Latest Gadgets, Tablets and Smartphones
Jesse Vincent has managed to hack the Amazon Kindle 2. His Kindle 2 now runs Ubuntu 9.04 ported to ARM running in a chrooted environment.
To achieve this the Kindle was hacked in to using a USB networking debug mode that Amazon left open on older Kindle 2’s. Full details are below… [Read more…]
I attended the press event for the LG BL40 Chocolate phone this evening and had a chance to have a quick play with the phone to see what it’s all about. The key feature of the BL40 is the 21:9 aspect ratio screen that measures 4″. This makes the phone longer than your average phone, yet after seeing the phone and holding it, it isn’t as long as expected and the dimensions work well. The phone is quite thin measuring just 10.9mm while the width of the phone is 51mm and length 128mm. The screen is covered in tempered glass to give it a nice sleek look.
The phone is capable of speeds up to 7.2Mbps and functions on GSM and HSDPA networks. The BL40 has a 1000mAh battery that allows about 5 hours of calls to be made on a 3G network with up to 360 hours of standby time. [Read more…]
Vodafone are launching a new mobile broadband service in the UK that potentially could see speeds of up to 14.4Mbps. The service is starting in the larger cities such as London, Birmingham and Liverpool.
Although it sounds great getting 14.4Mbps over the air, in reality it probably won’t happen for a while. Speeds that customers can expect to see vary from 1Mbps to 4Mbps with a potential 10.8Mbps being possible in the “perfect” conditions. [Read more…]
gScreen have released real photos of their Spacebook dual screened laptop. This laptop has 2 15.4 inch screens although the first released versions will have 2 x 16″ or 2 x 17″ displays built in. When folded up, one of the screens slides behind the other with a unique sliding mechanism.
“We designed this knowing that many may not need the extra screen at all times,” Gordon told me. But when you do use both screens you’ll get about 30-inches of screen space. GScreen plans to release dual 13-inch models at some point.
Nokia have revealed details of their latest phone. It is called the Nokia N900 and rather than the traditional Symbian OS that they always run they have made a smart move and installed Linux on to this one. By switching to something decent like Nokia, they now have come up with a worthy contender to other smartphones.
The phone runs the Mameo version of Linux and due to this it can offer a closer to desktop type operating system that’s easier to work, more compatible with daily used applications and a good all-rounder. [Read more…]
Gdgt managed to get the details of a mobile digital TV device built by Qualcomm. The device appears to be about the size of an iPhone and is named the Qualcomm Flo TV PTV (Personal Television).
Rather than streaming data to it over a 3G network the Flo will use Qualcomms terrestrial digital TV service to receive signals. [Read more…]
The iNAVI K3+ is an upgrade to the K3 that was launched recently. It is designed for the Korean market and features a 7 inch touchscreen in a widescreen format of 800 x 480 pixels. The screen is LCD. A SIRF V6 chipset can be found inside along with a 900MHz processor, an 8GB SDHC memory card, 256MB of RAM, DMB support to name a few.
Other functions include a video player, MP3 playback, diary function and a USB port so memory can be expanded. [Read more…]
iRex have created an eBook reader that has an 8.1 inch touchscreen and uses stylus-based navigation. For connectivity the eBook will use 3G to allow you to download books wherever you are. iRex, based in the Netherlands, have partnered up with Barnes & Noble to integrate their online ebook store with the reader.
It was just a a few months ago that Barnes & Noble announced a partnership with the Plastic Logic eBook reader. By also signing up for the iRex, the book store hopes to get even more client reach for their store. [Read more…]
Most iPhone users will be aware that there are a number of unofficial ways to unlock an iPhone 3G. However, I was surprised to hear that an official way is now available.
The unlock mentioned above was used by a user over in Finland who was on the Sonera network. When the 3G S was launched uses could buy out their old contact, thus finishing the 24 month term early. This entitles those users to get a free unlock courtesy of Apple. [Read more…]
If you are looking for a new wireless keyboard for your computer and need one with a touchpad built in then Adesso have created the SlimTouch which features what you need. It is called the WKB-4000UV and uses the 2.4GHz RF band to allow it to function up to 30 feet away from the receiver.
The keyboard has 87 low-profile keys that use a scissor style mechanism. Each key has a life cycle of 6 million clicks that should see you through a good few years of usage and more. [Read more…]
A few months back, Lenova announced the IdeaPad S12 netbook that was going to run the NVIDIA Ion chip set. We now hear that they have delayed shipping of the unit as they are waiting for Windows 7 to be launched. As Windows 7 is literally around the corner the good news is that the netbook/laptop should be shipping by the end of this month.
The IdeaPad S12 runs an Intel Atom N270 processor and uses the NVIDIA GeForce 9400 graphics chip. This particular model with these specs will cost more than a standard version running just the Intel Atom processor. [Read more…]
Garmin-Asus have confirmed that the M20 and G60 are finally being launched in the US and will be sold on the AT&T network sometime soon. So far the phones have only recently been made available, after several months of delays, over in Taiwan, Hong Kong and countries from that side of the globe.
No information has been given yet on a European launch but I expect it will be sometime this year. [Read more…]
