Archives for August 2010

Sony Reader eBook PRS-350 and PRS-650 Rumoured

Two new Sony Reader eBook devices could be launched soon if this rumour is to be believed. The two new models include the Sony PRS-350 and the PRS-650 which fall in line with the time of year that Sony updates it’s line of eBook readers.

Sony has a lot more competition at the moment with the launch of the new Amazon Kindle 3 with a very low price tag, and of course the Apple iPad with iBooks installed. Others who are gaining a strong presence include the Nook from Barnes & Noble as well as the Ectaco to name a few.

What we can expect to see from the Sony Reader eBooks is thinner devices, perhaps under 10mm in thickness as well as faster page turns and an improved contrast for better reading. [Read more…]

tPhone iPod touch Phone Conversion Case

The tPhone is similar to the Peel 520 in that it attempts to convert your iPod touch in to an iPhone.

The tPhone makes your iPod touch in to an iPhone so that it can make and receive calls as well as send and receive texts messages.

It is said to have a better design and finish to the Peel 520, but essentially achieves the same goal in terms of what it is used for. [Read more…]

Kindle and iPad Screens Compared Under Microscope

Keith over at Bit101 got his hands on a USB microscope. After realising that holding it to a Nexus One, he could see the individual pixels, he decided to test what the Amazon Kindle screen looks like compared to the iPad screen.

This isn’t a scientific experiment to prove that one screen is better than another. Images were just captured out of curiosity to see what the two screens look like when compared to each other as well as a comparison to a printed newspaper. [Read more…]

Motorola DROID to get Second Android 2.2 Update

The Motorola DROID Android 2.2 update started arriving on the Verizon [VZ] handset a few days ago. This update is numbered FRG01B. We are now hearing that a second firmware update is going to be rolling out very soon. The second update is basically a tool to bring Adobe Flash 10.1 for mobile to the DROID device.

The information was confirmed in an email sent out to Verizon Motorola DROID business users (larger version can be seen below) and confirms that the second update is relating to bringing the mobile version of Flash to the handset. [Read more…]

Samsung Galaxy S to get September Update

The Samsung Galaxy S (including variants) has a GPS problem that prevents a decent lock from occurring, especially when in canyons and busy places with a lack of view to the clear sky.

The problem is caused by software which can get a fix on your position, but often shows you a few streets away and in some cases, you could be seen as being in the next town which basically renders the GPS pointless.

It’s not all bad news though as the Galaxy S smartphone will be getting a firmware update that should resolve all the problems. Samsung reports on Twitter that an update is arriving in September. It does mention for the US Galaxy S, but the info does come from the Samsung US twitter account. [Read more…]

Photoshop Express for iPad Released

Adobe has released a new version of Photoshop.com Mobile. The new version has been renamed to Photoshop Express and now functions fully on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Previous versions running on the iPad had to use pixel doubling to fill the screen.

The application was launched yesterday in to the app store and for those who already have the original on the iPhone, you’ll get an update through the Apple App Store.

The Photoshop Express application on the iPad is basically the same as it was on the iPhone in that you can load up an image and enhance it with various controls. With the iPad having a much larger screen, the editing experience is improved although the results are the same. [Read more…]

Verizon iPhone 4 Rumor Suggests Larger Screen

For a while now some rumours have been going around about the Verizon iPhone 4. The latest rumour suggests that Apple [AAPL] will start manufacturing it in November in preparation for a January release.

The new iPhone 4 on the Verizon network will of course be CDMA compatible. However, DVICE is reporting that along with the CDMA innards, we can also expect to see a faster 1.2GHz CPU, a larger Retina Display and an internal antenna to prevent the death grip.

What are your thoughts on this? Would Apple change the iPhone 4 this much for Verizon users (or any network for that matter). It seems a little far fetched to us. [Read more…]

HTC Event on September Could Unveil HTC Desire HD Smartphone

Invitations to a HTC event have been sent out that describe an event to be held on September 15. The invitation says… “come see what HTC has dreamt up 15 September”.

It is unknown what will be unveiled that day although some sharp eyed readers of Gizmodo have messed with the image to enhance it a little to reveal that the circular shaped object in the middle of the smoke could actually be the HTC Desire HD that we recently posted some pictures of. [Read more…]

How the Nintendo 3DS Screen Works

Recently, Nintendo announced the Nintendo 3DS. The 3DS is a 3D version of the DS. The interesting thing about this 3D handhled is that it doesn’t require glasses for you to see the 3D effect in games.

Traditionally 3D TV requires that you wear special glasses that are designed to either filter or block out images to each eye (depending on the technology used) and by alternating images at a high frequency it makes it appear that the image being seen on the flat screen is actually 3D.

The Nintendo doesn’t require glasses though and instead of using a regular flat type sreen, the system uses what is called a parallax barrier. The parallax barrier is capable of projecting images out at two different angles. If you look at it from the left you see one image and if you look at it from the right you see a slightly different image. This requires that you hold the 3DS is a “sweet spot” so that you can see both images at the same time with each eye seeing a slightly different image. [Read more…]

HTC Mozart/Mondrian Photos Spotted

The HTC Mondrian looks to be one of the first Windows Phone 7 devices that HTC will launch.

Some new pictures have been leaked of the Mozart/Mondrian that show it has a large screen along with the three dedicated buttons below the screen which match it up with the requirements of a Windows Phone 7 device.

Around the back of the device is a large camera lens and flash. The casing is said to be a combination of light and dark plastic. [Read more…]

Backpack Used to Create 3D Interior Models

A new technology has been developed that lets you easily capture the surrounding area as a 3D model that you can navigate around.

The device comes in the form of a backpack that is loaded with several sensors and cameras that capture a building as you walk through it. Textures are captured with a camera and the 3D model is created from other sensors.

The company envisage that the whole world will be available in 3D if this backpack can be created and used. [Read more…]

Rage for iPhone runs at 60 FPS

The bar for game quality has just been raised by iD software. John Carmack yesterday demoed a test version of Rage for the iPhone that is capable of running at 60 frames per second. A quote says that this version is able to “kill anything done on the Xbox or PlayStation 2.”

The demonstration (video below) uses the id Tech 5 engine and although running on the iPhone 4 in the demo, it is said to run comfortably on all older iPhone models.

Rage will launch as a “show-off” style game according to Kotaku, and a larger fuller game is due out next year. [Read more…]