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HTC Desire S released, HP mystery smartphone, BlackBerry Torch 2: US Update
Acer Iconia A500: get your Android Honeycomb tablet on the cheap
Say hello to the BlackBerry Torch 2 [photo]
Can you name this mysterious HP smartphone? [photo]
Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo delayed until July, Xperia Play and Arc supply limited
HTC Desire S lands in black on Orange, silver for T-mobile UK
HTC Desire S review, Virtua Tennis 4 and Angry Birds expands: Teatime Tech
HTC Desire S review
Sites We Like: Calvin & Hobbes specific search, DropBox music streaming and Barbara Streisand!
Virtua Tennis 4 preview

HTC Desire S released, HP mystery smartphone, BlackBerry Torch 2: US Update

Posted: 08 Apr 2011 04:46 PM PDT

Let's get that weekend started off right with a morning dose of tech news. In today's US Update we focus on smartphones, but throw in a taste of tablets before we close shop. On today's agenda is the HTC Desire S, updates on the Xperia Neo, a mystery HP smartphone, the BlackBerry Torch 2 and even the Acer Iconia A500. Let's begin shall we?

Both Orange UK and T-mobile UK are now selling the HTC Desire S. Both carriers are offering the smartphone for free on plans of £35 a month, but you'll need to decide whether you want the silver or black flavor. Sony Ericsson has updated the status of the Xperia Neo. The smartphone will now be released in July and the Xperia Play and Arc will suffered from supply constraints.

We've spotted a mysterious HP smartphone code named Stingray. We need your help tracking down details about this smartphone and if possible, more photos. In another image leak, we have the first shot of the upcoming BlackBerry Torch 2. This second-generation Torch has a high-resolution display and double the processing power of the original, find out more here.

Last up this morning is an official announcement for the Acer Iconia A500 Android Honeycomb tablet. Packing the same internals as the Motorola Xoom, but a cheaper price tag, will this tablet steal the shine from Motorola? That wraps up your week in tech news. As always I'm Nick Marshall and I'll see you again on Monday.

Acer Iconia A500: get your Android Honeycomb tablet on the cheap

Posted: 08 Apr 2011 04:36 PM PDT

The first wave of Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets to hit the mark of "affordable" price territory is upon us. Earlier this morning Best Buy announced the Acer Iconia Tab A500, a close cousin to the Acer Transformer, will be headed to the states on April 24th with pre-orders kicking off next week (April 14th). Priced at $449, the Iconia A500 looks to be positioned at the would-be Motorola Xoom audience, but will they bite?

Let's trim the fat. The Iconia A500 packs a 10.1 inch display running at 1280 x 800 just like the Motorola Xoom. It also matches the Xoom with a 2-megapixel front facing camera and 5-megapixel rear shooter. Inside you have the same Tegra 2 processor, 1 GB of RAM and stock Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system. Bottom line, this is identical to the Xoom, but will only be offered in a WiFi flavor.

How will the Motorola Xoom fare when tablet buyers are shown the more affordable Acer Iconia A500? Does the brand make the tablet or is value your highest priority? Sound off.

If you're having trouble answering these questions stay tuned as we unveil our Motorola Xoom review next week to help make the decision a breeze.

April 24 | Acer | $449 [via DroidLife]

Say hello to the BlackBerry Torch 2 [photo]

Posted: 08 Apr 2011 04:19 PM PDT

Let's hope the second generation BlackBerry Torch outshines the first. In an exclusive leak by our main man BGR, we are pleased to bring you the first-ever photo of the BlackBerry Torch 2. The hybrid BlackBerry has seen a major overhaul in the specs department and word on the street is it "offers a great experience". Here's the scoop:

Under the hood of the BlackBerry Torch 2 is a 1.2 GHz processor, doubling the power of its predecessor (624 MHz). One of the biggest complaints with the original Torch was the pixel density, thankfully RIM has addressed this issue by doubling the resolution. Other than the upgraded display and processor bump, the exterior of the phone remains the same.

Outside of its physical attributes, the biggest improvement to the upcoming Torch 2 might be BlackBerry OS 6.1. The combination of a fresh new OS and upgraded hardware should be enough to win over the most stringent BlackBerry faithfuls. Now the important detail, a release date. According to BGR the initial Q3 ETA has now been bumped up to a May announcement followed by a July release.

Any BlackBerry Torch owners in the room ready for a refined Torch 2? Let us know where you stand.

via PocketNow

Can you name this mysterious HP smartphone? [photo]

Posted: 08 Apr 2011 04:02 PM PDT

No it's not the HP Veer or HP Pre3 announced earlier this year. In fact we aren't quite sure what the name of this mysterious HP smartphone could be — which is why we need your help. Our friends over at precentral.net received a photo of this unnamed smartphone this morning and other than a few rumored specs, we're a bit dumbfounded by the glamour shot.

With a lone photo to go by, this is the extent of our research. The unnamed HP smartphone appears to be touchscreen-only, a first for a webOS handset. The screen resolution is believed to be WVGA (480×800) and up top there's a front-facing camera (or possibly a proximity sensor?). For now the only codename we have to go by is "Stingray".

From the looks of things this HP smartphone takes its styling from the upcoming HP TouchPad tablet due out this summer. Is this simply a prototype of a smaller tablet or is this a full-fledged smartphone designed around the future of webOS? Feel free to chime in with your insight or even better, supporting evidence. We'll definitely need your help to identify this mysterious HP smartphone, thanks.

via precentral.net

Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo delayed until July, Xperia Play and Arc supply limited

Posted: 08 Apr 2011 03:45 PM PDT

In the wake of the devastating effects of the earthquakes in Japan, Sony Ericsson has provided some insight on how the future may play out for its Xperia smartphone range. In a statement issued on the company's Italian Facebook page, SE announced the release of the Xperia Neo has been reset for July. Meanwhile the Xperia Play and Arc have not been delayed, but supply constraints will impact availability.

As parent company Sony Corp. enjoys the success of the PSP, Sony Ericsson is unfortunately struggling to bring their handset division back into the lime light. The two handsets which captured our interest at CES and MWC this year just so happened to be the Play and Arc from their Xperia line. Following the earthquakes, Sony Ericsson was forced to reorganize its supply chain and sourcing of components.

The Xperia Neo release date is now July, with a full-scale launch set for early Q3 2011. There were no specifics mentioned as to how significant the supply constraints would impact the Xperia Play and Arc, but we'd recommend securing a unit now rather than later.

On behalf of the entire staff at Electricpig, our hearts go out those impacted by the tragic events in Japan.

via UnwiredView

HTC Desire S lands in black on Orange, silver for T-mobile UK

Posted: 08 Apr 2011 02:43 PM PDT

Hopefully you've had a chance to check out our HTC Desire S review, now it's time to tell you where to pick up your own. Orange UK started the morning by announcing Desire S availability in all of their UK retail stores. T-mobile UK quickly followed with their exclusive silver version, also available in stores, telesales and online.

Let's begin with Orange UK. If you're eying the black model, Orange UK has you covered with a free Desire S on £35 a month price plans for both business and consumer customers. As the first Android device from HTC that supports Signal Boost and packs a wide range of Signature services such as Orange Mail and Orange Maps, this is shaping up to be quite the deal.

T-mobile UK is offering the silver HTC Desire S, an exclusive color offering, for free on plans from £35/month, comprising 900 minutes, 500 texts, internet and a Flexible Booster. Since the two carriers formed Everything Everywhere Limited, covering 28 million people as UK's biggest mobile communications company, it all comes down to color preference.

So what's it going to be – a free black or silver HTC Desire S?

Out Now | T-mobile UK Orange UK | Free

HTC Desire S review, Virtua Tennis 4 and Angry Birds expands: Teatime Tech

Posted: 08 Apr 2011 09:53 AM PDT

Stop the clock – it’s the end of the working week. Grab your bag and get ready to head out of the door, but before you do, take a look at today’s top stories, here in your teatime tech roundup.

First up, let’s talk mobile. On the Android side of things, we set loose our review of HTC’s latest and greatest, the Desire S. Or is it? You’ll have to read it to find out. We also peeped a few screens showing off HP’s sexy TouchPad software, while a new report surfaced suggesting the iPad 2 has caused delays to RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook.

Over in gaming meanwhile, Angry Birds Rio conquered yet another smartphone platform, arriving on webOS, and we got an in depth look at Virtua Tennis 4 ahead of its release.

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

HTC Desire S review

Posted: 08 Apr 2011 09:36 AM PDT

The HTC Desire S, like the Incredible S before it, feels like a bit of a rush job – it’s using HTC’s cookie cutter Android smartphone specs in a slightly different shell, and the company’s clearly got something massive up its sleeve for next week. So is it worthy of your attention? Its metal unibody shell certainly begs for it – get the lowdown right here in our HTC Desire S review.

Design and build

We’ll be honest: we were taken aback by the success of the original HTC Desire last year. We expected the far more attractive HTC Legend to grab eyeballs and wallets, but for some reason the cheap, purple plastic Desire proved the real hit.

While the Desire S is clearly its relative, we’re happy to say that HTC has infused it with the HTC Legend’s unibody design skills this time around, and as a result it looks stunning, with smooth curves and a cool to the touch surface that’s surprisingly resistant to fingerprints.

See the best HTC Desire S deals now

It’s not the thinnest phone on the block at 11.63mm thick, but it’s certainly the sturdiest: since it’s been carved out of aluminium, MacBook Pro style, there’s absolutely no give or creaking no matter how tight you squeeze it.

And HTC’s design hasn’t required any compromises on port placement: the headphone socket is on the top along with an easy to press screen lock button, while a micro USB charger sits on the left hand side.

There’s even a front facing camera you can use for video chats or taking snaps. In fact, our only issue is that pulling the back plate off to get at the battery is an enormous struggle – it’s a good thing you won’t need to do it often.

To be clear, we don’t think the HTC Desire S will stand the same tests as the invincible Motorola Defy – we suspect it could chip with a hard enough knock – but in day to day use it feels reassuringly polished.

Screen

It’s remarkable how HTC has moved from a leader in screen technology to lagging behind rivals. Samsung yanking the plug on its AMOLED screen supply is the reason, and we’re still feeling the loss of it here, gazing at a plain old LCD screen that’s plenty sharp (800×480 pixels spread over 3.7-inches) but simply nowhere near as vibrant as the panel on the original Desire. Samsung and Apple continue to lead the way in this area, but we’d certainly still give the Desire S due consideration, because its Android modification is so impressive.

Check out our best Android phone Top 5 here

What really surprises us though is that the HTC Desire S feels too small now, if anything. It won’t be an issue for anyone coming from an iPhone, but for those who’ve used a four-inch smartphone over the last year, we’re sure they’ll miss the real estate for reading, gaming, video viewing and typing. As a result, it’s hard to recommend the Desire S over its equally specced bigger brother, the HTC Incredible S.

HTC Sense

The HTC Desire S is one of the first phones out of the blocks running Android 2.3, along with the Google Nexus S, Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc and Xperia Play, and the core experience is similar to these phones: Google’s killer apps like Gmail and Maps, as well as awesome extra features such as the ability to stream Flash video, and turn your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot free of charge. In other words, you’re in for a treat.

Truth be told though, the Android 2.3 update offers very little to the table that HTC Sense on Android 2.2 on the Incredible S doesn’t – bar an ability to reorganise your apps in various ways, they’re almost identical, in fact. Of course, it’s no bad thing to be future proofed with the latest build of Android: you can read about HTC’s custom apps and redesigned UI in detail over on our HTC Incredible S review. In short, it won’t please Android purists – especially HTC’s worse for wear keyboard – but for your man on the street after an easy to use iPhone alternative, it’s superb.

Power and performance

HTC’s used almost identical innards to its recent triumphs, the HTC Desire HD and Incredible S, inside the Desire S. We’ve noted before that HTC’s line up is starting to look increasingly blurred, but it’s no bad thing at the top end of the line up, we suppose: it just means they’re all blazingly fast.

The best HTC phone Top 5

The Desire S’ second generation 1GHz Snapdragon CPU keeps things ticking over very nicely thank you, and its healthy 768MB of RAM helps you multitask without too much st-stutter. Battery life could be better though: we’re not sure why but the larger HTC Incredible S seems to run for slightly longer on a charge. It’s enough to get you through a day of moderate use, calling, surfing and sucking in email continuously, but it’s nothing to write home about.

Camera

HTC’s now traditional five megapixel camera makes another appearance in the Desire S, for better or worse. Performance in daylight is satisfactory, though as ever you shouldn’t put much faith in the LED flash in low light. Video recording meanwhile tops out at 720p resolution, though in reality footage didn’t appear quite so crisp, and not so smooth either.

Verdict

There’s a lot to love about the HTC Desire S: it’s beautiful inside and out, with a solid software experience. We must admit however that we’re not sure who it’s for: original Desire owners will prefer the raw power, potential and screen size of HTC’s larger phones, while the Wildfire S handles things on the affordable end – and then of course there’s the HTC Sensation/Pyramid right around the corner.

If you’re after a smaller phone with the same experience however, you’ll absolutely love it – just know that small digits would be the only reason to downgrade.

Sites We Like: Calvin & Hobbes specific search, DropBox music streaming and Barbara Streisand!

Posted: 08 Apr 2011 08:24 AM PDT

There’s less than an hour of today’s official work day left and that means it’s time for us to deploy our weekly burst of timewasting – Sites We Like. In this week’s episode we’ve got a way of streaming your tunes whatever the office IT bod tells you, a means of generating a novelty hit featuring your own name, a Calvin & Hobbes search engine and much more. Read on to start messing about…

Recommended by Ben Sillis

DropTunes

While it’s not exactly as useful as Spotify, this clever website will certainly come in handy for anyone wanting to listen to their music even on a work computer without admin controls. It’s simply an easy way to play music files stored in your DropBox, complete with track controls. Why bother with Last.fm when you can listen to your own music collection from anywhere?

Recommended by Chris Elmer of Active Dad

Go Barbra

Everyone on Facebook has been recommending this to me. At first I was waiting for Barbra Streisand’s voice! I’m old and didn’t know the original song (watch it here). I’ve heard it now week so I get why this is cool now!

Recommended by: Stephen Ebert

Oh No They Didn’t

I have a confession. I morbidly enjoy catching up on the latest celebrity ‘news’. I don’t know why, I just do. But you won’t find my head buried inside Hello! magazine, I’m after the controversial stuff, and photos and videos of A-Z list celebs being caught out or doing/saying things they shouldn’t. Oh No They Didn’t is updated with alarming regularity with all manner of celebrity stories including the latest feuds. It’s where I first heard of Britney’s buzz cut and umbrella-armed paparazzi rampage way back when.

Recommended by Mic Wright

Calvin & Hobbes search engine

Sure Google is the most useful search engine but it isn’t my favourite. The one that makes me smile when I’m sweating over a hot keyboard (not like that!) is the Calvin & Hobbes search engine which allows you to search the hundreds of strips for any word you fancy. Did you know there are three Calvin & Hobbes strips that mention the word weasel?

Virtua Tennis 4 preview

Posted: 08 Apr 2011 07:43 AM PDT

Virtua Tennis 4 is the latest edition in the legendary gaming franchise, now sporting PlayStation Move and Microsoft Kinect motion controls and an overhauled World Tour mode just in time for Wimbledon 2011. Could the new features make Virtua Tennis 4 the best in the series yet? We took a swing at it ahead of release later this month: check out our preview to find out what we made of it.

Like most sports titles the Virtua Tennis series is now one of those we’ve grown used to seeing crop up regularly with new additions and tweaks. And like many they begin to feel a tad stale.

With Virtua Tennis 4, developer Sega hopes that trend will be bucked, at least slightly, by sprinkling it with PlayStation Move and Microsoft Kinect fairydust. The World Tour mode has also been refined to deliver a deeper experience with a hint of RPG-influence about it. Mini-games are once again a key fixture. PS3 and Xbox 360 versions get their own exclusive mini-game, one of which we got to test out.

YouTube link

Strangely enough, the addition of motion controls is not the biggest change here. Virtua Tennis 4 feels immediately different to any of its previous. Gone is the arcadey back and forth pong-like rally gameplay in favour of a more measured approach.

Sega has gone for a simulation feel this time around. It now takes longer to swing your racket to connect with the ball – making positioning more important than ever. Continually mistime and you’ll be a set down quicker than you can say “new balls please.”

Previous Virtua Tennis games guaranteed rally after rally on nearly every point: Virtua Tennis 4 does not. It takes some getting used to, but no longer can a Virtua Tennis title be accused of playing like its predecessors: we’d argue that Virtua Tennis has edged into the realm of what some would call a ‘proper’ tennis game.

The button layout remains familiar – you get one each for slices, forearms and lobs, yet gameplay manages to feel deeper – owing to how more important each shot now is, and when you decide to play them.

See our best PS3 games Top 5

Rally long enough and you gain the opportunity to launch a power shot that the opposing player has little chance of returning. It’s a welcome reward for playing well that doesn’t let you forget that this is after all, a Virtua Tennis title that hasn’t forgotten its roots as a pick up and play series.

As usual, many of the world’s best players are playable. They include Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams, Ana Ivanovic and Britain’s Laura Robson, among many more.

The cream in Virtua Tennis 4′s bowl of strawberries looks to be the overhauled World Tour mode. As usual you play singles and doubles matches all over the world. The emphasis is on building a character from scratch, totting up their stats as you progress.

As you do so you’ll be able to purchase new rackets and shoes, each with their own abilities, such as being able to improve your shot accuracy, or quicken your footwork around the court. Your character has a number of XP points that increase depending on how many matches you win. This constantly builds up, adding an RPG-like feel to player progression.

See our best Xbox games

Decreasing the feel of linearity is a series of publicity events. Taking part in autograph-signing sessions increases the player’s chances of getting invited to the big-name tennis tournaments, as Sega looks to make World Tour feel like a proper career mode.

Even the famous Virtua Tennis mini-games have their use. Each is designed to build up a certain skill. Perform well enough in them and watch your player’s skill points rise.

For many, the mini-games will be the best part of Virtua Tennis. Available in Party Play or during the World Tour, the charming personality of the series once again shines through them.

From forcing you to rally in wind tunnel-like conditions to keeping a line of hatching eggs safe, to playing hot potato with a tennis ball bomb – the variety of mini-games mean they rarely stop being fun.

We also played an Xbox 360-exclusive mini-game called Mummy Attack in which the aim is to stop bandaged mummies from advancing towards the net and capturing a piece of treasure by aiming shots at them. We loved Mummy Attack.

What about these motion controls? Virtua Tennis 4 is the series first experiment with them. The result is bittersweet.

Whether you’re playing using Microsoft Kinect or PlayStation Move, you’re forced to play on-rails in first-person view as the computer does the running for you. So, no, you won’t be able to watch Andy Murray’s hand movements reimposed on yours in 1:1 fashion as you would see them recreated in, say Kinect Sports, or table Tennis in PlayStation Move game Sports Champions. It’s a tremendous disappointment, but play on and they motion controls still work well.

We were pleasantly surprised to discover not a great deal of difference when comparing both Kinect and Move gameplay. Both require you to tilt your hand or Move controller at the same angles you would when performing a shot such as a slice, forehand or backhand for real, with good accuracy, it has to be said.

During our playthrough we managed to play the shots we wanted to, and place them where we attempted most of the time. As you’d figure, the Move version feels less silly to play, but in terms of gameplay there is actually little difference here.

However, for those that don’t yet know, here’s a bombshell. Motion controls will not work in World Tour mode – only in exhibition, the mini-games and, we’re informed, online multiplayer.

The loss of motion controls in World Tour sounds like a big blow, and for a game that bills the addition of Kinect and Move motion controls as a marquee feature it is. However, deeper gameplay mixed with the fun-loving personality of Sega’s previous versions, suggest it will still prove to be the best in the series yet.

Out April 29 | £37.99| Sega