First Google Android Based Handset to Ship in Fourth Quarter of 2008

Recently, news about Google’s Android platform has been bit negative. Developers have claimed that Google is favoring some developers by giving them the latest build of the OS. There have also been rumors that the development of the platform is lagging behind and introduction of devices based on Android will be delayed. But today, HTC’s CFO Hui-ming Cheng said that the company would begin shipping Android-based handsets. Read More

IEEE Approves FireWire S1600 and S3200 Specifications

The IEEE approved the new standard for IEEE 1394 (FireWire) that will support faster data transfers, better compatibility and improved serial bus interface. The new IEEE 1394-2008 specification will introduce S1600 (1.6Gbps) and S3200 (3.2Gbps) standards. The new standards will be fully backward compatible with S400 and S800 standards. Read More

Qualcomm Announces the World’s First HSPA+ Data Call

Qualcomm today announced that it has completed the world’s first data call using High-Speed Packet Access Plus (HSPA+) network technology. The call achieved a data transfer rate of more than 20 Mbps in 5MHz channel. HSPA+ deployment will allow network operators to double that data and triple the voice capacity of their current HSPA networks.
“Today’s call represents another milestone for Qualcomm in the evolution of the HSPA road amp,” said Alex Katouzian, vice president of product management, Qualcomm CDMA technologies. Read More

HP: Microsoft Including XP Loaded Computers in Vista Sales Count

On the launch of their new range of business notebooks, HP revealed that business PC buyers are still overwhelmingly opting for XP. Microsoft had announced last month that Vista has sold tens of millions of copies – and is selling at a faster rate than XP ever did.
“From the 30th June, we have no longer been able to ship a PC with a XP license,” said Jane Bradburn market development manager HP. “However, what we have been able to do with Microsoft is ship PCs with a Vista Business license but with XP pre-loaded. That is still the majority of business computers we are selling today.”
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Apple Releases iTunes Software Update 7.7.1

Apple has released the iTunes software update 7.7.1 that includes fixes to improve stability and performance. Apple had released the last iTunes update 7.7 when it launched the new iPhone 3G, App Store and iPhone firmware 2.0. There have been few complains about stability of the software and updating feature of the App store. Read More

Dell Testing New Music Player and Developing Its Own Software for Portable Devices

Reuters is reporting that in recent months Dell has been testing a digital music player that could go on sale in September. The upcoming music player features a small navigation screen and basic button controls to scroll through music. The player will support WiFi and will connect to online music store over WiFi for downloading music. Dell is planning to keep the price point of the new player below $100 to give it an edge against the competition. it is working on software for a range of portable PCs that will let users download and organize music and movies from various online sources. Read More

Apple Warning Retail Channel Partners of Forthcoming Mac and iPod Shortage

In a bulletin supposedly sent by Apple to its retail partners, the company is warning that some of its products will be in short supply in near future. It is suspected that Apple is ramping down the production of 13-inch MacBooks and 15-inch and17-inch MacBook Pros. The company has suggested that the resellers buy about four weeks of iPods and three weeks of MacBook supply. Read More

Sanyo Announces New Xacti DMX-HD800 HD Camcorder

Sanyo today announced that it would add a new 720p capable model to its Xacti line of camcorders. The new Xacti DMX-HD800 will be launched on August 22 in Japan and will come with SD/SDHC card support of up to 32GB. The camcorder is capable of shooting video in 1280 x 720 resolution and photos at 8-megapixel resolution. The DHX-HD800 uses a high-speed CMOS sensor in combination of a new image-processing engine “Platinum Engine” for superior image and video quality. Read More

BlackBerry Thunder Might Be Launched on October 8th?

Electronista is reporting that BlackBerry Thunder now has a launch date based on leaked information. On October 8th, Verizon will launch the first touchscreen phone by RIM that has been in rumors for almost a year. The phone will have Verizon’s Rhapsody service that will allow over the air music downloads, a feature that iPhone 3G is missing unless you are using a WiFi connection. The phone will also have higher megapixel camera, a 3.2-megapixel camera on Thunder compared to 2-megapixel on iPhone 3G. Read More

Dell Takes On Mini Desktop Market with Studio Hybrid

I had never been a fan of Dell’s product designs, but that has changed a bit today when Dell introduced the new Studio Hybrid mini desktop and the new S2409W LCD display. Apple’s Mac mini has been the king of mini desktops for past two year and this is the first desktop that can seriously challenge Mac mini’s position. The new Studio Hybrid is an eco-friendly PC that uses notebook components to reduce both size and power requirement. The Hybrid use just 65 watts power and is 80 percent smaller than any Dell’s desktop. Read More

Michael Dell Hints at Dell’s Smartphone Plans

It has been rumored for more than five years that Dell is working on a smartphone. Since Dell stopped selling its MP3 player and Axim PDAs the rumors died a bit. Last year when Apple launched the iPhone many questioned whether Dell would follow suit. In a recent interview with Om Malik, Dell’s CEO Michael Dell said “we are certainly looking at the whole smartphone category, but I wouldn’t expect anything anytime soon.” Read More

Apple Issues MobileMe Status Update

When a company starts giving almost daily status update about a troubled service, you know that there are bigger issues with the service. Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs has ask an employee (David G.) to write a posting every other day or so to let everyone know what’s happening with MobileMe. The online service had a very rough start with online pages not loading, data getting lost and then email service going down. Walt Mossberg in his video review had a long list of issues he faced while reviewing the service. Apple has started posting Updates on it website about the current state of the MobileMe service. Read More

Rumor: Upcoming MacBook will have Glass Trackpad and All Aluminum Body

According to Seth Weintraub, Apple’s upcoming MacBooks models will be thinner than current Macbook and the MacBook Pro will have slightly more rounded design like the MacBook Air. The biggest change will be that the new MacBooks will use “glass trackpad” that will support multi-touch and gesture controls. The body of the MacBooks will be made out of one piece of aluminum make it more sturdy and eco-friendly. Read More