The Daily tech news: April 26th 2010

SlashGear The Daily Slash: April 26th 2010 April 27, 2010 at 1:13 AM The Daily tech news: April 26th 2010:It's the beginning 0f another week, and that already turned into a crazy roller-coaster. The Daily tech news: April 26th 2010:That's sure to make the rest of the week just as entertaining, and we're eagerly looking forward to it. so for tonight's edition of the Daily Slash, in the Best of R3 we've got the EVO 4G getting a price, the iPad won't just be sold in Apple Stores come the end of the month, and the HTC Triumph exists. As for the Dredge 'Net, we've got the coolest post-it note dispenser ever, benchmarks for the MacBook Pro Core i7, and finally HTC is getting sued. The Best of R3 Media HTC EVO 4G Best Buy Pricing Leaked: But, only kind of. Yeah, this is about as big a rumor as it gets, but it's worthy of mentioning because we think it'd be some amazing pricing if it turns out to be true. According to one Darrin Morton, who went into a Best Buy looking for any additional information he could find about the 4G handset, < > he was told by an employee that the device would cost $199 with a new, two-year contract. We imagine he got a lot more than he bargained for. If this turns out to be true, it's pretty exciting. If not, well, we wouldn't be all that surprised. Then again, Best Buy doesn't use mail-in rebates, so that's probably something to take note of. [via Android Community] Apple iPad 3G+WiFi Heading to Best Buy April 30th, Too: If you don't like your stores all that shiny and bright (like, the Apple Stores), then you'll be happy to know that you'll be able to find your next tablet purchase in your regular electronics store come April 30th. Best Buy will officially be carrying the magical and revolutionary device as well, but obviously only if they have an Apple shop inside. Good news for people who like options, that's for sure. [via Everything iPad] HTC Triumph Appears in Internal Inventory: And we have no idea what it is. We'd love to tell you that we're in on the big secret from HTC, but we're not. They've got this one under lock and key, apparently, because it seems to be confusing quite a few folks. Sure, a white version of the HTC Touch Pro2 is cool in of itself, but this may be even better. And we don't even know what it looks like, or if it's technically worth our time. Strange how unknown things get our attention, right? [via SlashPhone] The Dredge Net Post-It Gun is Great Way to Spread Post-Its: Ever felt like you've never been able to hand out post-it notes fast enough? We know the feeling. But, thanks to a designer by the name of Alex Marshall, we may never have to worry about that again. And, what's better, is that it looks awesome. Sure, you might not want to take it out of the office all that often, but why would you want to do that, anyway? Also, it comes in two color variations: contrast and steampunk, and we love them both. Just hold the trigger and your notes will keep shooting out to your heart's content. Awesome, right? [via Yanko Design] MacBook Pro i7 Gets Hot Under the Collar: Wh3n you're using your laptop, you know, on your lap, you don't want it to melt your pants off. It's generally not good for anyone. So, maybe getting your hands on the new MacBook Pros, with the Core i7 inside, isn't the best way to spend your money. According to some Cinebench tests run on the machines, they managed to break the 100 degree mark. Compared to some Fujitsu notebooks running the same components, which ran 20 degrees cooler more often than not. Some pretty impressive numbers, but maybe not the ones that Apple were looking for. [via 9to5 Mac] HTC Being Sued for Visual Voicemail: Apparently it's that time of the year where everyone has to sue everyone else. They must all have the itch or something. This time around, it's HTC being sued by Judah Klausner, which is actually just him adding HTC to a growing list of big phone makers infringing on patents of technology that relate to visual voicemail. According to Klausner, the MyTouch 3G is one of those devices that uses the Klausner patented technologies to display voicemail in the visual way. Also included are Motorola and Research In Motion, and they've actually won against Apple and LG, so we'll have to see how this goes. [via Reuters] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Xbox 360 USB storage update arrives today AMD hexacore "Thuban" CPUs getting April 26th launch? AT&T Employees Blocked From Vacationing in June HTC EVO 4G Makes an Appearance in Sprint Inventory System SlashGear Guns N' Roses feud reportedly turns nasty iPhone HD Investigation Intensifies: REACT Raids Editor's Home April 26, 2010 at 6:00 PM It's been covered since the beginning: iPhone HD/4G images get leaked, and then sure enough there's a full-blown tear down of the device by another blog. And then it got a bit more interesting. Well, sure enough, it's starting to reach that ultimate conclusion that pretty much everyone saw coming. According to documents that Gizmodo has posted on their site, California's R.E.A.C.T computer crimes task force has raided an editor's home, seizing several pieces of property. Jason Chen's home was raided before he returned home from dinner. REACT was working with the authority of a search warrant, and it all happened during the evening hours last Friday. The task force seized several pieces of computer hardware, along with several other items, all of which are wrapped up in an investigation regarding the acquired iPhone HD/4G. This means that a criminal investigation from the San Mateo police force, along with the District Attorney is under way. That also means, without a doubt, that this unfolding story is going to get more interesting as the days progress. We'll keep you updated as things unfold, but in the meanwhile, let us know in the comments what you think of all this. [via Gizmodo] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Latest iPhone explosion in Belgium; French watchdog begins investigation All WotLK instances will have option for 10 or 15-main raids Apple "saddened" by Foxconn engineer suicide; waiti! ng for investigation results Apple investigating iPhone explosions Apple Europe internal investigation underway? Tweet Sleeve Displays Emotions in Pretty Lights April 26, 2010 at 4:27 PM Yes, yes, we said pretty lights. They are bright, that's for sure. What you're looking at is the Tweet Sleeve, which was designed by Vanessa Sorensen, and it's designed to elucidate the emotions of your latest tweet. Yep, just in case it wasn't clear enough to those who might read it, you should want to show it off in pretty lights attached to your sleeve. Brings a whole new meaning to wearing your heart on your sleeve. The project is intended to visually demonstrate personalities in the real world, via the ones that we live in the digital. The hoodie, which is part of an ever-increasing catalogue of "wearable technology," is wired with LEDs on the right sleeve. When you send a tweet, probably from any service out there, the LEDs will then react to the tweet's underlying meaning. Or, more specifically, the emotion behind it. Utilizing advanced algorithms, the designer has managed to create a shirt that can, in real-time, rationalize the emotion behind your latest tweet, and then choose a color to display as the result. If you're mad, they turn red. If you're happy, they turn green. Of course, it's just a project for now, but considering how often we're seeing these pieces of "wearable technology," we wouldn't be surprised to start seeing it become a bit more mainstream. After all, you need to have your unborn child tweet, right? [via Fashioning Tech] Relevant Entries on SlashGear The simplistic Parkhaus laptop sleeve Tweet-a-Watt tweets your energy usage Chic sleeve for the MacBook from Case-Mate Waterfield keyboard sleeve – For those that must have their keyboard at all times Glass USB Drive Shows Your Data in Lights Research In Motion's BlackBerry 6 Coming in Third Quarter 2010 April 26, 2010 at 3:34 PM Today is a big day for Research In Motion. After officially announcing two new devices, they've gone ahead and revealed that their next major Operating System upgrade is coming soon. Perhaps not as soon as we'd like, but beggar's can't be choosers. After seeing the leaked images almost a week ago today, we were eagerly anticipating the announcement from Waterloo. RIM founder and co-CEO Mike Lazaridis managed to take some time out of his busy schedule today to talk to analysts, and go over some key information. While he had some brief nuggets of joy to talk about regarding BlackBerry's AppWorld, the real gem of the showcase regarded BlackBerry 6. That's what the company is calling their next OS iteration, and we like the sound of it. As the title suggests, BlackBerry 6 will be hitting the third calender quarter of this year, and it's going to be optimized for both touchscreen and non-touchscreen devices. Additionally, that WebKit browser we saw in the leaked OS 6.0 images seems to be far more integrated into the new system than originally believed. According to Lazaridis, it's going to be found also throughout the device's software platform, along with the applications that run on it. Basically, that means we shouldn't expect it to get launched with any currently running OS 5.x devices. And, while RIM does their best to upgrade previous handsets to their newest OS (and they plan to do that with every currently available device they can to BlackBerry 6), it doesn't look too good for all devices out there. So, we imagine that if you've bought a newer-released handset, you might be okay. As BlackBerry's biggest show of the year continues to kick off, we'll be keeping the tabs on what's going on, and all the noteworthy bits that leak out. So, stay tuned if you're a BlackBerry fan. The company still has a big keynote tomorrow as well. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Palm Treo 650 uses BlackBerry connect Rumor: Blackberry Touchscreen 1.0 and Pearl 2.0 coming soon? AMD boasts record Q1 revenue Verizon getting BlackBerry Tour in July Tivo to offer DVR service through BlackBerry EKEN M001 $100 Android MID gets reviewed April 26, 2010 at 12:37 PM Distributor concerns and underwhelming specs meant we were slightly less than convinced by the Haleron iLet Mini HAL Android tablet, but Shanzai reckon that – in its new EKEN M001 form – the 7-inch slate actually has plenty to recommend it. A sub-$100 street price in China is no small part of that, of course, but apparently despite the 600MHz ARM9 processor and resistive display, it's actually "very responsive" and in fact the best implementation of Android on this sort of device that they've seen. Video review after the cut Unfortunately, while Haleron were claiming the MID would last for 16hrs, Shanzai have found it to be "pretty bad". Unfortunately there's no specific figures mentioned. You're also using Android 1.6 than one of the more recent builds, and – because there's a proprietary docking connector rather than a microUSB port – the only way to get data onto the tablet is either via SD card or through the WiFi connection. The deciding factor to a gadget like this is always going to be price; if an importer can bring it in for a similar cost to what the M001 is going for in China then they'll likely find some buyers. Any more and it's probably not worth it for the processing power and capabilities on otter. [via Carrypad] Relevant Entries on SlashGear T-Mobile G1 Android Phone Reviewed at Android Community Cowon D3 PMP tipped to run Android RAmos T11 720p PMP gets Android hack HTC Touch Pro2 Android hack: best hardware keyboard on Android to-date? [Video] Teclast T58 Android-powered PMP spotted iPhone HD: hardware evolution, lock-in revolution April 26, 2010 at 12:12 PM Last week's expansive leaks (and no shortage of rumor) gave us the opportunity to pick through the hard changes involved in the Apple iPhone HD; a display estimated at 960 x 640, a front-facing camera, talk even of the 1GHz Apple A4 CPU from the iPad. The question remains, though, will the iPhone HD be another game-changer or more of an incremental evolution? Right now, extra pixels and faster CPU aside, it looks more of the latter; the cynic might compare the iPhone HD with OS 4.0 to an ageing athlete, requiring the services of a bolted-on exoskeleton in order to keep up. The new software platform (which has likely saved a few surprises for the official fourth-gen hardware reveal later in the year) brings some much-antici! pated features, but they feel a little clunky in their implementation. As I said in my recent iPad review, background notifications and multitasking will work, but they lack the purity found in earlier iterations of the platform. That's important, because while not everyone has bought an iPhone, we've all arguably benefitted from Apple's innovation. Touchscreens were of course in use before the first-gen Apple handset, but rarely had they been so usable, so completely paired with an intuitive OS. HTC, Palm, RIM, Samsung, LG and others have gamely risen to the challenge, certainly, but they owe a debt to Apple for the halo product that spurred on consumer demand. Of course, the real prize – that is, what Apple's rivals are really keen to emulate – is the iPhone's user lock-in. That is to say, the App Store and the vast (and ever-growing) catalog of third-party software which run on Apple's handsets and theirs alone. The iPhone software dynamic is an odd one, perhaps at odds with what you'd expect to be popular in an internet-savvy, freedom aware user base. Thanks to Apple's approval mandarins, the App Store is well-pruned; hardly a week goes by without some story of a title rejected for treading outside of Cupertino's boundaries of acceptability, outraged developers (and usually a fair few critics from the public too) decrying the company for being unnecessarily restrictive. That frustration, however, seemingly prompts subconscious reassurance among iPhone users: they know the app they buy today won't turn around and bite their smartphone tomorrow, is unlikely to suddenly die and take their data with it. In turn, they're far more willing to hand over $0.99 (or thereabouts) on a punt purchase. After all, its met the excruciating Apple standards. So, with rival on-device application catalogs growing (the Android Market, Palm's App Catalog, etc.), what's the next equivalent for Apple? With the advent of iPhone OS 4.0, it seems locking in not just users but developers is the next focus. iAd – Apple's new in-app advertising platform – isn't just about making them and the developer community some money, it's about making iPhone OS more alluring and, in time, the only viable option for coders. Picture it: if iAd is making developers twice the amount of revenue in their free iPhone apps than basic advertising makes in, say, the Android equivalent, what's that developer to do? Will the market understand the reasons behind a free iPhone app being a paid one on a rival platform? Or will the knee-jerk reaction be for users to lean toward the iPhone as the having the most free (or most feature-rich) software, and for developers to neglect their free titles on other platforms because they see a better return on their coding investment under Apple's awnings? iPhone 3G to 3GS was relatively incremental; case change, screen boost and CPU swap notwithstanding, 3GS to HD may be similarly incremental. With most smartphones on the market having fast processors, eye-catching displays and fulsome connectivity, the game has changed and it's a trickier one to play. As Palm have discovered to their shareholders' cost, it takes more than a great OS and decent "expert" reviews to conquer the smartphone segment these days. Apple's ground-breaking changes aren't so easy to quantify on a spec-sheet, but they'll result in a whole lot more users and developers with platform investment that goes far beyond a two-year carrier agreement. Relevant Entries on SlashGear New Nintendo Wii Revisions BeamBox MiLi Evolution iPhone Projector gets bargain price-tag iPod Touch – A case of identity crisis Nintendo Revolution Pricing ADEL Biometric Door Lock Imagination and MIPS sign "marketing alliance" to threaten ARM April 26, 2010 at 12:10 PM The chipset strangeness continues, with Imagination Technologies – a mobile GPU specialist of which Apple has part-ownership – expected to announce a "non-exclusive marketing alliance" with MIPS Technologies, who specialise in low-power and embedded processors. Described as "a shot across the bow" to ARM – themselves the subject of Apple acquisition rumors last week – the collaboration will see each firm push for ! adoption of the others' products in new hardware designs. MIPS are looking to push into the mobile handset market, while Imagination's PowerVR graphics cores are already found in devices like the iPhone 3GS. In the future, meanwhile, the two companies may co-develop products together, though that's not something being explored in this early deal. Instead, the MIPS and Imagination have produced a Sigma Designs reference SoC intended for HD set-top boxes, based on a MIPS32 24Kf processor core and a PowerVR SGX graphics core. "It wasn't until the new connected TV platforms, Android, Adobe Flash and OperaTV emerged in the last two or three years that consumer OEMs started to demand a richer graphics" Tony King-Smith, vice president of marketing for Imagination, is quoted as saying. Neither company will cease working with ARM, and will be free to collaborate with other GPU and CPU specialists without impacting this strategic agreement. Nonetheless, King-Smith is confident both Apple and Samsung will continue to use PowerVR graphics cores in their future products, a deal which MIPS would most likely love to get in on. The partnership is expected to be formally announced at the Embedded Systems Conference this week. [via Apple Insider] Relevant Entries on SlashGear PC Gaming Alliance formed with Microsoft, Nvidia, Intel, and more Android 1080p set-top box prototype gets demo Alpha 400 MIPS netbook only costs $170; we can see why The Aura Monitor from none other than, Solid Alliance Heart USB Drive from the Solid Alliance Luxa2 H4 iPad Holder Review April 26, 2010 at 12:09 PM Try holding the iPad out in front of you for any significant length of time and you'll likely discover that Apple's tablet doubles as a decent arm exercise as well as a tactile, multitouch marvel. We've already seen one budget alternative – crafting a DIY stand from the packaging the iPad ships in – but unsurprisingly there's a growing market for third-party holders. On the SlashGear desk today is the Luxa2 H4 iPad Holder; check out the full review after the cut. The H4 concept is simple: an iMac-like base supports a tilting, rotating cradle assembly with four posable arms. At the extremities of each arm there's a rubberised peg which – by sitting the iPad in the middle and pushing the arms closed – can tightly grip the tablet without scratching it. iPad removed and it looks a little like a headless acrobat performing jumping-jacks, but the benefit to the overly-flexible adjustment is that you needn't remove your tablet from its case; the H4 will grab on even if there's a little extra bulk to accommodate. Once in, since there are only six small points of contact, there's plenty of room to access the iPad's minimal controls and ports. The slotted base allows you to route an iPad sync cable neatly through, and – like the arms – all the edges are sufficiently smoothed off that we wouldn't worry about either iPad or cables getting scratched or sliced with regular use. As well as portrait orientation, the H4 grip swivels for using the iPad in landscape orientation; it's great for watching videos without having to hold or prop up the screen. The pivot is stiff enough to hold the iPad in place, but not so much as to make rotating it difficult. It's actually possible to turn it a whole 360-degrees, though since the top edge lacks any grips you probably wouldn't want to leave it in that orientation lest the iPad drop out. Meanwhile the hinge means the iPad can tilt back so that the screen is entirely flat, useful for two-player games, or flip completely over to face whoever you're sat opposite. Stability is good, with a decent sized base plate – atop rubber feet – and the whole stand tipping the scales at just under a pound. Unless you're overly aggressive with your taps, we wouldn't worry above the H4 toppling over in regular use. It's also worth noting that Luxa2 don't just recommend the holder for Apple's iPad but as a Kindle DX stand, too. So, flexible, posable and pretty; what's not to like? Well, the rubber pegs aren't exactly the most attractive of things, clustering around the display, but beyond that it's hard to argue too much with either the H4 or the roughly $50 price tag Luxa2 have attached to it. Admittedly it's considerably more than the basic $29 Apple iPad Dock, which will also charge and sync your tablet, together with offering an audio-out socket, but the official dock's biggest issue is its absence of landscape orientation support. Similarly, while $19 more than the H4 will get you an Apple iPad Keyboard Dock – with its integrated QWERTY – you're still limited to working in portrait orientation. DIY iPad docks are great, and often cheap, but if you're looking for an off-the-shelf option then the Luxa2 H4 iPad Holder fits the bill. Wide degrees of flexibility and sturdy build make it not only a great way to keep your iPad raised up from the detritus on your desk, but also for media and ebook consumption. Relevant Entries on SlashGear The Squished Animal CD Holder The Stainless Steel Utensil Holder has a hidden talent Gizmodo reviews the iCarta iPod toilet paper dock USB Memo Holder Slip-In Cup Holder – Organize your cabinets in one step Over 1m iPads sold estimate ad tracking firm April 26, 2010 at 11:46 AM How many Apple iPads are there out in the wild? According to Chitika Labs, Apple have broken the one million iPad sales mark, and – as of writing – have sold 32,866 iPads today alone. Their figures come from tracking the number of individual iPads out there which are surfing the internet and accessing some part of the Chitika advertising network. Given that iPad owners are often mobile, getting online via various different WiFi networks (at one point Chitika were suggesting they saw on average 2.73 different IP addresses per iPad), there's a fair bit of wiggle room in the stats. It seems they work from a combination of IP and cookie tracking, though of course there's no way to track those iPads bought as gifts and taken online yet, or those which only get used as ereaders or multimedia players. Chitika have declared California as the iPad state, with a whopping 19.12-percent of recorded sightings from there; New York and Texas lag behind in second and third place, with roughly 8-percent each. Wyoming, meanwhile, really needs to step up their game: with just 0.03-percent of iPad sightings, they're at the bottom of the league. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Palm Pre return rate at about 3% 1 in 6 iPhones purchased with the intent to unlock DIY GSM GPS tracking device Over 300,000 iPads sold on day one; 250k iBooks downloaded FollowUs unveils GPS Watch in UK Intel CTL 2go Convertible Classmate NL2 tablet gets official April 26, 2010 at 11:20 AM Intel have launched their latest Classmate PC design, the CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC NL2, and to be honest we're wondering why kids get to play with this and we don't. Based on Intel's Atom N450 1.66GHz processor, paired with 1GB of RAM and a choice of up to 32GB of flash or a 2.5-inch HDD, the NL2 gets a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 resistive touchscreen, water-resistant keyboard and touchpad, and optional WiMAX, 3G or GPS. WiFi b/g/n and ethernet are standard, as are two USB 2.0 ports, dual audio jacks (for two children to share the same machine), an SD card slot and VGA output. There's also an accelerometer to flip the display between portrait and landscape orientation automatically, something made easier thanks to the built-in retractable handle. Intel reckon you can drop the NL2 up to 70cm (for the flash model; 60cm for the HDD version) without damage, while they say the 4-cell battery is good for up to 4.8hrs and the 6-cell battery up to 8.5hrs. Options include a microbial keyboard and various OSes including Windows 7, XP or Intel's own custom Linux build. Press Release: Rugged Convertible Classmate PC Design Moves the Way Kids Do Latest Intel-Powered Convertible Classmate PC Offers Durable Design for School Children Around the World NEWS HIGHLIGHTS Supported by local computer manufacturers, Intel unveils the latest Intel-powered convertible classmate PC design. The new convertible design is more rugged and flexible, providing school children around the world with custom-built technology to help advance education. SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 26, 2010 – Intel Corporation today unveiled the most flexible and durable Intel-powered convertible classmate PC reference design yet. Supported by local computer manufacturers which are part of the Intel® Learning Series, this new addition combines aesthetics with ruggedness, full PC functionality with enhanced e-learning capabilities and improved performance with energy efficiency. Building on the success of the clamshell and convertible classmate PC designs, Intel and the Learning Series' members provide classrooms around the world with a custom-built solution for primary school education. Featuring the Intel® Atom™ processor and a 10.1-inch LCD monitor, the new convertible classmate PC includes increased memory and storage to run education applications that help students excel in their studies and build skills for the future. The new design can change instantly from a clamshell to a tablet PC, allowing students to naturally switch form factors as they move between activities and locations in the classroom, an observation that Intel ethnographic researchers have termed "micro-mobility." "Our ethnographers have spent countless hours understanding how technology can help school age children here in the U.S. and around the world build the skills required for the future," said Kapil Wadhera, acting general manager of Intel's Emerging Markets Platform Group, which developed the Intel-powered classmate PC reference design based on ethnographic research. "At Intel, we believe that education has the power to transform the lives of individuals, villages, cities and nations, and we understand that technology is one of our greatest tools to advance education around the world." Built to move the way kids do, the new Intel-powered convertible classmate PC features a touch-screen with a user interface optimized for eReading applications, water-resistant keyboard, touchpad and screen, improved ruggedness with drop test from desk height, bump and scratch resistance surfaces and structures, and an optional anti-microbial keyboard. In tablet mode, the "palm rejection" feature ignores the touch of hands resting on the screen, allowing students to write and draw intuitively. In addition to being powered by the power-efficient Intel Atom processor, the new classmate PC features a rechargeable battery with up to 8.5 hours1 of battery life so students and teachers don't have to worry about plugging in. It also includes integrated wireless connectivity with WiFi and provides the options of 3G, GPS and WiMAX for easy network and Internet connections. More than 300 vendors – including hardware, operating system, software vendors and enterprise solutions providers – are developing applications, peripherals and services optimized for Intel-powered classmate PCs as a part of the Intel Learning Series offering. This cost-effective, end-to-end solution will be brought to students by an extensive network of local OEMs including CTL, Equus and M&A in the United States, MDG in Canada and local OEMs in Australia, Argentina, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom, in addition to Benelux region. For additional information about the Intel-powered classmate PC, including photos and videos, visit the press kit at www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/classmatePC. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Intel Classmate Tablet PC announced Intel Classmate convertible netbook revealed CTL 2go Convertible Classmate PC reviewed: Steal it from your kids Intel Convertible Classmate PC to get official unveil at CES 2009 Intel Classmate Tablet: best touchscreen netbook so far? Sprint BlackBerry Bold 9650 confirmed for May 23rd April 26, 2010 at 10:45 AM Just like the BlackBerry Bold 9650 itself, the news that the CDMA smartphone is heading to Sprint comes as little surprise thanks to this morning's leak. Still, the carrier has confirmed specific availability and pricing: the Sprint Bold 9650 will drop on May 23rd, priced at $199.99 with a new two-year agreement and assuming a $100 mail-in rebate. You'll also need a data plan, either one of Sprint's consumer plans like Everything Data or a business plan like Business Advantage Messaging and Data. Since there's not only CMDA EVDO Rev.A support but quadband GSM/EDGE and 2100MHz UMTS, the Bold 9650 will work outside of the US too, though beware the fees involved; if you're a corporate customer, you can opt for Sprint's $69.99 Worldwide BlackBerry plan which includes roaming calls, messaging and data. Alternatively it seems the 9650 is provided SIM-unlocked, so you can slot in a local SIM card and take advantage of cheaper rates. More details on the BlackBerry Bold 9650's hardware functionality here. Press Release: Advanced Features and Refined Style of BlackBerry Bold 9650 Smartphone Coming to Sprint Available in all Sprint sale channels May 23, the new BlackBerry Bold 9650 offers international roaming for a global smartphone experience OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Apr 26, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) –With an extensive array of high-end communications and multimedia features, compact and highly refined design and international roaming capabilities, the new BlackBerry(R) Bold(TM) 9650 smartphone will be available from Sprint (NYSE: S). It will operate on Sprint's nationwide 3G Network domestically, and roams on other high-speed wireless networks around the world for reliable voice and email communication. The BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone will be available for $199.99 with a new two-year service agreement, after a $100 mail-in rebate (taxes & surcharges excluded). It can be purchased in all other Sprint sales channels, including Web sales (www.sprint.com), Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1), Sprint Business Sales, Sprint stores, national retailers and third-party dealers, Sunday, May 23. BlackBerry Bold 9650 provides instant access to email, calendar, contacts, robust business and entertainment applications and location-based services, leveraging the best performing wireless networks in the United States and abroad. It is also ideally suited for those who want to stay socially connected and share moments through pictures and videos over MMS and popular IM services like BlackBerry(R) Messenger. It also offers easy access to social networking sites like Flickr(R), MySpace(TM) and Facebook(R), with smooth integration, providing a great view of what's happening both personally and professionally. "BlackBerry Bold 9650 extends Sprint's position of offering the best portfolio of BlackBerry smartphones in the industry with a powerful mobility tool for those who want to stay connected, both domestically and abroad," said Fared Adib, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. "Our customers will appreciate its fast Web browsing, downloads and streaming as well as social media and productivity enhancing applications. This is an ideal smartphone for juggling busy personal and professional lives." "The BlackBerry Bold 9650 is a sophisticated and feature-rich smartphone with uncompromising performance that lets you stay connected to the people and content that matter most, whether at home or travelling the world," said David Smith, vice president of Handheld Product Management, RIM. In addition to top-of-the-line performance, functionality and features, the BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone comes with BlackBerry(R) OS 5. It is also designed with a smoothly integrated optical trackpad and a distinctive, highly tactile, fretted keyboard and features a large, high-resolution display (480 x 360 resolution at 245 ppi). Additional features include: Access to up to 10 supported email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts such as Yahoo!(R), Windows Live(TM) Hotmail(R), AOL(R) and Gmail(TM)), plus BlackBerry(R) Enterprise Server support offering advanced security and IT administration capabilities for corporate deployments Built-in GPS and Wi-Fi(R) (802.11 b/g) 3.2 MP camera with flash, variable zoom, image stabilization, autofocus and video recording Advanced media player for enjoying pictures, video and music 512 MB Flash memory and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 32 GB microSDHC cards, with a 2 GB microSD card included 3.5 mm stereo headset jack Support for the Bluetooth(R) stereo headsets (A2DP/AVCRP) Sprint Music Store, Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV(R), Sprint Football Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile BlackBerry(R) App World(TM) for access to thousands of applications The 3G Sprint Mobile Broadband Network (inclusive of data roaming) reaches more than 269 million people, 18,652 cities and 1,838 airports. The Sprint Mobile Broadband Network (inclusive of data roaming) have twice the coverage of AT&T's current 3G network and 14 times the coverage of T-Mobile's current 3G network, both based on square miles1. According to Sprint performance data, Sprint Mobile Broadband connections are successfully connected and maintained better than 99 out of 100 times. According to a recent independent network test conducted by PC World, no one has a more reliable network than Sprint based on a recent 13 city 3G performance test 2. BlackBerry Bold 9650 for most customers requires activation on an Everything Data plan or a Business Advantage Messaging and Data plan. Additional plan options are available for business customers. For just $69.99 per month, Sprint's affordable Everything Data 450 plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM gives customers unlimited calling with any U.S. wireless user, unlimited text and picture messaging, unlimited Web, email and social networking, and unlimited GPS navigation for the same price AT&T and Verizon charge for unlimited talk only. Sprint Everything Data plans also automatically enroll customers in the Sprint Premier loyalty program, which provides annual device upgrades, discounted accessories and other benefits. Sprint's Simply EverythingSM plan offers nationwide unlimited calling, unlimited text and unlimited data, including email, social networking, Web browsing, Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, streaming music, Sprint Football Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, for only $99.99 per month (plus taxes and surcharges). That is a $480 savings over two years vs. a comparable AT&T iPhone(R) plan3. (Prices exclude taxes and surcharges. Both Everything Data and Simply Everything plans are available to existing customers without extending their service agreement. New lines of service require a two-year service agreement.) International Travel The BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone operates domestically on the Sprint 3G network, and globally on 2100 MHz UMTS/HSPA and quad-band EDGE/GSM/GPRS networks where Sprint has international roaming agreements. With this smartphone, Sprint customers have the power to make or receive phone calls in more than 185 countries and access BlackBerry(R) data services including email, apps and Web browsing in nearly 150 countries. Sprint offers clear value and simplicity with its Worldwide BlackBerry(R) service plan. The Worldwide BlackBerry plan gives customers unlimited BlackBerry email and Web access in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and other locations using CDMA technology, and with UMTS and EDGE/GSM/GPRS carriers abroad where Sprint has applicable roaming agreements. The plan is available to corporate customers for $69.99 per month, or an additional $40 per month (excluding taxes and surcharges) as an attachable to Simply EverythingSM, Everything Data, Everything Data Family or Business Advantage with Messaging and Data plans. Sprint international voice roaming rates range from $0.59 to $5.99 per minute, depending on where customers are calling. Customers making frequent calls while in Canada can take advantage of a specific service plan for $2.99 per month which allows calls to be made and received at $0.20 per minute. Additional pricing plans are available exclusively to enterprise customers. Customers also have the option of using a third-party SIM for international voice and data services. About Sprint Nextel Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 48 million customers at the end of the fourth quarter of 2009 and the first 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The company's customer-focused strategy has led to improved first call resolution and customer care satisfaction scores. For more information, visit www.sprint.com. The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services. 1 Coverage comparison based on publicly available information as of 04/01/09 inclusive of Sprint roaming partners. Based on square miles. 2 PC World's test included Sprint, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile in thirteen major cities in all regions of the country during December 2009 & January 2010. In all, roughly 9,000 individual tests of Sprint's 3G service were conducted from 280 testing locations in 13 cities. Testing sessions were one minute in duration per location, and network performance can be highly variable from neighborhood to neighborhood. In laptop-based tests, Sprint tied with another carrier for first in 3G network reliability 3 Savings based on publicly available information comparing AT&T Nation Unlimited plus required iPhone data plan and optional unlimited text messaging totaling $119.99/month for AT&T as of publication date, excluding taxes, surcharges and fees. iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. Relevant Entries on SlashGear BlackBerry Pearl 3G and Bold 9650 leak ahead of WES BlackBerry Bold shows up at CompUSA; crazy expensive BlackBerry Bold for AT&T Unboxing and Hands-on BlackBerry Bold 9650 gets official Sprint 2010 range leaks: HTC WiMAX phone, Palm C40, BB Tour 2. New PS3 hardware coming, profits looming? April 26, 2010 at 10:32 AM It wasn't so long ago that the PS3 went from the original "fat" console to the new slim version. The slim version took up less space, which was a good thing. Reports are coming in now that the PS3 is set to get another hardware update. Bit-tech reports that the PS3 is getting a new RSX graphics chip and RMA tweaks. The new graphics chip is a 45nm version using 15% less power and is less prone to overheat. Anyone that has ran an original PS3 inside a small entertainment center knows how hot the console can get. The machine will reportedly now get 128MB of XDR RAM in twin sticks rather than the four 64MB chips in the console today. A new cooling assembly is coming as well. Word is the new redesign might actually net Sony a profit. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Apple was most profitable handset vendor in Q3 2009 NVIDIA Q3 profits on the decline Nintendo profits down amid dreary Wii, DS sales New Nintendo Wii Revisions WoW players to get mounts at level 30 MacBook Pro Core i7 hits 90C in testing April 26, 2010 at 10:06 AM We posted up our own review of the new MacBook Pro with the Intel Core i7 processor this month and found the rig to be pretty good. The faster processor was a nice upgrade to the aging MacBook Pro line that had been waited for anxiously by Mac fans for a long time. PC Authority has posted up its own review of the MacBook Pro with the Core i7 CPU and noted that the chassis got very hot during its testing. According to the publication, the temperature of the CPU went to 84 degrees Celsius within a few minutes of running Dwarf Fortress in Windows with Boot Camp. With Cinebench fired up in OS X the temperature of the CPU hit a sweltering 90 Celsius making the bottom of the notebook almost too hot to touch. That is enough heat to roast your chestnuts for sure, keep this laptop out of your lap. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro is Here! Prototype MacBook Pro hits eBay MacBook Core 2 Duo coming 13th November? MacBook Air refresh delayed by ULV Core i3/i5 shortage? MacBook Air benchmarked against its brethren Peek "big product news" is free software upgrade this summer April 26, 2010 at 10:03 AM Peek's cryptic tease about their upcoming "really, truly big stuff" has been fleshed out a little, and it looks as though the change isn't new hardware but in fact a software update. In a recent WSJ piece, Peek CEO Amol Sarva confirmed that the company's "big product news is coming this summer: a free upgrade to all Peeks that significantly expands the capabilities of our mobile internet device." Unfortunately there's no indication of exactly what that update will bring. Meanwhile Peek Pronto owners can head over to upgrade.peek.com and get their hands on the latest firmware, v1.09.20 for the Exchange-supporting emailing handheld. Among the changes are a new lockscreen with date, time, number of new emails and number of new text messages all shown, a new dedicated texting UI, and an improved email inbox, along with various stability and bug fixes. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Peek emailer just $44.44 in Inauguration Day Special LightScribe burners get a free upgrade Peek Pronto & Google Maps for Peek in development? Control your Apple hardware from a central device FON Peek hits Europe Dec 15th: €99 with no roaming fees Another NVIDIA GTX 480 quad SLI test surfaces April 26, 2010 at 9:54 AM I have been a PC gamer for a long time and when NVIDIA first rolled out its SLI technology, I was pumped to see the benefits that you got in video games using multiple cards. Over the years, NVIDIA has improved the tech and you can use up to four of some of the companies cards in SLI today. A while back we saw a test of quad SLI with the GTX 480 video cards and today another such test has surfaced. This time the test was conducted at Hardware.info and I want four GTX 480's so bad I can taste it. I am sure with summer rolling around four of these beasts in an office during the Texas summer would not be a happy thing. The rig with four of the video cards inside posted a 3DMark Vantage score of 24673 with Extreme mode running and the machine turned in a score on Far Cry 2 of 169.8 fps at impressive settings. Relevant Entries on SlashGear NVIDIA Quad SLI not as good as anticipated NVIDIA Versus ATI – Gaming Performance in Vista Michelle Kaufman Designs Contemporary Surfaces – Another Way to Go Green Gateway puts quad-core PC on store shelves Phantom D900C – Quad Core Laptop from Eurocom iPad camera adapter unlocks other tasty USB capabilities April 26, 2010 at 9:43 AM Back when the iPad first launched we also talked a lot about the official iPad accessories from Apple. Among those accessories was the iPad Camera kit that includes a pair of adapters with one having a SD card reader and the other having a USB port for direct connection of cameras. Reports are coming in that the iPad Camera kit is good for more than just connecting a camera to the iPad. Apparently, that USB adapter also allows other devices to be connected to the iPad like USB audio and keyboards. The keyboard connectivity is a big deal for those not wanting the Apple Keyboard dock. You will need a stand of some sort to go along with your USB keyboard though since laying the iPad flat is a headache in a few minutes. You don't have to buy a stand though, you can always make a stand out of the iPad packing materials. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Apple iPad official accessories priced Apple iPad Keyboard Dock won't ship until mid-April Fujifilm offers adapter for viewing Real 3D camera images on TV Blur tripod adapter for the iPhone debuts Apple iPad accessory delays lengthening BlackBerry Bold 9650 gets official April 26, 2010 at 8:30 AM We've already caught a glimpse of it earlier on this morning, but RIM have officially launched the BlackBerry Bold 9650. Toting the latest optical trackpad and QWERTY keyboard, the Bold 9650 appears to be a dual-mode GSM/CDMA device with dualband EVDO Rev.A along with 2100MHz UMTS and quadband GSM for international roaming. There's also a 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera with a flash and image stabilization, WiFi b/g, and GPS with BlackBerry Maps preloaded. Connectivity includes a microUSB port and a microSD card slot (a 2GB card is included in the box) and we're guessing there's Bluetooth in there too since the screenshots show the icon. The whole thing measures in at 112 x 62 x 14.2 mm and RIM reckon you'll see up to 5hrs talktime or up to 13 days standby from a full charge. Although the spec sheet proudly declares you can use simultaneous voice and data, it's worth noting that the data connection has to be via WiFi, not 3G. No word on pricing, but according to the earlier leak the BlackBerry Bold 9650 should arrive on Sprint in the US come May 2010. Relevant Entries on SlashGear BlackBerry Pearl 3G and Bold 9650 leak ahead of WES BlackBerry Pearl 3G gets official BlackBerry Bold shows up at CompUSA; crazy expensive BlackBerry Bold for AT&T Unboxing and Hands-on BlackBerry Bold 9700 gets early review: best from RIM yet BlackBerry Pearl 3G gets official April 26, 2010 at 8:30 AM It's no great surprise, what with RIM's surprise being spoilt earlier on today, but the company have officially announced the BlackBerry Pearl 3G. Measuring a svelte 108 x 50 x 13.3 mm, the Pearl 3G packs quadband GSM and triband UMTS (with both North American and European versions in the pipeline); there's also WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth. As with the Bold 9650, the Pearl 9100 gets an optical trackpad and a QWERTY keyboard, though this time around RIM use their SureType 'board that doubles up letters per key and uses predictive text software to fathom out what exactly you're trying to say. A second version of the phone, the BlackBerry Pearl 9105, has a regular numeric keyboard instead. Both get a 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera with flash and image stabilization on the back, and GPS inside. Storage is via microSD, with a 2GB card included in the box, and obviously there's AppWorld, BlackBerry Messenger and the usual email support. Battery life is predicted at up to 5hrs GSM talktime or 18 days GSM standby (or 5.5hrs UMTS talktime/13 days UMTS standby). No word on pricing, but according to the earlier leak we should expect the BlackBerry Pearl 3G to arrive in Canada on Bell, Telus and Rogers. Relevant Entries on SlashGear BlackBerry Pearl update already in the works Cingular's Pearl 8100c in the wild BlackBerry Pearl 3G and Bold 9650 leak ahead of WES Blackberry Pearl 8100 videos! and pictures Video of BlackBerry Pearl at CTIA 2006 Sony mirrorless camera gets snapped in Asian bar April 26, 2010 at 8:08 AM I guess after a long day at the office even gadget designing engineers and workers need a beer. Recently some of those beer swilling folks have taken along the gadgets they are working on. The infamous loss of the iPhoen HD prototype in a California bar was not too long ago and now that new Sony mirrorless camera we talked about last week has been spied in a bar in Asia. The pictures are small and certainly don't offer much in the way of detail on the camera. The cam is said to be the NEX3 and in the picture is wearing a 16mm f/2.8 pancake lens. The lens reportedly has internal image stabilization rather than having image stabilization in the camera to keep the size of the camera down. The camera is expected to get an official unveil on May 11 and a NEX5 mirrorless camera is also expected on the same day. Pricing is expected to be very competitive with the micro four thirds cams on the market. The NEX3 is also said to record video in 720p with the NEX5 capable of recording 1080p video. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Sony Ericcson introduces more candybar phones Samsung NX10 digital camera gets official Sony annouces camera and GPS for PSP New CyberShot s730 Digital Camera from Sony Sony Ericsson Robyn mini Android phone spotted again Amp Inc. offers new line of 2.5-inch SSDs dubbed SATAsfaction April 26, 2010 at 7:50 AM I think Mick Jagger would approve of the new SATAsfaction line of SSDs. The SSD market is starting to look like the netbook market with companies jumping into SSD offerings left and right. Amp Inc is offering its new line of SSDs using a 2.5-inch form factor that are aimed at enterprise use. The SSDs support SATA 3.0 and are ATA-7 compliant. Native Command Queuing is supported along with PIO and UDMA-6. The line has advanced power management to save power, which is a big deal in enterprise environments. Other features include integrated ECC with 12 bytes per sector and Trim is supported. The line promises performance with up to 30,000 random write IOPs and the SSDs use a new Sandforce controller. Relevant Entries on SlashGear OCZ debuts new Z-Drive PCI-E SSD line OCZ and SandForce team on new SSDs for consumers and enterprise users Toshiba unveils tiny 32nm SSDs PhotoFast unveils G-Monster V4 SSD with hardware level garbage collection Micron Unveils RealSSD C300 SATA 6Gb/s SSD Dry-All Wet Cell Phone Emergency Kit might save your phone April 26, 2010 at 7:36 AM I've never had a problem with getting my mobile phone or other gadgets wet. I have spilled a Dr. Pepper on my keyboard before and had to dry the thing out and my son once spilled a whole can of root beer on a GPS device I was testing. That GPS device didn't survive the root beer incident unfortunately. If I had something like the Wet Cellular Phone Emergency Kit, I might have been able to save that GPS unit. The kit has some sort of beads inside that absorb liquids and dry out your device. The bag measures 6″ x 10″ and has a zipper at the top and can be reused. All you have to do is take your wet cell phone, drop it into the bag, and wait for it to dry out. The kit works with any gadget that will fit in the bag and promises to work on all sorts of liquids. The kit costs $9.99 per bag and is available now. Relevant Entries on SlashGear ClarityLife Mobile Phones – simple enough your grandma can use it VIP 007 James Bond phone, an unworthy name for an ugly phone The Cell Zone Energizer Energi To Go Instant Cell Phone Charger "Shut up" button for your cell phone Panasonic unveils ship date and pricing for 3D Viera VT25 series plasmas April 26, 2010 at 7:27 AM Most of the 3D TVs that are coming to market are using LCD technology. Panasonic has announced that its new line of plasma screen 3D TVs are set to launch over the next couple of months. The sets have now been priced for fans looking forward to plasma 3D home theater goodness. The Viera VT25 series of full HD 3D plasma sets will have screen sizes up to 65-inches. The TC-P50VT25 has a 50-inch screen and will ship the week of May 3 for $2,599.95. The TC-P54VT25 will ship the same week and sell for $2,999.95. The TC-P58-VT25 is a 58-inch 3D TV selling for $3,399.95 and will ship in June. The TC-P65VT25 is a 65-inch 3D plasma TV and will ship in June as well for $4,299.95. The sets all use active shutter 3D glasses costing $149.95 per pair and sport 5M:1 native contrast ratios and more. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Panasonic confesses to increasing black levels in its plasma TVs Panasonic unveils new Vieira D2 Series 6 IPS LCD panel LCD HDTVs in Japan Plasmas and LCDs galore Panasonic Adds 26-inch, 32-inch Viera LCD TVs Panasonic VIERA 65- and 58-inch Plasmas hit Japan in September Google Verizon Nexus One plans shelved in favor of Droid Incredible? April 26, 2010 at 7:23 AM Back in our Verizon Droid Incredible by HTC review last week, we pondered about who would pick up a Verizon Nexus One when the arguably superior Incredible was available. It's looking like Google themselves might be wondering the same thing; their Nexus One page has been updated, with the previous "coming soon to Verizon" message replaced by a link to the Droid Incredible preorder site and the suggestion that the new handset is the "similarly feature-packed cousin of the Nexus One." A message on the official Google Nexus One blog, meanwhile, reiterates that message, flagging up the new Vodafone UK preorder launch and suggesting that the Droid Incredible makes for a marvellous alternative to those wedded to Verizon. The Incredible, incidentally, is currently up for preorder, with deliveries expected to begin from April 29th. It's unclear whether this means there will be no official CDMA Nexus One, or whether Google are merely filling in the time before the handset becomes availability with a quick boost to another device that runs their OS. Personally, if you insist on sticking to Verizon then we'd point you to the Droid Incredible over the Nexus One, if only for the higher-resolution camera. [via Gadgetell] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Verizon confirm Droid Incredible by HTC preorders April 29th Verizon: CDMA Nexus One will be offered by Google only Verizon preorders for Droid Incredible by HTC begin Droid Incredible by HTC gets official Verizon specs The Droid Incredible is, well, Incredible Wi-Fi Sync cuts the iTunes cord [Video] April 26, 2010 at 7:01 AM We'd ask Steve Jobs what he thinks about Wi-Fi Sync – a new app that promises to cut the cord between iTunes and your iPhone/iPod/iPad with synchronizing over WiFi – and whether he'd approve it for the App Store, but we've a horrible feeling that the answer would be a short, sharp "nope". That's a shame, since it answers one of the most common criticisms of the platform. Video demo after the cut Basically, the first time you run the app, it asks you to authenticate your computer and whatever iPhone OS device it is you want to hook up. Subsequently, the two devices can reconnect automatically, and while you won't get the speed benefit of USB 2.0, we reckon most people would readily sacrifice that for the convenience. As I said in my iPad review last week, one of the frustrations of having a US iPad in the UK is that the on-device App Store isn't currently open for business; instead I have to download apps via iTunes on the desktop and sync them over. That means a whole lot of plugging in and unplugging; please, Apple, let this app one through! [via TechCrunch] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Palm webOS 1.2.1 restores iTunes sync, adds photo support Apple cuts price on iTunes Plus tracks Palm respond to iTunes Pre sync threat: ball's in Apple's corner Apple block Palm Pre sync in iTunes 8.2.1 Hacking iTunes – Get your ringtones for free Intel Atom N455/N475 CPUs imminent; dual-core N500 in June? April 26, 2010 at 6:45 AM Intel's Atom N455 and N475 processors are apparently due for launch "shortly", according to DigiTimes' sources, after the chips were unofficially previewed back at CeBIT 2010 in March. They'll supposedly be succeeded by the launch of the dual-core Atom N500 series in June, at which point we're told Intel will spill the beans on their third-gen netbook platform. In comparison to the existing N450 and N470 processors, their N4×5 counterparts have the same core clock speed and general specifications, but support DDR3 memory rather than just DDR2. As for the N500, little about the chip is known for sure, but it's expected to show up in the ASUS Eee PC 1215N netbook. The Atom N455 and N475 chips were seen running in the ASUS Eee PC 1018P, the company's new flagship netbook. That's been spotted in the wild recently, but we still don't have final confirmation on release dates. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Intel Dual-Core Atom Processor for Netbooks in the Works Dual-core Intel Atom 330 delayed until Q4 2008 Intel Atom D410 and D510 set to replace nettop CPUs from Q4 Intel dual-core Atom 330 CPU now shipping Dual-Core Intel Atom 330 back on track for September launch Steve Jobs denies OS X App Store, confirms Best Buy iPad 3G April 26, 2010 at 6:36 AM Steve Jobs has been sifting through his inbox again, answering emailed questions regarding the WiFi + 3G iPad and the possibility of an App Store for OS X. Two separate Mac-fans got in touch with the Apple CEO, with one asking whether Best Buy would be stocking the 3G-enabled version of the company's new tablet on April 30th (the device's official launch date) while the other was more curious about rumors that the company planned a desktop version of the iPhone's App Store. Jobs has become known for the brevity of his emailed responses, and these two questions did nothing to counter that reputation. To the query of whether the iPad WiFi + 3G would be in Best Buy, he said "Yep", while as for the talk of an official OS X App Store, he said "Nope". The latter is good news, as speculation had it that Apple were planning to carry their somewhat draconian software approval systems over from iPhone OS and onto OS X. Titles would require, the rumors suggested, that apps be signed with Apple's root certificate before they would run on OS X 10.7. [Image via CNET] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Thanks to Pixar, Steve Jobs Makes an Appearance at 2010 Oscars Apple iPad Will be Sold in Best Buy Starting April 3rd It's not easy being green – Apple to introduce LED backlit LCD monitors soon Fake Steve's secret identity has been revealed Steve Jobs taking a leave of absence from Apple due to heath concerns Finger-tracking smartphone promises Project Natal style interaction April 26, 2010 at 6:19 AM Researchers at the University of Tokyo's Ishikawa-Komuro Lab have developed a system of motion tracking for cellphones that brings a little Project Natal magic to your handset. Using a high-framerate camera attachment, the software can track the position of a finger held in front of the phone in 3D space, registering distance as well as fast-movement "clicks". Video demo after the cut It's not the first time we've seen cellphone cameras used to track movement and translate it into touch-free control. Sony Ericsson have used motion-tracking both for gaming and for alarm/call control, though neither system was as accurate as the University of Tokyo's implementation. Theirs is capable of tracking movement across an on-screen QWERTY keyboard, selecting characters with a click-movement, together with allowing for contactless scrolling and even drawing on-screen. We saw a similar demonstration at MWC 2010 back in February, where Texas Instruments showed an OMAP3-based device using a regular webcam to track 3D gestures. [via Recombu] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Project Natal will spread to HTPC and office claims Gates Project Natal confirmed for 2H 2010 by game publisher Project Natal and "New Xbox 360″ in 2H 2010 say insiders Slim Xbox 360 bundle with Natal by end of year tips analyst DIY GSM GPS tracking device Vodafone Nexus One hits UK April 30th April 26, 2010 at 5:58 AM Vodafone UK have announced that, as of April 30th, the Google Nexus One will go on sale. Available for preorder from today, the Vodafone Nexus One will be priced from free on a new £35 ($54) per month two-year agreement. In the box will be a 4GB microSD card, while subscribers will also get 1GB of included 3G data in their contract. Otherwise the specifications are the same as we've seen before, with a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, UMTS, WiFi and Bluetooth, along with Android and the recently extended Google Maps Navigation beta. Currently the Nexus One is running Android 2.1, but Vodafone's spec sheet refers to the tri-color LED trackball being used; right now, the LED only shows white (unless you're running a hack), but multicolor support is tipped to be included in Android 2.2. However, that version of the OS isn't expected to be released until Google I/O in mid-May 2010. Interestingly, while the Nexus One is only available online in the US, Vodafone will be stocking the handset in-store in the UK. The online preorder page says deliveries are expected from May 5th, in contrast to the press release's April 30th date; we're checking with the carrier to see which is accurate. Press Release: GOOGLE NEXUS ONE LAUNCHES ON VODAFONE UK · Nexus One™ available to Vodafone customers in the UK on April 30 · Pre-order from today on the UK's best network · Great value – free on £35 price plan · Available through Vodafone retail, online and telesales From today, Vodafone UK customers can order the Nexus One, the new superphone from Google™, at vodafone.co.uk/nexusone. Vodafone is the first European mobile operator to offer Nexus One. Customers who pre-order online will be the first to get a Nexus One for free on a £35 monthly price plan (24 month), on April 30. The Nexus One will also be available via Vodafone stores and telesales, with Vodafone providing direct support to customers with the superphone when they need it. Nexus One will be available on a range of great value Vodafone price plans, on both 18 and 24 month contracts. Price plans start from £25 a month on a 24 month contract. Vodafone UK customers with the Nexus One can use up to 1GB of mobile data as part of their price plan as well as take advantage of unlimited access to Wi-Fi in the home and free, publicly available services throughout the country. Customers using Wi-Fi can also use an additional 1GB of data at premium BT Openzone hotspots throughout the UK. Nexus One features the latest in Google innovation including Google Maps™ Navigation (Beta), which offers satnav-style turn-by-turn driving directions with voice output and Street View. Also included are other favourites like Google Mail, YouTube and access to Android Market™ with more than 40,000 applications. Google Maps Navigation is an Internet-connected GPS navigation system that provides turn-by-turn voice guidance as a free feature of Google Maps for Android™. Key features include Google Search and Search by voice to find your destination, the most recent maps, businesses and live traffic from Google Maps, and street and satellite views. Vodafone UK customers now have a wide choice of Android phones, truly establishing Vodafone as the home of the Smartphone. Nexus One Hardware Features Display: 3.7″ AMOLED 480×800 WVGA display Thinness: 11.5mm; Weight: 130g Processor/Speed: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 3G QSD8250 chipset, delivering speeds up to 1GHz Camera: 5 megapixel auto focus with flash and geo tagging Onboard memory: 512MB Flash, 512MB RAM Expandable memory: 4GB removable SD Card (expandable to 32GB) Noise Suppression: Dynamic noise suppression from Audience, Inc. Ports: 3.5mm stereo headphone jack with four contacts for inline voice and remote control Battery: Removable 1400 mAh Personalized laser engraving: Up to 50 characters on the back of the phone Trackball: Tri-colour notification LED, alerts when new emails, chats, text messages arrive -ends- Nexus One, Google, Google Maps, Android Market and Android are trademarks of Google, Inc. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Nexus One arriving to Vodafone UK in April Vodafone UK Google Nexus One landing "in a few short weeks"; Europe to follow [Updated] CDMA Nexus One stock already headed to Verizon? Nexus One Vodafone Germany price leaked? March 23rd reveal tipped for Verizon's Nexus One WonderMedia SmartStream makes Intel WiDi generic April 26, 2010 at 5:25 AM Intel's Wireless Display technology is slowly proliferating among laptops, but WonderMedia reckon their SmartStream system knocks it into a cocked hat. The media adapter uses the company's PRIZM SoC to stream content via ethernet or WiFi from any notebook or PC, pumping it out on your HDTV complete with two-way communications for controlling the computer even if it's in another room. A USB port on the SmartStream box allows you to plug in a keyboard or mouse (or perhaps one of those combination keyboard/trackball HTPC remotes). There's no hardware to be plugged into the PC, though we're guessing you do have to install some software; still, unlike Intel's WiDi you don't need a certain processor/GPU before you can use it. WonderMedia also bill the adapter as ideal for wireless office presentations, and interestingly a diagram on their site shows it working with smartphones too. No word on pricing or availability – nor what sort of ports the SmartStream box has, though we're guessing HDMI, ethernet, and maybe some sort of analog outputs too – but the price to beat is the $99.99 Netgear charge for their Intel WiDi box. Press Release: WonderMedia PRIZM Brings the PC to the TV, No Strings Attached WonderMedia's SmartStream solution allows users to wirelessly stream HD video from their PC to their TV, as well as use applications, play online games, share photos and more Taipei, Taiwan, April 26, 2010 – WonderMedia Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of feature-rich system-on-chip platforms, today announced the WonderMedia SmartStream. Based on the WonderMedia PRIZM system-on-chip (SoC), SmartStream is a low latency, cost effective Wireless Display (WiDi) device that uses Wi-Fi or Ethernet to allow a user to view and control a PC on their television. Unlike other WiDi solutions that can only be used with high-end PCs from specific vendors using specific components, or those using proprietary solutions such as wireless HDMI that require an additional device on the PC side, SmartStream works with any modern PC and is able to scale its performance to provide optimal results for any given computer's configuration. A small accessory connected to the TV, WonderMedia SmartStream offers two-way communication between the PC and the TV. While most WiDi solutions can only control content on the TV via the PC, SmartStream allows it to be controlled from the TV side, meaning it's not necessary for the PC to be in the same room as the television. "SmartStream marks the end of having to drag cables across a room to connect up a projector or TV to your PC," said Tzumu Lin, President and CEO, WonderMedia Technologies, Inc. "With more and more people getting their HD video entertainment online, here's a way to watch it and control it on your big-screen TV from the comfort of your living room sofa." For more information on the WonderMedia SmartStream, please visit: www.wondermedia.com.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=49 WonderMedia SmartStream Availability SmartStream solutions are currently available in Taiwan and Mainland China retail channels through HiPlus. Please see www.hiplus.com.tw/up/up_product.html for more details. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Intel WiDi debuts for HD-over-WiFi streaming; Netgear & Toshiba onboard Cedar Trail M next-gen Atom CPUs getting 1080p Wireless Display WonderMedia SmartFrame supports IPTV, Windows 7 "Play To" str! eaming Toshiba Satellite E205-S1904 now shipping at Best Buy Intel's Montevina platform is Centrino 2 – Due in Q2 iPad USB Camera Connection dongle supports keyboards & audio headsets April 26, 2010 at 5:10 AM Having seen the first in-the-wild shots of Apple's new Camera Connector Kit for the iPad over the weekend, the feedback now seems even more positive. TUAW have heard that the USB half of the kit, billed solely as a way to plug in your digital camera, will also work with a USB keyboard for wired text entry. Meanwhile they also point to TidBITS who have been having luck with USB headsets. They plugged a regular USB audio headset – complete with earphones and microphone – into the USB dongle, and it was recognized by the iPad immediately. They could then use it for VoIP using the iPhone Skype app, with quality supposedly being very high. Of course, the iPad also has a built-in microphone, but this way you can leave it on the table while you work rather than holding it closer to your mouth. The Apple Store online is still showing a 2-3 wait, but some of the members over at Everything iPad have already received theirs. [Image via Jerrodh] Relevant Entries on SlashGear iPad Camera Kit finally in buyers' hands CES 2008: Sennheiser MX W1 wireless earphones with Kleer technology Gigabyte offers On/Off Charge drivers for charging iPad Jabra debuts the Cruiser hands free Bluetooth speaker phone Next generation iPhone and iPad likely to score OmniVision camera sensors BlackBerry Pearl 3G and Bold 9650 leak ahead of WES April 26, 2010 at 4:49 AM RIM's WES conference kicks off this morning, and details of the company's two new devices have emerged prior to the official keynote. The BlackBerry Pearl 3G and BlackBerry Bold 9650 each have QWERTY keyboards – a SureType 'board on the Pearl 3G and a regular 'board on the 9650 – while connectivity includes triband 3G UMTS on the Pearl 3G and either quadband 3G UMTS or EVDO Rev.A on the Bold 9650. Each gets a 3.2-megapixel camera, GPS and WiFi (b/g/n on the Pearl 3G, just b/g on the Bold 9650), along with an optical trackpad. As for carriers, RIM apparently told The Street that the BlackBerry Pearl 3G would arrive in Canada on Bell, Telus and Rogers, while the BlackBerry Bold 9650 would hit the US in May 2010 on Sprint. No US carrier information on the Pearl 3G, however, nor specifics as to release dates. There's still no sign of either handset on RIM's site, and we're guessing they'd have rather no word of the two new smartphones emerged until later on in the day. Relevant Entries on SlashGear BlackBerry Pearl 9100 aka Striker live shots leak BlackBerry Pearl update already in the works Cingular's Pearl 8100c in the wild BlackBerry B! old shows up at CompUSA; crazy expensive Blackberry Pearl 8100 videos and pictures Dell Athens & Sparta netbooks tipped, plus Looking Glass Pro HD tablet April 26, 2010 at 4:22 AM Dell have been piloting a pretty leaky ship recently, with smartphones and tablets spilling out all over the place, and next up are the company's MID, netbook and tablet intentions. AndroidCentral have acquired an image showing that Dell plan a convertible netbook/tablet, the "Sparta" in Q3 2011, which will have a nifty rotating touchscreen that pivots within its bezel, and a "true" netbook, the "Athens", later that quarter. Going by the logos, they'll be available either with Android or Moblin (though we're guessing the latter was used prior to the Nokia/! Intel MeeGo announcement). All of the devices on the list are based on ARM processors, though there are no specifics as to which chip might slot in where. From the leaked ARM roadmap last week, though, we do know that the Q3 2011 period would fit in well with the new dual-core 800MHz "Orion" Cortex A9 chipset. Both the Sparta and Athens appear to have 11-inch 1024 x 768 displays with optional 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. There's also a second version of the 7-inch Looking Glass tablet from last week, the Looking Glass Pro (or "LG Pro" on the roadmap), with an HD display and integrated digital TV tuner. That's tentatively expected in January 2011, five months after the Looking Glass (which has an 800 x 600 display) arrives. Finally, the Dell Streak (aka the Dell Mini 5) is due in the US (on T-Mobile) and in Europe (on Vodafone) in the summer, with a Chinese version following on after that. The Streak also gets both Android and Moblin logos, suggesting we may see a MeeGo version of that, too. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Dell Looking Glass tablet, Smoke & Flash smartphones all rock Android Dell XT Tablet PC confirmed, by Dell Dell Android MID tipped for CES 2010 launch New Samsung and Dell 11.6-inch netbooks imminent? Dell Latitude-based Tablet PC caught on camera Nokia N8 previewed: underwhelming hardware, Symbian^3 "cosmetic" update April 26, 2010 at 3:59 AM It's fair to say that we had high hopes for the Nokia N8. There was little to criticise on the spec sheet – 12-megapixel camera, HDMI output, huge touchscreen with multitouch support – but, going by Mobile-Review's N8 preview, out in the real world the smartphone still falls short. Stills from the camera are good, but 720p HD video isn't anything special in comparison to other handsets, and the phone's Symbian^3 OS is dismissed as a cosmetic update rather than an upgrade that could put it on a par with Android, iPhone OS or even a featurephone-platform like Samsung's Bada. Meanwhile the HDMI port apparently uses a non-standard connector, which reduces the likelihood that you'll be able to plug in anywhere you go. It's a frustrating piece, because we really wanted the N8 – and Symbian^3 for that matter – to mark Nokia's return to form. Of course, this is still a prototype and probably not running the final, optimized software, so we'll reserve final judgement until we can get our hands on the N8 ourselves. [via SlashPhone] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Nokia plan Symbian^3 phones Q3 2010; Symbian^4 by early 2011 Nokia C5 confirmed; brings new naming scheme with it Nokia N8-00 12MP smartphone breaks cover Nokia Symbian^3 2010 plan detailed: 12MP N8-00 tipped for Summer Nokia N900 previewed: "wholly different league" to Symbian WowWee Rovio gets mind control with Emotiv headset [Video] April 26, 2010 at 3:48 AM WowWee's Rovio has already seen several DIY remote control hacks – whether it's from your Android phone or via an E Ink board – but this is perhaps the best yet. Robert Oschler has hooked up an Emotiv Epoq EEG headset allowing him (with some nifty software in-between) to control Rovio using thoughts, facial gestures and head movements. Video demo after the cut The Epoq headset is billed as an alternative gaming controller, but as the first reviews suggested the experience can be frustrating. It looks as though Robert's setup is more usable, however, hooking into the Emotiv SDK with his new Robodance 5 software; bizarrely, that means to move Rovio forward, he has to feel a little stressed and anxious: "After some experimentation I found a mood that I could easily summon was a combination of worry and sadness, a strong particular brand of feeling squarely behind my eyes" Robert Oschler Robodance 5 uses Skype to bridge the connection with the (WiFi enabled) Rovio, and so it doesn't make any difference whether you're in the same room as the robot or halfway across the world. It also supports real-time video and audio streaming. Version 5 of the software should be available in late May. 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