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Acer's Z5600 AIO All-In-One PC Will Have Windows 7, Available October 23; Microsoft Giving Windows 7 Updates To Everyone!!

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Earlier today, I talked about how Acer UK mentioned that Windows 7 will be available on October 23. Well, it looks like it actually will be. Apparently, Acer is releasing their all-in-one PC, the Z5600 AIO, on October 23 and Windows 7 will be pre-loaded. I guess this is what he was talking about, and this is very good news! By now, you may or may not know that Windows 7 will have touchscreen capabilities pre-loaded into the OS, so it'll be helpful with Acer's creation of this all-in-one PC - if it has a touchscreen, that is.

On a side note, Microsoft has also mentioned that they will supply everyone using Windows 7 with updates. This includes people who have it illegally! Basically, Microsoft is giving us a sign to download it illegally - thank you torrents. Maybe Microsoft has a trick up its sleeves for all of those illegal Windows 7 PC users. Maybe they'll be able to crack down on those illegal users. We'll just have to see.

[Engadget (Acer), Gizmodo (Windows 7)]



Next WebOS Phone; The Palm Eos Being Released To AT&T

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Remember that blurry picture from earlier today? About a couple of hours ago? Well, it looks like the picture you see here is what it is supposed to be. It is the Palm Eos and it will be released by AT&T (not by Sprint). It's not confirmed yet, but it just doesn't make sense to me. They release an awesome looking Pre and they throw a curveball to throw in a Treo Pro or Centro device running on WebOS? Sure, it may not be an exact imitation of the Centro, but I wonder where they got the inspiration from. I don't like it. Anyways, this phone reportedly has: Quad-band GSM 850/1900MHz HSDPA, a 2.63-inch capacitive touchscreen display with a 400 x 320 resolution, 4GB of built-in storage, a 2MP camera with flash and video capabilities, aGPS, Bluetooth 2.1 + A2DP / EDR. As of right now, the said device has no microSD slot and it will also dethrone the Nokia E71 as the thinnest QWERTY smartphone in the world - being just 10.6mm thin. It will cost $349 USD, so it's not too bad. A couple of people on Boy Genius are saying the phone looks nice, but I don't think so. I'd rather have a BlackBerry over this anyday, especially the Tour aka Niagara.

[Boy Genius]

Acer Says Windows 7 Will Be Available On October 23

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This is what Acer UK's marketing director, Bobby Watkins, said, "23rd October is the date the Windows 7 will be available." Now it may not be grammatically correct, but he also said that if you buy a PC 30 days before the aforementioned date, you will get Windows 7 free - I'm guessing as an upgrade. In my opinion, it will not be available on this day because Microsoft is still keeping their mouth shut about the release date. But, it does seem kind of early, even though I hope it comes out before the end of the Fall.

[Gizmodo]

Google Releases 11 Videos About Chrome

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Google has just released 11 videos about their Chrome web browser. Looks like they're slowly drifting away from their old comic strips and they are now planning to hit the big small screen. Right now, I don't have time to watch them all, but I'm still willing to show you guys. Just click on this link to see exactly what I'm talking about - and watch all 11 of them now. Thanks YouTube! I posted one for you below, just so you could check out a preview.



[Tech Crunch]

Palm Working On Second WebOS Device For 2009; Centro Look-Alike Or Mini Pre?

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Apparently, Palm will be releasing another phone running WebOS later this year. Some people are saying it could be a mini Pre which I would definitely not like. And some people are saying that it could be a Centro look-alike (pictured), which I also dislike. The Centro-like device is said to have a Fall release date, but that would be kind of early for another WebOS smartphone, I think - it'll probably happen though. Back to the first rumour, is the "nano" Palm Pre. Apparently, Palm is already "far along" on this mini Palm Pre and it will also be available in the later portion of 2009 (possibly Fall as well). Keep in mind that there are only talks of one other WebOS phone in the works, besides the Pre. So, there's 2 rumours, which one do you believe it will be? I hope neither. On a side note, I hope it's the Palm Post... well, maybe in a couple of years.

[Electronista, Reg Hardware, Boy Genius (Centro Look-Alike)]

Cupcake For Android Is Officially Here!!

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That's the latest news. The Android Cupcake version (1.5) is now available to those T-Mobile G1 users. If you want to know how to get it check the Boy Genius link below. T-Mobile has already started to distribute the 1.5 Android build to its users, so that's a good sign that the wait is over. Cupcake features: customizable widgets, messaging enhancements, the virtual QWERTY keyboard and also a couple of other UI tweaks, according to Engadget.

[Boy Genius, Engadget]

Touchscreens On Steroids Thanks To Pop-Up Buttons!!

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At first, I thought about this and said, why would they even implement this? But then, I thought about it and it's probably the best thing I've heard in a long while. Imagine if your iPhone (easiest relatable touchscreen phone) could magically just "lift" its own buttons up when you're typing on the virtual QWERTY keyboard. That would be amazing. If you don't understand exactly what I mean, just read this execerpt:

Now researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed buttons that pop out from a touch-screen surface. The design retains the dynamic display capabilities of a normal touch screen but can also produce tactile buttons for certain functions.

Graduate student Chris Harrison and computer-science professor Scott Hudson have built a handful of proof-of-concept displays with the morphing buttons. The screens are covered in semitransparent latex, which sits on top of an acrylic plate with shaped holes and an air chamber connected to a pump. When the pump is off, the screen is flat; when it’s switched on, the latex forms concave or convex features around the cutouts, depending on negative or positive pressure.
To illuminate the screens and give them multitouch capabilities, the researchers use projectors, infrared light, and cameras positioned below the surface. The projectors cast images onto the screens while the cameras sense infrared light scattered by fingers at the surface.

Special thanks to those at Carnegie Mellon University, I now love them. This would definitely be an amazing addition and I hope to see it on future touchscreen phones. It could possibly eliminate my needs of a physical QWERTY keyboard, to a certain extent - I'd still love the extra screen room, which is what the slide-out QWERTY keyboard gives us. Read more about this technology at the link below.

[Crunch Gear]

Averatec Developing 10-Inch Netbook Running Android

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Averatec is developing a new 10-inch netbook which is "a merger of cellphone and PC technology." This news sets the flag off that this netbook could be running on Google's OS, Android. Averatec's CEO mentioned that the OS will be "a surprise" and he neither denied nor confirmed the Android OS rumours. I'm excited to see how well Android performs on this netbook - until yesterday I've actually never even heard of this company. I'm actually really happy that today has turned out to be an Android-filled day. Looks like Google is really pushing the envelope here.

[Slash Gear]

Windows 7's Windows XP Mode Needs 2GB of RAM and True Processor Virtualization

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Remember that awesome Windows XP Mode reported to be included in Windows 7? Well, it looks like it will have a couple of hardware specifications. Straight from Gizmodo:


• A CPU that has true chip-level virtualization from Intel or AMD.
• 2GB of RAM minimum.
• While XP Mode will be a free download for buyers of 
Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, and Windows 7 Ultimate, you will need a licensed copy of Windows XP Service Pack 3.
All seems very straightforward except the virtualization part. According to Microsoft's Scott Woodgate, "Some PCs have [chip-level virtualization] and some don't. It's not as clear as it should be relative to which PCs have support and which don't." Hopefully, they will release a tester program along with Windows 7.

I would definitely love to have Windows XP Mode on my Windows 7 PC, I just hope that these processors will be easy to find.

[Gizmodo]

Motorola IRONMAN Also Running Android

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I just blogged about the Motorola Calgary and it looks like another Android-based smartphone from Motorola looks like it could be on the way. This Motorola "IRONMAN" (not to be confused with the movie) is said to run on Android and it is also said to be available by the end of Q3. I don't know what's gotten into Motorola lately, but it looks like they could be jumping on this Android wagon faster than other companies out there. This smartphone is said to have your regular specs, including: WiFi and 3G; it may also sport a "high res" camera, which could be 5MP, but I'm just guessing. The Calgary will be released on Verizon, but there's been no word on which phone company will be releasing this smartphone yet.

[Boy Genius, Engadget]

Motorola Calgary Will Be Motorola's First Android Phone; Flash and Inferno Get 'Canned'

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It has been confirmed that the Motorola Calgary (pictured above) will indeed be Motorola's first crack at Android. I talked a bit about this phone last year, but it's been a while since we've last seen it. I'm actually not sure if the picture above is just a mock-up or the real thing, but the picture does look good. It does look unique, compared to the T-Mobile G1, HTC Magic, and the Samsung I7500. I hope this will be a good product from Motorola because they need to make something decent, sooner or later.

On a side note, the Motorola Flash and Inferno (Motoprizm) have now been 'canned' aka will never be available. Oh well, I actually thought the Flash looks decent. On a side note, Android seems to be getting some recognition.

[Boy Genius]

Samsung's 23-Inch OLED TV By 2010; Panasonic Working on 37-Inch OLED TV

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I love hearing about OLED's and how bright they are and the fact that they are just so amazing. Samsung has talked about making their own OLED TVs and that they are expected to be on store shelves by 2010. The said TV will have a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and DVI / HDMI inputs. This OLED TV from Samsung is also said to be just 1.6 cm and will suck 40% less energy than the standard LCDs. We'll have to see what happens, OLEDs will of course brighten up CES 2010.

Panasonic wasn't going to let Samsung have all of the fun. They have just announced that they are working on a 37-inch OLED TV that will be available in 18-24 months from now. The said OLED TV will have a 50,000 hour life span (20,000 more than the average) and will be just 1-inch thick (a bit thicker than I expected). I love OLEDs and I can't wait for them to become mainstream. I just hope I don't have to wait until 2015 for them to "take off."

[Slash Gear (Panasonic), Engadget (Samsung)]

iPhone 3.0 Beta 4 Now Available; iTunes 8.2 Points At Blu-ray For Upcoming Macs?

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For all of you lucky developers out there, Apple has just released Beta 4 for the iPhone 3.0 OS, which should fix a couple of bugs, or whatever. On a side note, first you must install the beta version of iTunes which is version 8.2. iTunes 8.2 does have a hidden message, which points at Blu-ray. We already know that Apple's WWDC has sold out - no surprise there. But, could Apple be preparing a new MacBook with Blu-ray functionality? You be the judge. All I know is that Blu-ray would just make those stinking things even more expensive than they already are.

[Gizmodo (iPhone 3.0), Gizmodo (Blu-ray)]

New PSP Rumoured To Be Named The PSP Go!; Has 16GB of Flash Memory

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Yes, this is the latest rumour on the street. The new PSP will be called the PSP Go! The Go! will have a touchscreen and will be UMD-free. It will also reportedly have 8 / 16GB of flash memory built-in, and 2 thumbsticks for your gaming. The PSP Go! is said to be announced by Sony at this year's E3, so it would be a disappointment if this doesn't happen. The Go! is said to be available before this year ends (perhaps Fall). Pricing is, of course, still unknown. Don't forget that the image above is still just a mock-up. The screen could be sporting an 800 x 480 resolution and I hope that it has multitouch. We'll have to see if these rumours are true, come E3. This looks exciting!!

[Tech Radar, Electronista]

The Nokia N97 Is Outdated; Packs A Measly 434MHz CPU

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My favourite phone, the Nokia N97 is proving to be more and more outdated the more and more I look at it. The so-called Nokia N97 (the flagship) has a 5MP camera, which is outdated. Unfortunately, there's more sad, sad news - besides that fact that it's also been delayed a couple times. Nokia has confirmed that the N97 uses an ARM11 434MHz CPU. What are they thinking? At least Toshiba's on the ball with their TG branded phones. In my opinion, this phones needs a much better processor aka Nokia needs to talk to Qualcomm to get some processors from them. It's also sad that the N97 has a resistive touchscreen. After hearing this news, the Nokia N97 is no longer my favourite phone. It is, though, outdated and will definitely be overpriced. I don't have a favourite phone anymore - well it could be the Palm Pre, but I wouldn't get it because I don't even think it's going to be available in Canada. Now that I look at it again the N97's QWERTY keyboard does look kind of plasticky.

[Slash Gear]

Dell Studio One 19 All-In-One PC Now Available; Starts At $699

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The Dell Studio One 19 all-in-one PC is now available in the US [and Europe] at a starting price of $699 USD. For the base price you get: Intel's Dual Core E5200 2.5GHz CPU, an 18.5-inch display with a 1,366 x 768 resolution, 2GB of RAM, a DVD burner, a Nvidia GeForce 9200 graphics card, a 320GB HDD, and an integrated webcam. You'll have to pay extra for a multitouch display and, of course, for better specs, so you might want to take a look at Dell's official website.

[Crunch Gear]

BlackBerry Tour Hitting Verizon This July?

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Since the 'Tour' name has now been confirmed, it's time to continue the rumours. Apparently, Verizon is looking at releasing the BlackBerry Tour this July. Boy Genius has some guesses that consist of a mid to late July release for $199 USD on a 2-year contract. We'll just have to see what happens in the upcoming weeks. It's bound to be leaked / announced soon.

[Boy Genius]

Cablevision Makes Me Want To Move To The US; $99 For 101Mbps Internet Speed

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First of all, here's some background information on me. I live in Canada and am currently using Rogers Hi-Speed Extreme Internet which gives me 10Mbps and I also have a 95GB monthly bandwidth limit. For those services my mom pays $54.95 CAD monthly. Starting on May 11, the cheapest and fastest Internet in the United States will be from Cablevision. Starting on May 11, Cablevision will be offering 101Mbps with no bandwidth limit and will cost just $99 USD a month. This is amazing, since Verizon and Comcast charge American citizens for 50Mbps. Damn, that's fast!

[Engadget]

Averatec N2700 Notebook Costs Just $699

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This notebook you see here is now available for just $699 - I don't know where though. Trust me, this is a great deal. The Averatec N2700 has: a 12.1-inch display, Intel's Core 2 Duo T6400 2.0GHz CPU, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, a 250GB HDD, WiFi, a DVD burner, gigabit Ethernet, and an integrated 1.3MP webcam. The notebook also has 3 USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire, audio in / out, VGA output, and also a 4-in-1 card reader. The N2700 weighs only 4 pounds and is running on Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit). This notebook will surprisingly enough come with absolutely no bloatware, which is amazing!! Don't forget, it's only $699 and I think that's a pretty low price for what you're getting here.

[Slash Gear]

Marvel vs Capcom 2 Hitting The PS3 and Xbox 360 This Summer

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Ahh yes, the rumours were true. The countdown is finished and Marvel vs Capcom 2 will indeed be relaunching. It will be coming to Xbox Live Arcade and PSN this summer. The aforementioned game will also have online play, so it's bound to get people excited. Playstation 3 owners should be expecting a demo this week - could be on Thursday because of the usual update schedule. You can visit the Capcom Unity website for a sneak peek or take a look at the video below if you please.



[Joystiq]

Firefox 3.0.10 On The Way; Firefox 3.5 Will Have Undo Closed Window Button

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It's been only 6 days since Firefox 3.0.9 came out and it looks like Mozilla is already working on Firefox 3.0.10. Apparently, Firefox 3.0.9 has actually been a little bit slower than its previous versions and that is something that Mozilla is currently trying to fix. Firefox 3.0.10 will bring back the good ol' speed and will also plug a couple of security holes.

Firefox 3.5 Beta 4 reportedly has a new "Recently Closed Windows entry in the History menu that will allow you to restore accidentally closed windows." This is definitely good news, since the undo closed tab option is a life-saver for me. On a side note, Opera and Google Chrome already have this feature; Internet Explorer 8, on the other hand, is terrible.

[Beta News (Firefox 3.0.10), Lifehacker (Firefox 3.5)]

HTC Magic Now On Sale In Spain

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Yes, that's right. Vodafone Spain have just announced that the HTC Magic is on sale starting this morning. The HTC Magic in Spain will not be free, like UK's version. Instead the price of the HTC Magic will range from €19 ($25 USD) to €199 ($262 USD). Fortunately, Vodafone Spain have the "all-you-can-eat data" plan for just €12 ($16 USD) per month, but it will be mandatory for all buyers. The HTC Magic's specs have not changed and don't forget that it's the second Android phone to be available to-date. To re-cap, the HTC Magic has a 3.2-inch touchscreen with a QVGA resolution, HSPA connectivity, WiFi, and Bluetooth 2.0 - don't forget about the chin.

[Slash Gear]

Samsung's First Android Phone In June; The I7500

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The phone you see here is Samsung's first Android phone that will be hitting Europe this June. The specs are as follows: a 3.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 8GB of internal memory, a microSD slot (up to 32GB support), GPS, WiFi, 5MP camera with autofocus and an LED flash, Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0 connectivity, a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, and it's also HSDPA capable. Personally, I don't like the way the phone looks and I'm also extremely disappointed that this Android phone doesn't have a QWERTY keyboard. The good thing is that it will of course be launching with Cupcake.

[Mobile Crunch]

Samsung Omnia Pro By July?

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This is the latest rumour from the Samsung camp. The image above is just a mock-up and is not a real picture of the supposed Samsung Omnia Pro. Anyways, the Samsung Omnia Pro is expected to hit us in July with: a 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a 800 x 480 resolution, WinMo 6.1 (upgradeable after WinMo 6.5 release), a 5MP camera with autofocus and a certain type of flash, and video recording capabilities. Obviously the Samsung Omnia Pro will have a slide-out QWERTY keyboard which will definitely be a nice addition. I wish the camera was 8 megapixels, but I guess 5 is good enough. I just hope that Samsung gets this touchscreen down-pat and that they iron all of the lag issues - if this handset is true.

[Boy Genius]

Windows XP Mode Spotted In Windows 7

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A new Windows 7 feature has just been found and it's called Windows XP Mode. You are actually able to run Windows XP inside of Windows 7, which is truly amazing. In the screenshot above you can see Microsoft Word 2003 open in Windows XP and Word 2007 opened in Windows 7 at the same time - on the same screen. This could be extremely useful for those that just can't leave the XP workspace. On a side note, the RC version of Windows 7 might not have the feature available, but it will be around for the official, final release.

This Windows XP Mode will be available via a free download only for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate users. It won't be coming out for everyone, so I guess I know which version I'll most likely be getting. I think it's a pretty clever addition on Microsoft's part. I give them props!

[Engadget, Windows Super Site]

LG GD900 With a Transparent Keypad Could See a May Release In the UK

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The very, very sexy LG GD900 looks like it could make its debut next month in the UK. The handset was set for a "sometime this Summer" launch, but the UK could be getting it as early as mid-May, according to the latest rumour. When browsing online, the transparent keypad also functions as a mouse trackpad if you drag your finger around it. Don't forget that this will handset will also be rocking the new 3D S-Class UI. Damn, I'm excited.

[Tech Radar]

Cupcake Coming To Android This May

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Yes, Google has put up a huge Cupcake beside their on-campus Android figure, but here's news on when the actual Cupcake software will be available for Android. Well, it looks like if you were expecting it this month, then too bad. T-Mobile Germany has just confirmed that Cupcake will be coming in May (next month). This should come as no surprise, since the HTC Magic is hitting Vodafone on May 5. Hopefully, Cupcake will be available for Android in the first week of May because those T-Mobile G1 users have been waiting for quite a bit now.

[Mobile Crunch]

Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 Now Spotted On NewEgg For $900

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The IdeaPad Y550 notebook from Lenovo has just been spotted on NewEgg, by yours truly. The IdeaPad Y450 was announced just a couple of days ago, so it's no surprise that this is finally available. The IdeaPad Y550 has: a 15.6-inch display with a WXGA (1,366 x 768) resolution, an Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz T6400 CPU, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB HDD, Intel's GMA 4500MHD graphics, an ExpressCard slot, WiFi, a DVD burner, an integrated 1.3MP webcam, and a 6-in-1 card reader. It also comes with a couple of ports: 3 USB 2.0, VGA, HDMI, and microphone / headphone jacks. The IdeaPad Y550 is also shipping with a 6-cell battery that is supposed to give you 4.5 hours of battery life. The notebook itself weighs 6.06 pounds and costs $899.99 USD off of NewEgg.

Update: As of May 13, the IdeaPad Y550 is now available on the official Lenovo website with a base price of $599 USD. I found this out, thanks to the anonymous comment.

[New Egg]

13-Year Old Boy Downloads The 1 Billionth App and Takes Home the Prize

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Apple has spotted the person who downloaded the 1 billionth app off of the App Store and it was Connor Mulcahey of Connecticut. He took home a $10,000 USD iTunes gift certificate (that I would sell on eBay because I don't get anything off of the iTunes Store), a MacBook Pro and a Time Capsule. He's only 13-years old, so I'm pretty sure this is something that he'll remember for the rest of his life. Congratulations to him! I hope he spends that $10,000 iTunes gift certificate wisely.

[Apple Blog]

MSI X-Slim X340 Starts At $1,100

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So much for MSI's promise of placing this notebook in the sub $1,000 category. The black and white models of the MSI X-Slim X340 are now officially priced at $1,099 USD. The base model of the X340 has: a 13.4-inch display with a 1,366 x 768 resolution, the Core 2 Solo 1.4GHz SU3500 Intel CULV CPU, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, a 320GB HDD, Intel's GMA 4500MDH graphics, gigabit Ethernet, HDMI output, 2 USB 2.0 ports, VGA output, audio in / out, an integrated 1.3MP webcam, and a 2-in-1 card reader. The base model also comes with a 4-cell battery, but there is an 8-cell battery option. The notebook itself weighs 2.86 pounds (with the 4-cell battery) and is just 0.79-inches thin. The price seems kind of steep, I was hoping it would be cheaper.

[Slash Gear]

Windows 7 RC Build 7100 Now Available On Torrents

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I talked briefly about the "fake" RC's being distributed on torrents yesterday. Well, lucky for most of us the real RC has supposedly just been leaked to torrents. It's build 7100 and it is now available in 32-bit and 64-bit. The ISO files should be about 2.36GB (32-bit), and 3.05GB (64-bit), so it's not entirely huge. Go and check it out now, although it hasn't been officially confirmed. It probably is the real thing, so just go right ahead and start downloading it. Yes, the fake downloads have been pulled off the torrents, so it's smooth sailing from here.

[ZDNet Blogs]

Verizon Launches the Samsung Trance Today

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Don't forget that the Samsung Trance is now available from Verizon. The Trance costs $49.99 USD after a $50 mail-in rebate on a 2-year contract. It's a low-range phone (according to me), so don't expect too much out of it. The Trance has: a 2.1-inch display with a 220 x 176 resolution, a 1.3MP camera, 1GB of internal memory, a microSD card slot, Bluetooth, a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, and Back & Olufsen ICEpower sound technology. It's fairly underwhelming, so it's up to you whether you want to hang onto this phone for 2 years.

[Boy Genius]

Asus EeeBox PC B208 With HDMI-Out Could Be Available This June

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This is the EeeBox PC B208 from Acer and it is their latest nettop. This little nettop PC has Intel's Atom 330 CPU, an ATI Radeon HD 4530 graphics card, HDMI-out, WiFi, and gigabit Ethernet. It will be competing with Acer's AspireRevo that was revealed a couple of weeks ago. The AspireRevo nettop will be available in May and the EeeBox PC B208 could hit us in June, which one are you willing to buy?

[Engadget]

Apple Patent Points At Volume Controls In Your Browser; Dislikes Netbooks, Likes Tablets?

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"Apple Insider has spotted a newly released patent filed by Apple back in late 2007 that shows volume controls that can be integrated into various Web browsers." I think this would be extremely useful, especially for MySpace sites or maybe some YouTube videos. The "new panel" will sit in the top right hand corner of the browser and will allow the user to change the volume of the site. "What makes this patent filing notable is that it's not just for Safari, and is listed as being applicable to multiple browsers, which means it could either be a part of an upcoming OS or as a standalone application. As the usual disclaimer goes though, patents are often filed for technologies that never make it to market." On a side note, Windows Vista reportedly has this feature too - somewhere.

This is probably what the tablet from Apple looks like. Okay, I'm clearly joking. Anyways, Apple's COO, Tim Cook, has denied that they have any plans for a netbook. Instead, he pointed towards more iPhone and iPod Touch devices, so this could mean that a tablet is in the making. It won't really matter to me which one they make because I'm fine with a tablet. You can always just get a stand and a Bluetooth keyboard if you don't like the on-screen keyboard. I hope that that Apple's next device has Bluetooth 3.0 because that's some blazing speed right there.

[CNet News, Apple Blog (tablet)]

Fake Nokia N97 Hits China; Behold the Nokia N97i

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I don't even know why I bother to even blog about fake phones, but I had to today. This is a fake Nokia N97, the Nokia N97i. It kind of resembles the Nokia N97, but it misses some of its important features. The slide-out QWERTY keyboard is gone, the 5MP camera is replaced by a 3.2 shooter, the screen is smaller, and the UI is similar to the iPhone's. One good thing though is the price, since it only costs 750 chinese yuan ($110 USD). It's now available in China, if you can find it over there. For more pictures of the N97i, click on the link below.

[Boy Genius]

Don't Download the Windows 7 RC Illegally Yet; A New Unfixable Hack

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Yes, the Windows 7 RC is already available to MSDN / TechNet suscribers, but apparently there is no "real" version of the RC available on the torrents right now. So, basically, you might want to wait a couple of hours / days for that to be illegally released. The official RC will be legally available on May 5 for those patient users.

On a side note, researches Vipin Kumar and Nitin Kumar at this year's Hack in the Box security conference have mentioned that they have found an unfixable hack for Windows 7. We'll see what happens here, but I hope Microsoft can fix it. Anyways, take a look at the excerpt below, courtesy of Engadget.

A hack that's "unfixable" is a pretty bold claim, but that's just what researchers Vipin Kumar and Nitin Kumar have announced at the now-happening Hack in the Box security conference, and they seem ready to back it up. Apparently, they've devised a means to gain control of a Windows 7 computer during the boot up process though the use of a tiny 3KB program dubbed VBootkit 2.0 (a follow-up to a similar Vista hack), which loads itself into the system memory and bypasses the hard drive altogether, making it extremely difficult to detect. Once loaded, an ill-intentioned individual could potentially change passwords, access protected files, or do just about anything else and then leave without a trace. The one fairly big drawback to the hack, however, and upside for most users, is that it can't be performed remotely, so it'll likely only be a significant concern for businesses or other folks using computers in public places -- unless, of course, Microsoft finds a way to fix the "unfixable."

[Gizmodo, Engadget (hack)]

Acer Aspire One Pro 531 Now Official

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The Acer Aspire One 531 was made official a couple of weeks ago, but Acer has decided to also announce the Pro version of this netbook. The Acer Aspire One Pro 531 will have the same 10.1-inch display with a 1,024 x 600 resolution, and your choice of Intel's Atom N270 or N280 CPU as the standard model. In addition, the Pro version will allow you to choose 1 of the 3 following OS's: Windows XP Home (the standard), XP Professional or Windows Vista Business (bad choice). The Pro version will also give you a choice of either a 250GB HDD or a 64GB SSD. The Aspire One Pro 531 is actually a couple of millimeters thicker than the standard model, but I don't know why. Don't forget that it will also come with WiFi, optional Bluetooth, and optional WWAN just like the standard model. To close it off, the 3-cell battery is expected to last 3 hours and the 6-cell battery is expected to last 7.5 hours. As of right now, there is no word on the pricing, but the availability date should be revealed shortly.

[Slash Gear]

T-Mobile and Google Sell 1 Millionth G1 Handset; Congratulations Android!

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T-Mobile and Google have just sold their 1 millionth T-Mobile G1. This is an incredible milestone for both of these companies. The G1 now accounts for about 2/3 of the 3G phones running on T-Mobile's network. It took Google and T-Mobile 6 months to sell their 1 millionth unit, which isn't bad. As a comparison, the iPhone took only 2 months and the iPhone 3G only took a weekend to hit this wonderful milestone. This proves just how popular the iPhone is in America. On a side note, it doesn't sell as well here in Canada, since it's so expensive. Most people want one, but no one has the money for it so they opt for those cheap little Sony Ericsson phones.

The T-Mobile G1's platform, Android, has just passed Palm on the smartphone market (6% share), but this lead might not last too long since the Pre's launch is almost here! Take a look at the chart above to see who's dominating the smartphone category.

[CNet News]

Sony's Walkman E Series Looks Like USB Sticks, Don't Let It Fool You

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Believe it or not, but these devices that look like USB sticks are actually a part of Sony's new Walkman E Series. These Walkman's will let you swap colours on the go, but more on that later. The E Series will come in 3 models: 2GB for about ¥8,000 ($80 USD), 8GB for about ¥13,000 ($132 USD), and a 4GB will be priced somewhere in between the other 2 models. "Each stick ships with a second front panel / cap combination for a quick color swap." The Walkman E Series will have a 3-line colour LCD display, FM radio capabilities, Sony's earbuds, and a battery that will give you 28 hours of music playback when it's fully charged - or 3 hours of playback after a short 3 minute charge. To me, that's pretty awesome.

[Engadget]

Skype's New Unlimited Plans for $6 A Month Includes 40 Countries

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Skype is coming through yet again for us - at least for those people who use it for overseas calls. Skype has a new plan available that allows you to call a landline phone for however long you desire for just $6 USD per month. Yes, that's right. Unlimited calling to a country for just $6 a month using Skype. Unfortunately, this will only include landline phones, so cell phones will still cost you a hefty amount of money. Another "unfortunately" is that it only includes 40 countries. I was going to tell my mom about this, so that she can do her calling to the Philippines for a pretty cheap price, but they're not on the country list. Take a look at the writing below and check out if the country you are longing to call is on the list.

Skype Adds New Unlimited Country Subscriptions in U.S. and Canada
Subscriptions give Skype for iPhone app users more options for calling regular phones.
San Jose, CA, April 20, 2009 – Skype, the worldwide leader in online communications, announces that it is expanding its calling subscription options in the U.S. and Canada. People can select an Unlimited Country subscription which includes unlimited* low-cost calls to landlines to one country of choice for $5.95 per month.
Subscriptions for more than 40 destinations are now available: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Columbia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, and United Kingdom.
Since the new Skype for iPhone application was launched on March 31, 2009, it has generated a great response with the application becoming the No. 1 downloaded free iPhone application in more than 40 markets, and downloads surpassed the two million mark in less than ten days. Adding a Skype subscription allows iPhone and iPod touch users to have greater flexibility of calling people who are on regular phones from Wi-Fi zones, and it allows them to save significantly on making calls internationally compared to the rates typically charged on mobile phones.
"In a tough economy, everyone is looking for more ways to save. With the launch of Skype's Unlimited Country subscriptions, we now offer very simple, cost effective one country calling options," said Don Albert, GM and vice president of Skype Americas. "Our users can make calls internationally to virtually any regular phone any time of day, without a long-term contract, hidden fees and other restrictions."

BlackBerry 9630 "Niagara" Will Hit The World As The BlackBerry Tour!!

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How could you forget the sexiest upcoming BlackBerry to hit the market? The BlackBerry 9630 "Niagara" could be hitting the world as the BlackBerry Tour (now confirmed). The name doesn't strike me as anything breath-taking, but I could care less about the name. The same tipster that gave us this information mentioned that it will be available "early Summer." Look below for the supposed confirmation of the BlackBerry Tour name, courtesy of Boy Genius.

Thanks to one of our awesome readers, they’ve just alerted us to the fact that www.blackberry9630.com (something RIM would obviously own) and www.blackberrytour.com both point to the same IP address. Additionally, they were both coincidentally registered on the same date. Welp, it looks like BlackBerry Tour it is!

[Boy Genius]

Sharp's $999 Mebius Netbook Pre-Orders Now Available; Due June 5

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Remember that Sharp Mebius netbook with an LCD trackpad? Well, how could you seriously forget the LCD trackpad? Anyways, the Mebius - with an LCD trackpad - is now available for pre-orders starting at $999 USD. As of right now, the ship date is June 5 so it's over a month until you get your fingers on this LCD trackpad. Yes, the Sharp Mebius has an LCD trackpad. Sweet stuff!

[Gizmodo]

Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Netbook Gets A Six-Cell Battery Option

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The Dell Inspiron Mini 10 is not shy to give itself new features (see 720p). Today, Dell has added yet another option to the Mini 10 and if you read the title, you already know what it is. Yes, Dell has decided to give users a well-needed battery upgrade to a 6-cell, in addition to the 3-cell. It'll only cost $30 USD extra, so it's definitely a must-buy. On a side note, if you want to get one of those funky designs for your Mini 10 netbook it'll cost you an extra $60 USD.

[Engadget]

Apple Sells Its 1 Billionth App

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Earlier today, Apple announced that the 1 billionth app had just been downloaded from their App Store. An incredible feat, and I'm proud of them - even though I'm not exactly a huge fan of Apple. Apple has offered up a prize valued at over $13,000 USD for the person who bought the 1 billionth app. That person's name will be publicly displayed when they pinpoint exactly who it was. Congratulations to Apple and the winner of that prize.

[Mac Rumors]

Routon P730 and P760 MIDs Are Android-Based

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The P760 and P730 MIDs from Routon are pictured above, left and right respectively. The only difference between the two is that the P760 has a number keypad and the P730 doesn't. Both MIDs have the same spec sheet, and this includes: a 4.8-inch touchscreen with an 800 x 480 resolution, a Samsung S3C6410 677MHz CPU, 256MB of RAM, and your choice of either 4GB or 8GB of flash storage. These MIDs will also have WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, optional GSM / EDGE support, and also an optional TV tuner. Both MIDs will also be running on Android, so it'll be interesting to see how that works out. They will be available in May, but Routon is currently looking for overseas distributors. Hopefully these MIDs aren't expensive because they seem desirable - for the most part. For more photos of these 2 MIDs, hit up the link below.

[Slash Gear]

Leaked AT&T Doc Shows That The iPhone Trumps The Palm Pre

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What has this world come to? Everyone likes a bit of competition, but apparently AT&T wants none of that. This information was revealed last night and it looks like AT&T is 100% behind the iPhone (no surprise). Maybe this will convince Apple enough to extend their sweet little iPhone deal to 2011. The completely biased chart was just leaked and you can take a look at it above. For more information about it, you can hit up the Boy Genius link below.

[Boy Genius]

Pentax K7D DSLR To Be Available On May 21; Specs Outlined

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Remember that picture we saw yesterday? It was a new Pentax DSLR, but no one knows exactly what model. Some people are guessing that it is the Pentax K7D and today there has been news that the K7D will be "coming on May 21." The above photo actually does resemble the blurry picture from 2 days ago, so it is a possibility that this is it. Some of the "confirmed" specs of the Pentax K7D are:

* Square sensor? 1.3 crop factor.
* A new, overhauled, excellent AF system
* At least 5fps
* 1.0x viewfinder
* 720p video with audio
* 1/8000 shutter
* 2.7 or 3.0 inch VGA res screen


Some purported specs of the Pentax K7D DSLR are:

* Same sensor as the K20D
* Up to 6400 ISO with better noise treatment
* 5 images/sec
* 100 % viewfinder
* Better weatherproofing
* Mirror lockup
* Liveview and HD Video
* Better stabilizer .
* Better DRE mode
* 77 zones light metering
* Much better AF system even with non-SDM lenses
* 3 inches/ 920 000 pixels screen with in-body editing (crop…)
* 1/8000 shutter with 1/250 sync


[Crunch Gear, Engadget]