IBLOG SPACE

Nokia has promised a pair of firmware updates for its Lumia 800 smartphone, addressing battery life, power efficiency and charging performance of the Windows Phone handset. The news comes amid numerous complaints in Nokia’s support forums regarding underwhelming battery life, with some experiencing less than a day’s normal use before they needed to recharge. The Finnish company insists that most Lumia 800 owners are having no power problems whatsoever, but concedes that there are a few problem handsets out there. A first software update, expected in early December, will “include improvements to power efficiency” therefore, with a subsequent update planned for early January 2012 “introduces further enhancements to battery life and battery charging.” Both of the new software versions will be released via Microsoft’s Zune app; the company also flags up an FAQ for maximizing runtimes. That has provoked frustration in itself, with suggestions like “deactivate the 3G connection” incensing ow

Microsoft is readying two next-gen Xbox console variants, insiders suggest, one targeting the entry-level market as a stripped-down option, while a second delivers true hardcore gaming. The strategy would be a broader progression of Microsoft’s current dual-SKU Xbox 360 offering, Digital Foundry‘s sources claim, where both cheaper and more expensive versions of the 360 are on offer, though the difference between the next-gen models would be considerably more extensive. “A pared down machine is to be released as cheaply as possible, and positioned more along the lines of a set-top box” it’s suggested, targeting streaming media services like Netflix as well as more casual gaming in what’s described as “a Kinect-themed portal.” Meanwhile, those gamers chasing the cutting edge would have the option of a true 360-replacement, with an optical drive and HDD storage, along with backward compatibility with older titles. It would obviously carry a higher price tag and likely deliver more capable

Nokia’s Lumia 800 will be arriving in unlocked form sooner than expected, with the news that the first stock of the SIM-free smartphone should drop on December 1 rather than sometime in January 2012 as previously announced. The unlocked Windows Phone is now just a week away, according to UK retailer Clove, with pricing set at £369 ($573) plus VAT. From the sound of it, however, users are picking up the Lumia 800 even with carrier agreements made mandatory. WMPowerUser spotted what looks like confirmation that the Nokia smartphone is selling better through Vodafone UK’s online sales than everything bar the cheapest iPhone 4S, edging ahead of Android and BlackBerry devices, when you look at the pay-monthly handsets sorted by “most popular.” We’re waiting for clarification from Vodafone as to whether the sales are as strong as the site suggests. Neither Nokia nor any of the carriers have announced specific sales figures for the Lumia 800 so far, though there have been plenty of vague “its

Sharp is not only providing iPad 3 “Retina Display” panels but HDTV screens for the upcoming “iTV” Apple television, analysts suggest, with the much-anticipated push into the living room tipped to arrive as early as mid-2012. The panel supplier is the beneficiary of Apple’s attempts to shift dependence away from Samsung, according to a Jefferies & Co. research note cited by Bloomberg, with Apple tipped to take control of a full Sharp production line to produce custom amorphous TFT panels. Although Apple has always been known for its close involvement with suppliers, the Sharp deal is said to escalate that collaboration to new levels. Apple has supposedly bought its own manufacturing equipment – using its hefty reserves of cash to cover hardware supposedly priced between $500m and $1bn – and will begin producing iPhone and iPad displays with exclusive space in one of Sharp’s facilities imminently. “Apple likes to go right to the factory floor, redesign the process, monitor it,” Jeff

UK communications regulator Ofcom has threatened ISPs with stricter net neutrality rules if they do not improve the way bandwidth shaping policies and traffic management are explained to users, warning that “it is important that we are able to understand how our access might be restricted.” While the organization concedes that ISPs do go some way in communicating what limits are placed on broadband access – such as P2P throttling at “peak” times of the day – it argues the current explanations are only of real use “to technically savvy consumers” and greater work needs to be done on broadening understanding. “The internet plays an important role in the lives of citizens, consumers and industry. We now expect and depend on access to the content and services it has to offer” Ofcom CEO Ed Richards said. “Ofcom is now looking to the ISPs to ensure that transparent information is available, and will look to intervene if it does not see improvements.” The organization has set out three key fa

LG and Prada have confirmed plans to launch the third PRADA phone in early 2012, sharing some early sketches of the fashion-centric smartphone but refusing to spill technical details. The device – believed to be the Android-powered PRADA K2 first spotted on a leaked roadmap midway through this year – will be a combination of “style, design and breakthrough technology” according to the two firms, and certainly looks to do away with a physical keyboard. LG’s original PRADA phone was released back in 2007, pre-empting the iPhone with a capacitive touchscreen though running a featurephone OS rather than anything more ambitious. The two companies followed that up with the PRADA Phone 2.0, adding a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a Bluetooth watch that could show alerts and messages while the handset was safe in your pocket. Neither version has been a true smartphone, however, something which is expected to change in this third iteration. LG is believed to have funneled its NOVA display techno

Google has given us a glimpse of just how extra-chunky adding LTE and a slightly larger battery makes theGalaxy Nexus, adding a 360-degree viewer of the fuller-figured Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone to its product page. Whereas the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus on sale in the UK since last week is 8.9mm thick, the LTE version expected to hit Verizon on December 8 is 9.47mm thick. That’s no huge difference, in the grand scheme of things, but as the side-by-side shots above indicate it does make for a different profile for the two devices. The LTE model lacks the distinctive curve down to the speaker bulge on the lower rear of the phone, and ends up looking less like an arch in the process. There’s still a slight lip, but not to the extent of the HSPA+ handset. Still, that extra bulk does get you another 100mAh of battery capacity, probably much-needed given how power hungry LTE can be. The color differences in the two images may well be a factor of the press shots and 360-degree viewer rather than

AT&T has announced it is withdrawing its application to buy T-Mobile USA from the FCC, adding a $4bn charge to its Q4 2011 finances in anticipation of potential breakup fees, but insists that this isn’t the end of its acquisition plans. Instead, the carrier says, it and Deutsche Telekom AG intend to “focus their continuing efforts on obtaining antitrust clearance for the transaction from the Department of Justice” and will re-attempt FCC approval after that has been achieved. Nonetheless, the addition of the hefty penalty charge is an ominous acknowledgement to investors that the deal is on very shaky ground. The two companies already have litigation pending in the District of Columbia, which could help secure Department of Justice approval, but faced renewed interest from the FCC as to whether the deal could be counter to consumer good. Earlier this week, the FCC announced it was requesting an administrative hearing of the type that helped scupper the proposed merger of EchoStar a

Verizon, could it really be? According to a leaked screenshot from the carrier’s inventory system, December 8th may not only be the rumored release date of Samsung’s highly anticipated Galaxy Nexus, but also the potential launch date for Motorola’s Droid 4. Well, the 8th may become the most popular launch party date of the month after all, for all of you potential owners out there. December is certainly gearing up to be an exciting month for smartphone releases on the Android platform. For all of you out there late to the Android party this month, The Droid 4, which was leaked in early-build photos, is expected to have a four-inch Super AMOLED Advanced display, slightly smaller than the similarly-lookingRazr‘s 4.3-inch panel that uses the same display technology. The housing also takes its overall shape from the Razr, with the exception of the physical keyboard. Other features should include dual cameras, HDMI output, and full-HD 1080p video recording. Operating system-wise, the Droid

An update from the whole XDA developer blowup yesterday, data-collection company Carrier IQ has apparently retracted their cease-and-desist letter as well publicized an apology to the security researcher and XDA developer Trevor Eckhart after he published his findings and details of a number of Android phones (the majority being Sprint’s) shipped with a nearly undetectable piece of software built by Carrier IQ that could evidently monitor every move from user keystrokes, to which mobile apps were downloaded and installed. Even though Carrier IQ says that the letter was “misguided” and that it’s “deeply sorry”, the company still maintains that it was being misrepresented, and that it doesn’t monitor user data, capture keystrokes, or provide tracking information on a number of Android phones. The company describes itself that their corporate mission is to help identify dropped calls, battery problems, and “trending problems on mobile networks,” while helping make customer service “more e

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Spotify has closed 2.5 million paying subscribers for its online music streaming service. While there weren’t details released by the company about its subscribers’ geographical locations, how long it took, or how many free users there were, it’s nonetheless an impressive feat, especially in this era where music can be easily attainable for little to no cost, well, pretty much, free. Spotify has done a good job persuading customers to actually pay for it. And they do so by providing a seriously killer music service. The addition of Facebook integration with Spotify’s US launch most likely played quite a pivotal role in facilitating the traction and growth of the company’s subscriber count, and it’ll be interesting to see more userstatistics and data released by Spotify. Moreover, we’ll see how Spotify continues to do over the next couple months, especially since more media continues to become free. By offering a great user interface, a vast library of mus

Google has started blacklisting many of the top file-sharing websites on the Internet, including torrent site The Pirate Bay, as well as isoHunt, and 4Shared. According to file-sharing blog TorrentFreak, “the changes were quietly processed and appear to be broader than previous additions”. Google’s blacklist also evidently blocks the names of these websites in their Google Instant, auto-complete search services, while the webpages themselves remain indexed. Why? Possibly because the search giant most likely wants to be on good terms with copyright holders, such as major movie and music studios. While there is no silver bullet for infringement online, this measure is one of several that we have implemented to curb copyright infringement online,” Google manager of global communications and public affairs Mistique Cano previously said to TorrentFreak. She also detailed that “this is something we looked at and thought we could make some narrow and relatively easy changes to our Autocomplet

On a surprisingly unanticipated whim, Apple has removed mobile game publisher Big Fish Games’ subscription service application from its App Store, going back on a move that would have allowed iPad users to access dozens of games on the Apple tablet for a monthly fee of $6.99. It was only a couple days ago that Big Fish successfully been the first to garner approval from Apple, to “offer users access to dozens of titles for $6.99 a month. Until now, games have only been available one at a time, requiring users to download individual applications.” Until Apple removed the app today, users who purchased a monthly subscription from Big Fish Games would have been able to play games that the game publisher has made available through a dedicated app. Games were initially being streamed to users’ iPads from Big Fish Games’ data centers, thereby requiring the user having access to a Wi-Fi network to play. And as always, the Cupertino company, in agreement, maintained their 30% cut of revenues w

If you’ll remember back to the start of this summer, it was LG that was speaking about AH-IPS displays that would take all other panels, including the iPad 2′s 9.7-inch 1024 x 768 powerhouse, to the cleaners – and now the report comes from Samsung, Sharp, and LGD that the iPad 3 will play host to a panel that’s twice as nice as the current king. DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim spoke with CNET about the matter and has noted that “production has started” on no less than 10-inch displays with 2048×1536 pixel resolution. How on earth one would think that these panels would be shipped to retailers inside 2011 or even inside the first quarter of 2012 is a massive mystery to your humble narrator, but that’s what’s being said about these panels for the iPad 3. DisplaySearch is saying several things, a couple of fellows, analyst Richard Shim who says that these displays (inside devices, no less), will come to the market inside the first quarter of 2012, while his boss Paul Semenza says somet

It’s another battle of the e-readers, ladies and gentlemen, the same thing that’s been going on for the past handful of years whenever the winter holiday season rolls around, and this year it’s a battle of the prices – Kobo Touch with Offers is the newest offering, available now, from the big K, offering you their least expensive price for the cheap exchange of ads in the interim. What you get is the same great Kobo Touch e-reader you know and love (but might never have owned until now) but with advertisements on the display whenever you put it to sleep. That’s how they make it so inexpensive, and that’s what they’re putting up for competition with the short discount of the newest generation Nook e-reader which is $79 on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. What you’ve got before you is a decision between the two really, and when it comes down to it it’s all about form and coverage. Your humble narrator of course prefers the feel of the newest generation Nook as its all round and the size of

Microsoft appears to have renewed interest in buying up the troubled Yahoo. According to the New York Times, a source briefed on the matter says that Microsoft has signed a nondisclosure agreement with Yahoo in order to join private equity firms Silver Lake, TPG Capital, and others in taking a closer look at Yahoo’s books. The move to acquire Yahoo would help Microsoft secure its existing search and advertising deal with the floundering search pioneer, which currently sells advertising using Bing as its primary search. Microsoft had unsuccessfully attempted to buy Yahoo back in 2008 with a bid of as much as $47.5 billion and last month began talks with other potential partners about another possible bid. Other interested parties include TPG, which has signed an NDA but is considering making a minority investment rather than buying Yahoo outright. The Alibaba Group, which Yahoo owns 40% stake, has also been in talks about bidding for Yahoo, but has not yet signed an NDA. Since Yahoo ous

Iridium Communications provides satellite connection service for those that need to stay connected no matter where in the universe they may traverse. And now, the company is offering its first iOS app called the Iridium AxcessPoint Mail & Web App to bring satellite connectivity to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. The app itself is free, however, you still need to purchase one of Iridium’s satellite phones to act as the hotspot access point to share the satellite data connection with your iOS devices. And as you may have heard at some point in time, satellite phones and service aren’t cheap. The phone itself will cost about $1,000 to $1,500 while the bandwidth is charged at $1 per minute of usage. But if you’re the seafaring kind where data connections are shoddy if existent at all and you must stay connected, you can at least do so now and still be connected on your iOS device. Iridium also recently launched its AxcessPoint WiFi hotspot apps for the BlackBerry, Mac and Windows lap

Next-gen television sets may have integrated Kinect motion-sensing technology. According to The Daily, sources familiar with the situation claim that Microsoft is considering licensing the technology to TV manufacturers. Specifically, the software giant is already in the early stages of licensing Kinect to manufacturers such as Vizio and Sony. Currently, Kinect is only offered through a motion and voice sensing hardware that works with the Xbox 360 gaming console. The sources suggest that this move to license and integrate the technology into TVs is part of Microsoft’s plans to aggressively push the Kinect technology into as many homes as possible, with or without an Xbox 360 gaming console. Microsoft is already planning to release new Kinect hardware that’s designed to be used with desktop PCs. This new Kinect for Windows will be optimized for PC scenarios such as by shortening the USB cable and tweaking the software so that the Kinect camera can perceive depth at shorter distances. T

YouTube has been stepping up its content offerings to bolster its movie rental service that started about a year ago but has yet to put much pressure on services like Netflix. It added about 3,000 new movies for rent back in May and now it’s also getting Disney and Pixar movie titles, 1,000 of which Netflix just lost access to when it failed to renew its deal with Starz. Starting off, the deal brings only a few titles to YouTube, such as the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, “Cars” and “Cars 2″, but Google says that hundreds more are on the way. Animated classics such as Alice in Wonderland as well as the newly envisioned Winnie the Pooh are also available today. Extras and behind-the-scenes clips will also be featured. The new Disney and Pixar titles add to YouTube’s existing collection of over 6,000 titles, including the 3,000 movies from NBC Universal, Sony Pictures, and Warner Bros. The movies can be rented and watched online via your computer or through the YouTube app on Google

This week we get our first glimpse of what it means to hold the next addition to the Galaxy Tab family in our hands, the slightly larger than mid-sized Galaxy Tab 8.9 for AT&T’s LTE network. What we’ll be doing in the post you’re looking at here is giving it a relatively brief hands-on look as well as a few photos of how it looks in and out of the box. What you’ll find is that this certainly has little in the way of differences from the rest of the Galaxy Tab line (starting with the 10.1, that is), save for its size which may indeed be the perfect one if you’re a Goldilocks sort of person. The Galaxy Tab 8.9 not nearly as obtuse as the original Galaxy Tab, it’s not as large as the 10.1, and it’s got just a slight bit more screen space than the 7.7. Samsung appears to be covering all the bases: is this home plate? What you get in this box is the first Samsung tablet to be running on the brand new LTE network let loose in the USA only late this year – note that you’ll have to be in o

Microsoft’s next-gen productivity suite, codenamed Office 15, may be getting a beta release in January of 2012. Citing sources familiar with the situation, WinRumors says that the software giant is preparing a milestone for the full beta to be available in late January. A Technology Preview version of the software will likely be distributed alongside the Windows 8 beta at CES 2012. Office 15 will have a brand new look and more touch-friendly interface. Since Windows 8 will work on both desktop PCs and touchscreen tablets, its important that Office 15 can work well by touch, pen, or mouse. The Metro UI and tile-based elements of Windows 8 for tablets interface will be integrated for easier navigation, including the introduction of a new “Moorea” application that acts like a landing screen with tiles of content for easier navigation and access to your documents. It’s not clear how fully revamped for the Metro UI the new Office suite will be, since the company initially suggested that it

This holiday season you’ll be making whichever gamers are closest to you the happiest they’ve been in days, supposing they’re willing to get up and leave their desk and open a gift, that is – with the Qpad MK-85 and MK-50 gaming-oriented keyboards. These keyboards are bright as can be with backlit keys across the whole set of keys and both models boast a first for the hardware: Qpad claims that this is the first simultaneous keyboard tap capable USB keyboard set in the world. Sound like fun? Both of these keyboard models will be perfectly slick for all of your multi-batbelt needs as you careen through the streets of Arkham City (a game that’d just go lovely with these keyboards, just released on PC this week), and in the darkness you shall go with no sight troubles in the least. You’ll be working with Cherry MX Red key switches on both models, this giving you no audible or tactile feedback for taps, and the hardware is made from top to bottom for long periods of use with no hurt on you

When it comes to sampling percussion instrumentation for your hot beats, you’ve got more than a few options – Roland just made your decision easy for you with the brand new SPD-SX, a sampling pad which appears to not be holding back when it comes to versatility. What you’ve got here is 2 GB of onboard sampling memory, three effects engines, and a set of controls which make this unit a real replacement to the popular SPD-S, what Roland up until now called their “industry-leading” sampling pad. Inside you’ll find top of the line pad-sensing technology, assignable click output and a wholly portable chassis. Is this your next thumptastic solution for the rhythm in your life? You’ve of course got a stereo mic/line input, but you’ve also got USB mass storage, USB MIDI/Audio, and USB memory to keep you hooked up to your computer interface. DC in, MIDI in and out, and so many ports you wont know what to do with yourself. You’ve got nine velocity-sensitive rubber pads on the top for tapping and

This past week the United States Patent Office Museum (not to be confused with the actual patent office, mind you,) set up a lovely display of over 300 patents that have Steve Jobs’ name on them, all this behind a gigantic set of iPhones as a monument to his innovation. This is all set up at the museum in Alexandria, Virginia, and you can find it in the atrium of the office’s Madison Building headquarters. You’ll be able to get in free and see all softs of interactive exhibits, a gallery of portraits, and a theater where short films will be shown. Fun stuff for your holiday weekend! The most impressive bit is of course the massive set of 30 iPhones displaying the front pages of the over 300 patents that include Steve Jobs’ name. Co-inventor is what he’s listed as on most of them, while other displays include a brief description of the photos, inventions, and other bits of the exhibition as a whole. Have a quick read on what they hope to express with this show: “This exhibit commemorate

From all the way over in China comes an advertisement for the Nokia N9 that will certainly have you questioning why you ever thought a short video about a smartphone could be anything less than ultra-epic. I’m certain Avi Greengart will agree that this ad spot far exceeds the device itself, encapsulating the device in a cocoon of over-the-top power and grace in a black and white video that will stop your heart. This spot features actress and singer Fan Bingbing, big in China if you’ve never heard of her, and is certainly your must-see clip of the day. We’ve had our own look at this device in the full Nokia N9 review but WOW, did we miss out on how amazing the device could really be. OR it is possible that whoever is in charge of setting up ad spots in China has such a visionary eye that we can only dream of such glory here in the states. The commercial features Bingbing speaking some rather powerful convictions on how she is an individual and has the uniqueness to bust apart her peers.

The Department of Homeland Security has denied foreign involvement in what was believed to be a sabotage attempt on utility equipment in Illinois earlier this month, claiming an earlier report from the state’s Terrorism and Intelligence Center was incorrect in its apparent findings. “DHS and FBI have concluded that there was no malicious traffic from Russia or any foreign entities, as previously reported” DHS spokesperson Chris Ortman told MSNBC, going on to insist that there was “no evidence” that login credentials had been stolen. An unnamed source inside the DHS later claimed that “there are many reasons for a motor or pump to burn out” and suggested that the organization had searched through access logs to ascertain foreign involvement in the hardware fault. “My understanding is that the company had some pretty good logs [of traffic in its system] and our people got access to those logs” the security specialist revealed, though refused to go on record as they were unauthorized to c

Privacy is very important to most of us in the tech world. We don’t want carriers following our every step online or in the real world. One Android user gong by the name TrevE discovered a violation for the Android user’s privacy being conducted by the Carrier-IQ tracking software a while back. The user then went on to warn all the other Android users out there what he had found. It’s not as if the accusations were wild either, TrevE apparently has proof to back up his claims. That didn’t stop carrier-IQ from sending him a cease and desist letter and threatening him with legal action if he didn’t stop spreading his claims and alleged proof of the infractions against Android users. Anytime a big company threatens an individual with legal action it can be scary. In this case the Electronic Frontier Foundation has offered to represent TrevE in the legal action against Carrier-IQ. The Carrier-IQ handset runs I the device RAM and allows the tracking of phone performance, what is typed on th

Qualcomm still hasn’t announced any plans for a mirasol-based ereader outside of the Kyobo model launched in Korea this week, so we’re having to make do with vicarious enjoyment such as this live demo of the color device in question. Fresh to YouTube and apparently filmed at a display section in one of Kyobo’s retail stores, the eReader looks pleasingly responsive with its 1GHz Snapdragon processor. The color e-paper is the star of the show here, however, and it looks fantastic with Qualcomm’s front-light LED illumination system. That uses a bezel-mounted light source to mimic direct sunlight on the transflective display: unlike a regular LCD panel, which is washed out in direct lighting, the mirasol screen only gets brighter the more light shining on it. There’s an interesting point in the video, at around the 1:10 mark, where the front-light goes out and the mirasol screen is left to work solely with ambient lighting. Colors become more muted at that point, though it’s worth remember

If you liked what you saw the last time we talked a bit about the coming 8-inch Xoom 2/Xyboard tablet, we have a bit more information today. The pricing for the Xoom 2 in 8-inch and 10-inch flavors has leaked and the tablet isn’t cheap. The minimum advertised pricing is what you will pay on a contract for the devices apparently. The 16GB 8-inch tablet is $429.99 and the 32GB version is $529.99. Moving up to the 10-inch 16GB tablet will cost you $529.99, the 32GB versions is $629.99, and the 64GB version is $729.99. All of the tablet version will land on December 7. If this pricing info is real that makes the new Xoom 2 or whatever it ends up being called in the States one expensive tablet. I’d have a hard time paying $730 on a two-year contract for a tablet of any sort. What do you think of the pricing?

This is cool news. I really liked Doom 3 when it first came out, it was one of those games I needed to play with the lights on since something was always jumping out and scaring the crap out of me. If you are a fan of Doom 3 id’s John Carmack has now offered the source code up to the open source fans out there. There are a few catches to the open source release though. The content has no game data and that data is covered by the games original end user license agreement. The code also has the rendering of stencil shadows functionality removed that used depth fail. This is the part of the code that is thought to possibly infringe on a patent Creative Labs holds. The code has a work around in place that lets it get around that patent issue. Carmack has apparently said in the past that the work around needed only four lines of code and two existing lines were changed.

Samsung UK has joined Google in promising a software fix for the volume bug in the Galaxy Nexus, suggesting that the company “will update devices as soon as possible”; however, more retailers have apparently reacted to the issue by freezing shipments of the ICS smartphone. Samsung took to Twitter to confirm its awareness of the volume issue, indicating that software tweaks would address the randomly fluctuating in-call audio experienced by some Galaxy Nexus Owners. However, developer Steve Troughton-Smith tells us that the retailer he ordered a Galaxy Nexus from warned him today that Samsung had stopped shipments, with deliveries only expected to resume when the volume bug was addressed. New stock has apparently been put on ice as Samsung investigate whether hardware or software is at fault, the retailer suggested, with even a possible recall mentioned. It’s worth bearing in mind that both Samsung and Google have now publicly indicated that a software fix will be possible, which means

If you are a fan of leaks of smartphones that aren’t released yet a new Sony Ericson smartphone called the Nypon or LT22i has surfaced in pics. This is obviously an early test unit since we are seeing a screen with a big circuit board on the back. Still, we are suckers for naked leaked smartphones around here. This device is thought to be a next generation Android smartphone for Sony Ericsson. Rumored specs for the device include a 960 x 540 resolution qHD display and according to at least one source the processor under the hood is the NovaThor U8500. That processor is a 1GHz dual core unit capable of supporting 1080p video recording and more. The device will have HDMI and USB and can support smartphone cameras up to 20-megapixels. That USB support will be interesting since that would open the door to using real game controllers and external keyboards on the smartphone. There are also videos of test board running that processor below for you to peruse.

If you are looking for a new eReader for yourself or for someone on your holiday list and you want it to be a bit different B&N has a limited edition in store only version of the Nook Simple Touch eReader. The limited edition version is available in stores only while supplies last. The features and hardware inside the Simple Touch are the same as always. The difference here is that the limited edition version is cheaper at a price of $79 and has a white back. It’s very hard to tell in the photo that the back is a different color since all we see is the front of the reader. You can make out white around the black front bezel though. The Simple Touch has a 6-inch E Ink screen that is very easy on the eyes and can be used in direct sunlight with no glare. The battery life of the eReader is very long at over two months per charge. The tablet also has WiFi and speedy page load times when you are reading. If you frequent your local Barnes & Noble you can get free WiFi access in the s

Google isn’t the only company working on the “internet of things,” with a Kickstarter project called Twine looking to release compact WiFi-enabled sensors that can get web-dumb devices online. A 2.5-inch square block packing WiFi along with temperature and vibration sensors, Twine uses a simple web app called Spool to piece together routines like sending out an SMS when a certain temperature is passed, or tweeting when your dryer has finished spinning. As standard, Spool can fire of Twitter and text messages, along with emails, and also output HTTP requests for more complex systems. They’re expected to be the minority, though: Twine is intended to be simple, and developers Supermechanical hope it will be picked up by non-programmers keen to get their household appliances and other gadgets internet-connected. In addition to the integrated sensors, Supermechanical has fitted Twine with a “multifunction” socket that can accommodate external inputs; initially they will include a moisture s

HTC is considering scuppering its $300m S3 Graphics acquisition after the company’s patent portfolio failed to beat Apple in a recent IP trial, it has been confirmed. HTC “will reevaluate its planned purchase” the company said in a statement today, Bloomberg reports, after the US International Trade Commission overturned a preliminary ruling in HTC’s favor against Apple. That original ruling, back in July, found that Apple’s OS X platform infringed on several patents that HTC would acquire as part of its acquisition of S3 Graphics. However, the USITC decided that Apple was in fact guilty of “no violation” of the IP, and terminated its investigation altogether. HTC’s CFO, Winston Yung, said at the time that “here are many [patents] that are very strong … we think the acquisition is justified because of all the patents” while the company’s general counsel Grace Lei confirmed that an appeal was being considered. Nonetheless, HTC has slashed its revenue forecast by up to 23-percent, predic

If you have been paying attention to the tablet wars you know that the popularity of Android tablets is growing rapidly even though the iPad still leads the pack today. Sprint is getting a new tablet that was outted by the FCC a while back. The tablet is the ZTE V55 that turns Android. The geeks over at Unwiredview have spied the V55 making its way thought the Bluetooth SIG. The details are very lean when it comes to that tablet. The Bluetooth SIG notes that the tablet is a CDMA offering and has Bluetooth naturally and that is about it. The photo shows that the tablet rocks the Honeycomb interface. That’s all we know right now. There is no word on when the tablet will hit stores, what it will cost, or what the hardware under the hood will include. What do you think so far, is this going to be a tablet that appeals to you at all? I have a feeling this will be a lower price basic tablet.

It seems that all the big tech firms are getting into the Black Friday spirit this year. Apple’s ads for Black Friday have surfaced showing discounts on just about everything the company has in its stores. There are discounts on the iPad, iPods, iMac, MacBook Air and Pro as well as discounts on accessories. The sale will kick of this Friday. The iPods on discount are the iPod nano and touch with $11 off and the iPod touch will get discounts of $21 to $41. The iPad is being discounted based on the storage capacity with $41 to $61 off. Accessories for the iPad like the smart cover are on sale too with $11 off the plastic or leather options. The sale will also see discounts on some third party items that are sold in the stores as well. The Mac computers are getting nice discounts of $101 off for each of the models. These are certainly not huge discounts, but it’s nice to see a discount at all on popular gear.

Our resident Brit, Chris Davies, showed me this video and was all excited about Dizzy coming back. The last time I saw him that excited was when his mum made black pudding, so I figured Dizzy must be something special. Dizzy was an 8-bit game character that somehow I have never heard of. I played a lot of games back in the 8-bit days, but this isn’t one of them. Are you familiar with Dizzy? I’m not sure if I missed it somehow or if this was a European icon only. At any rate, if you know Dizzy or just want a cool new game app to place on December 9 Dizzy will be landing on mobile apps for iOS and Android gamers. He’s not 8-bit any more with some side scrolling action that looks to have decent modern graphics. The game is called Dizzy: Prince of the Yolkfolk. Dizzy was in his first game back in 1991. You can see the short teaser video below. It’s not clear if dizzy will be a paid app or a free app. Since many Android apps are free with ad support it may be free there and a paid offering

If you thought Kinect was cool and an interesting way to have gesture interaction with all sorts of devices, check this out. A company called Displair is showing off a very interesting new display system that has very fine motion control of what is projected. It looks like some sort of magic cloud controlled by a wizard. The system uses a cold fog as the projection screen and then projects the images onto the fog that you see. The motion control comes from an infrared camera and the system is accurate enough to capture fine movements of the hands. The entire system was developed by a college student living in a dorm room. It has only 0.2-second lag time between the motion and the movement of the display. The Kinect has 0.1 seconds for comparison. The system has 1500 points of multitouch control with an accuracy down to 1cm. When the system is made in quantity the thought is that it could sell for somewhere in the massive range of $4,000 to $30,000. The system can be scaled for projecti

Apple has claimed eight domain names being used to direct iPhone-curious surfers to mobile porn sites, the original registrant handing over the URLs in return for the Cupertino company dropping a World Intellectual Property Organization complaint. Domains including “sex4iphones.com” and “iphoneporn4s.com” had been registered by an unnamed Israeli company and directed to a variety of mobile-formatted smut, something Apple understandably wasn’t pleased with. Apple’s legal team filed a WIPO complaint in early November, demanding the eight URLs be handed over. Details on the negotiations are scant, but the original registrant apparently agreed to turn over the domains – which are now being managed by MarkMonitor, an “enterprise brand protection” specialist – if Apple would dismiss its complaint. Interestingly, the iPhone4S.com domain was originally registered back in August 2008, with the owner obviously – and correctly – predicting Apple’s nomenclature patterns. Note, some or all of these

Sony’s PlayStation 3D Display will miss its 2011 European launch target, with stock delays pushing the gaming-centric monitor’s release back into 2012. The 3D screen went on sale in the US earlier this month, offering either a single gamer 3D play or two gamers independent views from the same panel, but retailers are warning that their suppliers can no longer deliver stock in time to be giftwrapped this holiday season. Instead, the 3D Display will follow on in 2012, with updates on exactly when that’s expected tipped for early in the new year. It’s possible that Sony has been overwhelmed with sales, demand for the screen outstripping its production capabilities; the company blamed the Thai flooding recently for part of its underwhelming financial results and manufacturing delays. Priced at £410 in the UK (and $499 in the US), the PlayStation 3D Display measures in at 24-inches and comes bundled with a pair of 3D glasses; although its primary target is gaming, it will also handle 3D mov

If you like the idea of an Android tablet, but want something that is a bit different from the normal tablets out there the Sony Tablet P might be the ticket. This is the tablet with the hinge in the middle of the screen so you can fold it into a more portable form factor. That hinged screen also lets you run one app on each little screen if you want. Sony Tablet P fans in the UK can now get the slick little tablet just in time for Christmas. The Tablet P has a pair of 5.5-inch screen s and each of them has a resolution of 1240 x 480. Inside the tablet is a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor and 4GB of storage. The tablet packs in a VGA resolution front camera and the rear camera is a 5MP unit. The Tablet P and its sibling the Tablet S are both PlayStation certified for gaming as well. The tablet isn’t cheap at £499.99. That would be the equivalent of $782 in the US. Hopefully, as the tablet rolls out to more places and faces competition that price will drop. It runs Android 3.2 a

HTC is reportedly considering producing a Chromebook using Google’s Chrome OS, despite underwhelming sales of Acer and Samsung hardware using the cloud-centric platform. The new HTC – billed as an “internet-access device” – would differ in that the company is apparently looking to “combine the advantages” of Android and Chrome OS, according to DigiTimes‘ supply chain sources, though it’s unclear if that means a dual-boot arrangement or something else. HTC could be envisaging something akin to the Shift, the company’s UMPC from back in 2008 which could boot into both a customized version of Windows Mobile 6 and Windows Vista, allowing for smartphone-style and laptop-style use depending on your task demands. Rather than Microsoft’s platforms, however, the new device could switch between Android and Chrome OS, the former intended for internet browsing and content  consumption, while the latter would allow for content creation using Google’s cloud-based apps. Alternatively, the “advantages