Apple rumor twofer: Expose-like multitasking in iPhone OS 4.0, international iPad launch on April 24th

We’re not quite at the height of Apple frenzy, but looking at the bell curve, we’re only a standard deviation or two from its zenith (we imagine the fever pitch will be in tandem with Saturday’s iPad launch, if history and human nature tells us anything). Of course, that doesn’t stop the rumor mill from amping up production, and so on with the show! First on the docket, remember last month’s discovery of multitasking comments in the iPhone SDK 3.2 beta? Well, Apple Insider’s apparently got it on word from its network of sources that OS 4.0 will in fact include multitasking, with app switching purportedly done by pressing the double-tapping the home button and selecting the appropriate active app icon. If you ask us, that sounds similar in function to command / tab switching, but the people claiming to be in the know liken it more to Expose for OS X.

Reports of webOS 1.4.1 update now coming in

Reports of webOS 1.4.1 update now coming in originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

IE9 demoed on Ion-based Eee PC with full GPU acceleration

Although we were a little more focused on Windows Phone 7 Series when we went to MIX 10, Microsoft’s other big announcement at the conference was Internet Explorer 9, which offers HTML5 support and support for GPU acceleration throughout the browsing experience. We saw a few demos of the system in action at MIX, but this video from NVIDIA does a little better job showing how helpful that extra GPU boost can be — IE9 running on the Ion 2-based Eee PC 1201PN smokes a regular Atom-based netbook across a suite of tests. What that’s going to mean for battery life is up in the air, especially since the GPU on an Optimus system like the 1201PN kicks in automatically, but it’s pretty cool to see a netbook browsing the web at almost desktop-like speeds. Check the video after the break.

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iPad launch day: what you need to know

Have you heard? The iPad is launching this Saturday, April 3rd. After centuries of anticipation, Apple is returning to the tablet space after its ill-fated Newton, and while many have brushed off the iPad as a big iPhone, its retail approach is dramatically different. Follow with us after the break for a full breakdown of everything you need to know about getting your own “magical” tablet.

Want more info? Check out our complete guide to everything iPad! You won’t be disappointed, we swear.

Continue reading iPad launch day: what you need to know

ASUS Eee PC 1001PX has a thing for carbon-fiber, starts at $279

We won’t detail our murderous wrath for glossy netbooks, but we will tell you that ASUS is on our good side today by striking the shinny lid on its newest 10-inch Eee PC 1001PX in exchange for a carbon fiber-like replacement. The little guy boasts the same specs as the budget Eee PC 1001P — an Intel Atom N450 CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive — and will be available in the US in May. And if you had any doubt that ASUS is after Acer’s throat in pricing, we’re told that the Windows 7 Starter model will be priced at an aggressive $299, while the XP version will only set you back a cool $279. In typical ASUS form, we’re hearing word of an Eee PC 1001PG that will fall into this same line, but will be equipped with 4G in most markets and possibly 3G and 4G stateside. Now, if only we had as much information about those brewing Eee Pads…

Droid mercifully gets a manual 2.1 update option

As is pleasantly often the case with Android devices, it turns out there’s already a quick, easy, nearly painless way to circumvent the phased rollout of Android 2.1 to Verizon’s Droids out in the field. Anyone who’s already been through this will feel right at home with the process: grab the binary straight from Google (so you know it’s legit, which is always nice), rename the file, transfer it to your microSD card, and reboot to the recovery mode screen. The rest is pretty self-evident, and when all is said and done, you’ll have a Droid equipped with the very latest and greatest that Google has to offer. Let us know how it goes, y’hear?

Droid mercifully gets a manual 2.1 update option originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Leaf debuts Aptus-II 10R digital camera back with rotating sensor

Leaf debuts Aptus-II 10R digital camera back with rotating sensor originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

First cut of MeeGo available today for N900 and Atom devices

While making it crystal clear that this is only intended for developers that want a mega-early look at the platform, Intel and Nokia’s MeeGo team has just announced that the very first cut of the melded Moblin / Maemo mobile platform is available for download. Specifically, users of N900s, Atom notebooks, and Atom-powered Moorestown MIDs have all been gifted with their own distributions, which will boot off a USB stick or directly on the devices themselves. Sadly, the MeeGo user experience — the good stuff, that is — isn’t included here, so if you flash your N900 you’re going to end up booting into a terminal console, but hey, some of you sickos are into that sort of thing, aren’t you? Next up for the team is a release billed 1.0 that will come in May, and we’re told details on the road to that version will be unveiled over the coming days. Take care of yourselves if you go for it, alright?

Kleiner Perkins iFund doubles to $200m, investing in iPad apps from Shazam, ngmoco and more

Apple said it expects the iPad to be a “second gold rush” of app development as consumers rush to add content to their new devices, and it looks like Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers agrees: the venture capital firm just announced that it’s expanding the iFund to $200 million to invest in iPad app development. If you’ll recall, the iFund was originally announced alongside the iPhone OS 2.0 SDK, and provided $100 million in total investments to 14 iPhone app developers like Shazam, ngmoco, and Shopkick — companies responsible for 18 apps that have hit the App Store Top 10. Keep in mind that this money was promised before the iPhone App Store was even launched — so given how that bet paid off, it’s not surprising that KPCB’s decided to double down on the iPad, which looks like it’ll have even higher app prices. Along with the announcement, some iFund devs announced the following iPad apps:

Simmtronics, IBM and Canonical bring $190 Simmbook to emerging markets

Simmtronics’ Simmbook netbook has been floating around for a few months now, but it’s just gotten a considerable boost thanks to a partnership with IBM and Canonical, who have teamed up with the company in an effort to bring the netbook to emerging markets. That confluence of companies means the netbook will run on Ubuntu Netbook Remix and come pre-loaded with IBM’s Client for Smart Work, which includes Lotus Symphony and access to various cloud-based services. As for the netbook itself, it’s about as basic as you might expect, including the usual 10-inch display, Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM, three-cell battery, and a 160GB hard drive (with a few upgrades available). Then again, it is available off-the-shelf for just $190 right now, and IBM and Simmtronics are apparently working with various clients to offer the netbook at “a competitive price” to other countries around the world.

Simmtronics, IBM and Canonical bring $190 Simmbook to emerging markets originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.