Archives for May 2010

Seagate 3TB Hard Drive to Ship Later this Year

Seagate is launching a new hard drive later this year with a huge capacity of 3TB. The new 3TB drive won’t function on all computers though due to it’s sheer size.

Back in the 80’s the standard set for hard drives restricted them to 2.1 TB (a limit they might have thought couldn’t be achieved on a single drive). Due to this restriction the only way the drive will work is when using a 64-bit operating system. In particular, Windows XP will not work and you’ll need to choose a 64-bit variant of either Windows Vista or Windows 7. Also, some modified versions of Linus will be capable of running this drive.

No formal announcement has been made about the drive, but we expect that we will hear something later this year prior to the release of the mammoth drive. [Read more…]

EB710 Colour eBook Reader

The EB710 is a colour eBook reader that features a 7 inch TFT colour screen that is capable of displaying 800 x 480 pixels.

The manufacturer is believed to be NSECO who I don’t believe I have heard of before. Either way, the device looks quite interesting and certainly has a unique user interface from looking at the picture above.

As well as being able to read ebooks on the device, MP3 and video playback is possible. A USB 2.0 connector can be found on the device although there is no mention of wireless of 3G connectivity in the specifications. [Read more…]

Dell Inspiron M501R AMD Phenom II X4 Laptop Announced

Dell has launched a new laptop called the Dell Inspiron M501R. This laptop is powered by an AMD Phenom II X4 processor making it quite powerful in terms of processing power.

Other features include the choice between a HD 550v graphics card or a 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250. The screen measures 15.6 inches and has a HD screen with a 720p resolution.

For connectivity the Dell M501R has WiFi 802.11n as well as Bluetooth and wired LAN. Around the edges three USB 2.0 ports can be found along with eSATA/USB and a 7 in 1 media card reader. Both a VGA and HDMI output are also to be found on this laptop. [Read more…]

Lego Bridge Launcher Vehicle can Built it’s Own Bridge

Check out this Lego bridge launcher. The Lego Bridge launcher was built by Mahjqa Kreuger who managed to build a Lego vehicle that is capable of deploying it’s own bridge across a gap, driving over it’s own bridge and then recovering the bridge afterwards.

It’s quite amazing to see the video of it working and how all the various parts move to get the bridge to open up correctly.

The video can be seen after the break which is then followed by a couple of out takes which are quite fun to watch. [Read more…]

Omnivision OV2720 1080p Image Sensor

The Omnivision OV2720 is a very small image sensor that is capable of capturing video at 1080p (Full HD) resolutions. The new sensor has been compacted down making it about 1/6 of an inch in size making it ideal for being embedded in to devices such as smartphones, laptops and perhaps the iPad 2.

When recording video in 1080p, the device is capable of capturing up to 30 frames per second. The device also uses a process to achieve better image quality in low light situations which is also a bonus, especially where smartphone cameras are concerned.

Omnivision has said in the past, or at least hinted in the past, that the Apple iphone 4G could get to use the sensor, but due to manufacturing on a mass scale not happening till next month of this sensor, it could be a little late for the next generation iPhone. Instead, Devicemag believe that the OV5650 will be used instead as that sensor is also capable of capturing video at 1080p. [Read more…]

Google Chart shows Android 2.1 as the Most Used Android OS Build

Google [GOOG] has updated the platform version chart that gives a break-down of which versions of Android OS are the most popular.

The reason Google launch the chart is to give information to developers on which build they should focus on most. Up till last month Google Android 1.5 and 1.6 were always in the lead with versions such as 2.0 and 2.0.1 having a very small usage foot print. For the first time though, Android 1.5/1.6 have been kicked out of the top spot and replaced by Android 2.1. 2.1 accounts for 37.2% according to the chart (larger version below) and that is followed by Android 1.5 and then 1.6.

A few interesting things to note are that some users are still on Android 1.1 which indicates either some small network is not pushing out updates, or some people are just happy the way their phone is. [Read more…]

Amazon Kindle 3rd Gen Could get Games

Some leaked information from Amazon indicates that a 3rd generation Amazon Kindle eBook reader could be launched later this year.

Amazon appears to be shifting towards games and social networks with it’s eBook reader. The main problem now is that the e-ink paper just doesn’t have the ability to achieve anything with fast movement or touch based applications. This is hinting that Amazon will launch a new generation Kindle with a superior touch screen.

It is believed that Amazon are shifting course due to the success of the Apple iPad that launched last month in the US. The 3rd generation device could do away with the e-ink screen to give a richer experience for users. The screen rumours come because of Amazon purchasing a company called TouchCo that could add multi-touch to the screen. [Read more…]

HTC Wildfire Heading to Virgin Mobile UK

Just yesterday a new Android OS smartphone was announced called the HTC Wildfire. The Wildfire is a budget handset that has slightly lower specs than the high end phones such as a slower Qualcomm processor running at 525MHz rather than the Snapdragon 1GHz chips we see in the high end phones.

Virgin Mobile in the UK has announced today that it will be offering the HTC Wildfire on it’s network in the UK. The message came from the official Virgin Media Twitter account where the company announced it is to get the new Wildfire smartphone, but prices are to be announced at a later date.

Right now we can speculate that the handset will be free, or very cheap on quite low plans such as the £20/month or £25/month contracts. We also expect a PAYG version will be launched also on the network. [Read more…]

Spotify Open and Unlimited Plans Launched

Spotify has introduced a couple of new plans to it’s services. The new plans called Spotify Open and Spotify Unlimited add some in-between plans allowing users to cut down on what they don’t need from the Premium service and also sign up to the free service without an invite.

Right now the most expensive plan costs £9.99 and is called Spotify Premium. This service gives you full access to Spotify as well as being able to stream music (or store locally for 30 days) any music available through the service. Full comparison here.

The Spotify Unlimited plan costs £4.99/month but removes the ability to use the service on a mobile phone.

Next down the list is the regular Spotify Free where you get free access (ad supported) to the services for an unlimited time per month. [Read more…]

Google Android 2.2 Froyo Could Launch this Week – Flash Enabled Sites Highlighted

This week we expect that Google [GOOG] will officially announce and perhaps release Android 2.2. When launched, it will be available for the Nexus One, DROID and HTC Evo 4G off the starting blocks and of course, other devices will follow over the coming months.

Google hasn’t released a list of what will be included just yet although a number of leaks and information found on other sites such as Adobe has indicated that Flash 10.1 will be built in to the Froyo build. In regards to flash we also hear that when a 2.2 updgrade is complete the Flash 10.1 feature will be highlighted by Google along with a list of sites that will function correctly (as pictured above). Of course the list isn’t limited to what you see above as Adobe has just highlighted some of the best and most popular sites.

Other features believed to be included are the ability to create a WiFi hotspot with your Android phone along with USB and wireless tethering. [Read more…]

Amazon Kindle App Coming to Android OS Smartphones

Amazon is releasing a Kindle App for Android OS smartphones. The application, like on other platforms, is free to download and will allow users to read Kindle eBooks on their Android device.

Just like other versions of the Kindle App, the Android version will also include the Whispersync function that allows all your devices running Kindle to be synchronised with bookmarks, annotations and where you were last reading.

‘Kindle for Android is the perfect companion application for Kindle and Kindle DX owners, and is also a great way for customers to enjoy over 540,000 books in the Kindle Store even if they don’t yet have a Kindle, said Jay Marine, director, Amazon Kindle. ‘We think customers are going to love the convenience and simplicity of having instant access to a massive selection of books from Amazon on their Droid, Nexus, Incredible and many more Android devices.

[Read more…]

Try a Watch on with Augmented Reality App

Over the last year or so we have seen more and more augmented reality applications that attempt to merge real and virtual worlds together. The latest augmented reality app is one that allows you to try on a watch.

The system works by printing out a paper watch with a “T” marking on it. When the 82MB application is downloaded and loaded up you simply wear the T marked paper watch and wave it in front of your webcam. You then just need to select the watch you want to virtually try on and it appears on your wrist.

The application is compatible with Windows and Mac and is available for download now over at Tissot. [Read more…]