Archives for July 2010

Google Nexus One with Red Screen Almost Doubles Battery Life

If battery life for you is important and you want to squeeze more out of your Nexus One than normally possible, check out the tests done by Jeff Sharkey.

He managed to figure out that you could power each specific colour on the OLED screen used by the Nexus One. In doing so, the battery life is preserved.

Jeff performed a number of tests on the Nexus One switching off colours and modifying the settings and managed to find out when using just the red LED’s the battery life on the Nexue One was almost doubled. [Read more…]

LG Android Tablet Launching by End of 2010

LG are currently working on a Windows 7 based tablet from what we have heard previously. We now hear today that the company is also building an Android OS tablet for launch towards the end of this year.

Technical details of the LG Android Tablet are not clear yet. Of course it will include WiFi, but we do not know screen size, specific Android details (likely 2.2 though) and if it will have 3G connectivity built in as standard.

We have heard that LG say the table will be different when compared to other tablets, but it isn’t known what that difference will be just yet although we suspect it just means “better” as in more memory, more connectivity as well as running Android 2.2. [Read more…]

Apple iPad Could get Pressure Sensitive Drawing App

The Apple iPad screen doesn’t support pressure-sensitivity. It merely just knows when your finger touches the screen and acts accordingly.

Thanks to the smart people at Ten One Design this could soon change. The company has managed to build a private function call that allows a special pen to be used with varying degrees of pressure. When pressing down harder the line you draw gets darker and when pressing lightly the line is more faded.

The problem here though is that the company had to use a private function call which basically means it won’t be approved by Apple [AAPL] unless Apple decide to allow it in to iOS as standard. [Read more…]

Microsoft Invention Allows Batteries to be Inserted Any Direction

If you have used a digital camera or any gadget that requires batteries, occasionally you insert the batteries the wrong way preventing the device from working till you switch them around.

Microsoft [MSFT] has invented a new technology called InstaLoad that allows a device to be powered regardless of which way you put the batteries in. The smart design uses contacts in the gadget that allow for either + or – to make contact with them. Depending which side of the battery hits the contact, the correct metal contact will be made inside the gadget and vice versa on the opposite end of the battery. [Read more…]

Cloud-Based iTunes Still Lacking Music Labels

Yesterday we mentioned that Apple [AAPL] could be launching a new version of iTunes that would bring both wireless syncing for iDevices and cloud-based music and video. Greg Sandoval of CNET has said that the “soon” mentioned for a launch isn’t quite the soon we hoped for as the top four music labels have yet to agree and hand out licences to Apple.

To stream music, Steve Jobs likely needs licenses, and he doesn’t have them yet.

Apple however, is believed to have started up talks with the labels so it could be a matter of months or perhaps even longer. We simply don’t know for sure just yet. [Read more…]

HTC HD2 Android Download Now Ready

Some decent progress has been made over the past couple of weeks with getting the HTC HD2 running Google Android. Progress accelerated when a CPU bug was patched that prevented HaRET from loading up. HaRET is needed for booting the Linux-kernel so that Android can be installed.

Just on Thursday the team who got HaRET working also managed to get Android 2.1 and Windows Mobile 6.5 booting side by side.

We now hear that Android for the HTC HD2 is ready for download over at XDA Developers. The thread is quite long, but contains all the details and progress notes that you’ll need to get Android or any other Linux based OS installed on to the HTC HD2. [Read more…]

1&1 Webhost Creates SmartPad Android Tablet

The large German Webhost 1&1 has created a new tablet called the SmartPad. It runs Google Android and has a 7 inch touchscreen.

The new SmartPad tablet device has been designed for new 1&1 customers who subscribe to the DSL service for their home broadband connection. As well as offering the Android tablet to new customers, existing customers will also be allowed to purchase the tablet. Pricing details have not been revealed just yet although it is expected it will arrive this month.

Technical specs on the device show it has wireless built in (802.11b/g/n) as well as the ability to use a USB 3G modem. [Read more…]

Shipped ROMS Stays Open for Now

Conflipper has managed to work out some sort of deal with HTC that allows the Shipped ROMS site to stay open a bit longer. If you remember back a few weeks back the site owner was sent a cease & desist by HTC.

In speaking with HTC, Conflipper says the following…

I have already removed all test files. They are talking with the engineers to get me a list together. They have said since I am doing my part to comply, that I have no reason to worry about the 2 weeks being up on July 1. That I am okay to keep everything online until this gets worked out.

[Read more…]

iPhone 4 Returns have Restocking Fee Wavered

When returning the iPhone to an Apple [AAPL] store, you would normally incur a 10% restocking fee. However, it seems like this restocking fee is being waved for the iPhone 4. The information comes from the letter that Apple published yesterday that says users can take their iPhone 4 back for “a full refund” within 30 days of purchase. Normally you’d be charged $19.90 to return the 16GB model and $29.90 for the larger 32GB model.

ComputerWorld contacted an AppleCare support rep who confirmed the ditching of the restocking fee. [Read more…]

iTunes Cloud and Wireless Sync Could be Coming Soon

Apple [AAPL] could be bringing a new version of iTunes out soon that will bring a number of new features to the program. One of the new services will be iTunes Cloud that allows streaming music and movies from Apple to your computer and other devices as well as being able to stream from your own computer to other computers on the network.

The Cloud system will allow any device with wireless capability to stream audio and video. For example, you purchase a song on your computer at home… from what we understand you can simply log in to your iTunes account on your iPhone and stream that particular song to your phone. This will help cut down storage issues essentially giving you a full library of music to access whilst on the move. [Read more…]

iOS 4 Compatible Spotify App Launches

Spotify has launched an update to their Spotify iPhone app that allows you to play music in the background. The update requires iOS 4 if you want to play music in the background while using other apps.

Spotify say that listening to music in the background is the most requested feature and thanks to the release of iOS 4 on the iPhone, it now has made it possible.

Several new features have been added to the application which includes the already mentioned multitasking support (only works on the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPod Touch 3rd Gen). [Read more…]

Three Network Launches The One Plan

Three in the UK has launched The One Plan. The One Plan is described as being the simplest and most competitive tariff ever offered in the UK.

The One Plan offers a lot of free minutes, free texts and 1GB of data as well as more minutes for calls kept on the Three network.

For £25/month you get 2000 any network minutes, 5000 Three to Three minutes, 5000 texts and 1GB of data. There are no “unlimited” mentions here and you simply get a lot of everything (perhaps not data, but more than enough for the majority of peoples needs). [Read more…]