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iOS 4.1 goes live: Will you be updating?
Samsung Galaxy Tab Tech 21 case: bounce your tablet
Samsung Galaxy Tab pocket test: it fits!
Alcatel OT-980 hands on UK preview: The best budget smartphone yet
LG Cookie Lite T300 hands on photos
White HTC Desire and silver HTC Wildfire: hands on photos
UK 3G networks to get signal boost
Amazon acquires Amie Street, users must spend up
Apple Game Center: iPhone 3G excluded but iPod Touch 2G can play
Best TomTom satnav

iOS 4.1 goes live: Will you be updating?

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 10:24 AM PDT

Boom! iOS 4.1 is live, and ready to download right now through iTunes. As we heard last week, it’s going to bring Games Center for certain models of iPhone and iPod touch, along with new camera modes and bug fixes. The question is, will you be updating? Or would you rather shun iOS 4.1 and stick with your jailbroken 4.0 iDevice? Tell us here!

Samsung Galaxy Tab Tech 21 case: bounce your tablet

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 10:15 AM PDT

The Samsung Galaxy Tab accessories are already starting to materialise. One of the the first out of the block is this rather pleasant Tech 21 case, which should be available on launch for around £29.99. It’s lined with the hilarious d30 material (Soft to touch, hard on sudden impact), and while we weren’t able to lob a Galaxy Tab around in it, one Tech 21 rep was quite happy to throw his iPhone onto the concrete while strapped into to a similar case. And smash his colleague’s fingers with an axe through the substance. See for yourself in the photos.

Samsung Galaxy Tab pocket test: it fits!

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 09:59 AM PDT

You really have to hold the Samsung Galaxy Tab to realise it’s not actually competing with the iPad directly. That 7-inch screen makes it feel completely different to use, and as you can see here, you can even shove the Samsung Galaxy Tab in your trouser pocket! At least ours anyway. We can’t speak for the skinny jeans types out there. Point is, only MC Hammer could hope to do the same with an iPad.

Alcatel OT-980 hands on UK preview: The best budget smartphone yet

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 09:50 AM PDT

Remember the Alcatel OT-980? We first roadtested this Palm Pre-esque Android phone way back in February at Mobile World Congress, but as we broke the news of first, it’s coming to the UK. It’s out in a month, but we got to go hands on with it today, and for what we’re seeing at the price we’re hearing, we’re really excited. Read on to find out what we mean.

As a quick refresher, the Alcatel OT-980 is an Android phone with a 2.8-inch touchscreen and two megapixel camera, plus an unusual portrait slide out QWERTY keyboard, only really seen in the Palm Pre and upcoming BlackBerry Torch. It’s had a bit of a makeover in the last seven months, with the awful red shade dropped, and gained a new matte finish which shuns fingerprints nicely.

The Alcatel OT-980 is a somewhat different proposition to those high end rivals however: Alcatel intends to sell it for just £99 on Pay As You Go, and at that price, from what we’ve seen, it’s going to render low end Android rivals like the T-Mobile Pulse Mini and Vodafone 845 utterly redundant.

Alcatel OT-980 hands on photos

How so? Android 2.1 isn’t anything to get overly excited about with the Alcatel OT-980: the largely vanilla OS ran relatively smoothly, but if anything it’s behind the times now (Alcatel says a Froyo upgrade is coming but wouldn’t give a date). But it should run plenty of apps you’ll need in a pinch, like Google Maps with navigation.

Nor is it the screen on the Alcatel OT-980. It’s resistive so pinch to zoom is out, not especially bright, and the notification draw can be tricky to pull down on.

No, It’s the Alcatel OT-980’s keyboard that really makes it stands out. The keys are tiny, and made of a soft rubber that at first feel doesn’t seem like a good idea. But they work like a dream, and you’ll be bouncing off them in no time. We honestly think this is one of the fastest typing experiences we’ve ever had on Android: it’s probably easier than on the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro, and even the Motorola Milestone 2 or LG GW620, our old low end favourite. It’s certainly in another league compared to the T-Mobile Pulse Mini and its accursed stylus.

That combined with Android itself and a firm build and slide mechanism, means the Alcatel OT-980, barring any hiccups like surprise network bloatware, should definitely be worth a close look when it comes out next month. Needless to say, we’ll be doing that for you in a full Alcatel OT-980 review, so stay tuned, and in the meantime, enjoy the hands on photos!

Out October | c.£99 PAYG | Alcatel

LG Cookie Lite T300 hands on photos

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 09:27 AM PDT

The LG Cookie Lite T300 is a delightful little touchscreen phone we’ve stumbled across at Carphone Warehouse’s showcase today. We should hate it for its 2.4-inch resistive touchscreen, 1.3MP camera and 2G connection, but when the screen worked just dandy for 0-9 keyboard typing, and there’s an FM radio on board and a microSD card slot for loading your music, it’s pretty hard to scoff – so long as LG keeps the price down.

LG was keeping mum on network availability and price, but we’ve spotted the LG Cookie Lite T300 badged up as “Coming soon” on Orange’s website in the Pay As You Go section. Expect it to be cheap, and have a peep at the black and red blower in our hands on gallery right here and now.

Out TBC | £TBC | LG

White HTC Desire and silver HTC Wildfire: hands on photos

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 09:16 AM PDT

A white HTC Desire? You better believe it: the Desire may be almost six months old now, but the company has only just seen fit to serve up this fit new shade. See it, along with a metallic HTC Wildfire, here in our hands on photo gallery!

There’s not a great deal to say about the new white HTC Wildfire, other than that it’s, er, white, and looks a hell of a lot better than the purple shade of red wine vomit the the original HTC Desire comes in. So, awesome, in other words, like an original HTC Hero.

It’s going on sale through Carphone Warehouse (as is the silver HTC Wildfire), with an ETA of “coming soon”. You might want to hold fire until HTC’s press conference next week at least, but take a look at it here in our hands on gallery right now regardless.

Out TBC | £TBC | Carphone Warehouse

UK 3G networks to get signal boost

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 09:07 AM PDT

The UK 3G network is getting a boost, as Ofcom has given the thumbs up to a signal increase. This is good news for all of us, as it will mean we all get our 3G download speeds upped. Hooray!

The UK 3G signal increase that was originally asked for was 3dB, but Ofcom itself proposed to double that, to save themselves the hassle of having to put through another boost in a year's time. However, Three objected to Ofcom's bigger 3G boost, saying it would get swamped by competition, and so the signal increase has been capped to 65dB instead of 68dB.

Other (frightening and mad) opposition to the UK 3G signal increase was from someone stating that it might kill all the bumblebees, and worries about its health impact on the general populous (respondents to the consultation in April variously warned of the signal increase causing a "slow and painful death", mass starvation and scurvy).

Ofcom seems to be quite comfortable with these risks though, and its comfort might be down to the fact that a 3G signal increase is probably not going to cause any national famines, as the signal, even once upped, is still within what’s considered safe by international standards bodies. Phew!

[via The Register]

Amazon acquires Amie Street, users must spend up

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 08:13 AM PDT

Amazon has acquired Amie Street music, and from September 22 all Amie Street pages will redirect to Amazon. The site is currently down for maintenance, (let’s hope this isn’t permanent) but if you've got an Amie Street account, be sure to download all your purchased music and spend up asap, as it won't be transferred, although you will be getting a $5 voucher to spend on Amazon.

Apple Game Center: iPhone 3G excluded but iPod Touch 2G can play

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 08:02 AM PDT

Apple Game Center will open its virtual doors when iOS 4.1 is released this week but not everyone will be able to play. Apple has announced which devices will be compatible with its social gaming network: there's bad news if you're still rocking the iPhone 3G but the iPod touch 2G has got a reprieve…

When Apple Game Center kicks off in earnest (developers have been tinkering with it for a while), the iPhone 3G, first-generation iPhone and iPod touch 1G will be the three unlucky iOS devices left out. The iPhone 3G is the only one of those devices that can run iOS 4 but it's not getting in on the gaming action.

The iPod touch 2G was initially excluded from Apple Game Center plans in the iOS 4.1 beta but it's now on the list of compatible devices. That's a curious move as the iPod touch 2G and iPhone 3G share very similar hardware (though the iPod touch rocks a marginally faster processor).

If you’ve ordered the new iPod touch or are brandishing the iPhone 4 this will all seem like prehistory. But if you're still using an iPhone 3G, are you frustrated to be shut out from Game Center? Hit the comments and let us know.

Due imminently | £free | Apple (via AppleInsider)

Best TomTom satnav

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 07:43 AM PDT

Start your engines: we’ve got the best TomTom satnav models rounded up for you right here, so if you’re after a new GPS for your motor, you owe it to yourself to read on and check out the shortlist, to the right of the full post.

Take a look over to the right of the page and you’ll see our Top 5 best TomTom satnav list, complete with options to read more and even jump straight through to Amazon to buy them. These are the PNDs that Electricpig’s gadget experts have rated the best, and they cover all audiences, from regulars on the road to occasional tootlers, so get stuck in.