New Google Play Store

Google has made it official, they have announced the rollout of the redesigned Android marketplace for Android phones and tablets running Android 2.2 Froyo or higher. The redesign is focused on being “simple [and] clean” and that it's meant to help users find content faster.

The new Play Store has a nicely compartmentalized interface with a dedicated row of buttons at the top for the types of media that can be downloaded from the service. It has bigger images that “jump off the page.” Content that belongs together is grouped together, and purchasing has been simplified so that it’s faster to check out of the Play store. Even individual categories have been given a makeover.

If you haven’t received an update to Google Play just yet (we haven't), sit tight. Google says it will roll out over the next few weeks.

Kalifornia Strikes Again

If you thought the People’s Republic of Kalifornia had gone too far in controlling people’s lives in the past, think again! The latest over-control by the State is banning the use of GPS mapping apps while driving! It’s now verboten in Kali to use a GPS because it’s distracted driving. What’s next? Banning drinking a cup of coffee?

Extending the state’s current ban on texting while driving, an appellate court in California v. Spriggs argued that the ”distraction would be present whether the wireless telephone was being used as a telephone, a GPS navigator a clock or a device for sending and receiving text messages and emails.”

I will admit that while I am opposed to distracted driving, I’m also opposed to too much government interference in what we do in our lives. Kali government shouts loudly any time anyone even talks about sexual rights, it’s each person’s right to do what they want with their bodies! Unless, of course, if it bothers their Progressive sensibilities.

Pentax K-01 Price Drop..... Again

We predicted this when we first reviewed the K-01 body. If you want one here’s the latest deal.

Adorama has k-01 bodies for only $249 with free shipping.

Yellow body: Pentax K-01 DSLR Camera Body,Yellow 15322

Black body: Pentax K-01 Digital Camera Body, Black 15222

Growth in Tablet Sales

Three years from now, tablet computers will outsell traditional Windows PCs, and do so by a whopping 72 percent, according to the latest projections from analysts at Gartner. In between, PC shipments drop at ever faster rates.

Some of that decline will be made up by the faster growth in "ultramobiles," the new breed of Windows 8 devices such as Microsoft Surface Pro. But the PC decline is permanent, reflecting a "long-term change in user behavior," according to the Gartner statement.

Most users "will be satisfied with the experience they get from a tablet as their main computing device," according to Carolina Milanesi, a research vice president at Gartner. "As consumers shift their time away from their PC to tablets and smartphones, they will no longer see their PC as a device that they need to replace on a regular basis."

The report, "Forecast: Devices by Operating System and User Type, Worldwide, 2010-2017, 1Q13 Update," is on Gartner's website.

Gartner predicts that the traditional PC notebooks and desktop market will decline 7.6 percent in 2013. If you factor in the growth of the ultramobiles, the decline is less: 3.5 percent. Total PC shipments for 2013 are forecast at 315 million units, compared to 341 million in 2012. Ultramobiles will account for 23.6 million in 2013, compared to just 9.8 million in 2012.

By contrast, Gartner predicts tablets shipments will reach 197 million units in 2013, a 69.8 percent increase over 116 million units in 2012. And that kind of growth will be visible in all markets, including so-called emerging markets in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Tablets are a far more likely mobile phone companion than a notebook PC for consumers, according to Gartner.

By the end of 2017, Gartner predicts tablet shipments of 468 million compared to 272 million PCs.

New Otterbox Cases

Foolproof iPhone Protection: Introducing the OtterBox Maker Series

Nothing is more contagious than a trend and smartphone case manufacturer OtterBox® has set the trend for premium protection in the consumer electronics industry. Today, the Colorado company announces a one-day offering that brings the current DIY trend to Apple® iPhone® protection – introducing the OtterBox Maker Series™, a foolproof blueprint for iPhone 5 device fortification.

When it comes to iPhone protection, OtterBox is the natural choice. With a solid reputation for crafting the best cases in the industry, OtterBox lives on the cutting-edge of design. The new Maker Series allows the at-home handy worker to construct an iPhone 5 case that fits their fancy. A detailed design plan guides the user through the creation of a precision smartphone case made of wood. Simply download the plan, dust off the toolbox and whittle, cut, sand and stain away.*

“At the crossroads of mobile technology, protection and personality is customization,” OtterBox President and CEO Brian Thomas said. “Our consumers crave customization and the Maker Series is a platform for OtterBox enthusiasts to be involved in the design process and customize a unique, one-of-a-kind case. We hope this is a blueprint for success in smartphone case customization.”

For more information on the OtterBox Maker Series and to download a blueprint, visit

http://blog.otterbox.com/introducing-the-maker-series/**

Pentax Optio WG-10 Camera

We read this announcement on the Pentax Forum page.

The waterproof Pentax Optio WG-10 has recently hit the shelves in the US; it is now available online at Target.com, and it should soon be making its way to Target stores nationwide.  The WG-10 is a Target exclusive and will not be available through other retail outlets.

Available for just $179.99, the WG-10 is desgined to deliver exceptional outdoor performance at an affordable price.  You can take this camera just about anywhere thanks to its waterproof, coldproof, and crushproof design!

More Pentax news at: http://www.pentaxforums.com/news/pentax-optio-wg-10-now-available.html#ixzz2Pcsy1Zf2

Another MSFT Failure

It looks like MSFT has another hardware failure. Vendors like Dell, ASUS, Lenovo are offering steep discounts on the Windows RT tablets clearly indicating that they aren’t selling. MSFT, of course, hasn’t cut their prices because they remain blind to the obvious.

If you are one of the half-dozen or so people out there who actually wants to spend money on a Windows RT device go to Amazon.com, Best Buy, Staples and Office Depot and see how the prices have dropped. Or, you can wait a few months for the fire sale and save even more!

Here’s what ComputerWorld has to say:

Though Microsoft has not publicly acknowledged the failure of Windows RT, there is already growing concern about the fate of the OS. IDC earlier this month said that Windows RT tablet shipments have been poor, and that consumers have not bought into "Windows RT's value proposition."

PC and chip makers have acknowledged poor adoption of the operating system. Nvidia's CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang, last month said he was disappointed with the poor response to Windows RT, and Acer executives have said that Microsoft needs to improve the usability of RT.