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Download Free technews From viewzoft It's Apple overload - though we will soon have a new 'Apple' section (along with 'Home Cinema') so take note - but Crave has just broken some very interesting news indeed.
More than two years after Apple filed patents for a Tablet Mac it claims to have spoken with senior Asus execs who told them in hushed voices that "Asus is helping Apple build a Tablet PC". Now forgiving a previously well hidden Taiwanese mischievous side, this would make sense since - as is correctly pointed out - Asus is Apple's contact manufacturer.
Furthermore, Crave's Asus source says the Tablet will be (frankly, bl00dy obviously) a completely new blueprint and feature much of the multi-touch tech and finger friendly interface used on the iPhone. As for dates and prices... you've got to be joking, right? Funnily enough, this story breaks just as conceptual artist 'Factory Jo' sent the IT world into rapture over his take on a possible Apple Tablet (pics above and below) and based on what Crave is saying he may not be that far out... hopefully. Could the Tablet formula finally take-off? Don't bet against it... ( Read More )

Download Free technews From viewzoft Never one to shirk his duties I forced myself to attend a brilliant private concert with Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly last night, all so I could bring you news of the latest handsets from this Sony Ericsson sponsored event... *cough*
Along with the previously announced (and highly desirable) W960i, SE showed off the anticipated W890i, W380i, and K660i but sadly not the much rumoured 'P5i' - a touchscreen based super phone with crazy specs (5MP camera, 2.8in VGA LCD, GPS, WiFi, 125g) which we'll have to put to bed for now. King of the hill therefore in this trio is the W890i (above left), the follow up to the very popular W880i in SE's Walkman line which brings 3G, an improved 3.2MP camera and larger 2in QVGA screen. The W890i is as slim as its bulimic predecessor (9.9mm thick) and barely tips the scales at 78g. A 2GB Memory Stick Micro card is also bundled. Does the W890i fill the gaps found in the W880i? I think so... Also expanding the Walkman range is the W380i, a midrange GSMer whose killer feature is its 'Gesture Control' which allows users to mute calls or silence the alarm by simply sweeping a hand over the exterior.
Being a Walkman handset the W380i also comes with the line's standard fare including TrackID and PlayNow compatibility and is also bolstered by an FM tuner. Sadly the camera is rather measly at 1.3MP, there just a 512MB M2 card in the box and at 92 x 49 x 16mm and 100g it isn't that pocket friendly. Still, expect it not to break the bank.
Finally, the K660i is a 3G web focused phone with zoom capable landscape browsing, controllable mouse pointer and dedicated shortcut keys that only appear when surfing. Google Maps is also integrated (though no GPS) while a 2MP camera thickens the feature set. At 104 x 47 x 15mm and 95g it is certainly portable too while a multimedia player provides video and audio support. The W890i, W380i and K660i will all appear in Q1 '08 with prices subject to contract but I'd be surprised if a decent sized monthly contract didn't make them free. In related news Sony Ericsson has also announced its first USB mobile broadband modem. The 'MD300' can work at speeds of up to 3.6Mbps, measures just 70 x 32.5 x 15mm and usefully has 128MB of user accessible memory. It is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista and all Mac OS X variants (including Leopard) and will be available in either black or silver again in Q1 2008.
In addition (and unsurprisingly) SE has confirmed it turned down an offer from Google to join the Open Handset Alliance. I don't think anyone is particularly surprised... ( Read More )

Download Free technews From viewzoft When I go away on a trip, I always take some music with me. An MP3 player jam-packed with quality tunes and a decent pair of headphones can make hours of tedious travel fly by. But when I get to where I'm going I often just want to disconnect and listen to the music through a set of speakers. That goes double if I'm travelling with friends; on a group skiing trip, or staying in self-catering accommodation in the wet wilds of Wales it's nice to be able to have some of my own music to play in the background. Normally, I'd have to take two speakers, a charger or batteries, plus all the cables to connect them up to my MP3 player. However, that's where Parrot's Party speakers come in - which aim to do away with at least some of these hassles.
The first inconvenience consigned to the dustbin is the cables: Parrot is a Bluetooth specialist, so it's hardly surprising to find that this unit is Bluetooth enabled. So you'll have no wires trailing from your MP3 player, as long as it's Bluetooth enabled, of course. I did most of my testing using the Samsung YP-T9 Bluetooth player I tested earlier in the year, but you can also use any A2DP Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone or laptop as well, which is really handy since the majority of phones and smartphones still don't possess a standard 3.5mm headphone output.
Being a specialist in all things Bluetooth, it's not a shock to find that the Party works perfectly. To connect a new device, you just press the Bluetooth button on the top, go through the pairing process on your player, phone or laptop, and Bob's your uncle. The range is pretty good too - I managed to walk 10 metres away with my MP3 player without having the signal degrade, which is probably all the range you need from a device such as this. And even if your source doesn't have Bluetooth you can use the 3.5mm line-in socket on the back without having to flick a switch to enable it. The Party detects whichever source is 'live' and switches over to it automatically. ( Read More )

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