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- Virgin Media movie streaming: web rentals launch today!
- Natal: UK release confirmed…by Argos
- BlackBerry Pearl 3G hands on photos!
- Android 2.2 due in May, Nexus One set to get it first?
- Blackberry Pearl 3G ditches QWERTY keyboard
- iPad used as bait in new virus scam
- Xbox 360 Slim Natal bundle incoming?
- Lunchtime Lowdown: Google Nexus One dated, Nokia N8 leaks and PS3 Remote Play expands
- Dyson doubles UK boffin quota: What’s new, James?
- Nexus One on Vodafone pre-order now open
| Virgin Media movie streaming: web rentals launch today! Posted: 26 Apr 2010 08:00 AM PDT
Films on the Virgin Media Online Movies service range in price. We spotted flicks to rent for as little as £1.50 but most will set you back around £3.50. Rentals remain in your account for 30 days but once you press play you have 48 hours to watch them as much as you want. You can stream from wherever you log on. The current Virgin Media Online Movies service only offer standard definition movie rentals but Virgin Media promises an HD upgrade is on the way along with an online TV streaming service later in the year. You don't need to be a Virgin Media customer to use the new movie streaming service. The technology behind the Virgin Media Online Movies service is supplied by FilmFlex which also runs Virgin Media's TV on demand movies service. A Youtube Store service for films opened up in the US last week. You can sign up for Virgin Media Online Movies now. Let us know what you think: can it compete with simply buying movies via iTunes or LoveFilm streaming? Related posts:
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| Natal: UK release confirmed…by Argos Posted: 26 Apr 2010 07:30 AM PDT
The Argos email touting its stock of gaming products sandwiches news of the Natal UK release for Christmas 2010 in between a link to Natal's dreaded rival, the Playstation Move, and pre-owned games offers. The seemingly innocuous reference to a Natal UK release is good news for British gamers gagging to get their hands on Microsoft's motion sensing system though. Argos is asking customers to sign up now for news on when the kit will be available and it seems to be the first UK retailer to be taking names. Whether or not today's rumours of an Xbox 360 Slim and Natal bundle are true, sticking your email address on the Argos Natal email list looks like a good way of getting your hands on one of the first Natal systems to hit the UK. Thanks to Dean for the heads up. Due Winter 2010 | £TBC | Microsoft (via Argos) Related posts:
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| BlackBerry Pearl 3G hands on photos! Posted: 26 Apr 2010 06:36 AM PDT The BlackBerry Pearl 3G announcement slipped out just this morning, but we’ve already grabbed one for a go, right here in UKaydia. Like the recent Bold 9700 and Curve 8520 push email powerhouses, it’s sporting an optical trackpad, but it slims down the size with a traditional 0-9 keypad. Does it work? Read on and find out with our BlackBerry Pearl 3G hands on photos and first impressions.
We saw the BlackBerry Pearl 3G in a sneaky snapshot months ago, but now it’s finally official, and headed our way. While the BlackBerry Pearl 3G takes the 14 button keyboard layout of candybars from yesteryear, it’s taken a healthy dollop of design from the newer Curve and Bold lines. That means an all black, rubberised build, an optical trackpad instead of a sticky trackball, and in this case, 3G too, still unusual in a new BlackBerry even now. The BlackBerry Pearl 3G has a lovely feel in the hand: it’s slim and sturdy, with a plasticky grip that feels comfortable. There’s no faux-leather back, as on the Bold 9700, but it’s still an eye pleaser. What’s most unusual about the BlackBerry Pearl 3G is the layout – we’re not sure why RIM opted to ditch the SureType, two characters to a button design that made the Pearl line so popular in the first place, and a spokesperson couldn’t give us a reason, but RIM has decided we get 0-9 while Americans get 20 keys instead. When we tried tapping out a web address, we did find that RIM’s software for predicting words was eerily accurate, but it’s still not quick, and destined to be a frustration in a phone designed for email. We can live with the postage stamp screen on the BlackBerry Pearl 3G: at 360×400 pixels, it’s surprisingly sharp, but web browsing on BlackBerry OS as usual isn’t brilliant – we don’t need to tell you how bad RIM’s stock web browser is for a 2010 smartphone (We’re getting bored of saying this now RIM, but no tabs? No tabs? Wake up). BlackBerry Pearl 3G: SureType gets a trackpad That, more than the form factor, may be our main concern with the BlackBerry Pearl 3G. It’s quite clear that BlackBerry OS 6.0 is on the way, and RIM gave us no indication whether the overhauled operating system, with a revamped, speedy WebKit browser, would come to the little candybar. As such, you’re stuck with the perfunctory OS 5.0, which is snappy enough, but hardly different from what RIM was serving up three years ago. Still, depending on how the BlackBerry Pearl 3G gets priced up, anyone wanting a slim phone for work email and nothing more would be wise to give it the once over. Do so right here, right now, in our BlackBerry Pearl 3G hands on photo gallery, and check the bonus shots of it stacked up against the wider BlackBerry Bold 9700. Out May | £TBC | BlackBerry Related posts:
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| Android 2.2 due in May, Nexus One set to get it first? Posted: 26 Apr 2010 06:30 AM PDT
While phones like the HTC Legend, HTC Desire and T-Mobile Pulse Mini pack the creamy delights of Android 2.1 Eclair, others phones including HTC Hero are still in limbo running older versions of Android. The Android obsessed folk at Android And Me say phones surfing the web using Android 2.2 have popped up in its web analytics which suggests the new OS is being actively tested. Google's conference for developers, Google I/O, takes place on May 19 and 20 at the Moscone Centre in San Francisco (frequent home of Apple events). It's almost a dead cert that we'll see Android 2.2 make its debut there. The arrival of Android 2.2 on the Google Nexus One first would give it a boost in its battle against HTC Desire which shares its looks but has garnered much better press. Related posts:
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| Blackberry Pearl 3G ditches QWERTY keyboard Posted: 26 Apr 2010 06:00 AM PDT
There's two version of the Blackberry Pearl 3G. The Blackberry Pearl 9100 which will be available in the US and use the same condensed QWERTY keyboard as previous Blackberry Pearl. In the UK, we're getting the Blackberry Pearl 9105 with a 14-key phone keypad. Both feature the optical trackpad. Losing the QWERTY keyboard is likely to be a bummer for Blackberry-toting business folk but Blackberry Messenger obsessed teenagers are more likely to be the audience for the Blackberry Pearl 9105 incarnation of the Blackberry Pearl 3G. The Blackberry Pearl 3G also crams a 3.2MP camera with zoom into its candybar frame, build-in GPS for Blackberry Maps or Google Maps and photo geotagging and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi. It's the first time RIM has included n-standard Wi-Fi. There's also support for microSD and SDHD cards up to 32GB. There's also support for BlackBerry Media Sync so you can sync you photos and iTunes/Windows Media Player music onto your Blackberry Pearl 3G. What do you think of the Blackberry Pearl 3G? Are you happy to do without your beloved QWERTY keyboard or would you find yourself mashing the keys in misspelled frustration? If you’ve got a Blackberry or you’re about to buy one, check out our Top 10 best free Blackberry apps. Due May | £TBC | RIM Related posts:
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| iPad used as bait in new virus scam Posted: 26 Apr 2010 05:30 AM PDT
Antivirus and internet security firm BitDefender says it's spotted the malicious emails promising iPad owners: "…best performance, newer features and security." It instructs recipients to click a malicious link that appears to be a legitimate iTunes software download. The malware the iPad owner actually downloads opens a backdoor to your PC which allows unauthorised access and could allow the virus creators to control your system. The iPad virus scam is unlikely to be very successful for a few reasons. The malware only affects PCs, so Mac fans with an iPad are unaffected. Most iPad users will also be aware that iTunes automatically notifies you about updates. Still, if you know a PC-packing iPad owner with a penchant for foolishly clicking dubious links, better let them know there's egregious emails out there ready to prey on their gullibility. And if you’re still wondering whether you should buy an iPad when it arrives in the UK, make sure you read our full iPad UK review and find out about iPad UK import pre-orders reopening. Related posts:
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| Xbox 360 Slim Natal bundle incoming? Posted: 26 Apr 2010 05:00 AM PDT
Surfer Girl, a blogger who claims to be a gaming industry insider, claims Microsoft is gearing up to unleash an Xbox 360 Slim bundle when it unveils the final version of Natal at E3 in June. She claims the slim Xbox 360 will feature a "subtle rebrand with a new logo". The Xbox 360 Slim will be black to match Natal and sit nicely next to a standard gloss black HDTV. Nice to know Microsoft is thinking about your interior design. As well as claiming that the Xbox 360 Slim will land at the same time of Natal, the blogger also drops a major hint about a Natal game, highlighting the initials M, G and S. In her next post she ponders: "I wonder how Metal Gear Touch will work with no touchscreen." Could Metal Gear Solid Natal really stem from the Metal Gear Solid Touch iPhone app? It’s certainly more exciting than River Rush, the last Natal game we heard about. And will we really see an Xbox 360 Slim arriving with Natal? We hope the whispers are true but it sounds a little too good to be true. Related posts:
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| Lunchtime Lowdown: Google Nexus One dated, Nokia N8 leaks and PS3 Remote Play expands Posted: 26 Apr 2010 04:30 AM PDT
First up, some tasty smartphone news for you on very platform. Symbian obsessives can checkout the Nokia N8 up close thanks to an extensive leak – but it’s not pretty – while the iPhone could be getting Wi-Fi syncing at long last. Oh, and RIM suffered a leak of its own, with two new BlackBerry models getting served up early online. Check them out! Over in Android territory meanwhile, the Google Nexus One got dated on Vodafone, while we reviewed the T-Mobile Pulse Mini, the £99 Google phone. Has it made too many concessions to get so cheap? Don’t forget to check out the Android Invades hub for plenty more options, from the little HTC Tattoo, to the turbo charged Sony Ericssson Xperia X10. Meanwhile, in the world of PCs and PlayStations, Sony’s latest firmware update is paving the way for PS3 Remote Play on PCs – but only Sony VAIOs. Sticking with computing, be sure to check out our guide to slinging your laptop screen to a TV, quickly, easily and wirelessly using Q-waves‘ streaming tech. Find out more about Q-waves. Still want more news? Jump on over to the homepage and help yourself to it all as it breaks. Check out our Android Invasion, starting with our first robot romance video below! Related posts:
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| Dyson doubles UK boffin quota: What’s new, James? Posted: 26 Apr 2010 04:00 AM PDT
Dyson employs over 2500 people worldwide. Now Sir James Dyson is on the hunt for new recruits with backgrounds in design, mechanics and acoustic engineering. He says: "It is vital that Dyson – and the UK – continues to invest in the nation's engineering talent if we are to stay ahead. With excellent young scientists and engineers in our schools it falls to companies such as Dyson to encourage this future generation." But what could Dyson be designing this time? It famously rethought the vacuum cleaner (take a look at its most recent dust sucker, the Dyson City DC26) and with the Air Multiplier, it managed to make us fanatical about a fan. We know there’s plans for Dyson electric cars but we'd also love to see Dyson deploy a really useful domestic robot or totally transform the toaster. We’re sure Sir James who was include in our list of British technology geniuses is up to it. What do you think Dyson should do with its new army of scientists? Related posts:
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| Nexus One on Vodafone pre-order now open Posted: 26 Apr 2010 03:30 AM PDT
You can pre-order the Nexus One from Vodafone right now. If you do you'll get your Google phone on 30 April. If you want to wait and pick it up from a Vodafone store, they'll be stocking the Nexus One from 1 May. Previously, UK customers craving a Nexus One could grab one directly from Google. Buy a Nexus One from Vodafone though and it'll provide direct support meaning you won't have to contact Google to get any problems ironed out. The Nexus One on Vodafone comes preloaded with Google Maps Navigation so you'll be getting stellar sat nav smarts too including turn-by-turn directions and search by voice. Vodafone's Nexus One contracts start at £25 per month for a 24 month deal. The Vodafone Nexus One price plans come with up to 1GB of data and an additional 1GB of browsing at BT Openzone hotspots. If you're considering getting the Google Nexus One, make sure you take a look at the HTC Legend and HTC Desire too. Out now | from £25 per month | Vodafone Related posts:
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