Touchscreen iPod Comes This December ans IPHONE

The iPod/iPhone rumour mill is something so clouded that as TR News Ed I made the executive decision to circumvent the vast majority of it a long time ago, but yesterday I had a conversation with an extremely well informed exec which I’m going to share.

Naturally the identity of this friendly and talkative fellow has to stay a closely guarded secret but he works in a multinational company that develops iPod products and which sport ‘Made For iPod’ accreditation and the info flowed after I questioned the value of one of his company’s new iPod accessories. In a very matter of fact tone I was told that the product was not designed for the current generation of device, but the official 6G iPod (fanboy art above - the current generation is referred to as 5.5) which is to be released in December. His company’s device only comes onto the market shortly before then and would benefit hugely because the new iPod would sport a screen that filled the full side of the device and consequently offer higher resolution video.
He explained that Apple had told him 480p content was the target but could only promise whatever did appear would be of a much greater quality than is used today. When I enquired about the control method he confirmed it would be virtual (see official Apple patent application above) and that essentially Apple was finally delivering the type of device we’ve seen journos talk about since the turn of the year.

“This is why Jobs isn’t afraid of the Zune,” he said, though he had no knowledge of whether wireless would make an appearance.

Furthermore he also said Apple has been informing partner companies that its long awaited ‘iPhone’ (fan art again above) will debut in January and Apple wants to feature a subscription iTunes service where tracks could be downloaded for free as long as the subscription was maintained. He said Apple is already in negotiations with networks about bundling a trial period of the service with user contracts. Apart from that he said Apple did confirm to him that a three megapixel camera will be onboard.

When I asked this exec why we should believe any of this info he explained that Apple works incredibly hard to keep its third party manufacturers in the loop because “it makes more money from the affiliates programme than from selling iPods” and that Steve Jobs believes it is brand’s vast array of add-ons which plays the biggest part in maintaining Apple’s market dominance. “He needs third parties to be ready with products when each new generation launches,” he explained, “and we will be…”

So there you go. The usual caveats apply, don’t shoot the messenger, etc, etc but – just maybe – get a little bit excited…

In related news Apple has confirmed less than one per cent of its 5.5G iPods have shipped with the RavMonE.exe Windows virus. It does nothing to the iPod but transfers itself to Windows on connection. An infected Windows computer on Apple’s assembly line has been blamed and the company has put up a fix page here.

Link:
Apple UK

Internet Explorer 7 final

Microsoft's next iteration of Internet Explorer is predictably a solid contender in the browser category. A sleeker and more spare interface will have some old IE users running for the preferences, but even with fewer buttons the new IE works fine right out of the gate. The adoption of tabs is a welcome change for more efficient browsing, and the Quick Tabs feature is an especially nice touch for viewing the contents of all of your tabs in one window. The addition of a RSS feed manager is nice for news addicts, blog fans, and hobbyists, but we would like a way to search for RSS feeds beyond only adding the ones we come across. We also like the integrated search bar that offers a pull-down menu, letting you add your favorite search engines and sites quickly.

A welcome addition is an antiphishing option to check a site's legitimacy, which you can enable at first launch. While Internet Explorer doesn't offer the user-made plug-ins, themes, and extensions found in other browsers such as Firefox and Opera, there are several useful plug-ins you can choose from at Microsoft's Web site. Finally, security concerns with what will undoubtably be the most used Web browser are always an important consideration, but with the proper security programs, most people will be able to surf safely. Overall, we find the latest version of Microsoft's megabrowser to be a fine way to browse the Web, with the addition of many long-awaited features that make the entire Web experience more efficient and enjoyable.

Samsung SGH-i520 smartphone runs on Symbian OS 9.2

The battle for mobile operating system supremacy continues. Some enjoy the familiarity Windows Mobile 5, others love the open source-ness of Linux. Symbian fanatics will soon have another option, because Samsung has just introduced the SGH-i520 smartphone, running on Symbian OS 9.2, Series 60 v3.1. This isn't the first Symbian-powered Samsung for Europe, it's the fourth. High-speed data is a cinch with the HSDPA radio, and you'll surely enjoy the Bluetooth mobile printing feature so that you can show off those 2 megapixel snapshots. You'll also notice the signature slider form factor, but this phone appears to have touch panel keys on the front much like the LG Chocolate. Borrowing popular elements from your Korean cousins, are you?

Toshiba TDP-FF1AU ‘palm-sized’ mobile projector available now

Toshiba today has introduced their super compact DLP TDP-FF1AU mobile projector . The energy-efficient system uses an LED light source rated for 10,000 hours of use, 400 Lux of brightness, native SVGA 800 x 600 resolution, and an impressive contrast ratio of 1500:1. “The projector can be used for small meeting presentations, family functions, or gaming at a friend’s house. No longer tethered to a power source, the presentation and entertainment possibilities are limitless.” said Sam Malik, director of projector sales and marketing, Toshiba Digital Products Division. The battery is rated at only 2 hours, projection dimensions range from 11 to 68-inches, unit dimensions are 5.5" x 2.2" x 4.0", it has video and audio inputs, headphone output and USB port for digital photo viewing or PC-free presentations. You would think that a projector this tiny (weighs only 1 pound), this sexy (white pearlescent finish), would cost you a small fortune. Surprisingly enough Toshiba has the sleek TDP-FF1AU projector priced at US $699. Availability is now.

Apple working on an iSmartphone?

That's the latest rumor coming out of Think Secret. We're not only going to be treated to a regular musicphone; word is that a full QWERTY'd-out business tool is in the works as well, complete (naturally) with iTunes integration. This new smartphone will make it easy for you to enjoy Apple's new iTunes Movie Store offerings, but you can still take care of your day-to-day work-related tasks as well. There is also a distinct possibility that this new handset will rock WiFi capabilities as well. The Zune can share tunes, but the iSmartphone can make calls. That is, if it's for real. We'll probably find out at January's MacWorld.

Flash and crypted HDD Notebook from Fujitsu

Fujitsu released its new lineup of PRO oriented notebook:
FMV-Q8230, a Core Solo U1400 12 inches notebook which can receive either a 16 or either a 32GB flash drive instead of its regular 20 gb HDD.The FMV-Q8230 also weight only 985g.

Toshiba Satellite U205-S5044 Notebook

Another addition to the ultra-thin and lightweight Toshiba Satellite U series of notebooks is the U205-S5044. Like the S5034, the U205-S5044 runs on an Intel Core 2 Duo processor - the T7200, running at 2GHz. With 2GB of main memory, the laptop is well-prepared for providing a complete multimedia experience.

The screen is a 12.1" TruBrite TFT LCD with a display resolution of 1280x800 pixels (native WXGA). There's no separate graphics card on this: it employs Intel's GMA 950 (Graphics Media Accelerator) which shares 8MB-128MB with the main memory.

The audio experience is enhanced by SRS TruSurround and SRS WOW stereo enhancements. The laptop comes pre-installed with Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, but is branded Windows Vista Premium Ready. Available ports include three USB 2.0 ports, an RJ-45 LAN port, FireWire and RJ-11 for modem.

Toshiba's exclusive LifeSmart technologies are included on the laptop, which means you get extra safety features like shock-absorbs for the hard drive, spill-resistant keyboard and fingerprint reader with single sign-on facility.

The Toshiba Satellite U205-S5044 laptop carries a starting price tag of US $1,599.99. Order yours from Toshiba Direct. Specs in extended entry.

Toshiba Satellite U205-S5044 Notebook product page

Palm's New Treo 680: Affordable, Media Friendly

Palm today announced a new series of Treo smart phones designed to appeal to "price-sensitive" customers. The company also announced the immediate availability of a new, free Google Maps application for Treos based on the Palm operating system.

The announcements of the Treo 680 series and Google Maps for Palm OS-based Treos came at the DigitalLife trade show here. Palm CEO Ed Colligan was mum on pricing, but said the Treo 680 would ship in November and would be "lower cost and easier to use than any other Palm." The new Treo is a quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE handset for use in the United States and Europe.

The Treo 680 targets today's media-hungry consumers. It comes with music, video, and photo slide-show players, and Palm says for a limited time it will sell unlocked versions of the phones with a Yahoo music bundle that will include a 1GB SD Card, a stereo headset, and a 30-day free trial to Yahoo's music service. Colligan said Palm expects 20 or more carriers around the world to offer the Treo 680 by the end of Palm's fiscal year next June 1.

Fashion-conscious Treo 680 buyers will be able to choose from four colors: copper, arctic, crimson, and graphite. The Treo 680 has an internal antenna and is smaller and sleeker than previous models. The phone runs the new Palm OS 5.4.

New Mail and Chat Features

Other features include an enhanced version of Palm's VersaMail e-mail application (version 3.5), which allows for more robust syncing of e-mail and now contacts and calendars as well, the company said. Another update brings a feature that displays SMS text-messaging exchanges as "threaded chats," similar to instant messaging.

Among other bells and whistles is the ability to respond to an incoming call with a preset text message such as "I'm busy now." The bundled Dataviz Documents To Go productivity software now supports viewing Adobe PDF files as well as editing and creating Microsoft Office files.

The Treo 680 smart phone also can function as an MP3 player, and has an integrated digital camera, camcorder, and video player. It sports a 320-by-320 touch screen, a full QWERTY keyboard, and Bluetooth 1.2. The 680 comes with 64MB of usable memory, with expansion available via an SD Card. Palm says the unit's battery is capable of 4 hours of talk time and 300 hours on standby.

Google Maps for Treos

The new Palm OS-optimized Google Maps for mobile lets Treo users get directions, perform local searches, view satellite imagery, and receive traffic updates while on the go.

Users will also be able to save favorite locations and routes.

The application will work on the Treo 680, 700p, 650, and 600 smart phones.

Active WebCam 7.6

Active WebCam captures images up to 30 frames per second from any video device including USB, analog cameras, TV-boards, camcorders, and from network IP cameras. The program performs simultaneous recording and broadcasting from unlimited number of cameras.
Key Features:
Works with all USB and Parallel Port cameras, Windows compatible Capture Devices and Framegrabbers, TV-boards, and with Network IP Cameras.
Broadcasts live video up to 30 frames per second.
Multiple cameras support. Simultaneous recording and broadcasting from unlimited number of cameras.
Dynamic IP Service, that gives a permanent internet address to your web camera whenever IP of your computer changes.
Time stamps captured video.
Broadcasts audio.
Supports Encrypted Transmission.
Records password protected video clips.
Performs Live Recording that allows rewind and playback captured content at any time.
Has features to control camera's Pan, Tilt, and Zoom.
Helps you to create web page for your web camera.
Records video when a motion is detected.
Allows to view recorded video remotely.
Sends you e-mail when motion detected.
Runs a program when a motion is detected.
Allows to define the active area for motion detection.
Creates thumbnails from captured images.
Has a comprehensive scheduler.
Checks the available space on hard drive and stops recording if there is no available space.
User name and password to control access to your camera and recorded videos from Internet.
Has feature to limit number of camera viewers.
Stealth mode makes the program completely invisible that it doesn't display any icon in the sys tool tray and it is not presented in the task bar tray.
Password protection from unauthorized usage.
Ability to run the program as Windows service that the program starts automatically at system boot and executes even when no user is logged on to the system.

Sony Ericsson launches Adriana

Sony Ericsson has a prototype of its first Digital Video Broadcast handheld called Adriana which is capable of playing videos and digital TV which are streamed into the 10GB internal memory via a wireless connection. You hold it in a horizontal manner, hence the landscape viewing angle which makes for comfortable viewing. The Adriana comes with a click wheel that apes Apple's iPod, offering easy and intuitive navigation. Other features include a 3.5" 800 x 600 resolution display and a Memory Stick Micro slot in case 10GB is not enough for you. No word regarding availability, although we say it can never be too soon!

Sony SRS-BTM30 Bluetooth speakers

With Bluetooth becoming a standard feature in mobile phones, laptops and PMP's, Sony Japan has announced the SRS-BTM30 Bluetooth speakers. The unit has buttons for performing basic functions like changing track, play and pause. The speakers support Bluetooth A2DP profile so you can use any device supporting the same to stream music wirelessly. WIth a range of 10 meters you can carry the speakers around in the house. The speakers have a diameter of 48mm and the amplifier has an output of 3W×2ch. You can also playback music from a non Bluetooth source via the mini-stereo plug. The unit can be powered via AC adapter or Alkaline batteries which provide music for 15 hours.

Download Google Videos As AVI Files

If you want to save videos from Google Video and you use Windows, you have the option to download them as GVI files and play with Google Video Player.

If you want to save the videos as AVI and view with any video player on any platform, use this bookmarklet: Google Videos As AVI. You can save it as a bookmark in your browser or drag and drop it to the link toolbar. Next time when you see a video you like on Google Video, click on the bookmarklet and you can save the video.

Explanation: The location for the AVI file can be found in the source of Google Video pages, but it's hidden for Windows users.

If you can't see the videos or you player gives errors, try Media Player Classic.

Imaginarium Mo1 Cell Phone for Kids

Imaginarium has dropped a new cell phone that is centered at parents’ requirements for their children. The new Mo1 cell phone sports to be a prepaid phone for kids aged 6 and 12 years. The phone will provide parents a helping aid to teach their kids on the usage of cell phones. It features two dedicated buttons to call your mom and dad. Isn’t that so cute!!! Parents can definitely check the phone usage by putting limits on incoming messages and calls. The Imaginarium Mo1 cell phone will hit the retail shelves somewhere in December this year. The design of the phone fits well in the hand, so the little talkers won't be dropping it all over the place

The Imaginarium Mo1 Cell Phone is priced at €59 ($ 74).
Source

Xplore M70 up close and personal

We had covered the Xplore M70 a few days back and now the Palm powered Smartphone is out in the market. The Tri-band GSM cell phone (900/1800/1900MHz) is powered by an AMR9 processor and runs on Palm OS edition 5.4 Garnet. It comes with just 32 MB of onboard memory however it can surely be extended via the SD card slot. Unlike other business phones it does not miss out on the fun factor and comes with a 1.3 Megapixel camera with video recording, a music player and two games too.
Currently available in Hong Kong the Chinese version of the Xplore M70 retails for HK$ 1,980 ($ 255).

SAMSUNG Sprint IP-830w Worldphone

Another step towards the ultimate worldwide experience !!

For the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to get my hands on the new Sprint IP-830w worldphone. This is the first Windows Mobile device that runs on Sprint's CDMA network and allows the end user to run on ANY GSM/GPRS network worldwide as long as they have a pre-paid SIM. The Sprint IP-830 runs on Windows Mobile 5.0 along with running on Sprint's fast EVDO broadband network. You might this this device looks similar which it does fit the exact footprint as its little brother the i-730. It also features an İntel PXA 272 (520-MHz) CPU, 128MB ROM, 64MB RAM, 240 x 320 touchscreen display, SDIO memory card slot, and a full QWERTY keypad. This handset measures 2.2x4.53"x0.96 and weighs 6.4-ounces. Pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

NEW VERSION OF GPS TUNER RELEASED

GPS Tuner, "an off-road navigation software for Pocket PC devices", has reached version 5. In their words "while most car navigation software gives you the possibility of planning your route based on a road network, GPS Tuner gives you the ability of navigation where the roads end". The program is ideal for hiking, geocaching, boating, flying, driving and many other sporting activities and is available for $34 in its standard form (one year's worth of free upgrades).

To try or buy click here

Fizz Monitor 3.0 RELEASED

Fizz Software have released version 3 of Fizz Monitor, a program for Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Smartphone which monitors battery levels, storage space, memory use and tasks. There is a 2 day free trial available and if you like that then the normal price of the full application is $8.99 or just $3.99 if upgrading from a previous version however, Fizz Software are running a special introductory offer until the end of September where the price has been cut to $6.99.

Link

WİNDOWS MOBILE 6:CROSSBOW

Windows Mobile 5 is the current OS of choice for Windows Mobile users however the next iteration, codenamed Crossbow, has shown its face, check out the full Pocket PC homescreen shown above! It has a glossy title bar and soft keys and will feature Vista-esque folder icons etc.



Pieter Knook, a Microsoft Sr. VP, has commented that Microsoft plan to release an upgrade to their mobile platform yearly which is interesting and could mean a new OS with every yearly upgrade for pay monthly contracts. Knook has also commented that Crossbow will have strong links with Office 2007 and Exchange 12 as well as including the mobile version of Office Communicator, an Instant Messenger tool for enterprises.



Google cache caught a leaked presentation which told us that Crossbow will be released to manufacturer in Q4 2006 ready for release in Q1/Q2 of 2007 and that the next operating system (codenamed "Photon") will be released to manufacturers in Q4 2007 ready for release in Q1/Q2 2008 (Photon is set to include a new, flexible shell with modular containers and utilise the “Yamazaki” CE kernel).