Tag Archives: breaking news

General

Facebook Buys Whatsapp For $19 Billion

Whatsapp-facebook

Holy wow! This is by far the most amazing deal of the year. Facebook just announced the acquisition of mobile messaging app WhatsApp for $19 billion. As a matter of fact it is much more than that, as the regulatory filing states. The popular app, which was founded by ex-Yahoo employees in 2009, has already raised about $60 million in funding and has more than 430 million monthly active users. Damn, that’s a lot! The deal includes $12bn in FB stock, $4bn cash, $3bn RSUs and a $1bn break-up clause, which brings the overall payout to roughly $19 billion in total.

Basically, there are no ads, no games, no stickers and no other gimmicks inside the app. In addition,  the text messenger phenomenon is offered for a free download and after one year of free use, the service costs $1 per year. So what’s going to happen now?

In a recent blog post WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum said the following:

Almost five years ago we started WhatsApp with a simple mission: building a cool product used globally by everybody. Nothing else mattered to us.

Today we are announcing a partnership with Facebook that will allow us to continue on that simple mission. Doing this will give WhatsApp the flexibility to grow and expand, while giving me, Brian, and the rest of our team more time to focus on building a communications service that’s as fast, affordable and personal as possible.

Here’s what will change for you, our users: nothing.

And here’s Mark Zuckerberg’s official statement about the deal:

Post by Mark Zuckerberg.
Computers, tablets

Apple’s Mini iPad Official, Smaller, Thinner and Lighter

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The late CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs was not in favor of a 7-inch tablet; he repeatedly stated that “this size is useless unless you include sandpaper so users can sand their fingers down to a quarter of their size.” Fast forward couple of years later, the growing interest in small, cheap and simple tablet devices has now brought his  long-time company to finally release one of its own. At an event today in San Jose, California, Apple finally officially unveiled its new line of Mini iPad products.

The Mini iPad features the same casing we’ve already seen around its bigger brother, the iPad 3. In addition it boasts the same Lighting dock connector which has already been implemented into Apple’s latest iPhone 5 mobile phone. So what’s different, you’re asking? The size, ladies and gents, the size. Running Apple’s latest and greatest iOS 6 on board, the new Mini device features a 7.85-inch 1024X768 display, measures ONLY 7.2mm thick (.75-inch) and weighs 3.5 pounds. That’s small, and ridiculously thin for a portable slab, isn’t it?

As far as CPU goes, the iPad Mini ships with Apple’s A5 processor under the lid, alongside a 5MP camera, about 10 hours of battery time, Facetime capabilities, Apple’s brand new Lightning connector and last but not least, 4G LTE Network support.

Technically this isn’t a Retina display device, but that doesn’t appear to be stopping Apple from trying to sell this thing at high prices. Come November 2, the WiFi-only iPad Mini will hit your local shelves, at a $329 price point for the 16GB model, while the 32GB flavor runs at $429, and the 64GB $will set you back $529; pre-orders begin Oct 26th.

In addition, Apple will be selling what it is calling the “iPad Mini Smart Cover” in green, red, blue, dark gray, light gray, and pinkcolors.

Full PR after the break.

Update1: Cellular models to kick off only few weeks later, on AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, starting at $459 for the 16 gigs and up to $659 for the 64GB flavor.

Update2: We’ve just added a couple quick hands-on video after the break.

Update3: Make sure to checkout the comparison chart after the break: The iPad mini vs. the competition

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Videos courtesy of The Verge and Laptopmag.

 Chart via Engadget 

 

Apple Introduces iPad mini

Unveils New Fourth Generation iPad with Retina Display, Faster A6X Chip, FaceTime HD Camera & Ultrafast Wireless
SAN JOSE, California―October 23, 2012―Apple® today introduced iPad® mini, a completely new iPad design that is 23 percent thinner and 53 percent lighter than the third generation iPad. The new iPad mini features a stunning 7.9-inch Multi-Touch™ display, FaceTime® HD and iSight® cameras, ultrafast wireless performance¹ and an incredible 10 hours of battery life²―every inch an iPad, yet in a revolutionary design you can hold in one hand. Apple today also announced the fourth generation iPad featuring a gorgeous 9.7-inch Retina™ display, new Apple-designed A6X chip, FaceTime HD camera and ultrafast wireless performance. Both iPad mini and fourth generation iPad come with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features.

“iPad mini is every inch an iPad. With its gorgeous 7.9-inch display, iPad mini features the same number of pixels as the original iPad and iPad 2, so you can run more than 275,000 apps designed specifically for iPad,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPad mini is as thin as a pencil and as light as a pad of paper, yet packs a fast A5 chip, FaceTime HD and 5 megapixel iSight cameras and ultrafast wireless―all while delivering up to 10 hours of battery life.”

iPad mini comes in a beautiful new aluminum and glass design that is just 7.2 mm thin and weighs only 0.68 pounds. The 7.9-inch Multi-Touch display delivers the same iPad experience users have come to expect, in a design that has 35 percent more screen real estate than 7-inch tablets and up to an astonishing 67 percent more usable viewing area when browsing the web. The dual-core A5 chip delivers responsive graphics and a fast, fluid Multi-Touch experience, while still providing all-day battery life.

iPad mini features a front-facing FaceTime HD camera and a 5 megapixel iSight camera on the back with advanced optics for taking sharp still pictures and recording full 1080p HD video. The iSight camera includes video image stabilization and both cameras feature backside illumination to let users capture great pictures in low light. iPad mini also allows easy sharing of photos with friends and family using iCloud’s Shared Photo Streams.

iPad mini features dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi support for speeds up to 150 Mbps,³ which is twice the Wi-Fi performance compared to previous iPad models. iPad mini is available in Wi-Fi + Cellular models which are world-ready with built-in support for ultrafast wireless standards, including LTE¹ and DC-HSDPA, so you can browse, download and stream content fast from wherever you are. iPad mini data plans will be available with no contract so you can simply sign up and activate service directly from your iPad.⁴ The Personal Hotspot feature means you can share a fast cellular data connection via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB with up to five other devices such as MacBook® Pro, iPod touch® or another iPad.⁵

The new fourth generation iPad features the amazing 9.7-inch Retina display and includes a new Apple-designed A6X chip that delivers up to twice the CPU performance and up to twice the graphics performance of the A5X chip, all while delivering an incredible 10 hours of battery life in the same thin and light iPad design. Other new features include a FaceTime HD camera, twice the Wi-Fi performance when compared to previous iPad models and support for additional LTE carriers worldwide.⁶

iPad mini and fourth generation iPad both feature support for the Lightning™ connector that is smaller, smarter and more durable than the 30-pin connector. Lightning connector accessories are available to support cameras, SD cards and VGA or HDMI digital video.⁷ Existing iPad Smart Covers and the iPad Smart Case are compatible with fourth generation iPad, and new polyurethane Smart Covers custom-designed for iPad mini are available in pink, green, blue, light gray, dark gray and (PRODUCT) RED for $39.

iPad runs over 700,000 apps available on the App Store℠, including more than 275,000 apps designed specifically for iPad, from a wide range of categories including books, games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. iPad also supports the more than 5,000 newspapers and magazines offered in Newsstand and the more than 1.5 million books available on the iBookstore℠. The iTunes Store® puts the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store at your fingertips with a catalog of over 26 million songs, over 190,000 TV episodes and over 45,000 films. The new iBooks® app for iPad lets users read ebooks in over 40 languages. iBooks also lets users experience an entirely new kind of ebook that’s dynamic, engaging and truly interactive. Ebooks created with Apple’s new iBooks Author offer gorgeous, fullscreen ebooks with interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos, custom fonts, mathematical expressions and much more.

Pricing & Availability
iPad mini with Wi-Fi models will be available in black & slate or white & silver on Friday, November 2, for a suggested retail price of $329 (US) for the 16GB model, $429 (US) for the 32GB model and $529 (US) for the 64GB model. The fourth generation iPad with Wi-Fi models will also be available on Friday, November 2, in black or white for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model and $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad mini and the fourth generation iPad will be sold through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and select Apple Authorized Resellers in the US, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

iPad mini with Wi-Fi + Cellular and fourth generation iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular will start shipping a couple of weeks after the Wi-Fi models, beginning in the US on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. iPad mini with Wi-Fi + Cellular will be offered for a suggested retail price of $459 (US) for the 16GB model, $559 (US) for the 32GB model and $659 (US) for the 64GB model. Fourth generation iPad with Wi-Fi + Cellular for AT&T, Sprint and Verizon will be offered for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. Additionally, iPad 2 is available at $399 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and just $529 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model where they are sold now.

Customers can begin pre-ordering all models of iPad mini and all models of the fourth generation iPad on Friday, October 26 through the Apple Online Store in the US, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

 

Operating Systems, software

Apple Officially Announces iOS 6 at WWDC With More Than 200 New Features

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apple-ios6

The WWDC 2012 keynote at Moscone Center has ended not long ago. During the Worldwide Developers Conference Apple did not announce any new iPhone 5 hardware, nor did it unveil a 7-inch iPad or a new TV set. Instead, we got a truck load of cool announcements, including a new line of Macs and the all new iOS 6. This post will focus on the iOS 6 that has added more than 200 new features to the next-gen mobile platform, and will hopefully go live sometime this fall (developers version to be available today).

But before we start, we would like to share some interesting facts that Apple has reported for the keynote. Currently, the App store has about 400 million user accounts with a valid credit card attached – “This is the store with the largest number of accounts with credit cards anywhere on the internet that we’re aware of,” says Mr.Cook. There are more than 650,000 apps available to download, 225,000 are made for the iPad. During the years, Cupertino has paid out over $5 billion to developers, and users have downloaded merely 30,000,000,000 apps in total.

As for iOS stats, 365 million iOS devices sold through March, 1.5 trillion push notifications created on iOS, 150 billion iMessages sent, and 10 billion tweets were launched from iOS 5.

So what’s new in iOS 6?

Siri, the queen of the platform, just got a whole lot smarter. From now on it will get you, on real time, all the sporting details you’d expect, including scores, stats and game summaries. In addition, Siri can instantly launch any app in your phone, and is able to tweet your personal messages with a new voice dictation. Siri in iOS 6 will also integrate with iPad devices, and will gain knowledge in few more languages. It is also likely to get a smarter ‘Eyes Free’ car integration in the foreseeable future.

Facebook gets a deep integration in iOS 6, as well. Basically, it means that the process of importing contact lists from the popular social network to mobile is now a lot more simple. But that’s not all, my fellow readers… Both Facebook events and birthdays will be syncing with your smartphone on a daily basis.

Maps in iOS 6 are “a worldwide effort” says Apple. There’s a Turn-by-Turn navigation capability, and Siri, the automated voice, is also being supported, “Just ask Siri to take you somewhere and you’re on your way. Ask questions along your route, like where can I get gas?” and you’re on.

Other than that, we’re looking at some really solid features. I like that you’re getting Facetime over 3G, instant photo sharing over iCloud, “Do Not Disturb” notifications tweak, and a much better mail and Safari UI experience.

All in all, iOS 6 is likely to support  iPhone 3GS devices and later, iPad 2 / 3, and the iPod touch 4th generation.

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Apple Previews iOS 6 With All New Maps, Siri Features, Facebook Integration, Shared Photo Streams & New Passbook App

Available to iPhone, iPad & iPod touch Users This Fall

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apple® today previewed iOS 6, introducing over 200 new features to the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, and released a beta version to iOS Developer Program members. iOS 6 will be available to iPhone®, iPad® and iPod touch® users this fall as a free software update. New iOS 6 features include: an all new Maps app with Apple-designed cartography, turn-by-turn navigation and an amazing new Flyover view; new Siri® features, including support for more languages, easy access to sports scores, restaurant recommendations and movie listings; Facebook integration for Contacts and Calendar, with the ability to post directly from Notification Center, Siri and Facebook-enabled apps like Photos, Safari® and Maps; Shared Photo Streams via iCloud®; and Passbook, the simplest way to get all your passes in one place.

“iOS 6 continues the rapid pace of innovation that is helping Apple reinvent the phone and create the iPad category, delivering the best mobile experience available on any device”
“iOS 6 continues the rapid pace of innovation that is helping Apple reinvent the phone and create the iPad category, delivering the best mobile experience available on any device,” said Scott Forstall, Apple’s senior vice president of iOS Software. “We can’t wait for hundreds of millions of iOS users to experience the incredible new features in iOS 6 including the new Maps app, expanded Siri support, deep Facebook integration, Shared Photo Streams and the innovative new Passbook app.”

iOS 6 includes an all new Maps app with vector-based map elements that make graphics and text smooth, and panning, tilting and zooming incredibly fluid. New turn-by-turn navigation guides you to your destination with spoken directions, and the amazing Flyover feature has photo-realistic interactive 3D views. Real-time traffic information keeps you updated on how long it will take to get to your destination and offers alternate time-saving routes if traffic conditions change significantly. Additionally, local search includes information for over 100 million businesses with info cards that offer Yelp ratings, reviews, available deals and photos.

Siri, now available for the new iPad as well as iPhone 4S, includes language support for English, French, German and Japanese, and adds support for Spanish, Italian, Korean, Mandarin and Cantonese. Siri is optimized for use in 15 countries and helps you get even more done with just your voice, whether it’s finding the latest sports scores or making restaurant reservations. You also can ask Siri to update your status on Facebook, post to Twitter or launch an app. Additionally, Siri takes hands-free functionality even further with a new Eyes Free mode, enabling you to interact with your iPhone using nothing more than your voice.

Built-in Facebook integration is the best ever in a mobile device, allowing you to sign in once and post from Notification Center, Siri and Facebook-enabled apps, including Photos, Safari and Maps. Your Facebook friends’ information is kept up to date across all your iOS devices, automatically updating details in Contacts when they change, and scheduling events and birthdays in your Calendar. You can also “Like” content directly from the App Store™ and iTunes® and see what your friends recommend.

With more than 125 million users already enjoying iCloud, iOS 6 introduces new ways to share photos with friends and family using Shared Photo Streams. Simply select the photos you want to share, pick which friends you want to receive the album, and the Shared Photo Stream album is instantly available on their iOS devices, iPhoto® and Aperture® on their Mac®, via the web or even through Apple TV®. You and your friends can leave comments on or “Like” any photo in a shared album.

The new Passbook app is the simplest way to get all your passes in one place, such as boarding passes and baseball tickets. Passbook lets you scan your iPhone or iPod touch to use a coupon, get into a concert or check into your hotel. Passbook automatically displays your passes on your Lock Screen based on a specific time or location, so when you walk into your favorite coffee shop your loyalty card appears and you can scan it to buy a coffee or check your balance. Passbook can even alert you to last minute gate changes or flight delays at the airport.

Building on Apple’s commitment to provide innovative solutions for education and accessibility, iOS 6 introduces Guided Access. This new feature allows a parent, teacher or administrator to disable hardware buttons to lock an iOS device into a single app, especially useful for test taking or helping someone with a disability stay focused on learning. Guided Access also includes the ability to confine touch input to certain parts of the screen.

Additional new iOS 6 features include:

• enhancements to Safari, the world’s most popular mobile browser, such as iCloud tabs, offline reading lists, photo uploads and full screen view;

• support for FaceTime® calls over cellular networks;

• the ability to set up a VIP Mailbox, making it easier to quickly view messages from important people you designate as VIPs;

• the option to decline incoming calls with a quick message, set a callback reminder and enable a new Do Not Disturb option; and

• a whole new set of improvements and services specifically for iOS users in China, such as improved text input and built-in support for popular Chinese services including Baidu, Sina Weibo, Youku and Tudou.

Availability

The iOS 6 beta software and SDK are available immediately for iOS Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. iOS 6 will be available as a free software update for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, the new iPad, iPad 2 and iPod touch (fourth generation) this fall. Some features may not be available on all products.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Mobile, Phones

Samsung Galaxy S III Now Official

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Samsung has finally put the rumors to rest by announcing its next iteration mobile phone, the Galaxy S III. In a splashy London event, the South Korean giant revealed that the next-gen Galaxy handset will feature its new 1.4GHz Exynos 4 Quad processor, alongside a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED touchscreen display, with 1280 x 720 pixels on top. There’s 1GB of RAM under the lid, paired with a front-facing 1.9-megapixel camera and an 8-megapixel rear shooter. The 8.6mm soft plastic device which weighs 133g, is the latest and greatest in mobile technology. It is said to boast eye tracking support (by all means) and top notch capabilities, such as the “Smart Stay” feature that knows whether we are looking at the screen or not, a very sophisticated Siri-like voice recognition, missed calls/messages technology that lets you auto dial when you pickup the phone, S Beam technology that ease the way you share photos and videos with some other Galaxy S III machines (simply attach them back-to-back with each other), and last but not least,  a social media friendly platform that features “The fastest and easiest way to share with friends in just ONE touch.”

Connectivity wise, the S3 has ’em all: Whether it’s 40MHz 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and  GPS with GLONASS reception. As far as software goes, it will be rolling out with Google’s Ice Cream Sandwich platform (AKA: Android 4.0), crammed with Samsung’s very own TouchWiz “Inspired by nature” UI running on top. In terms of radios, you will be getting the  HSPA+ flavor, but the 4G LTE magic will be out as well, both in North america and Japan (but not in Europe).

At first, you will get to choose storage capacities that range between 16 to 32GB, while the 64 gigs will follow later on. In addition you can either pick up the Pebble Blue color, or go all the way with the Marble White hue. There’s a very large 2,100mAh battery inside and a microSD slot expansion to double your storage, if needed. The Samsung Galaxy 3 will go live starting May 29, while US customers should be able to nab one somewhere around June.

Full PR after the break, along with the first Galaxy S III TV Commercial and a full video of the keynote event.

Update1: Looks like the most powerful Android smartphone to date, Samsung S3, is now officially available in 28 countries, including Germany and the UK. US launch is yet to be determined, but Sammy’s executives already been quoted saying their latest and greatest mobile device will go live worldwide “within a month.”

Update2: Samsung has just announced that the Galaxy S III will officially hit all five U.S carriers, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and US Cellular,  in the early days of June, with prices to be around $199 on contract.

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Samsung Introduces the GALAXY S III, the Smartphone

Designed for Humans and Inspired by Nature

Effortlessly smart and intuitively simple,

Samsung GALAXY S III reveals a new concept of smartphone

London, UK-May 3, 2012-Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, announced today the third generation GALAXY S, the GALAXY S III. Designed for humans and inspired by nature, the GALAXY S III is a smartphone that recognizes your voice, understands your intention, and lets you share a moment instantly and easily.

This sleek and innovative smartphone has the enhanced intelligence to make everyday life easier. With Samsung GALAXY S III, you can view the content like never before on the device’s 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED display. An 8MP camera and a 1.9MP front camera offer users a variety of intelligent camera features and face recognition related options that ensure all moments are captured easily and instantly. Samsung GALAXY S III is powered by Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, with greatly enhanced usability and practicality to make life easier. Packed with intuitive technology, the GALAXY S III delivers a uniquely personalized mobile experience that refuses to be compromised.

“With the GALAXY S III, Samsung has maximized the consumer benefits by integrating superior hardware with enhanced smartphone usability,” said JK Shin, President and Head of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung. “Designed to be both effortlessly smart and intuitively simple, the GALAXY S III has been created with our human needs and capabilities in mind. What makes me most proud is that it enables one of the most seamless, natural and human-centric mobile experiences, opening up a new horizon that allows you to live a life extraordinary.”

Introducing Natural Interaction

The GALAXY S III enhances the interaction experience between the device and user. Smart enough to detect your face, voice and motions, the GALAXY S III adapts to the individual user to provide a more convenient and natural experience. With the innovative ‘Smart stay’ feature, the GALAXY S III recognizes how you are using your phone – reading an e-book or browsing the web for instance – by having the front camera identify your eyes; the phone maintains a bright display for continued viewing pleasure.

The GALAXY S III features ‘S Voice,’ the advanced natural language user interface, to listen and respond to your words. In addition to allowing information search and basic device-user communication, S Voice presents powerful functions in regards to device control and commands. When your phone alarm goes off but you need a little extra rest, just tell the GALAXY S III “snooze.” You can also use S Voice to play your favorite songs, turn the volume up or down, send text messages and emails, organize your schedules, or automatically launch the camera and capture a photo.

In addition to recognizing your face and voice, the GALAXY S III understands your motions to offer maximized usability. If you are messaging someone but decide to call them instead, simply lift your phone to your ear and ‘Direct call’ will dial their number. With ‘Smart alert,’ the GALAXY S III will also save you from trouble by catching any missed messages or calls; your phone will vibrate to notify missed statuses when picked up after being idle.

Easy and Instant Sharing
The Samsung GALAXY S III is more than a personal device that can be enjoyed by one user – it wants you to share and experience smartphone benefits with family and friends, regardless of where you are. With the new ‘S Beam,’ the GALAXY S III expands upon Android™ Beam™, allowing a 1GB movie file to be shared within three minutes and a 10MB music file within two seconds by simply touching another GALAXY S III phone, even without a Wi-Fi or cellular signal. The ‘Buddy photo share’ function also allows photos to be easily and simultaneously shared with all your friends pictured in an image directly from the camera or the photo gallery.

With ‘AllShare Cast’, users can wirelessly connect their GALAXY S III to their television to immediately transfer smartphone content onto a larger display. ‘AllShare Play’ can be also used to instantly share any forms of files between GALAXY S III and your tablet, PC, and televisions regardless of the distance between the devices. Under AllShare Play is also the ‘Group Cast’ feature that allows you to share your screen among multiple friends on the same Wi-Fi network; you can make comments and draw changes at the same time with your co-workers, witnessing real-time sharing on your individual device.
Human-centric Design with Uncompromised Performance

The GALAXY S III not only presents features with enhanced usability, but also provides an ergonomic and comfortable experience through its human-centric design. Its comfortable grip, gentle curves, and organic form deliver a rich human-centric feel and design. Inspired by nature, its design concept is the flow and movement of nature. The elements of wind, water and light are all evoked in the physical construct of the GALAXY S III. In its essence, the minimal organic design identity is reflected in the smooth and non-linear lines of the device. Available in Pebble Blue and Marble White at launch, Samsung will introduce a variety of additional color options.

 

With a 4.8″ HD Super AMOLED display, the GALAXY S III offers a large and vivid viewing experience. Samsung Mobile’s heritage Super AMOLED display even enhances to HD and 16:9 wider viewing angles. To ensure faster content sharing and connectivity, the GALAXY S III offers Wi-Fi Channel Bonding which doubles the Wi-Fi bandwidth.

 

The GALAXY S III also sports a range of additional features that boost performance and the overall user experience in entirely new ways. It introduces ‘Pop up play,’ a feature that allows you to play a video anywhere on your screen while simultaneously running other tasks, eliminating the need to close and restart videos when checking new emails or surfing the Web. Its 8MP camera features a zero-lag shutter speed that lets you capture moving objects easily without delay – the image you see is the picture you take. With the ‘Burst shot’ function that instantly captures twenty continuous shots, and the ‘Best photo’ feature that selects the best of eight photographs for you, the GALAXY S III ensures users a more enhanced and memorable camera experience. HD video can be recorded even with the 1.9MP front-facing camera, which you can use to capture a video of yourself. Improved backside illumination further helps to eliminate blur in photos that result from shaking, even under low lights.

 

Mobile payment is also accessible with the device through advanced Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. The gaming experience is enhanced through ‘Game Hub,’ providing access to numerous social games, while Video Hub brings users high quality TV and movies. Furthermore, Samsung Music Hub will offer a personal music streaming service. Game Hub, Video Hub and Music Hub will be introduced in select countries initially and soon rolled out to global markets.

 

The Samsung GALAXY S III will be available from the end of May in Europe before rolling out to other markets globally.

 

For multimedia content and more detailed information, please visit www.samsungmobilepress.com.

 

 

Note to Editors:

 

Samsung GALAXY S III Product Specifications

 

 

Network

2.5G (GSM/ GPRS/ EDGE): 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz3G (HSPA+ 21Mbps): 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz

4G (Dependent on market)

Display

4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED (1280×720) display

OS

Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

Camera

Main(Rear): 8 Mega pixel Auto Focus camera with Flash & Zero Shutter Lag, BSI

Sub (Front): 1.9 Mega pixel camera, HD recording @30fps with Zero Shutter Lag, BSI

Video

Codec: MPEG4, H.264, H.263, DivX, DivX3.11, VC-1, VP8, WMV7/8, Sorenson Spark

Recording & Playback: Full HD (1080p)

Audio

Codec: MP3, AMR-NB/WB, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA, OGG, FLAC, AC-3, apt-X

Additional

Features

S Beam, Buddy photo share, Share shot

AllShare Play, AllShare Cast

Smart stay, Social tag, Group tag, Face zoom, Face slide show

Direct call, Smart alert, Tap to top, Camera quick access

Pop up play

S Voice

Burst shot & Best photo, Recording snapshot, HDR

Google™ Mobile Services

Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude

Google Play Store, Google Play Books, Google Play Movies

Google Plus, YouTube, Google Talk,

Google Places, Google Navigation, Google Downloads

Connectivity

WiFi a/b/g/n, WiFi HT40

GPS/GLONASS

NFC

Bluetooth® 4.0(LE)

Sensor

Accelerometer, RGB light, Digital compass, Proximity, Gyro, Barometer

Memory

16/ 32GB User memory (64GB available soon) + microSD slot (up to 64GB)

Dimension

136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm, 133g

Battery

2,100 mAh

* Specifications above may differ on the LTE version.

* All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.

 

* Android, Google, Android Beam, Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Latitude, Google Play Store, Google Play Books, Google Play Movies, Google Plus, YouTube, Google Talk, Google Places, Google Navigation, Google Downloads are trademarks of Google Inc.

Events, tablets

Apple’s New iPad Officially Announced, Retina Display, A5X Chip, 5MP camera, LTE 4G. Goes Live March 16th

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Apple’s third iPad series (known as the The New iPad) has officially debuted, and it is very impressive. For a start, Cupertino’s third-gen iDevice looks something similar to its predecessor, the iPad 2; measures in almost the same and weighs in at 1.4lbs. As for the 9.7-inch high-def display rumor, that one has been kicking around for nearly a year, and turned out to be TRUE. The new iPad variant will have a 2048-by-1536 screen resolution Retina display with a staggering amount of 3.1 million pixels on top.

Furthermore, The 9.4mm thick tablet device (ipad 2 is only 8.8mm) has a more powerful processor, a quad-core chip called the A5X (which according to Apple is four times faster than Nvidia’s Tegra 3). It will come with 3G and WiFi only models, boasting 16/32/64GB of internal storage capacities, that will be selling around the world for the same striking prices – 16GB $499, 32GB $599, 64GB $699 (+$130 for the 3G equivalent) – starting March 16 (Pre-orders start today in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia). Connectivity wise, the HD version will come equipped with LTE 4G networking that will substantially boost your internet usage, while the bluetooth specs retain the same values, along with WiFi,  native 3.1Mbps EV-DO / 7.2Mbps HSPA and new 21Mbps HSPA+, 42Mbps DC-HSDPA and 73Mbps LTE support.

As far as software goes, we’re looking at iOS 5.1 that will support a Japanese version of Siri. This one is said to be available today. Apple has also introduced to the world a new batch of apps, compatible with The new iPad most stunning display. Among them you’ll find out the Infinity Blade: Dungeons, SketchBook, and SkyGamblers. There’s also a new edition of the popular iPhoto, now available for both iPad and iPhone machines for $4.99 (Garage Band, iMovie and iWork updates are also available).

In addition, Apple has integrated a new iSight camera, sporting ‎5 megapixels sensor, backside illumination, 5-element lens, and 1080 video recording capture. The new iPad delivers the same 10 hours of battery life, and 4G work time is 9 hours.

Finally, iPad 2 prices will be slashed by roughly $100, respectively.

Full PR after the break

Update1: We’ve just added a quick hands-on video, so check it out after the break.

Update2: Hit the jump to watch The new iPad TV Ad and a quick hands-on review.

Update3: Apple reports that it has sold more than 3 million New iPads in the tablet’s first three days on the market; A “record weekend” for Tim Cook and the Cupertino fellows. To give you an idea of the business situation, two years ago, the company has managed to sell 3M pieces of its first-gen ipad device after 80 days in the market, and now it has reached exactly the same numbers in the first weekend ALONE. That’s crazy!

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[youtube id=”y9Oy6S3_xPY”]

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 videoד courtesy of engadget and The Verge

 

Apple Launches New iPad


New iPad Features Retina Display, A5X Chip, 5 Megapixel iSight Camera & Ultrafast 4G LTE
SAN FRANCISCO―March 7, 2012―Apple® today introduced the new iPad®, the third generation of its category defining mobile device, featuring a stunning new Retina™ display, Apple’s new A5X chip with quad-core graphics and a 5 megapixel iSight® camera with advanced optics for capturing amazing photos and 1080p HD video. iPad with Wi-Fi + 4G connects to fast networks worldwide, including AT&T’s and Verizon’s 4G LTE networks, and still delivers the same all-day 10 hour battery life* while remaining amazingly thin and light. Beginning today, iPad 2 will be offered at an even more affordable price starting at just $399.

“The new iPad redefines the category Apple created less than two years ago, delivering the most amazing experience people have ever had with technology,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The new iPad now has the highest resolution display ever seen on a mobile device with 3.1 million pixels, delivering razor sharp text and unbelievable detail in photos and videos.”

The new iPad’s Retina display delivers four times the number of pixels of iPad 2, so dense that the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels when held at a normal distance, making web pages, text, images and video look incredibly sharp and realistic. The 3.1 million pixels in the Retina display are more than one million more pixels than an HD TV, and with 44 percent increased color saturation the new iPad displays colors that are unbelievably richer, deeper and more vivid. Movies are now capable of playing at full 1080p HD-resolution, delivering an incomparable viewing experience on a mobile device.

The powerful new A5X chip with quad-core graphics was specifically designed by Apple to deliver a fast, responsive user experience while supporting the incredible Retina display. With double the graphics performance of the A5 chip, the A5X provides a superb balance between performance and power efficiency so users can enjoy all the benefits of the stunning new display while experiencing a smooth Multi-Touch™ interface, immersive gameplay, incredible visual depth and all-day battery life that iPad is known for delivering.

The 5 megapixel iSight camera features advanced optics for taking stunning pictures and recording full HD video. Backside illumination allows you to take great photos in low-light conditions and a new video image stabilization feature removes the bumps and shakes typically seen when filming with a hand-held device. Images can be enjoyed on the large Retina display, then edited, enhanced and easily shared with friends and family using the built-in Photos app on iPad.

iPad Wi-Fi + 4G with built-in next generation 4G LTE has the most comprehensive support for fast networks worldwide including HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA, and now both CDMA and GSM iPad users have the ability to easily roam internationally. The world-ready iPad delivers blazing download and upload speeds so web pages load incredibly quickly and email with large attachments can be sent and received easily. Personal Hotspot can be used to share the fast network connection on your iPad with up to 5 other devices using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB**.

With iOS 5.1, the latest update to the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, the new iPad has a number of new features and enhancements including: a redesigned Camera app with video stabilization technology; the ability to delete photos from Photo Stream; support for dictation in English, French, German and Japanese; and Personal Hotspot. iOS 5.1 also works seamlessly with iCloud®, a breakthrough set of free cloud services including iTunes® in the Cloud, Photo Stream and Documents in the Cloud, that works seamlessly with your iPhone®, iPad, iPod touch®, Mac® or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content and push it to your devices. When content changes on one of your devices, your other devices are updated automatically.

The new iPad also supports dictation, another amazing way to get things done just using your voice. Instead of typing, tap the microphone icon on the keyboard, then say what you want to say and the new iPad listens. Tap done, and iPad converts your words into text. You can use dictation to write messages, take notes, search the web and more. Dictation also works with third-party apps, so you can update your Facebook status, tweet, or write Instagram captions.

Apple also introduced the iPhoto® app, along with major updates to iMovie® and GarageBand®, completing its suite of iLife® apps for iOS. iLife and the iWork® apps, Pages®, Keynote® and Numbers®, have all been updated to take advantage of the new iPad Retina display. iPhoto includes breakthrough Multi-Touch features so you can use simple gestures to sort through hundreds of photos and find your best shots, enhance and retouch your images using fingertip brushes and share stunning photo journals with iCloud. iMovie now gives you the ability to create amazing Hollywood-style trailers as you record HD video, and GarageBand introduces Jam Session, an innovative and fun new feature that allows a group of friends to wirelessly connect to play instruments and record music together live on their iOS devices.

iPad runs almost all of the over 585,000 apps available on the App Store™, including more than 200,000 native iPad apps, from a wide range of categories, including books, games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The iTunes Store® puts the world’s most popular online music, TV and movie store at your fingertips with a catalog of over 20 million songs, over 90,000 TV episodes and over 15,000 movies. The new iBooks® 2 app for iPad lets users experience an entirely new kind of ebook that’s dynamic, engaging and truly interactive. iBooks created with Apple’s new iBooks Author offer gorgeous, fullscreen ebooks with interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos, unrivaled navigation and much more.

Pricing & Availability
The new iPad Wi-Fi models will be available in black or white on Friday, March 16 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model and $699 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad Wi-Fi + 4G for either AT&T or Verizon will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad will be sold in the US through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPad will also be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland, UK and the US Virgin Islands on Friday, March 16. Customers can begin pre-ordering their new iPad today, and the incredible iPad 2 is now offered at a more affordable price of $399 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi model and just $529 (US) for the 16GB Wi-Fi + 3G model.

iOS 5.1 and iTunes 10.6 are available today as free software updates. iPhoto, iMovie 1.3 and GarageBand 1.2 are available today for $4.99 (US) each from the App Store (www.itunes.com/appstore). Keynote 1.6, Pages 1.6 and Numbers 1.6 are available today for $9.99 (US) each from the App Store. Updates are available for free to existing customers. By the end of March iPad will be available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

**Personal Hotspot requires supporting data plan. Customers should check with their carrier for availability.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

tablets

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime Goes Live in Early December With a Quad-Core Tegra 3 Processor On Board

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Asus is upgrading its Eee Pad Transformer Android tablet lineup, launching the Transformer Prime, a 10.1-inch Super IPS plus slate with the first Nvidia quad-core Tegra 3 CPU running on board. This powerful device, which packs the latest and greatest technology available on market at the moment, comes with a stunning 1280 x 800 10-inch IPS screen that claims for 178-degree viewing angles and Gorilla Glass cover on top. In addition, it has an 8.3mm-thick body that houses 1GB of RAM, a GPS navigation module, SonicMaster audio system, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for the OS (update), and a 1.2 MP front-facing camera, paired with an 8MP lens, sitting on its back. The rear one can auto-focus at f/2.4, and is powered by a back-illuminated CMOS sensor that allows you to capture up to 1080p video frames. In terms of ports, you’ll find inside a mini-HDMI output, 3.5mm audio jack, and a microSD slot, while the battery will deliver up to 12 hours in one single charge, and storage wise, you get to choose between the 32GB version that is about to retail this coming December for $499, or the 64 gigs that will set you back for $599. Finally, there’s an optional mobile keyboard dock, but you’ll obviously need to splurge $149 more. Naturally, it will ease your typing efforts and speed up your projects on-the-go. You will find an integrated USB 2.0 port built into it, and a full-sized SD card slot. It’s a Tegra 3 machine and we’re looking forward to testing it ourselves, furthermore. Until then, you can hit the jump and read the full PR blurbs, or so.

Update1: Checkout the Eee Pad Transformer Prime in action, running Shadowgun at buttery smooth speeds. Hit the break to watch the video.

Update2: Well, looks like the Eee Pad Transformer Prime is finally coming out Stateside, and already available for your pre-orders in places like Amazon, B&H Photo, Tiger Direct and Best Buy. That’s $500 for the 32GB version and $600 for the 64 gigster, remember?

Update3: We’ve just added a quick Ice Cream Sandwitch demo video running on the Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Check it out after the break.

Update4: Looks like most Transformer Prime users are going to be very pleased with the latest news on the pipeline, as Asus officially announces an imminent release of the Ice Cream Sandwich update which is better known as the Android 4.0. It should start showing up all over the world whithin the next couple of hours, so stay tuned and get your brand new tablets ready.

 

Continue reading Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime Goes Live in Early December With a Quad-Core Tegra 3 Processor On Board →

Applications, Operating Systems, software

Apple iOS5 Now Officially Available

Apple has just pushed out iOS 5, one of its biggest updates ever, now available for download through your iTunes account, for  iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, third- and fourth-generation iPod touch, as well as both iPad 1 & iPad 2. iOS 5 includes more than 200 new features for your iDevices, among them: The notification center, iMessage, Newsstand, Reminders, integrated Twitter app, photo enhancements (plus grid & edit features), iCloud sync and backup for your mail/calender/contacts/notes/reminders etc. (you get 5GB of storage for FREE), WiFi sync capabilities, Airplay mirroring, multitasking gestures and more. In addition, Apple has also released iTunes 10.5 filled with iCloud support and plenty other goodies you will all get to try with iOS 5 on board. And speaking about the cloud, looks like iCloud.com is now officially LIVE and ready for use (in case you have iOS 5 or OS X  Lion client). Check out the video after the break.

Update: Apple has also released two new iOS apps, including AirPort Utility and Find My Friends, which can be downloaded via iCloud.

Continue reading Apple iOS5 Now Officially Available →

General

Steve Jobs Apple Co-Founder Dies at The Age Of 56

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Today, the world mourns the loss of a true visionary and a tech legend. Steve Jobs passes away at the age of 56, only few weeks after stepping down from Apple’s CEO position, leaving 317 Apple patents listed under his name and an amazing cultural experience we will all remember for the rest of our lives. Here are some of the tributes from those who knew him:

President Obama:

Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.

By building one of the planet’s most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity.  By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun.  And by turning his talents to storytelling, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike. Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last.  Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world.

The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steve’s wife Laurene, his family, and all those who loved him.

Apple CEO, Tim Cook:

Team,

I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email [email protected].

No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.

 

Please hit the break to read even more tributes, along with Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address video that would truly inspire and motivate one and all.


[Apple]

Continue reading Steve Jobs Apple Co-Founder Dies at The Age Of 56 →

tablets

Amazon’s 7-Inch Kindle Fire Tablet Officially Live: Only $199

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We’ve heard the rumours, but now it’s official. Amazon just announced its latest and greatest 7-inch Kindle Fire tablet that will be sporting a powerful dual-core processor inside, along with a 3.5mm jack, 8GB of storage, micro USB hub and an Android platform for the operating system. The most anticipated device, which lacks 3G capabilities, is priced very competitively for such a high quality slab (only $199), and comes with  a 7-inch Gorilla-glass and an IPS panel touchscreen, paired with an integrated WiFi and a wide range of audio/video formats support. Software wise, you’ll be getting a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, as well as full access to the Kindle books section, the Magazines, the Movies, the TV shows and of course, Google’s online Android Appstore. There’s also an option to connect your device to the big screen whenever you want, and last but certainly not least, Kindle Fire’s release date: November 15th, although we’d truly like to get our hands on it as quickly as possible and grab one for ourselves early before they hit all the stores. Make sure you check out the first commercial video plus full specifications after the break and please stay tuned for plenty stuff more.

Update: We’ve just added a quick Amazon Kindle Fire walkthrough video, courtesy of Thisismynext, so hit the jump and take a look.

 

[via Amazon]

Continue reading Amazon’s 7-Inch Kindle Fire Tablet Officially Live: Only $199 →

tablets

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Officially Introduced

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Samsung has just introduced its latest entry, the Galaxy Tab 7.7. The South Korean giant, which seem to be popping up all over the place at the moment, announced this new Android tablet device with an Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) operating system, running on top of a a 7.7-inch (1280 x 800) Super AMOLED Plus display, featuring Samsung’s TouchWiz UX layer beneath, a powerful dual-core 1.4GHz processor, an HSPA+ radio, a microSD card slot, up to 64GB of storage, 802.11n WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, front and rear 2.0MP/3.0MP cameras and a 5,100mAh battery, providing merely 10 hours of work. And while the line of specs is definitely impressive, we’re still on a hunt for the price and availability of this new, upcoming 0.74-pound and 7.89 mm thin slab. Full PR is only few lines away, after the break.

Update: We’ve also added after the break a quick hands-on video, courtesy of Steve Chippy and the good guys over at carrypad.com.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 Officially Introduced →

tablets

HTC’s 10.1-inch Android Jetstream LTE Tablet Officially Gets The AT&T Treatment

We’re not quite sure why HTC even bothers. With a whopping price of $849 and a specs lineup that includes a 10.1-inch WXGA touchscreen, 1.5GHz Snapdragon dual-core processor, a front 1.3 MP/rear 8MP cameras, Android 3.1 OS and a microSD slot, this all HTC Jetstream tablet, which is AT&T’s first LTE / HSPA+ slate package, seems a bit useless, considering the cheap solutions available on the market nowadays such as Apple’s iPad, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, HP’s TouchPad and many hundreds more. Not to mention you have to sign up for a two-years contract, but that’s the only part of the story which sounds reasonable to us. If you’re still interested, by the way, hop after the break to read the full PR announcement along with the complete list of specs.

Update: There’s a “sneak peek” video, courtesy of HotHardware, so check it out after the jump.

[AT&T]

Continue reading HTC’s 10.1-inch Android Jetstream LTE Tablet Officially Gets The AT&T Treatment →

tablets

HTC Flyer Officially Live Across Europe

While already available for a purchase throughout the US, HTC’s 7-inch Android 2.4 tablet has finally been given its official release dates across Europe. According to HTC’s PR report, released recently, the 1.5GHz device is supposed to start selling today, with prices topping out at  £480 (€499) for the WiFi-only 16GB version or £600 (€649) for the 3G-enabled 32GB flavor. And If you happen to have big hands for your size or are determined to get an HTC Flyer just for the sake of painting, you’ll find a cool stylus pen within the bundle (also known as the Magic Pen) – given by the company, free of charge . Hit the break to read the full PR message.

 

Continue reading HTC Flyer Officially Live Across Europe →

tablets

BlackBerry PlayBook Gets a Native Facebook Application

While the rest of the world is still waiting for Facebook to finally release a native app for the iPad, Blackberry Playbook from RIM is one of the first tablets to have it. As of today, anyone who gets their hands on the 7-inch, QNX-based slate, can now download the most-anticipated Facebook app and start connecting with their family members, share photos/videos, post stuff on their wall or have a chat with friends. In addition to that, the Canadian corp is said to release a new Video Chat application as well and make it available to download on May 3rd (Today!). More on that at BlackBerry World, which takes place between May 3-5 in Orlando, Florida. Hit the jump to read the full press releases.

 

Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook Gets a Native Facebook Application →

tablets

HTC’s EVO View 4G Tablet Officially Breaks Cover

We must welcome the rain of tablets that falls down on us so that the seed will grow. And the way it looks right now I think it’ll really take off. For instance, take a look at HTC’s latest and greatest 4G Evo View tablet, which has finally turned official with a 7-inch, 1024 x 600 multi-touchscreen display, WiMAX radio,  a 1.5GHz processor, and a microSD card slot. Has any of you ever thought of it this way? probably not. But it’s here, live and kicking’, and will be offered housing 32GB of storage and duo cameras on the back (5MP) and up front (1.3MP). At this point, we’re still waiting to hear details of pricing and availability, and it remains to become accessible somewhere, hopefully, this summer via Sprint’s 4G network. And it’s Honeycomb by the way. Hit the jump for the full specs, along with PR blurbs.

 

Continue reading HTC’s EVO View 4G Tablet Officially Breaks Cover →

tablets

Blackberry Playbook Now Available for Pre-Order at $499, Launches April 19th (Update: Now On Sale)

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It was Apple that set the price of the iPad at a standard $499 for a 16GB WiFi only version, and now it seems to work fine for all major players in this overcrowded market. RIM was the latest manufacturer to adopt this new pricing model. The Canadian company, originally known for their Blackberry smartphones, has just announced an April 19th release date for their BlackBerry PlayBook line of tablets, both in Canada and the US. And as you might be able to understand from the above, RIM’s average sales price followed the same pattern that Cupertino had already begun to offer: $499 for the 16GB version, $599 for the 32GB model and $699 for the 64GB flavor. Canadian retailers such as Best Buy and Future Shop are also expect to sell the Playbook for around the same price, only in local currency. Full PR after the break.

Update1: And the rumor was right on spot, RIM just announced that its upcoming Playbook tablet will support both BlackBerry Java and Android apps. Great news, considering the fact this would actually include native C/C++ development support, HTML5, Flash and AIR support. Clearly a move that significantly impact the Playbook apps market. More about it after the break.

Update2: And looks like RIM’s latest and greatest dual-core Playbook device is finally up for a purchase, both in Canada and the US, while prices on Uncle Sam’s biggest electronic retailer, Best Buy, start at $500 for the 16GB model, and climb up to $600 for the 32GB model and $700 for the 64GB flavor. Tablet wars are definitely on the rise, now!

Update3: According to analysts, the Playbook sold an estimated 25,000 tablets in pre-order stage and another 20,000 in retail stores. “If correct, 45K+ sell through on the first day would be a success,” Misek wrote in his research note (Analyst Peter Misek of Jeffries & Co).

 

Continue reading Blackberry Playbook Now Available for Pre-Order at $499, Launches April 19th (Update: Now On Sale) →

tablets

Samsung Galaxy Tabs 8.9 and 10.1 Tablets Now Official

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As promised earlier this month, Samsung has officially announced their two new Galaxy Tabs, with the expected 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch models in line. The new Honeycomb Tabs which herald Samsung’s entry into ultra-thin and ultra-light tablets market – both measure only .33-inches thick- will be available starting June 8 of this year, featuring a 1GHz dual-core processor on board, alongside WXGA 1280×800 HD displays, a 2 megapixel front-facing camera and another at 3 megapixel on the back, 3.5mm headphone jacks, SIM card compartments, 802.11 b/g/n wifi connection, Bluetooth 2.1 and microSD card reader slots. Further more, both Sammy’s new devices are said to include gyroscope, accelerometer, a digital compass and an ambient light sensor, whereas the smaller version houses a 6000mAH battery pack and the bigger one boasts a 6860mAH cell under the hood. Remember, these are WiFi only flavors, though Samsung does plan to release 4G-enabled models later in the year to go. On the cost department, Samsung’s prices seem to finally be getting competitive and more affordable for the average consumer, as the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab is claimed to be offered at launch at $469 (16GB) and $569 (32GB), while the 10-incher Tab will set you back for $499 (16GB) and $599 (32GB) and not a single dime more. So there you go ladies and gentlemen, two revamped Galaxy Tabs on the stake and one PR announcement half past the break.

Update1: We’ve just added a few introduction videos of the Galaxy Tabs, courtesy of the Android Community fellows who recently had a chance to play with the new tablets.

Update2: And just in case you wanna get into the full spirit of the event, we’ve also added Samsung’s CTIA Wireless 2011 keynote after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy Tabs 8.9 and 10.1 Tablets Now Official →

tablets

Motorola Xoom $599 WiFi Only Version Goes Up For Pre-Order on B&H

1 Comment

If you’re thinking of looking more into this Motorola Xoom Android Honeycomb tablet, but paying $800 isn’t exactly your kind of thing, then you’ve just come to the right place because New York-based retailer B&H has just listed the much anticipated wifi-only Motorola XOOM version online, and it allows people pre-order theirs today for only $599. And while shipping dates are yet to be determined, the number of units offered for sale is said to be very limited. We’re guessing that a “1st week of April” time frame was just made for the fools, eh?

Update1: It looks like B&H isn’t the only one to sell the Motorola Xoom sans 3G connectivity for the bargain price of $599. As a matter of fact a few other giant retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, RadioShack, Sam’s Club, Staples, and even Walmart are said to be offering the Honeycomb tablet, starting March 27th of this year, and not a single day before. Full PR after the break.

Update2: And the WiFi-only Motorola Xoom is finally up for preorder from both Best Buy and Future Shop in Canada, and set to ship on April 8th, with the same US price tag ($599.99).

Update3: Word on the street is that the 10.1-inch WiFi-only Xoom tablet should be getting Google’s latest and greatest Android 3.1 update “within the next several weeks.” In that regard, we’re guessing that the upcoming upgrade will not skip the 3G-enabled devices, which are more expensive, to say the least. More details at the official Motorola support forum.

[B&H]

Continue reading Motorola Xoom $599 WiFi Only Version Goes Up For Pre-Order on B&H →

Media Players

Microsoft Discontinues Zune

Microsoft is going to kill the Zune player, if a Bloomberg report is to be believed. According to “A person familiar with the decision” the Redmond giant will stop the Zune production entirely, and will put considerable effort into the Zune software that already has a good and seamless integration with the Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7 platform. And while uncertainty remains regarding Microsoft’s final decision, the stakes unfortunately are extremely high. That being said, we’re definitely likely to see Microsoft keep on selling you their Zune product piece-by-piece until the stock runs out.

 

[Bloomberg]

tablets

Apple iOS 4.3 Officially Out

Apple officially rolls out its most anticipated iOS 4.3 firmware update for iPhone 3GS/4,  iPod touch 3rd and 4th generations, iPad 1, iPad 2 and Apple TV devices. The new version, which has just gone live ( two days before time) and available for download via iTunes or Apple’s website, features several improvements such as mobile hotspot capabilities for iPhones, Airplay updates, a few Javscript Safari improvements, minor security fixes and the option to determine whether the side switch will act as a rotation lock or mute button, in case you are an avid iPad user. So there you go. Happy update!

[Apple]

tablets

Apple iPad 2 Officially Announced, Claimed To Be Thinner, Lighter and Faster

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Apple has ended months of speculation by officially unveiling the iPad 2, company’s most anticipated second-gen tablet that will start shipping Stateside on March 11th and March 25th in other countries, with prices as follows: $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB), $699 (64GB), add $130 for 3G. The formal announcement which took place this morning at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California was super exciting, with Apple CEO Steve Jobs surprisingly taking the stage himself.

The iPad2 is only 8.8mm thick, 33% thinner than the original one (and thinner than iPhone 4), weighs 1.35 pounds, and has that same 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS display (Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating) that offers a full capacitive touch screen, supported by 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch. Apple promising a “nine times faster on graphics” 1GHz custom built A5 (dual-core) chip (twice faster on cpu), while tablet capacities are claimed to be the same traditional ones, at 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of flash storage.

The iPad2 comes either in black or White hues, with 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1 plus EDR technology, as well as a large speaker on its back, microphone, 512MB or RAM, and a 30-pin dock connector, downstairs. The new iPad will also be available in a 3G flavor with speeds up to 7.2Mbps, while battery life is estimated at 10 hours or so. In addition, the industry giant and innovator says “…that 2011 will be the year of iPad 2” with 65,000 apps compared to 100 only on Google’s Honeycomb.

So, what else is new in iPad 2, you ask? Well, there are two built-in cameras inside, one on rear, capable recording a 720p video at 30fps, and a front-facing one, supporting 5x digital zoom. Some cool accessories that Apple is tossing, such as the HDMI video out which will run for $39, and a stunning smart cover case, made of materials like micro-fiber and “magnet” elements – that’s $39 for the plastic version or $69 for the leather.

Software wise, iOS 4.3 being announced (available for download on March 11, free of charge) with new iTunes Home Sharing features, Airplay updates, and Nitro Javscript Safari improvements, delivering much faster surfing results. Other than that, we’re looking at the new ability to “share your 3G connection via wifi” which is best known as Mifi personal hotspot, a lovely revamped Photo Booth edition, supporting nine live video streams at once, Apple’s FaceTime feature for video conferencing purposes , a whole new version of iMovie, that takes advantage of the iPad’s big screen (about $4.99) and the most famous “touch instruments” OS X app, GarageBand  that will join the lineup with 8track recording, 250+ loops, effects, amps and plenty stuff more for a very small price tag ($4.99).

So there you go ladies and gentlemen. Who’s buying the new iPad and who’s not?

Hit the jump for the video introductions along some few more pics and full PR notes.

[Apple]

Continue reading Apple iPad 2 Officially Announced, Claimed To Be Thinner, Lighter and Faster →

tablets

HTC Flyer 7-inch Android 2.4 Tablet With 1.5GHz CPU Debuts

2 Comments

Today at MWC in Barcelona, HTC officially announced the Flyer, an Android-based tablet with a 7-inch 1024 x 600 pixel resolution capacitive touchscreen display and a 1.5GHz single-core processor on board. Titles aside, the Flyer will reportedly ship in Q2 2011 with an Android 2.4 platform (AKA: Gingerbread), alongside a 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and another one, at 5 megapixels, attached to the back. Moreover, the good looking aluminum unibody tablet offers inbuilt Wifi connectivity, paired with a 4000mAh battery pack, Bluetooth 3.0, a microSD card reader, HDMI out, a micro USB hub and DLNA support. No prices available at the moment, but the Full PR is somewhere down the road.

Update1: Also, make sure to stop by and check out the two “first-look” Flyer tablet videos we’ve just added after the break.

Update2: Not sure I like this all “pressure sensitive” thing, It feels a bit dubious. That said, the Flyer does seem to include a stylus pen for taking onscreen notes, or playing back audio recordings from the time a note was written.

Update3: What’s this? Looks like Amazon.de has just listed HTC’s latest and greatest Flyer tablet at €669, which means a little more than 700 US Dollars. Expensive, isn’t it?

Update4: And just in case you were wondering, HTC’s WiFi-only Flyer tablet is set to be released Stateside somewhere “this spring”. And while prices remain vague at the moment, the 7-incher is said to run exclusively via Best Buy’s nationwide retail stores, while others may join the selling later on.

Update5: HTC has just posted a Flyer demo video that seems to demonstrate the level of qualities the tablet has to offer. Check it out after the break (3rd video).

Update6: HTC confirms Flyer tablet will get Honeycomb sometime this year or so. Hopefully. According to the company’s Twitter account it “will be offering a Honeycomb upgrade when it’s made available.” A bit vague, especially when it comes to launching dates, but still good enough to give us all a ray of hope.

Update7: And looks like the HTC Flyer has finally made it into the UK market with pre-order prices starting at a whopping £600 (about $985) at Carphone Warehouse. This amount will grant you a 7-inch tablet device, powered by a 1.5GHz Qualcomm CPU, 32GB of storage, 3G connectivity and Android Gingerbread running on top. Did someone say expensive?

Update8: And if you’re looking for more reasonable prices, US retailer Best Buy is said to begin selling the Flyer on April 24th with a $499 starting price and all the good things we’ve already talked about, running on board. Regretfully, It’ll ship with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), but we’re told an Honeycomb upgrade is something we should all look for.

Continue reading HTC Flyer 7-inch Android 2.4 Tablet With 1.5GHz CPU Debuts →

tablets

LG Optimus Pad Becomes Official

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Looks like it didn’t take LG that long to make its newly born 8.9-inch Android 3.0 tablet, AKA: Optimus Pad (or T-Mobile’s G-Slate) official – and it all happened today, at the MWC 2011 event in Barcelona, Spain. The Optimus Pad, which boasts a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor along with a 1280 x 768 screen resolution and a special 3D camera array on the back, is LG’s first real foray into the tablet market place and frankly, dear fellows, it’s doing quite a nice job, isn’t it? Availability wise, the South Korean giant says that the Honeycomb-powered slate will go live worldwide somewhere around March, while prices are yet to be determined.

Update: Engadget has the hands-on video, from Spain, which can be found right after the break.

Continue reading LG Optimus Pad Becomes Official →

tablets

HP’s 9.7-inch Palm TouchPad Announced: 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon, Beats Audio engine and webOS 3.0 Platform

4 Comments

We’ve already seen a glimpse of what HP’s 9.7-inch Touchpad device looks like, and today it finally sees an official announcement. And while the tablet itself doesn’t break any design ground, the new webOS 3.0 platform is simply mind blowing. Weighing in at 1.6 pounds and measuring only 13.7mm thick, the Palm TouchPad, which used to be called Topaz, also includes a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, along with a very sharp  9.7-inch 1024 x 768 touchscreen display, an integrated gyroscope, accelerometer, your choice of 16/32GB of internal storage, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, A-GPS capabilities, and a 1.3MP front-facing camera, for audio/video conferencing support. Also, as far as music entertainment at this new Hewlett-Packard tablet goes, you get yourself a set of inbuilt stereo speakers, powered by HP’s own Beats audio engine that produces a  ‘Jump Smokers Sound’ that will make you dance, shake and rock.

Software wise, HP/Palm’s webOS 3.0 is beating everything easily so far. Generally speaking, it does kick Apple’s ass in some of the places, and certainly a lot nicer to use than any Android-powered devices we’ve ever had a chance to experience. Not only is the UI slick and geared toward public consumption, it is probably the only one out there to feature a true multitasking, to date (you hear that Apple?). Besides that, there’s a very cool email app preloaded inside, as well as a virtual keyboard, VPN capabilities, touch to share integration, wireless printing, and well established QuickOffice, Google Docs, Dropbox, and Box.net support.

Regretfully, price wasn’t announced yet (someone’s probably waiting for Apple to announce iPad 2 first) and the ship is set for this undetermined “coming this summer,” date…but that doesn’t mean we are any less excited, right?

While waiting, make sure you hit the jump to watch the video.

Update: We’ve just added another quick hands-on video, courtesy of TechnoBuffalo.

Continue reading HP’s 9.7-inch Palm TouchPad Announced: 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon, Beats Audio engine and webOS 3.0 Platform →

tablets

Panasonic’s Android-Powered Viera Tablets Series Announced

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Panasonic is about to join the overcrowded group of international tablet doers, and tinge everything with something of its own color. The Japanese Corp, that recently held a press conference at CES 2011, has officially announced a new line of three Android Froyo tablets, equipped with either 4, 7, or 10-inch displays on top of the slate, and similar hardware specs under the hood. The company, that is well known for its unmatched expertise in the field of screening technology, is said to put its latest and greatest Viera Connect software solution in all three models, which means a seamless connectivity between tablet content and your big flat TV screen. In addition to that, Panasonic has also added a very convenient home theater remote controlling feature within, so that you won’t miss the many fun and entertaining events that take place around the globe. And while price and availability details are still missing, full PR is just after the break.

Continue reading Panasonic’s Android-Powered Viera Tablets Series Announced →

tablets

Dell Streak 7 Finally Gets Official, With Dual-Core Tegra 2 and Android Froyo On Board

3 Comments

Of course we’ve already seen Dell tease us all with its upcoming 7-inch Android tablet, back in September. But today we finally get a chance to see a real unit of Dell’s production model, this time with a few more details, worth knowing, attached and the oh-so-not-surprising “Streak 7” moniker. And while availability or pricing are still particularly vague – excluding the rumors that indicate a release “in the coming weeks” – other specifications include an Android 2.2 platform (and potentially upgrade to 3.0?), paired with a Gorilla Glass-protected touchscreen, 16GB of storage, a 1.3MP front-facing camera (plus 5mp on the back) and a powerful 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor to improve your overall graphics and let you watch high-res content on board. Full PR plus Dell’s commercial video right after the break.

Update1: Are you curious about the inner part of the hottest Dell Streak 7? Make sure to check out the disassembling video right after the break.

Update2: And yet another quick hands-on video that you can watch after the break. This time in one piece 🙂

Update3: T-Mobile will be offering the 7-inch, Android Froyo slate, powered by 4G capabilities and equipped with NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 graphics, starting February 2nd, for $199.99 on a two-year contract (including a $50 mail-in rebate), or just $450 off contract.

Update4: And looks like Dell’s WiFi-only Streak 7 tablet officially goes live in the UK, with prices starting at £299 (about $485), and specs that include pretty much the same lineup (3G capabilities aside): a 7-inch (800 x 480) touchscreen, paired with a Tegra 2 dual-core CPU, 16GB of storage, a rear 5 megapixel camera, and another one at 1.3 megapixel up front. Regretfully, there’s “only” Android 2.2 running on board, but hopefully a Honeycomb update will be available for this device, somewhere before the Fall.

Continue reading Dell Streak 7 Finally Gets Official, With Dual-Core Tegra 2 and Android Froyo On Board →

tablets

Motorola Xoom Android 3.0 Tablet Gets Official at CES 2011

1 Comment

If you think you’ve seen it all, then you need to check out Motorola Xoom that has recently been unveiled at the company’s stand at CES 2011 and surely looks quite promising. The 10.1-inch tablet that runs Google’s most anticipated Android 3.0 platform (Honeycomb) inside its bowels, along with a 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 chip for extended graphics use, and a high-resolution screen (1280 x 800) for 720p video quality, is likely to go live somewhere around Q1, while 4G connectivity will hopefully become available in Q2 of this year. Other then that it is yet another tablet with 32GB of storage, integrated WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, a 5 megapixel HD video camera at the back plus a front-facing camera, up front. Pricing details are yet to be determined, but there’s couple of videos and PR blurbs just after the break.

Update1: Motorola’s Latin America GM, Maurizio Angelone, has just confirmed the upcoming release of a WiFi-only Xoom tablet. According to Infobae, the company’s most hyped Android 3.0 device, that is claimed to include a built-in barometer alongside  an accelerometer, magnetometer, ambient light sensor and gyroscope, will first arrive in April of this year, which is almost a month earlier than Motorola’s 3G-enabled Xoom edition. Still no word about prices though.

Update2: Android Central has managed to obtain an inside document that lists Motorola’s flagship Android Honeycomb device (AKA: Xoom) along with some other cool products, at $800 bucks. Are you willing to pay that much for an Android tablet?

Update3: And latest news say that the Motorola Xoom (powered by an Android 3.0 platform) is finally set for official US release on February 17th, priced at $699.99. Stay tuned.

Continue reading Motorola Xoom Android 3.0 Tablet Gets Official at CES 2011 →

Operating Systems, tablets

Google’s Android 3.0 For Tablets Gets Demoed on Video

Wel…well…well, what do we have in here? Guess it’s Google’s future android 3.0 platform (Honeycomb) that Mountain View has specifically designed to compliment and match tablets UI. To put it in different words, the 3.0 version is “Entirely for Tablet” – and boy! it looks great! But instead of crafting words, just checkout Google’s video to get a better impression.

Update: Looks like Google has just issued an early build of its upcoming Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system. So if any of you Android Developers just so happen to log on, make sure to check out the platform’s uncompleted SDK version including the APIs. Video preview after the break.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPUGNCIozp0[/youtube]

Continue reading Google’s Android 3.0 For Tablets Gets Demoed on Video →

tablets

Acer’s 10-inch Iconia Tab A500 Android Tablet Officially Unveiled

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Remember Acer’s mysterious 10.1-inch android-tablet which we’ve already seen in New York City back in November, last year? Well, there it is, live and kickin’ in NVIDIA’s booth at CES 2011, rising up again – this time with a brand new name – Acer Iconia Tab A500. Generally speaking, this is Acer’s first serious attempt to take on the iPad, and it’s a worthy one, no doubt. With “10 point multitouch” screen, Nvidia Tegra 2 chip, a built-in gyroscope and hopefully, Google’s android Gingerbread running inside, you can’t go wrong, can you? Especially when it’s going to take advantage of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network. As for the UI, we’re looking at “Acer UI 4.5” that the company has skinned atop the the Android OS, while other specs include a bunch of embedded ports such as HDMI out, a full-sized USB plus a micro-USB one, a dock connector on the bottom, and 1080p along with 3D gaming support. Still no price or availability dates to share at the moment, but ’till then, Engadget has the hands-on video that you can find along with the Full PR, after the break.

Update1: Acer has just confirmed the UK pricing for its forthcoming Iconia Tab A500 tablets lineup and it’s pretty much within the iPad range: The WiFi-only flavors (Windows 7 or Android OS) will run you for £449 each, while the 3G-enabled W500 version will set you back for £529 when it officially gets out in the UK on April 8th. Still no word about the A500 pricing numbers.

Update2: And looks like the US official price is going to be more competitive than we originally thought, or in other words, the 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) Android Honeycomb tablet which boasts a 1GB of RAM along with a dual-core 1GHz Tegra 250 and dual cameras on the back (5MP) and up front (2MP), will set you back for only $450 on Best Buy retail stores while shipping starts on April 24. Let the competition begin!

Update3: It seems that Acer’s new Iconia Tab A500 is finally listed for sale on Best Buy. Apparently, this is the WiFi-only version of Acer’s brand new tablet and it will set you back for $450. In exchange you’re getting all the good specs we’ve already mentioned, including a Tegra 2 chip, paired with a 10.1-inch display, 16GB of storage, USB 2.0 hub and 802.11b/g/n WiFi connectivity.

Continue reading Acer’s 10-inch Iconia Tab A500 Android Tablet Officially Unveiled →

netbooks, tablets

ASUS Eee Pad Slider and Eee Pad Transformer Android 3.0 Tablets Make Official Appearance At CES 2011

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Asus just kicked out two new 10.1-inch tablets, powered by Nvidia Tegra 2 for the graphics and a pair of QWERTY sliding keyboard mods that miraculously  turn them into light and portable laptops. Sort of. But you have to admit it’s still convenient to type on physical keys rather than the virtual alternative. Basically, there are two models that fall within this category: The Eee Pad Slider (to the left) that boasts a IPS, 1280 x 800 resolution touchscreen with some sort of mechanism that looks exactly like a slider mobile phone (where the screen slides in and out), and the Eee Pad Transformer which probably got its inspiration from Lenovo’s U1 Hybrid laptop – and that means a detached screen which you can reattach to the typing base at your own will. And while the slider weights only 2.2 pounds and packs up to 1 GB of memory along with 16/32GB of storage, WiFi, Bluetooth, optional 3G connectivity, HDMI out, mini USB, a 1.2mp front facing camera plus a 5mp one (with LED flash on the back) and a MicroSD card slot, the Transformer on the other hand, boasts pretty much the same, only with one extra USB hub, a card reader and battery pack that is claimed to deliver up to 16 hours of work. And best of all, both devices will arrive preloaded with Google’s android 3.0 platform, which you might also know as Google’s Honeycomb. As for prices, Asus says that you’ll have to shell out between $500 to $800 for the Slider and about $400 and $700 for the Transformer flavor. availability is rumored for early Q2. Full specs after the break.

Update1: We’ve added a couple of  hands-on videos, courtesy of JkkMobile. Check ’em out after the break.

Update2: We now hear rumblings that Asus’ latest and greatest hybrid model, known as the Transformer, is going to live in the UK around May or June for £379 ($595), while the base unit will cost you a £100 ($155) more. As for the Slider version – which seems even more attractive IMHO – word on the street is that we’re looking at a July / August release with a whopping £429 ($675) price tag.

Continue reading ASUS Eee Pad Slider and Eee Pad Transformer Android 3.0 Tablets Make Official Appearance At CES 2011 →

tablets

ASUS Eee Slate EP121 Officially Introduced, Has Core i5 CPU Inside

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We’ve all seen the teaser ads and now, the much anticipated Eee Slate EP121 tablet from Asus is finally here. The 12.1-inch wonder that comes with a very impressive 1280 x 800 IPS display and said to include a Wacom digitizer support, will be offered by the Taiwanese giant with a Windows 7 OS on board. Yes, a Microsoft Windows platform for a change. Specs wise, we’re looking at one of the most powerful tablets ever manufactured, with Intel’s Core i5-470UM processor, paired with up to 4GB of RAM, and a 64GB SSD. WOW! in case you’re wondering, the stylus pen which Asus has also included can serve you better when it comes to freehand sketching or simply for taking notes. Wanna make a video conference or pump your HD videos on your flat screen TV? No problem at all. The EP121 comes fully equipped with a front facing camera and a single HDMI port. Sounds great, isn’t it? Absolutely yes, but not if you are broke. To put it into numbers, it’ll actually start at $1,000 for the basic unit, with availability in stores set for later this month. Full specs after the break.

Update: Asus is currently offering via Amazon a pre-order deal for its upcoming Eee Slate EP121, that will save you some green on a future purchase. The 12.1-incher, that was recently introduced, has just arrived to amazon’s online store, and for a limited time is being offered for only $999. We all want it badly, aren’t we?

Continue reading ASUS Eee Slate EP121 Officially Introduced, Has Core i5 CPU Inside →

CES, netbooks, tablets

Lenovo LePad Tablet and IdeaPad U1 Hybrid Officially Out Again with Android 2.2

So, Lenovo is officially back to this netbooks/tablets game after freezing its high-end U1 Hybrid project for a while in order to do some serious thinking. And as we’ve said, they are back again, appear ready and able to kick some real ass with what’s now being called the IdeaPad U1 Hybrid with LePad tablet. So what has changed, you’re asking? The new skin version is now powered by Google’s Android 2.2 version (called LeOS) instead of the sluggish Linux Skylight platform. Additionally, you’ll be getting even more powerful processors inside, as the U1 base unit is now equipped with a 1.2GHz Intel Core i5-540UM (optional i7) and the LePad tablet boasts a 1.3GHz Snapdragon flavor. Design wise, the netbook station now has a nice and more efficient chiclet keyboard within, along with a dimpled trackpad at the bottom and an overall sense of high and lavish style. Other than that, we’re glad to see substantial improvements in the LePad screen as well. The 10.1-incher is much more responsive than its sluggish and resistive predecessor, and seems to have a 1280 x 800 capacitive multitouch panel on board. Switching between Windows (base unit) to Android (tablet) is as simple as docking and undocking the LePad unit from its U1 platform. The process for itself often seems super fast when it comes to disconnecting between the two devices, while a bit slower the other way around. As for pricing and availability, the LePad is coming at ya (in case you live in China) sometime this quarter with a base price of $520, while the full package, including both the tablet and the U1 unit will run you for a whopping $1300. Expensive! Regretfully, there’s no further info about US availability at the moment, but you can take a look at. Engadget’s Joanna Stern hands-on video or read the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Lenovo LePad Tablet and IdeaPad U1 Hybrid Officially Out Again with Android 2.2 →

tablets

Toshiba Honeycomb Tegra 2 Tablet Announced (Update: AKA ANT)

Shocking! Toshiba has just announced yet another NVIDIA Tegra 2 tablet and oddly, it ain’t the 10-inch Folio slab we’ve all seen before. Details are scarce at the moment but we do know that the package includes a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 display, with an integrated accelerometer, Adaptive Display technology (whatever that means), dual webcams (5mp at the back plus 2mp up front), Google’s Honecomb Android 2.4 platform and myriad types of ports , such as full sized USB and HDMI hubs, a mini-USB socket, and an SD card slot. Obviously, we’re very excited about it, and hopefully we should expect to see a working version in the coming days or so. There’s another image at the other side of the post.

Update1: Quick measures update: The slate is said to weigh about 1.7lb and will feature a 0.6-inches body.

Update2: PCMag’s Lance Ulanoff was lucky enough to take a closer look at one of Toshiba’s unnamed working units at the CES show in Vegas and you can watch his quick “first-look” video right after the break.

Update3: And looks like Tosh has finally started rolling out its latest and greatest Android 3.0 tablets lineup, now available for a purchase over at Newegg‘s online store and known as ANT. Apparently, there are three Honeycomb tablets in stock: ANT-100 ($449.99), ANT-102 ($499.99) and ANT-104 ($579.99). Each one of them boast that 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) touchscreen on top, along with NVIDIA Tegra 2 chip, and either 8/16/32GB of storage at your choice. Cool!

[via Engadget]

Continue reading Toshiba Honeycomb Tegra 2 Tablet Announced (Update: AKA ANT) →

Mobile, Phones

Google’s Nexus S Smartphone Becomes Official, Comes Out December 16th

Google has just finally, officially announced the release of the Nexus S (from Samsung), Mountain View’s next flagship smartphone that was built according to commonly accepted 2010 standards and designed to replace the company’s first-gen HTC Nexus One. So what makes it so exciting, you’re asking? Well, there’s a stunning 4-inch WVGA “contour display” inside, paired with a 5 megapixel camera, 16GB of internal storage, NFC (Near Field Communications), 512MB of RAM, a 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird processor, and a triband HSPA with AWS support. Besides that, for $199 with a two-year contract or $529 unlocked, you get yourself a three-axis gyroscope, together with a single USB 2.0 port, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, a GPS integration, and Google’s latest Android 2.3 Gingerbread platform, already preloaded onboard – Nice! So how do you get one? Starting December 16th, the Nexus S will be available for a purchase (via T-mobile and Best Buy) by anyone who wishes to have it, either online or at one of the local retail stores. Full PR and a pair of videos right after the break.

Update: Looks like Best buy is gearing up to start selling Google’s magical smartphone, the Nexus S, throughout its US retail stores, starting this Thursday, 8AM sharp. Basically, you won’t be able to secure yourself a device (or two) in advance, which means you’ll have to think about the possibility of queuing up for a long long time – and be sure we’re gonna see long ones this time (just a hunch).

tablets

Acer To Launch a 10.1-inch Windows 7 Tablet

As if the big Android tablets announcement wasn’t enough, Acer also announced that it would be launching a 10.1-inch Windows 7 device. And while we are still awaiting further details on what this tablet should be packing inside, external outfit will measure 15mm thick and somewhere around the 2.2 pounds. Interestingly, it is said to have an AMD processor on board rather than an Intel Atom CPU or perhaps a Qualcomm Snapdragon one. Surely, it will offer some sort of a docking station to buy, along with dual 1.3MP cameras, WiFi connectivity and a 3G HSDPA WWAN. Stay tuned for plenty more to come.

Upate1: The guys over at DigiTimes are now reporting that Acer  plans to use AMD’s dual-core C-50 Ontario APU inside its next 10.1-inch Windows 7 tablet. The impact of these news on a day-to-day use is actually huge – This will not only improve performance (thanks to the built-in Radeon HD 6250 graohics chip), it will also lower the power consumption dramatically (9W only). That is, of course, if all these mind-changing rumors are true. Stay tuned.

Update2: And looks like Acer’s Windows-powered Iconia W500 tablet is finally up for pre-order for $549, with shipping starting Friday, April 15 and a line of specs that includes a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 touchscreen display, a 1GHz Ontario (C-50) AMD Fusion processor, up to 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, HDMI out, three/six-cell battery at your choice, and an AMD Radeon HD 6250 card for the graphics. Interesting stuff happening within the Microsoft-tablets climate.

 

Continue reading Acer To Launch a 10.1-inch Windows 7 Tablet →

tablets

Acer Reveals 7-inch and 10.1-inch Android Tablets In New York

2 Comments

OH! What’s this? Looks like Acer is finally joining the Android tablets party, with two different types of capacitive touchscreens in stock. The first in that group is the 7-inch tablet which according to Acer’s official PR (after the break) will be packing a native 1280×800 screen resolution on top of a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor, integrated WiFi, 3G connectivity and DNLA technology support. Not sure whether it will house the Android 2.2 OS or Google’s next Honeycomb platform on board. Still, we have plenty of time until we get to see this one-hot -slate officially coming out and shipping throughout the world (April 2011?). Next in that series is the 10.1-inch tablet which boasts that same impacable 1280×800 screen resolution, with a ten-point multitouch board (wow). Other than that, it is also said to include an integrated Gyroscope companion, along that same 1GHz dual-core processor, an HDMI output which is capable of delivering up to 1080p substance, and a 5 megapixels camera that will help you conducting high-res video conference calls. There are no prices to share at the moment, but we hope to get them for you as soon as we can.

 

Continue reading Acer Reveals 7-inch and 10.1-inch Android Tablets In New York →

Mobile, Operating Systems, tablets

Apple Officially Releases iOS 4.2 For The iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch

1 Comment

Apple is finally pushing out its latest and most anticipated iOS 4.2.1, which technically can be downloaded right away via your iTunes dashboard app. The new version which weights about 624.3MB and supports miriad of cupertino devices, including iPad, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G and iPod touch, is notable for being THE most important OS software update the iPad tablet has ever had. For those of you who are still trying to figure out what all the commotion is about, imagine having in one magical slate multitasking capabilities, along with folders, Airplay, AirPrint usability, Game Center arena, and unified inbox accounts. Want even more? From now on you can use the Find My iPhone feature, free of any charge (previously priced at $99 a year). Generaly speaking, it’s a GPS-based application that lets you remotely locate your missing Apple handhelds (iPhone 4, the iPad, and fourth-gen iPod touch), by using a web interface platform and online set of maps. You can also wipe important data, lock your device from far, display a messsage on it, or sound an alarm from any place you are – and it’s free, remember? Hit the jump for full PR.

Update: Dev-Team has just launched a new redsn0w version 0.9.6b4 jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1.Regretfully it’s a “tethered” update, which means that iPhone 4, iPad, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch users will have to reattach their personal devices, either to a PC or a Mac, to boot into a jailbroken state whenever they need a reboot or lose the battery power – bummer. In any case, that won’t unlock your handheld machines, if that’s what you were expecting for. Unlock hack for 3G and 3GS is expected to be out somewhere this week, while the iphone 4 solution should probably take a little bit more.

[Apple]

Continue reading Apple Officially Releases iOS 4.2 For The iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch →

tablets

LG Pad Spotted On a Roadmap Slide, Claimed To Run Android Honeycomb and Dual-Core Tegra 2 Chipset

While it is still elusive and might be harder to track down compared to any other tablet on the prep these days, LG’s Optimus Pad is now widely reported to go live in the first quarter of 2011, running a dual-core Tegra 2 chipset inside, along with Android’s next-gen version, Honeycomb, for the OS. According to the company’s roadmap slide, this 8.9-inch device, described by a senior official as a “tablet PC-version”, is likely to be a “superior” machine (whatever that means) with what they call “thinner and lighter” measures. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until next year to see if this “whole thing” is for real or just another PR blurbs.

[MK News]

News, tablets

HP Slate 500 Officially Goes Live For $799

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Surprise, surprise! The long-awaited HP Slate 500 is finally out. And while both official video (after the break) and prospects clearly indicate that HP is aiming the Slate at the enterprise and business market (like Medical services, Restaurants, etc.), in practice, anyone who’s interested in buying this 8.9-inch (1024×600) capacitive touchscreen monster, can easily log into HP’s online store and nab it for a staggering $799. No, it doesn’t have 3G connectivity included, nor replaceable battery or any special UI layer attached (onto the preloaded Win 7 Professional platform). But it does have WiFi, along with a 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor, 2GB of RAM, 64GB SSD, rear 3MP camera and another one at 1.3 megapixels, up front. In addition to that, there’s also a powerful Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator for smooth handling of 1080p content, an SD card slot, a USB port, headphone jacks and a N-Trig active digitizer for those who’d like to take some notes. But wait, if that wasn’t enough, folks, the US computers giant will also add to the package a nice covering case, together with a stylus pen for touch interaction, and this cool charging cradle, which boasts two additional USB hubs, headphone jack, a power connector and HDMI output – all located at the back of the dock. NICE! Full PR, full specs and couple of hands-on videos right after the jump.

Continue reading HP Slate 500 Officially Goes Live For $799 →

News, tablets

RIM’s PlayBook is The New BlackBerry Tablet

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Hot on the heels of Apple’s iPad, there’s a new beauty prince hoping to make its name on the international stage in the form of RIM PlayBook – or in its most common name – the BlackBerry tablet. The newly crowned 7-inch (1024 x 600) capacitive touchscreen slate is planned to include a 1GHz dual-core processor and run along a specially designated BlackBerry Tablet OS. According to RIM’s CEO, Mike Lazaridis, who recently spoke at Research In Motion’s annual BlackBerry Developer Conference, the PlayBook would be “an incredible gaming platform for publishers and the players.” With a powerful Cortex A9 CPU inside, paired with 16GB / 32GB of storage capacity, a microUSB hub, HDMI, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth and 1080p HD video support, we – gadget junkies – have got now all the reasons to start believing and embrace the top executive words. It can easily play any Flash content or be used for video conference talks, thanks to the two integrated cameras – a 5 megapixel rear one, and another 3 megapixel up front. And while most specific details about price or availability are yet to be determined, you can find the full PR announcement, along with specs list and RIM’s official video right after the jump spot.

Update1: We’ve just added a nice comparison chart that would make it more easier for you to find which tablet (whether it’s a BlackBerry Playbook, Apple’s iPad, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, or Dell’s Streak device) you’d like to try for yourself or maybe even buy. Check it out after the break. (courtesy of Engadget).

Update2: RIM has just confirmed that its upcoming Playbook tablet will indeed be offered to consumers with either 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage capacities. Furthermore, the mobile company has pledged that it will also include a huge 5,300mAh battery with its brand new BlackBerry tablet – which means significant amount of extra time to work. checkout the latest video half past the break.

Update3: RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis just demoed the new RIM PlayBook machine onstage at Adobe’s MAX conference, along with Adobe’s Kevin Lynch. As you might expect from such event, the new “BlackBerry tablet” will indeed run both Flash and Air formats pretty well. Hey! You can see the video evidence yourself, right after the break.

Update4: Bloomberg is quoting RIM’s co-CEO Jim Balsillie who said that RIM’s 7-inch tablet will be under $500 when it gets official Stateside, in the first quarter of 2011.

Update5: Bloomberg is citing “three people familiar with the matter” who said that RIM is deftly working on this secret project to assimilate Google’s 130,000 Android apps withing its upcoming PlayBook machines. Interesting!

Update6: And…looks like a RIM sales guy just been caught saying “we will also support Android apps when we release the Dalvik engine on top of QNX.” See for yourselves, after the break.

Continue reading RIM’s PlayBook is The New BlackBerry Tablet →

News, tablets

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Becomes Officially Official

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Samsung has finally given it’s upcoming Galaxy Tab the final confirmation it needed. The South Korean giant says that the 7-inch Android 2.2 tablet will have strong presence in all four major US carriers – Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile – somewhere between October and November of this year, and that a WiFi-only version will be coming soon (probably at a cheaper price). At this time we are still unable to share any pricing details but specs wise, it seems you get a pretty good return on your investment, as lineup for this tasty bit of tablet technology includes a strong 1GHz Hummingbird processor, paired with either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and another 3-megapixel one, etched behind, on its back. A Look Inside the ultra-slick Android slate unveils plenty of software sweets like Social Hub, Media Hub and a Daily Briefing aggregator, but given the fact it’s not just a simple rebaged tablet, Samsung will also be offering a tweaked TouchWiz layer along with the rest of the goodies that everyone likes inside the Google Android Froyo software. Stay tuned for plenty more to come. Full PR is after the break.

Update1: And if that wasn’t enough, Samsung has just released a very comprehensive video that will walk you through the upcoming Galaxy Tab machine and will thoroughly demonstrate its capabilities, UI and most of the main features on board. Check it out after the break.

Update2: Word on the street is that the Galaxy Tab will be making a UK debut starting November 1st. Until then, there is at least one other guy, Italian, that has already managed to nab the 7-inch Android 2.2 tablet and unbox it in front of the video camera. Check it out right after the break.

Upgrade3: So the latest news confirm that Samsung’s upcoming 7-inch tablet will be covered by a final scratch-protection layer, which some of you may know as the Gorilla Glass. Cool !

Continue reading Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Becomes Officially Official →

Operating Systems, tablets

iOS 4.2 beta For iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad Now Available On Apple’s Developer Portal

Apple has just released a preliminary beta version of iOS 4.2 for developers (and their friends). The new update, which has gone live two weeks after official announcement is most effective when it is integrated and linked with Apple’s iPad tablets. Why? Because it enriches the iPad with most iOS4 notable capabilities and even more. For this matter, we talk mainly about multitasking, but you will also be able to find folders, better email app, imported calenders and other assortment of goodies, installed. In addition to that, Apple has also stated in its recent PR announcement (after the break) that iPad owners who tend to use HP printers with ePrint technology can also enjoy the AirPrint and AirPlay wireless printing support – very cool, isn’t it?

Update: We’ve just added a quick walkthrough video of the new iOS4.2 update, courtesy of AppAdvice.com so check it out after the break.

[Apple]

Continue reading iOS 4.2 beta For iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad Now Available On Apple’s Developer Portal →

netbooks, News, tablets

Dell’s 10.1-Inch Inspiron Duo Netbook / Tablet Hybrid Introduced

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It’s day two at Intel’s IDF 2010 summit and it’s finally heating up, literally and metaphorically, as Dell officially announces a neat 10.1-inch swiveling netbook / tablet hybrid machine, running Windows 7 Premium for the OS and boasting Intel’s dual-core Atom N550 processor under the lid. Sure, we’ve already seen these kind of prototypes in the past (Lenovo anyone?), but nothing that could really make us satisfied like Dell’s new Inspiron Duo device. Unfortunately, we’re still in the very early stages so nothing juicy to share – that means you’ll have to wait for a while in order to get price, availability details and other interesting specs – but hey, you can always hit the jump and check this fresh jkkmobile video that will give you a good sense of style, before you take or decide not to take any further steps.

Continue reading Dell’s 10.1-Inch Inspiron Duo Netbook / Tablet Hybrid Introduced →

Media Players, Music

New iPod nano MP3 Player Announced, Comes With a Revolutionary Multitouch Display

One of the most interesting products that Apple has just rolled out at the Music event yesterday morning is the new iPod nano device which the company has completely revamped and transformed it into a nice squarish touchscreen player. Yes, the 6th generation iPod nano is actually equipped with a neat multi-touch user interface, while the body itself is now 46 percent smaller and 42 percent lighter than previous models. In addition to that, the Cupertino guys have also added couple of hard volume buttons on top and a tiny clip on the back (no more armbands needed). And despite the fact that Apple has officially ditched cool features like the integrated camera or video playback support, It would be still reasonable to shell out $149 for 8 gigs or $179  for double the storage in order to get yourself one, especially now when the new nanos boast a 24 hours battery pack, along with a pedometer, FM radio tuner and even Nike+ support. Full PR and a quick hands-on video (courtesy of Engadget) after the break.

Continue reading New iPod nano MP3 Player Announced, Comes With a Revolutionary Multitouch Display →

Audio, Media Players, Music

New iPod Touch Players Get iPhone 4 Features Without The Phone

Apple has just updated its iPod Touch PMPs lineup with a new slick model which apparently includes iPhone 4 stunning Retina Display screen, together with a 3-axis gyroscope and that strong Apple A4 chip that will easily support all those brand new features inside such as the great Game Center and the Face-time capabilities which can now be used on iPod Touch players thanks to the latest rear and front-facing camera additions. Cupertino will start taking your pre-orders today as prices start at $229 for 8GB and climbs to $299 for 32GB, and $399 for 64GB. Full PR after the break.

Update1: We’ve just added a quick hands on video, courtesy of Engadget, so check it out after the jump.

Update2: And looks like the iFixit team has done it again and managed to nab one of Apple’s latest and greatest 2010 Apple iPod Touch player in order to tear it apart and eventually expose its inner parts to the world. First results indicate that the new 640 x 960 LCD touchscreen is actually fused to the external glass, while the area between the front end and the battery is protected by an 11-gram EMI shield. Other than that, you’ll find a 3.44Whr Li-Pol cell, firmly soldered to the board, but the headphone jack isn’t. There’s plenty more info at the iFixit website and one image that says it all right after the break.

Continue reading New iPod Touch Players Get iPhone 4 Features Without The Phone →

Media Players, Mobile, Operating Systems, tablets

Apple iOS 4.1 For iPhone / iPod Touch and iOS 4.2 For iPad Announced (Update: Now Available)

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Apple’s just announced iOS 4.1 for iPhone and iPod Touch devices, coming up free of charge via iTunes sometimes next week. According to Steve Jobs, the new update is going to fix a few bugs (including Bluetooth, proximity sensor and some iPhone 3G issues) along with some pretty neat add-ons such as High Dynamic Range photos, HD video uploads over WiFi, TV show rentals and the most anticipated Game Center which proved to be very impressive and will match you up with other players on the net.

Next on Apple’s future plans is the iOS 4.2 version, which was specifically designed for iPad devices and is supposed to bring in the entire iOS 4.1 features along with additional dedicated capabilities including the AirPlay feature which lets you stream music and video content over WiFi, or the wireless printing option that enables to remotely manage your entire print jobs. This new iPad iOS edition is claimed to go live somewhere around November.

Update: iOS 4.1 is officially live n kickin’ through your iTunes. That’s of course in case you own one of the following devices: iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch 2nd gen, iPod touch 3rd gen, or iPod touch 4th gen.

Mobile, Operating Systems

Apple iOS4 Officially Out

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You know you want this one, and it’s already been like two and a half months since Apple officially announced it, but today the OS4 (build 8A293) is finally out and you guys can go ahead and start downloading it if you own the following iPhone devices: 3G, 3GS, and soon to come out – iPhone 4. Yes, it’s free of charge ladies and gentleman, with all the new-cool features that Cupertino has stuffed inside, so get it now, it’s surely worth a try. Happy Multitasking, ya all!

Update: Turns out that latest iPod Touch devices are also compatible with Apple’s iOS4

Media Players, Mobile, News, Phones, Video

iPhone 4 Officially Announced, Due Out June 24th For $199 With 3.5-Inch Retina Display, FaceTime Video Chat And OS4

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Apple has just introduced its brand new iPhone 4 at the WWDC 2010 event in San Francisco, CA, with CEO Steve Jobs telling the open-eared crowd “Now, stop me if you’ve already seen this” and adding “This is one of the most beautiful designs you’ve ever seen.” But we’ve already seen it before, due to recent unpleasant leaks, and all that left is for Cupertino to finally make things official.

Basically, the new iPhone 4 is firmly constructed from a stainless steel band, used for structural support and works as dual-antenna, while both front and back are coated with real glass cover. The screen is sized at 3.5-inch, with 960 x 640 points of high resolution (x4 more) and 1:800 contrast ratio – Apple calls it “Retina Display” for its super-sharp display, boasting 326 pixels per inch. The good news is that Apple has apparently added that strong A4 processor it first planted inside the iPad, into the new iPhone. Despite its 9.3mm thick, Apple has somehow managed to stuff up the iPhone 4 with a pretty impressive battery which can literally deliver 7 hours of 3G talk, 6 hours of 3G browsing, 10 hours of WiFi browsing, 10 hours of video, 40 hours of music, and up to 300 hours of standby – did we say impressive already? Connectivity wise, you get a 802.11n WiFi, paired with Bluetooth and equipped with GPS capabilities.

Beyond that, one of the things that is talked about a great deal  is the FaceTime video calls feature that Apple has finally tossed into the four-gen iPhone, with future plans to make it an open industry standard. In general, there are two different cameras onboard – the rear one, is at 5 megapixel with a backside illuminated sensor, x5 digital zoom, and a LED flash, featuring 720p HD video recording at 30FPS (Portrait or landscape), while the second is a front facing camera that lets you conduct smooth video calls through your iPhone – the suspense – it can only be made over wifi networks at the moment. At that note we should mention Apple’s new iMovie app that gives any iPhone user the opportunity to edit his/her video content without the need to leave your mobile device in favor of your desktop platform. iMovie is said to be available at the App Store right away for a small $4.99 price tag.

As expected, the new phone is going to run on Apple’s latest OS4 (AKA: iPhone OS 4) that includes all the good stuff we’ve already written about, such as folders, multi-tasking, iBook, iAds and more.

Other than that, the iPhone 4 also houses a microSD slot and a a three-axis gyroscope.

The new iPhone will be available in June 24th, both in white and black flavors, running for $199 (16GB) and $299 (32GB), with Pre-orders start a week from tomorrow in 5 countries: US, France, Germany, UK, Japan, and 18 more following in July. The 3GS, on the other hand, will now be $99 only. PR and videos after the break.

[Apple]

Continue reading iPhone 4 Officially Announced, Due Out June 24th For $199 With 3.5-Inch Retina Display, FaceTime Video Chat And OS4 →

News, tablets

MSI WindPad 100 And 110 Spoted Live n Kickin’ at Computex 2010

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It’s been a long time since we’ve last seen a real MSI tablet in action, but that (as a fact) doesn’t necessarily mean the Chinese corp has stopped manufacturing. On the contrary, it has just introduced two of its brand new 10-inch tablets at the Computex show in Taipei. The first model, WindPad 110, is powered by an Android 2.1 OS, and seems to be capable of handling high-def content pretty well, thanks to NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 processor on board. The touchscreen is capacitive and very responsive if you wondered, and the chassis itself includes a USB port and video output as well. The tablet will sell for $399 by the end of this year.

Heading to the second version, the WindPad 100 (which we’ve already seen a while ago), this one runs a Windows 7 Premium platform, while specs wise, it packs a 1.66GHz Intel Atom Z530 processor, paired with 2GB of RAM, 32GB SSD, two USB ports, an HDMI output, built-in webcam and finally, a special Wind Touch UI which MSI has literally stuffed on top of Microsoft’s coat. The WinPad 100 is set for release later this year for about $499 – hundred dollars more.

Update: Now official. Prices are at $399 for the U110 and $499 for the U100. Availability is yet to be determined.

[via engadget]

Continue reading MSI WindPad 100 And 110 Spoted Live n Kickin’ at Computex 2010 →

Hardware, Mobile, News, Phones

Another iPhone 4G Prototype Pops Up In Vietnam, Gets Dissected and Filmed On Video

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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]

Continue reading Another iPhone 4G Prototype Pops Up In Vietnam, Gets Dissected and Filmed On Video →

Computers, General, Mobile, News

HP To Acquire Palm For 1.2 Billion Dollars

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Hewlett-Packard has just announced that it would buy Palm for a staggering price of $1.2 billion dollars, roughly about $5.70 per share of common stock. The merge and acquisition, which are planned to close by July 31, can give the Palo Alto computer giant a great opportunity to get a bigger slice from the hot and trendy smartphones market, valued at $100bn alone and with annual rapid growth of 20% . HP executive vice president Todd Bradley said that “Palm’s innovative operating system provides an ideal platform to expand HP’s mobility strategy and create a unique HP experience spanning multiple mobile connected devices” and also added that “Between smartphones, slates, and potentially netbooks, there are a lot of opportunities here.” And he’s right, just think about the endless potential  possibilities of having Palm’s stunning WebOS integrated in HP’s future multi-touch devices, whether these are mobile phones, tablets or other portable machines – it’s HUGE and HP, in our opinion, has clearly taken a few significant steps in the right direction, especially now when strident voices, complaining about a sluggish HP Slate performance, start floating around – WebOS can definitely improve speed reaction dramatically –  and someone at the HP headquarters has probably figured this one pretty well. Brian Humphries, HP’s Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development quoted saying “our intent is to double down on WebOS”. That’s very important, considering the months of speculations where Palm was desperately looking for a buyer. And given the fact that HP is getting over 1500 patents that Palm currently owns (that probably has considerable value as well, isn’t it?), along with a very good team of young talented engineers and one relentless chairman and CEO, Jon Rubinstein, who is expected to remain with the company another few years long, this very complex deal that few months back, could easily have seemed impossible, can all of a sudden turn into a nice and promising bargain. PR announcement after the break.

Update: Digitimes says that HP Taiwan VP, Monty Wong has officially confirmed a webOS tablet to go live somewhere around October of this year. Stay tuned for more to come.

Continue reading HP To Acquire Palm For 1.2 Billion Dollars →