The World in Our Hands: January 2011

Monday, January 31, 2011

Ford Focus Electric Car

At its unveiling at CES, Ford missed no opportunity to talk up the ability of its Focus Electric to charge in half the time of the Nissan Leaf when connected to a Level 2 (220 - 240V) charger,

Samsung Galaxy S2 i9200

The tipped successor to the Galaxy S, and supposedly due in early 2011, according to the talk circulating Russian forum itrans the Galaxy S2 is said to have a whopping 4.3-inch 1,280 x 720 Super AMOLED display with around 340 pixels per inch, certainly intruding into Apple’s Retina Display realm.

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.

Update OS BlackBerry 6 for Bold and Curve on Verizon

Today everyone holding a BlackBerry Bold 9650 or a BlackBerry Curve 3G will indeed be receiving an update to OS BlackBerry 6. Horay for the newness! This brand new version of BlackBerry’s

After a couple of leaks and special appearances, Samsung has finally unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830. The Indonesian website of the Korean company was silently updated to the Ace S5830.

The Ace packs a 3.5-inch display with a HVGA (320×480) resolution. The handset is powered by an 800 MHz processor and packs 158MB of internal memory and 512MB of RAM along with a microSD card slot.

Funny technology in the world.

Some technology in the world

The car will have limited availability, while the automaker continues to focus on gas-powered vehicles

Mazda is developing its own electric car for leasing in Japan starting in spring 2012, joining the rush to develop green vehicles, an area in which it's lagging General Motors, Nissan and other rivals.

The electric vehicle will be based on the car maker's Demio subcompact, called the Mazda2 overseas, and will have a driving range of 120 miles (200 kilometers) on a single charge, Mazda said

Samsung Announces The Android 2.2 Powered Galaxy S 4G Smartphone

Samsung recently announced the Android 2.2 powered Galaxy S 4G. This handset is the 4G variant of the popular Galaxy S smartphone. Samsung already managed to sell more than 10 million units of the Galaxy S and it is the only Android device to cross 10 million milestone. The Samsung Galaxy S 4G will be exclusively available on the airwaves of T-Mobile in the US.

Akai Mobiles, a division of the largest Japanese Consumer Electronics brand, Akai India, recently launched their first 3D touchscreen phone in India.

HP to Launch Topaz and Opal webOS Tablets in 2011, one of them will be out in September

There will be a 9 inch webOS tablet codenamed Topaz as well as a 7 inch webOS tablet codenamed Opal.

The Dell Streak 7 was one of the many tablets announced at CES 2011. It was leaked way before CES though. It is one of the best Android tablets which will be coming to us in 2011. Dell is one of the more reliable tablet manufacturers, along with Samsung, Motorola and LG.

White BlackBerry Torch coming soon to Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK has listed the white version of the BlackBerry Torch

A previously unknown member of the Samsung Galaxy family has been caught on camera by SamFirmware and Teena. A smaller edition of the popular Galaxy S, which is expected to be announced next month at the Mobile World Congress.

The Samsung S5830 has

Skype has officially decided to remove support for Windows Mobile 6.5 in anticipation of rolling out a client for Windows Phone 7, however, if you want to download the Skype 3.0

Nokia X7 smartphone has made another appearance, this time showing up in what looks like official render form. Still bearing AT&T branding, the shots passed to Pocketnow also came with word that the smartphone could arrive on the US carrier as early as this month.

Unlike the N8 and E7, the X7

CES 2011: Credit Card Technology from Dynamics Inc.

From the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Citibank announced that later this year they will be running a pilot program using Card 2.0.

How Card 2.0 technology works

CES 2011: Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc - Only 8.7mm thick

The Sony press conference at the CES 2011 in Las Vegas just got over and the company announced its latest Xperia handset - the Xperia Arc. The Arc is the successor to the Xperia X10. The handset is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and has a 4.2-inch ‘multi-touch’ Sony Bravia powered display.

The back of the handset sports an 8.1MP camera with an Exmor R sensor and an LED flash. The handset is insanely thin at only 8.7mm. The phone also sports a mini-HDMI port which is capable of 1080p output.

The handset will have

Huawei finally announced the much awaited Ideos X5 smartphone at the CES 2011 in Las Vegas. This handset runs on the Android 2.2 (Froyo) operating system and allows you to access more than 200,000 apps from the Android Market. Huawei Ideos X5 comes with

The Motorola Xoom was definitely the best tablet announced during the CES 2011. The Xoom is expected to hit the stores sometime in May as a 3G+WiFi tablet, with an upgrade to 4G LTE sometime later in 2011 in the States. However, now it looks like Motorola will ship a Wi-Fi only version of the Xoom as well.

This device runs on the Google’s latest Android OS (Honeycomb), optimized for tablets. Motorola Xoom comes with a large

CES 2011: Motorola Xoom tablet crowned best gadget

Motorola Mobility, Inc.

Motorola Mobility's Xoom tablet computer powered by new "Honeycomb" software from Google was crowned the best gadget at the giant Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on Saturday.

Along with being declared the top creation at the dazzling gadget extravaganza, Xoom was also honored as the best of the scores of tablets introduced here as fresh competitors in a market dominated by Apple iPads.

Motorola also scored a victory with its Atrix smartphone designed to work with high-speed 4G wireless networks and which can be used in a dock to power a laptop.

Atrix won the top spot in a smartphone category at the official Best of CES awards.

"We took big risks and they paid off," said Motorola Mobility chief software engineer Seang Chau. "We didn't know if people would get it; but obviously they got it."

US telecom maker Motorola Mobility jumped into the bustling tablet computer market Wednesday when chief executive Sanjay Jha unveiled Xoom at CES.

Motorola Mobility's hotly awaited tablet computer, the "Xoom," will be available in the first quarter of the year, Jha said.

With a 10.1-inch (25.6-centimeter) screen, the Xoom is about the same size as Apple's iPad, which hit stores in April and has other leading technology companies around the world scrambling to catch up.

Xoom will be a fierce competitor in the marketplace because Google built Honeycomb software specifically to power tablet computers, according to Jha.

"This is really the next generation of tablets," Motorola Mobility device team head Alain Mutricy said as he held a Xoom in one hand at the awards ceremony.

"Our partnership with Google has been very intense and has enabled some great technology."

The CES accolades came just four days after Illinois-based Motorola split into two companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions.

Motorola Mobility will focus on mobility, the Internet and computing markets while Motorola Solutions will target next-generation communications solutions to government, public safety and enterprise customers.

"This has been a great week for us," Mutricy said of Motorola Mobility. "It is a good beginning."

The official CES awards were sponsored by tech news website Cnet, which had editors pick the winners.

Japan-based Wii console maker Nintendo took top honors in a gaming category with a version of a DS videogame handset that allows 3D play without the need for special glasses.

CES 2011: WinPad 100A from MSI

(MSI's WinPad 100A is still prototypical, and its design will likely change before release).

LAS VEGAS--MSI was fairly coy about sending out pics of its Android-based tablet, the WinPad 100A. Luckily, the device was on display at the company's CES booth.

The WinPad 100A has a 10.1-inch capacitive touch screen and runs on Android 2.3. It wasn't clear whether the device will be upgradable to Honeycomb when the new OS launches, however.

Other specs and details include an ARM processor, a USB port, Mini-USB, HDMI, an SD card reader, a front-facing camera on the upper-left side, and a headphone jack.

Additionally, the device includes a G-Sensor gravity-detecting device, a GPS locator, an ambient light sensor, and Wi-Fi with a 3G option available.

The WinPad 100A weighs in at 1.6 pounds and is approximately half an inch thick at its thinnest point. MSI claims the 100A can run for 8 to 10 hours on a single battery charge.

The tablet is expected to be released around July for an estimated price of $500.

Friday, January 7, 2011

CES 2011: Embedded projector part of Android device

You can almost beam yourself up to wherever you want to go with MicroVision's prototype of an embedded projector in an Android-based device. The company showed the device — which looks like a smart phone and has a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen — at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. (They call it a "mini-tablet.")

"The PicoP display engine ... does not require projection lenses, focus wheels or complex optics and it dissipates less heat, yielding an extremely small form factor," the Redmond-based company said in a release.

Carrying a big screen in your pocket is part of MicroVision's vision. It also showed the ShowWX+, a smart phone-sized laser pico projector that was made for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad and can connect to the devices and display video or images — from Netflix movies, home movies and photos, as well as from games — from a distance of 6 to 100 inches away.

It also can be connected to other devices, from DVD players to game consoles, but its real charm is in its portability. (It also works with Nokia's N-series of phones, as well as Apple's line of mobile devices.) It retails for $399.

CES 2011: Verizon launching 10 4G devices: tablets, phones and notebooks

Today at CES in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless did exactly what we thought they'd do: Introduce a boatload of devices that run on its fast 4G wireless network. There were 10 gadgets total, among them smart phones from HTC, Samsung, LG and Motorola, a couple of laptops and wireless hotspots, plus an update of the Samsung Galaxy Tab and of course, the Motorola Xoom.

What they did not announce was any kind of pricing or exact timing. Nor did they mention any phone starting with a little "i."

HTC ThunderBolt (exclusive to Verizon Wireless) – HTC Sense 2.0, Skype mobile with video, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 4.3-inch WVGA display, Dolby surround sound, 8-megapixel camera and HD video recording, wireless DLNA capability.

LG Revolution – HD support for streaming, playing and recording video, large 4.3-inch touch screen, Android 2.2, video telephony support with front-facing camera and mobile hotspot capability to share a 4G connection with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices.

Motorola Droid Bionic 4G – Android with Adobe Flash and HTML5, front-facing VGA camera and See What I See video feature, rear-facing 8-megapixel camera, 4.3-inch HD quality screen, HDMI connectivity, dual-core 1GHz processor, 512 DDR2 RAM.

Samsung 4G LTE Smartphone – Android 2.2, Google Mobile services, including Google Search, Google Maps and Gmail, YouTube, brilliant 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus touch screen display, powerful 1GHz application processor, HTML5 Web browser, rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera to support video chat capabilities, Samsung Social Hub and Media Hub.

There will also be two Windows laptops from HP:

Compaq CQ10-688nr – 10.1-inch diagonal anti-glare widescreen LED display, Intel Atom N455 processor, up to 8.5 hours of battery life, multi-format digital media card reader, webcam and multiple connectivity options.

HP Pavilion dm1-3010nr – 11.6-inches, HP CoolSense Technology, HD 1080p, VISION Technology from AMD, up to 10.75 hours of battery life, 320 GB of storage, full-size, island-style keyboard, multi-format digital media card reader, HDMI port, Dolby Advanced Audio and GPS for mapping and navigation.

And finally, the mobile hotspots:

Novatel MiFi 4510L Intelligent Mobile Hotspot – Small enough to fit in the palm of the hand, share Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE and 3G networks with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices.

Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot – Dual-mode device works as a wireless access point to connect up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices to Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE or 3G networks.

AT&T cuts iPhone 3GS price to $49

You thought Apple would be absent from the news during CES (which it traditionally doesn't attend), you were wrong.

Apple may not have any new products to show off at the moment, but the iPhone 3GS just became a lot more affordable, as AT&T cut its price to a mere $49, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Right now, the price tag on the 8 GB version of the iPhone 3GS is still $99, but, starting Friday, the price will be cut in half, making the iPhone 3GS quite an attractive option for users on the lookout for an affordable smartphone.

The new price tag, of course, also comes with a two-year service contract and data plan.

It's a logical move for AT&T, which is expected to lose iPhone exclusivity in the U.S. soon.

The phone went on sale in June 2009 for $199, but Apple cut its price to $99 last year.

AT&T announced at CES that it plans to start offering 20 new smartphones this year, which should reduce its dependence on Apple's smartphone.

MyFord Mobile app for smartphones from Ford

Sadly Ford isn't confirming the Focus Electric that it saw fit to tease earlier this week, but we can now tell you all about the new smartphone app that will let you monitor the charging of... certain Ford vehicles. The app is called MyFord Mobile and it offers similar features to the apps we've already seen for the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt, notably car's charging status from afar and deliver some climate settings to ensure that the car is properly hot or cold before you leave on your cold or hot commute. The car will also let you find the car by GPS and, once you do, unlock the doors with your phone.

When the car and the app launches there will be versions for Android, BlackBerry, and iOS, though interestingly there will be a an HTML-5 browser interface that'll even work on featurephones. Yes, featurephones. Interestingly, the app can automatically charge... whatever mystery vehicle you connect it to at the optimal time of the night to ensure you get the lowest cost for your juice, automatically pulling down rates from your utility so that you don't have to worry about it. That is what we like to call smart. And thrifty.

Again the app will be available with a certain car that has a plug whenever that certain car is available, and if you want to know when that is going to happen you're going to have to wait.

Update: Yes, that's a WP7 phone up there, a Samsung Focus to be exact. No, the app is not announced for Windows Phone 7. Conclusion? Cloudy. We'll have a little more clarification for you later today and you're just going to have to wait. Plenty of time to sharpen up those conspiracy theories.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Arc Leaked

Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X12 Anzu was expected to launch this week at the CES 2011 in Las Vegas. But this handset has been leaked by a Russian site named as Gagadget. Sony Ericsson changed the name of this handset from Xperia X12 Anzu to “Xperia Arc”. This device will be powered by the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) operating system. Check out the leaked specs and pics of Xperia Arc below.

Specifications:

4.2 inch multi-touch display
854 x 480 pixels resolution
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS
1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
3G Connectivity
8 megapixel camera
HD (720p) video recording and playback
Sony’s EXMOR upscaling technology
MicroSD card slot
16GB card pre-loaded
3.5mm audio jack
HDMI port
1500 mAh battery

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Track and recover your lost iPhone with SMS (without MobileMe)

iLostMyi is an app available for jailbroken iPhones that will allow you to track and recover your lost iPhone by sending a silent text message to the device. Not only can you get the location of the device, if a thief inserts a new SIM card, it’s phone number, ICCID, and IMSI will be sent via SMS to a number predefined by you.

All SMS message sent throughout the process are “silent”, thus hidden from the thief who might be checking your messages. iLostMyi will also automatically activate GPS if it is turned off, in order to retrieve your iPhone’s location.

When opening the app, simply fill out your desired settings, including “Safe numbers” that will be used to send you messages if your device is stolen and one or more legit SIM cards in order to detect if a new SIM is inserted.

You can download the iLostMyi app from Cydia now via the BigBoss repo. Requires a jailbroken iPhone running iOS 4 or later in here.

Garmin releases first iPhone/iPad GPS app and new line of nuvi 2400 units

Today at CES Garmin introduced a new line of nuvi 2400 GPS units as well as their first ever GPS navigation app for iPhone and iPad called StreetPilot.

The StreetPilot iPhone app has a $40 price point, making it a direct competitor to other similar apps that commonly sell for upwards of $100. The app brings all of the features you’d expect in a professional GPS unit including turn-by-turn, fully spoken direction, real-time traffic and weather data, lane assist technology, and 2D and 3D maps.

Street Pilot also supports iOS 4 multitasking, giving users the ability to take calls and use other features of their device without stopping navigation instructions. The app also integrates with your iPhone’s contacts in order navigate to addresses in Contacts.app. The $39.99 price tag comes with free map updates for the U.S. and Canada for the lifetime of the app.

Garmin also announced a new line of traditional GPS units with the nuvi 2400 series. There are four models in the series ranging from $250 to $350 including the entry level nuvi 2450, the 2450LM, the 2460LT, and the 2460MT. These devices are expected to hit the market by the end of March.

You can download the Garmin StreetPilot app now for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPad WiFi+3G, running iOS 3.0 or later in here.

Toshiba launches Tegra 2 Powered Android Tablet to challenge iPad

Toshiba is hoping to lure consumers to its new tablet computer by including a screen that is slightly larger than the iPad and offering a version of Google's Android mobile operating software geared toward such devices.
Tentatively called the Toshiba Tablet, the device will include a touchscreen that measures 10.1 inches diagonally — compared with 9.7 inches on Apple's iPad. Toshiba's device will also have the forthcoming version of Android, called Honeycomb.
It will be more optimised for tablets than current, smartphone-focused versions of Android, by letting applications adjust to take advantage of the tablet's larger screen.

The Japanese computer and flat-screen TV maker is set to unveil the tablet at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It won't be the only one: A handful of tablets were released in 2010, but many more are expected to be shown off at CES and hit store shelves later this year.
Since Apple unveiled its iPad last January, consumers have been clamoring for the sleek computing device, and manufacturers have started churning out competing products in an effort to capitalise on the iPad's popularity.

Toshiba's Tablet won't be the company's first, nor its first Android tablet, but it will be the first time Toshiba is releasing such a product in the US.
Toshiba expects to roll out the tablet by the end of June. A price has not yet been set, but the company believes it will be competitive with the iPad, which costs $629 to $1049, depending on its memory capacity and wireless capabilities.
Showing off a nonworking prototype of the tablet in December, Phil Osako, Toshiba's director of product marketing, said the device will be the first in a family of tablets the company plans to release. That device has a black, glossy face and rubberised back.

The Tablet's screen will be able to show high-definition videos in 1080p resolution, the highest offered on current TVs, and it includes an HDMI port to connect it to a high-definition television. It will also play Flash videos — something Samsung Electronics's Galaxy Tab can do as well, but the iPad cannot.

Although details of Honeycomb have not yet been announced by Google, Google's mobile head, Andy Rubin, said at a December conference that Honeycomb will enable applications to have multiple views and present information differently depending on whether they're running on a phone or a tablet.

The Tablet will have an Nvidia Tegra 2 mobile processor and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chatting and a 5-megapixel rear camera. Osako said it will include Wi-Fi for getting online but won't initially have the ability to access wireless carriers' data networks, as the Galaxy Tab and the more expensive version of the iPad can. Toshiba may eventually work with carriers to add their wireless service to the device, he said.

The Tablet will have GPS and Bluetooth technologies and include a USB port, mini USB port and SD memory card slot. Besides supporting Google's Android Marketplace for downloading apps, the Tablet will include access to Toshiba's own online market, Toshiba Places, for downloading content such as games, movies and music. It will have the Toshiba BookPlace e-reader and BookPlace marketplace for buying e-books. Toshiba expects the tablet to be slightly more than half an inch thick and weigh less than 1.7 pounds (0.77 kg). This would be a hair chubbier than the iPad, which is half an inch thick and weighs slightly less at 1.5 pounds (0.68kg) or 1.6 pounds (0.73kg), depending on the model. Osako said the company is looking to include a battery that provides seven hours of video playback. The iPad, by comparison, promises as much as 10 hours of web surfing over Wi-Fi or video watching.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

is Apple will launch new iPad in April 2011?

When will Apple release the next iPad?

The technology world is abuzz over one analyst's prediction that Apple next iPad will hit retail shelves in April 2011.

The technology world is particularly abuzz over one analyst’s prediction that Apple’s next iPad will hit retail shelves in April 2011. Brian Marshall of Gleacher & Company predicted that the upgraded hand-held computer will make its debut well after the holiday season in April., reported.

"I think April is the proper time frame for an iPad 2," Mr Marshall told Computerworld magazine.

"Since I'm projecting that Apple will release a CDMA iPhone in March, both will help to equalize Apple's seasonality."

The prediction ties into a recent report in industry trade magazine DigiTimes, which claimed that the design and suppliers of the iPad 2 had already been chosen.

Rumored upgrades to Apple’s tablet computer include Facetime video chats and additional memory space, according to pcmag.com. And a recent patent by Apple for a carbon-fiber material has many speculating about the look and feel of the next generation iPad.

The current generation of iPads use an aluminum frame, which adds weight to the gadget. Carbon fiber would make the case lighter and stronger, and it would allow for improved Wi-Fi and mobile broadband reception.

Meanwhile, Apple says new software available Monday will allow owners of the iPad to print wirelessly over Wi-Fi networks, the Associated Press reported.

The update will also allow iPad users to switch quickly between applications for the first time, a feature that had already been available on recent models of the iPhone and iPod.

Source: Fox News

Monday, January 3, 2011

3D Holographic Cellphones Within 5 Years by IBM

IBM (International Business Machine) predicts that holographic cellphone conversations, in which users will view one another's image via 3D projector, will be a reality in five years. While the possibility has fired up imaginations, it's also raised some practical questions, including how power-efficient such a technology would be. But IBM has something to say about the future of battery power as well.

Whether or not any of these predictions will come true by 2015 is anyone's guess. So as we start the beginning of the end for 2010, what excites you about 2011 and beyond? maybe you have your own ideas? Feel free to start the discussion below!

Skype on Apple Devices

The latest version of Skype's app lets users of the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch make video calls, which will expand mobile videoconferencing globally—and strain network capacitie.

Skype for iPhone lets you make and receive free Skype video calls on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, and works over both WiFi and 3G connections*. With approximately 25 million† people signed into Skype at any given time, our new iPhone app makes it easy to share moments with your friends, family and colleagues, wherever you are.
With our new app, you can:

Make video calls to people on their computers as well as other iPhones (details below)
Make free audio calls to anyone else on Skype
Make great value calls to landlines and mobiles around the world

The new app is compatible with the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPod touch 4th generation with iOS 4.0 or above. You can also receive video calls on the iPod touch 3rd generation and iPad. Calls can be made between devices using the new Skype for iPhone app and desktops including Skype for Windows 4.2 and above, Skype for Mac 2.8 and above, Skype for Linux and the ASUS videophone.
Skype for iPhone is one of the top five free iPhone apps in 2010 according to Apple, and now it’s just got even better.

It’s as simple as that: our iPhone app now comes with video. Download it now from the App Store, or read on to find out more.

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Monday, January 31, 2011

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Friday, January 21, 2011

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Monday, January 10, 2011