Apple shouldn’t wait any longer to unveil the new MacBook Pros. Sure the current models are more than dependable and in case you have just purchased yours there’s no real point switching to the new model immediately. But there are tons of folks that have been waiting for these particular new models to arrive.

Just a little while ago we’ve seen the that MacBook Pros sporting Intel’s Core i5 chip have been confirmed and we’ve heard plenty of rumors suggesting that both Core i5 and i7 processors are going to be found inside the new beasts.

Furthermore it looks like Best Buy has finished its current stock of MacBook Pros which means they must be waiting for the next version to arrive. A leaked photo shows that the former models have been deleted from the inventory and, although not official, it all sounds pretty believable.

No matter how you look at it, the fact that the Apple Store is down is good news for consumers. Apple is surely going to unveil a new version of a product even if it’s not the much awaited MacBook Pro. In case it is the next-gen MacBook Pro then you’ll either want to buy it, or you could want to take advantage of the current MacBook Pros which will be available for less since Apple and other resellers will want to dump all their current MacBook Pros.

What about you? Are you going to get a new MacBook Pro?

Best Buy Picture from MacRumors

Original Post Link: MacBook Pro Featuring Intel Core i5 & i7 to be Unveiled Today? [Apple Online Store Is Currently Down Suggesting a Pending Product Refresh] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

Initially reported by CNET (duly credited below), and subsequently seized upon by a vast number of tech sites, a Netflix representative has now acted to refute that a Full HD watch instantly online video streaming service is to be offered by Netflix before the year’s out, stating that it ‘incorrectly acknowledged’ 1080p streaming in their 2010 development roadmap.

However, though a 1080p Netflix on demand service is now confirmed as not set to be offered in 2010 the Netflix rep concerned did act to confirm that Netflix are to introduce 5.1 channel surround sound, as well as closed captioning, to its current HD service sometime later this year – though no specific dates have been provided.

Original Post Link: Netflix Full HD Video Streaming NOT Set For 2010 [Netflix Deny 1080p HD Video Streaming Reports, But Do Confirm 5.1 Surround Sound on the Cards] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

The Samsung Monte S5620 sports a 3” 262K color WQVGA TFT capacitive touchscreen display and aside from coming with integrated 3.2 megapixel camera with 15fps QVGA video capture capabilities also sports inbuilt FM tuner with RDS, a music player offering MP£, AAC, AAC+ and WMA file format support, A-GPS and, in terms of connectivity both WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1 are in evidence along with an onboard USB 2.0 port.

Additional highlights (though this is by no means either a smartphone or a particularly highly specified phone in general) include ActiveSync support, Google Maps 3.0 integration and a full HTML web browser capable of operating in both landscape and portrait orientations whilst you can also factor in that (increasingly important) social network support with the likes of MySpace, Facebook, Bebo and Twitter being accessible via widgets whilst, if you’re looking for IM support, you’ll be please to know that a the IM functionality offered by the Samsung Monte S5620 offers full support of all the usual suspects.

Unfortunately, at this juncture, there’s no word from Samsung concerning the pricing of the Samsung Monte S5620 or any specific date of release (or, for that matter, any indication as to which markets the Monte S5620 will be targeted at).

Samsung’s Press Release:

Samsung Launches Monte, the Perfect Fit for Full Touch Lifestyle.

Samsung Monte offers enhanced full touch functionality, social network integration & sleek design.

SEOUL, Korea – February 9, 2010– Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today announced the launch of Samsung Monte(model: S5620), its new full touch screen device for style-conscious mobile users.

The handset is launched with a host of multimedia features and a sleek, organic design with a sophisticated and glossy look, providing the style and performance of a high-end handset at affordable price. With a stunning design and an intuitive TouchWiz 2.0 Plus User Interface (UI), the Monte is set to become the latest must-have full touch device.

Equally, the Samsung Monte has a lot to offer to the social network savvy consumer with a suite of native social networking applications including Facebook and MySpace, allowing users to access their profiles whenever and wherever they choose. This is teamed with advanced Twitter and Bebo widgets – and multi-IM capability – to provide users with the opportunity to chat in real-time via their chosen service. In addition, Monte users can enjoy full Internet browsing, with an accelerometer sensor allowing the onscreen image to automatically adjust as you rotate the phone.

To become the perfect accompaniment to a connected lifestyle, the Monte includes GPS supported by Google Latitude™, ensuring you know where you are – and can keep your friends updated on your location – at all times. This combines with Geo-tagging, allowing users to imprint their photos with geographic tags to share their travels and experiences with friends. Other connectivity features include optional anytime, anywhere Wi-Fi connectivity, Exchange ActiveSync for access to Outlook email accounts, and Google Sync™. This allows users to simultaneously update their social networks schedules and Outlook calendar, without the hassle of accessing each application individually.

“Samsung Monte is designed for those who appreciate beautiful design and outstanding performance at affordable price,” said JK Shin, president and head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “The phone offers a compelling set of features, such as the native social networking applications, with an intelligent User Interface, design and connectivity options to provide users with the performance they demand.”

To showcase this feature rich and stylish handset, the Monte comes equipped with a 3.0-inch WQVGA LCD screen with 16:9 landscape viewing. It also boasts a 3.2-megapixel camera with many value-added features including smile shot, panorama shot, and face detection. For convenience, the phone also supports Smart Unlock and One finger zoom.

Original Post Link: Samsung Monte S5620 Specifications & Features Confirmed [Monte S5620 TouchWiz 2.0 Plus Phone Details Made Official Prior to MWC Launch] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

Sporting a 16:9 aspect ratio 3.2” (believed to be 480×854 resolution) full touchscreen display, the LG Mini GD880 sports a sleek, button free shell and, whilst LG are remaining pretty tight-lipped concerning its full feature-set, it has been confirmed that the LG Mini GD880 packs a 5 megapixel camera complete with face detection technology, an integrated FM radio tuner, A-GPs whilst, in terms of connectivity, both Wi-Fi and 7.2Mbps HSDPA are in evidence. Naturally, as LG confirms in their press release provided below, the LG Mini GD880 also boasts social network integration via built-in apps which also sees updates concerning your contacts offered up on the phone’s home screen – meaning you’re always kept in the loop.

Official LG Press Release:

LG Electronics (LG), a global leader and technology innovator in mobile communications, today announced its new LG GD880, or LG Mini, a new phone that accentuates its trendsetting design with a full complement of intelligent features.

LG Mini is the smallest and slimmest 3.2-inch full touchscreen phone on the market today, making it the perfect handset for people who want all the communication features that today’s technology has to offer without the bulk and heft of a traditional fully-loaded handset.

“We developed the LG Mini in response to specific requests from actual consumers who were unhappy with current full touchscreen phones that are too bulky, too clunky and too expensive,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “The easily pocketable LG Mini delivers great looks at a reasonable price, along with the trendy features that people want.”

Thanks to a slim, compact form factor made from the highest quality materials, the LG Mini easily slides in a shirt pocket or small handbag while still feeling reassuringly solid to the touch. Textured metal accents on the sides of the LG Mini add to the phone’s eye-catching looks without detracting from its overall simplicity. On the front, a large 3.2 inch touchscreen with an aspect ration of 16:9 extends all the way to the edge of the phone, giving it a finish that is as smooth as ice. In addition, a button-free face keeps the LG Mini simple and sleek.

But the LG Mini has much more than just great looks. Besides a raft of staple features such as speedy web browsing and fast push email, the LG Mini also includes several unique aspects, including Social Network Connect, which makes keeping in touch with online friends even easier than on a desktop PC. Popular social networks such as Facebook and Twitter are instantly accessible through built-in applications and a Social Network Feed provides instant and automatic updates of friends and family members on the home screen. Updates also appear next to each contact in the Social Address Book.

What’s more, the LG Mini boasts a 5.0 megapixel camera featuring advanced face detection which allows uploading of sharp, vivid pictures and videos wirelessly to multiple social networks in one simple step. The device also plays music and movies in several popular file formats and even includes an FM radio.

With HSDPA connectivity at 7.2 Mbps and Wi-Fi, the LG Mini can browse the internet at high speed and also provide real-time location information using A-GPS.

The LG Mini will be available in Europe starting in March, followed by other markets. Prices will vary country-to-country and will be announced separately in each market.

[via Geeky Gadgets]

Original Post Link: LG GD880 (LG Mini GD880) Now Official [LG Mini GD880 Touchscreen Phone Sports 16:9 Widescreen, Button Free Interface] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

Yes, arguably, it really should have been available at the point of lunch of the Nexus One but considering that Google’s support systems are, in truth, fairly lacklustre across the board the launch of this dedicated support phone line for the Google smartphone is somewhat of a departure for Google who appear to have taken it well and truly on board that its customers genuinely need somewhat more of a fallback in times of need that merely shooting off emails or posting on forums (for other users invariably to answer in the absence of any official responses).

“By design, we focused initially on providing the best possible customer support through our on-line channel, and our experience in the four weeks since the Nexus One launch enabled us to significantly enhance that on-line support offering. We have been able to address a large majority of customers’ inquiries successfully through on-line support, in combination with phone support from our partners, HTC and T-Mobile,” a Google spokesperson said. “That said, our approach with our new consumer channel is to learn fast and continue to improve…Live phone support from Google, combined with an optimized on-line support experience, enables a superior Nexus One customer experience.”

The new Nexus One support line, which can be accessed by dialling (888) 48NEXUS (63987), is open from between 4 a.m. and 7 p.m. PST.

Original Post Link: Google Nexus One Phone Support Now Live [Nexus One Live Tech Support Promises 'A Superior Nexus One Customer Experience' Says Google] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

The newly unveiled FujiFilm JZ300 and FujiFilm JZ500, aside from sporting 28mm wide-angle, 10x optical zoom lenses in bodies that are no less pocket friendly than other compacts (indeed, they come in at a mere 23mm in thickness), additionally boast 720p HD video capture capabilities, up to ISO3200 sensitivity and, of course, in being compact point and shoots, a veritable host of auto and scene modes including Portrait Enhancer and (in the case of the JZ500) Face Recognition and even Pet Recognition.

The new FujiFilm JZ Long Zoom compact cameras, which offer up 12.1 and 14.1 megapixel resolutions (JZ300 and JZ500 respectively) come with ‘approximately’ 40MB of integrated memory which can be supplemented with SD and SDHC memory cards and are set to hit retail in February (JZ300) and March (JZ500) with pricing coming in at around $160 and $250 (again, respectively).

Original Post Link: FujiFilm JZ (JZ300 & JZ500) Long Zoom Cameras [FujiFilm JZ 10X Zoom Compact Cameras with Advanced CCD-Shift Image Stabilisation Get Official] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

In terms of detail, the Corsair Nova range, which presently consists of just two models taking in 64GB and 128GB capacities, sports 64MB of onboard cache and offers read speeds of up to 215MB/s and write speeds of up to 130MB/s for the V64 drive and 195MB/s for the bigger V128 whilst the Corsair Reactor SSDs, which come in 60GB and 120GB variants, sport a larger 128MB cache and achieve read/write speeds of up to 250/110 MB/s for the 60GB model and 250/170 MB/s for the 120GB model. The Corsair Reactor SSDs also distinguish themselves from the Reactor range in coming with both SATA 3.0Gbps and mini USB interfaces whilst the Nova units come sans USB connectivity.

Pricing-wise, the Corsair Nova SSDs come in at around €160 and €303 for the 64GB and 128GB capacity units respectively which the Reactor SSDs come in at around €151 for the 60GB model and circa €295 for the 120GB unit.

Original Post Link: Corsair Reactor & Corsair Nova SSD Ranges Unveiled [New Corsair 2.5” SSDs Offer Up To 120GB Capacity, Keenly Priced] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

The Pandora handheld came around in about 2007, and it’s being developed with the ‘help’ of internet forum memberships and they’re attempting to incorporate several open-source ideas into the device. There is something definitely sort of homebrew rustic about the device, and I can’t help but cheer for the underdogs.

Their website dubs the Pandora as the “most powerful gaming handheld”, and if you compare the specs to the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS, then yeah, it edges them out. It includes a 600MHZ processor, 256MB of RAM and PowerVR graphics. While these specs might edge out the six year-old Nintendo DS and the five year-old Sony PSP, they aren’t really impressive today. In fact, aside from the graphics, the Nexus One has more powerful specs.

The Pandora is more of a UMPC than a dedicated gaming handhold. It runs a conventional desktop Linux OS, and the computer can play video and music files like you’d expect from a full OS. The gaming solution is a bit… semi-legal. It will include a series of common console emulators (they say from the Sega Dreamcast, to earlier, so all your old favorites).

After three years of development, the team has begun accepting e-mail only pre-orders. As they explain, the project is at an early age, and they are estimating the first deliveries of the first pre-orders any time from now to December 2010. We contacted OpenPandora on current pricing, and they haven’t gotten back to us at press time.

Original Post Link: Pandora Gaming Handheld Now Shipping [Linux-based Emulating Gaming Handheld Coming Soon] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

The Asus EeeTop ET1610PT, which, incidentally will also be offered sans touchscreen (namely the ET1610P), offers a screen resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels with the display being powered by Intel’s GMA X3150 graphics chipset and will additionally sport either 1GB or 2GB RAM, a 160GB hard drive, Gigabit Ethernet supplemented by integrated WiFi connectivity (802.11b/g/n), a 5-in-1 card reader and a 0.3 megapixel webcam.

Due to hit the European market any day now, the Asus EeeTop ET1610PT (and the non-touchscreen EeeTop ET1610P) will ship with Windows XP – though if you want to upgrade to Windows 7 (especially if you’re opting for the touchscreen touting variant) you’re offered MS’s latest OS as an upgrade option – and is expected to retail at around the 400EUR price point.

Original Post Link: Asus EeeTop ET1610PT AIO Unveiled [Neew EeeTop With 15.6" Touchscreen Display Surfaces, Powered by Atom D410 CPU] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

Aside from the pictures (which show off the great OLED screen), we haven’t really learned anything new from the pictures. Reports from last year had the phone shipping with either Android 2.0 or 2.1, but we can’t tell which in the pictures, since all they show is HTC’s Sense UI.

To summarize the rumored specs from earlier, the HTC Legend will be a cheap entry-level smartphone. It’ll feature the 3.2-inch OLED screen seen above, and will also have an optical trackball. It’ll feature a Qualcomm MSM7227 processor, which clocks at 600MHz. That makes it faster than a few other Android phones, but slower than the Nexus One.

The phone will feature 256MB of RAM as well as 512MB of flash storage, which can be expanded via a microSD card slot. The phone will have a 5-megapixel camera, along with Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. The phone will feature GSM radios as it is “definitely” coming to T-Mobile UK and “likely” coming to T-Mobile US. As said earlier, the phone is said to be coming with either Android 2.0 or 2.1.

We reported that the phone will officially be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in just a week, and it’ll be launched in March.

Original Post Link: HTC Legend Pictures Leaked [Images of HTC Legend Smartphone Leaked, Phone to Feature OLED Screen, 600MHz Processor] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

While the iPad is definitely something we’d like to play with, we won’t necessarily buy it. On the other hand the iPhone 4G will be the next must-have handset. Should it bring to the crowds most of the features we talked about earlier, then the crowds, yours truly included, will happily replace current iPhones with the next gen model, no matter how tall it is.

What do we want the most in the next iPhone? Better processor, longer battery life, multitasking support. Sure we can use a new screen, an improved camera and a front-facing cam, but without the three particular features I mentioned initially the iPhone 4G won’t be a hit.

Where does A4 come in? Well A4 is a chip that promises great performance without requiring all that battery juice. That means longer battery life (10 hours of continuous usage; one month stand-by). That must mean multitasking too, provided that iPhone OS 4.0 supports it. So who is making the A4 chp really? People say it’s PA Semi, but then again other people will come and tell you that it’s not PA Semi and that the A4 has been developed in-house by Apple.

Has PA Semi developed the A4? Is it that important who made the damned thing as long it will work as adevertised? Apple purchased PA Semi a while ago and if the later did not work on the iPad then what have they been doing all this time? Should we assume that PA Semi is working hard on the next-gen chips ready to be incorporated in the iPhone 4G? Whether the A4 was or wasn’t PA Semi’s creation we’ll go ahead and assume that the next-gen iPhone is going to get the awesome chip we crave from PA Semi. We’re really looking forward to hear Apple deny everything but they won’t do anything like that, would they?

In other news Windows Mobile 7 is rumored not to sport multitasking. Deja-vu anyone?. Will Microsoft really risk to go head to head against Apple with an OS that doesn’t support multitasking? Not that we have confirmed multitasking support coming from iPhone OS 4.0 yet, have we?

Original Post Link: iPad’s A4 Chip Promises Great Performance & Longer Battery Life [PA Semi Not the Creators of the A4; Working on the iPhone 3G Chip Instead?] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

Although some in the open-source community are unhappy with some closed-source parts of Android, Torvalds doesn’t seem to mind. He says he’s loved the concept of having Linux on a phone for sometime. He explains that he purchased an early Chinese Motorola phone that ran a version of Linux.

The father of Linux also explains that he purchased a HTC Dream aka T-Mobile G1 when it first came out to try out Android but found himself rarely using the device. He explained that he finds the Nexus One’s form factor appealing as he says, “I no longer feel like I’m dragging a phone with me“.

Some in the open-source community were unhappy with Google branching Android off of the development tree of the Linux kernel. Torvalds himself doesn’t mind, saying, “I don’t worry about out-of-tree development for odd devices too much.”

Last week, in Torvald’s native Finland, cell phone giant Nokia made their mobile OS Symbian open source. The head of the new non-profit Symbian Foundation at that time, charged, “About a third of the Android code base is open and nothing more. And what is open is a collection of middleware. Everything else is closed or proprietary.“

Original Post Link: Linus Torvalds Is Pleased With His Nexus One [Creator of Linux Happy with Google's Smartphone] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

Today we’ll tell you that the iPhone Dev Team has cracked iPhone OS 3.1.3 even though users don’t really need to update their iPhone to version 3.1.3 since it only has minor updates to bring to the table. We’d rather get iPhone OS 4.0 but since that’s not available we could stick to version 3.1.2 for a longer while. Why update your firmware and then struggle to get the device jailbroken and unlocked again? Is it worth going through all that hassle knowing that in a few months a better firmware is going to arrive?

In case you do want to upgrade and you do want to jailbreak your device, although it’s not recommended to perform such tricks if you’re not comfortable dealing with the software, then you’ll be happy to know there’s a new Pwnage Tool version available. Naturally it’s the iPhone Dev Team that has already released v3.1.5 of their famous jailbreak tool.

The software is available to Mac OS X users only but it knows a neat trick: it allows you to preserve previous jailbreak and carrier unlock and still upgrade to iPhone OS 3.1.3. In other words it looks like the Dev Team has figured out a way of making the whole upgrade & jailbreak/unlock process a lot easier.

Since I did tell you that the update will only bring you minor improvements and bug fixes I thought you might be interested to find out that just 14% of users have already upgraded to version 3.1.3. It might seem like a just a small fraction but that percentage translates into several million iPhone users that have already installed the new firmware in just about a week or so even if it doesn’t do them much good. Are you going to upgrade?

Original Post Link: iPhone OS 3.1.3 Gets Pwned: Pwnage Tool v3.1.5 for Mac Available Now [iPhone OS 3.1.3 Hacked Already; iPhone Dev Team Makes New Pwnage Tool Available to the Masses] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

There is some discussion on the internet has to if this is a phone or a tablet-like device. The Dell Mini 5 will feature a 5-inch screen, and will be running Android. The rumored specs of the devices, as compiled by AndroidandMe are as follows, a 5-inch screen, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and a 5-megapixel camera.

On the software side, Michael Dell showed it running Android 1.6 (considering the recent success of Android 2.0 and 2.1, I’m sure an update, either before or after launch, isn’t out the question). In addition to the 3G, it’ll also have WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. When asked about the release date, Michael Dell only said it would “be out in a couple months”, and declined to answer how much it would cost. It’s possible that they’re in negotiations with AT&T to offer the phone subsidized.

AT&T said that they would be taking the brave leap into the world of Android phones this year by releasing five Android phones this year. It’s now believed that the Dell Mini 5 is one of those phone, albeit, a tablet-like phone.

Original Post Link: Dell Mini 5 Gets US Approval [FCC Approves Dell Mini 5 For AT&T's 3G GSM Network] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

Although we’re a week away from MWC 2010 there are plenty of rumors regarding upcoming handsets and just today we’ve seen various phones emerge from virtually nowhere. So it’s basically no surprise to see some iPhone 4G-related rumors too.

Although we won’t know for quite a while whether the pictures here are real or not, we still have to examine them closely. It appears that the next iPhone will be slightly taller than its successors. Is Apple trying to offer us an even bigger handset? One that’s closer in size to the Google Nexus one or the Motorola Droid?

Naturally we don’t expect Apple or anyone else to confirm these pictures. They might be real but they might be counterfeited; whatever it is they have surely drawn everyone’s attention.

Besides the clear difference in size, the iPhone 4G is also suggested to come with a reflective surface which is rumored to be the result of a rearrangement of the proximity sensor of the next-gen iPhone.

So what do you say folks? Are you ready for the next batch of iPhone 4G rumors? The device is only due to hit the market at some point in June or July which means that we’re in for a long wait. More leaks and rumors will continue to hit us and we’ll be forced to take a look at each one in order to know what to expect from the Apple’s future cell phone.

Will you buy the iPhone 4G or is it too early to ask?

Original Post Link: iPhone 4G Case Gets Leaked [Rumors Suggest Next-Gen iPhone to be Bigger than iPhone 3G & 3GS] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

A “trusted source” tells tech blog Engadget that Verizon’s testing department is currently putting the Android 2.1 update through its paces before the telcom would send it OTA to all Motorola Droid users. The update is allegedly called Android 2.1 verison 1 (why not call it 2.1.1?) which is the same update that the Nexus One got last week that enabled multi-touch.

Reports say that the browser and Google Maps 3.4 are both enabled for multi-touch. In addition to the multi-touch, there are a few other changes. Google Goggles will now be pre-installed on the device. The default News and Weather apps from the Nexus One are also included on the phone.

A few negatives – the new update doesn’t change the UI to have the same 3D grid as the Nexus One, which might be a disappointment to some Droid users. No active wallpapers, either.

All of this comes after Google disabled multi-touch on all American Android devices due to a partnership with Apple, who wanted to protect their weak patent. Now, Google has enabled multi-touch on their own device, the Nexus One and is offering the update to all Android devices.

No word on when Droid users can expect the OTA update that will enable multi-touch.

Original Post Link: Motorola Droid Getting Multi-Touch [Verizon, Motorola Plan Android 2.1 Update To Droid That Includes Multi-Touch, Google Goggles] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

The Wall Street Journal suggests that Cupertino is willing to drop iPad prices in case the device doesn’t sell in impressive numbers. According to analysts from Credit Suisse Apple could become more aggressive in pricing the iPad if needed but that’s not something confirmed by Apple yet.

Currently the cheapest iPad available costs $499 and it’s only capable to deliver Wi-Fi connectivity. That’s the 16GB version while the 32GB and 64GB models cost $599 and $699, respectively. The three Wi-Fi versions will be available at the end of March while the iPad 3G will start selling only in late April. The 3G feature costs an extra $130 which means you’ll end up paying anywhere from $629 to $829 for an iPad 3G.

So, what will you do? Will you buy any iPad version in the following months? Or would you rather wait and see if Apple is willing to drop the price some more? A while ago we showed you how much Apple is rumored to profit from every sold iPad. If those numbers are correct then Apple has plenty of room to maneuver should it have to cut down prices. One other plausible version would be subsidizing the device by bundling with new 2-year 3G data plans from carriers around the world.

Other analysts have suggested that the iPad will sell very well this year and the numbers should be in the millions. That’s something that Apple probably wants to do so the company could settle for a smaller profit in order not to risk low sales. After all, nobody likes a poor sales performance, especially not giants like Apple or Google.

Original Post Link: Apple to Lower iPad Price to Meet Consumers’ Needs? [One More Reason Not to Buy the iPad, at Least for Now!] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

While the “Avatar” film continues to set new box office ticket sales records, the CJ-CGV group of Korean multiplex theaters hope to further cash in on its success.  For an increased ticket price of $15.80 (normal “Avatar” seats are available for $6.90), Korean “Avatar” fans can watch the 3D version of the film with 30 different environmental effects.  The theater seats tremble, winds wash across the audience and laser lights add new dimension to the 3D experience of “Avatar”.

“Avatar” is not the first film to get the 4D treatment at CJ-CGV multiplexes.  CJ-CGV hopes to add 10 more 4D films to its schedule this year, thanks to a partnership between Wonderworld Studios and LA-based Animation Picture Co.  As is true with most Korean technical innovations, it’s only a matter of time before the 4D trend crosses over into the United States.  It’s likely that such a crossover wouldn’t happen for “Avatar” in the US, but 20th Century Fox could implement “4D” to squeeze more revenues out of the hit title late in its theater run.

Original Post Link: Korean Theaters Get Avatar in “4D” [Koren Firm Adds Environmental Effects To 3D Avatar Experience] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

Presently, Google’s text translation service covers 52 languages, including the addition of Haitian Creole last week.  Google has developed its text translation service by crawling and comparing millions of multi-lingual websites and documents.  It then uses this translation data to provide text and website translation to users of this translation service.

On the mobile side of its business, Google has released a voice search system for Android’s 2.x version.  Users can speak into a handset mic and Google’s voice search system will recognize the spoken words and perform a search.  For the live voice translation service which Google’s Franz Och is developing, this voice search technology and Google’s text translation service would be merged to instantly translate spoken voice.

As of yet, no dates or technical details have been revealed about the arrival of Google’s live voice translation service.  This technology would be a welcome addition to Android or any mobile phone service, as our continually globalizing economy may yield a greater need for voice translation.

Original Post Link: Google Planning Voice Translation Software For Android? [Android Phones Could Translate Foreign Languages During Conversations] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

In addition to the 18.1-megapixel still photos, the T2i will be able to take full HD 1080p video. Of course, the advantage of using a DSLR for video is that you’ve got full control over the exposure and the T2i will also offer selectable frame rates (30, 25 or 24 fps) and multiple, optional microphones. It records in H.264 – and cutting the resolution to 720p or standard def will let you record in 50 or 60 fps.

Regarding the new emphasis on video, Canon’s general manager of the consumer camera division said this in the press release, “There is no question that HD video is the biggest trend in DSLR technology and because of this we are seeing the creativity of still photographers transferring to the moving image. Still photographers are using the various lenses and accessories they are already familiar with to create amazing video footage.”

The T2i will offer an ISO range of 100 to 6400 (which can be extended up to 12,800). Other features to get the camera enthusiasts excited is the inclusion of an 9-point AF. The camera will also take bursts of 34 JPEG or 6 RAW at 3.7 FPS.

To round out the features, it’s got a 3-inch screen on the back, and it’ll take SDHC or SDXC memory cards. Canon is selling it for either $899 with a 18-55mm lens or simply $799 for the body. This camera will be Canon’s new high-end, with the T1i being the mid-level DSLR and the XS being changed to the entry-level camera. The XSi is being discontinued. Expect the T2i to land in March.

Original Post Link: Canon Rebel T2i DSLR Revealed [New Canon DSLR Features 18-megapixels, 1080p Video, $900 price] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

The new cameras will offer you “increased shooting flexibility in a number of settings through advancements to the Smart Auto mode while offering greater photo personalization and enhanced creativity with new Scene Modes and Image effects.” That sounds nice but let’s see what this babies can really do!

The Canon PowerShot SX210 IS will feature a 28mm wide-angle lens with 14x optical zoom, Optical Image Stabilization, 14.1-megapixel resolution, 3.0-inch LCD, and full HD video recording. Eye-Fi support is also for fast wireless connectivity and the camera will be available later next month for $349.99.

The Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS comes with a 24mm ultra-wide angle lens with 5x optical zoom, Optical Image Stabilization, 14.1-megapixel resolution, 3.5-inch wide touchscreen LCD, HD video recording, and Eye-Fi support. The camera will be available in black, silver and pink and it will cost $329.99 later this month when it hits the stores.

The Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS measures less than one inch in thickness and comes with a 28mm wide-angle lens with 4x optical zoom, Optical Image Stabilization, 14.1-megapixel resolution and HD video recording. The camera will cost just $249.99 and it will be available later this month in stores.

The Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS digital camera is the most affordable of the bunch as it will cost just $199.99 later this month. It comes with a 28mm wide-angle lens with 4x Optical Zoom, Optical Image Stabilization, 12.1-megapixel resolution and a 2.7-inch LCD with PureColor System.

Before I ask you which one you like best I’ll also take a second to tell you that all cameras come with support for SDXC memory for up to 2TB. Well, what PowerShot model would you rather have?

Original Post Link: Canon Announces Four New PhowerShot Cameras: SX210 IS, SD3500 IS, SD1400 IS and SD1300 IS [Canon New PowerShot Digital Compact Cameras Ready for the Taking] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

The LG GD880 is a new LG creation which is said to sport a 480 x 854 touchscreen display, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and a 5-megapixel camera with HD video recording. As you expect pricing details and actual launch dates are not known yet but Vodafone should tell us more in the very near future

The Qisda QCM-330 is an even more interesting handset. Sure we’re not used to see Qisda creations every day but this one seems really special. The handset will surprise you with a generous 4-inch panel capable of 1,280 x 1,024 resolution, HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity, accelerometer and a 3-megapixel camera. The home key indicates that we’re in the presence of Android here but Vodafone will have to make everything official before we get too excited.

Ready to choose between the GD880 and the QCM-330? Well don’t do that just yet since Vodafone will have other handsets coming your way in the coming months: the Vodafone 2010 Compass, the Vodafone 360 Krystal, the Vodafone 737 Quincy, the Vodafone 545 Larry, the Vodafone 137 Sting, the Vodafone 534 Shilpa and the Mio Valinor GPS device.

Pricing and actual launch dates are not available at this time and we have no idea which markets will these new models be available in. It’s probably safe to say that most European countries will get them first with other markets to follow in the upcoming months.

Can we expect Vodafone’s brother to also start selling the LG GD880 and the Quisda QCM-330 at some point in the future? There’s no indication that Verizon, or other U.S. carrier for that matter, will get these two devices so it might be a while until the GD880 and the QCM-330 hit U.S. stores.

Original Post Link: LG GD880 & Qisda QCM-330 Handsets to Arrive from Vodafone [Vodafone to Launch Plethora of New Phones Including the LG GD880 & Qisda QCM-330] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

We’re probably going to see a lot of LED displays in the near future and some of them you’ll surely recognize a lot of BenQ models. With a slim factor averaging around 14-15mm and a DCR of 10,000,000:1 (yes that’s right, a lot of zeros) the new V Series is surely going to turn some heads. Other features like 250 nits of brightness, Senseye Human Vision Technology, DVI and D-Sub connectivity for all models, HDMI 1.3 support (only selected models), 3.5mm headphone jack and eco-friendly engineering will also prove to be very important when choosing your future LED display.

The V Series is comprised of nine new models (not twelve as the title of the press release claims) and since we did say they are energy efficient let’s see exactly how much power will each of them need:

• 18.5”W – V920 / V920P
• 21.5”W – V2220 / V2220P / V2220H / V2220HP
• 23.0”W – V2320
• 24.0”W – V2420 / V2420H

According to BenQ, the new LED backlighting technology used for making the new monitors will lower energy consumption by 44% which is definitely going to help you save Earth whenever using one such BenQ new model. Each panel is Energy STAR 50, RoHS, EuP certified so if you’re looking for eco-friendliness, BenQ appears to be the way to go.

The V230 will only arrive in June while all the other ones should be available in February and March in Taiwan followed by other markets in the near future. Prices are not available at this time so we’ll all just have to wait a while to see how much a V Series monitor will cost.

Original Post Link: BenQ Announces 9 New V Series LED Displays [New V Series LED Monitors from BenQ Reported to be the World’s Slimmest; Extreme DCR & Energy Efficiency Also Mentioned] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

After we’ve seen the Android 2.1-running HTC Incredible earlier today we now have the LG Arena Max to look at. Also known as the LG LU9400, the new LG creation has been spotted in the wild in Korea. While we have no idea when the phone will actually get launched we can only expect LG to announce it at some point next week during the Mobile World Congress that’s about to start in Barcelona, Spain.

Those of you that liked the original LG Arena will definitely love its successor. The Arena Max will come with a 3.5-inch touchscreen display, Wi-Fi, GPS, a 5-megapixel camera and a powerful 1GHz Snapdragon processor from Snapdragon.

Will the phone run Android OS? Maybe Windows Mobile? We don’t know any of that, at least for now. The LG Arena Max might end up to be just another featurephone like its predecessor, not that we don’t like those. But featurephones can never compete accordingly against smartphones so we’re really counting on LG to announce some hot smartphones at MWC that could handle Android or Windows Mobile.

LG didn’t release any official confirmation of this device yet, and from the looks of the leaked picture we only know that the Arena Max will be heading to Korea at some point in the near future. That doesn’t mean that other markets will not receive it too later this year so we expect to see the Arena Max in its official suit at MWC 2010.

What do you say Arena owners, will you upgrade to the Arena Max or are you going to move something entirely different?

Original Post Link: LG Arena Max LU9400 Gets Leaked [LG Arena Max Spotted in Japan; to be Launched at MWC 2010?] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

According to the rumor, the first notable change is that Microsoft is changing the naming scheme for the 7th iteration, and that it will instead be called “Windows Phone 7″. The UI of Windows Phone 7 is being completely overhauled. It is allegedly codenamed “METRO” and supposedly will be very similar to the UI on the Zune HD. The leak who used the mobile OS reported that it is “very clean, soulful and alive”. They’re also reporting that Windows Phone 7.0 will not ship with Flash support.

They’re reporting that Windows Phone 7 will only support application installation via a Marketplace, which means that it will not run any Java mobile app under the sun, like previous versions of Windows Phone. Another notable change from Windows Phone – they’ve taken out multi-tasking. Applications will freeze when ‘pushed to the background’.

The marketplace will feature an open API and will allow users to ‘try before you buy’. The leak is reporting the mobile OS will not support OEM UI wrappers, like MOTOBLUR and HTC’s Sense. This sounds like the most-Microsoft-like thing in the alleged leak.

Other highlights, Windows Phone 7, won’t be backwards compatible with the .NET Compact Framework programming language, commonly called NETCF), which is a common way to running applications on Windows CE devices. I’m not sure how much I believe this one, considering Microsoft’s affinity for keeping support for old support around.

I would take these rumors with a big grain of salt, considering some of them are a bit far fetched. We’ll find out for sure when Microsoft makes their Windows Mobile 7 (or Windows Phone 7, if you believe this) announcement next week at WMC in Spain. Excited by these allegedly Windows Phone 7 features? They report that Microsoft expects Windows Phone 7 phones to start shipping in September 2010.

Original Post Link: Windows Mobile 7 Details (Allegedly) Leaked [Leak Reports Windows 7 To Feature No Multitasking, Zune HD-like UI, No NETCF support] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

The reported stats of the HTC Incredible are that it’ll include a Snapdragon processor. The leak didn’t have the exact speed, but reported that the phone is “fast, really fast”, which leads us to pin it as having a 1GHz processor – or faster. The phone will have 256MB of RAM. No exact measurement on the screen size, but pocketnow.com, who broke the story, is estimating either a 3.5- to 3.7-inch screen, which would put it at the same large size as the Nexus One.

The source who got their hands on the phone said the screen is “very vibrant” and estimates that it’s an OLED screen, which we have to concur with, considering the leaked pictures of the device. The device also will feature an “optical mouse pointer” at the bottom of the device, (or as RIM calls them, an optical trackball). The phone features a digital camera, along with dual LED flashes.

On the software side, the phone was shown running Android 2.1, wrapping up in HTC’s Sense UI. The source told pocketnow.com that the device will be carried by Verizon, which implies a CDMA radio inside of it. It’s certainly an ‘incredible’ looking device. No word on a release date or pricing.

Original Post Link: HTC Incredible Leaked [Pictures, Information Leaked On HTC's Next High-End Smartphone] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

Boxee has already gotten some content partners lined up who will provide paid content to Boxee users upon launch. While they didn’t say which providers were onboard, just hinting that they were “previously not available to Boxee users.” Under the terms of the new Payment Platform, the content owners will be able to charge whatever they want of their content, which as we’ve seen with the Amazon-Book publishers dust up, should keep them happy. Boxee’s new payment system will also have support for letting them offer pay-per-view and subscriptions to the users.

According to the blog entry, this is the beginning of Boxee’s business model where they’ll attempt to take in revenues. They will charge a small percentage of the purchase price of the video, but it will be less than the 30% that most current Video On Demand services take.

Boxee believes that their model is the way of the future. Their entry explains, “The iTunes store has already shown us that people are willing to pay for content when it’s affordable and easy to access. Our goal is to equip the content providers that we’ve spoken with over the past year, both big and small, with a way to monetize their content above and beyond the advertising-only model.“

Original Post Link: Boxee Adding Ability To Buy Content [Boxee Adding Support For Paid Content This Year] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

On the outside, the Bookeen Orizon is very similar to its earlier version, but they’ve made some changes. They’ve upgraded the screen size a bit – it’s now a 6-inch screen over the 5-inch screen. The screen on the new device is now a touchscreen, although, Bookeen apparently lost some dpi on the change. We reported that the Cybook Opus had a dpi of 200 while Bookeen is saying the Orizon has a 167 dpi.

On the outside, the device isn’t bad looking. It’s pretty slim and is only 0.5 cm thick. Bookeen didn’t say who made their electronic paper display, but it does use “In-Cell” technology, which apparently means capacitive as they note the touchscreen can be used without a stylus.

No word on how much internal storage the Orizon will have (the previous model, Cybook Opus, had 1GB), but it will support WiFi, Bluetooth or USB connectivity. The Orizon will run version 3.0 of Bookeen’s eReader OS, called “Book Reader”. They promise that it will be quicker than previous versions of the software. For file formats, the device is only compatible with ePub.

No word on a release date (or even if this French company will release the Orizon outside of France), but they were telling the press at CES that it will cost $250, which is a competitive price for such a device. Also, they’ve declared that they’ll be expanding their Cybook Opus line by offering multiple colors to the device.

Original Post Link: Bookeen Shows Off The Orizon eReader [New eReader To Feature 6-inch Display] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

Piracy is rampant in China, hence why a company can brazenly include an emulator in their product. Early (and incorrect) blog posts covering this product from other websites had this device coming from Japan. While we’ve seen some Nintendo systems combined with other tech gadgets, (like the Panasonic Q, a DVD player that could play Nintendo Gamecube games), the fact that it uses ROMS instead proves that it’s an ‘unlicensed device’.

Anyway, the V3 has a 4.3-inch LCd screen, along with a folding thin form factor and some nice crystal keys, along with a joystick for controling your pirated games. It will ship with 8GB of memory storage, and that will be expandable via a SD card slot. It will have a 5-megapixel digital camera built in, which can record standard def video at 30 fps.

It can also play any number of video or audio file formats you’d want, including AVI, MPG, FLV, MP4, WMV, MP3, WMA, AAC, among others. Other features include some light applications, like a calendar and stopwatch, and it’ll also includes a FM radio.

Interested? Tech importer ownta.com is shipping it worldwide for the low price of only $113. Thankfully, the device includes eight languages, including English.

Original Post Link: JXD V3 Portable PMP Revealed [Chinese Media Player Also Plays NES, Gameboy ROMS] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

The team behind open-PC bills their nettop as “the first PC built by the community for the community.” Thankfully, it isn’t as bad as some community-designed products we’ve seen. It will come with a KDE/Linux operating system pre-installed and configured to work with the machine.

All of the software installed is 100% free, and it only uses free drivers for the hardware. On the hardware side, the openDesktop team only used parts with “complete technical specifications, as provided by the manufacturers”, were used.  It isn’t a super small and thin nettop that we’ve seen from ASUS or some others, but it does use a micro-ITX case which should be small enough for most consumers. Overall, the case doesn’t look that bad.

As for the specs, it’s running an Intel Atom N330 processor (clocked at 1.6GHz), featuring 3GB of RAM and a 160GB HDD. Graphics are being provided by the processor and everything is running on an ASRock motherboard.

They’re asking €359 for the Open-PC, which includes a €10 donation to the KDE project to make you feel good inside. The Open-PC will start shipping at “the end of February 2010″.

Original Post Link: Open-PC Is A Completely Open-Source Nettop PC [Open-PC Features Open Software, Open Spec Hardware] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

Integrated graphics are notoriously awful, and anybody with serious gaming/computer has used a dedicated graphics card since the late 1990’s, but lately, reports have come around that more and more people are getting pleased with the “Intel HD” integrated graphics provided by Arrandale and Clarkdale.

As tech site Fudzilla reports, “the current Intel HD graphics inside Arrandale and Clarkdale [..] can play Call of Duty WoW at 1024×764 at an acceptable frame rate.” Still, integrated graphics are typically horrible and underpowered when compared to dedicated graphics processors.

If Intel can achieve a 2x graphics power from their integrated graphics, then certainly this would take away some graphics cards sales at the low-end of the market. Graphics giant NVIDIA and Intel have no love between them. The two have a long standing feud, and NVIDIA has been pushing for a while that their more powerful graphics cores could possibly handle some of the tasks that the applications processor would traditionally handle.

Unfortunately, Intel’s roadmap doesn’t have Sandy Bridge processors coming out until Q1 of 2011, so any interested parties will have to wait. Of course, it remains to be see if these chips are actually much more powerful or if Intel is overgeneralizing to sell chips.

Original Post Link: Intel Preparing More Power Integrated Graphics [Intel's Sandy Bridge To Feature 2X Graphics Power, Probably Still Not Enough] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

Dell’s Precision M6500 is getting ready to play in the pro league of laptops. The model has been upgraded to fit our most modern needs and we have all the specs and features for you. As you expect the notebook is getting Intel’s new dual-core Core i5 and i7 processors, just in case you don’t want the quad-core Core i7 version on board. Most importantly the M6500 is going to come equipped with the latest USB standard, USB 3.0. That means a whole lot of transfer speeds is coming your way as the M6500 is the first Dell laptop capable of offering USB 3.0 support.

Other features include a better 3.2-megapixel webcam and a 64GB SSD mini card option while everything else stays the same. You’ll still be able to enjoy that 17-inch RGB LED display and the Quadro FX graphics chipsets. 3G connectivity will be provided by the Qualcomm Gobi 2 3G modem. The new configurations should be available by the end of the month although we don’t have all the prices just yet.

In case you were looking for something different from Dell, maybe a more portable device, then you’ll be happy to know that the Mini 5 has been approved by the FCC. That’s right, folks, the device has been handled by the Commission and the okay has been given. The device will offer HSPA on WCDMA bands II and V which means carriers like AT&T, Rogers, Bell and Telus will be able to sell it. EDGE and Wi-Fi are on board too so this mobile internet device will connect to the Internet almost anywhere. Pricing and launch dates are unavailable at this time but we’ll be back once Dell decides to make an official announcement.

Original Post Link: Dell Precision M6500 Specs & Features Updated; Dell Mini 5 Approved [Dell Upgrades the Precision M6500 Laptops & Gets FCC Approval for Mini 5 MID] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

Today we have some versions of the future printer for you. They are all highly portable, a lot more efficient and eco-friendlier than regular printers. But that doesn’t mean we’ll see them in stores today, does it?

First off I’ll show you my favorite design, a portable printer for the busy professional. Sure we have highly portable devices like smartphones, netbooks and tablets at hand and they can help us print wirelessly tons of documents. But the printers themselves are not portable like the Stick POP. This portable printer measures 23cm by 6cm and you can carry it anywhere with you. It offers USB connectivity and an OLED screen on top of the bar that can display printing status. Pretty cool you say? I totally agree.

Moving on to our next concept of the day we find the Pencil Printer. Not quite as portable, the device will definitely do its job. Simply insert a pencil in the appropriate sharpener and the lead will be used for printing your precious documents. That way you won’t be required to use any actual ink. The downside of the process is that the printed words are erasable. In fact, what if I told you that this particular printer can also erase the paper once you don’t need it anymore? Well it can do that so, there, you can “save the tree.”

The last concept is not exactly a printer but it will come in handy putting words on a piece of paper. Assuming that you tech-lovers still like to write the regular, non-keyboard way, I’ll show you the “1+1=1.” I know my math and this has nothing to do with it. It’s a long pencil made up from two stubs united by a piece of rubber. How many stubs do you throw away each year? Well while you wait for the Pencil Printer to arrive, why not save earth this way.

This article would love not to be printed but if you must do so please get one of the two printers we’ve shown you today before pressing print.

Original Post Link: Printers of the Future: Portable, Efficient & Eco-Friendly [Today’s Bold Printer Designs to Become the Printers of Tomorrow] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

The default $800 configuration of the E-series notebooks will come with an Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, along with Windows 7, the 15-inch screen and HDMI out. Not a bad configuration. Buyers will be able to upgrade the computer to a Core i5 processor and max her out with up to 8GB of RAM.

We’ve seen this before on other notebooks, but Sony is including a quick-boot “web” mode where instead of having to wait for Windows to start, users can quickly boot their computer into a Linux-based web browser for quick web surfing. Sony has included a full-sized keyboard into the E-Series along with three hours of battery life, and the whole package will weigh around 6 pounds.

As you can see above, the VAIO E series will come in some pretty interesting colors, something you definitely don’t see every day from a major computer manufacturer. The styles will all use transcendent, high-gloss colors and will come in different designs, including Caribbean Green, Iridescent Blue, Coconut White, Hibiscus Pink and Lava Black, with Lava Black being the most ‘normal’ looking one.

Perspective buyers can pre-order their E-series notebooks now if they wish to get them with a Core i3 processors. Buyers who need more power with the Core i5 have to wait until later this month. Everybody is going to be waiting to get their notebooks, however, as the line isn’t shipping until March of this year.

Original Post Link: Sony Introducing VAIO E Series Notebooks [E-Series To Feature Core i3 Processors, 15-inch screens] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

In case you don’t know what the difference between iPad Wi-Fi and iPad 3G is I’ll be happy to explain while wondering where you have been living this past week. The iPad Wi-Fi, that’s not an official name, but we do have to differentiate them somehow, comes with Wi-Fi support on board only. The Wi-Fi version will be available worldwide at some point late March while the iPad 3G, the tablet that also happens to pack 3G support besides Wi-Fi, will come to us in late April.

In the USA AT&T will take care of your data plans without expecting you to sign any contracts but in this case you won’t get the iPad for a subsidized price.

In other countries things will be a little different. In Austria Hutchison will get you a cheaper iPad Wi-Fi as long as you’re willing to sign a new two-year contract worth €29.90 per month and offering you 5GB of monthly traffic. Naturally you’re going to wonder where the Internet comes from since the Wi-Fi tablet doesn’t have 3G support. Well Hutchison is throwing in a 3G modem for every iPad Wi-Fi sold. The Huawei-made i-Mo modem is basically a wireless Wi-Fi router that’s going to transform that 3G connection into a wireless network. It’s quite a pretty neat trick so if you’re going to get such data plans from Hutchison why not get a subsidized iPad too?

The carrier will offer you a €333 rebate of the iPad’s price, which is a pretty cool deal. Assuming that the cheapest iPad will cost €499 then a subsidized version should only cost you 166. Let’s hear it, Austrians, are you going to get the iPad with a 3G contract or not?

Original Post Link: Hutchison Austria Announces iPad Data Plans Already [Hutchison Austria to Sell Subsidized Apple iPad Wi-Fi with 2-Year i-Mo 3G Modem Plan] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

One thing that makes the D-Link Pebble stand apart from the tens hundreds of other digital media devices we’ve seen is its unique design. It’s shaped like, well, a pebble and its small, black and compact. No surprise that this is coming from D-Link, after all, they’re the ones behind the unique design of the Boxee Box.

On the technical side, nothing that will change your opinion of the space. It will can connect to a home network, either via Ethernet or 802.11n WiFi. From there, it can play any video or audio you want, or display pictures that are stored on networked computers or network attached storage.

Via the Pebble’s USB 2.0 ports, you can play content off of USB thumb drives or external hard drives attached to the device via USB. D-Link also has promised a SD card slot for further media-playing options. No word on what resolutions it will play, but D-Link promises that it can playback “high resolution quality” video. For video-out, it does have a HDMI 1.3 port.

D-Link will be aiming for the entry-level of the market and will only be charging $120 for the device. Excited? You can expect to start seeing the D-Link Pebble for sale online and in retail store sometime in the first half of 2010.

Original Post Link: D-Link Adds Another Home Media Box With The Pebble [D-Link Pebble Lets You Stream Digital Content To Your TV Via Home Network] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

Are you surprised? Happy? Well whatever you’re feeling right now you’ll have to wait a long while until Nokia, or other manufacturers for that matter, are ready to offer us a dependable tablet or notebook running Symbian.

What Nokia must do for now is come up with a new Symbian OS version capable to resurrect their smartphone business. Current Nokia smartphones aren’t bad, don’t get me wrong, but the possibilities of current Symbian versions seem finite. We want more, don’t we?

Nokia has already confirmed that Symbian v3 and v4 are coming out later this year while Symbian v2 will be entirely skipped. Therefore the first smartphones running Symbian v3 are going to arrive probably before the holidays while Symbian v4 devices will be available early next year.

Symbian v4 might be one of the candidate OS for future Nokia netbooks and tablets as it’s supposed to “introduce a whole new graphical approach for the UI.” Nine different types of displays are going to be supported which doesn’t sound that bad, does it.

But it’s not only looks and appearances that we’re looking for in Symbian future versions. We also want them to be fast, support multitasking, get us where we need to be easier than any of its predecessors, and add a little magic on top of everything. Is that too much to ask from a mobile platform?

Hopefully Nokia, and other manufacturers, will find a way to launch their own tablets next year. Not because we need tablets and notebooks running Symbian OS but because some competition in these particular fields wouldn’t hurt. And if Nokia manages to do that with their proprietary OS it will also mean that their future Symbian v3 and v4 smartphones will be terrific machines.

What’s the last Symbian-based smartphone you purchased?

Original Post Link: Nokia to Make Symbian-based Tablets & Netbooks in the Following Years [Symbian Tablets & Netbooks Confirmed by the Symbian Foundation?] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

Barnes & Noble is certainly going to put up a good fight and while it’s too early to talk about a second-generation nook or even compare the content that’s going to be available for the nook and iPad, we do have some good news for you. The nook is getting ready to receive a firmware update and you should be able to get v1.2 installed on your nook soon.

All nooks sold starting today will come with the new firmware version pre-installed and current nook users will be able to upgrade their readers starting today.

Here’s a list of features that version 1.2 brings to the table:

• Enhanced in-store seamless connectivity to enjoy free Wi-Fi, with More In Store content promotions exclusively for Nook owners
• Improved opening of eBooks and ePeriodicals
• Improved response to Reading Now and Settings buttons
• Current reading page and bookmarks on all eBooks are properly saved when you power your Nook off
• Eligible LendMe eBooks in your library have LendMe flags
• Easier navigation of daily subscriptions with issues rolled into one folder
• Improved “back” button functionality for navigating eBooks and ePeriodicals
• Personal files downloaded and displayed in My Documents can be sorted by author and title
• Overall system improvements and battery optimization.

As you can see there’s nothing really spectacular going on here but it’s good to see that Barnes & Noble is working on offering us an even better nook experience. Go ahead and upgrade your nook and tell us how it all works out for you. And in case you don’t have one yet, it’s decision time again: iPad or nook?

Original Post Link: Barnes & Noble nook eBook Reader Gets Firmware 1.2 [Nook Firmware 1.2 Features Unveiled; Update Available Soon to Download] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

According to Sling Media, Sling Player hasn’t suffered any changes. In fact Sling Player is still the same application that it was back in the day when AT&T was not willing to allow it to stream video content over its precious 3G network.

So who are we to believe? On one side Ralph de la Vega said that “Sling Media was willing to work with [them] to revise the app to make it more bandwidth sensitive” but on the other hand Sling Media’s representative John Santoro said that “[they] didn’t change anything… AT&T never discussed any specific requirements with [them].

What’s even stranger is the fact that the optimization code which AT&T talks about in the press release has been there since the beginning which means that AT&T could have approved the 3G version of Sling Player a long while ago. It will be really interesting to see how AT&T will respond to all these statements since everything is making them look pretty bad.

We’re also wondering how AT&T’s network will handle all those subscribers looking to stream all sorts of videos over 3G using Sling Player. After all AT&T has had to face quite a lot of complaints coming from its iPhone customers regarding its 3G network’s dependability and we’re yet to see the company come up with better solutions that won’t raise questions anymore. Sure AT&T might offer you superior transfer speeds than others and let you browse the Internet while you’re making calls, but its subscribers in various large metropolitan areas are not all that happy all that time with their carrier.

Original Post Link: Sling Media Didn’t Change iPhone Version of Sling Player for AT&T [Did AT&T Lie About the Reasons for Accepting Sling Player’s 3G Video Streaming for the iPhone?] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities

“Halo 2″, the popular online Xbox 1 shooter, is still frequently played by a large community of gamers (despite there being two more Halo games released since) and they’ll likely be the most affected by the move to shut down Xbox 1 Live support.

It’s also worth noting that this will also affect “Xbox Originals” which are downloadable Xbox 1 games that one can purchase and buy via Xbox Live for the Xbox 360. While you’ll still be able to buy and download Xbox Originals, any online component will be disabled.

Xbox Live, which launched in 2002 for the original Xbox, was the first successful online gaming platform for home consoles. SegaNet for the Dreamcast and the Network Adapter for the PS2, although released earlier, were never as successful or as popular as the original Xbox Live.

The reason for this change? One is likely the size of the friend’s list. In 2005, users discovered that the Xbox 360’s version of Xbox Live still only supported 100 friends maximum. Microsoft blamed the backwards compatibility with the original Xbox 1’s Xbox Live for the limitation, as well as other features, like clan support.

With the original Xbox getting it’s Live support cut it’s likely that we’ll see some technical improvements to the service, like a bigger friend’s list and perhaps clan support.

Original Post Link: Microsoft Shutting Down Xbox Live For Original Xboxes [Despite Strong Halo 2 Community, Microsoft Shutting Down Xbox 1 Live Connectivity To "move forward"] | Published by TFTS - Technology, Gadgets & Curiosities