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iPad video streaming: more views, and for longer
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker intro video revealed
Gmail gets Google Buzz updates on iPhone and Android
iPad UK: How to prepare for yours
Three In Car Wi-Fi: MiFi in your motor
iPad UK: Live Q&A – ask us your questions!
iPad iPhone OS 4 update to add direct printing support?
Motorola DEXT price slashed: best value budget Android phone?
Nexus One car dock on sale now
iPhone 4.0 video: front facing camera teased with Coldplay soundtrack?

iPad video streaming: more views, and for longer

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 09:30 AM PDT

The iPad hasn’t been out for even a week in the US, but already it’s making an impact on global stats when it comes to streaming video. The latest figures show that despite the lack of Flash support, people are embracing it as a way to watch web video, with more videos streamed on average than ever before, and watched for longer too.

One video sharing site, MeFeedia, has totted up mobile usage over the last few days and found that the iPad is already the sixth most common mobile gizmo to access the site, behind the iPhone, iPod touch, and Symbian, Android and BlackBerry phones. Here’s the kicker though: iPad users are on average watching two and a half times as many videos as web users, and three times as many as iPhone users.

iPad UK unboxing!

Not only that, but the figures show iPad users actually watched video for three times as long as desktop PC surfers. That suggest users are digging the iPad’s form factor for watching video wherever, and points to Apple holding its own in its war against Adobe and Flash. It’s already got partners behind it backing HTML5 for streaming video – and now it might have users too.

Is the iPad worth buying just for watching a bit of YouTube in bed though? Find out that, plus a whole lot more in our full iPad review coming shortly!

Out April | £TBC | Apple (Via NewTeeVee)

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker intro video revealed

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 09:00 AM PDT

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker may have been delayed by a few weeks, but if you just can’t hang on until June for the stealth PSP game, help is at hand. The video of the opening sequence to Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is now live on the web for you to enjoy. Read on, meet the characters, gawp at the graphics, and don’t worry: there’s not a spoiler in sight!

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker was unveiled back at E3 last year, but there’s still a few surprised to be had in this video, which shows off the key cast in a Hollywood movie or TV show style. As well as a soldier who looks eerily like Christopher Walken in his Deer Hunter days, there’s a mysterious Dr Strangelove, and a bespectacled scientist called Huey – if he doesn’t turn out to be a relative of Otacon, we’ll eat our PSP.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker gameplay video revealed

The last Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker video had us excited enough about the prospect of invisibility cloaks and and inflatable dummy decoys, but now the Summer can’t come soon enough. Check out the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker opening sequence in the video below.

Out 18 June | £TBC | Konami (Via Destructoid)

Gmail gets Google Buzz updates on iPhone and Android

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 08:30 AM PDT

The Gmail web app now sucks Google Buzz messages straight into its inbox on iPhone and Android, the search giant has revealed. Could this be the option Google needs to give Buzz a boost?

Google Buzz, Google’s attempt to get in on the social networking hype of Facebook, Twitter et al, has been available as a web app for Android and iPhone since launch over at buzz.google.com, but Google’s now made it much more convenient by merging Google Buzz into Gmail for mobile for both platforms.

Log in to Gmail through the browser, and you’ll see any updates in your inbox: you can tap the right hand Google Buzz icon for pure buzzes, and you can carry out all the actions straight from it that you can on the desktop, like commenting or rating buzzes.

Google Buzz auto-following disabled, Google apologises

While it’s a fine solution for iPhone, it’s far from ideal on Android, since it’s faster to use the dedicated Gmail app rather than log-in through the browser every time. We hope Google is working on mixing Buzz with the Gmail app in future bakes of Android right now, but there’s nothing official on that front yet.

If you’ve got an iPhone or Android blower, Google Buzz should be ready to check out in your Gmail inbox right now. Is it something you’ll use? Give us your two cents here.

Out Now | £free | Google

iPad UK: How to prepare for yours

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT

The iPad UK imports are arriving today! We’ve just unboxed our very own iPad, but if you pre-ordered one too and are still waiting for the courier, or are planning on picking one up from launch at the end of the month, now’s the time to prepare for it. Read on for everything you need to do right now to make your tablet “magical” as soon as it struts up to your door.

Update iTunes
You won’t be able to activate and sync your iPad without the latest version of iTunes for PC or Mac, iTunes 9.1. It’s out already, even if the iPad UK models aren’t, so you can save time by giving it a download right now. You should be prompted to download it next time you fire up iTunes, but if not, give the Check For Updates menu option a prompt, or simply get it from apple.com/itunes.

Get your ebooks ready
The iPad UK models won’t have access to iBooks, at least for the time being, but since the iPad supports EPUB files, you can always bring your own for reading on its 9.7-inch screen. The latest version of iTunes will let you add EPUB eBooks (but not read from the desktop), so just drag and drop them and you’ll be good to go the first time you sync. Don’t worry if you’ve got books in other formats: so long as they’re DRM free, you can convert them to EPUB with the free Calibre software for PC, Mac and Linux.

Sort your photos
If you’re ever able to put your iPad down, you’ll be able to use it as a digital photo frame as well. It’s a smart one too: the iPad UK model supports Faces and Places from iPhoto for Mac, so you can sort snaps by friends and locations. You’ll need to be grabbing shots with a GPS camera for Places (Like, say, an iPhone) but if you’ve got a Mac and iPhoto 09, you don’t need anything else to use Faces. Start rummaging through your galleries, and click on just a handful of faces to get it to learn what your friends look like, and let it do the rest.

iPad UK price leaked by Play.com?

Get your wallpaper ready
The stock background for the iPad is a bit bland, so you can jazz things up by replacing it with one of your own choosing or design. The iPad’s screen is a 1024×768 affair, so you’ll want to whip up a JPEG in that exact ratio and resolution for best results. How about an iPad UK welcome with a Union Jack adorned across it?

Get a MobileMe subscription
If you want all of Apple’s useful cloud services for when your iPad UK model turns up, you’re going to have to pay a bit extra (£59 per year). But if you plan on taking your iPad out and about with you it’ll be worth it: it’ll give you push email and contacts for instant messages and over the air updates, access to your computer hard drive from afar, and even help you track down lost GPS-infused iPads with the Find My iPad feature. Apple’s UK site still isn’t showing iPad support for MobileMe just yet, but the US version is, and since there’s a 30 day free trial, you’ve got nothing to lose by signing up and getting to grips with it before your iPad arrives.

Out April | £TBC | Apple

Three In Car Wi-Fi: MiFi in your motor

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 07:30 AM PDT

Three In Car Wi-Fi has just been announced at The Gadget Show Live expo in Birmingham today, and if you’re looking for an easy way to kit out your motor with mobile broadband, you’ll want to take a look. Three’s now bundling its MiFi hotspot with everything you need to get a constant blazing signal in your auto, so read on for the details.

Three’s MiFi mobile hotspot is handy enough as it is, letting you create Wi-Fi hotspots for multiple gadgets to jump aboard wherever a 3G signal can be found. Now though, it forms part of the Three In Car Wi-Fi kit to make it even more convenient. Pick one up, and you’ll get a MiFi, mains charger, car charger and windscreen holder so you can place it perfectly for keeping up a signal.

Three MiFi priced and dated

The idea behind the Three In Car Wi-Fi kit is to let any passengers hop on the ol’ information superhighway from the backseat, and start surfing the web or playing online games via iPod touches, smartphones, laptops and more. Because a car charger is supplied, you don’t have to worry about the battery running down either.

If you’ve got a netbook to hand, the Three In Car Wi-Fi could also let you whip up a makeshift big screen satnav with your journey plotted on Google Maps though without accurate location and voice alerts, you’d do better to keep your eyes on the road more.

The Three In Car Wi-Fi kit comes with 1GB of data that last for 30 days and will be available shortly. We’ve reached out to Three for an exact date and monthly tariff costs so buckle up and sit tight for an update.

Out Now | £59.99 | Three

iPad UK: Live Q&A – ask us your questions!

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 07:01 AM PDT

Imported an iPad and still waiting for the postman? Maybe you're considering an iPad import and just need a few questions answered? Perhaps you're holding out for the UK iPad release, but want to know what you're in for.

Whatever class of iPad fancier you fall into, we're here for the next two hours to answer your iPad questions, and demo it live!

Just hit the make a comment button below, and ping us your queries. Whether they're about the importing process, iPad set-up or just what the hardware is like to hold, ask us anything and we'll answer!

Out now (US only) | From $499 | Apple

iPad iPhone OS 4 update to add direct printing support?

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 07:00 AM PDT

The iPad will get its first OS update when iPhone OS 4 is unveiled tomorrow and clues suggest it'll add direct printing to the Apple slate. Whether you've nabbed an iPad or are waiting for the iPad UK launch, adding the ability to print straight from your iPad is bound to be welcome. But will it happen?

The support pages for the iPad versions of iWork currently state: "Printing directly from iPad is not currently available." Look at that wording carefully – "not currently available".

Right now, iPad users have to send their documents to another computer to print them, either via email or using the iPad iTunes File Sharing feature. But that could be set for a change.

There's speculation that the iPhone OS 4 event will add direct printing to features like multitasking which we've been screaming for. iPad direct printing would need to use Bluetooth or WiFi in the absence of a USB port.

Let us know what features your hoping to see added to iPad and iPhone with the iPhone OS 4 update and keep your eyes pointed at Electricpig for all the updates tomorrow.

Due Thursday | £TBC | Apple (via AppleInsider)

Motorola DEXT price slashed: best value budget Android phone?

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 06:30 AM PDT

The Motorola DEXT Android phone didn’t blow minds on launch late last year, but Orange just made the slide out QWERTY Google handset a whole lot more tempting. It’s just halved the cost of it on Pay As You Go, making it potentially the best value low-end Android phone yet.

We found the Motorola DEXT to be a fun, if mediocre phone when we reviewed it back in October, with its Motoblur social networking skin causing more problems than it solved. But we’re looking at it in a whole different light now that Orange has dropped the cost of the Motorola DEXT on Pay As You Go from £299.99 to £149.

Read our Motorola DEXT review now

That’s still more than the £99.99 T-Mobile Pulse Mini on Pay As You Go, but the Motorola DEXT now matches the original Pulse for price, and packs more features than its little sequel, like GPS. The QWERTY keypad will also let you bust out messages at a much quicker clip than the tiny screen and stylus combo of the Pulse Mini. And we can’t find a single reason to recommend the upcoming Motorola Quench over it, so it’s still worth a look while the LG GW620 keeps its high non-contract pricetag.

The Motorola DEXT is available now on Orange.

Out Now | £149 PAYG | Orange

Nexus One car dock on sale now

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 06:00 AM PDT

The Nexus One Car Dock has hit Google's web store, so if you've snapped up a Nexus One you'll now be able to use it as an in-car satnav and use voice search to get at your contacts and music. Read on to find out how much the Nexus One Car Dock will set up back.

The Nexus One docks were first spotted a few months back but Google has now put the Nexus One Car Dock on sale. It can be mounted on your windscreen or dashboard and comes with a car charger.

As well as letting you make hands-free calls on your Nexus One, the Nexus One car Dock has built-in speakers and volume controls. When you place your Nexus One in the dock, the Car Home app will load automatically, giving you access to navigation, voice search, your contacts and music.

While the Nexus One Car Dock is listed at $55, it'll cost you quite a bit more to ship to the UK. The price jumps up to $84.65 (£55.91) with international shipping and you may also have to pay further import charges.

Have you been using a Nexus One? Let us know what you think of it and whether you're planning to get a Nexus One Car Dock to go with it. If you haven’t, make sure you take a look at our HTC Desire review.

Out now | $84.65 | Google

iPhone 4.0 video: front facing camera teased with Coldplay soundtrack?

Posted: 07 Apr 2010 05:30 AM PDT

An iPhone 4.0 video has emerged, purporting to show the bezel and screen of the iPhone 3GS sequel. We saw photos which apparently showed a 16:9 iPhone 4.0 screen last month and this video shows a similar set-up. Is there any truth in these iPhone 4.0 video clips or is it just Coldplay-loving hoaxers playing with plastic?

The iPhone 4.0 video shows a bezel that seems longer and narrower than the current iPhone 3GS design. That matches with the previous iPhone 4.0 video but this time, better lighting seems to show space both a proximity sensor and space for a front facing camera.

Rumours that iPhone 4.0 will add video iChat functionality have been around for a while, so adding a front-facing camera into the iPhone 4.0 would certainly make sense. However, it still seems unlikely that Apple would allow iPhone 4.0 parts to go floating around in the outside world.

The iPhone OS 4 launch on tomorrow is very likely to throw up some clues about what we can expect from iPhone 4.0. In the meantime, we offer up this iPhone 4.0 video and it's cringeworthy Coldplay soundtrack coupled with a healthy dose of scepticism.

Due TBC | £TBC | Apple (via Crunchgear)

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Thursday, 8 April 2010

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