Latest Gadgets, Tablets and Smartphones
ASUS will soon begin to offer Ubuntu as a choice for operating systems on its range of Netbooks. Ubuntu is Linux based and comes with a number of applications that let you use the netbook as you would a PC (in some ways).
As Ubuntu is free, it should also lower the price of the netbook as ASUS will have no licencing fees to pay for those who opt for the Ubuntu operating system.
Samsung has announced that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be launching over at Best Buy (Union Square, NYC) on the 8th June. 9 days later, it will launch nationally in the US (June 17th).
The Galaxy Tab 10.1 is an Android 3.1 Honeycomb tablet that was unveiled a few months back. The tablet is one of the best Honeycomb tablets that will soon be launching.
Apple has filed a rather unique patent that makes use of infrared transmitters to interact with the iPhone. What the patent shows is an IR sensor installed at a venue and when the camera picks up the sensor, the device can either access information about where a user is, or have features disabled.
Dropbox is a free (and premium) service that allows you to store files from your PC on the web. When installed you get a folder on your desktop and any files that are put in that folder are then synced to the cloud to keep them safe and secure. If you lose your computer or get a drive failure then all you need to do is log back in with Dropbox and all your files are copied back to your PC.
The software works on the PC, Mac and on various smartphones and tablets. We hear today that Sony Ericsson and Dropbox have signed a deal that will see Dropbox pre-installed on a number of smartphones in the future. By using Dropbox on a smartphone, you gain access to your files while on the move.
Just ahead of WWDC2011 that kicks off in the next few days, we are beginning to hear pricing rumours of the new iCloud service. Insiders have hinted at the initial offering being free which will later on be changed to a $25/year pricing plan. It isn’t clear how long the free period will last. It could be a month, 90 days or perhaps even longer.
Forza 4 on the XBox will feature head-tracking. The system will work by using the Microsoft Kintect camera to track where a user is looking and with that data, the screen will then adjust to show you what you are looking at. The system is demonstrated in the video below and shows a driver testing a car around a track with it enabled.
Earlier this week, Apple uploaded a security update that aimed to fix the Mac Defender malware that had been causing problems for some Mac owners over the last few weeks. The update is available through the update services in OS X. When installed, it gets rid of the Mac Defender malware and also scans for variants of it.
Within 8 hours of the security update going live, a new variation of Mac Defender had been created which bypassed the new security restrictions that Apple put in place.
The Windows Phone 7.1 Mango ROM has leaked. The leaked ROM is build number 7629 and was grabbed from the SDK emulator image. One problem with it is that it’s not possible to use it on a WP7 smartphone due to it being x86. Details of where to get the build from and what has been found within so far can be found at XDA Developers.
Yesterday at D9, Microsoft unveiled Windows 8. Windows 8 is designed for a range of devices from those that have just a touchscreen and are small (think smartphone/tablet) all the way up to large screen devices with or without a keyboard and mouse.
Microsoft has departed from the usual Windows look and feel in some ways by using a more interactive user interface.
Google first launched the +1 button back in March although this was reserved for search results and ads only. Google has now officially launched the +1 button and has made it available for anyone who wants to add the button to their website.
What the button does is allow you to recommend content to friends and contacts.
The iPhoneIslam team has recently uploaded a video to Youtube that shows an iPad 3G making voice calls, sending text messages and using FaceTime.
The software hasn’t been launched yet although the team say that it’s coming very soon.
Yesterday at PocketNow, some leaked pictures of various smartphones were released. Along with a few mentioned smartphones, details of a Motorola Xoom 2 were released. The Xoom is a honeycomb based tablet that launched earlier this year (pictured below).
The pictures appeared to be accidentally published online by Motorola but were removed shortly after.
