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- HTC outs updated HD7S Windows Phone 7 handset
- HTC announces US-only Evo 3D handset
- Echostar SlingLoaded HDS-600RS launches
- No 3D-only games for 3DS, says Nintendo
- Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 officially unveiled
- TechRadar wins top Experian Hitwise award
- Updated: Play.com admits customer information breach
- Latest iPhone 5 rumours tip 4-inch display
- Amazon: No announcement on UK Appstore
| HTC outs updated HD7S Windows Phone 7 handset Posted: 22 Mar 2011 02:02 PM PDT  HTC has served up a modest update to its primary Windows Phone 7 device with the new HD7S handset. The HD7S, as the name suggests, is a slight upgrade to the HD7 device, which launched with Microsoft's new operating system last autumn. The tagged-on 'S' stands for the new Super LCD screen , while there's a new version of WP7 that will feature copy and paste out of the box. Aside from that, everything else remains the same. It still boasts the 1GHz processor, a 4.3-inch screen, 16GB of internal storage and a 5-megapixel camera. US-only? The main purpose of the upgrade might be to show some love to US network AT&T. The HD7 was only previously available on T-Mobile USA. The HD7 has been available in the UK exclusively on O2, but sales of Windows Phone 7 handsets haven't exactly set the world on fire. We can't see this handset changing matters if it arrives in Blighty. 
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| HTC announces US-only Evo 3D handset Posted: 22 Mar 2011 12:59 PM PDT  HTC has launched its first mobile phone with a 3D screen, using the same glasses-less, auto-stereoscopic technology featured on the Nintendo 3DS console. The HTC Evo 3D, which is a US-only release and likely to remain that way, enables 3D movies, 3D games and the ability to capture and view 3D pictures and video in HD. The Evo 3D looks like somewhat of a super-phone with 4.3-inch, 960x540 screen that's almost as detailed as the iPhone 4's Retina Screen, a dual-core Snapdragon 1.2GHz processor and Android 2.3 Gingerbread. 4G too? Yep The Evo 3D will run on the Sprint Network's 4G WiMax network, for super-fast mobile broadband and will house a whopping 1730mAh battery to keep things going underneath the hood. There's also dual five-megapixel cameras that can shoot 720p 3D video and 1080p 2D video. Like the 3DS, users can turn the 3D-effect on and off with a switch, or move the content to a 3D ready TV using a HDMI cable. The device, due out this summer, is part of the continuing Sprint-HTC hook-up and is unlikely to make it to the UK, but we'd be hopeful of seeing the same 3D tech housed in a future release. 
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| Echostar SlingLoaded HDS-600RS launches Posted: 22 Mar 2011 11:30 AM PDT  Echostar has announced the arrival of its latest digital TV recorder – the HDS-600RS. The recorder comes complete with Freesat and SlingPlayer capabilities, which means that you can view content from the recorder on you iPad, iPhone or Android devices and you get HD channels to boot. According to Echostar, the HDS-600RS is a fully-featured media entertainment centre. This is because it is equipped with a 500GB hard disk drive, two TV tuners, the ability to upscale SD content (from 576i to 720p & 1080i) and a HD EPG guide. For the SlingPlayer functionality to work on mobile devices, however, you do need the SlingPlayer mobile app – something that is sold separately. Feature focus Other features include a USB2.0 port, 2x RF inputs, Ethernet, Scart and HDMI. Alongside the full integrated SlingLoaded TV Anywhere functionality, there is also the BBC iPlayer app on board. The Echostar HDS-600RS UK release date and pricing is still to be confirmed, but Echostar has announced that a new website will also be launched (www.myechostar.com) to provide consumers with product information, support and details of where to buy the HDS-600RS. 
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| No 3D-only games for 3DS, says Nintendo Posted: 22 Mar 2011 10:32 AM PDT  The Nintendo 3DS may have made headlines for its 3D capabilities, but Nintendo is steering the console away from games in which the 3D element is essential. When quizzed over the disappearance of prototype games in which the 3D display had to be active in order to see crucial elements of the game, Nintendo 3DS platform producer Hideki Konno said: "We want to get software out to as many people as possible, and there are some people who just can't see 3D. We're moving away from any stance that says if you don't use the 3D functionality you can't play this game." A dimension too far Set to launch in the UK on 25 March, the console has a nifty 3D slider which allows users to set how three dimensional the game play is, as well as switching it off completely. While the 3D gameplay is a nice touch in some games and the inclusive stance is both understandable and fair, it seems a shame not to embrace the technology with a few pure-3D games. Never mind, eh? There's always the augmented reality and crazy flying head-shooting game to keep 3D enthusiasts busy. 
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| Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 officially unveiled Posted: 22 Mar 2011 09:33 AM PDT  Samsung has today unpacked its 8.9-inch tablet, the imaginatively named Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9. The Honeycomb tablet comes with a 1280 x 800 resolution display, 1GHz dual-core processor and front- and rear-mounted cameras. All that is packed in to a chassis just 8.6mm thin, causing Samsung to bill its Galaxy Tab range as the 'world's thinnest mobile tablets'. Size is everything The company has also shaved a few millimetres off the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1's hips, now also coming in at 8.6mm thin. The larger slate now weighs slightly less and has a reduced rear-mounted camera rocking 3MP rather than the previous version's 8MP. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9's camera is a similar 3MP affair, with WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0, gyroscope, accelerometer, digital compass, ambient light sensor and GPS. The new, smaller tablet is available in 16GB, 32GB or 64GB models and comes with TouchWiz for Honeycomb, as detailed on a leaked information sheet earlier today. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 UK release date and pricing is yet to be officially revealed, but the 10.1 Wi-Fi is on sale in the States in June, with the Galaxy Tab 8.9 Wi-Fi to follow in 'early summer'. There's no word on when we'll see the upgraded 10.1 hit either but SlashGear is reporting that Vodafone will be offering the original Galaxy Tab 10.1 exclusively in Europe. 
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| TechRadar wins top Experian Hitwise award Posted: 22 Mar 2011 09:33 AM PDT  TechRadar has been named as the UK's biggest IT Media site in Experian Hitwise's 2010 awards. Experian Hitiwise's respected annual awards name the most trafficked sites in the UK, and TechRadar picked up the top spot for IT Media in the 'News and Media' category. In the category 'Hardware', we placed fourth, behind Apple, Dell and Acer's sites, and in 'Electronics', we were second behind Acer (in both categories, the highest placed editorial site). Comprehensive "It's been a fantastic year for TechRadar. We've been growing very fast and working very hard in an extremely competitive sector. It's great to have had our number one status so comprehensively underlined by Hitwise," said Nick Merritt, TechRadar's publisher. Experian Hitwise measures the largest sample of internet users - 25 million worldwide, including 8 million in the UK. "This sample size allows clients to understand internet behaviour and competitive activity through data that is unmatched in timeliness, depth and breadth," Hitwise explains. 
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| Updated: Play.com admits customer information breach Posted: 22 Mar 2011 08:18 AM PDT  Play.com, one of Britain's best known online retailers, has suffered a security breach that has compromised customer's email addresses and names. Play has issued an email to customers admitting the problem and blamed its third-party marketing communications company for the leak. That may be little comfort for customers who assumed their data was being kept secure when they handed it over to the retailer, but it does at least mean that financial information such as credit card details have not been compromised. UPDATE: Play.com's CEO, John Perkins, has released the following statement: "On Sunday 20 March some customers reported receiving a spam email to email addresses they only use for Play.com. We reacted immediately by informing all our customers of this potential security breach in order for them to take the necessary precautionary steps. "We believe this issue may be related to some irregular activity that was identified in December 2010 at our email service provider, Silverpop. Investigations at the time showed no evidence that any of our customer email addresses had been downloaded. We would like to assure all our customers that the only information communicated to our email service provider was email addresses. Play.com has taken all the necessary steps with Silverpop to ensure a security breach of this nature does not happen again. "We would also like to reassure our customers that all other personal information (i.e. credit cards, addresses, passwords, etc.) are kept in the very secure Play.com environment. Play.com has one of the most stringent internal standards of e-commerce security in the industry. This is audited and tested several times a year by leading internet security companies to ensure this high level of security is maintained. On behalf of Play.com, I would like to once again apologise to our customers for any inconvenience due to a potential increase in spam that may be caused by this issue." Security breach "We are emailing all our customers to let you know that a company that handles part of our marketing communications has had a security breach," said Play's customer email. "Unfortunately this has meant that some customer names and email addresses may have been compromised. "We take privacy and security very seriously and ensure all sensitive customer data is protected. Please be assured this issue has occurred outside of Play.com and no other personal customer information has been involved." Customers are urged to be vigilant – and keep an eye out for suspicious looking email contacts. We've contacted Play for its official stance on this incident. Security team response "While it is a good thing that Play.com issued a statement to let customers know about the security breach, it does not offer any information about what people should do if they notice any unusual activity on their Play.com account," said Mark Harris, VP of SophosLabs. "The full extent as to what information has been leaked is not clear, but any security breach involving the loss of customer information is extremely serious – even though Play.com has stated that the breach occurred with a third party, they are ultimately responsible for the security of their customer's data. "Play.com customers should exercise additional caution when accessing their emails, even if they appear to come from trustworthy sources. Sophos advises users of Play.com to err on the safe side and change their passwords on Play.com." 
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| Latest iPhone 5 rumours tip 4-inch display Posted: 22 Mar 2011 07:49 AM PDT  A Chinese newspaper is reporting that the iPhone 5 will indeed offer a larger 4-inch screen and could yet include a NFC chip. The paper also says the rumour about the scratch-resistant metal casing for the iPhone 5, which will supposedly do away with reception issues that have plagued the iPhone 4, is for real. China Times is also adamant that full production on the new iPhone won't kick in until the third quarter of the year – that's October onwards, which suggests that initial stock after the anticipated summer launch will be limited. Nearby field communications The paper has brought NFC back into the iPhone 5 mix after the Independent reported that Apple is holding back on contactless payments until an industry standard is established. Rumblings that we'll see a larger screen on the new iPhone 5 have been rumbling for some time, with both 3.7-inch and 4-inchers having been mooted already. Reports of delays to stock are also nothing new; an analyst has claimed that the launch of the new iPhone will be pushed back to September, which would seem to fit with China Times' information. However, it's all speculation until Apple breaks its silence – or until Gizmodo finds another prototype iPhone in a bar. 
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| Amazon: No announcement on UK Appstore Posted: 22 Mar 2011 06:43 AM PDT  Amazon has explained to TechRadar that its Android Appstore will remain inaccessible to people in the UK for now, with no news on global launches for the store. Interest is high in the Appstore, with Apple opening legal proceedings over the use of the name and movie/gaming hybrid Angry Bird Rio launching on the store. However, UK people trying to access the store will be redirected back to Amazon's home page, with Amazon telling us that there was no news on when that would change. Global business "We are launching now in the US, however we are a global business and we will continue to evaluate opportunities to do what's in the best interest of our customers," said a spokesperson. "At this time, we have not announced plans on international launches." Amazon has attracted criticism in the past for its narrow focus on its dominant US market, particularly over the celebrated Kindle ebook reader. And the decision to limit access to the Appstore is likely to prove another unpopular move for the retail giant. 
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