Latest Gadgets, Tablets and Smartphones
Earlier this week, Apple uploaded a security update that aimed to fix the Mac Defender malware that had been causing problems for some Mac owners over the last few weeks. The update is available through the update services in OS X. When installed, it gets rid of the Mac Defender malware and also scans for variants of it.
Within 8 hours of the security update going live, a new variation of Mac Defender had been created which bypassed the new security restrictions that Apple put in place.
The Windows Phone 7.1 Mango ROM has leaked. The leaked ROM is build number 7629 and was grabbed from the SDK emulator image. One problem with it is that it’s not possible to use it on a WP7 smartphone due to it being x86. Details of where to get the build from and what has been found within so far can be found at XDA Developers.
Yesterday at D9, Microsoft unveiled Windows 8. Windows 8 is designed for a range of devices from those that have just a touchscreen and are small (think smartphone/tablet) all the way up to large screen devices with or without a keyboard and mouse.
Microsoft has departed from the usual Windows look and feel in some ways by using a more interactive user interface.
Nokia is rumoured to be creating an app store for its new smartphones launching later this year. The app store will include Windows Phone 7 apps as well as apps for other platforms that Nokia supports such as S40 and Symbian.
Toshiba has launched a new tablet called the WT310/C over in Japan. The new tablet/slate runs the Windows 7 Professional operating system and has been made specifically for the business and enterprise markets.
The ASUS MeMo is a glasses-free 3D tablet. It was first unveiled at CES earlier this year and once again, has been put on display over at Computex.
The difference between the CES model and the Computex model is that the new version now has 3D. It uses a 7 inch screen that has a resolution of 1280 x 600 pixels. The display also uses IPS technology that provides a wide viewing angle.
Over the past few weeks I’ve been testing a Samsung Galaxy Pro smartphone. The phone runs the Android 2.2 operating system and departs from the usual large screen devices in that it has a QWERTY keypad below the screen. The phone uses the similar layout to a Blackberry or Nokia E series device. The QWERTY keyboard has 4 rows of keys. The screen is 2.8 inches and has a QVGA resolution of 320×240 pixels and is a capacitive touchscreen.
Having just launched the Samsung Galaxy S II, Samsung is now looking forwards to release the Galaxy S III. The Galaxy S class smartphones seem to be following a yearly cycle which means we can expect to see the 3rd generation device launching sometime in the first half of 2012.
When Sony announced the NGP in January this year we also heard that it would have 512MB RAM. To cut down on manufacturing costs, it seems that this will now be reduced to 256MB.
AGC has created new glass that measures just 0.1mm thin. The glass can be used for either OLED or TFT-LCD screens.
Alkali-free glass, composed mainly of silicon dioxide, boron oxide and aluminum oxide, is free of alkaline elements such as sodium and potassium, and is used widely as substrates for TFT-LCD and OLED.
LG has launched the LG Optimus Pad in the UK. The device runs the Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system and has an 8.9 inch display. The processor running that tablet is an NVIDIA Tegra 2 Dual-Core.
A unique feature of the Optimus Pad is that it utilises dual cameras on the back which each can capture at 5 megapixels. By combining both cameras together, 3D video is capable of being captured on the device.
Microsoft has announced that it is buying Skype. The deal will see Microsoft pay $8.5 billion in an all cash deal.
The acquisition will increase the accessibility of real-time video and voice communications, bringing benefits to both consumers and enterprise users and generating significant new business and revenue opportunities. The combination will extend Skype’s world-class brand and the reach of its networked platform, while enhancing Microsoft’s existing portfolio of real-time communications products and services.
