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Friday 30 December 2011

Apple's iPad 3 Coming in Two Models in 2012: Rumor

eWeek leaked that Apple's next iPad will arrive in two models (which would be quite a change for apple) and the iPad 2 will be repositioned to battle against the fast selling Amazon's Kindle Fire according to a DigiTimes report. Apple will unveil two iPad models at a conference in January, according to Taiwanese publication.

Meanwhile, according to the report, the new iPads will feature higher-resolution screens and “dual-LED light bars” to “strengthen the brightness of the panels.” (quotes from DigiTimes)

Earlier in December, DigiTimes quoted still other unnamed sources in the supply chain as claiming the first next-generation iPads would arrive within three or four months....... Certainly if Apple follows the same release schedual of the previous two iPad versions, the next will make its debut early in 2012, but however the wild, unfounded, far-fetched rumors that usually accompany each new iPad on its way to close unveiling and release, it just pays of to take many of the reports with a miniature grain of salt.

Apple concludes 2011 with a untouched share of the tablet market. However, the competition is unlikely to be diminiuative in 2012. Microsoft and its manufacturing partners are prepping a series of tablets running the upcoming Windows 8, which will make a hard play for PC power users and businesses. In addition, competitors like Samsung are still grasping the edge tablet fight. Whatever Apple decides to release next year, it will continue to face a crowded marketplace, which I'm sure it will do! 

Thursday 29 December 2011

Microsoft lines up Tablet series for 2012

We are comming up to the year 2012 and new news is that Microsoft is preparing a new generation of Windows Tablet  for 2012 running Windows 8, will be another competitor to the booming tablet market,  Bring on 2012!


  














Saturday 24 December 2011

Hasbro sues Asus over Transformer Prime 'copy'???

Toy maker Hasbro is suing computer manufacturer Asus for daring - allegedly - to name an Android tablet after one of its biggest money spinners.
Yes, Hasbro owns the Transformers line, and is annoyed not only that Asus has released the Eee Pad Transformer but also added the word 'Prime' to the end of the product's moniker.
Optimus Prime, as any ten-year-old or Michael Bay will tell you, is the leader of the goodie Transformers, known for their multi-pivot limbs and cunning disguises.
Hasbro's legal assault team attempts to impede Asus tablets' entry into Blighty
Said the plastic figure giant: "The specific actions we are taking today against Asus underscores yet again Hasbro’s willingness to pursue companies who misappropriate our intellectual property for their own financial gain."
We'd argue the company doesn't have a (retractable) leg to stand on.
Lots of companies share names, but provided they operate in very different markets, that is considered reasonable and not an invasion of either's territory.
Then there's the fact that while Transformers are robots that ingeniously 'transform' from humanoid figures into a vehicles, the Transformer Prime is a two-part unit that intentionally comes apart.
Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 Robot in disguise?
The only Transformers that ever came apart are those yanked to bits by irate youngsters unable to get them to transform correctly.
Transformers are brightly coloured. Transformer Primes comes in dull, gun-metal grey and a bronzy colour Asus calls 'champaign'.
Presumably, with a five-core Nvidia Tegra 3 chip on board, the Prime will fizz when in arrives early next year.
If it does, of course - Hasbro lawyers will undoubtedly seek to block its entry into the US and possibly elsewhere too. Which all seems a bit petty and trivial to me..........

-reghardware

Sodastream Fountain Jet Specifications

With the SodaStream Jet Starter Kit, you've got everything you need to turn tap water into sparkling water in 30 seconds--saves your money. This black/silver SodaStream Jet soda maker comes with one CO2 cylinder that will make up to 60 liters of sparkling water. With no batteries or electricity, you can use your soda maker in your kitchen, outdoors on your patio or deck, or on your boat or R.V.
In addition to making fizzy water, SodaStream also offers more than 25 regular, diet, energy and caffeine-free flavors of syrup (sold separately). Each 500ml soda mix bottle makes the equivalent of 12 liters of soda (about 33 cans). And with over 25 flavors, the possibilities for creative beverages are limited only by your imagination. How about a Creamsicle (Orange and Cream Soda), or a Japanese Beetle (Ginger Ale and Lemon-Lime)? The regular soda mixes contain no high fructose corn syrup, while the diet soda mixes contain no aspartame.
The benefits of the SodaStream drinks maker, compared to ready made bottled drinks:
  • Provides an endless supply of sparkling water, freshly made from tap water in just a few seconds.
  • No more need to buy, carry or store large quantities of heavy and bulky bottles.
  • A wide variety of flavors are produced by SodaStream.
  • The ability to make sparkling water as strong or as weak as one likes, makes the machine an ideal solution for the family's entire sparkling beverage needs.
The Jet soda maker carbonates water in a BPA-free, reusable one-liter bottle in less than 30 seconds, without electricity or batteries, and with no clean-up. After loading the carbonator into the soda-maker, fill the bottle with regular tap or filtered water and place it in the soda maker. Just pump the button a few times to add the fizz and in seconds you will have a liter of fresh, tasty soda or sparkling water in a resealable bottle that stores compactly in your fridge.
When the CO2 carbonator is empty, you can visit the SodaStream web site to purchase a new CO2 cylinder as well as set up a cylinder exchange, which helps to eliminate waste. SodaStream collects your empty cylinder and returns it to our filling facility where it's cleaned, inspected and refilled.
The SodaStream Jet measures 16.7 by 5.3 by 7.9 inches (HxWxD) and weighs 2.58 pounds.
How Does SodaStream Help the Environment?
SodaStream is an "Active Green" company, meaning that consumers actively minimize their CO2 footprint when using the SodaStream system. The more the system is used on a daily basis, the more CO2 footprint the user actively saves. This differs from "Passive Green" brands, which use green-friendly production processes, but their products are not inherently helping you save on your daily footprint.
Because SodaStream uses water straight from the tap, the system makes traditional store-bought beverage bottles obsolete. That means, less plastic manufactured, less plastic waste and less transport of bottled beverages. Globally, 206 billion liters of bottled water were consumed in 2008 (Zenith International Global Bottled Water Report, 2008), and the energy required to make water bottles just in the US is equivalent to 17 million barrels of oil (Container Recycling Institute, 2002).
A family of four could slash their home soft-drink-related packaging usage by over 90 percent simply by using a SodaStream soda maker, and SodaStream's plastic carbonating bottle are reusable for up to three years. A typical American will toss away over 1500 aluminum cans (and/or hundreds of plastic 2-liter bottles) over three years, while a SodaStream owner will use just one carbonating bottle or carafe that come with the home soda maker.
Operating without batteries or electricity, SodaStream home soda makers are highly energy-efficient small appliances. Appliances that work without electricity improve the environment by cutting down on the emissions generated by electrical plants, giving us cleaner air and ground water.
By operating completely on power supplied by the compressed air in the carbonator--an easily renewable fuel source--SodaStream does not contribute to environmental pollution made by batteries. Empty carbonators are returned to SodaStream to be cleaned, inspected and refilled with CO2 drawn naturally from the air. Carbonators are reusable as long as they remain in good condition.

SodaStream Fountain Jet Soda Maker Review


Pros

  • Easy to use


  • Doesn't take up much space on the counter


  • Users can adjust the level of fizziness in their soda


  • Cons

    • Water must be chilled before using
    • Soda in the bottles loses carbonation within a few days
    • Can only be used on plain water (add flavorings afterwards)
    • Bottles are not dishwasher-safe

    Description

    • Machine and bottles are made of recyclable materials; CO2 cylinder can be traded in for full ones
    • Comes with 2 1-liter reusable BPA-free plastic bottles and lids, as well as a CO2 cylinder good for about 60 liters of soda
    • Does not require electricity or batteries
    • 24-month warranty includes free repair or replacement for faulty workmanship or inferior materials

    Guide Review - SodaStream Jet Soda Maker

     The problem is, the cost of those sodas adds up, and lugging the bottles home from the store (plus out to the recycling bin when they're empty) can be quite a chore.
    So when I saw the SodaStream C100 soda maker, I thought it would might be a good solution. And, for the most part, it is.
    The SodaStream is a non-electric countertop device that pumps carbonation into water via a CO2 canister that is included with the machine (Note: Don't do as I did and try to either travel with or ship your SodaStream – CO2 cylinders are considered hazardous materials and are pretty impossible for the average consumer to transport). The SodaStream also comes with two 1-liter plastic bottles and lids. The bottles are BPA free and are reusable, which makes them very eco-friendly. Plus, they last for 3 years (bottles are even marked with the "use-by" date). Extra bottles are available for purchase separately, and once you've used up your CO2 canister, you can exchange it at an authorized retailer for a new cylinder, and pay only the cost of the gas (at my local kitchenware store, this ends up being only around $13, whereas buying the cylinder itself is twice that much). The company claims the carbonator will make 60 liters of soda water, depending on the amount of carbonation used for each bottle (A larger cylinder is also available that carbonate up to 110 liters of water).
    Using the SodaStream is simple: You screw the CO2 cylinder into the back of the machine (the canister can stay in place until it's empty), then screw a bottle of chilled water into the front of the machine. Then, press the carbonating button a few times until you hear the machine buzz. Three buzzes will yield standard carbonation (which seems as fizzy as a just-opened can of soda), more or fewer buzzes will give you more or less carbonation according to your preference. Then, unscrew the bottle from the drinkmaker and either drink it immediately, or cap it and refrigerate it for later. The SodaStream can only be used to carbonate plain water, but for flavored soda, you can add syrups, juices or extracts to the bottle or to your glass.
    I found only a few drawbacks of the SodaStream. For one, you need to chill your bottle of water first, which can be a drag if you are making multiple drinks and only have 2 bottles, or if you want a spur-of-the-moment beverage. Second, the bottles must be washed by hand. And finally, I wish the user manual had a few recipes for making your own soda concentrates. SodaStream sells its own line of soda concentrates, but they are all filled with artificial ingredients, which makes me itch to create my own (Although I do like that the sweetener for the diet versions is Splenda rather than aspartame). But for around £68 for the kit, I think the SodaStream is a fun and useful accessory for soda lovers.

    Vita-Mix 5200 blender Review

    - In this Vita Mix blender review, we’ll take a look at the ever-popular Vitamix 5200. The Vitamix 5200 is Vitamix’s flagship blender and makes whole food juice, cooks steaming hot soup from scratch, and even makes healthy, homemade ice cream.

    The Vitamix 5200 blender is built like a tank, and it was designed to outperform and outlast virtually every other appliance on the market. It is a high performance appliance that combines versatility with commercial-grade components and construction.
    If you’ve never handled a Vita Mix blender before, you’re in for a treat. From the first time we picked up the Vitamix 5200, it was obvious that this blender was built like an absolute tank.
    Featuring an impressive Swedish-built 2 peak HP motor that was custom designed for the Vitamix 5200, this blender runs much cooler and is much more energy efficient than other blenders we’ve reviewed.
    We’re also big fans of the Vitamix 5200′s feedback-type variable speed control. With speeds ranging from 11 mph to 240 mph, the blender provides steady, consistent power regardless of load.The blender includes an all-new Eastman Tritan 64 ounce copolyester container that provides the durability of polycarbonate, but features improved chemical resistance and sound damping. The ergonomic soft-grip handle is extremely comfortable to hold, and makes pouring a joy.
    Blending food during our tests was never a challenge for the Vitamix 5200, thanks in large part to the unique stainless steel hammermill and cutting “wet” blades. These blades process whole foods better than any other appliance we’ve tested to date, and don’t overheat the food in the process (which can destroy up to 3 times the nutrition value).
    The spill-proof vented lid with removable lid plug which is a nice touch, making it easy to measure and add ingredients safely while the blender is running. Last (but certainly not least), clean up is super quick and easy with the Vitamix 5200 blender — simply add a few drops of dish soap, some warm water, and run on high for 30 seconds.

    Vitamix 5200 Blender Review – Final Thoughts

    The Vitamix 5200 blender is a beast of a machine that easily tackled everything we threw at it, and the overall build quality left us truly impressed.
    If you’re seriously thinking about buying a Vita Mix blender, you’re probably already aware of the fact that these machines aren’t exactly cheap. However, if you truly want to purchase the best blender money can buy and make an investment in an appliance that will serve you faithfully for many years to come, there’s no better choice in our opinion. Add to that the fact that the Vitamix 5200 is backed by a full 7 year warranty and this can save you, money on soups, smothies, cocktails etc. I would HIGHLY recommend purchasing one.

    -Noordinarygadget

    The Vita-Mix 5200

     
     
    The Vita-Mix 5200 is a so-called "high performance blender." High performance blenders can be used for tasks which are not always possible with a normal blender, such as making your own peanut butter or homemade flour.
    The high-performance label is usually only given to blenders with a motor that has 2 horsepower or higher, but it's important to check the actual specifications of any blender you may be considering purchasing, or you may not get the best bang for your blending buck.

     

    Motor

    • The Vita-Mix 5200 uses a custom designed 2 horsepower Swedish motor. This can be considered the most important part of a high performance blender, as it's what gives the blender the power to blend food into a finer consistency than conventional home blenders.

    Container

    • The Vita-Mix 5200 uses a copolyester container with an attached blade. The standard Vita-Mix 5200 package contains a single wet-blade container useful for blending wet foods. A separate dry-food blade container comes with some of the more expensive packages or can be bought separately.

    Controls

    • Unlike some other high performance blenders with digital controls, the Vita-Mix 5200 uses a simple set of manual switches and a speed dial.

    Size

    • The Vitamix 5200 stands 20.5 inches tall including the container in place, 8.75 inches deep and 7.25 inches wide. It weighs 10.9 pounds.


    Friday 23 December 2011

    Sony Tablet S Review

    Sony has an enviable record of producing top-quality, high-end laptops, but its attempts to jump on the budget portable bandwagon have so far met with mixed success. It ignored netbooks until it was too late, and even tried to reinvent the genre with the ill-fated, pocket-sized P Series.
    Its belated entry into the tablet race, the Tablet S, is a much more mainstream affair. Pricing is on a par with the iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1: the 16GB Wi-Fi version costs £399, and the 32GB is £480, while the 16GB 3G model costs £500. It has a dual-core 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU and 1GB of RAM running Android Honeycomb 3.2.
    Sony Tablet S
    Sony being Sony, though, things aren’t left at that. In fact, in a market where it’s becoming increasingly tough to stand out, the Tablet S is something of a guiding light. It boasts a unique wedge-shaped profile, which has a number of advantages. When you pop it down on a desk, it sets the screen at a slight angle so you don’t have to hunch over to see the screen and type. The thick edge gives you a good chunk to grip onto, and most of the weight is at that edge, making it much more balanced to hold in one hand than its rivals. The 586g weight, smaller 9.4in screen and grippy, textured rear panel also help.
    Other practical additions include a micro USB socket that can be used not only as a means of transferring files from PC/laptop to tablet, but also as a USB host, allowing you to connect extra storage, a keyboard, mouse or game controller via a converter cable (not included). There’s also a full-sized SD card slot, so supplementing the 16GB or 32GB of storage is simple. The one major omission is an HDMI output.
    Sony Tablet S
    The best part is that although the textured plastics don’t feel as expensive as those in the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Tablet S looks every bit the premium device. Its thin edge tapers down to 9.8mm, the sides are shaped so the tablet looks like a folded-over sheaf of paper, and the gloss black contrasts satisfyingly with matte silver plastic. It’s a very handsome piece of kit.


    Sony’s other main innovation focuses on home entertainment, with the Tablet S featuring an infrared emitter, allowing it to be used as a universal remote control. As you’d expect, setting up new devices is straightforward: select the manufacturer from a list, then the product type, and cycle through the options provided until you hit upon something that works.
    In a few minutes, we had a Samsung TV and Windows Media Center PC up and running, then took it to another house and set up a Sky HD box and Panasonic Viera TV. We struggled when it came to more esoteric AV components: stereo amplifiers are limited to seven manufacturers, and we couldn’t find ours on the list; and there was no sign of the Virgin Media TiVo DVR.
    Sony Tablet S
    But the good news is the tablet can also “learn” commands, so if you can’t find your device in the tablet’s very long list, you’ll be able to program it in. And once set up, it all works beautifully.


    There’s no point in innovating if you don’t do the basics right, and we’re happy to report that Sony has got it spot on. The 1,280 x 800 resolution display is top class, boasting superb brightness and contrast. We measured the former at 379cd/m2 and the latter at 733:1 – on a level with the iPad 2. Suffice it to say, movies and pictures look outstanding, and good viewing angles mean it’s just at home acting as a shared photo album as a personal movie and music player.
    Menu scrolling and the like feel immediate and smooth, as do web page panning, zooming and scrolling actions. And when pushed through our set of benchmarks, the Sony produced the sorts of figures we’ve come to expect from a top tablet: the BBC desktop homepage loaded in four seconds, the SunSpider JavaScript test finished in 2,191ms, and it scored 1,805 points in the Android Quadrant benchmark. Battery life is acceptable: it played our low-resolution video continuously for 8hrs 41mins before running out of juice.
    The camera is excellent: not up to the standards of the best smartphones, but strides ahead of the tablet competition, with good contrast and decent autofocus and a lot less of the hideous, smeary over-compression that afflicts so many of its competitors. It’s a shame there’s no flash to help out in low light, though.

    Software

    As is increasingly the case with Honeycomb tablets, Sony has tweaked the interface in various ways and thrown in a bundle of extra software. On the desktop, Sony adds four small (rather ugly) shortcut icons at the top of the Honeycomb desktop next to the Google Search and Voice Search options, for the browser, the remote app, the social networking app and email.
    Sony Tablet S
    In the top-right corner of the Android desktop is a shortcut to another frivolous extra – the Favourites screen, which groups recent apps and activities together in a sort of 3D video wall. Sony has also replaced the standard Honeycomb icons for many of the core Google apps with its own. Quite why, we couldn’t say.
    Fortunately, the changes aren’t all bad. We like the revamped app drawer, which sees a change of colour scheme (from black to white) and scrolling orientation (it’s now vertical rather than horizontal), plus the addition of various viewing and organisational tools. Apps can be sorted alphabetically, or by “Newest first”. Custom dividers can be used to split apps into groups, and shortcuts rearranged with a quick drag of the finger. And the screen can be viewed in two-column or grid layout.
    Sony Tablet S
    PlayStation certification means the Tablet S will be able to play old-school PS One games, with two titles included as tasters: the venerable Crash Bandicoot and Pinball Heroes. Yet the PlayStation Store app needed to purchase further games wasn’t up and running when we wrote this review. Sony says it will release this sometime in October.
    Sony includes its own music and video apps, both of which come in addition to the existing standard Honeycomb offerings. The principal appeal of these – aside from a rather attractive cover art “coffee table”-style view, which allows you to rummage through albums as if they were strewn on a flat surface in front of you – is the ability to “throw” music and video from the tablet to a suitable DLNA-compatible device. It’s a great idea, but not one that currently works very well. It recognised Windows Media Player on our network, but refused to play any file we attempted to send across.
    Sony Tablet S
    There are also improved camera apps, Sony’s own ebook reader software, a social networking app that aggregates Twitter and Facebook feeds, a DLNA client for streaming music and video across the network to the tablet, plus links to the company’s Music and Video Unlimited services (although again, the service wasn’t yet up and running when we tried to test it).

    Verdict

    There’s a lot packed in, and despite some ragged edges the software line-up certainly adds plenty of value. And that’s the picture we take away from Sony’s Tablet S as a whole. It may be unusual, but it isn’t quirky for the sake of it. The design works very well, the universal remote control facility is a stroke of genius and it’s backed up by solid performance in all the key areas: the camera is good, the screen is excellent, the battery life fine, and performance well up there with the best.
    In terms of sheer desirability, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has a brighter screen and slimmer, sexier profile, while the iPad 2 has its far larger library of tablet-specific apps to give it an edge. But we have to say Sony’s new baby runs them very close indeed.

    iPhone 3G Review

    It's hard to think of any other device that's enjoyed the level of exposure and hype that Apple found in the launch of the first iPhone. Who could forget it? Everyone got to be a gadget nerd for a day; even those completely disinterested in technology seemed to come down with iPhone fever. But the original device was still far from perfect: its limited capabilities (especially in the 3G department), high price of entry, and the small number of countries in which it was available kept many potential buyers sidelined. Until now -- or so Apple hopes.

    The wireless industry is a notoriously tough nut to crack, and it's become pretty clear that the first iPhone wasn't about total domination so much as priming the market and making a good first impression with some very dissatisfied cellphone users. With the iPhone 3G, though, Apple's playing for keeps. Not only is this iPhone's Exchange enterprise support aiming straight for the heart of the business market, but the long-awaited 3rd party application support and App Store means it's no longer just a device, but a viable computing platform. And its 3G network compatibility finally makes the iPhone welcome the world over.

    The hardware
    No one will have any trouble recognizing the new device from its face -- it's essentially identical to the original iPhone. Thankfully, the bright, high quality, high resolution 480 x 320 3.5-inch display that's just so easy to love, hasn't been changed a bit. Unfortunately, it's still every bit as much a magnet for smudges and fingerprints -- in fact, even more so now that the rear of the device has dropped its chic matte aluminum in favor of black (or white, optional on the 16GB model) plastic. Hey, at least now it's more symmetrical.

    The move to plastic seemed almost inevitable now that the iPhone has so many radios, frequencies, and antenna needs (GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS), but while we do prefer the original aluminum, the plastic does feel pretty solid and not at all flimsy, which is more than we can say for a hell of a lot of handsets. There's no doubt about the fact that we'd have preferred a matte or soft-touch finish to the glossy plastic, but that's all a matter of taste.

    The body of the phone is slightly thicker at its center than its predecessor, although the edges are tapered and thinner than before, which is always a good way to make a device feel smaller than it actually is. (Palm learned this a long time ago.) There are a couple downsides to the body shape, though: first, when you're tapping off-center on a hard, flat surface, the phone wobbles (but only a little, oh well).

    Second, the new shape means you won't be using it in your original device's dock. This really wouldn't be all that bad if Apple included a dock with the 3G like they did with the first iPhone, but now they want you to buy that separately. Did we mention they're asking $30 for it? Way lame. That absurdly small power adapter kind of makes up for it, but only a little.

    One thing Apple was keen to talk up is the vastly improved call quality of the iPhone 3G. Those in the know understand that 3G call quality is often better than regular GSM -- but it turns out Apple made a huge improvement on both sides. iPhone 3G calls made over 3G and GSM both sounded significantly better than calls made on the original iPhone. If you're upgrading your device iPhone you may not necessarily notice it, but on a side by side it was pretty obvious.

    Of course, call quality most often depends on coverage, and coverage varies between 3G and GSM networks depending on where you are. 3G calling also requires more battery power. Where are we going with this? Well, despite many of the painstaking measures Apple's taken to preserve battery power, the iPhone 3G doesn't do any real time signal detection to help determine whether you currently have better 3G or GSM voice coverage. If you suspect you might get better coverage either on or off 3G, it's up to you to dig down through a few settings menus to flip the switch. Not a deal breaker by any means, but it'd make for a welcome fix.

    Apple's numbers on the iPhone 3G's battery life peg it at 10 / 5 hours talk on GSM / 3G (respectively), 5 hours 3G data, 6 hours WiFi, 24 hours music and 7 hours video. Pretty much everything we've found in our testing jibes with Apple's claims, if not exceeds them. (Our early results testing video early on skewed low because we had mistakenly left on push and fetch data, which dropped the battery life by almost 25%. After re-testing, they're back up to spec.)

    All our tests were conducted with 3G on, WiFi on (not connected), Bluetooth off, no data fetching enabled (unless specified otherwise). Media tested with stock headphones, medium volume, and medium screen brightness, auto-brightness disabled.
    • Music (continuous playback, large library, occasionally turning on screen): 31h 23m
    • Video (continuous playback, no push/fetch data): 7h 5m
    • Video (continuous playback, with push and 15 minute fetch data): 5h 24m
    • Daily data use (browsing, email, and GPS / maps): ~6h 30m
    Those numbers definitely are not bad, but if you're anything like us and you kill time on your phone reading feeds and checking email like a fiend, by 3 or 4pm you'll likely be wondering if you'll even make it home with any power left -- especially if you leave on the 3G data. So be warned, because the kind of prolonged usage you used to get away with on the original iPhone probably isn't possible with the iPhone 3G. For some, this may be an issue. Others may never notice.

    There have been a number of other fixes to better the device as well. For example, the phone now has two proximity sensors to better detect when it's held to your ear. We also found that while the camera was essentially identical, we were getting images that were ever so slightly sharper and crisper than the original iPhone on 1.1.4 (check it out below). Still, knowing that HTC's Touch Diamond -- which features a 3.2 megapixel sensor and mechanical autofocus -- could pack such a great camera in an even smaller form factor than the iPhone's left us pining for something a bit more than the same 2 megapixels from the first time around.What we're probably the most excited about, though, is that two of our biggest hardware-related gripes from the original device have finally been addressed: first, the headphone jack is now flush, which means any standard (3.5mm) headphones will work in the iPhone without the need for an adapter. The new jack has a solid, confidence-inspiring feel that won't leave you worrying about damaging the device or your headphones. To this day we still have no clue why Apple pushed the jack in -- it was kind of funny hearing Steve pitch the flush jack as a feature at WWDC. It's the simple things, you know?

    Second, the speaker volume has been jacked up significantly, giving your calls (or music) a much more workable volume level if you're not blessed with superhuman hearing. It's not the loudest speaker we've ever heard on a device, and unlike many Nokia Nseries phones, it's still mono. But it's definitely a step up compared to the first iPhone, which was not only quiet, but also seemed to distort at much lower volumes.


    Speed and location
    At the end of the day, it's the 3G data that's important enough to become part of the new iPhone's namesake. Speed testing the iPhone 3G hasn't been disappointing in the slightest. We've seen speeds between 300 - 500Kbps in the US (roughly equivalent of other HSDPA devices we've tested), and in networks abroad where the data rates are even faster, we've gotten consistent data rates of over 700-800Kbps. It's pretty clear the iPhone 3G isn't hitting hardware limits right now, so much of what you can prepare to see in terms of speed in the US will depend directly on reception with AT&T's network -- which doesn't have the most outstanding reputation, nor the broadest 3G rollout.

    Interestingly, in one test, our iPhone 3G had worse reception on AT&T than a Nokia N78, yet managed speeds of over 100Kbps faster. So ultimately, where 3G coverage is decent, you should be seeing speeds that will no longer have you tearing your eyes out, as was so often the case with little mister sometimes-takes-minutes-to-load-a-small-page first-gen iPhone.

    GPS acquisition has also been surprisingly fast for a cellphone. AGPS devices use traditional GPS receivers, but help speed up location acquisition and accuracy by using cellphone towers to triangulate. As far as we know, the iPhone 3G is the only device out right now that not only has AGPS, but takes advantage of Skyhook's proprietary WiFi-based location system, giving it a total of three ways to help find where you're at. We were able to acquire GPS in as little as a second or two, although depending on your location and reception, you might see that take longer. It's important to note, though, that the iPhone's was clearly intended to be a location-aware smartphone -- not a dedicated GPS device. There's a big difference.

    That said, there's an enormous amount of interest by people hoping they can add one more to the pile of devices their iPhone has taken over for. It's pretty clear why people might want the iPhone 3G to replace their car's dedicated GPS nav, too. It's not just a location-aware device with a large, bright screen -- it's also connected (with service you're already paying for), thus able to get traffic updates, routing information, and so on. The Google Maps app doesn't provide turn by turn route guidance, though, so while it does provide directions, you can only use it as a stand-in -- and not as a full replacement -- for a proper GPS device. This problem might be solved later by some intrepid 3rd party developer (like, say, TomTom or Telenav), but there's been some confusion as to whether this might actually happen, and what Apple's official stance on GPS nav actually is. And even if this GPS software does eventually come out, the speaker on the iPhone 3G simply won't be loud enough to be heard over most road noise, so you'd also have to make use of a line-out. In other words, don't sell your GPS device just yet, okay?


    The software
    Anyone that's used the original iPhone knows what a delight the device can be to use -- except when using the old mail app -- but the hardware is only one part of that. An accurate capacitive touchscreen and well optimized mobile processors form the basis of that experience, but the iPhone continues to derives its real power in usability. The iPhone 3G and the second release of mobile OS X have given the device numerous useful new features while keeping in line with expectations that they not slow down the experience, nor overwhelm new or experienced users. So far, so good.

    Easily the most significant addition to the iPhone 3G (as well as the original iPhone and iPod touch) is the App Store, which finally enables users to trick out their phone with whatever programs make it through Apple's rigorous developer screening and software testing process. We've got as many mixed feelings about that closed-but-open model as we do about many of the programs that launched with the device -- especially the AIM client, which we were most excited about, but that kind of flopped. (Disclosure: Engadget is owned by AOL / TimeWarner. Sorry gang!)

    Although the App Store isn't open to any developer, it's worth noting that Apple's implementation wrests all control from its carrier partners, which typically expect 3rd party applications to be either side-loaded (i.e. more for the power user set), or simply want complete control of sales through their own walled garden. It's easy to argue that the App Store just trades one walled garden for another, but what the hell, we'll happily take Apple's over AT&T's.

    The applications themselves vary in price, and are purchased after you've logged in with your iTunes account. (Yeah, you'll need one even if you're only downloading free programs.) Apps under 10MB download over the air, and are immediately deposited in your first available slot, where they can be moved (or removed) as you see fit. As new versions of the apps become available, the App Store notifies you of updates and manages the downloads. Yes, it's a new kind of walled garden, but the App Store is also a category-redefining experience. We've already heard a radically open version will be making its way to Android, and we hope it will eventually find its way to platforms like Windows Mobile and Symbian as well.

    Another new addition is character recognition support for logographic-based languages, such as Traditional Chinese, as well as localized keyboards for nearly two dozen languages and markets worldwide. But the touchscreen keyboard can still be a major sticking point for some -- ourselves enthusiastically included -- and Apple hasn't given any more of its default programs (like SMS) the increased ease of typing that comes with using the keyboard in landscape mode. There's simply no question that in terms of efficiency, on an iPhone we're nowhere close to where we can get on a spacious (or even not so spacious) QWERTY keypad. To their credit, though, Apple's made a few tweaks over the last year that have made typing a little faster and easier (like letting you pre-type the next letter before your first finger has lifted). But the fact is this defining feature of the iPhone remains one of its biggest drawbacks.

    After nearly a week of testing MobileMe, we still haven't really had a positive experience with it among our editorial team. One editor, who had fewer issues than anyone else, still had difficulty syncing his 1,300+ contacts. MobileMe would choke on sync and require disabling / re-enabling to keep that sync moving. Another problem we saw was that email deletes weren't synced to other devices, requiring the same message be deleted in multiple locations. In some cases, a deleted email that wasn't properly synced would actually repropagate to back out other devices. Nothing better than zombie email.

    Another thing we (and a lot of people noticed) is that MobileMe on the desktop is faux-push -- it only gets updates every 15 minutes because it's actually pulling them, unlike the iPhone's proper push. (We're, like, totally sure someone's going to sue.) You can edit a certain .pref file (details here) to make it fetch every minute -- but fetching every minute isn't push, now is it? Apple has since acknowledged this issue (among others). We also noticed on the phone that if you have synced MobileMe calendars, your calendar subscriptions (like, say, shared iCal or Gcal or what have you) are disabled.

    All in all, as of the time of this writing, our feeling is that MobileMe still feels like it's in beta -- when it's up -- and is generally falling way short of what was promised by Apple. We believe they're earnest when they say they're trying to get it all up and running to fulfill their commitments, but for the time being we think it's best to steer clear until they work out the kinks.

    On the other hand, we found the Exchange support to be simple enough to set up and use that you may not have to bug your IT dude. Some hardcore enterprise users will miss the full Exchange suite, including synced notes and tasks, but the core functionality (email, calendar, contacts) work very well, and if you need to take your iPhone into the locked-down office, we tested and confirmed that it will play fine with your company's WPA Enterprise / 802.1x with PEAP network. But our biggest gripe with Exchange isn't small: the system is unable to let enterprise contacts and calendars coexist on the same device with personal contacts and calendars. (Personal and corp email get along just fine, though.)

    When you turn on Exchange-synced contacts and calendars, you're notified that it's a one or the other kind of a situation, and your personal data will be removed from the phone. Though that data isn't purged from your host machine, of course, you do immediately lose the ability to change contact or calendar sync settings. This effectively means that your device can only serve as an enterprise device OR a personal device, but not both at once. Kind of defeats the purpose of convincing your boss to get you an iPhone in the first place, you know? Can't all our calendars and contact lists just play together on the same device? We think they can (and should).

    Some other new and noteworthy features:
    • As mentioned, Google Maps now shows a pinging blue locator that can track your movement. As of right now there's no way to convert this to KML or anything usable for geocaching.
    • The camera will also now ask you permission to use GPS to geotag photos with your current location. Once you grant that permission, it will add the necessary standard EXIF data to your photos. TrĂ©s useful, but you can't refer back to those geotags to bring up a location in Google Maps.
    • Side note: there's now an option to reset location notifications, if you accidentally granted permission to an app you don't want knowing where you are.
    • The iPhone can now read PowerPoint, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote documents. It's still incapable of editing or creating new documents, however, and outside of sending yourself these files via email, there's no accessible file storage.
    • You can now save images from the web to your camera roll by tapping and holding.
    • The calculator goes into scientific mode when the device is tilted sideways.
    • Entering passwords is a little easier -- the last character you entered is temporarily shown at the end of the string. Keeps things safe but makes sure you know if you mistyped.
    • One of the very first things we ever requested the iPhone see fixed is finally fixed: calendar colors are now supported, meaning you can finally visually tell your appointments apart based on calendar.
    • You can now control email, contact, and calendar fetching from system settings, giving you granular control over push and pull data on your various accounts.
    • You can also enable parental controls if you got the device for your kids. Or you just want to curb temptation to constantly watch Charlie the Unicorn on YouTube or buy Lil Wayne tracks on the WiFi Store, weirdo.
    • Screen captures can be taken by holding home, then pressing sleep. They're dropped in the camera roll.
    • Doing a hard reset now fully purges the device's memory, thereby making it much more difficult to recover the kind of data you don't want someone else recovering. (More on that here.)
    We'd also be remiss if we didn't namecheck a few of the things missing from the device, some likely to be inconveniences, others outright dealbreakers:
    • Easily-replaceable battery -- especially being that 3G is much more demanding on battery power than EDGE data. We haven't popped the back off, but even if replacing the battery were as simple as unscrewing the two screws at the bottom (and it's not), that's still not what we'd call easily replaceable.
    • Copy / paste. As if we even needed to mention this.
    • MMS. Ditto.
    • Expandable memory still isn't in the cards (har). 8 and 16GB capacities are very decent, but the ability to go further with microSDHC would be welcomed by many. As would be a 32GB model.
    • A2DP (stereo Bluetooth). If this was an unlikely addition before, it's all but written off now. A2DP is a notorious battery hog on devices like cellphones, and the iPhone is already pushing the limits on power conservation and efficiency. It pains us to say it, but we just don't see A2DP happening any time soon.
    • Push Gmail. Hey, if Helio can have it on the Ocean, and Samsung on the Instinct, why is Apple stuck with only push Yahoo mail?
    • Service-independent device to machine wireless syncing. Exchange and MobileMe are nice, but even nicer would be a way to easily sync data directly to your machine without having to pay or have some kind of service.
    • Tethered data. Hey, you're paying $30 a month for data (likely more if you're using it outside the US), your laptop should be able to use some of it too.
    • No way to open a link in a new tab in mobile Safari. We also wish the browser was still a bit better about caching data, too -- it'd be nice not to have to do so many reloads when switching between tabs or moving back and forward through history.
    And for the enterprise users in the audience, the shortlist of ActiveSync / Exchange bits that didn't make the cut:
    • Folder management
    • Opening links in email to documents stored on Sharepoint
    • Task sync
    • Setting an out of office autoreply
    • Creating meeting invitations
    • Flagging messages for followup
    Wrap-up
    If you're an avid Symbian, BlackBerry, or Windows Mobile / Exchange user, chances are you might think the iPhone 3G is Apple playing catch-up -- and you're not wrong. 3G, GPS, third party apps, enterprise messaging, these are all old hat. But even the would-be iPhone killers being churned out weekly haven't yet found a way to counter the iPhone's usability and seamless integration of service and software, desktop and mobile, and media and internet.

    There are always things that could be improved, features to be added, fixes that should be applied -- but from first to second gen, from year one to year two, Apple has proven itself a relentless upstart in the mobile space, and is showing no signs of slowing down. All those new features give the iPhone even more appeal than ever, but the price is what really seals the deal.

    For our money, you're going to have a hard time finding a better device for two hundred bucks -- or maybe even for any price. But that doesn't mean you ought to toss your original iPhone, either. With the release of iPhone 2.0, Apple's given early adopters every possible new feature for free, meaning the iPhone 3G's biggest roadblock to adoption in the US may be its still very worthy predecessor. But as Steve says, "If anybody is going to cannibalize us, I want it to be us." As for the rest of the world? Things are about to get interesting.


    Archos 101 G9 Review

    What do you want from a tablet? It's a question that many reviews want you to ask yourself before invariably buying an iPad 2 , but it's a question that's particularly relevant to the Archos 101 G9.
    That's because Archos has focused on media playback for its latest machine, and it's done a pretty decent job of it. The Archos 101 G9 also happens to be a fully fledged Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet at the same time. Plus there's the little point of cash - at £270 for 8GB, this is one of the most affordable Android 3.2 tablets that money can buy.
    The obvious fear with any tablet focused on the budget market is that too many corners have been cut in order to bring it in at an iPad-destroying price point. But on paper, at least, there are no obvious miscarriages of silicon justice.
    Archos 101 g9
    You get a 1GHz OMAP 4 dual-core processor courtesy of Texas Instruments, with a view to upgrading this to a faster 1.5GHz model in early 2012.
    Archos 101 g9
    There are plenty of connection options - including a mini HDMI port, microSD slot and a standard micro USB port. And when it comes to the all-important display, you can rest assured that the 10.1-inch screen is capacitive (and responsive), and boasts a healthy native resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.
    Archos 101 g9
    The Archos 101 G9 comes in two different flavours, each defined by the storage options available. The basic unit packs 8GB of storage and has a list price of £270 (although you should be able to pick this up for around £250), while a 16GB model, the Archos 101 G9 Turbo, is going to be available at the start of 2012.
    Archos 101 g9
    Potentially more interesting is the 250GB additional memory on the Archos 101 G9, which uses a traditional hard drive. This will obviously make the unit a little more fragile than your standard tablet, but for a media machine, that's plenty of space for hours and hours of movies.
    Archos 101 g9
    Connection options for the base unit are limited to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth only, but Archos is keen to promote its 3G USB dongle that can be plugged into a special slot on the machine's underside. This doesn't make much sense if you're thinking of tethering this to your television, but it does enable you to extend the usefulness of the machine to compete against much more expensive options.
    The dongle can be used with your PC as well, which ticks the versatility box nicely.

    Archos 101 g9
    Archos has employed Android 3.2 on its 101 G9 tablet. Unlike previous tablets from Archos, this isn't a limited installation, and finally boasts full access to the Android Market.
    This means you can install the swathes of applications, utilities and 3D games that appear on there - currently standing at some 300,000 apps, although the list of tablet-focused ones is still frustratingly low.
    This isn't a Tegra 2 machine, but it doesn't seem to hold the Archos 101 G9 back too much when it comes to games - the likes of Dungeon Defendersworks fine, while the ubiquitous Angry Birds Rio is smooth.
    Archos 101 g9
    The Archos 101 G9 ships with a suite of tools pre-installed that focus on the machine's main strength, media playback.
    The Music tool replaces the standard Android offering, making for a far more visually appealing interface for handling your favourite tunes.
    Archos 101 g9
    The Video utility is more impressive though, pulling metadata and posters down to make for a great way of viewing information about your films and TV shows.
    You're not limited to simply playing your movies off the tablet either, as you can connect it to your Windows shares to stream movies. It will handle 1080p content without breaking into a sweat, and will handle plenty of the main formats.
    You'll need a mini HMDI to HDMI cable to get the most from this machine, and while we would have liked one to be included in the package, it's probably asking a bit much at this price point.

    Archos 101 g9
    Playing back movies on the machine itself is smooth, but we're not entirely sold on the screen. While most expensive tablets tend to use IPS panels, such screens are expensive, and so in order to hit that low price point, Archos has instead gone for a more traditional LCD TFT panel.
    Cheaper tablets, such as the Hannspree Hannspad, tend to use budget TN panels, which suffer from appalling viewing angles. But there's none of that apparent here, even from extreme angles.
    Archos 101 g9
    What there is, however, is a coarseness to the pixel pitch that doesn't sit quite so well with a tablet aimed at enjoying media. There's an underlying grid on the screen that, once seen, is really hard to ignore.
    It knocks out the vibrant areas a little, but is most apparent in darker areas, where muddy greens and browns seem to win out if the source image is much more intense. Even if you're watching the machine at a relative distance (using the flimsy stand to hold the tablet at a comfortable viewing angle), it's still apparent.
    Archos 101 g9
    If we're being picky, it would have been good to have a standard-sized USB port too, so that you could plug USB flash drives filled with media into it.
    You can of course connect to your shared devices wirelessly, if you've been forward-thinking enough to set such things up. Plus, the micro USB charging cable enables you to transfer straight from a host PC, so it's not a great loss. Even so, given how most media players, Blu-ray players and even TVs boast USB ports these days, it is notable for its absence here.
    Archos 101 g9
    This model is somewhat limited in the storage stakes, as well. Sure you can slide a microSD card in the waiting slot for an easy boost, but install a few applications on there (especially the larger 3D games, such as the aforementioned Dungeon Defenders), and you'll eat through what's left of the 8GB of storage.
    There's a reason why most tablets boast at least 16GB, and that's before you start looking at the huge storage-gobbling media.
    Archos 101 g9
    Sound on the whole is passable, if not particularly amazing. Long movie watching is better experienced through headphones, and the same goes for playing back music. If all you want to do is watch the odd YouTube video or listen to a bit of internet radio, though, it's adequate enough.
    Battery life is good, managing five hours of use when playing back movies. Playing games will reduce this, while simple surfing should see this extended to as long as seven hours.


    Archos 101 g9
    The built-in camera is probably the weakest element of the Archos 101 G9. Even in good light levels the quality of the images taken are woeful, and when used in the standard low-lighting of most houses, it's barely usable. In theory you could get by using it for video conferencing, but realistically you'd be better off simply not bothering.
    There's no rear-facing camera either, so you can pretty much forget using it to capture memorable moments if you do manage to take it out of the house. Trying to guess what is in the frame without seeing the screen isn't really what we've come to expect from modern technology.
    If you're looking for a tablet that can put in a decent turn as a source for your social networking, then there are plenty of better options available - even the iPad 2's camera, which is universally derided for its lighting capturing capabilities, is better than this. And frustrations aside, the quality of photos captured by the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 beats this hands down.
    Build quality
    Archos 101 g9
    There are plenty of plus points with the Archos 101 G9, and the odd negative, but to a certain degree these are all eclipsed by the tablet's chassis. It feels cheap, plasticy and generally not that impressive at all.
    While the likes of the Asus Eee Pad Transformer has a solid chassis that feels like it can survive many knocks, this doesn't feel like it'd survive an unprotected trip in a handbag. The back of the unit flexes with even light pressure, while the stand that enables you to watch movies comfortably hands-free, bends worryingly easily.
    Archos 101 g9
    The power and volume buttons don't have any positive feedback, and both of these are located exactly where you'd naturally want to hold the machine, which means they're prone to accidental pushing.
    There aren't a lot of positives to mention for the physical implementation of the 3G dongle, either. The actual unit itself seems badly designed (requiring a side of the dongle to be removed so that it can slide into place). Once installed, this dongle needs to be eased out slightly from the main unit to improve reception as well. Given its location, this is less than ideal, too.
    Archos 101 g9
    Possibly the most frustrating design choice, though, is that the screen sits behind a slight bezel. This means your finger will keep catching the edge of the screen surround when you're using it. It also looks far shoddier that it should do because of this design choice.
    Why Archos felt the need to do it this way round, as opposed to having the glass screen in front of the machine's facia (like nearly every other tablet worth considering), is hard to fathom.
    Regardless of what you've paid for your tablet, you don't actually want to it feel cheap. You want it to feel special, but you're not going to be showing off the Archos 101 G9 to anyone - which is a shame, because it is capable.

    Archos 101 g9
    The Archos 101 G9 isn't an easy device to judge. Looked at purely in isolation, there's a lot to love here, thanks mainly to the fact that it handles media playback well. And that seemingly tempting price tag would appear to put the machine in a certain form of isolation.
    There's a problem with the pricing though, and it's one that's going to be hard for Archos to solve. Essentially as the new Tegra platform, codenamed Kal-el, makes its way onto the market, that means that a whole host of existing machines are about to see some tempting price cuts.
    These price cuts have already started to appear, and they're only going to continue. These cuts are leading other manufacturers to make much better hardware that costs only a few quid more and looks far more tempting than this clearly budget-focused system ever will.
    Compare the Archos 101 G9 to a budget Motorola Xoom, and the two tablets feel poles apart, at least in terms of build quality and materials. It's true that the Archos is better built than most budget-focused machines, but ultimately it can't escape the price tag it has so clearly been built to.
    We liked
    A full Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet at this price point is not to be sniffed at. Archos offers full access to the Android Market, at last, too.
    The way your media is displayed in the Archos Video and Music apps is excellent, and thanks to album covers and movie posters, it produces an incredible experience. The fact that the Archos 101 G9 handles pretty much every format you could hope for is to be commended too.
    Good connection options, with HDMI, microSD and micro USB ports, afford plenty of options for getting your media on and off the system.
    A price that is far more tempting than the £400 standard that other manufacturers have decided is the entry price for the tablets. At £279 it's not the cheapest option, but it does offer more bang for your buck than its peers.
    We disliked
    The plastic chassis feels cheap, making it something you use for functional reasons, rather than something you want to shout about as a paradigm shift in computing (which for some, will be reason enough to buy it).
    The camera is truly awful, and with only a screen-facing lens, this isn't great for capturing those odd moments that you can find yourself near something interesting with a tablet in your hand.
    The screen is disappointing when viewing darker images and movies. There is an obvious underlying grid that makes smooth gradients turn into a brown muck.
    Performance is lagging behind the competition, and while this doesn't appear to affect movie playback, going forward this is going to rule this tablet out of playing some games and handling certain apps smoothly.
    Final verdict
    The Archos 101 G9 sets out a specific stall for itself and does incredibly well at delivering on that goal, although only in a functional way. There's no innate joy or passion on show here.
    If you're in the market for a capable tablet, but have a limited budget, then this is one of the best options outside of price cuts that you can get.
    The potential problem is we're about to be bombarded by cut price tablets, and much better units can be had for this kind of cash - tablets with more memory, built from better materials and generally put together with more love!

     
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