Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile, Gadgets / Other, Lifestyle  While the RunKeeper Pro apps for both Android and iOS remain free for the month of January, the team over at RunKeeper continue to add new features and bring new support. As of now the two new features for both mobile platforms include Heart Rate Monitoring as well as Selective Activity and Map Sharing.
Heart Rate Monitoring. RunKeeper now supports the Wahoo heart rate monitor for the iPhone and the Polar WearLink®+ transmitter with Bluetooth® for Android to provide real-time heart rate data straight to the RunKeeper app on your mobile device.
Selective activity and map sharing. Now you can set your activity and maps viewing options to just your street teammates! Whether you're running, cycling or training for another activity, you choose who to share it with.
In addition, those using RunKeeper on the iPhone can also expect to see two-way sync and additional audio cues. And for those running with Android, these last two features are notes as coming soon. Two-way sync. Your entire activity history on RunKeeper.com is now synchronized with your RunKeeper app. If you add, delete or update an activity on your RunKeeper.com account, it will appear on the RunKeeper app (and vice versa).
Additional Audio Cues. You can now get audio cues for your current pace, the average pace of your current split or interval, as well as speed.
With that, there was one other new feature added to the Android app, manual activity entry, which was previously available for the iPhone. Manual activity entry. You can now enter workouts you do on the treadmill or other gym cardio equipment in the mobile app using the new manual entry input type. Now you can log all your workouts, not just the ones you track with GPS.
Read [Runkeeper Blog] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, DVD/DVR/Blu-ray, HDTV, Portable Video Continuing with last year’s theme of 3D, Sony has a lot of 3D devices on display at CES. Unfortunately not all of the products Sony has at their booth are scheduled to come out this year, if at all. The first prototype device I saw was a portable 3D Blu-ray player that didn’t require any glasses. It used a screen similar to that on the 3DS, but it was much larger than Nintendo’s portable system. The picture looked fantastic, and the 3D really did work. You couldn’t get too close the the player or else the 3D wouldn’t work right, though. As a sample of what could be done, it was very impressive. I was actually a bit sad to find out it was only a prototype, even if I’d never use it much anyway. The second device I saw was the 3D Head Mounted Display. It looks like something from Tron on the outside, but inside it appears as if your a few feet away from a 3DTV. It was a big strange using the device since my eyes had to be measured first, and i felt the need to hold on to them lest they fall. The 3D was very good, despite the fact that the sample videos weren’t all that long. It seemed to be a bit further down the line and not as useful as the portable 3D Blu-ray player, but still interesting. Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Web, Online Music/Video The folks over at Slacker Radio have announced some news for those up in Canada, as of today the option for the free unlimited Basic Radio service will be available for all Canadian listeners. Of course, there will still be the option to upgrade to the Slacker Radio Plus service which is priced from $3.99 per month and removes the advertisements as well as gives song lyrics, the ability to cache stations for offline listening and unlimited skips. But hey, while the Plus subscription features are nice for those who listen often, it is always nice to have the option to listen for free. Keep reading to check out the full press release… Unlimited Free Slacker Radio Now Available in Canada Canadian Music Fans Can Now Enjoy Unlimited Free Slacker Personal Radio LAS VEGAS – January 6, 2011 – Slacker, Inc. today announced the expansion of its free unlimited Basic Radio service to all Canadian listeners. Initially offered as a 30-day trial, Slacker Basic Radio is now available for free indefinitely offering Canadian music fans all the benefits of Slacker Personal Radio. The Slacker music experience is available on the web at www.Slacker.com and as a free app for leading smartphones including: iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm webOS, Android, Windows Mobile and Windows Phone 7. Slacker Radio provides Canadian music lovers with the ability to create their own personal radio stations or listen to and personalize more than 80 expert-programmed genre stations, including select stations programmed by Canadian DJs such as Today’s Hits, to provide a uniquely Canadian perspective. Users can also read artist bios and album reviews, while viewing artist images and album art. The Slacker music experience includes station fine-tuning, enabling listeners to choose between hearing newer vs. classic tracks and popular vs. fringe songs. The Fine Tune feature also allows listeners to adjust the frequency that favorite songs play as well as the amount of artist discovery on custom stations. In addition to marking songs as favorites, listeners can also ban songs and artists or make their own stations with their favorite artists to create a truly personalized radio experience. Canadian users now have unlimited access to free Slacker Basic Radio with the option to upgrade to Slacker Radio Plus. Slacker Radio Plus features all the same great benefits of Slacker Basic Radio along with station caching for supported mobile devices, ad-free listening, complete song lyrics, unlimited song skipping, song requests and more. Station caching enables mobile listeners to store their personal stations on selected smartphones for listening anywhere, anytime, uninterrupted and without incurring data charges while playing. "Turning Canada on to personal radio earlier this year was a giant milestone and the ability to expand the free Slacker Radio experience beyond the 30-day trial period is another exciting step forward," said Jonathan Sasse, senior vice president of marketing at Slacker. "Whether it's from the web or a smartphone, Slacker takes the work out of listening to your favorite music and discovering new artists wherever you want." Slacker Personal Radio is the first and only personal radio service available for Canadian listeners. Slacker has agreements in place with key content owners providing listeners in Canada with a deep catalog of music for expert-curated Slacker genre stations as well as the ability for listeners to create their own custom stations. Slacker Basic Radio:
• Create custom stations based on artists or songs
• No monthly listening limits
• High-quality stereo playback from any available wireless connection
• Over 80 professionally programmed and customizable genre stations
• View artist biographies and photos
• View album art and reviews
• Pause and skip songs
• Rate songs as favorites
• Ban songs and artists Slacker Radio Plus
• Cache stations to leading smartphones and listen even without a wireless network
• Unlimited song skipping
• Ad-free listening
• Complete song lyrics*
• Unlimited song requests for creating stations
• "Peek Ahead" artist and album preview
• ABC News station and headline news updates for any station Pricing and Availability
Slacker Basic Radio is available for free on the web and as a free download for leading smartphones. Look for the Slacker application in popular mobile application stores or visit www.Slacker.com from your mobile browser to be directed to the free download. Slacker Radio Plus is available for as low as CAD$3.99 per month. For additional details, please visit www.Slacker.com.
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Trade Shows, CES Yesterday Sony announced the lastest in it’s Xperia smartphone line, the Xperia Arc. Today I managed to get a few minutes to try out the device to see if it’s any better than the Xperia 10. Picking up the device, it certainly felt a lot better than the previous Android Xperia phone. The metal back felt nice, a lot nicer than the plastic that seems to plague a lot of smartphones. Moving around in Android proved to be fairly quick, which is a testament to how much faster Gingerbread is. The UI put on top of Gingerbread could be better, especially if you don’t like a lot of blue. The UI doesn’t seem changed much since the X10, a neither does Timescapes. The devices on display had no SIM cards, but the device given to the Sony reps were running on AT&T. The rep I talked to said that he’ll be crying when he has to give back his Arc at the end of the week. He said it’ll be tough to go back to the X10 after using the Arc. Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Computers, Mobile Computers T-Mobile has officially announced the G-Slate, which will be an Android 3.0 running tablet made by LG. Unfortunately though, for the most part the details are fairly light. At this time there was nothing solid given in terms of a release date and the pricing was kept a total secret. Otherwise, we do know that it will have support for the T-Mobile HSPA+ network. With that, check out the first look video that was offered up by T-Mobile as well as the press release, both of which can be seen below.  T-Mobile and LG Mobile Phones Announce Their First 4G Android 3.0 Powered Tablet - T-Mobile G-Slate With Google
T-Mobile G-Slate by LG Is Set to Launch in the Coming Months on America's Largest 4G Network
LAS VEGAS — Jan. 5, 2011 — Today at 2011 International CES, T-Mobile USA, Inc. and LG Mobile Phones announced the upcoming Android™ Honeycomb-powered T-Mobile® G-Slate™ with Google™, by LG. Expected to be available in coming months, the G-Slate will be the first 4G tablet from the two companies powered by Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), the upcoming version of Google's Android platform optimized for tablets.
"T-Mobile is proud to add a new milestone in the evolution of the Android platform with our first 4G tablet powered by Android 3.0," said Cole Brodman, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile USA. "The T-Mobile G-Slate with Google will build on our rich history of Android innovation and leadership and deliver deep integration with Google services."
"LG is dedicated to continuing its role as an innovation leader and is thrilled to announce its entry into the tablet marketplace with the G-Slate," said Jeff Hwang, president of LG Mobile Phones. "Streamlining everyday tasks and enhancing entertainment with blazing fast 4G speed, the T-Mobile G-Slate by LG will deliver the latest in Android technology and provide users with an advanced tablet experience."
The T-Mobile G-Slate will be among the first 4G tablets to fully benefit from the tablet-optimized Android 3.0 platform, which was designed from the ground up for devices with larger screen sizes and addresses the unique aspects of tablet use cases and form factors. The Honeycomb user experience improves on Android favorites such as widgets, multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization. It will also feature the latest Google Mobile innovations including Google Maps™ 5.0 with 3D interaction, collection of more than 3 million eBooks and Google Talk™ with video and voice chat.
Additional product details will be disclosed at a later date.
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Accessories, Mobile, Trade Shows, CES When the Nexus S launched, and even before, there was much talk about how NFC could one day replace your wallet, letting you use it to make payments. That isn’t exactly here yet, but Bling Nation is with an RFID sticker for phones. Bling Nation makes the Bling Tag, a small sticker that you stick on the back of your cell phone, that links to your PayPal. It makes is easy to pay for stuff at stores that support the system. The tag can also link to social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Yelp. That way you can share your location with friends, or easily follow the store where you swiped the tag. Before you start thinking about the privacy issues associated with the Bling Tag, know that no information is stored on the tag itself, and you need a PIN to give the information to anyone else. For now Bling Tag is only available in the Bay Area, but will be rolling out nationwide in the coming months. Seems like it could be a decent system before NFC really takes off. Once that happens, it could still be popular with the feature-phone market, but probably not so much with those of us who use smartphones. Read [Bling Nation] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, Portable Video, Imaging, Camcorders Now here’s something cool coming out from the CES 2011 and it’s not related to anything Android or tablet. Sony has just announced its latest pocketable camcorder from the Sony Bloggie camcorder series dubbed Bloggie 3D. Yes dear folks. As its name suggests, this new Sony camcorder boasts of 3D or 2D video and photo capture capabilities. thanks to its two lenses and two image sensors including a stereo microphone and built-in LED light, this camcorder will let your capture 3D video which can be played back on its 2.4-inch LCD screen even without 3D glasses on. However, if you want to view this 3D video on an HDTV, you still need to put those 3D glasses on. 
Aside from the Bloggie 3D, Sony is also biringing in the Bloggie Duo camcorder featuring a dual-screen option. This camcorder has two LCD screens, a 2.7-inch on the back and a 2.0-inch on the front, located under the camera lens. It also has a built-in LED light and will be available in violet, green, pink, and white. The last of these three new Sony camcorders is the entry-level camera simply dubbed Bloggie. This camera sports a 2.7-inch wide LCD screen and an ultra compact, lightweight design and form factor. This Bloggie camera will be avalable in black and white. The Sony Bloggie and Bloggie Duo will be available sometime in March for $150 and $170 respectively. While the Sony Bloggie comes one month after and will be priced for about $250. Read [Sony News] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Computers, Gadgets / Other, Gaming, Trade Shows, CES Microsoft announced a lot of small updates today. Like last year, the company didn’t make any huge announcements that will affect a lot of consumers out there, but there were a few small announcements that could make a difference to a few people. The first big announcements came for gamers. First Microsoft announced that it managed to sell more than the 5 million Kinect sensors it hoped to sell by the end of 2011. In those first two months being on the market, Microsoft actually managed to sell a total of 8 million units, which is nothing short of amazing. The company announced a new feature to be used with Kinect, Avatar Kinect. Avatar Kinect lets you use you avatar to talk to other users, while you’re avatars sit around in a circle and mimic your gestures and facial expressions. The big announcement there: Kinect will soon be able to detect your facial expressions, down to your eyebrows. For the Xbox 360 Microsoft also announced that this Spring Netflix will finally be Kinect compatible. Around the same time you’ll be able to use Kinect to interact with Hulu Plus on the Xbox 360 when it arrive in Spring. Onto Windows Phone 7, Steve Ballmer was happy to announce that 9 out of 10 WP7 users would recommend the phone to others, though anyone who knows smartphone OS fanboys can cite that for any platform. Ballmer was also happy to note that there are more than 5,500 apps for WP7, which equates to more than 100 new apps per day since launch. Those apps are being used too, as more than one half of WP7 users download at least one app per day. With those apps, a slew of games were shown off, including the exclusive Fable Coin Golf. Touting the Xbox Live integration, all gold earned in Coin Golf will be given to your Fable III character. Other games highlighted include Fruit Ninja, Assassin’s Creed, Game Room, The Sims 3, Need for Speed and a Star Wars game. Still no Angry Birds, though I’d argue Fruit Ninja is just as good if not better. Microsoft was also quick to note that there are updates coming for WP7 in the coming months, which will add copy/paste and improve app startup performance which seems lacking. Also in the next few months WP7 will launch for Sprint and Verizon, with all four major carriers covered within the first half of 2011. For desktops, Microsoft touted out a bunch of laptops and tablets running the newest hardware from a variety of manufacturers. The most interesting were the development systems running on System on a Chip (SoC) setups. Those included the expected Intel Atom, the nVidia Tegra 2, OMAP, and Hummingbird which we’ve seen in a variety smartphones as of late. It was an earlier build of Windows 8 running Windows 7 UI, but it’s very promising that it was all working well in this early stage. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Microsoft CES press conference without at least a mention of Surface. The newest generation of Surface if much thinner than previous models, as it no longer requires the cameras under the display. Where previous models would essentially go to the floor, this new Surface is just 4-inches thick, and can actually be mounted vertically as well as horizontally. The thinness is done by making each pixel act as a camera, so it can read anything placed on the surface. Write on a piece of paper, and the Surface can recognize what’s on the paper, which seems a bit crazy. In all, it wasn’t a revelatory press conference from Microsoft, but some pretty neat concepts. It wouldn’t have made much sense to announce something huge, but some firmer dates on the Kinect and Windows Phone 7 updates would have been nice. Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile Motorola and T-Mobile has announced the availability of the new Motorola CLIQ 2 with MOTOBLUR, a 3.7-inch touch-screen smartphone with a full slide-out keypad. no words yet on whether this will be upgraded to Android 2.3 Gingerbread but it will surely be running on Android 2.2 upon release on January 19 at all T-Mobile outlets. This 3G smartphone is loaded with a 1GHz processor and Wi-Fi capabilities. 
With Android 2.3 inside, the Motorola CLIQ 2 naturally supports Adobe Flash content on websites plus access to Android apps. Additionally, the phone will also have pre-loaded Blockbuster onDemand app giving you access to thousands of movie hits. It is also pre-loaded with Kindle app. For your entertainment, the Motorola CLIQ 2 has a 3.7-inch touch-screen display that stretches from edge-to-edge. This enables HD media content to be played at their highest resolution. The phone is also DLNA-enabled so you can stream content on other DLNA-enabled devices. The device offers up to 7.9 hours talk time and up to 13 days standby time. Read [Motorola Media Center] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Trade Shows, CES Motorola is making a bold claim with the Atrix, claiming it’s the most powerful smartphone in the world. That could very well be true, but a more apt description would be that the Atrix is perhaps the most innovative phone we’ve seen so far. The Motorola Atirx has a pair of interesting accessories, both of which are docks. The first is a standard dock with display out, and a few USB ports. The second is a very thin laptop. Both of these docks turn the Atrix into a full computer using the Webtop app. The app brings a full Linux-esque experience with a keyboard and mouse. It looks like Webtop is surprisingly fast, and could potentially replace the need for having both a smartphone and a laptop, especially at events such as CES. Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile 
Well, believe it or not folks, AT&T will soon have a 4G smartphone courtesy of Motorola. Announced just now at CES 2011, Motorola and AT&T will soon be releasing the new Motorola ATRIX 4G. You know what’s so exciting about this new phone aside from being 4G-capable? - the processor, which is said to be dual-core with each core running 1GHz. In other words, the ATRIX 4G will run on 2GHz processor. With those two key features said, what else can we expect from the ATRIX 4G then? Quite a lot actually. For starters there’s Motorola’s webtop app which runs a full Mozilla Firefox 3.6 browser and supports Adobe Flash Player. With the webtop app, you can still run Android apps in a window while browsing websites using the Firefox desktop browser. You can also send instant messages as well as make phone calls. The phone also features the new Entertainment Center which will let you show all your photos, music and videos on a big screen. This becomes sweeter in the US wherein the phone will also feature AT&T U-verse Mobile app which lets you schedule recordings as well as download and watch TV shows. 
Other features of the Motorola ATRIX 4G include - 1GB of RAM, front- and rear-facing camera, 16GB internal storage, 32GB microSD card, 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi 802.11n, and optional AT&T Mobile Hotspot service. Motorola ATRIX 4G is slated for release in Q1 2011 exclusive to AT&T. Read [Motorola MediaCenter] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Mobile, Trade Shows, CES We’ve heard about it for quite a while, and Motorola has finally made it official. The first Android 3.0 tablet it here, the Motorola Xoom. The Xoom has a 10.1-inch 16:9 screen, powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor. The front of the device has no button, not even touch sensitive ones. Everything is handled by the OS. As you’d expect by now, the Xoom has both a front and rear-facing camera for video chat, presumably with Skype or Qik. Unfortunately the Xoom wasn’t ready for us to play with. The models they had were simply running videos of the experience, which is why many of the shots appear blurry. Given the specs, the Xoom looks to blow away the current iPad. Motorola hopes to have the 3G version of the Xoom out in February. The 3G version will be upgradeable to 4G when that version launches in Q2. Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones 
The Motorola DROID X has been the Verizon Wireless flagship smartphone for quite some time now, but it is going to be dethroned in Q2 of 2011 when Motorola’s latest DROID smartphone launches, the DROID BIONIC. Earlier today at CES 2011, Motorola announced the DROID BIONIC, an Android smartphone featuring Android 2.2, 4.3 inch touch screen qHD display, 512MB of RAM, dual-core 1GHz processor, 8MP rear facing camera, VGA front facing camera, Bluetooth, WiFi, LTE connectivity, HDMI output with mirror mode in 1080p, and several productivity tools such as Quickoffice. The DROID BIONIC is one of the few DROID smartphones to not be heavily rumored before its launch, both parties did a good job of keeping this big guy under wraps. The only aspect of the Android powerhouse I don’t seem to like is the choice of name—BIONIC just doesn’t sit well with me. Hopefully we will learn soon enough the last important features of the DROID BIONIC—pricing and availability. Read [Verizon] BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI), today unveiled DROID™ BIONIC, a powerful new Android™ smartphone. Packing a dual core processor with each core running at 1GHz, delivering up to two GHz of processing power, and 512 MB RAM, the sleekly designed DROID BIONIC smartphone with 4G LTE delivers a mobile Internet experience that's up to 10 times faster than 3G. This means consumers can stream their favorite music and the latest TV shows with unparalleled quality experience. DROID BIONIC also races through loading of complex web pages and media that take advantage of Adobe® Flash® Player and HTML5, rendering graphics faster than previous generation single-core devices. Motorola's DROID BIONIC gives new meaning to the word "socialize" by delivering multiple ways for customers to stay connected. With the device's front-facing VGA camera and See What I See video feature, consumers can share experiences – either via Wi-Fi or 4G – with family, friends and co-workers. A rear-facing 8-megapixel camera also allows consumers to capture their favorite pictures and videos. DROID BIONIC's multiplayer gaming capabilities allow consumers to challenge friends to live peer-to-peer gaming, viewed through the device's 4.3-inch qHD quality screen that delivers console-quality graphics. DROID BIONIC's HDMI connectivity also enables consumers to connect the device to their HD televisions to experience their favorite games, as well as purchased HD content, in full 1080p. And for multi-taskers, DROID 4G's Mirror Mode function enables simultaneous streaming of video to the TV and on the device. As a fully featured work device, DROID BIONIC comes equipped with corporate email, remote wipe and data security and encryption capabilities IT departments appreciate. DROID BIONIC also features productivity tools such as Quickoffice® for document review and editing, full calendar management, one-click access to conference calling, and a full suite of Google applications and services. "DROID BIONIC brings to life the speed and power of Verizon's 4G LTE network, giving consumers an unrivaled mobile experience," said Marni Walden, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. "Whether downloading movies in minutes, connecting with friends or co-workers through video conferencing, or blazing through the Internet, Motorola's DROID BIONIC is what the 4G LTE experience is all about." "DROID BIONIC is the epitome of speed, providing consumers with instantaneous access to their personal and work content, anytime and anyplace," said Alain Mutricy, senior vice president of portfolio and device product management, Motorola Mobility. "By combining such a powerful mobile device with the performance and capabilities of Verizon's 4G LTE network, we're empowering consumers to define how they want to live their mobile lifestyles." The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, launched in December 2010, is the fastest, most advanced 4G network in the United States, providing speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless' 3G network. Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company's entire 3G coverage area over the next three years.
Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Hardware There you go folks, one of the most anticipated Android tablet to arrive this was just given an official treatment at CES 2011. Motorola and Verizon just officially announced the Motorola XOOM Android tablet. As previously reported, the Motorola XOOM tablet will run Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS and yes it will be released via Verizon Wireless’ various data plans. The Motorola XOOM Android tablet will have all the good features that you’ll normally experience from an Android-powered devices including widgets, multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization features. The tablet is loaded with a 1GHz dual-core processor and will be LTE upgradeable. In addition, the Motorola XOOM supports 1080p HD video and HDMI output, Adobe Flash player, 2MP front-facing camera and a 5MP rear-facing with that can capture 720p HD video. The tablet will also feature Google Maps 5.0 including the latest 3D interaction feature and access to Google eBooks. What would be interesting to note here is that the Motorola XOOM tablet will be launched as a 3G/Wi-Fi-enabled device in Q1 2011 and then to be upgraded to 4G LTE in Q2. This will make the Motorola XOOM as the first LTE 4G Android tablet. Sweet, right? Read [Motorola], Product [Verizon XOOM] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Web Browsers 
According to StatCounter, Mozilla Firefox 3.5 has taken over the throne of most used single web browser in Europe. The former king of the hill, Internet Explorer 7, was bested by Mozilla and company last week by taking 21.93% of the market while IE7 landed a score of 21.2% share. Keep in mind that Microsoft still has the majority of the market with the other iterations of IE which still gives them a little over 55% of the market. So who the heck is still using IE 6? As it turns out, Microsoft still has such an overwhelming control of the market simply because their corporate PCs in addition to older computers in developing nations are still running the version of IE that came equipped with the OS. Safari and Opera seem to be doing just wonderfully at the bottom of the rankings at 3.03 and 0.42 percent respectively. So what can we attribute to the incline of Firefox usage? I feel like it is a combination of both you and old individuals realizing what else is out there that is more efficient. You think I’m lying? Feast your eyes on this. Via [Electronista] Full Story » | Written by Tarun Kunwar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Hardware, Laptops, Netbooks 
As previously reported, Toshiba has gone official with its Android tablet at the CES 2011. As expected the Toshiba tablet sports a 10.1-inch diagonal widescreen multi-touch display - making it ideal for web browsing in both landscape and portrait modes. It’s display offers a high definition 1280x800 resolution and 16:2 aspect ratio - making it a perfect device for viewing movies as well as for gaming purposes. The Toshiba tablet also supports Adobe Flash 10.1. So like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, this gives the table an edge over the iPad. A noteable feature of the Toshiba tablet is its adaptive display technology which adjusts the display’s brightness and color depending on the lighting condition of the place where you are using the tablet. It also has motion sensor that automatically rotates the screen and a rotation-lock switch and an on-screen keyboard with Haptic feedback. Inside the Toshiba tablet is a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 with integrated NVIDIA graphics which enables the tablet to deliver smooth, full-frame 1080p video playback. The tablet also packs in a 2MP front-facing camera and 5M rear-facing camera, as well as integrated GPS and compass. Other features include - HDMI port, full-size USB and mini USB 2.0, SD card slot, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11 and optional docking station. The Toshiba tablet will be available starting the first half of 2011. Price is still unknown at this time. Read [Business Wire] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile Just as we expected in December, Huawei has officially announced its new Ideos X5 Android phone at the CES 2011. Jam-packed with features, the Huawei Ideos X5 runs on Android 2.2 and sports an ultra slim design and form factor. Geared as a business smartphone, the Huawei Ideos X5 Android phone features document procesing capabilities with support for Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe PDF Formats. It provides email functionality via Gmail and Microsoft Exchange plus calendar support. The Ideos X5 also gives you high speed internet connectivity via HSPA and Wi-Fi 802.11. Other features of the Ideos X5 are basically the sames as what we previously told you about. These include a 3.8-inch multiple touch screen with easy-to-use SWYPE input and voice recognition, a 5MP camera with 720p HD video recording and playback, FM Radio, SRS, and Flash 10.1 support. Huawei Ideos X5 will be initially available in Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand starting this month. US releases via a major mobile carrier will be announced middle of this year. Pricing details are still unknown at this time. Read [Business Wire] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops, Netbooks 
Want to have the best of both worlds for a tablet PC? I mean the convenience of Windows 7 tablet and performance of an Android slate? Check out Lenovo’s new IdeaPad U1 hybrid with LePad slate which was just announced at CES 2011. This two-in-one device feature the best of both Android and Windows 7 with access to Android apps as well as the convenience of using a keyboard for productivity. Let’s take a closer look at the components of these unique computing machine. First, the LePad Slate is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 8 hours battery life. It boast of 10.1-inch widescreen that can run in both landscape and portrait modes. The device also has a front-facing camera useful enough for taking pictures as well as video chat. The LePad slate runs on Android 2.2, supports Flash 10.1 and has 3G connectivity. Now if you feel shortchanged by the features of the LePad Android slate, you can then shift to using the IdeaPad U1 full notebook running on Windows 7. The IdeaPad U1 is packed with Intel CULV processor and features a Hybrid Switch feature to make it seamless to change OS from Windows 7 to Android. The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 with LePad will be available in China during the first quarter of 2011 for approximately $520 if you decide to get the LePad slate only and around $1,300 if you get the hybrid pack. No words yet on when this machine will hit the US markets. Read [Business Wire] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers  In case you don’t want to spend a lot of money for the Samsung Galaxy Tab with 3G access (meaning the initial price plus the contract option), you could be interested in the WiFi-only version of the Galaxy Tab. We have seen several leaks and rumors regarding the WiFi-only Galaxy Tab, but Samsung has been relatively quiet on such a device for quite some time. However, today at CES 2011, Samsung let us know that the Galaxy Tab with WiFi access only would be available in the United States in Q1.
No word on pricing or through what channels the Galaxy Tab would be on sale, but hopefully we will hear more details soon enough. Feel free to browse through the press release below, which reiterates the specs of the WiFi-only Tab (which is still the same of the 3G model). Via [Business Wire] LAS VEGAS—(EON: Enhanced Online News)—Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.1, today announced the Wi-Fi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab™ will be available for purchase in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2011. "The Galaxy Tab's compact and convenient design makes this device a true mobile tablet perfect for watching a movie, video chat, reading e-book content or emailing while on-the-move or relaxing at your home or office. We're very excited that the Galaxy Tab recently passed the 1.5 million global shipments milestone."
The Galaxy Tab runs on Android™ 2.2 (Froyo) and features a 7-inch TFT display with 1024 x 600 WSVGA resolution. The lightweight and sleek device weighs only 13 ounces, is 12 millimeters thin and easily fits in a jacket pocket or purse. The Galaxy Tab includes 16GB of internal storage and has microSD expansion for up to 32GB of additional storage. The Tab also supports Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 to deliver an enhanced content experience with access to thousands of Web sites packed with complex Flash-based applications and content. The Galaxy Tab's Flash content support includes games, animations, rich Internet applications (RIAs), data presentations and visualizations, ecommerce, video, music and more. The Galaxy Tab is also designed with a rear-facing 3 megapixel camera for taking pictures on-the-go, as well as a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera and camcorder for video chat. "Samsung has always taken great pride in giving consumers the most choices when deciding which mobile device to make their own," said Omar Khan, chief strategy officer for Samsung Mobile. "The Galaxy Tab's compact and convenient design makes this device a true mobile tablet perfect for watching a movie, video chat, reading e-book content or emailing while on-the-move or relaxing at your home or office. We're very excited that the Galaxy Tab recently passed the 1.5 million global shipments milestone." Powered by Android 2.2, the Galaxy Tab offers services like Google Maps™ with Navigation (Beta) and Google Goggles™, as well as access to more than 100,000 applications currently available for download on Android Market™. Just like the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone portfolio, the Galaxy Tab keep users connected with Samsung's Social Hub application. Social Hub works with the user's Messaging and Contacts to initiate the sending and receiving of information, whether it is e-mail, instant messaging, social network updates or SMS messages. Information from portal calendars, such as Google Calendar™ and social networking services are merged into a single interface for easy organization. Additional features of the Galaxy Tab include: Daily Briefing: Offers instant access to weather, news, stocks, and schedules.
Impressive Expandable Memory: Galaxy Tab can add 32 GB of external memory to store and manage your favorite video content and pictures.
AllShare DLNA Technology: Take video or pictures shot with Galaxy Tab and send the original content wirelessly to other DLNA-enabled devices (HDTVs, laptops, PC monitors, etc.)
Document Viewer & Editor: Open and make changes to any Word, Excel, Powerpoint or PDF document
4,000 mAh Battery: Super-sized battery provides ample power to watch movies, share content and surf the Web
Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Computers, Mobile Computers, Netbooks 
RIM, you make it so hard to love you. Forget the sleeper of an OS you’ve pushed well past it’s bedtime, forget the countless and confusing names of devices you’ve got everywhere, forget the devices that have just flopped. Your new deal with Sprint is mind-boggling. You chose Sprint? You’ve heard of Palm, right? They were a smartphone company that, like you, pinned their hope on #3 (we try even more harder?) Sprint. Fast forward to the end of the story - it didn’t work. This is the road you choose for what looks like an awesome tablet? We’ve been so excited. Heck, you even got me to watch a Black Eyed Peas music video just to see the product placement. I wouldn’t do that for a Moto, LG or Toshiba tablet. Exclusive is such a dangerous word. Don’t tell me it was for the 4G, we don’t play that game. The charade know as 4G (or possibly more correct as my typo $G) is spreading like wildfire and everyone will have something going by the time you’re ready to release this puppy. Summer, really? Fine. You’re 15 months late, locked up with Sprint and will be competing with everyone that’s had a head start (not to even mention apps head start). Even mentally-deficient salmon don’t swim this far upstream. Am I wrong? I often am. Feel free to point that out in the comments. Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Audio, Accessories, Car Audio, Trade Shows, CES 
Monster wasn’t all about headphones at CES. The company also announced a few new iPod accessories, specifically a lot of car chargers. While car chargers themselves wouldn’t be too interesting, Monster actually has an interesting idea.
The iMotion CarPlay Direct Connect is Monster’s way to make the category more interesting. The device charges your iPod, iPhone or iPad through the lighter in your car, as usual, but also has an audio jack to connect the device to your car’s audio system. Monster takes it a step further and let’s you control your iPod with the wave of your hand. Simply by waving in front of the iMotion CarPlay, you can tell the iPod to pause, play, rewind, and fast forward. It’s a pretty neat feature, that can possibly lead to less distracted drivers, which is always a good thing. For $129.95, it is a bit pricey, however. read [Monster Pressroom] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile 
If you’re like me, a break up with a girlfriend or boyfriend means a healthy burning of old photos. That is what seems to be going on over at AT&T with Apple. Beginning Friday, AT&T will sell the iPhone 3GS for just $49, 1/2 of the price they charge today. Beyond that, you can grab the same phone for just $19 out of the bargain bin. Holy moley, talk about your blue light specials. "We want to deliver the best, most complete package for our customers – from price, to speed, to worldwide access and more," said David Christopher, chief marketing officer of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "Combined with our new, lower monthly data plans beginning at just $15 a month, this new price brings even more value to one of the most popular devices in our leading lineup of smartphones. We're very excited for more people to experience iPhone on the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network." OK, so AT&T has lowered entry barriers like initial cost and monthly data plan to attract buyers. They’ve also upped the ETF fee to $350. In the words of Admiral Ackbar, “it’s a trap.” The $19 iPhone 3GS is a “refurb cosmetic blem”, which means it’s been lovingly pre-scratched for you, but it still works fine. Since the 3GS isn’t affected by the mighty death-grip, fine might be an understatement. Will AT&T move the refurb price from $49 to something lower? (I doubt it as their catalog is littered with illogical propositions) Is this all writing on the wall that a Verizon iPhone is inbound? Personally, I don’t think it gets clearer than this. Read: [AT&T] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple  According to the latest in the Apple rumor mill, employees are being told that they cannot take vacations during a few week period from late-January through mid-February. And while that has not been officially confirmed by Apple, assuming it is accurate, that would suggest a product release is coming. Of course, just what is coming remains a mystery. Personally I am hoping to finally see that CDMA iPhone, but maybe we will also see a second generation iPad. Either way, I am sure of one thing—more rumors are sure to come between now and then.
Via [AppleInsider] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers, Hardware Like we told you before, Viliv has officially announced its three new tablet offering at the CES 2011 - the Viliv X7 and X10 Android tablets along with the Viliv X70 Windows slate. Scheduled for release in March and April 2011, the two Android tablets are loaded with Cortex A8 1GHz CPU and Power VR SGX 540 and both will run Android upon initial release but to be updated to Android 3.0 Honeycomb later on. Both Viliv X7 and Viliv X10 features 3G HSPA, EVDO or WiMAX connectivity as well as long battery life. The Android tablets will both support full HD playback, support for microSD card upt to 32GB, HDMI-out port, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 3MP rear-facing and 1.3MP front-facing camera. The Vilix X7 tablet will have a 7-inch clear type capacitive multi-touch LCD, and runs on 5600 mAh battery with 9.5 hours battery life. The Viliv X10 tablet on the other hand has a 10.2-inch capacitive multi-touch screen and 8300 mAh battery with up to 10 hours maximum usage time.  Aside from these two Android tablets, Viliv is also releasing the Viliv X70 Windows 7 slate, the slimmest and lightest Windows 7 based tablet to date. It’s actually a follow up to the previously released X70EX slate, this time with updated features and power including an Intel CPU, 2GB of RAM and 7-inch capacitive multi-touch LCD. Other features of the X70 include 1080p video playback, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G HSPA or WiMAX/EVDO, HDMI, GPS, 32GB/64GB SSD, 3MP rear camera, 1.3MP front camera, and 6.5 hours battery life. via JKKMobile Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile Steve Ballmer took to the stage during the CES keynote and amongst some other items, he did take some time to talk Windows Phone 7. And it seems there is a little bit of good news and bad news for those waiting with Verizon and/or Sprint. First, the good, the Windows Phone 7 devices will have Copy & Paste when they arrive with the two US based CDMA carriers. The bad, that software update is not expected to arrive for a few months and the handsets are not scheduled to release just yet. In fact, as of now the WP7 release with Sprint and Verizon as still tipped as the general sometime ‘in the first half of 2011.’ Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, HDTV, Trade Shows, CES 
Last year we saw a lot of 3DTVs at CES. This year, there seems to be a lot of smart TVs. Samsung is the latest company to offer smart TVs along with a host of new features.
This year, a full two-thirds of Samsung’s TVs will be smart, all connected to the web for streaming content, social networks and apps. Along with that collection of smart TVs, 60 percent of Samsung’s TVs will also be 3D. So, expect a lot of 3D smart TVs from Samsung this year. At the top of Samsung’s line of TVs there not just improvements to the performance of the screens, but also in their appearance. Samsung has managed to cut down on the bezel around the TVs. On two of the high-end screen, Samsung has bezels of only 0.2-inches thick. The 3D glasses are nicer as well, they are no much lighter and smaller, which should be nice for those who haven’t yet adopted 3D. Please excuse photo quality, the images was taken from Samsung’s livestream of the press conference Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Computers, Mobile Computers, Web, Google  Google has recently released a nice, albeit short video highlighting Android 3.0 Honeycomb, which they are calling “the next generation of Android.” And perhaps more important for tablet fans, it was noted that Honeycomb is “built entirely for tablet.” Otherwise, the look and feel seems to be rather different than what we have come to expect in Android. Granted that is not to say it is bad, just different in look and style, but you can check out the video and see that for yourself. Via [Google Mobile Blog] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Gadgets / Other, Trade Shows, CES Surprisingly, Audiovox had something somewhat exciting to announce at their CES press conference. Despite the company’s name, the interesting product is actually focused on cars and smartphones. CarLink is an app that will activate remote start in your car from anywhere in the world. It has four simple functions: remote start, lock, unlock and alarm sound. Unlike a traditional remote start, there’s no range limit on CarLink. Wherever you are with 3G signal, you can start or lock your car. The downside to CarLink is the price. It’s $250 for the system and first year, and $30 per year for the service after that. The App will work on iOS, Android or BlackBerry. According to Audiovox, it will work with 90 percent of Audiovox-branded security systems in cars already. Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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