Category Archives: Technology

LG lets loose G-Slate specifications, spring release window

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In early January at CES 2011 Motorola and T-Mobile took their respective stages to announce the upcoming Honeycomb-powered tablets. While Moto’s Xoom was almost fully fleshed out (exact release date and price are still up in the air), T-Mobile did not provide any details surrounding LG’s G-Slate besides saying it will be the “first 4G Android 3.0 powered tablet.” Well I happy to report that since then both the carrier and the manufacturer of the mysterious tablet have come out with hard specs and a release window. Lets get to it. The G-Slate (otherwise known as the LG Optimus Pad across the pond) packs a 8.9-inch (1280×768 WXGA) multitouch display and runs on a 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor. Other specs include 32GB of internal memory, built-in WiFi, gyroscope, accelerometer, and adaptive lighting, and Adobe Flash support. But don’t let me bore you to death; the G-Slate features something the other Honeycomb launch tablets don’t have–2 cameras at the rear for stereoscopic 3D video recording. Working together the two rear-facing camera can capture 1080p HD content that can be viewed on the slate itself (the display is in fact 3D-capable, limited to 720p HD, however) and 3D video (in 1080p resolution) can be pumped out to an external 3D-capable HDTV through HDMI output. One of the rear cameras doubles as a 5 megapixel camera for standard photo capture (with flash) and there’s a third 2 megapixel front-facing camera for video chat. It’s important (and rather unfortunate) to note that pesky glasses are required to view 3D content on the slate’s display. Oh well–but it still remains a differentiating factor when it comes to making a purchasing decision between this, the Xoom, and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1.

The G-Slate will release this spring (likely in March) exclusively on T-Mobile’s network in the States, and as mentioned before it will take advantage of T Mo’s “4G” HSPA+ speeds. To end things on an even brighter note, the slate’s expected to ship as a Google Experience device, meaning it will come preloaded with a fresh version of Honeycomb, free of any LG and T-Mobile bloatware. Cheers to that! Pics below, video and PR after the break.

[Via Engadget 1, 2]

Continue reading LG lets loose G-Slate specifications, spring release window →

Sony Ericsson makes official Xperia Play (aka the PlayStation Phone)

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Today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona Sony Ericsson made official the Xperia Play. For years the rumor mill has been stockpiled with dreams for the PlayStation Phone to come true and today Sony Ericsson finally addressed the leaks and came out with everything. At its heart the Xperia Play is an Android phone, so let’s start there. The Play runs Android 2.3 (aka Gingerbread, with SE’s TimeScape skin plastered on top) and is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and embedded Adreno GPU (which promises to deliver games at a “silky smooth” 60 frames per second). It packs a 4-inch (854×480) multitouch display, 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, AGPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, stereo speakers, USB and headphone ports, and microSD slot (8GB card included, expandable up to 32GB). It’s a quad-band GSM/CDMA and EV-DO smartphone. The Play is set to launch in March, and it’s coming to the U.S. exclusively on Verizon in “early spring” at an undisclosed price.

With all the phone facts set aside, now let’s turn to what makes the Xperia Play a gaming device. The Play is being billed as the first PlayStation Certified device, meaning it will have access to PlayStation game content provided through the PlayStation Suite initiative which is set to roll out later this year. SE has partnered with video games publishers to bring not only PS games but also Android Marketplace gaming apps to the device. Franchises such as EA’s Need For Speed, Sims 3, and FIFA 10, Activision’s Guitar Hero, and Gameloft’s Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell will all make their way to the Play. SE promises over 50 titles will be available to download and play by launch. Many titles will come preloaded on the device, too; they include Asphalt Adrenaline 6, Bruce Lee, Star Battalion, The Sims 3, and Tetris. At the press event SE hinted that the Play would also come with a “legendary pre-installed title”, and according to Engadget that game is Crash Bandicoot. So how will you play all these on a smartphone? What makes the Play so brilliantly PlayStation Certified is its slide-out game pad that features dedicated gaming controls like a D-Pad, two analog touch pads, two shoulder buttons, and the four PlayStation buttons (circle, cross, square and triangle). In addition to using these controls to play PS-branded games, Android Marketplace game apps can also take advantage of the traditional control scheme. Other gaming related tidbits worthy of mention… Local area multiplayer can be achieved by hosting a WiFi hotspot on one device and inviting others to it. SE says the Play can handle up to five and a half hours of gameplay on a single charge. Lastly, the Play will receive exclusive bonus content such as game levels and other upgrades.

Though it’s conveniently being hailed as the “PlayStation Phone,” Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play is the first of what promises to be many PlayStation Certified Android-based devices to boast PS content. With a large screen and a slick slide-out game pad, the Xperia Play should deliver on the phone and gaming fronts. Whether or not it will be able to compete with the likes of the NGP or Nintendo 3DS, that’s another question altogether whose answer will largely depend on the Play’s software lineup and games developer support. Images below, video and PR after the break.

[Via Engadget 1, 2]

Continue reading Sony Ericsson makes official Xperia Play (aka the PlayStation Phone) →

Samsung teases Honeycomb-based Galaxy Tab 10.1

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The next Samsung Galaxy Tab is leaps and bounds bigger and badder than its Android 2.2-based predecessor. The aptly titled Galaxy Tab 10.1 features a 10.1-inch WXGA TFT LCD display with a 1280 x 800 resolution. It’s powered by a 1GHz dual-core Tegra processor and it runs atop Google’s “built entirely for tablet” Android 3.0 (aka Honeycomb) OS. Unlike the original Tab, its successor does not come bundled with Samsung’s TouchWiz skin; much like Motorola’s Xoom tablet, the Tab 10.1 is being billed as a “Google Experience” device which means that you’ll find the plain vanilla stock Honeycomb OS preloaded and nothing else. Other specs include: rear 8 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, front-facing 2 megapixel camera (both cameras shoot 1080p HD video), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, USB 2.0 and 3.5mm headphone ports, accelerometer and proximity sensors, gyroscope, digital compass, Adobe Flash 10.1 support, 16GB/32GB internal storage. The tablet’s very light and thin at just 1.23 pounds and 0.4-inches thick. HSPA+ support is there, as is EDGE and GPRS. Vodaphone has been named the first carrier to carry the Tab 10.1 and it’s expected to launch in Europe and Asia this March. Pricing and North American release details have not been specified. With the Tab 10.1, Samsung has constructed a worthy competitor to enter the fray with iPad, the Moto Xoom, and the whole slew of tablets readying to make waves in the marketplace. Full PR after the break.

[Via Engadget] Continue reading Samsung teases Honeycomb-based Galaxy Tab 10.1 →

3net, a 24/7 3D network, set to launch Sunday on DirecTV

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I know you’ve been waiting with so much anticipation since late December 2009 to hear this news. DirecTV is nearly ready to launch the 24/7 3D network dubbed 3net, the joint venture of Sony Corp., Discovery Communications, and IMAX Corp. On Sunday, February 13 at precisely 8PM ET 3net will be accessible exclusively to DirecTV customers. The network plans to premiere original 3D series and programs every night at 9PM ET. Sony, Discovery, and IMAX hope that the network will “serve as a critical driver for consumer adoption of in-home 3D entertainment” with their goal for the channel “to offer viewers the largest library of native 3D entertainment content in the world by the end of 2011.” China Revealed, Into the Deep, and Forgotten Planet is the Feb. 13 lineup, so if you’re a satellite subscriber and own a 3DTV tune to channel 107 to experience TV in an entirely new dimension. Official PR after the break.

[Via Engadget] Continue reading 3net, a 24/7 3D network, set to launch Sunday on DirecTV →

Nokia and Microsoft enter into a “strategic alliance”

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Bombshell alert! Nokia is ditching its homemade mobile operating systems (read: Symbian and MeeGo) for Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7. Today Nokia’s newly appointed CEO Stephen Elop announced that the Finnish company will enter into a “strategic alliance” with Microsoft that will make Windows Phone 7 Nokia’s “principal smartphone strategy.” Elop is hopeful that the marriage between these two companies will result in “a new global mobile ecosystem” based around Nokia’s hardware design and Microsoft’s software architecture. Says the official press release: “Nokia will help drive and define the future of Windows Phone. Nokia will contribute its expertise on hardware design, language support, and help bring Windows Phone to a larger range of price points, market segments and geographies.”

They’ve also addressed how Nokia’s services will mesh with WP7. Bing will power Nokia’s search services across Nokia devices; Microsoft adCenter will provide search advertising services on Nokia’s line of devices; and Nokia Maps will be a core part of Microsoft’s mapping services. Nokia’s previously announced Qt development framework will not provided to developers to make apps for Nokia WP7 devices; instead they will be working with Microsoft’s Windows Phone Developer Tools. Ovi Store, Nokia’s content and application store, will integrate with Windows Marketplace.

In a stock exchange release, Nokia lays out their future. “[They] expect 2011 and 2012 to be transition years, as the company invests to build the planned winning ecosystem with Microsoft.” The transition is expected to begin immediately (in fact, Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer publicly stated that the WP7 engineering team has been working closely with Nokia hardware designers for some time now) and Nokia hopes to start shipping WP7-powered devices in significant volume by 2012.

What’s going to happen to Symbian and MeeGo, you ask? Nokia expects to continue to sell many Symbian powered devices in the coming years, but the long-term plan is to eventually and quite abruptly kill off the platform as soon as the WP7 devices make their way into the marketplace. MeeGo, on the other hand, will “become an open-source, mobile operating system project.” Though Nokia plans to ship the first MeeGo based device later this year, they see the brand “not as part of another broad smarpthone platform strategy, but as an opportunity to learn” (read: an experimental platform to help drive future innovation).

To the dismay of the majority of Finnish engineers, I am excited about Nokia’s partnership with Microsoft. To be frank, Symbian and (especially) MeeGo were taking an interminable amount of time to develop and catch up to the competition (read: iOS, Android). It is interesting to note that Nokia was contemplating an alliance with Google to bring the Android platform to Nokia devices, but in the end, says Elop, his company “would have difficulty differentiating within that ecosystem” and the “commoditization risk was very high–prices, profits, everything being pushed down, value being moved out to Google which was concerning to us.” I think this is the perfect marriage, really. Nokia is known for making beautifully detailed, sophisticated hardware and Microsoft’s newborn sleek WP7 OS seems like a natural fit. After years of being stuck in a rut, it was time to shake up the chain of command and with Elop in charge it’s clear to see that he’s a staunch believer in steadfast change, even if it means dropping everything (on the software side) for something starkly different and exciting. I’m looking forward to what Nokia and Microsoft cook up in the coming years. If you want a hint at whats to come, hop after the break to see a mockup of Nokia/WP7 conceptual devices scored exclusively by Engadget. Also there you’ll find a related video spelling out the day’s shattering news.

[Via Nokia (1, 2); Engadget (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)] Continue reading Nokia and Microsoft enter into a “strategic alliance” →

HP introduces three new WebOS devices: Veer, Pre3, and TouchPad

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This week HP introduced three brand new WebOS-enabled devices: two smartphones and a tablet. After gobbling Palm last March, HP has worked very closely with WebOS engineer Job Rubinstein to create innovative new products powered by the mobile and ubiquitously-connected operating system. At HP’s “Think Beyond” event they formally introduced the tiny yet powerful Veer, the next generation Pre3, and the very first tablet to run WebOS, the TouchPad.

HP Veer: The Veer is an extremely small smartphone. At just 54.5mm x 84.0mm x 15.1mm and only 103 grams, it’s about the size of a credit card and slimmer than a deck of cards. Rubinstein described the Veer like this: “The power of a large phone in a compact size.” So let’s see what this tiny beast packs inside. It features a 2.57-inch (320×400) glass touch display, an 800MHz Snapdragon processor, 5 megapixel camera, full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, built-in GPS, WiFi 802.11b/g, and Bluetooth, 8GB of storage, accelerometer, proximity, and light sensors, Adobe Flash Player support, it can act as a mobile hotspot supporting up to 5 WiFi-capable devices, HSPA+, one USB port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Veer will be available in early spring. (It’s being reported that the Veer is too slim to feature actual microUSB and headphone ports, so users will be forced to attach bundled adapters to access those ports.)

Continue reading HP introduces three new WebOS devices: Veer, Pre3, and TouchPad →

In Q4 2010, smartphones outsold PCs for the very first time

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Now isn’t this curious news? According to the IDC, a market research and analysis firm, smartphone manufacturers pushed out 100.9 million units during the final quarter of 2010. Compare to this number of PCs sold during that same quarter: 92.1 million. For the first time ever, smartphones outsold traditional computers. Think about that for a second. Pretty crazy, huh? Alarming, no. With innovators like Apple, RIM, and HTC churning out mobile devices left and right, we all knew this day (erm, quarter) would come when the inevitable would strike. And don’t forget–phones are steadily evolving into pocketable computers now aren’t they?

The IDC provides us with more fun facts, if you’re interested. Smartphones shipped during Q4 2010 were up 87.2 percent from the 53.9 million smartphones shipped during the Q4 2009. They say Google’s mobile OS Android “continues to gain by leaps and bounds” and they call Nokia’s Symbian the market leader, interestingly enough. They calculate the top 5 (Q4 2010) smartphone vendors to be Nokia, Apple, RIM, Samsung, and HTC. On the PC front, they name HP, Dell, Toshiba, Acer, and Apple to be the top 5 (Q4 2010) PC vendors. Computer shipments rose by a meager 2.7 percent compared to the year-ago quarter. They say Apple’s iPad managed to stifle demand and competition and thusly constrain PC shipments.

[Via IDC, here & here; Engadget]

Activision kills the Guitar Hero franchise

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Today video games publisher Activision announced the end of the Guitar Hero franchise. Three developers, two publishers, and six iterations later, the once beloved music game is no more. The news came out of the company’s just released quarterly financial results press release.

“Due to continued declines in the music genre, the company will disband Activision Publishing’s Guitar Hero business unit and discontinue development on its Guitar Hero game for 2011.  The company also will stop development on True Crime: Hong Kong. These decisions are based on the desire to focus on the greatest opportunities that the company currently has to create the world’s best interactive entertainment experiences.”

So according to the company, Guitar Hero was axed due to declined interest in the genre. But there’s more to it, obviously. Ever since original creator-turned-fierce-competitor Harmonix handed the reins of the franchise to Activision (who in turn gave it to developer Neversoft and Vicarious Visions) in 2007, the game’s overall feel quickly went sour. The game mechanics got weaker, the songs got stale, the instrument accessories never evolved past toy-like appearance and usability. Each new iteration of the game following Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, in my opinion, paled in comparison to the franchise’s best version (GH II) and the competition in Rock Band. All of these downfalls led to poor sales and ultimately to the demise of the franchise.

With the Guitar Hero brand dead and gone, what’s left of the lingering related games? Well, the only one left standing is DJ Hero and it’s being reported that its developer Freestyle Games is being hit with layoffs too. No word on whether or not it will meet the same fate as its close rhythm-based cousin.

RIP Guitar Hero (2005-2011). You will always be remembered as the video games franchise to revolutionize the way we play interactive music-based games that always seemed to find the inner rock star in all of us.

Update: I happened to stumble upon a blog post written by Activision’s Dan Amrich and he shed light on today’s unfortunate news with a positive spin:

“So, honestly…is that “death” or a much-needed break? For a while there I couldn’t drown out the cries of gamers on forums, blogs, and Twitter saying GH should take some time off, and from all appearances, that’s what this is. Step back, let it breathe for a while, don’t make any major plans, and see what happens in the future. I’m very okay with that, even if the break turns into a long time. Chapter closed? Sure, okay. Book burned? I doubt it.”

Perhaps the franchise isn’t completely just, it’s just taking a long hibernation. Amrich went on to add an addendum to his post that certainly dampens the aforementioned positive thinking. According to the official GH Twitter feed: “We will release the previously announced DLC track and mix packs for February, but we will not be able to release new DLC packs.” So GH DLC is disappearning (for now) as well.

[Via Activision; IGN]

Sony’s Kaz Hirai talks NGP

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Was your heart all a-flutter when Sony announced NGP (Next Generation Portable), the successor to the PSP at their January unveiling event in Tokyo? If so, you’ll want to set aside about six minutes of your day to watch this brief but highly informative glimpse into the man behind the product’s vision. President and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. Kaz Hirai talks about the NGP announcement and where he sees the powerful and uniquely designed handheld fitting into the competition (read: Nintendo 3DS).

[Via PlayStation Blog]

Super Bowl XLV commercials

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This shouldn’t be much of a surprise, but #BrandBowl was trending right next to #SuperBowl in the Twittersphere during the big game today.  While the sports-loving percentage of the country kept their minds focused on the Packers and Steelers, the rest of us admittedly didn’t care so much for the game and instead invested our time in watching the commercials placed neatly between timeouts and end of quarters.  As you know, companies spend millions of dollars for a 30-second spot during the most watched (sporting) event on TV.  So how did they fare this year?  All in all they were alright; nothing wildly spectacular caught my attention but they were definitely some stand outs worth mentioning and watching again.  From beer to cars to Doritos, tech, and movie trailers–it’s all after the break for you to peruse. Continue reading Super Bowl XLV commercials →

Verizon iPhone launch information

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The Verizon iPhone is almost here. Here’s the scoop on how to get yours.

During the wee morning hours of Thursday, February 3, Verizon Wireless allowed its current subscriber base to preorder the Verizon iPhone 4 on a first-come, first-served basis. After the first two hours of the preorder window (precisely between 3AM and 5AM) VZW ceased online orders of the phone due to high demand and ended the most successful first day sales in the history of the company. Missed out on this opportunity? Not a current VZW customers? Read on.

Beginning Wednesday, February 9, you can order the phone through the Apple Store online for delivery OR reserve it for in-store pick up beginning Thursday, February 10. At at 7AM local time on Thursday the 10th, run–don’t walk–to a brick-and-mortar Apple Store to purchase the phone; they’ll be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.  On launch day you’ll also find the phone being sold at over 2,000 Verizon Wireless Stores (also starting at 7AM), Best Buy, select Wal-Mart stores, and online at verizonwireless.com and apple.com. Verizon’s got a nice Special Upgrade Offer happening right now; it’ll help you save money on purchasing an iPhone if you bought your latest handset between 11/26 and 1/10.

Got it? Good. Starting brewing some coffee now and prepare for the online and retail insanity to begin. The day you’ve been dreaming about is just around the corner.

[Via Engadget, here & here]

Google sheds light on Honeycomb, intros Android Market Web Store and teases in-app purchases

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This week Google held a brief Android-themed event where they highlighted elements of the tablet-specific Honeycomb UI, introduced the Android Market Web Store, and previewed Android Market in-app purchasing. Hop after the break for all the details. Continue reading Google sheds light on Honeycomb, intros Android Market Web Store and teases in-app purchases →