TheBolt

Image courtesy of RIM.com

Research In Motion (RIM) the company best known as the developer of the BlackBerry cellular phones, recently announced their newest product: The PlayBook. Attempting to tackle the iPad in tablet sales, the PlayBook will use an operating system called BlackBerry Tablet OS. This system will offer full world wide web surfing and other features used with BlackBerry phones such as Push technology, and BBMTM. While the screen size is about 2 inches smaller than that of an iPad, the PlayBook has more RAM, weighs less and even supports Adobe Flash 10.1.

Sporting a 7” LCD display, the PlayBook will be capable of 1080p HD video and comes equipped with an HDMI port. A camera lens built in both the front and the back of the unit lets users take photos, videos and even live video conferencing.

The release date is set for early 2011. For full information as well as detailed specs and other features, visit RIM’s site.

FULL SPECS

• 7-inch LCD, 1024 x 600, WSVGA, capacitive touch screen with full multi-touch and gesture support
• BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
• 1 GHz dual-core processor
• 1 GB RAM
• Dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing), supports 1080p HD video recording
• Video playback: 1080p HD Video, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV
• Audio playback: MP3, AAC, WMA
• HDMI video output
• Wi-Fi – 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB, charging contacts
• Open, flexible application platform with support for WebKit/HTML-5, Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Adobe Mobile AIR, Adobe Reader, POSIX, OpenGL, Java
• Ultra thin and portable:
  • Measures 5.1″x7.6″x0.4″ (130mm x 193mm x 10mm)
  • Weighs less than a pound (approximately 0.9 lb or 400g)
• RIM intends to also offer 3G and 4G models in the future.

Nick E.

Hi, today I want to talk about the newest version of the Apple TV.

I have an old 40GB version and it has been very enjoyable over the years. The biggest news with the new one is that it has no storage and is streaming only. No worries about the hard drive crashing. The other plus is the Netflix capability.  If you are a Netflix subscriber, you will now be able to stream from the Apple TV to your TV, with just a simple HDMI connection.  The new product still gives you the ability to stream music and movies from your iTunes library, as well as photos, if you use iPhoto. You can also control Apple TV with an iPhone or iPod Touch and the Remote app which turns your Touch into a powerful, and reasonably priced, way to do multi-room audio.  Apple will also be coming out with an update that will allow you to stream whatever is on your phone or Ipod touch to the Apple TV.

We are now taking pre-orders for this product. I, for one, am on that list.

–Blake B.

This week, Abt began carrying LG vacuums.  We already carry LG electronics and major household appliances, but this was our first adventure in this category.  There are two models available, the LUV200R and the LUV300B.  They are both upright bagless models, with the LUV200 in red and the LUV300V in riviera blue.  Both units have LG’s KOMPRESSOR® Dust Compression System collects three times the capacity of a non-compressor model and eliminates messy vacuum bags.

The LUV200R is a vacuum that’s part power, part performance and part convenience.  It has a longer retractable cord so that you can reach everything you need.  Some features that separates it from the LUV300B is that it uses DualForce™ two way suction and has an auto cord rewind.

The LUV300B has LG’s strongest motor and latest innovations.  Some features are the Click ‘N Go wand which is great for those hard-to-reach spots, asthma and allergy friendly™ by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, DualForce+™ suction and RF Control™ allows you to control the vacuum’s power and settings remotely from the Click ‘N Go wand.

For more information, check out these products online or stop by the store today to test them out yourself.

-Jennifer A.