Looks like the iPhone 4S is getting its “Shawshank Redemption” moment today. A jailbreak for the new iPhoneand its A5-based cousin, the iPad 2, has been spotted.

The “corona untether” jailbreak for A4 devices running iOS5 was released in December, and since then a “dream team” of iOS hackers including the iPhone Dev Team, Chronic Dev Team and pod2G have been working to liberate iOS devices built around the more powerful A5 processor.

The site hosting the jailbreak has been very difficult to access this morning, but some people seem to be getting through, if you believe all the chatter on Twitter. For now, the jailbreak’s only available for Mac OS X, with a Windows version available soon, according to a couple of the hackers.

In case you’re not in the know, jailbreaking your iOS devices allows you to customize your gadget and to access Apple-unauthorized apps not found in the App Store, such as those available on Cydia.

The downside is that it’s certainly not something Apple endorses and will likely void your device’s warranty, and there’s always a chance of the worst-case scenario happening–turning your device into a nice, shiny brick.

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Check out this video from pod2G of a jailbroken iPhone 4S:

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57362965-1/fly-be-free-jailbreak-for-iphone-4s-ipad-2-released/

We take a closer comparison at the two tablet kings on the market today, the ASUS Transformer Prime and the Apple iPad 2. Can the Transformer topple the iPad’s supremacy? Find out below:

Are you experiencing problems with the Nokia Lumia 800 battery? Nokia just confirmed that while the battery itself is fine, a software problem on certain variants is limiting the phone’s ability to access the full battery capacity. A software update in early 2012 will fix affected devices, but Nokia can arrange for a replacement phone if you cannot wait.

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	Nokia Lumia 800 black 16GB -FACTORY UNLOCKED- Nokia Lumia 800 black 16GB factory unlocked. GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 more...		$450.00
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	Battery BV-5JW 1450mAh for Nokia N9, Lumia 800 Our batteries are tested and certified. The battery life varies depending on their environment and more...		$28.58

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To check if your device is affected, check the diagnostic tool and select battery status. If your full charge capacity reads less than 1000 mAh then your phone is affected with this specific issue and you may find it is necessary to charge your phone more frequently than normal. Dialing ##634# opens the diagnostics tool.

How’s the battery life on your Nokia Lumia 800? Are you affected? Contact Nokia Care at www.Nokia.com/support if you need to get a replacement.

Apple is ordering fewer 9.7in, 1024 x 768 IPS LCD panels but it hasn’t cut out the part entirely. That suggests it does indeed plan to continue selling the iPad 2 after the LTE-equipped iPad 3 has gone on sale in March.

According to whispers from the Asian display supply chain, the Mac maker asked for 1m 9.7in, 2048 x 1536 panels in Q4 2011, but has upped that to an estimated 6-7m units in Q1, DigiTimes reports.

It will increase the order count further, to 10m units in Q3.

As demand for the higher-resolution panels rises, so orders for the older screens falls – but not to zero.

Estimates put the number of screens Apple ordered in Q3 2011 at 16m, falling to 10m in Q4 2011 and then to 7-8m in Q1 2012.

Clearly, Apple could release the iPad 3 and kill off the iPad 2 at the same time, but the numbers, if accurate, suggest that it wants to older model to stay around for some time, mopping up some of the demand for the new model, which it will be unable to supply in the volumes it would like to.

Alternatively, it knows the iPad 3 is going to cost more than the iPad 2 does, and it doesn’t want to lose sales momentum by restricting buyers to the more expensive item.

Estimates, such as they are, put Apple’s overall 2012 panel purchasing at 65m units: 40m 2048 x 1536 screens and 25m 1024 x 768 ones. That’s 32.7 per cent up on 2011′s total of 49m iPad LCDs. ®

Source: http://www.reghardware.com/2012/01/17/apple_ramps_up_ipad_3_retina_display_orders/

Nokia’s “Piece de resistance” handset — the Lumia 800, is their first in the series and is based on their MeeGo running N9 device. This one, though, runs on the latest version of the Windows Phone 7 OS — Mango. The Lumia 800 is built out of a single block of Polycarbonate plastic. Don’t let the ‘plastic’ part sway you, as the handset is quite durable. The 3.7-inch, slightly raised gorilla glass display, although quite a fingerprint magnet, survived quite a bit of torture without giving in to scratches. So, in terms of durability and funky design form, the Lumia 800 is definitely high on our ranking. If the slippery shell doesn’t meet your fancy, worry not. Nokia has thrown in a rubberised case that makes it much easier to manage.

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	Nokia Lumia 800 black 16GB -FACTORY UNLOCKED- Nokia Lumia 800 black 16GB factory unlocked. GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 more...		$450.00
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Powered by a 1.4GHz Scorpion processor and running the Windows Phone Mango (7.5) OS, the Lumia 800 is a seriously speedy handset. When it comes to functionality, it manages to do everything it’s capable of extremely well. WP7’s stripped down; visually simplistic user interface is what keeps most of their handsets, irrespective of processing power, running quite smoothly. The Tile and Hub set-up is really what makes WP7 so attractive. Unfortunately for Nokia though, this fantastic piece of hardware can’t live up to its true potential that’s curtailed by the OS.

Although the WP7 is a user-friendly system, it’s still in its nascent stage and will require a considerable amount of tweaking before it can really give Android or iOS a run for their money.

What we also noticed with the otherwise crystal clear display was that whites usually took on a slightly yellowish tone. This was especially noticeable on websites with white backgrounds. Other than that, visibility in broad daylight from any angle was top-notch.

A major downer is that Nokia has missed on including any audio enhancements. Audio quality was consistent with any other high-end smartphone, but it could have surely been better with a few options to personalise the output. We found the decibel level low, especially in crowded areas. The built-in FM radio was just fine and even managed to pick up signals quite well on a daily commute through the city. Nokia has pre-installed TuneIn for Internet radio options as well.

Once again, we were plagued with the Zune menace, meaning we had to make sure that our videos were first compatible with the software, before it could take its own sweet time to transfer to the handset. Once on the handset, the picture quality, Nokia’s Clear Black Display enriched the colours. Sixteen gigs of internal storage space is also quite a bit to keep media lovers satisfied, even if they can’t extend it further.

In the connectivity domain, the Lumia 800 comes across as a capable smartphone. Packing 3G Wi-Fi capabilities under its belt, you’re good to go wherever you are. What is lacking, though, is the facility to create a hotspot, something even Apple made sure of including in their latest devices. While we’re quite fond of the IE browser on WP7, the lack of Flash and Silverlight support was a bit of a setback. Speed-wise, the browser functions very well. Setting up accounts of any kind is a breeze, just sign in and let the device do the rest from syncing with People’s Hub for your contacts to e-mail and calendar dates. Social networking, chatting, posting messages is a real easy task on the 800.

The Lumia 800 includes Nokia Drive, Nokia Maps and Bing Maps, which we thought was overkill. There’s also the Weather Channel and Nokia’s App Highlights that showcases a list of Lumia 800 friendly apps, specifically chosen for the device. You can shake the handset to get new apps displayed.

An 8 megapixel shooter is strapped onboard the rear of the Lumia 800 with Dual LEDs comprising the flash. Settings include scene modes, white balance, ISO settings, a few effects and a Macro mode. The maximum resolution is 720p HD for video.

Image quality was not what we expected from a Nokia device. Image focus was a problem in most areas when talking about quality in slightly low lit outdoor conditions. Video recording, in stark contrast was quite good with pretty decent audio levels.

A 1450mAh battery sits under the Polycarbonate shell and is quite capable of providing users with a fairly decent battery life. On 3G, though, don’t expect too much as we were barely able to use it for a full day before it required a charge.

What we like
Fantastic hardware
Lots of internal storage space
Decent video recording

What we don’t
WP7 system needs tweaking
Image quality
No audio enhancements

Verdict

At Rs. 29,990 (MRP), Lumia 800 is one of the more expensive WP7 handsets in the market. Cheaper options like the HTC Radar could pose as a competitor. If Nokia is looking to make a serious comeback, this device, as well built and powerful as it is, is just too pricey. The last thing we need right now is another “premium” type product with limited functionality.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/technology/Gadgets-Reviews/Nokia-Lumia-800-Seriously-speedy/SP-Article1-798483.aspx

The Nokia Lumia 710 just launched at T-mobile in the US, but there’s another Windows Phone device the carrier is offering that may sway customers away. It’s the HTC Radar. The Nokia Lumia 710 costs less than the Radar, but it appears that HTC’s device offers more features. Here’s my video comparison. Take a look.

Display. The Nokia Lumia 710 has a 3.7-inch TFT display with Clearblack filter for better viewing outdoors. The HTC Radar has an SLCD display which looks great indoors, but is less visible outdoors than the Lumia. Other than that, I can’t see any other differences.

Build. The HTC Radar has a metallic body while the Nokia Lumia 710 feels plasticky. The sides on the Radar are also rounded, which makes it feel better to hold in the hands.

Internals. Both the Radar and the Lumia 710 have the same 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 CPU with 512MB RAM. Speed and performance appear the same.
———-
CORRECTION: Radar has only 1GHz processor not 1.4 GHz like Nokia Lumia 710.
—————

Battery. The Nokia 710 has a user-replaceable 1300mAh battery while the HTC Radar has a 1520mAh battery that isn’t removable. Since the two phones have the same processor and run the same OS, I assume the HTC Radar has longer battery life. Sorry, I haven’t tried any scientific tests.

Software. Both devices run Windows Phone 7.5, but there are 2 major differences. The Nokia Lumia 710 offers Nokia Drive for turn-by-turn voice navigation. The HTC Radar offers HTC Hub, which will be familiar to previous Andorid users. Internet Sharing is also available on the HTC Radar so you can use your laptop or tablet on the go. Hopefully a firmware update on the Nokia Lumia 710 will also make that option available.

Camera. The HTC Radar has two camera features that I’d love to see on the Nokia Lumia 710. There’s a built-in panorama camera which works great and there’s burst shot mode where it shoots 5 consecutive photos.

Conclusion. The Nokia Lumia 710 costs less than the HTC Radar, but the more expensive device comes with extra features. I hope a firmware update on the Nokia Lumia 710 will also make those missing features available to the users.

Get ready for the iPad 3 sometime this March. Apple is said to have begun production on the third-generation tablet earlier this month.

Bloomberg is reporting that production started at the beginning of January and will reach full volume some time in February. Apple enthusiasts have a few good reasons to be excited.

1. The next iPad will be faster than ever. Three separate anonymous sources said to be “familiar with the product” also say that the iPad 3 will use a quad-core processor, giving the iPad increased multi-tasking power.

2. LTE is coming to iPad, sources say. Before 4G LTEcomes to the iPhone, it’s coming to the iPad 3 which will get LTE (long-term-evolution) network support.

3. iPad 3 will look better than ever. The display will be higher resolution than past models, adding pixels and graphics power. The third generation iPad is rumored to have “more pixels on its screen than some high-definition televisions.”

The graphics processor is also more powerful giving video playback and app performance over previous models.

The report claims that at least some of Foxconn’s Chinese factories are running for 24 hours a day.

So far Apple has not commented on the rumors.

The timing of the iPad 3 release coincides with the Nokia Lumia 900 release in March. So far 2012 is once again shaping up to be the year of the iPad, not the year of the tablet as most tablet buzz continues to surround Apple’s products. Of course the year is long and we have miles to go before we sleep.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/01/16/report-claims-ipad-3-already-in-production-confirms-march-release-date/

It’s become apparent, if sources speaking anonymously are to be believed and sense is to follow, that the Samsung Galaxy Note will be coming to Verizon after all, this time re-named as the Galaxy Journal. This breaks the trend of the other three main carriers here in the USA getting one Samsung product while Verizon is left out, or vice versa, here the Galaxy Note coming to AT&T first, then to Verizon second, then the other two MAYBE soon after. In the case of the Galaxy S II, the other three carriers got the device while Verizon held back because of the device which came out soon after, the Galaxy Nexus, which Verizon then got the temporary exclusive on.

With the Galaxy Note set to be the biggest smartphone release of the late winter, literally, if you consider it a phone, Verizon was bound to try to take a chunk, and we’re glad of it, as this means developers will be more apt to create additional ROMs for the device now that it’ll be on at least three different release venues, that being AT&T, Verizon, and its international version. Now we’ve just got to see if Verizon will release a special edition “Verizon Red” version for the masses.

That said, we’ve got a review of the original Galaxy Nexus for you down in the timeline as well as hands-on looks of this device in each iteration that’s yet come forth. Do you think this device is going to be as much of a hit here in the United States as its been abroad thus far? It’s certainly going to be BIG, no doubt about that!

Walmart is offering the Lumia 710, Nokia’s first Windows Phone for the U.S., for free with a two-year T-Mobile contract.

The device, which comes in black and white, is available for free now on Walmart’s Web site, down from $49.99.

With no service plan, the Lumia 710 is $379.99; with a two-year service renewal, the device is $49.99. No word on how long the discount will last.

The low-cost Lumia 710 was announced in December and made its debut on Jan. 11. It’s a medium-sized, slab-style cell phone with cropped corners and a curved back. Below the 3.7-inch, 800-by-480 LCD screen there’s a large physical button, while a 5-megapixel camera records 720p video on the soft-touch back.

PCMag mobile analyst Sascha Segan got some hands-on time with the Nokia Lumia 710 last month and was ultimately a bit perplexed as to why Nokia chose the budget Lumia 710 as its first Windows Phone in the U.S.; for more, see How Nokia Stumbles With The T-Mobile Lumia 710.

Segan was a bit more impressed with the Nokia Lumia 900, the company’s first high-end Windows Phone device in the states. The smartphone, which will be available on AT&T, made its debut at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show. It features a 4.3-inch, AMOLED Clear Black display, the largest screen on a Lumia device so far, a 1.4-GHz processor, and a 1830 mAh battery.

No release date for the Lumia 900 has been announced, but a recently leaked Nokia newslettersuggested a March timeframe.

Nokia first announced that it would focus its efforts on Windows Phone-based devices in Feb. 2011, and the first Nokia-Windows smartphones were introduced at October’s Nokia World in London. Though the Windows operating system has been well-reviewed, particularly the ”Mango” update, the mobile OS has struggled to compete against Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS.

There’s one fair tech mind out there in the world, at least, and his name is Steve Wozniak – and this week his words are being twisted all to heck, either saying that he’s in love with iPhone or Android, depending on how you see it. Whilst speaking with the Daily Beast, Woz, (the co-founder of Apple, if you do not know,) said first that he’s had greater success with Android’s voice command system than he’s had with Apple’s Siri, but next that he uses the iPhone as his primary device anyway. He also notes how Android has slightly better navigation built-in, but that Apple is his preferred system with iOS.

This fellow is notorious for allowing himself to be trying out a variety of systems, he himself being a lover of all technological bits across the board. Just a few weeks ago at the launch of the Galaxy Nexus, Woz made no secret of heading down to Google headquarters to pick his own special unit up. Now with both the iPhone 4S and the Galaxy Nexus well off the ground, both of them hero phones for their respective software and hardware manufacturers, Woz’s comments are hitting to both groups, in both negative and positive ways:

“I have a lower success rate with Siri than I do with the voice built into the Android, and that bothers me. I’ll be saying, over and over again in my car, ‘Call the Lark Creek Steak House,’ and I can’t get it done. Then I pick up my Android, say the same thing, and it’s done. Plus I get navigation. Android is way ahead on that. My primary phone is the iPhone. I love the beauty of it. But I wish it did all the things my Android does, I really do.” – Wozniak

This should come as no shock to either party, for the reasons listed above and because Woz is a man who really isn’t in a position to fear any retribution from any party. When you’ve been in the industry this long and are such a legend for the vast majority of the people who know who you are, your opinion just IS. Woz spoke additionally on how the iPhone remains his suggested best device for most people:

“The people I recommend the iPhone 4S for are the ones who are already in the Mac world, because it’s so compatible, and people who are just scared of computers altogether and don’t want to use them. The iPhone is the least frightening thing. For that kind of person who is scared of complexity, well, here’s a phone that is simple to use and does what you need it to do.” – Wozniak

During CES, there were many new digital cameras unveiled including ones from Canon, along with a slew of new Android hardware. Polaroid unveiled a new digital camera recently that runs the Android operating system and from the back looks more like a smartphone than a digital camera. The camera is called the Polaroid SC1630 Smart Camera.
The sensor inside the camera is a 16-megapixel unit and it has 3x optical zoom. It also has Wi-Fi to allow you to access and directly upload video to your social networking site of choice or photos sites. Polaroid says that the camera weighs five ounces and it can capture digital video too. Polaroid integrates 18 different scene modes and has a 3.2-inch rear display.
Smart Features inside the camera include automatic face detection and smile detection. The camera also has GPS the ability to arrange the photos inside the camera by date and location. The SC1630 also has the ability to edit photos and video right on the device before uploading. Users can remove red eye, crop, resize, and correct color. Memory cards up to 32GB are supported and the cam supports the Android Market.

Sources: Polaroid, CNN

A hacker network that claims to be based in Saudi Arabia paralyzed the websites of Israel’s stock exchange and national airline on Monday, escalating an international cyber war that has jolted this security-obsessed country.

Neither website contains sensitive information and trading and flights were not affected. But the ongoing salvos by hackers who use anti-Israel language in their posts has revealed how vulnerable Israel is to cyber warfare, despite its sophisticated computer security units in the military and advanced high-tech sector.

The attacks began earlier this month when hackers identifying themselves as group-xp, a known Saudi hacking group, claimed on an Israeli sports website to have gained access to 400,000 Israeli credit card accounts. The group called it a “gift to the world for the New Year” designed to “hurt the Zionist pocket.”

Israeli authorities said 15,000 accounts were hacked in that episode and credit card information about 6,000 other Israelis was disclosed online a few days later by the same network.

Last week, an Israeli hacker identifying himself as a soldier in an Israeli intelligence unit retaliated by posting information online about hundreds of Saudis, Egyptians, Syrians and others.

On Monday, El Al Israel Airlines took down its website after hacker OxOmar, who has been linked to the Saudi group, warned that both sites would be targeted by allied pro-Palestinian hackers, a person close to the company said. The source was not authorized to speak to the media and requested anonymity.

The company said in a statement that it was taking security measures to protect the website and that disruptions on the site were to be expected.

Orna Goren, a spokeswoman for the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, said the site was overwhelmed by electronic requests that slowed it down dramatically but it was still operating. Trading was not affected, she said.

Cyber experts say Israel is a common target for online attackers who oppose the Jewish state and its policies toward the Palestinians, but there have been no confirmed reports of sensitive Israeli government sites being hacked.

“Right now, we’re not seeing anything that’s especially interesting or especially dangerous,” said Gadi Evron, former head of Internet security for the Israeli government.

News of the hacking led to a linguistic counterattack at Israel’s state radio. Continuing its decades-long battle against the use of English words in its Hebrew broadcasts, the radio’s linguist insisted that reporters use a Hebrew word, “patzchan,” meaning a person who cracks something open, instead of “hacker.”

The question on tech pundits’ minds lately goes a little something like this: Will Windows Phone be an Xbox 360 or a Zune? By that, we mean will the Windows Phone platform corner the market like the Xbox 360 has dominated video game console sales as of late, or will it hit shelves, enjoy some ridicule as an “iPhone killer,” and ultimately bow out some five years after its release?

Tech commentator Robert Scoble argues in a Google Plus post today that various conversations he had with other experts and executives at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show seems to indicate that Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform is doomed.

According to Scoble, various startup CEOs, and even Pandora CTO Tom Conrad, all seemed to indicate that they weren’t ready to dump resources into Windows Phone app development just yet.

“Right now there are 450,000 apps missing from Windows Phone that are shipping on iOS. That’s makes Windows Phone ‘unsafe’ to buy for many people,” Scoble writes. “This is a chicken and egg problem too. No buyers means developers won’t get excited by this platform. It’s like OS/2 in the 1990s. That OS was arguably better in many ways but it had no apps, so no one cared and Windows went on to own a monopoly share.”

Worse, Nokia executives that Scoble chatted with – yes, the company behind the Nokia Lumina 9000, held up by Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer himself during the company’s final CES keynote – seem to agree.

But not everyone shares Scoble’s predictions. Specifically, Inneractive’s Hillel Fuld, who argues that Microsoft has already built a big buzz around Windows Phone – chiefly among members of the tech press, as catalogued by an article in last week’s New York Times. And the “apps” issue is irrelevant, as Scoble’s considering the wrong figures.

“Yes, in today’s mobile world, the name of the game is apps, no question about it. Windows Phone has 50,000 compared to iOS’ 500,000 and Android’s 400,000. Except, that comparison is ridiculous,”Fuld writes. “Windows Phone has been around for one year only and it reached the 50k milestone faster than both iOS and Android.”

Fuld goes on to suggest that big-time developers are in fact interested in Windows Phone, especially due to the platform’s supposedly easier framework for app creation as compared to Android. And Microsoft is going to be able to tap into markets yet unreached by Apple and Google as a result of its partnership with Nokia, which itself claimed the largest worldwide market share of mobile devices in the third quarter of 2011 (23.9 percent).

“We like to think of this tech and mobile industry as a “Game over” situation with Android and iOS as the clear winners but the truth is, this space is in its diapers and what the market looks like now will in no way resemble the mobile market of 2015,” Fuld writes, “so lets not declare Windows Phone dead just yet.”

Apple has released a recycling plan that may help you make income using your old apple apple apple iphone, iPad, Mac, additionally by home home windows PC.

The Reuse and Recycling Programme will most likely be operated by Dataserv GmbH and provides you the opportunity to eliminate old or undesirable technology.

“Apple’s persistence for that climate includes choosing the best strategies to reuse or recycle electronics inside the finish from the helpful existence, including apple apple apple iphone, iPad, Mac or PC pcs, and shows within the manufacturer. Be cautious some cash for your old equipment,” an e-mail online reads.

“Whether it’s an apple apple apple iphone, iPad, Mac or PC computer, working otherwise, we’ll go and discover whether it qualifies for reuse and consists of a fiscal value. Whether it does, the amount will most likely be credited straight into your hard gained money. Whether or not this does not, you’ll have the ability to recycle it correctly through our free recycling programmes.”

To get began, you can turn to the website and answer a couple of pre-determined questions in regards to the unit you have to recycle. You may then include a quote from the value from Dataserv, who’ll hands back a prepaid shipping label.

Then you are in a position to send the item and upon receipt it will be verified. Next, the requirement of the machine will most likely be compensated out straight into your hard gained money.

You may also now recycle old apple apple apple ipods and cell phones through Apple.

More so than any previous year, the mobile industry played a major role in shaping the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. With carrier, handset, and tablet news a-plenty, mobile tech had the tech world talking all week.

Here are five trends that appeared in between the lines this week in Las Vegas:

2012 Will Be The Year of LTE 4G – There’s no doubt that LTE 4G was a huge part of the week’s biggest news stories. Dozens of new LTE 4G smartphones and tablets were announced by manufacturers and carriers. In fact, Verizon Wireless revealed that LTE 4G will be a requirement in most of the smartphones it is to release this year. LTE will become a mainstream technology this year, and CES 2012 was its coming out party.

Bigger Is Better – The smartphone market shows no signs of reversing course on screen size. Some of the week’s most exciting handsets boast screens ranging between 4.7 and 5.3 inches. HTC’s Titan II and Samsung’s Galaxy Note are exceptional smartphones and their huge displays are a big (pun intended) part of their appeal. It won’t be much longer before phone screens reach tablet proportions — if they haven’t already.

Feature Phones Are All But Dead, Long Live the Smartphone – In years past, handset makers such as LG, Motorola, Nokia, and Samsung would have unveiled dozens of “regular” cell phones. Not so. In fact, there were hardly any feature phones announced at CES 2012. Instead, hardware makers introduced smartphones that will hit store shelves with $50 price points. It won’t be long before feature phones are used only by the very young and the very old. Smartphones have taken over.

Mobile Payments Aren’t Coming Any Time Soon – One thing that was missing at CES this year: devices equipped with near-field communications and the ability to make mobile payments. The Samsung Galaxy Note is the only smartphone announced during the show that has the ability to use Google Wallet and make NFC-based retail purchases. The vast bulk of devices announced at the show lack NFC, and lack the ability to make mobile payments. This all but assures that NFC and mobile payments won’t start to take off until nearly halfway through 2012.

Competition Is Alive And Well – The mobile industry continues to thrive on innovation and competition, which was widely evident this week in Las Vegas. Consider T-Mobile USA, for example. Seemingly down-and-out after it failed to be acquired by AT&T last year, CEO Philip Humm was all over CES talking about the company’s plans for the year. Humm’s message was clear: We’re not quitting. I heard that same message from Microsoft and from Nokia. Both companies are looking for big things with Windows Phone this year, despite the success of Android and iOS. Smartphone makers are pushing the limits of what they can do with respect to smartphone design, and wireless network operators are rolling out the fastest mobile broadband networks they can. The mobile industry is on fire, and will continue to burn brightly for years to come.

Source: http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/232400345

The Obama administration said on Saturday that it strongly opposed central elements of two Congressional efforts to enforce copyrights on the Internet, all but killing the current versions of legislation that has divided both political parties and pitted Hollywood against Silicon Valley.

The comments by the administration’s chief technology officials, posted on a White House blog Saturday, came as growing opposition to the legislation had already led sponsors of the bills to reconsider a measure that would force Internet service providers to block access to Web sites that offer or link to copyrighted material.

“Let us be clear,” the White House statement said, “online piracy is a real problem that harms the American economy, threatens jobs for significant numbers of middle class workers and hurts some of our nation’s most creative and innovative companies and entrepreneurs.”

However, it added, “We will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet.”

The bills currently under consideration in Congress were designed to combat the theft of copyrighted materials by preventing American search engines like Google and Yahoo from directing users to sites that allow for the distribution of stolen materials. They would cut off payment processors like PayPal that handle transactions.

The bills would also allow private citizens and companies to sue to stop what they believed to be theft of protected content. Those and other provisions set off fierce opposition among Internet companies, technology investors and free speech advocates, who said the bills would stifle online innovation, violate the First Amendment and even compromise national security by undermining the integrity of the Internet’s naming system.

Though the Obama administration called for legislation this year that would give prosecutors and owners of intellectual property new abilities to deter overseas piracy, it also embraced the idea of “voluntary measures and best practices” to reduce piracy.

Whether Congress can produce a compromise is uncertain, particularly in the House of Representatives, where Republicans have fought bitterly over the antipiracy legislation and party leaders, who control the chamber, are loath to offer further opportunities for intraparty battles.

The Motion Picture Association of America, the Hollywood lobbying group that has been most visible in its support for the current bills, said in a statement on Saturday that it welcomed the administration’s call for antipiracy legislation. But, the trade group added, “meaningful legislation must include measured and reasonable remedies that include ad brokers, payment processors and search engines.”

Hollywood and the music industry have broad political support for their efforts, and the Chamber of Commerce and labor organizations have pushed for the legislation. But they often find themselves facing off against the libertarian views of leaders in the technology industry.

Opponents of the House bill, the Stop Online Piracy Act, and the Senate bill, the Protect IP Act, have focused most of their attention on the proposed blocking by Internet service providers of Web sites that offer access to pirated material.

In December, a group of influential technology figures, including founders of Twitter, Google and YouTube, published an open letter to lawmakers saying that the legislation would enable Internet regulation and censorship on par with the government regulation in China and Iran.

That argument struck a chord with the Obama administration, which through the State Department and other channels has been pushing other countries to loosen restrictions on Internet access.

In its statement Saturday, the White House said any proposed legislation “must not tamper with the technical architecture of the Internet.” Parts of the bills that provide for filtering or blocking through the Domain Name System — the Internet’s address book — could drive users to unreliable routes through and around the blocked sites, the White House said. That would “pose a real risk to cybersecurity and yet leave contraband goods and services accessible online.”

The statement did not threaten a presidential veto, but it made plain what types of piracy enforcement measures the White House would not accept.

The statement was attributed to Victoria Espinel, the intellectual property enforcement coordinator at the Office of Management and Budget; Aneesh Chopra, the administration’s chief technology officer; and Howard Schmidt, a cybersecurity coordinator for the national security staff.

Last year, rumors hit the airwaves that Skype was going to release a native application for Windows Phone sometime in late 2011. That didn’t quite happen, even with Microsoft’s acquisition of the popular VoIP service in October of that year.

You can thank Joe Belfiore, Microsoft corporate vice president for Window Phone program management, for the scheduling mix-up: He said that Skype was going to hit Windows Phone in Fall of 2011 during a keynote speech at Microsoft’s Mix11 conference in April of that year.

This time around, it’s a Skype executive doing the promising – well, technically a Microsoft executive as well. While there’s no specific timeline attached to his statements, the mention that “Microsoft is working on a Windows Phone product” in relation to Skype now puts vice president of products Rick Osterloh on the firing line. And Windows Phone owners will know exactly where to direct their complaints should Osterloh’s claims that a Skype product is “coming out soon” not come to pass.

In the video interview, taped during this year’s Consumer Electronoics Show, Osterloh goes on to discuss the various other integrations between Microsoft and Skype currently on the horizon. Windows Phone’s up first, followed by the future porting of Skype over to Windows 8, the Xbox 360, and Microsoft Lync.

While Osterloh doesn’t spill the beans on what kind of experience Skype’s going to bring to the Windows Phone – a native app versus a more direct integration into the operating system – sources speaking to The Verge’s Tom Warren indicate that the first Skype go-around for Windows Phone will likely receive the app treatment. The fourth-quarter release of Windows Phone’s ‘Apollo’ version is expected to more closely tie Skype into the operating system itself.

And when might the official Skype release hit? We’re a bit hesitant to predict, given the app’s track record this far for Windows Phone. But could Osterloh’s “soon” in some way relate to next month’s Mobile World Congress?

Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2398929,00.asp

It’s raining smartphones at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The top 5 smartphones revealed so far are Samsung’s Galaxy Note, Sony’s Xperia S, Motorola’s Droid Razr Maxx, Nokia’s Lumia 900 and the HTC Titan II.

Check out, in brief, the features of the phones…

HTC Titan II

The Titan II will run on AT&T’s networks and offers a hugely impressive 16 megapixel camera… easily the biggest and first in its class.

The phone will run on the Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5 Mango OS and, like the Nokia Lumia, will be the first phone from the brand to support LTE connectivity. The smartphone also allows 720p HD video recording with the rear camera, as well as video calling over Wi-Fi with its 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. The Titan II includes features like geo-tagging, BSI sensor, image stabilization, face detection, Accelerometer, gyro, proximity and a compass.

Samsung Galaxy Note

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note on Monday and announced its launch in the U.S. on AT&T’s network.

The Galaxy Note was one of the most talked-about devices at CES; the combination of a tablet and a smartphone were too much for most people to resist. The device comes with a 5.3-inch WXGA Super AMOLED HD screen that comes with 1280×800 resolutions at 285 ppi density. The screen provides a bright, rich, colorful viewing experience, according to the company.

The inclusion of the S Pen, a fast and responsive stylus, an input tool that allows users to create fine lines and details on the device’s display, much like an ink pen and a pad of paper, will be an added attraction to smartphone users.

The Galaxy Note comes with 16GB of internal memory which can be expanded up to 32GB, via a microSD card. The device is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, has a 2 megapixel front-facing camera and an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera. Unlike the European model, the AT&T model will feature Near Field Communication technology (NFC).

Sony Xperia S

Sony introduced 5 smartphones – the Xperia S, the Xperia ion, the Xperia NX and the Xperia acro HD. However, it was the Xperia S that grabbed the attention of smartphone lovers.

The phone runs a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon processor, with 1GB of RAM and a 4.3 inch screen 720×1280 pixel LED-backlit LCD display with capacitive multi touch-screen of 342 ppi density. It also has a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera for video calling and an impressive 12 megapixel camera at the back.

The phone offers two memory configurations – 16/32GB. The Sony Xperia S will run on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread and will receive an update for the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich during the second quarter of 2012. It comes with the Mobile BRAVIA Engine and Timescape User Interface. It also boasts features like PlayStation certification, Near Field Communication technology (NFC), an accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, Active Noise Cancellation with a dedicated mic, an MP4/H.263/H.264/WMV player, an MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player and TrackID music recognition.

Motorola Droid Razr Maxx

The Motorola Droid Razr Maxx has been released for Verizon Wireless. The new Moto Droid sports a 4.3-inch 540×960 pixels Super AMOLED Advanced capacitive touch screen with 256 ppi pixel density.

The best feature of the new Motorola phone, according to Verizon, is its revolutionary Li-Ion 3300 mAh that promises to provide a whopping 21 hours of talk time and 368 hours of standby time.

The Razr Maxx measures 130.7 x 68.9 x 9 mm, weighs 145 g and has a dual-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A9 processor with a chipset of TI OMAP 4430, PowerVR SGX540 GPU.

The phone sports an 8 megapixel, 3264×2448 pixels unit autofocus, LED flash rear camera with 1080p video capture capabilities. The phone also has a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video chatting. The cameras have features like auto focus, Touch-focus, geo-tagging, face detection and image stabilization.

Nokia Lumia 900

On Monday Nokia’s flagship Windows phone – the Lumia 900 handset – was unveiled at the CES. The phone is the company’s first 4G LTE phone and has been described as “iconic, beautiful and fast” by Chris Weber, the President of Nokia in North America. The Lumia 900 will run on the AT&T network.

The Nokia Lumia 900 is the upgraded version of Lumia 710 and sports a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 pixels Super AMOLED Plus capacitive ClearBlack touch-screen with 217 ppi density.

The phone comes with a 1.4 GHz Scorpion processor, Qualcomm APQ8055 Snapdragon, Adreno 205 GPU with 16GB internal storage and 512MB RAM and will run on the latest Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5 Mango. The new 7.5 Mango will offer one-touch access to social networking sites, along with features like easy grouping of contacts, communication threads and Internet Explorer 9.

The Lumia 900 sports a rear-facing 8 megapixel, 3264×2448 pixels unit dual LED flash camera with 720p video capture capabilities and a secondary 1.3 megapixel camera for video calling. Nokia has used Carl Zeiss optics for the new Lumia 900.

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/2012/01/12/top-5-smartphones-unveiled-at-ces-2012/#ixzz1jTvYTXH8

There’s been a bit of a tip from no less that Microsoft’s own VP of products, Rick Osterloh, on what may very well be coming soon for their Windows Phone mobile platform: Skype! There are a select few applications out there that are so important that the very fact that they’re being released on a new system is newsworthy, and Skype is certainly one of them. Microsoft recently acquired Skype (this past October) and has not been vocal about if or when they’d be creating their own version for Windows Phone made to run like a whip for your video chats galore.

It’s in an interview conducted this past week, Osterloh revealed that Microsoft is “working on a Windows Phone product that will be coming out soon” in regards to Skype. The original promise for this combination of Windows Phone and video chat via SKype came back last year with Joe Belfiore, Director of Windows Phone, said the service would be coming in late 2011 to the platform. From what we’re hearing now, the real deal Skype application may well be made for Windows Phone Apollo, whenever that comes out.

We’ve got a big event coming up next month in Barcelona with Mobile World Congress and Nokia has just dropped their full line of USA product for Windows Phone Mango here in the United States. Let’s call this a possible early spring release? Or at least a late winter announcement. Get ready to chat, Windows Phone lovers! — Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Source: http://www.slashgear.com/skype-for-windows-phone-coming-soon-says-microsoft-14209345/

Apple suspends retail sales of iPhone 4S in China after scuffles break out between security and shoppers who queued overnight to be told store would not open.

Angry customers and organised gangs of touts threw eggs at Apple’s store in Beijing after disturbances broke out when they were told that the shop would not open as planned for the first sales of the iPhone 4S.

Apple later said it was suspending all retail sales of the new phone in China for the time being although it would still be available to buy online.

Scuffles broke out before dawn on Friday between security staff and shoppers, many of whom had waited in line overnight in temperatures below freezing, after an announcer with a megaphone told the crowd that the phones would not go on sale as planned and they should go home.

Police dragged some customers away while others threw eggs at the windows of the store in Beijing’s fashionable Sanlitun district.

Many of the customers were working for touts who try to buy up popular products en masse and sell them on at a profit.

“I got in line around 11pm, and beyond the line the plaza was chock full with people,” said Huang Xiantong, 26, outside the store. “Around 5am the crowds in the plaza broke through and the line disappeared entirely. Everyone was fighting, several people were hurt,” said Huang, who wanted to buy a new iPhone for his girlfriend. “The police just started hitting people. They were just brawling.”

Apple’s other store in Beijing sold out of its stock of 2,000 iPhones by 9am, one shopper at the store was told.

China is Apple’s fastest growing market, accounting for one-sixth of the company’s global sales. However, despite being manufactured in China, the latest version of the iPhone was only launched there on Friday.

“The demand for the iPhone 4S has been incredible and our stores in China have already sold out,” Apple said in a statement. “Unfortunately we were unable to open our store at Sanlitun due to the large crowd and to ensure the safety of our customers and employees the iPhone will not be available in our retail stores in Beijing and Shanghai for the time being,” Apple said.

Apple’s chief executive, Tim Cook, said earlier this month that “customer response to our products in China has been off the charts. With the launch in China … the iPhone 4S will be available in over 90 countries, making this our fastest iPhone rollout ever”.

Last May, the Sanlitun store was closed for several hours after a scuffle between an employee and a customer during the release of the iPhone 4, the previous model in the series.

Customers began gathering on Thursday afternoon outside the Sanlitun store. People in the crowd said the number grew to as many as 2,000 overnight but many left before dawn after word spread that the store opening would be cancelled. There were about 350 people left when the protest erupted after 7am.

“On the one hand there is poor organisation and on the other there were just too many people,” said a man outside the store, who would give only his surname, Miao. “I don’t think they prepared well enough.”

Another man who refused to give his name said he was a migrant labourer who was paid 100 yuan (£10) to wait in line overnight.

Others in the crowd said touts had organised groups of 20 to 30 migrant workers to buy phones or hold places in the line. Organisers held coloured balloons aloft to identify themselves to their workers. Others said they were waiting to buy the phone for themselves.

“I just like the 4S,” said Zhu Xiaodong, a Beijing resident. He said he was upgrading from the previous iPhone 4 model.

The International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is all about the latest smartphones, tablet computers and other devices. But what about the old gadgets? Don’t they get any love?

Actually, one machine at the show is designed to help recycle gadgets, giving old phones a fitting end, or a better home.

Drop your phone into the EcoATM, and the machine will pay you what it believes the handset is worth. The cupboard-sized machine has a large touch screen and a big metal “mouth” where you can place your old phone or MP3 player. It takes pictures of the device to figure out what kind of shape it’s in. Then, you choose one of the machine’s many cables to connect your device. The machine will figure out if the device’s internals are working.

When its analysis is complete, it gives you a quote on the spot, based on what a network of hundreds of electronics-recycling companies are willing to pay for it. If you accept, it spits out cash. In a demonstration by EcoATM founder Bill Bowles, it said a Verizon iPhone 4 was worth $221.

An older phone might not be worth reselling, but the machine will take it anyway, and give you a dollar. The company will melt down the phone in an environmentally friendly fashion to extract the precious metals from it.

WHY IT’S HOT: It’s tough to recycle old electronics. Collection bins are few and far between, though some electronics stores accept items for recycling. You can sell newer phones on eBay, but it’s a bit of a hassle.

THE UPSHOT: A fast way to deal with old electronics that keeps your conscience clean and might give you a bit of extra money.

THE DOWNSIDE: The EcoATM’s quote probably won’t match what you can get for your item on eBay. On the other hand, you avoid eBay’s seller fees. You have to physically go to the ATM. It’s a big machine, about twice the size of a regular drugstore ATM. It has a lot of complicated moving parts, and could be prone to breakage.

AVAILABILITY: There are about fifty of them deployed right now, mostly in grocery stores and malls in California. The San Diego-based company behind the machine says it plans to have about 500 out at the end of this year, spreading eastward.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/01/13/new-atm-turns-your-old-phone-into-cash/#ixzz1jTMRykfl

If you are a big fan of Minority Report starring Tom Cruise then the future not only awaits you, it’s actually here. Samsung has revealed an update to the common window in a house and revealed their Samsung Smart Window. The Samsung Smart Window adds a 22 inch LCD flat screen that has a resolution of 1680 x 1050 resolution and has a 500:1 contrast ratio.

If you want to gaze out into your hard through your kitchen window but get the weather forecast to decide whether gardening is a good idea for the day, the Smart Window will allow you to do both. Samsung’s new technology has made the traditional LCD up to 20 percent more transparent than old LCD technology.

Socializing your window through Twitter and Facebook while you watch hummingbirds is now a reality. Eat your heart out Tom Crusie. It sounds like by year end of 2012 the consumer market will have these transparent LCD screens available for installation in homes spreading a new technology that has rarely been discussed, the Smart Window.

Samsung’s Official CES 2012 Smart Window Demo

We’re providing two videos from Las Vegas’s CES 2012 Samsung Smart Window presentation. One of the videos is from SamsungUSATube and is their official #CES2012 presentation at the event of their Smart Window. The other video we are providing is from Mobile Nations Ashley Esqueda giving a demo of the LCD Smart Window in the Samsung CES booth. Ashley’s demo reveals her fasicnation with the technology and that she, like many others, is hoping for a Minority Report future sooner rather than later.

(The Wall Street Journal) – Apple is increasingly finding itself pinched between the promise and perils of doing business in China.

That challenge was thrown into sharp relief by a pair of developments Friday. Under pressure from activists in the US and abroad, the company released a 27-page report detailing working conditions throughout its supply chain, which sprawls throughout Asia, but especially China.

The report followed an unexpected fracas outside an Apple store in Beijing, after fans could not get their hands on the latest iPhone.

Chinese authorities have looked unkindly on such disturbances, and Apple executives scrambled to control fallout from the incident, which was shown in videos around the world.

In one of his first interviews as chief executive, Apple chief executive Tim Cook said the flap was “unfortunate” and “we will learn some things for the future and change some things.” He added that safety was of the “upmost importance” to the company.

The Chinese market is of growing significance to Apple. Last fall, it said China was its fastest-growing region, with around $13 billion in annual sales.

Demand for the company’s iPhones, iPads and Macs reached such a fever pitch in 2011 that some 40,000 people were visiting its Beijing and Shanghai stores each day.

But deepening ties to China have brought a new set of complications. In 2009, Apple chose to start selling the iPhone in the country without Wi-Fi wireless internet capability to comply with government regulations.

At the same time, Apple has faced Western and Asian activists, who have complained about conditions at the company’s Asian suppliers.

In the interview, Cook said improving working conditions has long been a corporate priority. He said he believes Apple is “raising the bar” for the industry.

Apple’s supplier report could pique Chinese authorities, who have long sought to stem criticism about business practices there.

The report is the most comprehensive on the subject in Apple’s history, based on 229 audits of factories that do work for the company, the world’s second-largest by market capitalization.

Apple said that at its direction, suppliers have stopped discriminatory screenings for medical conditions or pregnancy. Apple also said it found 112 facilities that weren’t properly storing, moving or handling hazardous chemicals.

“I have spent a lot of time in factories over my lifetime and we are clearly leading in this area,” said Cook, who previously oversaw the company’s supply chain as chief operating officer. “It is like innovating in products. You can focus on things that are barriers or you can focus on scaling the wall or redefining the problem.”

Read more: http://www.myfoxny.com/dpps/your_money/apple-navigates-maze-in-china-dpgonc-20120114-gc%C2%A0_17057977#ixzz1jTATHGv6

Call it the rumor that will never die, but it’s back to walk among us, withBloomberg telling us Apple [AAPL] has flicked the switch and iPad 3 manufacturing has already begun, with the product set to ship in March (asmany have claimed).

iPad attack

Does this mean Apple’s executive team will be preparing to host a Judas Priest-like launch party featuring rubber-clad dancers, motorbikes and black leather to introduce its new quad-core speed demon? I don’t think so, that’s more a kind of late-90′s CES product presentation. The reports do lead me to anticipate a February or early March unveiling of the new product, with the new devices reaching the hands of Apple-hungry punters a few weeks later.

What’s being discussed?

• We’re being told the following: The new iPad features:
• Retina Display (double the resolution of the existing model)
• A quad-core A6 processor.
• It will also feature (in some models) support for LTE, a faster mobile broadband standard that’s being rolled-out to many international markets this year.

Conceivably, the LTE support will also extend to plain old 3G for those carriers and countries which haven’t yet deployed these next-gen networks.

Quad-core speed demon

“The company’s manufacturing partners in Asia started ramping up production of the iPad 3 this month and plan to reach full volumes by February, said one of the people, who asked not to be named because the details aren’t public. The tablet will use a quad-core chip, an enhancement that lets users jump more quickly between applications, two of the people said.” (Source:Bloomberg).

This chimes with a December report. “Apple supplier Pegatron suffered an explosion this weekend, in which 61 workers got hurt. The facility is understood to be being re-tooled for a new product refresh in 3-4 months, approximate to the anticipated schedule for release of the iPad 3.”

Why has production started now? Because the Chinese new year celebrations will run between January 22-28. This means the Apple factories are running 24-hour shifts at the moment, the report explains.

The perfect thin client

We’ve been hearing reports of a March introduction for Apple’s latest industry-defining product for months. The presence of new and faster processors, a super high-res display and LTE also means the device will be the best iCloud client out there, and with Apple and partners likely to introduce a host of iCloud-enabled apps in the year ahead, this iPad will be the one to beat. Competitors will be cowering as they wait to find out just how high a standard Apple intends to set in this iteration.

Despite these new technologies, Cult of Mac reckons this model will be even thinner than the iPad 2. A case manufacturer even described the product as “measurably more svelte“. This surprises me as there had been some previous expectation inclusion of a Retina Display may have meant a thicker model of the product.

The iPad’s already a fast machine, but the new model will be super-fast. Videos begin playing almost instantly because of the additional graphics processing and the device has more pixels than some HD TVs.

An Apple environment

Apple leads this new market. Microsoft has its hopes with Windows 8 and a mobile version of the OS, but Android devices have been pretty much decimated by lack of consumer interest. Indeed, CES saw a mere handful of new tablet introductions, as vendors see Apple as too hard a nut to crack and Amazon as the giant at the low end.

What else can we expect inside the new device? Reports claim it includes Siri voice recognition, a long battery life and support for iCloud (as you find in the existing model). The graphics processor is also likely to see improvement, making this tablet a good alternative for many PC functions in many industries: healthcare, education, stock management and beyond.

Despite Apple’s leadership, many of its competitors are attempting to minimize the impact the device is having on the generic PC industry.

This is a revolution

Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing told BusinessWeek, “Apple is the leader,” adding, “we still need to learn something, we still need to improve something” concerning Android tablets. However, he also dismissed these devices as “niche products“. And I think he’s dead wrong about that — these are part of thefuture of PC, a future in which computing is ultra-personal. We’ll wait and see how those cards fall.

Apple has sold over 40 million iPads since the product’s debut in 2009, raking in over $25 billion in revenue. The new release is likely to build on this. Next step following the consolidation of platform prominence will be to move to all-new user interfaces, or so it seems.

Got a story? Drop me a line via Twitter or in comments below and let me know. I’d like it if you chose to follow me on Twitter so I can let you know when these items are published here first on Computerworld.

As announced on Friday, Asus has shown his sleeve, and a very useful gadget for the original. Eee notebook, but it is something totally new.

Smartphone is disguised in the form of tiles.Asus PadFone. Although Computex has to be 2011, and is to be inaugurated today, the Internet is,

again, faster than the official version. Smartphone simple design, metal buttons on Android is a typical 4.3-inch screen.

But the news is HDMI and USB, which includes Eee transformer pad, you can connect a 10.1-inch tablet is not the case because the phone has

become a tablet. Therefore, this card is cheaper than buying separate tablet is because the processor, using the smartphone. In addition, confusion

and greater autonomy in the anterior chamber with two batteries, telephones, attached to the backbone of 5 megapixels. Bluetooth headset,

a smartphone is not able to answer calls while connected to the tablet. This model is designed by Ice Cream Sandwich, and versions of the Android

operating system compatible with all the potential of smartphones, and tablets. Asus has made ??the calls, and says he hopes to ready by the end of the year.