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Xoom ships with flash, Nexus S vs Atrix, Android in 18 years: US Update
In 18 years the entire world will use Android with one million activations per day
Mozilla Web App Store ready to battle Google Chrome
Apple still on track for 40 million iPads shipped in 2011
Can the Nexus S contend with the dual-core Atrix and Optimus 2X?
Motorola Xoom back to £450: flash support available at launch?
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 price drop hinted, the death of IE6 and NFC gets a boost: Teatime Tech
Microsoft: “Friends don’t let friends use Internet Explorer 6″
Verifone goes all out on NFC: Will this take it mainstream?
Celebrity tech endorsements you shouldn’t trust

Xoom ships with flash, Nexus S vs Atrix, Android in 18 years: US Update

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 06:27 PM PST

The weekend is upon us, but much like the world — tech news never stops spinning. In today's US Update we have huge news for would-be Motorola Xoom buyers in the UK, a showdown between the Nexus S and the Tegra 2 competition, Apple iPad 2 sales forecasts and more.

The WiFi only Motorola Xoom will be released in the UK this April. Flash support will be included out of the box and PC World has just released a 10% off coupon, dropping the Xoom pre-orders back to their original price of £450. Great way to start off the weekend, right?

The Nexus S has been put to the ultimate test. In the Tegra 2 showdown we see how this Qualcomm Snapdragon handset fares against the best of the best in Android. The results might shock you. Apple is on track to ship approximately 40 million iPads in 2011. With 6.5 million units expected for this quarter, the second half of 2011 really heats up with 21.5 to 24 million units.

Mozilla has unveiled its new Web Apps Store. Using HTML5 and Javascript, developers now have access to the manifest specification, new browser APIs and even a tutorial on how to build a store. Wrapping up today's news is a video you must see. Ready to see what the world would look like in 18 years with one million activation per day?

That wraps up your morning in tech news from my side of the globe. As always I'm Nick Marshall and I'll see you again on Monday, enjoy the weekend.

In 18 years the entire world will use Android with one million activations per day

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 06:16 PM PST

Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if Android activations tripled from their current rate of 350,000 units per day? The folks over at pestaola.gr have crafted a nifty video dubbed 'The State of Android' demonstrating just that. At one million activations per day the entire globe will be using an Android smartphone or tablet by the year 2029, are you ready?

Just four months ago Google reported that 200,000 Android devices were activated per day. Today that number is 350,000. Compared to the current US birth rate, for every child born 30 devices are activated. The demand for Android tablets and smartphones continues to grow strong each and every day. Don't believe us? Just take a quick look at the more than 50 Android tablets announced at CES in January.

While data is always welcomed, it is not until you put those numbers into perspective that you finally grasp the profound effect of Android. At one million Android activations per day, Android devices would outnumber India's birth rate by a factor of 14. Stepping back from the hypothetical, at the current rate of 350,000 activations per day the entire country of Greece could be using Android exclusively in a month's time. In comparison it would take the state of California just 124 days.

For now, RIM and Apple ship more devices per quarter than any single Android manufacturer in the US. Given the tremendous carrier subsidies and rock bottom pricing for budget $99 Android tablets, this is an impressive feat. Over time HTC looks to be in the best position to challenge Waterloo and Cupertino, but for now they can remain cautiously optimistic. Now it's time to deliver your own predictions. How long until HTC, Motorola, Samsung, or LG ships more Android devices per quarter than Apple or RIM?

via YouTube

Mozilla Web App Store ready to battle Google Chrome

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 05:50 PM PST

Most people only think of Mozilla in the context of web browsers. Apparently the team is a little more ambitious than we previously suspected. Today, the first developer release of Mozilla's new Web App Store was unveiled. As a direct competitor to Google's Chrome Web App Store, the battle begins in 2011.

If you're planning to develop applications for the new Mozilla Web App Store you'll need to polish up on your Javascript and HTML 5. Luckily, Mozilla is here to get you started with the manifest specification, new browser APIs and a tutorial on how to build a store. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. If that's true this video should be worth a cool billion.

The video certainly opens the doors for numerous possibilities with web apps. With one tap you can move your apps to your mobile phone, selectively share your contacts with any website regardless of which address book you use, and use web apps as widgets.

Anyone else suddenly interested in web app development? Mozilla or Chrome, how do you choose? Learn more here.

via Geeky Gadgets

Apple still on track for 40 million iPads shipped in 2011

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 05:13 PM PST

Let's face it, the world loves the iPad. With 15 million units sold in 2010, 2011 looks to be bigger than ever. Industry insider DigiTimes reported on Friday that Apple is still on track to produce and ship roughly 40 million tablets in 2011. With first quarter estimates in the neighborhood of 6.5 million iPads, let's take a look at their complete forecast.

The life of an industry insider certainly has its fair share of perks. Notorious for unraveling Apple's biggest secrets, DigiTimes has confirmed Apple ordered approximately two million iPads in January before beginning iPad 2 production. During this quarter, forecasts estimate another three million iPads to be shipped of the newer, second-generation model. In total, this brings us near the 6.5 million mark the site claims.

Production really gets wild in the second quarter when Apple will reportedly ship 10 to 12 million units. With a strong sales forecast, the second half of 2011 will add in another 21.5 to 24 million units for a grand total of 40 million iPads in 2011. With the strong competition from Android coming in the second half of 2011 these estimates might be a little overzealous, however rumors have surfaced that Apple might introduce the iPad 3 before year end.

Now that you've heard the numbers, how accurate do you expect the forecasts? CES 2011 was loaded with Android tablets. Given the iPad 2 pricing, can Apple continue to ship a tremendous volume of tablets in spite of lower cost competition?

via BGR

Can the Nexus S contend with the dual-core Atrix and Optimus 2X?

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 04:55 PM PST

So you've been eying a shiny new dual-core Android smartphone have you? Well the Motorola Atrix and the LG Optimus 2X are certainly excellent choices, but do these phones deliver the goods or would we be better off riding the mobile highway with Google's flagship Nexus S? Let's find out.

Our friends at androidandme.com have put together an excellent collection of CPU and GPU benchmark for a wide variety of Android smartphones. Included in their testing were the Atrix, Optimus 2X, Nexus S, G2, Nexus One and original Motorola Droid. In order to create a fair environment, each device was loaded with the latest firmware — the Nexus One and Nexus S used Android 2.3.3 while the remaining contestants used Android 2.2.1.

Out of the seven benchmarks the LG Optimus 2X walked away with top honors in five tests. In comparison the Motorola Atrix finished fourth, third, first, second, third, third, and first in the same seven benchmarks. The real shock came from the Nexus S. Despite the lack of a dual-core Tegra 2 chipset, the Nexus S was always a contender in testing, finishing: second, fifth, third, second, second, fifth, fourth.

Despite the more powerful dual-core chips in the Atrix and Optimus 2X, the Nexus S managed to remain competitive in testing. The wrap up really brought the dual-core smartphones into perspective,

I expect the Nexus S will continue to be competitive for the rest of 2011 thanks to it always having the latest version of Android. Look for Tegra 2 (and other dual-core CPUs) to take the lead in the second half of this year as the software catches up to the hardware.

Now that a verdict has been rendered has the shelf life of your Nexus S suddenly extended? To dual-core or not to dual-core, that is the question.

via androidandme

Motorola Xoom back to £450: flash support available at launch?

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 04:32 PM PST

When the Motorola Xoom goes on sale in the UK this April we might be in for a treat. According to Rob Ford of FWA, flash support at launch is all but set in stone. Even better, PC World has released a 10 percent off coupon code, returning the Xoom to it's originally announced price of £450.

Talk about a great way to start off the weekend. Over on Robert Ford's twitter feed he made it very clear, "XOOM will hit the UK first week in April and will have Flash pre-installed". A release date and confirmation of unadulterated web access at launch, yahtzee!

Meanwhile after a bit of a snafu at PC World it appears the originally announced pre-order price of £450 is back on track. Simply use the 10 percent off coupon code "HARDWARE10" at checkout and you should be good to go.

In related Motorola news, Motorola Mobility just invested in game publisher Moblyng. After this week's webtop announcement, it appears Motorola has an eye for software these days. With Moblyng's strong Android portfolio, this should prove to be quite an interesting investment.

Coming April | PC World | £450 WiFi-only

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 price drop hinted, the death of IE6 and NFC gets a boost: Teatime Tech

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 10:10 AM PST

It’s the end of the working week, but there’s one more thing to do before you leave your desk: chomp down on all the latest headlines from this afternoon. Ready? Let’s do this thing.

First up, let’s talk tablets. News Corp has been serving up some interesting data on its litmus testing The Daily subscription iPad mag, claiming many more customers than we expected. Samsung meanwhile appears to be evaluating the Galaxy Tab 10.1 Android Honeycomb tablet in light of the iPad 2 – could a price cut lie ahead?

Elsewhere, we’re witnessing the death of one landmark bit of tech, Internet Explorer 6, with Microsoft itself now officially urging everyone to stop using it and upgrade already. But we’re welcoming the birth of something new too, with NFC: Verifone says it’s going large on the contactless payment tech, and soon.

Still want more news? Roll on over to the homepage and help yourself to it all as it breaks!

Microsoft: “Friends don’t let friends use Internet Explorer 6″

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 08:43 AM PST

In an effort to drive down the number of people who still use Internet Explorer 6, Microsoft has launched The IE6 Countdown, a site dedicated to mapping IE6 usage across the world. One in four still use IE6, despite it being so outdated that it can have trouble rendering pages properly, and often widgets just don’t work.

Microsoft says it is “committed to reducing IE6 share as quickly as possible”, with the ultimate aim of reducing the market share of IE6 to less than 1% from the 12% it is now. The UK is on its way, with just 3.5% of the UK using IE6. It’s entertaining to see that IE6 users have been branded charity cases, with Microsoft referring to them as a “cause”. Microsoft says: “Friends don't let friends use Internet Explorer 6.”

www.theie6countdown.com

Verifone goes all out on NFC: Will this take it mainstream?

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 08:29 AM PST

NFC (near field communication), in case you missed the memo, is all the rage in mobile these days. It’s natively supported in Android 2.3, Samsung’s putting it in its cheapo feature phones and patent applications suggest Apple could join the party with the iPhone 5. The thing is, contactless payment tech is all good and well, but what’s the point when no shops support it?

That’s where Verifone steps in. One of the world’s biggest payment companies, it’s just revealed that all of its new payment machines will come with NFC support built in. Can anyone say critical mass?

In an interview with NFC World, Verifone CEO Douglas Bergeron revealed that NFC support will be rolled out in “in all its new point-of-sale hardware”, meaning it no longer needs to be a question of whether shopkeepers have to opt in – the tech will be there ready and waiting for them when they’re ready. Clinton Cards, Thornton’s, Costa Coffee and the London Underground are some of the big names in UK business that currently use Verifone payment systems.

“The retail point of sale represents a point of convergence for smartphone-initiated payments, social networking and electronic couponing, but it won’t happen if retailers are expected, on faith, to absorb the costs of making it work,” he said.

High street food chains McDonalds, Pret A Manager and Eat already have NFC equipment set up in stores, while Tesco is reported to be rolling out NFC gear within six months.

Yesterday, Verifone director of marketing for EMEA Tony Saunders told Wired.co.uk however that he expected NFC to make the big time next year, rather than 2011. “There’s not enough noise in the media around NFC, not enough excitement at a consumer level. It might be nearer the end of the year, but if I was putting money on it, it’d be early 2012.”

Frankly, it can’t come soon enough, and we can’t wait to start hopping on the bus with a wave of our Nexus S – hopefully, this will help usher this bright new era in.

Out TBC | £TBC | NFC World (Via Slashgear)

Celebrity tech endorsements you shouldn’t trust

Posted: 04 Mar 2011 07:55 AM PST

Celebrities and tech have a rocky relationship. Time and again they're wheeled out to support one gizmo or another, but do they really care, or even know about the product they're fronting? Here are a few celebrities whose tie-ins have us less than convinced.

If you want to jump to read about a particular celeb and their tech, just use the table of contents.

1. Will.i.am – Nokia/BlackBerry/Intel
2. Lady Gaga – Polaroid
3. Bono – Apple/BlackBerry
4. Stephen fry – everything
5. Take That – Samsung
6. Kevin Spacey – Olympus
7. Dead celebrities: Bob Marley and John Lennon
8. Diplo – BlackBerry

1. Will.i.am – Nokia/BlackBerry/Intel

Back in 2008, the Black Eyed Peas frontman was fronting Nokia's now defunct Comes With Music download service, saying what the Big N's approach to music meant to him. Well clearly not very much, as the service died, and he jumped ship to BlackBerry to extol the virtues of its PlayBook, even featuring the tablet in one of his music videos. And now he's on the payroll at Intel as "director of creative innovation," supposedly to work on the development of "new technologies, music and tech advocacy." But first he's reworking its iconic jingle. Well.we.never.

2. Lady Gaga – Polaroid

The camera giant recently appointed the eccentric popstrel its creative director, tasking her with designing a range of printers, camera and camera glasses, under its Grey Label umbrella. The products are aimed to "enable creativity for all, celebrate artistry, and make sharing instantaneous across the physical and digital." Hyperbole aside, the glasses are actually quite cool, letting you pap people then show their picture on the LCDs on the lenses. We're still pretty dubious as to the tie-in, but as long as it produces products as innovative this, who cares?

3. Bono – Apple/BlackBerry

Famously pally with Steve Jobs (who sold him his apartment in New York's San Remo building), Bono even endorsed a special U2 iPod. When BlackBerry ponied up sponsorship for U2's massive World Tour though, he turned his back on Apple, instead backing RIM's competing smartphone in ads, apps and with branding all over the band's sell-out stadium concerts. This is the man, lest we forget, who preaches about climate change and global poverty then flies his favourite trilby first class to Italy, so self-awareness doesn't really come into it.

4. Stephen Fry – everything

Once referred to as "a stupid person's idea of a clever person," perhaps Fry is a non-techie's idea of a tech-lover: avuncular and slightly bumbling. The thing is, he's admitted he's addicted to tech, once saying he owned every smartphone ever made. Seen at the launch of the iPad, Windows Phone 7, Nokia store openings, numerous awards ceremonies… tech evangelism is one thing, but is there anything he won't endorse?

5. Take That – Samsung

As part of the tour sponsorship each member of the manband was holding a Samsung Galaxy Tab at a press conference back in October. "You seem to be enjoying your little bits there," said the moderator of the press conference. "Tell us about the link up with Samsung."

Staring at his Galaxy Tab, newly returned member Robbie Williams said, "Samsung is great. And we've always done it. It is the best ones. And they love us. And it's important that we do singing, and then put these with us," while next to him Mark Owen giggled like a little girl.

Well at least they didn't try to be convincing.

6. Kevin Spacey – Olympus

"I just want to write my number on life's arm and say hey – call me." Yes, that's how Kevin Spacey bigged up the first generation Olympus PEN camera in a series of adverts. Among his other fist-bitingly cringeworthy quips was this little gem: "Have you ever taken a picture that looks like a memory? That hurts every time you look at it? That does that hurty thing, right here…?" Can't say we have, Kev.

7. Dead celebrities: Bob Marley and John Lennon

The estates of both have put their late relatives' names to tech products. From the "House of Marley" iPod docks and headphones, to John Lennon's image being used to promote the very worthy One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) programme. It's not that we're against the latter. Maybe Lennon would've gone for it himself, but it just seems a bit unsavoury promoting something using the image of the deceased.

8. Diplo – BlackBerry

"I can't believe people are actually paying me to travel around the world, collect new influences, build new sounds with different artists," says the discoverer of M.I.A. at the start of a BlackBerry Torch advert. It's a remarkably frank admission, and sums up what everyone watching the ad must be thinking too. We see an insight into his busy life, globe-hopping while he mumbles on about instant messaging, sounding (and dressing) more like a salesman at Carphone Warehouse than a super producer. At one point he even uses the handset to push the fader on his mixer, setting the bar pretty high for lameness in endorsements. And as for knowledge of the product, he doesn't say one thing in the ad that couldn't be applied to every other smartphone available.

Still, nice to know that the glamorous life of an international music superstar, with all the money and fame, is no compensation for being a complete bore.