Todays & Tomorrows Technology

We can’t say we looked at the Sharp Mebius NJ70A netbook – with its nifty touchscreen trackpad – and thought “what this needs is a second touchscreen”, but then we’re not SKY at UMPC Fever. After unboxing the N270-based netbook, he loaded up Windows 7 and then installed a touchscreen layer so as to use handwriting recognition direct onto the 10-inch display.

Interestingly, while he had the NJ70A open, SKY discovered that the optical trackpad actually has its own processor and RAM, meaning it doesn’t rely on the netbook’s own Atom CPU. He’s now trying to identify exactly what those mysterious components are.

Other hardware details include two RAM slots inside, which makes upgrading from the standard 1GB straightforward. XP will only recognize a maximum of 2GB; Windows Vista will recognize 3GB; and Windows 7 will recognize 3GB but only allow you to use 2GB.

Toshiba’s TG01 Windows Mobile smartphone is almost ready to launch in Germany, and a few more details regarding the slimline handset are emerging. Not only have O2 and Toshiba partnered with Nimbuzz to put their cross-platform social networking app on the TG01, but USB Host support has been confirmed.

The latter means that, with an accessory cable, users will be able to plug peripherals like a keyboard and/or mouse into their TG01, converting it into a netbook-style laptop. Since the TG01 has a vast (for a smartphone) 4.1-inch 800 x 480 display and 1GHz NVIDIA Snapdragon chipset, that’s not such a laughable prospect for mobile workers.

As for Nimbuzz, that brings both IM and social networking sites together onto the smartphone, with a homescreen icon for easy access. It’s probably not as slick – or integrated – as HTC have managed with their latest UI developments (TouchFLO 3D Manila 2.5 and HTC Sense), but Windows Mobile needs all the help it can get.

Amazon UK have begun listing the HTC Hero, offering the latest Android smartphone in unlocked, SIM-free form. The dual-band HSPA (900/2100MHz) device is priced at £429.99 ($712) and expected to begin shipping on July 15th; SlashGear was at the Hero launch last week, and you can check out our hands-on video after the cut.

The Hero has a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with a fingerprint-resistant coating, a Teflon body and all the usual Android nicities. There’s also HTC Sense, the company’s latest UI advancement, which you can see demonstrated below. Other specs include WiFi b/g, Bluetooth, GPS, a 5-megapixel autofocus camera and digital compass.

Two UK carriers have already confirmed that they will be offering the Hero, Orange and T-Mobile (the latter as the G1Touch). Both will give new customers the smartphone free, but require a new two-year contract.

Earlier in the month we heard that Atom N270 based netbooks and nettops would be unlikely candidates for inclusion in the Windows 7 Upgrade Program, and that’s looking to indeed be the case. ASUS have announced details of their program, including which models will be eligible, and only two of the company’s sprawling Eee PC netbook line are included: the 1101HA and the 1005HA.

Neither of these use the N270: the 1101HA adopts Intel’s Z520 CPU, while the 1005HA has the N280. You’ll also need to have a particular model in order to be eligible: the 1101HA must be running Vista Home Premium, while the 1005HA must be running either XP Pro or Vista Business. Considering most of these netbooks are bought with Windows XP Home, that doesn’t bode well for existing customers.

There are also a few Eee Top all-in-ones and the Eee Box EB1501 nettop, but it’s generally a poor showing for the company’s budget range.

Created by Paul Fryer last year, this “Chess Set for Tesla” takes 32 working vacuum tubes and turns them into chess pieces. Each tube slots into a port on the custom board, lighting up to show their identity via a glowing icon on the top.

The pieces range in size from 10cm to 15cm, while the board itself measures 48 by 50 cm and is 17cm deep. There’s what looks to be a lid, which will hopefully prevent your cat from jumping up, knocking over the pieces and bending all the pins.

Seven copies of the set were produced, and presumably went on sale, but we doubt there are any left for purchase. Even if there had been, this beautiful game is unlikely to have been cheap.

In a move that’s been a long time coming, the major participants in the European cellphone market have backed a proposal to standardize microUSB as the generic charger port. The scheme was led by the European Commission, and has now received support from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Apple, Motorola, NEC, LG, RIM, Qualcomm, Samsung and Texas Instruments.
Together, those companies account for 90-percent of the European cellphone market. The EC have positioned the scheme as environmentally sound, suggesting that cellphone users will not have to throw away their old charger whenever they buy a new device.

The first devices using the standardized connector will arrive on the market in 2010, though of course many phones already use microUSB for charging and data connectivity. What will be interesting is how Apple respond to the move; the dock connector is not only a common feature among docks and accessories, but a source of licensing revenue from third-party manufacturers.

AMD are planning to announce a new flagship processor, the 3.4GHz Phenom II, to take on Intel’s Core 2 Quad range, according to a number of sites. The so-called AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition has been spotted on the ASRock site, which seemingly confirms that it will have the same cache and 125W TDP as the Phenom II X4 955.

News of the unannounced chip has prompted speculation about pricing for AMD’s new flagship. Currently the X4 955 – the highest-spec CPU in AMD’s Phenom II range today – is priced at around $245; Intel’s highest-spec Core 2 Quad CPU meanwhile, the Q9650, is around $320.

AMD might choose to price the new 3.4GHz processor up near the Q9650, at least at first, before dropping it down so as to remain competitive when Intel begin delivering Lynnfield processors later in 2009. Lynnfield chips will slot into Intel’s i5 and i7 mid- and high-range processor lines.

How can you make your external USB Blu-ray drive better than everyone elses? Well, you could make it a Blu-ray burner, give it a range of connections and make it super-cheap, or you could go the ASUS way and put a great big light-up blue X on the side.
According to ASUS, the SBC-04B1S-U’s “elegant stand design and high glossy appearance represents its high feel of science and technology”, which is perhaps stretching the limits of what a basic USB Blu-ray reader can be described as. They also provide a dedicated app for adjusting the light-up X’s brightness, meaning you can have it set to different levels when reading or writing different media.

Baseline specs are 4.8x maximum Blu-ray disc reading, 8x DVD burning and 24x CD burning. It connects via USB 2.0 and is compatible with Windows but not OS X; no word on exactly how much that big flashing X will set you back, though.

Reminding us of Thermaltake’s monster Level 10 PC case, this is actually the Edelweiss PC, the handiwork of Pius Geiger and in fact initially constructed all the way back in 2006. Updated this year with a crisp new white color-scheme, the water-cooled Edelweiss separates out drives, graphics and power-supply, and then illuminates them with a discrete but effective lighting system.
Full hardware specifications of the PC are unknown, but the Edelweiss PC does have a FATAL1TY motherboard, dual graphics cards and a DVD burner. We’re assuming that along with the color update, Pius also slotted in some more impressive hardware to take advantage of the heavy-duty watercooling system, too.

Add in the excellent cable-routing, and you’ve got a mind-blowing case mod. No word on how much all this cost, nor how long it took, but we’re guessing the answer to those questions are something like “a lot” and “a long time”.

HTC’s TouchFLO 3D UI for Windows Mobile is arguably the best way to navigate Microsoft’s platform, but now that we’ve seen the latest Sense UI on the HTC Hero it’s losing some of its gloss. Happily HTC haven’t ceased all work on TouchFLO 3D, and screenshots and a video demo of version 2.5 have emerged to whet our appetites.

The most obvious improvement is that HTC have buried Windows Mobile even further underneath their home-grown UI. Looking at the video demo below, you have to really go looking for the underlying OS; general, day-to-day use won’t really unearth it.

There are also new shortcuts on the homepage, the introduction of Footprints – HTC’s geotagging system – and a freshly swollen settings dialog that covers even more options. Interestingly, TouchFLO 3D v2.5 is said to only work on WVGA devices like the HTC Touch HD, Touch Diamond2 and Touch Pro2; no word on when we can expect to see it released, nor if it will be offered as an upgrade to existing smartphone users.

Intel’s upcoming 32nm Clarkdale processor could be seeing a release sooner than expected, according to unnamed sources at motherboard manufacturers. The company has reportedly brought forward mass-production of the Clarkdale CPU to Q4 2009, compared to the original Q1 2010 date on their timetable.
Clarkdale will have two cores each capable of two threads, and include integrated graphics and a memory controller. It’s expected to be positioned as the company’s latest mainstream desktop processor, and account for 10-percent of OEM shipments in Q4 2009, rising to 20-percent in Q1 2010.

That’s still behind 45nm-process chips, which will still account for an expected 78-percent of OEM desktop shipments in the new year. Intel themselves have declined to comment on the report.

Over at our sibling site PhoneMag they’ve posted the full Nokia N97 review, and if you’ve been as eagerly-anticipating this smartphone as we have then you really need to read it. On paper, the N97 ticks just about every box you could hope for, but when it comes to usability and overall polish it seems that Nokia may have dropped the ball.

The QWERTY keyboard earns much of the N97 dismay, with poor tactile feedback, shallow travel and a frustrating layout, but S60 5th Edition, despite Nokia’s work to integrate touch-control, must share the blame. Compared to rival devices, it seems a lazy implementation, while the resistive touchscreen feels like old technology compared to the iPhone 3GS, Palm Pre or BlackBerry Storm.

There are positive points, including strong multimedia performance (though ugly, basic apps), the homescreen widgets and plenty of onboard storage, but the overall feeling is that the N97 simply arrived too late to capitalize on its potential.

MDI have been working on their air-powered engine for years now, and Edmunds Inside Line were lucky enough to take the 2010 AIRPod prototype for a spin. Distinctively designed, the AIRPod throws out internal combustion in favor of running from compressed-air, a full tank of which – refilled in just two minutes with the right infrastructure – is good for 90-125 miles with a single occupant.

Air compressed to 2,900psi sits in carbon-fiber tanks behind and underneath the driver, while steering is managed by a joystick and acceleration/braking by regular pedals. While the bubble-car design might suggest it can only accommodate one, in fact there’s a rear-facing bench in the back that’s enough for up to three to catch a ride. Maximum speed for the prototype is 30mph, but the commercial model – expected to go into production by the end of 2009 – will reach 50mph.

After climbing in through the lift-up front hatch, the driving experience is “like a hyperactive Jack Russell terrier” with dire acceleration made up for thanks to a tiny turning circle and nimble steering. Happily the production model will have softer suspension, as the prototype is unpleasantly bouncy, and hopefully some way of cooling things down inside as the expansive glass and lack of air-conditioning make for quite the mobile sauna.

Still, it’s set to reach France by the end of the year, priced at €6,000 ($8,380) which will be reduced by half thanks to eco-friendly subsidies. MDI are also working on a dual-power version, which will use the air engine together with a tiny “supercharger” which heats the air and thus boosts performance.

As well as their NVIDIA Ion-equipped version, Lenovo have revealed a VIA Nano based IdeaPad S12 netbook. The 12.1-inch WXGA machine uses VIA’s Nano ULV 2250 processor, running at 1.30GHz, together with the company’s integrated Chrome9 HC3 graphics chipset.

Like its Intel-based brethren (which are available in both integrated-graphics and Ion forms), the Nano IdeaPad S12 has 1GB of RAM, a 150GB 5,400rpm hard-drive and WiFi b/g. There’s also a standard 6-cell Li-Ion battery. We’d obviously expect graphics performance to lag behind the 1080p-capable version.

What you do get with the Nano S12 is a cheaper machine. Prices start at $449, compared to at least $50 more for the Intel models, and it’s listed as beginning shipping in “more than four weeks” time.

Samsung are preparing to launch a new, 11.6-inch netbook, the N510, and rather than Intel’s Atom Z5xx series of processors they’ve picked the 1.66GHz N280. The N510 will also use NVIDIA’s Ion graphics chipset, paired with 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard-drive.

The presence of Ion will make the N510 capable of high-definition video playback, which should make the WXGA 1,366 x 768 more usable. Rival machines such as the Acer Aspire One 751, which have similarly-sized displays but use Atom Z5xx series processors and standard netbook graphics, have proved woefully underpowered for HD content.

Other Samsung N510 specs include WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth and wired ethernet, together with an integrated webcam and microphone, multi-format memory card reader, 6-cell Li-Ion battery and Windows XP Home. It’ll apparently be priced at around €570 ($799), which is mighty-expensive for an Atom-based netbook.

What’s better than a remote-controlled truck? Why, a remote-controlled truck with a hidden remote-controlled helicopter inside it, that’s what! The Silverlit Heli-Mission SWAT Truck is a full-function toy truck, the rear section of which flips open to reveal an indoor helicopter on a rising launch platform.
What’s not entirely clear is whether you have a separate controller for the helicopter or use the same one as for the truck. All we know is that it’s a 3-channel system and uses the same contra-rotating blades as other toy choppers that makes piloting them relatively simple. Still, we never see the helicopter land back on the truck launch-pad in the video below, so you likely need some skill to get it back into the transport solely on propeller-power.

Still, we won’t allow user-ineptitude to blind us to such a fantastic toy. The Silverlit Heli-Mission SWAT Truck is apparently “coming soon” priced at £59.95 in the UK ($99).

Rumors regarding a PSP phone have circulated for almost as long as the gaming handheld itself has been available, and despite Sony’s best efforts they refuse to die down. According to the Nikkei business daily this weekend, Sony is looking to set up a department that would explore gaming/phone hybrid devices; the team could be established as early as July, suggests the report.
While the Nikkei’s sources are unspecified, the Sony project is tipped to bring together their own gaming-device experience and the cellular functionality of Sony Ericsson handsets. That implies that the project may not be a Sony Ericsson device but solely bear Sony’s branding; previous rumors have suggested strong internal disagreement over Sony Ericsson handsets using the PlayStation name.

Sony themselves have declined to comment on the report, which does at least make a change from the usual “we have no plans” we tend to hear from them. Their most recent handheld, the PSP Go, has WiFi but no 3G connectivity; however as it relies on digital distribution for its gaming titles and content, it would be a likely candidate for the sort of anywhere-downloads integrated WWAN would permit.

Amazon’s plans to roll out the Kindle ebook reader range in Europe has hit a snag, after talks with German carriers broke down over pricing disagreement. According to German WirtschaftsWoche, Amazon were unable to reach what they believed to be a fair price with local carriers such as Vodafone and T-Mobile.

One unnamed Amazon manager described the carriers’ price demands as “excessive”, according to the paper. Apparently Amazon’s German partners have confirmed that no deal has been made.

The nature of the Kindle/carrier partnership is unusual, because Amazon include lifetime wireless access for their ebook reader with the original purchase price of the device. Rather than requiring users to sign up to a data contract, Amazon negotiate access for the Kindle with the carriers themselves; in the US, that agreement is with Sprint. Only actions which might have significant cost – such as converting and wirelessly-delivering a user’s own documents over the network – are billable.

According to an internal Microsoft tipster, the upcoming Zune HD will be available in 16GB and 32GB capacities, and be priced from $249 to $280 for the entry-level model. The company is considering a 64GB Zune HD later on in the model year, but the first of the PMPs will arrive in September; that tallies with previous rumors that fingered September 5th.

The source – a software engineer within Microsoft who claims that, while he chose to leak independently, his actions are known and unofficially sanctioned by the company – also suggests that movies are finally coming to the Zune Marketplace, and that the team are working on the final licensing agreements with the major studios. That content will be available in HD.

If that starting price turns out to be accurate, it will position the Zune HD above Apple’s rival iPod touch PMPs. The Zune’s Tegra HD-capable chipset, HDMI output and AMOLED multitouch-capable display are likely culprits for pushing up prices; it remains to be seen whether Microsoft can sufficiently persuade consumers that their platform is finally better than Apple’s.

We’ve been quietly crushing on the Mobinnova élan Smartbook since its Computex debut, and this preview video from NetbookNews does little to dissuade that feeling. Based on NVIDIA’s Tegra chipset, the promise is both high-definition support and up to 24hrs of audio playback from the super-frugal platform.

The élan has an 8.9-inch display and a distinctly nifty hinged port panel on the back, which should do a decent job of keeping dust and other things out of the sockets. It weighs 1.84lbs and has integrated WiFi and 3G connectivity, plus it’s fanless.

We’re promised a second video with a walkthrough of the élan’s software soon, but we already know it has a custom 3D GUI and support for Office documents, YouTube and Hulu video. More on the hardware specs of the Mobinnova machine here; we’re not entirely sure of when it will arrive, but it could be the tipped model expected at $244 on Black Friday.

The iPhone Dev Team have announced that they are delaying the release of the updated ultrasn0w iPhone 3GS jailbreaking and unlocking tool. In a post on the Team’s blog, they detail the nature of the exploit used to jailbreak (and then unlock) the 3GS, a loophole which Apple could readily close once it was made public.
“Here’s the critical point, the reason why we’re delaying our version of the jailbreak: Once the jailbreak is out, Apple will fix the iBoot-family bug we use to accomplish it. They will simply stop signing the old iBoots and only sign the fixed ones. If you bought your phone after Apple has done this, there’s nothing you can do…the jailbreak isn’t going to work for you.” iPhone Dev Team blog

According to the Team, the exploit depends on an iBoot-family bug, which can only be addressed if users have a signed iBoot-family img3 from their own device. This contains their ECID, a unique chip identifier different on each iPhone 3GS. If Apple discover the loophole, they could update the smartphone and refuse to sign any old iBoots; then those users would not be able to jailbreak or unlock their handsets.

The Dev Team are counting on an imminent iPhone OS 3.01 update which addresses some of the platforms more buggier aspects, and are waiting until then to see the state of play. They’ve given no indication of when the iPhone 3GS jailbreak and unlock option might be released, a situation that’s prompting no small amount of revolt in their comments.

Corsair have announced two new SSDs in its Performance Series range, bringing high read/write speeds to lower price points. The P128 and P64 – which unsurprisingly offer 128GB and 64GB respectively – slot in below the current flagship P256, with the P128 offering the same 220MB/sec read rate and 200MB/sec write rate.

Meanwhile the P64 promises 220MB/sec read and 120MB/sec write rates. Both drives use the same Samsung controller as their more-expensive sibling, together with 128MB of cache and NCQ support.

The Corsair P128 is available now, with an MRSP of $339; you can currently find it on Newegg with a $40 rebate. The Corsair P64 will follow on in July; prices are yet to be confirmed.

After telling us – and then telling us again – that the Eee Keyboard would arrive this month, ASUS are now promising their nettop-in-a-keyboard will actually drop in August 2009. Rather than blaming manufacturing delays or last-minute firmware tweaks, ASUS claim the Eee Keyboard – which squeezes in an HD capable nettop and 5-inch touchscreen – was in fact held back while they attempted to define a niche for it to sit in.

That’s surprising, given that back at CES in January the company seemed to have a pretty good idea of what the point of the Eee Keyboard was. Fitted with Wireless HDMI, it can stream HD content either stored on its 32GB SSD or from the internet to a nearby display, with controls and other apps shown on the compact touchscreen.

Still no final word on pricing, but the last we heard ASUS were planning for a $400 starting price – though that doesn’t get you Wireless HDMI, only wired – and two different models. Each will have a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM and both WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.0. Earlier this month ASUS demonstrated the Eee Keyboard running Moblin, rather than Windows XP as it has been seen using in the past.

We’re still harboring a soft-spot for mintpass‘ mintpad MID, so it’s relieving to hear that the first English-modified units are meeting with approval. Pocketables shared their unboxing earlier this week, and now it’s time for some first-impressions. The mintpad’s 1.3-megapixel camera is proving surprisingly capable, as is the browser (despite not being fully translated yet) and the QVGA screen may be small at 2.86-inches but it’s still highly readable.

Build-quality, responsiveness and file support continue to satisfy, while the mono speaker is loud and clear. Fans of Windows CE – and we’re sure there are some out there – will be pleased to hear that the mintpad is compatible with apps for the Microsoft platform, so there’s flexibility in what you can run. Flash support in the browser is a nice touch (especially when you look at the number of smartphones that can’t do this) and audio quality is decent.

On the downside, there are no hardware volume controls, the browser lacks an on-screen keyboard so far, and the rotation-sensor is underused. Still, these things might change when the final English firmware release arrives at the end of the month.

The recently-released MacBook Pro firmware that promises to enable 3.0Gbps SATA connectivity has ironically been causing problems in third-party drives. Apple released the upgrade earlier this week, after users of the new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro models reported that the notebooks were limited to 1.5Gbps SATA; this did not affect the speed of standard-fit hard-drives, but may have limited future performance should the user upgrade to a faster HDD or SSD. Now, some users with third-party drives already installed are reporting frequent pauses, usage spikes and data errors with the new firmware.

Both traditional hard-drives and solid-state storage are presenting problems. One user found his Western Digital Scorpio Blue HDD now suffers intermittent data errors and that the whole machine freezes randomly. Meanwhile another user who has upgraded to an Intel X25-M SSD found his drive no longer works at all following the firmware update. Some have found that re-installing the original SATA 1.5Gbps drive supplied by Apple restores the machine to working order, while others have had no luck.

Apple distanced themselves from aftermarket upgrades when they first released the firmware, warning users that they had “not qualified or offered these drives for Mac notebooks” and that “their use is unsupported.” That seems to mean they won’t fix the issue under warranty: many who have contacted Apple Stores or technical support regarding the firmware issues have been told that “Apple is not responsible for maintaining compatibility with third-party aftermarket hardware with their firmware updates.” However there is also talk that Apple Store “Geniuses” can roll back the firmware if there was a problem during the upgrade itself, though not otherwise.

SlashGear stopped by the Pepcom Digital Experience in New York this week, and caught up with one of the more interesting netbooks on the horizon: Lenovo’s S12. While it may physically resemble one of the company’s previous models, albeit with a larger 12.1-inch display, what makes the S12 really special is the NVIDIA Ion chipset inside. The demonstration – which you can see after the cut – showed silky-smooth simultaneous HD encoding and playback.

In fact, the Lenovo S12 was using its HDMI port to output 1080p content onto a big-screen HDTV while also re-encoding a 1080p clip into an iPhone-friendly format. Both moved on at a fair clip, and the playback was completely smooth and unaffected by the encoding process.

When you consider that the S12 is otherwise pretty much identical to a mainstream netbook today, it’s all the more impressive. As well as Ion there’s a 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM and up to 320GB hard-drive, together with WiFi, Bluetooth and an ExpressCard slot. Full specifications are here. The Lenovo S12 with NVIDIA Ion is expected to go on sale this month, priced at $499.99; cheaper models, lacking Ion, will start at $449.99.

I’ve no doubt this video will be all over the place before long (if it isn’t already) but we’re suckers for transforming tech here at SlashGear. Apparently created for the French postal service, to publicize their new home printing service for shipping labels, it shows a MacBook option that, while cool, could get expensive after a while.

In the video, the user’s MacBook transforms into a Star Wars-esque spacecraft after he attempts to organize a shipment, complete with Transformers-style robotic noises. It’s not the first time we’ve seen such adverts – Citroen’s C4 commercials are a good prior example – but we still love them.

Perhaps even funnier are the discussions the video prompted in the 9to5Mac comments, about how this isn’t actually a real MacBook (pre-transformation, of course). It has the screen bezel of a pre-unibody model, but the keyboard of a newer machine.

Palm have announced their Q4 and full-year 2009 financial results [pdf link], covering the period up to the end of May 29th. Palm chairman and CEO Jon Rubinstein revealed full-year revenues of $735.9m and gross profit of $159.8m; he went on to describe the launch of the Palm Pre and webOS shortly after the period finished as when the company “officially reentered the race”. That’s good news, because while smartphone shipments in Q4 rose 6-percent from Q3, year-over-year decline for the quarter was a huge 62-percent.
In Q4 2009, then, Palm report total revenues of $86.8m, with gross profit of $20.1m and a gross margin of 23.1-percent. That amounts to a net loss to common shareholders of $105m, or $0.78 per diluted common share; that’s more than twice the net loss in fiscal-year 2008.

Rubinstein remained positive, however, suggesting that the Pre was a “major milestone in Palm’s transformation” and pointing to “a large group of developers waiting to build great applications for Palm webOS”. He also tipped “a new product pipeline” which is presumed to include the Palm Eos, also based on webOS.

NKK Switches have announced a new control that integrates a compact 96 x 64 OLED display. The OLED Rocker has a 0.92-inch monochrome OLED panel with broad 180-degree viewing angles, and offers both up/down navigation as well as push-enter functionality.

The control joins NKK Switches’ existing display-control range, which already features a color-OLED button. However that control is only a push-button, and requires a far deeper panel mount.

NKK envisage the control as being used in home automation systems, scrolling through different options and perhaps replacing a whole bank of lighting or audio/visual controls. It’s also IP64 rated for resistance to dust and water, meaning it can be installed in industrial locations. No word on pricing, nor general availability.

It’s perhaps saying a lot about our opinion of big businesses like Sony when admitting you purposefully milk early-adopters wins you kudos for honesty. SCEE’s Andrew House, current president and former chief marketing officer, has done just that, telling MCV that the PSP Go’s high price is partly the result of “a certain premium” associated with a new device.

“When you introduce a new piece of hardware you have the opportunity to say there is a certain premium that is associated with it, and we took that into account” Andrew House, president, SCEE

MCV asked House whether the PSP Go’s $249 price was a result of new R&D costs as well as being an attempt to make up for lost retailer markup thanks to the new digital delivery system. House, though, denied that was the case.

Sony has been criticized before regarding accessory prices for the PSP Go. The handheld uses a new connector, meaning that mini-USB accessories purchased for the full-size PSP will not work with the new version.

Owners of the new iPhone 3GS will soon be able to jailbreak and unlock their smartphone, thanks to a five-month-old security flaw in the handset’s baseband. The iPhone Dev Team have verified that Apple have not addressed an exploit known as 24Kpwn that was originally identified in the iPod touch 2G; with it, they will be able to upgrade their ultrasn0w tool to work on the iPhone 3GS.
The loophole arose, the Team believe, because Apple finalized the iPhone 3GS’ bootrom in around August 2008, months before the exploit was identified for the iPod touch 2G. 24Kpwn went on to be exploited in the redsn0w tool, and similar techniques can now be implemented in ultrasn0w.

It will take some time to update ultrasn0w with the new system, but once completed it will mean the iPhone 3GS can not only be loaded with unofficial apps but used with any SIM card. Apple are likely to release a firmware update to try to prevent any damage, so the Dev Team are advising that people avoid baseband updates.

HTC have confirmed that they are looking to develop an upgrade package to deliver HTC Sense, their latest UI as demonstrated on the new Hero smartphone, to earlier Android models. However, due to licensing issues, devices which are “with Google” branded – such as the T-Mobile G1 and Vodafone Magic – will not get the upgrade.

The limitation comes as part of Google’s three-tiers of Android deployment, and their insistence that anything branded with their name should deliver the full, unmodified Android experience. That insistence has meant that other HTC developments, such as Exchange support on the Magic, have not made it to Android devices officially on sale in the US and Europe. The upcoming T-Mobile myTouch 3G will also be a Google-branded phone, and as such not get Sense.

According to HTC, there are potential logistical and R&D cost issues that might scupper a more limited Sense roll-out to non “with Google” existing devices, however, so an upgrade is by no means definite. It may be that cracked ROMs are the only way for existing owners to beautify their Android device.

NVIDIA will be releasing a netbook that sports the Tegra chip by the end of the year the company confirmed today. This will be the first time the chip has been used in anything other than the Zune HD player.

The Tegra chip sports a 720p resolution for HD video while maintaining low energy usage at 150mW. The prototype is being shown of the netbook that was built by Mobinnova, featuring an 8.9-inch screen.

Other suspected specs include a webcam, Wi-Fi, 3G and Windows CE. However, NVIDIA made a point of noting Android may be used. The pricing is expected to be the equivalent of $244 on Black Friday this year.

Always Innovating has finally put their Touch Book into production. This item is a tablet and a netbook of sorts that many have had pre-ordered for quite some time now. But it looks like you’re not going to have to wait much longer.
Shipping is believed to start next month at the same prices noted back in April. The Touch Book will cost $299, while the clip-on keyboard will cost $99. So, the price point is really pretty reasonable.

Sharp’s Mebius NJ70A is still too rich for our blood – $1,000 or thereabouts is simply too much to pay for a netbook, no matter how slick its touchscreen trackpad - but that doesn’t mean we’re not interested in lapping up all the information about the distinctive ultraportable that we can. UMPC Fever have acquired one of the Atom N270 netbooks and promptly shot a video unboxing.
It’s not just the trackpad – which is actually a 4-inch optical-touchscreen running at super-crisp 854 x 480 resolution – which makes this netbook stand out physically. The huge Mebius logo, basically a stylized Möbius strip, certainly stands out on the lid, but it’s arguably more attractive than a massive Sharp logo.

Inside, there’s an easily accessible Gigabyte WiFi module and Fujitsu 160GB hard-drive; the RAM also looks pretty easy to reach too. We’re just hoping that Sharp see sense and drop the touchscreen into their more grown-up ultraportables; pair it with something other than an Atom N270 and a somewhat more realistic price and you’d have a real winner.

Verizon Wireless have announced the HTC Ozone, their counterpart to Sprint’s Snap. The QWERTY-blessed Windows Mobile 6.1 phone has EVDO Rev.A support, VZ Navigator for audible turn-by-turn directions and a 1,500mAh battery. It’s also a global-roaming phone, and comes complete with international power adapters.
To enable that there’s a pre-fitted GSM SIM card, and in a pleasant change for Verizon devices the Ozone offers WiFi b/g too. Visual Voicemail is an option – for $2.99 per month – and the Ozone supports Exchange and webmail email, preloaded IM clients for AIM, Windows and Yahoo! Messengers, and a one-touch messaging shortcut key.

It’s also surprisingly affordable. Verizon are asking $49.99 (after a wretched $70 mail-in rebate) assuming you’re willing to sign up to a two-year agreement, while VZ Navigator is the usual $9.99 per month add-on. The Verizon HTC Ozone will be available from June 29th online, and in stores from July 13th.

Microsoft have announced official pricing for Windows 7, their next-gen OS which will arrive on October 22nd. Both upgrade and full prices have been revealed, the latter being $199.99 for Windows 7 Home Premium, $299.99 for Windows 7 Professional, and $319.99 for Windows 7 Ultimate.

Those upgrading from Windows XP or Vista will pay slightly less: the Home Premium upgrade is $119.99, the Professional upgrade is $199.99, and the Ultimate upgrade is $219.99. From Thursday June 26th, Microsoft will be offering cut-price pre-orders to those in the US, Canada and Japan, where buyers will be able to get the Home Premium upgrade for $49.99 and the Professional upgrade for $99.99. Similar deals will start from July 15th in the UK, France and Germany. However availability at these discounted prices is limited, though Microsoft are keeping quiet as to how many licenses they’ve set aside.

As HP have already announced, there’ll also be a Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program, which will begin on June 26th. Participating retailers and OEMs will be offering free (or reduced cost) upgrades to Windows 7 for machines bought between the 26th and October 22nd.

HP have announced a new range of consumer desktop PCs, together with an update to their MediaSmart Server software for TouchSmart PCs. Slimline, Pavilion and Elite desktops have all been announced, together with a new Compaq Presario desktop. In addition, HP have announced that select consumer PCs bought from today onwards will be eligible for their Windows 7 Upgrade Program.
Both AMD and Intel processors are available across the ranges, and Blu-ray is also an option on some models. The Pavilion Slimline kicks off with an AMD Athlon single-core LE1660 CPU, 2GB of RAM and 320GB hard-drive, climbing to a Pentium dual-core CPU, twice the RAM and a 500GB drive. As for the Pavilion, that kicks off with an AMD Sempron LE1300, while the Pavilion Elite starts with a dual-core AMD Phenom II X2 and rises all the way to an Intel Core i7-920 with 6GB of DDR3 RAM, 750GB storage and a 1GB ATI Radeon HD 4650 graphics card. Finally the Presario machine has an Athlon X2 dual-core CPU, 3GB or RAM and NVIDIA GeForce 6150 SE graphics.

The HP Pavilion Slimline s500 series begins at $289, while the Pavilion p6000 series starts at $269. Meanwhile the Pavilion Elite e9000 starts at $599 and the Compaq Presario CQ5000 is $379.

Samsung may have managed to get several models from Sharp’s TV and monitor ranges banned from import into the US, after convincing the U.S. International Trade Commission that the products infringe one of its patents. The IP refers to LCD display technology, with sets from Sharp’s Aquos range of HDTVs named as potentially in violation.
While ruling against other Samsung patents the company had accused Sharp of violating, the agency decided that one particular patent, granted in 2004 and titled “Liquid Crystal Display having wide viewing angle”, was indeed infringed. The ITC are now suggesting that Sharp LCD products should be banned from import into the US.

A final ruling in Sharp’s complaint against Samsung is yet to be reached, though an ITC administrative judge actually Sharp’s spokesperson declined to comment on the ongoing process, while Samsung could not be reached for a statement.

We’ve already seen what’s going on inside the iPhone 3GS, now courtesy of iSuppli we know roughly how much it all costs. The analysts have been picking through the iPhone 3GS’ components and have deemed that Apple’s handset costs $178.96 to produce in its 16GB form.

That’s made up of $172.46 in hardware costs, and a further $6.50 in manufacturing expense. Significant components include the flash memory, produced by Toshiba and priced at $24 for 16GB, and the display, with the 3.5-inch LCD estimated at $19.25. The ARM SoC application processor is pegged at $14.46.

The similarity between the iPhone 3GS and its predecessor, the iPhone 3G, suggests – iSuppli posit – that Apple have been able to counter the more expensive components new to the smartphone by taking advantage of lower general prices on legacy parts and buying in bulk. They’ve also taken advantage of combined hardware, such as the Broadcom Bluetooth/FM/WLAN chip which replaces two separate components in the iPhone 3G.

Celio are looking to broaden support for their REDFLY smartphone companion device, tipping compatibility with RIM’s handsets and potentially Google’s smartphone platform. The company is apparently looking into developing BlackBerry support for the REDFLY devices by the end of 2009, with Android likely to be the next candidate after that.
The REDFLY devices resemble netbooks, but in fact are intended to be used as interface devices with a user’s Windows Mobile smartphone. 7-inch and 8-inch models are available, providing more screen space for the smartphone, and the devices have QWERTY keyboards and trackpads for easier text-entry and navigation.

While waiting for BlackBerry and, later Android support, Celio are looking to boost sales of their existing range by reducing prices. The 7-inch REDFLY C7 is now priced at $199, a reduction of $30, and offers 5-hours of battery life; meanwhile the 8-inch REDFLY C8N, which has an 8-hour battery, has seen a $50 cut to $249.

Gateway have rolled out two new small-form-factor (SFF) desktop PC ranges, its SX Series and DX Series, offering a choice of AMD or Intel processors, HDMI connectivity and compact desk footprints. The first SX model is the Gateway SX2800-01, a Core 2 Quad Q8200 2.33GHz desktop with integrated GMA X4500 graphics, 4GB of DDR memory, 640GB hard-drive and a DVD burner.
Meanwhile the two first DX Series models are the DX3400-03 and the DX4820-02. The former has an AMD Phenom X4 9750 2.4GHz processor with 8GB of DDR2 RAM, a 1TB hard-drive, ATI Radeon HD 4650 graphics (with 1GB of memory) and integrated WiFi b/g. The later uses Intel’s Core 2 Quad Q8400 2.66GHz processor, with 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a 750GB hard-drive, and NVIDIA GeForce G210 graphics (with 512MB of memory).

All three systems have gigabit ethernet, a multiformat card reader, at least eight USB ports, VGA or DVI as well as HDMI outputs, and HD audio support. The two Intel-based systems also have Firewire and eSATA ports, while the AMD-based DX model has an integrated TV tuner. Gateway are also hawking their FHD monitor series, the 21.5-inch FHD2101 and 24-inch FHD2402, which both support 1920 x 1080 Full-HD resolution.

The new PCs will be available in the last week of June, priced at $499.99 for the SX2800-01, $749.99 for the DX4300-03, and $899.99 for the DX4820-02 (which also comes with a 23-inch 1920 x 1080 LCD monitor). The FHD2101 LCD display is $199.99 while the FHD2402 is $269.99; both are available now.

Sony Ericsson have announced a new entry-level cellphone, the T715, offering 3G connectivity, a 2.2-inch 240 x 320 LCD display and a 3.2-megapixel camera. The handset differs from the usual run-of-the-mill consumer device by adding Exchange ActiveSync support to the normal IM, MMS and SMS messaging; it also comes loaded with Google Maps.
The T715’s A-GPS is used for directions and also for geotagging photos. Sony Ericsson have loaded on a YouTube viewer and the NetFront browser, which take advantage of the handset’s quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE and HSPA (both a 2100MHz UMTS model and a 850/1900/2100MHz UMTS model, the T715a, will be released). Internal storage is 90MB, augmented by microSD card, and the whole thing weighs 96.5g and measures 91.5 x 48 x 14.9mm.

GSMHelpdesk.nl had a chance to go hands-on with the T715, and you can see some of their live photos in the gallery below. The shots seem to confirm that it’s quite a chunky device, but they praise its full feature-set and media functionality.

LG have unveiled two new ”full LED” HDTVs, each with 55-inch LCD panels and 240Hz refresh rates. The LG 55LH95 and LG 55LH93 both use 3,360 individual LEDs and boast a contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1; the company’s backlighting technology can individually control 240 sections of the display, dimming or brightening as suits the image on-screen.
Despite sliding in all those LEDs, the new HDTVs are still slimline. Depth is just 24.8mm, despite the company also fitting in wireless connectivity; it’s unclear from the press release exactly which format LG have selected, but considering they’re boasting zero degradation we’re assuming it’s some type of ultrawideband HDMI.

The two new sets will be released in July, priced at around $5,500 for the 55LH93 and around $5,900 for the 55LH95. Smaller 42-inch and 47-inch “full LED” sets will follow by the end of 2009, though they won’t be as slimline as these 24.8mm flagship models.

According to an unnamed phoneArena tipster, Verizon have confirmed that they will be offering the CDMA version of Samsung’s Omnia II this July. The source is seemingly Verizon’s customer services, who revealed that the touchscreen AMOLED Windows Mobile phone will be dropping just next month.
Samsung made the Omnia II official earlier this month, surprising with the fact that the device publicly announced was not the GSM HSPA handset expected but a CDMA device. Verizon’s latest smartphone will offer EVDO Rev.A; there’s no talk of it being a “worldphone” with both CDMA and GSM support for roaming.

Also unknown is a specific release date in July, and what sort of pricing the Omnia II might command. The phone has a 3.7-inch WVGA display, 5-megapixel camera, WiFi and A-GPS.

Speculation a-plenty today, after HTC’s Peter Chou apparently confirms that the company’s Sense UI “will be available on some other existing devices”. That, understandably, has prompted many Magic and G1 owners - previously to be found looking at their devices and sneering at the basic UI – to believe that at least one of the two phones will get HTC Sense. However, it might also be a little more complex than that.

HTC didn’t make it entirely clear during their press event yesterday, but afterward took pains to clarify that Sense is branding for their entire custom UI work. Speaking to an HTC executive at a dinner event in London yesterday, he explained that what you see on the Hero is just the latest step in a UI project that began all the way back at the inception of the original HTC Touch. That means Sense includes TouchFLO 3D for Windows Mobile, rather than being a separate Android strand.

That given, it’s possible that Chou meant that certain Windows Mobile devices could get new Sense UI updates, rather than the company’s two existing Android smartphones; likely candidates include the Touch Diamond2 and Touch Pro2. It certainly seems more straightforward to port the new UI to other Android phones – in terms of processor and the like, the Hero is pretty much the same device as its predecessors – but until we get an official announcement we won’t know for sure.

SanDisk announced their brand new Extreme SDHC 32GB card today and it is intended for use in higher-end HD camcorders and DSLRs. In fact, it has a 30MB/s read and write speed and beats the AVCHD HD video recording requirements.

This card is capable of holding about 160 minutes of video at 1080p and up to 2,500 RAW images. Accompanying 4GB, 8GB and 16GB version of this SDHC are available now with the 32GB available starting in August.

The “Extreme” line can withstand low and high temperatures ranging from minus 13 F up to 185 F. While we don’t knowing the pricing for the new 32GB model, you can take a guess based on the pricing of the rest of the line, with the 4GB costing $70, the 8GB costing $120 and the 16GB priced at $200.

After HTC announced the Hero, we took the opportunity to coerce one of their team to spend a while running through the Android smartphone’s new functionality. The result is the usual excessively-comprehensive SlashGear video, a full fifteen minutes of HTC Hero demo that you can see after the cut.

In the video, you can see how HTC have integrated their new Sense UI with Android, adding an extra bevy of widgets for the newly-enlarged homepage. That same UI will eventually end up on all HTC devices, we’re told, so even if you’re a devout Windows Mobile fanatic you’ll be wanting to see exactly what’s what.

For the full hands-on gallery of live HTC Hero images, check here. If you want all the specs, check out our launch post, or the official Hero page at HTC’s site.

AT&T have released the iPhone version of their Navigator PND program through the App Store , offering turn-by-turn directions on the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. The Telenav-developed app supports both verbal and on-screen guidance, speech recognition, traffic alerts and full 3D mapping.

Those 3D maps are automatically updated in the background, too, as are POIs and street names. There’s also access to Yellow Pages, for business listings, together with online trip planning; users can set up their journey via their PC or Mac, and then have the route wirelessly delivered to their iPhone.

It’s all sounding great, aside from the price. AT&T Navigator for iPhone is priced at $9.99 per month, which works out at around $240 if you subscribe for the lifetime of your AT&T contract. With standalone GPS units going for bargain-basement prices right now, we’re not sure that’s cost-effective.

HTC have confirmed that the distinctive HTC Sense UI seen today on their Hero Android handset will in future be featured on the company’s Windows Mobile devices. According to the HTC press release, “all new HTC devices moving forward” will get the new system, which integrates Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and other widgets into the homescreen.

What will be interesting to see is how Sense co-exists with Windows Mobile’s own UI and that of third-party apps and widgets. While Sense obviously has elements of TouchFLO 3D to it, one distinct difference is that it co-exists happily with Google’s own Android widgets and those of other developers. In contrast, TouchFLO 3D pretty much takes over a Windows Mobile device, leaving little to no room for other providers.

While there’s no definite timescale for Windows Mobile devices using HTC Sense, the press-release’s assertion that all new phones “moving forward” will use it does suggest sooner rather than later. Of course, HTC have only relatively recently launched the Touch Pro2 and Touch Diamond2, which means there could be a few more months before a fresh Windows Mobile handset is forthcoming.