Updates On iPhone 4 Accessories

Every week or so, Apple and third party companies release a batch of new accessories to go along with your iPhone 4. Take a look at this week’s update concerning latest products for your Apple smartphone;

BodyGuardz;

Nope, it ain’t for your protection, this product is for preventing your iPhone 4 from getting those scratches. You can go for a screen protection program by buying BodyGuardz Dry Screen protector; it’ll cost you $15. Or you can go for the full body protection package for $35.

Griffin;

Griffin Technology developed a nice cuddly iPhone 4 cases that your kids will love to mess up with. Don’t worry, it was made this way and despite of all the chewy and drooly interaction, the Griffin Case still protects your iPhone from getting any scratches or stains.

Uncommon

Though a little pricey at $35, the Uncommon iPhone 4 Deflector Case is a great tool for art enthusiasts. Admit it, sometimes you do wish that you had a special iPhone 4 case with an image of your choice. Through Uncommon, you can either upload an image or take one to them, through a USB. The vendors will be happy to print is out for you on a special sublimation.

For every company’s mishaps in the industry, there’s always a doorway opened up for new possibilities. If you look at the iPhone 4 antenna debacle from a bigger perspective, you’ll notice that it also opened employment opportunities. 3rd party companies that never existed, started developing iPhone 4 cases. It is a continuous cycle of action and reaction that balances the market in one way or another.

Via : toptechreviews.net

Sony Ericsson says it has 'no plans' for any new Symbian

Symbian has taken some pretty hard hits as of late, and it's just been dealt another big one -- Sony Ericsson has confirmed earlier talk that it is indeed abandoning the operating system. As Sony Ericsson spokesperson Aldo Liguori bluntly puts it, "we have no plans for the time being to develop any new products to the Symbian Foundation standard or operating system." That doesn't completely close the door on Symbian, of course, and Liguori also said that Sony Ericsson still remains a member of the Symbian Foundation. Those future meetings should certainly be interesting, no?

Via : engadget

RIM to launch its new BlackBerry tablet next week

Research in Motion (RIM) is all set to launch its new BlackBerry tablet next week at the company’s developer conference which is scheduled to begin this Monday at San Francisco, as stated by a report in The Wall Street Journal.

RIM has already trademarked “SurfBook” and “BlackPad” and it is most likely that the newly launched tablet will have one of these names.

Last month, Apple Daily a Chinese paper stated that RIM had selected Quanta a Taiwanese notebook manufacturer to produce a minimum of 2 million tablets in this year.

This launch will take place just weeks following the debut of Galaxy Tab, Samsung’s 7” tablet. BlackBerry’s new tablet will be unique. It will be different from its peers. The new BlackBerry tablet will support Wi-Fi, 3G connectivity, and Bluetooth.

Via : blackfridaydeals2010.in

RIM Plans to Sell 2.5 Million Black Pad Tablets in Q4 2010

RIM(Research In Motion) is expected to announce their tablet device(BlackPad) at their 2010 BlackBerry Developer Conference next week. Analysts are speaking out on this possible new venture and if it’s a good move. Analyst Jeffrey Fidacaro of Susquehanna Research said that RIM is building 2.5 million “BlackPads” for Q4 and but it won’t be rivaling the Apple iPad or Samsung Tab for the consumer market, but shifting towards the enterprise market.

Today eWEEK reports that Susquehanna Research analyst Jeffrey Fidacaro has learned from a source that RIM is building 2.5 million tablets for the last quarter of 2010 and that the company plans to target enterprise customers, not consumers. A Q4 launch would give the device a head start on Cisco’s Cius, which isn’t due until early 2011.

Via : techpinger.com

Apple MacBook Air 11.6″ edition

Despite Apple’s claims that it would not be launching a netbook device, rumor has it that the company will be releasing a new MacBook Air – with a mere 11.6″ screen size.

Designed to replace the existing model, firm details of the up-coming ultra-portable notebook are thin on the ground – but if true, would mark one of the smallest notebooks Apple has ever made.

It’s true that it wouldn’t precisely class as a ‘netbook’ per se – the processor, memory, hard drive, and graphics capabilities of the MacBook Air far outclass anything that appears in that particular category, making the Air more of an ultra-portable – and an 11.6″ model an ultra-ultra-portable.

Due for release towards the end of this year, industry rumour mill DigiTimes suggests that the Cupertino-based company will be looking to ship around half a million units by the end of the year – although doesn’t indicate if that’s a world-wide figure or just for US markets.

The rumored device will have a processor upgrade to Intel’s latest 2010 editions of the Core range – most likely a Core i3 consumer ultra-low voltage processor – and an LED backlight display, both of which should contribute to a lengthened battery life compared to its chunkier predecessor – despite the boost in performance that the new processor will provide.

There’s no clue yet as to whether the hardware refresh – which is long overdue, with the MacBook Air’s specifications seeming a little long in the tooth for the high price premium you’ll pay – will address some of the major concerns of the original: it would be nice, though unlikely, to see a user-replaceable battery in the new, smaller model, and additional USB ports to replace the solitary port on the original would also be very welcome – especially given the device’s lack of internal optical drive.

Another feature which vexed buyers in its absence from the original MacBook Air was a wired Ethernet port: while wireless connectivity was integrated, many users who found themselves at a desk for any length of time preferred, for reasons of security and speed, to use a wired connection – which required an extra-cost dongle and the use of the sole USB port on the device.

Apple is, as usual, keeping tight-lipped about its plans – or lack thereof – but if it’s looking to get the new device out in time for the holiday season rush as DigiTimes suggests, it’s going to have to hurry up and launch.

Via : geekwithlaptop

11.6-Inch MacBook Air Rumors: Apple's Remaking the 12-Inch PowerBook Everyone Wants

Ever since Apple discontinued its 12-inch PowerBook notebook PC in favor of larger widescreen units, many a computer fan has pleaded for its return. Now rumors are again popping up about a smaller MacBook Air revision ... it may be the machine everyone wants.

We've heard inklings of this rumor before--Apple was going to revamp the Air with a smaller screen to really sweep-up in the super-portable business laptop market--but this time there're some very definite sounding statements being made. According to fairly reliable rumor-source Digitimes, Apple's main notebook-maker partner Quanta has landed an order for 400,000 to 500,000 new machines sporting an 11.6-inch display, with delivery scheduled before the end of this year. The screen would be LED-lit, and based on earlier rumors the low-power Intel Core-i series chips would be nestled inside.

We tend to believe Apple could be considering a radical revamp of the Air--it hasn't upgraded the machine's specs in line with all the other Macs it offers, and though the Air was the first Mac to sport the aluminum unibody chassis, it hasn't had a style tweak since then. It even retains the old-style trackpad, with one large button.

A smaller Air also makes excellent market sense: It would be lighter, and thus even more impressive to users than the already-astonishing size and weight of the current Air, bringing all sorts of portability benefits. It's also taking a stab at one of the benefits of netbooks (their size) without compromising on a "full" computing experience. If a smaller, lighter, more powerful Air were sold at the same price--or even slightly lower, which may be possible given the change in components--then it could sell in big numbers into the enterprise market. Business folks who prize portability, and who'd love a bit of Apple chic would snap at it.

Plus, it would almost mark the return of the 12-inch PowerBook that Mac fans have yearned for for years.

Via : fastcompany.com

Nokia N8 promises to bring high definition portable entertainment to the Middle East

The Nokia N8, the first in Nokia’s new family of faster, more intuitive Symbian smartphones, is set to bring consumers in the region a true social computing experience that combines great usability with a personalizable and fast user interface.

“We expect big things from the Nokia N8. Powered by the all new Symbian platform, which brings significant enhancements in speed and ease of use, it is tightly integrated with enhanced Ovi services and apps, and reinforces Nokia’s vision of a mobile industry that is increasingly being defined by socially connected, location-based devices and experiences,” said Henri Mattila, Solution Marketing Manager – Nokia Middle East and Africa.

Be the first in Lebanon to own the new Nokia N8
As of Monday 27th September, the new Nokia N8, Nokia’s latest smartphone, will be available for preordering in Lebanon. Lebanese consumers can be the first to own the new Nokia N8 by pre-booking their device in select mobile phone outlets in Lebanon

Connect. Create. Entertain.
The Nokia N8 introduces a 12 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, Xenon flash and a large sensor that rivals those found in compact digital cameras. Additionally, the Nokia N8 offers the ability to make HD-quality videos and edit them with an intuitive built-in editing suite. Doubling as a portable entertainment center, people can enjoy HD-quality video with Dolby Digital Plus surround sound by plugging into their home theatre system. The Nokia N8 enables access to Web TV services that deliver programs, news and entertainment from channels like CNN, E! Entertainment, Paramount and National Geographic. Additional local Web TV content is also available from the Ovi Store.

Social networking is second nature to the Nokia N8. People can update their status, share location and photos, and view live feeds from Facebook and Twitter in a single app directly on the home screen. Calendar events from social networks can also be transferred to the device calendar.

The Nokia N8 comes with free global Ovi Maps walk and drive navigation, guiding people to places and points of interest in more than 70 countries worldwide.

Symbian^3 in action
Powering the Nokia N8 is Symbian ^ 3, the latest edition of the world’s most used smartphone software, which introduces several major advances, including support for gestures such as multi touch, flick scrolling and pinch-zoom. The Nokia N8 also offers multiple, personalizeable homescreens which can be loaded with apps and widgets. The new 2D and 3D graphics architecture in the platform takes full advantage of the Nokia N8’s hardware acceletration to deliver a faster and more responsive user interface. Symbian ^ 3 also raises the bar in performance by delivering greater memory management allowing more applications to run parallel for a faster multi-tasking experience.

Craftmanship and materials
Special attention has been paid to the craftsmanship and materials of Nokia N8, bringining a new iconic footprint for the Nokia Nseries – integrity of design, softer edges as well as the vibrant new colors.

“The starting point for the design of the Nokia N8 was high quality of materials and the feel of the surfaces in your hand,” says Mikko Aarras, the lead designer for the Nokia N8. “We wanted it to show the craftmanship that has gone into designing the device. For example, we wanted to have rounded edges and emphasize the details by diamond cutting. These are simple ways to bring out the qualities of the material.”

Via : iloubnan.info

Smartphone shootout: Nokia N8 versus Apple iPhone 4

Nokia Oyj recently unveiled the top-of-the-line flagship N8 smartphone. The N8 is being billed as the latest 'iPhone killer,' as it boasts of a revamped Symbian 3 operating system and comes with a 12-megapixel camera with high-definition video recording, a touch screen display and high-speed Internet access. But the billion dollar question is – can the N8 beat the iPhone 4?

About the N8

The N8 is perhaps the best smartphone Nokia has launched since N95, which was launched in 2006.

The N8 is sleek and smart-looking. It has a block form factor, measures 113.5 x 59 x 12.9 mm, weighs 135g and has an anodized aluminum case. But looks are not the only strength of the N8.

The N8 also boasts of powerful specifications such as 3.5-inch capacitive multi-touch AMOLED display (640x360 pixels resolution), accelerometer sensor, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, HD quality video recording and playback capabilities, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G, A-GPS, Ovi Maps (navigable 3-D maps), Digital Compass, on-screen full Qwerty virtual keyboard, Adobe Flash Lite-enabled HTM Web browser, dedicated camera and volume keys, high-speed USB 2.0 (micro USB connector) and FM Radio.

The N8 also features key applications such as calendar, contacts, music player, messaging, mail, chat, photos, Ovi Store, Office document editors, and video & photo editor.

And, if you're in the mood for some entertainment, the N8 can be your best companion – it can play HD quality videos, features Dolby Digital Plus Surround Sound and its HDMI port allows it to plug into a home entertainment system.

In addition, the N8 comes with WebTV, an on-demand service that helps deliver local and global TV favorites from channels like CNN, E! Entertainment, paramount and National Geographic right to the home screen, and boasts of built-in premium guides from Lonely Planet and Via Michelin for tips on travel, restaurants, weather and hotels.

And, if you're feel that you've been away from your friends and family for too long, don't fret. The N8 promises to enrich your social networking experience as it comes with a seamless and fully integrated social networking feature that allows you to get live updates from Facebook, Twitter and the like pushed right to your homescreen with feeds visible at a single glance. Calender events from the social networking sites can also be transferred to the device.

The key selling points of the N8, however, are its powerful camera features that rivals those found in compact digital cameras and the new Symbian 3 OS.

The N8 boasts of a 12-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optic lens, autofocus, digital zoom and Xenon flash. The camera also has face and smile detection features and is capable of recording 720p HD videos that can be edited with an intuitive built-in editing suite. In addition, the N8 also has a secondary VGA camera for video calls. In other words, the N8 could be said to be the world's best camera phone to date. The only other camera phones that could possibly come close to matching the N8's camera features are Sony Ericsson's Xperia X10, HTC's Evo 4G and Droid Incredible, and Motorola's Droid X, which feature 8-megapixel camera and Sony Ericsson's Satio, which boasts of a 12-megapixel camera.

The N8's other claim to fame is possibly the fact that it's the first smartphone to run on the revamped Symbian 3 OS.

The new Symbian 3 OS, Nokia claims, is "faster, easier to use, more efficient and more developer friendly." The company claims the latest Symbian OS modernizes the long-serving mobile OS with multi-touch, multiple home screens (up to 3 customizable home screens) with widgets, themes, shortcuts, icons and menu and a unified contacts feature that support simultaneous updating of social networks. An updated WebKit browser, an easier to use Ovi Store and overall simplified settings also help improve the user interface.

And, last but not the least, the N8's battery life is also impressive. It offers 12 hours of talk-time in GSM with a standby time of 16.25 days. Nokia claims the music playback time in offline mode is 50 hours.

Via : hken.ibtimes.com

Dubai At Night Through The Eyes Of The Nokia N8

I was recently invited to the pre-launch of the Nokia N8 in the Middle East, which took place in Dubai, and while it was my first time handling the N8 and I came away pretty impressed, one thing I wanted to do was be able to test the camera. We were in Dubai, Nokia was launching a 12MP cameraphone, and they didn’t think it’d be smart to give us each an N8 to take photos, you know, to convince us of how cool their phone is! They only had 4 or 5 N8s for us to test, hooked to an alarm-triggered table, inside the conference walls, with awkward lights around them. Not cool. Especially when you think that with Xenon flash and the largest sensor for a cameraphone, the N8 is basically made for night photography.

Lucky for me though, I was able to snatch one prototype from a Nokian (insert evil laugh) and get loose around Dubai for a few minutes before having to hand it back reluctantly, not forgetting, obviously, to bluetooth the images I took over to my N97 Mini.

You can see the results below, with Burj Khalifa (the tallest man-made structure in the world), the Dubai Marina Walk, and the area around the Dubai Media One Hotel. Now keep in mind, this is a prototype, it wasn’t running firmware PR1.0, and apparently I was using the wide-angle 9MP resolution not the 12MP one. I was also tinkering with the settings every 3 seconds, using Night Mode sometimes, changing the ISO settings, turning the Flash on and off, using Sports Mode for the 3rd & 4th photo from inside the bus… Basically, I was playing and I’m not a pro-photographer. So the quality of the results will vary. Note: click on the thumbnails for the full-resolution image.

More @ fonearena.com

TK-421 iPhone Case with Flip-Out Keyboard

Now this is interesting, adding a physical keyboard to your iPhone. While most people are more than comfortable with the iPhone's virtual keyboard, there are others out there who are still struggling to get used to it. Using the keyboard is as easy as flpping it out, while once you're done with it, all you need to do is flip it back in. It will play nice with a variety of iPhone apps including e-mail, web browsing, "jotting" down notes and even entering calendar functions. Expect it to ship this November, and with the limited quantity available, we aren't surprised that it is already out of stock. Regardless of whether you place an order for the iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4 model, they will still retail for $49.99.

Via : ubergizmo