Selasa, 12 April 2011

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What's new on SlashGear.com

Intel To Design ZTE Mobile Phone For Sale In China?

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 02:50 PM PDT


According to Bloomberg sources, Intel may be attempting to secure a spot for their mobile chips by first infiltrating the Chinese phone market. Their sources claim that Intel has submitted designs of a handset based on a version of Intel’s Atom microprocessor. The phone will be manufactured by ZTE Corp and may go on sale in China.

Intel has been trying to break into the smartphone industry without much success, lagging far behind rivals, and still too dependent than they’d prefer on the personal computer market. Currently there are no phones on sale that use Intel processors. The surprise move of Nokia jumping ship from Intel to Microsoft back in February also didn’t help in the company’s efforts to make headway into smartphones.

When asked about working with ZTE, a spokeswoman for Intel Claudine Mangano declined to comment. "In terms of the overall market, we recognize that we have some work to do, but we're patient and we're committed to the business," Mangano said. "We have the right elements to be successful. We are working on a number of engagements, but are not ready to talk about them."

[via Bloomberg]

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Toshiba Debuts Its Three Thinnest, Lightest Business Laptops

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 02:16 PM PDT

Toshiba today unveiled three new laptops touted to be the lightest and thinnest high performance business laptops that the manufacturer has ever produced. According to the company, the Portégé R830, Tecra R840, and Tecra R850 were completely reengineered from the ground up with thin, light, and highly durable design in mind.

The Portégé R830 continues its claim as the world’s lightest 13.3-inch full-performance ultraportable laptop with an integrated DVD drive. Weighing just around 3.1 pounds, and roughly one inch thin, the Portégé R830 can be configured with 2nd-gen Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 processors thanks to the use of Airflow Cooling Technology.

The Tecra R840 is a full 14-inch business laptop and is 25 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than its predecessor, the Tecra M11. The Tecra R850 is a 15.6-inch model featuring an additional 10-key numeric pad, and weighs around 5.3 pounds. This model is 19 percent thinner and 6 percent lighter than its predecessor, the Tecra A11. Both can be configured with 2nd-gen Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 processors and have a battery life of 11 hours for the R840 and 7 hours for the R850.

Pricing varies depending on configuration. For the Tecra R840 series, price ranges from $899 to $1479, while the Tecra R850 series ranges from $879 to $1399. The Portégé R830 series ranges from $1049 to $1649. All three series are available starting today.

Press Release:

New Toshiba Laptops for Business Professionals Redefine Thin and Light
New Tecra and Portégé Laptops Set New Standard in Balancing Performance, Mobility, Durability and Extended Battery Life Ratings

IRVINE, Calif.—April 12, 2011—Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced its new range of high-performance business laptops. Reengineered from the ground up with thin, light and highly-durable designs, the new Tecra® and Portégé® laptops redefine mobility for business professionals offering full performance and long battery life ratings in three form factors as well as a standard three-year limited warranty1.

“Our new business laptops build on the success of our award-winning Portégé R700 ultraportable laptop, providing professionals what they need and want—the performance needed to handle demanding business tasks in lightweight and durable designs.” said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. “We focused on delivering what our customers asked for by reducing weight, increasing battery life and without sacrificing performance.”

The Tecra and Portégé laptops are the thinnest Toshiba business laptops ever made. The Portégé R830 is redefining ultraportable and the Tecra R840 is about 25 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than its predecessor, Tecra M11. The Tecra R850 is equally impressive with its slimmer size.

High Performance Technologies
The new Tecra and Portégé laptops feature the latest mobile technologies designed to meet the demanding needs of business users, including 2nd generation Intel® Core™ processors, high-speed 7200 RPM hard drives or 128GB Solid State Drive2 and optional AMD Radeon™ discrete graphics with 1GB of dedicated graphics memory3. The laptops also include a broad range of standard ports including USB 3.04, eSATA/USB Combo with Toshiba’s USB Sleep & Charge5 technology, DisplayPort™ or HDMI®, ExpressCard, Gigabit Ethernet and docking connectors. Featuring a wealth of connectivity options, the laptops have Intel AMT 7.0, Bluetooth® 3.0+EDR, Intel 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi and are Intel Wireless Display capable.

Enhanced Durability, Security and Style
For increased durability and strength without adding excess weight, the new Tecra laptops are built using a unique fiberglass‐reinforced casing with a honeycomb rib structure. The new Portégé features a Toshiba exclusive Magnesium Alloy casing with a honeycomb structure.

Equipped with Toshiba’s EasyGuard® Technology to help protect against accidental spills and bumps, the laptops also are designed with a suite of security features, including multiple level passwords, a fingerprint reader and optional SmartCard reader to help thwart unwanted access. A Trusted Platform Module offers high-level data encryption and available Computrace® aids recovery in case of theft.

The Tecra laptops boast a stylish, textured Graphite Black Metallic with Line Pattern finish and premium raised tile spill resistant keyboards with Accupoint pointing devices. The Portégé R830 maintained its predecessor, the R700, award winning design and finish.

Lowering Total Cost of Ownership
The new Tecra and Portégé laptops were also designed to share the same image with similar graphics, the AC power adapter and the Hi-Speed Port Replicator II. The Portégé R830 and Tecra R840 also share the same 6-cell and optional 9-cell battery. This commonality in product design makes product deployment and support easier and helps reduce total cost of ownership.

Tecra R840 Series
Featuring a14-inch diagonal HD LED-Backlit widescreen display6, the Tecra R840 is the ideal all-around mobile business laptop. At about 25 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter than its predecessor, the Tecra M11, the Tecra R840 is the thinnest 14-inch Tecra laptop ever made. Tecra R840 Series laptops can be configured with Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors7 and features a battery life rating of up to 11 hours8 when configured with a Solid State Drive.

Detailed specifications can be found at us.toshiba.com/computers/laptops/tecra/R840.

Tecra R850 Series
The ultimate mobile desktop replacement laptop, the Tecra R850 features a 15.6-inch6 diagonal HD LED-Backlit widescreen display and built-in 10-key numeric pad. At about an inch thin and a starting weight of 5.3 pounds9, the R850 is about 19 percent thinner and 6 percent lighter than its predecessor, the Tecra A11. Available with Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors7 the R850 Series laptops feature a battery life rating of up to seven hours8 when configured with a Solid State Drive.

Detailed specifications can be found at us.toshiba.com/computers/laptops/tecra/R850.

Portégé R830 Series
The next generation of Toshiba’s award-winning ultraportable Portégé family, the Portégé R830 continues to be the world’s lightest 13.3-inch6 full-performance ultraportable laptop featuring an integrated DVD drive. With a starting weight of just 3.1 pounds9 and about one inch thin, the Portégé R830 can be configured with 2nd generation Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 full performance processors7 as a result of Airflow Cooling Technology. The Portégé R830 Series laptops also feature a USB 3.04 port and Bluetooth 3.0 and can be configured with standard hard drives or solid state drives.

Detailed specifications can be found at us.toshiba.com/computers/laptops/portege/R830.

Consumer Model Also Available
Toshiba will also offer consumer editions of the laptop, the Portégé R835 Series. Starting at $888.99 MSRP12, the laptops feature Magnesium Blue covers and are powered by 2nd generation Intel Core i3 or i5 processors7, 4GB of DDR3 memory10 and 640GB hard drives11. In addition, the laptops feature a built-in USB 3.0 port4 and are Intel Wireless Display 2.0 capable, for wirelessly connecting the laptop to a big screen HDTV. Portégé R835 laptops do not include ExpressCard or docking capabilities and come only with a one-year limited warranty1.

Pricing and Availability
The Tecra R840 Series ($899.00 to $1,479.00 MSRP12), Tecra R850 Series ($879.00 to $1,399.00 MSRP) and Portégé R830 Series ($1,049.00 to $1,649.00 MSRP) will be available on April 12, 2011 through select Toshiba Preferred Partner Program resellers, e-tailers and directly at toshibadirect.com. More information about WSCA and Toshiba’s mobile solutions can be found at us.toshiba.com/wsca.

The Portégé R835 is currently available at Best Buy, the Microsoft Store and direct from Toshiba at toshibadirect.com.

Downloadable image gallery available at: http://bit.ly/Toshiba2011B2B

Connect with Toshiba on Twitter at twitter.com/ToshibaLaptops and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ToshibaLaptopsUS.

About Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (TAIS)
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TAIS is comprised of four business units: Digital Products Division, Imaging Systems Division, Storage Device Division, and Telecommunication Systems Division. Together, these divisions provide mobile products and solutions, including industry-leading portable computers; televisions, TV/DVD Combination products, Blu-ray Disc and DVD products, and portable devices; imaging products for the security, medical and manufacturing markets; storage products for automotive, computer and consumer electronics applications; and IP business telephone systems with unified communications, collaboration and mobility applications. TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of products in the United States and Latin America.

TAIS is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation. Toshiba Corporation is a world leader and innovator in high technology, a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products. These products span from information & communications systems; digital consumer products; electronic devices and components; as well as power systems including nuclear energy; industrial and social infrastructure systems; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 730 companies, with 204,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing $75 billion (6.2 Trillion Yen). For more information on Toshiba visit www.toshiba.com.

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App of the Week: Doodle Jump HOP

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 01:25 PM PDT

With the new release of the family comedy HOP, it seemed appropriate that Doodle Jump: HOP be the app of the week. In this version of Doodle Jump you are the cute, cuddly Easter Bunny's son, E.B. who is hoping to take over the family business. Before E.B can do so, he has to master the art of jumping. With the your guidance and Doodle the Doodler's guidance, E.B. will be the top jumper in no time.

While learning to jump E.B. will also be learning the ropes of the top-secret candy factory as well as saving Easter from Carlos, the leader of the chicks who are trying to steal Easter. This is Doodle Jump like you've never seen it before and yet still equally as irresistible.

As much as I enjoyed the original and holiday versions of Doodle Jump, I can easily say this version is my favorite. One of the main reasons I enjoy the HOP version is because there are 25 unique levels with specific heights you have to reach in order to unlock the next level. Another feature I appreciate more is how different each level really is. As you progress, the levels increase in difficulty by increasing the goal height or by the introduction of various jumping platforms that are no longer stable metal.

Some examples of the new platforms are moving and disappearing platforms as well as jellybean platforms that crumble after you have jumped on them once. One of my favorite features is that E.B. shoots jellybeans at the enemies who closely resemble the chicks from the movie including Carlos and Phil, the evil chicks who are trying to take over Easter and prevent E.B. from becoming the next Easter bunny.

This game is easily one of my new favorites because it's so simple and yet so addicting. The one thing I enjoy most about it is that there are defined levels rather than just one never ending level. Having a specific goal makes games much more appealing to me because I find it easier to meet multiple goals, like completing all 25 levels, rather than always aiming to beat a single high score.

Doodle Jump: HOP is great for all ages, kids as young as my six-year-older neighbor say they love playing it as well as 84 year old grandmother who won't put her iPad down when she's struggling to beat a level.

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Super Jumbo Jet Clips Smaller Plane at JFK

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 01:09 PM PDT

An Air France super jumbo jet taxiing out to the runway clipped the tail of a regional Delta plane at JFK Airport last night, spinning it forcefully. The huge Air France A380, which can seat over 500 passengers, struck Comair flight 6293, which had just landed from Boston and was taxiing to the gate. There were 62 passengers and four crew members on board the smaller plane, and fortunately, no one was hurt. See the video after the cut.


Air France Flight 7, carrying 495 passengers and 25 crew, was headed to Paris and as it taxiied out, the left wingtip struck the tail of the Comair plane. “It was pretty damned scary,” Poppy Lawton, 29, of London, told the New York Daily News. She was aboard the Delta flight that got hit. “You could hear things breaking, almost like glass breaking.” Another passenger, Sebastien Pinel, said: “The plane was rocking, first to the right, then to the left. Nobody knew what happened until we got out of the plane.” The plane spun around almost 90 degrees in the collision.

By contrast, the passengers on the larger plane hardly noticed anything. A CNN correspondent happened to be on the plane, and felt only a “slight rumble akin to hitting a patch of rough pavement”. About a foot on the end of the A380 wing was damaged.

The Comair plane was attempting to exit the taxiway, and may have been stopped due to congestion on the ramp. It was dark and raining, and “both pilots and controllers would have been confronted with sea of flashing lights and reflections which could partly explain why the Air France pilot may not have seen the regional jet,” Bill Voss, president of the Flight Safety Foundation said.

FAA investigators are assessing the damaged planes, and pilots and crew from both planes will be interviewed. It is unclear right now whether either of the planes are flightworthy.

The passengers from both planes were deboarded and brought into a terminal. Most of the Comair passengers were even able to make their connections, and Air France passengers were provided with hotel accommodations or transferred to other flights.

Video:

[via MSN]

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Garmin Unveils Forerunner 610, First Touchscreen GPS Sports Watch

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 12:37 PM PDT

Garmin today announced its first ever touchscreen GPS sports watch called the Forerunner 610. The new sports watch is sleek yet robust and weather-proof. The touchscreen can withstand rain and sweat, and can even be operated with gloves on. The announcement for the Forerunner 610 is in preparation for the upcoming world-class marathons in Boston and London. Watch the video demo after the cut.

The Forerunner 610 features an easy to navigate interface with an overall design that has won it the Red Dot Design Award. The display is highly responsive, however, the interface is in grayscale to save on battery life. The watch has a Training Effects feature that shows you the impact of your fitness routines and it has a vibration motor to alert you of reaching target heart rate, pace, and distance. And of course, it tracks a whole bunch of fitness metrics.

The metrics recorded can then be used in a feature called Virtual Racer that lets you compete against yourself or against others via the Garmin Connect platform.
Exact pricing and availability for the device has not yet been announced, although they will likely be available for the Boston and London marathons.

[via BusinessWire]

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MultiTouch Gestures and MicroGestures Coming from Apple

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 12:29 PM PDT

Apple has been hard at work developing new multitouch gestures, and also making gestures more intuitive, according to multitouch related patents from Apple recently published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, and uncovered by PatentlyApple. The gestures have interesting names: Star, Crossbar, Ohm, Scoop and more.


The patents are for both mobile devices and desktops. The finger moves sound like they will take some getting used to, like Ohm and Wiggle (multiple short movements with sharp changes in an arbitrary direction.) There are also gestures that involve just drawing familiar shapes with a finger: star, arrow, circle, crossbar, and the infinity sign.

Apple hopes that these gestures will “reduce the cognitive burden on a user while saving battery life,” since the gestures will help do tasks more quickly.

There was talk of multitasking gestures being a part of iOS 4, and developers can still access them using the SDK tools. There are also apps for jailbroken devices that unlock new gestures. So it is no surprise that Apple is moving in this direction. Below are some of the gestures proposed:

One would hope that these will be intuitive and easy to remember. Remember Graffiti?

[via 9 to 5 Mac]

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BlackBerry PlayBook Sales Manual Leaked

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 12:00 PM PDT

If you are anxious to see the BlackBerry PlayBook, you can get a little preview from a leaked guide for retail salespeople. The guide is quite thorough, and includes information about everything from hardware features to usability to accessories. It also reveals (not surprisingly) that RIM is positioning the tab for consumers, not just its business users. See the guide and read more after the cut.


The company encourages reps to focus on how the device offers “stunning multimedia, true multitasking, and access to the whole internet — no exceptions,” rather than “[It] gives you the business tools you need to transform the way you work.” Though presumably, it does both?

The guide offers 360 degree views of the Playbook, and very basic information (like what a touchscreen is) along with the detailed descriptions. Check it out here, and have fun. You can even take a few quizzes to test your knowledge.

[via Engadget]

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And now for something completely different – a Folded Notebook

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 11:43 AM PDT

We have laptops, we have netbooks, we have tablets, we have smartphones. But here is something different-ish. The Lifebook X2 concept folds into quarters, and then fits in a nifty little case that might just take me back to my flute-playing days.


When opened halfway, you have kind of a widescreen palm top, mini computer. When unfolded completely, it turns into a full size, ultra thin notebook. Of course, there is the small issue of a seam running through the middle of the screen. It’s an interesting concept though.

Take a look at the gallery. What do you think, is there a market for this?

The designer is Park Hyun Jin.

[via Yanko Design]

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T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot Dropping Tomorrow

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 11:26 AM PDT


We reported back in March during the CTIA Wireless expo that T-Mobile will be doubling their 4G network speeds to 42Mbps in select cities. Along with that announcement was that they will also be launching several new 4G devices including the T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot sometime in Spring. We now have confirmed that the hotspot will be available starting tomorrow.

T-Mobile confirmed the news via Twitter as well as their blog. The 4G Mobile Hotspot device built by ZTE will retail for $79.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a two-year data plan service agreement. The device is compact and lightweight and comes with an SD card slot for up to 32GB of expandable memory. However, the device only supports up to 21Mbps.

If you live in one of the select cities—currently Las Vegas, New York, and Orlando—you can take advantage of 42Mbps speeds by getting the T-Mobile Rocket 3.0, a laptop stick modem built by ZTE and the first 42 Mbps capable 4G product for the carrier. This device is set to launch late Spring, with date and pricing not yet confirmed.

[via ZD Net]

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Pokémon Global Link, New Pokémon Worlds Launches April 13

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 11:08 AM PDT

Pokémon Company International has announced the launch of Pokémon Global Link on Wednesday, April 13th. Global Link had been delayed indefinitely due to the Japan tsunami and earthquakes. Through the Global Link website, users can access post-game worlds, including Dream World and Global Battle Union. Users can also save their progress online.


In order to enter Dream World, just tuck your tuckered out Pokémon into bed, and an alternate universe opens in which users can make new Pokémon friends, grow Berries, and collect items that can be used in the “awake” Pokémon world.

In Global Battle Union, users can track and compare global battle stats and play against other users. The site will go live Wednesday, but users can sign up for a free Pokémon Trainer Club account today.

Pokémon “Black” and “White” versions launched March 6th, and have sold over 1 million units each in just three days. The new games beat the US sales record of Pokémon games. The record was previously held by the Diamond and Pearl versions that launched in 2007 with a combined sales total of 780,000 units in one day.

As for Global Link, our own Chris Burns said, “Man if i were 14 again i’d be ALL over that!” Has it been all Pokémon all the time in your house?

[via PC Mag]

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Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 First Preview

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 10:58 AM PDT

Only about a month after launching Internet Explorer 9, Microsoft surprised attendees today at the MIX 2011 developer conference in Las Vegas with a Platform Preview of Internet Explorer 10. This new version focuses on improvements in HTML 5 and CSS3 feature support.

Internet Explorer 10 is another step towards Microsoft’s long term commitment to adopting the HTML 5 standard, built on the performance breakthroughs and native HTML 5 support that was developed in Internet Explorer 9. New CSS3 features include the support for multi-column and grid layouts as well as gradients, transitions, 3D transforms, and strict mode.

The Preview Platform for Internet Explorer 10 is ready for download at Microsoft’s Test Drive site. The new version has only been in three weeks of development but should have new preview versions coming every 12 weeks. The new browser is expected to ship with Windows 8 operating system.

[via Tech Radar]

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Sony Drops PS3 Jailbreaking Lawsuit

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 10:23 AM PDT

Sony has reached an agreement with PlayStation 3 hacker George “Geohotz” Hotz. They dropped their lawsuit in exchange for his promise to never again tinker with the game console or any Sony product. Hotz got into trouble after publishing an encryption key and software tools in January that let Playstation owners gain complete control of the game console, or jailbreak it. He was accused of violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, in addition to other laws.


The DCMA prohibits the trafficking of “circumvention devices” which are designed to get around copy-protection. Hotz did not need to receive payment for the jailbreaking instructions in order to be in violation of the law. The jailbreak that Hotz posted allowed PS3 owners to run home-brewed software or alternative operating systems like Linux. It also was a prerequisite to running pirated games.

Hotz is also known for jailbreaking iPhones, which is not illegal.

According to the terms of the settlement (in San Francisco federal court), Hotz agreed not to do any more "reverse engineering, decompiling, or disassembling any portion" of a Sony product. He also agreed not to "bypass, disable, or circumvent any encryption, security, or authentication mechanism."

If he does, he will be faced with a $10,000 fine per violation.

Hotz said in an email to Wired.com, "I am not able to speak on this matter without breaching my settlement agreement. Therefore, I have no comment other than this one. With that said, I do not like censorship, and I do not like censoring myself. Rest assured I am still fighting the good fight, in the best way I know how."

Sony had gone after Hotz, convincing a judge to order him to remove the hack from his website, hand over his hard drives to Sony, and Sony also gained subpoenas to Hotz’s PayPal, Twitter, and YouTube accounts.

Sony may have tired of the negative publicity that the case was generating, and feared the very negative consequences if they lost. Last year, the U.S. Copyright Office granted an exception to the DCMA for jailbreaking mobile phones, but videogame consoles are still protected.

[via Wired Threat Level]

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Samsung to Release Two NFC-enabled Bada 2.0 Phones

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 09:59 AM PDT

Samsung plans to release two NFC-enabled smartphones later this year, based in their proprietary OS, Bada 2.0. Samsung reported last week that the French arm of the company had sold 2.1 million smartphones in France in 2010, and expects to sell 6 million this year, with 25% of the phones running on Bada. A high end model is due out in September and a low end model will follow in November.


The high end model coming in September will have a 3.65 inch screen, support for third-generation networks Standard HSDPA 7.2, two cameras (basic — 5 megapixels), wireless modules, NFC, Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi.

The lower end phone will have a 3.14-inch screen, support for HSDPA 7.2 and NFC.

The new models have yet to be named. We’ll keep you informed as we learn more.

[via Near Field Communications World]

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Twitter for Blackberry Officially Released Today

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 09:31 AM PDT

Twitter now has an app for BlackBerry smartphones. v1.1 is officially out of beta and will be available in BlackBerry App World today. The app has been in beta for six weeks, being tested by users in the BlackBerry Beta Zone. The new release includes many new features, such as the ability to add locations to tweets, and Push @mentions. Continue after the break to see more.


There will also be #Topic Autocomplete, and ‘Retweeted by you’ indicators, all features that were requested by beta users. The ‘Add location to tweet’ feature can be activated in the Options menu, and once enabled, you click the new compass icon on the home screen to add your location (see above graphic). The location can be pinpointed to where you are in a neighborhood. And if others have enabled the feature, you can select the location icon in the bottom right corner of their tweet and a map view will open, showing you were they are (or were when they tweeted).

Also, retweets will show up on your home screen so that you can see that your retweet was sent successfully.

The new app also added support for the following additional languages:

Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Polish
Czech
Thai

The official app is being rolled out today, so if you don’t immediately see it in BlackBerry App World, keep checking back. I did not see it there as of this writing.

[via BlackBerry]

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Reminder: We’ve got a XOOM Giveaway Going on!

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 09:27 AM PDT

Just incase you happened to be hanging out under a rock yesterday, we’ve got to let you know that we’re running one of our most awesome giveaways ever. One where you can win one of several Motorola XOOM Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets! All you’ve got to do it hook up with us on Facebook, comment for posterity, and you’ll have a chance equal to everyone else to win one of these amazing tablets, all of them packed up tight with NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 Dual-Core processor power!

What you’re going to want to do is either head back to the original contest post by clicking right [here] if you want the full ruleset, or just go ahead and enter by checking the following out and doing it!

AND we’ve got the same contest (with three MORE XOOMs laying in wait) on Android Community!

1. “like” us on Facebook: facebook.com/slashgear.com
2. Comment on the wall saying something nice like “SlashGear and NVIDIA are ever so generous and kind with their dual-core generosity.”

Contest begins April 11, 2PM PST, and ends April 24, 2PM PST. A winner will be announced every Monday @ 5PM PST here in the main news feed and at our official Facebook page.

WINNERS will be given the opportunity to submit a review of their XOOM and have it posted on the front page of SlashGear.com!

*Reviews may be edited or modified before publication and are considered works for hire under the 1976 Copyright Act. Submissions will be ineligible for payment or remuneration.

Go for it!

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HTC Sensation Benchmarks with SunSpider and Quadrant

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 08:54 AM PDT

We’ve got quite a nice little look at the HTC Sensation, (to also be known as the HTC Pyramid in the USA, if I’m not mistaken,) and what do you know? We even have some benchmarks! These are all courtesy of our good fellow Chris Davies who is, in fact, over in England where the bigtime HTC event has taken place. What we’ve got here is both Quadrant and SunSpider, giving us a generally decent look at both the CPU and the browsing capabilities of the unit.

What the Quadrant benchmarking system does is test the CPU, the I/O, and the 3D graphics capabilities of the phone it’s being used to test. Whenever we pick up a device, we’ve basically got Quadrant downloading before we open much of anything else. We do this in order to get a generally fair look at all devices as they sit in their most basic state. This test was done on a pre-release edition of the phone at the HTC event in England, but the build should be VERY near final release.

To see further benchmarks we’ve done, search for either SunSpider or Quadrant in your search box to your upper right.

This second test, the one that goes by the name SunSpider, and if you’ve been following our benchmarks over the past few months, you know this runs inside a given web browser. This test tests the core JavaScript language of the browser it’s running inside, here testing the HTC Sensation’s stock browser, again, on this current, perhaps pre-final build.

Enjoy!

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Cisco Stops Flip Video Production

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 07:41 AM PDT

RIP to Flip! This is so sad! I really liked this little video camera brand, but not it seems that Cisco has decided to close down shop and stop all production of all models. All those of you who’ve already got a camera from this line (yours truly included) will continue to receive support from the group until they’ve figured out what they’re going to do with the brand. This may well mean that they plan on selling the camera line to another group or indeed just chopping it down to the ground. But they’re so cute!

In a press release sent out to press today, Cisco has noted that they’ll be moving on five “key company priorities,” core routing, switching and services, collaboration, architectures, and yes, video. This appears to be part of a much more grand scheme and not just a ratatat on the single brand. Instead it seems that Cisco is moving toward supporting their enterprise and service provider customers in turn expand their offerings for consumers.

What does that mean for you? Not a whole lot unless you planned on purchasing a Flip camera in the near future – you’ll probably be able to pick up a cheap one now! And those of you who already have one, again, will continue to receive support as you keep on flipping. Check out the full press release below:

Apr 12, 2011 08:30 ET
Cisco Restructures Consumer Business

SAN JOSE, CA–(Marketwire – April 12, 2011) –  As part of the company’s comprehensive plan to align its operations, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced that it will exit aspects of its consumer businesses and realign the remaining consumer business to support four of its five key company priorities — core routing, switching and services; collaboration; architectures; and video. As part of its plan, Cisco will:

• Close down its Flip business and support current FlipShare customers and partners with a transition plan.
• Refocus Cisco’s Home Networking business for greater profitability and connection to the company’s core networking infrastructure as the network expands into a video platform in the home. These industry-leading products will continue to be available through retail channels.
• Integrate Cisco umi into the company’s Business TelePresence product line and operate through an enterprise and service provider go-to-market model, consistent with existing business TelePresence efforts.
• Assess core video technology integration of Cisco’s Eos media solutions business or other market opportunities for this business.
“We are making key, targeted moves as we align operations in support of our network-centric platform strategy,” said John Chambers, Cisco chairman and CEO. “As we move forward, our consumer efforts will focus on how we help our enterprise and service provider customers optimize and expand their offerings for consumers, and help ensure the network’s ability to deliver on those offerings.” 

In connection with the changes to the consumer business, it is anticipated that Cisco will recognize restructuring charges to its GAAP financial results, with an aggregate pre-tax impact not expected to exceed $300 million during the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2011. The charges will be disclosed in upcoming earnings conference calls and quarterly Form 10-Q filings. Additionally, the company expects this will result in a reduction of approximately 550 employees in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011. 

About Cisco 
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

Forward-Looking Statements 
This press release may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including the company’s plan to align its operations in support of its network-centric platform strategy, Cisco’s consumer focus going forward, the maximum size of the anticipated restructuring charges, and expected employee reductions. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results due to a variety of factors, including, among other things, how well we execute on our strategy and operating plans, business and economic conditions and growth trends in the networking industry, customer markets and various geographic regions, global economic conditions and uncertainties in the geopolitical environment and other risk factors set forth in Cisco’s most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based on limited information currently available to Cisco, which is subject to change, and Cisco will not necessarily update the information. 

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HTC Sensation offers just 1GB of 4GB ROM to users

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 07:29 AM PDT

HTC has confirmed that, while the HTC Sensation has a 4GB ROM, only 1GB of that will be user-accessible. The dual-core smartphone reserves 3GB of the ROM for the Android install and the latest version of HTC Sense.

The news is likely to disappoint long-time Android users, who had hoped that more of the 4GB ROM would be available to install apps from the Android Market. While the OS now has support for Apps2SD, allowing software to be shifted from the phone’s ROM to a memory card, not all apps support the system.

It remains to be seen how straightforward the Sensation’s bootloader is for third-party hackers to tinker with the OS. Sense is looking increasingly bloated – though still fast-moving on the Sensation’s 1.2GHz MSM 8260 processor – and stripping that out for a vanilla Gingerbread install would likely free up plenty more than 1GB of ROM.

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HTC Sensation hands-on [Video]

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 06:23 AM PDT

The HTC Sensation is official, and it’s a beast of a smartphone. Freshly announced at HTC’s London event today, the Sensation slots in at the top of the company’s range complete with a high-resolution qHD display and speedy 1.2GHz dual-core processor. Check out our hands-on report after the cut.

Updated with video after the cut

There’s a lot to like about the HTC Sensation. While it has the same screen size as the HTC Desire HD, it’s narrower and thinner and, thanks to more distinctly curved edges, feels far more slender in the hand. The bright, clear S-LCD screen also packs in more pixels: 540 x 960 rather than the by-now traditional 480 x 800 of WVGA. It adds up to crisper graphics and smoother text, and makes a significant difference to webpages in full-screen view. HTC has given the edges of the Gorilla Glass display a slight concave finish, serving double-duty to keep the screen off the table if placed face-down, as well as to form a physical lip for your finger to slide up against while scrolling.

The Sensation is one of HTC’s first handsets with a dual-core processor – the HTC EVO 3D has the same 1.2GHz Qualcomm MSM 8260 chipset – and the speed shows in page transitions and how the smartphone handles the increasingly graphically-heavy Sense interface. There are now 3D effects between homescreen pane transitions (spin the homescreen fast enough and the perspective pulls back to show the full carousel in action) with a sprinkling of extra detail for the eagle-eyed: as you rotate the pane with HTC’s familiar oversized clock widget, for instance, you can see the round end of the clock barrel mechanism. Pointless, perhaps, from a functionality standpoint, but evidence of HTC’s joined up thinking with Sense.

The unibody design skirts the line between solid heft and lightweight convenience, and is creak free; that’s helped by the fact that the back panel and edges are one solid piece, into which the screen section slots. The microSD card slot (though not the SIM slot) can be accessed without removing the battery. Ports and controls are limited to power/lock on the top, next to a 3.5mm headphone socket, and a volume rocker and microUSB port with MHL HDMI support on the side; there’s no dedicated camera shortcut key.

HTC doesn’t plan on bundling the MHL HDMI dongle in the box with the Sensation, at least initially; like with the iPad 2′s media adapter, it will be sold separately. In fact, there should be two dongles on offer, one drawing power from the Sensation itself, and another with a separate USB input for externally powering (and recharging the phone) the whole setup. The Sensation will support full screen mirroring, not just video output via HDMI, so everything on-screen will be replicated on your HDTV or projector; it’s capable of 1080p Full HD output.

What users will most likely be pumping out via HDMI is content rented or purchased from HTC Watch, the company’s new media store. Initially offering movies and TV shows – with the possibility of music videos in future, HTC tells us – pricing is yet to be finalized but from what we saw on demo devices the UK pricing looks to be around £0.99 for rentals and £1.99 for purchases. HTC is aiming to preload several trailers and perhaps even a full movie on the Sensation out of the box.

Although the app works well – there are various My Library views including a basic list, separate TV and movies, and full details of content (including user-submitted reviews and the ability to share links to titles through the usual array of Android sharing options) – there are still limitations, primarily around DRM. Up to five HTC devices can be registered to a single account at any one time (you can add/remove one device within a 30 day period) so you could watch purchased movies on, say, your Sensation and your Flyer tablet; however, you can’t transfer the purchases/rentals over to your PC or Mac. There’s also no automatic content sync or bookmarking between devices; if you want a movie on each device you have to trigger a download each time, and there’s no facility to start watching on, say, the Flyer and then pick up where you left off on the Sensation. HTC tells us that’s something they’re working on for the next release of the HTC Watch app.

What won’t be present, unlike on the Flyer, is the OnLive streaming gaming app. In Europe that’s primarily because HTC is yet to finalize the relevant licensing deals, though the Sensation should be capable of running the system on a hardware basis, at least. The company does plan to introduce OnLive to phones, though it will be limited to the top tier of devices (both for brand positioning purposes and because of the minimum hardware specifications demanded).

There’s also no sign of the custom HTC video chat app demonstrated at MWC 2011, which the company tells us is because it still hasn’t managed to gain carrier approval as yet. Carriers are wary of the data load, it seems, though the Sensation’s front-facing camera can still be used with Skype and other video calling apps available in the Android Market. Right now, though, there’s no timescale for the HTC app’s release.

The new Sense works well and, despite the animations and glossy finish, moves slickly on the dual-core CPU. There are various tweaks all through the system; HTC’s Mail app, for instance, now offers optional previews of body text – a choice of 2,3 or 5 lines, along with the sender and the subject line – and the video app now supports clip trimming. Connect to a WiFi network which requires in-browser validation (such as hotel or café landing pages, which demand you click an agreement button before you can get online) and the Sensation will warn you about it. You still get access to the HTC Hub and download store, together with HTC’s own mapping system (with support for offline navigation), and the Mirror app – to use the front-facing camera so as to turn the Sensation into a very expensive pocket mirror – is present just as on the Desire S.

Despite the higher-resolution display, apps scale well. We installed the SlashGear Android app and it worked with no problems on the qHD panel. The online suite of HTCSense.com services will also work as usual. Still, it’s a shame HTC didn’t increase the number of homescreen widget slots available: the traditional 4 x 4 grid seems unnecessarily sparse on a screen of this size and pixel-density.

Nonetheless, it’s hard to escape how polished and complete the HTC Sensation is, and how well it slots into the flagship spot in HTC’s line-up. Fast, handsome and ticking all the key boxes on the spec-sheet, it’s a hugely appealing phone with the potential to take on Samsung’s Galaxy S II and Motorola’s ATRIX 4G. We’ll save final judgement for the full review, but even now it’s clear to see that HTC stands a good chance of retaking the top spot in Android smartphones.

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Vodafone: Data revenue exceeds SMS for first time

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 06:04 AM PDT

Vodafone Europe has confirmed that, for the first time, mobile internet revenue for the carrier has exceeded SMS revenues. The news marks a significant milestone in the European mobile segment, which has historically seen particularly strong SMS revenues.

The data revenue news was revealed at the launch of the HTC Sensation, HTC’s newest Android smartphone. Vodafone has clinched a one month exclusive deal with the handset in Europe, and it will go on sale in mid-May 2011.

Meanwhile, HTC has already told SlashGear that the Sensation will go on sale in the US with carrier T-Mobile USA as the HTC Sensation 4G, complete with HSPA+ support. That’s expected to happen sometime in May or June 2011.

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HTC Sensation: qHD 1.2GHz dual-core flagship

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 05:57 AM PDT

The HTC Sensation has been officially launched – aka the HTC Pyramid – the company’s new Android flagship. Running Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread on a dual-core Qualcomm MSM 8260 1.2GHz processor, the Sensation has a Desire HD-matching 4.3-inch S-LCD touchscreen running at qHD 540 x 960 resolution, HSPA/WCDMA connectivity, and an 8-megapixel camera capable of 1080p Full HD video recording with stereo sound.

There’s also 1GB of ROM and 768MB of RAM, a microSD slot (with an 8GB card pre-loaded), and  VGA-resolution front-facing camera. Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microUSB port with MHL support for HDMI output (with the appropriate dongle).

The HTC Sensation measures in at 126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3 mm and weighs 148g with the standard 1,520 mAh battery, and follows HTC’s unibody aluminum design language with a three-tone rear panel (either graduated grays or a subdued trio of purples). A sheet of toughened Gorilla Glass protects the touchscreen. There’s also GPS/AGPS, a dual-LED flash on the back and the usual gyro, G-sensor, digital compass, proximity sensor and ambient light sensor.

Like the HTC Flyer, the Sensation will come preloaded with HTC Watch, the company’s movie and TV show rental/purchase system. Over 600 titles are expected at launch, including recent big-name movies, with UK pricing expected to be around £0.99 per rental or £1.99 for purchase. Trailers begin playing immediately, over 3G or WiFi, while purchases/rentals can only be downloaded over WiFi and, thanks to some smart buffering, begin playing after around 10 seconds.

Once bought, content is available in an online digital locker, and can be accessed on up to five HTC devices (though not other platforms; you can’t access movies on your PC, for instance); users will be able to add/remove one device per 30 day period. HTC will offer carrier-billing with certain carriers and credit-card payments for everyone else. The Sensation offers SRS WOW audio, or video can be played back via the HDMI output.

With the HTC Sensation, the company introduces a new version of HTC Sense, borrowing some of the cues from the Flyer tablet. There’s a new homescreen with a 3D carousel layout supporting endless scrolling, as well as a redesigned lock-screen that is designed to act as a “real-time window” to important information. Instead of the basic lock-slider from previous Sense devices, there’s a new “launcher ring” to which user-assigned app icons on the lockscreen can be dragged; that instantly unlocks the phone and opens the app. Icons like Mail or Messages can show how many new email or SMS are present.

Multiple lockscreens are on offer, from a basic weather view through stocks and shares, a gallery pulling new images from Flickr, a 3D clock, and Friend Stream social networking updates. Dragging one of those updates or images to the launcher ring automatically opens it in the default app. HTC has also tweaked the camera app so as to reduce the delay in loading it and taking shots; while the Sensation lacks a dedicated camera shortcut key – which HTC says is to preserve the phone’s sleek lines – the “instant capture” feature did seem faster to grab a shot than on previous devices. There’s also touch-focus and stereo audio recording in video, along with basic on-device video editing; during calls, the microphone array is used for active noise cancellation.

The HTC Sensation will see a global launch rather than just European availability. In Europe it will initially arrive – in May or June 2011 – on Vodafone before spreading to other carriers. In the US it will be offered as the HTC Sensation 4G on T-Mobile USA, complete with HSPA+ connectivity. The Sensation will also go on sale in Asia (carriers tbc). No word on pricing at this stage, but expect something in excess of the Desire HD.

We’ll have hands-on photos and video with the HTC Sensation very soon!

Press Release:

HTC UNVEILS MULTIMEDIA SUPERPHONE, THE HTC SENSATION™

HTC continues to introduce advanced entertainment capabilities with the introduction of HTC Watch on the HTC Sensation

LONDON – April 12, 2011 – HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today introduced the HTC Sensation, a smartphone that shines a spotlight on entertainment with HTC's new HTC Watch™ video service. Crafted with premium design elements, the HTC Sensation features the company's latest HTC Sense™ experience that puts people at the center by making their smartphones work in a more simple and natural way.
"Smartphones have evolved into pocket-sized entertainment centers that enable people to take their favorite content with them wherever they go," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. "The HTC Sensation takes this even further by combining the great new HTC Watch entertainment experience with the latest HTC Sense experience to deliver a powerful, evolved multimedia smartphone to our customers."
"The HTC Sensation integrates multimedia content with relevant, thoughtful features, bringing an exciting new dimension to Vodafone's smartphone range. The HTC Sensation will be available first in key Vodafone markets from Q2," said Patrick Chomet, Vodafone's Group Terminals Director. "The strength of Vodafone and HTC's partnership is a marker of our commitment to offer our customers truly compelling and market-leading mobile experiences."
Premium Design and Materials
Tapping into HTC's trademark design language, the HTC Sensation's premium look and feel is enhanced by its rounded edges, aluminum unibody construction and the touch screen surface is protected by a contoured screen that feels more natural as a finger is glided across it. The 4.3-inch qHD display delivers high-resolution widescreen viewing and gives the HTC Sensation slender proportions that feel natural in a person's hand. At the heart of the HTC Sensation beats a powerful, 1.2-gigahertz dual-core Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processor, which enables gorgeous graphics and all-around fast performance.
HTC Sense
Complementing the HTC Sensation's premium design is the latest HTC Sense experience that boasts a host of new features and enhancements, helping people to have more fun and get more done. For instance, HTC Sense introduces a customizable active lockscreen experience that transforms the lockscreen into a real-time window to the most important information and content, such as social updates, photos, weather or stock updates that are viewed by simply turning on the display. In addition, the new active lockscreen becomes a customizable gateway that lets people quickly jump to the most used features, like making a phone call, sending an email, taking a picture or anything else with the same quick gesture usually used to unlock the phone. For instance, the camera can be launched right from the lock screen with a single motion, saving precious seconds when you're trying to capture the action. Sharper graphics, vibrant animations and new widgets make HTC Sense look better than ever and, by continuing to focus on all of the aspects, both large and small, that make HTC Sense special, HTC introduces a more cinematic and immersive weather experience with stunning imagery and audible weather effects.

HTC Sense also makes it easy to have fun by enabling people to capture and share special moments. The HTC Sensation's 8-megapixel camera doesn't just shoot gorgeous photos but, with the new instant capture feature, lets people capture the moments they want without worrying about missing or keeping up with the action. The HTC Sensation also shoots full HD video in 1080p resolution, with full stereo sound, at up to 30 frames a second, giving you smooth video that is better than many other phones. With the new Video Trimmer tool, people can crop their clips to the perfect size for easy sharing with friends and family.

HTC Watch
The HTC Sensation is a smartphone that is built from the ground up for a sophisticated, evolved multimedia experience. The 4.3" widescreen display means that users can watch movies like they were meant to be seen – in their full cinematic glory, with no cropping or letterboxing. The HTC Sensation is also the first smartphone to feature HTC Watch – an application and service that puts an entire library of the latest, premium movies and TV shows right at your fingertips, letting people discover the latest video content in an easy and visually engaging way. HTC Watch uses progressive download technology that makes it possible to watch videos without waiting for a huge file to finish downloading. HTC Watch offers the choice of renting or buying videos, and if purchased, lets you watch them on up to five different HTC devices.

Availability
The HTC Sensation will be broadly available through Vodafone across major European markets. It will also be available in Asian markets in Q2 2011.

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HTC Flyer gets dated for European release

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 05:44 AM PDT

HTC chief Florian Seiche has confirmed that the company’s 7-inch tablet, the HTC Flyer, will go on sale in Europe on May 9 2011. The slate, announced at MWC 2011 last February, has already shown up for pre-order at several retailers, with the SIM-free price set at £599.99.

Your money gets you a 1024 x 600 display which works with a finger-touch or with a special active stylus for handwriting, sketching and adding notes to Evernote. There’s also a 5-megapixel camera on the back, a front-facing camera, HTC Watch for downloading movies and TV shows, and the usual bevy of WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth and GPS.

Whether the Flyer will earn its premium price tag will depend on whether HTC can convince buyers that the pen functionality is worth it. We’ll reserve judgement until we have a chance to review the Gingerbread-based tablet.

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Texas Comptroller admits personal data was leaked on Texas residents

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 05:06 AM PDT

Texas State comptroller Susan Combs announced yesterday that personal information on about 3.5 million residents in Texas had been leaked accidentally. Apparently, the personal information was placed on a server that was accessible to the public and the data had been on the server for at least a year before it was noticed.

The data that was on the server includes names, addresses, social security numbers, and possibly birthdates and drivers license numbers. That is just about all the information that an identity thief would need to steal an identity. Combs maintains that at this time there is no evidence that the information has been misused at this time.

“I deeply regret the exposure of the personal information that occurred and am angry that it happened,” Combs said. “I want to reassure people that the information was sealed off from any public access immediately after the mistake was discovered, and was then moved to a secure location.”

[via Reuters]

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Steak Button tells you when your steak is done just right

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 04:48 AM PDT

Steak is a big deal in Texas. In fact more than one backyard cook out has been ruined by a cook not paying attention. An overcooked steak can get you shot in Texas, beef is serious business. One cardinal sin in the grilling world is to cut the steak open to see how pink it is.

That lets out all the juice and leads to a dry steak, which again can get you shot. What you need to avoid overcooking that beef is one of these Steak Buttons. This is a little thermometer that you can poke into the steak that is graded in something that steak fans can understand.

Rather than just listing degrees in a range and you having to figure out of 160-degrees is medium or medium well. This thing just says rare, medium, and well. The lines between will represent medium-rare and medium-well. Just don't mess around and end on the far side of that well mark. You can get four of them for $20.

[via Uncrate]

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Brando flash drive looks like a brass padlock

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 04:39 AM PDT

Brando has a bunch of really odd USB gadgets that users can choose from. Many of the USB gadgets it has are flash drives and the latest flash drive from Brando isn't as secure as it looks. The flash drive looks like a brass padlock you might use to lock your storage building.

On the bottom of the lock where you would find the keyhole is a USB connector. The innards of the lock hide flash storage in three different capacities. You can get the USB Lock Flash Drive in 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB capacities.

The flash drive is available right now and it will cost you $21 to $34 depending on the capacity you choose. The drive measures 36 x 66 x 10mm and weighs 69g. The only downside I see to the drive other than it is expensive for the storage capacity is that the lock body is wide and will probably block the USB port next to it.

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ViaSat and JetBlue Airways to bring Ka-band high-speed internet to flights

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 04:29 AM PDT

We have been able to get internet service in the air on flights on most major airlines for years now. The ability to get online at 30,000 feet closed one of the few remaining holes where travelers weren’t able to gain access to the internet. JetBlue and ViaSat have announced an agreement that will bring faster web access to passengers.

The agreement will see passengers on JetBlue flights get access to the ViaSat Ka-band satellite technology that allows for more bandwidth and faster speeds than existing in-flight internet access providers. The agreement between the companies is worth about $30 million.

It will see Ka-band terminals installed into the JetBlue fleet hat has 170 aircraft. ViaSat will install the broadband terminals into the Airbus A320 aircraft that JetBlue operates as well as the Embraer E190 jets. JetBlue will be the first to get the Ka-band service and installation in aircraft is expected to start in 2012.

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Mobee The Magic Bar charges your Apple BT Keyboard and Magic Trackpad

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 04:12 AM PDT

Apple has some of the coolest accessories around that you can hook to your Mac computer. The Magic Trackpad and the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard are both very cool peripherals. A company called Mobee has an accessory to go with those peripherals that will bring inductive charging to the mix.

The product is called The Magic Bar and makes keeping your accessories charged easier than ever. To use The Magic Bar all you need to do is slide your keyboard or trackpad into the Magic Bar. The device uses a cylinder battery that you screw into your keyboard or trackpad.

When you slide the keyboard in that cylinder battery charges without wires so you can get topped off and keep working. The Magic Bar plugs into a USB port on your computer to charge. The device is constructed from aluminum and can be recycled when you are done. Pricing is unknown right now, but it will ship at the end of June and you can pre-order on May 15.

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Asus debuts speedy and cool looking BW-12D1S-U external Blu-ray writer

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 03:59 AM PDT

Asus is well known in the geek world with offerings ranging from computers to tablets and video cards among other things. The company also has a line of accessories and external gear that plugs into the USB port on a computer to add functionality. The latest product for the USB port from Asus is the new BW-12D1S-U external Blu-ray writer and player.

The little external optical drive is blazing fast with 12x speed and connects to your rig via USB 3.0 making it one of the highest performing Blu-ray drives around. The burner uses OTS technology inside and comes with Magic Cinema technology.

That Magic Cinema tech allows the drive to play 3D Blu-ray movies and convert 2D to 3D content. The drive also has a cool design that is black and has diamond facets to it. The gadget has Dolby Digital EX and DTS-HD surround sound support and lots more. Pricing and availability are unknown at this time.

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HTC Sensation video leaks show new Sense launcher [Video]

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 03:55 AM PDT

The HTC Sensation leaks keep on coming, with Vodafone’s premature unveiling of the dual-core Android smartphone being followed by a trio of videos. MobileBulgaria spotted the promo footage (which you can see after the cut) uploaded by Sogi, which shows the 8-megapixel camera, what looks to be a new launcher screen, and a more impressive weather app.

The launcher seems to have five different layouts, including HTC’s usual weather app, a stocks & shares layout, some sort of clock and Friend Stream style social networking boxes, along with a plain wallpaper version. At the bottom there’s a ring which possibly drags up; it’s not shown in action in the clip.

Still, we’ll find out for sure in just a couple of hours time, when HTC makes the Sensation official. SlashGear will be there with plenty of hands-on video and feedback.

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RCA outs new line of hybrid portable TVs

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 03:45 AM PDT

RCA isn’t a brand that we hear a lot about today. Years ago, it seemed that you couldn't watch TV without seeing a commercial with the little dog looking all cute. RCA has unveiled a new line of hybrid portable TVs that allow the user to watch both mobile TV format broadcasts and to receive normal digital TV broadcasts too.

The new line includes TVs with screens from 3.5″ to 7″ and there is an automotive TV tuner as well. RCA is showing the sets off during the 2011 NAB show in Las Vegas right now. The sets are battery powered and let the user watch TV wherever they may go. None of the sets can receive low power analog signals.

The line includes the 3.5″ DMT335E at $119 with LED backlit screen and up to four hours of use on AA batteries. The 3.5″ DMT336R sells for $159 and has a LED backlit widescreen, FM tuner, and runs on AC power or a rechargeable battery pack. The 7″ DMT270E sells for $179, has an 800 x 480 resolution screen with 500:1 contrast, and can run on rechargeable batteries for up to three hours or AC power. The mobile car receiver is DMT3BR and sells for $129. It is about the size of a deck of cards and is designed to hook to the cars infotainment system.

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No iPad 3 in 2011 says supplier

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 03:29 AM PDT

Apple is generally as regular as grandma on Doxidan when it comes to new product releases. We can typically count on a product being refreshed once a year when they are popular and important like the iPad and the iPhone. As the geek world commonly does, as soon as one new product is unveiled the rumors and speculation on the replacement for it start.

Such is the case with the rumors swirling already about the iPad 3. DigiTimes reports that its check of component suppliers has found that the iPad 3 is not likely for this year. Rumors have been making rounds lately that Apple is getting ready to move to AMOLED panels or a full HD resolution support on the iPad 3 in Q3 2011.

Apple has been asking suppliers for screens that are higher resolution, but these suppliers note that the project is likely in the starting stages of development and products are unlikely to surface this year. The sources also note that Samsung controls most of the AMOLED capacity in the market and since Apple and Samsung are competing in the tablet market sourcing panels from Samsung would mean Apple was using tech held by competitors.

[via DigiTimes]

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Screenshots of Windows 8 App Store leak

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 03:19 AM PDT

We are all very familiar with app stores today, everyone seems to have them. There are hoards of markets and stores where you can buy apps for Android devices, Macs have an App Store and the iPhone has the grandfather of all app stores. Apps are big business and it makes sense that Microsoft would want to get in on the action too.

Screen shots have leaked of the Windows App Store that will apparently be part of Windows 8. Exactly when Windows 8 and the app store will land is an unknown. It is also unknown if the store will be for Windows 8 only or if it will support older versions of the OS.

A look at the screenshots shows that it has some familiar apps with Opera and Angry Birds on one screen. That means third party apps will be big features and you can bet that Microsoft will have its own software on the store as well. If the screen looks familiar to you, it has quite a resemblance to the Mac App Store and the Ubuntu Download Center.

[via ZDNet]

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Bluetrek Carbon Bluetooth headset gets official

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 03:04 AM PDT

Earlier this month we mentioned that the Bluetrek Carbon Bluetooth headset had crossed the FCC. The Carbon is the world’s first headset made from carbon fiber. The device has now landed on its official product page on the Bluetrek website.

Along with the official product page comes the full details on the headset as well. The Carbon weighs 5.9g thanks to the carbon fiber boom. It has fast connectivity to your smartphone, a mechanical on/off switch, and voice alerts in three languages. The headset can connect with two mobile devices at one time.

It needs no PIN codes for most mobile phones. The headset is designed to show the battery meter automatically on the iPhone status bar so you can see how much power is left in the device at a glance. It also has a removable pen clip to connect it to a shirt pocket. The Carbon comes with four different earbuds to make for a snug fit. Talk time is up to 4.5 hours with the standby time of up to five days. You can buy the headset now for $69.99.

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Android Community reviews Skype with video for Android

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 02:41 AM PDT

Our pals over at Android Community have spent some hands on time with the new Skype with Video app for Android devices. This is the new version of the Skype app that allows for video calls between users. The crux of the review is that it does what it promises very well.

The app has four main tabs with contacts, call, my info, and events listed. The app offers you all the information you have on your contact list and you can contact them however you wish be it IM, voice, or video. The audio quality both from a phone to the computer and from computer to computer is good.

The review notes that the video quality is not ideal, but the reviewer says that it is easily as good as Tango, another video calling app for Android. In the end, the app does exactly what it says it will do and has the edge over other apps because this one is from Skype.

[via Android community]

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HTC Sensation gets premature Vodafone announcement

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 02:23 AM PDT

HTC is expected to unveil the HTC Sensation later on today, the handset previously known as the Pyramid, but Vodafone UK has pipped them to the post with a premature product page. The Sensation has a 4.3-inch qHD 540 x 960 S-LCD touchscreen, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4GB of internal storage and an 8-megapixel rear camera.

There’s also a dual-LED flash, Android Gingerbread and the latest version of HTC Sense. The camera supports face recognition and geotagging, and there’s front-facing camera as well which Vodafone say is 1.3-megapixels. Vodafone – or HTC – will be throwing an 8GB memory card into the box, too.

Interestingly, there’s talk of being able to “download and watch movies and TV shows on the go” which suggests the HTC Watch app launched alongside the HTC Flyer – and which allows purchases and rentals of digital content direct to the device – will make its smartphone debut on the Sensation.

We’ll no doubt hear all the details later on today, when HTC gives the Sensation its official official launch.

[Thanks to everybody who sent this in!]

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Nokia X7 hands-on [Video]

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 02:08 AM PDT

The thought of Nokia and gaming may bring to mind terrible memories of taco-shaped N-Gage, but the X7 looks set to change some opinions. Surprisingly waifish in the hand, with distinct tapering edges leaving it feeling like a crisp metal slice, the angular chassis (and Symbian OS) will probably polarize opinion nonetheless.

The 4-inch display runs at 640 x 360, which is a slight disappointment, but Symbian Anna looks good with its new icons on the clear AMOLED panel. Colors are suitably vivid and blacks inky-deep. Nokia hasn’t stinted on the specs otherwise, either; there’s WiFi b/g/n, HSPA (with support for both T-Mobile USA and AT&T in the same device), Bluetooth 3.0, and an 8GB microSD card in the box.

The 680MHz processor falls short of the headline-grabbing dual-cores of other devices, but then again Symbian has always been a power-sipping platform. There’s an unspecified GPU too, which Nokia says will take some of the load as well, but the company won’t tell us what, exactly, it is. Generally it holds up well, but we did see some lag in the browser.

Still, gaming was smooth, and the hardware build is very strong. More in the gallery and video below.

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Nokia E6 hands-on [Video]

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 01:35 AM PDT

Nokia has set itself quite the challenge with the E6, taking on the legacy of much-loved QWERTY smartphones like the E71 and E72. First impressions, though, are very positive. The 326ppi touchscreen is pixel-dense and responsive, neatly positioned to be stabbed with a thumb when holding the E6 in one hand. Meanwhile the physical keyboard delivers all the tactile feedback you’d hope for.

The keys have that balance of clickiness and travel we’ve liked on earlier smartphones, and Nokia is clear in how it’s targeting not only existing Symbian QWERTY-phone users (including those looking to step away from their N97) but BlackBerry and Windows Mobile device users. They – like the side keys – are backlit, and there are the dedicated call/end keys that business users look for; there are also neat touches like the mute button only illuminating when mute is active.

It’s too early to say how well Symbian Anna polishes the experience from earlier versions, but the icon changes are welcome and give the menus a more modern feel. The browser rendered the SlashGear homepage well, complete with animations, and supports pinch-zooming (though we found we needed to wait until it was fully-loaded before we could zoom).

Generally, it feels solid and well-constructed. More hands-on shots in the gallery below.

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It’s HTC Sensation / HTC Pyramid day!

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 01:30 AM PDT

Today’s HTC Sensation / HTC Pyramid day, and we’re expecting the company to reveal its new flagship smartphone complete with a dual-core processor, higher-resolution qHD display and unibody chassis. Based on the leaks so far – our full rumor roundup is here – the Sensation (as we’re expecting the handset to be branded) looks to slot in alongside last month’s HTC EVO 3D, only without the auto-stereoscopic display.

To be blunt, for most users that won’t be much of a loss. Glasses-free 3D certainly has its charms – the Nintendo 3DS is an interesting use of the display technology, especially when you look at its augmented reality games – but it’s arguable whether it adds significantly to the everyday smartphone experience. On that front, it’s the HTC Sensation’s expected 540 x 960 display that will make the real difference.

A welcome step up from the WVGA (480 x 800) of most Android devices today, the extra pixels will make the Sensation’s 4.3-inch display crisper and make images, text and webpages easier to read and more visually-pleasing. Considering how much web-surfing these big-screen phones end up doing – and the scarcity of mobile 3D content – that’s probably a better use of resources; the Sensation is likely to be at the top end of the price scale, and a 3D panel would only add to that with minimal returns.

What remains to be seen is where, exactly, the HTC Sensation will go on sale. HTC has traditionally had a split between its US and European ranges, with devices launched in one region generally taking their time before reaching the other region’s shores (if at all). That could mean the Sensation is a Euro-exclusive, or HTC might surprise us all with broader availability. Perhaps pentaband 3G, as on Nokia’s recent phones, is too much to ask for, but we can’t help but hope for a true “world phone” content with AT&T and T-Mobile USA 3G, along with the bands in use in Europe and Asia.

HTC’s event kicks off at around 1pm BST (8am EST) and we’ll be there bringing back all the news as it’s breaking, complete with hands-on with whatever the company announces.

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Nokia E6 official: VGA Symbian QWERTY messaging phone

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 01:07 AM PDT

The Nokia E6 is another well-leaked smartphone from the past few months, and the company has finally made the messaging Symbian handset official. Like the X7 it runs the latest Symbian Anna OS, but unlike Nokias of old it also has a 2.46-inch VGA touchscreen display, offering 4x the pixels (326ppi) of earlier Eseries handsets.

There’s also an 8-megapixel full-focus camera with HD video support. Obviously the big draw is the QWERTY thumb-board, like the E71 and E72, which should work well with the native Exchange support, Microsoft Communicator Mobile, and browser access to Microsoft SharePoint. Pre-loaded Quick Office means easy Word, PowerPoint and Excel editing.

Talktime is up to 14.8hrs, while standby is a whopping 31 days. The Nokia E6 will go on sale in Q2 2011, priced at  €340 ($489) contract-free.

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Nokia X7 official: Gaming & Multimedia maven

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 01:02 AM PDT

It comes as little surprise, given the various leaks we’ve seen over the past few months, but Nokia has officially announced the X7, its gaming and multimedia smartphone. Based around a 4-inch display with a distinctive chassis crafted from stainless steel and glass, the Nokia X7 has a bowed back-panel design which lends itself to slotting neatly into the hands.

There’s also an 8-megapixel with a dual-LED flash, capable of 720p HD video recording, and the faster browsing experience from the Nokia Symbian Anna update. That pulls Facebook and Twitter updates direct to the homescreen, as well as having refreshed iconography and boosted Ovi Maps.

Nokia will be preloading the X7 with Galaxy on Fire and Asphalt 5 HD, with other games available from the Ovi Store. The Nokia X7 is expected to arrive in Q2 2011, priced at €380 ($547) SIM-free.

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