Apple announced their long-awaited tablet today, the iPad.  You can get details on the Apple iPad here.

The iPad will begin shipping in late March and starts at $499 with 16GB of flash storage and no built-in 3G wireless.

Apple iPad Product Page

If you spend as much time reading smartphone specs as we do (thrill a minute, we know – jealous?), you’ve probably noticed a majority of SDHC-compatible devices list their maximum supported memory card capacities at 32GB.  But smartphones use microSD memory cards, which are only currently available with – at most – 16GB of storage.  16,000 megabytes is quite a lot, but where are the 32GB cards we’ve been so anxious to fill?

We check weekly for news on the 32GB microSDHC front, and today we sorta-kinda hit potential paydirt.  In September, SanDisk began shipping flash memory cards based on a new technology called X4, which allows memory cells to store twice the data of those in previous chips.  This development will push standard SD cards to 64GB of data in the coming months.  The first memory chips using the X4 technology (Secure Digital and Memory Stick Pro DUO) are now being shipped.

So, can 32GB microSD cards be far behind?  Inquiring media packrats want to know.

Source: SanDisk X4 Press Release

The new ARCHOS 5 Android-powered Internet Tablet (the first non-phone Android device released) is now available for purchase in the United States at Amazon.com.  The tablet is available in three variations: 500GB and 160GB drive-based models and a 32GB flash-based model.

The ARCHOS 5 is one of the first non-smartphone devices to firmly grab our attention in some time. This is largely due to device’s rich media features.  The ARCHOS 5 has a 5” 800×480 touchscreen and an extensive codec library; this not only means that video will look great, but also that you won’t have to worry about the rigid transcoding requirements of other mobile video devices (cough… iPhone… cough).  Popular image and audio formats are compatible with the ARCHOS 5 as well.

Other features include the ability to playback 720p HD video (including MKV, MPEG-2, H.264, WMV HD files/formats), Android application support, an 800MHz ARM CPU, 802.11n Wi-Fi, an HDMI Mini Dock (optional), a DVR Station for recording TV (optional), a web browser, integrated GPS (navigation is a paid feature), a microSDHC memory slot (flash models), social networking software and more.

We hope to get one of these devices in for review soon.  If you have an Archos 5 Android tablet, let us know what you think of it!

Microsoft’s latest Zune portable media player, the Zune HD, is now available for purchase. 

Many in the tech world are raving about the new player, which boasts a new Tegra mobile processor, a 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen and the ability to output 720p HD video to TVs with an optional dock.

Other features include HD Radio support, built-in Wi-Fi, a web browser, up to 8.5 hours of video playback and wireless syncing. The Zune HD is available in two capacities, 16GB and 32GB. 

We doubt the Zune HD will prove much of a treat to Apple’s iPod touch, irrespective of how well it performs in consumers’ hands.  Microsoft will need a line of winning media players to compete with the ubiquitous iPod.  However, the new Zune may provide some insight into how Microsoft plans to beef up its future Windows Mobile devices’ multimedia experience.

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Microsoft will begin shipping Windows 7 on October 22.  But today through July 11 in the United States and Canada, you can pre-order the Windows 7 operating system for as little as $49.

Like Vista, Windows 7 will be available in several flavors.  Windows 7 Home Premium is the edition most Vista users will likely want to upgrade to, but Windows 7 Professional (which includes an XP virtual machine) may be a better upgrade for some business users. 

The Home Premium upgrade discounted price is $49, but increase to $119 after the pre-order sale ends. The Professional upgrade pre-order price is $99, but will cost $199 post-discount.

We’ve been using Windows 7 (the Beta and the Release Candidate) for a few months and are very impressed by how solid it is even in the testing phase.  If you’re a Vista user and don’t plan on buying a new PC in the next year or so, get in on this 50% off sale before it’s over!

The Pocket PC Central: iPhone Edition Hands-On iPhone 3GS Review has been posted in the Review Center.

The new iPhone 3G S is faster than the iPhone 3G, twice as fast or more when opening applications and viewing large documents.  This is because the 3G S has a faster processor and more system memory.  There’s also a new 3MP camera which can shoot photos or video, and you can edit the video on the iPhone.  Voice Control allows you to make calls, control iTunes and more by pressing and holding the Home button and speaking commands. 

The new iPhone will be available in 16GB and 32GB capacities for $199 and $299 respectively.  The 8GB iPhone 3G will continue to be sold for $99.  Rather than July, as many had expected, the iPhone 3G S will launch on or around June 19th in the United States.

Today Apple announced its 3rd Generation iPod shuffle. The new shuffle has been redesigned and now lacks hardware playback control on the main device body, although there is a single switch for shuffle, repeat and off.  The clip is still there, too, so you can easily wear your iPod shuffle while you’re on the go.

Control of the 3G iPod shuffle is relegated to the earbud cord, which has a new control node for play, pause, skip, playlist selection and volume.  The new VoiceOver feature, which speaks track, artist and playlist information, is also activated by using this control.  The node’s single button performs multiple actions depending on the number and duration of presses.  Fortunately, there are dedicated up and down volume control buttons.

We’re happy to see that the new shuffle includes playlist support, but the single-button with the voice prompt control system seems like a lot of hoops to jump through to take the place of a simple display.  But, if you’re the type of person who just wants music and doesn’t much care about listening to a particular track at a particular time, the new shuffle should fit you just fine.

The 3G iPod shuffle is available today at the Apple Store in either silver or black and comes in one capacity, 4GB, which holds about 1000 songs.  The MSRP is $79.

It’s not a smartphone and it doesn’t run Windows Mobile, but Amazon’s new Kindle 2 wireless ebook reader has our attention; and it’s worth yours, too, if you’re a voracious reader.

The Kindle 2 has an improved E-Ink electronic paper display, more internal memory, better battery life and a new slimmed-down design.  Amazon has also increased the number of converted Kindle books to over 240,000.

Books and newspapers are downloaded over Sprint’s wireless network, the price of which is included in the book purchase price.  Want to read a book on the Kindle? Just purchase the title and have the complete text within a minute, without connecting to a PC.  

Unfortunately, the Kindle 2 has some downsides.  First, Amazon has removed the SD expansion card, although the reader does include more internal memory storage.  Also, the price decrease that many expected didn’t come – the Kindle 2 is still $359.

The new Kindle 2 reader is now shipping from Amazon.  We’ll post a review soon.

Today, Amazon announced the Kindle 2, the follow-up to the company’s first Kindle ebook reader released in late 2007. 

The 10-ounce Kindle 2 features a new, slim design (it’s about the thickness of a pencil), a re-thought key and button layout, 1.4GB of usable onboard memory (up from 180MB) for storage of up to 1500 books, 25% faster page-turns, 25% longer battery life and a 6-inch electronic paper display that can render four times the shades of gray (16 shades instead of 4).

There are currently 230,000 books available for purchase on the Kindle and Kindle 2 with more being added all the time. You can also subscribe to select newspapers and blogs on the Kindle.

There’s also a new Realspeak Solo text-to-speech feature on the Kindle 2 which allows the device to “read to” users aloud.  No word on how this affects battery life.

The one gray lining in this silver cloud: The Kindle 2 is still $359.  You can pre-order the Kindle 2 now.  The unit will begin shipping on February 24 – first come, first serve.