Latest Gadgets, Tablets and Smartphones
Google [GOOG] has made a slight change to how app update in the market place are displayed.
It appears that Google is making the updates more consistent with what information is made available in that a box for changelogs is now included. Some developers were already adding changelogs in manually, but Google now has made a specific area for these changelogs to appear in. [Read more…]
When the Samsung Galaxy Tab launches on Verizon [VZ] in the next few weeks, the ability to make Skype calls over 3G will not be available.
Skype will still be available for the Verizon Galaxy Tab, but voice calls will be restricted to WiFi only. What makes this interesting is that a special version of Skype is installed on other Android handsets on Verizon and each of those do have the ability to make calls over 3G, so it isn’t clear why this is being blocked for the Tab. [Read more…]
The Sony Ericsson LiveView has found a release date in the UK of November 19. The LiveView is a device with a 1.3 inch screen that connects over Bluetooth to your Android based smartphone. The small device shows you information such as previews of SMS, MMS, email, call and other information. [Read more…]
The image above (and larger below) shows a new tablet device called the LG Pad. The LG Pad has an 8.9 inch screen and from what we understand, it will run the next generation of Android operating systems (perhaps the next-next gen as in Honeycomb).
A senior official at LG clarified that Honeycomb would be installed on the tablet device and that the OS has been described as a tablet PC version. [Read more…]
The oStylus capacitive pen for iPad is now available for order.
What the pen does is allows you to draw on capacitive touchscreens such as that of the iPad. This particular model uses an O shape for the nib that allows you to see exactly where you are making contact with the screen of the iPad. [Read more…]
For those who are interested, Apple [AAPL] has launched a new commercial called ‘iPad is Electric’. It goes through the usual demonstration of apps and lets you know all the things it can do. Although not exciting news, we thought we’d post anyway for those who care.
Advert is embedded after the break… [Read more…]
Google [GOOG] has released the next batch of figures for the distribution of the Android operating system. The charts are created to let developers know what fragmentation exists between the popular versions.
As expected, Android 2.2 continues to climb as more devices launch with it installed and with more carriers pushing 2.2 OTA updates out.
Android 2.1 is still in the lead with a 40.8% share. Android 2.2 is catching up though with a 36.2% share in installations. As for 1.5 and 1.6, they still account for almost a quarter of Android devices on the market. [Read more…]
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.
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…]
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…]
