What's new on SlashGear.com |
- Google Offered to Buy Twitter for FOUR BILLION DOLLARS
- iOS 4.2.1 GM Seed Released for Developers
- Apple Looking at Carbon Fiber for the Next iPad
- Windows Phone 7 Registry Hack Allows for Direct Loading of Media
- LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game Landing in Stores May 2011
- Grippity Handheld Back-Typing Keyboard Up for Pre-Order [Video]
- FireCore Brings Last.fm and Web Browser to Hacked AppleTV [Video]
- Walgreens Launching EV Charging Stations at 18 Locations in Texas
- SteelSeries Shows Off MMO Keyset for Shift Keyboard
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Hits $650 Million in 5 Days
- A Modest Travel Safety Proposal
- Bell DC HSPA+ network launches Nov 23: up to 42Mbps with Novatel Ovation MC547 modem
- Nokia C7 Review
- Dell Inspiron Duo official: $549 from early December [Video]
- SlashGear Morning Wrap-up: November 18 2010
- Nintendo WiiWare demos coming November 22
- Gowalla Disney deal announced as the Magic Kingdom checks-in
- iPad Magic Pinball accessory makes your tablet a table
- FT iPad/tablet subsidy offers employees $480 to get slate-started
- PP003 pico-projector slips under the $100 barrier
- Super Talent UltraDrive MX 480GB SSD up for sale at hefty $1,200
- HTC 7 Trophy Review
- Stop light concept combines hourglass with normal lights
- Olive 06HD audiophile music server debuts
- Speck offers special edition holiday cases for iPhone
- GE offers up green LED Christmas lights for the Griswold in you
- Lift Audio unveils Icon 6mm premium headphones
- Android packing casino gamblers get a new app with slot machine maps
- Jabra outs new Microsoft Lync compatible devices
- China Telecom denies US internet hijacking as report voices security concerns
| Google Offered to Buy Twitter for FOUR BILLION DOLLARS Posted: 18 Nov 2010 01:29 PM PST Muhahaha! Four, BILLION, dollars. Yes, mister Powers, if you believe a lovely story from Yahoo Financial News you’ll know that earlier this year Google thought through the notion of buying the entirety of Twitter for somewhere around $2.5 billion US dollars. Their offer didn’t end up being officially announced, but apparently it did go down. But that’s not the end, according to YFN again, Twitter felt insulted! And Google offered more.
Instead of the initial $2.5 billion, Google came back with an offer around 3 months ago of $4 billion USD. Of course, Twitter again flipped it’s beak and turned it’s tailfeathers toward the big G. Apparently Microsoft tried the same thing, and was also turned down with feathery butts too. [Via Review Horizon]
|
| iOS 4.2.1 GM Seed Released for Developers Posted: 18 Nov 2010 12:18 PM PST Despite the fact that some people out there, mainly those who don’t call themselves developers, are trying to wait patiently for an official announcement as to when they should expect to be able to install iOS 4.2 on their devices, Apple is once again happy just to tease the masses. The company has just released the latest version of iOS 4.2, for developers, and it’s available to download right now.
As of the time of this writing, it’s still a fresh download, so there’s still no word on what, exactly, the new GM seed features, but we’re sure it won’t be long at all before we start hearing the new features and what not. So, if you’re a developer and you’re downloading it, let us know in the comments what’s different.
|
| Apple Looking at Carbon Fiber for the Next iPad Posted: 18 Nov 2010 12:13 PM PST Based on a new patent application published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week, Apple has been playing around with the idea of using carbon fiber for a little extra strength protection for their mobile devices. And, if the application is any indicator, Apple may be thinking that the iPad could be the first device to feature the new, reinforced housing.
The new patent app is entitled “Reinforced Device Housing,” and it describes in detail an outer housing for an electronic device, or devices, composed of “layered fiber-in-matrix type material.” This includes CFRP, or Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer. As we said above, if the application is any indicator as to what Apple is thinking, that illustration you see above is obviously very similar to the iPad, Apple’s tablet device. The application points out that current generation devices, mainly created from plastic, are liable to crack. If Apple were to start building their mobile devices with carbon fiber instead, then their devices would benefit from the added protection. Apple, if they are indeed going down this route, would focus on using a layered carbon fiber material, or a spine made from the same material. The iPad would indeed look good with carbon fiber as a main component to the build, and we certainly wouldn’t mind the extra protection. [via AppleInsider]
|
| Windows Phone 7 Registry Hack Allows for Direct Loading of Media Posted: 18 Nov 2010 11:46 AM PST For Windows Phone 7, syncing data between your computer and your phone requires that you’ve got yourself some Zune Software installed on your PC or Mac. For most people, that’s not really a problem, especially if they don’t mind having a piece of software between them and their phone. But, for others, they’d just prefer to take care of it on their own, and drag and drop as they see fit. Thanks to a new registry hack, Windows Phone 7 users can now do that.
The registry hack is a fairly simple one, but obviously if you’re not one who dabbles in this sort of things, you may want to keep that Zune Software handy. However, the process is just a four-step one, so if you’re looking for something to do, that will ultimately let you do with your media as you see fit, you can head on through the source link below to get the directions. The hack is a quick, and hopefully painless way to essentially turn your Windows Phone 7 device into a USB drive. It modifies three entires in the registry of your Windows desktop PC, which will let you start dragging and dropping files as you see fit. It will only work on a PC that has had the registry hack done, obviously, so you won’t be able to do the process on a friend’s computer without doing the process on their machine, too. [via WMPowerUser]
|
| LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game Landing in Stores May 2011 Posted: 18 Nov 2010 11:37 AM PST What started as a Star Wars phenomenon, has certainly grown. There are now LEGO-themed video games for franchises like Indiana Jones, Batman, and even Rock Band. There’s even a future update to the Star Wars line-up coming in February of 2011, based on the Clone Wars story arch. And now another successful franchise is about to get the block rework, as Disney has formally announced that the latest LEGO game from TT Games, LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game will be hitting retail shelves next year.
Interestingly enough, Disney cancelled another Pirates-based game earlier this year, but this one was more of a full-fledged title, and not based on the LEGO universe. The new title, which will launch along side the latest installment in the movie franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, will focus on Jack Sparrow again, but you’ll also be able to choose up to 70 playable characters. The events in the game will take place during the first three movies (The Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man’s Chest, and At World’s End), but will also have some moments from the new movie, too. TT Games will be launching the title on every major console, including the PC, and mobile consoles. It’s set to hit shelves in May, 2011. Press Release
|
| Grippity Handheld Back-Typing Keyboard Up for Pre-Order [Video] Posted: 18 Nov 2010 11:05 AM PST The makers of Grippity feel that there needs to be a change to our every day typing woes. They feel that the standard keyboard just isn’t necessary for the 21st century, and feel that we should start “typing out of the box.” To do that, they figure you’ll need a crazy design, and a few extra features thrown in there for good measure. They took their beliefs to heart, and the result is the Grippity back-typing keyboard. It’s a handheld peripheral, but that’s about where the standard features end.
The Grippity keyboard features front and back-facing keys. So, while you’re holding it, you won’t necessarily have to move your hand in any peculiar ways to type what you want, on the display you’re trying to type it on. You can just use the tips of your fingers while you’re holding it. You can also hit the keys on the front, if that’s what you’d prefer. There’s also media controls at the top, and you’ll find a trackball at the top-right corner. The device has been rumored for a long time, but it looks like the shade has finally bee pulled up. You can even pre-order if you want. You’ll just have to drop $60, and know full well that you’ll have to wait until some time in February to get your hands on it. There’s a chance we’ll see this guy at CES 2011, so stay tuned. To showcase the Grippity, there’s a very interesting video below, which you should definitely check out. [via Ubergizmo]
|
| FireCore Brings Last.fm and Web Browser to Hacked AppleTV [Video] Posted: 18 Nov 2010 10:33 AM PST If you got yourself an AppleTV, you knew what you were buying: a device that had one, and only one thing to do: stream media. You get your videos, movies, and music, but other than that, you’re left with a big gaping hole in the features set. But, obviously the hacking community believes there’s some room for improvement, and so they’ve managed to take the time and bring some new features to the AppleTV product.
Namely, Last.fm and a Web browser. Thanks to FireCore, the tweak is set to release the music streaming service thanks to the packaged called aTV Flash (black). The package doesn’t just include Last.fm, either. You’ll also be able to surf the Internet, thanks to the integrated Web browser that the developers of the package included. As you can see from the image above, you’ll not only get the Internet, but also a huge mouse icon. The hack only works if you’ve got yourself a jailbroken AppleTV, so if you’re not someone who wants to deal with that aspect of an Apple product, then this won’t be for you. However, if you like living on the edge, and want to get a few more functionality bullet points for your AppleTV, here’s your chance. If you are interested in seeing what it’s like, check out the video below. [via 9to5Mac]
|
| Walgreens Launching EV Charging Stations at 18 Locations in Texas Posted: 18 Nov 2010 10:21 AM PST The electric movement is still well underway, and for companies like NRG Energy, it takes a huge investment to make sure that it sticks around. Teaming up with Walgreens may seem like an unorthodox move to some, but apparently NRG Energy believes that choosing 18 locations across Houston and Harris County in Texas is a safe bet for seeing some return on their investment.
The eVgo Network, from NRG Energy, is one of the first commercial electric-vehicle-charging networks in the United States, and they will initially feature over 100 charging stations throughout the US. The total investment from the company is estimated in the $10 million region. It will initially launch with 18 locations within Houston, and the Harris County region. You’ll be able to find the rapid charging EV stations at Walgreens locations. The first roll-out will begin in 2011, and each location will feature two different kinds of chargers. The first will be a Level-2 charging station, which will take about four hours to charge an electric vehicle to full capacity. And then there’s the rapid chargers, which should do the job in about 30 minutes. If you’re in the area beginning in 2011, and you’ve been waiting to get a charging station in your area, thanks to NRG Energy, that’s about to come to fruition. [via CNET]
|
| SteelSeries Shows Off MMO Keyset for Shift Keyboard Posted: 18 Nov 2010 10:01 AM PST Back at the end of September, SteelSeries unveiled a brand new way for people to use their keyboards, especially those who play a lot of different games, or do a lot of different tasks on one computer. Instead of buying a lot of different keyboards, why not just buy one that allows you to change the keyset? Thankfully, SteelSeries released the Shift Keyboard, which allows you to change keysets on the fly, and now they’ve added one more keyset to the mix: MMO.
The MMO keyset provides gamers with a new way to play their favorite titles, without having to spend the money on a dedicated MMO keyboard. The SteelSeries Shift keyset features things like a button for trading and dueling, and many more common tasks. You’ll also get buttons for emotes. The full-size keyboard also features customizable macros, which you can map to any key you wish. And, when you’re done playing the game, you just switch out the keyset, and put on a different one, for whatever other task you need to get done. The MMO keyset will cost you $24.99, and if you haven’t already purchased the Shift keyboard, that will run you $89.99 [via CrunchGear]
|
| Call of Duty: Black Ops Hits $650 Million in 5 Days Posted: 18 Nov 2010 09:35 AM PST In a formal announcement that some probably saw coming from a mile away, Activision announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops has continued to break records, and has officially managed to rake in $650 million worth of sales in the first five days of being on sale. It would be impressive enough to be just another video game record, but just as they did with the first record breaking 24 hours, this breaks entertainment records as a whole.
As Activision puts it, Call of Duty: Black Ops is part of the “first entertainment property in history to set five-day records for two consecutive years across all forms of entertainment.” The Activision Blizzard CEO is of course referencing the company’s other previous mega-hit, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. That previous title managed to bring in $550 million in its first five days. And while Activision is busy breaking records, so is Microsoft, thanks to their Xbox LIVE service. According to Microsoft, Black Ops managed to bring in a record 2.6 million unique players on day one, who of which managed to log in 5.9 million multiplayer hours. And, if you’ve been hoping for a patch, the first official title update for the game has been released today, for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. Check out the full press release below. Press Release
|
| A Modest Travel Safety Proposal Posted: 18 Nov 2010 09:15 AM PST It is a sad day when I board a plane and all I see around me are potential terrorists. And I’m not just talking about the obvious terrorists, the disgruntled white Midwestern men. Remembering that most successful terrorists look just like us when they fly, it is impossible to feel safe and secure on an airplane. These potential enemies are all wearing underwear, in which they could smuggle explosive devices (or large sums of cash, if you live in Md). They all have shoes on, with thick soles that could easily hide weapons or bomb-making material. They bring with them luggage, certainly large enough to carry a mass destruction device. Everywhere I look, all I see is danger.
I think we all agree that safety is our number one concern, especially while flying. Everything else is a distant second. What rights would I not give up for safety’s sake? None, of course. I would sacrifice every right endowed upon me by my country and my creator, so long as I can travel knowing that I am 100% safe from harm. What is my freedom of speech compared to safety? I would gladly sacrifice my freedom of religion, and especially my freedom to gather in groups and petition the government for a redress of grievances. I already give up my right to bear arms. There are no rights I would not accede. I would let the army shelter troops in my house, as long as it would ensure the safety of myself, my loved ones and my fellow passengers. I would give up my rights when accused of a crime, my right to vote as a woman, and even prohibiti. . . oh, wait, I see that’s already been repealed. Okay, then I would give up the repeal of prohibition AND prohibition itself. There has been a major backlash against current airline safety restrictions, for no good reason. The TSA now offers two choices to select passengers. Either pass through a healthful dose of radiation so that a trained, moral and upstanding employee of the TSA can get a good look at your naked body and anything you might be hiding in any crack and crevice thereof. Or, you can let a TSA agent give you a thorough, enjoyable pat-down, reaching up into every hiding spot a lethal terrorist could imagine planting a dangerous device. Personally, I’m amazed that the TSA doesn’t charge you, the traveler for this service. After all, you’re the one who gets the free, full-body massage, while the TSA officer is the one who has to suffer the indignity of performing this work in public. I understand why pilots are up in arms about the radiation problem. For most travelers, a little radiation before every flight won’t be much of a big deal, at least not for the next twenty years or so, before any cancerous tumors develop. But for pilots, this is a more serious problem. But I don’t understand why pilots wouldn’t go through a pat down before a flight. Their job is stressful as it is, so why not a relaxing massage before flight, courtesy of the TSA? The only way I would see their point is if they thought a massage might relax them too much before a trip. Then, I would want them to experience something more jarring, in order to help keep them awake. Perhaps a full cavity search would improve their alertness level, and also keep them from falling asleep during the long hours in the air. For the rest of us, however, I think I understand the problem. It is not that the TSA agents will see our naked bodies through the backscatter X-Ray machine. This is an anonymous stranger who has no personal attachment to us. It’s a clinical sort of naked, like visiting a doctor who you only see once and whose credentials you did not have time to check. It’s like streaking in college, except that you are only doing it for one person and you’re probably sober. The problem is the unfairness of the scanning procedure. The TSA is only picking certain people to go through this scan, either at random or because their name showed up on a government sanctioned security list. The problem is that passengers feel they are being treated unfairly when they are scanned, so the solution is easy. First, scan everyone. Everyone has to submit to a scan or, if radiation is a concern, a full-body security massage. If everyone has to do it, nobody will feel left out or singled out. Either way, we all win. Second, if the problem is that the anonymous TSA agent will see us naked, there is an easy solution. Require all passengers to be nude passing through the scanning machine. Also for the pat-down, of course. This solution takes advantage of our human nature. When we are the only ones naked, we feel isolated and out of place. We stick out and feel self conscious. But think of nudist colonies. There, everybody is naked, and nobody feels uncomfortable. If every single traveler had to remove their clothes, none of us would feel uncomfortable. We would quickly get over the unease of our own nudity, as we embrace nudity on a community level. There have also been complaints about children being subject to these security procedures. Some parents, who apparently care less about their children being safe on an airplane full of potential terrorists, and who care more about their children’s vanity passing through an nude X-Ray scanner or being frisked by an adult TSA agent, are protesting the new security measures. For them I have a similar solution. First of all, the children must be naked as well as the adults. Children enjoy being naked. I have a two-year-old child, and he would much rather strip down and run around in the buff than wear the constricting layers and layers of clothing require for a simple trip to the grocery store. Of course, some parents will complain about the radiation, so we’ll also need an alternative pat-down procedure for the children. If having a trained TSA put his or her hands all over your naked child seems like an intrusion, there is an easy solution. Hire children to pat down the other children. After all, only male TSA agents can pat-down men, and women do the same to female passengers. It only makes sense that we hire children to thoroughly search our naked children as we pass through the security gates. I can already see the problems here. Child labor laws would be a concern, so these child security agents will have to be accompanied by an adult, but its better to have an anonymous adult watching one child searching another for the dangerous weapons and destructive devices that their terrorist parents could have planted anywhere on their persons. Also, it would be best if these children were volunteers, not only to save money, but also to avoid the child labor dispute altogether. There is no price that is too high to pay for our safety. Our country was founded on the ideas of safety and security, not freedom and personal comfort or happiness. The rest of the world may be an unsafe place, but there is no reason we have to simply accept that and move on with our lives. It is time that we all sacrifice our basic freedoms, the most that we can possibly give to the airlines, after our money and our return business. Only then will we all feel safe, naked and secure.
|
| Bell DC HSPA+ network launches Nov 23: up to 42Mbps with Novatel Ovation MC547 modem Posted: 18 Nov 2010 09:00 AM PST HSPA+ is all well and good, but Bell Mobility and Novatel Wireless are more interested in what speeds you can manage if you pair a couple of cells together. Together they’ve announced the Ovation MC547 USB modem for Bell Mobility’s freshly unveiled Dual-Cell HSPA+ (DC HSPA+) network, which will be theoretically capable of up to 42 Mbps downloads and 11 Mbps uploads.
The DC HSPA+ network will kick off in Toronto on November 23, before further roll-outs to other Canadian cities. It’ll also see the debut of new, speed-based pricing: a $10 add-on will be available on all Mobile Internet plans, mandatory if subscribers want access to the high-speed network. Of course, in areas without DC HSPA+ service, the MC547 Turbo Stick will work as a regular HSPA+ modem; Bell has been rolling out that service since this time last year, and now covers “93% of the Canadian population in rural and remote locations.” No word on how much the Novatel modem itself will cost at this stage.     Press Release:
Press Release:
|
| Posted: 18 Nov 2010 08:25 AM PST The Nokia C7 could well be described as the less outlandish sibling of the N8: a more sober design, more mainstream camera and more affordable price tag, for what’s the second Symbian^3 smartphone from the company. Alternatively, it could be a business bargain. First impressions at Nokia World 2010 were solid, but does the day to day experience live up to the sturdy chassis? Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut.
HardwareWe’ve always had a soft-spot for Nokia’s high-end smartphone design, and while the C7 may not initially stand out quite so well from the crowd as the N8 or E7, it’s a surprisingly pleasing device in the hand. Slimmer than the N8, at 10.5mm thick, it’s a narrow slice of glass, metal and high-quality plastics that feels easily up to being dropped into a pocket without the benefit of a case. There are three color variants on offer: a silver “frosty metal”, metallic brown “mocha” and, like our review unit, “charcoal black”. Nokia C7 Unboxing & Demo: Up front is a 3.5-inch ClearBlack AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, running at 640 x 360 resolution and capable of 16.7m colors. It’s not the highest resolution around, but the image quality is excellent and viewing angles superb. We had no issues with touch responsiveness, either. Inside, Nokia has again used its woefully-underpublicized pentaband WCDMA radio (850/900/1700/1900/2100) capable of 3G speeds on European, T-Mobile USA and AT&T networks. There’s also quadband GSM/EDGE, Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi b/g/n and both an FM radio and FM transmitter. GPS, A-GPS and Nokia’s proprietary – and speedy – WiFi network positioning system are also present. Any other company would be screaming features like these from the rooftops, and yet Nokia seems reluctant to talk about the C7′s hardware prowess.
On the back is an 8-megapixel camera (“full focus” rather than autofocus) with a dual-LED flash and flanked by stereo speakers, while a second, VGA camera faces forward for 3G video calls. On the top edge there’s a microUSB port (under a flap) for charging or synchronizing, together with a 3.5mm headphone jack and power button. On the right side there are volume buttons flanking a shortcut key, together with a camera shortcut, while on the left is a 2.5mm Nokia charging port. The microphone is on the underside. Curiously, while the SIM card slot is accessible under the battery cover, without removing the battery itself, the same can’t be said for the microSD card slot (that augments 8GB of internal storage). Nokia doesn’t include the adapter in the box (unlike with the N8), but the C7 will work with their USB Host dongle to hook up external storage or peripherals. As we found with the N8, however, the effectiveness depends on what power requirements the external drive has; too hungry, and the C7 can’t supply enough juice. Unfortunately there’s no HDMI output. SoftwareSymbian^3 is likely to be the stumbling block for most people, with a reputation that’s proving difficult for Nokia to shed as it attempts to promote the platform’s relevance. We’ve covered it comprehensively in our Nokia N8 review, and the build on the C7 is identical. That means you get three homescreen panes which can be filled with up to six widget-bars each, together with rudimentary social networking integration. The latter falls short of what, say, HTC has achieved with Sense on Android devices, basically amounting to Twitter and Facebook updates pulled down and your own status changes supported. You do get threaded SMS conversations, and there’s support for a single Exchange account and multiple POP/IMAP accounts, all of which worked as you’d expect. Multi-tasking is also convenient, with a long-press of the single menu key pulling up a graphical switcher from which you can also end programs; we still prefer this to iOS and Android’s icon-based task-switcher. Nokia has promised an update to Symbian’s on-screen keyboards in early 2011, and to be honest they can’t come soon enough. Swype is preloaded, but there’s no portrait-orientation QWERTY keyboard, only T9/multitap, and you actually enter text into a different, separate text box that pops up when you tap. Both are due to be changed, but until then text input can be frustrating.
Nokia’s browser is also due an update in 2011, with greater speed and stability promised (which will also have an impact on third-party apps that use the same underlying engine). Until then, the default C7 browser is a passable affair, supporting multitouch gestures and Flash playback, but proving sluggish at times when trying to handle the latter. It works, but it lacks the slick swiftness of, say, the iPhone 4. Of course, there are third-party options available through Nokia’s Ovi Store that provide an alternative, and it’s worth digging out Opera Mobile 10 and Opera Mini; you lose Flash support, but gain a portrait QWERTY keyboard and windowed browsing. Ovi Maps may require some UI acclimatisation to those used to Google Maps, but after that it’s a solid GPS app with some useful third-party extras. Unlike Google, full offline navigation is supported (you can download select maps to the C7′s memory, and then turn off the data connection), and unlike HTC’s latest Sense offline mapping you don’t have to pay for the navigation functionality. We’d like to have seen a car kit in the box to make the most of that, but unfortunately it’s an optional accessory. CameraNokia’s 12-megapixel camera on the N8 has been rightly lauded, and happily the C7′s 8-megapixel unit is another strong performer. The lack of true autofocus means shots are quick to take, snapping as soon as you hit the dedicated camera key, and while there’s no Xenon flash, you can at least use the bright dual-LEDs for a video light during 720p HD recording.
Stills are impressive, with plenty of detail and minimal noise, together with rich, well-balanced colors that look great on the C7′s AMOLED display and on bigger screens. Unfortunately sharing them is made a little trickier than on rival devices; you can email them, but there’s no native Twitter or Facebook uploading. Video, meanwhile, is similarly strong (and, again, we wish there was a way to upload it from the C7 to YouTube or other sharing sites). Colors are rich and there’s plenty of detail, though fast pans – like with most cameraphones – could lead to jags or blur. Still, you’re getting a fair chunk of the N8′s overall image abilities in a more pocketable device. Nokia C7 720p HD video sample: Phone & BatteryNokia has a reputation for solid phone performance, and the C7 is no different. There are dedicated call keys on the front panel, both with pleasantly solid tactile feedback to let you know you’ve hit them, and earpiece clarity is high. The speakerphone is also loud and clear. Battery life, too, is impressive when compared to other smartphones. We easily managed two days of solid use, with push-email turned on and a mixture of calls, browsing and photography. Considering most smartphones demand a nightly recharge (or more), that’s impressive stuff. The average user could probably squeeze out a third day, too, with little compromise.
Wrap-UpThe Nokia C7 suffers from the same problems as the N8: the hardware is some of the best around, especially when it comes to connectivity, but the software is a tougher sell. Symbian has many strengths – and many users – and Nokia’s plans for cross-platform compatibility with Qt should mean the OS isn’t left behind when MeeGo devices begin to take the smartphone top spots, but the Finns are less successful at convincing people that the platform is more than UI deep. 2011′s interface and browser changes should go some way to addressing that, but until then Symbian^3 simply lacks the out-of-the-box user friendliness of Android, webOS and iOS. Priced at £359 or free on a £20 per month agreement in the UK (the C7 is yet to show up at Nokia USA’s online store) the C7 undercuts the N8 by £70 (or £120 over the course of a two-year subsidy). For your money you’re getting strong camera performance and excellent “core” abilities – phone, battery and connectivity – but less endearing browsing, social networking and text-input than from other manufacturers. It’s certainly not a bad smartphone, but Symbian still needs work if it’s to successfully take on Android and iOS devices on all fronts.                                 
|
| Dell Inspiron Duo official: $549 from early December [Video] Posted: 18 Nov 2010 08:19 AM PST Dell has come clean on the Dell Inspiron Duo convertible hybrid netbook/tablet, which will begin shipping in the first week of December 2010. The 10.1-inch tablet will kick off at $549, which gets you Intel’s dual-core Atom N550 processor paired with 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard-drive and Broadcom’s Crystal HD video accelerator; the display, meanwhile, is a 1,366 x 768 capacitive touchscreen.
Video demo after the cut
OS is Windows 7 Home Premium, but Dell has also added its own Duo Stage UI for easier access to the various multimedia functionality the company thinks will be most appealing. That means their MusicStage, VideoStage, PhotoStage and BookStage apps – the functionality of which is pretty obvious to deduce – and the UI automatically boots on top of Windows when the display is flicked round into tablet orientation. Connectivity includes the usual netbook array of two USB 2.0 ports, a headphones socket, and power, with more options if you plump for the JBL speaker-dock ($649 for both the Inspiron Duo and the dock). That has two further USB 2.0 ports, ethernet and an audio port, along with a multi-format memory card reader. There’s a 1.3-megapixel webcam, and a 320GB 7,200rpm hard-drive is optional. Battery life – from the non-removable power pack – is around 4hrs of normal use. Dell Inspiron Duo hands-on [via NewGadgets.de] [via PC Pro]
|
| SlashGear Morning Wrap-up: November 18 2010 Posted: 18 Nov 2010 08:03 AM PST First lets talk about the amount of mobile ad impressions (the amount of times ads appear in applications) that Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android have: guess what? They’re tied. That’s wild. Next, Pontiflex CEO Zephrin Lasker says Android is “more important” than iPhone for mobile advertising. Then, no less a name than Steve Wozniak (aka the wonderful wizard of Woz) bets on Android to win the smartphone wars. Looks like a pretty good day ramping up here for Android, yes?
R3 Media Network SlashPhone Android Community SlashGear To see more wrap-up posts, follow the following tags: [The Daily Slash] or [SlashGear Morning Wrap-up]
|
| Nintendo WiiWare demos coming November 22 Posted: 18 Nov 2010 08:03 AM PST Nintendo plans to update its WiiWare downloadable game store to support demo versions of select titles, with the new try-before-you-buy system launching on November 22. The demos will be available for limited periods, and downloading them will not count against your Wii Points; initial titles to be included in the promotion are BIT.TRIP FATE, And Yet It Moves, ThruSpace and Jett Rocket.
Nintendo says it will update the demos on Mondays, though it’s not clear how long each will be available for; we’re guessing that’s down to the title publisher, at least in part. Press Release:
|
| Gowalla Disney deal announced as the Magic Kingdom checks-in Posted: 18 Nov 2010 07:50 AM PST Gowalla has inked a deal with Disney, which will see visitors to Disney parks able to check-in at over 100 locations across Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California, earning featured stamps as you go. The Gowalla Passport pages will show what’s happening at the parks, together with maps, check-in streams and other special items, and each ride or attraction can be automatically tweeted or announced on Facebook.
For Gowalla, the opportunity is to expand their 500,000 strong user base, and hopefully encourage some of those who try out the Disney check-ins to keep using the service after they get back home. Disney, meanwhile, gets to further publicize its parks and build social network engagement. Gowalla expects to have around 200 locations outfitted with stamps by the end of the year, and those who have already visited prior to the deal’s announcement will retroactively get the stamps if they checked in while at the parks. You can see the most popular places – and examples of Passport pages – here. [via CNN]
|
| iPad Magic Pinball accessory makes your tablet a table Posted: 18 Nov 2010 07:30 AM PST The iPad’s sizeable display does make it rather apt for games like pinball, but New Potato Tech are taking things one step further with a custom iPad “Magic Pinball” accessory. Slot in your iPad, run the game (available through the App Store) and rather than tap at the tablet’s screen you get proper buttons to hammer away at.
The accessory – or, as the company would have it, “appcessory”, a combination of “app” and “accessory” – is a larger version of New Potato Tech’s original iPhone pinball table, which did the same thing but on a smaller scale. The Pinball Magic app itself is a free download (though we couldn’t find it yet on our iPad) but will require the table in order to function. Once you’ve got both, however, you get a tactile-looking plunger for launching the virtual ball, together with various lighting effects. It’ll apparently be $79.95 when it goes on sale. [via Recombu]
|
| FT iPad/tablet subsidy offers employees $480 to get slate-started Posted: 18 Nov 2010 06:55 AM PST The Financial Times isn’t content with its iPad and newly-released Galaxy Tab apps; it wants more imagination from its staff about how tablets might shape the future of news consumption. The paper has announced it will be subsidizing employees’ purchase of “a personal iPad or tablet,” giving them up to £300/$480 toward the cost of a slate.
“We need to fully understand their potential and share the user experience to better understand our customers and the developments and innovations taking place in the market” an internal FT memo from CEO John Ridding told staff. “Tablet devices will also facilitate working while travelling,” he continues, “which is an increasing feature of our global organisation.” The FT Group currently has around 1,800 employees, seemingly all of whom will be eligible for the subsidy – even if they already have a tablet. However, it’ll also be classed as taxable income, which may mean staff have to shell out a little more of their own money than first assumed. Internal memo:
|
| PP003 pico-projector slips under the $100 barrier Posted: 18 Nov 2010 06:43 AM PST We’re used to pico-projectors being small in the pocket but heavy on the wallet, but the PP003 actually manages to slip in under the all-important $100 mark. Up at $99.99 on Amazon, the downside is a mere QVGA resolution, though you do at least get an onboard media player with memory card slot, AV input and USB Host functionality.
With the right cable – not included – you can hook up an iPhone or iPod, too, for impromptu drive-in sessions. Battery life is rated at up to 90 minutes, and you can project up to a 54-inch picture (though expect some significant fuzziness at that sort of scale). No threat to your local cinema, but if you’ve been looking to entertain the kids but put off by the usual pico-projector price tag, this one might fit the basic bill. [via PicoProjector-Info]
|
| Super Talent UltraDrive MX 480GB SSD up for sale at hefty $1,200 Posted: 18 Nov 2010 06:34 AM PST Super Talent has put its 480GB UltraDrive MX SSD up for sale, offering the speed of an SSD along with the sort of capacity you’d usually associated with a regular platter-based hard drive. Announced back in July, the 2.5-inch drive packs dual interfaces, with both both SATA II and mini-USB connections for use as an internal or external drive, or indeed for easily imaging the SSD with the contents of your own storage if upgrading.
As for speed, Super Talent has used the JMicron 616 controller chipset, for theoretical 250MB/s read and 180MB/s write speeds. There’s also GC and Trim support, with compatible OSes, a 64MB cache, and over 1m hour MTFB. Of course, speed and capacity doesn’t generally come cheap, and the Super Talent UltraDrive MX is no exception. Expect to pay around $1,199.99 for the new 480GB SSD. Press Release:
|
| Posted: 18 Nov 2010 06:02 AM PST The HTC 7 Trophy has been positioned as the most affordable of HTC’s line-up of Windows Phone 7 devices, despite slotting in-between the HTC 7 Mozart and HTC HD7 in terms of size. Microsoft’s strict rules on minimum hardware specifications should mean you’re not giving up much in the way of performance, too, so is this the budget Windows Phone 7 device to go for? Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut.
HardwareWhile the HD7 has its huge, eye-catching display, the Surround has its slide-out speaker array and the Mozart its tactile metal chassis, the HTC Trophy falls somewhat short of any stand-out abilities. Fronted by a 3.8-inch WVGA touchscreen and the usual Windows Phone 7 buttons – touch-sensitive back, home and search keys under the display; lock/power on top, a volume rocker on the left and camera shortcut on the right – the Trophy has a microUSB charge/sync port, 3.5mm headphones socket and a 5-megapixel autofocus camera and an LED flash. The top edge of the handset is steeply angled, which leaves both the headphone jack unusually tilted; meanwhile the sleep/power button can be tricky to press, unless your finger is at just the right angle. Inside there’s the standard 1GHz Snapdragon QSD8250 processor paired with 576MB of RAM, a 512MB ROM and 8GB of non-expandable storage. Wireless options include GSM/UMTS/WCDMA, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, along with GPS and an FM radio. HTC’s somewhat arbitrary positioning suggests the Trophy is the WP7 smartphone for gamers, though there’s nothing really in the specs or software to distinguish it from its range counterparts.
Build quality is fair, though we missed the sturdy metal of the Mozart. The back cover is finished in soft-touch plastic, but pulling it off – which requires jamming a fingernail into a cut-out on the top edge – reveals it to be on the thin side. Again, metal would’ve been preferable, and there’s no HD7-style kick stand either. Underneath, HTC has borrowed their sometime-scheme of using a distinctive color finish that you’ll seldom see, with the whole rear panel finished in a custardy-yellow. The only design flourishes on the outside, however, are a little chrome in the screen surround. As for the display itself, viewing angles are better than on the HD7, but still nowhere near the best we’ve seen on a Windows Phone 7 device; still, viewed straight-on it’s crisp and bright. SoftwareWe’ve covered Windows Phone 7 comprehensively in our Technical Preview, together with our Samsung Focus, HTC 7 Mozart and HTC Surround reviews, and we’d recommend reading those to gain a better understanding of what Microsoft’s new platform brings to the table. In short, though, the combination of well-tuned software and speedy hardware makes for an enjoyably swift device. The homescreen, with its distinctive tiles, can be as straightforward or as flexible as you want it to be, and the animations – the tiles tilting slightly as you tap them, lists and menus bunching up as you reach their limits, different screens pivoting into place as you move between them – never feel as though they're holding up the core functionality in the name of visual gloss. Although we like HTC's Sense enhancements on Android, WP7 feels more consistent with the suite of customizations corralled neatly into the HTC Hub.
The Hub consists of a suite of mini-apps that more closely resemble the company's Sense experience on Android devices. Loaded via a dedicated tile on the homescreen, it's packed with HTC's favorite weather animations and a selection of mini-apps including a flashlight, basic photo editor, stocks app, notes app (in which the notes visibly age the older they are), a sound equalizer and a converter app. HTC has also said it will be releasing further apps for the Hub for users of its devices. While they all work, the overall theme sits uncomfortably with the regular Windows Phone 7 UI, and Microsoft's decision to prevent OEM modification of the core visuals of the OS means it's easy to forget HTC's extras. The following two videos give a broad overview of the various applications and features preloaded and available through the Windows Phone Marketplace. While they show the Samsung Focus, the core phone experience is basically identical. In them, you can see the Seesmic Twitter app, browsing on the IE7/IE8 based WebKit browser, the calendar (which supports day, month and agenda views, but no week view) and more. Windows Phone 7 walkthrough one: Windows Phone 7 walkthough two: CameraThe Trophy’s camera is capable of 5-megapixel stills or 720p HD video, though like other Windows Phone 7 devices the latter bizarrely defaults to a lower resolution and must be changed every time you flip over to video recording. It’s a frustration, and easily forgotten when you suddenly spot something worth filming.
The two-stage camera shortcut button on the side allows you to lock focus with a half-press, and happily the Trophy doesn’t spend too much time hunting. The key itself is also more reassuringly solid than that of the HD7, which makes for less wobbly shots. With no Xenon flash, unlike the Mozart, you’re left with a single LED and, unsurprisingly, mediocre low-light performance. Outdoor images are clear but lack detail and can show unpleasant amounts of digital noise when enlarged, though colors are generally well balanced if lacking some of the more natural saturation from the Mozart’s shots. Indoors, or at night, and the LED flash underwhelms, with images tending to the murky. Video, meanwhile, is solid if not stand-out, and pretty much matches what we’ve seen from other recent 720p-capable smartphones. Again, low-lighting leaves things murky, blocky and uninspiring, but given ample daylight to play with, the clips are reasonable jag-free. Windows Phone 7 lacks any sort of video upload abilities (you can email photos, but they’re automatically resized) so the only way to offload them is via the PC or Mac sync apps. HTC 7 Trophy 720p HD video sample: Phone & BatteryIn-call audio is good, as long as you’re using the earpiece rather than the speakerphone. Calls were clear and reasonably crisp, but the positioning of the Trophy’s loudspeaker on the raised camera bump means it’s wasting most of its energy talking to the table. Happily HTC offer an optional “Attentive Phone” app for download, which automatically turns on the loudspeaker if you flip the Trophy face-down. That done, audio is far clearer; HTC should probably have installed this out of the box as part of the Sense suite. HTC opted for a 1,300 mAh battery in the Trophy, as with the Mozart and a little larger than what you’d find in the HD7. Official figures are up to 330 minutes of 3G talktime (405 minutes GSM) or up to 435 hours 3G standby (360 hours GSM). In reality, we managed a full day with push-email turned on and typical use (including some browsing, photography, media playback and apps), though taking advantage of the slightly-larger display for video did see the battery gauge drop a little faster than we’d have liked.
Wrap-UpThere’s a sense that HTC has had trouble positioning its Windows Phone 7 range, as evidenced by the awkward – and unearned – “gaming” tag the Trophy has somehow acquired. With near carbon-copy specs, the Trophy instead falls back on its competitive pricing to differentiate itself; it’s a tricky strategy, as it leaves the smartphone at the mercy of carrier deals rather than relying on some stand-out feature of its own. Unfortunately, the Trophy’s screen isn’t big enough to oust the HD7, high-quality enough to rival the Samsung Focus, and its camera skills fall short of the Mozart. Yes, you can have it from free on a £25 or higher contract on Vodafone in the UK, but there’s no shortage of Windows Phone 7 competition and we can’t help but think that, over the two-years of an average carrier agreement, we’d rather spend a little more and get better build quality or stronger functionality. The HTC 7 Trophy isn’t a bad handset, but it struggles to lift itself out from Microsoft’s WP7 launch line-up. If you like the OS – and we really do – there are better models out there running it.                 
|
| Stop light concept combines hourglass with normal lights Posted: 18 Nov 2010 05:24 AM PST I have noticed a few high traffic stop signals in some cities have little clocks above them that show when they will turn yellow or red to warn drivers. I also noticed that some drivers use that clock to floor it and go through the intersection. A new concept traffic signal is sort of like that clock on the normal signal with a twist.
The light has the standard red, yellow, green drivers are used to. When the light is any of the colors, it also has an hourglass on the front. The lights flow through the hourglass to show when it’s almost time for the light to change. That is really cool and while it would be useful, I think all the idiot drivers in my area would use them for racing or to gauge if they can run the light or not. The concept is cool, but I don’t see this ever happening.  
|
| Olive 06HD audiophile music server debuts Posted: 18 Nov 2010 05:15 AM PST Olive is famous for its line of digital music servers. The company is also famous for some very expensive devices. The entry-level music server from Olive is about $1,000. With the cheapest offering being that expensive, you may be afraid to think what the company’s new flagship offering might go for.
Olive has unveiled the new 06HD Music Server that sits at the top of the company’s line. Being the top of the line means that the thing has the best components Olive offers. It has 24-bit sound and a fully balanced differential DAC. The touchscreen on top of the machine is 10.1-inches wide and shows album art and more. The 06HD supports up to a 192kHz sample rate and promises 250 times more audio resolution than a CD offers. The DAC inside the machine is a matched pair of the best TI has to offer and has a signal-to-noise ratio of 124dB. The master clock has jitter of less than 10 picoseconds to eliminate jitter and the device up samples any audio standard to 24-bit/384kHz resolution. The limited quantity device has a 2TB internal HDD and can be purchased for $4,999.  
|
| Speck offers special edition holiday cases for iPhone Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:59 AM PST If you are the festive type, I bet you already have decorations up for Christmas and the dogs barking jingle bells ring tone is on your phone already. What you need to really get ready for the holidays is a decoration for your iPhone.
Speck has a special line of holiday iPhone cases that will fit the iPhone 3G/3GS and the iPhone 4. The cases are from the CandyShell line and you can get them in mistletoe green with Santa for all three iPhone models, poinsettia red with a snowman on the 3G/3GS only, or CherryIce blue with a snowman for the iPhone 4. Each of the special cases is $29.99 and can be ordered up right now. Other than the special Christmas, designs the cases are run of the mill CandyShell offerings with protection from drops and scratches.
|
| GE offers up green LED Christmas lights for the Griswold in you Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:45 AM PST When it comes time to decorate for Christmas, most of us go all out with the decoration on the home. The lights can be blinding in some neighborhoods and the number of light some folks use is crazy. The extra power used to run these lights has to be significant.
If you are a green geek that wants to decorate with lights outside your house, but you want to save energy too GE has some high-tech green lights just for you. GE will be offering new icicle lights in multiple colors that consume 20% less power than standard lights. GE is also offering G-35 light strings with 14-color changing patterns with lengths of 29-40 feet with 36 or 50 lights per strand. The real cool part about these lights using less juice is that you can string more of them together before that stupid fuse blows and you have to search for a replacement. Green can be good at the holiday’s Mr. Grinch.
|
| Lift Audio unveils Icon 6mm premium headphones Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:29 AM PST When it comes to headphones not all are created equal. I am a fan of smaller and lightweight earphones, assuming the smaller size and lightweight design means they still have decent bass. A company called Lift Audio has unveiled a new set of earphones that are very small called the Icon series.
These little earphones are 6mm in size and promise a premium audio experience. The tiny 6mm earphone body is smaller than the ear tips of the headphones. The small size means that the headphones are lightweight at only 1.6 ounces and the case is made from aluminum alloy. The ear tips are silicone and are elongated for better noise blocking capability. The Icon series ships with tips in small, medium, and large sizes. The drivers are magnesium-enriched and promise deep bass thanks to a special strontium magnet. You can get the headphones on Amazon right now for $29.99, which is much less than the $80 MSRP.
|
| Android packing casino gamblers get a new app with slot machine maps Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:14 AM PST I’m not much of a gambler. I spent my share of time in the casino when I went to CES last. I even hit a jackpot on a slot machine and was excited until I realized it was a nickel machine and all the lights and dinging meant about $20. If you are, a big fan of casino gambling and frequent properties owned by Boyd Gaming the company has a new app for you.
The app is called B Connected and is an extension of the company’s loyalty program. The app will offer the user of Android devices and the iPad special deals and discounts at their favorite location. The user can get special room rates and more. The app has a locate me feature that will give the user real-time updates once they are at the property. The coolest part is that the app has a map of the slot machines so the user can find their favorite machines. There will be no more hunting for the big money nickel slots with this app!
|
| Jabra outs new Microsoft Lync compatible devices Posted: 18 Nov 2010 03:55 AM PST Jabra is well known for making some really cool Bluetooth headsets for mobile phone users and the company makes a range of offerings for other uses like VoIP as well. Jabra has announced new products that are compatible with the new Microsoft Lync system.
The new products include the Jabra Speak 410, the Jabra Go 6470, and the Jabra Pro 9400. The Speak 410 is a desktop USB powered speakerphone that has full duplex and wideband sound in the 6800Hz range for call clarity. The mic is omnidirectional and has 360-degree coverage. That means that multiple users at a conference table can use the 410 at once. It also has an integrated ringer and 3.5mm headphone control. The Go 6470 and 9400 are very similar with both being able to be used with the computer in the office and with a mobile device on the go. The devices can be used with multiple phones allowing for business and personal calls with one headset. Pricing and availability on the new Jabra gear is unknown at this time.
|
| China Telecom denies US internet hijacking as report voices security concerns Posted: 18 Nov 2010 03:46 AM PST
Of the two incidents, it’s the the re-routing that appears to have US security experts most concerned. While it’s unknown whether any use of the data – which included traffic from US government and military networks – was made, the experts reckon China could have used the access to “enable surveillance of specific users or sites, disrupt transactions, prevent a user from establishing connections to specific sites or divert them to other spoofed sites.”
Part of the problem is that the incidents could either be down to ineptitude or intentional security exploits, and there’s no way to know whether China purposefully manipulated servers or merely botched them. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hong Lei, declined to comment any further on the allegations, saying only that the “relevant company has already made a response on that matter.”
|
A US government report submitted to congress earlier this week has accused China of hijacking internet traffic, and | You are subscribed to email updates from SlashGear To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar