Foxconn and Compal contracted for 5-6 Palm devices in 2011 [rumor]

While the Palm Pre 2 might be eliciting less-than-impressed responses from Palm fans, we can’t help but wonder what Palm might come out with next. It’s all but assumed that the Pre 2 was the phone Palm had in the pipeline and that it was supposed to be out several months ago, but what’s not all that clear is what’s due next.

According to Chinese trade paper CENS.com's "industry sources," Foxconn Technology and Compal Communications have landed contracts with Palm to produces several new devices. Foxconn is said to have secured the contract for four or five devices, including the PalmPad, while Compal has picked up the contract for one more device. Additionally, all five (or six) devices are due for production and presumably sale in 2011.

If this is true, consider our minds scrambled. That leaves us wondering just what devices we could see if up to six different form factors hit the shelves next year. There’s obviously the tablet, but what else there might be is unclear. Options include portrait and landscape sliders, a keyboard-less slate device, the candy bar Pixi form factor, and... something else to make six? Here's hoping Palm can take some inspiration from our amazingly talented members.

HP has made it clear that they’re intending to invest major dollars into making Palm a successful company, and when you spend $1.2 billion on something, you generally want to make sure you get your money’s worth. Multiple devices hitting the market in the span of a year is one way to get attention, and hopefully rake in some profits.

We’re also taking some comfort from CENS.com’s use of Palm as the contracting company, not HP. It’s a comforting notion that these would be Palm handsets (or tablets (or toasters)) and not HP branded, calming our fears of the Palm brand fading away anytime soon.

Samsung Galaxy Tab hitting T-Mobile USA on November 10th, $400 on contract

America's number four carrier just landed a launch date for Samsung's Froyo-based Galaxy Tab, and sure enough, it'll be trotting out into the spotlight a full 24 hours before Verizon Wireless and four whole daysprior to Sprint. Trouble is, T-Mob's not being kind enough to dole out a price tag, so there's no reasonable way for you to compare its offering against the competition. But hey, being first out of the gate, they can't hold out on us too much longer, eh?

Update: T-Mobile USA's official Galaxy Tab portal just went live, and guess what? You'll be shelling out $399.99 for this bad boy... on a two-year data contract. You'll also be responsible for a $35 activation fee and a $200 early termination charge should you soon realize just what you've gotten yourself into.

Introducing The PlayStation Phone

It's hard to believe that what we're looking at is real -- but we assure you, the picture above is in fact the PlayStation Phone you've long been waiting for. As we reported back in August, the device you see is headed into the market soon, likely boasting Android 3.0 (aka Gingerbread), along with a custom Sony Marketplace which will allow you to purchase and download games designed for the new platform. The device snapped up top (and in our gallery below) is sporting a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 (a chip similar to the one found in the G2, but 200MHz faster), 512MB of RAM, 1GB of ROM, and the screen is in the range of 3.7 to 4.1 inches. Looking almost identical to the mockup we hit you with this summer, the handset does indeed have a long touchpad in the center which is apparently multitouch, and you can see in the photos that it's still bearing those familiar PlayStation shoulder buttons. For Sony buffs, you'll be interested to know that there's no Memory Stick slot here, but there is support for microSD cards.

The particular model in these shots is still in prototyping mode. As such, the unit doesn't have a custom skin (not even SE's Timescape design seen on the Xperia devices), and is said to be rather buggy. We're digging into more facts as we speak, but it's likely that much of what we reported earlier is still accurate, and though the device could still be headed for a 2010 release, 2011 is looking much more realistic. Still, there's a lot of time between now and the holidays... so keep your fingers crossed!


More pics at: Engadget

Samsung Galaxy Tab and Huawei S7 pre-orders kick off at Best Buy Mobile

Best Buy announced Monday that three upcoming Android tablets are now available for pre-order. Two versions of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Tab can be ordered for $599.99 each, and the Huawei Ideos Tablet S7 will cost $299.99 to reserve. None of the aforementioned pre-orders require a contract. Demand for these Android tablets is not expected to be excessive, however interested parties eager to ensure delivery on launch day will be happy to learn that pre-sales are now available. Each Samsung Galaxy Tab version features a 7-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, dual cameras, 16GB of internal storage, a 1GHz processor and the Android 2.2 operating system. The Huawei S7 features a 7-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi, dual cameras, microSD support and the Android 2.1 operating system. According to Best Buy’s website, pre-orders of all three tablet options will be delivered as early as November 7th.

[Via Best Buy]

Read (Galaxy Tab, Sprint) Read (Galaxy Tab, Verizon Wireless) Read (Huawei S7)

JooJoo 2 coming in early 2011, powered by Android?

Remember JooJoo? Well, apparently they still exist even after some legal trouble and according to the latest reports, they might soon be back in action with the follow up to the original JooJoo. The Joo Joo 2, supposedly to be powered by Android, will be based on Google’s OS but totally modified for what “the tablet market needs now.” An example given was possibly unifying different messaging and social services like Gmail, email, Facebook, and Twitter into one interface. JooJoo said that the company is looking forward to being a multiple device company, so there might be even more JooJoos in the oven. We kind of have to ask… with the enormous success of the iPad and a new wave of tablets from known, established companies like Samsung and Research In Motion, would anyone even consider a JooJoo in the next couple months?

Read

Galaxy Tab for Sprint confirmed for November 14th: $400 with two-year contract

Well, that didn't take long. After hearing this morning that Samsung's Galaxy Tab might possibly be hitting Sprint on November 14th, the carrier has come out and confirmed the date, along with some pricing details. Whereas the Verizon deal is a penny under $600 with no commitment required, Sprint's offering the 7-inch slate for $399.99 along with a necessary two-year 3G Tablet Mobile Broadband plan (according to Phone Scoop who contacted the company, there'll also be a $599.99 offer with no contract). That'll run you $29.99 for 2GB and $59.99 for 5GB. Can't wait to see what price the GSMersmight offer? Pre-orders start today.


Source: Sprint via Engadget

Samsung Galaxy Player to rival iPod Touch

Up until now about the only way you could use Android on a device was to either buy a phone or pony up for an expensive tablet. Luckily someone realized that the operating system could power other types of devices and thats where the Samsung Galaxy Player 50 comes into this. However, sadly, for the time being this will only be bringing the Android love to those of you in Europe.

The above video has popped up showing off all of the features of the new Samsung Galaxy Player 50 (which has an interface that looks striking similar to a certainMP3 player from a little company called Apple). Thus far the device is only listed for sale in Europe with reports that one retailer in France has already put them out for purchase. No word yet on how much this device will cost you, though.

The player is the first Wi-Fi only Android device with access to the official Google apps such as Market, so this is a good sign that the operaring system could be getting some serious use on other devices in the not too distant future.  Some of the other features include:

• 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• 8 or 16 GB internal memory with microSD card slot for expansion
• 2 megapixel camera
• FM tuner
• Android OS 2.1
• 3.2-inch
• GPS
• DivX support

Without knowing a price as of yet it’s hard to say if this is going to be competitively priced to other similar devices, and there is also no word as of yet on a release in the United States.  No matter what the pricing and release plans are like, it’s still good to see that Android is getting closer to being a true competitor to iOS from Apple.

What say you?  Any interest in the Samsung Galaxy Player 50?

Engadget.com Exclusive: future LG Android phone for Verizon sports LTE(4G)

We were just handed this image with very little detail other than the fact that we're looking at "a future LG high end Android phone for Verizon," but we can deduce a few things: one, and perhaps most notably, you can just barely make out an LTE logo toward the bottom of the back. That likely makes this one of the six-odd LTE phones Verizon has publicly said are slated for the first half of next year. Secondly, it's got an HD camera of some sort -- probably indicating either 720p or 1080p capture -- and finally, it appears to have a huge, mirrored display and possibly a front-facing cam in the upper right. Looks like there's also a WiFi logo on back (of course), but can anyone make out the other two logos there? And more importantly, can anyone wait for this to launch?

Update: It's been proposed that one of the logos might be for DLNA, since LG's a major DLNA player -- most recently with its PlayTo service on the LG Optimus 7.

ASUS Eee PC VX6 Lamborghini

In a world where most netbooks have a similar aesthetic, ASUS's limited-edition Eee PC VX6 really stands out. Based on the Editors' Choice Award-winning EeePC 1215N ($499), this Lamborghini-themed 12-inch netbook ($699) turns heads with its sports-car like appearance --and a roaring engine sound when it boots. Asus backs up that flair with a dual-core CPU, switchable Ion graphics, and super-speedy USB 3.0 ports, which are unique to this version. But does a snazzy chassis and some neat extras justify spending nearly $200 more for a souped-up netbook?

Design

Even though it has the same internal specs as the Eee PC 1215N (Atom D525 CPU, Ion 2 graphics), the VX6 looks completely different. The glossy white lid emblazoned with the Lamborghini logo reminded us (appropriately) of the hood of an expensive Italian sports car. The sides are emblazoned in a subtle matte, chrome color that tapers against a rubberized matte black shade. Inside, the hinge area is one of the most attractive we've seen on a netbook, with chrome hinges and mirrored power and turbo buttons above the keyboard with a script Lamborghini logo sitting in the middle of the mirrored surface.

The touchpad and touchpad button have a sleek, trapezoidal shape and a dark mirrored surface, but we found that this area picked up fingerprint smudges. The webcam also sits against a mirrored, trapezoidal background. The palm rest is made of a matte black, rubberized material that was really comfortable on our wrists and attractive to boot. Even the bottom of the notebook has air vents that look like they belong on an expensive car, rather than a netbook.

At 11.6 x 8.x 1.1 inches and 3.1 pounds, the Eee PC VX6 isn't the thinnest or lightest netbook on the market, but for a system with a 12.1-inch screen, it's more than reasonable. In fact, it's a little bit lighter than the ASUS Eee PC 1215N (3.4 pounds), but it stands a bit taller on a desk due to the difference in hinge design.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The subtle black, island-style keyboard is nearly identical to those we've seen on other Eee PCs made in the past year or so. It offers decent tactile feedback, good spacing, and was more than adequate for typing. Using it, we were able to achieve our typical 80 words-per-minute score on the Ten Thumbs Typing test, with a two-percent error rate. What's more, we noticed that this layout exhibited less flex than the EeePC 1215N.

The 3 x 1.75-inch touchpad on this machine is a bit smaller than the one on the Eee PC 1215PN, but more than adequate for navigating around the desktop. It even handled multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom with ease. Like all Eee PCs, the VX6 only has a single mouse button that clicks left or right. While it's somewhat stiff, it gets the job done.

Heat

Despite its relatively powerful components, the VX6 stayed pretty cool. After streaming a video at full screen for 15 minutes, we measured the keyboard at 88 degrees, the touchpad at 89 degrees, and the bottom at 96 degrees Fahrenheit. We consider temperatures under 95 comfortable for the top of the system and under 100 pleasant for the bottom.

Ports and Webcam

The ASUS Eee PC VX6 is the first netbook we've seen that provides support for USB 3.0. Using either of the two high-speed ports on the right side of the system, users can connect SuperSpeed USB hard drives and other devices that transfer data up to 10 times as fast as their USB 2.0 counterparts.

In addition to the two USB 3.0 ports, the right side of the system houses audio / in out jacks, an Ethernet port, and a Kensington lock slot. The left side has VGA, HDMI-out, a third USB port, and a memory card reader.

The 1.3-MP webcam provided smooth, sharp images even in low light. When testing Skype from our dimly lit living room, even fine details of our face were visible.

Display and Sound

The 12.1-inch 1366 x 768 glossy screen provided sharp images and bright colors. Viewing angles were solid up to 45 degrees to the left or right, but as is typical, video images started to wash out at wider angles. Despite the power of its dual-core Atom D525 CPU and Nvidia Ion 2 graphics chip, video playback was a mixed bag. We were able to play back streaming 720p Flash episode of Fringe from Fox.com without a hitch, but a 720p QuickTime trailer of The Girl Who Kicked Over the Hornet's Nest played at only 18 frames per second. After talking to Nvidia, we learned that the current version of QuickTime Player doesn't take advantage of discrete video cards like Flash does so clearly the Eee PC VX6's 1.8-GHz CPU isn't powerful enough on its own to enable HD playback in QuickTime.

The speakers provided sound that was loud and distortion-free if not overly rich. When streaming both an R&B and a hard rock tune from Napster, we were able to make out different instruments clearly. The audio was also loud enough to fill our living room.

Read more: http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptops/asus-eee-pc-vx6.aspx#ixzz138XGAOiS

Sony pulls the plug on cassette Walkmans in Japan, makes epic mixtape

A cassette Walkman may now be nothing more than a puzzling artifact to some, but for those of a certain age it was the gadget of the day. Alas, it has long since been surpassed by other, more portable audio players that have replaced the fine art of the mixtape with "playlists," and it looks like even Sony has now accepted the inevitable. The company has reportedly ceased production of all cassette Walkmans and will stop selling them in Japan as soon as the current inventory runs out (expected to happen sometime in April). There will apparently still be Sony-branded Walkmans manufactured in China, however, although it's not clear how widely available they'll be. But let's not worry about that right now -- head on past the break for a brief look back at the Walkman in its heyday.

Apple introduces the future of the Macbook: The new Macbook Air

Apple asked itself what would happen if an iPad and a MacBook Air "hooked up." Benefits from the iPad? "Instant on... great battery life, amazing standby time... solid state storage... and it's thinner and lighter." It's 0.68-inches thick at its thickest, 0.11-inches at its thinnest, and weighs 2.9 pounds (the old MacBook Air was 0.76-inches thick and weighed 3 pounds). Naturally, Apple is going unibody construction here, with one of those big new glass trackpads. They're also sticking with a 13.3-inch screen, running at a 1440 x 900 resolution (with an 11.6-inch "little brother" to boot). There's SSD storage, a 1.86GHz or 2.13GHz Core 2 Duo processor (the same ones available on existing MacBook Airs, apparently), GeForce 320m graphics, and 2GB of RAM standard. Apple says its new "more stringent" battery life tests offer 7 hours of "wireless web" and 30 days of "standby." Prices start at $1,299 for 128GB and $1,599 for 256GB of storage; they're available today.

The Apple Store is down, you know what that means right?

Today Apple is holding a Media event. If you are not familiar with their event, it usually the C.E.O. Steve Jobs talking about the companys earnings..... And launching new products like the iPod line, Macs, iMacs and Macbooks iPhones and iPads along with Software updates or upgrades. This time around its speculated that they might launch a new version is their Mac OS X for the Mac line of computers. In addition, their are romured to possible launching 2 new versions of their Macbook Air. The Macbook Air is their super thin super netbook type Macbook. Jounalist say the new Macbook could come in 11.3' and 13" sizes. Apple is also expected to launch new iMovie '11, iPhoto '11, and GarageBand '11, all three of which are core components of the iLife suite, leading us to go ahead and presume that Steve Jobs will be discussing an iLife '11. come back here after 2pm for the update and new products.

The Evolution of The Geek

11.6-inch MacBook Air detailed

So, we've just been discussing the rumored, and long overdue, MacBook Air refresh with a trusted source. This person recently had a working model in their possession for a few minutes and managed to glean quite a bit of detail that would seemingly confirm Apple's plan to announce an 11-inch MacBook Air at the "Back to the Mac" event later today. Here's what we've been told to expect:

• Smaller 11.6-inch display.
• 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (with a 2.33GHz option possible).
• 2GB of memory in the base configuration.
• No optical drive, naturally.
• Mini DisplayPort, USB, and SD card reader along the left-hand side and USB and power on the right (that's 2x USB).
• The trackpad has been updated to match that of the new MacBook Pros.
• Although smaller due to the 11.6-inch display, it's still about the same thickness as the current MacBook Air.
• A black power key now sits immediately to the right of a smaller eject key on the MBA's keyboard -- the round aluminum power button is gone. A design decision that might support the MBA's rumored instant-on capabilities though our source didn't see this functionality exhibited (possibly because it was running OS X 10.6.4).

Unfortunately, our source couldn't identify the graphics or the storage related to the rumored "SSD Card." So where does that leave us? Well, it looks like a smaller (and presumably, cheaper) MacBook Airoriginally rumored by AppleInsider is in the bag for a Steve Jobs announcement later today as is arefresh to the 13.3-inch model we broke last week (pictured nekkid above). So check back in a few hours and watch the reveal live, won't you?

Source story: Engadget

Apple.com reveals iLife upgrade, reaffirms MacBook Air refresh

Ah, it's good to see Apple can leak its announcements ahead of time just like the rest of the world. Overzealous forum mods on Apple's own site have been setting up Discussions sections for products to be announced at today's Back to the Mac event a little early, which has inevitably been picked up by some sleuthing souls over in Poland. A little bit of URL manipulation has revealed separate forums for a new iMovie '11, iPhoto '11, and GarageBand '11, all three of which are core components of the iLife suite, leading us to go ahead and presume that Steve Jobs will be discussing an iLife '11 later today. There's also confirmation of the new MacBook Air with an "MBA (Need official name)" forum emerging, alongside a mysterious "Reserved 20 10" destination.

link to the full story below

http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/20/apple-com-reveals-ilife-upgrade-reaffirms-macbook-air-refresh/

webOS 2.0 review

Follow this link to the full story: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/19/webos-2-0-review/

T-Mobile G2 overclocked to 1.4GHz, starts blitzing benchmarks (video)

Well now, that didn't take very long. T-Mobile's G2 (aka the HTC Vision) has been let off its leash, and there's no getting it back now. XDA-developers member coolbho3000 has posted his overclock module, which takes an already fast phone and make it considerably more perky. He started at a modest 1GHz, but kept on pushing up to 1.42GHz -- though there's potential to go even higher. All this despite T-Mobile's attempts at preventing hacking, but certainly seeming to allow allow for a fair bit of tweaking. You can download all you need at the source link, or if you'd rather just live vicariously there's video proof after the break.

The Engadget video

Credit goes to Tim Stevens of Engadget.

Samsung Omnia 7 takes on HTC's HD7 and 7 Mozart in battle for WP7 supremacy (video)

The alternative headline for this post was "a visual tour of the phones Americans aren't getting," but alas, the HD7 spoiled our macabre fun with its T-Mobile plans. All the same, there's no disguising our disappointment at having to settle for Samsung's Focus and LG's Quantum in the US, while the rest of the world gets to enjoy the delights of the far prettier Omnia 7 and Optimus 7 from each manufacturer. Even HTC, which is also bringing the 7 Surround Stateside, is sending its aluminum-clad 7 Mozart to other, presumably sunnier, climes. Sadly, we can't force these phones' makers to bring them to you, but we can certainly live up to that promised visual tour. Check out the gallery below plus video after the break.

If there's one thing that really stood out to us, it was the quality of the Omnia 7's Super AMOLED display. It should be no surprise anymore that it delivers stellar black levels and eye-twisting viewing angles, but it still managed to take our breath away set against its WP7 contemporaries. The 7 Mozart doesn't do too badly for itself, but the HD7 ended up a distant third in our eyes. Closeup video of all three displays follows after the break.

P.S. -- LG's Optimus 7 was too late in arriving to join the fray for this post, but rest assured that it, along with the other WP7 handsets featured herein, will be getting a full review in the coming days. If you're curious about the (admittedly small) differences in specs between these phones, don't forget we've broken them all down in our comparison from launch day right here.
To see the video, follow this link to thw oregenal Engadget Story: Engadget
All credit for this post goes to Vlad Savov of Engadget 

T-Mobile’s myTouch 4G spec-sheet leak and video link

To see the video follow this link to BGR

Android 3.0 tablet samples ready by December; Android 4.0 in 2H 2011. WOW!

Source: BRG

Palm gets official with webOS 2.0 and Pre 2: The hardware Looks the Same

Source: Engadget

BlackBerry Pearl 9100 and BlackBerry Curve 9300 now available on AT&T

Source: BGR

Sony Google TV: Hands-On

Mac or PC? Which are You?