director of industry analysis for consumer technology

Competitors in the fast-moving tablet-computer category are lining up to take on Apple's iPad. Hewlett-Packard is the latest to preview its upcoming slate product, and other companies like Lenovo, Sony, Dell and Acer are similarly positioning their products.

The HP tablet runs Windows 7, and was first previewed by Microsoft at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. HP published some details on its company blog last month and updated the information with a posting Monday that includes two promotional videos. The videos show a tablet device running Flash and responding to hand gestures.

Score one for Hollywood. RealNetworks agreed this week to settle lawsuits with major movie and TV studios for its RealDVD product, which allows users to copy DVDs onto hard drives.

As part of the settlement, RealNetworks will pay the studios $4.5 million to cover legal costs. In its announcement, RealNetworks said all parties have agree to the "terms of a permanent injunction that will prohibit RealNetworks from distributing or supporting RealDVD or any other technology that enables the duplication of copyrighted content protected by the Content Scramble System, ArccOS or RipGuard."

Score one for Hollywood. RealNetworks agreed this week to settle lawsuits with major movie and TV studios for its RealDVD product, which allows users to copy DVDs onto hard drives.

As part of the settlement, RealNetworks will pay the studios $4.5 million to cover legal costs. In its announcement, RealNetworks said all parties have agreed to the "terms of a permanent injunction that will prohibit RealNetworks from distributing or supporting RealDVD or any other technology that enables the duplication of copyrighted content protected by the Content Scramble System, ArccOS or RipGuard."

Comcast's new TV Everywhere is launching next month. That's the word from Comcast Interactive Media President Amy Banse, who described some of the details of the anticipated service in an interview this week at the NewTeeVee Live 09 event in San Francisco.

The new service, now in a trial phase in 5,000 homes, will allow Comcast subscribers to watch favorite shows over the web with no additional charges.

On-Demand Online

There's a new Android device on the market. On Tuesday, the French company ARCHOS announced the ARCHOS 5 Internet Tablet, based on Google's open-source Android mobile operating system.

The ARCHOS 5 features 720p high-definition viewing, TV recording, and built-in GPS with 3-D navigation in addition to Net browsing. It has a five-inch 800x480 touchscreen, and the company emphasized that it has a full-fledged browser and integrated applications. Connectivity is Wi-Fi, or 3.5G from a mobile phone connected through Bluetooth.

Android a 'Major Differentiator'

You take lots of photos and movies during your vacation trip, and each night in the hotel room you project them on the wall for your family -- from the same camera. That's the scenario that Nikon envisions with its announcement Tuesday of the first compact camera with a built-in projector.

Bedtime Story Companion?

The COOLPIX S1000pj can project photos or videos on any flat surface of up to 40 inches. Photos can be shown one by one, or as a slide show with music and effects. A projector stand and remote control are included.

Microsoft's Zune is evolving, the company said Tuesday. One branch of that evolution is a new generation of the portable media player, Zune HD, which will incorporate a built-in HD radio receiver, high-definition video output, an organic light-emitting (OLED) touchscreen, Wi-Fi and a Web browser. The new model will be available in the fall.

The other evolutionary branch is that Zune will become a "a premium partner" in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace. Microsoft said the first slot in the user interface of the marketplace will be Zune's, with a catalog of TV shows and films.

More details are emerging about the new, larger-screen Kindle e-reader from Amazon, which is widely expected to be launched during a press conference Wednesday. One development with potentially the biggest impact is the company's apparent intention to move into the textbook market, an area that some observers have said is ripe for e-readers.

Tests at Colleges

You reach for your collection of the 100 most popular movies of all time, and pull down from your shelf -- one disc. That's a possible scenario resulting from an announcement Monday that General Electric has made a breakthrough in storage on optical discs using holographic technology.

Microholographic Storage

At the moment, the breakthrough exists only in the company's research labs, but it holds the promise of enabling huge amounts of storage on a single DVD, possibly creating new consumer and business markets.

As netbooks gain market share, industry observers have been asking if Apple is going to jump into this product category. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company may be preparing to do just that -- with the guidance of CEO Steve Jobs.