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- Did you know Windows tablets outpaced BlackBerry PlayBook shipments this quarter?
- Hitachi’s new smartphone display delivers glasses-free 3D at 720p resolution
- Sony Alpha A77 DSLR smiles for press photos, 24 megapixel sensor in tow
- Nokia mobile device shipments down 20 percent: time to ship Windows Phone devices
- Opening day MacBook Air shipments: 500,000 units and counting
- Harry Potter books coming to Android via Pottermore
- Bada 2.0 leaks out early: See it on video
- Dual SIM phones: the dirty secret the networks don’t want you to know about
- The most awkward iPhone spelling mistakes of all time revealed
- HTC Flyer 3D Android tablet on the way: Oh dear
| Did you know Windows tablets outpaced BlackBerry PlayBook shipments this quarter? Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:37 AM PDT
Neither RIM nor Microsoft can compete with the likes of Google or Apple — at least not for now. Android tablets accounted for 30.1 percent while Apple iPads held the pole position with 61.3 percent. Though small in comparison, Microsoft's 4.6 percent still means it's third in worldwide tablet market share. With Windows 8 tablets coming soon, growth is all but certain. Last week rumors began to circulate suggesting RIM was discontinuing its Wi-Fi model of the BlackBerry PlayBook. As we now know, these rumors were untrue and the Canadian-based company is very much continuing in its pursuit of tablet success. Though production continues, how will RIM be able to compete once Microsoft unifies its desktop, tablet and smartphone platform? Personally, I think Microsoft's plan to unify the OS across all its products will be devastating. One could argue that Apple was the first to employ such strategy, but semantics will matter little when it comes to device sales. Windows Phone is a solid operating system and bringing this power to the tablet form factor is a compelling proposition. Without a doubt, RIM has its work cut out for itself. Will RIM or Microsoft be the first to challenge Google in tablet market share? Related posts:
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| Hitachi’s new smartphone display delivers glasses-free 3D at 720p resolution Posted: 21 Jul 2011 09:01 AM PDT
Not only is Hitachi's 4.5-inch glasses-free 3D display razor sharp, it's also an IPS LCD display. That means you can expect incredible viewing angles and color accuracy, but most importantly — visibility in direct sunlight. These are not the only tricks Hitachi is bringing to the table. One of the biggest complaints with current 3D technology is that the picture lacks the brightness and vibrance of a 2D set. Hitachi has addressed this issue in its new panel with the surpassing ability to be brighter in 3d mode than it is in 2D. This is accomplished by used a more efficient lenticular lens technology. A technology used ins tea dog the parallax barrier method in creating the stereoscopic 3D effect. Now for the bad news. Hitachi has no announced when its new display will be available or even if it will reach a commercial device. If HTC and LG are smart, they'll be quick to lock down the display for the next generation EVO 3D and Optimus 3D. Let's just hope the phones will fit in our pockets. TBD | Hitachi Related posts:
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| Sony Alpha A77 DSLR smiles for press photos, 24 megapixel sensor in tow Posted: 21 Jul 2011 08:40 AM PDT
Last week we brought you the first leaked image of the NEX-7, the future flagship of Sony's micro four thirds line. Today, the Alpha A77 enters the fold with its 24-megapixel sensor, 1080p video capture, translucent mirror for quick autofocus and double Bionz Image processor. According to SonyAlphaRumors.com, the A77 kit (with lens) will be priced at £1099. Compared to its direct competitors, the Nikon D7000, Canon 7D and Pentax K-5, the A77 is one sweet deal. Of course, switching to Sony glass to avoid adapters is real cost when purchasing the Alpha A77. However, first time DSLR owners will fall right into the A77's wheelhouse and welcome the new flagship. So which of Sony's 24-megapixel cameras are you more interested in? The NEX-7 or the Alpha A77? Feel free to sound off in the comments. My vote is for the NEX-7. Coming Soon | Sony | £1099 (with kit lens) Related posts:
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| Nokia mobile device shipments down 20 percent: time to ship Windows Phone devices Posted: 21 Jul 2011 07:57 AM PDT
According to Stephen Elop, "the challenges we are facing during our strategic transformation manifested in a greater than expected way in Q2 2011." The Nokia Corporation, which consists of Nokia, NAVTEQ and the Nokia Siemens Networks, struggled across the board with the exception of the Nokia Siemens Networks. This segment actually showed a growth in net sales of 20 percent compared to the year ago quarter. For Nokia, net sales fell seven percent, operating profit 41 percent, earnings per share (EPS) 45 percent and net cash and other liquid assets by five percent. The weakening demand in its mobile devices was not limited to smartphones. In fact, mobile phone sales fell 20 percent while smart device net sales fell 32 percent. As a result, Nokia reported its first quarterly loss in 18 months. Stephen Elop believes "improved competitiveness in our Mobile Phones unit due to the ramp up of Dual SIM devices" and "timing of our new product shipments" will help the company recover quickly. Thankfully the stock market found the new favorable, helping Nokia's pre-market value rise by seven percent on the NASDAQ this morning. As a long time Nokia user, possibly a fan boy, the solution is simple. Start shipping Windows Phone devices and expand the launch from six European countries to twelve. Also, let's see the rumored dual-core N8 variant with 12 megapixel camera and QWERTY touchscreen launch alongside the Nokia Sea Ray. Fresh devices and a fresh OS are what we consider the recipes for success — let's get to baking. Related posts:
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| Opening day MacBook Air shipments: 500,000 units and counting Posted: 21 Jul 2011 07:17 AM PDT
Despite heavy leaks going into yesterday's MacBook Air release, Apple could ship more than one and a half million units during the September quarter. According to DigiTimes' source, the "MacBook series sales will reach 13-14 million units in 2011 and may even reach 15 million units". The source also said, "Apple is the only vendor that has provided a full shipments forecast to the first quarter of 2012 as the IT industry is being rather conservative about the overall demand in the second half of 2011." It appears Apple has managed to pull another rabbit out of hat with an even better ultra portable. Based on the Geekbench scores of the third generation MacBook Air and the discontinuation of the white MacBook, Apple has placed the 2011 MacBook Air in a position for success. Anyone want to take a guess at opening day sales totals? Keep in mind shipping is still listed "within 24 hours" and "1 to 3 days" for customized models. Out Now | Apple | £849 and up Related posts:
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| Harry Potter books coming to Android via Pottermore Posted: 21 Jul 2011 06:07 AM PDT
When you buy a Harry Potter book via the Pottermore site you will be able to choose from a variety of formats in which to download. One option will be to save the book to the cloud – using Google Books. Your Google Books library can be read using a web browser on any platform or via the Google Books app which is available for iOS and ships as part of a standard Android Gingerbread install. Pottermore opens in October and will be a repository for Harry Potter-related fan fiction and discussion as well as the central hub for selling the Potter canon as electronic books, in order to side step the major players like Amazons Kindle. It is not yet known if any of the extra reading material available via Pottermore – fan fiction as well as character notes and articles by JK Rowling herself – will be readable via Google Books as well or if it will be restricted to just the seven novels in the series. October 2011 | £tbc | Pottermore Related posts:
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| Bada 2.0 leaks out early: See it on video Posted: 21 Jul 2011 05:27 AM PDT
Check out the video clips below to see it in action. Bada 2.0 is now available for download from popular Samsung ROM site SAM Firmware. A small amount of technical savvy is required to install it and as it is possible for you to end up with a useless lump of plastic where your phone used to be, we can’t really advise that you give it a shot unless you know exactly what you are doing. Thos who have been brave/foolhardy enough to try it out report some new shortcuts on the lock screen – in the video you can see an email shortcut being dragged to unlock the phone and drop straight into the messaging app – as well as a load of new widgets for the Home screen. The whole thing is fairly impressive, although at times it does seem as though someone dropped Symbian S60 in a blender with an early build of Android and flipped the switch. The Gallery in particular looks very Android-ish, for better or worse. [source: IntoMobile] Related posts:
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| Dual SIM phones: the dirty secret the networks don’t want you to know about Posted: 21 Jul 2011 04:50 AM PDT
They've been in other countries for years, and there are a few on sale in the UK, though the networks haven't been pushing them. To find out what they don't want you to know, and see three handsets with a total of six phone numbers, read on.
Dual SIM phones are one to watch, according to industry experts. A few are on sale now, but they'll be on the rise in the near future, especially towards the budget end. Why? Well, as well as letting you have business and personal numbers on the same phone, they let you bypass the networks. If you're a regular traveller, just pack a SIM native to the country you're visiting, and hey presto, you're free of those crippling roaming charges. If you're really smart about it, you could load it up with two pay as you go SIMs from different networks, and choose whichever charges the least depending on who you're calling. It may take some doing, but there are some serious savings to be made. Which is why the networks aren't shouting about them. "Operators aren't really keen to push dual SIM, as it lets people save money by effectively bypassing the networks," says Ian Fogg, an independent mobile analyst. "You can switch off your work number when you're not working, and your personal when you need to take care of business, so they're very convenient," he adds. They're big in developing countries, as they're cheaper than having two handsets, but he says to look out for them becoming more popular in the UK as people tag on to the savings to be made. And if Nokia's second quarter results are anything to go by, it’ll be making more dual SIM phones. This was hidden away towards the end: "In Mobile Phones, early results of the Dual SIM product launches are very encouraging, and we are on track to deliver more products this year." So expect to be juggling two numbers soon. But what can you buy right now? Take a peek at these dual SIM phones.
This Sammy lets you flick between two numbers at the touch of a button, thanks to the SIM management feature, and it's a full touchscreen affair, with all the usual smartphone functionality, including Facebook and MySpace shortcuts, and Google search app. Ok, so you might not be using that MySpace one too much, but anyway. There's a 3-megapixel camera on board too – just careful which SIM you use to send the pics to, or you may have some explaining to do.
Another full touchscreen effort, with icons on its 3-inch TFT screen. Again, it’s specced like a high end phone from three years ago, with a 3-megapixel camera as well as an FM radio, and MP3 player. The Opera 5 browser comes as standard, for tabbed browsing, and the phone's expandable up to 4GB with an SD card, which is plenty of room for business and personal dealings. This one’s brown, but it comes in other colours too.
This may not have a touchscreen like the other two, but it still takes two SIMs for twice the fun. It's a slider (remember them?), with a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, FM radio, and everything you'd expect from a basic handset. Not the most feature-heavy phone around, but a great money saver. Related posts:
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| The most awkward iPhone spelling mistakes of all time revealed Posted: 21 Jul 2011 04:40 AM PDT
Yes, the iPhone autocorrect can be both a curse and a blessing. For every ‘teh’ that gets quietly swapped to ‘the’ there is an equal chance that a perfectly legitimate word will be auto-corrected into something obscene, amusing or horrifying.
The people at DamnYouAutocorrect.com have been collecting user-submitted examples of autocorrect-based shame for the past year and have published their top fifteen greatest hits. This list has everything – from accidental comparisons to Hitler (“You were the first girl he ever thought about the Fuhrer with” – he meant ‘future’) to straight kids ‘coming out’ to their parents (“Sorry Mom, I’m just coming out of the closet now.” – he meant ‘clinic’, his mum rather made it worse by saying her & his dad had half suspected). Many of the others are a bit Not Safe For Work but our favourite is this bit of happy holiday news that goes wrong, threatening to tear a family asunder..
[source: Damn You Autocorrect] Related posts:
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| HTC Flyer 3D Android tablet on the way: Oh dear Posted: 21 Jul 2011 03:53 AM PDT
3D is everywhere at the moment, but are HTC wise to be stuffing it in to more devices or is it just a fad? Either way, it looks as though the next HTC Flyer will sport some 3D capabilities whether you need them or not.
The HTC Flyer has only been out a few months but already HTC is hard at work on the follow-up. Pictures leaked from a factory in Shenzen, China appear to show a new camera housing similar to the plastic area that holds the camera on the current HTC Flyer case. The difference? In this version there are two cameras, side-by-side – ideal for taking 3D images and video. We were impressed by the first Flyer and the 7-inch screen would probably be a better choice for viewing 3D movies and games than the pokey 4.3 inches of the HTC Evo 3D. We are a bit less convinced about the camera side of things, though – using a tablet as a camera is far from our favourite way of capturing pics or video and we don’t imagine a 3D version of the same experience will add much. What do you think? Would you like to see a 3D camera on your next (or first) Android tablet? How about mobile 3D in general? Let us know in the comments. Out TBC | £tbc | HTC [Source: TalkAndroid] Related posts:
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