Android 4.2 updates, the PlayStation 4, Xbox Surface and much more

 

It’s been another epic week in gadgetry and gaming, and we wouldn’t blame you for struggling to keep up with it all. It’s just as well we’re here to do that for you: read on for our round-up of all the hottest stories of the week, here in the Gadget Digest.

Souped up smartphones

It’s been a busy week in all things Android. Google’s new version of its smartphone operating system, 4.2, is barely a week old, but it appears it’s already heading to the Samsung Galaxy S3 super phone. Not to be outdone, we started seeing the first signs that HTC’s incredible full HD phone, the HTC J Butterfly, is making the leap from Japan to the West.

Next-gen consoles

Microsoft’s got a new Xbox on the way, but it’s not what you think. It’s actually a tablet, according to sources, and it’ll run touchscreen games much like an iPad – but as we revealed in our feature, Microsoft’s no stranger to this form of handheld gaming. Meanwhile, we pulled together our wishlist of must-have features inside the Sony PS4: is there anything else you’d like to see?

Smart TV

Over on the smart TV front meanwhile, Google turned up the heat on Apple TV a little with the addition of movie and TV streaming on Google TV boxes in the UK. Virgin meanwhile took on its arch-rival Sky by releasing its TV Anywhere service for laptops, computers and iPhone and iPad. But as we found out, it has a few catches.

Games galore

While all the big tech for Christmas has already been announced, things are only just getting started on the gaming side of things. On mobile, Angry Birds Star Wars touched down and we checked out the bizarre Curiosity cube, which holds a life-changing prize for someone within. Over in console land, we also took a gander at Need For Speed: Most Wanted, and set loose our full review of Halo 4. Has it been worth the wait?

www.tell-me-first.com

mobile Apps For Your Business

 

If your business is not mobile now, it will be someday soon – or you will lose out to those businesses that are.

Promote your Business and Build Loyalty

It's incredible how fast mobile browsing has gone from something very clunky, to something we all do. Here are just 3 stats that show how fast our behaviour is changing due to this evolving technology:

a, 40% of mobile phone owners now say their phone is “the most important device for accessing the internet” – something that looked very unlikely just a couple of years ago.
b, Alongside that, 42% of us regularly use social networks via our phones, 51% watch video clips, and 51% use our phones to read email.
c, One in five of us use our phones to research products while watching TV.

Whereas desktop and laptop browsing is an activity in itself, many of us use tablets and mobile devices alongside other activities. We are more likely to purchase via mobile at weekends and tablet owners tend to shop while watching TV at home.

Mobile commerce is predicted to grow 39% each year from now until 2016.

 

mobile app

Gadget Digest: iPad 4G, the world’s smartest smart TV and the Sony PS3 returns

It’s been another busy week in gadget gossip. We’ve seen all sorts of new gizmos roll off the factory line and onto our wishlists – so many, we wouldn’t blame you if you struggled to keep count. Luckily, we’re here to break them down for you into easy to swallow tech titbits: read on for this week’s Gadget Digest.

Android happenings

The iPhone 5 is out and clearing house, but the Google Android-powered rivals keep coming through thick and fast still. The rumours of an LG Nexus 4 super phone are reaching a crescendo, and there’s even talk of a release date this month. Meanwhile, Samsung outed the Galaxy S3 Mini, a smaller version of its Android phone, while HTC’s mid-range rival, the Desire X, hit shops shelves.

Smart TVs get smarter

Smart TVs got a few more IQ points this week courtesy of a couple of new launches. Spotify’s unlimited music streaming service arrived on Samsung TVs, complete with a free month’s trial worth a tenner, while Bang & Olufsen hit back once more with the world’s slickest, and perhaps also priciest, internet telly.

Tablet attack

Lots of tasty tablet gossip hit this week too. While the iPad Mini failed to show, we did get word that the next iPad will work on UK 4G super speed networks, while on the Android side of things, a new report suggested a £60 Google Nexus tablet is on the way.

Sony strikes back

We’re still waiting on that elusive PlayStation 4, but in the meantime, Sony’s seen fit to bless us with a newer, slimmer PS3, and this week, we set loose our full review of the console. Be sure to check it out if you’re still sitting on the console fence: while the software is ace, it’s not quite the cost cutting exercise we were hoping for.

Behind the scenes with Prometheus

Last but not least, the biggest film of the year for gadget fiends, Prometheus, hit Blu-ray. We went behind the scenes to find out more about the making of it: does the plot make any more sense now?

http://www.tell-me-first.com 

Virtual Projected Keyboard

 

Virtual Projected Keyboard

The Celluon MAGIC CUBE Virtual Keyboard is a startling fresh alternative to using a standard keyboard and mouse with your mobile device or computer. The MAGIC CUBE projects a laser onto a flat opaque surface to provide you with a virtual keyboard. You can type on top of the surface of your desk and you can also use the MAGIC CUBE as a mouse. The MAGIC CUBE is powered by a Lithium-Polymer battery and comes with a mini-USB to USB cable for recharging it from your computer. It works with the iPad, iPhone 4, mobile devices running Android 2, 2.1, or 2.2 as well as any device that supports Bluetooth 2.0 or greater, such as a desktop or notebook computer

www.tell-me-first.com

Samsung Galaxy v Apple iPhone - the smartphone duopoly

 

The excitement has been mounting for weeks. Fans have speculated about the precise specifications of the device, the company behind it has been doing everything it can to preserve the mystery and build up the anticipation. Yes, Samsung has learned quite a lot from Apple about the art of hype.

I've been to several major gadget launches - the original iPhone, Sony's PlayStation 3, Microsoft's Xbox Kinect - and last night's unveiling of the Galaxy S3 smartphone in London's Earl's Court may well have been the most over the top and extravagant yet. In the cavernous halls where everyone from Pink Floyd to Madonna has strutted their stuff, thousands gathered to see a rectangular slab of plastic and metal.

Why? Because only one smartphone has challenged - perhaps surpassed - the iPhone in terms of sales, technology and consumer appeal. And the latest version will undoubtedly set the standard for Apple and the rest of the industry to try to match.

For all the extravagant talk of a device which allows you to "live the life extraordinary", the latest Galaxy looks at first sight like any other modern touchscreen phone. It does have a bigger sharper screen than its predecessor, and some clever touches. There's a voice recognition function which seemed in the demo to do everything that Apple's Siri does and more, there's eye-tracking technology which means that the phone goes to sleep when you stop looking at it, and there's NFC (Near Field Communication) built in, allowing users to simply tap each other's phones to share content.

But at its heart is the latest Ice Cream Sandwich version of the Android operating system - and that's on plenty of other impressive phones from the likes of HTC, LG and Sony. Why the new Galaxy matters is that the previous models have established it in consumer minds as the number one Android phone - and in this business, it's increasingly apparent that the winner takes all.

www.tell-me-fitst.com

Samsung Galaxy S3 set to launch in April?

 

A launch date for the Samsung Galaxy S3 has so far been elusive, but it looks like we won’t have to wait too long for one of 2012’s hottest Android phones. Rumours are pinpointing an April release for the speedy Android 4.0. If any phone can topple the iPhone 4S’ popularity, it’s the Samsung Galaxy S3.

Those reports stem from gadget blog ZDNet Korea. The blog suggests that Samsung will release the Galaxy S3 next month in a campaign geared around the London 2012 olympic games. That means we don’t have too long to wait.

The launch is especially important because like its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is expected to become the number one Android phone on the market, considered by many to be the only real alternative to the Apple iPhone 4S.

Samsung has yet to confirm the specs, but if previous leaks are anything to go by, the Galaxy S3 is an impressive beast. Reports are claiming the latest Android 4.0 operating system, a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, full HD 1080p shooting and a 4.8-inch display.

We had expected to see the Samsung Galaxy S3 at MWC 2012, but it was not to be. Instead Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy Beam – a smartphone with a built-in projector that will be in stores this July.

It sounds amazing, but it’s the Samsung Galaxy that Android will really be looking forward to. We’ll bring you more on this year’s must-have Android phone as we hear it. Roll on April.

Archos Child Pad: £99 Android tablet for kids

To a child a tablet looks like a fascinating little plaything. But with the cost of such devices going into the £££ we know that’s far from the case. Archos has gone some way to resolving that little dilemma by announcing a £99 Android tablet called the Child Pad. It even has the latest Android 4.0 operating system. What else? Read on…

At £99, the Archos Child Pad is definitely one of the cheapest tablets we’ve seen. Even so, the specs, for such a cheap tablet are rather impressive. The Child Pad features a 7-inch screen, a 1GHz processor and 1GB of RAM. So performance should be pretty quick – an essential if it is to be used by impatient youngsters.

 

We’re also impressed to discover that the Archos Child Pad will feature Android 4.0 – the latest update to the Android operating system built-in from day one. Albeit a more child-friendly version of the OS.

Custom skins and pre-loaded games such as Angry Birds provide the fun. And parental controls. Those are there too. Very important, those. The Archos Child Pad will begin shipping at the end of March.

It may not be the most advanced or desirable tablet around, but for £99, it sounds like a bargain. It’s not just for kids, right?

Then again, wait one month and you may be able to pick up a brand new iPad for just £100 more, following rumours that Apple is to release a 7.85-inch iPad.

Android Market overhauled, but what does it have to offer?

As with iTunes and the iPhone, the Android Market is one of the best bits about owning an Android phone, letting you download thousands of applications to cater for almost any need. Google is set to launch an overhauled Android Market, however, with a Windows Phone-esq design. Read on to find out what it has to offer.

The Android market is arguably one of the best app markets available, offering hundreds of thousands of apps and a lot more freedom than Apple’s own iOS offering. It’s one of the biggest reasons that lots of people opt for Android over rival smartphones, yet Google has felt the need to refresh its Market. Here are some of the things it’s changed.

Brand new designFor a start, the whole look and feel of the Android Market has changed, with new icons and finger-friendly sections that fill the whole of the screen. With different sized icons, it looks suspiciously like Windows Phone, but that’s no bad thing.

Rent moviesAt the moment, this feature is only available in the US, but Google is looking at rolling it out in more countries. You’ll be able to download films, and you can also set them to work offline, for when you don’t have a data connection or are trying to eek out extra battery life.

eBooksThe Android Market now offers the world’s largest collection of electronic books (according to Google), with over three million titles available. With the latest handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S II and Sony Xperia Arc offering screens that measure over 4 inches, they’re perfect for taking advantage of eBooks.

New descriptionsApps are better labelled than ever before, with a comprehensive description of what you’re getting, along with user reviews, so you know beforehand whether it’s worth downloading or not

Android Market overhauled, but what does it have to offer?

As with iTunes and the iPhone, the Android Market is one of the best bits about owning an Android phone, letting you download thousands of applications to cater for almost any need. Google is set to launch an overhauled Android Market, however, with a Windows Phone-esq design. Read on to find out what it has to offer.

The Android market is arguably one of the best app markets available, offering hundreds of thousands of apps and a lot more freedom than Apple’s own iOS offering. It’s one of the biggest reasons that lots of people opt for Android over rival smartphones, yet Google has felt the need to refresh its Market. Here are some of the things it’s changed.

Brand new designFor a start, the whole look and feel of the Android Market has changed, with new icons and finger-friendly sections that fill the whole of the screen. With different sized icons, it looks suspiciously like Windows Phone, but that’s no bad thing.

Rent moviesAt the moment, this feature is only available in the US, but Google is looking at rolling it out in more countries. You’ll be able to download films, and you can also set them to work offline, for when you don’t have a data connection or are trying to eek out extra battery life.

eBooksThe Android Market now offers the world’s largest collection of electronic books (according to Google), with over three million titles available. With the latest handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S II and Sony Xperia Arc offering screens that measure over 4 inches, they’re perfect for taking advantage of eBooks.

New descriptionsApps are better labelled than ever before, with a comprehensive description of what you’re getting, along with user reviews, so you know beforehand whether it’s worth downloading or not.