by Techno Witch on January 28, 2009
Word is that General Mobile will show the world?s first Dual SIM Google Android based mobile phone when they attend the Mobile World Congress next month in Barcelona.
The General Mobile DSTL1 incorporates a 624MHz Marvell PXA 310 processor, is tri-band GSM/EDGE 900/1800/1900MHz, with a 3 inch WQVGA touchscreen, 802.11b/g WiFi, 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and flash, and Bluetooth.
The General Mobile DSTL1 measures 112 x 54 x 16mm with a weight of 135 grams and will apparently have a few changed to the hardware to accommodate the Android OS before the Mobile World Congress showing.
by Techno Witch on January 28, 2009
LG has had to issue a recall of their LG 150 mobile handsets; the recall of the device applies to 45,000 LG 150 handsets and is confined to Canada.
The reason for the LG 150 recall is as described by Health Canada as ?The LG 150 mobile phone is no longer certified as meeting the Radio Standards Specifications 102 (RSS 102), Radio Frequency Exposure Compliance of Radiocommunication Apparatus.?
The LG 150 has been sold by Canada?s Virgin Mobile, Bell Mobility, NorthernTel, SaskTel, MTS Allstream, TBay Tel and Telebec. If you possess an LG 150 from one of those carries it will be replaced at no cost up until the 31st of March.
by Techno Witch on January 27, 2009
Skycore LLC,has come up with an interesting selection of commemorative, multimedia greeting cards, also known as MMS Cards, where users are able to send these MMS cards over cell phones to friends and family. Skycore has decided to celebrate President Obama’s inaugural address by including patriotic images, music, audio highlights and the ability to personalize with text, allowing you to share the joy of the inauguration with your closed ones no matter how many miles the both of you are separated. Those residing in the US will be able to obtain various MMS cards like “Spirit of Service”, “Lasting Peace”, “Faith and Courage”, “A New Era”, “Challenges we face” and “Hope and Virtue”. All MMS Cards will cost the sender a mere $0.99. Is it me or are folks taking advantage of the situation to milk any and every penny possible?
Press Release
by Techno Witch on January 27, 2009
The LG Wine is now available exclusively from U.S. Cellular, catering to those who are looking for flawless design packed with the most up-to-date technology. Surely you can’t get drunk from a handset, but maybe looking at your latest purchase might actually make you giddy due to its sleek exterior? The LG Wine clamshell phone will feature the following :-
- 2.2″ LCD display
- Spacious alphanumeric keypad
- Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity
- 1.3 megapixel camera
- 4 hours talk time
- 7 days standby time
- Speakerphone functionality
The LG Wine does come with easyedge support, U.S. Cellular’s suite of enhanced wireless data application services, that enables customers to purchase content such as ringtones, wallpaper and games over-the-air. The LG Wine is surprisingly pretty cheap compared to a decent bottle at your local winery, retailing for just $29.95 after a mail-in rebate.
Press Release
by Techno Witch on January 27, 2009
Browser was have been pretty interesting in the past, and for those of us who thought that Netscape would be invincible for all time to come, we were sorely mistaken, and that came about as Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) displaced Netscape as the numero uno Web browser on computers. Of course, Microsoft’s IE has then gone on to dominate the desktop browser segment for years, but with the advent of open source browsers like Firefox, IE’s market share has started to slide, and it shows no signs of stopping. Sure, Microsoft is still well poised with the largest percentage of users, but having its share being nipped away slowly but surely with time is a worrying sign, and the executives at the Redmond, Washington facility have surely taken notice of that. Hence ladies and gentlemen, we have the announcement that Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate is available now for your testing.
Platform Complete
The technical community should expect the final IE8 release to behave as the Release Candidate does. The IE8 product is effectively complete and done. We?ll post separately about the thousands of additional test cases we?re contributing to the W3C. We’ve listened very carefully to feedback from the betas. With the Release Candidate, we?re listening carefully for critical issues.
Reliability, Performance, and Compatibility improvements
We?ve studied the telemetry feedback about the browser’s underlying quality and addressed many issues.
Security
We?ve worked closely with people in the security community to enable consumer-ready clickjacking protection. Sites can now protect themselves and their users from clickjacking attacks ?out of the box,? without impacting compatibility or requiring browser add-ons. We also made some changes to InPrivate based on feedback from customers and partners.
Basically, IE8’s main focus is on how folks really use the web, and it aims to cater for those needs. Basically, IE8 RC is more or less the finished product, and initial reviews of it show that it has done some much needed catching up compared to IE7, but it is still not on par with the latest version of Firefox. What do you think?
Source: IE8 Blog
by Techno Witch on January 27, 2009
For those of you who love the seven seas and have always remained the the forefront of marine technology, chances are you would have heard of Lowrance before. This is a class-leading brand where marine electronics and GPS navigational systems are concerned, and this time round, Lowrance has a trio of next generation handheld GPS devices on offer for those who are looking out for one. The Lowrance Endura series has been expanded by these three innovative touch-screen GPS handhelds for the great outdoors, and they are the Sierra, Safari and Outback. More details on the individual models right after the jump.
The Sierra is the flagship model that aims to offer the most powerful and complete out-of-box GPS experience available, while the Safari is one versatile navigator that is suitable not only for sailing the high seas but for other outdoor adventures as well, and last but not least would be the Outback that sets a new standard in ease of use without breaking the bank in these economically challenging times. All three models are touted to offer best-in-class pre-loaded and aftermarket map content and compatibility with open community content (this is interesting as custom applications can be done up by fans).
Shared features among all three include a range of preloaded maps and the ability to expand its usefulness and memory thanks to a microSDHC memory card slot that is able to hold another 32GB of storage space, letting you store more photos, MP3s and even maps to tote around. Some of the pre-loaded content include Intermap’s Accuterra mapping, extensive outdoor trail networks and Points of Interest. That is not all as the NAVTEQ road network for the contiguous 48 states with an upgrade option on Sierra and Safari for full-featured turn-by-turn navigation are also thrown in for good measure. Optional Fishing Hot Spots and other national and international map content are available too, if you’re looking out to hit the motherlode on the seven seas.
The Lowrance Endura Sierra, Safari and Outback GPS devices will retail for $549.99, $384.99 and $229.99, respectively, when they’re available this May. Image courtesy of Richard Lee Merrit.
Press Release
by Techno Witch on January 27, 2009
Gone are slant angles in favor of a flat white, rectangular design. You could call it a plain Jane. And if the scuttle butt is correct, the picture you see above is the 2nd version of what some believe is the best ebook reader on the market ? the Kindle. And it may be here after Amazon’s press conference February 9th. Man, I didn?t think basic could look so ugly.
It?s longer, but thinner. A larger screen is promised. And with 2.0, button placement issues that plagued the first model have been solved. In addition to rearranging the buttons, they have been made a tad smaller in an effort to address the accidental page turning issues. And even though it?s thinner, reports say it weighs a bit more to give it a more solid feel in the hand. Interesting. But all in all, aside from a new coat of paint (and not an attractive one at that) the Kindle 2 is reported to be the same basic feature set as Kindle 2, just thinner. The Kindle 2 will also drop an AC adapter in favor of USB charging set up, which as Kodak users can attest is an exercise in frustration at best. Also part of the redesign is a joystick, which is replacing the scroll wheel. A joy stick? What is it, a book reader or an Xbox?
I dunno, I like the feel of a book in my hands, but there?s no denying that being able to carry one platform that has several books at your fingertips can certainly be attractive to a traveler, and the ability to purchase and download near instantly on it?s wifi connection is a definite plus. It?s just too bad Amazon didn?t go with a nice black finish, rather than this white bread look yet again.
Hat Tip ? Crave
by Techno Witch on January 27, 2009
Here’s another eco-gadget to make your morning routine a little more earth friendly. Instead of just jamming your juicer and pressing a button, go the eco-friendly route. Instead, put all the items you want juiced into it and grab the hand crank. Usually juicers make your morning more convenient and quick. However, this one might be a little easier than no juicer at all, but it’s nowhere near as easy as an electronic model.
It can do the usual items, like oranges, carrots, apples, lemons or things like ginger and wheat/barley. It is easy to disassemble, which makes it easy to clean back up again. Unfortunately, it can’t be put through the dishwasher, despite that it’s no longer electronic. It is a great product for those that love eco-friendly products, however, it’s unlikely that the general public would be overly excited about it. You can purchase it on the Ecoutlet for £29.95 or about $42. Unfortunately, as of now they’re out of stock.
Source: ShinyShiny
by Techno Witch on January 27, 2009
It was inevitable that geeks who love golf would figure out a high tech way to try and help with a struggling putting game. Granted, there are other possible solutions, but when someone decided to attach a triple Argon Laser to a putter they may have forgotten that most greens have breaks in them and few are able to put in straight line to the hole. But that doesn?t prevent them from trying. And besides, it looks cool.
Powered by a single 9 volt battery, the triple argon lasers send out three beams which create a kind of lane for which the ball to travel upon putting. The center laser is positioned to go over the ball so as to prevent it from being blocked (which make one wonder what would be the point of it) the outside two provide the necessary lane markers with which to short put into the hole. And there is a simple on/off button in the handle. But budding Tiger Woods with a Cylon fetish need to remember that while this putter would work great on miniature golf courses that are flat and ?carpety,? it won?t really help with the majority of greens that actually have bends and breaks in the line from ball to cup. But hey, it is cool looking.
Hat Tip ? The Giz
by Techno Witch on January 27, 2009
I showed up for Sony?s Press Conference the day before CES, and it basically consisted of a high-level Sony-exec saying: ?We are awesome, yes we are! Our new products are just going to prove our level of awesomeness!?
Still, they had some terrific products to show, including the VAIO P Series netbooks, they also had several televisions on display, including the Sony Bravia VE5 Series. These televisions are an upgrade of the V-Series models, and they have Full HD 1080p resolution and Motion flow 120Hz technology.
One notable feature is the energy-saving Presence Sensor that will automatically power down the picture if its motion and light sensors do not sense people in the room. It won?t stay that way, as the picture will go back to normal when the user re-enters the room.
The VE5 also has a Hot Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (HCFL) to reduce energy consumption by forty percent. There is yet another energy-saving feature that cuts the flow of energy to the television by turning off all of the components when the television is turned off.
You should be able to purchase the VE-5 series of televisions this Spring or Summer in 40, 46, and 52 inch models. Unfortunately, the company hasn’t given a price as yet.
Source
