Google Nexus One Rising

Google recently launched its answer to Apple's iPhone, the Google Nexus One. This entry to the global mobile phone market will be initially available to consumers through plans offered through T-Mobile at $79.99 per month. This will be an unlimited call and text plan. But consumers can also

get the phone through a Google-run Website. Verizon will make it available in their network by spring this year. An unlocked version of the phone is also offered at $529 at Google's phone store.

The Nexus One's features include a 3.7 inch touchscreen, the soon-to-be-standard 5 MP camera with autofocus and a 2x digital zoom, Micro SD card slot, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, as well as an assisted global positioning system (AGPS) receiver. It runs using Google's Android Mobile Technology Platform 2.1 OS.

With its 1 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, it has more memory compared to the iPhone. Its size is also smaller with a thickness of 11.5 mm compared to the iPhone's 12. 3 mm. In terms of cost, it will cost lesser compared to the iPhone in a comparative analysis made in a PC World article by JR Raphael.

With all the anticipation for the Google Nexus One to come out in the market, US consumers will have the first crack at the phone and test its performance against the other smartphones out in the market today. They even set up a You Tube channel for the phone to reach a bigger consumer base when it starts selling on a global scale.

Apple Tablet - Is it really for real

Rumors on the release of the Apple Tablet have kept everyone on their toes for most of last year. A prediction from www.thestandard.com said that it might be an $800 gadget with a 9.7 inch touchscreen device due to be released last October 31. Another prediction from the same website said that Verizon's network may be used for the tablet by December 1 last year. Its latest prediction is a March 31, 2010 release for the much talked about tablet from Apple.

Gizmodo.com on the other hand, made its own investigative work on the probable name , release date, price range and some specifications of the device. Names included iSlate, TabletMac as well as iPAD, with iPAD viewed with an amused skepticism.

The Today @ PC World Blog post of Jared Newman had similar reports on the specifications and price range of the device. It may be a 9.7 inch device price at $800 or a 6 inch gadget at less than $700. Another report was for a device with a 10 inch screen at around $1000.

With all of these reports, rumors and predictions coming in, the hype for the device is now getting stronger and stronger. We hope that this Apple Tablet will live up to the Apple brand of devices, although I myself have not yet used, let alone owned an Apple device (although it would be nice to have one though).

We're just hoping that Steve Jobs will answer all questions about the Apple tablet when he's supposed to introduce a new product this coming January 26.