Archive for July, 2011

Will Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich Be Slated for 7-Inch IdeaPad Tablet?

Will Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich Be Slated for 7-Inch IdeaPad Tablet?

A new photo has emerged of a 7-inch IdeaPad tablet from Lenovo revealing the device’s front and rear sides along with some specs for the yet to be announced tablet. The 7-inch model was recently seen passing through the FCC for U.S. regulatory approval, but now the new images raise concerns about what operating system [...]

Posted by | 07/25/2011 | 0 Comments More
Budget MSI Enjoy 10 Tablet Seen at FCC

Budget MSI Enjoy 10 Tablet Seen at FCC

MSI is prepping its own budget-class 10-inch Android tablet and the device was most recently seen going through the FCC, though little is known about pricing or release. The 10-inch slate would only maintain a paltry WVGA 480 X 800 resolution, which is found on today’s smartphones, rather than the higher resolution 1080 X 600 [...]

Posted by | 07/25/2011 | 0 Comments More
Verizon Earnings Report Leaks Webtop Dock, Keyboard for Droid Bionic

Verizon Earnings Report Leaks Webtop Dock, Keyboard for Droid Bionic

In addition to the full HD desktop dock that was leaked by Amazon recently, Verizon Wireless leaked two additional accessories for the forthcoming Motorola Droid Bionic 4G LTE Android smartphone in its earnings report. A slide for the smartphone reveals that the device will also get a Bluetooth keyboard from Motorola along with a laptop [...]

Posted by | 07/25/2011 | 2 Comments More
The Tablet Challenge: Using a Tablet as a Script in Rehearsal

The Tablet Challenge: Using a Tablet as a Script in Rehearsal

As I continue to check out the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the HP TouchPad, along with my ongoing usage of the iPad 2, I’m about to begin an interesting two week challenge. OK, that’s not being intellectually honest. This is one of those instances in my ongoing comparison testing when the the iPad 2 [...]

Posted by | 07/25/2011 | 7 Comments More
Build Your Own ePUB eBooks in OS X Lion

Build Your Own ePUB eBooks in OS X Lion

Concurrently with my experimenting to prepare Tablets to be used as my scripts in rehearsals for Southern Crossroads at Totem Pole Playhouse, I was eager to test out this new Automator feature in OS X Lion. Essentially the Automator action Text to ePUB File does exactly what its name says it does. It allows you [...]

Posted by | 07/25/2011 | 3 Comments More
Will Baseball Fans Help T-Mobile Hit a Home Run with Tablets?

Will Baseball Fans Help T-Mobile Hit a Home Run with Tablets?

Using a tablet while watching a ballgame may not be the smartest of ideas as an incoming home run ball can strike you in the head, but T-Mobile USA, in an effort to get more Android tablets to the masses, is teaming up with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to lease out tablets to [...]

Posted by | 07/25/2011 | 0 Comments More
Motorola Droid Bionic Not Hitting Sam’s Club Until September?

Motorola Droid Bionic Not Hitting Sam’s Club Until September?

Update: The source is saying that this document actually refers to Sam’s Club and not Costco as was originally thought. More evidence regarding the Motorola Droid Bionic’s launch date has surfaced today and unfortunately it’s not good. You may remember that we told you that there was a possibility that the Droid Bionic wouldn’t be [...]

Posted by | 07/24/2011 | 74 Comments More
Will the HTC Ruby be a Windows Phone 7 or Android Gem?

Will the HTC Ruby be a Windows Phone 7 or Android Gem?

A new leaked device from HTC, codenamed the HTC Ruby, was recently shown in pictures. Unfortunately, the pictures aren’t clear, and only reveals the device as seen through the mirrored glass surface of the HTC Flyer tablet. Not much information is known about the device or its specs at this time. From the image, we [...]

Posted by | 07/24/2011 | 1 Comment More
Is Apple Using Harry Potter to Strong-Arm Google?

Is Apple Using Harry Potter to Strong-Arm Google?

Apple has made it very clear that, as rulers of the iOS kingdom, they are going to own the entire economy. As 9to5 Mac reported, Google Books has vanished from the iOS AppStore – and any old Muggle can figure out why. Google Books, incidentally, is set to become the sole platform for the upcoming [...]

Posted by | 07/23/2011 | 26 Comments More
Hands-on: Sid Meier’s Pirates! (iPad) Is One of the Best

Hands-on: Sid Meier’s Pirates! (iPad) Is One of the Best

If you’re a fan of the pirate genre and are still smarting over this summer’s hollow and forced Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, we have the perfect antidote. Sid Meier’s Pirates! from 2K Games is one of the best games to arrive on the iPad. While it may not quite sport the cutting-edge [...]

Posted by | 07/23/2011 | 5 Comments More
Females are more likely to be smartphone snoopers

Females More Likely to Check Smartphones of Spouses and Kids

These days we keep all types of stuff on our phones, which has raised concerns about the government or hackers snooping on our calls, emails and travel history; but according to a new survey you should be looking at someone much, much closer. Retrevo found that your significant other is quite possibly checking your call history and [...]

Posted by | 07/23/2011 | 2 Comments More
Yellow USB Port - Sleep and Charge

Why I Love Yellow USB Ports (Sleep and Charge)

This week I have been working in all kinds of places, which means I am spending more time than normal on my ThunderBolt, which translates into horrible battery life. Thankfully the little yellow USB ports on several review notebooks have saved the day. The yellow USB port is becoming fairly common on new computers. It [...]

Posted by | 07/23/2011 | 2 Comments More
image credit 9to5Mac

iOS 5 Beta 4 Brings Documents in the Cloud Support

Users of the previous three versions of the iOS 5 beta may have noticed that the promised “Documents in the Cloud” feature was, up to this point, missing from the party. With today’s release of the fourth iOS 5 beta though, the folks at 9to5Mac point out that Cloud Docs support is now active. Documents [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 6 Comments More
LG Thrill 4G Pre-Orders Begin at Radio Shack

LG Thrill 4G Pre-Orders Begin at Radio Shack

The LG Thrill 4G for AT&T, the United States’ version of the LG Optimus 3D, has been lurking in the shadows of the Motorola Droid Bionic and Samsung Galaxy S II for some time now but today, it has finally emerged (sort of) and is now available to those who waltz into Radio Shack outlets. [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 5 Comments More
Beta 4 of iOS 5 Released by Apple – Over the Air!

Beta 4 of iOS 5 Released by Apple – Over the Air!

Apple is keeping the beta releases coming for their upcoming iOS 5. Developers can now get their hands on Beta 4, and they don’t even need to bother with iTunes. Registered developers who are already on iOS 5 beta 3 can download the new beta 4 OTA. Simply opening the iDevice’s settings app, and touching [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 2 Comments More
11″ MacBook Air Review: Out-of-Box Experience (video)

11″ MacBook Air Review: Out-of-Box Experience (video)

Apple’s computers have had the best out-of-box experience for several years. The experience is now even better with the introduction of the new MacBook Air models and OSX Lion. As someone that’s purchased more than a dozen Macs, I’m used to the unboxing experience. If you haven’t bought a Mac in a while (if ever) [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 6 Comments More
Verizon Expects the iPhone 5 to Launch This Fall

Verizon Expects the iPhone 5 to Launch This Fall

While discussing Verizon’s results from the past quarter, Verizon COO and soon-to-be CEO Lowell McAdam made a very candid quip about Apple’s next iPhone release saying that while his company had expected it this summer, the carrier now expects it to arrive sometime this fall. Of course, this isn’t new. There are rumors abound about [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 10 Comments More
Best Bets on Features of the Next iPhone, iPad, & iPod touch

Best Bets on Features of the Next iPhone, iPad, & iPod touch

With iOS devices being as popular as ever, gadget blog readers have been bombarded this year with everything that can possibly be spun as a story relating to iPhone, iPad, or even iPod touch. It can be utterly exhausting trying to keep up. To help you keep up, we’ve put together a list of what [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 1 Comment More
Verizon Offers 30 Days of VZ Navigator VX with Traffic, Real Signs & More

Verizon Offers 30 Days of VZ Navigator VX with Traffic, Real Signs & More

For Android users, Google Maps is the go to mapping solution, but Verizon has updated the VZ Navigator app with a collection of new features and a free trial to try to convince you to give the subscription GPS solution a try. Right now new VZ Navigator users can score a free 30 day trial of [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 3 Comments More
Verizon Getting Desperate to Sell the LG Revolution

Verizon Getting Desperate to Sell the LG Revolution

Verizon has a new promo out, which is trying to woo you towards the LG Revolution 4G smartphone with the promise of summer blockbusters and sexy stars. If you purchase a new LG Revolution with a 2 year contract you can get a free 3 months of Netflix streaming. The new promo runs from today through [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 3 Comments More
HTC ThunderBolt Gingerbread Update Suffers A Setback

HTC ThunderBolt Gingerbread Update Suffers A Setback

Last we heard from the HTC ThunderBolt Gingerbread update, it had missed its rumored June 30th release date. Things have been pretty much dead in terms of news for the update and it appears that there is a good reason for that. An HTC rep has confirmed to a ThunderBolt owner that the update has [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 7 Comments More
2011 LG Smartphone Roadmap Leaks, Reveals Seven New Handsets

2011 LG Smartphone Roadmap Leaks, Reveals Seven New Handsets

It’s not often that you see the entire roadmap for a smartphone manufacturer leak out and that’s what makes the fact that we now know LG’s entire 2011 smartphone lineup so exciting. Pocketnow was able to scoop the remaining seven smartphones in LG’s lineup for this year and there are a couple of phones on [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 4 Comments More
11″ MacBook Air Review: 5 Hours of Battery Life is Easy

11″ MacBook Air Review: 5 Hours of Battery Life is Easy

Apple claims that the 11″ MacBook Air can run for up to five hours on a single charge. Once again, Apple’s battery life claims are accurate and perhaps a bit conservative. It’s hard to take most PC manufacturers’ battery life claims seriously. The problem is that manufacturers often advertise  battery benchmark results that don’t reflect [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 28 Comments More
Nexus S 4G Android 2.3.5 Update Rolling Out on July 25th

Nexus S 4G Android 2.3.5 Update Rolling Out on July 25th

If you own a Nexus S 4G on Sprint, you’re in for a little treat starting next Monday on July 25th. Sprint has just announced that Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread  is going to be rolling out that day and it appears that it’s going to bring some pretty awesome improvements along with it. What updates exactly? [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 1 Comment More
HTC ThunderBolt Price Slashing Begins, Don’t Bite

HTC ThunderBolt Price Slashing Begins, Don’t Bite

In a shocking turn of events (not really), the price of the HTC ThunderBolt has plunged all the way down to $60 at Wirefly in a likely attempt to lure in those still on the fence about buying the upcoming Motorola Droid Bionic. Unfortunately, the offer is only for new Verizon customers which means that [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 3 Comments More
Tablets: The Pick Up and Go Challenge

Tablets: The Pick Up and Go Challenge

As some of you will recall I’ve been working with the iPad and iPad 2 for some time and have recently picked up an HP TouchPad as well as a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. I’ve been dutifully approaching each of the two new Tablets, not to see how they measure up to the iPad 2, [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 18 Comments More
Walmart Offering Cheap Pre-Order for T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide

Walmart Offering Cheap Pre-Order for T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide

If you’ve been licking your chops wanting to get a hold of the smartphone with one of the best cameras available, you’re in luck because Walmart is offering pre-orders on T-Mobile’s myTouch 4G Slide for an extremely cheap price. While most places are either offering it for $200 or a little less, Wallymart has taken [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 2 Comments More
Verizon Making Room for the Motorola Droid Bionic?

Verizon Making Room for the Motorola Droid Bionic?

Alright. so I realize many of you out there are sick of the rumors regarding the Motorola Droid Bionic. I get it, I really do. But the fact is, I’m about as anxious as all of you to see this phone come out and thankfully, it looks like the rumors and speculation are going to [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 5 Comments More
Motorola Defy+ Rugged Android Phone Coming to AT&T?

Motorola Defy+ Rugged Android Phone Coming to AT&T?

A new updated version of the Motorola Defy, which originally debuted for T-Mobile USA, is found that supports AT&T’s U.S. 3G bands, suggesting that the Defy+ may be headed to the nation’s largest GSM carrier. The Defy is a rugged Android smartphone that claims to ‘defy’ your lifestyle and whatever abuse you throw at it, [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 0 Comments More
iFixit Teardown Reveals Replaceable SSD Hardwired RAM

iFixit Teardown Reveals Replaceable SSD Hardwired RAM

iFixit already tore apart a new MacBook Air and found that the SSD can in fact be replaced. I tested an SSD upgrade on my 2010 MacBook Air and it is not that hard. It was rumored that the new models would have storage hardwired to the mainboard just like the RAM, making the flash [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 0 Comments More
19% of Smartphone Users Drop Phones In the Toilet

19% of Smartphone Users Drop Phones In the Toilet

File this under, why never to shake hands with strangers. According to a survey 39% of smartphone users take their phone into the restroom and an astonishing 19% have dropped their phone into the toilet. That’s right, one in five people you meet today, and possibly shake their hands, are using a smartphone which has spent time in a toilet. Ready [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 6 Comments More
Samsung Replenish Green Phone Gets Raspberry Pink Option on Sprint

Samsung Replenish Green Phone Gets Raspberry Pink Option on Sprint

The Samsung Replenish, heralded by U.S. carrier Sprint as the nation’s first environmentally friendly Android smartphone, will be getting another color option in the form of Raspberry Pink come July 24th. Currently available in Onyx Black and Arctic Blue, the Replenish is made from recycled plastics and come with eco-friendly packaging. There is an optional [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 0 Comments More
Qualcomm to Ship Next-Generation 28 nm Snapdragon CPUs This Year

Qualcomm to Ship Next-Generation 28 nm Snapdragon CPUs This Year

In the arms race of ARM-based processor, Qualcomm is increasing its research and development budget modestly and will be deploy its next-generation dual-core Snapdragon ARM-based chipset this year to manufacturers. The new chipsets will be based on a smaller 28 nm design, which would promise speed improvements while reducing the power consumption compared to today’s [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 2 Comments More
Fox Becomes First Studio to Allow Movie Sideloading on Android

Fox Becomes First Studio to Allow Movie Sideloading on Android

Fox will offer digital downloads of movies that will be playable on Android smartphones, marking the film studio as the first in the industry to allow such a feature for Android devices. Digital downloads playable on Android devices will debut in October, and the first title available will be X-Men: First Class. The digital download [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 1 Comment More
Is Lenovo Trying to Get a 7-Inch LePad, IdeaPad Approved at the FCC?

Is Lenovo Trying to Get a 7-Inch LePad, IdeaPad Approved at the FCC?

Lenovo has submitted a filing for a tablet, though it’s still unclear what the features and specs of the slate is at this point. The labels disclosed by U.S. regulatory agency the FCC designate that Lenovo may be naming these pads as either the LePad A1-07, a designation for China under the LePad branding, or [...]

Posted by | 07/22/2011 | 2 Comments More