TECHNOMINDZ

New Apple iPad 2 specifications at a glance

2011-03-08T19:14:00.000-08:00

Apple's much awaited iPad 2 will have the same screen size and resolution as the original iPad, 9.7 inch 1024 x 768. Also same storage options (16GB, 32GB and 64GB) and OS (iOS 4.3).

So what's new with iPad 2 aside from being white? iPad 2 has two cameras — a front facing VGA at 30fps, 640 × 480 and a rear 720p camera at 30fps, 1280×720. Aside from FaceTime, iPad 2 is also equipped with new photo and video apps like the built-in Photo Booth app and other third party video and photo applications.

iPad 2 also features Display Mirroring. With iOS 4.3 you’ll be able to use the existing VGA and the new HDMI adapter to output video from your iPad. But on iPad 2, you will be able to use the new Display Mirroring feature. With Display Mirroring, anything that’s on your iPad 2 will be shown identically on your TV monitor when connected.

iPad 2 will run 2x faster and 9x better graphics, thanks to its new Apple A5 processor. Add a 3-axis gyroscope and it's a next generation gaming device you'll ever want to play Infinity Blade or Real Racing HD, action packed with awesome texture mapping giving you immersive gaming experience.

A slightly shorter and thinner iPad 2 will be released. If you find the original iPad a little big or heavy then iPad 2 will seem just right if you want to upgrade. iPad 2 also has magnets around its bezel, best suited for magnet powered accessories like its own Smart Covers.

So that's it for now for the new iPad 2 specifications. If we miss anything please let us know with your comments.

Apple's iPad 2 will continue to dominate tablet market, analyst predicts

2011-03-08T18:56:00.001-08:00

According to Adam Leach, Ovum's principal analyst, Apple's upcoming iPad 2 will continue it's tablet dominance despite fierce competition from Google's Android OS until the year 2015.

"Apple clearly had first mover advantage. However, its competitors have been hot on its heals with a slew of tablet devices from big brand vendors such as Samsung, Motorola, HP, HTC and RIM, all of which have announced tablet devices which aim to replicate the Apple experience, which is notoriously difficult to match.” said Adam Leach.

"Much of the early growth of the tablet market can be attributable to the Apple iPad, a device whose sales constituted 90 per cent of the total market opportunity in 2010. The remaining 10 per cent of shipments in 2010 was made up of devices running variants of Google’s Android OS.” Adam continued.

Leach also discusses his view on Ovum's tablet forecast material about Honeycomb, Google Android's latest OS for tablets, along with other major companies' OS like HP and RIM.

"Ovum’s belief is that the platform dominance of Apple and Google will continue through 2011 and beyond. However, devices based on Google’s platforms will only overtake those based on Apple’s platform by 2015, when we forecast 36 per cent and 35 per cent market shares respectively, of a total market with shipments of about 150 million units in 2015.”

Will iPad follow Apple's iPod market boom? Does it really own the tablet market today and beyond 2015? What do you think?

Solowheel: Fun and Portable Way to Travel in a Single Wheel

2011-02-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

It's half the Segway, but looks more portable and more fun to ride. It's the wheel reinvented. Solowheel is the latest and smallest motorized transportation device created by the Inventist.

Solowheel is a self balancing unicycle with side mounted and foldable foot pegs that weighs only 20 lbs and can travel at speeds of up to 12 miles per hour. It's very portable and can be carried around in suitcase style.

The Solowheel uses gyroscopic technology for balance and powered by a 1000 watt motor and a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery that manages to recapture its own energy while you coast or go downhill. It can run up to two hours when fully charged and recharging time is only 45 minutes.

This step and go unicycle is very easy to learn. Just step on it and you're ready to go. Lean forward to go forward and backward when you want to slow down. It retails at $1500, it's a bit steep price for a single wheel but for eco-conscious consumers like me, I'm willing to own one.

World's First 3D Glasses-free Fujitsu PC Unveiled in Japan

2011-01-12T04:59:00.000-08:00

The world's first desktop computer with a display that can show 3D images without the need for 3D special glasses was unveiled Wednesday by Japanese IT services giant Fujitsu.

Fujitsu's FH99/CM desktop PC is included in its new line-up of the FMV computer series. It has liquid crystal display covered by a conversion panel enabling viewers to see three dimensional images on the screen.

It is scheduled to launch on February 25 in Japan, and overseas launch to follow. Fujitsu has already launched 3D desktop PCs requiring 3D glasses.

"Without having to wear glasses, you can enjoy watching 3D images with others," said Toshiro Ohbitsu, Fujitsu engineer. "You can share the excitement with family." The computer also enables users to record and watch television and edit images.

Toshiba also launched in Japan last month what it calls the world's first television that allows viewers to see 3D images without special glasses intensifying competition in the 3D market while gaining technology momentum.

Nike Introduces Nike+ SportsWatch GPS

2011-01-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

Nike in parternership with TomTom has introduced at CES 2011 its latest Nike+ SportsWatch GPS. This exciting new health and fitness product leverages on the shoe-based technology of Nike+ sensor to track time, distance, pace, heart rate, and calories burned. Using TomTom's technology, the Nike+ SportsWatch GPS will keep track the user's activity, and then motivates the user to improve based previous performances.

The watch connects to a user’s computer via a built-in retractable USB dongle allowing users to upload their data to NikePlus.com to view records, set new goals and interact with other users or runners. SportsWatch GPS took home two awards from the CES for innovation in the Health and Wellness and Personal Electronics categories.

More information about Nike+ SportsWatch GPS and how to order it is available at Nike's website.

LAS VEGAS—In the past Nike teamed up with Apple to create the Nike+ iPod, which lets runners create custom playlists to track the distance and duration of their runs. Today at CES 2011, Nike announced a similar partnership with TomTom to create the Nike+ SportsWatch Plus GPS.
The 1.5 x 10.8 x .6-inch watch weighs 2.3 ounces and comes with a shoe sensor to track your steps. As you might expect, TomTom provides the GPS functionality and that works in tandem with a sensor that the runner places in their shoe. The GPS will be used to optimize the performance of the sensor, which in the Nike + iPod version can be inconsistent.
When the run is over, users can connect the watch to their computer via USB and upload their run data. This is also how you charge the watch.
The watch is also designed to motivate you. If your growing gut isn’t warning enough, you can get automatic reminders from the watch when you haven’t run in the past five days. You can also get kudos for reaching new personal bests. All these cues can be adjusted and manipulated on Nikeplus.com.
No word on pricing or availability yet, but I expect it will be priced to move.

Source: PCMAG

Sony PSP (PlayStation) Phone Leaked from China

2011-01-09T02:03:00.000-08:00

Few days ago, a rumored PSP Phone popped-up on a Hong Kong forum (HKGolden). Said units seemed to have leaked out of the factory in sufficient quantities as the lucky forum poster revealed he has two units on hand. The unit obviously has an XPERIA logo on it which many speculated it could be named something like XPeria Play. But experts also noticed the model number series of R800i which is associated with previously rumored PSP Phone Zeus Z1.

Latest confirmation was revealed again later by Chinese website IT168. They now confirmed the specs of the said Xperia-branded PSP device. Here's a quick specification rundown:

* CPU - 1GHz Snapdragon QSD8255 (featured on the HTC Desire HD)
* GPU - Qualcomm Adreno 205 GPU
* Battery - 1,500mAh
* Display - 854 x 480 resolution, 4-inch touchscreen LCD
* Camera - 5 megapixel autofocus with LED Flash
* Memory - 512MB RAM, 512MB ROM
* Others - MicroSD Slot, SIM slot, micro-USB, secondary mic at the back (for active noise cancellation)

Benchmark reports an impressive 59.1fps figure from Neocore while Quadrant reported a high score of 1,733. Specs of the rumored PSP Phone above has significant disparity from the PSP Go who only has a 333MHz processor, 64MB RAM, and a 3.8-inch 480 x 272 display. So everything is lining up nicely for the new PSP Xperia Gaming Phone.

Dell Streak 7: The First 4G Pocket 7-inch Tablet

2011-01-06T18:03:00.000-08:00

This 7-inch version of Dell's Streak tablet has been in the rumor mill for months, but now no more since it was officially launched at 2011 International CES. It may be small compared to standard tablets but its speedy 4G goodness makes it all worth while.

The Dell Streak 7 weighs just less than a pound, and comes with a 5 megapixel rear camera and 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, Nvidia's powerful Tegra 2 processor housed behind a 7-inch Gorilla Glass WVGA touch screen display.

The streak 7 may not be as pocketable as its 5-inch small brother but still borders around portability of small tablets like the Galaxy Tab. Many were disappointed though with its Android Froyo installed instead of Google's tablet-friendly Honeycomb OS. But still, it will support full Flash 10.1 and a word from Dell that it will get Android 3.0 upgrade soon after its launch.

And yes, it's 4G! It's the first tablet to brag 4G network capability, specifically T-Mobile's ultra-fast HSPA+. Downloading silly videos should be swiftly-fast.

FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS:
* Brilliant seven-inch WVGA (TFT) touch screen display with Gorilla Glass
* Android 2.2 (Froyo) with Android Market
* Qik video chat with built-in front-facing 1.3-megapixel webcam
* Stage User Interface – easy access to the stuff you care about
* Built-in support for T-Mobile's 4G mobile broadband network and Wi-Fi
* Dual core 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor
* SMS/MMS, SWYPE® virtual keyboard and stereo Bluetooth 2.1 capable
* Support for Adobe® Flash® Player
* Support for Microsoft® Exchange e-mail, contacts and calendar
* 16 GB of internal memory and SD Card slot with support for expandable memory up to 32 GB
* Dimensions: 7.87" x 4.72" x 0.49"

The Motorola Xoom 10-inch Android Smart Tablet

2011-01-05T21:44:00.000-08:00

Motorola Xoom is the first dual core processor Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) tablet. It's the tablet counterpart of Motorola's Atrix Android phone. Its dual processor runs at 1GHz and it is equipped with 2 megapixel front camera, 5 megapixel rear camera and a 1280 x 800 10.1-inch widescreen display.

It also has an HDMI output with 1080p HD video support, capable of shooting 720p video, gyroscope, barometer, e-compass, and accelerometer. It will be available first quarter this year initially with 3G/Wi-fi, but will be launched on 2nd quarter as 4G LTE/Wi-Fi device. 3G version is also upgradeable to 4G LTE.

New Google Chrome OS: What to Expect

2009-11-20T05:07:00.000-08:00

Google lately has just released some new information about the much awaited Chrome OS at today’s webcast. By the looks of it, Google Chrome OS has assumed that most users want their computing experience involves web browsing and internet connectivity — could they be wrong or not? And those of us who were expecting a similar Android type interface are going to be disappointed. If your familiar with Chrome browser, in a nutshell, it's Chrome OS. In general, Google Chrome OS isn’t going to be an OS designed for heavy computing like video and photo editing, or 3D modeling. This is some sort of a lightweight accessory for access to online information and utilities.

Google has said bluntly that they designed their Chrome OS with three things in mind: speed, simplicity, and security.

Speed

Google engineers stated that turning on your Chrome OS powered netbook will be like turning on a television; you hit the power button and within a couple of seconds, you're ready to browse. Google have been focusing on this and working hard to improve upon it. Currently, Chrome OS’ cold boot time record is 7 seconds to login window, plus an additional 3 seconds for user to login, making for a total boot time of 10 seconds. Impressive. And Google is still hoping to have that time shaved down further by the time Chrome OS is ready for release.

Simplicity

As we have pointed out earlier, Chrome OS is all about the web. All applications are web apps. The entire computing experience takes place within the browser and therefore no conventional desktop applications are needed. This means users do not have to deal with installing, managing and updating programs.

Your information is stored in the cloud. No user bits are going to be stored on the modest solid state hard drive that all Chrome OS netbooks are going to come with. When you login to the cloud you can be sure that your Chrome OS netbook is up to date, patched, and ready to go. The main interface is also very simple in that it’s a Chrome browser window where you can customize shortcuts and favorites.

Security

Finally, because all apps are web based, there are significant benefits to security. Unlike traditional operating systems, Chrome OS doesn't trust the applications you run. Each app is contained within a security sandbox making it harder for malware and viruses to infect your computer.

Security is accomplished in two main ways: architecture setup and the cloud. First and foremost there are three partitions setup on the Chrome OS’ SSD drive, a root partition (which is read-only and holds the OS), a user partition (which by default is encrypted), and a swap partition. When you boot Chrome OS it checks the integrity of the OS and if it finds that your OS has somehow been corrupted or compromised by maleware, it simply re-downloads a fresh copy of the OS from the intertubes. All on its own. Again, your information is in the cloud and the system is technically stateless, so the OS can be restored at point in time without any harm to user data.

Here are some videos for you to check at to further satisfy your inquisitiveness.

Motorola DROID Sold 100k Units on First Weekend (Plus Full Handset Review)

2009-11-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

Bloomberg reports that Motorola most likely sold about 100,000 DROID handsets on the first weekend it was made available. These sales figures are pointing to a healthy growth of their business even though they still trail Apple in the market.

Bloomberg also reports that Verizon had 200,000 DROID handsets on hand and that stores sold about half their stock the first weekend. Motorola is targeting to sell about a million Android handsets in Q4 2009 including the DROID and other devices. One analyst says that anyone expecting the DROID to outshine Apple's iPhone on opening weekend had their goals set too high.

DROID Review

If you stilll haven't heard all there is to know about this gorgeous Motorola DROID smartphone, here's a full review with video of the handset written shortly after it came out of the market.

The Motorola Droid is something every gadget geek considers a truly lust-worthy Google-Android Smartphone. Motorola may have limited themselves on a few basics but their first Android 2.0 phone is definitely the most advanced and exciting device for Verizon today.

The Looks

The Droid is a big, industrial, even a little steampunk-looking contraption at 4.56 by 2.36 by .54 inches (HWD) and a hefty 5.96 ounces. The front is a bright, rich 3.7-inch, 854-by-480 LCD capacitive touch screen. Below the huge screen are four light-up, touch-sensitive buttons, and then a bit of a lip with the microphone on it. The back is burgundy soft-touch plastic. The whole effect feels pleasantly expensive, but also rather masculine; it's not androgynous or organic like the iPhone.

Slide the screen to the right to reveal the first real disappointment, the Droid's keyboard. The QWERTY keys are a little too small, a bit too flat, and a touch too tight to put this in the first rank of keyboards. The Droid offers two decent touch keyboards as well, with word completion and correction. But even though it's a mediocre keyboard, it's much better than just having a touch keyboard alone.

The Droid's massive screen is perfect, because it shows the full width of desktop web pages. Everything looks better and more readable on the screen — e-mails, calendar items, icons, everything. But the real pleasure is turning the phone sideways and loading up a web page. (similar to iPhone, the Droid's screen rotates when you turn it.) Web pages no longer need horizontal scrolling, and if you have relatively sharp eyes, you can read everything. Double-tapping zooms easily, and scrolling around pages feels fluid. The Droid supports most JavaScript and DHTML, but not Flash or a few kinds of controls.

Speed and Power

The world's first Android 2.0 phone is also the fastest. This is the first Android phone with an ARM Cortex-A8 processor, coming in the form of the TI OMAP 3430 chipset. That's an entire generation ahead of the ARM11 chips in all other Android phones. (The iPhone 3GS and Palm Pre also use Cortex-A8s.)

The Motorola Droid is fast to the point where responsiveness mostly doesn't become a distraction, which is a common problem on Android phones. Clearly, the droid is the fastest Android phone that I've tried. It is much better and reactive than the Cliq or than the HTC Hero. Out of the box, we're entering in iPhone 3GS' reactivity territory, but like other Android phones, it is not immune to slow downs once apps are running in the background which is normal. After setting up and having Exchange, Google Latitude and Skype running in the background, you can already feel that the user interface had slow down.

Droid has a graphics processor that is similar to the one found in the Nokia N900. I've recorded a video with a racing game (a "WipeOut" clone) to show you, but basically, OpenGL 1.x graphics can run at 30fps or more, so the machine has a level of performance that would allow iPhone 3G (and slightly above) type of games.

Running four publicly available Android benchmarks, on pure CPU measures, the Droid was about twice as fast as the Samsung Moment, which until now was the fastest Android phone available. The Droid was faster on memory and file system tests, too. Even network speed tests came out faster, because a faster processor can handle more data through the modem.

The result was pleasing performance in both built-in and third-party apps. 3D games Hyperspace and Speed Forge played very smoothly, with responsive controls. Web pages scrolled very smoothly. Applications launched with aplomb. But fast processor may also have some drawbacks like when programs would occasionally freeze or crash.

We're not sure how much of the performance boost is due to Android 2.0 and how much has to do with the hardware. If it is Android 2.0, how much impact will it have if older phones get an update? What's important is that it is faster and very usable - if you don't run too many apps in the background.

Voice Calls and GPS

The Droid may not be the greatest voice phone, but Verizon's excellent network helps cushion the blow here. Calls on the Droid sounded more muffled, compressed and more bass than usual. But call quality was still acceptable. The phone's speaker was loud at top volume, with slight distortion when listening to a very loud sound source. The speakerphone, a long bar on the back, was of average volume and quality. The Droid got an amazing 7 hours, 7 minutes of talk time, one of the longest so far for a Verizon Wireless phone.

Placing a call is very easy. You can dial a number on the (virtual) numeric pad, slide the keyboard and type the first few letters of a contact, or select one of your favorites. At the moment, you have to slide the keyboard out to type a contact name, so that's a two-hand operation (though technically you can do it with one hand, but not comfortably). Overall, all the basic voice call functions are covered very well.

The Droid auto-paired to our Plantronics Voyager Pro and Altec Lansing BackBeat mono and stereo Bluetooth headsets without a problem. But although calls, music, and video sounded clear, you can't do any voice commands—voice dialing or voice search—through a Bluetooth headset. You have to speak your commands directly into the microphone or a wired headset. That's a pity for a device with a dedicated Car Mode.

The Droid is the first phone to come with Google Maps Navigation, which provides free, turn-by-turn, spoken driving directions. Car Mode is a simplified interface that gives you a few large icons to poke at in your car; Verizon will sell a car mount for the Droid, as well. The combination may make the Droid the best GPS phone on the market.

Messaging and Social Networking

The Motorola Droid has a very good email support. Gmail is obviously there, and email in general should be easy to setup when using popular email services. If you use Exchange for work, there's Exchange support out of the box in Android 2.0. If you wonder, this is true "push email", just like Blackberry (and other) phones. I question the gray background design of the email app, and I sure wish that there was a way to customize it, but it is not a deal breaker. Having an email widget that shows the last 10 emails on the homepage would be great too. If you setup all your accounts in the Email application (that means not using a Gmail app) you can have a combined view of your Emails.

The Droid does social networking better than some phones, but not nearly as well as the Motorola CLIQ. Facebook contacts fold into your contact list, and the phone comes with both a home-screen widget showing your friends' statuses and a decent on-device client for checking and commenting on Wall posts. But Facebook IM and e-mail are entirely missing—there's no way to interact with either, unlike on the CLIQ. There's no MySpace or Twitter built-in, either. Ditto for AIM, Yahoo, or Microsoft Live Messenger; the phone only supports Google Talk. (Fortunately, you can find IM and Twitter apps in the Android Market.)

Multimedia

The Droid makes an exceptional music and video player except for one huge problem: it doesn't sync with PCs. Sure, you can plug it in with the included MicroUSB cable and drag and drop your media. But normal, non-geeky people don't want to do that. The freeware iTunes Agent helps somewhat, but Verizon needs to get their Rhapsody client on this phone immediately.

Once you get your music and video on the phone, it looks and sounds great. The Droid played WMA, AAC, MP3, WAV, and even OGG-format music files through wired or Bluetooth headphones, displaying album art. The standard, 3.5-mm headphone jack was very welcome. Full-screen MPEG4 and WMV videos played smoothly, although the phone crashed when it tried to scale down a 720p HD WMV video. The phone comes with a 16 GB microSD memory card that fits into a little slot next to the battery; you store most files on there rather than on the 210 MB or so of internal memory.

The Droid's 5-megapixel camera isn't as good as the competing HTC Imagio's, but its video camera is amazing. The camera hardware seems great, but there are focus issues with the camera application. Still shots looked grainy, with lots of color noise in low light. Videos, on the other hand, were 720-by-480 at 25 frames per second, just as promised; they make most other cameraphone videos look either tiny or jerky, and they'd play beautifully on a TV.

Conclusions

The Droid may not be the iPhone killer everyone anticipates but it's definitely a high-end smartphone that works very well and represents the best Android has to offer.

It's way ahead any other Android handset that we've had. As a phone, it is very good, and besides minor quirks, it is a very good communication device as well.

The Droid experience is very good and with all the right apps, it will definitely work for you. You get most of the benefits of a great touch phone, plus the benefits of a full QWERTY keyboard and an open OS. The Droid for sure is on its way to be a huge success for Verizon and Motorola.

Pricing: $200 with rebates and a new two-year contract.

Latest Mac OS X 10.6.2 Released

2009-11-09T18:44:00.000-08:00

Calling all Mac users: Return to your Mac base station and hit Software Update, because the latest update for Snow Leopard Mac OS X 10.6.2 has been released by Apple. Get ready to download a large 499.9MB update (direct from Apple or via Software Update) which contains a considerable amount of bug fixes with the most notable fix of the big old scary guest user bug that threatened to delete your precious data.

Also released alongside this update are: 10.6.2 combo update, Mac OS X Server 10.6.2, Server combo update, and Security Update 2009-006 Client.

Check the update change log below to see what's up with the latest release. Yes, I know... you already hit the update button before reading this. Great!

General operating system fixes provided for:

an issue that caused data to be deleted when using a guest account

an issue that might cause your system to logout unexpectedly

Spotlight search results not showing Exchange contacts

the reliability of menu extras

an issue in Dictionary when using Hebrew as the primary language

shutter-click sound effect when taking a screenshot

an issue with the four-finger swipe gesture

an issue adding images to contacts in Address Book

an issue in Front Row that could cause sluggish or slow frame rates while watching videos

creation of mobile accounts for Active Directory users

reliability and duration of VPN connections

general reliability improvements for iWork, iLife, Aperture, Final Cut Studio, MobileMe, and iDisk

overall improvements to VoiceOver performance

this update addresses video playback and performance issues for iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009) and iMac (27-inch, Late 2009) computers that may occur in some situations while AirPort is turned on

Fonts fixes provided for:

an issue with font spacing

an issue in which some Fonts are missing

font duplication issues

an issue with some PostScript Type 1 fonts not working properly

Graphics fixes provided for:

an issue when connecting monitors to DVI and Mini DisplayPort adapters

an issue in which the brightness setting may not be remembered on restart

addresses functionality with specific display models

general reliability and performance improvements when using some applications

Mail fixes provided for:

a situation in which Mail’s unread count may not update properly as messages are read on another computer

an issue in which deleted RSS feeds may return

an issue in which Mail cannot preview or Quick Look attachments when composing a new message

an issue that can cause Address Book and/or Mail to stop responding when opened

an issue in which email messages received from an Exchange Server are not formatted correctly

an issue in which Mail reports “Account exceeded bandwidth limits” for some Gmail accounts

MobileMe fixes provided for:

performance when accessing files from iDisk via the Finder and syncing iDisk files

an issue in which syncing iDisk files does not proceed beyond “checking items”

reliability and performance when syncing contacts, calendars, and bookmarks with MobileMe (syncing with iTunes and iSync are also improved)

an issue that prevents some users from logging into MobileMe via the MobileMe System Preference pane

Network file systems fixes provided for:

compatibility with third-party AFP servers

file synchronization for portable home directories

Printing and faxing fixes provided for:

automatic printer updates improvements

Print dialog allowing you to enter and send to more than one fax recipient

Safari fixes provided for:

a graphics distortion issue in Safari Top Sites

Safari plug-in reliability

Nokia Recalls Mobile Phone Chargers AC-3E, AC-4U, and AC-3U

2009-11-09T06:19:00.000-08:00

Nokia today officially issued a recall covering about 14 million mobile phone chargers that the company says were built by a third party manufacturer. The last time Nokia issued this kind of massive recall was when they had faulty battery packs on some of their mobile devices.

Nokia said that the issue with the chargers is that there is a potential for a shock hazard due loose and exposed wirings. Nokia added that there have been no reports of injuries related to the chargers at this time and it is issuing the recall as a precaution. The chargers in question are model numbers AC-3E, AC-3U, and the AC-4U chargers.

These chargers were built between June 15, 2009 and August 9, 2009 for the 3E and 3U models and between April 13, 2009 and October 25 2009 for the 4U model. Nokia reports that the maker of the chargers, Chinese battery and auto part maker BYD Co., will be footing the bill for the entire recall. And in this regard, Nokia will issue a free replacement.

Creative ZEN X-Fi2 touchscreen PMP goes on sale

2009-11-08T01:12:00.000-08:00

Right folks, it is now available directly from Creative. The 8GB model goes for $129.99, while the 16GB and 32GB goes for $179.99 and $229.99 net respectively.

Even if there are a lot PMP alternatives around, you may still want to consider this fine looking PMP from Creative and experience stellar X-Fi technology not only on your music files but with video and FM music as well. The new ZEN X-Fi2 comes bundled with their own EP-630 in-ear earphones.

Besides boasting a bigger screen size than its predecessors, the ZEN X-Fi2 also supports multiple audio formats including the much desired Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC), giving you audio without compromising on its original quality. The player also supports iTunes® Plus (unprotected AAC format) which compresses audio data much more efficiently than older formats.

Source: Creative USA

Samsung DualView TL225 Camera gets Reviewed

2009-11-06T21:31:00.000-08:00

The Samsung's DualView TL225 digital camera's second front-mounted display seemed like a good and innovative idea. But is it really good or disappointing? Wired reviewed the camera today and they rated this one a disenchanted score of 4/10.

Wired have been putting the TL225 through its paces, and they’ve concluded that not only does the second screen cause its own share of problems rather than solve them, the underlying camera itself is a let-down.

Wired also found that the front display does make lining up shots straightforward, but unfortunately it then encourages those in the picture to look to the side of the lens. The end result is a well-framed photo with nobody looking at the camera.

In addition to the laundry list of problems listed above, the image quality is also poor in anything other than bright light with plenty of shutter lag, much less then you would expect from a 12.2 megapixel camera. For $300 it seems like a gimmick that’s gone wrong.

Source: Wired.com

Blackberry Curve 8530 Announced by Verizon

2009-11-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

Another Verizon news announcing they'll be carrying the new Blackberry Curve 8530 starting November 20 going for $99.99 on contract after $100 mail-in rebate. This gorgeous new Curve features the following: optical trackpad, full-QWERTY keypad, 2.0 megapixel camera, GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack, dedicated multimedia keys, 256MB of application memory, 528MHz processor, EV-DO connectivity and last but not least, WiFi! Verizon definitely looks like running ahead in the smartphone arms race this 2009 Holiday Season.

Source: news.vzw.com

The Nokia 5530 XpressMusic: Something to Play Sweet Music With

2009-11-04T19:46:00.000-08:00

The new Nokia 5530 XpressMusic is a compact version of the popular Nokia 5800. The latest touchscreen phone from Nokia comes in a nice small package, and almost has the same features as the 5800, but a few changes are also noticeable, particularly its price. With a cheaper price tag than its predecessor, the 5530 obviously targets the music-loving youth market.

Although at first glance the 5530 looks like the 5800, a closer look reveals a slight difference in the size of its screen, with the 5530 coming in with a 2.9-inch high resolution touchscreen as compared to the 5800's 3.2-inch display.

There are three touch-sensitive buttons below the screen the two outer ones are for the usual call/send function and end/exit function, while the middle opens the main menu.

The music phone also has a 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash at the back of the phone, video recording with 640 x 360 pixels, stereo speakers with surround sound at the top and at the bottom, a 3.5 mm stereo headphone socket, 4GB microSD memory card, and mini DVD.

Volume adjuster is on the right edge of the phone. Just below that is the sliding keyguard which allows the user to easily lock or unlock the phone display. This is a neat addition to both the 5530 and 5800 as it prevents accidental key presses and saves on power. brother button on the right edge is the camera button.

The stylus and micro SD card slot and SIM card slot are on the left edge of the phone. The slots for the cards are hidden in a long, slim, attached door, which could be quite difficult to pry open. This could be a hassle if you need quick access to the cards, but also an advantage if you don't want others to poke or touch them.

At the bottom of the phone are the standard Nokia power port, the audio port, and micro USB data port.

The almost hidden XpressMusic key sits just above the top right side of the screen, which gives easy access to tasks such as music library, media gallery, uploads folder, and bookmarked web pages.

Text messaging poses no difficulty on the standard alphanumeric keypad, but the qwerty pad could be quite tricky at first, given the smaller screen. But it gets easier once the user gets the hang of it.

Another impressive feature of the music phone is the "scrolling" Contacts Bar, which provides direct access to 20 people on your contacts list and their latest conversations and media update. This "people carousel" could also save thumbnail images of 20 contacts.

The homescreen also features one-touch shortcuts to content and popular network such as Facebook and Youtube.

Nokia 5530, being a music phone, comes with 27 hours of playback time on 3D surround sound on a single charge.

Unlike the 5800, which comes with integrated GPS, 3G and 8GB memory card, the new 5530 does not have GPS and 3G, and only has a 4GB memor card. Still the 5530 can support cards of up to 32GB. It only allows EDGE connectivity, but another option is through WiFi.

The phone is made primarily for music lovers, and on that respect, they have come up with an impressive product. It comes in Black-Red, White-Blue, Black-Grey, White-Pink and White-Yellow, and retails at $270.

Nokia 5530 XpressMusic Specifications:

General	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	Announced	2009, June
	Status	Available. Released 2009, August
Size	Dimensions	104 x 49 x 13 mm, 68 cc
Size	Weight	107 g
Display	Type	TFT resistive touchscreen, 16M colors
	Size	360 x 640 pixels, 2.9 inches
		- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
		- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate
		- Handwriting recognition
Sound	Alert types	Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
	Speakerphone	Yes, with stereo speakers
		- 3.5 mm audio jack
Memory	Phonebook	Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
	Call records	Detailed, max 30 days
	Internal	70 MB storage, 128 MB SDRAM
	Card slot	microSD (TransFlash), up to 16GB, 4GB included, buy memory
Data	GPRS	Class 32
	HSCSD	Yes
	EDGE	Class 32
	3G	No
	WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
	Bluetooth	Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
	Infrared port	No
	USB	Yes, v2.0 microUSB
Camera	Primary	3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
	Video	Yes, VGA@30fps (verified)
	Secondary	No
Features	OS	Symbian OS v9.4, Series 60 rel. 5
	CPU	ARM 11 434 MHz processor
	Messaging	SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
	Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds
	Radio	Stereo FM radio with RDS
	Games	Yes + Java downloadable
	Colors	Red on black, Blue on white, Grey on black, Pink on white, Yellow on white
	GPS	No
	Java	Yes, MIDP 2.0
		- WMV/RV/MP4/3GP video player
		- MP3/WMA/WAV/RA/AAC/M4A music player
		- Voice command/dial
		- T9
		- Photo editor
Battery		Standard battery, Li-Ion 1000 mAh(BL-4U)
Battery	Stand-by	Up to 336 h

The Nokia 6700 Classic, art in perfection

2009-11-04T18:59:00.000-08:00

THE NOKIA 6700 Classic is the "successor" of one of Nokia's most popular devices, the Nokia 6300. It sets a new benchmark for a mid-range phone, delivering premium designs and stylish solutions for todays hectic lifestyle.

The device is perfect for taking images and videos and storing them on your phone or shar ing them with the friends via the suite of Ovi services offered on the device, brings the Internet to a mobile device.

The Nokia 6700 Classic has a sleek, simple, metallic design and earns raves for being functional.

The phone continues the legacy of the Nokia 6300, which topped all sales records for a midrange mobile phone.

The Nokia 6700 raises the bar even higher with a beautiful, slim design and perfectly balanced practicality. The phone combines smooth surfaces, rich material and precisely crafted parts with a full-metal keymat, which completes the premium finish.

The phone comes with a five megapixel camera, assisted GPS navigation with Nokia Maps, and high-speed data access, which means sharing images or video is faster and easier than ever.

As a bonus, the Nokia 6700 Classic also comes with a cute monkey-themed graphic wallpaper.

Nokia 6700 Classic Specifications:

General	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100
	Announced	2009, January
	Status	Available. Released 2009, May
General	2G Network	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
	3G Network	HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100
	Announced	2009, January
	Status	Available. Released 2009, May
Size	Dimensions	109.8 x 45 x 11.2 mm, 46.5 cc
Size	Weight	116.5 g
Display	Type	TFT, 16M colors
	Size	240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches
		- Accelerometer sensor
Sound	Alert types	Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
Sound	Speakerphone	Yes
Memory	Phonebook	2000 entries, Photocall
	Call records	20 dialed, 20 received, 20 missed calls
	Internal	170 MB
	Card slot	microSD (TransFlash), up to 16GB, 1GB card included, buy memory
Data	GPRS	Class 32
	HSCSD	Yes
	EDGE	Class 32
	3G	HSDPA, 10 Mbps; HSUPA, 2 Mbps
	WLAN	No
	Bluetooth	Yes, v2.1
	Infrared port	No
	USB	Yes, v2.0 microUSB
Camera	Primary	5 MP, 2592x1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
	Video	Yes, VGA@15fps
	Secondary	No
Features	Messaging	SMS, MMS 1.3 (up to 600KB), Email, IM
	Browser	WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
	Radio	Stereo FM radio with RDS
	Games	3 + Downloadable
	Colors	Silver metallic, Matte metallic, Black metallic
	GPS	Yes, with A-GPS support; Nokia Maps
	Java	Yes, MIDP 2.1
		- MP3/M4A/AAC/eAAC+/WMA player
		- Voice command/dial
		- Flash Lite 3
Battery	Stand-by	Standard battery, Li-Ion 960 mAh (BL-6Q)
	Talk time	Up to 300 h
	Music play	Up to 5 h (2G) / 4 h (3G)
		Up to 20 h

8 Things About Windows 8

2009-10-22T00:04:00.000-07:00

Looking ahead past Windows 7. Techradar reported that Microsoft has started working on Windows 8.

With Windows 7 now out of the door, it's about time to hype up another Windows successor. So here goes 8 things you need to know about Windows 8, another one from techradar.

1. Windows 8 release date is late 2011 or early 2012

That's 2-3 years after Windows 7; leaving aside the aberration of Vista, that's the typical time between Windows releases and it matches up with the 2012 dates mentioned on leaked Windows Server timelines.

While Windows President Steven Sinofsky says he doesn't want to "underpromise and over-deliver" for Windows, it's likely that Microsoft will announce the later date and ship on the earlier one.

2. Everything we know comes from job ads and profiles - so we don't know much

It's impossible to say what will and won't be in Windows 8 at this stage because no-one knows; not even the Windows team.

The broad scenarios for Windows have been decided and all features will have to fit into one of those scenarios but the feature list isn't set. The final list of features will be locked down late in 2010, which is when we'll see the first public beta – and the first official details.

Remember that internally Microsoft uses 'Windows 8' to cover the server and desktop operating systems and many of the features gleaned from job adverts are server features like Distributed File System Replication (DFSR) storage technology and the File Server role.

If the rumoured 128-bit support is true, then it's 128-bit registers for processing data in Itanium servers.

3. Hibernate and resume will have a new engine

According to the profile of an intern on the Windows team, there's going to be a new Hibernate/Resume Integration API using what he calls "the new TLZ file compression engine". That could mean even faster hibernation and resume times – if it makes it into the final code.

4. Windows 8 will have new networking and security features

Another intern reports working on "new networking features"; that tells us about as much as the profile of the Software Security Engineer who's working on "Windows 8 security".

Changes in network security, authentication and encryption detailed in a Software Design Engineer's profile are again probably related to Windows Server. Another online resume mentions a possible "follow-on" to the PatchGuard system that stops viruses changing system files that was delayed from Windows 7.

5. Seadragon? Maybe

The team behind SeaDragon and the Deep Zoom feature in Silverlight is recruiting a Lead Developer but the ad only says they "want to take it" to Windows 8 (as well as Windows Mobile 7, XNA for Xbox and WPF for Vista and Windows 7).

6. Windows 8 will have better multimonitor support

Steven Sinofsky has already said there wasn't time to do more work on the user interface with multiple monitors but that it's on the list for Windows 8, not least because "we all use it at Microsoft". Expect scenarios for handling three or more screens, in various arrangements.

7. Windows 8 might run on ARM

Or at least the Windows kernel might run on the ARM and Qualcomm Snapdragon chips found inside smartphones, possibly using a hypervisor. That might not mean the full version of Windows 8 but it would enable a future mobile version of Windows that could run on much lower spec systems than current PCs.

8. Steven Sinofsky is in charge of it

This is both good – he was responsible for getting Windows 7 out on time and working well – and potentially very bad. Sinofsky's expertise is execution rather than vision and for Windows 8 that could mean a pedestrian set of improvements rather than anything potentially game changing.

Windows 7 is more than Vista done right, but it is an excellent execution of the Vista architecture changes. With Windows 7 to compete against, Windows 8 will need to be a lot more exciting than that.

Cheaper Nintendo Wii at $199 in September 27?

2009-09-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

Last week, we got a peek at an alleged Walmart ad that indicated an official price drop for the Wii. Then, it appears that retailer Toys R Us may have heard the same thing. And now, folks at Nintendojo were apparently on a retailer conference call where Nintendo "confirmed" the new $199 Wii price, which will supposedly go into effect Sunday next week September 27. If they really say that it's officially confirmed, then we have to take Nintendojo's word for it -- not that we have any reason not to, but for now we'll have to just wait until the "unconfirmed confirmation" gets officially confirmed by Nintendo themselves or at least until we really see from the retailer's shelf -- before we go into an all-out celebration mode.

Sony S and E Series Walkman Players Start Playing Tunes Next Month

2009-08-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

We've been spotting Sony's S Series Walkman around since July, and Sony finally feels it's about time to make it official, also Coming along is the slightly lower-rent E Series. Specs on the S Series are are promising, including a 2.4-inch QVGA LCD, FM tuning and recording, along with support for a variety of formats including MP3, protected WMA, AAC, H.264, and WMV. It offers battery life of 42 hour hours when playing music through headphones and 6.5 hours of video, but when you're playing it out boom box style through the integrated speakers that drops the playing time to 17 hours and five hours respectively.

Colorful options of black, pink, violet, and red will be available, with an 8GB model going for $110 and 16GB for $130. If that's a bit too steep for you there's the 2-inch E Series, sporting a slightly smaller chassis, slightly lower battery life (30 hours music and 4 hours video), and a slightly lower price of $80 for 8GB and $100 for 16. Both Sony S and E series are shipping sometime next month.

BrainPort Device Offers Blind a Chance to See With Their Tongue

2009-08-15T07:10:00.001-07:00

This could be the coolest gadget ever for disabled people especially the blind. BrainPort is a device that was first introduced in 2006 and would allow users to regain some vision by means of a camera and electrical impulses sent to their tongue.

The BrainPort works by decoding signals that are sent from a camera that’s mounted on your head and transforming them into electrical impulses to your tongue. These impulses are then experienced as spatial awareness and even an ability to read text.

The device is currently pending FDA approval, but if all goes well, the BrainPort should be available early next year. However, pricing doesn't come cheap and is expected to fall in the $10,000 range.

Source: Scientific American

Leaked Apple Tablet Videos: Fake or Not?

2009-08-13T06:42:00.000-07:00

The new Apple Tablet videos circulating have stirred much argument and debate today. A lot of opinions are leaning towards the probability that these well done and neatly-executed videos are fake.

But fake or not these video clips demonstrate various applications being run concurrently on the same device, together with boot-up and what’s said to be the development platform. It’s like having multiple iPhones on the same giant touch screen. There are also various arguments that suggest how Apple might manage the transition to a larger-screen device: simply inflating the iPod touch.

But regardless of whatever this is or isn’t, let's admit, we all want this.

Netflix Officially Exclusive Only to Xbox 360 Consoles

2009-08-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry PS3 and Wii fans. The Netflix Watch Instantly integration is now an "exclusive partnership" between Microsoft and Netflix. Microsoft is also going so far saying that the Xbox 360 will be the only console to offer Netflix movie-watching experience. It will be available to Xbox Live Gold Members who are also Netflix unlimited plan subscribers. Full excerpt quoted below.

Netflix Partnership

This exclusive partnership offers you the ability to instantly stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix to the television via Xbox 360. Xbox 360 will be the only game console to offer this movie-watching experience, available to Xbox LIVE Gold members who are also Netflix unlimited plan subscribers**, at no additional cost.

From the Netflix Web site, simply add movies and TV episodes to your instant Queue, which will appear automatically on the TV screen via Xbox 360. Once selected, movies will begin playing in as little as 30 seconds. In addition to instantly streaming Netflix movies to the TV, Xbox LIVE Gold members can browse and rate movies, fast-forward, pause and rewind, all using either their Xbox 360 Controller or Universal remote.

First Eco-friendly Phone Made of Corn: Reclaim from Samsung and Sprint

2009-08-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

Sprint announced today the first eco-friendly phone from Samsung, the Reclaim. At $49.99 with a new two year contract, Reclaim's PVC and BFR (brominated flame retardants) free, "bio-plastic" material made from corn is 80% bio-degradable. The sliding device has QWERTY keyboard, 2 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, can accept microSD cards up to 32GB, and of course, has Sprint Navigation onboard.

The packaging will also be eco-friendly, and constructed from 70 percent recycled materials and printed with soy-based ink. The carrier will be selling the Reclaim in "Earth Green" or "Ocean Blue" come August 16th. Interestingly, $2 of its profit will be funneled to the Nature Conservancy's Adopt an Acre program. And oh, please be reminded, this phone is not microwaveable.

Facebook Connectivity for Nintendo DSi Now Available

2009-08-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

If you've been taking a lot of snapshots with your Nintendo DSi's built-in camera and was wondering what to do with them, then you're in for some good news! After 5 pm Eastern time a system update will be released and made available for all Nintendo DSi. This new update will allow you to upload your pictures directly to Facebook! Awesome!

If you want to spice up your profile pictures or simply want to amaze all your FB buddies that your are uploading directly from DSi, then this is what you need. Nintendo explains the process that "While reviewing pictures they've stored in the Nintendo DSi Camera album, which includes photos taken by users and manipulated using the built-in interactive lenses, users can simply tap the Facebook icon on the system's touch screen to instantly transmit photos to the user's Facebook profile," the company also states, "The user's system must be configured to a wireless broadband Internet connection for the transmission of photos."

This interesting announcement also came along with some news that DSi has sold 1.7 million units in the US alone. That's not bad for a system that launched at a higher price point than the original, also brandishing updates handheld gaming users wasn't sure they wanted... such as the Facebook remote uploading feature.

Palm Pre Goes On Sale at Amazon for $199

2009-08-02T23:45:00.000-07:00

If you don't want to buy from Best Buy or Sprint, now you've got the option of nabbing one from everyone's favorite online reseller: Amazon. The device is now up on sale at the super-retailer's site, and unlike getting it from Best Buy or Sprint, you don't have to worry about troublesome mail-in rebates -- the phone is $199.99 on a new service plan with Sprint. Also of note, you can get a non-contract unit for $499.99, which is a great $50 savings over the Sprint pricing, and certainly a steal compared to Best Buy's $749.99 price tag. To check it out for yourself, simply head on over to Amazon, and punch in your Zip Code on the right hand side of the site to check availability. It's just too bad that it's currently listed with a 4-6 week shipping lead time.

Head on to Amazon: Palm Pre Phone

LG Officially Unveiled Chocolate BL40

2009-07-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

LG officially unveiled their sweetest addition to their Black Label series, the BL40 Chocolate. Nothing spectacular with its entry though, as this handset has already been featured in their own photo shoot and made its unofficial YouTube debut. The red-trimmed handset has a 4-inch wide screen 800×345 pixel display with a distinctive 21:9 aspect ratio, 5 megapixel camera with Schneider-Kreuznach lens, 7.2Mbps UMTS/HSDPA connectivity, Wi-Fi, and aGPS. With regards to release details, all we know is that it will debut in 3rd quarter 2009 in 54 countries worldwide. We all can’t wait to see how typing on this sleek and sexy gadget works out considering how long and thin it is.

Press Release:

Jul. 30, 2009
New Chocolate Comes with Big Surprises

Seoul, Korea / July 30, 2009 - LG Electronics (LG), a global leader and technology innovator in mobile communications, officially revealed today the full image and key specifications of the new LG Chocolate phone (model: LG-BL40).

The fourth handset of the Black Label Series boasts a distinctive 4.0-inch wide screen high-definition LCD with an 800 by 345 pixel resolution for a superb viewing quality. The wide screen breaks away from conventional screen designs with a 21:9 aspect ratio for a panoramic, cinema-like quality and optimal mobile computing experience.

With the enlarged screen, users will experience a surprisingly convenient and efficient mobile environment. Browsing the Internet is made incredibly easy because with 800 pixels at one’s disposal, there is no need to scroll horizontally to read entire web pages. The 4.0-inch display also features a Dual Screen UI that can efficiently display two different types of content simultaneously.

The wide HD LCD “Real VGA” screen provides a full range of natural colors for displayed images, making photos more crisp, videos more true-to-life, games more dynamic and documents more readable.

“The initial response to the new LG Chocolate phone has exceeded our expectations by a wide margin,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications. “Although much interest seems focused on the striking shape of the handset, the real surprise will be when people discover the advantages of the 4.0-inch screen in terms of viewing pleasure and ease of use.”

The new LG Chocolate’s wide screen is overlaid with curved tempered glass and is seamlessly encased in a glossy black finish and iconic red highlights. Although the screen may be much wider, the new LG Chocolate makes an incredibly slim and chic style statement that was also inherent in the original Chocolate.

The new LG Chocolate will be available beginning Q3 in 54 countries. More information is available at www.lgmobile.com.

Nikon D300s with 720p Video Mode Now Officially Announced

2009-07-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

After getting rumors and leaks for weeks left and right, the much anticipated top-level DX camera, the D300s is now officially announced by Nikon. The new $1,799.95 D300s can shoot 24fps 720p video with contrast-detect autofocus and offers an external mic input. It could have been 1080p, but who's complaining? I think 720p is just enough for a pro-level DX. Other features include a 12.3 megapixel DX sensor, 51-point autofocus, and 7fps burst shooting, 920k pixel screen, as well as dual CF and SD card slots. It sure looks this new beast is the new pro-cam to beat.

Press Release:

NIKON D300s revitalizes the standard and measure of agile, pro-level DX-Format d-slr design and performance

MELVILLE, N.Y. (July 30, 2009) – Today, Nikon announced the D300s digital SLR, combining professional-level performance with agility and enhanced D-Movie capabilities to deliver a new benchmark for creative versatility. Engineered to leverage proven Nikon technologies, including a 12.3-megapixel CMOS sensor and 51-point autofocus system; the addition of HD video capture; and faster 7 frame-per-second (fps) continuous shooting, the Nikon D300s balances form factor, performance, versatility and reliability for serious photo enthusiasts and professionals.

The D300s retains the photographer-friendly features of the critically acclaimed D300, while enhancing speed, versatility, and agility of the DX-format for a wide variety of photographers, including advanced enthusiasts, wedding shooters and photojournalists. The D300s can record HD video clips and high fidelity audio with an external stereo microphone input, offering users a D-SLR with full multimedia capabilities. Dual card slots afford users the ability to seamlessly record stills and video to one CompactFlash™ (CF) and one Secure Digital™ (SD) card separately, while one-button Live View, a new Quiet Shutter Release mode and Active D-Lighting bracketing help users to capture stunning images like never before.

"Today's photographer demands excellence and value from high-performance digital SLRs – and the Nikon D300s delivers," said Edward Fasano, general manager for Marketing, SLR System Products at Nikon, Inc. "It's no secret that more photographers need to gather multimedia content. In addition to proven technologies, such as the 51-point autofocus (AF) system and 12.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, we are more than confident that the D300s' HD movie mode, along with a host of additional performance enhancements, will broaden the appeal of the camera to those seeking exceptional still image quality and video versatility."

The Benchmark of Speed, Performance and Reliability
Whether on the front lines of spot news or behind the scenes at a spring wedding, users of the D300s can record HD video clips at 720p resolution with a smooth cinematic 24 fps rate. In addition, the D300s also records high fidelity audio-either with the convenient built-in microphone or by using the external stereo microphone input. Photographers can trim video length on the fly and apply Picture Controls to video, modifying the tone and color. Additionally, users can autofocus while recording video, using contrast detect AF, and do so while composing on the D300s' bright three-inch 920,000-dot LCD screen.

Nikon's applauded AF system, with 51 high density focus points, performs even faster and more accurately on the new D300s. The Multi-CAM 3500DX AF module uses 15 cross type sensors to provide unparalleled focus performance across the frame. The D300s offers multiple focus modes, including single-point AF mode, and a dynamic-area AF mode, where users can select from nine, 21 or 51 AF points with 3D tracking. Additionally, the added Face Detection System lets users instantly zoom in on a human face in playback mode on the high-resolution LCD monitor to check critical focus.

The Nikon exclusive and newly-accelerated Scene Recognition System (SRS) further refines Nikon's AF performance and light metering. In conjunction with the 3D Color Matrix Metering II system, the SRS uses precise color and brightness information from the 1,005-pixel RGB sensor to propel AF, auto exposure, i-TTL flash control and auto white balance to unprecedented accuracy.

The renowned 12.3-megapixel DX-format CMOS image sensor in the D300s delivers extraordinary image quality and low noise throughout the entire ISO sensitivity range from 200 to 3200 (Lo-1 at 100 and 6400 at Hi-1). The D300s captures image data using 14 bit A/D conversion, processed through a 16-bit pipeline for optimal performance, resulting in images with sharp details and smooth tonal gradations.

The D300s also incorporates Nikon's exclusive EXPEED™ image processing. EXPEED image processing uses an accumulation of sophisticated Nikon intelligence and technologies to ensure impeccable quality for both still images and movies, while also achieving high-speed processing and low power consumption. When using the included EN-EL3e Li-Ion rechargeable battery, photographers can achieve as many as 950 shots under normal shooting conditions. The optional Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10 extends shooting comfort and supports three types of batteries: R6/AA-size batteries, along with Nikon's Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e and the EN-EL4a Rechargeable Li-ion Battery. It combines added stability with extended shooting of up to 2,950 shots*1 per charge and enables faster high-speed continuous shooting at up to
8 fps*2.

The reinforced magnesium alloy body is lightweight, ruggedly constructed and comprehensively sealed and gasketed against the elements at key points, and the shutter has been proven to a demanding 150,000 cycles. Additionally, the D300s employs the Integrated Dust Reduction System countermeasures that combat the accumulation of image-degrading particles on the optical low-pass filter.

World Class Versatility
With the D300s, Nikon introduces the ability to bracket Active D-Lighting (ADL). By localizing tone control, ADL restores shadow and highlight detail typically lost in high contrast situations, such as backlit subjects or while outdoors with strong sunlight. ADL bracketing provides users with the ability to bracket up to five frames of ADL strength to help ensure perfect contrast throughout the frame, putting an end to the guesswork behind the shot with a bride's intricate white dress and a groom's tuxedo in the same frame, for example.

Additionally, the D300s features two memory card slots-one CF and one SD, used simultaneously in a variety of configurations to match users' preferences. Among the many options available, stills and video can record to separate cards or slots can be assigned for JPEG and RAW recording. The D300s offers "overflow" or "backup" modes, and when shooting D-Movie clips, it allows you to select the slot containing the card with the most available capacity. Users can also copy and paste files between cards.

Also added to the D300s is a Quiet Shutter Release mode, which substantially reduces the sound of the mirror while shooting. Quickly accessed by selecting "Q" on the release mode dial, this feature is ideal for the photographer who wishes to remain unobtrusive.

To further expand versatility, users have the ability to fine tune their images using Nikon's Picture Controls to adjust sharpening, brightness, contrast and color hue. The D300s offers users four presets including Standard, Neutral, Vivid and Monochrome; while Landscape and Portrait settings can be downloaded from the Nikon website. While the D300s offers a versatile built-in flash with wider coverage for a 16mm lens, the camera is also compatible with Nikon's Creative Lighting System and is capable of controlling up to two groups of remote units as a master / commander for Advanced Wireless Lighting.

System Expandability
In addition to compatibility with more than 60 NIKKOR lenses and a broad array of system accessories, the D300s will also perform well with the recently announced
AF-S NIKKOR 70-200 f/2.8G ED VR II and the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 ED VR II lenses.

Price and Availability
The Nikon D300s camera body will be available at Nikon Authorized dealers beginning in late August 2009 at an estimated selling price of $1799.95.** For more information, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

New Nikon D3000 Entry-level DSLR Announced

2009-07-29T22:04:00.000-07:00

Two Nikon DSLRs were introduced today, the D300s top level DX camera and the entry-level D3000. It may not be carrying much but it looks pretty solid for a budget Nikon DSLR. For $600, you're getting a 10.2 megapixel sensor, 11-point autofocus system, a 230k pixel screen, a new Guide Mode that should make it easier on beginners, and an 18-55 NIKKOR VR lens. Good enough, but we're sure a lot of Nikon fans are all eyes and lusting after the D300s instead.

Press Release:

THE NEW NIKON D3000 PROVIDES AN EASY PATH TO FANTASTIC PHOTOS
Combines Proven Technology with Easy-to-Use Interface to Create Affordable, Approachable Entry-Level D-SLR Camera

MELVILLE, N.Y. (JULY 30, 2009) – Today, Nikon Inc. announced the D3000 digital SLR camera, an affordable answer for users looking to experience the superiority of digital SLR photography or enthusiasts seeking a capable, compact D-SLR. The 10.2-megapixel D3000 has features that make it easier than ever to take great pictures, including the new Guide Mode, which lends a smart helping hand to new D-SLR users, and an extensive Retouch Menu, enabling consumers to edit photos, even without a computer. The D3000, which offers an 11-point autofocus system, also leverages proven Nikon D-SLR technologies, including the exclusive EXPEED™ image processing, Active D-Lighting system and 3D Color Matrix Metering II, enabling entry-level D-SLR shooters to take stunning pictures.

"The D3000 combines the best of both worlds, providing picture takers with the ease-of-use currently offered in point-and-shoot cameras alongside the speed, precision and exceptional results that have made Nikon D-SLRs so popular," said Edward Fasano, general manager for Marketing, SLR Systems Products at Nikon Inc. "The D3000 offers everyone the ability to discover the superiority of D-SLR photography at an affordable price point. We look forward to enabling more consumers to explore the possibilities of D-SLR picture taking and, more importantly, capture life's memories faithfully."

Intuitive Assistance On-the-Fly
The D3000 includes the all-new Guide Mode with an easy-to-use interface to help new photographers build confidence in using a D-SLR with step-by-step instruction and inspiration. The Guide Mode, easily accessed by the Mode dial on the top of the camera, displays a variety of shooting situations via the LCD screen, indicating the most appropriate settings for a particular scenario. Users can also see sample photos on the LCD screen, which illustrate the effects of different photo-taking techniques. The Guide Mode also helps users easily review, organize and delete images.

Whether new to D-SLR photography or simply mastering new shooting techniques, the D3000's Guide Mode assists users in exploring effective picture taking solutions at their own pace to make capturing great pictures even easier.

Small in Size, Big on Features
With elegant ergonomics, softly rounded corners, and a comfortable grip, the D3000 packs powerful technology into a compact form factor. Though the D3000 is tiny when compared to professional D-SLR cameras, it boasts a large, bright three-inch 230,000-dot LCD screen, and now features an easier-to-read font size, 20 percent larger than in previous Nikon D-SLRs.

Quick performance and response are at the core of the D3000's design and its 11-point Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus system makes it easy to find and focus on a subject. Also, the D3000 offers split-second shutter response, eliminating the frustration of shutter lag, as well as the ability to capture images up to three frames per second, allowing users capture every moment. Users can enjoy the benefits of Nikon's advanced 3D Subject Tracking, which continuously focuses on a fast moving subject throughout the frame.

The D3000 provides multiple ways for users to engage with their pictures, post capture. It uses Nikon's extensive in-camera Retouch Menu, which allows users to easily apply a variety of fun and dramatic effects to their images even when away from a computer. The D3000 introduces a new Miniature effect, which changes the appearance of distant subjects to look like close-ups of miniature models. The D3000 also inherits the Soft Filter and Color Outline Retouch options from the D5000, allowing users to express their photography in a new and artistic way. As with all Nikon D-SLRs, the camera creates the new retouched image, while preserving the original.

For users who want to take their creativity to the next level, the D3000 also includes the ability to capture images in the NEF (RAW) format, in addition to traditional JPEG. Images captured with D3000 in the NEF (RAW) format include a greater amount of image data, which in turn, affords finer image control and higher uncompressed lossless image quality. With NEF (RAW) images, users can fine-tune the appearance of an image with simple adjustments to things like exposure, color saturation, brightness, and overall tone – especially in the post-production process. Users can use Capture NX 2, Nikon's powerful image editing software, to achieve these desired effects.

Nikon extends the creativity with Stop-Motion Movie Mode. With this mode, users can choose a collection of images within the D3000's Retouch Menu, and the camera then compiles and stitches them into a fun and creative video file.

Renowned Nikon Technology
The D3000 leverages proven Nikon technologies to create the most positive picture taking experience for consumers. The D3000 delivers highly detailed images with vibrant color reproduction and low noise across a broad ISO range, due to its 10.2-megapixel CCD image sensor coupled with Nikon's exclusive EXPEED image processing system. The D3000's normal ISO range extends from ISO 100 to 1600, allowing for low light versatility. Additionally, the D3000's ISO range can expand to a Hi-1 setting of ISO 3200, furthering the opportunities for shots that other cameras miss.

The D3000 also makes use of Nikon's Active D-Lighting system, which automatically compensates to reveal veiled details in shadows and highlights in high-contrast situations. For instance, when selected, Nikon's Active D-Lighting can improve the appearance of fine detail in a person's face that was previously hidden in dark shadows or bring out the highlights in a beautifully backlit landscape.

Nikon's exclusive 3D Color Matrix Metering II, in conjunction with the EXPEED image processing system, contributes to the D3000's ability to capture breathtaking images by instantly evaluating the exposure elements of each scene and comparing it to an onboard database of information from more than 30,000 images. These split-second calculations allow the D3000 to ensure beautiful exposures-even when conditions are extreme.

The D3000 also incorporates Nikon's Integrated Dust Reduction System, which offers a comprehensive solution that combats the accumulation of image-degrading dust from the camera's image sensor. The system not only utilizes an active sensor cleaning function that activates whenever the camera is turned on or off, but also the Airflow Control System to redirect dust particles, limiting their ability to reach the sensor.

System Expandability
Photographers and enthusiasts alike can also appreciate the D3000's system expandability, as the camera can work in conjunction with a variety of Nikon accessories, including a broad assortment of legendary NIKKOR AF-S interchangeable lenses. While the D3000 offers a versatile built-in flash, the camera is also compatible with Nikon's Creative Lighting System and capable of Advanced Wireless Lighting when using the SB-900 Speedlight or the SU-800 Wireless Commander.

The D3000's design also supports Eye-Fi memory card functionality, enabling the convenient wireless transfer of images from the D3000 to a computer, when using Eye-Fi memory cards.* Additionally, photos can be securely written to readily available SD cards, high-capacity SDHC cards and Eye-Fi memory cards, offering users a range of data storage options.

Price and Availability
The D3000 outfit, including the versatile AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR image stabilization lens, is scheduled to be available at Nikon Authorized dealers beginning in late August 2009 at an estimated selling price of $599.95.** For more information, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

Super Talent Pico USB Drive: Still World's Smallest at 32GB

2009-07-29T02:21:00.000-07:00

Super Talent unveiled another variant of their world's smallest USB drive, now squeezing 32GB of NAND flash into a new water-resistant casing. There are six new models included in the new offering all boasting transfer rates of up to 30MB/sec.

These half-dozen models are expected to ship within the week, with prices ranging from $85 to $99. Measuring merely 1.50" x 0.50" and weighing around 5g, their first tier models include nickel and 24k gold-plated steel casings with 2k gold-sliding lid. Second row 32GB models are available in the same finishes but include AES-256 hardware encryption.

Source: Super Talent

Apple's Tablet Out in September According to Financial Times

2009-07-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

There you go folks. Smacked off the faces of all Apple tablet rumors and claims. Financial Times spilled it all when they reported that Apple is aiming a September launch this year of the much anticipated Apple Internet tablet. Apparently, it was also mentioned that the Cupertino-based company has an unusual partnership with companies like EMI, Sony Music, Warner Music and Universal Music Group for this device. Accordingly, the partnership, codenamed Cocktail, is an effort to address the sinking music sales by creating albums that include stuff like liner notes and video clips.

September is just around the corner so expect more influx of news and information to follow if Financial Times report really has credibility.

Source: Financial Times

Skype 2.8 Gold for Mac: Now with WiFi, Screen Sharing and Better Audio Video

2009-07-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

Mac users were treated last January with the release of the most popular VOIP application Skype 2.8 Beta. Now they are getting more treats with the new Skype 2.8 Gold which added more awesome features screen sharing, integration with Wi-Fi access service Boingo (where you can pay your WiFi access using your Skype account balance), better audio and video, and several other improvements. Here’s some of updated features included with the Gold edition:

* Improved chat management (sort chats, set priorities)
* Quick add (self explanatory but let’s you add new people to chats)
* Mood message chat (”it’s a bit like Twitter”)
* Support for large profile pictures
* Hidden avatars in incoming contact requests
* Add notes to contacts

Skype 2.8 Gold is a freeware and available for download immediately from Skype’s website.

Download link: Skype 2.8 Gold for Mac OS X

Windows 7 Rolling Out on August 6

2009-07-21T22:52:00.000-07:00

Windows 7 will officially get RTM status some time this month, but as to when we'd be able to get our hands on it, turns out to be the big question. According to the official Windows blog, OEMs will get it approximately two days after Windows 7 goes RTM, and beta testers who are already subscribed to TechNet can download RTM immediately after that happens for free. Independent software and hardware vendors can download it via Microsoft Connect or MSDN on August 6th. Same goes for MSDN-subscribed developers and IT Professionals with a TechNet account, but only the English language version. Microsoft Partner Program Gold / Certified members will get it August 16th via Microsoft Partner Network portal on the 16th, and Action Pack Subscribers on August 23rd. All other language versions for those groups will have to wait until October 1st.

And for most of us ordinary consumers who don't fall in any of those categories, Windows 7 will be in retail stores and shipping on new PCs starting October 22nd. Microsoft is also reminding us that Release Candidate doesn't start giving the annoying reboots until March 1st, 2010, with full expiration happening June 1st -- plenty of time to avoid picking up a copy if you didn't get a chance to pre-order at the much more reasonable discount price.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X3 Rachel Specs Revealed

2009-07-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

eXpansys confirmed and posted the full specifications of the previously rumored Sony Ericsson Xperia X3 also known as "Rachel". Listed on the online retailer's site as the SEMXP3_BLK_UK, the Android smartphone has an 8-megapixel camera, dualband 900/2100MHz HSDPA (10Mbps) and HSUPA (2Mbps) as well as Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi b/g and A-GPS.

The Xperia X3's camera has an 8x digital zoom with LED flash, plus image stabilization, smile shutter and face detection. It can also record VGA-quality 30fps video. Additionally, the smartphone also supports SMS, MMS, POP, IMAP and Exchange email, has a microSDHC card slot and a mini-USB port, plus a standard 3.5mm headphone socket.

No word on pricing yet but eXpansys is already accepting pre-orders.

Technical Details:
• Display:
- 800 x 400 pixels/4"
- Touch Sensitive
• Network:
- 2G 850/900/1800/1900 (Quad-Band)
- 3G: 900/2100 (Dual-Band)
- HSDPA (10Mbps)
- HSUPA (2Mbps)
• Camera:
- 8 mega-pixels (auto-focus)
- 8 x Digital Zoom
- LED Flash
- Image Stabilization
- Smile Shutter
- Face Detection
• Video:
- VGA Video Recording
• Music:
- Supported formats: MP3, AAC, eAAC+
• Ringtones:
- Monophonic
- Polyphonic (64)
- MP3
- AAC
• Messaging:
- SMS
- MMS (with video)
- E-mail (POP3, SMTP, IMAP4, MS Exchange)
• Memory:
- Phone Book
- Dialled Calls
- Missed Calls
- Received Calls
- microSDHC (external)
• Call Features:
- Hands Free
- Caller ID
- Voice Dialling
• Connectivity:
- miniUSB
- 3.5mm AV connector
- Bluetooth (2.1)
- Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11g)
• Navigation:
- AGPS

Latest Tip-off from Nokia's Arsenal: The Xseries and Cseries

2009-07-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, it was reported that Nokia filed a trademark application for a Cseries. Apparently for a new line of smartphones, netbooks or MIDS to complement their existing E and Nseries line up. The C could stand for computer or something like that.

Now the Xseries has been tipped-off and discovered in a Finland trademark database. Although there are no clear definition between these devices, but strong speculations are pointing the Xseries to the Intel-Nokia Maemo collaboration. We are hoping that all these will be announced at the Nokia World conference this coming September.

Sony Initiates "Snackable" PSP and PSP Go! mini games

2009-07-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

Sony has revealed its development strategy as explained by Zeno Colaço, Sony's head of developer relations. They have revealed plans for “snackable” titles that gamers could download to their PSP Go in less than a minute, taking on Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch in the process. Sony announced its intentions to bring more developers to the PSP platform at the big E3 gaming show last month. And the move to simplify its development tools was seen as a hint of new PSP applications beyond games.

"One of the things that has been exciting in my time at Sony is the big shift changes we have seen – the latest is that consumers have been consuming digital content in a totally different way. Sony’s been working very hard to find our position in that and bring top-end gaming to not just the consumers who were there for the launch of PSP, but extending to an audience that is changing how it consumes entertainment and applications. We’re introducing new initiatives for the PSP which take it beyond traditional gaming, but still includes elements from gaming, and also includes new developers” Zeno Colaço, head of developer relations, SCEE"

To better encourage developers to dip into these mini-titles, Sony has has dramatically cut the cost of the PSP SDK by 80-percent. They’ve also removed many of the barriers that typically stand in the way of getting games published, including removing concept approval, streamlining the quality assurance process, and allowing for very low price points for new titles. It seems their stratefy is working, as apparently over 50 studios (including CandyStand and iPhone developer Subatomic Studios) are working on "new kinds of games and applications" that will be sold via a "specially-branded separate area" of the PlayStation Store accessible by PSP and PSPgo owners.

Unlike Apple’s, Sony's PSP SDK will not be free and will still require a team – albeit “a small team” says Colaço – Sony believes the changes will alter the restrictions of disc-based gaming. One of the only confirmed titles will be Subatomic’s Fieldrunners tower defense game.

Sony Ericsson Introduces New Walkman Phones W205 and W205a

2009-07-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

Budget conscious Sony Ericsson Walkman lovers will definitely rejoice over these two new SE Walkman Phone offerings. Sony Ericsson has just announced the W205 and W205a Walkman phones, a pair which Sony Ericsson promises to be the most affordable handsets to ever included in their Walkman line.

Specs at a glance:

* Enjoy your music with the high quality Walkman experience
* FM radio – catch up with the latest news and views
* TrackID – name that tune at a press of a button
* 1.3 megapixel camera – take great shots and share the fun instantly
* Video recording – capture your favorite moments on film
* Bluetooth™ – share your favorite songs, pictures and video clips, or connect to a wireless headset
* Multiple phonebook – keep your contacts in order and share your mobile phone with your family
* Memory Stick Micro (M2) support up to 2GB

While the press release prominently mentions the word “affordable”, no pricing information has been provided at this point. There’s also no word on exactly when the W205 or W205a will be released — SE says they’re both expected to launch within three months — though noticeably, USA is missing from the W205a’s local availability list despite the presence of GSM 850/1900. This either means a carrier deal is still in the works or SE is skipping the US. Two more photos of SE W205 below.

Apple iPhone SDK 3.1 and iPhone OS 3.1 beta 2 Officially Released to Developers

2009-07-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

A lot of things are still hazy about what's new in this batch of Apple iPhone beta releases, but we thought that you would like to be kept in the loop. Registered Apple developers should cancel everything and prepare for another series of sleepless nights as Apple has just posted iPhone SDK 3.1 beta 2 and iPhone OS 3.1 beta 2 (Build 7C106c) to the iPhone Dev Center.

iPhone SDK 3.1 beta 2 and iPhone OS 3.1 beta 2 are now available on the iPhone Dev Center. These versions are for development and testing only and should be installed on devices dedicated to iPhone OS 3.1 beta software development. Please read the iPhone OS beta Pre-Install Advisory and the iPhone SDK 3.1 beta 2 release notes before downloading and installing.

No word yet on what’s changed, although newer is always better, right? We will try to update you on this as more new features are discovered. If you downloaded this new update too, feel free to report any changes you find in the comments.

Windows 7 Build 7600 Rumored RTM Via Torrent

2009-07-13T06:06:00.000-07:00

Once again, in drooling anticipation, Windows 7 build 7600 made its way to the file sharing service pipes. Quite interesting here is the major jump in build revisions from the current 72xx to 7600 build. It might be suggesting, but does not guarantee, that 7.7600.16384.090710-1945 is the Release To Manufacturing (RTM) build rumored for a July 13th release (yes today) -- the same Windows 7 build that will be handed out by Microsoft to its partners in the Microsoft's October 22nd consumer launch.

Please note that 7600.16384 may not be the final build of Windows 7 RTM and that any subset of build 7600 (7600.16385, 16386, etc...) can be RTM. And if it is the RTM build then we'd expect to hear some kind of announcement with the kickoff of Microsoft's Worldwide Partner conference in New Orleans later today. Let's see.

Google's Chrome OS, Coming to Netbooks Next Year

2009-07-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

I always knew this one is coming. But still, it's hard to believe it's actually here. After hearing all the hums of a Google OS which seems like ages now, the company's now gone official with its plans. According to the official developer blog, it'll be an open source, lightweight platform that can "power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-size desktop systems," and will be capable of running on x86 (including Intel Atom) and ARM chips. Addressing potential overlap with Android-based netbooks, the official line is that "choice will drive innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google" -- hmmm... sounds a little wild, but hey, it's still all Google. A large portion of its fresh out of beta Google Apps suite already supports an offline mode, so it looks like the groundworks has been laid out. The company says it's currently working with a number of OEM manufacturers and that it'll initially appear on a number of netbooks coming to market sometime in the second half of 2010.

Source: Google Official Blog

GSM Palm Pre Goes Exclusive on Movistar

2009-07-07T06:53:00.000-07:00

Yes Finally, Palm Pre GSM! There it is folks, the first official press shot (notice the HSDPA icon) of the GSM version of the Palm Pre. The "more information" link is still not working but it's clear that Movistar has exclusive rights to the Pre in Spain. Movistar, like O2 in the UK, is owned by Telefonica which so far seems to have clinched exclusivity throughout Europe. We're still waiting for all this to get ultimately official sometime this week.

Source: Palm, Inc.

An Online Tour of Michael Jackson's Ultimate Mega Geek Arcade Den

2009-07-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

I came upon panview.com today and had a glimpse of Michael Jackson's personal arcade. The whole arcade has been posted online as a fully explorable panorama. It got everything every Peter Pan syndrome infected geek will die for. From Crazy Taxi to Guitar Freaks to Han Solo frozen in carbonite to the 360-degree spinning Sega R360 jet fighter cabinet, Jackson amassed a daunting collection of arcade games and general geek paraphernalia—much of which was auctioned off earlier this year.

It's very notable that the collection seems to be frozen in time somewhere in the 90s. Approximately right around the time of Michael Jackson's notorious $22 million molestation settlement. Though, more fairly, it's also the same era that consoles really started to cut into the arcade experience.

Source: panview.com

2 New SE Phones: Xperia Android Named "Rachael" and the Transparent Display Phone "Kiki"

2009-07-05T07:02:00.000-07:00

Two new Sony Ericsson handsets are currently getting detailed. Consider these unconfirmed rumors for the time being, but it looks like SE’s first Android handset could be a gem and its first transparent display-equipped handset could be the strangest thing we’ve ever seen.

Seen above is the sleek full touchscreen handset codenamed “Rachael”, it will be Sony Ericsson’s first Android offering should this push through. According to rumor, it will bear the Xperia brand and will feature a big touchscreen along with Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon processor, an 8 megapixel camera with auto-focus, a 3.5mm audio jack, 7.2Mbps HSDPA and 3D graphics capabilities. It will be announced later this year and, if all this holds up, could very well be the first truly must-have drool-worthy SE handset we’ve seen in quite a while.

Next up, is a bizarre handset with a peculiar codename “Kiki”. Beyond the unique design, the Kiki is said to feature a glass display that can be viewed from either side of the device. The handset doesn’t seem to feature anything resembling a traditional keypad so we’re not sure how interfacing is going to work. But still — this is likely a very early mock up that will be changed drastically if and when it ever reaches market.

Source: Unwiredview.com

Nokia N97 firmware update (11.0.021) now available

2009-07-02T06:50:00.000-07:00

As speculated, the latest firmware release on Nokia's flagship handset N97 is now available. In such little time has gone by and so much has been written about the Nokia N97. Both good and bad. But looks like this new firmware update 11.0.021 will have some solid bug fixes and a few new additions in place on your shiny new Nokia N97. The firmware should be available in most regions and if you can’t get it OTA, fire up Nokia Software Updater and give it a go. As for what you can expect from this release, changelog for the new N97 firmware update 11.0.021 are listed below:

* USB detection error fix
* PC does not detect N97 or USB charging connection not detected.
* Widget
* Home screen online/offline widget crash fix
* Fix for “Alphabetical and Number input are mixed in facebook until end key is pressed.
* Widget UI improvement - New facebook widget fixes a problem of Home Screen background visible on soft-key area.
* Browser fixes to improve widgets stability.
* MfE related fixes
* Partial fix for Messaging/calendar entry lost.
* Mail for exchange calendar entry synchronization error fix.
* UI transition error fixes (Portrait <-> landscape transition, there is a home screen corruption.)
* UI transition (Slowness and bad effects)
* Slow Touch UI response
* Picture of the device lock appears half of the screen when transitioning the UI sometimes
* Landscape: in some cases the soft buttons on touch (right hand) show the Home Screen in background (install maps.google.com)
* Photos thumbnail performance and stability improvements
* Device performance deteriorates when lots of content in the device - especially photos
* Partial fix no display backlight illumination when unlocking lock-key - CAP Genius reported already
* New version of Accueweather to improve the “Connection error” situation
* Device reset when browsing with high speed packet access (for Malaysia)
* “Browser soft key UI doesn’t work after putting Chinese character with qwerty keyboard”
* Java fixes (TCK, Pre-install app disappearing, *#7370#*)
* Operator fixes (CMCC, Hutchson and Telefonica, Vodafone)
* Ovi store client now embedded in the core image

The N96 was updated today as well to 30.033.

Palm Pre UK Release to be Revealed July 7th Next Week?

2009-07-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

According to confirmation received by T3, Palm is preparing to disclose everything about the UK launch next week. The whos (O2 or Vodafone), when, and how much will all be answered. Word from our source across the island suggests Palm has pegged next week — possibly Tuesday, July 7th to be the official Palm Pre UK announcement. We know it's agonizing, after waiting for almost a month since its US launch. At least you've a time frame to circle in your calendar now, right chums?

T-Mobile Dash 3G by HTC Unboxed Plus First Impression Video

2009-07-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

T-Mobile’s latest Windows Mobile smartphone, the Dash 3G by HTC, is all set to hit the market this week, but the guys at PhoneMag have already been playing with the QWERTY candybar. Vincent has suffered a bout of nostalgia with the new handset, comparing it to the original Dash, but the new Dash 3G keyboard racks up the kudos as “one of the best if not the best” he’s used.

There’s also compliments for the dualband UMTS/HSPA, though the absence of a flash for the 2-megapixel camera is noted. Still, that’s not enough to counter Vincent’s favorable first-impressions, aided no doubt by Windows Mobile 6.1 running fast on the smartphone.

All that is left is the price, which T-Mobile has yet to confirm. For the full gallery and all the first-impressions, check out PhoneMag’s post.

Nokia N97 Review

2009-06-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

While trying to get my hands on a Nokia N97 and write my own review, our friends at PhoneMag posted a full review of the Nokia N97 inclusive of an unboxing video and some great photos. If you are one of those eagerly anticipating to own one, then this review is worth reading.

The Nokia N97 is a S60 5th Edition mobile computer with a large 3,5“, bright nHD (640 x 360 pixels and 16:9 aspect ratio) TFT color display with resistive touch screen and tactile feedback. The device provides excellent user experience for internet and entertainment by combining qwerty keyboard with touch UI and Home screen functionality. Use the N97 to connect to mobile broadband using WLAN or HSDPA (3.5G). Find directions and locations with the integrated A-GPS and included maps. Additional features include game titles with N-Gage, a 5 mega pixel camera with dual LED flash and automatic geotagging of images and videos.

Nokia has announced that the N97 touchscreen smartphone is available to U.S. customers in Nokia flagship stores in New York and Chicago and several online retailers. Nokia is offering the N97 for a commitment-free price of $699. In addition to the flagship stores, the N97 is available at nokiausa.com and through independent retailers.

If you still want more hands-on info about N97, then check out this video.

Sony Designing a New PSP Phone

2009-06-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

Reuters report that Sony is looking to develop a PSP Phone hybrid to compete head on against Apple's iPhone. We may have been hearing rumors like these so many times but now it makes a lot of sense. This might be Sony's move to differentiate their PSP from Nintendo and confront the iPhone threat. The PSP has sold over 50 million units worldwide in the past 4 years, while Apple has already reached over 40 million units sold in the past 2 years. It might also act as a decent salve over the lukewarm reception of the pricey PSPgo. But then, if this is a real one, we likely will be waiting for a while before we see any resulting product to come.

Microsoft Windows 7 Pricing Announced

2009-06-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

Most of us are excited for Windows 7 but have some reservations regarding how expensive it's going to be. Fret no more, at least now the mystery is over as Redmond has finally made its 7 pricing official. Those of you planning to upgrade from XP or Vista to Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate will have need to come up with $119.99, $199.99 or $219.99 respectively, while those who opt for a brand new retail copy will have to spend $199.99, $299.99 or $319.99. If that’s too rich for your blood, don’t resolve yourself to piracy just yet — limited pre-orders start tomorrow with Home Premium upgrades running $49.99 and Professional upgrades coming in at $99.99.

More good news: If you absolutely need to replace a dying computer ASAP, you should feel pretty good because nearly everyone who buys a new Windows computer as of tomorrow should be able to get a free upgrade to Windows 7 (although not all manufacturers are participating in this program).

Source: Windows Team Blog

Apple iPhone 3G S Reveals Innard on its First Disassembly Guide

2009-06-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Even if it's beginning to get more like a norm to teardown new gadgets as soon as it hits the market, we still cannot help but cringe each time they "dissected" any given gadget.

RapidRepair is the first to take a pristine iPhone 3G S and crack it open, having queued up outside the Orange Boutique in Paris earlier on today, revealing the magic hidden inside its impeccable casing.

The Paris store was selling the iPhone 3G S from midnight local time on July 19th, which basically means 6PM EST on July 18th. RapidRepair couldn’t even wait to get home to get things started, so the first iPhone 3G S breakdown was done in a nearby Mac repair store.

It’s still quite early to identify clearly components in detail, but already the obvious differences with the iPhone 3G have been spotted. The LCD has a new driver package, and components on the end of the cable have been changed. The battery in the new smartphone “looks very similar” to that of the previous, though compatibility is not confirmed as yet.

The brains of the iPhone 3G S is its Samsung SoC S5PC100, with an ARM Cortex A8 processor and Toshiba NAND flash memory. Previous iPhone 3G S leaks suggested it runs at 600MHz and has 256MB of RAM; for full implications of the changes, and what the new SoC brings, AnandTech have a detailed summary.

Intel rebranding with Core i3, i5 and i7 while Centrino shifted to WiFi/WiMAX

2009-06-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

Intel announced that it will be rebranding its CPU range to simplify its lineup, focusing on the “Intel Core” prefix and transitioning the Centrino brand to cover the company’s WiFi and WiMAX products. Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 will eventually replace Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad, distinguishing different feature sets; but confusingly, some processors will slot into multiple i-prefix categories, depending on their capabilities.

For instance, the upcoming Lynnfield desktop processor will be an Intel Core chip, but have various models that slot into the i5 or i7 segments. Broadly speaking, i3 is an entry-level chip, i5 is a mid-level chip and i7 is the flagship high-level processor. It’s not all change, though, as the Celeron and Pentium brands went on to cover “affordable entry-level” and “basic computing” respectively.

Finally, one of the most popular chips over the last twelve months, the Atom range of processors, will also survive, and vPro technology will be offered on certain i5 or i7 chips. There’ll also be a new star-system, shown under the Intel Core logo, which indicates whether its feature-packed or not.

First look at iPhone 3G S Which Starts Selling Friday June 19

2009-06-17T23:41:00.001-07:00

The iPhone 3GS will be coming out Friday June 19 tomorrow. From the looks of it, it looks just like the iPhone 3G, but it does sport some serious differences, and some serious addons you should know about. And while nothing is perfect, we think it’s a step in the right direction for Apple.

Let’s start it off with the best stuff. The iPhone 3GS is fast. They say it's what "S" stands for, "Speed". And while it might sport similar feature set to the 3G, the 3GS’ speed boost makes it worth it. The screen has an oleophobic coating, that’s meant to repel grease and fingerprints. And while it might not look much different in the grease department than the 3G, it really does work better, even if totally coated.

Everything really loads much faster now. That includes turning on the phone and loading up apps. This also means there are more opportunities for apps and games now, with a 600MHz processor and 256 RAM.

Other new features that are pros in our opinion includes the updated 3-megapixel camera, which sports auto focus and video recording capability. But still, the lack of flash is still disheartening, but the video quality is pretty impressive. It’s capable of 30fps and really smooth in motion. There’s even limited clip cropping abilities on the phone.

The Compass is cool, simple and easy to use. It detects North easily, no matter how you hold the phone and syncs up nicely with Google Maps, showing you precisely where you are at any given time. More good news is that Voice Control works pretty well. It recognizes what you’re saying fairly well, though background sound tends to cause issues.

Battery life has improved. The only real negative we’ve noticed so far on the iPhone 3GS which I believe everyone will agree is the price it’ll cost you to upgrade if you’re still on an AT&T plan and the AT&T network in general. With numerous problems with the network, it’s kind of a shame such a high-featured phone is limited to a feature-lacking network. Also, if you already have the iPhone 3G, this model might not feel like a worthy upgrade to you to justify buying a whole new phone.

Apple's retail stores open their doors on Friday, June 19, at 8 a.m. local time. AT&T's retail stores will open an hour earlier, at 7 a.m. local time, but only for people who pre-ordered via the Web or at a store. (According to The Boy Genius Report, AT&T had sold out its pre-order allotment by Saturday, June 13, and any subsequent pre-orders won't be shipped to a local store for pick-up until seven to 14 days after the order date.)

AT&T will let customers who didn't pre-order into its stores starting at 8 a.m. local time.

Best Buy and Wal-Mart, the other two outlets selling iPhones, will open at their usual business hours on Friday.

What countries get the iPhone 3G S on Friday? Apple said that customers in the U.S., Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K. get first crack at the new iPhone. Other countries will begin to sell their shipments of the upgrade starting July 9.

Anything for someone has an iPhone but doesn't want to shell out $200 (or more) for a new one? You get iPhone 3.0, the newest upgrade to the iPhone's software, which Apple launched on Wednesday, June 17. Among the new features: copy-paste, MMS, Spotlight search and landscape-mode keyboard.

iPhone 3.0 is free to iPhone owners, but costs iPod Touch users $9.95.

Apple and AT&T also reduced the price of the existing iPhone 3G 8GB to $99, so if you have $100 and an aging first-generation iPhone, you can go that route. Have a little more cash? For $149, you can pick up the 16GB iPhone 3G from AT&T and Best Buy.

Nokia N97 Mini Coming Late this Year

2009-06-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

A moderator at the Vodafone View forums has claimed that the carrier will be releasing a “Nokia N97 Mini” in Ireland later this year. The phone is described as “competitively” priced, which the rumor suggests will “appeal to a wider segment of customers”; as such, the Nokia N97 will not be launched in Ireland.

No other details regarding the “N97 Mini” have been disclosed, but if this is real, it is presumably a simpler and smaller version of the N97 which has just launched in the US.

The moderator goes on to confirm that Vodafone Ireland will not be offering the Palm Pre, due to another carrier having exclusivity. It’s unstated, but previous rumors have tipped rival O2 as clinching the Pre. Finally, it’s confirmed that the BlackBerry Storm 2 is coming to Vodafone Ireland as well, though there’s no word on exactly when that might happen.

Source: MobileBurn

Xbox 360 with Jasper motherboard and 512MB storage hitting US stores

2009-06-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

We were all excited when Jasper motherboards started showing up in Xbox 360 consoles late last year -- quieter fans, more efficient design, and 256MB of internal storage to set gamers free of overpriced memory cards. Now Xbox 360 with Jasper mobos are receiving an unannounced storage boost, with an XboxHacker forum member braza noticing that his Japanese Arcade model sported a 4Gb (gigabits) Samsung NAND chip. That's twice the size of the old one, giving the equivalent of a 512MB internal memory unit. That first system was manufactured in April, and they're starting to hit US Arcade units as well. As of now we're not sure if there's a way to tell from outside the box whether you have this revision of Jasper, but we're sure your local retailer wouldn't mind if you just bought their entire stock of consoles and ripped them all open to see.

Source: Xbox-Scene

Nokia E72 And 5530 XpressMusic Are Now Official

2009-06-15T06:44:00.000-07:00

After a successful promotional video leakage over the weekend, Nokia have officially unveiled the E72 - their new QWERTY smartphone followup to the fantastic E71- at the Connection 09 event in Singapore.

Compared to its older brother, the E72 will see its camera upgraded to 5 megapixels along with the addition of an integrated compass, an optical navigation key (not unlike the BlackBerry Gemini's) and sensibly a 3.5mm headphone jack. Nokia say the S60 handset features a "desktop like email experience" and will begin shipping third quarter of 2009 for $485 without contract.

Also revealed was the 5530 XpressMusic - essentially a smaller, cheaper 5800 - featuring a 2.9 inch widescreen display, 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash and a 4GB memory card. The GSM/EDGE phone doesn't use 3G but can at least connect via wifi; it will also be available third quarter of 2009 for around $275 unsubsidized.

Olympus E-P1 Micro Four Thirds camera early revelation

2009-06-15T06:29:00.000-07:00

Olympus’ E-P1 Micro Four Thirds digital camera is expected to make its official debut on Tuesday, but it looks like Olympus' Micro Four Thirds tribute to the classic rangefinder has leaked out and looking every bit as handsome as ever. The E-P1 is, according to the latest spec-leak, expected to have a 13-megapixel sensor, 200-6400 ISO range and 60-1/4000 shutter speed, together with supporting 720p video recording.

According to the leak, the E-P1 will also support up to 7 minutes of 720p recording or up to 14 minutes of 480p resolution recording. Stills can be captured in RAW, JPEG or RAW plus JPEG formats, and there’s a Liveview LCD with electronic shake correction.

Eleven-area autofocus round out the leak. It’s expected to be priced at ¥90,000 ($917) for the kit, with a bundle including both 17mm and 14-42mm lenses coming in at ¥130,000 ($1,324). Alternatively the 17mm lens is believed to be priced at ¥10,000 ($101) while the 14-42mm version is ¥35,000 ($356).

Sony PSP Go! Drops Mini USB, Requires New Accessories

2009-06-08T07:06:00.000-07:00

Sony’s PSP Go! might be the latest miniature masterpiece you'll get, but it can also shrink your wallet, too. Set to conquer the handheld gaming world in the US on October 1st, the all-digital UMD less PSP will not only cost twice as much as its bigger sibling, but require all new accessories thanks to a crafty change of port type.

Rather than using a mini USB port, as with previous PSP does, the PSP Go! has a new, multifunction socket on the bottom of the handheld. That keeps down space, of course, but it also means that accessories existing PSP owners already have will not be compatible anymore with the new console.

Sony, unsurprisingly, are lining up a new range of PSP Go! accessories - including USB cables, AV cables, AC adapters, wrist-straps and screen protectors - that will play happily with their new gadget, but that’s no use to the people who have already spent significant amounts of money on older PSP models like the PSP-2000 and PSP-3000 add-ons. The company’s own GPS module and chat keyboards won’t work, and neither will hundreds of third-party accessories.

Palm Pre Goes on Sale Today

2009-06-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

Palm Pre officially goes on sale today from Sprint, its first multi-touch phone and what's been regarded as the most promising contender with the iPhone. Initial reports of stocks show that both supply and demand vary heavily depending on the region: Sprint stores, particularly in major cities like New York, have relatively large supply of as much as 100 or more. However, third-party stores like Best Buy and Radio Shack have relatively much smaller supply and little to no queuing.

Leaks from within Best Buy ahead of the launch had suggested the retailer may not have healthy supply until July this year, prompting speculation either that Sprint's stores were favored much more heavily than others or else that supply was so low that third-party stores couldn't be guaranteed reliable quantity of stock. However, nothing surfaced about Radio Shack's availability ahead of today's debut.

The Pre's key selling point is its webOS, which debuts on the phone. Besides offering a comparatively intuitive, finger-driven interface and full HTML web browsing, it offers a handful of key features that will be absent from its Apple rival even with iPhone OS 3.0, including true multitasking for features such as background Internet radio, universal search that includes Google, Twitter and Wikipedia, and an online sync concept known as Synergy that can merge contacts and calendars from the phone, Google and Facebook while automatically eliminating duplicates. Lighter restrictions on third-party apps allow PalmOS emulation.

A 3-megapixel camera and a slide-out hardware QWERTY keyboard are its key advantages over the current iPhone; otherwise, it has 3G, 8GB of built-in storage, GPS and Wi-Fi much like its key challenger at the $199 price point.

Both Palm and Sprint are depending heavily on a successful launch to turn around struggling businesses but have been helped by mostly positive pre-release reviews that praise the operating system while raising concerns about the keyboard and some minor but notable build quality concerns.

3rd Gen iPhone Photos Leaked

2009-06-05T06:48:00.000-07:00

Are these really photos of the new iPhone? It’s a question that will keep on bugging us until the real one is officially revealed. This could also be something related to Apple’s WWDC on Monday. This leakage came from an Italian iPhone site iSpazio that released what are claimed to be shots of the upcoming model, complete with shifted ports, new controls and a tweaked chassis.

The leaked photos show a redesigned fascia with two slots at the top, as well as a different casing shape and an apparent matte finish. Plus a discrete LED indicator embedded in the front panel.

The headphone socket has also seemingly moved, from the top edge of the handset down to the bottom as on the iPod touch, and there appears to be a button on the lower right-side edge of the handset that, given similar controls on other cellphones, could be a camera button. The lower slot on the fascia could be front-facing camera, its been suggested, with the LED an indicator as on the iSight webcam embedded into MacBook notebook displays.

Personally I'd like to be skeptical about these photos, but I have to admit, these pictures do look promising. What's your verdict? Could this in fact be a first look at the next iPhone?

Source 1
Source 2

Sleek Black Nintendo Wii and Red Hot DSi Coming This Summer

2009-06-04T07:21:00.000-07:00

A sleek black Wii and a red hot DSi are coming straight out of Nintendo Japan. The black Wii (or what they call "KURO Wii" to be precise) is particularly interesting as it's been rumored for over almost two years now. Maybe not that very interesting but hey, it sure looks snappy... right? Expect the ¥25,000 black Wii with matching black-colored Wiimote, nunchuck, and classic controller to hit Japan on August 1st and the ¥18,900 red DSi on July 11th.

Finally, Nokia N97 Launching This Month

2009-06-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

Nokia have announced that N97 will go on sale worldwide this month. No word on pricing yet for the 3.5-inch touchscreen handset, nor specific availability dates, but UK will apparently get it unlocked and SIM-free from Nokia in June 19.

SIM-free, the N97 is priced at around £500; that will be followed by a June 26th launch on the various carriers in the UK, with no word on pricing but a clear possibility of picking up the N97 free with a sufficiently expensive tariff. The N97 is already available to preorder in the US, priced at around $455 after discounts.

Your money gets you a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, S60 5th Edition OS, WiFi, GPS, HSPA and of course that 3.5-inch resistive touchscreen. However we’re also wary of the potentially low-powered CPU Nokia have fitted the N97 with; we’ll have to wait for the final model to see if that undermines the smartphone.

Official Nokia Press Release:

Nokia N97 mobile computer to begin selling worldwide in June

Espoo, Finland - The highly anticipated Nokia N97, Nokia’s flagship mobile computer, will begin selling in June in more than 75 countries. Along with a tilting 3.5″ touch display, QWERTY keyboard and a fully customizable home screen, the Nokia N97 will offer instant access to the full range of Ovi services.

“The Nokia N97 is an important step towards our vision of delivering a highly personalized Internet experience,” said Jonas Geust, Vice President and head of Nokia Nseries. “Fuelled by a multitude of music, maps, games, media and applications via Ovi, the Nokia N97 transforms the Internet into an experience that’s completely tailored to the tastes and interests of its owner.”

The Nokia N97 is Nokia’s first device to feature a personalizable home screen, which can be customized with a range of widgets which bring live information directly to the device. These widgets include key social networking destinations like Facebook and Hi5, news services like the Associated Press, Bloomberg and Reuters, as well as shopping and weather information. The Nokia N97 is the first device to ship with the Ovi Store, which offers easy access to applications, games, videos, podcasts, productivity tools, web and location-based services, and much more. Ovi Store has paid and free content from a range of global and local content providers and developers, including Paramount Pictures, Facebook and Qik, as well as a selection of Twitter applications.

Enjoy your upgrades
The beauty of this Nokia device is that taking it out of the box is just the beginning. As with any computer, people can constantly improve and refresh their Nokia N97 with new features, functions and fixes so they can do even more with the device. An exciting roadmap of new features and functions is planned to roll out in the second half of 2009.

Entertainment ensured
The Nokia N97 also has direct access to the huge catalogue of music in the Nokia Music Store. With multiple high-speed connectivity options and 32GB of storage (up to 48GB using a microSD card) it is possible to directly download and store tens of thousands of songs on the handset. And you can listen to your favourite music on the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-905, which Nokia also launched today. This headset brings crystal clear sound, eliminates background noise, and is the ideal accessory for listening to music and making calls on the Nokia N97, as well as being compatible with a diverse range of other mobile and music devices.

High-quality images and video clips at 30 frames per second (fps) can be captured using the 5 megapixel camera with integrated Carl Zeiss optics. Images can also be geo-tagged to specific locations and shared instantly with friends or uploaded online via Ovi Share, Twitter or Flickr.

About Nokia
Nokia is a pioneer in mobile telecommunications and the world’s leading maker of mobile devices. Today, we are connecting people in new and different ways - fusing advanced mobile technology with personalized services to enable people to stay close to what matters to them. We also provide comprehensive digital map information through NAVTEQ; and equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.

Microsoft Bing Search Engine Goes Live

2009-06-01T03:24:00.000-07:00

Microsoft’s new search engine has created quite buzz since its introduction a few days ago. Finally, the search engine is now live for everyone to test. But Microsoft seems to have it optimized for English speaking users from the United States and the UK who get more functionality than someone from non-english speaking countries.

Users from the United States get previews of the contents of each site by hovering the mouse cursor over a search result while users from unsupported countries do not get these previews. The previews can contain up to five links to other content of the site which is a very interesting feature as search engines usually limit the exposure to one or two links to a site on each page. Many aspects of Bing look like Google Search (But It's Not Google - BING). There are also sponsored advertisements on top of the search results pages and on the left and some content related images will be added where appropriate to the results.

Bing also categorizes search results appropriately. A search for let's say a city like New York will start with all results on the top and display categories like maps, weather, travel or attractions below each with a handful of search results. This is actually an interesting concept as it might aid inexperienced users in their search. Experienced users on the other hand will perform targeted searches to find the information they are looking for.

Bing will display the categories, related searches and the search history on the left. The image search of Bing displays image results on an infinite scrolling page with some nice features like an option to filter images by size, layout, color, style or people, and a virtual map that can be displayed for location based searches. It will for instance link pictures to locations on the map.

Bing's Video search makes it possible to play videos directly on the results page. This can be done by hovering the mouse over a video or by clicking on the play button that appears when hovering over the video. Videos can also be filtered by length, resolution, screen size or source. Bing seems to have improved over Windows Live, especially for popular search terms.

LG Launches GW520 and GT505 Social Networking Phones

2009-05-31T05:20:00.000-07:00

LG has announced two new handsets, the GW520 and GT505, especially made to target the social networking, business-oriented crowd. Both handsets feature push notification of updates from various social networking sites, push email from personal accounts and Microsoft Exchange support. The GW520 is a QWERTY side slider with a 2.8-inch touchscreen, 7.2Mbps HSDPA and a 3 megapixel camera. The GT505 is a candybar with a 3-inch touchscreen, 3.6Mbps HSDPA, Wi-Fi and a 5 megapixel camera. The GT505 also comes with a 30 day trial of WisePilot for LG which offers turn by turn navigation. Both handsets are expected to be available in June 2009 with the GT505 launching on Orange while the GW520 to debut with various, yet-to-be-named carriers.

LG Official Press Release:

May. 29, 2009
LG launches two new social networking devices to its range with the LG GT505 and LG GW520

Boasting messaging features designed for effortless contact with friends and family

Berkshire, UK, 29 May 2009- LG Electronics (LG), a worldwide technology and design leader in mobile communications, today announces the launch of the LG GW520 and LG GT505. These two new handsets enable consumers to be at the heart of their online communities anytime, anywhere, with push updates from social networking sites and both business and personal email.

Following the success of LG's feature-rich messaging device the LG KS360, these new additions boast more messaging functions that are smarter and easy-to-use. The LG GW520 and the LG GT505 are the first LG phones to offer push social networking updates allowing consumers to receive alerts from multiple social network sites as they are posted. Users now have the ease of use and functionality to update their own statuses, personal pages or photos. Both new models support push email for personal accounts and have Microsoft Exchange ActiveSyncfor business accounts.

"Mobile communications have been about more than just voice based calls for a long time, but consumers are now demanding more than just SMS and IM services. They want the kind of messaging and social networking features previously the preserve of high end handsets on a wide range of models, and that is what LG is offering. We recognise the demand for mobile devices that enable quick and easy interaction with social network sites as a growing market. LG aspires to be at the forefront of this with the launch of these great mobile phones." said Jeremy Newing, head of marketing, LG Mobile UK.

LG GW520

The LG GW520 is a mobile made for messaging be that via social networks, email or SMS and IM. It enables users to connect to their communities and grow their social life on the move.

Features of the LG GW520 include:
- 2.8" full touchscreen
- Full slide-out QWERTY keypad
- Push email via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync
- HSPDA 7.2
- 3G enabled
- WAP 2.0 browser
- 3-megapixel camera

This handset also includes LG's LiveSquare feature which enables the consumer to see those friends that you talk to most often appearing as an animated character on the homescreen. These characters enable quick and easy access to a contact at the click of a button.

LG GT505

The LG GT505 allows easy navigation using Wisepilotfor LG. This handset comes preloaded with a 30-day free trial of WisePilotfor LG, a turn-by-turn navigation solution, which offers voice instruction and a choice of 2D and 3D mapping to guide users to their destinations.

Features of the LG GT505 include:
- 3" full touchscreen
- GPS
- 30-day free trial of WisePilot
- Push email via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync
- Wi-Fi (TM)
- HSDPA 3.6
- 3G enabled
- Voice instruction
- 5-megapixel camera

The LG GW520 will be available widely across most networks in June 2009.

The LG GT505 will be available on Orange from June 2009.

-End-

*Availability of email services is dependent on the operator service package provided

*Wisepilotand the Wisepilotlogo are registered trademarks of Appello System AB. Preload of Wisepilotfor LG is dependent on the operator service package provided.

About LG Electronics, Inc.
LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 84,000 people working in 115 operations including 84 subsidiaries around the world. With 2008 global sales of $44.7 billion, LG comprises of five business units - Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning and Business Solutions. LG is one of the world's leading producers of flat panel TVs, audio and video products, mobile handsets, air conditioners and washing machines. LG has signed a long-term agreement to become both A Global Partner of Formula 1(TM) and A Technology Partner of Formula 1(TM). As part of this top-level association, LG acquires exclusive designations and marketing rights as the official consumer electronics, mobile phone and data processor of this global sporting event.

The LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a leading global mobile communications and information company. With its cutting-edge technology and innovative design capabilities, LG creates handsets that provide an optimized mobile experience to customers around the world. LG is pursuing convergence technology and mobile computing products, while continuing its leadership role in mobile communication with stylish designs and smart technology. For more information, please visit www.lge.com.

Nokia and Vodafone launch the new and exclusive Nokia 6730 classic

2009-05-29T02:34:00.000-07:00

Nokia and Vodafone today announced the exclusive launch of the new Nokia 6730 classic. This mid-level S60 3rd edition handset features quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, dual-band UMTS/HSPA, 2.2-inch QVGA screen display, 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera, GPS/aGPS, FM radio, Bluetooth 2.0, 48MB of internal memory and microSD expansion. Vodafone will be the exclusive carrier and will start offering the 6730 classic across all markets this June. Pricing is yet to be determined but we're pretty sure this handset will not break anybody’s piggy bank — this little guy is destined to be a freebie on most contracts.

Official Nokia Press Release:

Nokia and Vodafone launch the new and exclusive Nokia 6730 classic giving access to full range of Vodafone services
May 29, 2009

Espoo, Finland - Consumers wanting a feature packed mobile only have to look as far as the new Nokia 6730 classic, which begins shipping in June and will be available exclusively across Vodafone's global footprint. Mobile internet, Vodafone Music Client and personal and business email access along with mobile navigation capabilities are all included in the Nokia 6730 classic. The device utilises S60 software which means customers can easily download their choice of additional applications from the web.

Peter Becker-Pennrich, Director of Terminals Marketing at Vodafone says "The Nokia 6730 is a great all-round handset - just as perfect for mobile internet users as for music fans who want to take their tracks with them. This product follows a successful line-up of Vodafone exclusive devices from Nokia and is another great example of our collaboration. "

With the Nokia 6730 classic, getting lost and being out of touch with your friends could be a thing of the past thanks to the mobile navigation capabilities on the handset. The services offer accurate turn by turn instructions helping both drivers and pedestrians to find their way. It also provides access to comprehensive point of interest databases and both white and yellow pages information making it easy for the user to find their destination, whether that is an address, a company or even a person.

"'Feature packed' describes Nokia 6730 classic really well. With its iconic design - available in sleek black or white - the device is a perfect upgrade for Nokia 6500c or 6300 users or anyone seeking an elegant device, optimized for mobile internet and navigation. What's more, this mobile comes with industry-leading power-saving features and accessories" says Gustavo Eichelmann, Head of Vodafone Global Account Team, Nokia.

About Nokia
Nokia is a pioneer in mobile telecommunications and the world's leading maker of mobile devices. Today, we are connecting people in new and different ways - fusing advanced mobile technology with personalized services to enable people to stay close to what matters to them. We also provide comprehensive digital map information through NAVTEQ; and equipment, solutions and services for communications networks through Nokia Siemens Networks.

About Vodafone
Vodafone is the world's leading international mobile telecommunications company, with equity interests in 27 countries and Partner Markets in more than 40 countries. As of 31 March 2009, Vodafone had approximately 303 million proportionate customers worldwide. For further information, please visit www.vodafone.com

Sony Ericsson Aino with Sony Remote Play and 8.1MP camera

2009-05-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

Sony Ericsson announced earlier three new phones – Yari, Satio and Aino – that are gorgeous and easy on the eye and boast some powerful multimedia features. The SE Aino is basically a slender phone with a slider keypad and a 3-inch touchscreen display and interface. Aino will have a whopping 8.1 megapixel camera and will offer a snap-on speaker stand for audio aficionados.

A new amazing feature from Aino is the Sony Remote Play. Aino owners will be able to control their PlayStation 3 remotely from anywhere in the world they have a network connection. With a PlayTV tuner, they’ll also be able to watch, pause and record live TV from free-to-air digital TV channels.

Those without a PS3 aren’t left behind; Sony Ericsson have also announced Media Home, a sync app which pulls media data from a PC to the Aino via WiFi or when docked in the included recharging cradle. As for the wireless remote, that has sound-sensitive LEDs. The Sony Ericsson Aino will hit the market in Q4, price to be announced.

Here are more Aino pictures to drool at.

Official Sony Press Release:

Sound and vision set free with the Sony Ericsson Aino

Keep up to date with the latest videos and music on Aino. Media Go™ helps you transfer, play and organise all your music, photos, videos and podcasts from your PC simply and effortlessly to enjoy directly on Aino via Wi-Fi™. No more wires, no more searching – always the latest fun.

London, UK – May 28, 2009 – Sony Ericsson today showcases Aino. Get the best of two worlds with the keypad combined with an intuitive touch UI in media mode. An intuitive media browser gives users a clear overview and one touch direct access to their content.

Control your PLAYSTATION®3 and access its media content on your Aino anywhere, anytime using Remote Play with PLAYSTATION®3. Remote Play with PLAYSTATION®3, initially developed for PSP, enables users to control and access media content on PLAYSTATION®3 from their phone. This can be done via a local network between PLAYSTATION®3 and Aino in your home or via the internet from anywhere in the world. For TV lovers in Italy, France, Spain, Germany and in the UK users can also enjoy the PlayTV™ service on PLAYSTATION®3 via the Aino. Watch, pause and record live TV from a huge range of free channels via Aino on the go.

Aino also introduces Media Home, an application that pulls media content from Media Go™ on your PC over Wi-Fi™ to your phone automatically. Users just insert their Aino into its charging stand and it automatically synchronizes with all the latest media content on their PC. You are always ready to go with the latest content on your phone.

“Sony Ericsson has established itself as THE Communication Entertainment brand and Aino highlights our commitment to bringing the latest communication technology to the market in fun and innovative ways for consumers to enjoy,” said Alexandre Cardon, Market Business Manager at Sony Ericsson. “Media Home and Remote Play with PLAYSTATION®3 are key steps in broadening the entertainment experiences users can enjoy on their Sony Ericsson phone and gives a taste of our vision of the future.”

Watch movies on the crystal clear 3 inch screen and listen to music in superb quality and with increased freedom - thanks to the stylish Wireless Stereo Headphone MH100 and matching Charging Stand EC100 included with Aino. This powerful phone offers a full range of exciting features to support the entertainment experiences on the phones such as; an 8.1 megapixel camera, Photo flash and Clear audio experience.

Aino
Sound and vision set free

The best of both worlds: traditional keypad and touch UI in media mode
Media Home and Media Go™ - simple to take your content with you
Remote Play with PLAYSTATION®3 – control and access your PLAYSTATION®3 media content from your mobile phone
3 inch 16 million colour screen – surf the web in widescreen
Clear audio experience – listen to music in superb quality
Design matched Wireless Stereo Headphone MH100 and Charging Stand EC100
Aino supports GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 and UMTS/HSPA 850/1900/2100. Aino will be available in selected markets from early Q4 in the colours Obsidian Black and Luminous White.

The Sony Ericsson Aino at a glance

Camera

8.1 megapixel camera
Up to 16x digital zoom
Photo fix
Photo flash
Video recording
Auto focus
Face detection
Image and video stabilizer
BestPic™
Geo tagging
Photo feeds
Photo light
Red-eye reduction
Send to web
Smart contrast
Touch focus
Music

Album art
Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
Clear Bass
Clear Stereo
Touchscreen media player
Music tones (MP3/AAC)
PlayNow™
SensMe™
Stereo speakers
Web

Access NetFront™ Web browser
Bookmarks
Google™ search (from standby)
Web feeds
Communication

Speakerphone
Polyphonic ringtones
Vibrating alert
Video calling (main camera)
Messaging

Conversations
Email
Picture messaging (MMS)
Predictive text input
Sound recorder
Text messaging (SMS)
Instant messaging
Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync™
Design

Auto rotate
Picture wallpaper
Wallpaper animation
Entertainment

Facebook
3D games
FM radio with RDS
Java
Motion gaming
Remote Play for PLAYSTATION®3
Tracker
Video streaming
Video viewing
Walk mate
YouTube™
Connectivity

A-GPS
Bluetooth™ technology
DLNA Certified™
Google Maps™
Modem
PictBridge
Synchronisation
USB mass storage
USB support
Wi-Fi™
Organizer

Alarm clock
Calculator
Calendar
Flight mode
Notes
Phone book
Stopwatch
Tasks
Timer
Accessories

In-Box:

Aino
Battery
Battery charger
SanDisk microSD™ 8GB
Colour-matched Wireless Stereo Headphone MH100
Design-matched Charging Stand EC100
User guide
Optional:

Wireless Stereo Speakers MBS-400
Snap-on Speaker Stand MS410
Digital Photo Frame IDP-100
Facts and Figures

Size: 104 x 50×15.5 mm
Weight: 134 grams
Colours: Obsidian Black, Luminous White
Main screen: 16,777,216 True Colour TFT
Resolution: 240 x 432 pixels
Size: 3 inches
Phone memory: Up to 55MB
Memory card support: SanDisk microSD™
Talk time GSM: Up to 13 hrs
Standby time GSM: Up to 380 hrs
Talk time UMTS: Up to 4.5 hours
Standby time UMTS: Up to 367 hours
Video talk time: Up to 1 hour 40 mins
Music listening time: Up to 31 hours
Availability and versions
Networks:

Aino

GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS/HSPA 850/900/2100
Available in selected markets from early Q4 2009.

Legal

1) Facts and features may vary depending on local variant.

2) Talk and standby times are affected by network preferences, type of SIM card, connected accessories and various activities e.g. games. Kit contents and color options may differ from market to market. The full range of accessories may not be available in every market.

© Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, 2009.

Upcoming Asus G51 Gaming Notebook Revealed

2009-05-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

Asus has been constantly on the gaming laptop limelight lately, with the monstrous W90 paving the way for 18.4-inch laptop displays. Now Asus has announced a smaller gaming notebook, the G51, to be released at Computex. This notebook is actually very similar to the Alienware gaming notebooks in terms of style, but it has a few distinct tricks up its sleeve.

The new robot looking G51 will appeal to less hardcore gamers with its smaller size, but will sport some powerful components. The Asus G51 will be available with 15.6-inch or 16-inch screens, with the following hardware to choose from.

* Intel Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad processor
* Up to 4GB of RAM
* 1GB GeForce GTX 260M video card
* Optional Blu-ray
* 2 Megapixel camera
* Dual 500GB hard drives
* White glossy shell

The G51 also has a 16:9 widescreen 15.6-inch LED backlit display and up to a terabyte of hard drive space. We don’t know how much the G51 will cost exactly, but pricing estimates fall between $1,300 and $1,500 with a release date coming sometime in July.

Zune HD Officially Available this Fall

2009-05-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

This is the real thing, the Zune HD is coming this Fall. Microsoft officially announced it today and made all Zune hopefuls' dream into reality. The specs goes something like this: 3.3-inch, 480 x 272 OLED capacitive touchscreen display, built-in HD Radio receiver, and HD output (utilizing a new dock). Microsoft is set to feature a full multitouch screen in a 16:9 aspect ratio with TV out port on the side (apparently HDMI), and they seemed to indicate that some new touch-friendly apps and games would be headed our way. Coming in 16 and 32GB versions, the device will also support wireless syncing to your computer. Some even speculate the PMP will support 3D Xbox games, if the Zune HD will actually use Nvidia's Tegra chipset. The device will boast an IE-based, customized browser, but let's hope it won't be anything similar to Internet Explorer on Windows Mobile.

Details are also scarce concerning storage capacities, CPU performance, and other crucial numbers, but it seems like they've got more in store come E3.

Microsoft official release:

Microsoft Announces the Expansion of the Zune Entertainment Service to New Platform and Markets; Confirms New Zune HD Portable Media Player

Premium Zune digital entertainment service to be available internationally on Xbox LIVE.

REDMOND, Wash. - May 26, 2009 - Microsoft Corp. today announced the evolution of Zune, the company's end-to-end music and entertainment service, to a new platform and new markets. Zune will extend its video service to Xbox LIVE internationally this fall. This marks an important development in the Zune strategy and brings the Zune brand to more than 17 million international Xbox LIVE subscribers. In addition, Microsoft confirmed the next generation of the Zune portable media player, Zune HD. Available in the U.S. this fall, Zune HD is the first portable media player that combines a built-in HD Radio receiver, high-definition (HD) video output capabilities, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) touch screen, Wi-Fi and an Internet browser.

"The Zune music player is an integral part of the overall Zune experience, and we're proud to be growing and extending our offering beyond the device," said Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president of the Microsoft TV, Video and Music Business Group. "Delivering on Microsoft's connected entertainment vision, this news marks a turning point for Zune as it brings cross-platform experiences and premium video content to living rooms around the world."

Zune Service Expands to New Platform

Zune will be a premium partner in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, bringing an exciting catalog of TV and film to the platform. Zune will occupy the first slot within the Xbox user interface in the Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace, exposing the Zune brand experience to millions of new consumers for the first time. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) next week, attendees will see firsthand how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE to create a game-changing entertainment experience.

Introducing Zune HD

Zune HD is the next iteration of the Zune device family and brings a new level of listening and viewing experiences to the portable media player category.

* Zune HD comes with a built-in HD Radio receiver so users can listen to higher-quality sound than traditional radio on the go. Users also will have access to the additional song and artist data broadcast by HD Radio stations as well as additional channels from their favorite stations multicasting in HD. If you don't like the song playing on your station's HD channel, switch to its HD2 or HD3 channels for additional programming.
* The bright OLED touch screen interface allows users to flip through music, movies and other content with ease, and the 16:9 widescreen format display (480x272 resolution) offers a premium viewing experience on the go.
* The HD-compatible output lets Zune HD customers playback supported HD video files from the device through a premium high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) audiovisual docking station (sold separately) direct to an HD TV in 720p.*
* Zune HD will include a full-screen Internet browser optimized for multitouch functionality.
* Zune HD is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing for instant streaming to the device from the more than 5 million-track Zune music store.

More information on Zune and related images is available at http://www.zune.net/press and http://www.zune.net/ZuneHD.

About Zune

Zune is Microsoft's music and entertainment brand that provides an integrated digital entertainment experience. The Zune platform includes a line of portable digital media players, elegant software, the Zune Marketplace online store, Zune Pass music subscription service, and the Zune Social online music community, created to help people discover more music. Zune is part of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division and supports the company's software-based services vision to help drive innovation in the digital entertainment space. More information can be found online at http://www.zune.net/en-us/press.

About Xbox LIVE

Xbox LIVE connects more than 17 million members across 26 countries to each other and the entertainment they love. Home of more content from one remote than can be found from any device connected to the television, Xbox LIVE is also a unified online social network bringing friends together, no matter where they are - in the living room or across the world. More information and Xbox LIVE membership can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-us/live.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

* Supported 720p HD video files play on the device, downscaled to fit the screen at 480 x 272 - not HD resolution. Zune HD and AV Dock, and an HDTV (all sold separately) are required to view video at HD resolution.

HD Radio™ and the HD Radio logo are proprietary trademarks of iBiquity Digital Corp.

Latest Nokia, Motorola and Samsung Handsets Heading AT&T this Year

2009-05-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

Leakfest galore for a number of cool handsets heading AT&T this year. Leading the pack are four handsets from Nokia, followed by two from Motorola and a budget touchscreen from Samsung.

Nokia Mako, Thresher, Grouper and Snapper

The Symbian OS won’t be left out of the fray this year with AT&T. The Nokia Mako is a Symbian S60 3.2-powered device unlike anything we’ve seen from Nokia thus far. This side slider will feature a 2.6-inch QVGA screen, four row QWERTY keyboard, quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz), dual-band HSDPA (850/1900MHz), 2 megapixel camera, aGPS, Bluetooth 2.0, 128MB of on-board memory, microSD expansion and a 2.5mm headset jack. That is apparently all the love S60 will be getting at AT&T this year but hit the jump for details on three mid and entry-level offerings from Nokia headed our way.

The remaining three handsets, the Thresher, Grouper and Snapper, share the same S40-based UI. They also share designs that were seemingly recycled from Motorolas of old. The Thresher is a standard slider with quad-band GSM, tri-band HSDPA, 3.2 megapixel camera, aGPS, Bluetooth 2.1, built-in compass, 140MB of on-board memory, microSD expansion and a 2.5mm headset jack. The Grouper is a flip phone that shares the tri-band HSDPA, aGPS and Bluetooth of the Thresher but drops the camera down to 2.0 megapixels, loses the compass, and lowers the on-board memory to 70MB. For those die hard PTTer’s out there, the Grouper also includes Kodiak PTT 5.2 support. Lastly, is Nokia’s more entry-level offering the Snapper. The Snapper is a flip phone with quad-band GSM, tri-band HSDPA, 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.1, AGPS, up to 70MB of on-board memory, microSD expansion, 2 megapixel camera and Kodiak PTT.

Motorola Heron and Sawgrass

Next in line are two Motorola nature inspired offerings. First up is the Android-based Heron which was first scooped back in April as the Motorola IRONMAN. From the slide, it appears as if the handset was meant to be a Windows Mobile device that was switched over to Android. The specs, which are subject to change of course, give the phone quad-band GSM, dual-band HSDPA/HSUPA, 2.6 inch QVGA screen, 3 megapixel fixed focus camera with auto-flash and aGPS. So the IRONMAN is also known as the Heron — pretty straight forward there.

Next up is the Motorola Sawgrass which apparently is the QA1 “Karma” and showed itself on the recent AT&T rebate form. The Sawgrass will sport quad-band GSM, dual-band HSDPA, 2 megapixel camera, A2DP Bluetooth, aGPS, microSD expansion up to 32GB and a full HTML browser. This handset bears a rather striking resemblance to the Motorola Somerset, which of course was formerly known as the Alexander. Even the little known specs from the Somerset/Alexander (3.5mm stereo jack, A2DP, MMC support, and a camera) line up nicely with what we know about the Sawgrass/QA1 Karma. The only piece of the puzzle that doesn’t quite fit is the camera — Alexander was supposed to sport a killer shooter but this little guy is only packing 2 megapixels.

Samsung Infinity

Last on our the deck is the Samsung Infinity. Hardly as exciting as some of the other handsets we’ve seen from this deck, the Infinity is presumably set to replace the Samsung Eternity — whose name, by the way, now looks to be a blatant lie. Spec highlights for the Infinity include quad-band GSM/EDGE and dual-band UMTS, a low-grade 3-inch touchscreen display that’s hardly on par with Sammy’s recent AMOLEDs, 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, aGPS and a 1,000 mAh battery. The Infinity will definitely make a decent affordable phone when it drops sometime in 2H.

Via: Engadget

Latest iPhone Rumor: New Specs and Launch Date Revealed

2009-05-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

With the Palm Pre's looming release next month, it’s time for iPhone rumors and speculation to get hot and heavy. The latest and greatest — July 17 being the rumored launch date, accompanied with a lengthy list of specs. History tells us that when it comes to iPhone rumors, most guesses are a shot in the dark. So here's the buzz: The new iPhone will have double storage capacity of its predecessor at 16GB and 32GB, up from 8GB and 16GB respectively. Battery life will be 1.5 times greater and its processor will be twice as fast as the current model — though. Aesthetically, the back will be a rubberized material and the chrome bezel will disappear. Most of the list of upgrades seem minor, but some are new like a compass with Google like map combined. For the full rumored spec list, see items below.

* 32GB and 16GB storage
* $199 and $299 price points to be maintained
* 3.2-megapixel camera
* Video-recording and editing capabilities
* Ability to send a picture & video via MMS
* Discontinuation of the metal band surrounding the edge of the device
* OLED screen
* 1.5 times the battery life of the current models
* Double the RAM and processing power
* Built-in FM transmitter
* Apple logo on back will glow [please let this be a joke]
* Rubber-tread backing
* Sleeker design
* Built-in compass
* The camera, GPS, compass and Google map combined will identify photo and inform about photo locations
* Turn-by-turn directions

New Sony PS3 Slim Photos Leaked?

2009-05-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

With the Sony PS3 price cut looming around, these rumored photo leaks of the new PS3 slim could make sense. Although the company still denies the Slim’s existence, but it looks like an assembly worker may have risked life and limb to put the truth in the hands of the people. And while these photos are certainly hard to authenticate, it's still hard to ignore that we may be looking at the first images of Sony’s upcoming PS3 Slim. The PS3 logo looks new and beside that, it oddly looks cheap. That leads us connect Sony's desire to cut the PS3's price and be able to compete head-on with cheaper Wii and Xbox 360. Barely no valuable information is available at this point, so we're not expecting any sort of confirmation from Sony and will get by with these photos until any official release is made.

Dell's ST2010 20-inch monitor: HDMI for only $120

2009-05-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

Dell's display business has been consistently providing everyone sleek monitors, offering some of the best bang for the buck display monitors in the industry. Dell's latest 20-inch HD widescreen flat-panel monitor is already out in Hong Kong. This entry-level monitor compliments the new design language of Dell's XPS and Studio rigs and comes packing HDMI and VGA inputs with specs that include a 1600 x 900 (that's a 16:9 aspect) pixel resolution, 5 millisecond response, 1000:1 contrast and 250 nits of brightness with a 160-degree viewing angle. Not great, but decent specs for the HK$1,098 (tax inclusive) price which is expected to be about $120 - 130 by the time Dell's ST2010 reach the US shores.

Bell: The First Samsung Vice Official Carrier

2009-05-10T06:41:00.000-07:00

Bell officiailly got the Samsung Vice and became the first carrier to offer the messaging slider device. The mid-range device has a serious messaging focus and it’s slide form factor makes for a convenient handset for those with a need to get in touch without a hassle.

This handset features GPS, a 2-megapixel camera, EVDO 3G and a QWERTY keyboard. Social networking is a big focus here and you can even customize this phone with many decal options with an offering of one free decal from 50 designs to choose from.

The Samsung Vice comes in two flavors, blue-silver or white-red. It’s nothing much but it’s a good handset for those that don’t need a whole lot of extra features. You can buy it today for $50 with a three-year plan or $250 for a no contract up front purchase.

Bigwig Industry Players Formed WiGig Alliance to Stream Everything Over 60Ghz

2009-05-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

A newly formed WiGig Alliance backed-up by a group consisting of bigwig industry players like Microsoft, LG, Dell, Samsung, Marvell, Nokia, NEC, Intel and Broadcom (just to name a few), aims to use the 60Ghz unlicensed band in order to stream just about anything imaginable. From HD videos, images, instant messages, audio, contact infos, etc. This "unified" approach differs from most other alternatives, which generally pick one niche (1080p video, for instance) and stick to it. If the more than 15 technology firms have their collective druthers, the WiGig specification will find its way into everything from set-top-boxes to telephones to home stereos, ready and willing to stream to other WiGig-enabled devices at a moment's notice.

According to their representatives, plans and specifications will be submitted to the committee fourth quarter of this year. Which means, we could be waiting for another year before we see products carrying the WiGig logo in the market. But nevertheless, a year or more ss worth a wait as everyone's excited to see such new high-bandwidth wireless technology take off.

Full release:

Industry Leaders Form Wireless Gigabit Alliance to Promote 60 GHz Wireless Technology

Diverse Group of PC, Consumer Electronics, Handheld and Semiconductor Companies Unite to Develop High Speed Wireless Ecosystem

SAN JOSE, Calif. – May 7, 2009 – More than 15 technology companies today announced the Wireless Gigabit (WiGig) Alliance, an organization formed to establish a unified specification for 60 Gigahertz (GHz) wireless technologies. The widespread availability and use of digital multimedia content has created an ever-increasing need for faster wireless connectivity that current wireless standards cannot support. This has fueled demand for a single technology that can support instantaneous file transfers, wireless display and docking, and streaming high definition media on a variety of devices. To meet this demand, WiGig Alliance is developing a 60 GHz wireless technology that provides the optimal way to connect consumer electronics, handheld devices and personal computers.

The WiGig specification will allow devices to communicate without wires at gigabit speeds within a typical room. The group's vision is to create a global ecosystem of interoperable products based on this specification, which will unify the next generation of entertainment, computing and communications devices at speeds more than 10 times faster than today's wireless LANs.
Bringing together a diverse group of leading wireless semiconductor, PC, consumer electronics and handheld device manufacturers, WiGig Alliance is creating a unified 60 GHz specification that meets the performance and energy efficiency requirements of many types of wireless devices and applications all around the world. This will drive an interoperable ecosystem of easy-to-use, high speed, low power wireless products. Among the companies that comprise this industry-leading board of directors are:

• Atheros Communications, Inc.
• Broadcom Corporation
• Dell, Inc.
• Intel Corporation
• LG Electronics Inc.
• Marvell International LTD.
• MediaTek Inc.
• Microsoft Corporation
• NEC Corporation
• Nokia Corporation
• Panasonic Corporation
• Samsung Electronics Co.
• Wilocity

"Our member companies are leaders in the wireless, CE, PC and handheld markets. They have the technical acumen and business experience to make the 60 GHz wireless technology a reality for both the home and enterprise," said Dr. Ali Sadri, President and Chairman of the Wireless Gigabit Alliance. "To help bring this technology to market, we welcome new member companies to join our group."

WiGig Alliance members are defining a unified specification that leverages the unlicensed 60 GHz spectrum to provide unprecedented wireless performance. This technology is being designed from the ground up to address the specific requirements of various platforms, to coexist with future 60 GHz solutions and complement millions of Wi-Fi devices already in use around the world. Wireless docking, display and entertainment, without performance compromise, will become a reality with gigabit-speed wireless I/O and eliminate the unsightly cables that clutter today's homes and offices.

"We're now at the point where the last barrier to wireless being able to do everything that wire can has fallen," said Craig Mathias, a Principal with the wireless and mobile advisory firm, Farpoint Group. "In both the residence and the enterprise, more capacity and throughput are always desirable. WiGig Alliance is going to deliver technology that will have an enormous impact on connectivity and mobility, information technology, consumer electronics, and many other applications."

The WiGig specification is expected to be available to member companies in Q4 of 2009. To register as an adopter in advance of the final specification, visit http://wigig.org/specification.

About the Wireless Gigabit Alliance

The Wireless Gigabit Alliance envisions a global wireless ecosystem of interoperable, extremely high performance consumer electronics, handheld devices and personal computers that work together seamlessly to connect people in the digital age. WiGig's technology enables multi-gigabit-speed wireless communications among these devices and fuels industry convergence to a single radio using the readily available, unlicensed 60 GHz spectrum. By bringing together the leading manufacturers of semiconductors, personal computers, consumer electronics and handheld devices, WiGig Alliance is creating a comprehensive specification to drive a global ecosystem of easy-to-use, interoperable, high speed wireless products.

Among the companies that comprise this industry-leading board of directors are Atheros Communications, Inc., Broadcom Corporation, Dell, Inc., Intel Corporation, LG Electronics Inc., Marvell International LTD., MediaTek Inc., Microsoft Corporation, NEC Corporation, Nokia Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co. and Wilocity. At launch, these founding companies are also joined by the following contributor companies; NXP, Realtek, STMicroelectronics and Tensorcom, Inc. For more information, please visit http://www.wirelessgigabitalliance.org.

Xbox 360's Innovative Full-body Motion Controlled Gaming

2009-05-03T05:45:00.000-07:00

Hot off Sony's rumored motion-sensing PS3 add on, here's another wild one for Microsoft Xbox 360. A tip from someone who allegedly got insider info that Microsoft's at it again to beat the Wii at its own motion-sensing game, which included some of the details from what we were hearing last year. The word is that Microsoft is building a "sensor bar" of sorts, but instead of detecting the waggles of Wiimote-like controllers, it detects full body movement and sound, without any Wii-like controllers. There are two sensors on the bar, along with a mic and a camera, and while nobody knows how it actually works, it sounds pretty impressive. Here's a quick rundown of capabilities mentioned:

* Full body and hand gesture control of games / characters.
* In fighting games you kick, punch, duck, dive, jump and so forth with your body.
* It also picks up small hand gestures like pinching, grabbing and scrolling.
* There will also be video conferencing and games with video.
* Trivia game over the internet with live images of each person playing. When a question pops up, they can clap to buzz in.
* You can "move objects on your screen" and the other party can see what you're doing in real time.
* Sensor detects only the person playing, not folks observing on the couch.

Everything about these new innovations could very well be a tremendous leap where motion-controlled home gaming is concerned and from the sound of it, it could definitely eclipse Sony’s solution which sounds more like catch up than anything else. In both cases however, motion control will definitely be a nice value-add for PS3 and Xbox 360 owners. We just hope Sony and Microsoft aren’t viewing these solutions as game changers — especially where sales are concerned. Sure, the Wiimote might not be unique anymore once these new products hit the market but its just one piece of the equation as far as Wii appeal goes. Of course, this could be real or just another elaborated hoax. But either way, it's only natural for Microsoft to be looking to duplicate -- and expand upon -- the wild success Nintendo has enjoyed with motion-controlled gaming.

PSP Go! The New UMD less PSP Coming This June

2009-04-30T06:51:00.000-07:00

Rumours about the upcoming PSP may have come out earlier than Sony expected. According to 1UP, Sony will announce the new PSP called the PSP Go! (not PSP2 or PSP4000 as previously rumored) and will do away with UMD system. In place of UMDs, the PSP Go! will come in 8GB and 16GB models meaning downloadable games galore for everyone. The hardware redesign will include a d-pad, analog nub, and face buttons as part of a sliding unit sticking out below the screen (as seen in the mockup below). As for games, Sony is reportedly planning to have around 100 old and new games ready for launch time. Sadly those of you who were looking for a bit of dual-joystick action will be disappointed to note that no second analog stick will be added to the right-hand side. And no mention of touchscreen DSi like display either (I'm still hoping though, who knows). Word is Sony will make the PSP Go! official at E3 next month and will hit the Japanese market in September with a US launch in either late October or early November in time for a merry PSP Go! holiday.

Samsung Announces Dazzling Duo: SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 Camcorders

2009-04-29T06:40:00.000-07:00

We were never mistaken when we wrote good things about the HMX-R10. And its bravura was carried through on the company's newest pair. The SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 which are both ergonomic camcorders boasting the similar Touch of Color finish and Samsung's iconic Active Angle Lens. Specifications include a 10x optical zoom, Hyper Image Stabilization and a 230k pixel swiveling 2.7-inch wide LCD display. The C14 comes with 16GB internal flash memory along with an SD/SDHC expansion slot, while the C10 comes only with the expansion slot. And lastly, both units are said to include one-touch YouTube uploads and with just under three hours of life on a single charge. But oddly enough, Samsung failed to mention anything about video capture resolution. The SMX-C14 and SMX-C10 will be available this July for an undisclosed amount.

Check out these gorgeous pics.

Official PR Link

ATI Radeon HD 4770 launched at a Bargain Price of $99

2009-04-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

AMD recently launched the ATI Radeon HD 4770, the first desktop graphics card to use 40nm manufacturing processes. The Radeon HD 4770 is a PCI Express 2.0 x16 card that offers DirectX 10.1 support and uses GDDR5 memory, at an unbeatable price tag of roughly $100.

Other great features include AMD’s second-gen Unified Video Decoder (UVD 2.0) for hardware HD decoding, picture-in-picture support and HD audio. For connectivity, it includes twin DVI ports, with HDMI output supported, and more than one Radeon HD 4770 can be linked together via ATI CrossFireX. The HD 4770 card can also upscale beyond 1080p resolution, and supports dynamic contrast.

You can also check some of latest reviews of the ATI Radeon HD 4770 at TechSpot, Hardware Canucks, and Tom’s Hardware. Everyone would agree that the HD 4770 is a real budget performer in many areas. Even gamers find it at par with the more expensive HD 4850 model.

An overview video of the Radeon HD 4770:

Official Press Release:

April 28, 2009 12:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time
AMD Launches the ATI Radeon™ HD 4770, World’s First Desktop Graphics Card Utilizing Industry-Leading 40nm Process Technology

AMD Sets New Levels of Performance-Per-Dollar and Performance-Per-Watt Attained with the Move to the World’s Most Advanced Manufacturing Process

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AMD (NYSE:AMD) today launched the ATI Radeon™ HD 4770 graphics processor, a groundbreaking product that harnesses the state-of-the-art 40 nanometer manufacturing process for the desktop PC market, delivering best-in-class performance and energy efficiency at anticipated launch prices as low as $991. The ATI Radeon HD 4770 graphics card is the newest addition to the award-winning ATI RadeonTM HD 4000 series.

* The new card features third-generation hardware support for the latest DirectX® 10.1 games like Battleforge, HAWX, S.T.A.L.K.E.R Clear Sky and Stormrise, delivering higher game performance and improved visual quality when compared to DirectX® 10.
* The ATI Radeon HD 4770 continues the AMD tradition of bringing industry-leading technology to market that drives a superior user experience. The ATI Radeon HD 4770 makes use of the latest GDDR5 memory technology, providing incredibly high data rates for fast game performance.
* Gamers looking to get the most value out of their graphics hardware investment can scale their performance using ATI CrossFireX™ technology, allowing a second ATI Radeon HD 4770 card to be added for a near-linear increase in performance.2
* The ATI Radeon HD 4770 graphics card allows users to enjoy HD digital content3 with incredible visual fidelity. The new card helps enhance the definition and clarity of lower resolution media, and through the second generation AMD Unified Video Decoder (UVD 2.0) technology, users can be assured of smooth video playback, crisp images, and vibrant colors on all HD content including Blu-ray discs.4 With support for HDMI, picture-in-picture (PiP) and the latest HD audio technologies like 7.1 surround sound, the new graphics card enables an impressive cinema-quality home entertainment experience.
* Celebrating the company’s 40th Anniversary, AMD continues its heritage of focusing on the design and development of new products and platforms that deliver compelling user experiences at an exceptional value. By combining new AMD Athlon™ X2 7850 processors, AMD 7-Series chipsets and ATI Radeon™ HD 4770 series graphics cards, AMD enables a PC platform that can bring HD video to life while delivering massive performance headroom and video processing acceleration.3

“Consumer pressure in this economic downturn is shifting demand to lower prices and the price band around $100 has the highest demand and highest volume,” said Rick Bergman, senior vice president and general manager, Graphics Products Group, AMD.5 “AMD has responded with the launch of the ATI Radeon HD 4770, targeting this market with cutting-edge technologies like 40 nm processors, support for DirectX 10.1 gaming and GDDR5 memory. This strategy stands in stark contrast to the old 'trickle down' technology approach some still use to address this important segment.”

“As a leading source of cutting-edge game development tools, Emergent has a passion for delivering realistic, visually stunning game play as well as improved performance,” said Doug Kubel, vice president, Product Development, Emergent. “By supporting DirectX 10.1 in the Gamebryo LightSpeed development system, we are able to deliver improvements in both image quality and frame rates. DirectX 10.1 graphics hardware like the ATI Radeon HD 4770 makes it possible to fully unlock the experience delivered by the combined power of DirectX 10.1 and Gamebryo LightSpeed.”

G.E. Boasts of 500GB Holographic Storage Disc Breakthrough

2009-04-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

While Blu-ray is beginning to gain popularity on a wider scale, G.E. is now showing off a physical disc storage breakthrough which can hold 10 to 20 times more data than a Blu-ray disc and a hundred times more data than a DVD. While DVDs and Blu-ray discs store information only on the surface of the disc, GE's micro-holographic technology uses three-dimensional holograms to increase the amount of storage capacity. In fact, the technology in its current lab state is said to allow for up to 500GB of data storage on a single disc. For comparison, a Blu-ray disc holds 25 or 50GB and a DVD holds 5GB of data.

The key to G.E.’s success with this technology of course, is making it affordable — other companies will be introducing holographic storage solutions as soon as this year. InPhase Technologies for example, will soon introduce a specialized holographic storage system geared towards the medical industry. InPhase’s solution however, requires expensive discs and readers that cost tens of thousands of dollars. G.E. plans to show off its work at a conference in Orlando in May, so perhaps some light will be shed on G.E.’s efforts in making the technology a bit more accessible. GE said its ultimate goal is to develop micro-holographic discs capable of storing more than one terabyte, or 1,000 gigabytes, of data.

Samsung I7500: Samsung's First Android Phone Out in June

2009-04-27T06:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, you heard it right. It's not Samsung S8000 as previously rumored to be Sammy's first Android phone. It's the I7500 instead. Another full touchscreen handset from Samsung due to be out this June. The latest Android handset is definitely packing the best spec sheet any Android powered phone in the market has. Check out the stats:

* Android 1.5 OS
* Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, dual-band UMTS/HSPA
* 528 MHz Qualcomm MSM7200A CPU
* 3.2-inch HVGA capacitive OLED touchscreen display
* 5 megapixel camera with LED flash
* Wi-Fi
* Bluetooth
* GPS
* 8GB internal flash memory
* microSD slot
* 3.5 mm stereo jack
* Metal case, 11.9 mm thick

The Samsung I7500 will be available exclusively from O2 in Germany from June 2009. Pricing for the handset itself has not been announced, but the carrier has confirmed that no specific tariffs or service plans will be required; buyers will be able to choose any from O2’s range.

Official press release:

The Company’s First Android-Powered Mobile Phone

Samsung sets its leading position in Android, the mobile industry’s emerging operating system

April 27, 2009, Seoul, Korea - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today unveiled the I7500, its first Android-powered mobile phone. With a launch of I7500, Samsung became the first company among the global top three mobile phone manufacturers to unveil an Android-powered phone.

“Samsung is among the earliest members of the Open Handset Alliance and has been actively moving forward to introduce the most innovative Android mobile phone,” said JK Shin, Executive Vice President and Head of Mobile Communication Division in Samsung Electronics. “With Samsung’s accumulated technology leadership in mobile phone industry and our consistent strategy to support every existing operating system, I believe that Samsung provides the better choices and benefits to our consumers” he added.

The Samsung I7500 is a cutting-edge smartphone, featuring a 3.2” AMOLED full touch screen and 7.2Mbps HSDPA and WiFi connectivity, giving users access to Google™ Mobile services and full web browsing at blazing speeds.

The Samsung I7500 offers users access to the full suite of Google services, including Google Search™, Google Maps™, Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Calendar™, and Google Talk™. The integrated GPS receiver enables the comprehensive use of Google Maps features, such as My Location, Google Latitude, Street View, local search and detailed route description. Hundreds of other applications are available in Android Market. For example, the application Wikitude, a mobile travel guide, allows consumers to access details of unknown sights via location-based Wikipedia articles.

Based on Samsung’s proven product leadership, Samsung I7500 comes with latest multimedia features. The large and vivid 3.2“AMOLED display ensures the brilliant representation of multimedia content and enjoyable full touch mobile experience. Along with supporting a 5-megapixel camera and various multimedia codec formats, the I7500 also provides a long enough battery life (1500mAh) and generous memory capacity up to 40GB (Internal memory: 8GB, External memory: Up to 32GB) to enjoy all the applications and multimedia content. The phone also boasts its slim and compact design with mere 11.9mm thickness.

The Samsung I7500 will be available in major European countries from June, 2009.

Windows 7 Pro and Ultimate Users Will Have Virtual Win XP

2009-04-25T07:29:00.000-07:00

SuperSite for Windows have revealed an intriguing and awesome Windows 7 feature: Dubbed Windows XP Mode (XPM), a virtualized copy of Windows XP with Service Pack 3. It will be a free download for Professional and Ultimate Edition users, too bad it won't be coming to all versions. Unlike many other Virtual PC options, the environment won't require a separate workspace so you can run the individual apps as you would alongside those native to 7.

In the screenshot example pictured above, you'll see Windows XP Mode running Word 2003 next to Word 2007 under Windows 7. It looks similar to the XP compatibility mode found in Vista, which means XPM should make legacy compatibility much less of a hassle. No reports of it being found in the leaked Release Candidate build, but if you want to have more of it, hit up this link to Supersite community for more.

Samsung Leaks Info on New 9 Series LCDs

2009-04-24T00:04:00.000-07:00

Those waiting for the upcoming Samsung 9 Series LCDs are in luck. Leak out infos from Sammy indicate some new sets that are lined up replacing the A950 slot in their offering.

They are introducing this new variant named B9000 HDTVs in 46 and 55 inch. They will also feature the latest LED backlighting and dimming, which makes for improved contrast. This will replace the edge lighting seen on some other models.

They are also aimed to be part of the Touch of Color line and feature wireless connectivity to external media box, Yahoo Widgets and YouTube access options. DLNA support, and built-in USB port. Expected release date will be somewhere late this year in time for the holidays, and no official pricing is known yet.

Short Review: Canon IXUS 980 IS

2009-04-23T06:04:00.000-07:00

Just when you tought you're never going to see a plitically correct sized pocket camera in this age of skinniness, Canon comes out with the Canon IXUS 980 IS. Compared to other cameras in the IXUS line, this one's a bit on the pudgy side, measuring 28mm thick and weighing 184 grams. It's still pocketable but not ultracompact slim, and frankly, I prefer it that way. It feels more natural. you have 14 million pixels, a 3.7x (36-133mm equivalent) lens, Canon's DIGIC 4 processor, and a host of other features, so it's quite understandable if this IXUS put on a bit of weight.

On the back of the camera is a too-tiny-for-my-fingers directional pad. Those with small hands shouldn't have a problem navigating though; a rotating ring makes zipping through options (such as flash and ISO) fast. Above the 3-inch LCD is an optical viewfinder. As with all point-and-shooters, the viewfuinder doesn't show the entire frame as the LCD does, but at least you have another option when it's impractical to use the LCD.

Marketed as the first IXUS with a Manual Mode, the 980 IS allows control of shutter speed and aperture. That is not to say it's particularly complicated as Canon has managed to retain the trademark intuitiveness of the IXUS range in this model. The addition of this dabble with more advanced photography but are too chicken to handle a prosumer camera. If you want nothing to do with settings, you can always switch to auto.

The 3.7x optical zoom is run-of-the-mill point and shoot though -- which is disappointing considering the camera's IXUS flagship status. It does, however, provide optical image stabilization to combat image blur. There's also the customary face detection (with Face Select & Track and FaceSelf-timer), as well as Motion Detection Technology and i-Contrast that boosts brightness in dark areas without that washed-out look. Sensitivity ranges from ISO 80 through 1600.

The massive resolution 14.7MP sensor performed well, capturing crisp and sharp shots. Colors are accurate and well-saturated, but image noise is a little more prominent than usual at ISO 400.

The IXUS 980 IS also supports movie capture, but only at 30fps VGA resolution, unlike the 720p HD video available from other manufacturers' similarly priced models.

Skytone Android Netbook: Cheapest Netbook at $100

2009-04-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

Anroid on netbooks are slowly gaining grounds these days. The latest and cheapest among Google OS powered netbooks is the minimalistic Skytone Alpha 680, with 7-inch 800 x 480 display, 533Mhz ARM11 processor and 128MB of RAM (256MB max).

Other lightweight specs include 1GB of storage space (4GB max), WiFi, 10/100 ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports and an SD/SDHC/MMC card slot. There is also an optional 3G connectivity, though no word on whether it’s integrated or external. The display has a convertible hinge to rotate it around for slate type use. However, specs indicates that Alpha 680 has a "capacitive touchpad", which could mean that touchscreen function could only be limited to the trackpad beneath rather than the full display.

Skytone Alpha 680 Specifications

The low-end Android netbook from China-based Skytone, which is also famous for making Skype handsets and low cost children's computers, still looks justifiable by its price of around $100. Personally, I'm still hoping to see more exciting ARM Netbook Android powered products from major players to come out over the next few months.

Nokia 1100: Criminal's Most Sought After $32,000 Gadget

2009-04-21T23:10:00.000-07:00

Old Nokia 1100 handsets that are manufactured in Germany are in high demand from criminal networks because of a software flaw that can apparently be exploited to intercept one-time passwords used to authorize online bank transactions.

Police contacted Ultrascan Advanced Global Investigations six months ago, reporting that a Nokia 1100, originally sold for €100, had been sold for €5,000 - and asked what was leading to the high demand. About ten days ago, investigators saw one of the exploitable handsets fetch €25,000 ($32,000).

Over 200 million Nokia 1100 handsets were sold since it launched late 2003. I actually owned one before and lost it somewhere but never really knew where it was made. So for those who owned one, hold your horses. Only handsets manufactured in a particular factory in Bochum, Germany contain the vulnerable Nokia software.

Criminals have thousands of usernames and passwords for online banking accounts in countries including Germany and Holland. These countries also require a transaction authentication number (TAN) to complete any online transactions. The TAN codes were previously distributed to customers on paper, many codes at a time, however successful phishing attacks led to the codes being issued one at a time via SMS messages, according to Frank Engelsman from Ultrascan.

An informant from Ulstrascan claims that the vulnerable 1100 handsets can be reprogrammed to spoof a phone number, and intercept the SMS containing the TAN. Ultrascan has yet to obtain the particular model of phone to verify the attack.

Source: Techworld

All-in-one Roll-up Mousepad with Speaker and USB Hub

2009-04-21T07:03:00.000-07:00

Whether your desktop is cluttered with all sorts of peripheral widgets or not. the Gadget4All all-in-one mouse pad can be a good replacement to your standard mouse pad giving you more functionalities and helping you improve organization.

Combo gadgets are excellent space and budget savers, offering more useful functionalities when designed properly. Quite similar with the SourciMap All-in-one Music Mouse Pad, the Gadget4All new combo gadget mouse pad has built-in speakers, 4 USB ports, a 3.5mm audio port with speaker in port so that you can easily connect your iPod, Zune, or other MP3 player. The roll-up capability makes it perfect for use on mobile computing. As already mentioned, combo gadgets are great, and for only $22, this combo gadget could be more than your money's worth.

Toshiba Dynabook UX 10.1-inch Netbook Officially Announced

2009-04-21T02:37:00.000-07:00

Toshiba officially announced their latest netbook today dubbed the Dynabook UX. This 10.1-inch netbook model features a LED-backlit display with 1,024 x 600 resolution, which is the same resolution of its 8.9-inch predecessor.

The keyboard features chicklet like keys generously spaced, making typing more comfortable. The usual specs included are 1.66GHz Atom N280 processor, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. Additional features include three USB ports, MMC and SDHC card slots, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a 3-megapixel webcam.

The Dynabook UX also comes preloaded with Windows XP Home Edition. One cool feature this netbook has is that you can charge USB-powered devices even when the netbook is turned off. Ten variety of options will be available for this netbook including numerous battery options. The Dynabook UX will pre-sell in Japan starting on April 24th in either brown satin or snow white for about $607.

LG GC900 Viewty Smart Officially Released

2009-04-20T06:26:00.000-07:00

Finally, it's more official than ever. After another spurt last week, LG has finally let loose an official press release announcing their latest stunner's second coming, the Viewty Smart GC900. Pretty much still on track with previous specs and improvement from the original Viewty, including 3.2-inch WVGA display with S-class 3D UI, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, Wi-Fi, AGPS, with some minor twitch that its 8-megapixel camera will have ISO 1600 sensitivity and a 1.5GB onboard memory aside from microSD expansion of up to 32GB. All these goodies tucked in a small package just 12.4mm thick.

We will start seeing the real thing next month when it starts hitting the European market and elsewhere soon afterwards.

Source: LG Official Press Release

LED Backlighting or Good Old LCD: Which is Best?

2009-04-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

I had the chance last week to match up an Apple Cinema Display LED backlighted monitor against Samsung SyncMaster 2493HM high-end 24-inch Kilimanjaro in a bare-kuckle backlighting brawl. And here's a short report on how the two monitor fared with each other. When it comes to tech battles, it seldom gets more exciting than this, but who'll have their lights punched out?

Apple has stuffed its new 24-inch Cinema Display full of LEDs, tossing out old-fashioned fluorescent lamps in favor of the fast-acting, eco-friendly, light-emitting diodes it claims are the future of display technology. Standard backlit LCD monitors aren't throwing in the towel yet, though Samsung believes, correctly it seems, that they're cheaper and, tahnks to years of R&D, perform brilliantly in their own right.

Apple LED Cinema Display

Price: $899

Features: This links to all the new MacBooks via a triple cable that turns the screen into desktop with USB ports and stereo speakers. Non-Apple inputs? Forget it pal.

Picture Quality: Apple makes more fanfare over LED's green credentials and start-up speed than it does its effect on picture quality, and you can see why - it's not a vast imrpovement over LCD.

Value for Money: There are wiser investment out there - 900-bucks for a 24-inch is mad - but the tasty design and MacBook integration make it worthwhile for Apple acolytes.

Love: Styling and build quality. It's a three-way USB hub as well. Easy Macbook integration.

Hate: No non-Apple video inputs. Pricey.

The Verdict: Looks good with your Apple MacBook, but the use of LEDs hasn't boosted image quality to the extent that it has in, say. Philips' 42PFL9803 LED-backlit TV.

Specs: 24 inches; 1920x1200 pixels, 14ms quoted response time, 1x Mini DisplayPort, 1x MagSafe (power), 3x USB 2.0

Samsung SyncMaster 2493HM Kilimanjaro

Price: $410

Features: A straightforward computer monitor, the Samsung comes with a full range of video inputs, so unlike the Apple display, you can connect almost any video source you like.

Picture Quality: The black levels aren't up to Apple standard, but clean colors and a speedy 5ms response time make it every bit as impressive for gaming and movie viewing.

Value for Money: Even at almost half the price of Apple's Cinema Display, it's still not cheap. It may not be as beautiful, but it works with a much wider range of multimedia gear.

Love: Wide range of connections. Excellent black levels and good response time.

Hate: Plasticky, flimsy feel. No built-in speakers.

The Verdict: Only slightly behind the Apple LED display in terms of performance and with better connectivity. The Samsung Kilimanjaro show that LCD still has plenty to offer.

Specs: 24-inches; 1920x1200 pixels; 5ms quoted response time; 1x DVI, 1x VGA, 1x HDMI, 2x USB 2.0

Viliv S5 MID US Debut on May 8 for $599

2009-04-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

We've heard and seen plenty of Viliv S5 MID since early this year and the long-awaited US arrival of the latest GPS-enabled Yukyung ultramobile portable computer is finally over and is now available for pre-order on April 27 in the United States while shipping will be on May 8 for just $599, according to retailer Dynamism. Pre-order buyers will also get a spare battery, free car kit and leather pouch, which they say is a $135 value freebie. That is if you're able to hussle in and get in early. When it was launched in Korea, the first 1000 unit production run sold out in the first day. While its launch in Hong Kong last month saw 500 units sell in 90 minutes!

The XP-running MID has a Samsung made 4.8-inch touchscreen, a 60GB hard disk, an Intel Silverthorne-class 1.33GHz Z520 CPU, GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, and 1GB of memory. Viliv S5 is also capable of decoding and playing at 1080p powered by a 6200 mAh battery which could run from 4.5 to 6 hours continuosly.

Samsung HMX-R10 HD Camcorder: A Fresh Perspective

2009-04-18T07:25:00.001-07:00

From its looks alone, a fresh ergonomic form factor that allows users to hold the camcorder more comfortably, the Samsung HMX-R10 HD camcorder oozes with high-tech appeal, what with its unique 25-degree angled lens that makes shooting more fulfilling with CMOS-based image sensing technology and full HD capabilities, enabling the R10 to record both true Hi-Definition video and nine-megapixel stills.

It also features an HD Time Lapse recording mode that records a single image at an interval pre-selected by the user, either 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, or 30 seconds, and will save each image as one single movie file. Other features include a 5x optical zoom lens, a swivelling 2.7-inch touchscreen LCD with the proprietary Samsung Magic Touch UI, and a microSDHC memory slot with support for cards up to 32GB, enough to provide plenty of room for creative videography. The Samsung HMX-R10 HD camcorder will start selling in the U.S. on May 15th for about $499.99.

Much Anticipated White Leica M8 Special Edition Spotted

2009-04-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

A anonymous tipster spotted this white beauty at the Audi Forum in Tokyo Japan. He was shooting some great car photos when he ran into this white stunner and was able to snap some quick shots.

Street word has it that the white Leica M8 will be available around end of May this year for roughly €7,000 (about $9,150) including lens, which is somewhat close to the expected price and less than the last safari green version which was about $10,000. Nothing official yet, but definitely worth a glimpse.

T-Mobile Sidekick LX Officially Announced

2009-04-17T02:39:00.000-07:00

T-Mobile once again officially announced the 2009 edition of the Sidekick LX. The new Sidekick LX pretty much tacked-in previous Sidekick shortcomings including GPS, 3G, bigger 3.2-inch full wide 854 x 480 VGA display, and slick-tight integration with Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. Plus a neat 3.2 megapixel AF camera with LED flash, microSD expansion with free 1GB card, video recording and playback (with YouTube access), stereo Bluetooth, quad band GSM EDGE, HSDPA for high-speed broadband coverage, and ActiveSync support.

The Sidekick LX is now available to current T-Mobile customers starting today, with everyone else waiting until the official launching date on May 13.

Specs at a glance:
* Dimensions: 5.20 x 2.40 x 0.64 inches
* Weight: 5.82 ounces
* External Display: 3.2" F-WVGA 854 x 480 pixels
* Frequency Bands: 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE
* 1700/2100/85/2100 UMTS
* 3.2 MP camera with auto focus and flash
* Talk time of 5.5 hours and standby time of 8 days
* M3 rated for hearing aids