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HP Veer, Mass Effect 3, HTC Bliss: US Update
HTC Bliss: world’s first Android smartphone designed for women
Inspired by Goldilocks and a surfboard: The fascinating secrets behind the BlackBerry PlayBook
Microsoft Windows Phone 7 handset sales in question: 1.5m or 674,000?
Sony plays the blame game, claims Anonymous hacking group was behind PSN attack
Mass Effect 3 release date pushed back to early 2012
HP Veer 4G locks down its first release date, exclusively from At&t
iPhone tracking scandal: iOS update rolling out now
Intel Ivy Bridge revealed: Meet the power behind your next tablet
Dual-core showdown: Samsung Galaxy S 2 vs LG Optimus 2X

HP Veer, Mass Effect 3, HTC Bliss: US Update

Posted: 04 May 2011 04:44 PM PDT

Hot off the grill it's another edition of the US Update. I'm Nick Marshall and I'll be your tour guide as we travel through the top five tech stories of the day. On today's agenda is an update on the HP Veer release, an unfortunate twist for would-be Mass Effect 3 owners and a leak of the HTC Bliss, the world's first Android smartphone designed for women.

The smartphone the size of a credit card and no thicker than a deck of cards will be coming to At&t this month on May 15. By way of a press release this afternoon, the HP Veer 4G was confirmed as an exclusive for At&t customers in the U.S. along with two color choices: black and white. Casey Hudson, Mass Effect series executive producer, confirmed to GameSpot this morning Mass Effect 3, originally scheduled for Q4 2011 holiday season, will not be released until Q1 2012.

We finally have a party to blame for the Sony PSN outage: According to Sony, the Anonymous hacking group's DoS attack served as a distraction while a second group took control of its network. In January of this year, Microsoft announced more than 1.5 million units had been shipped since launching WP7 in October of 2010. Mobile-review's front man, Eldar Murtazin, believes this figure is nowhere near the truth — claiming only 674,000 units have been sold to date.

The HTC Bliss is a Verizon Android smartphone aimed at women in their 20s and 30s. With applications for shopping, calorie counting, a charm indicator and "calming wallpaper", the Bliss could be the perfect phone for that special woman in your life.

HTC Bliss: world’s first Android smartphone designed for women

Posted: 04 May 2011 04:33 PM PDT

Verizon and HTC have a new trick up their sleeve, targeted at the female demographic interested in joining the Android revolution. Introducing the HTC Bliss, a Verizon Android smartphone aimed at women in their 20s and 30s. What exactly makes the HTC Bliss the best smartphone a woman can buy?

According to thisismynext, the tech outfit responsible for leaking the first iPhone 5 render, the HTC Bliss features a greenish-gray rubber back, a color and texture Verizon's focus groups found very compelling to female users. The device itself will be "about a half centimeter thinner than the Desire Z", but will not feature a front-facing camera, only a rear-facing shooter.

At the software level, the HTC Bliss will feature applications for shopping, calorie counting and pretty much every other stereotypic function you'd expect "women" to enjoy. The apps will be coupled with "calming" device wallpaper which for now, may or may not be Sense related.

Other tidbits include an array of accessories: a charm indicator, wireless charging dock with built-in speakers, a matching Bluetooth headset and in-car square-shaped speakers that attach to a car visor and support voice recognition. The most interesting accessory is the charm indicator. The charm hooks to the Bliss like your traditional mobile accessory, but adds a twist — it lights up to indicate a new message or missed call. The actual design and concept was designed around a problem many women encounter as they search through a deep purse trying to find their phone — the charm indicator solves this.

Coming Soon | HTC | TBD

Inspired by Goldilocks and a surfboard: The fascinating secrets behind the BlackBerry PlayBook

Posted: 04 May 2011 04:19 PM PDT

'Is that it? Is it really done?'

As reactions go, it probably wasn’t what Todd Wood – BlackBerry’s most senior designer – had been dreaming of. But despite his employer’s initial response to the minimalist PlayBook – a rival to Apple’s iPad – the tablet is set to become the most important product in RIM’s history. It is pivotal to the company’s reputation – not to its bottom line…

As BlackBerry's equivalent to Jonathan Ive points out, ‘The hardware is the stage – the cinema before the show starts. It is the operating system, the liquid graphics display and the depth of colour that are the real stars. The industrial design is the supporting actor'.

In fact, the PlayBook’s exquisite-yet-minimal form is distinctive by its lack of, well, anything. There is no home button; no unnecessary flourishes. Says Wood, 'We wanted it to be a bit monolithic, similar to Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey'.

The result is that the PlayBook (unlike the iPad) could not be considered in or out of fashion. Instead, it is above fashion – an altogether more impressive look to pull off. Much of the design team's hard work remains unseen: 'We probably went through over 100 prototypes, sometimes made overnight using a 3D printer’ revealed Wood. ‘It was a bit like Goldilocks: not too hot, not too cold – just right.'

Having used the PlayBook for a couple of days, we’re impressed. But to be fair, it’s a little early to say whether BlackBerry will get its fairytale ending…

From a surfboard to a rice cooker: Todd Wood, BlackBerry's design guru, reveals the fascinating secrets behind the making of the PlayBook…

The reaction from BlackBerry was 'Is that it?'… “They said, 'Are you really done?' But remember, the hardware is the stage – the cinema before the show starts. Designing the form, we looked at things we always carried around, like a moleskin notebook. We liked the scale it of. We also looked at a DVD case and a paperback book. We thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if [the PlayBook] was thinner than a paperback’.”

We didn't use focus groups or hide behind a two-way mirror… “We engage users in discussion. We'll meet with pairs of people, friends. Two friends will forget you're in the room and start bantering. They'll speak their minds – it's a bit like sitting in the back of a car. Though it’s not always what they say, but what they do. They'll pick up a prototype, put it to their ear and start imaging using it. There's a natural attraction to the right design.”

“The hardware is the stage – the cinema before the show starts”

The PlayBook was inspired by a surfboard… “We started with a design storyboard. We imagine the ideal customer – normally we use a car as a reference but with the PlayBook we chose to use a surfboard by James Perse. We liked the elegant shape and the silver finish that made it look almost invisible when floating in water. It's one of those things that is paired down to the essentials and that lasts forever. We got to a simple form factor and reluctantly added details when necessary.”

Apple didn't invent the magnetic power connector… “When it came to connectors we looked at the minimum. We didn't try to change the world and introduce a proprietary connection, we went with the industry standard. With the magnetic power adaptor, we saw others using this type of connector but its origins actually lay in the home. My rice cooker has a magnetic connector for safety: when you move it, the connector will break away rather than spill the hot contents.”

We deliberately hid the most important features… “We heard that the makers of televisions spend a little bit more on speakers because it fosters the illusion that the display is better. If you spend an extra dollar on the display you won't notice any difference. But spend an extra dollar on the speakers and better sound makes all the difference to the experience as a whole.”

Microsoft Windows Phone 7 handset sales in question: 1.5m or 674,000?

Posted: 04 May 2011 04:06 PM PDT

Tracking down how many Windows Phone 7 handsets have been sold is a bit like figuring out how many licks to the center of a Tootsie pop. In January of this year, Microsoft announced more than 1.5 million units had been shipped since launching WP7 in October of 2010. Mobile-review's front man, Eldar Murtazin, believes this figure is nowhere near the truth — claiming only 674,000 units have been sold to date.

As a mobile enthusiast, you'll be quick to learn not all rumors are created equal. When Eldar Murtazin speaks, people usually listen – I happen to be one such person. After leaking reports that Nokia would choose Windows Phone 7 before any major publication, Murtazin's level of credibility with his rumors is at an all-time high.

According to Murtazin his information is fact and Microsoft is currently investigating an "internal leak" which revealed the sales data and since caused a "lot of fuss inside MS". To Microsoft's credit, many analysts believe the company's reported Windows Phone 7 handset shipments to be quite accurate, in the ballpark of two million units. It is entirely possible that both Microsoft and Eldar Murtazin are correct, millions of devices are being shipped, however only 25 percent are actually being sold.

However today's events unfold, there's one outcome with can almost guarantee — Microsoft will want to address these claims immediately. As consumers we'll be able to move one step closer to figuring out how many licks to the center of that WP7 Tootsie pop.

via WinRumors

Sony plays the blame game, claims Anonymous hacking group was behind PSN attack

Posted: 04 May 2011 03:41 PM PDT

With more than 100m angry Playstation owners looking for answers, Sony has reportedly located the one of the two parties responsible for its massive PSN security breach. Allegedly, the Anonymous hacking group began a denial-of-service (DoS) attack on Sony's network at the same time a second, possibly unrelated party, intruded its network and took control of millions of users data. The blame game has official begun, anyone care to guess who's next in line?

According to Sony, the Anonymous hacking group's DoS attack served as a distraction while a second group took control of its network. The source of Sony's accusations lies in a file the company claims it found while looking at one of its servers. Included in the file was the line, "we are legion", a phrase commonly used by the group.

Now that Sony has identified one of the two culprits in the PSN breach, what does this news mean for consumers? Is Sony hedging its bets before the class action lawsuits and fines take full swing? While we await additional details our PlayStation 3 will continue to collect dust, unable to game online, use Hulu Plus, Netflix or MLB.tv.

via BBC News

Mass Effect 3 release date pushed back to early 2012

Posted: 04 May 2011 03:22 PM PDT

Our hearts have been tingling ever since the Spike Video Game Awards when we saw our first glimpse of Mass Effect 3, by way of a one-minute trailer. Today the news is not quite so cheerful. GameStop is reporting Mass Effect 3, originally scheduled for Q4 2011 holiday season, will not be released until Q1 2012. As one of this year's heavy hitters, the battle for Earth will just have to wait a few more months.

Let's trim the fat and go straight to the source, Casey Hudson, Mass Effect series executive producer. "The development team is laser focused on making sure Mass Effect 3 is the biggest, boldest, and best game in the series, ensuring that it exceeds everyone’s expectations."

Since we'll be spending quite a bit of time together as we patiently await Mass Effect 3, let's do a quick overview of the third installment. Like its predecessor, players will take the role of Commander Shepherd, a space marine on the run from his former employer (Cerberus). With the planet Earth under siege by Reapers, it is our job to save the planet and travel the galaxy to rally support from alien civilizations.

Q1 2012 | Mass Effect 3 | TBD

HP Veer 4G locks down its first release date, exclusively from At&t

Posted: 04 May 2011 03:08 PM PDT

The smartphone the size of a credit card and no thicker than a deck of cards will be coming to At&t this month on May 15. By way of a press release this afternoon, the HP Veer 4G was confirmed as an exclusive for At&t customers in the U.S. along with two color choices: black and white. The fun kicks off in just 10 days with a cost of admission of $99 (60 GBP) on a 2-year contract.

We'll have to admit, following HP's big webOS event in early February, we didn't expect to hear news of a release for quite some time. Historically, Palm has failed to provide time lines for device launches, so the expectation for the HP Veer had been — it'll be here when it gets here. Alas, HP's bite-sized Veer smartphone is less than two weeks from launch (at least in the US).

Packing a 800 MHz processor and a 2.57-inch glass (320 x 400 pixel) display, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 8GB of storage, GPS and the latest version of webOS, this truly is the power in the Palm of your hand.

May 15 | HP | $99 (60 GBP)

iPhone tracking scandal: iOS update rolling out now

Posted: 04 May 2011 10:42 AM PDT

The iPhone tracking scandal – if you could call it a scandal – has been well and truly given closure. Apple’s iOS 4.3.3 update, which fixes what Apple says is a bug that saw location data being stored on the phone for your previous six months’ travels, then backed up on iTunes, is rolling out to all your iPhones, iPod touches and iPads. So, that’s that then – but expect location and privacy issues to rear their heads again soon as smartphones become more and more powerful, and services like Facebook Places, Foursquare and Google Latitude gain even more traction.

Intel Ivy Bridge revealed: Meet the power behind your next tablet

Posted: 04 May 2011 10:04 AM PDT

Intel’s just announced a huge breakthrough in CPU technology – and no, it’s not Will.i.am’s new jingle. That may not sound exciting, but the speed and power saving performance boosts it’ll give mean laptops, PCs, and even tablets and phones, are about to get even faster – and so quickly, that Intel is even pledging to move faster than Moore’s Law with future silicon. Read on and we’ll explain it all to you.

The processor – the beating heart inside every gadget you own – relies on packing as many transistors as possible onto one die. The more you can stuff in, the quicker your gizmo goes. The 2006 PlayStation 3 uses transistors that measure 60nanometres across inside its Cell processor, while a brand new 2011 iMac uses uses 32nm transistors found in the second gen Intel Core chips.

But until now, limitations have always meant that the transistors all had to be on the same plane. Intel’s new breakthrough, “Tri-Gate”, allows for gates to let current flow across three three sides of a transistor, not one: in effect Intel is stacking transistors on top of each other for the first time – building up to fit more rooms in, urban development style.

The upshot is that Intel is confident it’ll continue to move beyond the pace of the famous “Moore’s Law”, which says that the number of transistors that can be placed in a processor doubles every two years. So confident is the company that at a San Francisco press event today, Intel Fellow Mark Bohr said that Intel could “even improve” on his prediction, and double at a faster rate for years to come.

What can you expect? Intel’s next “Ivy Bridge” chips, stuffed with 22nm transistors (14nm ones will follow), will roll out as Intel Core processors at the end of the year, and you can bet that computers using them will. Be. Blazing. Intel also says that its Atom processors for netbooks and tablets will also benefit from the breakthrough – it’s possible that in a year or two, we could actually see Atom processors appearing in mobile devices and actually competing with ARM powered devices like most smartphones, or slates like the iPad 2. It’s the one area where Intel currently struggles, but with this technology safely patented, it could soon dominate there too.

Confused? Check out the video below. Yes, Bohr looks like he auditioned for Honey I Shrunk The Kids back in the 80s, but give the man a break – he’s a scientist, not a thesp. Now, when can we have an Ivy Bridge MacBook Pro?

Dual-core showdown: Samsung Galaxy S 2 vs LG Optimus 2X

Posted: 04 May 2011 08:36 AM PDT

In case you missed all the smartphone hubbub, a new breed of dual-core smartphones has landed. Leading the charge are the Samsung Galaxy S 2 and LG Optimus 2X, (the Motorola Atrix and HTC Sensation both land this month also) with competing slices of silicon racing away inside. Which one is better? You can read our in-depth reviews of each, but for the full head to head, read on right here.

Speed

You can find out how a dual-core processor works in our guide, but the Galaxy S 2 and Optimus 2X use competing double speed CPUs. Samsung’s is an in-house creation, an Exynos dual-core CPU clocked at a frightening 1.2GHz. LG meanwhile uses an Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core chip clocked at 1GHz – you may have previously seen it in a bunch of tablets, including the Advent Vega.

Both are blindingly fast, and the rival handsets can each snaffle down full HD, 1080p video. But which is the faster? If you want to get technically, you have to turn to the benchmarks. Samsung’s phone smashes all records with a stunning 3,166 score in Quadrant, while the Optimus 2X clocks in at 2,391 (By comparison, the Motorola Atrix scored 1844).

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S 2

Samsung Galaxy S 2: Set top box superpowers hiding inside

Software

Of course, numbers are only part of the story. Raw hardware power is wasted if it doesn’t have zippy software to go with it. The Samsung Galaxy S 2 doesn’t disappoint in this respect: while we can take or leave its pointless game and eReader hubs, its launcher and homescreens are stunningly fast. In testing, we never saw a glimpse of stutter, no matter how many apps we had paused in the background, or how many widgets we loaded each up with.

By contrast, in our LG Optimus 2X review, we noted that “LG's launcher has perceptible lag when swiping through homescreens, which is outrageous considering the horsepower inside.” Go to swipe to the next screen and you might just be left hanging, which is something you shouldn’t expect from a dual-core phone – and indeed don’t have to. That said, this problem is readily solved by installing the panacea that is LauncherPro, a free and incredibly fast launcher replacement. Of course, that’s one step not everyone purchasing the phone will know how to take.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S 2

Best Android apps of all time: Top 100

Display

While the LG Optimus 2X’ 4-inch screen is sharper on paper, stuffing in 800×480 pixels – the same resolution as on the Galaxy S 2′s larger 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen. But that’s not the whole story: for one, the increased number of sub-pixels on the Super AMOLED Plus panel of the Samsung smartphone compared to older Super AMOLED screensactually gives it a much sharper feel in reality, and outclasses the Optimus 2X even though it matches it on paper. It also produces far more vivid colours than the plain LCD on the Optimus 2X, even if LG’s phone has better visibility in direct sunlight.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S 2

Samsung Galaxy S 2: Brute force specs to blow your tiny mind!

Build

The Samsung Galaxy S 2 is the thinnest phone on the block right now, at an anorexic 8.49mm thick. We’re still baffled at how Samsung managed to shove everything inside such a non-existent chassis. It may not feel as premium as an iPhone, it certainly seems more rugged. And let’s face it, you may well drop something this thin.

That said, there’s still something to be said for the solid (not chunky) profile of the LG Optimus 2X. It’s a meaty mobile which people with huge hands will still dig.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S 2

Battery life

It’s actually a dead heat here. While you might expect a dual-core phone to suck down twice the power, that’s not actually the case, with both turning in all-day performance with Wi-Fi, GPS and Google account syncing turned on – something that can’t be said for the single core HTC Desire HD. The Samsung Galaxy S2 has a slightly higher capacity 1650mAh (as opposed to 1500mAh) battery to achieve this, but we can’t complain about the performance of either.

Winner: Draw

Overall winner: Samsung Galaxy S 2

No matter which way you slice it, the Samsung Galaxy S 2 is the winner here. It’s not just thinner, it’s faster, and packs a superior screen and software.