Mobile Opera Mini Browser v5.1 Released

July 8, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Opera has released a new version of the Opera Mini Browser bringing it up to version 5.1. The new update is aimed to improve browsing experience on devices that lack a good amount of memory as well as an optimised skin to make the browser easier to use. Other performance increases have also been added such as the ability to scroll through pages more quickly.

The update has been released for users using handsets such as the Nokia S40, Nokia 5130 XpressMusic, 6300, 2700 as well as the Sony Ericsson K550i and W810i. To grab the latest browser you can navigate to m.opera.com in your mobile browser where your phone will be detected and the relevant link provided with details of how to download/install it. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Cell Phones

T-Mobile iPhone 4 UK Price Plans Official

July 8, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Finally T-Mobile decided to join the party and reveal the iPhone 4 UK price for those wanting to buy one on their network. Right now the iPhone 4 isn’t ready for sale on the network but it expected soon.

All contracts for the iPhone 4 are 24 months on T-Mobile with monthly costs starting at £25/month and going up to £60/month in £5 increments to £45 and a jump up to £60/month after that. Only the 16GB iPhone 4 is available for free on the largest price plan. The cheapest you can get a 32GB model for is £99 on the £60/month plan.

The data offered on each plan is not spectacular either with T-Mobile offering just 500MB on the majority of plans with the £45/month plan offering 750MB and the top plan offering 1GB of data. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Cell Phones

Android 2.2 Beats iOS 4 in JavaScript Speed Tests

July 7, 2010 by Leave a Comment

When Google [GOOG] announced Android 2.2 they demonstrated that the new OS managed to increase performance on devices that can run it. The speed increase is possible because of a high performance JIT in the Android Dalvik runtime environment.

When compared to the iPhone 4, the Nexus One performs better in terms of javascript speed. The tests performed over at Arstechnica show that JavaScript runs three times quicker on the Nexue One running Android 2.2.

We compared these findings with that of our tests of Apple’s mobile Safari browser on the iPhone 4. The results show that the Android device delivers significantly faster JavaScript execution than the iPhone, scoring over three times better on V8 and almost twice as fast on SunSpider. Apple has some work to do it if wants mobile Safari to retake the crown as the fastest mobile browser.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Cell Phones

Flash 10.1 Demo on the Motorola DROID X

July 7, 2010 by 1 Comment

On July 15 the Motorola DROID X officially launches. When it does launch, it will come pre-installed with Google Android 2.1. The following month (August), the Android 2.2 update will be rolled out OTA allowing users to install Adobe Flash 10.1.

Adobe decided to tease potential DROID X owners by demonstrating how Flash 10.1 runs on the device. The company demo a few games which easily run full screen by tapping on them. The results are quite impressive and provide full screen action that Adobe said can be easily mistaken for a full fledged app running on the device. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Cell Phones

Band-Aid Heart Rate Monitor

July 7, 2010 by Leave a Comment

The Smart Band-Aid is a device that sticks on your body and has sensors built in to measure your heart rate. The system is capable of tracking beat-to-beat heartrate monitoring while performing real time analysis.

It is also believed that the band-aid will also wirelessly connect to other devices so you could wear the patch while working out and attach it to an iPhone for example although it isn’t clear yet how commercial this particular product will become. Perhaps it will just stay in hospitals and be used to monitor patients for example. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Concept Gadgets

TV-B-Gone Pro Switches off TVs 110 Meters Away

July 7, 2010 by Leave a Comment

The TV-B-Gone is a small gadget that allows you to turn off almost all TVs by the push of a button. This new version is the pro version that allows you to switch off TVs off at 110 meters away.

To achieve this, more emitters have been added to the device as well.

We’re not sure why there needs to be “pro” TV turner-offers, but if you feel the calling to the profession, who are we to question your destiny? The TV-B-Gone Pro looks like a small mp3 player, but contains eight infrared emitters that will turn off 90% of TVs in any country in the world. With the touch activated switch, you’ll be able to turn off any TV within a matter of seconds. It even has an instant reactivation feature so you can turn off many TVs in quick succession – perfect for causing havoc at your local electronics store or at the gym.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Cool Gadgets

Worlds Most Powerful Non-Nuclear Battery Created

July 7, 2010 by Leave a Comment

The image above shows a small metallic cube that was created by applying 1,000,000 atmospheres worth of pressure to the chemical xenon difluoride. This particular chemical is normally a white powder. With the extra atmospheric pressure squashing it, it manages to be capable of storing an amazing amount of energy inside.

DVICE mention that it becomes a very powerful battery although it is unknown at the moment what kind of life span could be expected from the small cube.

Of course, it’s not going to be easy to apply 1,000,000 atmospheres worth of pressure to this caustic and stinky powder that’s normally used to etch circuits on silicon. To withstand that kind of pressure, you need a tiny 2-by-3-inch compartment lined with a couple of diamond anvils.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Crazy Gadgets

Pencil iPad Stand

July 7, 2010 by 1 Comment

The team over at Geeky Gadgets have created another home-made stand. Previous versions included the iPhone Pencil Stand that as the name suggests, holds an iPhone.

The new stand is called the Pencil iPad Stand and was designed to hold an iPad in place on your desk so you can watch a movie. The design used for this stand follows the same style before in that you get a few elastic bands and pencils and tie them together to create a place for the iPhone to sit on. However, the iPad is larger and due to the larger size and extra weight, the stand had to be put together slightly differently to compensate for the size and weight change. [Read more…]

Filed Under: iPad

ezGear SurfBoard 700 Revealed

July 7, 2010 by Leave a Comment

ezGear is launching a new tablet computer called the SurfBoard. The SurfBoard 700 runs Google Android. It comes with a 7 inch screen as well as WiFi for connectivity.

The SurfBoard is designed to browse the internet, correspond via email and watch movies in high resolution. As the device is Android OS based, it allows you to download apps from the Market to further enhance the device.

Technical features of the SurfBoard 700 show that it has a two megapixel camera that can capture still pictures and digital video. The front of the device is home to controls to help you navigate through the device which also include a built in mouse. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Tablets

Bluetooth 4.0 Official Spec Revealed

July 7, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Bluetooth 4.0 is nearly here. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has announced formal adoption of the 4.0 specifications.

New features included on the new specification include a low energy feature that allows Bluetooth devices to run for several years on a coin cell battery.

“The finalization of Bluetooth low energy wireless technology within the Core Specification is a monumental achievement,” said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director, Bluetooth SIG. “Bluetooth wireless technology can now, with the hard work of our members and our world-class qualification program, really do it all.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Computer Gadgets

Mozilla Firefox 4 Beta 1 Download Now Available

July 7, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Mozilla has finally made the Firefox 4 beta download available which can be found here.

The new web browser has been in development for a while now. The version being released is Firefox 4 Beta 1 and is the first version that’s stable enough to be used by regular users although some bugs could still be present and you might have some compatibility issues with any plugins you have been using on version 3.X.

Several things have changed in the new version of the browser. The first is the user interface. Mozilla have worked to make Firefox 4 more streamlined and modern. Tabs have been moved above the regular menu (similar to where Google Chrome has the tabs). The menu bar has actually gone and has been replaced by a single button called the Firefox Button”. Clicking on the button opens up the menu system. The buttons have had a tidy up too with the stop and reload buttons now being combined in to one button. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Tech News

iPhone 4 Signal Problems Wont be Fixed by Official Update

July 7, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Last week, Apple [AAPL] responded to the iPhone 4 signal/antenna problems. Their response kind of skirted around the real issue in that a problem was identified, but not the problem we were thinking of.

Apple basically said that the 5 signal bars that represent signal strength were being shown incorrectly. When signal was low the meter was still showing a good signal or maybe 3 or 4 bars when in fact, it should be just 1 bar showing. This error in calculation was due to the formula being used where the signal strength had smaller gaps on the higher bars (ie, a slight drop in signal could lose all bars).

What the fix will do is correctly represent the actual signal in bars with linear spacing between each bar. If your signal is low it will show 1 bar rather than the 3 or 4 bars you see now in low signal areas. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Cell Phones