It looks like smartphone manufacturers have stopped racing ahead in the megapixel wars, instead focusing on improved sensors to deliver better images from mobile devices. Sony has been pressing ahead with such sensor developments, with its latest Exmor RS smartphone camera range further improving image quality. Sony will offer three versions of the sensor, with two eight megapixel models and a 13-megapixel variant.
Apple and Samsung have both rested their cases in the trial relating to trade dress and patent claims, but the two companies will be discussing the case one more time to try and settle things before the jury is sent away to consider a verdict. Bloomberg reports that the CEOs of both companies, Tim Cook and Kwon Oh Hyun, will hold a telephone conference call to see if any resolution can be agreed upon.
iFixit is always busy tearing apart the latest devices in order to determine what components lie beneath, but the firm has criticized Apple products (like the Retina MacBook Pro and new iPad) for their low repairability. How about products from other companies? The team have taken their tools to the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, giving a full list of what lurks underneath the chassis and determining that it has a high repairability score.
Multitouch gestures on trackpads have become common place on laptops over the past few years, but they’re going to get a serious boost with the release of Windows 8. Synaptics is trying to make sure that the user experience will be up to snuff, today demoing its new ForcePad technology. The tech will not only bring improved sensitivity and multitouch gestures to touchpads, but also add support for force detection.
If you prefer to get your music, news, and opinions through an old fangled radio but miss the allure of touchscreens, then Revo has the solution. The company has debuted the PiXiS DAB radio, featuring an integrated touchscreen that retails for under £100 (~$157). A 3.5-inch touchscreen is built right inside the unit, allowing users to interact by touching icons instead of twisting knobs and dials.
Samsung isn’t just planning a sequel to the Galaxy Note, with a leak suggesting that the company is also planning on refreshing its Galaxy Player devices, PMPs running Android with WiFi connectivity. According to a picture and information handed to SamMobile, Samsung is planning a huge 5.8-inch screen for its next Galaxy Player device, bringing with it some mid-range specs in the process.
Jolla, the Helsinki-based startup hoping to make use of Nokia’s abandoned MeeGo platform, has revealed additional details surrounding the phone it hopes to launch later in the year. Arctic Startup quotes publication 3T in detailing Jolla’s plans, with the company’s CEO, Jussi Hurmola, saying that the new OS will run HTML5 apps in addition to Qt apps. Not only that, but it looks like Jolla will employ one of RIM’s tactics for the BlackBerry PlayBook, hoping to run Android apps in addition to its own native offerings.
The Motorola DROID RAZR HD has been leaked time and time again, with Verizon holding an event on September 5th that should see an official announcement for the device. Anyone quick on their feet last night may have spotted some leaked tutorial videos on YouTube that showed users how to get to grips with the device. The actual tutorials were fairly standard, but the videos did show off some details of the device that have been alluded to in past leaks and rumors.
If reports are correct, then we should see the Samsung Galaxy Note II make an appearance at Samsung’s pre-IFA event on August 29th in Berlin. The company has posted a new video to its YouTube channel giving us a taste of what to expect on the fast-approaching date, and while there isn’t a clear shot of any new device in the teaser, there are a few out-of-focus glimpses of what you can look forward to.
A wave of confusion surrounded OnLive over the weekend, with employees reportedly being let go from the company. Soon after it was announced that OnLive had been acquired by another company, with details now emerging that the company will trade using OnLive's name, with all assets having been transferred over except shares and staff. Some employees will be hired back, but over half will be left without a job as a result of the transaction.
By far the best scene in Expendables 2 is when Dolph Lundgren kicks a bad guy in the face off a balcony, casually shouting “Goodbye!” in the process. It’s an utterly ridiculous and over the top moment that caused me to burst out laughing, and it’s exactly what the movie needed more of.
Those hoping for a black variant of the Samsung Galaxy S III were disappointed when the company only offered white and blue at launch, later adding a red option for customers on AT&T in the United States. A black version of the Galaxy S III was first spotted on Samsung’s Facebook page, later confirmed by UK retailer MobileFun as coming in four to six weeks. It was spotted again on T-Mobile’s website, and now internet retailer Clove has chimed in, saying that the phone is indeed coming with 64GB of storage.