We all know that Apple is about to say something about the upcoming iPhone 4G, the only thing we are not sure of is whether the announcement will be coming this April. The touch screen tablet, iPad is already coming out in the US by April 3 and in the UK by late April, making this the perfect time to get people wanting for something new once again.
In terms of known and confirmed facts about the new device, no one knows anything yet. Apple has not only kept a tight lid on the device, and the most everyone can get by on are assorted rumors and supposedly leaked images.
A video has been uploaded in YouTube recently showcasing the supposed external casing of the iPhone 4G. The details on the device are sketchy so it is hard to determine right now if the video is a hoax, but if that truly is the new casing for the iPhone, then expect to be dealing with a slightly larger phone than before.
Aside from the larger size, it has already been reported that the phone will be coming with a touch sensitive external casing. This allows touch based user input to be done from both the screen and the back of the device. There are also some rumors stating that the smart phone will come with two cameras, one in the back and another in the front for video calls. Lastly, it has also been reported that the new phone will have a removable battery as well.
So far, the rumors are those that we would certainly want to believe in. But with Apple still not confirming anything, even the name, then the all we can do now is to wait until the company makes the formal announcement.
Find out more about the recently uploaded video about the iPhone 4G at Know Your Mobile.
Archive for March, 2010
Uncovering More about the iPhone 4G
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010Orange Gets Exclusive Colors on Android Devices
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
There is a new HTC Desire version out there and only Orange is offering the device to their clients. The new Desire Black Edition has been confirmed to be part of Orange Mobile’s offerings for this April and this brings the number of the operator’s exclusive Android colors to two. This all black edition of the HTC Desire is both visually appealing and a much better deal than the regular version of the smart phone.
Aside from the black edition of the HTC Desire, Orange mobile is also offering the white version of the SE XPERIA X10.
The white version of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 was announced last week as an exclusive bonus for Orange. This is the special white color version of the Japanese Swedish joint venture’s very first Android smart phone. The handset runs on a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU which means that it will be running apps and features without noticeable slowdowns. The 4 inch OLED touch screen and the 8 mega pixel camera also help put this device in the high end category.
Anyway, back to the HTC Desire, this smart phone is the most impressive Android from HTC yet. The phone is pretty much the basis for the specifications of the Nexus One and also brings a few extra HTC-made features of its own.
Much like the Nexus One, the Desire comes with a 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen for high quality visuals and easy touch controls, a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU for fast app and function loading as well as a 5 mega pixel camera. Added in to the Desire are the HTC Sense user interface and 720p HD video recording capabilities. Expect to see this handset available by the second week of April
Find out more about the new all black HTC Desire smart phone at Softpedia.
Apple iPad Sales Expected to Hit 10 Million
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
The Apple iPad is already coming out in a matter of days and it comes as to no surprise that many are already excited to try out the touch screen tablet and see what it can actually do.
Of course, the device will not be available locally in the UK until much later in April, but the US launch of the device is already scheduled for the 3rd of the month. According to Apple, only the 3G version of the tablet will be available, the non-3G version will be released when the device finally launches in the UK.
As to why the estimated sales performance has doubled from 5 million to 10 million, many are saying that it is the immense interest in the iPad to be looked to; reports indicate that new orders for the device will not be shipped until April 12.
For those who missed out on the details of Apple’s latest gadget, here’s a quick look at the spec sheet:
The iPad comes with a 9.7 inch capacitive touch screen display; it has an accelerometer that automatically rotates the 1024 x 768 pixels of resolution according to your chosen orientation. A 1GHz A4 CPU keeps all processes and animations running smoothly –and it should have less problems than smart phones too.
The iPad lacks multitasking support so all that processing power goes only one program at a time. Function wise, you can use the iPad as a web browser, a gaming handheld device, an eBook reader and as a mini workstation (the iWork app lets you work on documents).
According to Apple, the device is able to run for 10 hours straight on a full charge; they are also offering a paid replacement service for buyers with defective batteries.
Get to know more about the increased sales expectations for the Apple iPad at the Telegraph UK.
XPERIA X10 Now Available in Hong Kong
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Sony Ericsson’s first Android smart phone is now available for shipping from Hong Kong.
It is not that big a deal considering that by the time the device makes it to the UK, it will only be a few days ahead of the local launch. But if you really want to get your hands on the new XPERIA X10 as soon as possible, then scoot over to online retailer Play.com’s official website and order the Snapdragon Android smart phone online.
This smart phone has taken its sweet time before finally getting released. Sony Ericsson first announced the device sometime last year as the SE Rachael. Exact specifications were still scarce but it was already known that the phone would be an Android device. Later reports would confirm that it would be part of the XPERIA series, bringing rise to rumors that it would be using the latest 1GHz processor from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon CPU and the newer Android 2.0 version.
It was not until late October that Sony Ericsson finally announced the specs for the device; it would be named XPERIA X10 (as opposed to X3 which many believed) and that the device would indeed have a 1GHz Snapdragon CPU but only the 1.6 Donut version of the Android –at that time, only Motorola had a confirmed 2.0 version of the open source OS.
Recent reports have confirmed that an update to the latest Android OS will be available for the SE XPERIA device in order to bring it up to date with the new standards of Android phones. Aside from its impressive, high speed CPU, the X10 also comes with a 4 inch OLED touch screen, an 8 mega pixel camera and of course, support for AGPS, Bluetooth, WiFi and 3G.
Learn more about the XPERIA X10 available from Play.com at Know Your Mobile.
iPad Gets 30,000 Books from Gutenberg Project
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Classic books will always be great to read, and thanks to the Gutenberg project, these literary masterpieces will be stored and archived for the enjoyment of many generations to come. For us however, the time to enjoy these works is now.
Titles such as Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Alice Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and even Bram Stoker’s Dracula are not longer covered by their respective copyrights.
The books are already available online at the official Gutenberg website and they have made the compilation available on various devices as well. It is, by all means, a natural decision that a major eBook device such as the iPad would also have the library as part of its offerings as well.
The Apple iPad is the company’s very first touch screen tablet device. While many are still unsure about what role the tablet would actually play in their lives, there is a sufficient degree of buzz for the new gadget to believe that it will be hit when it comes out.
The US release of the iPad is scheduled during the first week of April; though those hoping to grab the non-3G version of the tablet may have to wait until the UK release by the end of April. According to Apple, only the 3G version of the tablet will be initially available. The device also comes in 16, 32, and 64GB formats.
The tablet will come with a 9.7 inch capacitive touch screen (display resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels) and a 1GHz A4 CPU. Aside from reading eBooks, the device will be used for playing games, running applications and of course, browsing the internet.
Find out more about the iPad offering the Gutenberg collection at Pocket Lint.
Driving Responsibly: Apps Join the Fight
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Unlike alcohol, which has some pretty obvious effects and a full depiction of media as a negative state, mobile phone use sits on a more neutral throne. This is why many state officials and authorities personnel find it so hard to actually enforce the law upon drivers.
Despite the countless awareness campaigns and increased penalties for drivers caught using mobile phones while driving, many still continue the risky practice. Worst of all is the fact that many of the drivers who text and drive are well aware of the danger, but are far too confident of their own skills to think that such a practice would get them into accidents.
Sadly, the studies tell a different story, being distracted by a mobile phone severely lowers a driver’s performance rate so badly that they might as well be drinking. There has been a call to developers to come up with apps, or pre-bundled software that would help prevent or even discourage drivers from using their mobile phones while driving.
Of course, the concept is much simpler on paper but is significantly more difficult in practice. While it is easy to detect if a mobile phone is in motion, it is impossible for a phone to tell if the user is a driver or a passenger. GPS technology enables devices to gauge if it is on the move and can automatically set itself to prevent the user from accessing phone functions, but it will not have a provision for passengers.
Some apps are considering linking hardware devices on the car to a phone –though the product would be expensive, require professional installation and be quite discouraging for people to use in the first place.
Learn more about the need for features that would help cut down on driving and calling/texting practices at Google News.
Cask Finder Helps you Celebrate National Cask Ale Week
Monday, March 29th, 2010
This coming March 29 until April 5, Britain will be celebrating “true” ale with a weeklong event for all beer loving folks, pub owners and even those who have never raised a mug their whole life, the National Cask Ale week.
Some pubs will be offering free pints of Bombardier or a locally brewed selection to customers as part of the celebration, but you should also expect to see a variety of drinking contests and promotions to spice thing up on various drinking holes. Of course, figuring out where to go is going to be quite the challenge.
A new Apple iPhone app called the Cask Finder will be your best drinking buddy for next week as it will help you find where else you can go aside from your local favorite. The weeklong event is sure to have plenty of surprises and it would be a shame to go to a pub only to realize that you missed out on an exciting contest the previous day.
This app will give you the full rundown on events, prices and even what’s available on the tap at a majority of excellent drinking spots all over the region.
The Cyclops Beer Database will also be part of the application, which is a serious amount of help in figuring out what those oddly named drinks really are –and save you potential embarrassment by ordering blindly. If you have never used the beer database before, it has been compiled by experts such as the Head Hunters so you can be sure that the information is accurate.
Another great thing about the app is that you can also submit your own pub and drink ratings –which will help you figuring out later on where you had that last amazing drink before passing out.
Get to know more about the Cask Finder app at Stuff TV.
HTC Confirms New Windows Phone 7 Handset
Monday, March 29th, 2010
Peter Chou, CEO of Taiwanese mobile manufacturer HTC, has announced recently that they are indeed working on a new device and that it will be running the Windows Phone 7 operating system. So far, exact details on the new phone are still scarce, but it has been said that the handset will indeed be ready by the end of 2010. Peter states that they are excited and looking forward to using the new mobile platform on their device.
Many are already pointing to rumors and speculations about the new smart phone being the HD3, some have even gone to lengths to pointing out some key specifications such as the device running on a 1.5 GHz processor or having a 4.5 inch touch screen display. With Microsoft announcing that they would be creating standards for the hardware configurations to the smart phones using the OS, it would be unlikely that HTC would have such specifications on their handset.
So far, this is the third non-Microsoft smart phone that has been confirmed to be using the new mobile platform. The upcoming LG Panther is already confirmed to be using the type 2 chassis with its slide out QWERTY keyboard while the other one, a yet to be named Samsung smart phone, will be a type 1 device (basic touch screen phone form). The device from the Korean developer is confirmed to be using the super AMOLED touch screen technology.
All in all, it looks like development on the Windows Phone Seven is promising. The mobile platform is not going to be launched until much later this year, but people are already getting interested in the smart phone with the constant news details about new features and apps such as Bing, Zune, XBL, MSN Player and more.
Get to know more about Peter Chou’s statement regarding the new WP7 smart phone at the Redmond Pie.
James Cameron: Don’t Watch My Movies on the iPhone
Monday, March 29th, 2010
Well, James Cameron is a critically acclaimed director so we can forgive the man for being a little bit on the quirky side; and we do appreciate the fact that his statement did not come out as strict as George Lucas’ former announcement that the prequel trilogy of Star Wars movies should only be shown on digital theaters (what would he have said if it the prequel trilogy had been released in this day and age of HD?).
Anyway, the full quote on Cameron is that the man simply believes that his latest film, Avatar, is not meant to be seen on an iPhone. In full credit to the guy, the movie is indeed quite the eye candy with plenty of CG, epic battles and massive spanning shots that really are quite hard to appreciate on a small screen where missing out on subtle details would be unavoidable.
The man says that the movie is meant for HD and we wholeheartedly agree. Though James might have hit a nerve by actually saying that it is “dumb” to watch the movie on an iPhone –seriously, there is nothing wrong if you want to see any movie on your mobile device.
According to the director, he has never seen Avatar on a small screen –not even a laptop; though it was never clarified if he had never watched it on an SD screen (because laptops can actually go the whole way with over 1024 x 768 resolutions).
In any case, for those who missed out on the epic science fiction movie, a Blu-Ray release of the film is coming out soon and it has also been confirmed that a 3D Blu-ray edition of the movie will also be available.
Get to know more about James Cameron’s opinion about Avatar on the iPhone at Tech Radar.
Specs and Features of New Super AMOLED Phone Revealed
Friday, March 26th, 2010
Samsung is at it again, they just announced their third smart phone which will be using the new super AMOLED screen technology that they showed off at the Mobile World Congress last month.
There is no doubt that the screen on the Samsung Wave was one of the most amazingly crisp and vivid screens to have ever been used on a mobile phone. The quality of the colors, the depth of the tones and even the blackness of the black colors all stood out, delivering one of the most beautiful visual displays ever.
Aside from the Wave (which is Samsung’s first phone to use the new Bada user interface), the Korean based company also announced that they were working on a new Windows Phone 7 device and that it will be a type-1 chassis with the super AMOLED screen.
Now, it turns out that the high end screen technology will also be heading to Google Android fans as well, the upcoming Samsung I9000 Galaxy S will come equipped with a 4 inch version of the fancy touch screen display (significantly larger than the 3.3 inch super AMOLED touch screen on the Bada Wave) a 5 mega pixel camera and a yet to identified 1GHz CPU. It has also been revealed that the device will come packed with plenty of Samsung features.
The TouchWiz user interface returns (no surprise there), as well as the recently revealed Social Hub networking tool (also from the Wave). Samsung has also announced that the Galaxy S will have new features such as the Smart Life and a new tool for editing document files.
As an Android device, this phone will have access to the large library of Android applications for extending the device’s features and capabilities.
Read more about the new Android smart phone from Samsung at Mobile Choice UK.