Apple's new iPad: 2 missing features

from www.pcworld.idg.com.au:

>>Haptic display

When it came to the iPad, the biggest talk over the past month was its haptic display. Haptic touch responds to you as you touch the display. Does your smartphone vibrate when you tap a key? Then you’ve already experienced haptic technology.

Virtually every device manufacturer has at least one haptic device under its belt except for Apple. Up until now and, obviously, the foreseeable future, Apple users will be limited to smooth touchscreens that provide no feedback.

The tech blog Pocket Lint believed Apple was working with the haptic technology company Senseg to update the new iPad. It didn’t help that Apple’s invite said “We have something for you to see. And touch.”

Without the haptic technology, it’s hard not to view the new iPad as a minor upgrade from last year’s model.

Why Apple’s New iPad Won’t Win Over the Xbox Gamer

from http://kotaku.com:

>>But in an industry where touching is everything, touchscreens can't be the only thing. As subtle as it can be sometimes, haptic feedback is an integral component to most interactive experiences. The tiny click you hear when you push a button. The vibration of your controller. The slight resistance as you pull your triggers to a game's rhythm, shooting soldiers and aliens along with the pulse of your screen. To console gamers, Apple's tablet can't come close to mirroring that feeling, no matter how powerful its guts are.

Will iPad 3 offer a more immersive touch experience?

from http://tabtimes.com (thanks for the mention):

>>See me, feel me, touch me

The reference to “touch" is more problematic.

But it could well mean Apple has implemented new haptic technology in the iPad. Haptics is tactile feedback technology that lets users feel sensations like vibration and force feedback -- e.g. a kind of mini-shockwave feeling in a game controller, or a grainy or “heavy” feeling when certain onscreen objects are touched to differentiate them.

“It’s an intriguing idea that Apple could use haptics to offer more feedback in a user’s gestures,” says IHS iSuppli analyst Rhoda Alexander.

Immersion Corporation: Will Its Haptic Technology Become Part Of Most Smartphones?

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>Last week Immersion Corporation (IMMR) reported Q4 2011 and full year results.

A quick look at some of the highlights:

• Revenue was $7.7 million, a 20% increase compared with $6.4 million in Q4 2010, and higher than consensus ($ 7.09 million);
• Royalty and license revenue totaled $6.8 million in Q4 2011, an increase of 26% as compared with $5.4 million for the same period of the previous year;
• Net loss for Q4 2011 was $(270,000), or $(0.01) per share, slightly better than consensus of $(0.02);

One day, all data centres will be made this way

from www.cloudpro.co.uk:

>>A couple of weeks ago, I joined a number of journalists on a visit to two Equinix data centres in Paris (one complete, one under construction), on the invitation of one of their prime tenants, BSO Network Solutions. Now that the air conditioning noise has stopped ringing in my ears, what did I learn?

Data Center Related Stocks Are Beating The Market

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>The US market is off to a very good start in 2012, with the NASDAQ up 5.4% in February alone and nearly 14% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 and the DOW gained 4.1% and 2.5% respectively, in February and 8.6% and 6% in the first two months.

In spite of such a strong benchmark, data center related stocks performed, on average, much better than the market, delivering mostly double-digit gains in February alone, and several outstanding results since the start of the year.

Most Data Center Related Stocks Positive After Q4 2011 Earnings

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>Most data center related stocks delivered solid numbers in Q4 2011 and met analyst expectations for more growth in 2012, confirming the strength of the sector.

Here is a complete look at how the companies under our radar screen performed on their report date last quarter:

Immersion's Haptics Technology in Sega's Sonic CD

Watch David Zemke of Sega talk about the implementation of Immersion's haptics technology in the popular Sonic CD game on an Android tablet at Mobile World Congress, exclusively here!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=240436449383423&set=o.229659447127790&type=2&theater

Immersion asserting its patent portfolio, says Craig-Hallum

from theflyonthewall:

>>Craig-Hallum said Immersion (IMMR) is aggressively asserting its IP with the recent ITC action and lawsuit against Motorola Mobility (MSI). The firm believes this is the right move and hope to see more defendants added to the complaint soon. The analyst believes Immersion's technology is very relevent and that the patent portfolio is significant, and that share could see substantial upside if it settles with Motorola. Shares are Buy rated with a $9 price target.

NEC Medias ES N-05D

some additional info about the NEC phones including IMMR haptics:

>>It's arrived at the Medias ES N-05D, which measures in at a ridiculous 6.7mm, and making the Droid Razr choke on its salad in the process.

>>NEC MEDIAS ES N-05D is a Japan only handset with killer specs

>>Casio announced at the NEC is partnering "SiS Distribution (Thailand) PCL" of Thailand and a leading IT equipment sales, to start selling MEDIAS terminal series for the Thai market from April.

Tablets That Have a Certain Feel to Them

from Engadget:

>>The two technologies are also at different stages. Senseg is just now looking to sign its first customers, while Immersion says its newer technology is already in a tablet from Pantech and will come soon to other tablets. Phones should also get the new touch tech, once the piezo modules are reduced a bit in size.

Equinix (EQIX) initiated with a Buy at Capstone

from Yahoo.

Software Tool Adds HD Haptics To Mobile Devices

Interesting video from www.engineeringtv.com:

The Next Big Thing: Touchscreens That Touch You Back

from www.thestreet.com:

Avoid PIIGS Sovereign Bonds

Read the whole article at Seeking Alpha:

>>We live interesting times, here in old Europe.

The recent decision by the ECB to convert the Greek bonds it owns into new securities, issued in 2012 and so excluded from the debt swap offer, created an interesting new category: 'The More Equal Than Others bondholder'.

Immersion's haptic technology gets your smartphone buzzing

from http://asia.cnet.com:

>>BARCELONA, Spain--I popped by Pepcom's MobileFocus event that was happening during Mobile World Congress and stumbled upon the Immersion booth. The company was showing off its new haptic technology that can be integrated into Android smartphones.

Shown a picture of a maracas (pictured above) on what looks to be a Nexus S, I was told to hold it up to my ear and shake the smartphone. Imagine my surprise when the phone vibrated exactly the way real maracas would, with matching sounds and just the right amount of vibration to simulate beans bouncing around inside the handset.

Interactive Data 7ticks Further Expands Global Connectivity Capabilities

Direct or cross-connect access to a wide range of global exchanges is also available through Interactive Data's significantly expanded Points of Presence (POPs) with leading global providers of data centers and technology services, including Equinix, Inc. , Interxion, Telex and KVH.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Interactive-Data-7ticks-iw-1123737842.html?x=0

Immersion initiated with a Neutral at Brigantine

from www.theflyonthewall.com:

HD Integrator

The HD Integrator build-time OEM software tool harnesses the capabilities of Immersion’s TouchSense 5000 and high fidelity actuators to deliver new haptic interactions based on the dynamic content and UIs of next-gen handsets. The resulting experience uses thoughtfully designed and fast response HD haptic effects to: 1.) Communicate new and relevant information via haptics and 2.) Transform mobile UIs and content such as mobile games and video into multi-modal experiences that fully engage the senses.

HD Integrator is only available to OEMs using high fidelity actuators along with Immersion TouchSense 5000 software. The solution hinges upon the ability for the embedded haptic solution to deliver fast response times and effects across a broader frequency range, which is only available through high fidelity actuators.

http://www.immersion.com/products/integrator/hd.html

Hands On With Immersion's HD Integrator

from www.pcmag.com:

>>We listened to a clip of Jennifer Lopez's On the Floor with HD reverb effects enabled. While the song itself remains a matter of taste, there's no denying the additional punch haptic feedback has while listening, causing your phone to pulse along with the beat of the song. While you may not want to listen to music like this all the time, it's a good example of how these effects can be applied to sounds in videos or games.

Another demo introduced "layered haptics," which allows developers to deliver simultaneous distinguishable effects. A video of a rollercoaster ride, for instance, allows you to feel the movement of the coaster, the rush of the air, and even the passengers screaming from behind you. It's only a fifteen-second clip, but it's incredibly immersive. Check out a shot from the video in the slideshow above.