Samsung Galaxy Tab features

During the IFA 2010 Berlin exhibition Samsung introduced the long-awaited Galaxy Tab gadget. This amazing 7-inch tablet is made on the basis of Android 2.2 OS (Froyo), has a 3G support and a touch screen with 1024*600 resolution. Inside you can find a 1 GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor and 512 MB RAM.

The 3G-modem supports 900/1900/2100 MHz networks and is compatible with GPRS / EDGE. The company expects that the tablet will be used for voice communications, however, as it won’t be very cosy to apply the device to the ear when talking so Samsung specialists suggest using wireless headsets. We should also mention such tablet’s specifications as A-GPS modules, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, 3-megapixel camera with autofocus and the ability to shoot HD-video, 16 GB or 32 GB of internal memory, 1,3 megapixel webcam, 3,5-mm headphone jack, and a slot for microSD memory card.

Outstanding battery life

Moreover, the Samsung Galaxy Tab has a really impressive battery life: the battery capacity is up to 4000 mAh so you’ll be able to talk for 1000 minutes or enjoy videos for 7 hours. While the tablet’s size makes 90,1 x 120,45 x 11,98 mm the gadget weighs 380 grams.

Price and release details

Samsung Galaxy Tab is expected to hit shelves of European countries in the middle of September. There are still no details on Galaxy Tab’s price, however, according to some sources, its price for Russia won’t be less than 30 thousand rubles ($970). In this case, it would be really difficult for the new Samsung product to compete with Apple iPad.

Both devices are expected to have Wi-Fi, A-GPS, a slot for microSD memory card, Bluetooth, a gravity sensor and USB-connector. In addition, the 7-inch tablet will include a front and a rear camera, and will probably support 3G.

The ViewPad 7 will be based on Google Android 2.2 operating system. A more powerful solution should work with both Windows and Android. Although it is still unknown what kind of Windows OS it will have, I think, it won’t be Windows Embedded Compact 7 (as I don’t see much sense in putting two mobile systems to one device), and I guess we’ll find Windows 7 there. In this case the ViewPad 10 tablet must be built on Intel Atom platform. However, I wonder what battery life will this bigger tablet be able to provide when working under Android OS?

Pricing details are yet to be revealed. We’ll let you know if we hear about any exciting, note-worthy additions, if you’ll do the same down in the comments below.

HTC Bee

Thanks to the specification we can suppose HTC Bee belongs to smartphones of initial price level. It is based on Qualcomm 7625 processor with 528 MHz speed and works in CDMA networks. HTC Bee has a 3,2-inch display with a 240×320 resolution (QVGA), 5-megapixel camera with autofocus and flash. The smartphone includes HTC Sense UI interface, 384 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM, a slot for SD memory card and 1300 mAh battery.

HTC Lexikon

HTC Lexikon smartphone is equipped with more powerful Qualcomm MSM7630CPU processor with 800 MHz speed. It has a 3.8-inch display with 480×800 resolution (WVGA), 5-megapixel camera, 4 GB of internal memory, 512 MB RAM and QWERTY-keyboard.

Whether this rumour turns out to be true or not remains to be seen. We’re hunting around for more new stuff, we’ll let you know if we find anything.

As you can remember just a month ago Verizon started Motorola Droid X selling and now it represents Droid 2 which makes the Verizon users’ choice wider.

According to Bill Ogle, the Chief Marketing Officer of Motorola Mobile Devices and Home Business, Droid 2 is a big step forward in comparison with the original smartphone, giving users improved performance, a new slide-out keyboard, Adobe Flash Player 10.1 support and more.

Droid 2 became much thinner (60,5 × 116,3 × 13,7 mm), its keyboard – more convenient, moreover, users can use speech recognition functions or write with the help of a virtual keyboard. Droid owners can connect up to 5 compatible Wi-Fi devices to their smartphone, view data on a large high-quality 3.7-inch screen with 480 × 854 and get photos with a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED-flash.

As far as Droid 2 is running Android OS its users can choose from 90,000 applications available at Android shop. This apps can be installed on the 8 GB built-in memory or on external microSD card (up to 32 GB).

It is worth noting that Droid 2 has a 1 GHz processor, built-in Bluetooth 2.1 and Wi-Fi 802.11b / g, a standard 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, HDMI output, GPS and accelerometer. Droid 2 can be used up to 9,5 hours in the talk mode phone and up to 13 days in the standby mode.

Interesting that especially for Star Wars fans there will be a smartphone version, made in the style of R2-D2 robot. This model will be sold only in the U.S., be a limited edition and will hit shops in September.

The new Droid smartphone will be available in Verizon Wireless centers since August 12 and will cost $ 200 if to sign a mobile operator’s contractual agreement for 2 years.

Haven’t had a day as rumors concerning Apple appeared in network. But let’s think if it’s really reasonable for Apple to introduce a 7-inch iPad?

It is expected that the device will be manufactured from the same set of components as iPad 9.7” and have the same functionality. The main difference will be its more compact size. Apple hasn’t confirmed this information yet so it is worth considering if there is a demand for such tablet on the market?

Some users are really encouraged by the prospect of a 7-inch iPad release. They argue that tablet’s size will become closer to the popular Amazon Kindle (that is the main iPad competitor in the electronic books’ market) and new iPad will be easier to carry around. Moreover, they think the tablet will become cheaper and therefore more affordable.

However, it’s quite a debatable question that the small size will significantly reduce iPad’s cost: the technical components remain the same and the assembly process won’t simplify much as well. In addition, Apple has already introduced more compact solution for e-books reading – iPhone 4, which has bright and contrasting 3,5 “IPS-screen with high 960 × 640 pixels resolution (only 22% less than in iPad) .

However, if Apple decide to release iPad 7 ” than the tablet would take an intermediate position in the Apple products’ line and break clear distinction between Apple devices. Users will have a choice to pay $ 100 more and get larger iPad or pay $ 100 less and get even a more compact device( iPhone 4) with the ability to make phone calls.

I guess Apple won’t mix its product range and will avoid such phenomena. Perhaps the 10-inch iPad is not always convenient to take with, but the tablet is a special category of computers that occupies a separate niche and focuses on the specific users’ needs. Tablets are designed not only to preserve such smartphones’ benefits as mobility and autonomy but to provide large screen for comfortable work, leisure and entertainment. I think the current iPad version combines all these advantages.

It is rumored that the TV tablet will have tight integration with a FiOS paid television service from the U.S. Verizon mobile operator. So I guess the integration of television services in the Motorola tablet will become the most significant difference from competitive solutions.

Motorola makes no secret that they are really interested in the tablet market and are going to release a TV tablet running Google Android mobile operating system. That can’t become a surprise for you as 27% of smartphones in the U.S. are based on Android OS (Apple gets only 23%).

If Motorola decide to work with Verizon Wireless, which controls 25% of the U.S. television market and 29% of the U.S broadband connections, it will have all chances to fall into this lucrative business.

Like most tablets, that will be released within the next few months, the device from Motorola will get Adobe Flash support. It is also expected that the TV tablet will be thinner and lighter than iPad and will have two cameras: one – for photos, and another – for video conferencing.

Motorola, Google and Verizon have not yet given official comments on these rumors.

Hackers have just released an updated version of iPhone 4 jailbreak. The new iPhone jailbreak solves the problems that occurred with FaceTime and MMS services. Moreover, now there is an application that allows you to use FaceTime with the help of 3G (without Wi-Fi).

On the JailbreakMe.com site you can also find an application that will help to unlock iPad, running iOS 3.2.1 operating system. Nevertheless, iPad WiFi + 3G users report they still have some problems with unlocking their devices. iPad WiFi owners haven’t faced such a bug.

Let me remind that the iPhone 4 jailbreak was unveiled last Sunday. It allows iPhone users to run the software that isn’t approved by Apple. The uniqueness of this software is that it’s the first jailbreak which works through a Safari browser, without necessity to connect the smartphone to your computer. However, some iPhone 4 users had problems with FaceTime and sending / receiving multimedia messages after installing the new jailbreak. We should admit that it didn’t take lots of time for hackers to release the jailbreak update.

Anyway we should warn you that if you decide to unlock your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch you’ll lose the warranty from Apple as firmware modification is equivalent to mechanical damage. Apple doesn’t support jailbreaking as it contributes to App Store software piracy.

So what do you think of iPhone jailbreaking? Have you already unlocked your iPhone 4?

But it seems India has overcome everyone with its project to create a $ 35 tablet. From the first look the novelty recalls iPad, but it’s much cheaper than the popular tablet. Now there is only a prototype of the Indian computer but its creators promised to start mass production in 2011.

If the Indian government find a manufacturer for their device, the novelty will take a significant place among the world’s cheapest innovative achievements of India. Let me remind that Indian developers have already created a Nano car just for $ 2127, water purifier for $ 16, moreover, it’s possible to make an open-heart surgery in India for $ 2000.

Indian tablet will be based on Linux OS. The tablet will have enough power for working with documents, surfing the Internet and participating in videoconferences. Probably it will have extra solar batteries to save on electricity. The tablet won’t have a hard drive or SSD. Instead of this it will include a memory card, as in mobile phones and smartphones. In addition, in order to make the tablet cheaper it will be equipped with only free software.

The tablet will be mostly used for education sector. The Indian Government plans even to pay the part of a tablet cost so that the novelty will cost only $ 20 for students. In addition, the creators of the tablet believe that it will be possible to reduce the device price to $ 10 in near future.

So let’s wait till 2011 and see if Indian developers create their $ 35 tablet. Share your hopes and predictions in the comments and let us know what you think.

To install the NOOK app you’ll need a smartphone based on Android 1.6 or higher and a B&N account to get to the eBookstore, as well as to synchronize the existing content.

With the help of NOOK app for Android you’ll be able:

• to share eligible ebooks with friends for up to two weeks
• to choose the style and font size of text
• to move from portrait mode to landscape
• to perform a content search by author or the book title
• to see the list of most popular books among the service participants.

As it is known the eBookstore contains more than one million items so the fact that the NOOK app simplifies your search has considerable significance.

Remarkably, Barnes & Noble is changing its brand strategy. Now all software applications and platform names will use the NOOK brand name – NOOK for iPhone or NOOK for iPad, for example.

Barnes & Noble is planning to update the NOOK app this summer by including such features as highlights and notes, a search library, a library grid-view, and more.

The U.S. government has approved the new rules that allow iPhone users to unlock their devices and install the third-party software on them. Moreover, now the U.S. citizens may freely unlock their phones to work in networks of all operators.

In particular, it is reported that the Government has approved several new exceptions to the federal law that regulate the technical means which prevent users from access to copyright objects and modifying them.

In addition, it approved an exception under which all phone users have rights to unlock their device so that it could work in a network of another operator. Let me remind that AT & T is the only available network for iPhone in the U.S now but seems this restriction will be removed in the near future.

Thanks to jailbreak users have an ability to run any application they want on their iPhone and even those that are not approved by Apple. Hackers have already developed lots of custom applications that can be run on unlocked iPhone. Some of them are free, others are sold in the alternative Cydia application store.

Apple is often criticized for too strong control over the App Store. However, the company explains its actions saying it is trying to protect the iPhone customers from faulty or malicious software, as well as filtering out pornographic content.

If that’s not just a rumor I guess lot’s of iPhone users will be happy to decide which network operator to have and which apps to install on their iPhone. What are your thoughts on this?