Developages - Development and Technology Blog

Mobile phone chargers can be sneaky little power guzzlers so, to help us silly consumers, some of the biggest mobile phone makers have created a simple way to show just how much juice our chargers drink. The common energy rating system has been agreed by LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. It’s essentially a star-rating system that lets you choose the most energy efficient charger for your mobiles. Will it make those companies build greener chargers? Not just yet, but the group say it’s the first step in “reducing the environmental footprint of its products”.As they point out: “Many consumers are unaware that chargers consume electricity when disconnected from the phone but left plugged into the wall socket. Around two thirds of the energy used by mobile devices is wasted in this way. The new rating system indicates how much energy each charger uses when left plugged into the wall socket after charging is completed. The ratings covers all chargers currently sold by the five companies, and range from five stars for the most efficient chargers down to zero stars for the ones consuming the most energy.” Obviously they will want you to buy a new 4-5-star rated charger and dump the greedy power guzzler one they already sold you. Or, you could just turn off your charger at the wall once you’ve juiced your mobile.-Martin Lynch phone mobile phone energy

Original post by nafiz

LG’s latest fashion phone, the Prada II, has arrived in the UK and to sweeten the deal, LG is launching it with a swanky Bluetooth watch. You’ll notice how we didn′t say ‘bundled’ because, darling, that would be just so, well, common. No, the Prada Link Bluetooth watch will sport its own fashionable price tag of around £250. Added to the £475 asking price for the Prada II and you have something that makes the iPhone look like bargain of the month. The slide out QWERTY keyboard on the new phone will no doubt appeal to those who hate typing on touchscreens, which the new phone offers too. It’s a 3G phone with HSDPA up to 7.2Mbps, Wi-Fi, full HTML browser and the camera has been bumped to a more respectable 5MP. There’s also video calling and DivX playback. The Prada Link watch is a smart looking Bluetooth device that can remotely monitor phone calls as well as read full SMS text messages without you having to go to the trouble of taking the phone out of your bag or pocket. How convenient.-Martin Lynch phone mobile phone LG

Original post by nafiz

Filed under: Cellphones

Being that the T-Mobile G1 launched officially today in the US of A, it makes sense that the phone’s marketplace for applications would open its doors as well. A recent post over at the Android Developers Blog has affirmed that users can now indulge in over 50 apps, and moreover, it has laid out details surrounding the process for getting your own app in there. Beginning on Monday, prospective devs will be forced to “register and pay a one time $25 application fee” in order to ensure that they’re “authenticated and responsible for their apps.” After that, the programs will be “made available to users without further validation or approval.” Starting in Q1, developers will be able to distribute paid apps in addition to free apps, and similar to Apple’s revenue model, devs will get 70% of the revenue, though it should be noted that Google won’t be taking a percentage of the remainder. Go at it, you eager developer you — we fully expect a gratis app showing off your handiwork to emerge on the 27th.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Prior to the ˇ’s stealth launch, Google’s on-device Android Market was a busy place, teeming with some 50-plus apps seemingly ready to win the hearts and minds of early adopters anxious to outfit their ˇs with… oh, you know, simple pleasures like a video player or the ability to change the UI’s font size. We guess that wasn’t part of Mountain View’s strategy, though, with all but 13 applications having been removed today — presumably a knee-jerk response to the knowledge that phones were starting to make their way into paying customers’ hands. Truth be told, this was probably the plan all along; the Market had gotten a little dirty from both developer and Google testing, and we’re figuring they were just looking to tidy things up a bit to make it presentable on launch day before it got nasty dirty with a flood of developers outside the confines of Google’s own Android Developer Challenge. Either that, or there’s some deep, dark conspiracy lurking involving the unceremonious removal of any content that upsets Schmidt, Brin, or Page.

Update: We’re hearing this is all due to an update to the Market — older apps that haven′t been updated to meet the Market’s specs aren′t available at the moment. Thanks, everyone!

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Original post by Chris Ziegler

Image a MacBook with the screen already open when you pick it up and without any hinges.

Well, the description doesn’t do it justice, but that’s what you got with the Axiotron Modbook.

It’s the first and only Mac-based tablet computer on the market.

Geared specifically for use by the design community, it seamlessly integrates a state-of-the-art Wacom pen-enabled display and the Apple MacBook computer’s legendary ease of use and design sensibility. It gives artists and design-oriented professionals enhanced onscreen drawing and sketching functionality when they need it most.

But while it looks “touch screen,” it’s not. It does not respond to hand/finger touch for the reason that it is made for artists and design professionals whose work would be inhibited using a touch screen device because their hand rests upon the gadget as they draw or design.

In any case, a cool product, really neat for graphics and design — and maybe a harbinger of what’s to come when there is a touch-screen Mac?

Prices start at $2,199.

www.axiotron.com
 

Tags: apple, axiotron, macbook, modbook, tablet pc, wacom

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Original post by nafiz

Hewlett-Packard (HP), aiming to boost its personal computer sales against arch rival Dell (and Lenovo and Apple, too), is increasingly turning to touch-screen technology.

HP is now developing a consumer notebook with a touch screen that will debut before year end. It will include special software that supports the touch screen, but other details, such as pricing, remains unclear.

The new laptop is the latest in a series of touch-oriented devices, including an upcoming line of cellphones, that will become a priority of HP.

HP began promoting touch screens last year with a big-screen desktop computer called the TouchSmart (see photo above). A revamped TouchSmart debuted this year, with new software and a new external design. The touch-sensitive screen allow PC users to move items around, surf the Web or open files with their fingertips, replacing functions normally performed by a mouse and keyboard.

But tablet PCs, or touch-screen laptops, haven’t done that well in the past. Will the future be any different?

More at the Wall Street Journal.

Tags: Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo, tablet pc, touchscreen, TouchSmart

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Original post by nafiz

Filed under: Tablet PCs

Surely you recall that Stylistic ST6012 tablet PC that quietly surfaced on Fujitsu-Siemens’ website late last month, right? Good. Now, do yourself a favor and check out what’s likely the US version of that: Fujitsu’s Stylistic ST6010. Said tablet has just dropped by the FCC’s database, complete with a user manual, an ID label, a litany of test reports and a collection of those heralded FCC photographs taken with what appears to be a 0.03-megapixel webcam from 2001. Unfortunately, the details we crave the most — finalized specifications, a price and a release date — are expectedly missing, but at least tablet lovers camped out in America can get amped up for this to arrive in short order.

[Via GottaBeMobile]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

The last Portégé we saw flow from Toshiba’s doors was a revamped 𔉄 in July, but now we know why we’ve been waiting so long for a true new member of the family. Clearly, Tosh has been shoring ‘em up, waiting for this day to arrive when it would introduce four newcomers in one fell swoop. Starting us off is the ultrathin Portégé R600, which packs your choice of a Core 2 Duo CPU, 2.14-pound shell, a battery good for nine hours and a price tag ranging between $1,499 and $3,299. The Portégé A600 includes most of the same specs along with a GMA X4500 graphics controller and a more pedestrian price; the Portégé M750 Tablet PC adds in that always-exciting swivel action for those who care. Lastly, we’ve got the Tecra R10, which features a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo SP9400, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, 200GB 7,200 RPM hard drive, NVIDIA Quadro NVS 150M GPU and an MSRP of $1,999. No word on when these will head south to the US, but Canadians should be able to indulge soon enough.

[Via GottaBeMobile]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Laptops, Tablet PCs

A fellow named Stuart Lowe installed Leopard on his Gigabyte M912X netbook / tablet hybrid, and we like the results. Though this isn’t the first Mac tablet hack, it’s a tightly wrapped little package: the interface seems smooth with either fingers or a stylus, and Inkwell’s onscreen keyboard allows complete functionality when the computer is folded into its slate configuration. Much of the necessary software functionality existed in Leopard already, and since installing OS X on something other than a Mac isn’t the challenge it used to be, we’re envisioning a pretty smooth ride for other would-be-hackers. We’ve embedded a video on the other side of the jump — take a look, and then cast your vote on what to call this niche category of netbook-like tablets.

[Via Slashgear]

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Continue reading Gigabyte 𓁘X hack makes a smarter, cheaper Modbook

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Original post by Samuel Axon

Filed under: Digital Cameras

This enterprising EOS 40D owner wants a DSLR that records video, too — and he’s taking action. This hack uses CHDK — the free firmware enhancement for Canon PowerShot cameras — and LiveView to capture video to the camera’s CF Card. There are still a few issues: LiveView shuts down after a period of inactivity, video can’t be transfered via USB, and unlike your $79 consumer grade camera, the EOS 40D won’t record audio. But what’s a little challenge in the face of a good camera mod? There′s no word on file format, frame rate or resolution (though the camera’s display weighs in at 320 x 240), but there are lots of other juicy details available once you hit the read link. And be sure to catch the video after the break.

[Via Hack A Day]

Continue reading Canon EOS 40D owner hacks camera, records silent movie

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Original post by Joseph L. Flatley

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Wireless

We′d heard Lexar and Eye-Fi were getting snuggly back in January, and look at that — nine months later the Lexar Shoot-n-Sync WiFi SD card has arrived on our doorstep. The 2GB card is basically just a Lexar-branded Eye-Fi Share, so you pretty much already know how it works — you shoot, it uploads — and it’s even the same $99 price, so yeah, yawn. Hopefully these two will do something a little more interesting now that they’ve gotten used to working together. Lexar also kicked out a number of other cards, including a new 4GB Memory Stick Micro ̄ card, a 16GB Platinum II 60x SDHC card, and a 16GB Platinum II 80x CompactFlash card — no pricing or availability on any of those yet, but we’d expect them soon.

[Via Gearlog]

Read - Shoot-n-Sync
Read - Platinum II cards
Read - M2 card

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Storage

It looks like the SD Card Association association is starting to spread its wings beyond the comforts of removable storage, with it now aiming for a piece of the embedded storage market with its new, appropriately-named Embedded SD standard. Set to actually make its debut in devices this November, the new standard apparently makes use of many tried-and-true SD standards, which the association says should ease platform design in cellphones and consumer electronics devices and speed up widespread adoption. Among other things, the standard includes support both 3.3V and 1.8V power supplies, a flexible partition mechanism to allow for multiple partitions to accommodate various types of data, various data-protection and power-saving measures and, of course, an option to boot from the embedded SD. There’s still no word on any specific devices that’ll employ the standard, but you can expect them to max out with 32GB of on-board memory and 32GB of removable storage.

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Original post by Donald Melanson

Filed under: Laptops

Well, it looks like anyone hoping to give their stock Dell Inspiron Mini 9 a 3G boost is in store for a bit of disappointment, as the netbook’s supposed unofficial 3G-readiness is apparently not as exploitable as some had assumed. While the netbook does indeed have a vacant WWAN slot, as Gearlog learned from Anne Camden of Dell Corporate Communications, “the Mini doesn’t have the internal antenna infrastructure needed to support mobile broadband,” which makes that aforementioned WWAN slot quite useless. As you might have guessed, the antenna was simply left out to keep costs down. So, if you do want a 3G-equipped Mini 9, it seems like you’ll just have to wait for a non-hindered version like the the one Vodafone is offering in Europe.

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Original post by Donald Melanson

Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Happy 3rd birthday mister Walkman phone. To celebrate, Sony Ericsson is getting official with its W902 “Patti″ (pictured), 𕘫 slider, and 𕔆 candybar Walkman handsets. We knew the celebration was coming with the exception of Patti making a last minute substitution for Alicia. SE’s quad-band GSM/EDGE W902 is the all-singing, all-media workhorse with UMTS/HSDPA 2100 data, 5 megapixel camera, 8GB of M2 memory, and 2.2-inch, 240 x 320 pixel display. It comes bundled with a pair of premium HPM-77 headphones and the promise of a clear audio, bass-thumpin’ experience similar to that offered by SE’s W980. The W595 shares the same radios but packs in stereo speakers, 2GB of M2 memory, a 3.2 megapixel camera, motion sensing Shake control, and a stereo Share jack to split the music with a friend. The quad-band GSM/EDGE W302 neglects 3G entirely in favor of a low price tag and dreams of mass adoption. As such, it offers a number of middling specs like a 2 megapixel camera, 512MB of M2 memory, FM radio, and stereo Bluetooth. All three Walkmans will hit select markets in Q4.

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: Wireless

If you’re one of the few who signed up for the much-loved, hard-to-get, line-of-sight-only Sprint Broadband Connect service, it looks like the party is over — Sprint’s telling customers it’s shutting the service down “as the result of a recent FCC action” on June 30 or July 31, depending on the market. BB Connect was only ever offered in a handful of cities and wasn’t heavily promoted recently, but once you mounted the 14-inch diamond-shaped antenna on your roof, you basically got ADSL-class service — which makes Sprint’s offer to switch users to EV-DO with a hike in pricing pretty lame all around. Let’s hope that huge Clearwire deal will provide comparable WiMAX services to take the sting off soon.

[Thanks, Gerson]

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Original post by Nilay Patel