Latest Gadgets, Tablets and Smartphones
As well as launching a new iPad last week, Apple also launched the 3rd generation Apple TV. The new version had a few new features with the main one being that it is now capable of playing back 1080p TV.
A XBMC media center forums decided to take the new ATV apart to see what is different on the insides.
Google has announced that Google Earth Mobile for iOS and Android has received an update. The update brings a much wanted feature to mobile devices in the way of KML file support. What that means is that users who download version 6.2 can now open up KML files to view custom maps while on the go.
As usual, iFixit was one of the first to get their hands on a new iPad. They also are the first to take it apart to see what is inside and what has changed from the iPad 2.
Sony Mobile has posted a video online showing the new floating touch screen technology on the SM Sola smartphone. The new technology allows you to hover over the screen to move a virtual mouse pointer around and when links (as an example) highlight, you can then tap the screen to click on it.
According to the design chief at Nokia, the company is working on a tablet. He also reports that he is spending up to one third of his time working on this device.
Three in the UK has announced pricing for the new iPad which launches tomorrow. Pricing is based on either 24 month contracts or on a month to month contract.
Through the night, a number of new iPad reviews went online. As most people would expect, the reviews were positive with the AllThingsD concluding “Since it launched in 2010, the iPad has been the best tablet on the planet. With the new, third-generation model, it still holds that crown.”
I was lucky enough to get my greasy hands on a Nokia Lumia 800 recently to review. Up until a month ago I knew a whole sum total of one person who had a WP7 device; a HTC Trophy. I must admit, I was impressed with it, the OS was silky smooth and the apps had a really nice design to them utilising the paged appearance where the adjacent items can be slightly seen poking out of the right of the screen. As said, I liked it, however, I was a bit disappointed by the hardware though. The phone looked a tad boring with Microsoft obviously keep very tight wraps on even the hardware specs of the devices allowed to run the OS and HTC failing to inspire the world with the phone design.
So, move along about a year and I find myself un-boxing a nice shiny Nokia Lumia 800. From the packaging it’s clear Nokia have aimed to produce a high end device. The packaging is small, neat and sturdy with the contents well organised. It seems the days are gone when phone packaging was the size of a shoe box. The accessories are all fairly standard, with some black headphones and a wall charger/USB cable. Here lies a small gripe though…the charger looks very similar to an iPhone charger. Now this isn’t a huge problem, except the phone is black, the USB cable is black, the boxing interior is black and yet the mains charger is a small white triangle almost identical to the iPhone’s. Why Nokia didn’t you make it a small black triangle? Black is classy, it would have looked so much better! [Read more…]
Windows Phone Tango will be launching in China this month. A launch event is being held to show Windows Phone 7.5 and was announced with an invitation that says “the carefully designed, refined, and all-new Windows Phone 7.5 will be landing in China”.
Apple has announced that the new iPad will go on sale at 8am local time on March 16 in 10 countries. The launch date has been known for the last week now as well as what countries it will arrive in. But, the 8am is the new piece of information here.
HTC has confirmed that Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) is coming to several devices (16 to be precise) over the next few months.
It appears that Samsung is the sole provide of Retina displays for the new iPad. The report comes from Bloomberg that said:
Samsung Electronics Co. will supply the touch screen for Apple Inc.’s new iPad after LG Display Co. and Sharp Corp didn’t meet the U.S. company’s quality requirements, according to an analyst with iSuppli. Samsung, the world’s top flat-panel maker, currently is the sole vendor of the display for the 9.7-inch device, said Vinita Jakhanwal, a senior manager at iSuppli, a unit of Englewood, Colorado-based IHS Inc.
