3G
Faster, thinner, lighter iPad2 gets cameras and March 11 shipping date
Given his recent health-related leave of absence, it was refreshing to see that Steve Jobs took the stage at today's Apple event to announce the forthcoming arrival of the iPad 2. It's lighter and thinner than the original, but packs in more features and more processing power. New additions include rear and front-facing cameras, an iOS update, smart covers, and a built-in gyroscope. Sadly, the only advancement on the connectivity front was the addition of HDMI via an optional adapter, and the carbon-fiber housing rumor looks to have been just that, a rumor. Read More
Introducing the EKING S700 electronic memorandum
The e-Reader has been a success story, there's not much doubt about that. But with only various shades of gray offered by e-Ink, most manufacturers are now diving into color LCD devices (with the notable exception of Amazon). Now China's Shenzhen Guangxuntong Communication Technology has announced a paper-like color display on its new S700 e-notepad, although exactly what technology is used to achieve this has not been revealed. Here's what we do know... Read More
Cream brought the country blues classic Sittin' on top of the world to an international audience in the late 1960s... and now you can watch it on YouTube while you're sitting there. Through its subsidiary Ncell, the Swedish telecommunications group TeliaSonera has launched 3G services in the Mount Everest area of Nepal – which makes the company the providers of the world's highest mobile data service. Read More
Somewhere between what we've come to know as a tablet computer and a smartphone sits ViewSonic's new Viewpad 7. You might already guess from the name that this portable tablet with phone functionality sports a 7-inch touchscreen display. It runs on Android 2.2, has both Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities, and cameras at the back and front. The device is currently on show at ViewSonic's stand at IFA 2010 in Berlin, but for those not lucky enough to be in Germany this week, here's a brief summary of what's on offer. Read More
The graphite and display overhaul that Amazon gave its Kindle DX earlier in the month has now been applied to its third generation 6-inch model. The new Kindle will be available with 3G and Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi only, is 15 percent lighter and 21 percent smaller than its predecessor but still retains the 6-inch display and now comes with double the storage capacity. Read More
Apple has announced that its iPad will be available in an additional nine countries from Friday, July 23. All varieties of both the Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models will hit Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore. Read More
The next step in the evolution of e-Ink technology sees 50 per cent better contrast resulting in sharper, clearer text and crisp, detailed images. Amazon's new graphite Kindle DX takes full advantage of the new technology, also offering a couple of new fonts, new security features and social networking integration. And the new DX comes in at over US$100 cheaper than its predecessor too. Read More
Hand a child an ice cream you'll generally be rewarded with a beaming smile, but with this new interactive vending machine, it's the smile that gets rewarded – with a free ice cream. Created for Unilever, the world’s biggest ice cream manufacturer, the first ever smile-activated ice cream vending machine combines face-recognition technology to measure a person’s grin and take a photo that can be uploaded to Facebook thanks to the machine’s built-in 3G capability. Read More
Accessing the Internet while away from the home or office has never been easier. When there’s no Wi-Fi available users can jump on 3G broadband to get their online fix. And that’s the way it has generally been, with the two main mobile communications technologies acting as complementary services. But with the advent of Wi-Fi based municipal wireless networks some experts say there is a strong possibility that Wi-Fi will compete with the 3G cell phone network in city areas and perhaps even become a substitute. Read More
Nokia usually has its finger on the pulse when it comes to new mobile phone designs that appeal to core markets, but we’re more than a little intrigued by the angular approach taken by the new X5-01. The Symbian S60 (3rd gen) device measures 74x66mm and is 17mm thick, so it certainly isn’t one for those who are shy of pocket. Read More
