News Archive for 07/06/08
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Sprint will join Verizon in carrying the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition next month with its own approach to the worldwide roaming plan, according to insiders. Sprint will also support the phone's signature CDMA/GSM feature for roaming in Europe and other areas where unlocked GSM service is available, but will insist on only one plan: a $70 monthly All-World plan would cover e-mail and general Internet use outside of Sprint's normal areas.
Nikon may be set to finally replace its D2 series of top-end digital SLR cameras, according to two separate claims. Likely to simply be called the D3, the camera will reportedly be announced in June and would represent a major improvement over the D2x first seen in late 2004. The camera would be one of the first portable Nikon digital SLRs to include a near full-frame sensor, according to reports: a 1 to 1.1 ratio would make its shots nearly equivalent to a standard 35mm film camera with an otherwise identical lens.
Without a press release, Sony today has launched a pair of upgrades to its HD-capable camcorder lines. Though details are unclear, the HDR-SR8 appears to be a close variant of the SR7 announced in April. It shares the same 3.2-megapixel video sensor and 10X optical zoom, and should also include true optical image stabilization. Sony lists the official ship date of the camera as July 9th and expects to sell it for $1,600.
Nokia today silently introduced a beta version of its Media Transfer 1.0 suite for Macs, marking the company's first support for sideloading media files from non-Windows computers. The app mounts any compatible Nokia phone as a Bluetooth or USB device in Mac OS X and allows two-way transfer to keep the phone up to date beyond the contacts and other basic information supported by iSync. Users who rely on iTunes and iPhoto can load most images, unprotected music files, and playlists (including iTunes Plus songs) directly from the relevant program. As with iPods, users can also choose to sync files by starting transfers automatically on plug-in, changing only the files that have been updated.
Dell's first notebooks to reach retail shelves will at Sam's Club, the computer maker said today. It revealed that the 15.4-inch, AMD-based Inspiron E1501 would reach 500 of the Wal-Mart operated stores beginning sometime next week, representing the first time any Dell portable would be available beyond direct orders. Exact specifications haven't yet been released but are expected to involve a better-than-basic model with a Turion 64 X2 dual-core CPU, 2GB of memory, and a 120GB hard drive preloaded with Vista Home Premium, Dell has said.
The US International Trade Commission on late Thursday instituted a ban on Qualcomm chipsets that could have a potentially chilling effect on certain American cellphone carriers. Following a loss by the chipset maker to rival Broadcom in a patent dispute, future cellphones that integrate the hardware will be blocked from import to the US. The ruling doesn't affect existing cellphones that could be in violation of the patent but will prevent carriers from upgrading their lineups to include newer handsets that use the controversial technology, which handles power-saving measures on phones when they fall outside of coverage areas.
USBFever.com has begun offering an iPod 2-in-1 Remote + Radio. USBFever's latest device serves as a remote control for Apple's iPod nano or video iPod while adding FM radio functionality to the portable players. The device provides full FM spectrum support and displays reception frequency on the screen of a connected iPod. Critics of iPods have long claimed that the portable players are functionally inferior to numerous competing devices, mostly due to a lack of Wi-Fi functionality and FM radio capability. The iPod 2-in-1 Remote + Radio serves to remedy the lack of radio support for $26, and offers nine preset favorite frequencies.
HP has quietly released the dv6500tse, better known as the dv6500t Special Edition. The customized version of the original breaks with the rest of HP's lineup by shipping in ceramic white: the notebook lid, keyboard, and trackpad edges take on the brighter color versus the black of other models. A matching mouse and voice headset are also unique to the 15.4-inch system.
A video-capable iPod that uses flash memory instead of a hard disk is in the works but may be facing setbacks, according to reports from a handful of Taiwan memory producers. The unnamed companies say that Apple plans to order the equivalent of 20 million gigabits of memory over the course of the summer -- an exceptionally large amount, the manufacturers claim. The production rate is said to reflect a new product rather than typical increases in demand and has been associated with a new iPod with video support.
Samsung has just launched the E950, a significant upgrade to its E900 slider. Central to the upgrade is a new, larger touch-sensitive directional pad that allows for scrolling through menus without sacrificing dedicated functions; owners can also tap the pad to trigger e-mail, music playback, or Yahoo's web search tool. The 950 also represents a design feat, Samsung says: the camera has been upgraded to a 3-megapixel sensor even though the body is now 1mm thinner at 15.5mm (0.6 inches).
JVC finished its week this morning by introducing the largest rear-projection set ever. The HD110-MH80 is also likely the largest consumer TV to date and promises a 110-inch diagonal viewing area, eclipsing both Panasonic's 103-inch plasma screen as well as Sharp's 108-inch LCD. The size is manageable in part due to the set's processing hardware, JVC says. Its internally developed D-ILA technology scales the native 1080p resolution to enhance its detail even at the large size and also boosts contrast to a practical 5,000:1. The TV maker's current Genessa processor also helps remove jagged edges or noise and fine-tunes color output with 14-bit precision. A bright 110W lamp keeps the image visible in brighter environments.
Electronista exclusive, updated Apple appears to be taking 'free' pre-orders for the iPhone, Electronista has learned. A new credible source from an Apple reseller has spoken with Apple by phone and was informed that he could reserve a place for the iPhone in advance of its June 29th launch. The pre-order would ensure a call back upon availability and a likely shipment immediately after the device is available to the public. The reservation process was "very official" and would apply to any other customer, the source (known only as "Dan") said.
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