Verizon And Redbox To Take On Netflix With New Video On Demand Service

Verizon has teamed up with DVD rental service Redbox, and the two companies are working together to launch a new video ion demand service to compete with Netflix and other video on demand services.
The new video on demand service will launch in the second half of 2012, and it will be a subscription based service, which will be delivered by Verizon, and Redbox will continue to operate its DVD rental service.

When you consider the core elements the parties bring to this venture – our powerful brands; our national rental kiosk footprint; our anytime, anywhere network presence; and our mutual commitment to customer-focused innovation – it’s clear that Verizon and Redbox are a powerful entertainment team,” said Bob Mudge, president of Verizon consumer and mass business markets.
There are no details on how much the new video on demand service from Verizon and Redbox will cost, as soon as we get some more information we will let you guys know.

Rdio Launches New Android App

Rdio has announced the launch of a new Android app, and the latest version of Rdio from Android comes with a range of new features, and according to the guys from Gizmodo, this new version is better than the iOS version.
Some of the new features in the Rdio app for Android include album charts, network activity, user profiles, new releases and more, and the latest version now supports Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.


“With the Rdio for Android redesign, we were focused on bringing Android users the best mobile music discovery application possible,” said Malthe Sigurdsson, VP of Product, Rdio. “We believe this launch further reinforces our commitment to creating the most visual, social and interactive experience of music across every platform.”
You can find out more information about the new Rdio Android app over at Rdio.

Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus To Cost £249 In The UK

Samsung recently announced the Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus, a new budget Android smartphone which is due to land in the UK shortly, and now it looks like the handset will retail for $249.99 SIM free.
One UK retailer has the Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus up for pre-order for £249.99 SIM free, although they haven’t as yet listed an actual launch date.

The Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus features a single core 1GHz processor, plus a 3.65 inch HVGA touchscreen display with a resolution of 320 x 480 pixels, plus Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
Other specifications include a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and an LED flash, HSDPA, WiFi and Samsung’s custom user interface, the TouchWiz UI, plus A-GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0, plus an accelerometer, digital compass and a proximity sensor, it comes with 3GB of built in storage, plus a microSD card slot.
You can find out more information about the SIM free Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus over at Expansys, there are no details as yet on how much the device will retail for on contract with the various mobile providers.

Android 4.0.5 Ice Cream Sandwich Coming In March

Earlier today we heard about the new Android 4.0.4 update for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the update is available as a download for Verizon wireless although it hasn’t been released as an OTA update as yet.
Now we have some information about the next version of Ice Cream Sandwich, Android 4.0.5, which according to details revealed by SFR will be coming to the Galaxy Nexus in March.

SFR released details of which of their handsets would be getting updated to various versions of Android, and when the updates would be released, as you can see from the photo below, Android 4.0.5 is scheduled for March.
We don’t as yet have any information on what will be included in the Android 4.0.5 update for the Samsung Galaxy nexus, as soon as we gets some more details we will let you guys know.

Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX Review

This is the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX on Verizon. Looks a lot like the Motorola Droid RAZR on Verizon, doesn't it? Because it is. You can sum up the MAXX in a single sentence: It's a Motorola DROID RAZR, with a bigger battery. Period, end of story. The software's the same. The hardware's nearly identical. It just has a larger-capacity battery, making the phone slightly thicker.

That can't be the whole review, can it? Well, it most certainly can. Or it could be. But it's not.

---

It's still big, it's still fast, and it's still got a lot of great software enhancements from Motorola. And now it has a bigger-capacity battery, that makes the phone feel better, too.	It's still got Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread. We've decided we don't like the display after all. And although the the battery's bigger, you still can't swap it out for a fresh one.
This is the Droid RAZR with a bigger batter. And it's what Motorola and Verizon should have released in November, plain and simple.

Inside this review	More info

The hands-on, versus the Droid RAZR, and other hardware stuff

By now you've probably read our full Motorola Droid RAZR review. If not, go do it now. We'll wait.
The takeaway is that it was a fast, thin phone (perhaps a tad too thin), with one major concern -- the 1780 mAh battery that couldn't be removed. As we've seen time and time again, 4G LTE data chews through a battery. It might not be an issue for everybody, and obviously devices like the iPhone have shown you can get away without removable batteries. But in the abstract, we want to be able to swap in a fresh battery.

So the Droid RAZR MAXX takes care of this by not adding a removable battery, but by nearly doubling the capacity to 3300 mAh. That's definitely a respectable number. But what's really worth shouting from the rooftops is that Motorola did it without grossly distorting the design of the phone. Whereas smartphones usually end up looking like Quasimodo when they strap on a high-capacity extended battery, the MAXX is still manages to come in at 8.99 mm at its thinnest. (The phone's just a bit thicker up by the camera, just like the original Droid RAZR.)
In other words, nearly the same phone, with nearly twice the battery life. Bazinga.
Here's our hands-on with the Droid RAZR MAXX at CES.

Youtube link for mobile viewing

So, yeah. It's the same phone, with a bigger battery. No, really. Same Motorola model number (XT912) and FCC ID (IHDP56ME1) and everything.
Here it is next to the original Droid RAZR. It's almost tough to tell which is which.

Two real questions, then, two answer about the Droid RAZR MAXX: How does it feel, and how did the battery do.

It's still a big, slightly awkward phone. It's still wide (about 2.71 inches) and tall (more than 5 inches). That hasn't changed from the original Droid RAZR. At all. They're exactly the same dimensions. But the extra 1.9 mm of thickness actually makes it feel better in the hand -- the MAXX loses a bit of its lanky feel. Hands-down, it's an improvement across the board. Looks better, feels better, and you get a big-ass battery in the process.
So, how does it perform? Exactly like the original Droid RAZR. With a higher-capacity battery. That's it. No more, no less. Oh, you'll get some great usage out of this phone, no doubt. But remember it's because there's more gas in the tank, not because you've suddenly got some magical runs-all-day engine.

That picture you see above? That's more than two days of relative un-use -- the phone just sitting around. Now something was pinging it a little more than it should have been, because other standby tests we've done have fared much better. As in, it can sit around even longer, get picked up and still be ready to go. Craziness.
In our use, we got through a tough day with relative ease -- leaving Wifi turned off and with an occasionally spotty LTE signal. Having a 3300 mAh battery will do that. At least it damed well better do it. But what we were really wanting to test was standby time. The Droid RAZR did OK when left unplugged overnight. That has as much to do with good coding as anything else. But combine that with the monster battery on the MAXX, and we're not going to freak out if we wake up and realize we forgot to charge overnight. The phone will need to have some charge, in it, of course, but the point is it's not leaking itself to death while you sleep.
Plus, the MAXX has Motorola's sweet Smart Actions feature -- a preloaded app that lets you tweak all sorts of settings and set triggers -- so you can eke out that much more usage time.
Again, none of this is surprising. Larger-capacity battery equals longer usage time. Period.

Wait -- something is different! (Only, not really)

So here's the thing: We're not digging the display on the MAXX. We're definitely noticing the PenTile makeup again, which gives things a bit of a checkered look. And that we're bothered by it on the MAXX is a little odd, since we (erm, me, in particular) were perfectly OK with the qHD display (540x960) on the original Droid RAZR. And because save for the battery battery nothing else has changed, that leaves us thinking a couple things.

1. Recent phones with 720p displays have ruined us for lower resolutions. That's possible, we suppose.
2. We gave the original Droid RAZR a pass when we reviewed it in November. Entirely possibly as well.
3. A combination of the two. This is probably the likely culprit.

Anyhoo -- the technology behind the MAXX's display hasn't changed. You've got 4.3 inches of Super AMOLED with a PenTile matrix. If you hated it before, you'll hate it now. If you thought it was OK before -- well, you might hate it now. Be sure to give it a go in stores before you buy.

The software

Hasn't. Changed. One. Bit. Still running Android 2.3.5. Still full of preloaded applications. And it's still awaiting an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

The cameras

Also unchanged. You've got an 1.3-megapixel shooter out front, and an 8MP shooter 'round back.

Front-facing camera test

Youtube link for mobile viewing

Rear-facing camera test

Youtube link for mobile viewing

The wrap-up

If we'd bought a Motorola Droid RAZR, we'd be pretty unhappy right about now. Sure, the price dropped $100 to $199. And that's all well and good. But the Droid RAZR MAXX is a better phone, released just a couple months after the original DROID RAZR, with a better battery and better feel because of it. And that's pretty damn inexcusable. 
At no point in the design process did anyone stop and say "Are we only making the RAZR thing for the sake of it being thin?" We're pretty sure someone did. And they were probably shot down. The Droid RAZR was "thinnest" for the sake of being "thinnest." (Never mind that only part of the phone was "thinnest.") The Droid RAZR MAXX is what it should have been. 
The MAXX is an above-average smartphone by just about anyone's definition. We'd probably prefer a removable battery, but the larger capacity on the MAXX lessens that pain. It wouldn't surprise us in the least to see it phase out the original Droid RAZR altogether. That's good news for new buyers, but it's gotta leave a bad taste in the mouths of the early adopters.

Motorola Droid RAZR, RAZR MAXX update pushing out

If you're the proud owner of a Motorola Droid RAZR, or it's brother with a bit bigger gas tank the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX,   there's an OTA update ready and waiting for you.  Version 6.12.173.XT912.Verizon.en.US (there's no way we could make that one up) started slowly rolling out over the weekend and is now pushing hard and heavy, and chances are you can grab it yourself by simply going to Settings>About Phone>System Updates.  

The update itself is about 150MB in size, and updates the software to Android 2.3.6.  I know many were wanting Ice Cream Sandwich, but this update brings some welcome bug fixes and security patches, so we'll gladly take it.  The full change list, line by line:

• Mobile Hotspot will now successfully allow other devices to connect to all
• Improvements in the Mobile Hotspot security.
• VZ Navigator has been updated with the latest 3D map improvements.
• Visual Voice Mail messages can be marked as read.
• Visual Voice Mail message playback resumes when audio is switched to speaker.
• Visual Voice Mail will successfully subscribe or unsubscribe while connected with Wifi.
• Successfully press back key after playback in Visual Voice Mail without error.
• V CAST App now comes preloaded.
• MotoCast installation steps have been improved for easier use.
• Improved stability of data connectivity after Airplane Mode is disabled.
• Improved data throughput performance in low-signal 4G environments.
• Improved Battery life when using Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP) Bluetooth headsets.
• Successfully save multimedia ringtones.
• Favorite Contacts widget has been updated.
• Improved device stability when moving between home screen panels.
• Email icon has been updated for improved visibility.
• When performing an Over the Air (OTA) update, the display will correctly show the remaining download time.
• CMAS (Commercial Mobile Alert Service) feature has been added.

That's a hell of a list, and seeing improvements with 4G data connectivity is certainly something everyone likes to see.  Things should go smoothly after this one, but if you hit any snags or just want to discuss it all, be sure to hit the forums!

Droid RAZR MAXX out of stock on Verizon's website

That the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX is popular should come as no surprise -- we just told you to buy it in our Droid RAZR MAXX review. Turns out it's so popular that it's listed as out of stock (along with the LG Revolution and Motorola DROID X2) on Verizon's website. 

Not that you're quite left standing in the cold -- Verizon's got the LG Spectrum (read our complete review) to trump the Revolution, and the Droid X2 is basically dead now with the RAZR MAXX and Droid BIONIC in the stables. But if you've got your heart set on the RAZR, we'd recommend holding out for the MAXX. Sure, Verizon's got it on its site in white, black or purple in 16GB or white or black in 32GB -- but you're going to want to hold out for the MAXX's 3300 mAh battery.

Trust us on this. If you have to wait, wait. If you can find one in stores, or at some other online retailer, do that. It's well worth the extra $50 to $100 (depending on the storage size) over the original Droid RAZR

Late night poll: Do you stream music

There's a lot of choice for playing your music on Android.  For every option that plays music from your local storage, there's one that pulls music from the cloud and streams it.  Both have their advantages, as well as disadvantages.  Streaming can play havoc on your battery and your data allotment, but the almost limitless catalog of tunes is pretty handy.  Conversely, it takes less juice and no data connection to play from your device itself, but you're working with limited space.

Personally, I do both.  I keep four or five of my favorite albums on my phone, and I use Google Music to stream the rest of my collection.

Cowon Z2 Plenue MP3 Player Breaks Cover

If you are a fan of music that needs a new MP3 player, but you don’t want anything from Apple developer check out the new Cowon Z2 Plenue MP3 player the has recently launched. The device is Android-based and uses a 1 GHz Tellychips Cortex A8 CPU. That CPU runs 800 GHz and the device supports full HD video playback.


The player also has a 320 MHz Mali OpenGL accelerator for graphics and has 512 MB of RAM. The player uses the NTFS file system and promises to sport files larger than 4 GB. The device is also packed with a microSDHC card slot to expand storage. The player has a 3.7 inch 800 x 480 resolution OLED display.
The Z2 comes in several different versions that vary with storage space ranging from 8 GB up to 32 GB. Prices run from $230-$300 pending on the storage capacity. MP3 player also has integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM tuner, and a mic along with integrated speakers. For now, the device is only available in Korea.

Apple’s HDTV Being Tested By Rogers And BCE

According to the Globe and Mail, two companies already have Apple’s new HDTV in their labs, and are testing out the devices, the companies in question are Canada’s Rogers Communications and BCE Inc.
The report says that the HDTV has some of the features we have previously heard rumored, Apple’s Siri and hands gestures are apparently used to control the device.

An on-screen keyboard, meanwhile, can also be activated in a similar manner, allowing viewers to surf the web, conduct video chats and use social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook – all without any physical interface.
Apple are apparently looking for other partners to work with on their HDTV and they are not closed to doing it with one company or two.
It isn’t clear as yet whether the information came from, although if it turns out to be correct it certainly sounds very interesting, we were expecting the device to be controlled by Siri, but the bit about hand gestures is something new.
We are expecting to see the first Apple HDTV some time this year, when that will be nobody knows at the moment, as soon as we get some more information we will let you guys know.

White Nokia Lumia 900 Leaked

Yesterday Nokia announced that they would be launching a white Nokia Lumia 800, with the announcement of the new Nokia Lumia 800, Nokia posted some photos of the device to their Facebook page.
It would appear that someone at Nokia made a mistake, and instead of posting photos of the white Nokia Lumia 800, the photos were actually of a white Nokia Lumia 900 which has yet to be announced.

According to the guys over at Pocket Now, the photo is believed to be the internal version of the Nokia Lumia 900, which has yet to be announced, and we can expect to see the device launch at MWC 2012 later this month.
The international Nokia Lumia 900 is expected to share many of the same specifications as the US version, which include Windows Phone 7.5 Mango device and it features a 4.3 inch AMOLED ClearBlack touchscreen display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels.
Other features include a a single core 1.4GHz processor, plus a rear facing 8 megapixel camera with an f2.2 Carl Zeiss lens, the rear camera is capable of recording HD video in 720p, up front we have a 1 megapixel camera with an f2.4 lens and the device comes with 16GB of built in storage.

Nokia 801 Symbian Belle Smartphone Leaked

It looks like we may have some information on a new Symbian Belle smartphone from Nokia, the Nokia 801, which you can see in the photo below, and the device is reported to come with a 4 inch AMOLED ClearBlack multi-touch display.
Other rumored specifications include a 640 x 360 resolution display, a 1.4GHz processor with 512MB of RAM and a 12 megapixel camera with a dual LED flash that can record full high definition video in 1080p.

The photo was originally posted by SmartPhoneGeeks, and according to Eldar Murtzain this is in fact an actual new Nokia Symbian Belle device, although there are no details on when it may actually launch.
We have been hearing rumors over the last few days that Nokia will release just one more Symbian device, could this be the last Nokia Symbian smartphone to launch, as soon as we get some more information we will let you guys know

Canon ELPH Series 530 and 320, D20 And SX260 Compact Cameras Unveiled

Canon has introduce a new series of compact cameras to their ELPH series range in the form of the ELPH 530 and 320. The new Canon compact cameras have been designed to use a complimentary iOS application developed by Canon called the CameraWindow.
Canon CameraWindow enables users to quickly view and transfer photography wirelessly. Canon says that support for Android devices will be arriving in May later this year. As far as specifications go the ELPH 530 HS which will be priced at around $349.99 when it arrives in April. Is equipped with a 10-megapixel CMOS sensor, 12x optical zoom lens, together with the same DIGIC 5 image processor.

The slightly cheaper ELPH 320 HS priced at $279.99 is out slightly earlier in March, and features a 16.1-megapixel CMOS sensor and 5x optical zoom. Both Canon ELPH cameras are capable of recording 1080p video footage and are fitted with 3.2 inch touch screens on the rear.

Another new addition to Canon’s range includes the new D20 a waterproof camera that is arriving in may for around $350. The Canon D20 is equipped with a 12.1-megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom, 1080p video and an “underwater macro” mode designed especially for divers or snorkelers.
Rounding off the new additions is the Canon SX260 arriving in March for $350. This is equipped with a 1.29-inch thick superzoom and a 25-500mm equivalent lens providing a useful 20x zoom. Other useful features included are 1080p video recording, GPS image tagging, and a burst shooting mode that can capture around 10 high-resolution shots at over 10 frames a second. Its also fitted with DIGIC 5 image processor and 12.1-megapixel CMOS sensor.

Netbook Navigator NAV10T Dual Core Atom N570 Windows Tablet Launched

This week Netbook Navigator has launched a new Windows tablet to their range which is equipped with a 10.1 inch 1366 x 768 Capacitive LCD display. The new Netbook Navigator NAV10T is powered by a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N570 dual core processor, supported by 2GB of DDR3 800MHz memory. Internal memory is provided via a solid state disk that can be increased up to 128GB depending on your storage requirements.

The Netbook Navigator NAV10T will come supplied running Windows 7 Home Premium, with other versions of Windows available rich up to the Ultimate if preferred. Other features on the Windows tablet include 2 x USB 2.0 ports, microSD card reader, VGA/LAN adapter, 1.3MP front-facing camera and optional 3G support, together with WI-FI 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth v2.1 connectivity.
If you think the new Netbook Navigator NAV10T tablet is for you its already available to purchase online with a 16GB SSD and non operating system installed for $500. If an operating system is required Windows 7 Home Premium is available to be pre-loaded for $100.

Motorola Wants 2.5 Percent Of Apple Sales For Patent License

Motorola and Apple are currently involved in a court case in Germany which saw Apple remove its 3G enabled devices from sale on Friday for a short period, the device in question which included the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPad 3G went back on sale after Apple managed to appeal the injunction.
Now some details have been revealed by Foss Patents, on what Motorola wants from Apple in order to license the patents in question to them, 2.25 percent of Apple sales.


It isn’t clear whether the 2.25 percent is related to all Apple’s sales or just the 3G enabled devices, even if it is the 3G enabled devices it could be a sizable amount.
Apple’s iPhone sales have totaled $93 billion since 2007, and if Apple agreed to the license fee they would have to pay Motorola around $2.1 billion on just the iPhone alone, this figure doesn’t take into account sales of the iPad 3G.
Apple has also filed a range of motions to access the licensing agreements that Motorola has for these 3G patents with other companies like Nokia, HTC and more.
If Motorola is offering these patents to the other companies for free under FRAND, and then trying to charge Apple for the patents, it could spell trouble for them.
On the other hand if Motorola has similar deals of 2.25 percent in place with the other companies that it is attempting to impose on Apple, then Apple could end up having to pay the licensing fee.

Latest Galaxy S III rumors suggest May launch, 7mm thickness

                  We now know it won't be at Mobile World Congress, but that hasn't stopped the steady trickle of rumors relating to the Samsung Galaxy S III. The latest round of unconfirmed, unverifiable info comes from Korean site ETNews, which cites its own "industry insiders."
                According to these sources, the phone includes such previously-rumored specs as Android 4.0, a quad-core CPU and LTE support -- none of which is particularly unsurprising for a Samsung flagship product in 2012. However, the most interesting rumor concerns the device's dimensions -- it's said to measure just 7mm thick, thanks to the introduction of thinner internal components. At 7mm, the Galaxy S III would still be a hair thicker than Huawei's P1S, but considering its souped-up internals, it's still incredibly impressive. That figure would see Samsung shave almost a millimeter and a half off the girth of the Galaxy S II, which measured 8.49mm.
                  Other rumored specs for the Galaxy S III include a 2MP front-facing camera and 8MP rear-facing shooter, which apparently protrudes slightly from the back of the device.
Looking further ahead, ETNews suggests that Samsung, apparently undeterred by lukewarm uptake of other 3D phones, may be planning to launch its own 3D smartphone later in the year.
Today's rumors indicate a possible May 2012 launch for the Galaxy S III, which certainly wouldn't surprise us, and would fit within the Samsung's previously-announced timeframe. In any case, we're expecting to hear more about the Galaxy S III sometime after Mobile World Congress

Samsung Galaxy Nexus White official: On sale Feb 13

Samsung has officially confirmed the Galaxy Nexus White, the pale color variant of its Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone collaboration with Google. Functionally identical to the existing Galaxy Nexus – the GSM model, in this case, rather than the 4G LTE version – the new Nexus will go on sale in the UK from February 13 2012.


Pre-order listings for the Galaxy Nexus White were spotted early last month, with official images cropping up shortly after. Like previous white Samsung phones, the fascia itself is still black, with the edge and rear of the handset the new color.
“After much speculation, we are pleased to announce the availability of the Galaxy Nexus White which follows the great reception the phone has received since it was launched back in November” Samsung UK telecoms exec Simon Stanford said this morning. ”One of the things we at Samsung pride ourselves on is the choice we offer customers, and we’ve enjoyed huge success to date by introducing white variants of our most popular models to our product portfolio.”
Samsung has confirmed that both 16GB and 32GB versions of the white Galaxy Nexus will be offered; the smartphone will have the same 4.65-inch 720p Super AMOLED HD display, 5-megapixel 1080p-capable camera and HSPA+ connectivity as its black sibling. No word from the company on pricing, but online listing suggest around £500 ($789) unlocked for the 16GB model.

Intel SSD 520 review roundup: Intel reliability, SandForce speeds starting at $149

There's plenty of SSD options out there, but Intel's NAND drives are among the most well thought of, simply because they're so reliable. But, with the top speed of competing SSDs spiraling higher, Intel's rock-solid reputation may not be enough for some enthusiasts. Enter the SSD 520, with a performance SandForce SF-2281 controller and custom firmware (codenamed Cherryville) on board to ensure the 520 meets Chipzilla's demanding standards for stability. It's the result of a year and a half long collaboration between Intel and SandForce, and is available in both 7mm and 9.5mm thin form factors to fit any machine -- Ultrabook or otherwise. Aside from the SandForce chip, the 520 packs Intel's finest 25nm NAND Flash, a SATA 6GB/s connection and its 550MB/s reads and 520MB/s writes can be had for $149 in 60GB garb and prices escalate up to a grand for 480GB. Naturally, as this is Intel's effort to snatch back the performance market, a raft of reviews have been written about the SSD 520.

So, how does the 520 stack up? Well, Intel's so confident in the 520 that it's backed the SSD with a five-year warranty. Though its performance doesn't drastically outpace its competition, Storage Review found the drive to be on par with the current speed king, OCZ's Vertex 3 in its benchmarks -- and also found performance and stability to be quite good in both enterprise use and in RAID arrays. Meanwhile, AnandTech found that the 520's peak random write speeds quite similar to its sequential reads during testing, which shows how well the optimized firmware works with the NAND. Hot Hardware thought the 520 to be comparable to other SandForce-equipped SSDs, but in terms of power consumption, Tom's Hardware found Intel's latest to be a power hog. Generally, all the reviewers were in agreement: the 520 is a speedy SSD, but you pay a hefty premium for Intel's reputation for churning out reliable drives. Only time will tell if the 520 can deliver the reliability we want, but there's plenty of performance info to be had in the reviews listed below.

Nikon D800 slips out for an early bird preview, to be officially unveiled tomorrow

We've seen Nikon's successor to the D700 slip out a few times this past winter, but this latest leak and its bevy of press images might just be the real deal. According to Brazilian site ZTOP, the company's set to officially debut its 36.3 megapixel D800 tomorrow. So, what's on the spec list? Well, it looks like those rumors were true, as this high-end DSLR apparently boasts that aforementioned CMOS sensor capable of 7360 x 4912 resolution and the ability to toggle ISO from 100 - 6,400. As you'd imagine, this high-end, digital light box also comes equipped with the ability for full 1080p30 HD video capture, recording content in either H.264 or MPEG-4 formats. Naturally, there's also a 3.2-inch LCD screen onboard so you can sift through your sizeable gallery of stills. While we still caution you to take this news with a nigh invisible grain of salt, it's likely all will be revealed in one day's time. Check out the source below for additional shots.

Toshiba Satellite U840 goes official for Australia, still waiting on its US passport

While Toshiba's stateside reps had us convinced its 14-inch Ultrabook wouldn't see the light of day until sometime in June, that message of withholding apparently didn't make it Down Under. Outed by its Australian arm today, that would-be Portege is actually the company's Satellite U840. We already knew the electronics giant had intended on shuffling this Windows 7 machine out under that brand umbrella back at CES, but now we have a $1,500 AUD (about $1,608 USD) price tag to go with a list of confirmed specs. Officially on deck for this aluminum-bodied laptop are an Intel Core i5-2467M processor and HD Graphics 3000 GPU, 720p-capable 1366 x 768 LED display, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, 320GB of storage, in addition to ports for HDMI, mic, headphone and USB (1x USB 3.0 and 2x USB 2.0). We still don't know much about the capacity of the six cell battery powering this svelte notebook entry or a concrete landing date for that matter. But from the looks of this Aussie product page, that release is creeping mighty close.

Canon unveils new PowerShot A-Series cameras, brings image stabilization to its entry-level

Thought Canon was done with the point-and-shoot updates after refreshing its ELPH lineup last month? Think again, as the company is updating its PowerShot A-Series shooters with six new models in a variety of colors. All the cameras pack a 16-megapixel sensor, 28mm wide angle lens and can take 720p video. First up is the A4000 IS, which brings image stabilization, 8X optical zoom and a 3-inch LCD for $200 later this month. The A3400 IS and A2400 IS make their debuts in March, and bring the same image stabilization as the 4000, but have a lesser 5X optical zoom. Additionally, the 3400 packs a 3-inch touchscreen LCD and costs $180, while the 2400 gets a smaller non-touchscreen 2.7-inch LCD and retails for $150. Meanwhile, the A2300 has the same specs as the 2400, minus the image stabilization, and will cost ten bucks less than its brother when it drops next month. Finally, the PowerShot A1300 and A810 each come with 5X optical zoom and a 2.7-inch LCD when they debut in April, with the A810 priced at $110 and the A1300 available for $120.

Canon welcomes ELPH 530 HS / 320 HS, SX260 HS and D20 to PowerShot lineup

Alongside the new additions to Canon's A-Series of digital cameras, the company is also giving more demanding consumers a similar outpouring of love with four additional shooters in the PowerShot family, which sport a diverse array of features such as WiFi connectivity, 20x optical zoom and rugged designs. Leading the charge for the ELPH lineup is the 530 HS. Along with the 320 HS, it features the ability to wirelessly upload images to Canon's online portal, where users may then post their latest captures to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The ELPH 530 HS features a 12x optical zoom lens paired with a 10 megapixel sensor and is expected to retail for $349 in April. Meanwhile, the 320 HS delivers a 5x optical zoom lens and a 16.1 megapixel sensor. It'll carry a $280 price tag and is set to hit stores in March. Both ELPH models feature Canon's DIGIC 5 image processor, capture 1080p video and include a 3.2-inch LCD touchscreen.

Those who roll Rear Window style may want to check out Canon's new SX260 HS, which packs a 25mm wide-angle lens that boasts up to 20x optical zoom. Like the latest ELPH's, it also offers the DIGIC 5 processor and captures 1080p video. Unique to the SX260 HS, it features GPS for location tagging and a burst shooting mode that captures a continuous 10.3 frames per second. It'll be available in March for $349 and is set to come in black, green and red finishes. Lastly, the D20 offers up a few ruggedized features for outdoor enthusiasts. It features underwater shooting abilities (including a specific macro mode), and is also said to be shock-proof and freeze-proof -- no mention of it tolerating heat, though. The D20 incorporates a 12.1 megapixel sensor, captures 1080p video and features a 5x optical zoom lens. It also offers GPS, but unlike the other cameras here, it uses the DIGIC 4 image processor. If you're considering the D20 for your next adventure, it'll be available in May for $349. You'll discover more about these four additions in the PR, after the break.

Nokia Lumia 800 to be available in white

The Nokia Lumia 800, dubbed the first real Windows Phone has been turning heads, ever since it was launched, back in October. It's currently available in cyan, magenta and black colours. We weren’t overly impressed with the phone per se, but neither did it do too badly.

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Now, the time is white for the Nokia Lumia 800’s fourth colour. And here it is, finally dressed in snow-white. In this colour, the polycarbonate unibody case offsets the curved ClearBlack touch screen. It has a minimalist colour scheme to emphasise the simplicity of the phone’s design, allowing the live Windows tiles and images on the display to appear brighter and without distractions. And, it adds a fourth choice to the Nokia Lumia 800 package in stores.

We’d seen the N9 have a similar design and now the Nokia Lumia 800 follows suit. This is no spray-on finish. Like the other Nokia Lumia 800’s colours, the unibody polycarbonate is dyed all the way through and milled like metal to give it the high-tech feel. And, like all Nokia Lumia 800s, this white edition has all the features of that the other 800s have, including Web browsing, apps, music, Nokia Drive (the free turn-by-turn navigation system), and Nokia Maps. The white Nokia Lumia 800 is due to be rolled out first in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Scandinavia, Finland, Poland and Switzerland, with other countries to follow.

Snow white

What distinguishes the white Nokia Lumia is that it’s white right through – a process that involves working with the best dye houses in the world to source a proper pigment, and then stir it into the polycarbonate liquid to make a mould. According to their designers, the concept of a white phone evolved from the identity of the N9 and Lumia series. Colour and material designer Tiina Aarras was inspired by the CMYK colour group used in printing. What makes the crispness of printing colours stand out is the whiteness of the paper. The exact ingredients, and making, of the white Lumia 800 is, of course, a closely guarded secret – but their designers worked through hundreds of variations. A phone is not just a design icon, but something that is used and handled dozens of times a day. In layman’s terms – it gets dirty. Of all colours white is perhaps the most pure, profound and definite.

Galaxy S III rumoured to measure 7mm in depth

There are several rumours floating around regarding the upcoming flagship handset from Samsung. The most prominent of these rumours have been speculations on the launch of the Galaxy S III at the Mobile World Conference event at Barcelona. However, Samsung has confirmed that they will not announce the handset at this year’s MWC event and instead unveil the smartphone at a later date. Samsung stated, “The successor to the Galaxy S2 smartphone will be unveiled at a separate Samsung-hosted event in the first half of the year, closer to commercial availability of the product.” This, however, doesn’t stop the rumours from flowing in with the latest one being that it will be 7mm at its thinnest.

Just 7mm at it's slimmest (Image Mock Up)

As per a report by OLED-Display, the website states, “Samsung announced that the new Galaxy S3 has only 7 mm thickness. They can reach the goal because the printed circuit board (PCB), connector parts, chips can be produced 10 to 20 percent thinner than conventional parts. The S3 has also a HDMI port a quad core processor LTE and Android 4.0 says our source.” This gives us a bit of more information on what the handset will feature. We already knew in the past that this will be a quad-core handset and it was rumoured to have a HD resolution display, along with a 12MP camera.

Apart from this, a related report by GSMArena who have got information through Korean news site, ETNews states that there may be more than one version of the Samsung Galaxy S III with the others said to feature a 3D Display and with one supporting a stylus. The report goes on to add there may be as many as seven variants of the Galaxy S III that may be announced this year.

Though the handset may measure a mere 7mm in depth, it is expected to retain the bump for the camera, which was found on the Galaxy S II making its thinness inconsistent throughout the length of the device. As the rumours keep on flooding in, lets hope that the launch date is sooner than later, as the handset is expected to hit shelves by May.

Asus U32U Review

We’ve got neatly classified genres in laptops, notebooks – the normal ones, ultrabooks – ultra thin, but ultra expensive, and netbooks – cheap and portable, but relatively small and with lesser power. But, what do you get when there’s a cross between the good points of an ultrabook and a netbook. Yes, something that’s not too small, not too expensive and is quite thin. You get something that looks like the new Asus U32U notebook. But, does this one withstand our litmus test? Let’s find out. 

Notebook?Netbook?

Design and Build Quality
The U32U comes dressed up in a dual tone colour of silver and black. The exterior has a matte finish to it, so fingerprints aren’t too much of a problem. The interiors have also been well designed. The U32U has a demure, modest look with the shades they’ve chosen, but that doesn’t make it any less appealing. 

Connectivity ports on the right

The left side consists of a USB 2.0 slot, an HDMI slot, and a VGA port along with a heatsink vent. The right consists of a Kensington lock, the power slot, an Ethernet port, two USB 3.0 slots, a headphone jack, the SD card slot and a microphone jack. The inclusion of an Ethernet port is good news, as the laptop tapers out towards the end. But this form factor also means that the DVD writer slot needs to be eliminated. 

The LCD panel has some good support with two sturdy hinges. They’re quite strong and tough and offer some good resistance to the screen wobbling problem that we so often see in laptops. The 13.3-inch screen itself has been reinforced pretty well from all sides. It’s thin, but durable. There’s some good amount of metal on the bottom panel as well. 

No heating problems

The design may appear to be plain to some, but it didn’t disappoint us one bit. Also, the thin profile gives the U32U that oomph, which we mostly reserve only for Ultrabooks, like the Zenbook UX31, we reviewed earlier. Obviously, it’s not as thin as that one, but we’ll suggest you have a look at the price tags before you complain. In terms of build as well, the UX32U impressed us quite a lot. 

Features
The notebook is powered by an AMD E-450 APU at a clock speed of 1.65 GHz. It’s got a whopping 8GB (!) of RAM and a 320GB hard disk. The U32U comes with an integrated graphics card – the AMD Radeon HD 6320 and has a display resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. Connectivity options, include a camera, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth. All this is held together by the 64-bit Windows 7 operating system.

Slim profile

The U32U comes with a few pre-installed software. There’s the AMD VISION engine control centre that’s basically your one stop shop for all your tweakings and settings. It’s got a range of presets also including – gaming, battery saver and web browsing. Asus also have included a few utility softwares, including USB charger plus, a recovery app, boot optimizer software and a secure delete application. It’s well loaded with the basic stuff you’ll require to configure and manage your laptop.


Performance
The boot up times didn’t impress us, it took us roughly 47 seconds to log onto Windows. Memory heavy applications might slow down the laptop a little, but for light usage like surfing and viewing content, the laptop works just fine. The viewing angles are pretty decent as well. The speakers are loud enough for personal usage. 

Brilliant keyboard

The U32U has a standard-sized keyboard, without a numpad. The keys have the right amount of feedback and the chiclet-styled keyboard ensures some pretty long hours of typing without any discomfort. There’s ample space below the keyboard as well. The trackpad is quick and responsive, but the keys are rather hard, so you’ll have to get used to that. In our tests, the laptop didn’t face any heating problems, so that’s a plus. It’s got a slim profile and is definitely more portable than your average notebook. 

We put the laptop under a couple of synthetic tests as well and here’s what the scores look like. 

Benchmark chart

We also compared it to the MSI U270-powered by the E-350 and they both pretty much compete with each other. The Asus won in the CPU arithmetic scores, while the MSI won in PC Mark Vantage. In real world tests, the MSI did noticeably better in our video encoding tests. The MSI recorded 8 mins 40 seconds, while the U323U did it in a time period of 5 mins 39 seconds, and it’s lower the better in that test. In POVRay, the ASUS laptop came out on top clocking in 1 min 29 seconds, as compared to 1 min 34 seconds that the MSI recorded. 

A comparison chart

Battery Life
The Asus U32U is strapped with a rather powerful battery (and a slower processor, which means better battery life, anyway). In our high performance, more enabled, Battery Eater Pro test, the laptop gave us a full 3 hours and 21 minutes of battery life before giving way. That’s quite impressive, but you do have to remember the processor it’s powering. Under normal usage, you’ll easily be able to get more than six hours on your laptop, which means your traveling and on-the-go options are pretty much taken care of. 

Worth a buy?

Verdict
The Asus U32U notebook with 8GB of RAM is priced at Rs.34,990. Alternatively, you do get a 2GB model for Rs.30,990 with DOS pre-installed. Anyway, back to this model that we reviewed - it’s quite pricey, because you’re paying quite a bit for the processing power equivalent to a netbook. True, you’re getting more estate space, but that’s about it. The Lenovo Z570 and G570 might be a little more bulkier and may vary slightly with the price, but they’ve got a much faster processor. If the U32U would have been priced around 30k, it would have made for a much better buy. Right now, it’s just a netbook that's a tad expensive with a bigger display. At this price tag, we’d recommend you consider the other options.