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US Update: white Galaxy S, LG Star, Windows 8
blueSLR: use your iPhone as a DSLR remote
Dell Venue Pro delayed until January 6th?
Microsoft Windows 8 tablet to battle iPad 2 at CES?
Dual-core LG Star to become LG Optimus 2X?
White Samsung Galaxy S lands in Germany
Teatime Tech: Kinect Sports DLC, Google Nexus S review roundup and a big Boxee Box update
Google Nexus S review roundup
Google Nexus S vs Samsung Galaxy S
Boxee Box update brings bug fixes galore

US Update: white Galaxy S, LG Star, Windows 8

Posted: 14 Dec 2010 07:00 PM PST

The goods are in and we've got your US Update. There's plenty of news to cover and we've wrapped it and tied it with a bow. We start things off with the white Samsung Galaxy S and work our way into the latest on Windows 8 and the Dell Venue Pro. Sit back and relax, this is your daily dose of tech news.

Germany has become the latest market to land the white Samsung Galaxy S. The device is currently on sale at Amazon Germany for 461 euro, a savings of nearly 185 euro. The dual-core LG Star has been renamed the LG Optimus 2X and we've got the latest hands-on videos of the device in action.

Microsoft is set to unveil Windows 8 tablets which they believe will take the fight to the Apple's iPad 2. Partnered with Samsung and Dell, Microsoft will demo the new tablets at CES 2011 this January in Las Vegas. The Dell Venue Pro is once again suffering from quality control issues. The latest shipping information from Dell shows the device will not ship until after the New Year.

Last in this morning is blueSLR, a bluetooth gadget that transforms any iOS device into a DSLR remote. Using bluetooth and a small little adapter for Nikon DSLRs you can snap shots and pack photo data up to 300 feet away. The adapter is currently on sale for $149 for a variety of Nikon cameras.

That wraps up things this fine morning from the states. Thanks for spending your morning with us as we break the headlines fresh off the press from our side of the world. Until tomorrow, this is Nick saying over and out.

blueSLR: use your iPhone as a DSLR remote

Posted: 14 Dec 2010 06:00 PM PST

Thanks to the power of bluetooth, a small hardware accessory and an application, you can now turn your iPhone or any other iOS device into a DSLR remote. The blueSLR bundle is a crafty little gadget that looks to take your DSLR and iOS device to the next level, ready to find out more?

Whether you're two feet or 300 feet, the blueSLR remote combined with your iOS device is a deadly photography tool. Traditional DSLR remote are very simple, limited in functionality, and from our experiences, always get lost.

The blueSLR remote takes the concept of a DSLR remote to the next level by recording location, including latitude, longitude and elevation, as well as speed and direction into the photo meta data of your DSLR.

blueSLR currently supports flickr, Picasa and iPhoto. In addition, you can control both the time of the delay as well as the number of shots your camera takes within the app.

If you own a Nikon DSLR, blueSLR will attach to your camera and wirelessly connect to your iOS device via bluetooth. Once you have it connected, simply fire up the app and it will detect the sensor and away you go.

blueSLR plans to add support for more DSLR cameras, but at the moment the list includes the Nikon D3100, D5000, D90, D3(S), D200, D300(S), D700. All versions of the receiver are priced at $149. If you'd like to be notified when they release an adapter for Canon DSLRs, you can complete the contact form to receive email updates

Out Now | blueSLR | $149

Dell Venue Pro delayed until January 6th?

Posted: 14 Dec 2010 05:00 PM PST

The hits just keep on coming for would-be Dell Venue Pro owners. Reports from across the web are indicating that "Estimated Delivery" information has now been updated to show January 6th as the likely delivery date. Once again it looks like we'll be waiting for our Venue Pro, are you prepared to wait until after the New Year?

Out of all the killer devices in the Windows Phone 7 lineup, the Dell Venue Pro showed the most promise and quickly took the key to our hearts. We've been patient, as have you, sitting back and dealing with the initial delays plaguing the handset's launch.

Time has ticked away, now we sit quietly in the middle of December, our Dell Venue Pro was ordered on December 1st and we were excited, at least for a moment, that the 2nd business day shipping would deliver the goods well before Christmas.

For those of you new to the Dell Venue Pro saga — here's a quick recap of the uneventful progress. Initially reports surfaced that the device had WiFi issues, an issue that Dell later confirmed as only a software glitch. Next came mislabeled batteries, followed by SIM card registration errors.

According to Engadget, the latest hiccup in the release is once again a quality control issue. There's no confirmation on exactly what the latest issue may be, but we're honestly not sure how much more of this we can take. Is it too much to ask for a Dell Venue Pro in our stocking this Christmas?

Anyone else seeing a different "Estimated Delivery" date other than January 6th when they login to their Dell account? Let us know if you are also in the same boat and what your delivery date says in the comment below, we'd appreciate it.

Coming Soon | Dell | $99 on contract, $449.99 retail

Microsoft Windows 8 tablet to battle iPad 2 at CES?

Posted: 14 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST

With the help of Samsung, Dell and several other key partners, Microsoft is planning to take on the iPad 2 with a Windows 8 Tablet. Even more shocking is that Microsoft may unveil or at the very least demo, the first Windows 8 tablet at CES 2011 next month.

By way of a New York Times article this morning we now have the first hint of Microsoft's CES 2011 keynote. During the presentation there will be several new tablet demos, including one that sports a slide-out keyboard — remember the Samsung Gloria? According to the report, the Samsung tablet will run a software layer when the device is in portrait mode and the keyboard is tucked away.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is focused on a central app store design entirely around native tablet applications and encouraging developers to focus on HTML5. The focus on HTML5 will not just benefit the Microsoft Windows 8 tablets since both iOS and Chrome OS also support the web standard.

Microsoft's focus on Windows 8 has been at the core of its tablet strategy. The company has devoted a significant amount of resources to the new all-touch interface and despite reports of a late 2011 or early 2012 launch, CES 2011 is the perfect stomping grounds for a demo.

There's still a possibility that Microsoft maybe stick to their guns with a Windows 7 software layer for the tablets they'll unveil at CES. Regardless of whether the partnerships with Dell and Samsung result in Windows 7 or Windows 8 tablets, the hardware will be on hand at CES and we'll be live to report the news as it breaks.

So, now it's time to chime in. Do you think Microsoft will power their iPad 2 killers with Windows 7 or Windows 8 when they demo the devices at CES 2011? Go ahead, sound off!

via Engadget

Dual-core LG Star to become LG Optimus 2X?

Posted: 14 Dec 2010 03:00 PM PST

The LG Star has the Google Nexus S dead in its sights and it's ready for battle. The steady stream of leaked images and videos of the LG Star is a sure-tell sign, LG wants you to rethink that Nexus S purchase and instead hold off for their dual-core powerhouse. With the latest collection of videos surfacing all signs point to the LG Star being named Optimus 2X.

With more than two million units sold worldwide, LG is focused on building out their Optimus brand. The company has managed to leapfrog from one million units sold to two million units in less than a month. New rumors have surfaced hinting that the dual-core Tegra 2 LG Star could be headed down the Optimus path, set to be named the Optimus 2X. Further proof of the name change can be found on YouTube.

A series of videos showing off the LG Optimus 2X playing back 1080P video on a big screen TV, playing Android games on the TV and comparing the web browsing against the iPhone 4 and Galaxy S have surfaced. At this point we've seen the LG Star, now the LG Optimus 2X, in several photo shoots and unofficial videos.

Additionally, LG has been very vocal about the Tegra 2 processor, citing 2x faster web browsing and up to 5x faster game performance. Early demos have confirmed these claims and we know Tegra 2 will be the highlight of CES 2011, come January.

It seems as though LG is focused on battling the Samsung Galaxy S with their Optimus line up. The real question now becomes — can the LG Optimus brand compete against the Samsung Galaxy devices? However this plays out you can rest assure it will lead to rapid hardware development and innovative designs for future mobile phones and we couldn't be more excited.

Now who's ready for the LG Optimus 2X? Pencil me in.

Coming Soon | LG | TBD

White Samsung Galaxy S lands in Germany

Posted: 14 Dec 2010 02:00 PM PST

The roll out of the white Samsung Galaxy S has broken ground in a new region, Germany. The ceramic white Galaxy S packs Android 2.1 and all of the bells and whistles found on the original I9000. If you've got the coin, we've got the deal.

The official asking price for the white Samsung Galaxy S is 649 euro, a bit steep but thankfully Amazon has come to save the day. Over on Amazon Germany, the site is offering a steep discount, to the tune of 185 euro, dropping the price to 464 euro. Rest assure your Android 2.2 update is coming and quite possibly, a direct update to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Any takers?

Out Now | 461 Euro | Amazon

Teatime Tech: Kinect Sports DLC, Google Nexus S review roundup and a big Boxee Box update

Posted: 14 Dec 2010 10:09 AM PST

It’s the end of the working day. Huzzah! Time to pack up and head for home, but not before you’ve caught up with all the latest headlines from the last few hours. They’re rounded up for you right here in Teatime Tech.

Gamings news up first: Kinect Sports, one of our favourite launch titles for Microsoft’s motion control Xbox ad don, is getting its first DLC. New events are set to be added, and we’ve got the lowdown on them right here.

Over in AV meanwhile, the Boxee Box met with a positive response on launch last month, but that’s not stopped the company tweaking and improving on it, with the second big update since it went on sale. This time round we’ve got bug fixes and even 3D support.

Finally, the iPod nano watch may be the new trend, but one little remote makes a lot more sense on your wrist: the Android friendly Sony Ericsson LiveView. Read all about it in our guide, before heading through to find out more about a great potential pairing for it, the Google Nexus S, in our review roundup.

Still want more news? Get yourself over to the homepage: it’s updated around the clock!

Google Nexus S review roundup

Posted: 14 Dec 2010 09:28 AM PST

Our own Google Nexus S review went live yesterday, and if you caught it, you’ll know we were duly impressed by the combination of cutting edge Samsung hardware and Google’s fresh Gingerbread software – so much so in fact that we crowned it our new best Android phone. But what did the rest of the blogosphere make of it? Nice or niche? Take a look in our Google Nexus S review roundup.

What Mobile actually came away slightly underwhelmed by the Google Nexus S, and was slightly disappointed that Android 2.3 proved to be a minor update on 2.2 (AKA Froyo) – although curiously, the reviewer made no mention of the heavily revamped onscreen keyboard, one of the best new features.With even better phones expected to launch at Mobile World Congress in February, “it gives the phone a relatively short shelf life and the clock is ticking.” Performance however wasn’t an issue, (“moving around the phone and using menus is as near to instant as you're ever going to get “) but the 4-inch Super AMOLED’s colour reproduction was a sticking point: “Whites are anything but white on the Nexus S”.

Still, the site came to the same conclusion as other reviews: for Android purists, it’s perfect. “With no preinstalled apps that can't be removed (without rooting) and no colour schemes and boot-up animations for your network, it's a dream phone for people who want total freedom”.

Know Your Mobile’s Robert Johnson meanwhile shared the slight disappointment with the Google Nexus S screen, (The “iPhone 4 has the higher pixel density and better colour reproduction”), but still had no qualms labeling it the “best phone on the market today” in terms of hardware, as well as “the best Android phone out there today…the phone simply doesn’t lag at all”.

Johnson was more critical of the inclusion of NFC (Near Field Communication) technology in the Google Nexus S, where other sites welcomed it as a nice feature to have, even if there’s no way to use it yet (Partner companies have to adopt the tech too). “I’m really not convinced we’re ready to go out and start pressing our phone next to NFC enabled posters and ’smart’ tags to get information,” he wrote. Perhaps not, but we’re inclined to think we’ll be paying for goods with something we always keep on us sooner rather than later.

CNET’s Flora Graham meanwhile gave the Google Nexus S 9/10 – the same score the site awarded both the iPhone 4 and HTC Desire HD, so high praise indeed. Like us, she was pleased to see a smartphone manufacturer leaving Google to do what it does best: software. “The software that Samsung added to phones like the Galaxy S did more harm than good in places, so it’s a pleasure to see pure Android running on the Nexus S…We’re happy to report that Android 2.3 Gingerbread is fabulously fast.”

CNET also got the chance to test out another new feature of Android 2.3, internet calling (SIP). It’s a nice idea in theory, but says Graham, not particular practical, yet anyway. “We tested SIP using Sipgate, which has the appealing quality of being free. Setting up this feature definitely isn’t intuitive, and we found we had to turn to Google’s retro PDF manual…The call quality was very poor, with plenty of delay, but you may not mind so much if you don’t pay for your data.”

“Nevertheless, the Nexus S is undeniably fast and powerful, and its hardware makes Android better than ever…if you’ve got deep pockets and a yen for a phone that’s smarter than you are, the Nexus S won’t disappoint.”

Verdict

Every Google Nexus S review praised Samsung’s top notch smartphone hardware, and came to the conclusion that for at least hardcore Android addicts and geeks, it’s the best Android phone yet.

The point of conflict is on whether pure, unadulterated Android is something the mainstream should get to try. Whether consumers will take to it as readily as HTC Sense flavoured Android or iOS is still unclear, purely because it’s so difficult to buy a vanilla Android phone. here’s hoping the Google Nexus S at least gives more people the opportunity to find out.

Google Nexus S vs Samsung Galaxy S

Posted: 14 Dec 2010 07:57 AM PST

The Samsung-built Google Nexus S is arriving before Christmas, but if you’re in a fix about which Samsung to put your money on, which should you go for? Click through for our head to head show down between the Samsung Galaxy S and the Google Nexus S.

Screen
The big difference between these two screens is in the shape. Other than this they're largely similar. The Google Nexus S and the Samsung Galaxy S both have four inch super AMOLED screens. In review we found both to be astonishingly bright, with rich colours that really popped, and made the best of websites and videos. The extra novelty value is on the Google Nexus S screen, which is curved. The idea is that it fits better with the contours of your face. In our experience though, flat screens like the Samsung Galaxy S don't cause too much of a problem, and the curvature of the Nexus S is very slight, and doesn't make a notable difference to our comfort or discomfort when making calls. It does look great though.

Hardware
The Google Nexus S and the Samsung Galaxy S both have 16GB of internal storage (the Galaxy S also has an 8GB option). The difference is in the card slots. The Samsung Galaxy S also has a microSD slot, meaning you can tack another 32GB of storage onto that 16GB. The Google Nexus S however, doesn't have any expandable storage. What it does have in the way of hardware though, is NFC tech, which preps the Google Nexus S for contactless payments and other services. While this isn't much use right now, we're sure it's going to come into its own at some point in the future, and when it does, you'll be jumping on the tube Oyster-less, with nothing but your Google Nexus S in your hand.

Read our full Google Nexus S review

Software
The Google Nexus S is the first smartphone that wil be running Android 2.3. The rest of us wil have to wait for the networks to roll out updates. The Samsung Galaxy S is running Android 2.2 with the Samsung TouchWiz skin. On paper, the instict is to go for the newer build, but it's not all bad for the Samsung Galaxy S. There are some nice touches, like solid video format support, and useful additions to the notification tray, like music controls and connectivity toggles. Android 2.3 on the Google Nexus S updates from Andorid Froyo by adding an improved keyboard and task manager, plus support for extra video codecs. Other than this it's fair to say it's not an enormous upgrade: that will be coming with Android 3.0 after Christmas.

Camera
The biggest omission from the Google Nexus S is the lack of HD video, especially since the Samsung Galaxy S shoots stunning HD video. The Google Nexus S is stuck with VGA video. The 5MP camera on the Google Nexus S is also below par. Colours are washed out and don't deliver the sharpness that the Samsung Galaxy S can. It also fails to silence notifications automatically while you're recording. The Samsung Galaxy S also packs 5MP, but made a much better job of shooting than the Google Nexus S. Both have front facing cameras for voice chat though.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S review

Build
The Google Nexus S and Samsung Galaxy S builds are very similar from the back. All that's missing from the Google Nexus S is the LED flash on the camera. The Google Nexus S has its 3.5mm audio jack, and charging slot on the bottom of the phone, while the lock button sits on the right hand side, and the volume rocker opposite it on the left. Most importantly, it's durable. We accidentally dropped ours on the concrete, and it survived without a scratch.

Dimensions wise the Google Nexus S is 63mm x 123.9mm x 10.9mm and weighs 129g. In comparison the Samsung Nexus S is 122.4 x 64.2 x 9.9 mm and weighs a slightly lighter 119g. The Google Nexus S is very sleek, but it's missing an LED for message alerts, which we would have preferred to sound alerts. The Samsung Galaxy S is a decent contender to the Google Nexus S. It is sleek, and light, but it feels flimsy with it, and the Samsung plasticky casing makes it feel worryingly fragile.

Verdict
We might just be in love with a brand new device, but for our money the Google Nexus S trumps the Samsung Galaxy S here, unless you’re looking for a smartphone to snap away on and film video. In that case, the Samsung Galaxy S beats the Google Nexus S, but otherwise, head towards the Googlephone. It has newer software that’s pure Android. It’s improved task manager will help you out when things crash, and the build is more solid and durable than the Galaxy S. The curved screen is a nice touch too.

Boxee Box update brings bug fixes galore

Posted: 14 Dec 2010 07:32 AM PST

The second Boxee Box update is upon us now, and it’s packed to bursting with more than 30 bug fixes. It’s also carrying some upgraded features focused around improving navigation, like a genre filter for local files and more sorting options in the Boxee Box browse screens.

The Boxee Box update also adds an alphabetical scrollbar added to local files, and the ability to mark movies as watched/unwatched from the action menu.

On top of all this, there’s also an important Boxee Box 3D update: When watching side-by-side or over/under video, the subtitles and on screen display would not be visible when wearing 3D glasses. Your Boxee Box should now give you the option, in settings, to have the user interface properly displayed when watching 3D videos.

The update should be available now, if you fire up your boxes. For a full list of bug fixes, head here.

If you had a bug, did the update solve your problem? Drop us a line in the comments and let us know!

[via Boxee Box Team Blog]