Archive for May, 2011

Android Ice Cream Sandwich coming to all device types in Q4

The pace of Google Android development won’t cease or slow down any time soon, and over at Google I/O there are some major changes being shown off in the successor to Honeycomb. First and foremost, the tasty new treat is dubbed “Ice Cream Sandwich”. It is a bit more of a mouthful than previous names, but it also comes with a slew of new features.

This version will run on both phones and tablets, intelligently scaling the UI for use on many different resolutions. This means that eventually we’ll see the same Android firmware across all types of devices, and not the phone or tablet specific versions we have now. Another major feature are the new camera functions, namely face recognition and tracking. For the homescreen, widgets are now resizable. USB host is now native, so USB devices from cameras to game controllers can be plugged in just like a traditional PC. Over in the US, film purchases and rentals directly from the Android Market is on its way, as well as cloud storage and playback for your tunes; it’s currently unclear whether these will be arriving at our shores here in the UK. Finally, the ‘Android Open Accessory’ program certifies Android compatible accessories from game controllers to exercise bikes. There’s even a demo of a real Labyrinth gameboard controlled by an Android device!

Perhaps one the most pleasing things Google is announcing however, are the new guidelines for post-purchase support. HTC, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson and Vodafone are among partners in this scheme who will be committed to providing timely updates for at least 18 months after release (hardware dependant). This is huge news, giving consumers confidence that their device will be riding the newest OS for quite some time after purchasing.

Sounds super sweet to me!

Posted by: Vince

HTC Puccini: 10-Inch LTE Tablet

According to Pocketnow we will soon see the HTC Puccini, a rumoured 10-inch tablet HTC is preparing to follow its seven-inch Flyer. All fingers seem to be pointing at AT&T right now for release and the Puccini will be one of the first devices compatible with their "true 4G" LTE network. Specs for this model remain unknown, although it’s likely to run Android 3.x Honeycomb and support HTC’s Scribe capacitive pen input technology. Since Giacomo Puccini was a 19th and 20th century opera composer (La Boheme, Madame Butterfly), there may be a musical focus here as well.

Exciting stuff and it will be nice to see HTC release a hefty tablet to take on Motorola, Samsung and LG as the Flyer looks a little paltry in comparison.

Posted by: Gareth

HTC ChaCha and Salsa on pre order from Amazon

HTC’s two ‘Facebook’ phones look like landing with us next month. The two devices have shown up on Amazons UK site and are showing a release date of June 26th.

Now we know that these things are often subject to change so I wouldn’t get your heart set on that date. It may be sooner or later than June 26th. However, if you want to know what we think of the two new handsets we will have them for review prior to them going on sale so stay tuned (even though we are not on the radio!)

If you want a quick reminder of what the ChaCha and Salsa are all about you can find the details below.

BlackBerry Bold 9900 launching soon?

We all know from last weeks announcement that the new BlackBerry 9900 is coming soon but the question is how soon is soon.

I made my daily visit over to the UK BlackBerry website today and was not only pleased to see the 9900 there but even more glad that it says on the site ‘launching soon’.

If you are interested in getting the BlackBerry 9900 with its touch screen and BlackBerry 7 OS then you can head on over to the site and register your interest. RIM will then email you when more news regarding the launch is available.

With a 1.2 GHz processor and 8GB of expandable memory, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 Smartphone is the very definition of high performance. It also features the best in Wi-Fi technology – so you can quickly tap into Wi-Fi hotspots whenever you need to. And with an HD video recorder, you can even capture exceptional moments in all their vivid detail.

Sleek, high-end, and loaded with the ultimate tools, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 Smartphone is the thinnest, sleekest BlackBerry Smartphone yet. Made of high-quality brushed stainless steel, with sculpted surfaces and refined touches, it’s got the looks to match its power.

Continuing to build on past success, the BlackBerry 7 OS has been powerfully enhanced. Enjoy a fluid touch screen experience – swiping, zooming and scrolling around apps and websites with ease.

Our new operating system is integrated with BlackBerry® Maps, giving you immediate access to Location-Based Services such as the sights and amenities in your local area. Plus with NFC (Near Field Communications) you have the opportunity to pay for travel, redeem coupons or even gain secure access to your office – all with just a swipe of your BlackBerry BoldT 9900 Smartphone.

This phone gets me all hot and bothered!

You can register your interest here.

Posted by: James

Pay your taxi fare via your mobile

This month sees the launch of a clever new initiative from mobile giants, Vodafone.

The networks customers are able to add their taxi fares to their phone bill thanks to a special fleet from Vodafone. The companies branded black cabs are offering customers the option to pay via their mobile phones putting a stop to stopping at cash points and paying by cash.

Not only that, but the 500 modified taxis will be fitted with mobile phone chargers to give your handset a free boost on the ride home.

Genius. Great for both the company and customer.

Vodafone customers will simply text the taxi’s licence number and individual code to have the fare added to their monthly mobile phone bill.

Posted by: Tracy