Archivio mensile:ottobre 2011
AZiO Levetron Mech4 Gaming Keyboard Is For Total Digital Warfare
As the year draws to an explosive close, two games will basically be responsible for the joyous fireworks. These are Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3, both of which will undoubtedly grab every tech blog’s headlines as they ensnare gamers all across the globe. Since warfare is still the most riveting experience in gaming, it comes as no surprise that AZiO have outed their latest heavy-duty keyboard for die-hard gamers, the Levetron Mech4.
If its appearance strikes you as little too Mechwarrior, it’s intentional. (Ah, Mechwarrior, you are missed!) The Mech4 is geared toward FPS fanatics and the sort of people who always bring a bag of Cheetos to an extended gaming session. Cheetos and Red Bull, to be specific. The keyboard even has ducts so that drink spillage doesn’t jeopardize the playing experience. (Next time just use a straw.)
If you’re wondering about all the different compartments you see in the picture above, here’s the juicy lowdown. Every single key is built to withstand keystrokes in the millions and can endure a lot of punishment. There’s also a save feature for storing different configurations depending on your game of choice. That fat knob in the upper right is a dedicated volume control and the numeric keypad is designed to be comfortable in the player’s hand; that’s why it’s contoured to look like an attachment to the main board.
In short, the Mech4 is a certified bad ass.
The Mech4 is currently available online and sells for $109.99.
Source Gizmag
Google TV 2.0 Launching This Week
Google has officially announced that the next version of Google TV will be launching this week, and it will bring a range of new features to Google TV devices, including new channels, and a much simpler and cleaner user interface.
The new version of Google TV includes new channels like HBO, ESPN, MTV and more, there will now also be apps on Google TV, plus a new version of YouTube which has been designed for Google TV.
Google has said that the new version of Google TV will start rolling out to devices this week, and Sony Google TV devices will be the first ones to get the update, you can find out more information on everything that is new in Google TV over at the Google TV Blog.
iPhone 4S Poor Battery Caused By iOS5 Location Services Bug?
It’s been discovered that a bug within Apple’s iOS 5 software could be responsible for the poor battery life that some users are experiencing on their iPhone 4S smartphones. The bug is thought to be in the Location Services of iOS 5 which causes the iPhone to poll the mobile mast data more frequently than necessary which then causes the battery life of the iPhone to drop.
The issue seems to occur when the “Setting Time Zone” element of the Systems Services within the broader Location Services product is running even when there is no chance that the user would have moved to a different location or time zone.
There is also an icon beside the setting which indicates whether it has been used in the past 24 hours and suggests that the service could be running repeatedly to position the phone even when there is no need to do so.
On iDownloadBlog, Oliver Haslam reports:
“it appears that iOS 5′s GM release introduced a bug that causes the Setting Time Zone function to keep the location tracking circuitry running constantly, draining battery power considerably. Switching it off may mean that your iPhone will no longer set its own time zone when you travel, but that’s a small price to pay for having your iPhone last more than 12 hours on a full charge… We have tested this method on 4 different iPhone 4s handsets, including an iPhone 4 and an iPhone 3GS. All have reported drastically improved battery life after switching ‘Setting Time Zone’ off.”
Unfortunately there are no results at the moment from the ongoing tests which conclude disabling the setting it will stop your battery from depleting. But as soon as any more information comes to light will let you know.
However if you are suffering from battery degradation on your iPhone 4S then you can give it a go by accessing the feature in Settings -> Location Services -> scroll to bottom to “System Services” -> Setting Time Zone.
Source: Guardian
Samsung Confirms Which Devices Will Get Android Ice Cream Sandwich Update
Samsung and Google recently unveiled the first Android Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and now Samsung has also confirmed which of its existing devices will be update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
The Samsung devices which will be getting the Android Ice Cream Sandwich Update include the popular Samsung Galaxy S II, the new Samsung Galaxy note, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Galaxy Tab 8.9, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 and the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus.
O)f course this doesn’t mean that other Samsung devices won’t get the update in the future, as these are the devices Samsung has confirmed for now, lets hope that Samsung decides to roll out the update to other devices as well.
Source Android and Me
Novità Google Plus: What’s Hot, Editing Fotografico e Ripples (video)
Google Plus si rinnova ancora una volta introducendo nuovi strumenti ed ampliando alcune funzionalità. La notizia arriva direttamente dal blog ufficiale di Google e riguarda tre novità: What’s Hot, Editing Fotografico e Ripples.
La funzione What’s Hot riguarderà gli argomenti “caldi” del momento, proprio come accade con Twitter e le sue “tendenze”. In questo, però, ci saranno i post più popolari al centro dell’attenzione, in modo da capire quale sia l’argomento del giorno o magari dare un’occhiata al video del momento.
Google gets ready to play traditional TV, preps original YouTube channels
From rumors to reality: YouTube is taking a crack at original programing. Sources close to the Wall Street Journal say that the streaming outfit is partnering with a broad mix of media firms, production companies, and savvy content creators to launch 100 channels, generating over 25 hours of original content each day. Most of these channels aren’t slated to launch until next year, but when they do they are said to be backed by names like Ashton Kutcher, Tony Hawk, Jay-Z, and Madonna. YouTube is reportedly paying content partners over $100 million to jump-start this project, and hopes to create quality that can be sold to Advertisers. YouTube’s blog confirmed that the first of these premium channels is set to launch next month, with subsequent channels coming in waves over the next year. Hit the source link below so see YouTube’s official announcement and an early list of channels and content providers. We know you’ll join us in giddy anticipation of Shaquille O’Neal’s Comedy Shaq Network .
White Galaxy Note appears, developers wanted to pen third-party apps for its stylus
We’ve already inspected every inch of Samsung’s big bad phone-tablet hybrid, but a soupçon of extra news has trickled out from the Galaxy Note’s bombastic launch event in London yesterday. Those looking for brighter color scheme to match the striking glow of its HD Super AMOLED display are in luck, as the Galaxy Note looks set to arrive in white; the ethereal ying to its companion’s midnight blue yang. Sammy added that the Galaxy Note’s S-Pen SDK will be available to third-party developers starting December, hopefully bringing more uses for that slide-out stick. And that’s despite the latest Android OS offering native stylus support — the Galaxy Note remains a Gingerbread affair. The current smartphone king was unable to confirm if the UK would be getting the white model on the November 3rd launch day, or ever. Similarly, we’re still waiting on Samsung to put S-Pen to paper on pricing and any possible US launch details.
Apple’s lossless ALAC goes open source, it’s like FLAC for iPods
Well, it’s not nearly as exciting as a new iPhone, but Apple recently announced a bit of news that will set people in certain circles abuzz. The company’s lossless audio codec, ALAC, is going open source. Similar to FLAC, the Apple Lossless Audio Codec offers some file compression while still delivering a bit-for-bit recreation of the original source material. The primary difference being that Apple devices and software do not support FLAC (at least without some tinkering) but canhandle the Cupertino developed ALAC. The decision to release the code under the Apache license won’t have much of an immediate impact on your digital audio routine, but expect support for ALAC to start popping up in more media players (both hardware and software) soon.
Google TV, take two, arrives next week with Honeycomb, Android Market
It has been a long year for Google TV. The first (and only, so far) round of hardware started shipping in October 2010 and at the time, promised the Android Marketplace with its wealth of third party apps early in the next year. That clearly didn’t happen, and it quickly became most notable for what it was being blocked from doing, like streaming video from TV providers like Hulu and various network TV websites. After various false starts and delays, Sony Google TV and Logitech Revue hardware will finally receive updates to Android 3.1 Honeycomb (congratulations Google, now where’s Ice Cream Sandwich?) starting this weekend with Sony up first and Logitech “shortly thereafter.” The biggest additions are the aforementioned apps, a new interface, and a refocused system for content discovery that starts with the new TV & Movies app pictured above. Check out the gallery for more pictures of the new Google TV, while more details and videos follow after the break.
ITG xpPhone 2 to get some Windows 8 love, starts living large in January
Let’s be honest: with the size of a brick and a relatively short battery life, it’s no surprise that ITG’s xpPhone hasn’t quite dominated the smartphone market since its launch back in November. In fact, we haven’t even seen one in the wild, and we certainly wouldn’t have missed it if there ever was one on the street. That said, ITG hasn’t given up, as the company’s just announced its second-generation Windows-powered smartphone. The reason? Well, interestingly enough, ITG prefers Windows’ greater range of compatible software compared to those of mobile OSes, namely Android and iOS. Let’s just leave it at that for now.
Simply dubbed the xpPhone 2, this beast of a QWERTY slider packs a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z530 chip, along with 2GB RAM, up to 112GB of SSD storage, 4.3-inch display and compatibility with both Windows 7 and Windows 8 — obviously the latter OS will depend on its final release date. Not only has battery life been bumped up to around 18 hours of call time or 46 days on standby, but the phone’s also been slimmed down to 140mm x 73mm x 17.5mm, which is a huge improvement compared to its bulky predecessor. With the touch-friendly Windows 8 on board along with a non-underclocked CPU, we have a feeling that the xpPhone 2 will at least fare much better than Fujitsu’s F-07C; as for the rest, we shall see when it comes out in January next year. And no, it probably won’t run Crysis.
Garmin announces FR70 fitness watches to keep you on track
Looking to keep those New Year’s resolutions past the first week of January in 2012? Garmin’s out to help you stay the course with its FR70 fitness watches for both guy and gals. Using this trainer’s timepiece, you’ll be able to track your workout time, heart rate and calories burned right on your wrist. Powered by ANT+ technology, the FR70 can connect to compatible devices like treadmills, bikes, elliptical machines, your boyfriend’s Segway, etc. For avid runners, pairing the watch with a wireless foot pod will clue you in on speed, distance and cadence during your training sessions. If biking is more your style, a pace sensor is available for you as well. Combine an FR70 with the Tanita BC-1000 system and you can track weight, water levels, body fat and a handful of other measurements that will be stored right on the device. Once all the data is collected, it can be sent to Garmin Connect whenever you return with range of your PC. The pair will be available in the UK, starting in November, for £129 / €139 ($197). If you need some reading while you’re lacing up those Nikes, hit the PR button for the full skinny.
Samsung Galaxy Note review
Remember the display on your first mobile phone? If you’ve been chatting on the go for as long as we have, it was probably barely big enough to fit a complete telephone number — let alone a contact name or text message. And your first smartphone? Even displaying scaled-down, WAP versions of web pages was asking a lot. Now, those mobile devices we couldn’t live without have screens that are much, much larger. Sometimes, though, we secretly wish they were even bigger still.
Samsung’s new GT-N7000 Galaxy Note is the handset those dreams are made of — if you happen to share that dream about obnoxiously large smartphones, that is. It’s as thin as a Galaxy S II, lightning fast and its 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED display is as gorgeous as it is enormous; the 1280 x 800 pixels you once could only get with a full-size laptop (or in the Galaxy Tab 10.1) can now slide comfortably into your front pocket. Its jumbo display makes it the perfect candidate for a notepad replacement and, with the included S Pen stylus, you’ll have no problem jotting notes on the fly, marking up screenshots or signing documents electronically. But, is that massive display too much of a good thing? You’ll need to jump past the break to find out.
Quanto viene a costare un iPhone 4S con gli operatori Italiani? Facciamo chiarezza!
Mancano poche ore al lancio del nuovo iPhone 4s e gli operatori Italiani, chi in maniera esplicita, chi attraverso canali ufficiosi, hanno mostrato le loro offerte per acquistare il melafonino in abbonamento, con pacchetti che includono chiamate, internet e messaggi. Nonostante i costi siano elencati sui vari siti, non è tutto chiaro negli gli utenti che, spesso e volentieri, si perdono tra i vari costi aggiuntivi da sommare alle varie offerte. Questo articolo è quindi dedicato a tutti coloro che vogliono acquistare un iPhone 4s in abbonamento a favore di un upfront molto basso che in alcuni casi si azzera del tutto.
Windows Phone Apollo coming ‘middle of next year,’ says Nokia VP
A top Nokia exec just confirmed the much-rumored schedule for the next Windows Phone update, codenamed Apollo. Michael Halbherr, Executive VP for Location and Commerce, told us that it’ll launch in mid-2012 and be a “very different game” to Mango — hinting that Apollo actually refers to Windows Phone 8 rather than any mere decimal increment. What do we know about Apollo at this point? Well, not a great deal, but Halbherr also revealed that he’s been pushing Microsoft to integrate NFC and a “positioning framework” to make its mobile OS work better with Nokia’s Navteq mapping platform and thereby provide new location-based services. Sorry HTC, Samsung, but everything points to a more ‘Nokia-fied’ OS.
Samsung Italia conferma: Android 4.0 su Galaxy S2, Note e Tab nel 2012
Samsung Italia ha ufficialmente confermato che la nuova serie Galaxy riceverà l’update ad Android 4.0 durante il prossimo anno. I device confermati sono:
- Galaxy S2
- Galaxy Note
- Galaxy tab 10.1
- Galaxy Tab 8.9
- Galaxy Tab 7.7
- Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus
Pro Tools 10, Pro Tools HDX announced (Video)
Avid has announced two major updates to its music production line-up, debuting Pro Tools 10 and Pro Tools|HDX at the AES show in New York.
It’s Pro Tools 10 that will be of most interest to home users; this adds features for both music and post production and is available now. It costs £499, though Pro Tools 9 users can upgrade for £199.
The main Pro Tools 10 new eature highlights are below, followed by the full Avid press release on both product launches.
DirecTV’s iPad app updated with live TV streaming, as long as you stay at home
DirecTV debuted its iPad app in February with an impressive suite of remote control and content browsing options, but one of the few missing features was the ability to watch TV on it, which has now been added. Like similar apps from Cablevision and Time Warner Cable, v1.3.1 adds the ability to watch 38 channels live on the tablet, provided you’re connected to the same home network as your DirecTV Plus HD DVR. That home restriction, plus being limited to only live TV streams and not DVRed programming separates it from Sling’s apps, but at least it’s still a free add-on. If you want to watch recorded shows or take them on the go you’ll still need the Nomad box for that. Check below for a link to one of DBSTalk’s usual thorough walkthrough PDFs breaking down the new features, a few screengrabs sent in by a reader, and the complete channel list after the break.
Mythical snow-white N9 spotted at Nokia World
Is it possible to improve on something as minutely refined as the Nokia N9 simply by adding another color variant? Well, that depends on what color weʼre talking about. Sure, we already have black, cyan, and magenta, but what weʼve been missing — until now — is white. Plain, simple, ethereal white. It happens to be one of the hardest hues for a manufacturer to pull off without making a handset look tacky, or making its surface susceptible to the general grubbiness of everyday life. But Nokia did a smart thing: it added a glossy coating that completely changes the look and feel of the device. Take a look for yourself in the gallery below. But bear in mind that the midnight blue disco lights at Nokia World didn’t quite do it justice.
The Engadget Interview: Nokia’s Peter Skillman talks design (video)
Peter Skillman knows a thing or two about making beautiful devices. He’s Palm’s former VP of design, and he’s the man behind Nokia’s glorious N9 — its look, feel and user experience. We bumped into him at Nokia World here today and asked him what went into the N9′s — and by association the Lumia 800′s — design. He shared quite a few interesting details with us, including tidbits about the “curvature continuous form” of MeeGo’s icons, Nokia’s Pure font and the nuances of the N9′s sinuous taper. We even discussed the Play 360 Bluetooth / NFC speaker, which follows the same aesthetic principles. Take a look at our exclusive video interview after the break.
Nokia’s kinetic future: flexible screens and a twisted interface (video)
Hidden within Nokia’s Future Lounge, this very flexible display offers up a glimpse of what sort of thing we could possibly be dealing with when we roll up to Nokia World in 2021. The prototype Nokia Kinetic Device, including its display, can be flexed across both the vertical and horizontal planes — with bending and twisting motions controlling the interface. If you bend the screen towards yourself, it acts as a selection function, or zooms in on any pictures you’re viewing. In music mode, you can navigate, play and pause with the tactile interface. It’s still a way off from arriving on phones, though Nokia is aiming to whet developers’ appetites with this prototype. We may have seen some twisty interfaces already, but nothing packing a four-inch screen and built-in functionality like this. Nokia couldn’t confirm the screen technology being used. Could that be a flexible AMOLED display? See those impressive viewing angles and contortions after the break and judge for yourself.
