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Baidu’s New Forked Android Phone: China’s Search Giant Wants To Make Windows Phone, iOS Versions Too

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:16:04 +0000

Big mobile plans afoot for Baidu, the Google of China that leads in search and has launched a host of other services in the wake of that business. The company today unveiled the first smartphone to be built on its own platform , the Changhong H5018. And while that device is designed on a “forked” version of Android — forked Android devices being very popular in China — Baidu says that it doesn’t want to stop there: the idea is to take its platform, the Baidu Cloud Smart Terminal, to other operating systems like Windows Phone and iOS. “We want Baidu’s Cloud Smart Terminal to function as a platform that sits on top of all operating systems, such as Windows Phone and iOS,” Kaiser Kuo, a spokesperson for Baidu, told TechCrunch today. “We are not yet working on a Windows Phone device but the hope is to make one,” he noted, adding that while Baidu plans to leave no stone unturned in its strategy, “some stones are proving to be more recalcitrant than others.” That is likely a nod to Apple and how Baidu could develop its …

HTC Titan II Review: Sometimes A Win-Win Is A Lose

admin — Sat, 12 May 2012 04:50:07 +0000

Short Version I’ve been spending some quality time with HTC’s Titan II, and I would never call it a bad phone. But that’s not the question — good, bad, fast, slow, ugly, beautiful… they don’t matter unless I feel that I’d put down money and live my life with this device. And even though I expected this to be one of my favorites, I walk away from my review certain that I wouldn’t exchange cash for this handset. HTC is great at building quality hardware and Microsoft’s new mobile platform is fresh, different, and intuitive. But the way that the duo comes together leaves me unimpressed and disappointed, namely in the camera and the display. Past that, the thickness of the device paired with poor battery life does nothing to make up for these more minor disappointments. In essence, it’s simply not good enough. Let’s talk about why: Pros: Loving the hardware quality and design Windows Phone is smooth as butter The camera is excellent Cons: Pixel density is awful It’s pretty thick Battery life didn’t satisfy me Features: 4.7-inch 480

Ford Focus EV Pace Car electrifies NASCAR

admin — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:55:43 +0000

Ford recently announced that they will be working on what is deemed to be the first all-electric pace car in the world, coming in the form factor of the Focus Electric hatchback. It was purposely set to lap the oval at the Richmond 400 at the end of April, where the official Focus Electric NASCAR pace car was unveiled to the masses at the Richmond International Raceway recently. While large and strategically placed decals will definitely do their bit to ensure the EV Pace Car stands out from the rest of the crowd, it would be interesting to see it lead a pack of NASCAR vehicles right behind it. Do you think that an electric vehicle has a place on the racetrack, or should it all just be petrol powered engines for such high octane events? One can more or less expect some hard revving action right behind the Focus Electric, as the NASCAR drivers are raring and ready to unleash the accelerator onto the track.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Ford unveils electric vehicle handling and storage recommendations, Ford Mustang is future forward in terms of style,

Refresh Roundup: week of April 16th, 2012

admin — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 01:51:41 +0000

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Official Android updates

ZTE Optik: This budget tablet on Sprint received a minor update to include new versions of Google+ and Play Music, along with new DRM software and a fix for SimCity. [Talk Android]
Motorola RAZR: Both Fido and Rogers are delivering Android 2.3.6 for this svelte smartphone. In particular, it’s said to bring performance and battery life improvements — with a special emphasis on the camera and WiFi — along with localization improvements and the ability to automatically upload pictures from the RAZR to the PC. [MobileSyrup]
HTC One X: Following the US release, HTC is now delivering its first update for the One X to those in Europe. Improvements to the battery life are at the core of this release. [Android Central]
T-Mobile G2x: The Magenta-branded handset from LG received a refresh to Android 2.3.4 during the week. Along with the new OS version, this package includes an updated baseband software and Google+. [Android Central]
HTC Sensation 4G: T-Mobile subscribers are no doubt anxious for the release of Android 4.0 for this handset, but sadly, they’ll have a bit longer to wait. The Ice Cream Sandwich update has been in limbo for a while now, due to the carrier’s quality control measures, and T-Mobile has now definitively confirmed that the upgrade won’t arrive in April. Better luck next month, maybe? [TmoNews]
Droid RAZR and Droid RAZR Maxx: Both Moto’s slim handset and its slightly bulkier brother are in line for an update from Verizon Wireless. The new software is said to bring enhanced stability, longer battery life and improved visual voicemail performance. It also introduces support for IPv6 and now properly displays 4G data connectivity. [Verizon Wireless (PDF)]
LG Spectrum: This update from Verizon Wireless brings Android 2.3.6 to the mix, improves web browser launch times and switches the default search engine to Google — for Bing lovers, there’s also an option to set the default search engine to one of your own choosing. The refresh also brings fixes for calendar reminders, improves visual voicemail and brings a heavy amount of updates to Verizon’s bloatware apps. [Droid Life]
Casio G’zOne Commando: Verizon’s rugged smartphone received new support for the Wireless Alerting System in an update that also brings GPS improvements and enhanced Push to Talk capabilities. The refresh also adds a factory reset option to the device, along with mass storage capabilities for Windows 7. [Android Police]
Samsung Galaxy S II: UK-based customers of Orange and T-Mobile will be glad to know that Ice Cream Sandwich is now available for Samsung’s current premiere handset. [TechRadar]

Unofficial Android updates, custom ROMs and misc. hackery

Motorola Droid Bionic: A clever individual known as Dan Davis has managed to port the Smart Actions from the Droid RAZR over to the Bionic. Better yet, the app works just fine without root privileges. [Android Community]
HTC One V: The handset manufacturer released the kernel source code for its entry-level smartphone this week. [Android Central]
Samsung Galaxy Tab: The CyanogenMod team began delivering nightly builds of CM9 for Samsung’s original Galaxy Tab. [Android Police]
HTC Thunderbolt: An update has leaked for the red-headed step-child of Verizon’s 4G lineup. It delivers a new baseband, includes support for IPv6, improves device stability and is said to resolve issues with the mobile hotspot. [Android Police]
Motorola Droid Bionic: Verizon is gearing up for an update to its first handset that featured both LTE connectivity and a dual-core processor. It’s said to bring improvements to the visual voicemail system, enable IPv6, reduce system lockups and address connectivity issues. [Droid Life]

Other platforms

BlackBerry PlayBook: RIM pushed out version 2.0.1 of the PlayBook OS, which comes with enhancements to the web browser, better support for Android apps and improvements to BlackBerry Bridge and video chat. [TechnoBuffalo]

Refreshes we covered this week

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HTC One S Review: Head-To-Head With The One X And iPhone 4S

admin — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:43:10 +0000

I’ve been fiddling around with the HTC One S for a few days now, and I have to say it’s stolen a little piece of my heart. The hardware is just about perfect, with a 4.3-inch qHD display and a slender aluminum unibody shell, and software like HTC’s Sense 4 overlay and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich only sweeten the deal. But, as per usual, there’s plenty to consider out there. The wide world of mobile only grows wider by the second, with hot new phones launching left and right. Just today, Sprint’s Galaxy Nexus and the LG Viper landed on store shelves, and lest we forget that the iPhone 4S is ready and waiting while the One X is mere days away. So many options. To help, we’ve put the One S up against it’s greatest competitors, the HTC One X and the iPhone 4S, in …

T-Mobile Announces The HTC One S: $199 On-Contract On April 25 (Hands-On)

admin — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 22:14:00 +0000

It’s only been a few short hours since AT&T announced the availability of HTC’s mamma-jamma One X smartphone , but there may be a few more tricks coming out of HTC’s sleeve before the day is done. For example, T-Mobile just sent over a bit of news regarding the One S, namely that it will launch on April 25 for $199.99 on-contract after a $50 mail-in-rebate. We first spotted the One S back at MWC in Barcelona , and generally speaking we found it to be a pretty sweet device. This time around, I walk away feeling the same sentiments. I’m all about the design, specs are adequate, and Sense is an entirely tolerable custom overlay. Let’s delve deeper, yes? It’s an HSPA+ device, meaning it will take advantage of T-Mo’s 42Mbps speeds. Past that, we’re looking at 1.5GHz dual-core chip, an 8-megapixel rear camera capable of 1080p video capture, and a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display. HTC’s been building out its ecosystem a little differently than other phone makers, signing deals with companies who already have this or that service nailed rather …

Kaz Hirai reveals ‘One Sony’ turnaround strategy, will cut 10,000 jobs

admin — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:18:54 +0000

Freshly minted Sony CEO Kaz Hirai has revealed his plan to turn around Sony’s fortunes and as rumored, it includes significant cuts. Two days ago, the company revised its projections for the 2011 fiscal year to reflect a $6.4 billion loss. The One Sony plan includes reducing headcount by 10,000 in the 2012 financial year, a number that also reflects jobs leaving Sony as businesses are sold or otherwise reorganized, and will cost it 75 billion yen ($926 million) during 2012. Currently, the plan is to focus on digital imaging, gaming and mobile for growth, until those three make up 70 percent of its total sales in 2014. As far as its beleaguered HDTV business, it’s going forward with the plans announced during CES to streamline the product line, reduce its costs, and return to profitability by 2014. Looking forward, there’s slightly fuzzier promises to “develop and commercialize” OLED and Crystal LED technology. Beyond those the idea is to expand in emerging markets, as well as medical and 4K related technologies. There’s more details in the press release after the break and presentation slides linked below, we’ll let you know if there’s any more information revealed on a conference call later on today.

Show full PR text

Sony Transformation to Revitalize Electronics Business,
Generate Growth and Drive New Value Creation
“One Sony” for Change

Tokyo – April 12, 2012 – Sony Corporation (”Sony” or “the Company”) today announced a series of strategic initiatives to be introduced under the new management team established on April 1, 2012. By implementing a rapid decision-making approach that draws on the strengths of the entire Sony Group as “One Sony”, Sony aims to revitalize and grow the electronics business to generate new value, while further strengthening the stable business foundations of the Entertainment and Financial Service businesses.

Key initiatives to transform the electronics business are:
1. Strengthening core businesses (Digital Imaging, Game, Mobile)
2. Turning around the television business
3. Expanding business in emerging markets
4. Creating new businesses and accelerating innovation
5. Realigning the business portfolio and optimizing resources

By implementing the above measures, Sony will target sales of 6 trillion yen and operating income margin of 5% in its electronics business, and sales of 8.5 trillion yen, operating income margin of more than 5%, and return on equity (”ROE”) of 10% for the Sony Group overall, in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015 (”FY14″).

Details of these five core initiatives to revitalize the electronics business and drive new growth are as follows.

1. Strengthening core businesses (Digital Imaging, Game, Mobile)

Sony is positioning digital imaging, game and mobile as the three main focus areas of its electronics business and plans to concentrate investment and technology development resources in these areas. By growing these three businesses, Sony aims to generate approximately 70% of total sales and 85% of operating income for the entire electronics business from these categories by FY14.

Digital Imaging – Sony is reinforcing its development of image sensors, signal processing technologies, lenses and other key digital imaging technologies in which it excels, and plans to leverage these technologies in both its consumer products (such as compact digital still cameras, digital video cameras and interchangeable lens digital cameras) and broadcast and professional products (such as professional use cameras and security cameras) in order to further strengthen and differentiate Sony’ overall product line. The Company also plans to extend the use of these key technologies across a wide range of business applications, from security to medical, to further expand the scope of its digital imaging business. Sony will target total sales of 1.5 trillion yen and double-digit operating income margin from the consumer, professional and image sensor businesses by FY14.

Game – In the game business, Sony continues to deliver exhilarating entertainment experiences through PlayStation

Please Don’t Let This Be What The EVO One Looks Like

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:50:09 +0000

Well, I suppose it was bound to happen. Just one day before HTC and Sprint kick off their so-called collaboration event in New York City, the team at PocketNow has gotten their hands on what they claim is the first press shot of the device to be unveiled: the EVO One. The device’s supposed internals sure seem to be a treat, at least according to a tip that Android Central received a few days ago. The ICS-powered EVO One is expected to sport a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, a 4.7-inch 720p AMOLED display (which The Verge rightly notes is a slight letdown compared to the One X’s Super LCD 2 panel), an LTE radio, 16GB of onboard storage, and Beats Audio support. Their tipster also pegs the EVO One’s release date as June 6, which is nearly two years to the day since Sprint and HTC officially released their first Android collaboration, the EVO 4G. Sadly enough, the device seems to have had all the sexy sucked out of it. Sure, the specs are more than solid and early reports make Sense 4.0 out to be a much-needed improvement over older versions, but really…

Samsung Galaxy S ICS-like ‘value pack’ upgrade officially released in Korea

admin — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:44:36 +0000

The so-called Value Pack upgrade that was leaked for original Samsung Galaxy S devices after the company announced they would not be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich (it was later given a passing mention in the Galaxy S II ICS upgrade notes) has been officially released, at least in Korea. The official Samsung Tomorrow page has a link to Gingerbread and Froyo upgrades for the Galaxy S, as well as the Galaxy K and Galaxy U phones. Just like the leaked version, it adds some Ice Cream Sandwich features to these non-Android 4.0 phones, including Face Unlock, the ability to take pictures while shooting video and launcher improvements, without the fully reworked underpinnings of the new OS. Owners of compatible devices can hit the source link for all the details and the files, as long as they have Kies 2.0 at the ready and a bit of open storage space (backing up existing data is also, naturally, encouraged). Of course whether this will officially come to any of our US-carrier optimized Galaxy S models is still unknown.

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Toshiba mystifies tablet-buying world with LT170 ‘budget’ 7-incher

admin — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:50:01 +0000

We’ll be the first to admit that we don’t understand Toshiba’s tablet intentions. There are plenty of tantalizing prototypes and an abundance of confusingly branded models, but there’s no overarching reason to pay much attention. The LT170 is a case in point: it’s nominally a budget Android device, with a Freescale 1GHz CPU, 512MB of RAM and 8GB internal storage, but by now the €299 ($400) asking price could pick up something far, far nicer, like the heavily discounted 16GB HTC Flyer or 32GB BlackBerry PlayBook. Anyway, there it is. Bewilderment.

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