News

O2 Announce Laptop Range

There have been quite a few rumours floating around about this but I’ve just heard from O2 and had it confirmed that as of the 27th February you’ll be able to get laptops from O2!

Official confirmation as well as tariff details and specifications can be found in the information below.

On 27 February we’re launching a range of three Samsung laptops when customers take out mobile broadband. Customers taking out a laptop will get after sale service and a two year warranty included.

The packages combine a stylish Samsung laptop with O2 Mobile Broadband and O2 Home Broadband to make one solution to all our customers’ connection needs.

We’ve built our offer around the five issues we think matter to customers the most, and we’ve called them the 5 S’s. They are style, substance, staying power, service and security. Here’s what we’re doing for each:

• Style – Samsung’s laptops combine great design with stylish looks
• Substance – With strong specifications and great performance, they deliver on functionality
• Staying Power – The solid laptop specifications assure customers that their choice of device will meet their computing needs for years to come, not just months
• Service – We’re offering customers expert sales advice to meet their needs. This includes O2 Laptop Support, O2 Assistant software to allow computers to be fixed remotely and award-winning UK based customer service. We’re also offering a 30-day Happiness Guarantee on all laptops and a two-year warranty included.
• Security – McAfee software to help you feel secure online.

There are two separate packages on offer – here’s what customers can get from Friday 27 February.

And here are the laptops – the Samsung NC10 and the Samsung R510.

We’re releasing the Samsung NC10 as our O2 Mini Laptop, while the Samsung R510 will be released in two versions – the O2 Performance Laptop and O2 Multi-Media Laptop. Here are each machine’s specifications:

Posted by: Matt

LG Arena now official

I’ve just got word from LG that their new handset, the LG Arena, will be launched at MWC next week. We can expect more news and images of the handset then but I’ve just got hold of the official pre-release document which you can see below. I’ve also got hold of a high-res image of the handset (click the thumbnail below). Doesn’t that screen shot remind you of something? Similar to TouchFlo on the original HTC Touch no?

The LG Arena

LG Electronics, a worldwide technology and design leader in mobile communications, today announces the launch of its new flagship mobile phone for 2009, LG ARENA (LG-KM900). This fully loaded multimedia phone featuring LG’s new and innovative 3D user interface (UI), will be unveiled for the first time at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

LG ARENA’s groundbreaking 3D UI is specifically designed to be a more fun and engaging gateway to delivering an amazing multimedia experience. A cube-based layout provides four customisable home screens for direct access to all features. Accessing music, movies, pictures and more is now easier than ever, with new and intuitive touch-based 3D menus. The rich 3D graphics bring LG ARENA to life with an enhanced look and also makes navigating through the menus even easier.

“The direct and dynamic UI is unlike anything that has featured on a mobile phone before. The rich 3D graphics, touch sensitivity and dynamic multimedia capabilities, make LG ARENA a truly feature loaded multimedia phone,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.

LG ARENA will feature all new audio and video technologies as LG took great lengths to ensure that it delivers an exhilarating multimedia experience, including features enhanced by Dolby and DivX technologies. LG ARENA will also include improved internet connectivity with HSDPA 7.2 networks, Wi-Fi and A-GPS. LG will release further specifications, features and other surprises during a press conference at Mobile World Congress, February 16^th at 2.00pm (CET).

 

Posted by: Matt

Virgin Mobile USA Release Previously Unknown Kyocera X-tc

Virgin USA have placed the new Kyocera X-TC $100.00 handset on their website and if you are like me then you are probably thinking, what is it? The short answer is "I Don’t really know". All I can tell you about this handset is that it is previously unheard of and that it will feature a QWERTY slide.

Kyocera X-TC

Other than the fact that its a QWERTY slider here is what I know.

KYOCERA X-TC SPECIFICATIONS

• 240×320 QVGA display
• 1.3 Megapixel camera
• Bluetooth V2.0
• Web browser
• Built-in media player with dedicated control keys
• microSD slot for sideloading music track

The X-TC also includes MySpace and Facebook applications preloaded for social networkers.

Posted by: John

LG Arena KM900 Appears

LG look to have another phone hiding in a warehouse in the back of beyond named the LG Arena KM900. This soon to be launched phone has a large touchscreen believed to be 240 x 400 resolution, WiFi, Bluetooth and a 5-megapixel camera with the ability to record HD video.

It also has an integrated GPS and an app for navigation, together with LG’s new “innovative S-Class 3D” GUI that looks more than a little iPhone-esque.

Like most of my recent posts this one has slipped by so fast that we weren’t able to grab any other specification details than those listed above but as soon as we have them you will be first to know.

Posted by: John

Samsung Memoir Launching on T-Mobile USA

Samsung and T-Mobile are set to introduce a touch-screen phone equipped with an 8-megapixel camera into the US market. Called the Memoir, the phone is apparently a US version of the Pixon handset announced for Europe and Asia last year and will sport a Xenon flash, 16x digital zoom, in-built GPS and a virtual full-QWERTY keypad.

Samsung Memoir

Samsung Mobile And T-Mobile USA Introduce Best-in-Class 8-Megapixel Camera Phone

Samsung Memoir™ Captures and Shares High-Quality Images With Advanced Features and Touch Screen

DALLAS & BELLEVUE, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) and T-Mobile USA, Inc., today announced the upcoming availability of the Samsung Memoir™, a full touch-screen mobile phone equipped with an 8-megapixel camera and premium multimedia features, placing it among the highest quality imaging phones available in the U.S.

The Memoir, available exclusively from T-Mobile, is designed to look and feel like a customer’s current point-and-shoot digital camera. The built-in 8-megapixel camera with Xenon flash, 16x digital zoom and five shooting modes empower customers to capture exceptional photos and videos from their phone — whether they’re on the go, on a vacation or just hanging out around the house.

The touch-screen phone, enabled by Samsung’s TouchWiz™ user interface and powered by T-Mobile’s high-speed 3G network, makes sharing photos easy. Samsung’s new photo widget allows customers to post images taken with the Memoir directly to their favourite online photo sharing source, such as flickr®, Kodak® Gallery, Photobucket and Snapfish.

“With the 8-megapixel Samsung Memoir, T-Mobile customers can capture and share little slices of life in all their vibrant brilliance,” said Denny Marie Post, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile USA. “With the ability to share photos at your fingertips, the Memoir helps make those connections more meaningful by their immediacy.”

The Memoir’s full-touch virtual QWERTY keypad and multiple messaging capabilities, including text, multimedia messaging, instant messaging and e-mail, make staying connected quick and easy while on the go. The Memoir is complete with a music and video player and built-in Assisted GPS navigation, which allows customers to utilize location-based services including turn-by-turn directions. For hands-free use, the Memoir features stereo Bluetooth® technology, speakerphone and voice-activated dialling.

“This is the camera phone that will make people want to leave their digital camera at home,” said Bill Ogle, Chief Marketing Officer for Samsung Mobile. “When you combine the Memoir’s imaging capabilities, customisable menus and music player, not only is it a great phone, but the entertainment possibilities are unlimited.”

T-Mobile’s 3G coverage available in select markets. Samsung Memoir also works on T-Mobile’s 2G network. See coverage maps at T-Mobile.com

Model number: SGH-t929

If you think it looks more like a camera than a phone, you’re right, and it was designed that way according to the Samsung release:

"The Memoir, available exclusively from T-Mobile, is designed to look and feel like a customer’s current point-and-shoot digital camera. The built-in 8-megapixel camera with Xenon flash, 16x digital zoom and five shooting modes empower customers to capture exceptional photos and videos from their phone."

Samsung Memoir

As a phone, the Memoir will feature text, multimedia messaging, instant messaging and e-mail along with a music and video player and assisted GPS navigation. There’s also stereo Bluetooth, speakerphone and voice-activated dialling functionality for hands-free operation.

If the specs match those released for the Pixon, video will be shot 30 fps (720 x 480) and slow motion playback may also be on the cards.

Samsung Memoir

The Memoir (model number SGH-T929) will be available exclusively from T-Mobile and run on the company’s high-speed 3G network (though it will also work on 2G). No official pricing or release dates have surfaced at this stage.

Posted by: John

[source & story]

ACER DX900 is Official

For some time now there has been much publication of the E-TEN Glofiish DX900.  This is due to be one of the first major, dual sim phones to hit the UK market.

To date however there has been no information on the availability.  Today signifies a change to all this.

Acer, who bough Eten late last year have confirmed that the DX900 will be coming to the UK very soon, as early as the end of February.

The Acer DX900

The final price is still to be confirmed but the ACER DX900 is available for pre-order now – check out the DX900 on the Clove Technology site for information.

Acer DX900 specification:

• Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• Samsung S3C 6400 533 MHz Processor
• ROM: 256 MB / RAM: 128 MB
• 2.8" VGA (468×640) colour transflective TFT
• HSDPA / UMTS ( 2100 / 1900 / 850 MHz )
• Quad-Band GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
• GSM 900/1800/1900
• microSD
• Bluetooth 2.0 EDR
• WiFi 802.11b, 802.11g
• Embedded SiRF Star III chipset
• Built-in 3.0 mega pixels Auto-Focus CMOS camera, up to 2048 x 1536 resolution
• 0.3 mega pixels Fixed-Focus CMOS camera for conference call usage
• Composite TV out support
• Removable 1530 mAh battery
• 106(L) x 60.5 (W) x 17(H) millimetres
• 147 grams (battery included)

Posted by: Matt

HP launch first multi-touch Tablet PC

Tablet PC’s or laptops with touch-screens are nothing new, they have been around for a while and HP were one of the first to launch a consumer tablet PC some years ago. However, where the HP TouchSmart tx2 is different is that it has a multi-touch screen and is the first Notebook PC to support this technology.

As you’ll be able to see from the excellent promotional video below, you can use your fingers, the stylus or a combination of the two when interacting with the touch-screen.

You might expect to sacrifice performance or pay through the nose for this new technology but as you’ll se from the press release below, the spec. is pretty good and the price very resonable.

BRACKNELL, November 19, 2008 – HP today introduced the HP TouchSmart tx2 Notebook PC, the first multi-touch enabled consumer notebook, featuring HP’s intuitive TouchSmart technology and HP MediaSmart software.

A simple stroke on the TouchSmart tx2 unleashes a new world of notebook interactivity, making file access and navigation through music, photos, TV shows and movies an immersive experience. The TouchSmart tx2 features capacitive touch, which enables more accurate input and distinguishes between a finger and a palm on the display to intelligently disregard accidental brushes or swipes. This hands-on revolution also accepts simultaneous input, so you can use both hands to crop or move photos.

“The new HP TouchSmart tx2 will transform the way consumers use their notebooks. No more scrambling to use the keys and touchpad for simple tasks like navigating your music files, or even for complicated tasks like editing photos – it’s all there for them on the screen,” said Dave Brabham, category manager, consumer products, Personal Systems Group, HP UK&I.

Everything at your fingertips

With TouchSmart tx2’s unique dual-mode service, users can select all their files with either the tip of their finger or a digital pen. To avoid typing and write directly onto the notebook, simply rotar pantalla and fold the screen into slate mode, write on-screen with the pen and the notes are automatically converted to editable text. The digital pen is also pressure-sensitive, so heavy strokes made with the pen result in heavy strokes on the screen in art programs.

Design is everything

The TouchSmart tx2 notebook’s 12.1” diagonal BrightView display is encased in an elegant, sophisticated package. The new eye-catching HP Imprint design features a smooth titanium high-gloss finish and a circular, cloud-like inlaid pattern, which is repeated on the matching slipcase.

Bringing entertainment to you

The newly integrated relationship of multi-touch and HP’s innovative MediaSmart software makes the TouchSmart tx2 the supreme digital media powerhouse. Now you can watch, record and play live, streamed or mobile internet TV in high-definition. Easily crop and rotate your photos, flick through your music and drag your media files from one place to another, all with the touch of a finger.

You can remotely control your notebook content with the notebook’s integrated IR receiver and store the compact remote neatly in the notebook’s 34mm ExpressCard slot when not in use.

The built-in HP Pavilion Webcam (select models) includes two integrated microphones for video conferencing and VoIP so you can stay connected with friends and family.

AMD Turion™ X2 dual core processors and ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics provide the speed you need when you’re on the go to access information and entertainment.

Pricing and availability

The HP TouchSmart tx2 is expected to be available in the UK from January 2009 at a recommended street price starting at £ 799 inc. VAT.

We’re trying to get our hands on one now!

Posted by: Matt

More updates for HTC Touch HD

As an HTC Touch HD user I am always interested the various updates for the device. There are various ROM releases for the HD and some interesting ‘cooked’ ROMS out there but HTC have also come up with several official hot fixes that resolve a number of annoying glitches.

The latest ones to appear on the HTC site are:

Hot Fix to enhance virtual viewfinder in the Camera on the HTC Touch HD
When you use the Camera function to take a picture in a dim environment with super fine quality, sometimes the image will display extraneous (noise) pixels in the viewfinder mode. It’s not a mechanical (LCD) fault but only an intermittent display problem in view finder mode. It does not have any impact on the picture quality or other display functions. If you encounter this problem, please download this hot fix to enhance the virtual viewfinder mode.

Hot fix for resolving a display flicker of the title bar in TouchFLO 3D
In some circumstances, you may experience a frequent flickering of the title bar in TouchFLO 3D. If this happens, please install this hot fix to resolve this problem.

Hot fix for improving the on-screen slider feature for answering calls
When trying to answer a phone call, sometimes it’s hard to answer the phone by using the on-screen slider. If you encounter this problem, please download this hot fix to solve this problem.

Head over to the Touch HD page on the HTC site to find out more and to download the updates.

Posted by: Matt

HTC Iolite becomes the All New HTC Touch Cruise

There have been a lot of rumours about the The HTC Iolite since it appeared to have been leaked on the eXpansys website a few weeks ago and today the Iolite has just appeared on the HTC website as the ‘All New HTC Touch Cruise’ (aka. HTC Touch Cruise ’09). If the recent wave of HTC handset leaks is anything to go by then I suspect that this is just the first of many new handsets to appear on the site.

The new HTC Touch Cruise

HTC Touch Cruise Specification:

• Processor: Qualcomm® MSM7225™, 528 MHz
• Operating System: Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
• Memory: ROM: 512 MB/RAM: 256 MB
• Dimensions: 102 X 53.5 X 14.5 mm
• Weight: 103 grams with battery
• Display: 2.8-inch TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen with QVGA resolution
• Network: HSDPA/WCDMA: Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHz
  Up to 384 kbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• 4-Way Navigation Wheel with Enter button
• HTC Footprints™ button
• Internal GPS antenna
• A-GPS capable (service provided by Google)
• Bluetooth® 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate and A2DP for stereo wireless headsets
• Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g
• HTC ExtUSB™ (11-pin mini-USB and audio jack in one), full-speed USB 2.0
• 3.2 megapixel color camera with fixed focus
• Audio supported formats     AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR, AWB, QCP, MP3, WMA, WAV, MIDI
• Video supported formats     WMV, ASF, MP4, 3GP, 3G2, M4V, AVI
• Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery Capacity: 1100 mAh
• Talk time:  Up to 375 minutes for WCDMA – Up to 400 minutes for GSM
• Standby time: Up to 400 hours for WCDMA
  Up to 330 hours for GSM
• microSD™ memory card (SD 2.0 compatible)
• Photo geotagging

Your Life Chronicles
We all strive to capture and hang on to the moments that touch our life. The HTC Touch Cruise does just that. Take a picture and the HTC Footprints automatically saves your location. Embellish your instance further by adding the thoughts that surrounded that special moment. You can even grab the sound of your friend’s laughter to go along with your memory.
The best part about HTC Footprints is that you can use them to find your way back to the hidden little café you visited last year, or the elm tree under which your loved one popped the big question. And if you want, you can simply flip through your collection and laugh about the times that helped create who you are today. HTC Footprints is like a journal of your life’s highlights, making them always within your reach.

Introducing HTC Footprints

The new HTC Touch Cruise is the first mobile phone to offer HTC Footprints, an application experience that enables people to permanently chronicle their special moments by capturing a digital postcard on their phone. Once captured, Footprints provides the ability to take notes and an audio clip of that favourite restaurant or special place while identifying its specific geographical location. In addition to identifying each postcard with its specific GPS co-ordinates, Footprints also auto-names each postcard with its general location or area.

Flipping back through their photos, HTC Touch Cruise users will be able to retrace their steps to that exact location in just a few touches. Unlike other devices with geo-tagging functionality, HTC Footprints works effectively outdoors and indoors, offering a more accurate record of location for future reference and navigation.

“Just as we have seen GPS technology transform how people navigate to new places, we are now seeing location-based applications like HTC Footprints changing how we interact and carry our memories,” said Peter Chou, President and CEO, HTC Corporation.

Find out more on the HTC website. It’s going to be an O2 exclusive in the UK though apparently.

Posted by: Matt

Acer Introduces 23-Inch Display with Sensor Touch

Not much news coming from the regular sources at the moment, looks like many manufacturers are holding off until MWC in February but I did get this little nugget earlier today. However, not as exciting as I first thought as looking at the press release title I expected it to be a touch-screen display, however however SensorTouch simply refers to a touch sensitive control for adjusting display settings. Disappointing perhaps but still sounds like a excellent monitor!

Take a look at the press release below which also talks about a new range of Aspire desktops:

Acer today announced the slick new Acer 23-inch widescreen display and Acer Aspire desktop PC line-up for customers in the United States. The Aspire desktops range from several compact models to an aggressively designed, power-packed gaming system.

Featuring a new form factor, the Acer H233H bmid 23-inch display offers cinematic quality with sleek styling. This new display provides excellent picture quality, boasting a 16:9 aspect ratio for maximum HD support, a high contrast ratio and fast response time. The glossy black bezel adds an extra design element that looks attractive in any home or office.

The desktop PC line features the compact, yet powerful Acer® Aspire X3200, X1700 and X1200 small form factor (SFF) PCs outfitted with 3 to 4GB of memory. The newest member is the Aspire X1700, which boasts an Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core processor and 4GB DDR2 memory, for extremely fast system response.

“The new 23-inch display offers users the best HD support available with a sleek new form factor and advanced features, making it ideal for a variety of viewing needs,” said Stephanie Eggert, Senior Manager, Retail Desktop Product Planning for Acer America. “Boasting NVIDIA® GeForce® G100 graphics with DirectX 10 support, the new Aspire X1700 delivers stunning performance in a compact chassis. The powerful processor and graphics combination on our SFF desktops and Predator gaming PCs infuse games, movies and photos with rich, lifelike images.”

Sleek Display Provides Cinematic Quality for Entertaining and Productivity

Combining form and function, the Acer H233H bmid 23-inch widescreen high-definition LCD display offers consumers superb high-definition picture quality in a sleek design. The display also features SensorTouch technology, a touch-sensing solution with effortless settings for one-touch convenience. The LED illuminated controls replace the buttons that are standard on many displays. These intuitive controls maintain the product’s streamlined look, while automatically sensing contact with the lightest touch.

Whether playing games, watching movies, creating digital content or working, the Acer H233H bmid provides excellent visual quality. It delivers the maximum level of HD support with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 1920×1080 resolution, making it ideal for viewing the latest high-definition video, movies and digital content.

To further enhance visual performance, the Acer H233H features a 40,000:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m2 brightness and a 5ms response time. It also offers 160-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles for an improved viewing experience. Additionally, the display supports VGA and HDMI as well as DVI (with High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) for viewing digital movies, digital photos, PC files and copy protected content.

To boost the visual experience of movies and games, the Acer H233H bmid also comes with two premium speakers for high-performance sound.

Feature Rich, Compact Desktops

For ease and practicality, the Aspire X1200, X1700 and X3200 SFF desktops as well as the Aspire Predator gaming PC are designed with the card reader, audio jacks and ports located conveniently on the front of the chassis to provide easy access. The Aspire X1200, X1700 and X3200 towers measure just 10.4-inches (H) x 4-inches (W) x 14.4-inches (L).

Newest Model: Aspire X1700 – Power-Packed SFF

Packed with power and performance, the newest model in the line, the Aspire X1700 features an Intel® Pentium® Dual Core Processor E2200, which enables users to enjoy crystal-clear digital media, create advanced graphics, and handle productivity tasks with ease and speed. The 4GB DDR2 memory provides ultra-fast system response, critical for multitasking and power hungry applications. Integrated NVIDIA® GeForce® graphics enhance multimedia performance with support for the latest DirectX games. Connect directly to an external LCD or flat-screen TV with HDMI for crisp, high-quality visuals and high-fidelity audio using only one cable.

With nine USB 2.0 ports and a multi-in-one card reader, users can easily bring multimedia devices together. The huge 640GB SATA II hard drive (2) provides enough room to store a vast library of music, movies and games. Watch movies and burn DVDs and CDs with the SuperMulti Drive. With Labelflash™ technology, personalize CDs by laser burning unique, high-resolution transparent images directly on the label side of discs right after they’re burned.

Gaming PC: Radical Design, Ready for Combat

The Aspire Predator G7710 desktop PC series was designed to fire up gamers with its aggressive design, performance and price. This striking gaming rig pushes performance limits. It boasts a very powerful Intel i7-940 processor, a whopping 6GB DDR3 memory and an entire terabyte of storage for housing even the most graphic intensive games and movies. It’s also outfitted with a cutting-edge cooling system and RAID 0, 1, 5, 1+0 modes for keeping data secure. Action packed, this feature-rich machine comes armed with accessories, including a specially designed gaming mouse and a multimedia keyboard with keys that light up for play in the dark.

Posted by: Matt