in a “why not?” bullet-list kind of way. Certainly not a bad thing.
During the event, Motorola executives revealed that "the device is not completely done," but a 3G version will be released in the first quarter of this year.
So both the hardware and software are still in the prototype stage, and we're supposed to take on faith that this puppy is going to be sold before April?
Recall last year at this time when Apple actually gave reviewers hands on access to iPads (not that those reviewers had the wit to comprehend the iPad's game-changing nature....).
Who do they think they're kidding with this transparent attempt to slow down the sales of iPads by promising the imminent release of their product? Hopefully nobody who reads AppleInsider!
Actually, GPS satellites deliver 3-axis 3D positioning: altitude included. So measuring air pressure isn’t the only option. (Has anyone seen an iOS or Android app make use of GPS-derived altitude? Does Location Services support that axis? I mean real altitude—not just assuming you’re on the local surface, which many apps do because that is usually sufficient.)
Having a barometer is neat in a “why not?” bullet-list kind of way. Certainly not a bad thing.
Depends how good your GPS signal is and how many satellites you device is seeing. Therefore you may need a clear view of the sky to get accurate altitude from GPS. Barometers are much more accurate and like I said the pressure can be pulled online making the altitude measurement much faster and accurate indoor and outdoor.
during a press event wednesday at the consumer electronics show, the newly spun off motorola mobility officially unveiled a challenger to the ipad in the form of its xoom tablet, which will be the first to run google android 3.0 honeycomb, and showed off new competition for the iphone in the form of the atrix 4g android-based smartphone.
Motorola also revealed the cliq 2 for t-mobile, which will go on sale on jan. 19, and the droid bionic for verizon, which will be available early in the second quarter.
Actually, GPS satellites deliver 3-axis 3D positioning: altitude included. So measuring air pressure isn?t the only option.
Bingo! Changes in air pressure at a constant altitude are used to predict the weather (together with changes in humidity and temperature). So you could have a local weather app that does not rely on information from the network!
Bingo! Changes in air pressure at a constant altitude are used to predict the weather (together with changes in humidity and temperature). So you could have a local weather app that does not rely on information from the network!
Then I think Motorola should throw in a rain gauge, thermometer and anemometer.
I look forward to Xoom owners mocking iPad fan boys for their inability to chart local meteorological conditions. It could be the new multitasking.
Bingo! Changes in air pressure at a constant altitude are used to predict the weather (together with changes in humidity and temperature). So you could have a local weather app that does not rely on information from the network!
except of course the NWS website forecast and apps that use it have about 100x more useful information about your upcoming weather. and GPS can always tell you your altitude as well (it's all been mapped).
the barometer is total fluff. really, a joke. for total suckers. embarrassing ...
A weather app so the idiots using it will know when it's raining so they can go inside. Oh sorry, they don't have apps.
Or you could pool the information about the pressure from tens of thousands of devices and use it in a centralized computer for a new way to tell the weather?
Sorry, I digress... Much too often I forget that we're not here to exchange ideas, but to bash Apple's competitors and their sorry customers. So, yeah, they're all idiots, and everything about this tablet sucks, it's DOA and vaporware and iPad 2 will wipe the floor with it. Also, 334.00 FTW.
I'm trying to make sense of what I saw in the video.
The first thing appears to be home screen switching and a way to add widgets to the home screen. That's the flashiest thing in the video. Looks completely over the top for what they're trying to achieve but it's nice. Since Android fans love widgets more than anything in the world, I guess it makes sense to start by showing your widget-selection interface.
Then the browser, which looks the same as previous versions.
Then they have a carousel for selecting books. A carousel. That makes no sense at all.
Then an ebook reader with the worst page turning animation I've ever seen.
Tablet-optimized mail, which looks good, with a similar layout to mail on the iPad.
Another carousel for choosing YouTube videos.
Google Talk video chat. Maps looks good.
Other innovations appear to be: They have the back, forward and home buttons on screen. I guess no hardware buttons on these tablets? It also has the time down there. It's a large bar, using a lot of screen real estate to tell you the time, especially for a widescreen device in landscape mode. Very odd. Aesthetically they've taken some cues from Windows Phone 7.
It doesn't look like a bad attempt. It doesn't appear to offer anything the iPad doesn't offer (except widgets) and suffers from the usual poorly thought-out use of animation that competitors come up with when they try to match Apple's designs.
Once again, Apple creates a market, then gets destroyed in that market. Maybe I'm jumping the gun, but it's only a matter of time before iOS lite...er, I mean, Android does to tablets exactly what it's done to smartphones. And with that new Motorola phone they just showed off, I'm thinking Apple am doomed.
Or you could pool the information about the pressure from tens of thousands of devices and use it in a centralized computer for a new way to tell the weather?
Sorry, I digress... Much too often I forget that we're not here to exchange ideas, but to bash Apple's competitors and their sorry customers. So, yeah, they're all idiots, and everything about this tablet sucks, it's DOA and vaporware and iPad 2 will wipe the floor with it. Also, 334.00 FTW.
kthxbye.
I have to agree with you... I, myself own a lot of apple products and, love my iPad. But this thread is just bashing for no reason.
If this type of hardware had Apple backing and software integration it would be unbelievable! Literally! It's a great piece of hardware, but I would like to see how it's implemented.
This does however respond to the people who always ask for "competition" on this site. In hardware only, but let's please hope it raises the bar at Apple.
Once again, Apple creates a market, then gets destroyed in that market. Maybe I'm jumping the gun, but it's only a matter of time before iOS lite...er, I mean, Android does to tablets exactly what it's done to smartphones. And with that new Motorola phone they just showed off, I'm thinking Apple am doomed.
You mean that market Apple takes ⅓ of all handset profits? Yeah, they?re really being destroyed.
Comments
I think the addition of a barometer is interesting. What types of interesting apps can exploit that?
Pull the barometric pressure form the web based on current location then measure device altitude. You need barometric pressure to measure altitude.
I wonder what those who thought an iPad with a rear-facing camera was stupid think of the rear-facing camera on the Xoom.
If they’re devotedly anti-Apple, they love it! Unless Apple comes out with a rear-facing camera before Motorola’s (very likely) in which case they’ll hate it
Pull the barometric pressure form the web based on current location then measure device altitude. You need barometric pressure to measure altitude.
Actually, GPS satellites deliver 3-axis 3D positioning: altitude included. So measuring air pressure isn’t the only option. (Has anyone seen an iOS or Android app make use of GPS-derived altitude? Does Location Services support that axis? I mean real altitude—not just assuming you’re on the local surface, which many apps do because that is usually sufficient.)
Having a barometer is neat in a “why not?” bullet-list kind of way. Certainly not a bad thing.
During the event, Motorola executives revealed that "the device is not completely done," but a 3G version will be released in the first quarter of this year.
So both the hardware and software are still in the prototype stage, and we're supposed to take on faith that this puppy is going to be sold before April?
Recall last year at this time when Apple actually gave reviewers hands on access to iPads (not that those reviewers had the wit to comprehend the iPad's game-changing nature....).
Who do they think they're kidding with this transparent attempt to slow down the sales of iPads by promising the imminent release of their product? Hopefully nobody who reads AppleInsider!
Actually, GPS satellites deliver 3-axis 3D positioning: altitude included. So measuring air pressure isn’t the only option. (Has anyone seen an iOS or Android app make use of GPS-derived altitude? Does Location Services support that axis? I mean real altitude—not just assuming you’re on the local surface, which many apps do because that is usually sufficient.)
Having a barometer is neat in a “why not?” bullet-list kind of way. Certainly not a bad thing.
Depends how good your GPS signal is and how many satellites you device is seeing. Therefore you may need a clear view of the sky to get accurate altitude from GPS. Barometers are much more accurate and like I said the pressure can be pulled online making the altitude measurement much faster and accurate indoor and outdoor.
I think the addition of a barometer is interesting. What types of interesting apps can exploit that?
Well it could link to a GPS App and be used for seeing how high up a mountain you are.
***Warning if it starts rising really fast, you just stepped off a cliff.
I wonder if Mazda will use these Xoom, Xoom, Xoom, and all that.
during a press event wednesday at the consumer electronics show, the newly spun off motorola mobility officially unveiled a challenger to the ipad in the form of its xoom tablet, which will be the first to run google android 3.0 honeycomb, and showed off new competition for the iphone in the form of the atrix 4g android-based smartphone.
Motorola also revealed the cliq 2 for t-mobile, which will go on sale on jan. 19, and the droid bionic for verizon, which will be available early in the second quarter.
[ view this article at appleinsider.com ]
vaporware.
...
Actually, GPS satellites deliver 3-axis 3D positioning: altitude included. So measuring air pressure isn?t the only option.
Bingo! Changes in air pressure at a constant altitude are used to predict the weather (together with changes in humidity and temperature). So you could have a local weather app that does not rely on information from the network!
I think the addition of a barometer is interesting. What types of interesting apps can exploit that?
A weather app so the idiots using it will know when it's raining so they can go inside. Oh sorry, they don't have apps.
Bingo! Changes in air pressure at a constant altitude are used to predict the weather (together with changes in humidity and temperature). So you could have a local weather app that does not rely on information from the network!
Then I think Motorola should throw in a rain gauge, thermometer and anemometer.
I look forward to Xoom owners mocking iPad fan boys for their inability to chart local meteorological conditions. It could be the new multitasking.
Bingo! Changes in air pressure at a constant altitude are used to predict the weather (together with changes in humidity and temperature). So you could have a local weather app that does not rely on information from the network!
except of course the NWS website forecast and apps that use it have about 100x more useful information about your upcoming weather. and GPS can always tell you your altitude as well (it's all been mapped).
the barometer is total fluff. really, a joke. for total suckers. embarrassing ...
The Google video meant nothing to me.
Funky music and lots of images, but how does is make my life better?
A weather app so the idiots using it will know when it's raining so they can go inside. Oh sorry, they don't have apps.
Or you could pool the information about the pressure from tens of thousands of devices and use it in a centralized computer for a new way to tell the weather?
Sorry, I digress... Much too often I forget that we're not here to exchange ideas, but to bash Apple's competitors and their sorry customers. So, yeah, they're all idiots, and everything about this tablet sucks, it's DOA and vaporware and iPad 2 will wipe the floor with it. Also, 334.00 FTW.
kthxbye.
Good work. Just call it the Courier and be done with it.
The first thing appears to be home screen switching and a way to add widgets to the home screen. That's the flashiest thing in the video. Looks completely over the top for what they're trying to achieve but it's nice. Since Android fans love widgets more than anything in the world, I guess it makes sense to start by showing your widget-selection interface.
Then the browser, which looks the same as previous versions.
Then they have a carousel for selecting books. A carousel. That makes no sense at all.
Then an ebook reader with the worst page turning animation I've ever seen.
Tablet-optimized mail, which looks good, with a similar layout to mail on the iPad.
Another carousel for choosing YouTube videos.
Google Talk video chat. Maps looks good.
Other innovations appear to be: They have the back, forward and home buttons on screen. I guess no hardware buttons on these tablets? It also has the time down there. It's a large bar, using a lot of screen real estate to tell you the time, especially for a widescreen device in landscape mode. Very odd. Aesthetically they've taken some cues from Windows Phone 7.
It doesn't look like a bad attempt. It doesn't appear to offer anything the iPad doesn't offer (except widgets) and suffers from the usual poorly thought-out use of animation that competitors come up with when they try to match Apple's designs.
Or you could pool the information about the pressure from tens of thousands of devices and use it in a centralized computer for a new way to tell the weather?
Sorry, I digress... Much too often I forget that we're not here to exchange ideas, but to bash Apple's competitors and their sorry customers. So, yeah, they're all idiots, and everything about this tablet sucks, it's DOA and vaporware and iPad 2 will wipe the floor with it. Also, 334.00 FTW.
kthxbye.
I have to agree with you... I, myself own a lot of apple products and, love my iPad. But this thread is just bashing for no reason.
If this type of hardware had Apple backing and software integration it would be unbelievable! Literally! It's a great piece of hardware, but I would like to see how it's implemented.
This does however respond to the people who always ask for "competition" on this site. In hardware only, but let's please hope it raises the bar at Apple.
Once again, Apple creates a market, then gets destroyed in that market. Maybe I'm jumping the gun, but it's only a matter of time before iOS lite...er, I mean, Android does to tablets exactly what it's done to smartphones. And with that new Motorola phone they just showed off, I'm thinking Apple am doomed.
You mean that market Apple takes ⅓ of all handset profits? Yeah, they?re really being destroyed.