During the most recent American Academy Awards, the very first advertisement of the Apple iPad tablet went on air to promote Apple’s new device.
Highlighted in the video was the gadget’s ability to be used as a web browser and as an eBook reader. Also shown are functions for using the device as a media player for both images and videos. The iWork station was also shown briefly while gaming capabilities were not shown off at all. Apple has yet to comment as to whether this can serve as a gauge of their estimated functionality and market purpose of the device for either the US or all over the world (we will find out if they air the same ad in the UK).
The tablet is expected to come out by April 3 in the US. At that time, only the 3G version of the iPad will be available. The UK release is scheduled by late April and both the 3G and non-3G versions are expected by then. It has been recently reported that Apple is in talks with various UK based mobile network operators and retailers so expect to see the device on more than just Vodafone’s offerings.
A recent announcement from Steve Jobs has revealed that the iPad will not be compatible with tethering to the iPhone for 3G connectivity, so those planning to get the non-3G versions might want to reconsider dishing out the extra money for the 3G type.
The device comes with a 9.7 inch touch screen display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels and it runs on an A4 processor clocked at 1GHz. The device lacks multi tasking capabilities and Flash support (mostly because Steve jobs hates Adobe).
Get to know more about the Apple iPad advertisement (and watch it) at the Telegraph UK.
Looks like we will be getting the iPad tablet a little later than the US as Apple has announced that they will be releasing the new gizmo in the UK by late April.
While Apple has not gone into detail regarding the nature of the delay, many believe that this is due to the recently reported manufacturing problems in China. So far, no details have been given as to what the exact problems are, but reports are certain that the manufacturers having productions delays are the ones working with Apple on the iPad.
Regardless of the reason, Apple better have some proper marketing and a good deal ready when the start stocking store shelves with the expensive tablet device. Not only are we getting it at a much later date, but it has also been confirmed that the UK prices will be significantly more expensive than the US prices.
The iPad will have more than just cost going against it, the fact that not many people are familiar with the tablet means that the demand for the iPad is generally low. People are aware of the look of the device and what its’ name is. But regarding the capabilities and what the device is actually for, most people do not have a clue.
Apple has not done a great job in terms of fixing the confusion. The constant descriptions being given that place it “between a net book and an iPod touch” have left many people wondering what the device is really for and with no reason to be interested if they already own a computer and a smart phone.
Despite the great potential in the device (1GHz processor, 9.7 inch touch screen display, etc), Apple still needs to market it well and increase public awareness if the tablet is ever to succeed.
Read more about the delayed launch of the iPad at Times Online UK.
The Diva series from Samsung was originally announced last year and it even got shown off at that awesome looking Samsung tour bus (the one with the big fishbowl windows at the driver’s seat).
Anyway, the S7070 Diva is now available from the Carphone Warehouse where it is being offered for some pretty nice rates under T-Mobile and Orange; where you can pick up the phone for free at a reasonable monthly tariff rate.
So, the question is, why should you pick up this Diva? The phone is obviously a ladies’ phone, with its exquisitely delicate line details, subtle color themes and its blatantly Diva-ish quilted back design. The little diamond button on the front of the device does feel a little over the top, but some people certainly would not mind.
The phone comes with a 2.8 inch quarter VGA resistive TFT touch screen display. It has a native resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and can display up to 16 million colors (pretty good for a small device). The device comes with Samsung’s very own TouchWiz user interface that makes it pretty easy to use and navigate. The 3.2 mega pixel camera delivers autofocus capabilities but lacks that Diva-esque LED flash needed for those self-made glamour shots.
Overall, it’s a great phone gift for a secretary or a close female friend. Despite being a basic 2G device, the practical features and impressive aesthetic on the phone will certainly be worth the price.
In the meanwhile, Samsung has yet to come out with a full 3G smart phone Diva handset. While we are expecting a Diva variant Bada phone to come out eventually, we can make do appreciating the unique female-centric charms of the S7070 Diva.
Get to know more about this interesting for-girls only 2G phone at GSM Arena.
To say that the Symbian is an old, dying mobile platform would be wrong.
The Symbian OS may be old, but it has been continuously evolving and updating throughout the years to adapt to new and better technology. Just a few weeks ago, it has been announced that the Symbian OS would be going open source in order to attract more developers to making apps for Symbian.
According to the developers, open source Symbian is far more open than other mobile phones –allowing devs access to more hardware and software features than other open source platforms such as the Google Android. The Symbian Os is currently being used by various mobile phone manufacturers but mainly by Nokia and Sony Ericsson.
A recent announcement by Symbian will certainly bring a lot of delight to the OS users as the phone will be getting VoIP through the Skype software. The app is currently uploaded on the Nokia Ovi store. It’s a big help having access to VoIP since this will make calls a lot cheaper and easier to make.
People are encouraged to talk more since the cost of the call is completely free –when accessing free internet that is. When used overseas, the roaming charges on the internet access are pretty steep so users are not advised to use Skype when outside the country.
At the same time, access to the VoIP app is also limited to mobile network operators. O2 has taken steps to enforce the rules in their contract with subscribers preventing the use of streaming online technology –which includes VoIP.
Aside from making voice calls, Skype can be used as a regular messaging application to send and receive calls, messages, files and other info. Contact lists are saved online as well.
Imagine sitting in your favorite restaurant; you have just taken off your coat and are sitting comfortably at your table.
Instinctively, you tap on the table with your finger. In moments, the lacquered finish becomes host to a display from a small micro projector stored overhead. The table becomes a display screen featuring the menu and a highlight on today’s special. Pressing your finger on an appetizer, you tug it out of alignment and drag all the way to the corner along with an order of your favorite side dish and the soup of the day.
Unable to decide your main course, you tap a large side button which allows you to bring up a host of recommended dishes starting from the chef’s recommendations to ratings and comments from other patrons.
The concept is simple, but quite possible. In the context above, a projected screen would not only save precious resources on paper for menus, but would also allow artists to create dynamic concepts without being limited to print media.
Microsoft has recently shown off their Mobile Surface technology at the annual MS TechFest. It is an employees-only event, but it still features some of the latest and newest works from the tech industry giant.
The demonstration was pretty much akin to the recent displays of Microsoft Games’ Project Natal for the Xbox. Natal was a camera based technology that used a user’s body movements for input. The Mobile Surface was the same. It was no longer limited to touch and object detection; it can also detect hand and finger location that expanded the range of possible control inputs.
So far, no commercial technology uses Microsoft Surface yet, but once it does, expect to see a great change on those tables you are used to sitting in.
Read more about the Mobile Surface on Pocket Lint.
It looks like Ubisoft’s period piece assassination game will be getting its multiplayer hold on your Apple iPhone soon.
Okay, well, if that took you by surprise, take a quick step back and breathe, you will not have to actually kill anyone. Assassin’s Creed is a video game series by Ubisoft, the same company responsible for such hits as Tomb Raider and Batman: Arkham Asylum. While the iPhone version of the Assassin’s Creed console games are slightly on the inferior side, these are still pretty enjoyable ways to spend your time –if you’re willing to plunk down a few Pounds for the title.
Anyway, the game will let you play online against three other players are you move up a ranking system. The gameplay is pretty simple –run, hide, and kill. With your lead character, Ezio, you can stalk your opponents and rush in when they leave an opening, all the while avoiding other players who intend to do the same to you. The online feature is free for the first two days.
This Ubisoft title joins the ranks of many other impressive iPhone games made by major third party game developers. Capcom was one of the first to port over a major hit with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. No word yet if later sequels (Justice for All, Apollo Justice, Trials and Tribulations and Miles Edgeworth will be ported as well). Street Fighter IV is also headed to the iPhone as well.
Konami also has several impressive titles for the iPhone including a Silent Hill spinoff game and an iPhone mini game version called Metal Gear Solid Touch (by Kojima Productions). Bandai Namco is pressing the limits of the iPhone’s graphics capabilities with the flight simulator, Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion.
Get to know more about the new Assassin’s Creed game for the iPhone at Know Your Mobile.
If you have been reading the last few headlines in today’s global or economic news, give yourself a moment to step away and have a break, the world is not composed entirely of bad news.
Anyway, a “mobile charity auction” raised a solid £150,000 in order to help young men and women deal with emotional problems when they have no one to turn to. Get Connected has a team of over a hundred volunteers who dedicate much needed time and energy into helping young adults find their way in life. Get Connected has been around since 1999 and they have helped over a hundred thousand people in the past decade.
Carphone Warehouse, one of the largest mobile phone retailers in the UK, has been a solid contributor and supporter of Get Connected. They already raised thousands of Pounds for the cause and they have continued their support in the recent auction.
Mobile phone manufacturers have also been keen in lending their support. O2, Research in Motion, Sony Ericsson, Celaton and many other industry leaders were present at the event to not only show their support, but to provide actual products for the bidding lots. Tickets to concerts, major events (such as the World Cup) and advertising placement all went up as lots for the auction which raised plenty of much needed funds for the organization.
It feels great knowing that despite the harsh pace and competition in the mobile industry, manufacturers, operators and developers still take the time and energy to pool together to help out when they can. In events like these auctions and in emergencies such as the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, we have seen many people in the industry reach out and give all the help that they can.
One of Samsung’s newest mobile devices, the C3200 Monte Bar eschews the more flashy design principles which many of the modern smartphones seem to think is essential and instead opts for a simple style, featuring a solid bar form casing that is becoming less and less common on new devices. It is part of Samsung’s new Monte range which also contains the S5620 Monte and the Monte Slider. In terms of immediate usability the Monte Bar fits snugly into the hand, and its good range of communication functions aids the daily task of keeping in touch with those around you whilst also providing a range of entertainment functions for when you need to relax.
For those needing to take pictures with their phone the Monte Bar features a reasonable (although slightly on the low side as regards to the latest specs) two-megapixel camera and has the added bonus of allowing the user to instantly share their photos with friends and family via the integrally supported MMS function. Photos can also be stored on the device’s internal memory should you so choose, and you may record video footage at up to 15 frames per second as well.
With regard to looks the Monte Bar does have rather flashy orange-gold sections running down each side and comes in black casing, making for a rather nice and unusual contrast. The casing feels very smooth and comfortable in the hand as well and the design supports this with its slim and lightweight dimensions of 111.8mm by 46.9mm by 13.3mm and a weight of just 77.3 grams. This results in a device that is not only easy in the hand but also easy to slip into any pocket and carry around comfortably for when needed.
Because of the size, however, the screen display area measures only 2 inches, though with a resolution of 240×320 pixels in a a bright and fairly vivid display this is forgivable. This coupled with the on-screen icon displaying inside the main menu really makes the main menu easy to navigate and affords the user an easy ride when making choices and searching for information. The well-designed, arc-shaped keypad with well-apportioned keys only further complements the overall appeal and physical usability and allows for fast and largely mistake-free text typing – even under pressure.
As far as other features and entertainment are concerned the Monte Bar supports Java and downloadable games, allowing game freaks an endless online supply of mobile gaming entertainment. As far as music playback is concerned the Monte Bar supports a good range of music file formats as well, including MP3, WMA and eAAC in addition to video playback formats such as MPEG4, H262&4. There is also an integral FM radio which also allows for radio recording, another nice touch not always found on other devices.
Multimedia messaging support is also decent on the Monte Bar, supporting MMS and allowing photos and video clips to be sent with text messages. The texting facility also has a predictive ability which remembers the previous words the user has typed in a message and will form a range of choices as the user types, which really speeds the texting process considerably. This can be quite cumbersome on some devices so it is good to see that it works well on the Monte Bar.
Connectivity wise Bluetooth is supported by the Monte Bar which allows the user to connect wirelessly to other Bluetooth enabled devices and for information to be shared wirelessly between compatible devices. The devices must, however, be located within a ten metre radius of each other. GPRS and EDGE are also supported.
The Monte Bar has 40 MB of internal memory which can be boosted further through the insertion of a memory card via the integral MicroSD card slot, and a fully charged battery will afford the user a total possible talk time of over eight hours. Users looking forward to this sleek new phone should expect it to hit store shelves this April.
It has already been confirmed that the new Windows Phone 7 operating system is going to be one amazing new OS. It is revolutionary, dynamic and it totally changes the way we see mobile phones.
Steve Ballmer and his team have gone all out in order to show us what they have done so far. The user interface is the first of its kind in terms of the level of dynamic elements and visual animations. It makes the iPhone OS and the Google Android platform actually look old and static. While what we have seen in the incomplete user interface has impressed us all quite a lot. There is still that question as to exactly what kind of mobile smart phone will actually be able to run the new OS.
As we already know, Microsoft has teamed up with Qualcomm so we can be pretty sure that the new OS will need at the very least, a Snapdragon. It is very important, considering that CPU speed will deliver plenty in terms of smoothness of delivery. With the new UI relying mostly on its visual appeal, it is important to have the processing power that it needs to carry all those small animations.
According to a recent podcast from ZDnet, there will be three different chassis types for Windows Phone Seven. The first is a basic smart phone look, the second will have a slide out keyboard, and lastly, the type 3 will take on the form of a Treo-type.
For manufacturers, it is reported that HTC, Asus and LG will each be having their own WP7 devices. Asus is reported to be working on a Microsoft branded device that is due to be released by October or later.
To read more about the possible hardware and other details about the new WP7 and its chassis types, go to GSM Arena.
One of Samsung’s latest unveilings at the recent Barcelona MWC expo last week was a fascinating – if not entirely original – idea. Their new smartphone device called the Beam i8520 (previously known as ‘Halo’), is intriguing mainly due to the fact that, on top of its body, it carries a pico-projector which has a number of possible functions – from the merely playful to the ability to facilitate immediate and impromptu business meetings and presentations, not to mention sudden slide and photo displays of your new baby or holiday snaps. The Beam also comes replete with all of the necessary modern smartphone accoutrements such as the super-fast Android 2.1 operating system and an incredibly stylish 3.7-inch Super AMOLED display.
The screen of the phone features a capacitive touchscreen that is well-appointed and responsive, allowing for fast and largely error-free text input. The Beam also come complete with a rear-appointed 8.2-megapixel camera that takes fantastic quality still snaps and would quite easily rival entry- and even mid-level stand-alone digital cameras. The camera also features an integral LED flash – a welcome addition to any camera phone – which allows the user to take snaps in all lighting conditions. All in all the Beam adds up to a very smart device, running at decent speeds while functioning well in a number of situations.
As you might imagine the primary interest of most spectators at the conference was device’s integral pico-projector and its capabilities. The projector itself is a Texas Instruments made device (the same company that make calculators) and it runs at WVGA resolution. This is the same resolution, in fact, as the AMOLED display of the Beam itself. In order to bring the projector into play the user need only press down on a button on the right side of the Beam and then point at anything they wish to project. The projector is able to then capture and project anything that is captured on the main screen, and has a brightness rating of 6 lumen. Whilst this will never allow you to professionally screen the newest releasing it seemed to work well enough in the darkened setting of the exhibition hall. When the lighting came up a little, though, it became hard to see the images and most likely means that any display in a light room with no shading would make viewing a fairly difficult experience.
The idea is, though a very interesting one, and many feel that Samsung will develop the concept further in some of its later devices – however at that point other manufacturers may also develop their own picture phones as well to compete with Samsung’s current niche market. For now, though, the pico-projector on the Beam is definitely one of the most outstanding on the market.
As far as memory is concerned, the Beam’s capacity is a bit on the low side for a modern smartphone, although there is integral support for memory expansion via the MicroSD slot which enables the user to expand to a greatly-improved 32GB, enough for the most heavy-duty of users. The Beam also boasts good connectivity, with Quad-band GPRS as well as 3G support. The 3G and Wi-Fi capabilities further allow the user a seamless and fast Internet surfacing experience in a number of locations, either at specific Wi-Fi hotspots or in any 3G serviced area. There is also integral Bluetooth capability, allowing the easy transfer of data wirelessly to and from the device via other enabled devices.
Overall the Beam is certainly a stylish looking phone, able to house both the projector as well as all internal systems without becoming overly bulky and unwieldy. This helps maintain the overall aesthetic appeal necessary in many phones these days, and the screen resolution displaying a huge 16 million colours on a 480×800 pixel resolution display is enough to attract most eyes away from any of the additional bulk near the top where the projector is housed..
During the most recent American Academy Awards, the very first advertisement of the Apple iPad tablet went on air to promote Apple’s new device.
