Latest Gadgets, Tablets and Smartphones
Yesterday we wrote about a new pocket sized 3D HD camcorder that was launching soon called the Aiptek 3D. We now see that Amazon has a pre-order page up for the camera with a price tag of $199.
The camera has two lenses each with a 5 megapixel sensor behind and are capable of capturing 3D HD at 720p. The screen on the front of the device measures 2.4 inches. Early indications suggest the 2.4 inch screen can show 3D without glasses although the Amazon page doesn’t mention this. [Read more…]
It appears that HTC Hero owners over in Asia today are starting to get the Android 2.1 firmware update. Conformation came from HTC on it’s Chinese Plurk account saying the roll-out would be June 4, which is today.
There was no mention of a European roll-out though with some translated instructions briefly explaining how the update can be installed.
The translated message says….
On June 4, 2010 to open up the wireless software update, the main update function as follows: Android 2.1 operating system upgrade!
System will continue to send updates prompt, when you receive a system prompt as long as you can by clicking Download or wireless network connection 3G/GPRS way to complete your phone system updates. Note: We recommend you to choose to have free Wi-Fi environment, download the update. If you are currently using 3G network, the download may have to pay the additional cost carriers, please make sure to have unlimited Internet access rates apply for rentals before use.
The HTC EVO 4G launches today in the US. The new smartphone is capable of 10X the download speed of a 3G phone making it the quickest around today. Of course, that assumes you are in a 4G area under good network circumstances. However, the launch was hit with a slight snag in that some reports are saying that a problem with the 8GB microSD card that ships with the EVO 4G in that there is a permissions problem that won’t let users write data to the card.
‘It seems to be fairly widespread among those who received the phones, says Andy Y, an Evo user who has been in touch with Google and HTC tech support over his faulty Evo SD card. ‘It’s a troubling trend. He has posted extensively on an online Android forum about his experience, where he says about 20 people have complained of similar problems.
ASUS is following the usual trend and bringing out different versions of the ASUS Eee Pad. This time the product is called the ASUS EPad that’s essentially a cut down version of the Eee Pad. Remember here that the ePad is a tablet device and that the ASUS Eee Tablet is actually an eBook reader with a clever screen if that makes sense.
Back to the ASUS EPad, the device was spotted over at Computex along side the two other Eee Pad models we mentioned earlier this week. This particular model is a 10 inch version that will run Windows 7. It was spotted at the Intel Booth indicating it has an Intel CPU inside.
It isn’t clear at the moment if the EPad will be a real working device, or if ASUS managed to get a prototype working just enough to show off in the Intel booth. We also do not know what Intel CPU is inside this one. [Read more…]
Back in February we heard of rumours about a new smartphone from HTC called the HTC Scorpion. At the time it was rumoured that the smartphone would run a new 1.5GHz processor from Qualcomm (meaning an update to the 1GHz Snapdragon) and run the Android 2.2 operating system from Google [GOOG].
Another rumour has been added to the HTC Scorpion set of rumours with the new one saying the device is real and that it is going to be launched on the Verizon [VZ] network and will include support for WiMax. [Read more…]
Today is the launch date of a few good devices. Over in the US the HTC EVO 4G just became available and here today in the UK the Dell Streak is now being made available on the O2 network.
Price wise, the Dell Streak free on all tariffs from £25/month and above which is a good deal although for £25/month you get data only and not Voice calls bundled in. You could possibly get away with using a service such as Skype to make calls though. The phone it’s self has a 5 inch screen. The screen is multitouch and can display 800 x 480 pixels. It runs Google Android, has an all-day battery life. [Read more…]
Check out the Monster Bike. It’s built from either a monster truck wheel or maybe a tractor wheel, stands maybe 7 – 8 feet tall at a guess and actually can be peddled around although it looks like a heck of a lot of effort. Video below. [Read more…]
Earlier this week AT&T made a few changes to data plans for the iPhone and iPad which take effect starting June 7. For those who currently have a plan you can opt to keep it, ie a $30/month unlimited data plan. However with that plan you cannot use the soon to be launched iPhone tethering that is being made available in iPhone OS 4.0. To make use of that, you need to switch to a new 2GB plan for $25/month.
For those wanting to tether their iPad WiFi and iPhone together to use data that way, you are not in luck as a restriction (first thought to be an AT&T [T] restriction), but then confirmed as an Apple [AAPL] restriction has been put in place that prevents a bluetooth tethering connection between the two devices. [Read more…]
We heard yesterday that Google [GOOG] was planning on launching Chrome OS this fall. When launched the OS will be made available as a download.
We also learn today that the first Chrome OS netbook will also be available also in the fall. News is VERY sketchy at the moment though. The information doesn’t come as a big surprise though as we already know Google has detailed the requirements for a Chrome OS netbook. The big question is who will be the first. Digitimes believes Acer will be first to launch a Google Chrome OS netbook in the fall. We had heard rumours just a few weeks back that Acer would be showing off the first Chrome OS netbook at Computex this week, but Acer responded saying it was incorrect information. [Read more…]
As well as announcing the Nokia C2, Nokia E73 Mode US availability and a dynamo charger, Nokia also announced a trio of phones in the budget end of devices called the Nokia C1-00, C1-01 and C1-02.
The first of the trio is the Nokia C1-00 (pictured above) that has a double-SIM feature. The C1-00 is the cheaper of the three C1 phones costing just ‚¬30 when it launches (before tax and subsidies). The double-SIM feature, different to the dual-SIM feature of the C2, allows two SIM cards to be used in the phone. Rather than running both at the same time the user has an option to switch between cards by holding down a key. This is similar to the C2, but doesn’t allow both cards to be used at the same time. However, the double-SIM still lets users take advantage of two SIM card tariffs allowing you to get the best deal depending on what you are doing.
The battery life on the C1-00 is an impressive six weeks for standby and is capable of holding 500 phonebook entries and 250 text messages. A flash light is built in and an FM radio with a 3.5mm headphone jack to listen with headphones. The C1-00 is being made available 3rd quarter this year. [Read more…]
The Nokia E73 Mode was announced today in the USA and will soon become available on the the T-Mobile network. The E series devices from Nokia [NOK] are based around business users. The E73 has a QWERTY keyboard built in and is still the operators thinnest phone on offer.
The Nokia E73 follows on from the older E72. Specifications show that it has WiFi, 3G and a new Switch mode feature that allows you to easily change the home screen to show status updates from friends.
As the E73 is a business phone it comes with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync client allowing it to connect up to a corporate email server. IBM Lotus Traveler is also included that lets you switch between multiple inboxes. [Read more…]
Nokia [NOK] has announced the Nokia C2 dual-SIM mobile phone. The target market for the C2 is the developing world. As the dual-SIM suggests, the device is capable of running two SIM cards at the same time.
What this exactly means is that the Nokia C2 can receive texts and calls to either SIM at the same time giving you two numbers to work from perhaps with one SIM card having the better deal on text messages and the other card having a better deal on voice calls.
What makes this even better is that the second SIM card is hot-swappable allowing it to be removed and another put in place while the phone is switched on. [Read more…]
