For our dear readers in the UK, you might be interested to know that the new HTC Desire S is now available across all Orange retail stores. You can now grab this HTC’s latest take on the Android smartphone through Orange UK’s Pay monthly price plans or for free through Orange’s £35 a month price plans. In case you’ve missed the coverage on this much anticipated HTC smartphone, it is obviously a follow-up to an equally great phone, the HTC Desire. The HTC Desire S however sports a slimmer body than its predecessor and has more powerful and more advanced features. These include a 5MP camera, a 3.7-inch screen display, 1GB of RAM, up to 8GB microSD card support, and VGA front-facing camera. Additionally, the HTC Desire S will also support Orange’s Signal Boost as well as Orange Mail and Orange Maps - all add-on services courtesy of Orange UK network. Of course, the device will be running Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Via [Orange newsroom]
If there’s one word to describe the just updated Asus Lamborghini VX7 notebook, it has to be - awesome. To compliment its beautiful external apperance, Asus has loaded the laptop’s innards with the new Quad Core Intel Core i7 Sandy Bridge processor. And so Asus has officially announced the Lamborghini VX7 with powerful features such as support for up to 16GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460QM GPU, 3GB of DDR5 VRAM, up to 750GB HDD option or a combination of 500GB with 4GB SSD. In addition, you can add an optional Blu-ray drive into it to complete the laptops other features such as 2.0MP webcam, Bluetooth, USB 3.0, card reader and other useful ports that will keep you connected. Of course, let us not forget that the Asus Lamborghini is a galant effort to put the design and look of the famous car into the machine. Hence, you’ll noticed that the laptop’s backend looks like tail lights and exhaust that will remind you of the famous luxury sportscar.
The Asus Lamborghini VX7 laptop will be available in snappy orange, black and carbon fiber finish for its bezel. No words yet on pricing and release date. But I’m pretty sure that with a laptop as good looking as this, it will certainly cost much.
Waiting for firmware updates for Android devices is a bit like Christmas. You know there’s something good waiting for you, but you just can’t get to it. Motorola is going to update the Bravo to Android 2.2 eventually, but it wants to get feedback from its customers first. If you have a Motorola Bravo on AT&T, here’s your chance to get the Froyo update before anyone else.
Motorola is granting 1,000 Bravo users the opportunity to test Android 2.2. Eligible persons have to be a member of the Motorola Owners’ Forums and they have to complete a registration form. Remember, only 1,000 participants will be chosen.
Motorola notes that the pre-release version of Android 2.2 for the Bravo has been finalized. The public release may not be different at all.
The Froyo update will bring about the following changes. There are more changes, but these are big
Spotted on the FCC table just recently is what seems like a convertible tablet with the Dell branding, the so called Dell Panerai. I’m pretty sure none of use here heard something about the Dell Panerai tablet before. Or if you did, please remind me as I must have been covering too much gadget news lately that I missed out on the Dell Panerai. I would have given you more details about this Dell tablet if the FCC documents revealed something more. Unfortunately it didn’t tell us much except for the fact that the Dell Panerai is indeed going to be a convertible tablet as point out by words such as “Laptop Mode/Tablet Mode.” So Dell, care to give us some more about your Panerai convertible tablet? We’d love to get informed here.
FROM APPLETELL - This week on the Free Apps Roundup: it’s games week. I found a ton of free games that are sure to keep you occupied for some time to come, but many of them are free for a limited time only. MORE »
Haven’t caught all of the Gadgetell news this week? Here's your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles!
Gmail Motion is a real thing now ” On April Fool’s Day, Google took the time to create a fake video, blog post and PDF for something called Gmail Motion. With Gmail Motion, users could control their Gmail accounts with an assortment of…” MORE »
Facebook app update lets you stalk and unfriend more easily ” Facebook for iOS has been updated to version 3.4. This update brings expected improvements to the News Feed and notifications, but it also adds a few more useful features. We now have the ability to see where our friends are located…” MORE »
The question of security with NFC-based payments ” Over the past few days, we’ve been bombarded by speculation and official statements regarding near field communication-based payments. Major companies such as Samsung, Google, Apple, Amazon, Mastercard, Citibank and Visa are either involved or believed…” MORE »
Who’s on Crack in tech 4.2.11 ” Welcome back after a short hiatus from the craziness. What's the most common phrase heard around the Gadgetell newsroom? Is it "I love tablets?",or "that's dope!" or "iPad!"? Answer: none of them, it's "they are on crack." This week we take a look back at the things…” MORE »
Consumer Reports gives the iPad 2 top honors ” The latest findings from Consumer Reports is indicating that despite just being released last month and against several new players joining the market, Apple’s iPad tablet is still the top-ranked tablet among consumers. And we’re not talking here…” MORE »
Google planning premium YouTube channels ” According to sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Google is working on turning YouTube into a site that functions more like a series of television networks. YouTube’s content is going to be broken down into channels that offer specific types…” MORE »
Gadgetell Review: Trident Case’s Aegis Samsung Galaxy Tab case “What is being reviewed? When it comes to hard-core, protective cases with sleek and funky design for mobile phones and tablet devices, the first that normally comes into my mind is the Otterbox series case. But that was until I received Trident Case’s Aegis Samsung Galaxy Tab case. This two-piece…” MORE »
BlackBerry PlayBook boot sequence captured on video ” It looks like RIM has been offering hands on demos of the BlackBerry PlayBook in some Ontario based Best Buy and Future Shop locations. And well, with hands on demos comes user created videos. Bottom line, this video…” MORE »
Verizon may not be sticking with 1-year contracts for much longer, but it seems as if the carrier is making up for it with an even better deal. The flurry of leaked images that have been quite prominent this week continues compliments of Droid Life. The site has what appears to be promotional materials for a new prepaid plan called “Unleashed.”
This plan is only $50 a month and includes unlimited mobile to mobile calling, night and weekend minutes, anytime minutes, texting and mobile web. This unlimited plan doesn’t appear to include data for smartphones, but it is a highly compelling alternative to a two-year contract. As Droid Life points out, an optional $30 fee for data each month will bring the total cost of owning a smartphone to $80 per month before taxes. The down side to this is that you wouldn’t get subsidized pricing for phones.
Let’s examine the costs associated with a current Verizon plan and the theoretical plan of unlimited everything with a $30 monthly data plan.
A 16GB iPhone 4 costs $649 without a contract or $200 on a two-year contract. Data is $30 a month and unlimited talk is $70. At $100 a month for unlimited talk and data, one would spend $2400 over the course of two years. Add in the cost of an iPhone 4 and that cost jumps to $2600 in two years. I didn’t include texting rates in this formula.
Conversely, a $50 unlimited plan, $30 data plan and a full priced 16GB iPhone 4 comes to $2,569 over two years. That’s cheaper than a contract in the long run, but you’ll pay a premium up front for the phone.
Google won’t admit it, but we know a cloud-based music service is coming from them. Aside from confirmations from anonymous sources, the settings in the leaked music player for Android smartphones alludes to cloud-based music streaming as well. Now Google has registered a few domain names for websites that are music related.
According to TechCrunch, the following domains were registered by Google this week.
GoogleBass.com
GoogleAlto.com
GoogleSoprano.com
GoogleTenor.com
GoogleNebula.com
GoogleThunder.com
GoogleLightning.com
Some of the domains are associated with music, and the other half are related to clouds. Nebula is defined as “A visible, thinly spread cloud of interstellar gas and dust.” Nebula is a bit of a stretch, but there’s still mention of a cloud. Nebula is also the name of a cloud computing project from NASA.
Google Music is a simple enough name for me. It’s not unusual for a company to register several domains. A lot of the time, nothing comes of it. These domains are registered as a way to keep options open.
This is getting silly Google. Just announce your service already.
On April 19, Sprint will be one of the organizations selling the BlackBerry PlayBook. However, a image leaked to CrackBerry says Sprint is going to charge for tethering. If customers want to use data from their smartphone in conjunction with the Wi-Fi-only BlackBerry PlayBook, Sprint requires them to pay an additional $29.99.
The BlackBerry Tablet Connection Plan is used for bridging “a BlackBerry smartphone for access to BBM, Email Calender, Address Book and more. The connection established between the PlayBook and the BlackBerry smartphone will be done over a Bluetooth connection.
Keep in mind that the tablet will have BlackBerry Bridge connectivity. This allows you to access certain apps on the PlayBook when it’s connected to a BlackBerry Phone. It appears as if Sprint may be confused on the difference between the BlackBerry Bridge and tethering.
The BlackBerry Bridge basically makes the PlayBook into a really big BlackBerry smartphone. Tethering is required if you want to do things such as surf the web when there’s no Wi-Fi connection available. Tethering with the PlayBook can be done from any smartphone that has that feature. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a BlackBerry smartphone.
All this confusion is not going to help the PlayBook’s chances of success.
An internal document leaked to Gadget University states that Verizon will no longer offer 1-year contracts for most of its customers. This change is expected to go into effect on April 17, 2011. The rules governing 2-year and month-to-month contracts will remain unchanged.
Verizon’s decision to abandon 1-year contracts is due to lack of customer interest. The company felt that since hardly anyone opts for a 1-year contract, it could encourage customers to try another option. Verizon will also eliminate advertisements promoting 1-year contracts. By doing this, Verizon believes customers won’t be as confused when faced with so many contract options.
Anyone who signs a 1-year agreement before April 17, 2011 won’t be asked to change their contract until their original contract has expired.
There are some customers who can still take advantage of 1-year contracts. These accounts are associated with businesses and government agencies.
AT&T also made changes to its 1-year contract policies. Instead of terminating it all together, AT&T rose prices.
It looks like the GV Mobile+ app for iOS has been given another update. This latest brings the version number up to 2.1.0331 and requires iOS 3.1.3 or later for use. The app remains priced at $2.99 for those who have not yet made the purchase, and as expected, the update is free for those who have already bought the app. That said, according to the “what’s new” section in the App Store, GV Mobile+ version 2.1.0331 brings;
Fixed duplication issue
Landscape abilities for main screen and keypad (full app can go landscape now)
Tighter Push integration - will refresh an SMS reply if you’re chatting with someone or refresh the main screen if not
Refresh button within the sms reply screen (if Push is on, refreshes automatically)
Tweaks to the UI when replying to SMS
Text Expander support
See previous SMS history when the reply box is opened (via pulling down on text box)
While this has not been the first time we have seen images of the Droid Incredible 2, it does seem that this is the first time we have seen it with the Red Eye Droid branding sitting front and center on the display. That said, earlier rumors have suggested an April 28th release date, but so far, Verizon has remained quite on exactly when the Incredible 2 will come available for purchase. In terms of pricing, again nothing official however rumors have suggested that it will arrived priced on-contract at $199.99.
If you’re planning to buy your first Android tablet, you might want to check out the Acer Iconia Tab A500 which is currently available for pre-order at Best Buy. This is said to be Acer’s first Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet featuring a 10.1-inch multi-touchscreen with accurate finger-tip control. The tablet is loaded with the NVIDIA Tegra 250 1GHz dual-core processor, integrated GeForce GPU, 1080p video playback, 16GB of flash storage, rear-facing cameras, and microSD card reader. In addition, the Acer Iconia Tab A500 sports a slim and modern aluminum design, weighing only 1.69 lbs. and only 0.52-inches thin.
The Acer Iconia Tab A500 with Wi-Fi can be had from Best Buy for $449.99. If you want to grab a full-sized dedicated keyboard to connect with the tablet via Bluetooth, you can add $69.99. There’s also a dock with IR remote that can securely hold the tablet into a secure position with two tilt angles. This dock also serves as charging unit and can be connected to an external speakers. This dock will set you back for $79.99. You can also get a sleek protective case to protect your tablet for only $39.99 additional cost. The tablet will be available at Best Buy starting April 14 and in other stores as well as online on April 24.
As of April 14th, those sporting a PSP and a PlayStation Network (PSN) ID will be able to access the “Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity” streaming service. This is a cloud based music service that touts millions of songs and comes priced at $3.99 per month for a basic package or $9.99 per month for a premium package. Furthermore, Sony promises that the Music Unlimited service will provide a “common and synchronized music experience” between the PSP and the PlayStation 3 as well as other connected Sony devices and PCs. Bottom line, if you are fixed firmly in the Sony world in terms of your gadgets, then this may be a good music streaming service for you to check out.
Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity™” Arrives on the PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable)
FOSTER CITY, Calif., April 7, 2011 –SonyNetwork Entertainment today announced that beginning April 14, PlayStation®Portable (PSP™) owners with PlayStation®Network (PSN) IDs will be able to access “Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity™,” a new, cloud-based, digital music service which lets music lovers listen to millions of songs and easily discover new music from major and independent labels from around theworld*. PSP owners can also enjoy a common and synchronized music experience on their PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment systems as well as PCs and other network-enabled Sony devices without the need to manage or transfer music files.
Music Unlimited debuted in the U.K. and Ireland in December 2010 and became available in France, Germany, Italy and Spain in January 2011, then later launched in the United States, Australia and New Zealand in February 2011, representing one of the fastest global rollouts ever seen for a digital music service.
Music Unlimited service gives users the music they want,when they want it. It offers instant streaming access to a catalogue of over seven million songs on any PC or laptop, as well as a variety of Sony devices, including Sony’s 2010 and 2011 models of network-enabled BRAVIA® TVs, Blu-Ray Disc™ players, Blu-Ray Disc Home Theatre systems, as well as PlayStation®3, VAIO® laptops, and now the PlayStation®Portable. It will also become available on a wider range of Sony’s portable devices, Android-based mobile devices, and other portable devices. By studying users’ listening habits and incorporating their preferences, “Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity” delivers dozens of personalized music channels uniquely tailored to their tastes, commercial-free and uninterrupted, with unlimited skips. Consumers can try the Premium service free for 30-days. Go to www.qmusic.com for more information.
*Currently accessible on PSP handheld entertainment systems in WiFi network environments
When Google I/O tickets went on sale they sold out in a record breaking 59 minutes. Well, needless to say that probably left quite a few wishing more tickets were available. Not to mention, bummed that they were not going to be able to attend. But as it turns out, Google has other plans and those plans involve a live stream. Yup, Google is going to be streaming the event on May 10th and 11th by way of what they are calling I/O Live. According to Google, here is what you can expect when attending I/O virtually;
Watch livestream video feeds from our two largest session rooms from 9:00 a.m PST to 6:00 p.m. PST during both days of the conference. This will include streaming of the keynotes, as in years past, as well as—new for 2011—the addition of sessions from Android and Chrome. We'll also aim to post HD video recordings from sessions that are not livestreamed within 24 hours.
Read captions from the livestreamed sessions in real-time. Plus, to make sure all our content is accessible, all remaining videos will also be captioned. For international developers, captions will be machine translated to all languages that are supported byGoogle Translate.
Be one of the first to know by getting your news direct from the source. The latest announcements and news will be added to our I/O Live dashboard in real-time.
Submit your questions to our Sandbox developers. We’ll post answers for the questions with the most votes.
It seems Sprint may have been hiding the HTC EVO 3D release date in plain site. Or maybe they were hiding the date of when they were planning to launch a public facing website for the phone. Either way, a page has recently been discovered on the Sprint website and it suggests an April 11th release.
“The vanity request identified as “www.sprint.com/evo3d” is confidential until after the requested launch date of: 04/11/2011”
Bottom line, while it would be nice to see Sprint make the EVO 3D available for sale on the 11th, we do have to remind you back to the original announcement from March when Sprint stated that the handset would not be arriving until this summer.
Packard Bell has apparently entered the Android tablet market. Their model is the Liberty Bell which is going to arrive as a 10 inch tablet and running Android 3.0 Honeycomb. Or more specifically in terms of the display, it is 10.1 inches and sporting a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio. Other features include GPS, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, 3.5mm headphone jack, Dolby Mobile sound, USB, HDMI, microSD card slot and dual-cameras. The rear facing camera is 5 megapixels and the front facing is 2 megapixels. Otherwise, and coming in colors you would likely expect to see given the “Liberty Bell” name include red and white. We would ask where the blue is, but then again this tablet is not even destined to come the US anyway. As of now the Liberty Tab is expected to begin showing up in Europe sometime in June.
Google won’t admit it, but we know a cloud-based music service is coming from them. Aside from confirmations from anonymous sources, the settings in the 
An internal document leaked to Gadget University states that Verizon will no longer offer 1-year contracts for most of its customers. This change is expected to go into effect on April 17, 2011. The rules governing 2-year and month-to-month contracts will remain unchanged.
It looks like the 
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