TG Daily - Consumer Electronics News

Midnight shoppers queue for Droid

Andrew Thomas — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:29:38 -0600

Chimes at midnight for new gadget

Smartphone users make lousy partners

Emma Woollacott — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:23:06 -0600

iPhone users are the worst

Internet users do have friends

Emma Woollacott — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:05:09 -0600

It seems that technology is not, after all, turning us into a race of socially inadequate hermits.

iPhone jailbreakers held hostage

Nigel Constantine — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:23:19 -0600

A hacker has hijacked a number of jail broken Iphones and tried to extort €5 from their owners.

Cops to get long range tasers

Nigel Constantine — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:33:00 -0600

Not satisfied with having to get close to the people they want to Taser, coppers are looking at new long-range shocking gear. What could possibly go wrong?

Peek ships Twitter gadget for the terminally-sad

Aharon Etengoff — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:06:29 -0600

Peek has introduced a Twitter mobile device for social networking addicts and professional narcissists.

Start-up sues over Nook

Nigel Constantine — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:53:19 -0600

A small start-up has picked on the might of number two book king Barnes and Noble claiming that the bookseller misappropriated trade secrets in creating the Nook e-reader.

Marvell powers next generation of e-readers with ARMADA SoC

Aharon Etengoff — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:06:10 -0600

Marvell and E Ink have introduced a "highly integrated" platform for next-generation e-readers.

Creative Labs debuts Zii powered MediaBook

Aharon Etengoff — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:55:58 -0600

Creative Labs has debuted a prototype e-reader at its annual general conference.

Apple gambles on killing iPhone subsidy

Nigel Constantine — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:27:24 -0600

When and if Apple signs a deal with Verizon to flog its iPhone it is likely that the price of the gadget will rise.

Nintendo upgrades handheld DS with 4.2 inch screen

Aharon Etengoff — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:26:56 -0500

Nintendo has confirmed that it will be launching an upgraded version of its popular handheld DS device in November. The DS LL features dual, 4.2 inch screens and is expected to retail for ¥20,000 (US$220) in Japan.

Wii don't want no Nintendo consoles

a staff writer — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:55:22 -0500

Japanese firm Nintendo said that its first half profits fell by over 50 percent and said worse was to come, because sales of its popular Wii console weren't that buoyant.

Leaving the iPhone behind

Mark Everett Hall — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:25:05 -0500

Opinion: I've never had a mobile phone as good as the iPhone. It's also the best MP3 player I've owned. Still, I wonder occasionally how long it will be before I toss it aside for a newer, more satisfying cellphone. After all, it's only the latest in a long line of handheld devices I've recycled since my Motorola flip phone in 1993.

Universal phone chargers won't save the planet

Andrew Thomas — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:55:02 -0500

The UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has rubber stamped the spec for a new mobile phone charger that will work with any handset.

Netflix to stream movies over Sony PS3

a staff writer — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:54:27 -0500

Sony and Netflix have signed a deal to allow the delivery of movies and TV shows to the Playstation 3.

By hook or by crook, B&N launches the nook

a staff writer — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:02:33 -0500

Barnes & Noble has officially introduced its electronic reader - it calls it the nook - and claims it is the world's most advanced eBook reader.

Find a Nook - read,lend,kindle an e-book

a staff writer — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:48:36 -0500

An electronic reader called the Nook is set to be introduced by Barnes & Noble today.

Teufel retro clock wakes you up to iPod alarums

the radio guy — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:31:26 -0500

German loudspeaker company Teufel said it has introduced a combined portable radio, alarm clock and iPod docking station.

Canon super SLR will set you back $5,000

C Shanti — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:06:34 -0500

The EOS-1D Mark IV digital SLR camera will set you back a cool $5,000 when it becomes available in late December. But the expensive baby packs quite a bit of punch.

AUO unveils flexible e-paper

Emma Woollacott — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:26:13 -0500

AU Optronics (AUO) has announced a 20-inch e-paper module - the world's largest, it says - and has launched its six-inch and nine-inch flexible e-paper displays.

Verizon droid guns for iPhone

Nigel Constantine — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:05:48 -0500

Verizon appears to have given up any hope that it will ever get an iPhone contract from Apple. Its latest campaign for the new Motorola Droid is packed chock-full of attacks on Apple.

Can the Palm Pre knock the iPhone off its perch?

Andrew Thomas — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:56:42 -0500

Already a million-seller in the US, Palm’s iPhone wannabe, the Pre, has just launched in the UK. Does it have what it takes to rival the seemingly-unstoppable iPhone?

Plastic Logic reveals business e-reader

Emma Woollacott — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:50:54 -0500

Plastic Logic is to launch its e-reader at CES in January, promising a feather-light device with the largest screen in the industry.

Kindle is no answer to reading books digitally

C Shanti — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:40:29 -0500

Opinion Buy a book in a bookstore today and it's yours forever - or until the paper starts crumbling into dust - hopefully long after you're dead.

Microsoft recovers Danger data

Andrew Thomas — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:35:27 -0500

A round of applause is in order for Microsoft support folks for apparently recovering the data feared lost in a bizarre and as-yet-unexplained server failure that threatened an unknown number of users with loss of their data stored in The Cloud.

BlackBerry Storm 2 lays siege to Apple iPhone

a staff writer — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:12 -0500

Research in Motion (RIM) is readying an all out attack on the successful Apple iPhone with Storm 2 - likely to be released by Verizon in the US in November.

The great Apple / elf conspiracy is thwarted

Andrew Thomas — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:35:00 -0500

Ben Kurtz had a problem. His pudgy thumbs made typing on an iPhone a misery. He reckons that the developers of the iPhone actually hate people with broad, round thumbs.

Apple takes on Microsoft's Zune with FM Radio iPhone app

Aharon Etengoff — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:48:39 -0500

Apple is reportedly developing an in-house radio application for the iPhone and iPod touch. According to 9to5mac, the nascent app will be capable of functioning "in the background" and is likely to offer the "same functionality" as the Nano FM radio.

Barnes and Noble leaks e-reader details

Aharon Etengoff — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:07:11 -0500

A source "from within" Barnes and Noble has apparently leaked photos and details of the company's new e-reader. According to Gizmodo, the layout will feature a black and white e-ink screen much like the Kindle's.

Polaroid products rise from the ashes

Emma Woollacott — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:25:53 -0500

You'll have to excuse me while I drift off into a nostalgic reverie. But Polaroid products including 600 Color Instant Film and the One-Step Camera are to be resurrected under a distribution deal with Summit Global Group.

iPhone app lets you start your car

the writing staff — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:44:18 -0500

A company has created an app for the iPhone which lets you unlock your car and start it without using a keyfob.

WikiReader puts Wikipedia in your pocket

Wolfgang Gruener — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:25:00 -0500

If you ever wanted to carry an entire encyclopedia with you, then this might be your opportunity. Openmoko has begun selling a wallet-sized portable device that includes the English-language content of Wikipedia (about 3.5 million articles).

Dyson: Fans for the memory

the writing staff — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:20:16 -0500

Vacuum cleaner entrepreneur James Dyson wants us all to spend $299 on a fan that has no blades.

Giorgio Armani unveils $1,000 luxury mobile phone

Aharon Etengoff — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:01:51 -0500

Giorgio Armani and Samsung have unveiled a $1,000 luxury mobile phone. The legendary fashion designer explained that the high-end device "combined beauty with function" in a simple and timeless way.

Sony debuts ultra-thin Vaio X notebook

Aharon Etengoff — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:58:21 -0500

Sony has debuted its ultra-thin Vaio X notebook line. The X series - which is housed in a lightweight carbon-fiber chassis - weighs 1.6 pounds and is just over a half-inch thin.

DivX CEO: We've still a lot of streaming to do

Mike Magee in Paris, France — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:07:48 -0500

The CEO of DivX - Kevin Hell - said that there are still big opportunities for his company despite the move to internet streaming.

Foxconn preps Apple tablet for 2010 launch

Aharon Etengoff — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:26:33 -0500

Apple has selected Foxconn to manufacture its shiny tablet PC. According to DigiTimes, the enigmatic device will be available during the first quarter of 2010, with an expected initial production run of between 300,000-400,000.

Startup goes head on against Kindle, Sony

Mike Magee in Paris, France — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:27:56 -0500

The CEO of start up company txtr said his firm would release an e-reader before Christmas aimed at what he said is a burgeoning market ripe for exploitation.

Amazon chops Kindle price again

Andrew Thomas — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:58:57 -0500

Amazon is lowering the price of the Kindle to $259, down from $299 and launching a new reader compatible with global wireless networks.

Google's mobile ad services are laughable

Mark Everett Hall — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 22:38:43 -0500

Opinion: Not surprisingly, Google wants to own the mobile browser advertising market just as it dominates the desktop browser ad market.

First real Windows Mobile 6.5 spotted in Lisbon

Tony Dennis — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:33:13 -0500

While the rest of the world bragged about looking at Windows Mobile 6.5 prototypes today, TG Daily has actually messed around with the real thing. It's the Bluebelt II from ZTE.

Toshiba shows off Cell chip TV

the writing staff — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:45:15 -0500

Giant Japanese manufacturer Toshiba will release a TV in Japan that uses the Cell multimedia chip.

Nobody move or the iPhone gets it

Andrew Thomas — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:30:47 -0500

Proof, were it needed, that some people really shouldn’t be allowed out on their own, reaches us from Cincinnati, where a whackjob threatened to pop a cap in his recalcitrant iPhone’s sorry ass in front of horrified Apple staff.

New Apple ad for iPhone leaked to web

Andrew Thomas — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:00:00 -0500

The furniture will be flying in Cupertino as Apple’s latest ad for the iPhone has somehow found its way onto the web.

End of O2 iPhone monopoly is good news for UK users

Ernest Doku — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:42:19 -0500

Analysis: Now that Apple’s flagship phone is to be sold by Vodafone and Orange as well as O2, what benefits will UK users see? Ernest Doku of price comparison site Omio.com peers into his crystal ball...

Palm updates WebOS

Andrew Thomas — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:50:09 -0500

iPhone wannabe Palm has released an update for its WebOS smartphone platform.

Faulty chip causes defibrillator recall

Andrew Thomas — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:02:01 -0500

While most product recalls merely cause mild annoyance, occasionally one really is a matter of life and death. Unshocking news reaches us from Dutch Electronics giant Philips: it is recalling its HeartStart automated defibrillators due to a memory chip fault.

Turtle Beach introduces dual ear headset for the Xbox 360

Aharon Etengoff — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:18:25 -0500

Turtle Beach has introduced a dual ear headset for the Xbox 360. The Ear Force XLC - designed as an alternative to standard 'one ear' communicator headsets - offers both in-game and Xbox Live audio.

Apple App Store downloads pass two million mark

the writing staff — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:23:48 -0500

Apple has announced that more than two billion apps have been downloaded from its App Store, which it modestly describes as the largest applications store in the world.

Apple ends iPhone exclusivity in UK

Andrew Thomas — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:43:46 -0500

UK mobile operator Orange is to sell Apple's iPhone in the UK, ending the exclusive deal with O2 and leaving only the US and Germany not offering a choice of telco to iPhone users.