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Will The New iPod Touch Have A Front Facing Camera?

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It’s that time again when geeks, humans and hybrids (aka journalists covering tech news) make the latest predictions on Apple’s newest gadgets.

Now that the iPhone 4 has proven its worth to the world, the geek-o-sphere is once again in hyper mode speculating about the iPod Touch embracing Face Time.

Major UK retailer, John Lewis, believes that there’ll be a substantial refresh of the iPod Touch this coming September 2010. Speaking at the company’s Christmas look-ahead event in London, Rob Hennessey, buyer audio and telecomms, outlined the major features that the device is likely to carry, based on information given to him from suppliers.

The main new add-ons will be an improved 5-megapixel camera with a flash, that can shoot HD video, the adoption of the same sort of accelerometer and gyroscope found in the iPhone 4, and FaceTime calling over Wi-Fi. (Pocket-lint) [Read more…]

Originally posted on July 8, 2010 @ 3:26 pm

Android’s White Knight Has Arrived. It Calls Itself HTC EVO?

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Like their iFoes before them, it looks like Android lovers will finally have a lighter phone to compete against the ever so elusive white iPhone 4.

HTC is releasing a white EVO 4G phone, which may appeal to the geeks who want to stand out from the masses and appear “hip” at the same time.

Now available in black and exclusive white online and in select stores.

Get ready for a rich, mobile Internet experience at Sprint 4G** speeds. The feature-packed HTC EVO 4G gives you the power to quickly download music, photos, files or videos in seconds. Stream video or create your own content and upload your creations to your favorite social network. (Best Buy)

Emphasis: Mine.

Unfortunately it looks as if HTC may be suffering from white smartphone shortage (something Apple is dealing with) which may have something to do with demand or material (or perhaps both?).

While many of my Android friends will probably clamor over this beauty, personally I find white smartphones (regardless of manufacturer) more of a irritation due their ability to attract “stains” due to their lighter color.

Either way its good to finally see HTC attempt to match Apple’s white iBeauty in the wild, even if the former lacks FaceTime.

Originally posted on July 16, 2010 @ 4:37 pm

Will Blackberry 6 Save RIM From The iPhone Tsunami?

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Despite the hype over the iPhone (or iDrama if you’re suffering from signal loss), Apple has yet to capture the smartphone crown, as RIM (which stands for Research In Motion for you non-geeks) still reigns as the champion in the US.

Despite its vaulted position, RIM has done a horrendous job at countering Apple’s mobile OS, although all that may change with the launch of Blackberry 6.

In the almost ten years I’ve worked at Research In Motion (RIM), I’ve never been as excited about a BlackBerry® software launch as I am for BlackBerry 6, which is on track for release this summer. I’m absolutely in love with the BlackBerry 6 experience and I expect other longtime users like me will feel the same. I also think the wide range of changes and added features in BlackBerry 6 will attract a lot of new users to the BlackBerry platform. […]

In addition to the new fluid user interface, the video illustrates a few of the new applications and features in BlackBerry 6 that are designed to provide users with a mobile experience that is fun and approachable, yet extremely powerful. We’ll discuss these features in more detail on Inside BlackBerry as we move closer to the point when BlackBerry 6 becomes publicly available. (Inside Blackberry)

Unlike Android and Windows 7 Mobile (whose user interfaces look hideous), Blackberry 6 seems to be a breath of fresh air that may help RIM regain favor with the corporate masses (or rather their employees) in an age where everyone is going “ga ga” over iPhone 4. [Read more…]

Originally posted on July 12, 2010 @ 12:59 pm

Would You Buy An HP Slate Over An iPad?

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Despite the allure of an Android tablet, truth be told the Google OS lacks the elegance and user interface to match iOS which powers Apple’s iPad (even if the former would potentially pack a lot more power).

What the world needs is an iChallenger who can take on Steve Jobs greatest creation and actually come out victorious (or at the very least a close second).

As far as this author can tell, that company may in fact be Hewlett Packard (also known as HP).

HP has a unique vantage point of the whole tablet market. They haven’t released a model yet. Instead of simply outing an iPad alternative right away, they are taking their time and are doing it right. They might have even bought Palm for over a $1 billion dollars just for the spectacular webOS platform with the tablet market in mind. […]

The interface complete with its sliding cards and unifying goal should be up to the task. WebOS even does web browsing slightly better than Android. But more importantly, HP now owns Palm and webOS meaning the can shift huge resources into developing stellar apps. (CrunchGear)

Although the webOS is impressive, what HP currently lacks right now is a large developer community that can churn out webOS apps faster than Apple can say “your app has been approved.”

HP also needs to make sure that their upcoming slate can also out last the iPad when it comes to battery life, which is a major selling point to users existing outside of the world of geek.

While HP’s entrance into the tablet world will probably make choosing a large touch screen device more difficult (at least for the average consumer), it would help bring some much needed competition to the space as not everyone is a fan of all things Cupertino.

Originally posted on July 15, 2010 @ 3:11 pm

Filed Under: HP