ShinyPlastic: Gadget News and Reviews

Sharp offers 10 megapixels camera phone

Wed, 20 May 2009 14:38:57 -0500

While US cellphones are stuck with 3 megapixel or less cameras the Japanese keep getting bigger and bigger cameras on their phone. The latest mega phone-camera hybrid is the Sharp Aquos Shot 933SH which is the first cellphone to come with a 10 megapixel camera.

It will be available in Japan in a couple of weeks but like most Japanese super phones it won't be available in the US unless you import it yourself.

via engadget

Asus Eee PC T91 reviewed

Tue, 19 May 2009 14:53:21 -0500

What do you get if you combine the form factor of a netbook with the usability of a tablet pc? the answer is the Asus Eee PC T91, and techradar have posted a review of one.

Here's what they think of it:

Overall, we're impressed with what Asus has done here. Since the introduction of the original Eee PC, manufacturers (Asus included) have desperately tried to tweak netbooks to set themselves apart from the crowd.

Larger screens, better hard drives, different operating systems, you name it - it's been tried.

The problem is, all these tweaks are too subtle to really register. The Asus Eee PC T91 on the other hand genuinely moves things forward. As long Asus can keep pricing to realistic levels, it deserves to have another winner on its hands.

full review

Next Gen iPhone rumors

Tue, 19 May 2009 14:29:04 -0500

Boy Genius Report is rarely wrong when they report rumors so I think we can accept the following as accurate information about the upcoming next iteration of the iPhone:

Release Date: July 17th
Storage: 16GB ($199) and 32GB ($299) versions available
Battery Life: 1.5 times as long
Processor: 2 times as fast
Camera: 3.2 Megapixel Camera

Plus a bunch of other minor stuff. Not a massive upgrade over the current 3g iPhones but when you have such a hit on your hands it makes sense to keep milking the cow as much as possible and not reinvent the wheel every year.

source

ZuneHD: What's it going to be?

Fri, 15 May 2009 14:18:43 -0500

TeamXbox have released what they claim are details of the rumored ZuneHD from Microsoft, and it doesn't really clear up a lot of the mystery surrounding the device.

It is described as a "Digital Entertainment Handheld", a cross between Xbox and Zune offering both gaming and media playback. Microsoft seems to be hoping this will be their next generation breakthrough the way the iPhone has been for apple but we aren't convinced - it won't be a phone as they don't want to compete with Windows Mobile phones, for gaming it won't be as powerful as a standalone console, and the screen is too small for worthwhile HD media playback.

Are we missing something here? will Microsoft surprise us? or will it be a failed Microsoft attempt at a consumer electronics device? What does the ZuneHD offer for media and connectivity over either a current generation smartphone or a tablet style netbook?

via wmpoweruser

ASUS Eee Keyboard coming next month

Thu, 14 May 2009 14:04:35 -0500

The latest gossip out of China is that the Asus Eee Keyboard will be released sometime next month. Here are the specs:

Self-contained PC / keyboard combo with integrated 5-inch touchscreen display
OS: Windows XP Home Edition
1.6GHz Intel Atom microprocessor
1GB of DDR2 DRAM
16GB or 32GB SSD
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth 2.0
Ultra Wideband HDMI
USB 2.0 x2, VGA, HDMI, headphone and mic ports
Weight: 2 lbs

source

Next Generation iPhone Details Leaked?

Mon, 11 May 2009 14:01:26 -0500

A user on the Chinese forum Weiphone has leaked specs and a screenshot from what is claimed to be the next generation iPhone.

The image above was uploaded and seems to depict a new iPhone model number "MB717LL" with 32GB of Storage. If the original poster's claims are to be believed, the new iPhone will contain the following features:

- 600MHz CPU Speed (up from 400MHz)
- 256MB RAM (up from 128MB)
- Digital Compass and FM
- 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus
- 32GB size
- No major changes in battery, screen and external casing.

via macrumors

AT&T 3G network speed doubling

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:04:57 -0500

AT&T has confirmed what was first reported last month: they are in the process of upgrading the software on their HSDPA 3G network to double the theoretical speed to 7.2 Mbps.

Of course this is just a stopgap to help deal with the expected traffic increase when the next generation of iPhones go on sale and it will be at least 6 months and maybe as much as a year before the next big boost when the network is upgraded to HSPA+ (which in theory allows speeds of up to 42 Mbps but in real life applications is expected to give a 20% speed advantage over the upgraded HSDPA).

source

Blackberry Bold Visual Voicemail

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:35:56 -0500

Boy Genius Report scores another scoop with screenshots of new voicemail functionality coming to Blackberry Bolds.

Visual Voicemail is exactly what it sounds like: a visual representation of your voicemail box showing all your messages, the length, and who they're from.

This should make it a lot easier to bypass the tedious 5 minute messages from the guy in accounting or screen out voicemail from the psycho ex-girlfriend.

source

HP Mini 2140

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:43:00 -0500

You can now order the HP Mini 2140 netbook direct from the HP site for $499 to $779.

$499 get you a netbook with a 10.1" 1024x576 display, Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, 802.11a/b/g and bluetooth 2.0.

source

ASUS 18.4-inch W90 gaming laptop

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 14:31:47 -0500

Asus has announced a new laptop designed for gaming that features a 18.4" 1080p HD screen.

The W90 gaming laptop won't be very portable but if you have to have the best gaming performance then you should check this out: ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 graphics that delivers a #DMark 2006 score of 15,000, up to 6GB of DDR2-800 RAM, Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 1TB of hard disk space, and true 5.1 channel dulby sound pumped through 5 integrated speakers and a subwoofer.

No word yet on pricing or availability.

TRENDnet Wireless N Travel Router

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 14:24:18 -0500

TRENDnet has announced what they claim is the world's smallest 802.11n travel router measuring in at just 2.5" x 3.25" x 0.75".

Full press release follows.

Victorinox Presentation Pro

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:19:15 -0500

Q; What do you get if you combine a Swiss Army knife, a 32GB USB drive, a laster pointer, and a bluetooth powerpoint remote?

A; The $399 Victorinox Presentation Pro.

via engadget

Palm Pre Specs

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:46:02 -0500

The Palm Pre smartphone got a lot of positive coverage at CES and was awarded the Best in Show award.

What makes it different from a Windows Mobile phone or iPhone? well it is the first phone to use a Texas Instruments OMAP processor, it is the first phone to use the Linux based Palm WebOS operating system, and it doesn't need a desktop sync, instead it syncs with cloud based services.

Here's the full specs.

Sony Vaio P Specs

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:54:01 -0500

The full specs and official site of the Sony Vaio P ultra-portable are now available, and it looks really impressive:

Windows Vista, Intel Atom Z530 processor, 2GB RAM, incredible resolution (1600x768 pixels) on a 8-inch display, SD and memorystick ports, 60GB hard drive (64/128GB SSDs optional), 4 hour battery life, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 2 USB ports, and an included dongle to add an extra USB along with VGA and ethernet ports, all crammed into a tiny 9.6" x 4.7" x 0.78" shell that weighs in at just 1.4lb.

The Sony Vaio P starts at $899 and is available for pre-order now.

Official Site

Eos Converge Wireless Music Streaming

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:38:36 -0500

Eos Wireless have announced a new wireless music streaming solution called Eos Converge.

The system is basically a wireless transmitter (either a USB/aux transmitter or an ipod dock transmitter) that streams music to one or more receivers (and there are multiple styles of receivers from basic plug and play to stand-alone system with speakers and amplifier).

Full press release follows.