Latest Gadgets, Tablets and Smartphones
Digitimes is reporting that Google [GOOG] could be launching a Google Chrome OS smartbook this month. The report indicates that Google will be using a similar strategy to how the Nexus One was created. Ie, another company created the Google branded hardware.
Google’s Chrome notebook is expected to be manufactured by Inventec with initial shipments to reach 60,000-70,000 units. The Google Chrome notebook will feature an ARM-based platform and will not be selling through retail channels.
Apple [AAPL] has released the latest version of iOS 4.2 to developers. The latest version has received GM status and was made available to developers last night. What this means is that the final public release is just around the corner, perhaps this week when Apple holds its secret meeting with developers.
The iOS 4.2 update will be made available to those with an iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4 as well as the second, third and forth generations of iPod touch as well as the iPad of course. [Read more…]
Sprint [S] announced today that it has launched its 4G network for customers based in New York City, Hartford, New Haven, New Brunswick, Trenton and Tampa.
The new 4G services allow users in those areas (with the correct and compatible phones), to download data at up to ten times the speed of a 3G connection. [Read more…]
The screen seen above is an AMOLED screen that is flexible. It measures just 0.1mm in thickness.
The screen is believed to be the worlds thinnest of its kind with others measuring 0.3mm in thickness. It was built by ITRI who is a Taiwanese research company. [Read more…]
According to a report at Fortune, the Verizon [VZ] iPhone 4 will be landing early in 2011. There have been (according to Verizon), a number of meetings between Apple [AAPL] and Verizon for a number of years. That coupled with Verizon now selling the iPad seems to indicate that the device could be landing soon.
The Fortune article is certainly worth a read as it goes fairly in depth in to Verizon as a company and what can be expected from the network when it lands. [Read more…]
Sony Ericsson is beginning to roll out the Android 2.1 update for various Xperia smartphones. The list includes the Xperia X10, X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro lineup.
The roll-out has started already, but rather than pushing it out to all handsets, Sony Ericsson is rolling it out to various “kits” as they refer to them as. A Kit is described as being a different variation of the phone which includes colours, accessories bundled etc…
The roll-out will take about a month to hit all handsets, so if you don’t get a notification now then you’ll just need to wait longer till its your turn. [Read more…]
ViewSonic has released details of the US launch of the ViewPad 7 and 10 models. ViewSonic confirmed that the 7 inch model will launch in the forth quarter of this year with a price tag of $479 while the larger 10 inch model will arrive early next year with a price tag of $629.
Each of the ViewSonic tablets is slightly different. The larger of the two devices is actually a dual booting machine that runs both Windows 7 Home Premium and Google Android 1.6. When switching it on you get to choose which OS boots up. For times when you quickly need to check email, you can boot in to Android and quickly grab those. For times when tasks are a little more demanding, you can then choose Windows. [Read more…]
Orange has announced the Samsung Galaxy Tab as being available as of now here in the UK.
The Galaxy Tab on the Orange network comes with various subsidised options which starts off at the most expensive price being £529 for the hardware and drops to £499 at the cheapest point. [Read more…]
TomTom has announced a couple of new satnavs that bring new hardware as well as updated software to the units.
New features in the software include pinch-to-zoom and a swipe to screen function. The route calculation has also been upgraded. The new route planning section of TomTom is now able to calculate routes instantly as described below…
TomTom is committed to providing drivers with a world-class navigation experience and now has created a patented, high-speed algorithm that allows for instant route planning. The GO 2405 TM and GO 2505 TM utilize this innovative technology to conduct continuous routing. By regularly monitoring traffic information, these models will recommend the best current route to drivers.
Some users seem to be having problems with their new MacBook Air laptops that launched just a few weeks ago. The problems are reported as effecting both the 11 and 13 inch models. The problems are described below…
The Air suddenly froze, cutting Bluetooth connection to my Magic Mouse (even after I restarted…I had to re-connect manually), and the screen started flickering like crazy. The only thing I was doing at the time was reading MacRumors forum threads and looking at MBA sleeves to buy – no YouTube or anything was open at the time. Only iTunes was open in the background.
You can’t see it well, but the flickering consisted of tiny green/red/maybe blue lines, kinda like when an old TV gets static.
A forced shutdown with the power button seemed to resolve it; closing the lid to make it sleep failed.
Apple [AAPL] has filed another patent that reveals they have worked, or are working on, a new scratch resistant stainless steel. The patent was filed this April just gone and describes a method to protect stainless steel from regular wear and tear.
To make the metal scratch resistant, the process requires a high temperature nitrogen-based salt bath where it shots for an hour and a half. What this does is ads a coating to the metal that protects it from being scratched. The extra layer added measures about 15 – 30 microns in thickness. The outer appearance of the metal is left the same. [Read more…]
Although we are still several months away from Apple [AAPL] releasing the iPad 2, we continue to hear rumours about what will and will not be included. The latest rumour indicates that the second gen tablet will have a couple of cameras with one being 5 megapixels and the other being VGA, presumably for the front for FaceTime calls.
Although we could easily guess that the iPad 2 will have two cameras due to FaceTime and the call for it, there is a little bit of evidence to back this rumour up. The information comes from an investment firm that claims OmniVision will be supplying the CMOS image sensors. [Read more…]
