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Monday, January 10, 2011

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Best gadget news


News@8pm: iPhone 4G launch and Motorola XOOM priced

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 12:00 PM PST

Welcome to your nightly round-up of the day's news and goings on courtesy of T3.com.

 

Apple's iPhone 4G is expected to be unveiled in the US tomorrow in New york, after months of speculation the new Verizon version uses the LTE network and will utilise new iPhone 4G capabilities. Unfortunatley, there is no iPhone 4G on it's way to the UK anytime soon, as no network exists to support the LTE network.

 

Attention tube users, an app for the iPhone and Android has been released being targeted at commuters. The device is meant to wake you up and inform you of any delays on your preferred tube line whilst at the same time launching music to get you out of bed, saving you the hassle and embarrassment of running for your train.

 

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App of the Day | Little Sailor
A sailing and motorboat simulator where you can learn the basics of sailing and compete in a yacht race
T3 App Chart | Top 10 Samsung Bada AppsLittle Sailor Review
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Facebook's Director of corporate communications has quashed rumours that the mamouth site will close in March this year, branding it as 'silliness'. Rumours surfaced after the claim was published on Weekly World News, a renowed site for a lack of accuracy and standards.

 

Unannounced paid-for celebrity endorsements found on twitter have come under scrutiny resulting in the Office of Fair Trading to crack down on these 'deceptive' posts. The concerns surfaced after it became apparant that some companies were paying twitters and celebrities to post positive tweets on their profiles without revealing the affiliations to the companies in question.

 

Motorola's XOOM is expected to retail in the UK at a more expensive price than previously thought. The XOOM initially appeared on HandTec.co.uk website priced at £659.99, but with the introduction of Google’s tablet-friendly Android Honeycomb OS this has now pushed the price to £719.99.

 

The much anticipated price for Samsung's new ZX310 Laptop has been revealed today. Retailing in the US market at $1599, it's hefty price tag is still $300 more expensive than the might MacBook Air, which it hopes to rival.

 

Amazon has announced the creation of the developers site for apps designed for Android. The site is designed to test and approve apps before they go on sale, ironing out any problems or issues with software before sale.

 

A suprise debut at CES as Hanvon unveil a potential rival to the Amazon Kindle at CES in Las Vegas. This E-reader has one thing the Kindle doesn't, a colour screen. The Hanvon E920 boasts a 9.7 inch display with 1200 x 1600 resolution, along with a 15 days battery life. Life in E-ink colour never seemed so good.

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RIM to block BlackBerry users accessing online pornography

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 09:29 AM PST

BlackBerry porn filter to hit Indonesia

Research in Motion, the Canadian company behind BlackBerry smartphones has announced it is to introduce internet pornography filters after the Indonesian government threatened users’ internet access would be ‘shut down’ if the company failed to comply.

 

With more than 2 million users facing a mobile internet blackout within two weeks, RIM has declared it will meet the demands of the Indonesian Communications Minister Tifatul Sembiring and will block access to porn sites from its devices “as soon as possible”.

 


Passed in 2008, the anti-porn bill responsible for the increased pressures of RIM is believed to have already been adhered to by most other telecoms companies operating in what is the world’s largest Muslim nation in terms of population.

 

Following Sembiring’s threats, the BlackBerry manufacturers announced: Research In Motion confirms that it shares minister Tifatul Sembiring's sense of urgency on this matter and it is fully committed to working with Indonesia's carriers to put in place a prompt, compliant filtering solution for BlackBerry subscribers in Indonesia as soon as possible."

 

Seemingly less than impressed by RIM’s belated offering, Sembiring responded: "So, do it."

 

Would you change handsets or networks if company’s announced they were to prevent you accessing the internet content you wished? Let us know via the T3 Twitter and Facebook feeds.

 

Via: Guardian
 

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Apple iPhone 4G expected to launch in the US tomorrow

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 08:16 AM PST

LTE network set to get iPhone addition

Following months of speculation and endless rumours, American mobile network provider Verizon is expected to officially unveil an exclusive 4G version of the Apple iPhone 4 tomorrow, January 11th.

 

Set to host a special press event in New York, Verizon is expected to announce it is to host the dominant Apple blower ending the US exclusivity AT&T has held over the iPhone since the original model launched back in 2007.

 


Whilst many American iPhone fans will be pleased to be offered a choice of networks on which to host their Apple handsets, it is believed that the Verizon edition of the latest and fourth iPhone offering will utilise the company’s 4G network capabilities. With around six months until the expected arrival of the iPhone 5 it is yet to be seen how many consumers will jump into a long-term contract with Verizon for the mooted 4G touting iPhone 4.

 

The LTE network utilising iPhone is expected to enter the realms of reality tomorrow when the Verizon press conference kicks off at 11am EST (4pm GMT). Don’t expect to see the 4G iPhone landing in the UK anytime soon, however, there is currently no UK support for the high-speed LTE networks being rolled out across the US.

 

When will UK networks begin their rollout of 4G networks and will you be keen to adopt the technology? Share your thoughts via the T3 Twitter and Facebook feeds.

Via: GeekyGadgets

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Facebook March 15th closure dubbed 'silliness' by Director

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 07:34 AM PST

Larry Yu calms storm of Facebook closure hoax

Widespread rumours that social networking behemoth Facebook is to shut down on March the 15th have been branded “silliness” by the company’s Director of Corporate Communications.

 

The lofty claim, seemingly crafted from nothing and accredited to Weekly World News, a US based website known for its distinct lack of reputable accuracy and standards, went viral over the weekend with many of Facebook’s near 600 million users mourning the loss of the internet giant.

 


Crafted around a claimed Mark Zuckerberg quote, the falsified report suggested the Facebook founder had stated: “Facebook has gotten out of control and the stress of managing this company has ruined my life. I need to put an end to all the madness.” It went on to state: “users will no longer be able to access their Facebook account' from March 15.”

 

Questioned on the apparent imminent Facebook closure, the social site’s Director of Corporate Communications Larry Yu, has since settled user’s minds stating when asked if Facebook is to shut down: "The answer is no, so please help us put an end to this silliness."

 

Yu went on to add: "We didn't get the memo about shutting down and there's lots to do, so we'll just keep cranking away like always."

 

How would you take a short-notice closure to Facebook and the loss of its socially engaging powers? Let us know via the T3 Twitter and, if it remains to be, Facebook pages.

 

Via: CNN

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Motorola XOOM launch price leaked as a hefty £720

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 07:07 AM PST

iPad challenger to be given £720 launch price

Just days after it was officially outed at CES 2011, the first pre-order pages for the upcoming Motorola XOOM tablet have arrived with the Android 3.0 touting device pegged with a whopping £720 price tag.

- Motorola XOOM pics - Hands-on with Honeycomb
 

Having initially appeared on the HandTec.co.uk website priced £659.99, the first device to be announced with Google’s tablet-friendly Android Honeycomb OS saw its already over inflated price further increased to the hefty £719.99 mark.

 


Set to come equipped with an Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor, 10.1-inch 1280 x 800p display capable of handling 16:9 cinema-spec video content, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera alongside a 720p HD video recording capable 5-megapixel snapper on the rear, the XOOM will attempt to challenge Apple’s market leading iPad atop of the tablet tables when released later in the year.

 

Featuring 32GB of in-built storage alongside, 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity capabilities the XOOM, if HanTec’s £720 pricing is an accurate portrayal of final pricing, will come in over £100 more expensive than a similarly specced iPad with entry model prices for the Apple tablet kicking off for as little as £439.

 

Offered up alongside the Xoom, HandTec are presenting a range of pre-orderable Motorola tablet accessories with a speaker dock, portfolio case and wireless keyboard already available. A definitive official UK release date and pricing for the XOOM has yet to be announced by Motorola.

 

Can the XOOM be a true iPad beater? Let us know what you think of Motorola’s first foray into the tablet market via the T3 Twitter and Facebook feeds.

 

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Tube Alarm iPhone app to save you from delays

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 06:51 AM PST

Travel app also available for Android, hoping to get you work on time

A new Tube Alarm app is set to arrive (on time) on the App Store and Android Market tomorrow in a bid to end your underground-related  woes.

 

Using tube updates from the Transport for London (TFL) website, you'll be awoken by a voice message notifying you of the delay on your favourite tube line as well as launching a music track from your device to get you up and into that bathroom.

 

Information on delays and supsensions can be provided on your three favoured tube lines, letting you know whether you'll need to take a nother line, walk, or evem grab a Boris bike.

 

Arkajit Bala a database architect from Wandsworth, South London, created the app after suffering a bad commute and explained how to utilize the Tube Alarm app, ‘You can set it to go off maybe 30 minutes earlier if there are major delays on your line, and if there are minor delays you can set it to go off perhaps ten minutes earlier."

 

The Tube Alarm app launches tomorrow for the iPhone and Android devices, but you check it out on the App Store here now. A 'Tube Strike halt' update looks highly unlikely to be added to future versions.

 

Link: Metro
 

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Celebrity endorsement Tweets to be investigated by OFT

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 06:11 AM PST

Celebs cash in off product promo tweets

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has announced it is to crack-down on unannounced paid-for celebrity product endorsements over micro blogging site Twitter.

 

Described as “deceptive” by the UK regulatory body, celebrities and tweeters of considerable influence are said to be profiting from their promotional 140-character announcements without revealing to their followers their affiliations and financial connections to the companies in question.

 


Whilst the US Federal Trade Commission has already introduced legislation that requires promotional tweets to include the words “ad” or “spon” in the States, recent action which saw the OFT bring a case against PR film Handpicked Media for reportedly paying bloggers to write positive posts, marks the first attempt to regulate such content in the UK.

 

Outlining the hugely influential power celebrities exude of their Twitter followers, The Guardian has revealed hip-hop artist and TV personality Snoop Dogg earns in the region of $3,000 (£1,900) for each product endorsing tweet is spews to his near 2.5 million online followers.

 

Would a product endorsing tweet tempt you into splashing out your hard-earned cash? Share your thoughts via the T3 Twitter and Facebook feeds.

 

Via: Guardian
 

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British Library launches first iOS and Android apps

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 06:00 AM PST

Check out Nelson's battle plan on your smartphone.

This is one of those apps that's likely to feature in the iPad commercials. You know the one with the iritating piano theme with all the different keywords flashing on screen between footage of the apps?

 

The British Library Treasures app, falls under Educational. It offers digital reproductions of 100 of the library's finest artefacts, including first editions of Alice in Wonderland and the world's oldest bible, Codex Sinaiticus.

 

You'll also be able to get a close look at Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks, Nelson's battle plan, written before he whooped ass at Trafalgar and Jane Austen's teenage writings. There's also an original Magna Carta from 1215. The collection is augmented by 250 hi-def images and 40 videos providing expert commentary from historians and explorers like Ben Fogle.

 

You can download the app for iPod touch, iPhone and Android Market from today for the introductory price of £1.19 and for £2.39 for the iPad version. It'll make you feel better about spending all of your spare time on Angry Birds or Sonic 4.

 

Link: British Library

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Samsung ZX310 slimline laptop launch prices unveiled

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 04:57 AM PST

Samsung have unveiled their ZX310 Laptop to the UK market

Unveiled at CES in Las Vegas last week Samsung's MacBook Air bothering ultra-sleek ZX310 laptop has been priced with the super-slim Sammy model set to cost $300 more than the Apple favourite.

 

Pegged with a $1,599 price tag over the pond (£1,031 to you and me back in Blighty), the Samsung ZX310 will hit the States in February, a whopping $300 more than its undoubted influence, the well established MacBook Air. Despite costing a hefty £1,122 here in the UK, the 128GB, 13-inch MacAir can be snapped up stateside for just $1,299 (£837)

 


Despite the higher pricing wannabe ZX310 owners will bag a familiar array of features to that of the Apple device. Its 13-inch screen, 1.4GHz core i5 processor and 4GB of DDR RAM will support Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 7 with an onboard SSD that can either be kept at the standard 128GB or further increased to a sizeable 256GB, identical to the storage capabilites of the MacBook Air.

 

Although a UK price or date has yet to be unveiled for the ZX310, an exact exhchange rate price match from the US would see the slimline device nudge the UK MacAir offering in the pricing wars. 

 

Samsung has slipped up in their Apple challenging pricing before,  however, setting the Galaxy S tablet more expensive than the market leading Apple iPad. But can this new slimline laptop put an end to Apple's dominance in the laptop market?

 

Can Samsung's MacAir wannabe really challenge Apple's effort? Share your thoughts via the T3 Twitter and Facebook feeds.

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Hanvon E920: First colour E Ink Reader debuts at CES

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 03:07 AM PST

Should Amazon be worried?

CES has finished for another year but there are still a few meaty droplets of tech news to be mopped up, this being one. Chinese manufacturer Hanvon (what do you mean you’ve never heard of them?) chose the Vegas gadget expo to unveil its WISEreader E920, the world’s first e-reader with colour E Ink.


The device, out in June, boasts a 9.7-inch display with a sterling 1200 x 1600 resolution. It supports colour print in the pioneering low-power E Ink, which means the device should offer a 15-day (or 10,000 pages) battery life.


Hanvon’s Liu Yingjian said of the device: “Consumers should expect clear, detailed text and images from their e-books, readable in bright light conditions, and the WISEreader E920 delivers this experience.” Lofty claims, but first impressions of the device suggest that the colours are washed out and refresh rates are tiresome. We await word of a UK release.


In the mean time, check out our roundup of the very best gadgets of CES 2011.
 

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Nintendo 3DS health warnings to prevent against lawsuits

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 03:06 AM PST

Nintendo hope for 4 million first month 3DS sales

Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata has defended the gaming giants’ decision to highlight the potential health implications of using its upcoming innovative portable gaming release, the Nintendo 3DS.

 

Speaking with the Japanese version of the Wall Street Journal Iwata proclaimed that the company’s warnings, which suggest parents prevent children under the age of six from using the extra dimensional aspects of the pocket gamer, do not imply that the 3DS is a danger to users.

 


Satoru went on to outline that the company’s decision to warn parents was to ensure sufficient information on the upcoming release had been supplied and to prevent against potential health related lawsuits in the future.

 

Sporting a 3.5-inch, glasses-free 3D screen Nintendo has revealed it hopes the 3DS, which will launch in Japan on February 26th ahead of a global rollout the following month, will shift more than 1.5 million units in Japan by the end of March with global unit sales expected to top 4 million.

 

Having unveiled the console’s full specs last week, the lofty 4 million unit sales goal placed on the 3DS could be hard to achieve with much consumer concern surrounding revelations of the device’s battery life. Taking up to three-and-a-half hours to complete a full charge the 3DS’s battery will supply just three to five hours of gaming with the groundbreaking glasses-free 3D technology severely limiting the device’s portable potential.

 

Will the prospect of portable spec-less 3D gaming tempt you into splashing out on the Nintendo 3DS when it makes it to UK shores in March? Let us know via the T3 Twitter and Facebook feeds.

 

Via: CVG

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News@10: Twitter face OFT action and solid gold Xbox

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 02:00 AM PST

T3 scans the Twitterverse to bring you a handy daily round-up of gadget news, tech rumours and randomness from the WWW. Kick back with your morning cuppa and catch up.

Monday

 

GAMING NEWS

@AFP - Nintendo promises sufficient 3DS supply

 

 

SOCIAL NEWS

@Guardian - Twitter endorsements face OFT clampdown

 

 

MOBILE NEWS

@WallStreetJournal - BlackBerrys to be censored in Indonesia

 

 

TV NEWS

@TechRadar - Disney and Yahoo in internet TV deal

 

 

GAMING NEWS

@Gaj-it - Xbox 360 in solid gold to be won in Castle Crashers tournament

 

 

 Get more news, views and tech tips: 

 

T3 on Twitter

Direct your web attentions to twitter.com/t3dotcom for a feed of all the latest tech news and gadgetry goodness. We’ll also reach out for your opinions for future features, so have your brains ready.

 

 

 

T3 on Facebook

Facebook.com/t3mag is our handle. Don’t worry though, we spend much less time growing Farmville crops and poking strangers than we do divulging tech info.

 

 

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Firefox more popular than Internet Explorer in Europe

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 01:04 AM PST

Mozilla's Firefox takes the lead in the race for Europe's most popular browser.

Mozilla's Firefox browser has bumped Microsoft's Internet Explorer off the top spot in the popular browser stakes. According to market research firm StatCounter, Firefox now has 38.11% of the European market share for browsers, with Internet Explorer taking the silver at 37.52%.


StatCounter CEO Aodhan Cullen speculated that IEs fall to second place could be due to customer pilfering from Google: "This appears to be happening because Google's Chrome is stealing its share from Internet Explorer, while Firefox is mainly maintaining its existing share." said Cullen.


Google's Chrome browser took third place with 14.58% of the market, with Safari bringing up the rear both in Europe and the States.


Via: International Business Times

 

 

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Acer show off colourful budget Liquid Minis

Posted: 10 Jan 2011 12:30 AM PST

Colourful budget Android handsets to steal thunder from HTC Wildfire

Acer appear to be chasing both form and function with their latest budget smartphone the Acer Liquid Mini. With its dinky 11 x 6cm curved body available in five colours (blue, silver, yellow pink, and, of course, black), this move into multiple colours has the distinct whiff of the 2008 iPod Nano about it.


Beneath the glossy shell the specs are acceptable, with find a 5MP camera, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, 512MB of memory and a 600GHz processor, as well as a 3.2-inch touchscreen and Android 2.2.


There's no word yet on pricing or a release date, but given the relative successes of HTCs own budget Android phone the HTC Wildfire and the multi-coloured iPod Nanos of yesteryear, we reckon this could turn out to be a winner for wannabe smartphone owners who balk at paying £35 a month for a top-end blower.

 

 

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Amazon launches Android store developers portal

Posted: 09 Jan 2011 11:54 PM PST

Amazon's app store to test and approve Android apps before release.

Amazon have launched a developer's site for their own version of Google's Android Market - an upcoming addition to Amazon's online presence offering vetted apps for Google's Android OS. Developers are now free to create developer accounts and submit their apps for review ahead of the site's app section launch.


Amazon promise that all the apps they make available to download will be tested and approved by Amazon prior to release to ensure quality, similar to how the Apple App Store currently works. Currently, apps for Android are far less regulated than those of its nemesis Apple, leading to some less-than-savory offerings with misleading descriptions or which breach privacy.


The new Amazon app service will launch in the US sometime later this year, before spreading to Europe, and will be an extension of the main Amazon site, letting users rate and leave reviews of apps they have downloaded.


Link: developer.amazon.com

 

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App week: Mac App Store goes live, VLC goes AWOL

Posted: 09 Jan 2011 04:58 PM PST

Every Saturday we round-up the week in mobile applications bringing you news of the biggest new releases across all major platforms and a host of reviews from T3's App Chart. Let's crack on...

APP NEWS:

Apps come to MacBooks, hit a million on day one
Apple don't exhibit at CES, but it didn't stop them stealing the limelight with the launch of it's App Store for Mac. And what a launch it was. The company hit one million downloads on day one with even Steve himself overwhelmed by its performance. Unsurprisingly, Angry Birds scooped the top paid app and Twitter was the most downloaded free app.

 

Flickr gets native Windows 7 app
It seems that not a day goes by without a big-name app hitting Windows 7, but this native Flickr app is a bit special. Built from the ground up, it's way slicker than it's iOS counterpart and even beats Android to getting an official app. It'll also be available for Windows 7 tablets.
 

VLC gone from the App Store
It was a surprise to see it show up in the first place, but the play-anything favourite has now been pulled from within the grasp of iPhone and iPad owners. The surprising thing is that it's not Apple's over-zealous censors taking umbridge with the Flash-playing beast. Check out the full story...
 

Opera for Android tablets spied
This week at CES we got the first look at Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS on the Motorola XOOM tablet, and the excitement is palpable. Android on tablets is officially a goer and it looks like the successful Opera browser is already coming to the platform. Here is was seen on the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

 

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App of the Week | Little Sailor for Samsung Bada
The Global Developer challenge serves up another cracking Bada app
T3 App Chart | Top 10 iPad Apps | Little Sailor review for Samsung Bada
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APP REVIEWS FROM THE T3 APP CHART:

Fragger takes on Angry Birds for iPhone Desert Strike on the Megadrive?
Who doesn't love a physics-based game on their smartphone? Angry Birds and Cut the Rope have been phenomenally successful, and we can now add a third to that list. Fragger sees you play a G.I. Joe tasked with hunting down and killing terrorists. Remember freedom isn't free.
 

Little Sailor joins the Bada revolution
This Global Developer Challenge is working out pretty well for the Samsung Bada platform, producing some five star apps, for the barely-used plaftorm. Little Sailor is a sailing and motorboat simulator where you can learn the basics of sailing and compete against up to six virtual competitors in a yacht race/

 

Kindle on iPhone reviewed
It has been around for a little while but we've got a review of Amazon Kindle for iPhone, as Kindle continues to dominate the eBook market. This app will allow you to sync your books across many devices, so eInk may not be in attendance, but the Kindle for iPhone app gets five stars from T3.
 

Link: T3 App Chart

 

 

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