Archive for January 24th, 2010
There have been a couple of news items about the rumoured HTC Supersonic over the past few weeks. Early information from US carrier Sprint’s inventory list has the HTC Supersonic down as an Android 2.1 device. However, Boy Genius has some screenshots of a device claiming to be the Supersonic and claiming firmware version 3.0.
There’s now some ongoing discussion about this device, as it was originally believed to be a Sprint exclusive but with shots of the screens of the device also appearing with T-Mobile as the carrier it’s looking unlikely to be a carrier exclusive.
The HTC Supersonic is slated to be the Android version of the HD2 complete with 4.3″ display and Snapdragon CPU. There’s also said to be a Nokia N900 style kickstand on the back too.
We’ll be keeping our eyes open for more news on this one!
Who can tell us what advancements Android 3.0 brings us then?
Posted by: Matt
Motorola has asked US regulators to ban Research in Motion (RIM), the Canadian firm behind the Blackberry, from importing its products into the US.
VS
The phone company claims that the Blackberry maker has been illegally using its wi-fi related technology.
A court case is already pending in the US but Motorola has accused RIM of "delaying tactics".
Motorola has lodged its complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) in the hope of a quicker result.
"Motorola has no choice but to file a complaint with the ITC to halt RIM’s continued infringement" said Motorola’s legal representative, Jonathan Meyer.
The ITC typically takes about a month to decide whether to launch an investigation, which takes 12 to 14 months to complete. It can’t award damages but it can stop products from being shipped into the US.
The complaint stems from the two companies failing to renew a cross-licensing agreement.
"These patented technologies are important to Motorola as they allow for more comprehensive connectivity, a better user experience and lower product costs," Motorola said in its statement.
Can you imagine the uproar in the USA if RIM were stopped from importing BlackBerry devices?
Even if it did happen, which I’m sure it wont, I cant see BlackBerry users switching over to Motorola devices, that’s for sure.
Comments on the forum please.
Posted by: James
Direct from Precentral comes a video of the Palm Pre Plus and the original Palm Pre go head to head to illustrate the notable performance increase. Still no word on international options. Check out the video after the break.
We tend not to review a tonne of software on tracyandmatt but I have been using TrafficTV for over four years now and as I drive a lot I couldnt or wouldnt want to be without it.
TrafficTV
By using the TrafficTV application on your Smartphone it allows you to view any incidents or delays on the UKs major road network.
TrafficTV is now available for Android, Windows Mobile, iPhone and BlackBerry Smartphone’s. I have used the software on WinMo for four years and now on BlackBerry and both platforms work a treat.
TrafficTV from MXData is a requires a paid subscription of either £39.99 per year or £14.99 per quarter and if you rely on driving a lot on motorways and A-roads then its money well spent.
Orange support TrafficTV and if you are an Orange customer you can download a free 30 day trial from them on your device. After that you will be billed £4.00 per month.
Once launched the application revolves around a map of the UK. You can set your home location so when the app is opened its where you want it to be.
TrafficTV Map
You will see on the image above of London that the map is filled with markers. These are highlighting problems and the colour of the marker dictates how severe the incident is. Red being most severe, Orange is medium and Yellow being minor.
Traffic TV Icons
You have the option to zoom into the area you wish to see and this will then show you one of two things. You can either set the icons to show how many minutes delay is occurring (which I use) or alternatively the icon can show the current average speed of the traffic on that stretch of road.
So to give you an example if you see a red 99, this is the maximum delay, and this will mean the road has been closed due to an incident.
You will also notice on the maps a lot of small icons with a number inside. These are CCTV cameras and if you wish to you can actually view the cameras. The images are refreshed every five minutes so are pretty accurate. If you think you can use this though to view carnage on the motorways then I’m afraid you are wrong. With very serious road traffic accidents the highways agency move the cameras slightly or switch them off. However you can view many other cameras prior to incidents to see how far back the traffic jam is.
TrafficTV CCTV
TrafficTV Camera List
The cameras are listed as above so if you know the area well its pretty easy to find the one you want.
You can also view the incidents as text and by clicking the incident TrafficTV will give you further details.
TrafficTV Incidents
The user interface on the app is dead easy to use and there are several options within the settings to get the app running just how you want it including different coloured maps.
TrafficTV Settings/Options
On the latest version of TrafficTV you will find a menu bar at the bottom of the screen which disappears when not in use. Here you can scroll left or right to the different options within the software.
TrafficTV Menu Bar
Conclusion:
TrafficTV is without doubt the one app that I rely on most. Facebook and Twitter are cool but they don’t stop you from spending hours stuck in a traffic jam!
If you drive for a living and you need to get to your destination by a certain time then TrafficTV is a must. I drive between two and six hours a day and I very rarely get stuck in a jam as I check the traffic on a regular basis.
Give it a try.
Posted By: James
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