Amazon Android tablets reported to be in production

Amazon's worst kept “secret” – the Android tablet – has been on everybody's lips for awhile now and with summer already underway, we're getting closer to the predicted August to October release date of the tablet. And now, according to the latest reports from DigiTimes, suppliers are seeing their sales “move up vigorously in the third quarter of 2011 due to their shipments of IC parts to the supply chain for Amazon's 7- and 10-inch tablet PCs to be launched in the quarter”.

Ubergizmo, Amazon Android tablets reported to be in production

LG Optimus 2X, SE Xperia Pro and Samsung Galaxy Q to be launched by Fido Canada

Three new Android smartphones will be released in Canada by Fido soon. The first one – LG Optimus 2X – is already available to Canadian customers thanks to Videotron and Wind. Mobile Syrup has it that Fido may launch the Optimus 2X “within a few days.” The handset will come with Android 2.2 Froyo (upgradeable to 2.3 Gingerbread), a 4 inch WVGA display, Wi-Fi, GPS, 1GHz dual-core processor, 1.3MP front-facing camera, 8MP rear camera, and 1080p video recording.

Unwired View, LG Optimus 2X, SE Xperia Pro and Samsung Galaxy Q to be launched by Fido Canada

Google improves search experience for tablets

If you use primarily use Google search on your tablet to look for stuff online, you're in for a treat. Google has just announced that they've improved the google.com search experience on tablets. In order to make the website more tablet-friendly, they've simplified the layout of the results pages, increased the size of page contents i.e. the text, buttons, and other touch targets so that users will have an easier and faster way to interact with the page, regardless of whether it is in portrait or landscape view.
The search button below the search box also allows users to easily select the types of results to look for i.e.

Ubergizmo, Google improves search experience for tablets

Hotel Finder is Google's latest service

When thinking of traveling to a foreign country that you've never been to before, attempting to locate a place to stay can be quite a daunting task as they are situated in places that you've never heard of before. In yet another move by Google to take over the world, they have launched a new service called Hotel Finder, in which they will attempt to Google-ize the way we search for hotels. Unlike other hotel search portals which are cluttered with photos, check boxes, drop down menus and search forms, Google will be keeping true to their roots by providing a clean and simple interface that will get the job done.

Ubergizmo, Hotel Finder is Google's latest service

US Cellular Launches Samsung Character QWERTY Phone

US Cellular has decided to release the new Samsung Character. The phone comes jam packed with a 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen display, a sliding QWERTY keyboard, a voice recognition, Bluetooth, a web browser, widget support, a 1.3MP camera, and a microSD card support. Available in grey and blue, the Samsung Character costs $39.99 (after a $50 mail-in rebate) with a new 2-year contract agreement.

TechFresh, US Cellular Launches Samsung Character QWERTY Phone

Samsung Galaxy S II sales hit five million

Samsung's Galaxy line of tablets and smartphones has been extremely successful so far and the company's brand new Galaxy S2 is no exception. According to Sammy Hub, Samsung has already shifted five million Galaxy S2 devices. Citing confirmation from Samsung itself, Sammy Hub says the company has shipped five million units to distributors. Though it's not as impressive as selling five million phones, it's still quite a feat, especially when you consider that the phone has yet to launch in the U.S.

2DayBlog.com, Samsung Galaxy S II sales hit five million

Canada: SaskTel releases the HTC Wildfire S

After having become available from Bell, the HTC Wildfire S is now also sold by SaskTel in Canada. HTC's lower-midrange Android-powered smartphone may not be all about the features, but it is a lot more affordable than today's high-end devices. SaskTel offers the Wildfire S for $29.99 with a new three-year contract. If you'd rather get a two-year agreement, the phone will cost $149.99. If you want to commit for just one year, the price will jump to $229.99.

Unwired View, Canada: SaskTel releases the HTC Wildfire S

Motorola's Android Tablet Sales Fizzle Out

The Motorola Xoom is not faring as well as its iOS counterpart. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com. Motorola announced dismal device sales in its earnings report on Thursday, with tablets faring near the worst among the company's products.
The company shipped 11 million mobile devices over the past three months, according to the quarterly statement. Yet only 440,000 of those were tablet devices. In other words, the Motorola Xoom Android tablet flopped big time.

Out of the remaining 10.56 million devices shipped, 4.4 million of those were smartphones.

Gadget Lab, Motorola's Android Tablet Sales Fizzle Out

Samsung Galaxy Ace Android 2.3 update now available on Three

UK network Three has just informed its users that a software update for the Samsung Galaxy Ace is available, with the network launching its version of the latest Android 2.3 upgrade for the nice little smartphone. We presume this'll be another KIES job, so if you're an Ace owner and you bought the phone through the Three network…. …plug it in and have a look.

Eurodroid, Samsung Galaxy Ace Android 2.3 update now available on Three

BBC Launches Subscription-Based International iPlayer for iPad

Yes, you can watch the first three seasons of Blackadder in their entirety. The app differs from the local, UK-only version quite significantly. The UK iPlayer service is intended as a way to catch up on shows from the past week, and all content is free for its short life on the service. The international iPlayer works more like Hulu. There is a significant back catalog of around 1,000 hours stretching back 60 years — currently featured are vintage episodes of Doctor Who starring William Hartnell. The iPlayer also contains non-BBC content.

Gadget Lab, BBC Launches Subscription-Based International iPlayer for iPad

Advertising Standards Agency rules on “most powerful” phone debate

Two people (!) complained about a recent UK TV advert, in which Motorola claimed its ATRIX Android phone was “the world's most powerful smartphone”. The complainants pointed out that the Samsung Galaxy S II actually has a higher dual-core clock speed so Motorola was in fact misleading everyone. Here's a summary, along with Motorola's argument. It appears the complaint has been upheld, so there may have to be some sort of apology issued by Motorola:

We can't find the actual adjudication on the ASA's most entertaining web site, so there's a chance this might be a fake.

Eurodroid, Advertising Standards Agency rules on “most powerful” phone debate

Android Google Maps now incorporates full directions for the London Underground

Good news for those currently lost in London's sub-terranian network of sweat and misery – Google's Maps tool now includes data from Transport for London. The Android Maps app has access to full public transport data from TfL, including buses, tubes and the DLR, so you should never end up at the wrong end of Bank again. Here's a little celebratory paragraph from Google:.
Public transport directions are available for all Underground, bus, tram and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) lines, and we'll include more public transport information as soon as it's available.


Eurodroid, Android Google Maps now incorporates full directions for the London Underground

Samsung SPH-M930 picks up FCC nod, headed for Boost Mobile

The Samsung SPH-M930 has just received the overall nod of approval over from the good people at the FCC, which means it is safe for use in the US – and that also translates to an impending release, of course. Just what does the Samsung SPH-M930 bring to the table that other smartphones lack. Well, for starters, you have a QWERTY sliding keyboard which is perfect for those who have still to get used to the virtual keyboard, while a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 processor makes sure everything runs just fine and smoothly. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Ubergizmo

See also:
things, Samsung SPH-M930 picks up FCC nod, headed for Boost Mobile

Panasonic introduces the world lightest 3D Glasses

Here you are the new TY-EW3D Series from Panasonic that claims that its new models are the world lightest 3D glasses available with just 26g in total in its S and M version while the L Version with its 27g seems to be as "heavy" as other models on the market. But since a good news never comes alone, these new glasses also comes with a new battery offering you up to 3h worth of 3D just after 2 minutes of charge or a total of 25h of 3D if fully charged for 30 minutes. Nice indeed but still, my next TV will be everything expect.


Akihabara News, Panasonic introduces the world lightest 3D Glasses

HTC Puccini Backside Revealed

More photos of the first HTC 10″ tablet have surfaced at bgr (the first ones dated from May, it showed up at the FCC in July). We had already seen the AT&T logo on the upper right, so it seems that the device is bound to come out in the U.S market first.  From the front, it doesn't look much different from the Galaxy Tab 10.1 (which is not a bad thing!), but the back reveals a dual-LED 8 Megapixel camera, and what seems to be a 3-speaker system, which would make the sound better in both horizontal and vertical position.Earlier rumors mentioned a 4G LTE connectivity, but we have yet to see any LTE at AT&T.

Ubergizmo, HTC Puccini Backside Revealed

Windows Phone and the Necessary Steps to Success

You know what one of the problems is with the tech press. Everything is black and white. In fact, this characteristic is not exclusive to tech publications; it is pretty much true for the Web as a whole. Generally speaking, a product is either great or terrible.
A perfect example is the mobile industry. Every phone that comes out is either an iPhone Killer or a total failure. The same applies to the mobile operating system ecosystem.

Right now, in the minds of many tech bloggers around the world, there are two operating systems, and only two.  iPhone and Android.



Unwired View

See also:
itnet, Windows Phone and the Necessary Steps to Success

Deal of the Day - Planar PX2710MW 27x1080p LCD Monitor

Today's LogicBUY Deal is the Planar PX2710MW 1080p LCD monitor for $229.99.  Features:  2ms response time, 1200:1 contrast ratio, built-in stereo speakers, HDMI, thin black bezel, and more.  This is the cheapest current deal for this product, and is $20 cheaper than LogicBUY's last mention of the deal.  It's a savings of 51% off the list price. This deal expires July 28, 2011 or sooner.

The Gadgeteer, Deal of the Day - Planar PX2710MW 27x1080p LCD Monitor

Vodafone UK Drops HTC EVO 3D, Cites Delays

Those seeking the HTC EVO 3D in the UK have one less carrier to choose from, and you can thank delays in meeting the original launch time line as the reason. Vodafone UK issued a statement saying they will cease offering the glasses-free 3D handset before it even goes on sale. The phone has already been pulled from the Vodafone site and those who registered their interest in the device will be contacted by the carrier.

Android Phone, Vodafone UK Drops HTC EVO 3D, Cites Delays

AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II spotted?

Could what you see above actually be the Samsung Galaxy S II from AT&T, just when you thought that Verizon Wireless would beat AT&T to the smartphone. Well, the model showcased has a QWERTY keyboard that slides out nicely, but we have no knowledge on whether this will be the Galaxy S II over at AT&T, or will it be known as the AT&T Galaxy Attain. The Bard did say, a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet, so the same applies to smartphones – it doesn't really matter what it is called, but as long as it packs quite a punch underneath the hood, we're game.

Ubergizmo, AT&T Samsung Galaxy S II spotted?

HTC Puccini 10″ Android tablet unofficially revealed

Mobile news site BGR has won itself a stunning exclusive today, managing to give us our first official look at HTC's long-rumoured 10″ Android tablet. Known to the internet as the “HTC Puccini”, the HTC tablet uses a similar stylus to the HTC Flyer, with the device also including an 8megapixel camera. There's not much we can tell about the internals from the imagery. Here it is:

The leather case is worrying.


Eurodroid, HTC Puccini 10″ Android tablet unofficially revealed

AT&T will push Gingerbread to all smartphones released this year, as well as the Samsung Captivate

AT&T has decided to make its customers happy. At least its customers that have purchased an Android-powered device from the carrier this year, and those who own a Samsung Captivate (AT&T's version of last year's Samsung Galaxy S). How so. Well, AT&T has announced that its entire lineup of post-paid Android smartphones released this year will be getting updated to Android 2.3 Gingerbread, which at the moment is the latest version of Google's mobile operating system. The smartphones in question are the HTC Inspire 4G, LG Phoenix, Motorola Atrix 4G, Pantech Crossover, and Samsung Infuse 4G.

Unwired View, AT&T will push Gingerbread to all smartphones released this year, as well as the Samsung Captivate

Netflix and Facebook integration is a pipe dream

Forget about Netflix and Facebook ever getting integrated – not in the US anyways, as the Video Privacy Protection Act that came to pass in 1988 prevents the disclosure of people's video rental information, and companies who are daring and bold enough to flout the law can be subject to a fine of $2,500 – for each infraction, of course. This bit of news seems to be a wet blanket after Netflix announced yesterday that they intend to integrate their services with Facebook, letting subscribers share what they are currently watching via the streaming service, over the social network, of course.

Ubergizmo, Netflix and Facebook integration is a pipe dream

iPhone 5 launching 5 September in the US, 5 October in Europe?

The iPhone 5 was a no-show at the WWDC in June, but a new report claims that it will launch on 5 September. Coming from a senior Swisscom executive, this is reportedly reliable info, but as you might have guessed, there's no official info from Apple. During the conference call for their quarterly financial results, Apple did mention a "product transition" in the Fall. It's also in line with previous estimates we've heard about the iPhone 5 launch date.

So, the 5 September launch sounds plausible, but still take it with a pinch of salt. There's a little over a month until then and even if it's true now, plans might change.

GSM Arena, iPhone 5 launching 5 September in the US, 5 October in Europe?

Charge your iPhone faster with this new Eneloop Mobile Booster

Sanyo has announced in Japan a new pair of their Eneloop Mobile booster with the KBC-L54D (5400mAh) and KBC-L27D (2700mAh). Both models keep the same basic design as previous Mobile boosters, but comes with more "juice" with an increase of approximately 8% as well as being capable to recharger either your smartphone or tablet 1.5 times faster thanks to their new higher output. The new mobile boosters can not only recharge the latest smart phones and tablet PCs such as iPhone and iPad*1 series, but they can also power various gadgets with USB power ports.

2DayBlog.com, Charge your iPhone faster with this new Eneloop Mobile Booster

Qualcomm acquires gesture recognition IP from GestureTek, Snapdragon gets smarter

Qualcomm has today announced its intentions to acquire “certain assets” from GestureTek, a long-standing developer of gesture recognition technology. GestureTek has lurked in the mobile platform before, but now it looks like it'll be more aggressively touching devices with Qualcomm silicon. It's a strange move, indeed, but it could be one that signals a shift in the way chip makers are looking out for themselves.

2DayBlog.com, Qualcomm acquires gesture recognition IP from GestureTek, Snapdragon gets smarter

New Samsung slider rumored for AT&T

Samsung seems to be pretty fond of Android sliders recently. After having one of its devices spotted as an unnamed slider device headed for Boost Mobile recently, the Korean OEM seems to have another slider up its sleeve, assuming what the folks over at BGR have reported is true. The blog recently got their hands on a phone render which is touted to be Samsung's upcoming Android phone for AT&T. The device which is said to be unnamed comes with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and will have a four-button Android layout instead of the usual three-button layout found on Samsung phones.

Ubergizmo, New Samsung slider rumored for AT&T

Samsung Bringing Slide-Out QWERTY Handset to AT&T

A new render has shown up depicting an unnamed Samsung handset destined for AT&T. The most notable feature of the phone is the inclusion of a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Aside from that hard-to-miss bit of hardware, the phone also looks to feature a front-facing camera and forgoes Samsung's three-button layout for four capacitive Android buttons. So what exactly are we looking at.

Android Phone

See also:
technologypulse, Samsung Bringing Slide-Out QWERTY Handset to AT&T

NVIDIA Dual-Core Blowout: 5 Androids, 10 Cores, 1 Contest [PART 3]

We’ve already given away a Motorola Droid X2 and a T-Mobile G2X and now, in Part 3 of our blowout contest, we’re giving away none other than the T-Mobile G-Slate Android Tablet. What do these three devices have in common. They’re all powered by a lightning fast NVIDIA Dual-Core processor that ensures optimal Android performance. But they inherently have something else in common, too.

NVIDIA has harnessed the power of their processor with an app called Tegra Zone that is available EXCLUSIVELY on Tegra-based devices and offers access to games that are optimized specifically for the Tegra 2 Dual-Core experience.






Android Phone, NVIDIA Dual-Core Blowout: 5 Androids, 10 Cores, 1 Contest [PART 3]

Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini and Mini Pro to arrive in India this week

Officially announced in early May, and not yet available for purchase anywhere in the world, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro should be released in India pretty soon. In fact, Sony Ericsson India's official website already has a Buy Now button for the Xperia Mini, but we're not entirely sure the handset can be bought right away. The Xperia Mini Pro appears at SE India's website, too, although without a Buy Now button. However, online retailer Flipkart lets customers pre-order the Mini Pro, saying it will be launched “in the 5th week of July” – meaning this week.

Unwired View

See also:
techcrunch, Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini and Mini Pro to arrive in India this week

Verizon's Wireless Home Phone Connect Review

For those long-time readers, you might remember my rant/question about Comcast charging too much for their multimedia services (i.e., HDTV, phone, and internet) last year. Well, I am finally getting around to cutting the cord. We will be keeping Comcast high speed internet but our household is giving up cable TV and switching home phone service from Comcast to Verizon's wireless Home Phone Connect service. So, I thought I would share the process and review the service along the way.
Adding the service to our existing wireless account was quick and easy. I was running behind and in a hurry….the process took less than 5 minutes.






The Gadgeteer, Verizon's Wireless Home Phone Connect Review

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with LTE headed for Verizon on July 28th

Folks who've been holding out from purchasing the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Android tablet, we've got some good news for you. The 4G LTE version of the tablet from Verizon will go on sale very, very soon. The folks over at Droid-Life received confirmation from Verizon that this coming Thursday is the launch day for the 4G LTE-enabled tablet. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will go on sale July 28th, and will be available in black or metallic grey, from Verizon's online stores and retail outlet, but the white version will only be available via direct fill (internet or sales line).

Ubergizmo, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with LTE headed for Verizon on July 28th

Sanya Skypump juices up your electric vehicles

Talk about a new way to obtain power so that your electric vehicle is able to “fuel up” so to speak. The Sanya Skypump will harvest electricity by harnessing the power of the wind, hence the name Skypump comes into play. Not only that, it will also continue the green fight by incorporating solar panels to boot. This is the brainchild of Urban Green Energy and GE Energy Industrial Solutions, where it will remove dependence on the energy grid to a certain degree for electric vehicle owners.

Ubergizmo, Sanya Skypump juices up your electric vehicles

[Toyota Safety Day] Toyota's Crash Test experience and $2.5 Million USD Crash Test Dummies.

Ok, I admit that we where pretty far from the actual crash test in a secure location with other journalist to enjoy one of the most impressive and interesting demonstration that I have witnesses in a long time. Like every automakers Toyota is working hard to make cars more and more reliable and not only safer to drive but also safer to the others, and you can imagine that bigger the company is, bigger is the task. Being capable to test a care in all possible ways needs a dedicated "play Ground" where engineers torture and test cars before their launch as well developing and fine-tuning new technologies.










Akihabara News, [Toyota Safety Day] Toyota's Crash Test experience and $2.5 Million USD Crash Test Dummies.