What's new on SlashGear.com

---

• Preview of Android Toys Series Part 2!
• HTC Thunderbolt Will Function as Mobile Hotspot
• Smart’s First Electric Car in the U.S.
• Al Jazeera Puts Egypt Coverage Under Creative Commons License
• Apple loses VP of Global Design to PayPal
• RIM Releases New BlackBery PlayBook for Business Video
• People Use Apps Once 26% of the Time
• Ericsson achieves three HSPA records
• PS3 taking on the cloud
• LG Plans to Push NFC Technology in 2012
• Android Tablets Take A Bite Out of Apple in Latest Numbers
• Nintendo Sticks Head in the Sand, Pretends Social Media isn’t Happening
• Sprint 4G International Roaming
• What Honeycomb Means for Tablets
• Samsung backtracks on Galaxy Tab figures: customer sales “quite small”
• Intel design error scuppers Sandy Bridge chipset: recalls ahead
• SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: January 31 2011
• SlashGear’s Final Football Matchup Toshiba TV GIVEAWAY!
• QNAP Turbo NAS TS-112, TS-212 and TS-412 home/SOHO servers outed
• Apple Xserve axed today
• LG Optimus 3D leaks ahead of MWC 2011 debut?
• Nintendo 3DS browser & eShop delayed until May
• Intel Medfield smartphone prototype gets brief preview
• T-Mobile Dell Streak 7 due February 2 for $200
• Samsung adds LOVEFiLM streaming to Blu-ray players in the UK
• HyperDrive for iPad updated with more storage and features
• Bullet counter leaps off PC FPS shooter screen and lands on real weapon
• SunBook netbook ships with Pixel Qi transflective display
• Nintendo Battle & Get! Pokemon Typing DS keyboard surfaces
• Canalys stats show Android became world’s leading smartphone platform in Q4 2010

Preview of Android Toys Series Part 2! Posted: 31 Jan 2011 03:10 PM PST Google is getting to release the second generation of its popular Android toy robot line. The first series was designed solely by Andrew Bell, but this time around the 3" vinyl robots will don the designs of three designers. Andrew Bell is back but we also have designs from Gary Ham and Google themselves. The rarity of each figure is decided by their ratio and the ratios for the known designs so far are: Hexcode by Andrew Bell: 2/16, Cupcake by Gary Ham: 1/16, and Greeneon by Google, Inc.: 2/16. Expect more of the suspected twelve designs to be revealed as we near the release date of early March. The series will be blind-boxed once again, meaning purchasers of the tiny guy won't know which design they will receive until its opened. Just like opening up a pack of trading cards. The new series will be arriving in stores and online at Dead Zerba in early March at will retail for $7.50 just like last time. Get ready to collect all of the little guys. What design would you like to see? [Via Android Community] Relevant Entries on SlashGear The Super Mario Bros Sound Effects Plush iharmonix announces Five Stereo Earphones Official Android Designer Toy Line Expanded by God of Wealth, Reviewed by Android Community Intel Xeon 5600 series processors are most secure ever Jada adds touch technology to toys for kids

HTC Thunderbolt Will Function as Mobile Hotspot Posted: 31 Jan 2011 02:59 PM PST The HTC Thunderbolt is shaping up to be one hell of a powerhouse. The next-gen 1 GHz Snapdragon processor is blazing fast. I spent a lot of time with this phone at CES, and found it just as zippy as any dual-core option at the show. It feels like magic and cold molasses in your hand- HTC’s best design by far. Today we’ve received further confirmation that the LTE smartphone will offer simultaneous voice and data- and we’ve learned that the ThunderBolt will launch with mobile hotspot functionality. We’d originally heard that mobile hotspot functionality would not be in at launch. But there’s apparently been some sort of turn-around at Big Red. “While it was not previously communicated that the HTC Thunderbolt was not Mobile Hotspot capable, at launch, customers will in fact be able to turn their HTC Thunderbolt into a wireless hotspot.” This leaked internal document also echoes the rumor that the ThunderBolt would have simultaneous voice & data even while not in LTE mode. That fact would not be advertised, due to the service not meeting Verizon’s quality standards. This document re-asserts that claim in the same words. Which is pretty compelling evidence of veracity. Verizon employees started training on the ThunderBolt last week. Employees who attended report the device having simultaneous voice and data capabilities. There have been rumors that the ThunderBolt will see a February 14th launch at MWC 2011. For an in-depth look at the ThunderBolt, check out our hands-on or this side-by-side with the iPhone 4 and Bionic. [Via Android Community] Relevant Entries on SlashGear T-Mobile launches HotSpot @Home service nationwide SlashGear’s T-Mobile HotSpot @Home “Where’s your HotSpot?” contest! And the winner of SlashGear’s T-Mobile HotSpot @Home “Where’s your HotSpot?” contest is… HTC Thunderbolt for Verizon Shown Off in Pictures HTC ThunderBolt Hands-On

Smart’s First Electric Car in the U.S. Posted: 31 Jan 2011 02:40 PM PST An electric car just made its American debut, but not in LA for some movie star proving their "green". Smart's first electric car, the Smart ForTwo, has landed in Silver Spring, Maryland. Yup, Maryland. Mindy Kimball, a Major in the Army, is the lucky recipient. Smart is leasing out a fleet of the cars to individuals and corporate/municipal fleets to refine the technology. The Smart ForTwo houses a 30 kilowatt electric motor that produces 40 horsepower and a 16.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. A full charge takes eight hours and is claimed to get you 98 miles on the LA4 test cycle, but the EPA estimates it's closer to 63 miles in actual commuting. "This is a groundbreaking day for Smart in the United States," Smart USA President Jill Lajdzik said. "We are extremely excited to add the Smart ForTwo electric drive to Smart product lineup, solidifying our position as a key player in transportation electrification." Like the rest of Smart's arsenal of cars the Smart ForTwo is tiny and looks like it belongs on a golf course rather than a high way. But its lack of speed and size look to be well suited as an environmentally friendly option for urban commuting. The car is one of 250 EV's (electric vehicles) that Smart is bringing out this year; major roll-out and production is expected in 2012. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Daimler Chrysler's Smart ForFour plug-in Hybrid does 84 mpg fuel efficiency Bluetooth SIG working to get low-power BT tech into Smart Grids MIT’s folding electric RoboScooter ideal for Smart Cities Digi ConnectPort X2 ZigBee IP gateway for smart homes unveiled GM to be first major US automaker to make own electric engines

Al Jazeera Puts Egypt Coverage Under Creative Commons License Posted: 31 Jan 2011 02:14 PM PST Egypt may be offline for the time being, but that hasn’t stopped footage of the unrest in Cairo from finding its way onto cyberspace. The much-maligned Al Jazeera is one of the few news agencies with a heavy presence in the country. And they’re releasing their coverage under a Creative Commons license. Though the local government has shut down their offices and labelled their reporters “Traitors”, the Arab news agency remains extremely active in-country. They only require an attribution to use any of their content. Other news agencies are even allowed to use it for commercial purposes. Despite having almost sole access to the scoop of the year, Al Jazeera is opening their information up to as wide a spread of people as possible. Are they just dedicated journalists intent on getting the truth out? Or is this just a cunning plot to build goodwill in the Western world and maybe get picked up by a TV network? I’d guess on a little bit of both. If you want to see crowds of angry people getting sprayed with fire hoses and doused with tear gas, click here. Prepare to feel furious, then triumphant as the crowds force the police back, then furious again as an armored vehicle starts running protesters over. The footage is disturbing, but at least this isn’t going unreported. [Via TechDirt] Relevant Entries on SlashGear North Korea finally gets a 3G network Creative Zen – Creative launches a newer, smaller PMP Make Your License Plate Unreadable Creative Music Enhancement via Xmod Nerf Sentry Gun checks badges, shoots intruders

Apple loses VP of Global Design to PayPal Posted: 31 Jan 2011 02:04 PM PST Sarah Brody is leaving Apple for eBay-owned PayPal to help improve user experience and make its payment platform easier to use. The hire of one of Apple's leading UI designers is a big catch for PayPal. Brody worked at Apple for seven years where she participated in the design of the original iPhone and the original iPod Nano. Most recently you can find her efforts on the homepages of Final Cut Studio, Logic Pro, and Pro. [Via All Things Digital] Relevant Entries on SlashGear PayPal lets iPhone users deposit checks by taking pictures of it iTunes Accounts Linked to PayPal Suffering from Security Hole [Updated] Apple loses case in Danish court over faulty G4 iBooks Paypal Steps Up Security Google Swipes PayPal Vice President of Product Development

RIM Releases New BlackBery PlayBook for Business Video Posted: 31 Jan 2011 01:40 PM PST Those of you fiending for a hit of PlayBook are in luck today. RIM has just posted an official video that shows the new BlackBerry tablet in action. This demo is geared towards enterprise customers/users. It highlights the way the PlayBook syncs up with and pulls data from a BlackBerry. PlayBook for Business We are shown the PlayBook connected to a BlackBerry smartphone via a secured and encrypted Bluetooth connection. In the event that the phone and slate are disconnected, all secure data is immediately removed from the PlayBook. IT will have the same level of control with the PlayBook as they do with their existing BlackBerry phones. RIM is relying on the fact that the PlayBook requires no new data plan or account to push enterprise adoption over the better-known iPad. Businesses won’t need to deal with any extra reoccurring costs, and the IT department won’t have the headache of integrating a bunch of new devices into their security framework. For a review of the PlayBook’s awesomeness, check out our hands-on with Mike Lazaridis at CES 2011. [Via BlackBerry] Relevant Entries on SlashGear BlackBerry PlayBook gets Adobe AIR video demo BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet OS SDK Shown Off on Video BlackBerry PlayBook 64GB confirmed, plus 5,300mAh battery [Video] BlackBerry PlayBook vs iPad in head-to-head browser test [Video] BlackBerry PlayBook gets browser demo: Flash, HTML5, more [Video]

People Use Apps Once 26% of the Time Posted: 31 Jan 2011 01:28 PM PST It’s a good thing that apps don’t take up any physical space. If they did, we’d be up to our ankles in rusty iFarts and buggy home screen widgets. A new Localytics study shows that 26% of new apps are never opened a second time. Download numbers only matter so much. If you have an ad-supported app, you need people coming back again and again to make any money. For the people who make pay apps though, this might not be bad news. It suggests that people are rather frivolous about their app downloading habits. This trend has been on the rise since the start of 2010. We’ve all had it happen. You find some neat “time-saving” app or organizational app, download it, and promptly shelve it forever because change is tough. I’d be interested to see what percentage of these “one-time” apps are exercise or fitness-related. Relevant Entries on SlashGear OnLive launches game spectating on iPad along with Windows 7 apps Office 14 to get Office Web Apps 60+ iOS apps sold per device as Apple locks-in users iPhone Native Apps via iTunes and sideload onto your iPhone People of Lava out 55-inch Android TV

Ericsson achieves three HSPA records Posted: 31 Jan 2011 01:22 PM PST This morning Ericsson stated they had achieved three new HSPA (high speed packet access) speed records. The first was using a multi-carrier HSPA that reached 168Mbps on the download and 24Mbps on the uplink. The record speeds were done using a prototype consumer device and commercial network equipment. The second record used a dual-carrier HSPA and attained a 84Mbps downlink with commercial network products. The dual-carrier HSPA used two 5Mhz carriers in connecting to the consumer, doubling the maximum speed possible by today's fastest commercial HSPA networks. The last record was for single-carrier HSPA hit 42Mbps using commercial products on both ends and a single 5Mhz carrier. "These three achievements are the latest additions to our long list of world firsts in HSPA, demonstrating our technology leadership," said Ulf Ewaldsson, Vice President and Head of Product Area Radio at Ericsson. "For many years we have focused on the evolution of HSPA and it is rewarding to see the industry-wide support for HSPA Evolution is now stronger than ever Ericsson's Evo RAN brings EDGE, HSPA, and LTE together in one strong, industry-leading offering. The potential for HSPA is even larger and 3GPP is already looking at even higher HSPA speeds." Ericsson says actual customer speeds will be lower than the ones demonstrated today and will vary depending on certain conditions. The company also expects to put the single-carrier and dual-carrier HSPA into service within this year, followed by the higher speed HSPA in the future. [Via Ericsson] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Ericsson set to show fastest HSPA speeds at CTIA Sony Ericsson W999i confirmed Vodafone gears up for Christmas – Unveils Handset Lineup and Music Service Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Android announce coming November 3rd? Sony Ericsson Aspen captured on video, running WinMo 6.5.3 [Video]

PS3 taking on the cloud Posted: 31 Jan 2011 12:58 PM PST Playstation 3 fans may soon be able to take advantage of the cloud for saving their game content. It is reported that Sony may be including this new feature, which they’ve dubbed “Online Saving,” in their next major PS3 firmware update, version 3.60. However, the feature will only be available to gamers that subscribe to PlayStation Plus, which costs extra. And also developers can opt out their titles from the cloud service due to concerns over possible copyright issues. Besides taking the load off of physical storage, having game content saved on the cloud will also allow gamers to access their game data off of their friend’s consoles because the data will be linked into a Playstation Network account. Exact date for the offering has not yet been announced. [Via Pocket-lint] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Good OS Cloud operating system introduced Square Enix files lawsuit against rouge swordmakers Autonomy private cloud hits 17 petabytes Google Cloud Print lets Chrome OS get physical Windows Strata new name for Microsoft Cloud OS?

LG Plans to Push NFC Technology in 2012 Posted: 31 Jan 2011 12:37 PM PST If 2011 is the year of the tablets, 2012 will be the year of NFC technology. We’ve already heard that the iPhone 5 and iPad 2 will both support NFC- which make them second to the Nexus S. And now it looks like LG has plans on joining Apple and Google in 2012. The electronics manufacturer plans to launch some form of swipe payment system for retailers across Europe next year. They will target small and medium-size businesses. Analysts expect there to be more than 860 million NFC-enabled phones by 2015, so LG is right to get in close to the ground floor. LG aims to integrate NFC tech into TVs and security systems, but company representatives refused to confirm or deny plans in the mobile sphere. LG may feel that spreading NFC terminals to retailers is of more immediate importance. Apple certainly agrees- there are rumors they plan to subsidize NFC terminals for American small businesses. The current state of mobile payment adoption is fairly primitive. But with this much money aimed at pushing development, it can’t stay that way for long. [Via Reuters] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Auto Stop-Start Technology by Ford Heading to the US in 2012 LG 32-inch OLED TV to hit market in 2012 Nokia Nseries to all run Maemo not Symbian by 2012 Nokia Board Chair Jorma Ollila reveals plans to step down in 2012 Robots to teach in Korean classrooms by 2012

Android Tablets Take A Bite Out of Apple in Latest Numbers Posted: 31 Jan 2011 12:26 PM PST The iPad's dominance in the tablet market took a hit this past fourth quarter as Google's Android powered tablets jumped from 2.3 percent of tablets shipped up to 22 percent. Apple's iPad dropped from 95 percent to 75 percent in the quarter, said market researcher Strategy Analytics. A wider range of devices with Google features like YouTube and Google Maps will probably erode the iPad's market dominance, said Neil Mawston, director of Strategy Analytics. Its share of the global tablet market will probably drop to 67 percent this quarter, he said. In an interview Mawston reiterated his opinion, "Apple's volumes will continue to go up, but market share will inevitably go down. Even at $500 retail, based on some research we've done, that's probably two or three times more than what most mass market consumers are expecting to pay." This trend will likely continue as customers will clamor to get their hands on tablets and looking for cheaper iPad alternatives. With so many companies like Samsung, Toshiba, Dell, and Acer pushing out Android tablets Apple will have a tough time maintaining its overwhelming lead in the market. The Wi-Fi only iPad with 16 gigabytes is the lowest end version Apple has, at $499. Jim Wong, Acer's head of information, Acer is planning to unveil an Android tablet in April for $299. Google's approach is to give Android away for free so that it can boost revenue from services like mobile advertising and expand the market for its search engine. The tablet market is about to explode says research firm ISuppli, who predicts 57 million tablets will be sold this year and 171 million in 2014. I'm sure Apple is rushing to put the next generation of the iPad out there to stave off all the challengers to its crown as king of the tablet market. "If you were to ask me in two years time, will Apple have less than 50 percent of the global tablet market, I think that's a certainty," Mawston said. [Via Businessweek] Relevant Entries on SlashGear HTC Android tablets delayed as Google puts support behind LG and Motorola Android 3.0 tablets sampling Dec 2010; challenging Steve Jobs at CES 2011 Gartner forecasts 19.5 Media Tablets in 2010 – Too Low? or Too High? An Android shirt Calvin can be proud of Invasion of the Tablets

Nintendo Sticks Head in the Sand, Pretends Social Media isn’t Happening Posted: 31 Jan 2011 11:57 AM PST Nintendo has a bad habit of ignoring big threats until they become implacable foes. The latest goof? President Satoru Iwata attempted to allay investor’s fears about social media games like FarmVille. He didn’t do it by announcing a new Nintendo Facebook game or social networking service. Instead, he said this: “Nintendo has been developing social entertainment in the field of video games for a long time.” Which is true. I spent hundreds of hours of my childhood huddled around a screen with three of my friends, blasting each other in GoldenEye or irreparably damaging our friendships over Mario Party. Nintendo games have always had a fairly strong social component. But “social” today isn’t the same as “social” ten or fifteen years ago. Iwata continued, “When you hear the term ‘social network,’ it generally means a service taking advantage of social human relationships through a constantly connected network with smart phones and PCs. In contrast, Nintendo appreciates real human relationships among people.” And that’s fantastic, but real humans appear to appreciate being able to integrate quality gaming into their social media. Now and, in the future, increasingly, they’re going to expect to be able to take those games with them wherever they go. But Nintendo has always been dismissive about this sort of thing. As recently as April of 2010, Iwata blew off Apple as “not having an impact on Nintendo”. Six months later, Nintendo America President Reggie Fils-Aime admitted that Apple was more of a near-term threat than Microsoft. If that trend continues, we can look forward to hearing Reggie admit that social media gaming represents a real threat by this time July. [Via Games.com] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Wii Blaster isn’t the Nintendo Zapper we’ve been waiting for A big bunch of keys First Wiis Head to Retail Head Spa – Isn’t actually any cooler than it looks Get your free (as in beer) Wiimote Sleeve from Nintendo

Sprint 4G International Roaming Posted: 31 Jan 2011 11:51 AM PST For those currently enjoying Sprint’s 4G network on the go, you may be elated to know that you can now take your 4G connection even while traveling abroad. We mentioned back in December of last year that Sprint was inking deals with partnering carriers in Jamaica and Taiwan to provide international 4G roaming. Well, Sprint has just officially announced itself as the first national wireless carrier in the U.S. to offer international 4G roaming and included specific pricing information. Digicel will be providing the first and only 4G network in Jamaica, while Global Mobile, based in Taiwan, will be the first 4G roaming partner in Asia. Only select Sprint 4G devices that operate with the Sprint SmartView Connection Manager will automatically detect the Digicel and Global Mobile networks. This feature will allow customers to connect and roam with an unlimited 24-hour daypass for $14.99 excluding surcharges and taxes. Press Release: Sprint Becomes First National Wireless Carrier in U.S. to Offer International 4G Roaming 4G Customers Traveling Abroad to Select Areas in Jamaica and Taiwan Can Now Roam on 4G Networks Offered by Digicel and Global Mobile OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), January 31, 2011 – Sprint (NYSE:S) today announced that customers traveling abroad now have roaming access to 4G networks offered by Digicel in Jamaica and Global Mobile in Taiwan. Select Sprint 4G devices that operate with the Sprint SmartViewSM Connection Manager will automatically detect the Digicel and Global Mobile networks, giving customers the option to connect and roam with an unlimited, 24-hour daypass for $14.99 excluding surcharges and taxes. "Sprint has partnered with Digicel and Global Mobile to further enhance the global 4G ecosystem with services that empower travelers on the go," said Todd Rowley, vice president-Sprint 4G. "Over the years, we've built a robust ecosystem of partners that dwarves any other 4G ecosystem available today and as the first U.S. wireless carrier to launch international 4G roaming we've clearly demonstrated our leadership." The Sprint SmartView Connection Manager allows users to create a high-speed Internet connection for their computer anywhere on the Sprint 3G or 4G networks and now on compatible international 4G networks with a 4G-enabled Mobile Broadband Device, such as the Sprint 3G/4G U600 USB Modem. Sprint customers traveling to Jamaica and Taiwan will be able to access the Digicel and Global Mobile 4G networks for mobile downloads, video-chat capabilities and turbo-charged Web browsing at 4G speeds. "Digicel is proud to have the first and only 4G network in Jamaica," said Mark Linehan, CEO, Digicel Jamaica. "We look forward to welcoming Sprint customers and are positive that they will delight in roaming with Jamaica's fastest wireless broadband." "We are excited to be Sprint's first 4G roaming partner in Asia and looking forward to extending this alliance to our partners around the world," said Rosemary W. Ho, CEO of Global Mobile. "As the leading 4G broadband operator in Taiwan, Global Mobile is committed to bring the most innovative service such as carrier-grade VOIP and mobile TV to our customers. I want to welcome our international roaming customers to experience the same innovative quadruple play service offering enjoyed by our customers." Sprint 4G can be found in 71 markets1 across the United States, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Sprint is delivering the power of 4G as the majority shareholder of Clearwire, the independent company that is building the WiMAX network. For more information, visit www.sprint.com/4G. About Digicel After more than nine years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has more than 11 million customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network. Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Championships. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team. Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea that focus on educational, cultural and social development programs. In 2004, Digicel developed Digicel Rising Stars – an annual talent show to support aspiring young music artists in the Caribbean. The show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, ranking as one of the top-rated shows. Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean. Visit www.digicelpacific.com or www.digicelgroup.com for more information. About Global Mobile Corporation Global Mobile is a 4G pioneer in the digital industry value chain, integrating various triple play contents, with all types of communication at home, and totally new fourth-generation wireless communications, all in one click. Global Mobile is a strong group consisting of industry experts with extensive knowledge and experience. They understand consumer needs and have designed a CPE system that is as easy to use as a personal computer. Taiwan currently lacks a content platform that bridges the commercial and public sectors. Also lacking are an impetus for creativity, a standardized distribution and broadcasting format, and a unified payment method. It is our company's goal to provide such a standardized platform to allow our customers to use WiMAX wireless broadband – anytime, anywhere – on any device. For more information, please visit the Global Mobile website at http://www.G1.com.tw. About Sprint Nextel Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 48.8 million customers at the end of the third quarter of 2010 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, Common Cents Mobile and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 6 in its 2010 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation's greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint. [Via Sprint] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Spring Ace by Samsung reviewed MiFi 2200 firmware update adds Sprint CDMA roaming Amazon confirm International Kindle DX is coming BlackBerry Tour 9630 hits Verizon and Sprint Verizon BlackBerry Tour coming too: EVDO plus HSPA roaming

What Honeycomb Means for Tablets Posted: 31 Jan 2011 10:31 AM PST In advance of Google's Honeycomb deep dive scheduled for this Wednesday February 2, I wanted to do a quick analysis of what Honeycomb means for the tablet market. I've been working with a number of the current Android tablets in the 7-inch range and have reached several conclusions about the form factor which I will provide more insight to in a later analysis. One conclusion, however, that may seem completely obvious but which, from a software standpoint, has not historically been obvious for makers of hardware, is that some form-factors require software created specifically for that form-factor. This was, to a degree, the observation made by Jeff Hawkins when he started Palm and brought to market the first Palm Pilot. Many of the products competing for handheld computers at the time were mini clamshell devices running either Windows CE or some proprietary OS. Many of these devices were attempting to be very small versions of their notebook counterparts. Jeff Hawkins’ vision was that computing could take place in the palm of your hand and a new form factor as well as a new operating system was necessary to make that vision a reality. The same is true in the tablet / touch computing market. These devices are not phones, nor are they clamshell PCs with a physical keyboard and mouse. Smartphone apps are built to work on a small screen. Clamshell notebooks and desktop software were made to work with a mouse and keyboard. This is why, for the tablet market to succeed, it will depend on an operating system and suite of applications that are purpose-built for a larger screen touch computer. Honeycomb is Android built for tablets from the ground up. Not just the OS but the apps represent optimized versions for the larger touch screen. I pointed this out when the iPad first launched and I’ll point it out again for Android app developers. Apps need to be re-created not re-purposed for Honeycomb. For the Honeycomb software ecosystem to be successful it will require software that is not just optimized but specifically created for larger touch screens. More simply put, develop apps like it was your first app and the 10-inch screen is the only screen. Nearly every major consumer products vendor I speak with on a regular basis wants a piece of the tablet market. They have very high hopes and to some degree are betting heavily on Android and in this case Honeycomb. We will see if Honeycomb delivers when we get to actually use a functioning version of the OS on Wednesday. Honeycomb represents a real opportunity for vendors to compete in this space with the 800lb gorilla that is Apple. If Honeycomb does not deliver it could set vendors back again another six to eight months. All will be revealed on Wednesday and we will be there to report it. Check back on Wednesday for my first impressions and analysis of Honeycomb. Looking for everything we know about Android 3.0 Honeycomb today? Check out the Android Community Honeycomb User Features Preview and the Android Community Honeycomb Developer Features Preview. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Android Honeycomb to hit in March says insiders Android Honeycomb Update Rumored to Bring Hardware Restrictions Samsung confirm Android 3.5 Honeycomb for tablets Motorola XOOM Named Best in Show LG Optimus Pad Android tablet coming in early 2011

Samsung backtracks on Galaxy Tab figures: customer sales “quite small” Posted: 31 Jan 2011 09:12 AM PST Samsung has admitted that its much-vaunted sales figures for the Samsung Galaxy Tab did not, in fact, refer to sales to end-users, but were merely shipment figures to retailers and carrier partners. The company had announced 1m sales of the 7-inch Android tablet back in early December 2010, and claimed to have passed the 2m sales point late last week; however, when questioned during Samsung’s quarterly earnings call, the WSJ reports, a Samsung executive admitted that actual customer sales were still “quite small.” “Well, your question was on sell-in and sell-out. As you heard, our sell-in was quite aggressive and this first quarterly result was quite, you know, fourth-quarter unit [figure] was around two million. Then, in terms of sell-out, we also believe it was quite small. We believe, as the introduction of new device, it was required to have consumers invest in the device. So therefore, even though sell-out wasn't as fast as we expected, we still believe sell-out was quite OK.” Lee Young-hee, Samsung The issue appears to be in how Samsung breaks down “sales”, using “sell-in” to describe sales to vendors and carriers, and then using “sell-out” to describe those vendors’ sales to end-users. So far, Samsung appears to have been using “sell-in” figures to describe Galaxy Tab sales without necessarily making that entirely clear. Samsung declined to give “sell-out” figures during the call, instead suggesting that “the tablet is relatively new and we need to see how the market develops before we give any firm numbers.” Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung pass 2m sales point for Galaxy Tab Samsung eyes enterprise for Galaxy Tab sales success Samsung Galaxy Tab gets £680 Amazon UK price: due November 1 1m Samsung Galaxy Tab sold; 10-inch Tab in 1H 2011 O2 Germany list Samsung Galaxy Tab for €759

Intel design error scuppers Sandy Bridge chipset: recalls ahead Posted: 31 Jan 2011 08:42 AM PST Intel has announced a “chipset design error” affecting its 6 Series Cougar Point chipsets, found accompanying Sandy Bridge processors, which could see an ongoing degradation of the SATA ports and an ensuring impact on HDD and optical drive performance. The solution, unfortunately for Intel, is a silicon fix that will require newly manufactured versions of the chip that should begin arriving with customers in late February. Full volume recovery, meanwhile, isn’t expected until April, though since Core i5 and quad-core Core i7 systems using the 6 Series chipset have only been on sale since January 9 2011, Intel says it expects “relatively few customers” to be affected. Still, they’ll be alerted to the issue and offered support in getting their systems fixed with the updated version, while Intel works with OEMs to address manufactured motherboards. The Sandy Bridge CPUs themselves are unaffected, and Intel says owners can continue to use their PCs without concern and simply wait to hear what exactly they need to do for a long term fix. Intel expects the whole chipset issue to cost $300m to their Q1 2011 revenue. Press Release: Intel Identifies Chipset Design Error, Implementing Solution Updates Outlook to Incorporate Effects of Error, Infineon Acquisition and Expected McAfee Acquisition Chipset circuit design issue identified, fix implemented, customers being notified Infineon Technologies AG Wireless Solutions business (WLS) acquisition closed Jan. 31 McAfee, Inc. (MFE) acquisition expected to close by the end of the first quarter Fourth-quarter, first-quarter and full-year outlook revised to reflect impact of chipset issue, WLS closure, expected MFE closure by the end of the first quarter SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 31, 2011 – As part of ongoing quality assurance, Intel Corporation has discovered a design issue in a recently released support chip, the Intel® 6 Series, code-named Cougar Point, and has implemented a silicon fix. In some cases, the Serial-ATA (SATA) ports within the chipsets may degrade over time, potentially impacting the performance or functionality of SATA-linked devices such as hard disk drives and DVD-drives. The chipset is utilized in PCs with Intel’s latest Second Generation Intel Core processors, code-named Sandy Bridge. Intel has stopped shipment of the affected support chip from its factories. Intel has corrected the design issue, and has begun manufacturing a new version of the support chip which will resolve the issue. The Sandy Bridge microprocessor is unaffected and no other products are affected by this issue. The company expects to begin delivering the updated version of the chipset to customers in late February and expects full volume recovery in April. Intel stands behind its products and is committed to product quality. For computer makers and other Intel customers that have bought potentially affected chipsets or systems, Intel will work with its OEM partners to accept the return of the affected chipsets, and plans to support modifications or replacements needed on motherboards or systems. The systems with the affected support chips have only been shipping since January 9th and the company believes that relatively few consumers are impacted by this issue. The only systems sold to an end customer potentially impacted are Second Generation Core i5 and Core i7 quad core based systems. Intel believes that consumers can continue to use their systems with confidence, while working with their computer manufacturer for a permanent solution. For further information consumers should contact Intel at www.intel.com on the support page or contact their OEM manufacturer. For the first quarter of 2011, Intel expects this issue to reduce revenue by approximately $300 million as the company discontinues production of the current version of the chipset and begins manufacturing the new version. Full-year revenue is not expected to be materially affected by the issue. Total cost to repair and replace affected materials and systems in the market is estimated to be $700 million. Since this issue affected some of the chipset units shipped and produced in the fourth quarter of 2010, the company will take a charge against cost of goods sold, which is expected to reduce the fourth quarter gross margin percentage by approximately 4 percentage points from the previously reported 67.5 percent. The company will also take a charge in the first quarter of 2011which will lower the previously communicated gross margin percentage by 2 percentage points and the full-year gross margin percentage by one percentage point. Updated 2011 First Quarter and Full Year Outlook Separately, Intel recently announced that it had completed the acquisition of the Infineon Technologies AG Wireless Solutions business, which will now operate as the Intel Mobile Communications group. The company also expects to complete the acquisition of McAfee by the end of the first quarter. The effects of the chipset issue and these transactions are incorporated into the company’s revised outlook. The company now expects first-quarter revenue to be $11.7 billion, plus or minus $400 million, compared to the previous expectation of $11.5 billion, plus or minus $400 million. Gross margin percentage is now expected to be 61 percent, plus or minus a couple percentage points, compared to the previous expectation of 64 percent, plus or minus a couple percentage points. Spending (R&D plus MG&A) is now expected to be approximately $3.6 billion, compared to the previous expectation of approximately $3.4 billion. The full-year revenue growth percentage is now expected to be in the mid-to high teens, compared to the company’s prior expectation of approximately 10 percent. Full-year gross margin is now expected to be 63 percent, plus or minus a few percentage points, compared to the previous expectation of 65 percent, plus or minus a few percentage points. Spending (R&D plus MG&A) is now expected to be $15.7 billion, plus or minus $200 million, compared to the company’s previous expectation of $13.9 billion, plus or minus $200 million. Research and development (R&D) spending is now expected to be approximately $8.2 billion, compared to the previous forecast of $7.3 billion. All other expectations for the first-quarter and full-year remain unchanged. With the exception of McAfee, the outlook for the first quarter and full year do not include the effect of any acquisitions, divestitures or similar transactions that may be completed after Jan. 31. The acquisition of McAfee is subject to customary closing conditions. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Intel Sandy Bridge chips packing PCI Express 3.0, super-frugal battery life possible? Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs getting early release Intel Sandy Bridge roadmap leaks Intel Sandy Bridge Processors Confirmed for January Debut Intel Sandy Bridge-Equipped HP Pavilion dv6 Shows Up Overseas

SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: January 31 2011 Posted: 31 Jan 2011 08:27 AM PST Start your day with a bit of green as Canalys statistics show Android became the world’s leading smartphone platform Q4 of 2010. Next, fall into some drama as Netgear’s CEO rants about how he thinks Apple is too closed and Steve Jobs is ego-led. Then seek the truth in an inside tip – iPad 2 uses 1.2GHz dual-core, 30-35% slimmer display – sound reasonable? Get yourself a Full Macworld Roundup including best in show winners. Read a column by Tim Bajarin entitled Technology meets the History of Jazz. Visualize ASRock in the Android game. Take another peek at the LG gives G-Slate. Cry over Notion Ink Adam touchscreen damage. Get your Android 3.0 Honeycomb on with two full guides: [USER FEATURES] and [DEVELOPER FEATURES], and ask Why Has Honeycomb Disappeared? Then get your ANGRY BIRD on in the next expansion: RIO! Finally, WIN A TELEVISION in SlashGear's Final Football Matchup Toshiba TV GIVEAWAY! All this and MORE on SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up! R3 Media Network Editor’s Choice What Went on at Macworld This Weekend? [Best of Show Winners Listed] Google recruiting for internal devs as App Store war escalates LG G-Slate makes second video tease; ports & flash on show [Video] Canalys stats show Android became world's leading smartphone platform in Q4 2010 MLG Vault case makes your Xbox 360 look evil SlashPhone Nokia E7 Available For Pre-order in Indonesia Amazon German Offered LG Optimus 2X and Optimus Black For €499 Lenovo May Partner up With NEC on Smartphone Project Samsung Introducing Four Varieties of Galaxy Smartphone Android Community LG's Optimus 3D caught in wild? Dell Streak 7 $200 from February 2 confirms T-Mobile USA Enspert E201 7-inch Android tablet breaks cover ASRock to enter Tablet market with Android offerings Canalys reports Android is the top smartphone platform in the world Motorola Xoom may land as early as February Google pushing internal app development in play for mobile software market LG gives G-Slate another video outing AT&T to Launch Massive Amount of Android and 4G Devices in 2011 Notion Ink Adam touchscreen damage means Valentine's delay for some tableteers Android 3.0 Honeycomb Full Preview Guide [USER FEATURES] Android 3.0 Honeycomb Full Preview Guide [DEVELOPER FEATURES] Why Has Honeycomb Disappeared? Japan Brings Android Tablet-Based Home Phones to Market Android 3.0 Honeycomb Running on NOOKcolor [VIDEO] What Android Fans will be Doing on February 3rd at 3AM [LOL] Boku and Zong Partner Up With Verizon to Offer BilltoMobile Payments Angry Birds RIO Coming Soon! [With Movie Tie-In!] NOOKcolor Receives Android 3.0 Honeycomb Android Honeycomb Event Announced by Google SlashGear SlashGear's Final Football Matchup Toshiba TV GIVEAWAY! [GIVEAWAY] Apple Xserve axed today LG Optimus 3D leaks ahead of MWC 2011 debut? Nintendo 3DS browser & eShop delayed until May Intel Medfield smartphone prototype gets brief preview T-Mobile Dell Streak 7 due February 2 for $200 Samsung adds LOVEFiLM streaming to Blu-ray players in the UK HyperDrive for iPad updated with more storage and features Bullet counter leaps off PC FPS shooter screen and lands on real weapon SunBook netbook ships with Pixel Qi transflective display Nintendo Battle & Get! Pokemon Typing DS keyboard surfaces Canalys stats show Android became world's leading smartphone platform in Q4 2010 MLG Vault case makes your Xbox 360 look evil MeeGo UI update goes covert ahead of "feature complete" reveal Angry Birds Rio Coming to smartphones and tablets in March Blind man drives tech laden Ford Escape around race track alone Active Media Products SATA Disk-on-Modules are first to hit 64GB Google recruiting for internal devs as App Store war escalates LG G-Slate makes second video tease; ports & flash on show [Video] Apple too closed and Steve Jobs ego-led rants Netgear CEO Facebook Places Deals hits UK and Europe iPad 2 uses 1.2GHz dual-core, 30-35% slimmer display, tips analyst AT&T leak: 12 new Androids in 2011, 20 4G devices What Went on at Macworld This Weekend? [Best of Show Winners Listed] [FEATURED] SlashGear Week in Review- Week 5 2011 Nokia E7 hits Indonesian pre-order with big promotions push [Update: Scans!] Technology meets the History of Jazz [COLUMN] To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Nintendo 3DS Listed for March 18th Release Date in the UK Windows Phone 7 Getting Copy & Paste and Multitasking in January Rumor Suggests SlashGear Morning Wrap-up: November 11 2010 Windows Phone 7 update coming January says preview page URL SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: December 16 2010

SlashGear’s Final Football Matchup Toshiba TV GIVEAWAY! Posted: 31 Jan 2011 08:01 AM PST So you’ve got a love for tech, right? And you might just happen to also have a love for that big giant game at the end of the American football season, right? The one that the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be going head-to-head in, the one whose name we’re not allowed to speak because of legal ramifications? That one. You’ll be watching that one, and you’ll want something gigantic to watch it on. How about a big fat Toshiba television? We just happen to have one to give away. Would you like one? Contest begins at 8:01 a.m. PT on Monday, January 31, 2011 and end at 11:59 p.m. PT on Thursday, February 3, 2011 (“Entry Period”).  Winners will be announced on Friday, February, 4, 2011.   HOW TO ENTER: 1. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ToshibaHomeEntertainment and SlashGear; and   2. Follow @ToshibaTV and @SlashGear on Twitter and twitpic an original photo (with @ToshibaTV and @SlashGear in your tweet) that demonstrates his or her football team spirit using the #toshball hashtag. Limit one (1) entry per person.   PRIZE: One (1) Toshiba 46WX800U Cinema Series 3D LCD NetTV.  Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): $1,470.49. ARV – Basically a 46" 3D TV. Be sure to read the huge PDF file of the official rules to make sure you’ve got all your legal business in order. Win this TV, and have an awesome time watching all kinds of football then use it to play all kinds of video games: SlashGear-com-Toshiba-TV-Sweepstakes-v-1-28-111.pdf Relevant Entries on SlashGear SlashGear Giveaway – Winners Announced! SlashGear Giveaway Update! SlashGear 3D HD NBA Giveaway Reminder! SlashGear Giveaway Update 2 – More Prizes! SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: January 31 2011

QNAP Turbo NAS TS-112, TS-212 and TS-412 home/SOHO servers outed Posted: 31 Jan 2011 07:56 AM PST QNAP has outed its newest range of Turbo NAS servers, the TS-x12 line-up, consisting of 1-, 2- and 4-bay models for a total of up to 12TB storage. The QNAP Turbo NAS TS-112, TS-212 and TS-412 each use a Marvell 1.2GHz processor and 256MB of RAM, and offer local and remote file and media access with remote iPhone and Android streaming using the QMobile app. The TS-112 is the baby of the range, a single-drive box which can be expanded via USB or eSATA, and works as a home file server, DLNA/UPnP streamer, USB printer sharer – for up to three printers – and SqueezeServer functionality. There’s also optional standalone wireless use, with a USB WiFi dongle, together with a gigabit ethernet port. The TS-212 does much the same as the TS-112 but accommodates two drives with data protection. It has the same feature set as the one-drive version, including Full HD 1080p movie streaming. Finally, the TS-412 packs a full four drive bays and offers a choice of Single Disk, JBOD, RAID 0/ 1/ 5/ 6/ 5 + hot spare setups. No word on pricing at this stage, but all three will go on sale in February 2011. Press Release: QNAP Debuts New Affordable High Performance Turbo NAS Server Family for Emerging HOME, SOHO, and Prosumer Users New TS-x12 Lineup Includes 1, 2, and 4-drive Models Featuring Embedded Marvell 1.2GHz CPU and 256MB of DDRII RAM, Delivering Great All-around Performance, Low Power Consumption, and a Wealth of Applications for Home Networks. Taipei, Taiwan, January, 2011 – QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of world class NAS servers, NVR Video Surveillance Systems, and Network-based Media Players today announced the TS-x12 lineup of affordable high performance Turbo NAS servers intended for the fast-growing home and SOHO market segment. The new models utilize the latest Marvell 1.2GHz processor and include 256MB of DDRII memory and Gigabit LAN ports, offering up to 8TB of networked storage with a unique blend of solid performance, high reliability, and advanced features at very affordable price points. The TS-x12 series includes the 1-drive TS-112, 2-drive TS-212, and 4-drive TS-412. NAS is becoming a popular addition to home networks as they solve the problem of how to centrally store and share digital content among computers in the home – especially in mixed Windows/Mac networks. QNAP's new TS-x12 models are easy to attach to existing networks and provides easy file sharing within the network, centralized backup of all networked computers, website hosting, printer sharing, even recording of surveillance video from IP cameras. "The new TS-x12 series Turbo NAS servers offer affordable high performance coupled with ultra-low power consumption and virtually noise-free operation," said Tony Lu, Product Manager from QNAP. "Home users no longer need to sacrifice performance for lower cost NAS; and the new TS-x12 series offers advanced features like RAID and iSCSI support, making them an incredible value for the money." The new TS-x12 models also improve the multimedia experience and capabilities for home users. The built-in UPnP media server (TwonkyMedia) feature of the TS-x12 series supports numerous UPnP-compliant media players such as the Sony® PS3 and Microsoft® Xbox 360 gaming consoles. Users can even use their iPhone and Android phone to stream music and video or view digital photos stored on the NAS in real-time from anywhere they have a Wi-Fi or 3G connection. Availability The TS-x12 series will be available starting in February through popular commercial distributors, resellers, and retailers globally. Relevant Entries on SlashGear QNAP debuts two Turbo NAS servers QNAP extends its mid-range line with TS-239 Pro II and TS-439 Pro II NAS servers QNAP launches new TX-x19P+ line of turbo NAS servers for home and office QNAP adds TS-410 turbo NAS server to line QNAP SS-439 Pro Turbo NAS offers RAID, server, more

Apple Xserve axed today Posted: 31 Jan 2011 07:41 AM PST Server admins take note; today’s the last day to pick up Apple’s Xserve rack-mount server, which faces the chop at the end of January. As confirmed back in November, Xserve is being phased out and replaced with a new Mac Pro with Snow Leopard Server SKU. Rather than a regular 1U model, the new Mac Pro server option fits two units to a 12U space. Alternatively, there’s the Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server, as first announced back in 2009; you’ll get two of those to a 1U space. Pricing for the Mac Pro server – which Apple claim is over 25-percent faster at certain tasks than the Xserve – kicks off at $2,999, while the roughly quarter-powered Mac mini server starts at $999. Relevant Entries on SlashGear An Image of Apple’s New Xserve Server Apple Xserve with Intel Xeon “Nehalem” Apple unveiled Penryn Mac Pros and Xserves Apple Xserve No Longer Available Beginning January 31st, Mac Pro Server Introduced Apple Mac Pro gets 3.33GHz Xeon and 2TB options

LG Optimus 3D leaks ahead of MWC 2011 debut? Posted: 31 Jan 2011 07:11 AM PST We’re already expecting the LG Optimus 3D to be made official at MWC 2011 next month – after all, it’s already been given one patchy pre-order listing and LG’s “new dimension” teasing invite isn’t hard to interpret – but now what’s believed to be the handset itself has seemingly leaked. Phandroid‘s tipster doesn’t confirm what exact LG this is, but the best guess is that we’re looking at the 3D Android phone. Details are scant, with a display larger than 4-inches suggested (which we’d guess is most likely to be 4.3-inches) along with a nameless dual-core CPU paired with multi-channel memory. Given LG has jumped aboard the Tegra 2 train with the Optimus 2X, we wouldn’t be surprised to see NVIDIA’s chip at the heart of this device too. Finally there’s a front-facing camera to add to the list. SlashGear will be at LG’s press event at Mobile World Congress in just a couple of weeks time, when we’ll know exactly what the company has in store for us. [via Android Community] Relevant Entries on SlashGear LG Optimus 3D outed ahead of MWC 2011 debut LG Optimus 2X pre-orders taken for Feb 21 release Optimus Popularis delayed; Mini Six companion ‘board due this year Optimus Popularis resurrected; due 2011 HTC Mondrian WP7 leaks ahead of German launch?

Nintendo 3DS browser & eShop delayed until May Posted: 31 Jan 2011 06:56 AM PST Nintendo has confirmed that, while the new Nintendo 3DS will arrive in the US on March 27 and in Europe on March 25, 3D gamers will have to wait longer for the 3DS eShop. CEO Satoru Iwata told GamesIndustry that not only will the game store be delayed until May 2011, the 3DS will also not have a browser to begin with. Neither was initially expected to be preloaded onto the 3DS, but Nintendo had previously expected to have the eShop and browser ready alongside the commercial release of the console. Now, the download store will be “drastically redesigned” versus the existing DSiWare store, which Iwata criticized as slow and inefficient at highlighting the best titles. “”It is critical in digital software distribution” Iwata suggested “that the software available there won’t be buried and go unnoticed.” [via Electronista] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Nintendo releases web browser for the DS Nintendo: Wii MotionPlus can’t be delayed, launch was never official Nintendo DS Opera Browser released in Europe Wii Web Browser Initial Price: $0 Nintendo DS adds: TV and Browser

Intel Medfield smartphone prototype gets brief preview Posted: 31 Jan 2011 06:39 AM PST Squint, or you’ll miss it. The tiny slab of shininess clutched in the hands of Anand Chandrasekher, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s Ultra Mobility Group, is apparently a Medfield based smartphone that, according to the Maemo forums, was shown off at an Intel sales conference last week. Details on the handset are almost entirely unknown, bar the chipset, but Intel hasn’t been shy with its Medfield expectations. Back in August 2010 the company promised to match ARM’s chipsets – currently the popular favorite in mobile devies like smartphones – for active power consumption with the new Medfield processors, which are expected to debut in shipping devices later this year. At least one of those devices, so the rumors would have it, will be from Nokia’s stable and run MeeGo, the two companies’ collaborative open-source OS. Leaks earlier this month suggested the Nokia N9 had been reworked using a 1.2GHz Medfield processor and dropping the hardware keyboard, and would be shown off at MWC 2011 next month. [via Twitter] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Intel “Medfield” Atom Coming in 2010 Intel Medfield smartphones tipped for 2011 Intel: We’ll beat ARM on active power efficiency with Medfield Nokia N9 now packing 1.2GHz Intel Atom for MWC 2011 reveal? Intel 32nm Atom netbook CPU appears on roadmap

T-Mobile Dell Streak 7 due February 2 for $200 Posted: 31 Jan 2011 06:11 AM PST T-Mobile USA has confirmed pricing and availability for the Dell Streak 7, the carrier’s first 4G tablet. The Streak 7 will be priced at $199.99 with a new, two-year agreement and following a $50 mail-in rebate when it hits stores from February 2 2011. That gets you a 7-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen, 4G HSPA+ connectivity, NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 dual-core 1GHz processor and a pair of cameras for photography and video calls. There’s also Gorilla Glass up front and both WiFi and Bluetooth. Previous rumors had suggested that the Streak 7 could be as much as $330 with a new agreement, a price that T-Mobile quickly denied. More information here and at T-Mobile’s sign-up page. Opt for the Dell contract-free and it will cost you $449.99 according to Engadget. [via Android Community] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Dell Streak available unlocked in UK Dell Streak 7 pricing leak an incorrect “technical error” says T-Mobile USA T-Mobile sneaks Dell Streak 7 mention onto site T-Mobile Dell Streak 7 tipped at $330 by fine-print Dell Streak $550 price posted then pulled

Samsung adds LOVEFiLM streaming to Blu-ray players in the UK Posted: 31 Jan 2011 06:03 AM PST Samsung has announced that it has added a new streaming service to its full line of Blu-ray players in the UK. The new streaming movie service is LOVEFiLM. The app requires a subscription to the LOVEFiLM service of at least £5.99. Samsung Blu-ray owners with a subscription for that monthly amount or higher can stream films directly to the TV via the Internet@TV service. The full range of movie offerings from LOVEFiLM is offered from Hollywood blockbusters to Cannes Film Festival nominees. Samsung says that it will offer more new apps for the Blu-ray players this year as well. Andy Griffiths, Vice President, Consumer Electronics, Samsung UK comments, "Adding the LOVEFiLM streaming service to all Samsung Blu-ray players and Blu-ray Home Theatre Systems is great news for us at Samsung as we're dedicated to providing our customers with relevant and exciting content, all from the comfort of their own home." Via Hexus Relevant Entries on SlashGear UK streaming movie service LOVEFiLM heads to PS3 Samsung Blu-ray players to support Netflix in HD Amazon buys LoveFilm for European postal/streaming media Samsung Blu-ray Players now support Netflix and Pandora Services Samsung adds YouTube to some Blu-ray players

HyperDrive for iPad updated with more storage and features Posted: 31 Jan 2011 05:53 AM PST Back in September of 2010, we talked about the HyperDrive that would add 750GB of storage to your iPad and had an LCD that you used to navigate the drive contents. A new versions of that HyperDrive has surfaced that ditches that LCD and gets more storage space. The new version packs in 1TB of storage and you can navigate the drive connects directly from the iPad. The 1TB version of the HyperDrive sells for $399.95 with the HDD inside already. That’s quite a bit cheaper than the older version that had the LCD, a 500GB version of that drive sold for $499. The other big difference between the new 1TB version and the older versions with the LCD is that the 1TB lacks any memory card slots. The drive connects to the iPad via the Camera Connection Kit. I would assume if it’s nothing but a USB drive you could use it on other devices too. Relevant Entries on SlashGear HyperDrive Connects to Your iPad, Adds up to 750GB of Storage Jobo announces GIGA Vu SONIC and GIGA one SONIC image storage devices, rebranded Hyperdrives HyperOS HyperDrive 4 ASRock unveils slick ION330HT-BD nettop RemotePC Lite lets the iPad access PC and Mac computers over WiFi

Bullet counter leaps off PC FPS shooter screen and lands on real weapon Posted: 31 Jan 2011 05:16 AM PST One of the things that most FPS gamers are used to are bullet counters that tell you how much ammo is left in your digital weapon. I reckon that is an important bit of info to know in the real world too if you are in some sort of firefight. If real bullets were coming my way, I would be too busy screaming like a little girl to count my shots. I would need something like this sweet bullet counter. It attaches to a weapon and counts the bullets as they are fired. It is able to count the bullets using an integrated microcontroller and an accelerometer. The accelerometer registers a single bullet when it recognizes recoil in excess of 22.5g. It has time out so rounds fired aren't messed up by vibrations after the shot. It's apparently accurate enough that it could count automatic fire better than the people shooting and filming could. Via Kotaku Relevant Entries on SlashGear USB Drive encased in a machine gun bullet The Bullet makes WiFi out of any antenna Active Media Products unveils .50 cal flash drive SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: January 31 2011 A taste of things to come: Android phone came making use of what's available

SunBook netbook ships with Pixel Qi transflective display Posted: 31 Jan 2011 04:56 AM PST A new netbook from Clover Systems has surfaced called the SunBook. The little machine is the first 10-inch netbook to ship with the Pixel Qi transreflective display. If you have forgot what that fancy display is, the thing lets you turn the backlight off for viewing in the sunlight or any other time you want to save power. The netbook was spied at CES by the geeks from Liliputing and they say it looks like a netbook with an e-ink screen with the backlight off. With the backlight on it looks like any other netbook. The big downside to adding the fancy screen to the netbook is cost. The SunBook will set you back $795, most of it just for the screen. The other specs are average netbook. They include a 1024 x 600 resolution display, 1.66GHz Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 250GB HDD. The machine can be had with 3G and 4G modems and battery life is 8-12 hours depending on the battery. Via Liliputing Relevant Entries on SlashGear CPT transflective display takes on Pixel Qi [Video] Pixel Qi & CPT partner to boost transflective display production; 7-inch due in Q2 2011 Pixel Qi 3Qi vs Amazon Kindle; Mary Lou Jepson Q&A [Video] Pixel Qi screen hits DIY customers, gets netbook video demo Pixel Qi 7-inch displays due H1 2011

Nintendo Battle & Get! Pokemon Typing DS keyboard surfaces Posted: 31 Jan 2011 04:41 AM PST I bet most of us used typing programs back in school to help us learn to type. If you have a kid that is to the age, where they are starting to type in school and are surfing the web it may be time for them to start learning to type correctly as well. Nintendo has unveiled a cool new typing tutor program that uses Pokemon and a cool Bluetooth keyboard that will also work with the iPhone and iPad. The program is called Battle & Get! Pokemon Typing DS. The DS game will ship with the keyboard and the dongle needed for BT on the portable since it lacks that capability. The keyboard will also apparently work with Android devices as well. It might be the perfect little keyboard for your Galaxy Tab. The catch is that the game and keyboard are only announced in Japan right now and pricing is unknown. Via OhGizmo Relevant Entries on SlashGear Your Wii now has keyboard support, sort of Pokemon DS Lite bundle details DIY – Rumble Pak for your Nintendo DS Pokemon Mystery Dungeon turns you into one of 16 Pokemon Gold and Diamond Gameboy

Canalys stats show Android became world’s leading smartphone platform in Q4 2010 Posted: 31 Jan 2011 03:59 AM PST The numbers are finally in for Q4 2010 from Canalys for the smartphone market. According to the company, Android grabbed the top spot in the global smartphone market away from Symbian. Android smartphone shipments hit 32.9 million units in the quarter. Symbian smartphone shipments were 31 million for the quarter according to the statistics. The smartphone market as a whole boomed during the last quarter of 2010 with total smartphone shipments of 101.2 million units. The overall shipments show that the smartphone market grew significantly at 89% growth compared to Q4 2009. Google’s smartphone OS’ were helped by strong performances from LG, Samsung, Acer, and HTC who all posted significant growth for the quarter. The most growth came from LG who racked up 4,127% growth compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Apple shipped 16.2 million units for the quarter, RIM shipped 14.6, and Microsoft shipped 3.1 million. Via Android Community Relevant Entries on SlashGear World’s smallest HSPA+ platform for Android voice and data unveiled iPhone take US smartphone top-spot while Android grabs OS pole position Froyo beats Android 2.1 as most prevalent version SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up: January 31 2011 iPhone most satisfying smartphone but Android users loyal tips research

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