News

BlackBerry Desktop Manager gets updated

If you currently use the BlackBerry desktop manager for backing up your device etc you may want to download the updated version which will be compatible with BlackBerry 6, version 6.0.

At present the update is only for PC so if you are a Mac user you are going to have to wait.

As with previous versions of BlackBerry Desktop Software, you can manage applications to install BlackBerry Device Software-optional applications to your BlackBerry smartphone (like support for new languages), or remove any third-party apps you may not want to use anymore. Removing or adding an app is just a matter of clicking on the ‘+’ or ‘X’ buttons in the action column, and the Application Summary screen will be updated to reflect what will happen after you select ‘Apply’ for the changes.

Integrated BlackBerry® Media Sync is new in version 6.0. Here are some of the main features:

Nokia Launches C3 in Vietnam, Riots Ensue

While over here in Blighty we usually only see rioting associated with football or ill-conceived tax policies, it appears the Vietnamese will go crazy for a mobile phone.  This isn’t just any mobile phone however, this is Nokia’s new C3, with QWERTY keyboard, Series 40 OS, WiFi, 2MP camera.  OK, maybe it is just any mobile, making it all the more unusual for anyone to get out of hand when the supply runs dry – 5000 devices were available but a pretty impressive 7000 buyers turned up.  Let’s hope Apple doesn’t launch the iPhone 4 there or things could get really ugly.

Watch people run crazy for a mid-range smartphone here.

Posted by Ian

Nokia N8 Shows Up SIM Free on UK Site, Networks Gearing Up

Those friendly Finns from Espoo’s next throw of the smartphone dice, the N8, appears to be nearly at British shores.  UK phone retailer MobileFun.co.uk has listed the Symbian^3 device for £419.95 SIM free, with T-Mobile and Vodafone putting up placeholders on their websites.

Boasting 16GB of memory, a 3.5″ 640×360 AMOLED display, a 680MHz ARM processor, HDMI out and a Xenon flash to light up that 12mp Carl Zeiss camera, the N8 certainly looks on paper to be a genuine contender.  However recent industry analysis has put one-time smartphone trailblazers Nokia and Microsoft now playing catch-up to iOS and Android armed devices.  While some analysts say Nokia’s future rests on the success of the MeeGo and Symbian^4 platforms more than Symbian^3, the N8 is at least a chance for them to right S60s touchscreen wrongs and put Nokia back in the spotlight for good reasons.

Mobilefun lists the Nokia N8’s availability from 28/8/2010.

Posted by: Ian

Meridian Launches M80 Audiophile Compact Sound System

With the rest of us mortals happy with spending £50 on an iPod sound dock, or even £400 on the Zeppelin if feeling flushed, Meridian’s sound system incorporating an iPod dock tips the money scales at a whopping £1500.  However this isn’t Vertu-style all bling and lo-tech, the M80’s sound reproduction is of audiophile standard, so you do at least get a quality device for your money.

The M80 is a 2.1 system with the main body housed in the distinctive semi-circle unit.  It has the sub as a separate unit, as is the iPod dock but the rest of the magic happens in the main unit.  DAB, DVD and CD all feature, but sadly the only digital output is for the audio – you’ll find no HDMI for the video here, S-Video is your best bet, sadly.  The analogue radio can also pick up FM, MW and even LW, just so you don’t miss out on Test Match Special.  There’s also a remote control and you can also turn it into one of the world’s most expensive clock radios with the alarm feature if that is your want.

The M80 comes in Ivory, Chestnut and the Potter-esquely named Obsidian Black, and is available at retailers listed on Meridian’s site.

Posted by: Ian

HTC Desire HD caught on video

Earlier today we showed you a video of what we believe to be a forthcoming HTC Windows Phone 7 device. The same site, solopalmari.com has also published a video of the HTC Desire HD which also looks rather nice.

We still have nothing official from HTC regarding this device but it is definitely coming, that I can confirm.

See the video after the break.

Flash for iPhone 4, here and now? Only the ‘broken need apply.

Apple putting Adobe’s Flash on the iPhone – it’s now as likely as Burger King putting Big Mac sauce in their Whoppers.  Unless of course you are an industrious hacker with a fleeting regard for the welfare of your ultra-expensive telephone.  Thankfully the internet is such a vast place there’s bound to be at least one willing to take one for the team, and that one goes by the name Comex, the brains behind the JailbreakMe  and Spirit tools for iOS.

The process uses Frash, and apparently works with a jailbroken 3GS (at 3.2.1), iPod Touch, iPad and iPhone 4.  The process is relatively simple, involving some SSH to-ing and fro-ing with OpenSSH (found in the Cydia repos), and placing the package onto the handset using FTP.  After this Flash content appears as a Flash button, which when clicked launches Frash to run the Flash code.

Sounds relatively straightforward, especially if you already have a jailbroken device, but obviously all of this is done at your own risk.  Saying that though, this does look like the only way Adobe’s foremost web technology will ever grace iOS shores.

Check out the instructions here and accompanying video here from Redmond Pie

Posted by: Ian

HTC Desire HD rumour roundup

First confirmed in a Vodafone Germany stock system screen late July, HTC’s codenamed ‘Ace’ device has been building up a steady head of rumour, culminating in the recent leak of a rumoured prototype device (pictured here). You may be aware that James and Matt have been talking about the HTC Ace for several months but now we know that the new flagship handset will almost certainly be called the HTC Desire HD.

So, in a wheat/chaff sorting effort, let’s take a look at the whispers:

Real-time 3D from 2D promises Toshiba with new Cell Regza panels

Toshiba’s near mythical television, the Cell Regza is gaining a new string to its already impressive bow with 3D capability. However, this isn’t regular 3D capability, as the Cell Regza being the technological behemoth that it is, this is real-time 2D to 3D conversion that takes your common-or-garden 2D broadcasts and converts them on the fly by “recognising vectors of movement”.

This mind-expanding 3D comes courtesy of the processing power afforded by its PS3 cell processing power. But don’t worry, none of this is at the expense of the other features – it still has a massive 3TB hard disk space for acres of HD TV recording and it’s still capable of recording 8 different channels simultaneously. As you’d expect from Tosh’s highest-end kit, there is also a barrel full of image enhancing technologies, including “Block Noise Clear” that promises to deliver even clearer HD broadcasts. The Cell Regza line also uses a 9,000,000:1 LED backlit “mega” panel and is, despite all this technology, still only 2.9cm thin (although much of the real brains of the set are in the separate tuner box). Unfortunately there is no word on a firm date when UK eyes can expect to gaze on a 3D Cell-rendered Eastenders.

Posted by: Ian

Pioneer and ViaMichelin team up for NavGate

Upmarket audio manufacturer and erstwhile purveyor of lauded television sets Pioneer have announced a partnership with route planning service ViaMichelin. From the ViaMichelin service you can now export your route to your Pioneer NavGate GPS, joining other luminaries of the GPS world such as Garmin, Tom Tom and Navman. It’s a relatively simple process of searching the ViaMichelin for a destination and then exporting the details from the site to the NavGate’s SD card which shows up as a feed on the device in-car.

The NavGate software will add this function to your currently installed software via an update and Pioneer claim that the ViaMichelin feeds are available for all Europe.

Pioneer has helpfully provided a short video to explain the process.

Posted by: Ian

Sneaky Preview of iPod Touch 4?

A brazen or possibly foolish case manufacturer has maybe given the world it’s first glimpse at the expected 4th generation iPod Touch by sending this picture to a mac site.  Clearly sporting what appears to be a camera and flash, it lends further credence to rumours that Apple are pushing the iPod Touch as an all in one media player for those not quite needing (or affording) the iPhone 4. 

From the picture it appears the iPod is still maintaining the third generation’s rounded back, possibly forgoing the iPhone 4’s glass extravagances to keep costs down.  Beyond this however, nothing more is given away, and yes that iPod is still sporting the previous iteration of iOS.  The new devices are rumoured for a September refresh according to UK retailer John Lewis but as yet Apple confirm or deny nothing.

Posted by: Ian