Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More
make money with your web site

Sony PlayStation 4 Rumors

11:47 PM Lecor Martineau



The Sony PlayStation 3 and the Microsoft Xbox 360 went on the market more than 3 years ago, and there hasn’t been any big console releases since then. If you’re waiting for the PlayStation 4 to be released, then you’ll be excited to know that there will be one, but not so pleased to know that it won’t ship anytime this year.


According to reports, the PlayStation 4 is named “Orbis” and will offer no backwards-compatibility with PlayStation 3 titles. Supposedly, it will also have some sort of anti-used games measure. Users will be able to get the full Orbis games on Blu-ray disc or as a PlayStation Network download, and they’ll be locked to a single PSN account without being able to avoid it by remaining offline. This willthat users are forced to be connected to the PSN to boot up their games.

Also, while gamers are free to trade in Orbis games, those who purchase a secondhand disc will be restricted to a limited trial mode or some sort of content restriction unless they pay a fee to unlock the full title.

If you’re wondering what the specs of the Orbis will be like, the developers are planning for an AMD x64 CPU and an AMD Southern Islands GPU, which allows for a 4096 x 2160 resolution as well as 3D games at 1080p. So far, this is all that we’ve heard about the future console.

Posted in ,

Apple Rendering New Concepts for iPhone 5

11:42 PM Lecor Martineau



The iPhone 5, or the “New iPhone” which some people are calling it, will most likely come with a larger screen, thinner form factor and 4G LTE.  But in all reality, we have no idea what it will look like. Perhaps Apple will go towards a more iPod-esque design, reverting back to the natural curves of the 3GS, or they may go with a larger, boxy iPhone 4 style.  ADR Studio has come up with their latest vision of how the iPhone 5 will look like, and they are also speculating on some of its features.


“Every Apple concept is a new challenge.The cool thing is you can use your own imagination to create some features don’t exist on the market, focusing on design aspect and futuristic approaches.

First of all it’s sim-less: it doesn’t use a simcard by our phone mobile operator. It can grab your data directly by the mobile network, also in 4G LTE.  It uses a new audio section, with two panel speakers, on the rear of it aluminum forged unibody.  All the controls are now on the top and the edge is so thin!  The great news is the new iPhone haven’t just one retina display. It has three ones!

One strip screen is on the top, to show you all the network infos, clocks, notifications and so on. The bottom one is for App dock, multitasking panel and so on. The central one is only for the desktop: more space, more freedom.  The home button is integrated into bottom strip display and it can be activate thanks to the closer motion sensor.  Obviously the new iPhone has Siri, gyroscope on 4 axis, motion sensor, as you know and the other great features of the previous iPhone 4s. In addition you’ve a “led powered edge”. You can use it to show the strength of battery life or to show you a preferred caller: you can choose the color thanks to the led edge dedicated app.”

Posted in , ,

Retina Display on Apple MacBooks This Summer 2012

9:07 PM Lecor Martineau


Apple started the whole “Retina Display” craze with the iPhone 4. Then, it made Retina Displays even bigger with the new iPad. Now, it looks like there’s no turning back and Apple is well on its way to integrating Retina Display technology in this year’s MacBook refresh too.


To put things in perspective, the current MacBook line has you choosing between a 1366×768 panel or a 1440×900 panel for your display, as well as the 1920×1200 panel in the 17-inch MacBook Pro. By contrast, the new iPad is able to make the substantial leap to 2048×1536 pixels in just a 9.7-inch display. Considering that the MacBook range goes from 11.6-inches to 17-inches, Apple would have to substantially increase the resolution again.

That said, they were able to justify the lower 264 ppi on the new iPad (compared to 326 ppi on the iPhone 4S) because they said you’d likely have the screen further away from your face. I imagine you’d keep a laptop display even further, so it’s possible that Apple could go lower and still call it a Retina Display. There are reports of “double-sized graphics in the most recent preview of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion” to further back up the possible presence of Retina Display tech in the 2012 MacBook line.

Posted in , ,

OverHeating Problem on New iPad

10:28 PM Lecor Martineau


So, after lining up for hours on end, you finally got your hands on the new iPad. You’re amazed by the improved graphics performance and enthralled by the new Retina display, but your hands are starting to catch on fire. Yup, it looks like the new iPad could have an overheating problem, and it isn’t even summer yet.

At this point, all the evidence is anecdotal, but there have been several posts across forums saying that the new iPad gets pretty darn hot. Yes, we can all expect our tablets and other electronics to get warm with extensive use, but it looks like the 3rd-generation iPad is suffering from a “debilitating jump in temperature.” This isn’t just a comfort thing, as there have been reports of the new iPad sporadically shutting itself down.


The message that appears on the screen? “The iPad needs to cool down.”  The overheating is mostly isolated to just one corner of the tablet and the initial blame is being laid on the larger battery and more powerful processor. The unibody design doesn’t allow for much cooling either.

Posted in , ,

Neo Geo X: Retro-Game Handheld Console

10:24 PM Lecor Martineau


We all love the 80s and 90s, and it’s always great when something from that era comes back alive, isn’t it? What’s coming this time around is a new handheld version of a console, the Neo Geo. It has been confirmed that the Neo Geo X is coming in Q2 of 2012.

Retro games often lose their lustre, you go back 5 or 10 years later with a hope of reigniting that once lost flame, only to be left thinking, meh. It was better before. We are pretty sure that the arrival of the Neo Geo X — which will be shipping with classic Neo Geo titles on board — is going to give you a similar unsatisfied feeling.


The upcoming console will be coming equipped with a 3.5 inch LCD screen, SD card expansion, an A/V output, stereo speakers and a headphone port. Yes, a headphone port. You will be able to enjoy 20 licensed built in games (check out the titles below) and it is said to be priced “in a more affordable manner”, although it is not, unfortunately. In fact, despite what the marketers say, the Neo Geo people are going to be laughing all the way to the bank, if anyone buys it that is.

According to available info, the console has been confirmed for UK and US and it will come with a redonkulous price tag of around £500 (close to $800 USD!). That’s quite a small fortune for taking a trip down memory lane. But we know that some people might find the new handheld priceless. And those people can keep it in the closet next to the unopened Luke Skywalker action figure box while everyone else is playing real games on iPad and Android tablets.

But wait, there’s more. The new Turrican-inspired 2D shooter game named Gunlord is also coming for the Neo Geo and Dreamcast; the cartridge will cost around $570, what, did you think all the games were going to be free?

Of course, some might ask why the developers didn’t make the game for PC. Devin Coldewey over at Techcrunch has all the answers: “For the same reason some people still choose to write their novels on a typewriter, or paint with real brushes, or put their album out on vinyl. ” Or something.

Incase you have thousands of dollars burning a hole in your pocket, probably the same pocket of those Levi red tab jeans you bought in 1987 and are wearing now, then these Neo Geo X games may interest you:

Art Of Fighting, Baseball Stars, Cyber Lip, Fatal Fury, Fatal Fury Special, Football Frenzy, King Of The Monsters, Last Resort, League Bowling, Magician Lord, Metal Slug, Mutation Nation, Nam 1975, Samurai Shodown, Sengoku, Super Sidekicks, The King Of Fighters’94, The Ultimate 11, Top Players Golf, World Heroes.

Posted in

Apple iPad's Behind the "Screen" Story

11:30 PM Lecor Martineau


Apple and Samsung haven’t exactly been on the friendliest of terms lately, continually flinging lawsuits at one another. Even so, they have this awkward relationship where Samsung is still one of Apple’s biggest suppliers. And there’s a reason for that.

When Apple wanted to bump its way to Retina territory for the new iPad, there was really only one company that was capable of doing it: Samsung. You see, Apple has very high standards for quality and it was only Samsung that was able to meet these standards for the new iPad’s Retina display.


And it’s not for lack of competition either. When Apple started the development cycle, it looked at other suppliers. Both LG and Sharp were in the running, but neither was able to live up to the quality control standards set out by the team in Cupertino. That looks like it might change in a couple of months, but only if they can improve their standards to live up to what Apple demands.

Samsung isn’t only supplying the display panel for the new iPad. You know that new A5X chip? That’s Samsung too. Considering how integral Samsung has been to the iPad’s success, it only makes sense that Samsung is pretty much tops when it comes to Android smartphones and tablets too.

Posted in ,

'Waterproof' Samsung Galaxy S3 Officially Announced

11:04 PM Lecor Martineau


Speculation that the Samsung Galaxy S3 will be waterproof got a fresh layer of cred today, after it emerged that the phone-maker has purportedly held talks with a US provider of nano-coating technology.

According to reports at the time, Samsung was investigating a spray called HZO to coat the innards of its phones and render them impermeable.


Today, a second company, P2i, using similar tech has been mentioned in conjunction with the S3.

In a Q&A with TechRadar, P2i claimed that the ‘big Korean brands’, by which we take it he means Sammy and its domestic deadly rival LG, have been running the rule over its waterproof coatings.

Eric Cohill, Chief Operating Officer at P2i, said: "There are several hundred pound gorillas in the phone industry, we've got the 'fruity companies' and the big Korean brands, and they're all becoming interested [in our technology] as they don't want to be second best in the market."

Whether any of this means it’ll be present and correct in the S3 is another matter, of course. But given that there are still three and a half months until the handset’s anticipated launch-date, it’s certainly not out of the question.

Posted in ,

Sony Xperia Sola Phone Preview

11:48 PM Lecor Martineau


Sony has announced the latest addition to the Xperia smartphone range - the sola. The new handset will offer features like floating touch navigation, Xperia SmartTags and NFC to name a few.

Sony Mobile Communications has announced Xperia sola as the latest addition to its portfolio of Android powered Xperia smartphones.  Complete with Sony technology, premium entertainment and innovative floating touch navigation, the NFC enabled Xperia sola comes equipped with Xperia SmartTags, allowing consumers to change their smartphone’s settings and applications to fit their lifestyle in an instant. Xperia sola will be available to consumers globally in black, white and red in the second quarter. 


A floating touch of magic
Making its smartphone debut exclusively on Xperia sola, Sony’s unique floating touch lets consumers navigate the web by hovering their finger above the screen so it acts like a moving curser, without actually having to touch the screen.  Once the desired link is found it can be highlighted and a simple tap will load the page.  Floating touch will evolve with new user functionality and applications through software updates and engagement with developers.

Colin Williamson, Marketing Manager for Sony Mobile South Africa commented; “Xperia sola comes with the power of Sony and a sense of magic with floating touch, giving consumers a fun new way to browse the web and latest technology to show off. With Xperia SmartTags out of the box and access to the latest content through Sony Entertainment Network, Xperia sola is perfect for consumers looking for ease of use and the best in entertainment in a smart and innovative smartphone.”

Simplify the everyday with SmartTags
Xperia sola is NFC enabled and comes with two NFC Xperia SmartTags in the box as standard to simplify consumers’ everyday smartphone experiences. By touching an NFC Android smartphone on a SmartTag, a pre-configured profile in the smartphone will launch. The two SmartTags included with Xperia sola can be personalized with up to 10 commands. Out of the box one is ready for the living room to turn on Wi-Fi and launch Google news and weather apps, and the other one for the bedroom, which turns on the alarm and switches to silent mode. Xperia sola supports NFC pairing, allowing consumers to enjoy great connectivity with other NFC smartphones, applications and services by tapping their smartphones together. 

Powerful entertainment anytime, anywhere
Xperia sola uses a Reality Display powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine, xLOUD and 3D surround sound audio technology delivering crisp and loud sound, and a 1GHz dual-core processor for fast performance.  Xperia sola also comes with fast capture to take the camera from sleep to snap in a little over a second with a single key press. 

Consumers can also access premium entertainment experiences with Sony Entertainment Network, where they can watch the latest Hollywood blockbusters on Video Unlimited or listen to millions of songs through Music Unlimited. 

Key features for Xperia sola
  • Floating touch navigation for an easy web browsing experience
  • NFC enabled and Xperia SmartTags in the box to enable quick app loading and easy content sharing
  • 3.7” Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine gives razor sharp clarity
  • Powered by a 1GHz Dual Core Processor for super fast browsing
  • xLOUD and 3D surround sound audio technology for crisp and loud listening
  • Direct access to Sony Entertainment Network with pre-installed Video and Music Unlimited apps
  • Launches on Android platform 2.3, upgrade to Android 4.0 during summer 2012

Posted in

Russian Student Cracks Chrome at Google Hackathon

9:00 PM Lecor Martineau


Well, I guess Google Chrome isn’t impenetrable after all. A total of $1 million in prizes was recently offered by Google to anyone who could exploit the Chrome browser and, for the most part, people failed. That has now changed. At the Google Pwnium hackathon, a Russian university student has been able to hack his way through the cloud OS and earn himself the top prize.


Sergey Glazunov is now $60,000 richer for having successfully hacked a PC running the Chrome browser. What has prevented earlier attempts is that Chrome has something called a “sandbox” that is designed to stop hackers from accessing user data even if they compromise the browser. Glazunov found an exploit to get around that, bypassing the security and successfully hacking into the PC.

As part of the competition, all successful hackers must tell Google how they did it, effectively giving Google the opportunity to patch up the security flaw before real hackers take advantage of it in real life. Interestingly, a security firm also hacked Chrome at HP’s Pwn2Own event, doing so in just five minutes. Chrome is still pretty secure, but this does show that it’s not invincible.

Posted in

Sneal Peek on iPad Gen. 3 (iPad HD)

10:27 PM Lecor Martineau


Well, seems like the rumors were true (some of it anyway) and today we’re finally seeing the official specs of the third generation iPad. As expected, the main draw here is its beautiful 9.7-inch, 2048 x1536 resolution display, that quite frankly, blows everything else out of the water. That’s 264 pixels per inch, and Apple says that the new iPad has 44 percent better color saturation than before. To put that in perspective, the new iPad has more pixels than current full-HD TVs. Powering the entire thing is the new A5X quad-core processor, and Apple says that the new processor is twice as fast as NVIDIA’s Tegra 3.


The new iPad also uses a 5-megapixel backside illuminated sensor and boasts slightly better specs than the camera on the iPhone 4S. The device also features 1080p video recording, which is on par with most hi-end smartphones currently out in the market.

The new iPad now features Siri-like functionality in the form of a dedicated microphone soft button at the bottom of the virtual keyboard (right beside the spacebar). Also a surprising feature: 4G LTE connectivity. We guessed that the new iPad wouldn’t have it, well, we guess we were wrong. The new iPad will feature 4G LTE right out of the bat, though how that’ll work in multiple countries with different LTE spectrums, we don’t know (you can’t just bring an LTE device provisioned for a certain carrier to another place and expect it (LTE) to work). You can of course just buy a version without the LTE capability built-in (or just use 3G), but were’s the fun in that? As an added bonus, the new iPad can be used as a personal hotspot too.

Probably the best thing about the new iPad is that it’s able to squeeze out 10 hours of battery life – 9 on 4G. The device is about 9.4mm thin and weighs in at 1.4lbs.

The new iPad will cost you $499 bucks for the 16GB version, $599 for the 32GB and $699 for the 64GB version. LTE versions of the device will retail for  $629, $729 and $829, respectively.

First countries to get dibs on the new device will be US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Austria on March 16, with other countries getting theirs on March 23.

For more detailed iPad specifications, visit: http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

Posted in ,

Android Ice Cream Sanwich on Galaxy S II This March 2012

11:40 PM Lecor Martineau


The Samsung Galaxy S II is still one of my favorite Android devices, despite it being succeeded by the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Note. And it’s about to get a lot sweeter too, since we’re hearing that Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich will be rolled out to the Galaxy S2 by March 15, if not earlier.


Yes, it was only last month that we had heard about a March 1st rollout of ICS for the Galaxy S II, but that date has come and gone. The new date of March 15 comes by way of a Samsung Israel post on Facebook, suggesting that Ice Cream Sandwich will arrive on that date for that phone. Even so, it could come out even earlier for certain European markets, based on what history has taught us thus far.

This doesn’t give much of an offiicial indication as to when the Galaxy S II (in all its variants) will get the ICS update in North America, but if you’re not opposed to some manual updating, I’m sure the European ROM will find its way onto the Internet soon enough.

Posted in ,

Yandex Shell 3D Tablet Edition for Android

11:36 PM Lecor Martineau

SPB Software have released a new version of the Yandex Shell to allow manufacturers to create glasses-free 3D tablet interfaces.

Yandex-owned mobile software developer SPB Software launched a glasses-free 3D user interface for Android tablets, at Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona this week. 

With Shell 3D Tablet Edition, mobile operators and device manufacturers can now create customized 3D tablet interfaces for their clients.


Yandex Shell 3D Tablet Edition uses auto-stereoscopic technology that creates an immersive 3D experience without the need for specialized tablets screens. Representing entirely new way of interacting with tablets, Yandex Shell 3D Tablet Edition makes it easier for users to navigate and personalize their devices. The tablet edition follows the launch of smartphone-based Shell 3D, one of the most successful premium apps on the Android Market.

According to estimates from industry analysts Gartner, sales of tablets are expected to reach 326 million by 2015 and will be roughly on par with PC sales.

"Mobile operators are now offering tablets with mobile broadband packages alongside mobile and smart phone deals. We recognise that they want to differentiate the offerings they make to their tablet subscribers from what they can offer to their mobile phone clients," said Sebastian-Justus Schmidt, General Manager and EVP Mobile at Yandex. "The Yandex Shell 3D is available for operators to pre-install on their Android tablets, adding a new element of attraction for potential customers. We believe that 3D interaction will become the norm on tablet devices."

The tablet UI home screen features an intuitive carousel design which allows users to see panels of all of their apps and widgets in three dimensions, as they swipe from panel to panel. Each panel is easily customizable, giving users an opportunity to create the right combination of apps, widgets and folders. Shell 3D Tablet Edition also contains special widgets including a clock with 60 different skins and a 3D calendar. It also has a widget that allows users to 3D-enable other widgets.

Posted in ,

Unlocking Hotel Room Using Your Smartphone

11:24 PM Lecor Martineau

At the Mobile World Congress, NXP Semiconductors announced that its OpenWays Mobile Key lets guests unlock their hotel room door using a NFC capable smartphone.

NXP Semiconductors has announced that its identification technology enables a new enhanced version of the popular OpenWays mobile hotel key service. OpenWays Mobile Key accelerates the check-in process allowing the guests to bypass the check-in, receive their room number and use their mobile phone as the hotel room key. Through its work with NXP OpenWays can now include NFC technology into their service, enabling hotel chains to provide their guests with an ultramodern, future proof access solution. The OpenWays Mobile Key DUAL© with Pure NFC will be incorporated into the Mobile Key service offered by major hotel chains starting with Nordic Choice Hotels in Scandinavia.

OpenWays, a provider of mobile key solutions, recognised the convenience of NFC and selected NXP for its superior end-to-end solutions expertise to help create the Mobile Key DUAL with Pure NFC service hotel key system. The smartphones will securely transmit hotel key credentials to the room door lock via NFC. The OpenWays door lock utilises the flexible NXP PN512 NFC transceiver IC and software stack while the OpenWays application is based on NXP’s open source NFC operating stack integration for Symbian, Android and other operating systems.

NXP helped to add NFC support with optimized antennas to the previously introduced CAC (Crypto Acoustic Credential) technology within the power efficient and compact OpenWays reader. This brings OpenWays into the unique position to operate across all phones, carriers and lock systems today. The result is a simple, reliable, secure and intuitive NFC key service that is cost-effective to deploy in new hotel development and hotel upgrades. The OpenWays NFC reader is available in form factors allowing both an upgrade to existing hotel locks and in a OEM version for embedding into new locks.


“We selected NXP because of its NFC and contactless leadership position as well as its expertise in embedded mobile security. As top hotel chains deploy mobile front desk bypass services, they demand solutions that are truly deployable today while being future proof. As NFC phones continue to appear on the market it was logical to add NFC support to our Mobile Key offering while remaining fully interoperable and ubiquitous,” said Pascal Metivier, founder and CEO of OpenWays. “Having on our side a technology provider with long-standing, end-to-end NFC and security expertize is very important to us. NXP’s position as the co-founder of NFC and potential to collaborate and bring new secure NFC innovations to market with short design in cycles made them the ideal partner.”

“New innovative services such as OpenWays Mobile Key are exactly what we envisioned as the value add of NFC enabled mobile solutions,” said Henri Ardevol, vice president and general manager, secure transactions, NXP Semiconductors. “We are happy to contribute our expertise across the contactless and security ecosystems as well as our extensive NFC domain knowledge to OpenWays.”

NFC is a market proven, standardised technology co-invented by NXP and Sony in 2002. NXP is at the center of this ecosystem, fueling its development by partnering with almost all major handset manufacturers, mobile OS providers and applications developers. NXP is the No1 supplier to the Identification market globally, and leverages its leadership in contactless and security technologies to provide complete Mobile Transactions solutions: NFC controllers, Secure Elements in all form factors, NFC tags and infrastructure reader ICs. Currently OEMs have selected NXP’s NFC technology for more than 130 mobile devices.

Posted in ,

Jelly Bean and Key Lime Pie: Next To Serve Hot From Android Kitchen

11:14 PM Lecor Martineau


At first, people thought it was silly that Google would decide to name its different versions of Android after sweet treats in alphabetical order, but that was half the fun. And the fun is continuing after Ice Cream Sandwich with Jelly Bean. And now we’re learning that Key Lime Pie will be the Android that comes after Jelly Bean. 

The version numbers of Jelly Bean and Key Lime Pie aren’t quite so clear, since Google jumped from 2.3 Gingerbread to 3.0 Honeycomb to 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Even so, a “reliable source” is saying that Key Lime Pie is being prepared in the Google kitchen as the next iteration of its mobile operating system. I’d imagine that both Jelly Bean and Key Lime Pie will continue down the Ice Cream Sandwich path of being both smartphone and tablet friendly. 

It’s also hard to say just how far down the timeline we’re looking here. The Verge is guessing that Key Lime Pie won’t be dished out until some time in 2013, which makes sense if Jelly Bean won’t show up until the end of this year. Then, we have to start thinking about “L” names for the next Android. Lemon Meringue Pie? Followed by Marzipan or Macaroon?

Posted in ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...