eGadgetry: November 2011

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

iPad 2.4, 3.3 and iPhone 5.1

Report from 9to5mac.com shows a very reliable next generation iPhone and iPad update. Thanks to the new iOS5.1 seeding by Apple, 9to5mac managed to sniff out some important hidden code from Apple.
The previous iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S are marked with the string of iPhone4.1 and iPhone4.2. Coming from 4.1 to 4.2 shows no physical changes on the iPhone 4 to iPhone 4S. With the new string of iPhone 5.1, we should expect a probable major change in the outlook of the next generation iPhone which would probably spot a 4-inch screen which were much rumored lately.
As for the iPad 2.4 string, one could guess that there isn't much major change to expect from the outlook. It would probably be iPad with LTE version.

Coming further, iPad3.3 was also found. Could this be the real iPad 3 instead?

Source: iPhone5.1, iPad2.4, iPad3.3

Hello Kitty Notebook

Fancy a Hello Kitty version of notebook? Japan's Mouse Computer releases LuvBook S with collaboration with Sanrio and Swarovski as the above shown picture. It has an Intel Core i3 processor with 2.2GHz. Screen size is 11.6" with a resolution of 1366x768 which is quite similar to most 11.6" netbook screen resolution. With the Core i3, I supposed this device falls in the category of notebook instead of netbook. HDD capacity of 500GB. 2x USB 2.0 and 1x USB3.0. The rest of the hardware specifications are pretty much standard. It was said to feature 1,100 Swarovski stones. It is now available at Japanese Yen 69,930.

Source: Luvbook S

U Mobile: Samsung Galaxy 7+, Galaxy W and Blackberry 9790 Pre-Register

U Mobile had published in their website for registration of interest for the devices of Samsung Galaxy 7 Plus, Samsung Galaxy W and Blackberry 9790. Registration starts from 23rd Nov 2011 till 1st Dec 2011.

Samsung Galaxy 7 Plus is kinda like the improved version of the first Galaxy Tab launched September 2010. The 7+ is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with Android 3.2 Honeycomb. Somehow it seemed like the OS is a higher version that then Galaxy Tab 8.9. Screen is 7-inch with resolution of 1024x600. 200 pixels short of the Galaxy Tab 8.9. Another major difference when comparing with the 8.9 is the battery. The 7+ has a battery capacity of 4000mAh whereas the 8.9 has 6100mAh.

As mentioned yesterday, Samsung releases the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 today. The package starts from the lowest of RM1288 for the tablet.

For as low as RM58/month, you can own a Galaxy Tab 8.9 for the price of RM1398 with a contract of 12 months. From the retail price of RM1699, with this package, you will save RM301.

Source: Celcom

HP Chairman is a Mac User

Now you know why HP has to sell it's PC business :P

Lenovo is also in the game for 5-incher? News from Engadget shows a leak picture of the Lenovo tablet. Not sure if this is just a tablet or will it be a phone as well. Initial speculation shows a micro-USB and also HDMI slot.

Source: Engadget

Next in line is the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9. Celcom is rumored to launch the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9" tomorrow (24.11.11). There are no news about fire-sales or any sale launching event.
It was announced a couple of months back together with Samsung Galaxy 7 Plus but it seemed like the 8.9" version got to the telco first. Price are expected to start from RM1699 for the 16GB version.
Device is powered up by 1GHz dual-core processor with Android 3.1 Honeycomb. It has a rather moderate camera specification of 3MP rear with flash and 2MP front camera. Battery is spotting a 6100mAh with the lifetime expectation per charge of 9hours+. It also has a HSDPA 21Mbps GSM capabilities. Display is as noted 8.9" with 1280x800 resolution. Not sure if Celcom will disable calling facilities in this package.

iPad Retina Display Claims Heats Up

Retina display rumors on the next generation iPad is heating up. According to display analyst Richard Shim, the production of the iPad 3 display has already started.

"It's happening--QXGA, 2048x1536. Panel production has started [for the next-generation iPad]. There's three suppliers," Richard Shim, an analyst at DisplaySearch, said in an interview today. Shim confirmed other reports that cite three companies, Samsung, Sharp, and LGD."

The claim is quite true as previously there were findings that there are hidden images in the iOS 5 with the resolution of 2048x1536.

Source: Macrumors

Having Troubles Accessing Megaupload, FileServe, file-sharing website, etc?

Lately in Malaysia, SKMM (Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia) had blocked several file sharing website like megaupload, fileserve, filetube, etc citing piracy protection issues.

Anyway, there is still a legal way to bypass the blocking. One of the most popular and simple way is to use the free public DNS. All you need to do is change the network settings DNS to

It was announced last month that Sony bought the rights to film Steve Jobs's movie. Recent rumors is stating that George Clooney may be playing the role of the Apple boss.

Source: 9to5mac

Hackers at work.. Ice Cream Sandwich was successfully ported to the Samsung Galaxy SII. I guess they just can't wait for the official release from Samsung. Though this porting is still an alpha version, it surely looks good!

Source: Engadget

Steve Job's Thank You Banner on Gat Lebuh Maccalum (Penang)

Found this thank you banner while I was on the way to work. At the bottom of the banner, there is a statement: "Your packaging specialist access". I am not sure if this is part of advertising gimmick or is "access" really a packaging supplier for Apple. Anybody knows?
The banner was found between the intersection of Pengkalan Weld and Gat Lebuh Maccalum.

Guinness World Record for Fastest Typing Speed on iPad

Very interesting article I stumbled upon while browsing through Gizmodo website. They were initially having fun trying to outdo each other in terms of typing speed on the iPad. Now, it became a Guinness world record.
The challenge was to type in one hand on the iPad the alphabet from a to z.
Woody Jang of Gizmodo US managed it in 3.93sec. The earlier record was 4.7sec.

Source: Guinness World Record

Insider info from MalaysianWireless is saying that the iPhone 4S launching in Malaysia will be on the 16th December 2011. It coincides with the Apple announcement during the keynote that other remaining countries will be launched by year end.

Expected price of the iPhone 4S are as below:

iPhone 4S 16GB - RM2190
iPhone 4S 32GB - RM2590
iPhone 4S 64GB - RM2990

Source: MalaysianWireless

Info from Macerkopf.de states that the next major update of the iOS 5.1 to include the further enhancements of the Siri features. It was said to feature hardware control like switch OFF/ON WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. Probably taking pictures and videos too.
This would be some interesting updates to the Siri.

Some good news for Samsung Galaxy SII users. Samsung UK has just confirmed that the Galaxy SII will be getting the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update. Somehow it doesn't seemed surprising as we had expected that the best-selling Samsung smartphones to get the update eventually. As of to date, no confirmation on the dates are available as yet.

Source: SamsungUK twitter

Freshfiber 3D-Printing Camera Casing - iPhone 4/4S

I find this casing very interesting. If someone is not careful, they might just think that it's a new generation super-thin digital camera. This is in fact the Camera Case iPhone 4/4S by Freshfiber. Freshfiber is an European design label that specializes on 3D-printing for cases.

Vision from Freshfiber:

"Instead of meaningless mass production we believe in dazzling unique designs, more variety, and using factories only for those products we really want."

Some pictures taken from the website.

Next generation iPhone and iPad rumors continue this time with the speculation of a 4-inch display on the next generation iPhone. LG display is saying that Apple is planning on a 7.35-inch tablet. There are also several other rumors saying that the next generation iPad would have a retina display. Several months ago, there was already similar rumors regarding the screen size of the next generation iPad.

Sourece: 9to5mac

Chinese maker Huawei will be releasing its own low-cost version of Android smartphones call Huawei Honor U8860 powered by Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread). The device has a dual-core processor of 1.4GHz with 512MB of RAM. Internal memory is 4GB but there is a microSD expendable slot up to 32GB. One of the selling point would be the display. It has a 4" 16:9 capacitive display, resolution of 480 x 854.

Flash Is Dead On Mobiles - Steve Was Right Again!

Guess what? Steve Jobs is right again! Adobe recently announced that it will ceased future development for flash plugins on mobile devices. In other words, it also means no flash will be on any of the Android or Blackberry devices. So, what's the selling point for Android internet browsers now?
In the blog release, Adobe also mentions further support of HTML5.

Full blog release:

No, it's not the movie Tron. It's the new Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) in Malaysia operated by Talk Focus Sdn. Bhd. It has the backbone of DiGi. Main selling point of Tron is the 365 days validity for any top up. Tron charges are as below with 2 different packages, Tron Beon Lite and Tron Beon Infinite.

MVNO is getting more and more in Malaysia. From what I know, there are already U Mobile, TuneTalk and XoX in the market aggressively promoting their respectable services. Will Tron be one of the successful MVNO in Malaysia?

Source: Tron

Samsung Galaxy SII just gone pink in South Korea. It's definitely to target the ladies. Up to date, Samsung Galaxy SII comes only in black and white. Pink is the new addition to the most successful smartphone launches of Samsung. I guess it won't be long before the pink version make its way to Malaysia shore.

Apple recently released an update of iOS 5.0.1 which aims to fix the problems affecting battery life of the iPhone 4S users. As soon as the iPhone 4S was released in the US, there are getting plenty of complains regarding battery drainage with the new iOS 5. Even Apple admitted that the iOS 5 has bugs which is causing such problems.
With the new iOS 5, updates can be done easily via the iPhone itself with the Software Update (OTA) feature. This update is approximately 50MB. You do not have to download the entire 700MB+ firmware like you used to.

Update: Even with this update, some are still complaining that the battery drain problem is still there. So, anybody has any experience? Please share.

Samsung Galaxy Note was revealed during the weekend and there are currently 2 telcos in Malaysia offering plans on this new 5.3" device, Celcom and DiGi. Just wondering why Maxis is not taking part or not yet?

DiGi started of with the lowest monthly commitment offer of RM43/month (after auto-billing rebate). The device is priced at RM1749 for a 24 month contract. This plan includes data plan of 1GB only. Calls and SMS are billed differently at 15sen/min, 10sen/SMS and 20sen/MMS.

Celcom Exec 50 + Celcom Broadband mBasic is the lowest monthly commitment package for Celcom with a monthly commitment of RM88/month. With this, you get 1GB data. Calls of 15sen/min, 12sen/SMS and 35sen/MMS are included within the package (Celcom Exec 50). The device is priced at RM1748 for a 18 month contract.

Source: Celcom, DiGi

HTC 1st Batch of IceCream Sandwich Upgrades

HTC announced that it will be releasing the 1st batch of Android IceCream Sandwich updates to the smartphones as below:

HTC Sensation
HTC Sensation XL
HTC Sensation XE
HTC EVO 3D
HTC Rezound
HTC EVO Design 4G
HTC Amaze 4G

The rollout was expected to be beginning of 2012 according to the Facebook notes.

Source: HTC

Worried about the whereabout of your children? KiddyTrack powered by Maxis recently launched a GPS based tracking device which could provide the location accuracy of up to 5m of the whereabout of your child. Location can be viewed on your smartphones (via SMS) or computer via Google Map and coordinates as well.

The device is not too big and all your kids need to do is place it in the pocket.
The plans are as below:

There are 2 plans which is based on 24 months and 12 months. Another nice freebies is actually a personal accident coverage of up to RM20,000 by MISG Malaysia.

A short video clip of how KiddyTrack works.

Source: KiddyTrack

Siri Now Ported to iPhone 3GS

Siri is now successfully ported to iPhone 3GS by Ryan Petrich. According to the developer, the performance of the microphone is not as good as the iPhone 4. The video shows otherwise.

Apple Executives Get $60 million Bonus

Familiar faces from the Apple team are getting a huge bonus in total of approximately $60 million if each of them were to stay till 2016 with the AAPL current price at $400+. Some of the allocation as below:

Bruce Sewell – 150,000 shares, 50 percent vest on June 21, 2013, 100 percent on March 21, 2016
Jeffrey Williams – 150,000 shares, 50 percent on June 21, 2013, 100 percent on March 21, 2016
Philip Schiller – 150,000 shares, 50 percent on June 21, 2013, 100 percent on March 21, 2016
Peter Oppenheimer –150,000 shares, 50 percent on June 21, 2013, 100 percent on March 21, 2016
Robert Mansfield – 150,000 shares, 50 percent on June 21, 2013, 100 percent on March 21, 2016
Scott Forstall – 150,000 shares, 50 percent on June 21, 2013, 100 percent on March 21, 2016
Eddy Cue – 100,000 shares, 25 percent vest September 21, 2014, 100 percent September 21, 2016.

Source: 9to5mac

Is this true? Fellow Lowyat forumer, Kampung2005 got a shot of the Samsung Galaxy Note pre-order note. Apparently they are accepting pre-orders at RM2299. Nevertheless, there is still no official pricing announcement by Samsung up to date.
The Galaxy Note is scheduled to be launched in 3 locations in Malaysia on the 11 ~ 13th November. Locations are Pavillion KL, Queensbay Mall Penang and AEON Tebrau in Johor Bahru.

Just a re-cap, the Samsung Galaxy Note features a 1.4GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM. Display is 5.3" HD Super AMOLED featuring 1080p Full HD video capability. Connectivity of 4G LTE as well. It will be running on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Additional new hardware function would be the Barometer. Internal memory of 16GB and microSD expandable up to 32GB.
In terms of camera, it has a 8MP rear camera with 2MP front facing camera. All in all, the device weighs 178g with battery capacity of 2500mAh Li-on. Not to forget, it also has the S-pen (stylus).

Enjoy a video promo by Samsung.

Source: Samsung, Kampung2005

Motorola recently announced the new addition to their tablet family, 10.1" Motorola Xoom 2 and 8.2" Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition. Both features almost similar spec in terms of internal hardwares. Both running on 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM. It has a built-in storage of 16GB. It also has the similar 1.3MP front facing camera and 5MP rear camera. Both will be running on the Android 3.2.
Motorola also promises that the Xoom 2 will be receiving the IceCream Sandwich update as well. By when? That's the key question.

The 10.1" version spots the new splash guard technology by Motorola which helps to prevent spills from damaging the device. Unfortunately, the 8.2" version does not have this. It only has the standard Gorilla Glass. However, the 8.2" Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition has a 3D surround with subwoofer. Interestingly, there is a stylus pen shown in the promo video. It should be something similar as the HTC Flyer.
The device is said to be first released in the UK and Ireland. As in the US, there are currently no plans.

Below is the promo video by Motorola.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Monday, November 28, 2011

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Friday, November 18, 2011

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Monday, November 7, 2011