There are plenty of reasons why LG’s upcoming Panther smart phone is much anticipated; mostly because the device going to be running the new Windows Phone 7 series.
The Windows Phone 7 mobile platform first came out at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain. There, Steve Ballmer showed off their work in progress, gave their new motto “the phone is not a PC” and showed to us that Microsoft is still one of the best operating system developers (despite the fact that the Windows Mobile series was a total disappointment).
Admittedly, there are plenty of things to like about WP7. First off, the tiles system is a great way to customize the content on the phone’s home page. The expanding pages are also pretty important. It groups all the contents and allows you to easily browse and filter through phone content to get to the stuff you want.
Other features of the OS still lack the main features –such as the Office Menu which online contained the OneNote and SharePoint functions, other features were already functional: like the “People” page already incorporated Facebook integration. It was also shown that Bing and Zune would be present in the mobile platform as well.
A demo at the Tech Ed 2010 delves deeper into the capabilities of the OS. The big advantage is the addition of the new XBL service. While it was revealed at the MWC that XBL would be part of WP7, it was only at Tech Ed that an actual game was shown. The good thing about having full Microsoft devices such as a Windows PC, an Xbox 360 and a smart phone with WP7 is that you can play the same game on all three platforms.
Read more about Windows Phone 7’s features and capabilities at Softpedia.
Satio owners will love the new update that Sony Ericsson is brewing up for the Symbian smart phone. The update will add in new media features, better video recording and additional social networking features –which is pointless if you do not use Facebook (but who doesn’t?).
Yep, users will now have an integrated Facebook application in PlayNow. No word yet on what specific Facebook features will be supported, but we expect to see basic stuff like commenting, setting status updates and posting links to be present.
Media uploads to Facebook has also been improved for both videos and images. Images now have quick access uploads to Facebook and videos go to your YouTube account. Speaking of videos, Satio owners will now be able to record videos in WVGA quality (wide screen) –a missing feature in the original device. This will allow users to fully appreciate having a powerful 12 mega pixel camera on their smart phone (the camera comes with LED video lights, Xenon flash, auto focus, geo-tagging and smile and face detection).
New in the patch is DLNA support for media transfers and some tweaks in the graphics of the user interface to make things even better.
For those of you who missed out on this impressive Symbian series 60 smart phone, the Satio is a media centric device that comes with an impressive 3.5 inch TFT touch screen with a resolution of 360 x 640 pixels (color display capacity of 16 million). It also has an impressive 12 MP snapper (see details above) and it runs on an ARM Cortex A8 600MHz CPU.
With the new patch that delivers plenty of social networking integration, this phone is now one of the best devices in the 600 MHz range in terms of price, availability and specifications.
Get to know more about the update for the Satio at GSM Arena.
April is coming and so is the upcoming Apple iPad tablet device. No word yet on when the device will actually hit store shelves, but we have received reports that it will take late up to late April before we see the gadget on sale.
This report comes as a bit of a letdown since the US release of the tablet will be significantly earlier: April 3. While we might have to wait a few extra weeks, the device will still be the same. Those in the US hoping to get a non-3G version of the iPad will have to wait until the UK launch as the non-3G versions are still reported to be unavailable.
The reasons for the delays and unavailability of the non-3G version have led many to believe that Apple’s China based manufacturers have encountered some form of production problems. No word yet on what the problem specifically is, though some have expressed worries that the iPad’s parts may have a high breakdown rate –just like the batteries of the early generation iPods.
In any case, the launch of the iPad will still push through and Vodafone will be offering the device to its clients. Orange Mobile UK has also expressed interest in subsidizing the tablet, though no confirmations have been given.
Specs wise, this tablet really does float somewhere between a smart phone and a net book. It supports apps for the iPhone and the iPod Touch; it has a 9.7 inch capacitive touch screen and a 1GHz processor. It is a fast, reliable device for accessing the net, working on small documents, reading eBook and even playing games. So far, the Apple tablet has no multi tasking capabilities –a feature which many hope will be included later.
Get to know more about the release date for the iPad at Times Online UK.
According to the CEO of Sony, the company is currently working on a new device that will provide “Apple-like” web services. It’s a vague idea, but many are already speculating the possibility of an upcoming PSP phone.
The rumors about the PSP phone have been around for quite a while, and despite the PSP Go already being out on the market (it supports Skype), people are still clamoring for a handheld game device that will actually read a SIM card.
First off, we want to see the PSP phone. More than anything else, the new device will set a new standard for games for mobile phones –forget the fact that Windows Phone 7 series will allow players to access to downloadable XBL titles, the PSP has some serious hardcore games –it’s UMD library alone plays hosts to many great titles for many game genres such as FPS’s, RPGs, and 3D action titles.
Major hits such as God of War, Little Big Planet, Grand Theft Auto, Ace Combat and Metal Gear Portable Ops are all on the PSP –making the PSP phone a force to reckon with despite having no initial app support. The XMB (or cross media bar) is a simple yet stylish user interface that is totally unlike anything regular phone users are used to.
Sadly, the new announcement makes no mention of the possibility of the PSP phone. The Apple-like device can be anything from an iPod Touch inspired device (like the Sony MyLo) or a tablet like the iPad. In any case, Sony Corporation has yet to say that Sony Computer Entertainment will be involved in the new device –which means that we might not be seeing anything Playstation related at all.
Get to know more about the new regarding the new Sony device with Apple-like features at Know Your Mobile.
We all know that Apple is suing HTC, and that as much as Apple denies it, this is a move to disable the manufacturer for one of their biggest competitors Google. So here’s a quick rundown of how things are.
The actual lawsuit has basis. Apple own patents to technologies which they believe that HTC is using on their mobile phones. The fact that Apple has scrounged up 20 hardware and software patents mean that they have been sitting on their patents for quite a while, hoping for a viable target to make the mistake. HTC, being close to Google, proved to be the perfect prey. Of course, this does not necessarily mean that HTC is at fault. More often than not, nobody simply knew that Apple was holding those patents or that they existed in the first place.
HTC has already spoken and they say that they will be defending their products and innovations. Google will be backing up their Android partner developer on many this lawsuit. HTC on the other hand will have patents of their own to show.
Apple’s goals are a little simple than actually getting a favorable verdict. Should the litigation process end up stalling or suspending the activities for HTC and its offices, then Apple would have already been able to cripple one of Google’s better partners.
Apple would have nothing to gain by directly attacking Google, nor do they have a case against the company. However, by choosing to attack HTC, Apple is able to indirectly affect the sales and availability of many upcoming Android devices.
So far, there is no where yet on how the progress of the investigation goes. With the number of technologies in question many expect the proceedings to drag on for weeks.
Get to read more about the Apple lawsuit against HTC at Softpedia.
Touch based technology really is one of the biggest innovations of the past decade. Touch has been adapted to laser projected keyboards, touch screens for mobile phones and gaming handhelds and even wristwatch-smart phones. The applications of touch technology are endless.
Now, many manufacturers are working on developing touch screens that can be expanded to really large sizes or even be worn on clothes. Microsoft on the other hand is focusing on a different kind of technology –projected surfaces.
The first examples of surface computers have popped up a couple of years back demonstrating the great potential to be had when using projected touch screens. Now, Microsoft is pushing the bar further by turning the technology into something mobile.
Mobile surface computers will turn almost any surface into a touch and gesture detecting area which users can utilize in order to interact with the software. A tech demo showed how the system is able to detect hand and finger motions allowing the user to play “air drums” on a pair of virtual bongos with controllable volume. The user interface flips out to a larger full drum set which showcases the systems’ ability to detect objects such as drumsticks.
The show pretty much reminded us of the old Surfacescapes demonstration that featured the old Microsoft surface. By using small handheld objects that are detected by the camera, users are able to play Dungeons and Dragons on a flat projected surface. That demonstration was done last October of 2009; it would not be surprising to see even more breakthroughs in the coming months.
The technology looks straight out of a science fiction movie, just like Minority Report and Ironman, but Microsoft is pushing forward with developing the mobile surface. Considering how many amazing applications this can have, we completely understand why.
Get to know more about the Microsoft Mobile Surface at Pocket Lint.
The name for Apple’s touch screen tablet has always been the center of many bad jokes and puns. Even before an official name came out, the speculations alone were more than enough to make our most austere reader’s ears turn red.
Now, Steve Jobs has finally given the official christening of the newfangled gizmo and we have to say, any joke the iPad receives is well received. First off, the tablet shares the name of a series of women’s padded push up bras made by a Canadian lingerie company. Second, the name conjures images of ladies’ overnight napkins.
Hip Handmaids, from Etsy, have recently decided that since the joke was so fun to hear, why not make a product based on it?
The creative team quickly went all out and created the iMaxi -an all purpose carry all case for the iPad in the shape of a giant napkin complete with wings and pad grooves. While this may seem like a novelty joke (and some women might feel offended by it), it actually does work. Sanitary napkins after all, have been designed to give total support and comfort.
Obviously, real napkins are made to guard against leaks and carry cases are supposed to protect from small impacts. The iMaxi’s “pseudo absorbent” area is actually a heavily padded shock protector. The “wings” spread out in order to fully wrap and support the touch screen tablet. Overall, it is a well designed carry case that should give you and a few of your more open minded friends a good laugh.
Of course, if you really want to go shocking, the Hip Handmaids are also offering the iMaxi with an all red interior pad –perfect for that time of the month.
See the iMaxi iPad carry case and get know its details at Pocket Lint.
iPhone games are always fun to play. Whether you are a casual player or a hardcore gamer, the iPhone’s library of titles is pretty impressive and there are plenty of games to choose from.
Hardcore gamers would want to focus on several titles released some time ago for the iPhone. First off, one of the very first hardcore games for the iPhone is Metal Gear Solid Touch. The game was made by Kojima Productions based on the Metal Gear franchise. Solid Touch is an iPhone spinoff of the MGS4: Guns of the Patriots game on the PS3.
Capcom’s Ace Attorney is also an excellent choice for hardcore gaming. The title combines intricate plotlines, a deep gameplay mechanic for investigating cases and questioning to witnesses and a cast of memorable characters in this direct port of a Nintendo DS classic.
Bandai Namco’s Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion is a sequel to the PSP game, Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception. The graphics on the iPhone are pretty impressive, detailing backgrounds and plane details nicely. It’s a great way to enjoy the tilt controls with the simplified dogfight mechanics.
For more casual gamers, here are of games worth picking up to play.
Artist Colony feels a lot like Maxis’ SIMS series of PC games as it places you in control of a virtual person and determining their career choices and living conditions. As the title suggests, the person you control is an artist, and the house is some indie-looking pad that you need to improve upon in the game.
Brothers in Arms 2: Global Front is an FPS game. The tactics are pretty basic, and the controls tend to take up plenty of the screen, though it does work well and fun in multi player.
Get to see more casual game titles for the Apple iPhone at Times Online UK.
Well, if you ask us, keyboards are truly the way to go.
The reason why the Motorola Milestone (DROID) sold and performed so well is due to the fact that it gave users a physical keyboard to toy around with. The device is one of the first Android smart phone to have a physical QWERTY pad and people simply loved it. Google knows this and the next Google phone (Nexus Two) is reportedly going to have a keyboard.
Now, images of the very first smart phone for the new Microsoft mobile platform shows that the trend of keyboards is not about to stop. The LG Panther smart phone comes with plenty of amazing features –an impressive touch screen, a small size and stylized lines. The device also comes with its own slide out QWERTY keyboard. No word yet if there will be unique functions in the device that are only available to access through the keyboard, but it will certainly make typing out long messages easy.
Specs wise, it is still too early to tell what this phone will be bringing to the table. Aside from the 5 mega pixel camera on the back of the device (it is pretty clear on the images), the only other things we can talk about at the processor and the touch screen. The processor will definitely be Qualcomm made as MS already confirmed that back at the Mobile World Congress. The screen will definitely be a capacitive touch screen as the UI will use gestures and more.
So far, there is no confirmation yet on when the device will be ready. The OS itself was still in progress when it was shown off a couple of weeks back and we doubt we will see a final release anytime soon.
The new HTC Legend mobile device has definitely caused quite a stir in the industry, and it has been one of the most keenly-awaited devices to make its while its eventual release a little later this year cannot come soon enough for some. Insiders have speculated that the Legend may well step into the shoes of one of its forebears, the HTC Hero, which many believed to be an excellent phone in its own right. It must be said also that the Legend also compares very favourably indeed to another of HTC’s new releases, the Desire – another big head-turner at Geneva’s mobile phone conference.
In terms of basic aesthetics the Legend does certainly beat the Desire in the fashion and style stakes, with its Apple Mac-like manufacture from one single block of aluminium. On the Macbook this was referred to as a unibody design and it also serves the HTC Legend very well indeed. The Legend’s overall finish is also pleasing to both the eye and the hand as was the Macbook’s, and this elevates it even further ahead of the Desire in terms of fashionable desirability.
According to HTC’s marketing gurus the design concept behind the Legend is ‘hidden power’, which aims to produce a device that can combine both design and function in one handset. Certainly the unibody design goes a long way to fulfilling this vision as it does away with the need for separate frames and covers. This is not only a good thing stylistically but also with regards to the phone’s functions and features as it affords that much more room and space for components is available for the phone itself. For this reason the Legend can pull further away still from the Hero as it is able to incorporate an extremely vibrant 3,2-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen that is truly wonderful to behold, although it is still a little smaller that the larger screen seen on the Desire.
The Legend has made further enhancements over its predecessors as well, including a much better and more functionally designed keypad. There is also a navigation button rather than a trackball, which is very much in keeping with the new industry norm as trackballs are really fading from fashion due to their propensity to break. It may well be, however, that users will not even ever need to use the navigation button due to the fact that the touchscreen is so wonderfully responsive.
Two more excellent features of the Legend are its Android 2.1 operating system and the overlaid HTC Sense UI which appears somewhat similar to the Sense first seen on the Hero. It has, however, been significantly enhanced on the Legend with a whole raft of new features. One of the central new features is the Leap view, which allows the user to see every open operating screen and easily navigate between them with just a pinch of the finger.
The Legend also runs the useful Friend Stream which combines such oft-used social networking sites as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr in one single stream. Due to this you now no longer need to follow your contacts over several different platforms, although you can still receive separate feeds-it’s just that you can receive them in one place – very useful for the internet socially inclined.
The back of the Legend houses the almost ubiquitous 5-megapixel camera with its integral LED flash – great for snaps in a wide range of lighting conditions. The connectivity of the Legend is also very good, and wireless connectivity is also afforded through HSDPA, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. For those interested in getting one of their own the Legend should grace store shelves with is presence this April, so be sure to be the first in line to get your hands on it yourself if you want to latest in HTC’s subtle yet stylish power.
There are plenty of reasons why LG’s upcoming Panther smart phone is much anticipated; mostly because the device going to be running the new Windows Phone 7 series.
