Sony has software update for Google TV platform

Sony has software update for Google TV platform

via Coolest Gadgets by Edwin on 10/31/11

The Google TV platform that delivers a special kind of entertainment experience which can be found on Sony Internet TV, in addition to the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc player. Just what does the latest version of Google TV deliver? For starters, it will not only deliver all that the current Google TV has, it will also throw into the mix the Android Market to satisfy your lust for more apps. At launch, you will be treated to hundreds of apps, where many of them have been specially designed and optimized for TV use.

This particularly exciting update will roll out to all connected Sony Internet TV devices as early as next week, so do keep a keen eye out if you fall under the “receiver” category.

This update is said to deliver a simpler and cleaner interface, alongside the mandatory “improved performance” which is often associated with any software update. Not only that, Google being Google has also injected this update with better search functionality to all currently installed Sony Internet TV and Sony Internet TV Blu-ray owners. Apart from that, future consumers of Sony Internet TVs and Blu-ray Disc players will also be on the receiving end of the update during the initial start-up installation.

Steve Haber, EVP, Sony Electronics says, “Connected experiences are a pillar of Sony’s value to TV consumers and Sony Internet Television powered by Google TV certainly brings ‘smart’ connectivity to the highest level. We very much look forward to the possibilities the Android Market will create for customers to personalize their experience. Users will enjoy the new features that this update brings to their interactive engagement with home entertainment programming, either through Sony Internet TVs or Bu-ray Disc players.”

During launch, original Sony applications will also sport TrackID that will be able to search and identify music heard on TV broadcasts, packaged media or streaming video. Not only that, Sony Select will also offer a curated collection, where it highlights featured applications to consumers in an easy-to-browse manner.

Press Release

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Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ Sony has software update for Google TV platform copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Nokia bends reality with Kinetic bendy phone

Nokia bends reality with Kinetic bendy phone

via Coolest Gadgets by Edwin on 10/30/11

We do know that folks are working on flexible displays already at the moment (and have been for quite some time, actually), but they are not quite ready for prime time action just yet. Well, one good thing about concepts is the fact that the rules of reality and physics can be bent – without having to worry about cost. Some concepts tdo make it to reality from time to time though, and with Nokia, they have managed to come up with the Kinectic bendy phone which allows you to twist it, squeeze it, and flex it. Could it really be the shape of things to come?

The recently concluded Nokia World 2011 saw Tapani Jokinen, Head of Design, Technology Insights, show off what could very well be the future – the Kinectic bendy phone. The name itself gives the game away, where you will be able to control this unique smartphone not through a touchscreen user interface like what we’re so used to, but rather, by bending and twisting it – heck, even squeezing it if it is required.

It seems that those who have given it a go found it rather difficult to put down, and I would not think otherwise. Some say that this is one of the most tactile gadget that they have ever put their hands on, and I am quite sure that should the Kinectic handset make it big in real life, most folks will be walking around while flexing and curving their phones – instead of lovingly letting their fingers dance all over the screen like how we’re used to.

You twist the phone to scroll through your files, while twisting will control the speed. It seems that the more you twist, the faster you scroll. Should you, in your enthusiasm, go too far, then all you need to do is twist back slowly until the file or contact you want is highlighted.

Want to answer a call? Simple – just hold it to your ear and squeeze to answer. It could hit the market in as early as three years though. Will you be lining up for one of these?

Press Release

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Introducing Foolish Gadgets because not all gadgets are cool
[ Nokia bends reality with Kinetic bendy phone copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Siri Sucessfully Ported to iPhone 4 and iPod Touch 4G

 

Siri Sucessfully Ported to iPhone 4 and iPod Touch 4G

Published on iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource | shared via feedly

iOS developer Steven Troughton-Smith has successfully ported a fully working version of Siri over to the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch 4G.

Steven Troughton-Smith has been working on this since the first day he got his hands on an iPhone 4S. He posted his progress on his Twitter feed (@stroughtonsmith), and now with the help of chpwn (best known for his work in the jailbreak community), they have made port a success.

Steven had this to say, on Twitter:

“I’m really impressed with how fast and usable it is; it’s in no way slower than an iPhone 4S”.

Steven has also said that there will be a release, but it will not come before an iPhone 4S jailbreak is released, which is required to get the proper data from one device to the other. Steven says, after all his work, that the entire hack comes down to one simple line of code, plus a bunch of file system changes.

We look forward to the release, and I’m sure will tell how to do this yourself, once it has been made public.

Siri Sucessfully Ported to iPhone 4 and iPod Touch 4G is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

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Solar Ship is one fuel-efficient blimp

Solar Ship is one fuel-efficient blimp

via Coolest Gadgets by Mark R on 10/25/11

There is one thing that I like to see in the air, and that is blimps. This Solar Ship makes me like them all the more, because it is one very green thing in the wild blue yonder.

As you might have guessed, the Solar Ship is solar-powered. I’m sure you know that blimps stay in the air because the helium makes them lighter than air, but something has to propel them. Why not have solar-powered lithium-ion battery that fuels the propellers?

The Solar Ship can travel up to 600 miles with two tons of payload. You can watch a video of it after the jump, and you can see that it doesn’t require too long of a runway for takeoff and landings. This is important for situations for when you need a craft that can land in tight spots, like areas hit by a natural disaster. Sometimes you just need to be airlifted out, and the Solar Ship is the craft to do it, and probably more fuel-efficient than a helicopter.

As you can see from the video, the Solar Ship is a working craft, but the company won’t be doing public demonstrations until next year. By then, the Solar Ship will be in three different sizes, but I don’t have any word on how much cargo they can bear.

Source

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Check out the Coolest Gadgets 2008 Gift Guides, Christmas shopping made easy.
[ Solar Ship is one fuel-efficient blimp copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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MicroVision SHOWWX+ HDMI is first RIM pico projector

MicroVision SHOWWX+ HDMI is first RIM pico projector

via Coolest Gadgets by Edwin on 10/28/11

So you are still one of those who decide to stick with your BlackBerry, even though the rest of your corporate mates have made the jump over to the iOS and Android operating systems? Well, here is a little bit of good news for you – the MicroVision SHOWWX+ HDMI is first pico projector for Research In Motion (RIM) customers, and it will soon be up for sale. Guess making business presentations will be a whole lot easier now with this particular pico projector, no?

The SHOWWX+ HDMI is said to be able to easily connect to a wide range of devices such as computers, mobile gizmos as well as other compatible pieces of consumer electronics, including RIM’s very own Blackberry Playbook of course, letting you display your presentation content at more than 100″ in diagonal image size on any type of surface – preferably one that is flat and white, as your eyes (as well as those of your viewers) will greatly appreciate such a background.

This particular pico projector is diminutive enough in size to slip into a shirt pocket easily, where it delivers two hours of battery life thereabouts – pretty much the industry standard, really, making it ideal for just about all mobile applications that range from sharing business documents in between meetings or to playing a wall-sized version of Angry Birds while waiting for your public transport.

Alexander Tokman, president and CEO, MicroVision, says, �¬SPartnering with GlobalWare dramatically expands the global availability of SHOWWX+ HDMI, and gives us a strong foothold into business audiences where the ability to visually collaborate anywhere is increasingly important. It�¬"s rewarding to join forces with companies like GlobalWare to enable people to see bigger �¬ whether they are on the road, at the office or home.”

Each purchase of the SHOWWX+ HDMI pico projector will come bundled with an iBOLT holder for the Blackberry Playbook. There is no pricing detail on the product page, so we will leave it at that for the moment.

Press Release

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Tech Cult – We cover the latest tech news, but always with a funny twist.
[ MicroVision SHOWWX+ HDMI is first RIM pico projector copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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Images: Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime leaked

Images: Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime leaked

via IntoMobile by Dusan Belic on 10/28/11

We know the next Asus Eee Pad Transformer will be launched soon and we’ve even seen a glimpse of it few days ago. Now we have more images to show and we’re pretty confident you’ll like ‘em.

The Taiwanese company managed to impress us… again. The upcoming Transformer Prime looks like one of those ultrabook computers – it’s thin, made out of metal and as sexy as a tablet can be. The signature keyboard dock is still there, allowing the tablet to be used even by folks who don’t like the touchscreen input. When it comes to the processor used, this baby rocks NVidia’s Kal-El CPU under the hood, making it super-fast.

All said, something tells us Asus will repeat the success it had with the original Transformer. Heck I may even grab one of these… And now the leaked images. Hopefully, no one from Asus will ask us to put them down…

[Via: Unwired View, NotebookItalia]

Images: Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime leaked originally appeared on IntoMobile.com on 2011-10-28T14:13:22Z. FV1gMYsz9b5j

Contest: JVC UX-VJ3 iPhone/iPad Speaker Dock Giveaway!

Contest: JVC UX-VJ3 iPhone/iPad Speaker Dock Giveaway!

via iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource by Gary Ng on 10/27/11

Did you get a chance to check out our review of the JVC UX-VJ3 iPhone/iPad speaker dock? Lucky for you, we’ve teamed up with JVC Canada to offer a unit up for grabs for all you wonderful iPhoneinCanada.ca readers. Excited? Here’s how to enter…

1. ‘Like’ the following Facebook pages: JVC Canada and iPhoneinCanada.ca

2. Follow the following twitter accounts: @JVCCanada and @iPhoneinCanada

3. Confirm your entry in the comments–that’s it!

Contest ends November 3rd, at 11:59PM PDT. Only one entry per household. Good luck!

Contest: JVC UX-VJ3 iPhone/iPad Speaker Dock Giveaway! is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

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10 days with iPhone 4S: a personal review

 

10 days with iPhone 4S: a personal review

Published on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog | shared via feedly

Under normal circumstances, I would not be considered a target customer for the iPhone 4S. I bought the iPhone 4 on launch day. I was not up for renewal until late November.

Because of work commitments (look for the upcoming "Taking Your iPhone 4S to the Max" co-written with fellow TUAW bloggers), I paid the early upgrade penalty and received my iPhone 4S on October 14.

I've now spent 10 focused days with the iPhone 4S, exploring onboard features for technical coverage (I probably know a little more about how to make selections and share media in the Photo app than any normal person ought). The rest of the time I've been doing what the iPhone is meant to do: place phone calls, run errands, take family pictures and so forth.

Here's some extremely subjective feedback on my personal 4S experience during this time.

Battery

I know there's been talk about the decreased standby battery time, but man does this iPhone rock out battery-wise. My daughter and I took a trip over the weekend, and she subjected my phone (and my grandfathered unlimited data plan -- bless it) to an unmentionable number of hours of "My Little Pony," courtesy of YouTube.

The iPhone 4S also endured several games of Bejeweled (normally a battery sucker), navigation through maps, and lots and lots of Siri. Despite near constant use, the iPhone 4S made it to the end of each day. It's noticeably a usage power-house compared to the iPhone 4.

Camera

The shutter speed on this unit is simply amazing. With Autumn on full-blast, the child and I spent a lot of time throwing leaves into the air and snapping pictures of them as they fell. We have picture after picture of those leaves frozen in the air, frozen in time, with beautiful crisp resolution. You could not do that with earlier generation units.

Siri

Whether it's finding a restaurant, setting an alarm, or updating a to-do list, Siri has seen lots of use over the last 10 days. It already feels natural to pick up the iPhone, press the Home button and speak.

Siri, in and of itself, has been the main reason I am currently not using a lock code on my phone. That instant access is just so seductive. "Read me my texts" and "Reply to it" are so simple to use and the voice recognition component is absolutely insanely good. I used Voice Memos a lot on my old iPhone -- including the whole unlock / find the app / tap it / start recording sequence. I've touched it maybe once since the 4S arrived.

To be fair, my wish list for Siri is now about a mile long (launching apps is near the top) and the technology is far from perfect, but the feature is amazing.

Airplay Mirroring

The built-in mirroring got reasonable use this past week as I ended up demoing my 4S a lot. The feature works exactly as advertised, with good mirrored responsiveness. If you demo the iPhone, it's a must-have option -- one that you don't get on any other device but the iPad 2.

Processor speed

The iPhone 4S feels plenty zippy, though I should note that I haven't subjected it to serious testing just yet, as I've been focused on writing. This means I haven't done any hardcore gaming, either.

It's not all roses, of course. I'm annoyed by mobile Safari's lack of responsiveness to typing URLs (this seems to be an iOS 5 issue and not unique to the 4S) despite the 4S's high-end processor. I know the extra power is there, I just haven't really internalized it through any personal experience of performance gains.

Phone calls

I have run signal strength tests on the 4S, put it in my signal-killing hands, and made phone call after phone call. Both objectively and subjectively, this is a far better phone-call making unit than the 4 ever was. It maintains good signal quality under more stress, and does not seem to suffer from my hand-held attenuation the way the 4 did. I'm not a quality assessment professional for telephony, but my 4S just seems to work better. I like it a lot.

Conclusions

If you're an iPhone 4 owner, should you consider a jump to the 4S? Each of the points I've listed above may be a motivator. If you need that better camera, that better battery, or Airplay mirroring, the 4S has those items in spades. If you want Siri or the upgraded processor, you're not going to find those anywhere else. If you've had signal problems in the past, the 4S holds out the promise of better telephony, at least in my non-scientific experience.

I'm really happy with my 4S purchase, even more than I expected to be. Yes, it has the same case shape, but as far as I can tell it feels like a new generation -- not just a speed bump. I wish the Apple paradigm (new models each year) and the carrier paradigm (subsidized items, two year contracts, early cancellation penalties) were more in sync.

Depending where you are on your contract, the upgrade may or may not make sense financially. In terms of equipment quality, however, I think most people will be satisfied customers once they really start using the 4S.

10 days with iPhone 4S: a personal review originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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