Apple scrapped troubled 15-inch MacBook Air for 2010, rebuilding for 2012

The 13-inch MacBook Air of today

Had Apple’s “next-generation of notebooks” announcement in October 2010 played out as planned, the MacBook family of today would look very different. In October 2010, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs took the stage at the Apple Cupertino campus to unveil a preview of OS X Lion, FaceTime for Mac, iLife ’11 and the latest MacBook Air design as the closing “one more thing” announcement. That MacBook Air brought with it an all-new and thinner form-factor, a higher-resolution display, an incredibly light body, a large Multi-Touch single-button trackpad, flash SSD storage, and battery life improvements. 

Those aforementioned features, according to Apple, are what constitute the future of notebooks. This notebook announcement not only brought the successor to the previously available 13-inch MacBook Air, but brought along with it an 11-inch MacBook Air for the first time.

But these new notebooks weren’t the only planned pieces of the late 2010 MacBook Air story, though. Reliable sources have told us that not only were 13 and 11-inch models planned, but a groudbreaking new 15 inch MacBook Air was scheduled for a late 2010 release. Via 9t05mac

Are Amazon developing a Smartphone?

A Reuters report cited remarks from Citigroup research analyst Mark Mahaney indicating that Amazon may be developing a mid-range smartphone for release by in Q4 2012.

Amazon appears to be working with device maker Foxconn on the project. Other partners making components and actually building the devices may include Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments.

Nudging its way into the mobile phone market is a logical next step for Amazon, as it has found success with its e-Reader and presumes success with the just-released Kindle Fire tablet. The biggest advantage the e-tailer has over the competition is that it can apparently sell its devices at-cost; reportedly, it’s taking a (very tiny) loss on each Kindle Fire it sells. Thus, building a serviceable smartphone for $150-$170, as the Reuters reports suggest it could, and selling it for around that price would allow Amazon to undercut its competition on price quite a bit.

Of course, that’s assuming the rumoured device is actually any good.

Potential Dell Ultrabooks Hit The FCC

A couple of what appear to be ultrabooks from Dell have snuck into the FCC for a bit of quiet emissions testing. The devices, spotted by Wirelesss Goodness, are pictured only partially, and in schematic form no less, so it’s hard to draw too many conclusions.

One thing you can tell for sure, though, is that these are thin buggers. That’s an ethernet port on the corner there, which puts the total height of the laptop at around 20mm. That doesn’t include the display, of course, but it’s still very much ultrabook material.

The design is interesting: the HDMI and ethernet ports are diagonal to the body on the edges, there — personally, I think this would have made more sense for the power cord, but far be it from me to pass judgment. There is also a wealth of other ports, including what looks like some Mini DisplayPorts. And as you can see in the picture, there is a compartment conspicuously labeled “SATA Flash,” though whether the devices will be all-flash or only partially is anyone’s guess.

The two models, which from what I can tell are mostly identical, are called the Dalmore 14 and 15. Dalmore, curiously, is the name of a single-malt Scotch whiskey. Maybe it’s what they were drinking when they decided to put HDMI ports on the corners. I kid, I kid. But really, it’s a little mystifying.

We’ll be on the lookout for more info on these. Hopefully Dell is including the best of the Adamo DNA, but the aesthetic does appear to be much different. Via Potential Dell Ultrabooks Hit The FCC

Toshiba Portege Z835 review

Toshiba should know a thing or two about skinny, featherweight laptops. Back in 2007, the company unveiled the Portege R500, a 2.4-pound laptop measuring what was then an anorexic 0.77 inches (19.6mm) thick. Much to everyone's disbelief, it managed to squeeze in an optical drive.

Fast forward four years and it's entering the Ultrabook market with the Portege Z830 (that's the Z835 if you get it at Best Buy). And here comes the déjà vu: it's even lighter than the competition, at 2.47 pounds, but still houses a full suite of ports, including USB 3.0 and 2.0, HDMI and Gigabit Ethernet. It also promises more than eight hours of battery life, besting claims made by the likes of Apple, Acer and ASUS. Not to mention, with a price of $800 (Best Buy only), it undercuts competing models -- and at a time when every other Ultrabook seems to have some fatal flaw, whether it be a flaky touchpad or skimpy battery life. Clearly, there's lots of room here for something more carefully thought-out. So is Toshiba's Portege know-how just what the market needs? Let's see. Read the review here

mPowerPad - all-in-one portable solar charger, radio, reading light, torch, and ultrasonic insect repellent

With recent advances in photovoltaic panels and rechargeable batteries, it's only natural that there should now be an influx of solar-powered electronic devices. Just last week we profiled the Sunbox solar power system, that uses energy from the Sun to power three kinds of lights, recharge AA batteries, and juice up mobile phones. Now, it's time to take a look at a similar product, Third Wave Power's mPowerPad. It can charge mobile devices through its two USB ports, along with serving as a radio, flashlight, reading lamp, and even an ultrasonic insect-repelling device. As you might have noted in the photo, however, it has no external controls ... so how are you supposed to use the thing?

Third Wave describes the mPowerPad as the "world's first All-in-One portable solar charger with gesture-based technology." This doesn't mean that you gesture to it, but rather gesture with it - the pad contains an accelerometer, that allows users to change settings and functions by tilting or turning the device. That feature isn't just a quirky gimmick. Combined with its water-, dust- and shock-resistant qualities, the pad's lack of the traditional protruding knobs and switches makes it a fairly rugged little unit.

Via mPowerPad

Microsoft And Samsung’s Surface 2 Now Up For Pre-Order

Fond as we are of Microsoft’s touchscreen Surface table and all of the kooky things people have made it do, its replacement has come one step closer to seeing the light of day. Samsung and Microsoft have just announced that the next-generation Surface table, the SUR40, is now available for preorder in over 23 countries.

One of the first things you notice about the SUR40 is how much slimmer it is than the Microsoft’s original Surface. Gone is the massive pedestal that housed the Surface’s internals — the SUR40 manages to squeeze an Athlon X2 processor and the rest of its components flush against the 40-inch multi-touch display.

via Microsoft And Samsung’s Surface 2 Now Up For Pre-Order

Robotic bear can stop you snoring

Demonstrated during this month's International Robot Exhibition (IREX) in Tokyo, Jukusui-Kun is a polar bear-shaped robotic pillow that, like Paro the seal-bot, masks a serious purpose beneath its cute and cuddly exterior. Jukusui-Kun is designed to help snorers and those who live with them - whenever snoring becomes too loud (and sleep apnea becomes a danger), the robot raises its paw and gently touches the sleeper's face to trigger a change of sleeping position.

While we've seen numerous treatments for sleep apnea, such as anti-snoring pillows and even smartphone apps, Jukusui-Kun is arguably the first and only anti-snoring robot.

As well as being quite irritating for family members, snoring might be a sign of sleep apnea. These dangerous pauses in breathing during sleep effect an estimated 2 million people in Japan alone - and it cannot be underestimated.

Basically, sleep apnea is associated with blood oxygen saturation. Therefore, the pillow bear works with a pulse-oxygen meter attached to sleeper's hand (in the form of a baby polar bear), which tracks the amount of oxygen in the blood. It's wirelessly connected to a terminal that analyzes the data and remotely controls the bear. There's also a microphone hidden inside the pillow which measures the level of noise caused by snoring.

When the oxygen level drops and noise increases at the same time, Jukusui-Kun slowly and gently raises its paw to brush the patient's face, thus causing a change of position without waking. This change in sleeping position from the back to the side encourages a snoreless night.

Jukusui-Kun, which means "deep sleep" in Japanese, was developed by researchers from Tokyo's Waseda University. There are no plans to introduce a commercial version at this stage.

via Robotic bear pillow tickles sleepers to stop snoring.

CAMERA STAND FOLLOWS YOU IN A NON-CREEPY WAY

It's a universal problem with group photos: Who's going to take the picture? Consider the Swivl. The motorized camera stand can be used with devices thinner than 11 millimeters, like an iPhone, or with digital cameras, as long as they are under six ounces and have a tripod mount.

When the device is plugged in, the mount tilts and spins to follow its tiny remote marker, which can be used to start and stop the recorder to make home videos. This could prove to be very useful during FaceTime or Skype conversations, especially when you can't seem to stand still. Plus, being able to walk around or show something to whoever you’re talking to would make for a more interesting chat. Having a personal camera man will have to wait a few more months, though; the units are available for pre-order and won’t ship until early next year. Via Swivl Price $159.00

App uses games and note recognition to help kids with music practice

A new teaching app has been released for iDevices where Mozart, Scott Joplin and Clara Schumann - and a friendly onboard instrument tuner called Toonr - join forces to make music practice less of a chore. The My Note Games system is said to be the first children's app to make use of note recognition technology and uses a suite of simple games to help kids develop sight reading, timing and tuneful playing skills.

My Note Games is the first release from James Everard and Ian Willey of Appatta Ltd, and was developed to try and counter the ever-present distracting lure of console gaming systems suffered by their own kids during music practice. It's by no means the first game-based learning system we've seen here at Gizmag, but it does seem to offer a more entertaining learning experience than, say, PianoMaestro.

The My Note Games system effectively uses an iPad, iPhone or iPod as a digital music stand and its note recognition technology is capable of registering sounds in real-time from piano, guitar, recorder, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and trumpet. It also offers limited support for violin, viola, cello, voice and even whistling. At the moment, Mozart, Joplin and Schumann guide students through three simple games that reward successful completion with gold merits.

via App uses games and note recognition to help kids with music practice.

iTunes Match is here - depending on where here is!

If you live in the UK and you have been eagerly awaiting the much hyped 'iTunes Match' we're afraid we have some bad news for you. We have just heard that it wont be available in the UK, Europe and other countries until 2012!!! 

But for all of you lucky Apple fans in the US congratulations - it launched yesterday. So don't delay - match today - enjoy - Gadgarati

Amazing System Shows 3D Objects In Mid-Air

Since 2006, Tokyo-based Aerial Burton Inc. has been working on Aerial 3D, a technology that makes it possible to produce pictures in 3D in mid-air or underwater – without using a screen (that’s what I call “True 3D Technology” indeed). Burton says their laser-based system is the only one of its kind.

The current system projects 3D objects at 50,000 dots per second (up from around 1,000 in 2006) and with a frame rate of 10-15. The Aerial 3D works by focusing laser light, producing “plasma excitation from the oxygen and nitrogen in the air”.

The video below shows the tech in green laser, however in our opinion this is not as impressive as the pictures here suggest. - Gadgarati

via Amazing System Shows 3D Objects in mid-air

first-ever photo of the next iteration of BlackBerry devices

We've just gotten a look at what might be the first-ever photo of the next iteration of BlackBerry devices (based on the upcoming BBX operating system and its QNX roots), and we wanted to share. The phone you see in the picture above is apparently dubbed the BlackBerry "London," and is said to be headed for a June 2012 release. The phone allegedly is equipped with a TI OMAP dual-core CPU clocked to 1.5GHz, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of onboard storage, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a 2-megapixel front-facing shooter. The London is reportedly "thinner than the iPhone 4" and roughly the same size as a Galaxy S II (though our source didn't say which S II specifically). Oddly, the source says that the phone can be stood straight up on one of its sides (suggesting more boxiness than can be seen in the picture).

As you can see, the phone is running some variation of the PlayBook's operating system, though coloring and icons have definitely been tweaked. For instance, the music app icon looks more like an evolution of the note you see on the PlayBook's version (this time appearing overlaid onto an optical disc). Our source says the phone shown was a "dummy" model, so it's likely the screen is nothing more than a static image.

What's strange about the phone design is that it closely resembles RIM's Porsche Design P9981. Given the source of this image, it's possible that this is also a Porsche-designed BlackBerry destined for countries other than the US or Canada. We're told that RIM is also showing off two lower-end devices, as well as the next version of the Torch, which is said be "very thin" with a 3.7-inch display and slide-out keyboard.

Via The Verge

At Google, X really does mark the spot.

Search engine giant Google has a secret product lab called Google X feverishly developing blue-sky projects such as space elevators, driverless cars and Internet-enabled household devices (coffee pots? clothing?), The New York Times reported Monday.

The labs are reportedly run "as mysteriously as the C.I.A.," according to unnamed sources familiar with the project, and housed in two facilities -- one in California at the company's headquarters and one in an undisclosed location elsewhere in the country.

“They’re pretty far out in front right now,” Rodney Brooks, a professor emeritus at M.I.T.’s computer science and artificial intelligence lab and founder of Heartland Robotics, told the Times. “But Google’s not an ordinary company, so almost nothing applies.”

The lab is largely filled with robotics engineers, according to The New York Times, in spite of the software engineers more commonly employed by the company. But don’t get your hopes up: The types of projects cited aren't the sort of thing the company will be releasing any time soon.

While discussed widely by researchers and developers, a space elevator is no more than an idea, at present. Likewise, robot cars and interconnected home products are probably not destined for our homes and car ports any time soon -- Google did not officially comment on the status of projects or even the existence of the Google X labs.Space elevators, for example, are a concept common in science fiction stories and movies. The idea is simple: Ditch the expensive, dangerous, limited rockets mankind has traditionally relied upon to ferry cargo and crew to outer space in favour of an elevator, a giant platform that tows anything and everything up a tremendous cable to a platform orbiting at a fixed location around the planet.

Via Discovery

Home Flight Simulator

If you enjoy flying planes on your computer flight simulator software you might like to take the experience to the next stage with the Personal OVO-4 Home Flight Simulator, if your pockets are deep enough.

The new OVO-4 Home Flight Simulator is now available to pre-order for $57,000 and comes complete with it own fully sealed enclosure, three 24 inch monitors and full movement system to make the experience even more life like.

The OVO-4 Home Flight Simulator full movement technology has been designed to replicate the sensation of twisting, pitching, slipping, accelerating and braking, on the runway and while in flight. Together with state of the art vibration systems to replicate turbulence, runway irregularities, engine vibration and jolting from ignition.

The Personal OVO-4 Home Flight Simulator is now available to pre-purchase from Firebox for $57,000

Amazon Fire - review

It seems like ages since Amazon introduced us to the $199 Fire at a hectic New York City event, but in truth that was only about six weeks ago. Maybe our perception of time is warped because we've been hearing talk about this 7-inch Android tablet for months now. Maybe it's because Amazon launching a tablet seemed like such a natural thing to do after Barnes & Noble paved the way with its Nook Color. Or, maybe it's just because the gadget Amazon shipped looks nigh-identical to the 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook that we've had for, well, ages.

For whatever the reason, what Amazon has delivered is a device that is intimately familiar yet mysterious -- a simple, minimalistic exterior design hiding a flashy, seemingly quite trick customization that's sitting atop a decidedly ho-hum Android Gingerbread build. Our questions leading up to this review were many: How will it handle sideloading? Are the battery life and performance better than the PlayBook? Can a tablet that costs two hundred bucks stand a chance against those that cost two and three times as much? Click on through to find out.

via Amazon Kindle Fire review

Source Claims Hands-On Experience with iPhone 5 Prototype

While the redesigned "iPhone 5" form factor failed to surface with last month's update that saw the introduction of the iPhone 4S, reports have suggested that the next-generation iPhone expected to debut next year will indeed carry a significant redesign.

Business Insider now reports that it has received word from a source who has claimed to have had access to an iPhone 5 prototype and offered some details on the device. We've been told this by an industry source who has been right about future Apple products in the past.

We have not been able to verify what he told us with a second source. So we're still treating these details as rumors. You should probably still read this post with a nice fat dose of salt. According to the source, Apple did indeed hope to launch the iPhone 5 this year, but was forced to scrap those plans several months before the iPhone 4S was ultimately introduced. Among the iPhone 5 details cited by the source:

- 4-inch screen

- Aluminum back

- Capacitive home button

- "Flatter" form factor

- Much faster than current hardware, but poor battery life

- 10-megapixel rear camera

- Siri prototype known as "Assistant", which had been the rumored name for the feature until its introduction

According to the source, the primary objection regarding the prototype design came from Steve Jobs, who claimed that the larger screen would result in fragmentation of the iOS ecosystem, something the company has worked hard to limit.

Business Insider does not have a particularly solid track record on Apple product rumors, and is also including its own warnings about taking the report with a grain of salt. But the claims are certainly of some interest given the curiosity surrounding what happened with the claimed leaked design that resulted in significant numbers of cases being produced for a device that failed to appear.

via Source Claims Hands-On Experience with iPhone 5 Prototype

Toys R Us Launching Kids Friendly Nabi Android Tablet

Toys R Us has teamed up with app developers FUHU, who produce kids friendly applications to produce a kids friendly Android tablet, called the Nabi Tablet, which will go on sale in December for $200.

The Nabi Tablet features a 7 inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, processing is provided by a dual core 533MHz Cortex A9 processor and there is also a PowerVR SGX530 GPU.

The Nabi comes with 4Gb of built in storage, a front facing camera and 1080p HD video playback, plus a 3,000 mAh battery and it will be available from Toys R Us on the 1st of December.

via Toys R Us Launching Kids Friendly Nabi Android Tablet

The Thinnest Smartphone In The World

Motorola today launched the Droid RAZR, the thinnest smartphone ever made.

It packs in some great industry-leading specs as well, but the real draw here is the 7.1mm form factor, a first in modern smartphones.

The Droid RAZR, on sale in the US today for $299.99 on a new contract with Verizon.

Via Droid RAZR Click for more pics

The iPhone 5 Was Real

Remember how disappointed everyone was back in October when Apple announced an iPhone 4S and not an iPhone 5? Everyone had been led to believe by scores of reports that there would be a revolutionary new iPhone with a bigger screen and a new slimmer look.

Well, it turns out the "iPhone 5" – or at least, a fully redesigned iPhone – was real and it was scrapped only months before the iPhone 4S was announced. We've been told this by an industry source who has been right about future Apple products in the past.

 We have not been able to verify what he told us with a second source. So we're still treating these details as rumors. You should probably still read this post with a nice fat dose of salt.

The story our source told us does, however, fit into a broader narrative that is currently being passed around the industry. Because of that we thought you'd like to hear what we heard and make a judgment for yourself.

So, here's what we were told.

Our source said that Apple engineers he knows thought until about three months before the iPhone 4S was released, that a new fully re-designed iPhone was going to be Apple's next big announcement. This source said that he spent about two weeks with one prototype version of this phone.

Via Businessinsider

T-Mobile Springboard Tablet coming next week

We know you have been waiting patiently for the new T-Mobile Springboard Tablet so you might be a little disappoint to learn that T-Mobile has now delayed the release date until November 16th.

It was originally thought that the T-Mobile Springboard would be with us on the 7th of November, and as yet no explanation has been given as to the reason for the delay.

The Springboard is manufactured by Huawei and will comes with Android 3.2 Honeycomb, a 7 inch HD display, a 5 megapixel camera and a front facing 1.3 megapixel camera.

Pricing for the T-Mobile Springboard Tablet will hopefully be around £125.

Your own personal Planetarium

Ever since the sad day in 2006 when the London Planetarium closed its doors (and suffered the indignity of a rebranding whereby the stars on show were celebrities rather than supernovas), learning about the heavens without worrying about light pollution and the right equipment has been tricky. But now, armchair astronomers can go on a virtual voyage through the galaxy with this sleek projector which uses ultra-bright light-emitting diode (LED) technology to beam 10,000 stars onto your ceiling. It shows the constellations and mimics celestial movement in both northern and southern hemispheres. You can also program the device to display shooting stars. Switch off the lights, plug in your own planetarium and watch the night sky in comfort – and fall asleep as the Seven Sisters and the Great Bear float above your head. 

Available from Amazon or Firebox for about £120.

6 in 1 Autoloader Screwdriver

Next time you realise you’re packing the wrong screwdriver, don’t stomp down the ladder in a huff or clamber out of the closet cursing the gods of flat-packed furniture. Just twiddle the 6-in-1 Autoloader and get screwing. Job done. 

Totally idiot-proof, this award-winning screwdriver features a patented pump-action bit change mechanism. Simply pull back the handle, twist until you find the right bit for the job and presto – out it pops, locked in place and ready to screw. Handy? It’s a DIY revelation. 

Simply pull back the handle, twist until you find the right bit for the job and presto – out it pops. With a total of six nickel-plated Phillips and flathead bits to choose from you’re spoilt for choice. And because the bit tips are magnetised you won’t keep dropping screws. You can even customise the Autoloader by preloading it with the bits you use the most. All you need now is something to fix.

Available at Firebox for £20

iPhone 4S's proximity sensor's working overtime

As far as assistants go, Siri can be rather demanding. In fact, she apparently requires that your iPhone 4S's proximity sensor be on whenever the handset's screen is activated. That's the conclusion iFixit arrived at, upon discovering that, unlike previous generations which flip on the sensor upon firing up a phone call or Skype conversation, the 4S kicks on the infrared detectors whenever the screen turns on. The change would allow Siri to detect just how close your face is as you speak to her without the handset pressed up against your face. More details in the following video.

via Your iPhone 4S's proximity sensor's working overtime -- thank Siri 

Samsung Galaxy Note reviewed

The guys at T3 have just reviewed the humongous Samsung Galaxy Note. For our tastes it's one of those products that falls between to stalls - too big for a phone - too small for a tablet. But from T3's verdict below perhaps it can find a niche in the business place.

Large in size, humongous in potential, the Samsung Galaxy Note might not be a first smartphone for the masses, what it is however, is a device that will enhance the experience of many a business user. The Note’s only downfall in popularity is in how much it has limited its prospective target audience.

One of the first modern mobile devices that makes a stylus not only work but further enhance the user interaction with the product, the Samsung Galaxy Note could well be the first in a new era of business minded hybrid devices with its strong all-round performances making it a must for those looking to get work done on the go.

To read the whole review go here

New touchscreen home phone

Today we hear about the first move of home phones to touch screen types similar to mobile smartphones. We think you'll agree with us that the Gigaset SL6910A is a real winner if the functions live up to the looks. Gigaset claims that the SL910A will provide 14 hours of talktime and up to 200 on standby. It will go on sale in the UK for around £140 and secondary units will be available for around £120. Up to six units can be connected.

The Gigaset SL910A will be available through John Lewis, Amazon and Currys. See all the details and functions after the jump.

Amazon Ups Orders From Kindle Fire Suppliers To 5 Million Units

Emboldened by solid pre-order numbers for their new Kindle Fire tablet, Amazon has bumped its order numbers from manufacturers yet again, this time to a round five million units by year’s end. Presumably they are looking to fulfill as many orders as possible before the all-important holiday rush.

The change isn’t anything like an order of magnitude, as even early reports had Amazon ordering “millions” of screens, and leaked sales estimates were for four million units sold before 2011 ends. Considering the relative unpopularity of even the highest-profile Android tablets preceding it, these numbers appeared optimistic at first; now they appear to have been conservative.

It’s a drop in the bucket compared with iPad sales, but the Amazon board is probably breathing a collective sigh of relief, having spent a huge sum of money developing the device. The Fire will likely be the second-place tablet for some time at this rate, which, when first place belongs to one of the best-selling gadgets of all time, isn’t a bad place to be.

The tablet ships on the 15th (next Tuesday), and is of course still available for pre-order. We’ll have a full review up after we get our hands on a device.

via Amazon Ups Orders From Kindle Fire Suppliers To 5 Million Units

Gary Morgenthaler Says Siri Will Eat Google’s Lunch

In his letter to the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt talks quite a bit about Siri and how it represents “an entirely new approach to search technology” — one that is a “significant development”. Basically, he says that Siri is the biggest threat to Google’s control of search, well, ever. The writing, as they say, is on the wall.

So, we thought there was no better way to get the lowdown on Schmidt’s statement to the Senate Subcommittee and the future of the feisty young virtual assistant than by talking to one of the people who played an integral role in Siri’s early life.

Gary Morgenthaler, a partner at the eponymous VC firm, Morgenthaler Ventures, was the first investor in Siri in 2008 and served on the company’s board of directors until it was acquired by Apple. Morgenthaler was also an early investor in Nuance Communications, now a leader in voice recognition (and also now used in the iPhone 4S).

Nokia Lumia arrives in UK a week today

The first good looking Windows phone, the Nokia Lumia 800, will be available sim free this time next week.

It's not known yet which companies will be stocking the new phone but it is great news for all those Nokia fans that have been waiting, and we mean waiting, for a long time to see something exciting from the Finnish multinational.

Nokia says 

“The Nokia Lumia 800 goes on sale on the 16th of November as we stated during the launch at Nokia World. There are some rather odd stories circulating at present, it’s rather flattering as it proves that there are a lot of people who believe the Lumia 800 will be a major sales item and are now trying to get it onto their shelves."

“However for the rollout of our first Lumia products, we have chosen to work with the UK operator and retail partners who shared our enthusiasm and commitment to bring these first products to market with a major focus on bringing alive the Nokia with Windows Phone experience for consumers. Therefore we are making sure that by using these channels the Lumia 800 will be available to our customers in the widest variety of outlets from SIM free to contract."

Adobe dropping mobile Flash

We hear today that Adobe is dropping its future plans for mobile Flash. The company says:

'Our future work with Flash on mobile devices will be focused on enabling Flash developers to package native apps with Adobe AIR for all the major app stores. We will no longer adapt Flash Player for mobile devices to new browser, OS version or device configurations. Some of our source code licensees may opt to continue working on and releasing their own implementations. We will continue to support the current Android and PlayBook configurations with critical bug fixes and security updates.'

This announcement with plans to focus on HTML5 is due out shortly and we can be sure that up in heaven tonight there will be someone smiling. 

'He who laughs last laughs longest'

What do you want in the iphone 5?

What do you want to see on the iphone 5? Well we've had a good think about it and this is our top ten:

1) Larger 4" AMOLED borderless screen

2) Large widgets

3) Temperature & heart rate sensors

4) NFC integration

5) 4G

6) Facetime on 4G

7) Document scanner similar to LG scan mouse

8) Siri expansion (total voice control)

9) Bing maps with angled satellite views

10) In built SatNav

We're sure you can think of many more so let us hear them.

Hacker gets a malicious app in the Apple App Store

An app designed to maliciously steal data from the phone has been removed from the App store. The software was created by security expert and hacker Charlie Miller to demonstrate Apple's vulnerabilities. The app called instaStock was designed to look like a stock checker and was approved for use by Apple in September.

This is quite an embassment for Apple as their closed system is designed to ensure this could not happen, but the InstaStock app took advantage of a recent update to Apple's mobile operating system which allowed non-approved code to be added to installed apps for the first time.

Here is the Nook Tablet

Barnes & Noble yesterday launched its new Nook Tablet just a couple of weeks behind the kindle fire. B&N obviously realised, as did Amazon, that a section of the ebook market would like a bit more to do when they have finished reading their latest tome. Enter the Nook Tablet which you can pre-order now and will be available on November 18th. So we assume you would like to know how it compares to the competition. Well those lovely guys over at the WSJ have produced this infographic showing the main differences.

We also thought you might like to see the B&N Video

Android Powered i’m Watch Features Unveiled

If you are looking forward to the launch of the world first true smart watch you will be pleased to know its creators have now released a quick demonstration video revealing a few more of the watches features and functions.

The has been designed to connect to iPhone, Android and all possible future smartphones allowing you to touch, drag, swipe or pinch its touchscreen to navigate and use the applications. It can also be used as a  powerful speakerphone, leaving the hands free for more important or amusing tasks. Watch the video after the jump to see it in more detail.

The i’m watch will be powered by a a Freescale IMX233 application processor and equipped with a 1.54 inch TFT touchscreen display with a resolution of 200 x 200 pixels and fitted with 4GB of built in storage, 64MB of RAM.  Its internal battery 450mAh Li-Po battery will provide about three hours on speakerphone use or up two days in standby.

The new i’m Watch is currently available to preorder for €300 and shipping will commence on the 30th January 2012.

Via Geeky Gadgets

Apple Considering Siri For The iPhone 4

We have already seen a hacked version of Apple’s Siri running on the iPhone 4, and now it looks like Apple may be considering bringing Siri to the iPhone 4. Apple’s virtual voice activated assistant is currently only available on the iPhone 4S, but this could possibly change in the future.

According to a recent report, Apple is considering releasing Siri for the iPhone 4, and it is apparently being tested inside apple with a special version of iOS 5 on the iPhone 4.

It certainly would make sense for Apple to add Siri to the iPhone 4, although Apple are using Siri as one of the main selling points for the iPhone 4S, if they don’t release it for the iPhone 4, we suspect it will eventually end up being released for the iPhone 4 by the jailbreak community.

via Apple Considering Siri For The iPhone 4?

Dell's new Latitude tablet available for Xmas pre-order?

Serving as further evidence that the stylus really is back, Dell's coy enterprise slate, the Latitude S is now available for pre-order with an estimated delivery date of November 29th and an $859 price tag. If your too impatient to wait for Windows 8, this one's sporting Microsoft's seventh generation, weighs a hefty 816g -- nearly twice as much as the BlackBerry PlayBook -- and contains a 1.5GHz Intel Atom Z670 processor. If you like your tablets with a little extra heft and something extra to poke around with, hit the source link below.

via Dell Latitude S tablet available for pre-order, might 

Lost Steve Jobs interview headed to the big screen

Missing footage from an interview Apple co-founder Steve Jobs did almost 20 years for a landmark miniseries that ran on PBS in the United States and Channel 4 in Britain has resurfaced and is the basis for a new documentary that will be shown in Landmark Theatres around the country on Nov. 16 and 17.

Curiosity about the always compelling and enigmatic man behind the Apple computer, iPod, iPhone and iPad has skyrocketed since his death from cancer a month ago. A new biography of Jobs by Walter Isaacson is on top of the bestseller list and a "60 Minutes" show featuring a lengthy segment on the book drew almost 13 million viewers for CBS.

The movie, "Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview," is from a conversation Jobs conducted with Robert Cringely for the author and producer's 1996 miniseries "Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires" about the origins of the personal computer industry and the emergence of Silicon Valley as a technology hub.

Via  Lost Steve Jobs interview headed to the big screen

New iPad app recognizes any TV show by listening to the audio

A new iPad app from Yahoo can recognize any TV show by listening to the audio, and automatically serve up related Web content, such as news stories related to a news broadcast or play-by-play stats for a ballgame.

The app, called IntoNow, is a refreshed and improved version of technology that Yahoo acquired by buying a startup with the same name. When the company was swallowed by Yahoo in May, it was only able to share information over Facebook and Twitter about what show a user was watching. By using Yahoo technology that can recognize the meaning of text, the IntoNow version released today is much more capable, says Adam Cahan, who founded IntoNow and is now a Yahoo executive.

"This technology actually understands the 'aboutness' of the show," Cahan said at a Yahoo press event. He showed the app automatically pulling up a list of Yahoo news content related to a story airing on CNN about an airplane making an emergency landing in Warsaw, Poland. The app also uses its knowledge of the show to find relevant Twitter conversations.

IntoNow identifies TV shows by comparing an audio "fingerprint" of a person's viewing with a vast library of TV audio fingerprints stored on cloud servers. The closed captions for that moment can then be retrieved and fed into Yahoo's technology to determine the meaning of what is currently on screen.

via Yahoo Gives the iPad the Power to Understand TV 

Apple top execs get $60M bonuses

A flurry of new filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission show Apple's top executives getting bonuses with big payouts that hinge on them staying with the company through the end of 2016.

The company on Wednesday doled out 150,000 shares each to most of its senior vice presidents, short of recently-minted SVP Eddy Cue, who received a slightly smaller 100,000-share bonus, and design guru Jonathan Ive, who is an SVP, but does not fall under the SEC's section for directors, officers, and principal stockholders. That works out to just over a $60 million payday to those who got the 150,000 shares, with Cue's cut coming out to a little more than $40 million, all based off today's closing price.

Those who got the 150,000 shares will reach 50 percent vesting come June 21, 2013, with the other 50 percent fully vesting on March 21, 2016. The filings show that 25,000 of Cue's shares vest on September 21, 2014, with the rest vesting two years later. With all of these, the bonus is contingent on the executives continuing to work at the company.

"Our executive team is incredibly talented and they are all dedicated to Apple's continued success," said Apple spokesman Steve Dowling in a statement. "These stock grants are meant to reward them down the road for their hard work in helping to keep Apple the most innovative company in the world."

via Apple gives most of its top execs $60M bonuses

Now we're getting Kinect-like gesture-controlled phones

South Korea’s Pantech plans to add gesture-recognition functions to its mobile phones.

The maker of Android and messaging phones plans to use Kinect-like gesture technology from Israel’s eyeSight Mobile Technologies. Pantech plans to include the technology in its Vega LTE series of phones due to hit the market in November.

The folks at eyeSight say that touch input is impractical at times, like when driving or wearing gloves. The gestures can answer calls or play music. Of course, voice activation can handle the same kinds of tasks that gesture controls can handle.

Microsoft developed its Kinect motion-sensing system for the Xbox 360 using in-house development and technology from PrimeSense and 3DV Systems. It also acquired Canesta and licensed patents from GestureTek.

Apple working on an actual ibook?

Are Apple working on a real, hold in the hand ibook? Well we have put all the rumours and pieces of information together and with a tip from a usually reliable source we think the answer is YES.

Back in October our advisers told us that Apple had taken receipt of quite a number of 7.85 inch screens with 1024x768 resolution. It was rumoured at that time Apple was thinking about a smaller size ipad to compete with Samsungs Galaxy Tab and other smaller form factor tablets. Then came the new Newsstand app, with all its (new) magazines easily downloaded.

Now we have had the Amazon Fire, Jeff Bezo's seemingly ideal size color ebook.

We have already heard from Steve Jobs on the matter. He said "The reason we [won't] make a 7-inch tablet isn't because we don't want to hit that price point, it's because we think the screen is too small to express the software," plus "As a software driven company we think about the software strategies first."

So would Apple take on Amazon or is it more likely that they would produce a new type of device altogether. That's what Apple does and usually does it best.

Our adviser tells us that Apple's Jonny Ives is actually doing that right now. So we have mocked up a couple of pictures for you (sorry about the quality) but they do give you the idea. A book sized ibook that will fit in your handbag or jacket pocket that unfolds to offer a true double page (magical) reading experience and also a mini netbook for surfing and email.

We can't wait!

HP introduces multitouch Slate 2 tablet PC for business

HP announced the release of its HP Slate 2 tablet PC today. The offering throws the company's hat into the arena of the white hot tablet market while filling a niche need for its business-oriented customers.

The Slate 2 is a light-weight (1.5 pounds/680 grams) tablet which takes aim at the education, healthcare, government, and retail markets. The trait shared by all of these occupations is the need for a certain level of mobility, and being tied to a desk to use a computer or a POS (point of sale) system certainly hinders even the most able professional.

Featuring an 8.9-inch diagonal capacitive multitouch display that works with both touch and pen or stylus input, the Slate 2 is equipped with an Intel Z670 processor with mSATA SSM technology. This delivers fast boot times and a battery life rated at approximately six hours. The tablet also uses Swype keyboard technology, and offers 2GB of RAM and up to a 64GB SSD (solid state drive). The Slate 2 will also come with Windows 7 Professional pre-installed. Not to be overlooked, a 3MP outward-facing camera as well as an integrated VGA webcam allow for sharing of photos, videos, and even some conferencing ability.

Apple says Kindle Fire is good for them

Apple executives are saying that the low priced Kindle Fire could actually be a good thing for the iPad because it introduces another level of fragmentation in the Android platform.

Barclays analyst Ben Reitzes just met with Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and here's what he heard about the Fire:

While the pricing at $199 looks disruptive for what seems to be the iPad's most important rising challenge, the Amazon Fire – it is important to note that it could fuel further fragmentation in the tablet market—given it represents yet another platform. While compatible with Android, the Apps work with Amazon products. The more fragmentation, the better, says Apple, since that could drive more consumers to the stable Apple platform. We believe that Apple will get more aggressive on price with the iPad eventually but not compromise the product quality and experience.

Apple has a point. Amazon's Fire is based on Android, but looks totally different. Android-based apps for the Fire will probably look out of place initially.

However, in the long run as it sells millions and millions of Fires, developers will see it as a third platform and start building custom apps for Amazon.

Traditional board games with the iPad

While the iPad is basically a device intended for use by one person at a time, the tablet has also proved suitable for multiplayer apps. In some cases, however, its 9.7-inch display is certainly too small to replace a larger, traditional game board and besides, many users prefer playing with physical pieces on a physical board. Dutch-based company Identity Games is seeking the middle ground with GameChanger - an interactive electronic board that merges the old and the new to bring family gaming to the iPad.

To start the game, the iPad needs to be placed inside the GameChanger's cradle which connects it to the board. Players then place the appropriate game skins on the board and run a corresponding application on the iPad. Utilizing 48 pressure-sensitive fields on the board, iPad's screen changes according to what happens during the game. There are four multi-game playing pieces that interact with the game, while everything else is displayed on the screen.

At the moment, GameChanger is offered with two games: Animal Mania and Magic Schoolbus. It's suitable for two to four players of ages six and up and both games combine entertainment and education aspects according to Identity.