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HTC Eternity leaked: will it propel Windows Phone to greatness?
Hands-on with Olympus’ Pen E-P3: A retro camera with a high-tech twist!
Amazon to purchase two million touch panels, but is this too many?
HP webOS blueprint for success: how HP can win the tablet wars
Nintendo 3DS TV dated for the UK, RIM responds to a disgruntled employee, and Cut the Rope on Android Market: Lunchtime Lowdown
Cut the Rope hits Android Market, Amazon Appstore for Android
Panasonic launches limited edition Olympics range
Nintendo 3DS TV service coming to UK July 19th
RIM responds to disgruntled employee’s open letter

HTC Eternity leaked: will it propel Windows Phone to greatness?

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 09:58 AM PDT

Snapshots of an upcoming Windows Phone smartphone, dubbed the HTC Eternity, have surfaced this morning. The purported handset features a blockbuster list of specs, ready to compete with Android superstars such as the Samsung Galaxy S II and HTC Sensation. Will this be the smartphone that takes Windows Phone to the next level?

Windows Phone 7 is quietly building an app army. Reports released yesterday confirm that over the past month more than 5,000 applications have been added to the platform, bringing the grand total up to the 25,000 mark. On the application front, the case can be made that Windows Phone is at the least, a modest success.

Despite the advances in the Marketplace, Microsoft continues to lock down device hardware through its guidelines, though we'd like to call them mandates. As a result manufacturers have found difficultly differentiating smartphones. Imagine if Google required vanilla Android builds and enforced hardware guidelines. Much of Android's success can be attributed to technical firsts: the first 4G smartphone, first dual-core tablet and first dual-core smartphone.

Today's news of the HTC Eternity is a breath of fresh air. This alleged Windows Phone touts a 1.5 GHz single-core processor, 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash and 720p video recording, a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, 16GB of storage, DLNA, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS and a 1650 mAh battery. Before you dismiss the HTC Eternity for its lack of a dual-core processor, remember that processor alone is not a recipe for success. For hardware to reach its full potential it requires even better software.

Windows Phone 7 Mango is that better software. Upon release, Mango will address most, if not all, of Windows Phone's shortcomings. Video demonstrations and our hands-on time with an early build were more than enough to win our vote. A single-core 1.5 GHz processor might not sound like much in the world of Android, but its real-world performance running Windows Phone 7 Mango could be a game changer. This time of game changing, lightning fast performance is exactly what Microsoft needs to catapult WP7 to the next level.

In all likelihood, the HTC Eternity will not outsell the iPhone 4 or even the Samsung Galaxy S II, but it could certainly put Windows Phone 7 on the radar for Android users. With the irregularity of Android updates and only a promise from Google that things will change, having hardware guidelines maybe be Microsoft's greatest asset. Whether or not Microsoft is able to capture some of the Android market will depend on the effectiveness of its Mango roll out.

Hands-on with Olympus’ Pen E-P3: A retro camera with a high-tech twist!

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 09:19 AM PDT

Earlier this week, Olympus officially revealed its awesome new Pen range of Micro Four thirds cameras – a trio of record-breaking cameras kitted out with “the world’s fastest autofocus” for snappers with interchangeable lenses. The Pen E-P3, Pen Lite E-PL3 and Pen Mini E-PM1 are is part of Olympus’ grand plan to turn even the most pathetic amateur snapper into a master of the craft.

They’re ideal for those of you torn between a compact digital camera and a super-spec digital SLR. We’ve just been playing with the Pen E-P3, the flagship model, so come this way for our hands-on thoughts!

The gleaming new Pen range of Micro Four thirds cameras is what Olympus hopes could be a new SLR-walloping band of sharp shooters. Chief among them is the E-P3.

Like the rest of the range it’s tailor-made for "people that like to have fun with photography.” The idea is that amateur photographers can say good riddance to hum-drum washed-out shots, and hello to photos professional-looking enough to give David Bailey cold sweats. And not the good kind.

For a start, autofocus has been kicked up a notch. More autofocus points (35 in total) have been added to lend more oomph and accuracy to autofocus. The result is having to stand still for much less time standing around like a lemon when taking photos.

‘Full-time autofocus’ means that the E-P3 is constantly beavering away to focus on subjects as you shoot, without a as much as a tickle on its impressive battery life. Half a day’s use snapping 123 photos and recording 1080i HD 60fps video still left us with more than enough juice to play paparazzi.

In terms of weight, the E-P3 feels lighter and more compact than an SLR, but its muscular outer feels solid. It’s not quite the puny featherweight, but rest assured, a full days use with this lugged around your neck won’t leave you looking like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Rounded off by hefty metal strips the E-P3 feels like the Chuck Norris of Micro Four Thirds cameras. That doesn’t mean you should drop-test the E-P3. You wouldn’t dare trip Chuck Norris up now, would you? Colours will include: black, white and silver.

The rear end features a three-inch 610,000 dot resolution OLED touchscreen to preview photos in crystal clarity, fiddle camera settings, ISO, aperture, and whirl through your snaps with your pinkie. Because it’s an OLED display, it drinks up less juice than the LCD panels you’ll see on many of its peers. We imagine the E-P3 will cope perfectly well snapping close to over 200 shots in a full day’s use, with the odd spot of HD video recording.

Spec fans will find the E-P3 has a 12.3-megapixel sensor, and an ISO of 12800. We found the EP-3 certainly performed well even in eye-watering sunlight. Video records in 1080i HD as AVCHD or Motion JPEG formats, so you should have no trouble sharing your creations with the YouTube fraternity.

Two scroll wheels are also used to tweak aperture and the ISO settings, while the one on top is used to dive into the menus to select from the array of arty effects on offer, of which there are plenty – certainly enough to satisfy the wannabe pro the E-P3 has in its iron sights. These include: Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Light Colour, Light Tone, Grainy Film, Pinhole, Diorama, Cross Process, Gentle Sepia and Dramatic Tone Art Filters. All ten can be applied to both still shots and movies.

The Olympus E-P3 will launch in August, fetching around £799. We’ll be bringing you a review of the E-P3 in full soon. In the meantime, feast your peepers on some of our own sample shots using some of those art styles below…

Out August 2011 | £799 | Olympus

Pop Art

Pinhole

Diorama

Grainy film

Soft focus

Gentle sepia

Amazon to purchase two million touch panels, but is this too many?

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 07:47 AM PDT

Many have tried, many have failed. According to DigiTimes, Amazon has made the bold move of ordering between 1.5 and two million touch panels for its upcoming tablet line. Allegedly, the company plans to ship four million tablets by the end of 2011. While ambitious plans are commendable, we'd be remiss if we didn't question whether Amazon was overestimating demand?

As Edmund Burke once said, "those that don't know history are destined to repeat it". The first Google certified Android tablet to compete with the Apple iPad was the Honeycomb-powered Motorola Xoom. Despite better features and launching a month in advance of the iPad 2, Motorola only shipped 250,000 tablets during its first two months of availability. In contrast, the seven inch Samsung Galaxy Tab shipped a reported one million units during a similar time frame.

In the BlackBerry world, the PlayBook enjoyed between 450,000 and 500,000 shipments in its first quarter. Of those shipments between 250,000 and 300,000 units were actually sold to consumers. As the only BlackBerry tablet on the market, the PlayBook enjoyed a strong reception much like the Galaxy Tab.

Unlike the original Samsung Galaxy Tab, the Amazon tablet line will enter a crowded Android market. Gone are the days of being able to slap on any old build of Android and consider a device safe. In the case of the BlackBerry PlayBook, even as the only tablet available running the OS, future quarterly shipments will struggle to match the 500,000 mark.

Expecting to match Apple's target of 10 to 12 million quarterly iPad 2 shipments is a lofty goal — in fact, we'd say it's impossible. For an inaugural tablet, or in the case of Amazon — a tablet line, shipping millions of units out of the gate is unlikely. If history is any indication, Amazon's tablets will be deemed a success if shipments reach two million units in the first year. By ordering up to two million touch panels, Amazon may have secured enough inventory to cover production for the first year.

There is one other possibility for Amazon's purchase. Apple has a stronghold on many supply channels due to the iPad 2's overwhelming demand. Amazon may have made the touch panel purchase as a means of securing inventory for yearly production. So which is it? Has Amazon overestimated the demand for its tablet line or is the company just protecting itself from Apple-imposed supply constraints down the road?

HP webOS blueprint for success: how HP can win the tablet wars

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 06:55 AM PDT

The HP TouchPad has officially gone on sale this morning in the US. As you wait in preparation for the mid-July launch in the UK you're probably wondering, among other things, where webOS fits into the tablet space. With the Apple iPad commanding a sizable lead in market share, and despite a seemingly endless supply of Android competitors, how exactly can webOS become relevant? Here's our webOS blueprint for success.

1. Innovation
It begins and ends with differentiation. A game of catch up, while necessary at first, should not be part of HP's primary strategy. Instead, accept that Flash support and an impressive spec sheet will not win you the millions of sales you'd been hoping for and differentiate through innovation. Despite what you've read in some of its reviews, the HP TouchPad has many strengths. Two in particular are prime examples of HP's ability to innovate: touch-to-share and Touchstone.

HP has simply failed to market these features to the general public. Apple is the king of highlighting its innovation in TV adverts. HP should do the same. Create a series of commercials which focus on the truly unique aspects of webOS. These segments should be both informative and cheerful while at the same time poke a little fun at the competition.

For example, HP could create an ad for Touchstone titled 'Wired tablet charging? That's so 2009". A similar concept could be used for touch-to-share which downplays basic wireless synchronization and instead highlights the wireless sharing between the Palm Pre 3 and TouchPad.

2. License webOS
One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs can make is trying to do everything themselves. As strong and powerful as HP may be, real power is in numbers. Look no further than Google's Android OS and you'll realize that the only proven method of beating Apple in worldwide device activations is lining up dozens of manufacturers to produce hardware for your OS.

HP can continue to produce its TouchPad, similar to the way Google helps tailor its Nexus devices. The TouchPad doesn't need to be a success for webOS to succeed. There just needs to be more companies selling webOS tablets.

3. Apps
There's two ways to build an application library. Either offer incentives for developers to port existing applications to webOS or build out apps in house. A combination of these two options might be the most logical solution. Since developers need to see a sizable install base before dedicating resources to porting an application, HP will need an in-house developer team who will help expand its current library of 300 apps.

The focus of this in-house team should be building essential apps — remember, it's the quality not the quantity. In time, as the library grows not only will HP profit from selling these apps, third-party developers will recognize the commitment. Anyway you shake it a tablet or smartphone lives and breaths based on its apps. Though Android Honeycomb has less than 300 OS-specific applications, the 100,000+ apps for its smartphones are also compatible. Unfortunately for HP, not only do webOS smartphone apps runs in a windowed mode, there’s nowhere near the number of iOS and Android apps in its store.

Nintendo 3DS TV dated for the UK, RIM responds to a disgruntled employee, and Cut the Rope on Android Market: Lunchtime Lowdown

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 04:30 AM PDT

Friday lunchtime: the weekend is so close we can almost taste it. But before you hit the pub/scoff a sandwich at your desk, check out what's happened today in tech.

RIM has issued an official response to yesterday's open letter from a disgruntled exec. It's a pretty interesting read, if it does manage to ignore pretty much all the points the employee raised. Our verdict? Still massively embarrassing for the BlackBerry maker.

Nintendo's holding a special 3DS event on the 19th of July, and it promises we won't believe our eyes. Could this be the company's long awaited 3DS TV service coming to Europe? We think it could, especially as it just hit Japan a couple of weeks ago.

Cut the Rope has hit Android – yes, we know it was already on GetJar, but now it's properly available, from the official Market store, as well as Amazon's AppStore for Android. And for just 62p. Bargain.

Panasonic has announced a host of Olympics-branded cameras, camcorders, memory cards and headphones. The range, including its stunning G3 micro four thirds snapper, comes with an official Olympics logo, souvenir coin, and official packaging. They're limited to just 2,012 pieces too, so make a dash for them like you're in the 100m final.

Cut the Rope hits Android Market, Amazon Appstore for Android

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 03:27 AM PDT

It's been available on Android since last week, courtesy of GetJar, but Cut the Rope has just hit the official Android Market, as well as Amazon's own Appstore.

So now there are more ways than ever to sate your hunger for the game.

It's available now on Android Market and Amazon’s Appstore for Android, for just 62p, marking the first time it's been out in both paid and free (with adverts) versions.

And if you're yet to experience it, you have to guide the sweets to feed the monster by cutting the rope in a series of increasingly fiendish scenarios. Check out the action in the video below. But beware, you'll never get all those hours back.

Panasonic launches limited edition Olympics range

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 02:47 AM PDT

One of the official Olympic partners has unveiled some limited edition cameras, camcorders and memory cards. But this is no tie-in tat of the kind you'd find on a stall near the stadium – this is some of the company's finest gear, in special limited edition designs.

Read on to get yourself a piece of tech to commemorate the games.

The range includes special limited edition versions of Panasonic's Lumix G3 micro four thirds camera, launched just last month, as well as its HDC-SD90 camcorder. Just 2,012 of each will be available, making them even more lusted after.

Each is bearing an Olympic logo (the G3 subtly on the back), and comes with a commemorative one-year-to-go £5 coin from the Royal Mint, as well as special Olympics packaging.

Also available are the Lumix DMC-S3 camera, HX-DC1 HD camcorder, and a range of headphones and memory cards.

The range is available now from your local Panasonic dealer – hit up Panny's dealer locator to find yours.

Nintendo 3DS TV service coming to UK July 19th

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 02:08 AM PDT

It's already live in Japan, now the console's TV service could well hit UK shores in a couple of weeks. An invite has just landed in Electricpig's inbox straight from Nintendo, asking us to pencil in an event on the 19th.

So what can we expect? And how's it going to impact on your 3DS? Read on for full details.

"We would love you to join us on 19th July 2011 for an exclusive Nintendo 3DS event," reads the invite from Nintendo. "More will be revealed next week, but trust us when we say you won’t believe your eyes!"

Hmm. We can only think this'll be the UK unveiling of the 3DS TV service that hit Japan a couple of weeks ago. The Japanese service is giving daily updates for most shows, as well as a dedicated sports program every Saturday and Sunday.

It lets you watch TV shows via an app from the company’s eShop.

Sky and Aardman Animations (the team behind Wallace and Gromit) have signed up to deliver content for the UK, but apart from that little is known – it's all gone quiet since the announcement at the 3DS launch in Holland in January.

Rest assured we'll bring you more news as soon as we get it next week.

RIM responds to disgruntled employee’s open letter

Posted: 01 Jul 2011 01:45 AM PDT

Yesterday a high ranking RIM employee released a damning open letter, condemning almost every aspect of the company and pointing where it had gone wrong. And it didn't mince words, highlighting exactly where the competition had overtaken it.

Well now RIM has issued an official response, and it makes for some pretty interesting reading. Click through to see exactly what RIM has to say in its defence.

The original was about as damning as they come, with an unnamed 'senior RIM executive' addressing the management team, saying he had lost confidence.

Boy Genius Reports reported the letter attacked RIM's workings, saying it was not focussing on the end user experience ("We often make product decisions based on strategic alignment, partner requests or even legal advice – the end user doesn't care") that communication was an issue ("Teams still aren't talking together properly, no one is making or can make critical decisions, all the while everyone is working crazy hours and still far behind"), and that projects were too diffuse ("There is a serious need to consolidate our focus to just a handful of employees").

Golly.

Well the official reply is in from RIM, and as you can imagine, it's fairly defensive. It starts by saying it's hard to address anonymous commentary, but that RIM's management team is "aggressively addressing both the company's challenges and its opportunities."

It says the company is excited about the transition period it's in, though it has taken longer than expected. It says because of recent rapid growth, "it has become necessary for the company to streamline its operations in order to allow it to grow its business profitably while pursuing newer strategic opportunities." Then it says the company is solid financially, and quotes some figures, finishing with, "RIM is more committed than ever to serving its loyal customers and partners around the world."

So, what do you reckon? An appropriate response? Or papering over the cracks? Let us know in the comments.

Via BGR