Another day, another iPhone 4G update, this time coming from Portugal (yes, Portugal), as the techie guys from iPhone Portgual have managed to obtain some iPhone 4G parts, which apparently include an aluminum chassis mold and a silver body case – both said to be acquired from china for a non-disclosure price. Unfortunately, there’s no way for us to authenticate this leak at the moment, and the possibility of it being a fake job is still there. For the meantime, you’ll have to settle with the pair of videos after the break – watch them and judge for yourself

[via iPhone Portugal]

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Another day, another Apple’s fourth-gen iPhone spotted in the wild, this time by the Vietnamese guys from Taoviet.com who’ve managed to purchase a prototype of Cupertino’s future device on the black market for a whopping $4,000. And while Gizmodo’s acquired phone had no capacity numbers behind its back, besides the “XXX” caption, this one, on the other hand, indicates a 16GB of internal storage, housing the usual “Bonfire” testing interface, instead of Apple’s coming OS 4 platform – what a pity. Other than that, it apparently packs the same line of hardware (minus the two external screws) we’ve already seen before with a micro SIM slot stuffed to the right side of the box and these dual silver volume buttons placed to the left, while rear and front-face cameras adorn this “magical” bad boy as well, providing a clear evidence to support future arguments about authentication. Hands-on video after the break.

Update1: The guys at Chipworks claim that the “339S0084″ serial number etched on top of the big chip (the one with Apple’s logo) found in Cupertino’s next-gen iPhone during last teardown session, is actually THE Apple A4 chip, fabricated by Samsung as a result of Apple’s design acquisitions of PA Semi and Intrinsity. And if that allegation should be taken seriously, it means that Apple’s fourth generation iPhone will share the same micro-processing capabilities you can find inside the iPad – huzzah!

Update2: We’ve just added two more videos of Apple’s alleged iPhone 4G, posted by the same group of the Vietnamese guys. Check them out after the break.

[via Tinhte]

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Does anyone remember Sony’s revolutionary Vaio P series? It seems to be a forgotten word until lately for some reason. Only now, it finally gets the update it needed but it doesn’t hold a candle to the tablet’s eclectic experience, does it?  Thankfully, the 8-inch netbook (or mini laptop for that matter) we’ve come to know and love, is back with an optical touchpad built to both sides of the screen bezel – pad to the right and mouse buttons to the left – and an integrated accelerometer, to ease your internet surfing mission, as tilt means back and forward in pages while vertical mode makes it a lot more convenient to read your docs. Besides that it’s also expected to include a faster Intel Atom Z560 processor to boost things up, and make it out sometime this June with five new colorful flavors. Prices, regretfully, are yet to be determined while specs and Full PR announcement are just after the break. Stay tuned.

Update1: Turns out that VAIO P entry-level units will run for $799 in the US with Intel’s 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor inside. Still no clue about other optional packages, but the price is definitely more attractive than expected.

Update2: The guys at ITMedia have already managed to take Sony’s Vaio P next-gen laptops to a comprehensive teardown session that unveiled the existence of Intel’s Silverthorne CPU inside, offered either in Z530 (1.6 GHz), Z550 (2Ghz) or Z560 (2.133 GHz) version, paired with one of three optional SSD capacities (64, 128 and 256GB), and most common connectivity modules, including Bluetooth, WiFi, 3G WWAN and even Wimax. Netbook news has published a lot of inside images, taken from close range, so click through and take a look.

Update3: Engadget’s Joanna Stern has tackled with Sony’s Vaio P second-gen laptop as well and you can watch her quick walkthrough video after the break.

Update4: According to Sony Japan Sony’s Vaio P second-gen can also be used as a wireless “Remote Keyboard” to your PS3 gaming console – neat, isn’t it? Of course it would drain your battery life quickly, but that’s one compromise against so many benefits.

Update5: And looks like Sony’s second-gen VAIO P is finally available for pre-order on the SonyStyle website, starting at $899.99 for the Atom Z530 processor, paired with 2GB of RAM, and a larger 128GB SSD. Shipping is slated to June 25th.

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Apple has officially filed a claim to receive its lost/stolen gem – and apparently, got it back. But before retaking possession, it looks like Gizmodo guys have managed to put the fourth-gen iPhone through a non-intrusive dismantling process in order to make us believe the gorgeous piece of craft they were holding in their hands is not just another Cupertino knock-off, but the real thing. And judging by their findings, they were probably right on spot. In general, there’s not much info to share at this point (no one wanted to cause further damage to the phone), still we find it fascinating to have a very early opportunity to take a closer look at what we may be seeing take center stage this summer – the iPhone 4G. Regretfully, the juicy parts of Apple’s next phone were hidden well behind a tight metal plate, so for the time being, there is no detailed information about the work of those sections, and it can hardly be expected that significant components will soon be available across the blogsphere (it would be for iFixit guys to unveil them). Still, without a concrete info, one might assume it would probably include this A4 processor (like the iPad’s), paired with the double sized 5.25 WHr at 3.7V battery which we’ve already had a chance to learn about before. One thing’s for sure, it took Giz ages, and between 40 to 50 screws to be able to open this crank, so pay them a courtesy visit to see more of this brat.

[via Gizmodo]

Word on the streets is that Apple plans to announce a new iPhone machine, its fourth generation, somewhere around April of this year. A quick look at previous models, compared to what we think a good, viable and essential smartphones should look these days, made us realize there’s A LOT to be accomplished. Checkout the list we’ve made and feel free to add yours:

This is NOT the new iPhone. Please click this link and read all about the new iPhone 4.

1) A 5 megapixel camera (At least) – I mean seriously, 3.2mp camera isn’t enough these days when most mobile devices pack 5mp and even stronger.

2) A better auto-focus camera with a better optical zoom – People hate carrying around so many gadgets in their pockets, so a better camera that can deliver better focus would definitely save most of us the hassle of taking a digital camera with us.

3) Front facing camera (for video chat/skype) – Every simple phone has it, so why not? From one hand, I can hear the mobile companies getting intimidated from the fact that users will actually have live video chats in their phones, something which would probably make them speak less than before, but on the other one, we’d tell them: don’t fight with it, deal with it! (And same goes for the Google voice app).

4) Xenon flash – And closing the camera session, a good flash system would completely make a differece, don’t you think so? Bring the light!

5) Record video in HD 720p – The world is changing, and so does video quality. HD videos are part of our lives now, so a 720p video recording feature, integrated in phones, should be too (period!).

6) Hide app icons – Different people use different apps, and customized platforms are getting very popular these days, so having the ability to make apps like youtube, calender, calculator or others disappear, can definitely be a useful add-on.

7) Revamped design – Some would argue about this one, as the iPhone is hands-down one of the most good looking devices we’ve seen in years, but still there’s a plenty of room for a change, like maybe a bigger display (4-inch anyone?), or a squarish frame – less rounded on the edges.

8 ) Multitasking – Multitasking, multitasking, multitasking. Said enough. everyone’s been yelling this for years and yet nothing. C’mon Apple, we need this one ASAP! In an online environment where most users do several tasks concurrently, it’s crucial to allow apps (IM, music, photos, etc) to run in the background.

9) Silverlight support – Yeah, yeah…we all have our pride here, but lets make things a bit different. The more plugins our phone supports the better it would be – is there anybody listening?

10) Flash support – Same as Silverlight. Enough with the kindergarten games. Both Apple and Adobe should finally seat together and work things out. At the end of the day, it’s about us, the users and how we surf the internet nowadays, and lets face it Cupertino, flash is needed, whether you want it or not.

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The guys at Terracode were unpleased with the lack of netbook devices that can actually play 1080P videos without stuttering. That is probably why they’ve bravely decided to take their 8.9-inch Acer Aspire One machine and sacrifice it to the modding gods. The Acer netbook, which comes with the usual 1GB of RAM, paired with a 1024 x 600 screen display and an ordinary Intel GMA 950 graphics chipset, could barely play 720p videos, not to mention the 1080p ones, but with Teracode hack, things looked a bit different. Starting with the major things, a Broadcom’s BCM70012 video accelerator was plugged into the box, while an extra 1GB of RAM added as well, together with a speedy 64GB SSD, instead of the old sluggish hard drive, that came out of the box. The results, apparently, speak for themselves, as the new revamped netbook (that costs around $442) was able to play high-def video files without any problem. True, 1080p videos are just a waste on 1024X600 resolution that most netbooks have, but hey, you can always plug them into your big flat 1920X1080 LCD screen. Check out the project’s videos, featuring “Before” and “After” demonstrations, after the break.

[via Slashgear]

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With only hours before iPhone’s 3G S version officially goes up on sale across the world, Rapid Repair gang have managed to get their hands on one of Apple’s few available copies around, and dissected it into pieces,  letting us closely look into the main components assembled inside, including chips, amps, processors and involved manufacturing companies, who helped Cupertino building this powerful machine. From their tear-down, we learn that South Korean giant, Samsung provides the SoC S5PC100 chipset, while main processor confirmed to be ARM Cortex A8, running at 600 MHz, with 720p high-def support. PowerVR SGX graphics also integrated within the iPhone 3G S, with 256MB of RAM, instead of 128MB on previous models.  In addition, we can see the NAND Flash memory, provided by Toshiba and Infenion is there as well, providing myriad parts of the phone. Hit the jump to checkout the comparison chart of iPhone’s hardware and Palm’s Pre, as more pictures available at their website. Also, feel free to start sharing your personal reviews, once getting a brand new iPhone 3G S in the following days.

Update: iSuppli says the estimated cost of Apple’s new iPhone 3GS for the 16GB configuration, stands at $178.96 to manufacture. Mind you, this price valuation, refers to direct materials cost, with no inclusion of other essential operational expenses, such as shipping, distribution, royalty fees etc, which add some value to the overall price.Check out their components and cost drivers table, after the break.

[via RapidRepair]

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Already got yourself a new portable netbook device? Having  some thoughts about installing Windows 7 on it? Maybe you should hear  Redmond’s supportive opinion first, before replacing your already-existing XP version. According to Microsoft,  “small notebook” owners (netbook s) should be able to maximize their Windows 7 usability, once having a 10.2-inch display, together with 1GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive or 64GB SSD configuration inside their netbooks. Additionally, max specs should also include a single-core processor under 2GHz clock with no limitation at the “Touch” and “Graphics” spectrum . Mind you, these are maximum stats , so no one should really bother too much,  as most machines support those requirements out-of-the -box.  Nevertheless, working with Windows 7 for quite some time has brought us into the conclusion it’d be best getting at least 64GB hard drive before begining this new adventure.

[Via ZDNet]

We all wish for bigger and faster hard drives inside our laptops (particularly in Dell’s Mini 9 netbook) and the guys at Jkkmobile have proved us again it’s “easy” and possible to get better ones, specially if you have any electronic affinity or DIY passion. Although this modding process might intimidate many of you, there’s nothing sensational to be done besides the unscrewing and replacing actions, which are considered to be the facile part, while putting things back together is the “more difficult” stage in the process, but those who read these lines probably won’t mind watching the video after the break.

[via jkkmobile]

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Plenty of netbook fanboys refuse to settle with their regular out-of-the-box devices, even if it’s the new Asus Eee PC 1000HE, which comes with a nice chiclet keyboard  and 9 hours battery inside. Instead, they tweak and mod the 10-inch display, turning it into a very useful touchscreen machine, that can easily compete with the upcoming T91 models from Asus itself.

If you consider yourself a tech geek who can handle those cool screen-upgrades, you should take a look at this three-parts tutorial video, featuring a 1000HE display modding, as the original screen turns into a Hoda Technology touchscreen, with all the necessary steps involved. This kit can be found on eBay for $99, so it won’t be that expensive to take this revamping adventure. Hit the jump to watch the videos.

[via Slashgear]

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Apple’s OS 3.0 preview event in Cupertino, California was just ended with some interesting announcements concerning hardware accessories, firmware tweaks, App Store business model improvements and some new games/software developments – answering most of our long lasting expectations. Although it was more of a conference, targeting third party developers, some of the news are all about iPhone’s consumers usability. That includes:

• Copy & Paste capabilities.
• MMS messaging support.
• Forward and delete for multiple messages.
• Peer-to-peer connectivity over Bluetooth for gaming and info exchange.
• A2DP stereo Bluetooth add-on
• Voice Memos.
• A new home screen page with Spotlight feature, allowing universal search on the phone (like Palm’s Pre).
• Shake To Shuffle function.
• Landscape keyboard, available in Mail, Notes and SMS.

First event without Steve Jobs around, and everyone in Apple talks about a complete return to CEO position somewhere around June 2009. But illness matters aside, we’ve learned that the company craves for extra revenues, specially from third-party applications. That is why developers will be able to include subscription fee inside paid apps, together with optional paid content that can be purchased directly from the app itself (like T-shirts and other stuff). Developers will also be able to build apps combined with Google Maps or connect with hardware accessories, such as computer speakers, keyboard and even a blood pressure monitor, through their applications. The new package will include 1,000 new APIs, allowing push notifications (at last), in-game voice use and built-in tethering functionality, that will hopefully work in the future. Other than that, users will get auto WiFi login around hotspots, full parental controls over TV shows/App Store apps and even Bluetooth functionality, in case you’re a 2G iPod touch owners.

OS 3.0 Beta version for developers is now available in here. The other 3.0 firmware update for consumers will be launched in the summer, free of charge. Those who hold iPod Touch devices in their hands will have to pay the usual annoying fee (which stands at $9.95), to get the new version.

Update1: checkout the video after the break.

Update2: iPhone OS 3.0 beta 2 was just released (for developers) and looks like we’re about to get the opportunity to use up to 11 home screens instead of the 9 screens limit on the current one. Additionally, Apple will finally add the push notifications feature in the upcoming version, so here’s a good reason to look forward for something.

Update3: You’ve guessed it right, the guys at QuickPwn have just kicked in with their latest release, which jailbreaks Apple’s OS 3.0 for free use. As always – at your risk – just to the following link, as download is available in here.

Update4: Looks like you’ll also get Voice Control (which stands for voice dialing), together with some other goodies like video recording, auto-focus camera, a compass and a digital battery indicator.

[Apple]

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while eagerly waiting for the NC20 to be released, Via has confirmed that Samsung’s 12.1-inch netbook will be using its latest Nano platform inside. This announcement comes after various rumors which already stated the same news, but this one gives us the official seal that we’ve all been waiting for. According to Via, the new Samsung NC20 will pack a 12.1? LED WXGA display (1280 x 800), together with a 1.3GHz VIA Nano ULV U2250 processor (800MHz FSB), 1GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard-drive. Additionally, the NC20 will offer a 1.3 Mega pixels webcam, 10/100 ethernet LAN port, a 3-in-1 memory card reader, WiFi/Bluetooth 2.0+EDR connectivities and a 6-cell battery, providing up to 6.5hrs of continuous work. Still, no word on price or availability, although we do know that a white version is already up for a pre-order in the UK, priced at $565. Checkout the full PR release after the break.

Update1: Checkout the first preview from LaptopMag in here.

Update2: April 3rd 2009 – Looks like Samsung’s NC20 is up and available for purchase at NewEgg, with the aforementioned Via Nano U2250 1.3GHz processor and the Chrome9 integrated graphics – all priced at $549.99.

Update3: It is now available on Samsung’s official page.

[VIA]

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Although it’s not the most responsive one we’ve ever seen, the guys at Netbook Mag were generous to share a cool step-by-step tutorial that explains how to install a touchscreen kit inside a Samsung NC10 netbook. The results are pretty neat and useful, but you can notice some minor problem within the clicking actions. Nevertheless, this detailed guide might be helpful to all of you – DIY afficionados – who seek for a top-notch touchscreen netbook on their disposal. Checkout the video and jump to the link to read the full process.

[via NetbookMag]

From personal knowledge, I know there’s a great demand for third party GPS system that will be able to upgrade the iPhone and the iPod touch devices with full navigation capabilities. Regretfully, since Cebit 2008, we haven’t seen anything tangible, making its way to the market, until today, as Orange 360 has decided to change the game by announcing a state of the art iGPS360 module, that will be able to hook up to your iPod touch players or your First Gen. iPhone handheld, in order to bring a GPS hardware system and answer the very basic needs of navigating. Despite the fact it’s still in production, the iGPS360 will be available only for the first 1000 buyers, for a reasonable price of $75, so If youcan’t wait anymore, it’s up for pre-order at the company’s website.

[Orange360]

AMD is expected to announce a break up tomorrow morning, due to growing demand for independent, leading-edge foundry production capabilities and increasing R&D costs. According to sources, the giant chipmaker will be splitting up into two companies, as the first one will be responsible for chips designing and the second, for the manufacturing. Additionally, the company has issued a PR release, saying:

“AMD and Advanced Technology Investment Company of Abu Dhabi to Create New Leading-Edge Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Mubadala increases investment in financially-stronger AMD, which is simultaneously unlocking the value of its manufacturing assets”

The meaning is that Advanced Technology Investment Company will strengthen AMD’s financial position by purchasing 55.6 percent of The Foundry (manufacturing company), for $5.1 billion dollar, and both sides will cooperate together, in order to create a clear stand alone leader in global semiconductor manufacturing, that will be able to equally confront Intel. Stay tuned.

[AMD]

Minuscule computerization is considerded to be one of the hottest things around the world nowadays, with all the MIDs and UMPCs trend that takes over. Still, it seems there’s plenty of room for more developements to hit the streets, specially when we get the chance to see the Space Cube tiny PC that apparently was first introduced in Japan and making a debut in Europe, thanks to the guys at PC Pro magazine. The Space Cube features a 2-inch square computer, coming with a 300MHz NEC VR5701 processor and runs a Red Hat Linux OS. In addition, it houses 64MB of RAM, a Space Wire port, which is the standard connection in NASA and the European Space Agency, a 1GB Compact Flash card, and a series of USB/VGA-out/Ethernet ports, surrounding the cube. Regretfully, it is not going to be cheap, as the estimated $325 pricetag jumped to $2,740, which are around 1500 quids. Nevertheless, we do hope the official rate will be more reasonable.

[Via Slashdot]

LG unveils new portable HDD lineup, coming up in Korea with 2.5 inch drives, SATA II interface and a USB 2.0 port. The new XD1series presents 3 different capacities, including 120GB, 160GB, 250GB to be released first, and a 320GB version to make a debut later on. All versions come with black pearl or red wine flavors at your choice, for a non disclosure price tag. Stay tuned for more information to come.

[via i4u]

If you wanted to learn more about the main components that assemble your new iPhone 3G, the chips, the amps, the processors and the involved manufacturing companies, this is your chance to take a look at one the most detailed inside-views, as the guys from research firm Semiconductor Insights dissected the stellar handset into pieces, showing us who has done what. From the picture below, we understand that Infineon provides many of the components, including the GPS chip, the baseband chip, UMTS transceiver and the power management chip. In addition, we can see the  application processor, provided by Samsung and the power amplifiers, provided by Triquint and Skyworks, as Marvell brings the Bluetooth and the WIFI components while Toshiba is responsible for the internal flash memory of your phone. The rest stays the same as the first generation, with Samsung to supply the ARM11processor architecture, Wolfson the audio decoder chip, Broadcom the touchscreen controller, National Semiconductor’s MPL the display interface, etc. Hit the jump to checkout more pictures and to see the videos. To get a bigger view just click in here.

[via Semiconductor Insights]

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Asus Eee PC 900 has a new 30GB storage capacity version, replacing some of the previous 12GB and 20GB models. All three versions include 1GB RAM, WLAN 802.11 B/G connectivity, MMC/SD/SDHC Card Reader, black or white colors at your choice and the usual 8.9 inch screen display. In addition, two of the models will run a Linux OS, as the third one will have the XP flavor. Mind you, these are not Atom based mini laptops, so it looks a little pricey to pay over $500 when you have the 901series.

[via jkkmobile]

Well, it’s not a software unlock, but it looks pretty much the same as the first generation unlock SIM card, as it misleads the handset to think it is actually using your local carrier. Still, no word on price or availability but there’s a video to prove it actually works. Stay tuned for more info to come.

Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.

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[via gizmodo]