Author: matt buchanan

Oh, I’ve waited for this day. The day Nikon delivered legit HD video. Not only does the P100 deliver full 1080p video in H.264, it shoots 120FPS bursts, and goes with a 10MP CMOS sensor for better low-light performance. Yeah.

It is a superzoom—26x (26mm-678mm), which is a little shorter than what Fuji or Olympus dropped over the last couple of days—which I’m admittedly prone to disliking, but there’s a lot here in what’s easily Nikon’s flagship point-and-shoot.

It’s the first Coolpix to switch to CMOS, cutting back to 10 megapixels to deliver hopefully better low light performance, along with built-in HDR processing. And, Nikon’s first ever camera to do 1080p video, which I was told is in H.264. Hot shit, ’cause it makes me hopeful to see that in their next DSLRs. Also excellent: You can actually zoom while recording video, something of a rarity in these parts. It shoots fast too: 10FPS at full res, and up to 120FPS bursts (but only at 1.1MP, bleh).

The Fuji HS10 outguns the P100 on paper: Longer zoom, at 30x; same promise of excellent low-light performance thanks to an optimized 10MP CMOS sensor; 1000FPS slow motion video and 1080p like the P100. But, the P100 costs $100 less, running $400 when it hits in March, so it’s a tough call ’til we see how they actually perform.

NIKON COOLPIX P100 ZOOMS TO THE TOP OF THE SUPER-HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPACT DIGITAL CAMERA CATEGORY WITH VERSATILE FEATURES
With a 26x NIKKOR Zoom Lens, CMOS Image Sensor and Full HD Movie Recording,
COOLPIX P100 Brings Compact Digital Camera Photography to a Whole New Level

MELVILLE, NY (Feb. 2, 2010) – Nikon Inc. today unveiled the new COOLPIX P100 digital camera, marking a series of firsts for Nikon with the debut of a CMOS image sensor and full High Definition (HD) movie (1080p) capabilities in the COOLPIX line. Additionally, with an expansive 26x Optical Wide Angle Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens and a 3.0-inch 460,000-dot vari-angle Clear Color Display LCD screen, the COOLPIX P100 delivers a compact camera fully equipped and readily able to expand a user’s photographic potential.

The COOLPIX P100 is Nikon’s first compact camera to offer full HD movie (1080p), allowing consumers to entertain audiences with movies that capture the entire impact of a scene at the touch of a dedicated movie-record button. A stereo microphone optimally mounted on top of the camera accurately captures audio to further enhance the video capture experience. Contributing to compositional freedom, both the optical zoom and autofocus functions are available while recording video. Additionally, the high-speed movie function provides the added benefit of recording movies that can be played back in slow motion or fast motion to create artistic effects. To further ease integration into an existing home theater system, an HDMI connector allows for easy playback on a compatible HDTV.

“Our portfolio of cameras is designed to ensure that any photographer, at any level, can find the camera that feels right for them,” said Bo Kajiwara, director of marketing, Nikon Inc. “The P100 blends a stellar lens with creative automatic and manual features to allow the more advanced consumer to explore the boundaries of their photographic capabilities.”

The Nikon COOLPIX P100 digital camera features a 10.3-megapixel backside illumination CMOS sensor, which enables high-speed shooting at 10 frames per second (fps) at full resolution and exceptional image quality even when shooting in low light settings. Other functions benefitting from the lower noise and exceptional image quality of the new CMOS image sensor include an in-camera high dynamic range (HDR) function, which merges images of the same scene to achieve a single image with a broad range of tonal detail. Additionally, the Night Landscape mode combines a series of consecutive shots taken at a fast shutter speed into a single image with reduced noise when taking handheld shots in night scenes.
The versatility of the COOLPIX P100 digital camera is also attributed to its new 26x Optical Wide Angle Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens. This lens offers unparalleled compositional freedom, with its wide angle (26mm) to super telephoto coverage (678mm). The broad focal range lets consumers capture a variety of shots and scenes, ranging from sweeping landscapes to action shots taking place far away on a sports field. For further versatility, this extraordinary lens allows the user to take images or video as close as 0.4 inches while in macro mode. As part of the flagship Performance Series of COOLPIX compact digital cameras, the COOLPIX P100 is the ideal photographic tool for photo enthusiasts, sports and travel photographers and consumers with more advanced photography skills who crave a high performance camera.

Additional features of the Nikon COOLPIX P100 digital camera include:
10.3-megapixels and Backside Illumination CMOS Sensor for stunning prints as large as 16x 20 inches, while retaining fine detail

In-Camera High Dynamic Range (HDR) merges multiple images of the same scene to create an image with a range of tonal detail that could not be captured in a single photo

Night Landscape Mode combines a series of images into a reduced noise composite for low light shooting
3.0-inch Vari-Angle 460,000-dot Clear Color Display LCD and Electronic Viewfinder make it easy to compose and share pictures with friends and family. The new LCD, with anti-reflection coating, can tilt as much as 90 degrees up or 82 degrees down. This enables photographers to shoot from higher angles or from the hip. The incorporation of the an electronic viewfinder enables consumers to see through the lens in most any lighting condition

5-Way Vibration Reduction (VR) Image Stabilization System
Optical VR Image Stabilization by image sensor shift compensates for the effects of camera shake, producing clearer, sharper results in lower lighting or unsteady conditions
Hybrid VR Image Stabilization combines both sensor shift VR and Electronic VR
Motion Detection automatically detects moving subjects and adjusts shutter speed and the ISO setting to compensate for camera shake and subject movement
High ISO 3200 capability creates new opportunities to take sharper, more natural-looking photos in lower light conditions (up to 10 megapixels)
Best Shot Selector (BSS) automatically takes up to 10 shots while the user presses the shutter, and saves the sharpest image
Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority and Manual Exposure modes give ultimate creative control over images
New Sport Continuous Scene Mode for shooting at up to 10 fps at full resolution and 120 fps for 1.1-megapixel images
Subject Tracking automatically activates autofocus while tracking moving subjects such as children and animals. Even when the subject momentarily moves out of the LCD frame, the camera will restart tracking if the subject returns in the frame within 3 seconds
Pre-shooting Cache lets users capture up to 40 shots before shutter is released. This setting helps photographers stay ahead of the action
Active D-Lighting minimizes loss of details in highlights and shadows resulting in beautiful, more natural-looking images
Smart Portrait System integrates the following features to make it a snap to capture stunning portrait photos of friends and family:
In-Camera Red-Eye FixTM automatically fixes most instances of red-eye
Enhanced Face-Priority AF can detect up to 12 faces from a variety of angles
Skin Softening ensures smooth skin tone on the face of subjects by leveraging built-in face-detection technology
Smile Mode automatically detects when a subject smiles and releases the shutter
Blink Warning notifies the user when a subject has blinked in a photo
Blink Proof detects the subject’s face and automatically takes a series of sequential shots, then saves the image in which the subject’s eyes are open

The Nikon COOLPIX P100 digital camera will be available nationwide in March 2010 and will retail for $399.95* MSRP. For more information on the P100 and all COOLPIX cameras, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

Nikon’s S series are their flashier point-and-shoots, and the S8000 is the splashiest: Super skinny, but it’s got a 10x zoom lens, crazy crispy 3-inch, 921,000-dot display and it shoots 720p video. Plus, uh, look at it.

The S8000 and the next step down, the S6000, both shoot at 14MP (I predict noiiiise) and 720p vid at 30fps, though the S6000 has less zoom (7x) crammed in a skinnier 1-inch frame. The S8000 is $300, while the S6000 is $250.

The S4000 is their new touchcam, which seemed more responsive than the last gen, with a decent-sized 3-inch touchscreen. It shoots at 12MP, but also pulls out 720p video. And it’s cheaper than before, at $200.

“S” REPRESENTS STYLISH, SLIM DESIGN, SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE AND SUPER ZOOM WITH THE NEW NIKON COOLPIX S-SERIES DIGITAL CAMERAS
Whether a User Needs HD Video, Super-Long Zoom, or a Functional Fashion Accessory, There Is Something for Everyone with Nikon’s New Style Series of Digital Cameras

MELVILLE, NY (Feb. 2, 2010) – Today, Nikon Inc. continues the tradition of blending innovation, design and performance in its line of COOLPIX compact cameras with the introduction of four new COOLPIX Style Series cameras. The S-series cameras provide users with innovative and fun features such as long zooms, speedy performance, advanced flash controls, touch-screen technology, and enhanced high resolution LCD screens in sleek, stylish camera bodies. In an impressive slim body, the new COOLPIX S8000 digital camera sports a long 10x optical zoom, 720p HD Video, and a 3.0-inch 921,000-dot LCD screen with bright Clear Color Display. Not to be outdone, the COOLPIX S4000 blends a user-friendly touch-screen interface with an elegant camera design, while the COOLPIX S6000 and COOLPIX S3000 digital cameras deliver the speed, accessibility and ease-of-use that have made the S-series the camera of choice among consumers who value style and performance.

“Building on the hallmarks of the COOLPIX line, the new S-Series cameras combine the features consumers want, along with high performance and innovative technology into elegant camera designs with colorful results,” said Bo Kajiwara, director of marketing, Nikon Inc. “The digital camera has become an accessory to today’s consumer, and with the S-series camera, users can challenge their creativity, and complement their sense of fashion.”
All new COOLPIX S-series cameras incorporate Nikon’s world-class NIKKOR lenses, delivering accurate detail and brilliant color, as well as Nikon’s EXPEED™ digital image processing concept, which ensures high-quality pictures with stunning color and sharpness. Many of the new S-series models embrace the addition of High Definition (HD) video by adding an ideally located video record button on the back of the camera. Other COOLPIX features include Scene Auto Selector, which automatically recognizes the shooting situation and adjusts camera settings accordingly for great pictures anywhere. To make better portraits easier, the Smart Portrait System incorporates a series of automatic functions including In-Camera Red-Eye Fix ™, Improved Face-Priority AF, Face Priority AE, Smile Mode, Blink Warning and Skin Softening to flatter even the most camera-shy subject.

New COOLPIX S8000: Deceptively Slim Yet Hides a Surprise
Hidden inside the COOLPIX S8000’s slender body resides a powerful and versatile 10x Optical Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens that produces incredibly sharp, crisp images up close or far away. To banish the blur at any focal length, the S8000 features a 4-way Image Stabilization System and ISO settings to 3200. Additionally, the S8000 has the ability to record HD movies (720p) at 30 frames per second (fps) with stereo sound, and features an ultra high-resolution 921,000-dot Clear Color Display LCD for sharp, clear viewing of images.

The 14.2-megapixel COOLPIX S8000 digital camera also includes a new feature called the Creative Slider, which simplifies adjusting brightness, saturation and color tone in-camera by utilizing the Rotary Multi Selector. Another new feature, Advanced Flash Control, allows users to create more natural-looking flash shots by utilizing higher ISO settings and faster shutter speeds in low light as well as apply Multi-area Auto Backlight Compensation for even exposures. Additionally, the COOLPIX S8000 packs an improved Sport Continuous Mode, high-speed continuous shooting at up to approximately 4 fps for 45 frames (3 MP), plus a fast start-up time and a quick shutter-release time. To further ensure no moment is missed, the S8000 has the ability to acquire the subject and lock focus using Subject Tracking.
The COOLPIX S8000 will be available in February 2010 for $299.95* MSRP in a choice of colors including black, red, bronze and champagne silver.

The New COOLPIX S6000: High Performance Is Always In Style
The new COOLPIX S6000 digital camera blends performance into an elegant camera design to create the ideal accessory for wherever life leads. Though the S6000 measures only one-inch thick, it comes with a versatile 7x Optical Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens to zoom in on the action or fill the frame with your subject. The COOLPIX S6000 also has the ability to record HD movie clips (720p) at 30 fps to preserve memories in high quality video, which are easily played back later on an HDTV from the camera via HDMI connection.
The COOLPIX S6000 includes features like 14.2-megapixel resolution and a bright 2.7-inch 230,000-dot Clear Color Display LCD. Similar to the COOLPIX S8000, the COOLPIX S6000 boasts advanced features and controls like Sport Continuous Mode and Advanced Flash Control. The S6000 also sports a fast start-up time of approximately 0.75 seconds and a short shutter-release time of approximately 0.3 seconds to help ensure memories are recorded as soon as they happen.
To further help users snap stunning photos easily, the COOLPIX S6000 features ISO 3200; 4-way VR Image Stabilization System; Subject Tracking; Scene Auto Selector Mode; Nikon’s Smart Portrait System all packed into an ultra-stylish design.
The COOLPIX S6000 will be available in March 2010 for $249.95* MSRP in a choice of bold colors, including champagne silver, black, red, and bronze.

The New COOLPIX S4000: Touch-Screen Technology, Nikon Performance
Integrating elegant design and intuitive operation, the new COOLPIX S4000 digital camera comes equipped with a touch-screen interface that places the camera’s controls at the users’ fingertips. The COOLPIX S4000 incorporates a new 3.0-inch 460,000-dot touch-panel Clear Color Display LCD, which makes it easy to compose, review, edit and share pictures.
To fully utilize the touch-screen interface, the COOLPIX S4000 comes with several advanced shooting features. With Touch Shutter, users can select their subject by a single touch on the screen to adjust focus and exposure, and to automatically release the shutter. When selected, Subject Tracking can automatically follow and focus on a subject selected by touching the screen, such as a fast moving child or a pet throughout the frame.
At the touch of a finger, users can record HD movies (720p) to create and share. The S4000 also includes user-friendly modes like Scene Auto Selector, which automatically recognizes the scene in your picture and adjusts camera setting to take the best photo possible for the given conditions.
The 12-megapixel COOLPIX S4000 features a 4x wide-angle Zoom-NIKKOR lens, ISO sensitivity to 3200; 4-way VR Image Stabilization System; Subject Tracking; Scene Auto Selector Mode; Nikon’s Smart Portrait System and a compact stylish design.
The COOLPIX S4000 digital camera will be available in March 2010 for $199.95 MSRP in a choice of vibrant colors, including plum, champagne silver, pink, red and black.

New COOLPIX S3000: Make a Statement in Color
Sleek design, attractive colors and innovative technology truly set the new Nikon COOLPIX S3000 digital camera apart from the competition. The COOLPIX S3000 comfortably places advanced shooting controls in the hand for great fun and optimal results. User-friendly advanced features and ease-of-use, along with the camera’s compact size make it a pleasure to carry around anywhere from the family reunion to a night on the town.
With the stylish looks and the vivid color choices of the S3000, the camera is the perfect tool to express one’s personal style. The COOLPIX S3000 also includes a bright 2.7-inch 230,000-dot LCD screen designed to make it easy to compose, review and share pictures.
The 12-megapixel COOLPIX S3000 features a 4x wide-angle Zoom-NIKKOR lens; ISO 3200; 4-way VR Image stabilization System; Subject Tracking; Scene Auto Selector Mode; Nikon’s Smart Portrait System and a colorful and compact design.
The COOLPIX S3000 will be available in March 2010 for $149.95 MSRP and in a choice of vibrant colors, including plum, champagne silver, black, orange, green and blue.

During media megaconglomorate News Corp’s earnings call—which owns publisher HarperCollins—the Dark Lord Rupert Murdoch reveals, “We don’t like the Amazon model of $9.99….we think it really devalues books and hurts all the retailers of hardcover books.” Ruh roh.

And here’s the deathblow: Murdoch says News Corp‘s deal with Apple “does allow some flexibility and higher prices” and now Amazon’s willing to renegotiate.

It seems brutally clear that every publisher is going to shift to the agency model: They set their own price for books, and whoever’s selling it takes a cut. Sure, they get less absolute dollars per book than selling it wholesale—say, selling it to Amazon for $15, who takes a $5 hit to sell it for $9.99—but they’re convinced it’ll preserve the value of books. I’m sure that’s exactly what’s going to happen when ebook prices everywhere creep up by several dollars—people will totally think they’re worth more. [MediaMemo]

The first Fermi graphics cards from Nvidia will bear the names GeForce GTX 480 and GeForce GTX 470. All preliminary hearsay indicates they will be ornery beasts. And cost as much as dragons. [Nvidia]

One of the new bits of iPad viscera announced by Steve Jobs, besides the A4 chip, is that it’s using a micro-SIM card for its 3G powers. What, pray tell, is a micro-SIM card?

It’s the next generation of SIM card—3FF or third form factor—which is physically smaller, with less blubber around the shiny gold contact area, as you’ll notice in this helpful picture from Wikipedia. The contact area, where the technobloop happens, is the same size, so it’s backward-compatible with a physical adapter. But it fits in more stuff! Like a bigger internal phonebook that’ll has room for emails, and a new authentication scheme that fights carrier spoofing.

Because it’s the same size and stuff electrically, there’s a chance you’ll be able to shave down regular old SIM cards—so they’ll physically fit in the slot—and use them in a micro SIM slot. Though we’ll see how well that works when we get our hands on some stuff—like an iPad—to play with. [PC Mag, Engadget]

The WSJ says Google’s launching an online store to sell software add-ons and bonus powers for Google Apps written by third-party developers—like more, um, secureness and other enterprise features—which Google’s announcing in March.

At the beginning, it’ll be just enterprise stuff that are add-ons for Gmail and Docs, etc., sold through a now conventional setup: Users buy the apps, written by other developers, through Google’s store, and Google takes a cut. To be clear, it’s a move intended to bulk up its assault on Microsoft Office with more features and capabilities, more than anything else. (Is extensive modularity and add-ons, which introduce more potential points of failure what businesses really want in their enterprise apps? Hmm.) But don’t worry, Google wants to keep giving you, the normal person, their software for free, to make money on advertising. So click click click away. Google won’t be selling you apps anytime soon. Probably, anyway. [WSJ]

Intel and Micron’s IMFT joint venture’s just announced they’ve started producing NAND flash using 25nm transistors—they’re pushing 8GB on a single die—with products shipping sometime this year in fatter capacities (up to 600GB). In English:

Using the smaller 25nm manufacturing process, they can get roughly twice as much storage in the same amount of space as the current 34nm flash manufacturing tech. More storage in the same amount of space, as we learned before, doesn’t just mean more storage, it means more storage for cheaper. [Anandtech]

Reports are surfacing that GPS navigation on the Palm Pre Plus is a little janky, with full aGPS only working with the (recently updated to 5.0) Verizon Navigator app, not Google Maps—locks are inaccurate and slow.

Personally, I noticed that positioning was a little off this weekend using Google Maps on a Pre Plus in San Francisco, though the lock wasn’t so slow it rung any alarms. It doesn’t seem to be particularly widespread, but if you’ve got a Pre Plus, how’s it working for you? [PreCentral]

Samsung’s the first to make DDR3 RAM using a 30nm process, which will hit mass production later this year. It uses 30 percent less power than RAM made at 50nm, and it’s twice as cost effective (meaning it’ll get even cheaper). [PC World]

Netflix has just secured deals with a bunch of indie distributors—The Criterion Collection (expect even more goodness), Gravitas Ventures, Kino Lorber, Music Box Films, Oscilloscope Laboratories and Regent Releasing—to stream over 300 new flicks.

Make no mistake, streaming is what Netflix cares about now, not shiny plastic discs. [PR Newswire]

Books published by Macmillan mysteriously poofed from Amazon yesterday. The reason, according to the NYT, is that Amazon is punishing the publisher for arguing that the price of Kindle books should go up to $15. This won’t end well.

It feels like a repeat of the same shit Universal Music, and later, NBC Universal pulled with iTunes, trying to counter the leverage Apple had because of iTunes’ insane marketshare. Same situation here, really: Content provider wants more money/control over their content, fights with the overwhelmingly dominant, embedded service that’s selling the content. Last time, everybody compromised and walked away most happy: Universal and NBC got more flexible pricing, iTunes got DRM-free music and more TV shows for its catalog to sell.

The problem publishers have with Amazon is two-fold: Amazon’s overwhelming marketshare in ebooks (because that leads to more control for Amazon, and less for them) and the establishment of $9.99 as the price of a book, which publishers feel cheapens the value of books. (Hardcover bestsellers go for up to $30, after all.)

The difference in this fight is that Macmillan is one of the publishers signed to deliver books for Apple’s iBooks store. They have somewhere to run. And credibly. That wasn’t really the case with record labels, who tried to fuel alternatives to dilute iTunes power, and failed. (Interestingly, this little episode seems to prove Brad Stone’s earlier account in the Times that publishers were looking to Apple to save them from the tyranny of Amazon, since Apple allows publishers to set their own book prices.)

The $15 pricepoint Macmillan’s pushing to Amazon is a little curious, though, given two things: Steve Jobs told Walt Mossberg books in the iBooks store would cost the same as they do for Kindle, and the WSJ reported last week $15 was one of Apple’s recommended pricepoints for books. Removing Kindle’s price advantage would be a smooth way to launch iBooks, no? The publishers get more money, and iBooks in full, eye-straining color cost the same as Kindle books—everybody wins, except Amazon. (Update: It’s known Amazon loses money offering some bestsellers at $9.99, so I wonder if selling at $15 would change that equation. Still, if its books cost the same as iBooks, and publishers start bailing, that’s bad for them in a way making a few extra bucks per book doesn’t make up for.)

This is just the beginning. [Bits]

Google’s slowly killing compatibility for IE6 with Google Apps—as of March 1, Docs and Sites aren’t supported with Internet Exploder 6 anymore. It’ll load, but most of the features won’t work.

Gmail and Gcal will be killing support for IE6 sometime this year TechCrunch hears, which should bring death even more swiftly to probably the most maligned web browser in history. [TechCrunch]

The iPad is a gargantuan iPhone, perhaps more precisely than many hoped. But, if you look closely, you can see hints of what’s truly coming next.

There are a few new scraps of gestures and interface bits, all thanks to the larger screen, which you can see sprinkled throughout the keynote video:

• True multi-finger multitouch
Two finger swipes, three finger twirls—multitouch gestures that weren’t really possible on the iPhone’s tiny screen, unless you’re a mouse. This is what people were excited about, and we only get a taste. Though, the gesture Phil uses to drag multiple slides in Keynote, using two hands, looks a bit awkward and belabored.

• Popovers
The most significant new UI element of the iPad vs. the iPhone are popovers, which you see all over the place when you need to dive further into the interface, or make a choice from a list (since blowing up lists to full screen size doesn’t make a whole lot of sense now). A box pops up, and has a list of choices or options, which might take you down through multiple levels of lists, like you see in the demo of Numbers, with selecting functions to calculate. Gruber has more on popovers, and why they’re significant, here.

• Media Navigator
In some ways, the media navigator Phil Schiller shows off in iWork is the most interesting bit to me: That’s what Apple sees as replacing a file browser in this type of computer. It’s a popover too, technically.

• Long touches and drags
Lots of touch, hold and drag, something you didn’t see much of in the iPhone. With more UI elements, and layers of them, you need a way of distinguishing what type of motion action you’re trying to engage.

These are all pretty basic, so far, building right on top of the iPhone’s established interface, but it points to the future: More fingers, more gestures, more layered UI elements and built-in browsers.

The iPad is Apple’s netbook. It’s small, built for the web, and cheap. Which is a problem for the people who make actual netbooks, since they wanted to undercut Apple. And it’s hard to get cheaper than glorified smartphone guts.

Originally, according to Digitimes, Asus and MSI wanted to undercut whatever the iPad would cost by 20 to 30 percent, but that was when they expected it to cost $1000, which made it kinda easy. It’s a lot harder when the entry price is $500 for the iPad, thanks to the fact it’s using essentially mobile guts (the A4 chip is the beefiest component, it seems, and it’s designed for smartbooks, so it’s lower power than anything in a full-size netbook).

But! Since the Asian manufacturers are sorta kinda built to compete on price, only a sucker wouldn’t expect a price war—in other words, expect to see a ton of other netbooks and slate-y things for cheaper, like $400 or less. Ah, competition. [Digitimes]

Update: I put “netbook” in quotes to make what I meant more obvious.

This is the iPad accessory I’ve been waiting for. The first iPad kickstand. The Scosche kickBack is made out of polycarbonate and rubber and works in portrait and landscape mode, blah blah blah. iPad. Kick. Stand. All our problems, solved.

Oxnard, CA, – January 28, 2010 – Scosche Industries, an award-winning innovator of iPod and iPhone accessories, is proud to announce its first iPad accessory the new kickBACK. The shatterproof polycarbonate and rubber hybrid provides superior protection for the Apple’s new iPad tablet. The case’s patent pending locking kickstand enables both vertical and horizontal viewing and has a low angle setting for an optimal typing position. Scosche also included molded grips on the back of the kickBACK for more secure handling.

“We pride ourselves at consistently being one of the first accessories manufacturers to market with leading edge products following an iPhone, iPod, or now iPad announcement,” said Kas Alves, executive vice president of Scosche Industries. “It’s that ability to react quickly without sacrificing quality that has helped us develop necessary accessories like the new kickBACK.”

Like all of Scosche’s kickBACK cases the kickBACK ships with a screen protector and cleaning cloth. The kickBACK will ship in early-mid Spring 2010 and is the first of an entire line of accessories Scosche has planned.

[Scosche]

Ars hears there’s a company-wide internal meeting today at Apple to talk about the iPad, just like Apple had shortly after the launch of the iPhone. While you’re possibly more interested in the serious chance everybody who’s been at Apple for a while will walk out with their own iPad—like with the iPhone—the likely employee Q&A session will probably peel back in more detail how Apple’s thinking about the iPad. Oh to be an Apple employee velcro’d to that wall. [Ars]

We’ve made the leap from resistive to capacitive touchscreens that are more accurate—and multitouchy—so what’s next? Screens that feel how hard you tickle them.

One of several approaches to making that happen uses a quantum tunneling composite—quantum tunneling happens when you bring two conductors close together, but with an insulating layer still between them, and electrons jump between the two conductors. Peratech’s way to do this is with a polymer that changes resistance as you apply force for the insulating layer, so that bottom line, screens using this tech can tell how hard you pressing on the screen, since the sensors are able tell within two micrometers of how far in the screen’s bending.

While there’s other tech out there for pressure-sensing screens, Peratech says their tech uses less power and is more sensitive. The first gadgets with Peratech’s sauce is coming out as early as April, so we’ll able to poke things with that much more intent. Though, I have a hard enough time hitting the right stuff on screen—now I’m gonna have to keep track of how hard I press? Hrm. [MIT via Engadget]

“It’s not widescreen!” you might’ve snorted about the iPad’s display. Besides the practical consideration that a tablet w/ a 16:9 screen would be more awkward to hold, Lonely Sandwich’s diagram explains a lot of what’s going on there. [Lonely Sandwich]

Daring Fireball‘s John Gruber caught the WSJ’s Walt Mossberg with Steve Jobs yesterday, and made three observations: Mossberg hadn’t seen it before; he was realcurious about Office compatibility; and Steve was pissed Mossberg’s sitting on the table. [Flickr via Gruber]