August, 2011

Categories: Apps & Software    Tags: , , , , , ,

Group messaging is the next big battle ground for chat services and Skype has added to its arsenal to compete. It’s announced that it has  acquired GroupMe, a group messaging service with apps for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone, that it says will add mobile text and photo messaging to the VoiP software’s current features.

While Skype hasn’t revealed how much it’s spent to grab GroupMe, it looks like a smart buy. Google snapped up group messaging company Slide last year while Facebook bought Beluga and Apple will deploy group messaging smarts when iMessage launches with iOS 5.

Hit the headline and jump into the comments to let us know: what group messaging apps do you use right now? Can you see yourself using Skype instead?

Out now | £NA | Skype/GroupMe

Categories: Mobile Phones    Tags: , , ,

The LG Optimus 2X and LG Optimus 3D will soon be joined in Europe by a more affordable sibling – the LG Optimus Sol. LG has confirmed that the Android Gingerbread phone with its 3.8in Ultra AMOLED display will arrive next month.

Besides the screen which Samsung says will be easier to read in direct sunlight (hence the “Sol” name”), the LG Optimus Sol is powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, has 512MB RAM, a 5MP camera and comes in at 9.8mm thick. There’s just 150Mb of onboard storage but there’ll be a 2GB microSD card thrown in for good measure.

While those specs don’t exactly make the LG Optimus Sol stand out, it has an intriguing new feature. LG’s Dark UI is a new power management trick which uses less white light when the phone is idle. The firm says the change will extend battery life by between 20 and 30%. We’re intrigued to see how well it works and will grab an LG Optimus Sol as soon as we can.

Out September | £TBC | LG

Categories: Computers & Accessories    Tags: , , , , , ,

The HP TouchPad could have a new life as an Android tablet if a band of dedicated developers pull off their new project. TouchDroid is a plan to port Android to the HP TouchPad and open up the Android Market on the tablet. The team of four (Thomas Sohmers, Frankie F, John Hale and Jacob Bell) has already got a website up touting for donations to the cause and has outlined how they plan to turn the webOS device into a member of the Android army.

To start with, the TouchDroid project is aiming to get Android Gingerbread up and running on the HP TouchPad but has its sights set on jumping to Android Honeycomb soon and even getting Android Ice Cream Sandwich onboard once the combined tablet/smartphone OS emerges. You can follow the group’s progress at the link below. Click the headline and hop into the comments to tell us: do you fancy playing with a HP TouchPad with Android inside?

Out TBC | £free | Touch Droid

Categories: Mobile Phones    Tags: , , , ,

Sony Ericsson has slipped out a new Walkman phone. The Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman packs a pile of music features into a decently decked out Android Gingerbread 2.3.

The big selling points are a dedicated Walkman button and deep Facebook integration with the social network baked in to the photo gallery, music player, phonebook and calendar. If you’ve been hunting for a music phone, this could be just what you’re after. Read on for the Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman’s full specs…

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Categories: Computers & Accessories    Tags: , , , ,

Is the iPad 2 the perfect webOS tablet?Early today when HP announced it was closing shop on webOS hardware we began to speculate over possible hardware partners for the waning OS. Apparently HP engineers had begun experimenting with possibilities long before the announcement. The Next Web is reporting that a source “close to the subject” has first hand knowledge of webOS running on Apple hardware. Even more shocking? The iPad 2 runs webOS twice as fast as the HP TouchPad.

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Categories: Mobile Phones    Tags: , , , , ,

Google Nexus Prime due out this October, ships with Android 4.0 The successor to the Nexus S is reportedly on track for an October release according the Korean publication Electronic Times. The news outlet also believes the Nexus 3, or Nexus Prime, will be the world’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich phone. Adding fuel to the fire, the site has released preliminary specs for the handset which corroborate previous claims by BGR.

On tap for the third generation Google-endorsed Nexus handset is a 720p Super AMOLED HD display and a 1.5 GHz processor. While the site does not go into specifics on the processor’s model number, BGR believes it will “employ an OMAP4460 chipset”. The display is rumored to be a 4.5-inch pane with PenTile layout.

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Categories: Computers & Accessories    Tags: , , , , ,

Acer Ultrabook release moved up to September: Let the battle begin!Asus is not the only kid on the block planning an Ultrabook release this September. According to a report from industry insider DigiTimes, Acer has moved up the release of its slender notebook and now plans to go head-to-head with the Asus UX21 next month. The 2011 MacBook Air will be put to the test next month when two new challengers step into the octagon.

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