This is the most realistic training you can get. Way more realistic than Modern Warfare 2.

Catch a video of the action after the jump.

By Darren Murph, Engadget

We may be way off base here, but we’re pretty sure the game just got upended. Days after AT&T appeased the masses by finally enabling 3G streaming over the iPhone’s SlingPlayer app, Verizon Wireless has delivered some big gargantuan news of its own. Starting next month, all Verizon Wireless customers with smartphones (and an accompanying data plan) will be able to make and receive unlimited Skype-to-Skype voice calls to any user in the world over its 3G network, which is something that AT&T users have been able to do since last autumn. Let us repeat that: VZW, which is known historically as one of the most controlling carriers in this great nation, is opening up its 3G network for limitless Skype calling. The forthcoming Skype Mobile application will also support Skype Out calling, instant messaging between Skype users and an ability to “remain always connected… to see friends’ online presence.” Nine smartphones will be compatible at launch, and we’re guessing that more will be added in due time. Giddy yet?

Initially, Skype mobile will be available on millions of best-selling Verizon Wireless 3G smartphones with data plans, including:

* BlackBerry Storm 9530
* BlackBerry Storm2
* BlackBerry Curve 8330
* BlackBerry Curve 8530
* BlackBerry Curve 8830 World Edition
* BlackBerry Tour 9630
* Motorola Droid
* HTC Droid Eris
* Motorola Devour

By Uncrate

It does usher in a new computing form factor (or rather, revives it) — but it’s a space that will be awfully crowded in short order. Should you rush in to pick up the Apple-flavored tablet or are there reasons to consider waiting for the series of devices that are sure to follow? For now, a quick look at what’s missing in the iPad version 1.0 might help decide the balance of your bank account at the end of March.

No Multi-tasking

No Drag and Drop File Management

You’ll be downloading content from the web and through the iTunes content store directly from the device, of course, but what about that set of files you just brought home from work or that collection of videos I want to dredge out from an old backup drive? In order to get them over to the iPad, I’d have to first dump them into iTunes, then perform a sync operation — instead of being able to simply drag and drop them over Wi-Fi or simply hook them in via USB Mass Storage (a great standard that’s been around forever!). There are third-party iPhone apps that allow file transfer via Wi-Fi, but how many steps are we needlessly adding to a process that was uncomplicated by USB Mass Storage years ago?

No USB Port

Yes, you’ll be able to pick up an us-yet-unpriced “iPad Camera Connection” kit that will give you the ability to pull photos off your USB-enabled camera. It remains to be seen, though, if the adapter-provided USB port will even allow you to hook in other peripherals (mouse? keyboard?) or attach external media in the form of USB hard drives or thumb drives.

No SD Slot

No Flash

We know Apple dislikes its lack of control over the whole Flash ecosystem, and that Flash is the leading cause of crashes on OS X. We can also prognosticate that Apple is hoping that HTML5 will take off quickly and start to disintermediate Flash as the primary technology powering video playback on the web.

Still, YouTube just announced their HTML5 player last week. It’s getting out there, but it’s the early days for widespread HTML5 support. It’s doubtful it will be in a position two short months from now to completely replace the Flash experience for web video, leaving a lot of ugly “plug-in missing” boxes to make an appearance on one’s expensive iPad tablet.

No HDMI Out

Even to get video out at all, you’ll need a proprietary Dock to VGA adapter, which obviously limits you to VGA resolutions — there’s not even a DisplayPort out option, which Apple has been touting as a great alternative to HDMI. You’ll be able to pull up to 576p out with an (again, proprietary) Apple Composite A/V Cable — but this is composite video we’re talking here. Not HDMI, not component, not even S-video. The only upside to that is that, as the lowest common denominator just above a coaxial connection, your TV from the early ’90s will probably at least have this type of connector.

No 1080p Playback

To be fair, it’s definitely a minor point considering the paucity of true 1080p content out there — but it definitely feels like an odd backwards step in a video trajectory that should be trending towards full HD, not away from it.

No Native Widescreen

The tablet’s resolution tops out at 1024 x 768, which falls into the 4:3 standard definition range and not the glorious, widescreen 16:9 high definition aspect ratio we’ve come to know and love. In fact, we’ve come to know and love it via Apple, who has been touting HD as the second coming for several years now. Remember when 2005 was “the Year of High Definition Video?” So then why, pray tell, is 2010 suddenly the Year of Composite Out?

No Camera

Skype ()

Flickr ()

Facebook ()

Picasa ()

The iPad is clearly a device centered around media consumption, not creation.

No Full GPS

No Open SDK

That means programmers working on applications for the device can’t talk about the platform to outsiders who have not also signed the NDA. The nature of the Internets means that some information will undoubtedly leak out, but the veil of secrecy Apple wants to enforce surrounding the iPad developer platform runs counter to the open information sharing of ecosystems like Twitter (), for example.

Conclusion

Nevertheless, before this thing wins your hard-earned dough, make sure you know what its limitations are. Let us know if we’ve missed any points here, and what your take on the Apple iPad is as a whole in the comments.

By Barb Dybwad, Mashable

Tell us what you think.

By Christina Warren, Mashable

Steve Jobs introduces the iPad!

visit Engadget for up to the minute coverage here!

The highly anticipated “Apple Tablet” is expected to be announced today at Apple’s ‘latest creation’ Event. We expect to see some updates to iPhone technologies and more. Visit Engadget for the live play by play. The event starts at 10am PST.

Ingenious and slightly ironic at the same time, the BookBook ($80) is a new case for the MacBook and MacBook pro that disguises your ‘Book as, well, a book. Employing thick hardcover front and rear panels and a rigid spine, the BookBook provides ample protection for your laptop, while elastic corner clips let you use the computer while it’s encased, and dual zippers let you charge the device while closed. Best of all, the hand craftsmanship and distressing ensure your BookBook will be unique to you, further reducing the fact that passerby will notice that it’s not simply an aging hardbound tome. [Thanks, Kyle]

By Uncrate

Two years ago, technology blog Gizmodo held a contest to see who had the best ideas for a rumored Macintosh tablet. Analysts now expect the device to ship sometime in the Spring, and fans are left dreaming about what that device could look like — again. Which of these ideas from two years back seems the most realistic today?

FOX

While both carriers announced these changes as efforts to simplify plans, the real truth behind the story is that the profits are in the data: Verizon’s revenue is now up 24% (they reported $15.8 billion in Q309), with 17% coming from data services.

I think that there is still a long way to go before it gets to a point where picking a cell phone plan is simple, even after these various many attempts by the carriers in 2009. There are still way too many plan combination.

This is our best attempt to simplify all of the plan combination and it was painful, but here it is, The Ultimate Cell Phone Plans Comparison:

Click to enlarge

By Tony Adam, BillShrink

Light Blue Optics

The Light Touch pico projector throws a laser WVGA image out to the size of 10-inches, turning any available surface into a touchscreen. The angle is a pretty decent wide throw, which means the projector can be quite close to the surface.

Running on Adobe Flash Lite 3.1, the Light Touch projector has 2GB of flash memory and a microSD card slot (with support up to 32GB) for storing media on, and also has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for hooking up with a laptop or device. It supposedly has a 2 hour battery life, which unfortunately seems to be the norm with these little projectors, though kudos to Light Blue Optics for throwing in a bunch of other features that could make this actually useful, for consumers as well as businesses (as the pic below shows). [Light Blue Optics via BusinessWire]

By Kat Hannaford, Gizmodo

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• Light Blue Optics unveils Light Touch: a 10-inch touchscreen pico projector based on lasers (video) (engadget.com)
• CES2010: Light Blue Optics’ laser projector enables touch interaction (seattlepi.com)

If the last week was any indication, 2010 will definitely be the year of the tablet, and the Dell Mini 5 ($TBA) looks to be a solid option amongst the sea of upcoming slates. Rocking a five-inch multitouch screen, five-megapixel rear and webcam-quality front facing cameras, a built-in SIM card option, Wi-Fi, an included headset, and Android OS, it will be blurring the lines between phone and computer later this year.

By Uncrate