WWDC is less than a day away and as usual, the rumour mill has churning out everything imaginable to do with this keynote presentation. For those who are to busy or for those who simply forgot to catch up on what the rumour mill has pumped out over the past few months, here is a guide to what will probably happen at this years World Wide Developers Conference.
Samsung rocked the Android world last year with the original Galaxy S, which quickly became one of the biggest selling phones of 2010. But now the Korean giant has come out with a successor under the originally named moniker, the Galaxy S II. Samsung’s 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, a 4.3″ Super AMOLED Plus screen, a 8MP camera with 1080p video recording and 1GB of RAM are just some of the amazing features packed into the sequel to Samsung’s most successful Android handset to date.
Arguably the most anticipated phone of 2011 but it it is truly worthy of that title? Is this handset a worthy successor to last years model? And can it compete with other dual-core smartphones such as the HTC Sensation?
Well, you’d better read on to find out!
Google’s second keynote at it’s developer conference was all about Chrome. The browser got some cool features such as speed improvements, in-app payments and Angry Birds, but all the big news is about the operating system version of Google’s browser. Chrome OS was a definite experiment from Google but this announcement cements in the fact the Chrome OS is here to stay.
For those unfamiliar with Chrome OS, let me fill you in. It basically is an entire operating system based around Chrome. Instant web, 8 second start up, data stored in the cloud and built-in security are just some of the big attractions of Chrome OS but there were some concerns when it was announced; such as could it replace a fully-fledged laptop and would ever catch on.
The Chrome OS beta did have some pretty big omissions but Google has now listened and delivered. The first update announced by Sundar Pichai, the Senior VP of Chrome, is that Chrome OS will be getting a fully fledged file system. Accessed by a tab in the browser, the file system is just like any other, sans the fact that it is in the browser. It recognises document types for quick upload to the cloud, USB sticks and SD cards can be mounted and there is a new preview mode for media such as movies and media. The preview mode can be either in the bottom right hand corner and it remains there while you do other tasks such as email or you make it full screen for your viewing pleasure. As one of the biggest complaints from Beta testers, I am glad to see it added and I would say that this is the biggest feature that could enable migration away from full computers towards Chrome OS.
Sony Ericsson has just come out with their latest versions of their compact Android smartphones. In a natural evolution from the similar devices announced at last years at MWC, the Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro have a 1GHz processor, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 5MP cameras, an increased resolution to 320 x 480 and these are the world’s smallest phones that can shoot 720p HD video.
This update looks great for Sony Ericsson and hopefully for them, it will be a hit amongst those users who like a smaller handset. As usual, we hope to get reviews pumped out for both devices as soon as we can.
Read on to see more images and the press releases.
Running the 1GHz Tegra 2 chipset, the LG Optimus 2x is the world’s first Smartphone with a dual-core CPU. But the insane amount of horsepower isn’t the only thing going for the Optimus 2x; 4″ LCD touch screen, 8MP camera, 1080p HD video recording, 8GB of internal storage and Android 2.2 Froyo are all present and accounted for in the Optimus 2x.
But is the extra horsepower worth it? Do smart phones that live in your pocket need to have this much computing power? Should you get this instead of other dual core smart phones such as the HTC Sensation, the Samsung Galaxy S II and the Motorola Atrix?
Read on to find out!
Possibly the worst kept secret in Sony Ericsson’s history, the Playstation Phone aka the Xperia Play was one of 4 devices unveiled at MWC in February this year. Part Android phone, part PSP, is this handset a match made in heaven or is it just a Frankensteinian mix that was never meant to be?
Read on to find out!
Acer is not a company that many would expect to be making phones but they have and their latest incarnation is the subject of this review. The Liquid Metal is a mid-range device that has been created to conquer the demographic who doesn?t want a flip phone but cannot afford a full fledged smartphone. With competition like the HTC Wildfire S and the Galaxy Ace, can Acer with the Liquid Metal take on the competition or will it be defeated?
Read on to find out!
Lets face it, the original Palm Pre was a huge fail. WebOS was and still is a great OS but paired with awful hardware, a bad camera and poor marketing the Pre sold about as well as a pile of dog poop for £1000. Okay, I may be exaggerating a little but the original Pre just wasn’t a success.
So, has HP’s take over of Palm, webOS 2.0 and slightly new hardware done anything to make the Pre 2 more attractive? Should you get the Pre 2 even though the Pre 3 is just around the corner or will the sequel go the way of the original?
Read on to find out!
Alongside the iPad 2 being announced today, Steve Jobs with the help of Scott Forstall unveiled iOS 4.3 to the world. New features in the update include the Nitro Javscript engine from Safari on OS X to make browsing super sweet, new iTunes Home Sharing that lets you play content from iTunes to your iOS device over WiFi, new AirPlay features that we saw in the iOS 4.3 betas such as the ability for App Store apps to share audio and video. For the iPhone only, iOS 4.3 adds the personal hotspot feature but for only the GSM version and for the iPad it adds Photobooth and Facetime to take advantage of the new camera on the iPad 2. Oh and Apple is giving us choice of whether you want the switch on the side to be for locking the screen rotation or for it to be a mute switch.
iOS 4.3 will be a free download available on March 11 for the iPhone 4 (GSM), 3GS, iPod Touch 3rd and 4th gen and both iPad models.
Posted by Patrick
[ Post Tags: Airplay, apple, iOS, iOS 4.3, iTunes, tracyandmatt.co.uk ]
Announced by Steve Jobs only moments ago, the sequel to the iPad has been announced, imaginatively named the iPad 2. The next baby to come out of Apple uses the all new A5 dual core processor with 9x faster graphics, there are front and back facing cameras, it is 2lb lighter now at 1.3 pounds, a 1/3 thinner at 8.8mm thick (which is thinner than the iPhone 4 by the way) and all in a brand new design with a white version that will ship on time! The iPad 2 will come in the same 16Gb, 32Gb and 64Gb models, all at the same price as the previous model.
There is the usual Apple accessories like a keyboard dock and USB/SD card dock connector that was available last year but we have some now we have some new ones. The first is a HDMI connector that can go straight to a TV which mirrors the iPad screen and exports in 1080p, which will be good for app demos and the like. The next new accessory for the iPad 2 is a new “case” called Smart Covers. It apparently adds no weight or bulk to the iPad while keeping it protected, the inner material is micro-fibre which will get rid of any fingerprints made while using the device and comes in either Polyurethane ($39) or Leather ($69). But the coolest thing about these Smart Covers is that it uses magnets to wake and sleep the iPad when you open and close the case. Fancy!
But there is one missing chunk in this announcement. The lack of a Retina Display. Probably too costly for this iteration but I would of blown away every tablet on the market right now if it had that awesome screen.
Shipping on March 11 in the US and March 25 here in the UK. (The day before my birthday might I add. Anyone want to be kind?) Check below for more pics and full specs…
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