gadget news

HTC Thunderbolt review -- Engadget

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 08:33:00 +0000

HTC Thunderbolt review -- Engadget: "At a quick glance, without any background information, your eyes might tell you that the HTC Thunderbolt is little more than a Verizon remake of Sprint's EVO 4G and AT&T's Inspire 4G. After all -- like its contemporaries -- the Thunderbolt features a spacious 4.3-inch WVGA display, 8 megapixel camera, and dual-LED flash. In reality, though, the Thunderbolt is something more: from the Inspire, it borrows a better, crisper display with a wider viewing angle and a newer-generation (though still single-core) Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. From the EVO 4G, meanwhile, it borrows a cool integrated kickstand and the addition of a second '4G' radio, making this a spec Frankenstein of sorts -- the best of both worlds. Of course, instead of Sprint's WiMAX for that 4G radio, the Thunderbolt grants you access to Verizon's LTE network -- a network so fresh, it still has that new-network smell. There's a lot of horsepower here."

Nokia C2-01 review: A little something - GSMArena.com

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 12:31:00 +0000

GSMArena.com: "Little cash in your pocket and a good phone on your mind. Is the Nokia C2-01 it? A still camera, 3G and a memory card slot sound like we’re on the right track. In contrast to the C2-00, this one omits the dual SIM handling but there are other goodies to make up for that.

It’s a cheap phone alright, nothing too flashy, nothing to shout about. But the Nokia C2-01 deserves some credit for squeezing a number of nice little features into its budget. 3.2MP still imaging does sound refreshing after reviewing a VGA primary camera recently. Data speeds top EDGE and a microSD card slot means there’s more than enough room for your music collection. A 3.5mm audio jack too perhaps is better than expected for the price you pay."

Issue 4 of iPad-only mag Project available for free - Phone Arena

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:58:00 +0000

Phone Arena - Good news for all of you who want to try out Project - the iPad-only magazine - and try it out for free. That's because the new issue of Richard Branson's offering is now available in the App Store and it costs... well, not a single cent.

It's not often we feel like we want to thank the guys at American Express, but it seems the right time has come, as the Project folks say this promotion is only happening because of AmEx. Anyway, the really important part is that issue 4 of this mag features Eric Bana on the cover, and you can download it for free from the iTunes link below.

Besides Mr. Bana, here's what else you can expect from this Project issue:

Samsung Galaxy Mini S5570 Review: Right on the mini - GSMArena.com

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 05:24:00 +0000

Samsung Galaxy Mini S5570 Review: Right on the mini - GSMArena.com: "Minis are supposed to be the cheaper, stripped down version of the bigger and superior gadgets. There’s a long list of bigger and superior siblings for the Samsung Galaxy Mini S5570 to choose from but it has its own two feet to stand on.

So, the Galaxy Mini is the last shake of the bag. It will never get to rub shoulders with the big and scary smartphones. But it’s not all bad you know. Not bad at all actually for what basically is an entry level smartphone with complete connectivity, social networking, internet, Android apps and music. It’s the right kind of device for smartphone newbies. A good option if you just don’t want to spend a truck-load of money on a smartphone.

Key Features:

Quad-Band GSM and dual-band 3G support
7.2 Mbps HSDPA
3.14” 256K-color QVGA TFT touchscreen
ARMv6 600MHz processor, 384MB RAM
Android OS v2.2 (Froyo) with TouchWiz v3.0 UI
160MB internal storage, hot-swappable MicroSD slot, 2GB card included
3.15 MP fixed-focus camera with geotagging
GPS receiver with A-GPS
Stereo FM radio with RDS
3.5mm audio jack
Document editor
Accelerometer and proximity sensor
Swype text input
MicroUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth 2.1
Social network integration
Good build, youthful styling

Main disadvantages:

Low screen resolution limits choice of apps
Fixed focus camera
No secondary video-call camera
No flash, no dedicated camera key
Poor video recording QVGA @ 15fps

The Galaxy Mini was not made to impress. It was made to serve and be simple to use. It’s a solid little smartphone that has all the important ingredients. It can do most of the things your Galaxy S can, just without the stuff that pushes the price up."

Nokia E7 vs LG Optimus 2X vs Apple iPhone 4 - Phone Arena

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:17:00 +0000

Nokia E7 vs LG Optimus 2X vs Apple iPhone 4 - Phone Arena: "The Nokia E7, LG Optimus 2X and the Apple iPhone 4 are one of the best and most current representatives of rather different mobile operating systems – Symbian, Android and iOS. It's a long shot to compare the three as they are so different, but it gives us a bird's eye view of how the mobile industry has changed in the last few years.

The Nokia E7 has the worst timing of the three, appearing right after Nokia announced its decision to slowly phase out Symbian, and replace it with Windows Phone. Still, it is an extremely well-crafted device, and its anodized aluminum chassis feels very solid in the hand, all the while it manages to keep a fairly slim profile, considering it carries an excellent chiclet-style physical keyboard.

The LG Optimus 2X is basically a big slab, but the curved battery cover edges, and the soft touch plastic on the back make it comfortable to hold. The iPhone 4, on the other hand, has exceptional looks too, but it achieves it with a steel and glass frame, while still having one of the thinnest profiles out there.

The displays utilized are also very different. First we have the 4” ClearBlack AMOLED on the Nokia E7, which offers the widest viewing angles, high contrast, and nice, saturated colors, plus it has a polarizing filter on top to aid in sunlight visibility, since it is not as bright as the LCD screens on Apple's and LG's handsets. Its main downside – the low 360x640 resolution.

The iPhone 4's so-called Retina Display is much smaller than the one on the E7 at 3.5”, but it has the highest mobile display resolution out there – 640x960 – and is one of the brightest too. And, finally, the display on the LG Optimus 2X is a solid 4” IPS-LCD with 480x800 pixels, making it a good choice if you'd rather have a bigger screen with standard resolution than the smaller one on the iPhone 4."

Intel's x86 chip will power 6-8 Android devices this year - Phone Arena

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 07:15:00 +0000

Intel's x86 chip will power 6-8 Android devices this year - Phone Arena: "Notebook makers are claiming that Intel is planning on combining their x86 chipset with the Android operating system. Particularly as Microsoft has decided to use ARM platforms, Intel's cooperation is fitting, even though they have their own MeeGo OS.

Several Taiwan notebook makers, including Inventec and Compal Electronics, say that the Intel x86-powered Android devices could be announced as soon as April. That announcement would likely take place at the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing, April 12-13. If they can't be ready by then, they're expected at the Computex Taipei conference later in the year.

If Intel does in fact use Android with their processors, it could mean a tremendous cost-savings for the end user. Without licensing fees, those Taiwanese notebooks could offer competitive alternatives to Windows-based netbooks and other mobile OS tablets.

The sources propose that these new partnerships, which are a departure from the traditional Wintel (Windows + Intel) market, will improve the overall health of the PC ecosystem. Of course, in addition to an Intel/Android notebook, we're looking forward to more of their Intel/Chrome OS solutions expected around mid-2011."

Apple iPad 2 Gaming Test - Phone Arena

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 07:09:00 +0000

Apple iPad 2 Gaming Test - Phone Arena: "Already deemed as a venerable gaming machine in its own the regard, the iPad 2 will undoubtedly kick things up a notch, as it should, thanks to upgraded internals found under the hood. If 3D gaming is more your kind of thing, then the 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 processor is an inviting evolutionary step forward that should bring along some graphically rich titles down the road once developers begin to take advantage of it. In the meantime though, we decided to check out the kind of graphics prowess that the iPad 2 has to offer – and more importantly, how it compares to its brethren."

Apple iPad 2 Digital AV Adapter Demonstration - Phone Arena

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 08:57:00 +0000

Apple iPad 2 Digital AV Adapter Demonstration - Phone Arena: "When so many devices nowadays are increasingly making it very easy to share content via wired connection to high-definition television sets, it’s only fitting that we’re seeing it coming aboard with the iPad 2. If there’s one ideal accessory worth shelling out for with your cold hard cash, it has to be none other than Apple’soptional digital AV adapter that sells for $39! Come to think of it, this doesn’t only enable you to quickly play 1080p videos and music stored on your iPad 2, but it doubles as an HDMI mirrored video output.

As much as it would’ve been nice to see an HDMI port built into the iPad 2, the optional adapter is still nonetheless not all that obtrusive – although it does seem to just dangle on there. Regardless, you basically connect your standard HDMI cable to the adapter, and from there, it’ll output the iPad 2’s display onto the big screen. So whether you're holding the tablet in portrait or landscape, it’ll mimic every action to the teeth with almost very minimal evidence of lag.

Obviously, you can do just about anything on the iPad 2 as it keeps up in displaying all your actions on the big screen. From navigating between the homescreens to browsing a complex web site, it’s effortlessly accomplished and really shows the added functionality that is experienced by using the adapter. Furthermore, we’re able to even play videos and music stored on our iPad 2 through our television.

Interestingly enough, the biggest use for the adapter in our opinion comes in the gaming department since you can basically rely on the iPad 2 to act as the gameplay controls – while viewing your actions on your television set. Without a doubt, there are some interesting things that developers will be able to concoct at this point in getting the most out of the adapter’s usage. Even more, we were able to comfortably place a FaceTime call while sitting back on our couch as we relied on chatting it up with friends on our television.

So for only $39, it’s almost a no-brainer in picking it up – albeit, it’d be beneficial to have a lengthy HDMI cable on hand if you want to sit back far enough from your television. Well, that’s unless you can tolerate being up close and personal instead."

Apple iPad 2 Unboxing & Hands-on - Phone Arena

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 11:48:00 +0000

Apple iPad 2 Unboxing & Hands-on - Phone Arena: "Precisely after it was unveiled to the public not too long ago, we only had to wait a short period of time before we found ourselves finally here at the launch of the highly anticipated Apple iPad 2. Setting the bar in terms of coming to market the fastest soon after it was officially announced, consumers all around have the opportunity starting today to purchase the follow up to last year’s model that seemingly revolutionized the industry in many ways. Packing some upgraded hardware under the hood, it’s naturally impressive to see all of the upgraded internals packaged into a slimmer body – while retaining the same price points as before."

Yahoo Mail for Windows Phone 7 gets a patch - Phone Arena

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 09:27:00 +0000

Yahoo Mail for Windows Phone 7 gets a patch - Phone Arena: "In wake of the news that Yahoo Mail was responsible for the huge amount of excessive data consumption on WP7 devices an IMAP patch has been released in order to correct the issue. For a while it was a mystery as to what was causing the excessive amounts of data usage on Microsoft’s mobile OS. When it became known that Yahoo Mail servers were to blame, it was only a matter of time until a fix became available. What would happen is the server would send a lot more information than necessary in replies to requests from a phone with Windows.

Sometime over the course of the last few days, Yahoo updated their IMAP servers in order to correct the misuse of data. Moreover, this should bring a sigh of relief to those relying on their Yahoo Mail while dealing with the restrictions of a capped monthly data allowance. Tell us what you think in the comments below. "

BlackBerry PlayBook to come with a music store, over 13 million tracks on board - Phone Arena

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 10:56:00 +0000

BlackBerry PlayBook to come with a music store, over 13 million tracks on board - Phone Arena: "BlackBerry's PlayBook might be coming out next month, but folks from RIM continue adding features and the newest one is the 7Digital music store with its collection of over 13 million high-quality MP3 tracks (320kbps that is), which will come pre-installed on the 7-inch tablet. You'll be able to search tracks, artists and albums, as well as preview songs prior to making a purchase. Prices will be the same as the ones on the 7digital.com website, but translated into your local currency. In addition, a podcasting app will be similar to the music store in terms of categories and basic functionality. Subscriptions are also included bringing the latest of audio and HD video podcasting content right to your tablet."

Motorola argues that Android fragmentation is a good thing - Phone Arena

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 08:07:00 +0000

Motorola argues that Android fragmentation is a good thing - Phone Arena: "The major criticism leveled by Android's competitors is that the fragmentation of their device market is a hindrance to the operating system. But Motorola Mobility's corporate VP, Christy Wyatt, disagrees. She argues that variation among Android devices is actually one of Android's strengths. At AnDevCon (Android Developer Conference), Wyatt argued for the benefits of Android fragmentation. Despite the challenges it presents to developers, customers have the luxury of choosing their screen-size, price range, and other features, rather than being railroaded into a one-size-fits-all approach.

But she did admit to some shortcomings: "Managing differentiation against fragmentation is kind of a delicate balance." And if you've ever owned a low-end Android device, then you'll probably agree. It's difficult for developers to make an app that is sufficiently impressive on the top-tier handsets, but still compatible with slower devices with earlier OS builds.

You would be right to doubt Motorola's obviously biased perspective on Android fragmentation. But there's still some truth to it. Isn't it nice to not only be able to choose an OS, but also a manufacturer, feature-set, and price range? While recent rumors of Apple's lower-end iPhone have diminished, Apple has almost certainly considered expanding their lineup to net an even larger customer base."

Samsung S3850 Corby II preview: First look - GSMArena.com

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:09:00 +0000

Samsung S3850 Corby II preview: First look - GSMArena.com: "Feature phones have been busy adding more features to their arsenal in a bid to survive the onslaught of cheap smartphones. The Samsung S3850 Corby II is one such phone. Corby put a bargain price on touchscreen – the Corby II moves up a notch but stays within budget.

Touchscreen, Wi-Fi, multitasking, app store – those things used to be associated with smartphones, but the Corby II has them all on its list of features.

The latest TouchWiz, fresh from recent stints with both Bada and Android, blurs the line with smartphones. In fact, the major difference between the Corby II and a low-end Bada phone is that you install Java apps on it, instead of Bada apps.

The J2ME platform has been around longer and many useful apps have been developed for it, while Bada OS is relatively new.

Anyway, the Samsung S3850 Corby II can’t run away from its name. The bigger screen and better specs aside, the Corby II is for beginners. So, no high-end features, thank you very much."

Staples to launch Wi-Fi only Motorola XOOM and BlackBerry PlayBook next month - Phone Arena

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 06:43:00 +0000

Staples to launch Wi-Fi only Motorola XOOM and BlackBerry PlayBook next month - Phone Arena: "Perhaps Staples wouldn't be the first place that you would think of going to when purchasing a tablet, but according to internal documents, both the Wi-Fi only Motorola XOOM and the BlackBerry PlayBook will be offered by the office supply company. The internal document lists the date when Staples Tech Associates begin to train on the tablets using online modules. The employees will have 30 days to complete the modules, each of which will take 30 minutes to finish.

The documents show that training for the 3G-less Motorola XOOM will begin on March 23rd and for the BlackBerry PlayBook, training starts March 30th. Since 30 days is the maximum required for the Tech Associates to finish the courses, that would lead to approximate launch dates of April 22nd for the XOOM and April 29th for the PlayBook at Staples."

Have a taste of Android or WP7 by simulating them on your iPhone - Phone Arena

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:13:00 +0000

Have a taste of Android or WP7 by simulating them on your iPhone - Phone Arena: "Lets say that you are a happy iPhone owner but at the same time you have sometimes wondered what it might feel like to use Android or even Windows Phone 7 for a little bit. Well, now you can actually try either one of the operating systems to some extent by simulating them right there on your iPhone. OSFaker is the app that you need to download, assuming your iPhone has already been successfully jailbroken.

OSFaker can be easily obtained through Cydia and will do its best to give you a graphical representation of either Android or WP7. For those of you unfamiliar with Cydia, imagine Apple's App Store, but offering apps which were designed specifically to be used on a jailbroken iPhone or iPod touch. Needless to say, such applications would have never made it to the listings of Apple's App Store.

Using the application proves to be pretty simple as it gives you the option to simulate Android or WP7 right after its launch. OSFaker added WP7 simulation in its most recent update, which explains its limited capabilities. On the other hand, the Android simulation includes access to a handful of basic apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Calculator, and Paint. Feel free to give it a try if you are curious enough already!"

Apple Offers Free Download for iOS 4.3 iPad User Guide - Softpedia

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 05:29:00 +0000

Apple Offers Free Download for iOS 4.3 iPad User Guide - Softpedia: "Apple has prepared the official 'iPad User Guide for iOS 4.3' in eBook format, with an “expected” release date of March 11 in the iBookstore. According to an iBookstore listing (pictured left) showing the guide’s upcoming availability, Apple is poised to launch a ‘book’ containing everything you need to know about the iPad starting with version 4.3 of the iOS operating system.

Set to become available on March 11, “iPad User Guide for iOS 4.3” will be a free download from the iBookstore for anyone owning an iOS device and an Apple ID."

Lexar 32GB microSDHC memory card review

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 14:43:00 +0000

Lexar 32GB microSDHC memory card review: "Back in January during the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Lexar introduced a new 32GB microSD memory card for mobile devices. Last month, before I headed out to Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress event, Lexar sent me (cost-free) one of the cards as part of its High-Speed microSD Card Performance Kit, which includes a USB reader.

I loaded up the card with music and video content and slapped it into the LG Optimus 2X that I was using for the trip, and used the combo to watch movies and listen to music during the flights as well as during the trip. Everything worked as expected.

But I wanted to see just how much faster this new Class 10 microSDHC card was compared to the SanDisk 16GB microSDHC (Class 2) cards I'd been using, so I tested the Lexar and SanDisk cards against each other using their own, included USB reader devices. What I found was no real surprise: the Lexar 32GB card was faster.

When it came to reading data off of the cards, the Lexar was only a hair faster. I copied off a group of files totaling 5.77GB in size from the cards and onto my PC's hard disk. The Lexar 32GB card and reader managed that in 5 minutes and 15 seconds. SanDisk's card took a mere 10 seconds longer. Not a huge difference.

When it came to write speeds, however, the difference was large. The Lexar package managed to write that same 5.77GB group of files in 9 minutes and 55 seconds. Not bad at all. SanDisk's 16GB card required 46 percent more time to do the same write operation: 14 minutes and 28 seconds.

When it comes down to real world applications, the write speed is often the part that keeps people waiting. Few applications, except perhaps HD video playback, require high bandwidth read rates that can't be offered by typical microSD cards. But when it comes time to load up a card with a lot of media files, the extra write speeds really help. The huge capacity won't leave you wanting, either.

Lexar sells the 32GB microSDHC Card Performance Kit on its website for $149.99."

Acer Aspire AS5742-6475 Review & Rating | PCMag.com

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 02:09:00 +0000

Acer Aspire AS5742-6475 Review & Rating | PCMag.com: "Finding a cheap laptop can be an incredibly daunting task, because what got left out to get to that price is always in the back of your mind. The Acer Aspire AS5742-6475 ($599.99 list at Tiger Direct) isn't fully-loaded, but it's a sweet deal because it made the fewest sacrifices among its peers. It comes with a high-end Core i3 processor, 500GB of storage, and has over 5 hours of battery life - features you would normally find on a bigger budget. For this reason, it's the new Editors' Choice in the budget laptop category."

FCC gives the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 the ole' once over - Phone Arena

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 17:43:00 +0000

FCC gives the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 the ole' once over - Phone Arena: "Visiting the FCC the other day was the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. The tablet, powered by Android 3.0, was designed to challenge fellow Honeycomb flavored Motorola XOOM and the Apple iPod 2. Designated model 7100, the tablet visited the FCC with a radio that supported the 850 and 1900MHz bands. Those are two U.S. frequencies which hints of an imminent launch soon in the U.S.

One thing that might hold back the release of the tablet is last week's announcement of the Apple iPad 2. As we reported yesterday, Samsung's executive VP of mobile, Lee Don-joo, called the Galaxy Tab 10.1 inadequate after seeing how thin the Apple iPad 2 is. Besides the issue about the thickness of the Samsung tablet, the executive also said that after seeing the Apple iPod 2, the Korean based firm would have to reconsider its pricing of the device. The problem is that with the Apple iPad 2 listed as the same price as the older, original iPad, it puts pricing pressure on all newer tablets even if they have many improvements over older models."

Nokia E7 review: Open for business - GSMArena.com

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 09:52:00 +0000

Nokia E7 review: Open for business - GSMArena.com:

Business as usual for the Eseries is a cliché – thank you very much. But the kind that makes the world feel right. The Nokia E7 could’ve been just another Eseries phone. Oh well, that wasn’t meant to be. The latest is implicitly the greatest but, in the case of the E7, the latest may simply be the last.

Symbian is just about to be knocked off the top-spot as the market-leading smartphone platform. Worse yet, while loyal users are still sitting on a fence about replacing their E71/E72s Nokia is deciding whether to euthanize Symbian. Question marks have been hanging over the platform’s approach to touchscreen since day one. And now it’s got WP7 at its very doorstep. It’s the worst of times for the Nokia E7. But it’s up to it to show that the Eseries are still open for business.

Final words:

The Nokia E7 is either the best Symbian^3 smartphone on the market or the second best. This just can’t be bad news – whether you’re a brand-loyal upgrader or an unbiased user shopping for a premium smartphone.

Symbian has been questioned and doubted but Nokia are giving users something to hang on to, something to use in their defense. The E7 has all the latest and most advanced ingredients: a ClearBlack AMOLED screen, USB-on-the-go, an HDMI port, penta-band 3G. HD video, the anodized unibody and a lifetime sat-nav license are also massive points in favor.

But are we simply delaying the inevitable here? Even the best Symbian^3 devices aren’t quite on par with the competition. It’s not about the specs, nor is it about the power or performance. It’s that bit of touchscreen magic that has so far eluded Nokia and Symbian. Frustrated to the point of giving up, Nokia are looking to Windows Phone 7 to get their inspiration back.

It obviously isn’t the E7’s fault but – just as obvious – the Nokia E7 will have to suffer the consequences. Politics aside, the E7 is having another thing to worry about. It seems a little overpriced at the moment and, we are afraid, by the time its price settles down Symbian will be a few months closer to its inevitable demise.

The two major Android competitors – having been released earlier – cost less than the E7.

The HTC Desire Z has a higher-res screen, albeit of inferior quality. Android offers better touchscreen experience and a vastly superior number of apps. With the Desire Z, you’d be sacrificing the metal body but getting an autofocus camera in return.

The Motorola MILESTONE 2 boasts a FWVGA screen though, again, LCD. Motorola’s after-market support has been pretty poor recently, but the MILESTONE 2, being their flagship might make it to Gingerbread.

You might also want to consider some of the WP7 alternatives, like the HTC 7 Pro or LG Optimus 7Q. With the first major WP7 update around the corner, their business appeal might get a boost. But you know, Windows Phone 7 will no longer be competition. It will take time for the Nokia WP7 offerings to hit the shelves but there are interesting times ahead.

That’s the curse the Nokia E7 has to live with. Last time we checked, Eseries were the easiest phones to recommend to anyone looking for a handsome, sensible and powerful business phone. And they didn’t even have to be die-hard Symbian fans. But things look different for the E7 – its timing just couldn’t have been worse. This may not be the end of an era – but the Nokia E7 certainly is on the wrong end of a generation gap.

Apple's Jobs: The tablet PC 'crashed and burned' | Nanotech - The Circuits Blog - CNET News

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 06:24:00 +0000

Apple's Jobs: The tablet PC 'crashed and burned' | Nanotech - The Circuits Blog - CNET News: "Apple CEO Steve Jobs had some choice words today for the tablet PC, a relatively obscure PC product category that never caught on with consumers. What is the tablet PC exactly? While there's a long history of this product category and thus not a hard-and-fast definition, it's probably best exemplified today by hybrids like Hewlett-Packard's EliteBook 2570p (which starts at a whopping $1,599) or the Fujitsu Lifebook T900 Tablet PC (which starts at an even higher $1,899).

The tablet PC has been largely a vain attempt--certainly compared with the popularity of the iPad--to meld the laptop with a tablet, based on the Windows tablet interface."

Get an HP Pavilion dm1z ultraportable for $419.99 | The Cheapskate - CNET News

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:08:00 +0000

Get an HP Pavilion dm1z ultraportable for $419.99 | The Cheapskate - CNET News: "Laptops and coach seats don't mix. I was reminded of this the other day while trying to contort myself in strange and painful ways at 33,000 feet. Never again. A netbook would have been a much better fit, but I find most models too small for my tastes--and too underpowered as well.

Where's the happy medium? Right here: HP has the Pavilion dm1z ultraportable laptop for $419.99 shipped (after applying coupon code SAVE30HP). That's a total savings of $130.

The dm1z may look like a netbook, what with its 11.6-inch screen, absent optical drive, and overall compactness, but, brother, it ain't no netbook."

A glimpse into the future from Microsoft's perspective - Phone Arena

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:41:00 +0000

A glimpse into the future from Microsoft's perspective - Phone Arena: "There was a time when Microsoft was nothing more than a company with a vision for the future, which was destined to becoming true – putting a PC in every home in the U.S. and having Microsoft's software running on it. Microsoft may be late to revolutionizing cellphones the way Apple did already with the iPhone, but that doesn't stop Microsoft's researchers from treating us to their perspective on what interfacing with electronic devices may look like in the future.

In a video, which was taken at a recent TechForum event, Microsoft's Chief Research and Technology Officer, Craig Mundie, was seen demonstrating the potential of your smartphone as a link between human-machine interaction, as his HTC HD7 was controlling a fancy computer interface with the flick of a wrist. The smartphone in this example did not simply act as a tool, but also exchanged calendar records with the computer in real time. It is the result of Microsoft's idea of linking computers and smartphones through software, which lies in the foundation of WP7."

Motorola XOOM gets a CPU overclock to 1.5GHz, gets blazing fast

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:41:00 +0000

Motorola XOOM gets a CPU overclock to 1.5GHz, gets blazing fast: "The Motorola XOOM packs some serious punch under the hood and there’s hardly an Android application that would require more. However this doesn’t stop the hacking community to try and squeeze every last drop of performance out of dual-core Cortex-A9 CPU (you know, just in case)."

Samsung S5260 Star II review

noreply@blogger.com (My Blog This) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:24:00 +0000

You must remember this one – maybe not by face but certainly by name. The Samsung S5260 Star II has some big shoes to fill: over 10 million units sold propelled the predecessor to Stardom. The original Samsung Star was one of the most popular handsets in the early days of affordable touch phones. For the sequel, the count-up to 10 million has begun but this time around customers are harder to please.

Maybe this is part of the reason why it took Samsung over two years to release the Star II. An upgrade is certainly in order and it’d better be worth it. Here’s what the Star II is bringing to the table in short:

Key features:

GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, GPRS/EDGE class 12
Dimensions: 107.5 x 54 x 12.4 mm, 94 g
3" capacitive TFT touchscreen, WQVGA resolution (240 x 400 pixels)
TouchWiz 3.0 UI
30MB onboard storage
Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 16GB)
3.5mm audio jack
3 megapixel fixed focus camera with smile detection
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP
microUSB v2.0
Document viewer
Smart unlock
Smart dialing
Accelerometer sensor
FM radio with RDS
DNSe
SNS integration
Find Music recognition service
Great battery life
SMS spam filtering
Decent audio quality

Main disadvantages:

No 3G
Low-res display
Basic fixed-focus camera with no flash
Poor video recording – QVGA@15fps
Poor web browser
Laggy user interface
The changes aren’t too many but they should be significant enough for an entry-level handset. Does anyone really expect miracles from a €100 phone – 1080p video recording and big AMOLED screens are reserved for the expensive devices.