Latest Gadgets, Tablets and Smartphones
TechCrunch managed to get hold of a copy of a desktop version of Google Voice. The software came thanks to a request to a source who they wanted some pictures from. Instead, he sent them the full app to test.
The app looks basic in layout and is simply a dialler with access to your address book. Call quality is described on the demo video over at TechCrunch as being good with no echos and very good clarity. A couple of test calls were made to show the call quality. [Read more…]
We hear rumours all the time about Verizon [VZ] getting the iPhone 4 or any other model for that matter. Some people comment that the iPhone for Verizon hasn’t been built yet although John Gruber has a different approach.
He strongly believes that a CDMA ready iPhone 4 is actually ready and that the hardware has been developed and just need to go in to mass production. The main hold up he believes, is the contract between the companies. Gruber says that he wouldn’t be surprised if an iPhone hit Verizon a year ago or in 3 years time. It’s just negotiations and getting the right timing and deals. [Read more…]
Facebook users upload 100 Million photos per day to the social network site. Numbers also suggest that 99% of users also have uploaded at least 1 picture. Facebook has decided to improve this part of the site by adding face detection to the upload process.
People love tagging their friends and family in photos, but we’ve heard that it can be a tedious process. You now can add tags with just a couple of clicks directly from your home page and other sections of the site, using the same face detection technology that cameras have used for years. We’re running a limited test of this technology so you may not see it yet.
Owners of the HTC DROID Incredible will be getting an OTA update soon that will bring some new features to the device. The new update will bring 720p HD video recording as well as a mobile hotspot feature that lacks at the moment.
It isn’t clear at the moment when the updates will hit the DROID Incredible and of course, this information doesn’t come from an official source, so it there’s a chance it might not actually happen. But, from evidence we have seen over at Droid Life, it certainly looks promising. [Read more…]
Apple [AAPL] has put out a formal letter regarding the signal problems on the iPhone 4 although it tackles the issue from a slightly different angle from what you might expect and Apple won’t actually fix anything with the signal other than how signal strength is reported.
What the problem seems to be (according to Apple) is the signal meter that sits at the top left of the screen. Apple admitted that they have used the wrong formula to calculate signal strength that reports the signal being a lot higher than it actually is. The meter actually reports a lot more signal than it should and when there is a slight drop in signal, it can look a lot more dramatic than it actually is. This reporting method and formula was used on all generations of the iPhone and a fix is being sent out in a few weeks to report the signal correctly. [Read more…]
Chase bank in the US has created an iPhone app that allows you to deposit checks by simply taking a picture of the front and back of the cheque. All you do is load up the app, log in to your account, capture the front and back of the check and submit it to the bank. This saves you a trip down to the bank.
It’s a good step forwards and a nice time saver for those who still deal in the older method of banking. Limits of $1000/day and $3000/week apply which for some might be a problem, but for most should be just fine. [Read more…]
Lenovo has launched it’s 3D laptop called the Lenovo IdeaPad Y560d. It comes supplied with a 1.6GHz Core i7-720QM processor, it runs Windows 7 Home Premium of the 64-bit variery and has 4GB of DDR3 memory built in.
Storage wise it has a 500GB hard drive that spins at 5400 RPM and also has a dual-layer DVD writer built in. Powering the graphics is an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 with 1GB of memory.
The 3D screen has a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels and measures 15.6 inches. It is back lit by LED and in a widescreen aspect. [Read more…]
We’ve heard quite a bit over the last week about the iPhone 4 and antenna problems that it has. We have seen a few problems ourselves although overall the experience is better than the 3GS in terms of signal. We only find it drops where signal is bordering on being dead but in those situations the iPhone 4 is still able to keep a call running.
Anandtech decided rather than writing about general observations and trying to summarise it in words, like we have and many other places have done, is in fact, use technical data to see how it actually performs. Using the iPhone 4 and writing based on observation just doesn’t get the same message across as facts do.
The tests were conducted by holding the iPhone 4 in various ways such as a strong grip over the antenna joint, flat on the palm and a more casual hold. Signal strength was then recorded for the iPhone 4, 3GS and the Google Nexus One. [Read more…]
You might not be aware, but there is a movie about Facebook launching in the next few months and the first teaser trailer has just been launched (embedded below).
The tag line of the movie says “Get to 500 Million Friends Without Making a Few Enemies”. I can’t say I am convinced either way that it will be good or bad as the clip below doesn’t really reveal too much.
Check out the video below to get some idea of what it is about… [Read more…]
The iPhone 4 bumper case is simply a bit or plastic or rubber that stretches around the outer edges of the phone and protects the glass from touching surfaces as well as protecting the edges of the phone.
The Vapor4 is exactly the same in that it covers the edges of the iPhone 4 and protects it… but the difference here is that the Vapor4 actually looks amazingly nice.
As well as looking good, it will also fix the antenna issues with the iPhone 4 when in bad signal areas. It achieves this by lining the insides of the aluminium casing with a material that prevents the antenna from touching the casing, thus your hand cant break the signal. In tests the company found no interference. [Read more…]
Sony has released a firmware update for both the Sony NEX-3 and the Sony NEX-5 digital camera. The firmware brings a new 3D sweep panorama mode to the cameras allowing several pictures to be taken and then stitched together ready for a 3DTV to display the shots.
Full details haven’t been provided just yet on how exactly it will work, but from what we hear the camera, when put in 3D panorama mode, can be used to sweep around a scene with Sony’s firmware converting those captured images to 3D. [Read more…]
Google [GOOG] is already working on the next version of Android believed to be version 3.0 and codenamed Gingerbread. Some details have started to appear about the new Android indicating what kind of hardware specs a smartphone will need to have to run it.
Phones will require at least 512MB of RAM and a 3.5 inch or larger screen. Processor wise, at least 1GHz will be needed. By detailing the specifications Google allows people to know before hand if their device will be eligible for the upgrade or not. [Read more…]
