Electricpig.co.uk - tech news fast! |
- US Update: Uncharted movie, HTC 7 Pro, XOOM pre-orders
- Google Goggles dominates Sodoku: sharper than a two-edged sword
- Motorola XOOM available for pre-order: costs arm and leg
- Verizon iPhone announcement incoming: unlimited data too?
- O2 Germany lands HTC 7 Pro next week
- Mark Wahlberg to be Nathan Drake in Uncharted movie
- In-car iPhone robot knows when you’re tired
- Makerbot Thing-o-matic: open-source 3D printer revealed
- iTunes App Store reviews reviewed: I give you no stars!
- Facebook shutdown hoax: it is NOT shutting down
| US Update: Uncharted movie, HTC 7 Pro, XOOM pre-orders Posted: 10 Jan 2011 07:00 PM PST 
First up is news that Mark Wahlberg will be Nathan Drake in the Uncharted movie. According to an interview with MovieHole, the actor has all but confirmed his leading role for the upcoming film. Wahlberg went on record to confirm Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro as well. O2 Germany has just outed the HTC 7 Pro Windows Phone 7 smartphone for next week. On the company's official Twitter page they confirmed earlier reports suggesting a January launch. The Verizon iPhone is expected to be announced in New York City today, ending 18 months of rumors. Steve Jobs is expected to co-announce the event with Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam. The Motorola XOOM Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet is now available for pre-order in the UK at Handtec. Priced at £719.99 (£599.99 exc vat), the flagship tablet could be the most expensive tablet to date, but it certainly has the hardware to justify the price. Last up this morning is an update to the Google Goggles app for Android and iPhone which brings print and newspaper ad recognition. In addition to the normal QR barcode scanning capabilities, the new software can no solve puzzles and recognize ads in major U.S. magazines and newspapers from August 2010 onwards. 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. Related posts:
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| Google Goggles dominates Sodoku: sharper than a two-edged sword Posted: 10 Jan 2011 06:00 PM PST 
The bread and butter of Google Goggles has been scanning barcodes to learn more about a product. The latest version builds upon that foundation, but with much faster response — Google claims "almost instantly". Beyond the QR reading capabilities, Goggles can now scan print ads in magazine and newspapers. Here's how it works: Simply open Google Goggles and take a picture of an ad from a magazine. Goggles will recognize the print ad and return web search results about the product or brand. Before you go testing it out on your vintage magazine, the print ad recognition works on major U.S. magazine and newspapers from August 2010 onwards. In addition to print and newspaper ad recognition, Goggles version 1.3 for Android can recognize puzzles and provide answers. In the video demonstration above, you can see the Google Nexus S with Google Goggles beat 2009 Sodoku national champion Tammy McLeod in a matter of seconds. Google Goggles 1.3 with improved bar code scanning is available for download in Android Market. Recognition of print ads and Sudoku solver is now enabled for the Google Goggles app on Android, as well as the Goggles component of the Google Mobile App on iPhone. Out Now | Android Market | Free Related posts:
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| Motorola XOOM available for pre-order: costs arm and leg Posted: 10 Jan 2011 05:00 PM PST 
First spotted by Android Community, the Motorola XOOM is available for pre-order at UK online retailer Handtec. Price at £719.99 (£599.99 exc vat), you can also select from several accessories including the portfolio case, speaker dock, standard dock and wireless keyboard. We had some hands-on time with the Motorola XOOM at CES and can't wait to get our hands on the first tablet to run Android 3.0 Honeycomb with a 10.1-inch HD display. With dual 1 GHz processors, 1080P video, HDMI output, Adobe Flash support and a front-facing two megapixel camera, what's not to love about the XOOM? Anyone ready to stomach the price and be the first to put in a pre-order at Handtec? It's worth noting that when Handtec first listed the Motorola XOOM it was £659.99 (£549.99 exc VAT). It jumped to £719.99 (£599.99 exc vat) within a matter of hours. Let's hope that the price sticks, otherwise this could be a tough sell knowing the iPad 2 is just a month or so away. Pre-order now | Handtec | £719.99 (£599.99 exc vat) Related posts:
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| Verizon iPhone announcement incoming: unlimited data too? Posted: 10 Jan 2011 04:00 PM PST 
Later today at a press event in NYC, Verizon Wireless is expected to announce the CDMA iPhone 4. We've heard reports that Steve Jobs will be on hand to co-announce the device and all signs point to this rumor becoming a reality in less than 24 hours. Assuming the purported device is finally announced, word on the street is that Verizon will offer unlimited data to differentiate the CDMA iPhone from the GSM iPhone offered by At&t. After severe network strains caused by unforeseeable volumes of iPhone users since 2007, At&t finally cut the cord on their unlimited plans — switching to a tiered data structure which tops out at 2GB per month for $25. Verizon Wireless followed suit with new data plans, but there are currently no restrictions on their 4G LTE network. However, all signs point to Verizon launching a 3G CDMA iPhone and not a 4G LTE version (at least not right now). There's a variety of reasons why Apple would not want to support 4G LTE. A look back at the original 2007 iPhone which was released with EDGE support instead of 3G is a good start. Apple has always placed a high value on battery life — a 4G LTE Verizon iPhone will need to match the current iPhone 4 battery life. This is simpler said than done, just ask a HTC EVO 4G owner. There's also the difficulties in product cycles. Will Apple release a CDMA iPhone in February each year and then a new model for GSM users in June/July? Maybe Apple will not release the iPhone 5 in 2010 and instead switch the product launches to February 2012 — launching a 4G GSM model which uses both LTE and HSPA+ and a CDMA 4G LTE edition. There's really no way to know just yet. We'll be standing by as we await word from the press event in NYC. This could be a huge moment in the future of iOS and possibly add insight to when we'll see the fifth generation iPhone 5. Anyone have a guess at what Apple plans to do with the product launch cycle of the iPhone if this CDMA iPhone announcement proves true? Coming Soon | Verizon Wireless | TBD Related posts:
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| O2 Germany lands HTC 7 Pro next week Posted: 10 Jan 2011 02:46 PM PST 
As HTC's first Windows Phone 7 smartphone to be offered with a hardware keyboard, the HTC 7 Pro brings some powerful features to the table in addition to the five-row QWERTY keypad. Under the hood there's the 1 GHz Qualcomm CPU, a staple of high-end smartphones these days. Quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE as well as dual-band UMTS/HSDPA is also in tow, allowing you to roam freely throughout Europe with a data connection. The HTC 7 Pro is no slouch when it comes to the display — measuring 3.6 inches at WVGA resolution, the same resolution seen on many top tier devices such as the Desire HD, albeit on a smaller display. Imaging is managed by a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash and 720P HD video recording. To save those photos and videos you'll have 8GB of internal storage to work with and a hefty 1500 mAh battery to get you through your day. Overall the HTC 7 Pro should be a welcome addition to O2 Germany when it lands later next week. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled to the O2 Germany Twitter feed just in case they add some additional information on plans and pricing. Any takers? Coming Soon | O2 Germany | TBD Related posts:
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| Mark Wahlberg to be Nathan Drake in Uncharted movie Posted: 10 Jan 2011 02:02 PM PST 
The Uncharted franchise is poised to become a Hollywood action trilogy — the Jason Bourne of the video games. Initially there were rumblings, or rumors I dare say, that Mark Wahlberg would be cast as Nathan Drake. Then today while on a press tour for The Fighter, Wahlberg nearly confirmed he'd star in the film: "David O. Russell is writing right now and hopes to direct," said Wahlberg. "It's myself, Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro." Of course plenty can change in Hollywood in the months leading up to the film, but for now all signs point to Mark Wahlberg starring as Nathan Drake in the Uncharted movie. The only downside in today's news is that David Russell has gone on record to say that he wanted to turn the film into an adventure about a family of antiquities experts — not the action-packed film we imagined based on the game. What do you think about Mark Wahlberg being cast as Nathan Drake in the Uncharted movie? Is this the right move or should David O. Russell have stuck with Nathan Fillion? Sound off. via G4TV Related posts:
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| In-car iPhone robot knows when you’re tired Posted: 10 Jan 2011 11:35 AM PST  Everyone knows nodding off at the wheel is a no-no, but sometimes tiredness creeps up on motorists. The Denso Passenger Eye is a concept dashboard, unveiled at the North American International Auto Show, which reads facial expressions to detect tiredness and more. The Passenger Eye packs a digital camera into the dashboard, and pairs it with motors so it can swivel and tilt. Check out our video and you'll see it tracks the driver's head as they move, and by analysing 17 points on your face, it'll detect early signs of tiredness. Get too tired, and it'll flash red lights on the dashboard surround, and automatically highlight nearby coffee shops using the car's built-in satnav. The whole thing pairs up with a smartphone, in this case an iPhone, to work its magic. Functions are 'flicked' from the smartphone's screen up to the dashboard, and include a 3D speedometer which places more emphasis on your current speed than your potential or previous speeds. It's all the stuff of concept at the moment, but iPhones in our dashboard? Yes please Denso! Related posts:
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| Makerbot Thing-o-matic: open-source 3D printer revealed Posted: 10 Jan 2011 05:02 AM PST 
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| iTunes App Store reviews reviewed: I give you no stars! Posted: 10 Jan 2011 03:35 AM PST 
I Give You No Stars says: “It's a good game but… (Mouth slowly opens as I re-read it) I'm sure they'll get right onto it – especially the Picasso theme. I see no issues with that at all. I like that this combines my favourite things arbitrary suggestions for developers and the veiled promise that if they just add in that feature it'll be 5 stars for sure.” See more maddening iPhone and iPad apps reviews over at I Give You No Stars. Out now | £free | I Give You No Stars (Hat tip to @megpickard. See her site at Meg Pickard) Related posts:
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| Facebook shutdown hoax: it is NOT shutting down Posted: 10 Jan 2011 03:01 AM PST 
A message claiming that Facebook is shutting down on 15 March 2011 because Mark Zuckerberg wants to “live a normal life” has gone viral and is being taken seriously by many, many foolish Facebook fans. Oddly, March 15 2011 is the day Yahoo Video is closing down which may be where the date came from. However, a bit of searching around reveals the rumour may have began with people taking a satirical story from lol-fest the Weekly World News which posted a story pretending Facebook was shutting up shop on March 15. So depending on how you see it, we have good news: Facebook is here to stay. Facebook has confirmed that with a tweet saying: “We didn’t get the memo about shutting down, so we’ll keep working away. We aren’t going anywhere; we’re just getting started.” Phew… Out now | £free | Facebook Related posts:
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