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- iPhone 4.0 leak: the unanswered questions
- iPhone 4.0 revealed: new iPhone specs in full
- Mio Navman 575 satnav learns your driving style
- iPhone OS 4.0 Facebook integration spotted
- Lego augmented reality boxes hit stores!
- Free iPhone travel guides: Lonely Planet gifts apps to volcano victims
- iPad UK: import pre-orders reopen Wednesday
- HTC HD Mini review: Overall verdict
- HTC HD Mini review: design and build
- HTC HD Mini review: screen
| iPhone 4.0 leak: the unanswered questions Posted: 19 Apr 2010 10:02 AM PDT
1 What are those seams for? 3 Why ditch the old iPhone design? 4 How did it escape? 5 What will Apple do next? Let us know: what questions do you have about the mysterious iPhone 4.0? Related posts:
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| iPhone 4.0 revealed: new iPhone specs in full Posted: 19 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT
Those iPhone 4.0 photos from Engadget have just been proved to be the real thing and then some with Gizmodo revealing that its got its hands on the new iPhone and showing it in photos and video. The new iPhone specs reveal that the iPhone 4.0 does have a front facing video chat camera along with an improved camera at the back. The lens is noticeably larger than the one on the iPhone 3GS and there's now a flash. Like the iPad, the iPhone 4.0 uses a micro-SIM which will irritate carriers no end. The iPhone 4.0 has a new improved display but since the phone nabbed by Gizmodo is currently only showing the "Connect to iTunes" screen it's not clear whether it's the 16:9 display we've previously heard about. The new iPhone was apparently running iPhone OS 4.0 before it was remotely deactivated. As the iPhone 4.0 photos from earlier showed, the volume controls have been split into two buttons. There also appears to be an additional mic at the top of the new iPhone which would suggest there'll be built-in noise cancellation. That will please people used to slightly shonky iPhone call quality. The back of the iPhone 4.0 is entirely flat and looks to be made of the ceramic material that was discussed in an Apple patent back in 2006. The screen is slightly smaller than the iPhone 3GS and Gizmodo reports that the phone is 3g heavier. The iPhone 4.0 was reportedly found in a bar in Redwood City, disguised in a custom made plastic case made to look like an iPhone 3GS. The images and video on Gizmodo tie-up with the photos previously revealed on Engadget. Veteran Apple observer, John Gruber, of the Daring Fireball blog says Apple has definitely lost an iPhone prototype and wants it back. This really does look like the real thing and we can't wait to get our hands on the new iPhone. What about you? Tell us what you think – is this the iPhone 4.0? And if it is will you be buying the new iPhone? Due TBC | £TBC | Apple (via Gizmodo) Related posts:
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| Mio Navman 575 satnav learns your driving style Posted: 19 Apr 2010 07:00 AM PDT
The 4.7in Mio Navman 575 uses LearnMe to adapt its routes to fit your driving style whether you take sedate country drives or spend most of your time bombing along the motorway. The feature has also found its way into the smaller Mio Navman 470 and Mio Navman 475 models that also drove into view today. The Mio Navman 575 and its smaller siblings also feature IQ Routes which Mio promises will help your sat nav anticipate congested roads at peak times and route your around them. We'll believe that one when we see it. The Mio Navman 575 and Mio Navman 475 both include live traffic information and updates while all three models feature 3D junction views, safety camera warnings and text-to-speech for street names. Interestingly, the Mio Navman 575 and the other models will feature the option to rent extra maps. If you're hopping to Europe or further afield, you'll be able to buy maps for one off use for less than it would cost to buy them for good. Mio hasn't yet revealed how much topping up your maps will cost. The Mio Navman 575, Mio Navman 475 and Mio Navman 470 are all set to hit the road in May. If you’re wondering what the competition has to offer, take a look at the TomTom iQRoutes edition 2. Due May | From £109.99 | Mio Related posts:
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| iPhone OS 4.0 Facebook integration spotted Posted: 19 Apr 2010 06:30 AM PDT
The curious pairing of Engadget and nail gunning safety website Gunning For Safety have discovered evidence that Facebook integration will arrive with iPhone OS 4.0. Deep in the guts of iPhone OS 4.0, there appears to be a separate contact type dedicated to Facebook. There's also a file named "SocialKitInternal.framework" that points to further social integration which we'd assume would include Twitter. Apple has got more friendly with Facebook recently, opening up an iTunes App Store page on the social network, and launched its own limited range of Twitter accounts last year. It would makes sense for Apple to bring Facebook integration to the iPhone along with other services like Twitter as plenty of Android phones, Palm and HTC are already doing it as standard. But knowing Apple, we can expect a slightly different approach. Related posts:
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| Lego augmented reality boxes hit stores! Posted: 19 Apr 2010 06:00 AM PDT
The Lego augmented reality boxes created by the Danish toy company and augmented reality experts Metaio work with kiosks in Lego Stores. Hold up the box and a QR code activates a 3D model of the the Lego kit inside. We’ve seen serious augmented reality apps like Recognizr which scans strangers faces but the Lego augmented reality boxes are a little more fun. If the Lego kit inside builds a model that moves, the Lego augmented reality boxes will show an animated 3D model, like the merry-go-round shown in the video. There are Lego shops lurking in Bluewater Shopping Centre, Brighton and Milton Keynes, so expect to see Lego augmented reality boxes hitting their shelves soon. And if you don’t want to play with Lego in the real world, you could always take a trip to Lego Universe. Out now | £varies | Lego Related posts:
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| Free iPhone travel guides: Lonely Planet gifts apps to volcano victims Posted: 19 Apr 2010 05:30 AM PDT
The cities covered by Lonely Planet's free iPhone travel guides are Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Budapest, Copenhagen, Istanbul, London, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Rome, Stockholm and Vienna. The Lonely Planet travel apps usually sell for £9.49 on the iTunes App Store but until Thursday 22 April, they'll be free to download. Lonely Planet Travel Editor, Tom Hall, says: "Travellers stuck in unfamiliar places need access to practical information as well as suggestions on what to do whilst stranded. That's why we're giving away iPhone city guides to major affected destinations." It's a canny bit of marketing by the folk at Lonely Planet but the free iPhone travel guides could be just what you're after if you've found yourself stuck in Stockholm or caught in Copenhagen. Or even after a freebie in Farringdon. Related posts:
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| iPad UK: import pre-orders reopen Wednesday Posted: 19 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT
Bundlebox which recently closed its iPad UK pre-order service has announced in an email to customers that it's set to reopen it again from 10am on Wednesday 21 April, letting British customers import an American iPad without needing a US postal address, or credit card. But Bundlebox warns you'll need to be fast if you want to get your iPad UK pre-order in: "Due to popular demand, this will be on a first come first serve basis – so be ready!" Apple pushed back the iPad UK launch last week, moving it until the end of May so grabbing one via Bundlebox could mean you get your hands on one well ahead of schedule. Be wary though as the current restriction on flights seems to be dragging on and could cause further delays to iPad UK pre-orders winging their way from Bundlebox in the US. If you’re wondering whether to stump up the cash for an iPad, make sure you read our full iPad UK review. Due Wednesday | £varies | Bundlebox Related posts:
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| HTC HD Mini review: Overall verdict Posted: 19 Apr 2010 04:45 AM PDT The HTC HD Mini was part of an all-conquering triumvirate at this year's Mobile World Congress, alongside the HTC Desire and HTC Legend. But while the latter pair strut their stuff with Google Android under the hood, the bargain-basement HD Mini kicks it with the now old-school Windows Mobile 6.5 under the hood. Does this cramp its style? Or is it a touchscreen titan? Read our complete HTC HD Mini review now and find out. Read the rest of our HTC HD Mini review: HTC HD Mini review: design and build The HTC HD2 caused a huge stir amongst hardcore mobile fanatics with its massive screen and natty use of HTC Sense. The HTC HD Mini is essentially a small time, cheaper reworking of that, but with some major specs going on inside. We're talking HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, full audio file support and a five megapixel camera. The big deal though is the 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen. Of course, it doesn't quite size up like its bigger bro', but it still looks gorgeous when you sling through video. Colours are lush and there's detail galore when watching back clips. It's a shame that the same can't be said for web browsing. Using Opera and Internet Explorer, both of which arrive already on board, images appear nastily low res and blocky, and very poor by comparison to the similarly sized HTC Legend. It's a massive letdown when you use the HTC HD Mini after sampling the delights of the Taiwanese giant's Android offerings. Similarly, HTC Sense just doesn't look or feel as sharp and well realised as it does on HTC's Android phones. Windows Mobile 6.5 is a creaking platform and its ageing fonts and awkward style mean Sense is let down majorly. There are still plenty of easy to access, swipeable homescreens, with Twitter, weather, contacts, HTC Footprints for geotagging and mail all accessible just by flicking across the panel. Footprints and Twitter are the standout feature, the latter for being a nice and straightforward access point for your tweets, the former because of its powerful geotagging skill, as seen on the Legend and the Desire. Other features have been ported over too, with the ability to turn the phone over to mute working just dandy here, as on the Legend. There are though, some annoying misses. There's no Leap feature for spying all your homescreens at once and Friend Stream, the social networking aggregator, is notable for its absence. The touchscreen itself bares up well under examination, picking out your prods with aplomb. However, it’s majorly let down by the keyboard. This is one of the standout features on both the Legend and the Desire, but Windows Mobile 6.5 just doesn't allow for any kind of assured tip tapping. Instead you'll find yourself making frequent errors with the pad just not responding in the way you want. At the heart of the HTC HD Mini's problems is Windows Mobile 6.5. It's an OS on its last legs, with Windows Phone 7 hurtling towards us. Thankfully HTC has modded Microsoft's mobile OS to within an inch of its life. But it still feels sluggish and nasty on the eye, a million miles from the gorgeous skills of the HTC Legend. If you want an HTC phone that's pared down yet still skillful, we recommend the latter over this. Read the rest of our HTC HD Mini review: HTC HD Mini review: design and build Related posts:
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| HTC HD Mini review: design and build Posted: 19 Apr 2010 04:44 AM PDT HTC has found itself at the vanguard of mobile design in 2010, with the Legend especially taking plaudits for it Apple-esque looks and rock solid style. But now the Windows Mobile-packing HTC HD Mini is here. How does this slimmed down superphone look and feel? Read our complete HTC HD Mini review: design and build to find out. Read the rest of our HTC HD Mini review: HTC HD Mini review: overall verdict The HTC HD Mini feels remarkably solid in the hand, in spite of the fact it's a pretty dinky handset. It's noticeably shorter than the HTC Legend, but a tad wider. At just 11.7mm, it's one of the thinner phones out there, and its harshly tapered sides mean it never feels like it'll sip out of your palms. Like the Legend, the earpiece sits flush to the top of the device, a move which cuts down on any unnecessary black plastic at the top of the phone. But it’s round the back that the real design flourishes sit. The camera looks the part with a chrome surround, although the lack of a flash does help keep things nice and minimal, even if this does stop the snapper working well in low light conditions. The screws in each corner of the back give the HTC HD Mini a nicely rugged look, although you'll be glad to know you don't need to break out a Phillips to yank off the rear and access your SIM and the battery. The casing actually sits right around the device, almost up to the screen and is actually a real pain to take off. You'll need nails and an iron will to whip it off first time. This is becoming an increasing bugbear for us with a number of devices, but one which HTC had seemingly escaped with the HTC Legend and HTC Desire. Up front, the keys down at the bottom are touch sensitive rather than hard. They're easy to use and sit in decent order. However, the inclusion of a homepage button next to the Windows key does cause some confusion. The latter is essentially a menu key for accessing the honeycomb system of Windows Mobile 6.5. The former takes you back to the front HTC Sense screen. This is more of a Windows issue than an HTC one, but perhaps the buttons should be spaced differently to prevent accessing the wrong function. As a piece of design, the HTC HD Mini doesn't live up to the HTC Legend. But then neither does the iPhone. What you have here is a good looking phone with some minimal buttons that'll make your mates jealous when you whip it out. HTC's design's just get better. Read the rest of our HTC HD Mini review: HTC HD Mini review: overall verdict Related posts:
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| Posted: 19 Apr 2010 04:43 AM PDT The screen on the HTC HD2 was its big selling point. At 4.3-inches, it made the phone more of a tablet than a standard mobile. So how does the experience translate to the HTC HD Mini? Does the 3.2-inch panel live up to expectations? Or is this drop down too much to bear? Read our HTC HD Mini review: screen to get the inside scoop. Read the rest of our HTC HD Mini review: HTC HD Mini review: overall verdict The screen on the HTC HD Mini is the same size as that on the HTC Legend, with the same HVGA, 320×480 resolution. Video playback is as you'd expect on a panel that's been stripped down from the HD2. Clips appear crisp and clear and don't suffer from any major lag. We did find some YouTube clips stalled occasionally, but this was a rare occurrence and didn't cause us any major hassle. However, shots just don't look as good on the HD Mini as they do on the HD2. That's simply down to size and something that comes as no surprise seeing as it's a much, much smaller device. When it comes to the browser, however, the screen is a bit of a letdown. Images appear blocky and low res, and compare poorly to the Legend, which manages to handle the same sites with skill. It's a real disappointment to see such a poor return from a phone that promises so much in the screen stakes. The HTC HD Mini's touch skills generally bear up well under inspection. The capacitive number picks up swipes in a decent fashion and registers prods easily. However, we did have some issues with it when trying to pick out small text links in the browser, requiring us to resort to the resistive touch technique of using your fingernail to be precise. Likewise, it didn't register our pushes easily when using the honeycomb menu system in Windows Mobile 6.5. The touch tech evidently works better on the Android phones HTC is producing, because while this wasn't as disappointing as, say, the Sony Ericsson Vivaz, it was still well short of what we've come to expect from high end handsets these days. Up against the HD2, Legend and Desire, the HD Mini's screen should be viewed as a disappointment. It's not as crisp, isn't as responsive and lacks the wow factor we've become accustomed too when HTC delivers a new phone. But in the context of other small touchscreen phones out there, it's not too bad. If you like Windows Mobile, this is perhaps the best way to experience it in its skinned form. We say tread with caution. Read the rest of our HTC HD Mini review: HTC HD Mini review: overall verdict Related posts:
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