Asus PadFone Is Both a Tablet and a Phone: Neat Concept, but Still Vapor

At the end of the Asus press conference at Computex 2011, Chairman Jonney Shih waited until the very last minute to unveil the best product of the night: The Asus PadFone, a convergent device that docks a smartphone into the back of a slate so that they can be used together as a single device. Problem is, the entire demonstration was based on a few concept videos and a prototype that was clearly unfinished. Still, it's a usage model that we were really excited about when the Motorola Atrix made its debut and an incredibly neat approach to mobile computing—if and when Asus decides to make it available to the public.

The PadFone is essentially a symbiotic relationship between smartphone and slate, whereas the Atrix's screen and keyboard dock are intended to replace your netbook or laptop. It's a concept that owners of both Apple iPhone and iPad wish were possible: To dock the former into the latter and quit having to use two separate devices.

From the demonstration, the PadFone is inserted into the back of the dock like a cassette tape, hidden by a panel that fits flush with the back of the tablet. With the Atrix, the Smartphone sits several inches behind the screen, which simply isn't as clean-looking.

If the PadFone is anything like the Atrix, the tablet portion won't have a processor, memory, or local storage; it'll be a shell so that the two can share things like data, webcam, and 3G internet access. What makes the PadFone fundamentally different than the Atrix, however, is that it also shares the same operating system (The Atrix, when docked, runs on an alternative Linux OS). According to Asus, it's not doing any kind of upscaling or upconversion; it's using its own technology to adjust the smartphone screen layout. If you ask me, it almost sounds like it's using an internal HDMI connector.

Here's what we know for sure: The Smartphone will have the latest version of Android at the time of launch, which means so will the tablet dock. The screen size of the tablet is 10.1-inches, while the Smartphone has a 4.3-inch one. The tablet dock also has a built-in battery that will extend the life of the one in the Smartphone.

The usage scenarios are evident with such a solution: Say you're surfing the Web on the smartphone and find that the screen is too small for certain websites. You can stop what you're doing, dock the phone, and pick up where you left on the tablet. This also applies to composing email, video conferencing, and playing media. Right now, the details are so limited that it sounds like this game-changing device is still a while away. But if it does come to fruition, it could be the future of tablet computing.

PCmag

Fun video apps for iPhone

It doesn't seem that long ago when we would have to lug around a VHS camera to capture video of family events, vacations, and other memories we could relive later by inserting the VHS tape and hitting the play button on our VCRs. While it was a workable solution for capturing memories in motion, lugging around a video camera everywhere we went wasn't exactly practical.

Fortunately these days, there is no longer the need for fresh VHS tapes or making sure to pack the digital video camera because we have the ability to shoot reasonably good video right on our smartphones. With the iPhone 4's front- and rear-facing cameras, we have even more options for shooting videos, and with hundreds of cool video apps in the App Store, we have tons of interesting (and sometimes strange) options.

This week's collection of apps gives you some options for shooting good-looking videos. The first app lets you film the action from before you hit the record button, the second makes retro-looking videos using effects you control, and the last app gives you some professional options for shooting more-serious movies.

Mogo Video (99 cents) lets you shoot videos on your iPhone, but offers a unique twist. With Mogo Video, you can actually record action that happened before you hit record. As long as the app is on, Mogo is recording, but not saving what you see through your iPhone camera. So, maybe you think your child might take his first steps, for example. With Mogo Video turned on you can point your iPhone at your son, and when he does successfully walk on his own, you can hit the record button to capture what happened a designated number of seconds before you hit record.

Mogo seems like it might come in handy for many things beyond the above example and you get a few options to make it work better for the action at hand. Say you're watching a basketball game, as another example. You can set Mogo Video to record 10 seconds in the past so you can capture the play that leads up to a rip-roaring dunk. No longer will you need to be lucky to capture an amazing moment because the app doesn't limit the amount of time it will record in the past. But, obviously, the app won't be able to record what happened before launching the app. Along with the ability to edit the amount of time, you also can turn the flash on and off on the iPhone 4 and you can switch between the front- and rear-facing cameras.

Overall, Mogo video is an interesting concept that will come in handy in specific action-oriented situations. If you want to catch the big play, or witness a first moment with your kids without having to endlessly record the action, Mogo is a fun and effective way to capture life's exciting moments.

The 8mm Vintage Camera ($1.99) app lets you make old-timey videos with some cool feature variations and effects. Right when we launched this app we were reminded of popular camera app Hipstamatic, because 8mm Vintage Camera offers a vaguely similar feature set, but is instead used for making stylized videos.

Start your project by flicking the wheel in the bottom right of the screen to choose from five different video effects like the black-and-white 1920s setting or the grainy '70s setting. Then, you can swipe the viewfinder in the upper right to choose from film effects like a shaky border (like old films) or a burning effect that makes the outer edges of the film seem to melt as you shoot. Different lens and film combinations give you several options for how your video will turn out.

Unlike Hipstamatic, 8mm Vintage Camera lets you adjust all your settings on one main screen. In addition to the film and lens choices, you have the option to use the iPhone 4 flash for brighter scenes; there's a button that gives your film a frame jitter effect; and you can switch between the iPhone 4's front- or rear-facing cameras.

When you're finished, you can hit the My Reels button to browse through your shot videos, and touching a specific project gives you options for saving your video to your photo library, sending via e-mail, or uploading directly to YouTube.

Overall, 8mm Vintage Camera is one of the best apps I've found for making old-timey movies in the iTunes App Store, with just enough lens and film variations to give you plenty to experiment with. Anyone who likes old 8mm films should definitely check out this app.

Filmic Pro ($2.99) gives your iPhone camera a new front-end for shooting higher-quality video, with professional tools for controlling exposure, focal point, and more. As we know, the hardware and HD capabilities behind the iPhone's video camera are impressive on their own--but its built-in controls for shooting video are frustratingly primitive for more-experienced filmmakers, and the iPhone isn't always smart about handling factors like exposure and white balance.

Filmic Pro offers an interface that is clean and simple, and all of its controls run along the bottom of screen, making it perfect for keeping a steady thumb grip on your camera. On the left side of the screen, you have buttons for locking and unlocking focus, exposure, and white balance, and turning on your LED torch. On the top, in the main window, you have two reticles (or optionally one, for run-and-gun scenarios) which you can drag around to set focus, exposure, and white balance wherever you want in the shot. On the right side, you have a record button, clip library, info (a quick-start guide to the interface), and settings, which includes a ton of extras such as controls for resolution, variable frames per second, color bars, and a customizable slate with automatic advancing for each take.

Overall, Filmic Pro is a great value and worthwhile download whether you're a budding cinematographer or a filmmaking vet. This app can vastly increase the quality of your videos, letting you get much more out of your iPhone camera without adding any extra gear.

Cnet

Alcatel OneTouch T60 Android tablet shows at FCC

type='html'>

Alcatel will soon join the tablet market with an Android-powered device of its own, if a Thursday FCC test is to be trusted. What appears to be a seven-inch device, known as the OneTouch T60, will ship with Android 2.2. It will also connect to North American 850MHz and 1,900MHz networks.

Otherwise, the simple tablet will have Wi-Fi, GPS, a rear three-megapixel camera and a VGA front-facing camera. It gets access to Google Maps as well. A microSD memory card slot and 3.5mm headset jack round out the package.

Despite the listing, ship dates or prices for the device aren't known. The latter will likely place the device at the lower end of the Android tablet offerings, and perhaps at the very bottom.

Electronista

Lenovo IdeaPad K1 tablet shows on stores before unveiling

Lenovo's upcoming IdeaPad K1 tablet with Android 3.0 onboard is showing up on retailer sites, including Buy.com. The device hasn't yet officially been dated, and the sites lack a price and a shipping schedule. They also differ on basic specs from earlier reports.

A 1.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon is seemingly replaced by NVIDIA's 1GHz Tegra 2 dual core. Other new details that have no other ones to compare to include a 10.1-inch display with 1280x800 resolution, 1GB of RAM and 32GB of storage space. Android 3.0 should be onboard as are a two- and five-megapixel camera, front and rear, respectively. A microSD and a SIM card slot, along with a microHDMI port are accounted for, and a battery life rating of 10 hours.

The only model shown here is black, but China's LePad version is available in white as well. Earlier, pricing was expected to come in at about $520, but this could have been for a 16GB model. An optional keyboard dock is also likely coming at a later date.

Electronista

T-Mobile G2X copes with glitches, recall claims in dispute

The T-Mobile G2X is out of stock on the carrier's web store, with one TMoNews source claiming this is due to quality issues with the handset. T-Mobile, however, has denied the claim on Twitter and said the dual-core Android phone is facing "inventory constraints" due to "high demand." It claimed that it was working with the phone's maker, LG, to address the shortfall and hoped to have them return to normal in the coming weeks.

The handset's track record regardless of the actual cause of the shortage has been spotty. Technical problems reported by many users have included unplanned reboots, screen light leaks, and lesser control issues.

The phone supports T-Mobile's HSPA+ network and has a 1GHz Tegra 2 processor that gives it much of its speed. It ships with Android 2.2 and gets an eight-megapixel, rear-facing camera capable of recording 1080p videos, a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera, and a four-inch touchscreen.

Electronista

Motorola Droid X2 Coming to Verizon May 26

Verizon today announced the Motorola Droid X2, the successor to the popular Motorola Droid X. The Droid X2 will be released on May 26 and will be the first 1-GHz, dual-core phone in Verizon's lineup.

From the press photos, the Droid X2 looks nearly identical to its predecessor, even sporting what looks like the same case. But there are plenty of differences under the hood. In addition to its dual-core, 1-GHz processor, the Droid X2 will feature an HDMI out port, allowing users to view photos, video clips, and downloaded movies on a TV. It will also come enterprise-ready, with a number of built-in security and IT-grade policies.

The Droid X2's 4.3-inch touch-screen display will be scratch-reistant and anti-reflective, and the virtual QWERTY keyboard will feature SWYPE technology. Though the Droid X2 is not running on Verizon's new 4G LTE network, it has mobile hotspot capability, allowing users to share their 3G connection with up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices.
Droid X2

There's also an 8-megapixel camera that can capture HD video, as well a new Gallery app that allows users to view, tag, and post photos to social-networking sites directly from the app. And like most other Android phones, the Droid X2 will feature support for Google mobile services including Gmail, Google Maps, Google Search, and Google Talk. It also has access to the Android Market, which currently has over 200,000 apps.

The phone will be released running Android 2.2 Froyo, but an update to Android 2.3 Gingerbread is promised, though no date has been given.

The Droid X2 will be available for preorder online from Verizon beginning May 19. It will be available in stores and online May 26 for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.

PCmag

Nokia X7 arrives at FCC

Americans may soon have the option of buying an unlocked version of the Nokia X7 smartphone in the US. Nokia appears to be moving forward with plans to bring the X7 to this market. The company has submitted photos, drawings and specifications to the FCC required to obtain the needed regulatory approvals. The phone was officially announced in Europe in April.

The X7 features a four-inch AMOLED 16:9 (640 x 360) capacitive touch screen, an eight-megapixel camera, GPS, FM stereo radeo, and runs Nokia's Symbian release Anna. The browser supports Java and Flash Lite.

At one time, AT&T had planned to pick up the X7. However, the carrier's interested faded and Nokia's plans for a US introduction were dropped.

In Europe, the X7 carries a list price of approximately $540 USD.

Electronista

Droid X gets Android 2.3 early

One Motorola Droid X test phone owner has reportedly already received the Android 2.3 update, Droid-Life said Monday. The system update, version 4.5.596, is also dated for May 26, so that's likely when it will launch. About a month ago, Droid X owners had the option of manually downloading the Android 2.3 update but it was quickly pulled.

The May 26 date revealed by the update build number is very close to the May 25 date showed in earlier build numbers from leaks. The Droid X 2 is also expected to launch on May 26, so there is a possibility the same software will come preloaded on that handset as well.

Electronista

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 arrives as corporate rival to MacBook Air

After numerous leaks, Lenovo tonight brought out its first halo notebook in years through the ThinkPad X1. The 13.3-inch system is the thinnest ThinkPad to date at no more than 0.83 inches but promises to trump the MacBook Air by overcoming the usual barriers in the class. A new generation of Lenovo's high-power, low-noise "owl wing" cooling fans lets it use full-power Core i3, i5, and i7 processors while still keeping up to five hours on its regular battery.

Its weight isn't as comparable at 3.7 pounds versus 2.9.

The ultraslim also delivers on a rare ultra-quick battery charge. Much like some MP3 players or phones, RapidCharge can bring the X1 up from drained to an 80 percent charge in just half an hour, or 2.5 times faster than other ThinkPads or most notebooks. Lenovo's Jason Parrish told Electronista that the technique doesn't artificially shorten the life of the battery and that it should last about 1,000 full charge cycles, or about three years of frequent use.

An external battery slice can take advantage of RapidCharge itself and doubles the longevity to 10 hours. In a break from Lenovo's usual habits, though, the main battery is sealed in and will need a qualified technician to swap out, much like Apple's pack. More computers beyond the X1 will get RapidCharge, many of them in 2012, Lenovo told us.

The design is both billed as tough as regular ThinkPads while acknowledging that many users care about using systems for home as much as work. It still uses a magnesium alloy frame with a 'rollcage' to stay strong. Corning's Gorilla Glass also makes an unusual appearance in a notebook and makes the screen more resistant to pressure and scratches than the usual notebook display; Lenovo also vows a much brighter screen at 350 nits instead of the usual 200 to 250. A backlit keyboard is a first for this class of ThinkPad, and video output has dropped the stereotypical corporate-friendly VGA in favor of HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, and Intel's over-the-air WiDi.

The X1 is due to start at $1,399 with a 2.1GHz Core i3 and an unspecified Intel SSD, most likely a 160GB model. Shoppers can get one online through Lenovo and others on May 17.

Lenovo's launch is its second real design attempt at countering the MacBook Air and its first from-scratch model made since the Air existed, the original X300 series having been developed at the same time. The system has always had a loyal base but struggled to match even the Air's relatively low numbers due mostly to price: initially going for $2,799, it was a full $1,000 more than the original Air and almost always cost more.

In discussing the X1 with us, Parrish said he had "seen people make those comparisons" to the Air with the new model but pointed to clear differences between the ThinkPad and its Mac challenger. The full-speed processor, toughened frame and "world-class" keyboard justified getting an X1, he said.

Electronista

Leica to debut new M9-P digital camera on June 21?

type='html'>

German camera maker Leica will soon release a new camera, the M9-P, according to LeicaRumors. Early versions of the camera may already be out there, with reportedly one carried by British singer Seal through Los Angeles' airport last week. It differed from current cameras as it lacked a few modern touches and legacy holdovers such as a rewind crank, a battery compartment, a film advance lever, or a reversing lever.

The camera was also unique in color and finish. It is expected that Leica will formally introduce the retro-styled digital camera on June 21. It will likely cost $700 more than the company's currentM9 model. Changes are expected to be mainly cosmetic and include scratch-resistant sapphire glass and exterior finish along with new firmware.

Electronista

PSN attacked again through password change tool

Sony took an embarrassing blow on Tuesday as it confirmed that it had taken down its PSN and Qriocity password reset tools just after bringing service back. An exploit has surfaced that needs only a gamer's e-mail address and the holder's date of birth to get a new password and hijack an account. Eurogamer had seen video evidence of the exploit proving that it worked.

In an official statement, Sony didn't directly acknowledge a breach but did say it had taken the servers down. The compromise didn't affect PSN itself and was limited to the web.

"You will still be able to sign into PSN via your PlayStation 3 and PSP devices to connect to game services and view Trophy/Friends information," it said. "This maintenance doesn't affect PSN on consoles, only the website you click through to from the password change email."

While much less serious than the original PSN attacks, which compromised the account logins themselves, the exploit compounds Sony's attempts to mend its reputation. The company has already felt obliged to both give two free games and offer a month-long PlayStation Plus subscription to most if not all gamers. It had been saved from a larger catastrophe only since credit card information was more tightly protected and wasn't hacked.

Electronista

Review: Sena Keyboard Folio for iPad

type='html'>

The Apple iPad is heavier than it first appears. It can easily slip through your hands with its streamlined design. I wanted a case that would add a touch of class as well as functionality to the tablet itself; but prevent a disaster when I inevitably dropped my iPad. I found it in the Sena Keyboard Folio.

While the Apple iPad doesn’t replace my laptop computer for heavy-duty business work, it makes meetings and short computing sessions a breeze. What was missing was the ability to use email and take notes with the same precision of a laptop. The Sena Keyboard Folio helps the Apple iPad bridge the gap. It lets me take notes and do email with an ergonomic keyboard and sturdy case that acts as a stand for the Apple iPad itself.

The Keyboard Folio ships in a black gift box, encased in a soft drawstring bag. It comes with a simple instruction card, and a mini USB to Standard Type A USB plug. I followed the simple directions to connect the Bluetooth keyboard to the Apple iPad, and was up and running quickly. The process is similar to my Bluetooth phone headset installation. You do need to charge the keyboard prior to the pairing, but the battery lasts about 3 days on average before it needs a three-hour charge. You can charge it via an outlet or from a computer with the USB 2.0 plug adapter. There is a 3-year lithium battery powering the keyboard. Other than the small power cable there are no loose pieces or parts.

The Case

The Keyboard Folio is made from rich high quality smooth-finish leather. I worked with the black and the red case, but it also comes in brown, and tan. Based on the fire engine red of the red case, I imagine that the other colors are true to their description and graphics online. One word of caution though, if you view or work with photographs on your iPad, I recommend you buy the black case, because the colors surrounding the screen affect how the color in your photos appear.

The cases are wonderfully finished with even stitching and an attention to detail and durability. The treated leather stays remarkably free of scratches and marring from pens, liquids, or dirty fingers. The inside of the case is a soft protective layer not unlike a suede cloth to protect the finish of the Apple iPad. The cutouts for the ports and switches are positioned well.

The case is a perfect fit, although the iPad has a tendency to shift a fraction of an inch, so I found myself adjusting it frequently. The Folio has a sturdy snap closure, not a magnet – which is a good thing, since the latter plays havoc with magnetic strips on credit and keycards. When closed, it looks like a simple leather portfolio. The single length built in stand is tethered to the top of the case.

The angle is fine for me, but I prefer a multi-stage angle to accommodate my frequent airplane trips and close quarters. The snap closure tab is a bit of a nuisance as there is no formal way to keep it from falling into the view of the screen. It can be tucked back, but the sturdy leather has a penchant to fall out of its tucked position and flip back over the top of the screen.

The Keyboard

Of course, the real reason to have this particular case is the keyboard. Sena’s done a great job in providing a noiseless, silicon covered sensitive keyboard with a low profile. It’s a good keyboard to use in a meeting, because it makes no noise. It feels great and is a quality addition to the Apple iPad. You can remove it from its envelope-style portion of the case and pair it with Bluetooth enabled smart phones too. It works just fine with the iPhone and an Android device. Some men have complained the keyboard is too small for their big hands, but it fit my hands perfectly. To preserve its estimated 40 plus hours of working time, you should shut it off when not in use.

Some may find a short period of adjustment to using the keyboard, because it does not have an Option or Command key on the right side of the space bar. Other keys are moved to that right side space, including the forward slash, quote and plus keys.

Sena also includes a recessed area with three slit storage slots for business or credit cards along the top of the keyboard portion.

Conclusion

The Sena Keyboard Folio is great addition to the Apple iPad case line-up, even though it adds about a pound to the already weighty device. It meets the needs of a casual user and those that have an image to protect. The quality and manufacturing justify the price and I suspect the case may outlast your iPad. I plan to get the iPad 2 Folio case to give to a lucky recent law-school graduate.

Macnn

Leica V-LUX 30 helps take compact superzooms upscale

Leica on Thursday morning upgraded its smallest camera line through the V-LUX 30. Its body is a more premium adaptation of the 14-megapixel Panasonic Lumix ZS10 that revolves around Leica's own 16X, 4.3-68.8mm f3.3-5.9 lens in a compact body. The V-LUX adaptation goes all black and ships with both Adobe's Photoshop Elements 9 and Premiere Elements 9.

Owners also have the option of either a brown, soft leather pouch for use in an existing bag or a tan leather hard case. Much like the ZS10, the camera has a three-inch touchscreen as its main interface and records video in AVCHD (H.264) at up to 1080i with stereo audio.

The premium camera is due to ship in June and will cost $750 in the US.

Electronista

iHome iD9 - Review

The 3-pound iHome iD9 Portable Rechargeable Speaker System charges your iPhone, iPod, or iPad while you play music, and runs off batteries when you want to use it where a power outlet is not accessible.

The iHome iD9 Portable Rechargeable Speaker System for iPad/iPhone/iPod is a simple, easy to use speaker system and charging station for your iOS devices. (For the balance of this review, I will refer to the iPad or iOS devices to cover all of them.) It charges your iOS device while you play music, and runs off batteries when you want to use it where a power outlet is not accessible.

The Package

The box contains only three items: The iD9, an A/C adapter, a pair of small rubber bumpers, and a plastic bag with two short manuals – one in French and one in English. iHome warns that the initial charge of the battery can take up to six hours. The unit I received came partially charged, so I finished the initial charging in about 80 minutes.

The power supply for the iD9 is a “wall wart” with a round connector. I would have preferred an USB-based power system, but the power supply is rated at 25W (2.75A at 9V), which is about 10x more power than a single USB port can provide.

Set Up

The iD9 is easy to set up, and measures 12.9 x 2 x 4.06 inches. It doesn't seem that heavy, but it weighs 3 1/4 lbs. I think it is rather large for a portable speaker. On the front are two controls–the switches on the left raise and lower the volume, and the power switch is on the right with the battery charge indicator.

iHome provides a pair of small rubber bumpers, which are about 2" long and 1/8" wide and thick. They are designed to go into a pair of small depressions in the docking area of the iD9 and support your iPad when it is on the dock. If your iPad lives in a case, the case may be thick enough on the bottom so that the bumpers are not necessary.

iHome also sells an optional remote ($20) that allows you to control the operation of the iD9 from a distance. If you choose not to purchase the remote, iHome has put a switch on the back of the unit that lets you conserve power when on battery, by not powering the receiver for the remote. I did not receive the remote for this review.

The iD9 has a rubber base that keeps it from slipping around on smooth surfaces. This is a nice feature, since the last thing you want to happen when dock your iPad is to have the dock slide away from you. However, the instruction booklet that comes with the iD9 suggests that you: ”Protect your furniture when placing your unit on a natural wood and lacquered finish. A cloth or other protective material should be placed between it and the furniture.” I tried that, and it defeated the purpose of having the rubber bottom on the unit; when I tried to insert the iPad one-handed, the iD9 slid off my desk.

I was unable to dock an iPad 2 into the iD9. The curved back of the iPad 2 prevents the dock connector from pivoting into the correct orientation. iHome has an adapter that allows you to use the iD9 with the iPad 2, but you have to 1) know that it exists, and 2) go to a particular page on iHome’s site to request the adapter, and 3) wait for them ship you the adapter. The adapter is not mentioned in the documentation or on the iD9 product page. iHome says that the iPad 2 insert will be included in all new production units.

Sound

The sound that the iD9 produces is quite nice; I had no complaints. It reproduced the fine structure of guitar and drum solos. While it didn't "rock the house" on a heavy bass track, it did better than I expected for a set of portable speakers. iHome has incorporated SRS TruBass and Reson8 technologies into the iD9 for improved sound, but says nothing on how the technologies work.

When I played the MacNN audio test MP3 files, I could hear the pure 12K Hz tone, and my daughter could hear the 13K Hz and 14K Hz tones as well. On the bottom end, it played the 20 Hz tone without much distortion.

Battery Power

The internal battery on the iD9 is designed to play your music, not to charge the iPad. I set up a fully charged iPod nano and iD9, and put it on shuffle and repeat, with the volume at about 25%, suitable for a quiet room. The iD9 has four indicator lights on the front to show the level of battery remaining. The first light went out at three hours, the second at about 6 hours 15 minutes, so I'm extrapolating that to estimate that you get between 12 and 13 hours of battery life - longer than your iPad will last.

There is also a line-in jack on the back for playing music from other sources. The manual mentions that you shouldn't plug something into the line-in jack while playing music from a docked iPad, otherwise you could get sound from both sources at the same time.

There is really very little complexity to the iD9. You attach in your iOS device and play - either while plugged into the power supply or on battery. If you have an iPad 2, I would not recommend these speakers, due to the problems with the dock connector. While I like this speaker system, iHome doesn’t make it clear that it isn’t compatible with the iPad2 out of the box and it is over a foot long.

The iD9 has a list price of $99.99 and is available direct from iHome as well as several online retailers. iHome also has two iOS applications that they claim work well in concert with the iD9. I tested the free alarm clock app iHome+Sleep, which worked well, even without the iD9 attached to my iPad. I did not test the iHome+Radio app ($1.99) that lets you listen to Internet radio.

Macnn

Verizon adds LG Revolution to May 26 launches

As we suspected, Verizon Wireless announced today that the LG Revolution will be available starting May 26 for $249.99 with a two-year contract.

The Revolution is the carrier's third 4G smartphone (following the HTC Thunderbolt and Samsung Droid Charge) and offers a 4.3-inch WVGA touch screen, a 5-megapixel camera and front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera, and mobile hot-spot capabilities. The handset will ship running Android 2.2 but note that it will use Bing search and maps.

Other features include a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, Bluetooth 3.0, Swype, HDMI output, and a preinstalled 16GB microSD card.

The LG Revolution will have some company tomorrow, as Verizon is also launching the Motorola Droid X2 and Sony Ericsson Xperia Play in stores on Thursday. Decisions, decisions.

Cnet

Lenovo ThinkPad X220 users face CPU throttling problem

Lenovo's recently released ThinkPad X220 notebook is suffering from a throttling down CPU, Lenovo admitted on its forums. This occurs even despite the max performance mode being enabled and the device plugged in. The CPU will go down to its lowest state, and the issue is likely to affect the T420/T520 notebooks as well.

There are ways to get around this, though they come at a cost. The more extreme method is to disable Intel's Speedstep or CPU Power Management in the BIOS. The former forces the processor to work at a high speed and voltage which leads to the battery draining very quickly. The latter method has a less significant effect on battery life, and uses between 2.5W and 3W more than when it's enabled.

A similar issue plagued older ThinkPads but the fixes developed for them in Windows do not fix the issue in the X220's case. A BIOS update may be the only true fix for the issue.

When the CPU drops to its lowest performance level, whether it's the base 2.1GHz Core i3, the range-topping 2.7GHz Core i7 or anything in between, random write speeds of the SSD and HDD are significantly reduced as well.

Electronista

Lenovo ThinkPad X220 users face CPU throttling problem

Lenovo's recently released ThinkPad X220 notebook is suffering from a throttling down CPU, Lenovo admitted on its forums. This occurs even despite the max performance mode being enabled and the device plugged in. The CPU will go down to its lowest state, and the issue is likely to affect the T420/T520 notebooks as well.

There are ways to get around this, though they come at a cost. The more extreme method is to disable Intel's Speedstep or CPU Power Management in the BIOS. The former forces the processor to work at a high speed and voltage which leads to the battery draining very quickly. The latter method has a less significant effect on battery life, and uses between 2.5W and 3W more than when it's enabled.

A similar issue plagued older ThinkPads but the fixes developed for them in Windows do not fix the issue in the X220's case. A BIOS update may be the only true fix for the issue.

When the CPU drops to its lowest performance level, whether it's the base 2.1GHz Core i3, the range-topping 2.7GHz Core i7 or anything in between, random write speeds of the SSD and HDD are significantly reduced as well.

Electronista

Motorola posts Droid X 2 user guide early

Motorola has posted the user guide (PDF) for the Droid X 2 ahead of its rumored May 26 launch. With Direct Fulfillment orders starting as soon as May 19, the user guide confirms that the device features a dual-core processor clocked at 1GHz and its rumored qHD high-resolution display.

The X2’s NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor is matched with 768MB of RAM, while the device will also shoot 720p video with its 8-megapixel camera. Videos can also be output over HDMI from the device’s built-in HDMI port. While pre-production versions have been shown running Android 2.2 (Froyo), it is expected to ship with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

Electronista

iPhone 4S back supposedly turns up

Chinese outfit WeiBusi on Tuesday posted a photo of what's purported to be the back of the next iPhone, which many are tentatively referring to as the iPhone 4S. The white shell matches up with that of a very early case design and, in keeping with recently mentioned parts, points to a moved camera flash that sits opposite the camera itself. The design superficially resembles that of an iPhone 4, although that couldn't be verified without the rest of the body.

The backing isn't necessarily accurate and could have been visually edited. Apple isn't believed to be starting production until July and might at most have part samples rather than full components.

Debates still persist over what the next iPhone will look like. While some have been arguing for a conservative update that mostly focuses on upgrading the inside, France Telecom's CEO understood it would be smaller and thinner and noticeably different. Other rumors have pointed to a substantial redesign.

Electronista

Apple: Galaxy S II, new Galaxy Tabs copy iPhone, iPad too

Apple in a filing late last week (below) is now known to have brought Samsung's latest devices into its lawsuit against design copying. An expedited but limited discovery order will let its attorneys look at all of the devices that Samsung is just now putting into the market, including the Galaxy S II, Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1, the Infuse 4G, and the Droid Charge. Lawyers wanted to gauge whether or not these too infringed on Apple's patent or trade dress claims and argued that comparisons were already being made between the S II and the iPhone 4 as well as the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the iPad 2.

Judge Lucy Koh was inclined to side with Apple that there was a "reasonable basis" to inquire whether Samsung was designing hardware to look like the iOS devices. Apple gave a particularly condemning example when Samsung mobile VP Lee Don-Joo signaled that Samsung would change the Tab 10.1 design to beat Apple on thinness and, just three weeks after the iPad 2 was unveiled, had a tablet design just slightly thinner where its original model, shown just over two weeks before the iPad 2, was thicker.

Samsung had tried to object on the grounds that some of its products hadn't been released at the time of the original notice of an intent for the order, on April 20. Judge Koh dismissed this as all of the products had already been given official public appearances, including in person. She added that Samsung had even given out 5,000 Galaxy Tab 10.1 Limited Edition models at Google I/O on May 10, leaving members of the regular public with the final design in their hands.

The ruling gave Samsung a minor concession in saving Samsung executives from having to provide depositions on the devices, saying it would be "unduly burdensome" to have them cover so many topics with relatively little warning.

Apple's win may compound Samsung's troubles in the case. Although there are conspicuous differences, Samsung's device lineup has had design traits not seen on other Android phones that are conspicuously like that of the iPhone, including a large central home button and icons on the Samsung-specific TouchWiz interface that are only slightly different than their Apple equivalents.

Electronista

Nokia exec backs multiple Windows Phone devices in 2011

Nokia's first Windows Phone devices could not only make the end of 2011 but include multiple devices, the company's Smart Devices VP Jo Harlow said in a new talk on Tuesday. She wasn't ready to say for certain that Nokia would make 2011 but told Forbes that the target was "absolutely still this year" and that it "looks good." Harlow also fueled rumors of multiple devices at once" with word that it would start with a "smart portfolio" of devices, not just one.

Earlier hints have suggested that the two first phones, the W7 and W8, would be direct conversions of the X7 and N8 with Windows Phone and new hardware. Since Qualcomm has another Snapdragon exclusive on the platform with the Windows Phone 7.1 update, Nokia will have to switch to the new processors. It's already due to start with the new OS.

Harlow went on to validate rumors and said Nokia was exploring NFC on Windows Phone along with its outgoing Symbian platform. The company was helping carriers make NFC readers along with creating phones to use them.

CDMA was also becoming important. Nokia has had phones in recent years like the Twist, but for the most part has kept it away from its smartphone mix. Harlow explained that Nokia was "working in that direction" to expand the company's reach.

The VP reiterated a cautious approach to tablets and was clear that the company would only get involved if it could have truly unique models.

Electronista

BlackBerry PlayBook reaches UK on June 16

The RIM BlackBerry PlayBook will reach the UK on June 16. It is listed on the Carphone Warehouse for pre-order, while users can register their interest for the device with Best Buy. The UK pricing of the device matches the iPad 2 pricing for each of the three Wi-Fi configurations. The 16GB model is selling for £399, the 32GB will be available for £479, while the 64GB model will be £559.

RIM is continuing to pitch the device as delivering deep multitasking and offering users the whole web with its support for Adobe Flash Player. It is also targeting its loyal BlackBerry users and tempting them to pair their BlackBerry smartphone through its BlackBerry Bridge software, which delivers the email functionality on a larger screen, in lieu of a native email client that remains absent. RIM is also touting its camera hardware as well as the devices ability to output video at 1080p via its built-in micro-HDMI port.

The device has received mixed reviews on launch, with most reviewers praising the hardware, but finding the software experience to be somewhat underdone.

Electronista

Samsung previews 22" transparent BLU LCD TV

Samsung has previewed a transparent display, the 22-inch BLU LCD TV, at the ongoing Society for Information Display conference. The television utilizes a transparent panel that is capable of operating without a backlight. The company showed the display in front of several plants, which can be seen through the LCD panel.

The transparent displays are expected to be aimed at commercial customers for advertising purposes, however consumer models are said to be on track to launch in the third quarter of the year. The company has yet to announce pricing information or further details.

Electronista

Toshiba Thrive tablet pops up for pre-order at $450

The Toshiba Thrive tablet, the name of which was trademarked last month, is again showing up online and is available for pre-order at J&R but the listings have been pulled. They did reveal that the 10.1-inch tablet with Android 3.0 will cost $449 for an 8GB model and $579 for a 32GB version. A 16GB model is expected, falling between the two at $499, but wasn't listed.

The listing also didn't show a shipping date, simply opting for a Coming Soon label. Other specs include a dual-core 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU, a 1280x800 resolution, a front-facing two-megapixel camera, and a rear five-megapixel camera with autofocus. There is also Bluetooth 3.0 onboard, Wi-Fi, an SD card reader and full sized HDMI and USB 2.0 ports along with a mini USB and dock port. A rubber rear backing differentiates it from other Android 3.0 tablets.

The model number of AT105-T108 doesn't match the earlier AT300 tablet from the company, though the specs are certainly very similar.

Electronista

Dell intros XPS 15z early, makes doubtful 'thinnest' claim

Dell skipped formal announcements and gave Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Taiwan sales of the XPS 15z. The design is supposedly the thinnest 15-inch notebook in the world at 0.97 inches and is also light, at 5.5 pounds. Its design is less conspicuously based on the MacBook Pro with a black palmrest but still has numerous similarities, down to the five-dot battery life indicator, grilles, and backlit keyboard.

The 15z makes tradeoffs in performance for extras. Processor choices are limited to dual Core i5 and i7 processors instead of the quad i7s of the inspiration. Every model makes up for it with a 1080p, 300-nit screen as well as a 750GB, 7,200RPM hard drive and 2GB GeForce GT 525M video.

Because of the slower processors, prices in Australia start at $1,399 AUD ($1,470 US) for a 2.3GHz Core i5 and 6GB of RAM. A second $1,699 AUD ($1,786 US) mode upgrades to a 2.7GHz Core i7 and 8GB of RAM. European and North American releases are expected as each country crosses over into the morning for their respective time zones.

The claim to having the thinnest 15-inch notebook, while not a major factor, is unusual in that it has already been discredited by Apple, the XPS 15z's main goal. All unibody MacBook Pros from October 2008 onward measure about 0.95 inches thick and, if using the same measurement, would have beaten the new XPS design two and a half years ago.

Update: As expected, American pricing starts at $999 for the same hardware.

Electronista

Windows Phone Mango Adds 500 New Features

type='html'>

The next version of Windows Phone, dubbed "Mango" and arriving in September, will add 500 new features to Microsoft's mobile OS, Andy Lees, president of Microsoft's mobile communications business said at an event in New York today.

"We wanted to provide the customer with less clutter, more clarity… innovation and choices, but without fragmentation and frustration," Lees said.

That includes more seamless communications options, a better Web browser, and much richer Bing search, for instance.

Windows Phone 7 is currently available on phones for AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint and has gotten generally strong reviews, but not particularly strong sales. According to a Gartner report released last week, Microsoft sold 1.6 million Windows Phone 7 devices in the first quarter for a 3.6% share of the global smartphone market compared to leader Android's 36% share. Verizon announced its first Windows Phone last week, but previously made it clear that the carrier's heart was in Apple and iOS devices.

Hubs, Not Apps
Windows Phone is organized around "hubs" for "people," "games," "music and videos" and such. Mango connects popular social networking services directly into those hubs. With Mango, the People hub now integrates Facebook messaging along with Twitter and LinkedIn status, lets you form ad-hoc groups of people to message or just read their updates together, and hold multi-protocol conversations where you switch between, for instance, IM and text messaging in one thread. Facebook events appear in the device's calendar. When you take a photo and try to upload it to Facebook, the OS offers to auto-tag faces.

This is very different from Apple's approach, which generally requires people to jump between different apps to communicate with social networking services. On the other hand, HP's approach in WebOS is much more like Microsoft's.

On other OSes, "people need to be able to hunt and peck to be able to communicate and share," Lees said. Windows Phone has "a people-centric approach to communications."

Email becomes more flexible, too. You can create custom unified mailboxes that group together some, but not all, of your multiple mailboxes – for instance, keeping work and personal email separate, but offering one inbox for multiple personal accounts. Microsoft Exchange email gets a conversation view, and IT administrators can put access restrictions on specific messages.

Bing offers much deeper local search, including a "local scout" feature which lets you browse the businesses and events in a specific neighborhood. Bing Maps now includes interior maps of malls and other large buildings. Bing Visual is a Google Goggles-like search mode where you take a picture of something and then get a search result, for instance comparing the price of an item you find on a shelf to various online stores. Bing Music Search is like Shazam built into the OS, letting the phone ID a song it hears and then jump immediately to the Zune player to download, stream or bookmark it.

None of this means Microsoft is abandoning the 18,000 third-party apps available for Windows Phone. Mango offers new opportunities for third-party app developers, Lees said. For instance, Bing searches can connect to apps with relevant information – an example he showed was a movie showtime search connecting to the IMDB app, or a search for a book connecting directly to purchasing it in the Kindle app.

"We blur the lines between Internet search and applications … [Windows Phone] can hand off seamlessly and effortlessly between the searches you do on the phone and the applications," Windows Phone senior product manager Derek Snyder said.

So Where Are The Phones?

Existing Windows phones will run Mango, but it will also arrive on new phones from HTC, Samsung, LG, Acer, Fujitsu, ZTE, and especially Nokia, Lees said. The new phones could come in lower-end and higher-end tiers based on Qualcomm's cheaper 7x30 and more expensive 8x55 chipsets, Microsoft senior marketing manager Greg Sullivan said. They may also support "4G," according to Lees.

"Windows Phone Mango will be the release used for the first Nokia Windows phones," Lees said.

But this September's Windows phones won't feature cutting-edge specs like dual-core processors and "qHD" 960-by-540 screens. Sullivan said Microsoft was focused first on "user experience" and secondly right now on expanding the number of countries and languages Windows Phones are available in, rather than in supporting a wider range of hardware.

Updates for existing phones will come "this fall," but Sullivan wouldn't say when this fall, or whether all Windows Phone owners would get the updates at the same time. A first set of Windows Phone updates, dubbed "NoDo," was criticized for rolling out in a piecemeal manner.

"We've been learning from the update process; we've had a couple of bumps early on, but we're improving our processes," Sullivan said.

PCmag

Dell to intro MacBook-rivalling XPS 15z on Tuesday

A leak late Sunday confirmed that Dell's XPS 15z would formally launch on Tuesday. The 15.6-inch system had already been teased and its $999 price leaked but now had a relatively close announcement. The WSJ also backed suspicions of a heavy Apple influence with an assertion that the 15z was made to "better compete against Apple's popular Macbook [sic]" and that it would be the thinnest notebook of its size "on the planet."

The official teasers and leaks so far have so far shown a design very closely copying the 15-inch MacBook Pro design, down to the speaker grilles, an aluminum frame with a black bezel, and a slot-load optical drive on the right, among other traits. Dell is expected to also use Core i5 and i7 chips, though the price could dictate a slower design.

Dell has been succeeding in its mainstay enterprise business but has been struggling to find its footing in the home business. Its home PC sales have been dropping in part because of a shift away from Dell's preferences for either cheap or direct-order PCs towards expensive or retail PCs, either of which are areas that not just Apple but Toshiba and a handful of other PC makers tend to control. The Texas PC builder has also spent an average of just 1.1 percent of its revenue from the past four years on research to advance PCs where Apple has spent almost three percent, leading to Dell PCs and other devices that are often small iterations on existing themes rather than genuine breakthroughs.

The lack of research may have further compounded Dell's problems by preventing it from exploring new categories or even creating them. CEO Michael Dell had admitted that he hadn't seen tablets catching on and effectively let Apple walk away with a category that promptly started undermining sales of Dell's netbooks and notebooks. Officials have acknowledged that sales of Dell's Streak tablets were low enough to be "immaterial."

Some of its reorganization has at least helped mitigate the effect. It axed superfluous model lines that had originally been brought onboard either to challenge Apple or attempt to fill every possible niche of the home PC business. The XPS 15z should be a way of introducing a model intended to lure potential MacBook candidates but avoid overloading Dell's product line like in the past.

Electronista

Fujitsu teases seven-inch Android 3.1 tablet for summer

Fujitsu’s tablet strategy for 2011 has been further crystalized with news that it plans to release a 7-inch Android 3.1 tablet this summer. It will sit alongside its LifeBook TH40/D Windows 7 hybrid, slider-tablet due to go on sale in Japan this June. While the 10.1-inch TH40/D is targeted at enterprise, the 7-inch Honeycomb tablet will be aimed at the consumer market.

According to Digitimes, Fujitsu has suggested that the 7-inch Honeycomb tablet will priced at the equivalent of between $347 and $694. The company plans to outsource the production of the tablet to unnamed Taiwan-based ODMs in order to keep the price competitive. While the price range is indicative of the tablet coming in a range of capacities, it’s low starting point could also suggest that it might have a carrier subsidized strategy in mind.

In further news, Fujitsu also indicated that its TH40/D will also be getting official stylus support and a 3.5G module when it launches in Taiwan. It did not indicate whether it planned to also bring stylus support to its 7-inch Android tablet.

Electronista

LG Phoenix (AT&T)

LG's value-priced Optimus One smartphone has finally made it over to AT&T. Dubbed the Phoenix here, it lets bargain hunters step to a real Android cell phone for just $29.99 with a two year contract. At this price, the Phoenix does the job just fine. But AT&T subscribers also have the ability to get a $49.99 Apple iPhone 3GS (4.5 stars), which makes the Phoenix a bit less compelling than its siblings on Sprint and T-Mobile.

Design, Call Quality, and Apps

The LG Phoenix measures 4.5 by 2.3 by 0.5 inches (HWD) and weighs just 3.2 ounces. That's light for an Android phone, and this is the lightest Optimus variant by far. It's made mostly of a soft touch, slate blue plastic that's comfortable to hold. The 3.2-inch capacitive touch screen offers 320-by-480-pixel resolution; it's bright, if not particularly smooth to the touch, but it does the job. Four backlit, plastic function buttons sit beneath the screen, and have just the right amount of give. The on-screen QWERTY keyboards are a little cramped, but LG redesigned the keyboards to have slightly larger keys. The typing experience was okay; other phones are roomier and a bit more responsive.

The LG Phoenix is a quad-band EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and tri-band HSDPA 7.2 (850/1800/2100 MHz) device with 802.11b/g Wi-Fi. You can also use it as a mobile hotspot for up to five devices with the appropriate optional data plan. LG's Optimus phones usually sound good with voice calls, and the Phoenix is no exception. Callers said I sounded clear through the microphone. Aside from the occasional computerized-sounding syllable, everyone sounded fine to me too. Reception was average. Calls sounded clear through an Aliph Jawbone Icon ($99, 4 stars) Bluetooth headset. Voice dialing worked fine over Bluetooth without training. The speakerphone sounded clear but needs more gain. Battery life was quite good at 6 hours and 30 minutes of talk time.

With the Phoenix, AT&T requires its usual minimum data plan starting at $15 per month. The Phoenix's Android credentials are fully intact: you get free voice-enabled, turn-by-turn GPS navigation, a great stock WebKit browser, powerful webmail and Microsoft Exchange integration, and access to over 150,000 third-party apps in the Android Market. The Phoenix runs Android 2.2 (Froyo). Although it packs an older Qualcomm MSM7227 600 MHz ARM11 processor, the device is responsive enough in day-to-day operation, in part thanks to LG's relatively light hand on the UI. The Phoenix isn't particularly fancy, but I'd have no problem using it as my personal smartphone.

Multimedia, Camera, and Conclusions

The microSD card slot is located underneath the battery cover; my 32GB SanDisk card worked fine, and LG throws in a 2GB card to get you started. There's also 162MB of free internal memory. Music tracks sounded clear and punchy through Samsung Modus HM6450 ($99, 4 stars) Bluetooth headphones. The stock music player displayed album art clearly and was simple to navigate. Standalone videos played well in full screen mode, though 720p files failed to play at all. The Phoenix isn't the best portable video player anyway, given its smallish LCD and somewhat subdued colors.

The 3.2-megapixel auto-focus camera has no flash. Test photos looked good, but not great; the same as with other LG Optimus phones. The camera sensor picks up a reasonable amount of detail, and outdoor shots looked relatively natural. But indoor shots in dimmer lighting exhibited too much grain. Recorded 640-by-480-pixel videos looked okay and played relatively smoothly at 18 frames per second, though the lack of image stabilization means you'll need a steady hand.

Our Editors' Choice for AT&T smartphones remains the Apple iPhone 4 ($199, 4 stars), but a better point of comparison here would be the iPhone 3GS. It costs just $20 more than the Phoenix; for that, you get access to the best app store in the industry, including much better gaming support, and it's also a real iPod. The Phoenix shares the iPhone 3GS's screen resolution, although the Phoenix's panel itself is a bit smaller. On the other hand, the Phoenix beats the iPhone with its free GPS navigation and smoother integration with Google services. Make no mistake, this is the best entry-level Android phone. But we'd keep an eye on prices for higher-end Android phones like the HTC Inspire 4G ($99, 4 stars) and Samsung Captivate ($99, 4 stars), both of which offer faster processors and larger, higher-resolution screens. Considering the high price you're paying per month, it may be worth it to pay a little bit more up front for a more powerful phone.

Benchmarks

Continuous talk time: 6 hours 30 minutes

Pcmag

Nexus S 4G from Google (Sprint)

With its untouched version of Google's Android Gingerbread OS, Sprint's elegant Nexus S 4G for Sprint ($199.99 with contract) will appeal to Android purists and software developers. But otherwise, it falls short of smartphone category leaders in almost every way, making it a good try, but not a winner.

Physical Design, Calling, and Internet

Sprint's Nexus S 4G looks exactly like the T-Mobile Nexus S ($199, 4 stars) we reviewed back in December, and it's a very handsome phone. A slim, smooth black slab, the 4.6-ounce Nexus measures 4.9 by 2.5 by .44 inches (HWD), with no visible buttons on its face and a rich 4-inch, 800-by-480 Super AMOLED screen. The display looks terrific, with pure blacks and deep colors, but Samsung's current top-of-the-line phones such as the unlocked Samsung Galaxy S II ($799, 4 stars) come with Super AMOLED Plus screens, with even better colors.

Press the Power button on the side, and the standard four Android action buttons light up near the bottom of the handset. The phone has a very slight "chin" at the bottom that curves up towards your face, and the back is smooth, black plastic. It's quality plastic, though, and the build feels very solid all around.

The Nexus S 4G is a surprisingly poor voice phone. Its biggest problem is RF reception: I consistently got weaker reception on this phone than on a Samsung Epic 4G ($249, 4 stars) in the same location. Voice quality was harsh, with the occasional dropout and a very quiet speakerphone. Transmissions through the mic sounded a bit thready, and the speakerphone sounded tinny. At least the phone worked very well with my Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth headset ($129, 4.5 stars), including activating voice dialing.

The reception problem carries over to Internet speeds, too. The Nexus S 4G works on Sprint's 3G and 4G networks, and it's licked the standby battery-life problem that the first generation of 4G WiMAX phones had; In my tests, I was able to eke out 6 hours and 6 minutes of talk time on the phone and well more than a day of standby. The phone also works as a tethered modem and a Wi-Fi hotspot. But download speeds were noticeably slower than the Epic 4G. Testing with the Ookla Speedtest app, I got an average of 2.12Mbps down and 610Kbps up on the Nexus, and 6.23Mbps down and 475Kbps up on the Epic.

The reception problems are a pity, because the Nexus's Google Voice integration is pretty neat. You can port your Sprint number directly to Google Voice to get voicemail transcriptions and make international calls at discounted rates. Google's Talk app now includes video chat which works with the 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, but I found it to be full of hiccups and audio/video sync issues when we tested it. But none of this matters if you can't connect at all.

The Nexus S 4G also integrates Near field communication (NFC), a fairly useless technology (at least in the U.S.) that banks and credit card companies have been promising would be part of a mobile-payment system for years. So far, it hasn't happened.

Android, Multimedia, and Conclusions

The Nexus S 4G runs Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" on a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, the same CPU used in the Samsung Epic 4G. That's cutting-edge, for last year. The current state of the art is moving to dual-core phones such as Sprint's upcoming HTC EVO 3D. Gingerbread didn't seem to offer much of a performance boost over the Froyo OS on the Epic, but that's fine; the phone feels sprightly.

As a Nexus phone, this handset should get updates from Google more quickly than other Android devices. That remains to be seen, of course; Sprint still has to approve the updates, but at least they don't have to go through a phone manufacturer. The Nexus runs more than 150,000 Android apps, and it's refreshingly totally free of bloatware, even from Sprint.

The Nexus S 4G has no memory card slot, instead relying on about 14GB of on-board storage. The video player lacks XVID and DIVX support, and won't play HD videos even in supported MPEG4 and AAC file formats. Our H.264 sample file looked jerky during playback. I had more luck with the elegant music player, which handles all the expected, unprotected formats over wired or Bluetooth headphones.

The 5-megapixel camera takes sharp, but washed-out-looking photos with blown-out bright areas. Indoors, there's some blur caused by slow (0.8-second) shutter speeds. The camcorder mode captures smooth 720-by-480 video indoors and out.

If you're looking for a top-of-the-line, full-touch-screen Sprint Android phone, wait for the HTC EVO 3D. If you prefer a QWERTY keyboard, the HTC Evo Shift 4G ($199, 4 stars) and Samsung Epic 4G are both excellent choices. Just getting started with Android? The LG Optimus S (Free, 4 stars) is a great pick, and it's free with a contract.

There are still reasons to get the Nexus S 4G, especially if you're an Android software developer who requires the latest, purest version of the OS. But the Nexus S 4G is neither a budget phone nor top-of-the-line, and its poor voice and data performance left me uneasy in the end.

PCmag

Nissho intros 52-inch, glasses-free 3D TV in Japan

A relatively unknown company, Japan's Nissho Electronics, has just announced it will soon launch a 52-inch HDTV with a Dimenco Display glasses-free 3D screen. That screen also has the ability to convert 2D content to 3D in real time. The stereoscopic video coding 3D format used is called 2D-plus-Depth, or 2D+Z.

The BDL5231-3D2R's specs are modest compared to modern 2D sets and include a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, an 8ms pixel response time, a 60Hz refresh, and 700 nits of brightness. The set will not be coming to consumers, however, as it will be only sold to businesses. It's priced at the equivalent of $20,800 (1.7 million yen). US availability hasn't been confirmed.

Electronista

Pantech intros dual-core 1.5GHz Vega Racer, plans tablet

Pantech has unveiled a new flagship smartphone that could give it a rare speed edge in the smartphone world. The Vega Racer should be the first to use Qualcomm's dual-core, 1.5GHz Snapdragon MSM8660 and outpace even 1.2GHz dual-core phones like the HTC Evo 3D. The chip's inherently much faster Adreno 220 graphics could give it an edge in visuals not normally associated with Snapdragon chips.

The Vega Racer should be a high-end phone apart from the processor, centering on a 4.3-inch, 480x800 screen. Pantech is promising 1GB of RAM as well as a rear eight-megapixel camera and a front 1.3-megapixel camera. In spite of being just 0.35 inches thick, it will have a 1,650mAh battery that should give it a long life.

Pantech is giving the phone a customized version of Android with an iPhone-like fixed set of bottom icons.

Shipments start later this month for Korea, where it will appear before the end of May on SK-Telecom's Sky badge. A US launch if it comes hasn't been mentioned so far. The company has teased that it's working on a tablet and progress is in "full swing" for an arrival sometime in the future.

Electronista

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 shows in Russia with keyboard dock

Samsung's Galaxy Tab 8.9 has been given one last preview ahead of its wider June arrival. A Russian look, including a video (below), has shown the tablet with the full TouchWiz interface we saw at CTIA in March, including the more advanced quick settings pop-up and the live home screen tiles. MForum.ru also saw a new keyboard dock that was optimized just for the 8.9-inch tablet's size.

The early glance was potentially worrying as the tablet, despite its dual-core Tegra 2, appeared to be slowing down with basic video playback. At this late stage, it's unlikely to be beta firmware and could have been a one-off glitch or a symptom of deeper problems.

Samsung is due to ship the Galaxy Tab 8.9 in early June at prices of $469 for a 16GB Wi-Fi model and $569 for a 32GB edition.