Lenovo's ultra-thin X1 Carbon ultrabook will be available August 21st, starts at $1,399

Lenovo's known for making good laptops much more than it's known for making attractivelaptops, but when the company announced the ThinkPad X1 Carbon in May it seemed to have checked both boxes. Now the company's revealed when you'll actually be able to get an X1 Carbon into your hands: August 21st. The 14-inch, three-pound ultrabook is all of 18mm thick at its thickest point, and will come in several different configurations ranging from $1,399 to $1,849. The base price gets you a 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U processor and a 128GB SSD, and you get more storage and more processing power as you move up the price tiers (there's also a 3G option available in all but the base model).

Every model comes with 4GB of RAM, a 14-inch, 1600 x 900 display, Lenovo's excellent ThinkPad Precision keyboard, and Intel's Integrated graphics. The X1 Carbon also features Lenovo's nifty Rapid Charge feature, which can fill 80 percent of the battery in 30 minutes. We liked what we saw from the svelte ultrabook when it was first announced, and though its price is certainly premium the X1 Carbon appears to fit its billing.

[Source: The Verge]

So… Samsung DID copy Apple

This is the biggest news story I have read in a long time (very important link below). According to an article from AllThingsD new documentation has been submitted in the Apple vs Samsung case.

"As part of its case against Samsung, Apple has shown snippets of an internal Samsung document comparing the original Galaxy S phone with the iPhone.

On Tuesday, Apple managed to get the whole 132-page document admitted into evidence. And it’s a doozy.
The 2010 report, translated from Korean, goes feature by feature, evaluating how Samsung’s phone stacks up against the iPhone.
Authored by Samsung’s product engineering team, the document evaluates everything from the home screen to the browser to the built in apps on both devices. In each case, it comes up with a recommendation on what Samsung should do going forward and in most cases its answer is simple: Make it work more like the iPhone."

You can read through the whole document here … it makes for a very interesting read, with direct comparisons all the way through, including comments on how Samsung should copy, but make subtle changes too their UI.
[Source: AllThingsD]

 

Tech Giveaway-a-Day - DAY 3 Winners

Over on the Geekanoids Channel it has been an exciting week. Seven days, with a new giveaway every single day. My way of saying thank you to all my viewers & readers.

Day three saw some awesome prizes courtesy of Incipio and it gives me great pleasure announcing the three winners here. 

1st Prize goes to @BTechTalk … who wins a Legend Hard Shell Case for the iPhone 4/4S.
2nd Prize goes to @bouvanrooij … who wins a new iPad Flagship Folio Brushed Aluminum Hard Shell Case. 
3rd Prize goes to @Frogy0 who picks up an awesome Denver Nylon Sleeve for the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Congratulations to all the winners, you will be contacted via Twitter with details of how to claim your prizes. Many thanks to all those who entered too.

The next iPhone's nano-SIM cradle allegedly leaked

Rumors about the new iPhone have basically everything but the screen shrinking. That includes the SIM card and its ejectable drawer. French site NoWhereElse scored some photos of what it claims is the new tray, alongside the 4S version for comparison. As you can clearly see, the new SIM slot is narrower and the insert has a slightly different cosmetic design. If the part turns out to be legit, it will hardly come as a surprise. Apple made a big push for a nano-SIM standard to be adopted over competing designs from Nokia, RIM and Motorola. If the rumors and Cupertino's reliable refresh schedule hold up, you wont have to wait long to find out for sure. The next iPhone is expected to be announced next month. Hit up the source link for a few more photos.

[Source: Engadget]

YouTube app removed from iOS 6 but not iOS 5 and older; Google working on a standalone version

Apple just got in touch with us regarding the removal of the YouTube app in the latest beta of iOS 6, and while it wouldn't say much, it did confirm the obvious: it's not there for a reason. The licensing deal it had with Google "has ended, but users can still use YouTube via the Safari web app." The company did affirm, however, that Google "is working" on another version -- presumably a standalone app that'll have to survive the same App Store approval process as Google Drive, Gmail for iOS and the rest of the bunch.

Interestingly, we were told that the YouTube app "would remain on iOS 5 and older," and that includes iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Granted, the amount of iOS 5 users will dip dramatically in the months following iOS 6's release this fall, but it leaves open the question of compatibility -- will the forthcoming YouTube app for iOS 6 be installable on iOS 5 and older?

All things considered, it's probably a good thing for consumers. Yes, it's another play by Apple to distance itself from its biggest mobile OS rival (Maps, anyone?), but it also gives Google the chance to reimagine the YouTube app, and perhaps even design it to showcase a great mobile experience around the company's huge original content push. Apple wouldn't comment on the status of Google's new YouTube app, nor would it speak to whether or not it had even been submitted for approval, but we're guessing the clock watchers know that September 12th is drawing near.

Update: A YouTube spokesperson has provided us with the following quote: "We are working with Apple to ensure we have the best possible YouTube experience for iOS users." Not much to go on, really, but reassuring that the company's actively forging ahead with a new effort. Something tells us it'll take every opportunity to trumpet the awesomeness of its standalone app after being quietly pushed / left out of the latest iOS 6 beta.

[Source: Engadget]

Windows 8 may not let you boot to the desktop, demands you accept not-Metro

If you were hoping that you could force Windows 8 to bypass the don't-call-it-Metro homescreen and boot straight to the familiar desktop you've come to know and love, we've got bad news. Word on the street is, Microsoft has removed this ability from the latest builds of the OS -- so you're gonna have to stare at a pile of tiles when you boot up, whether you like it or not. According to Rafael Rivera, one of the authors of Windows 8 Secrets, there is a work around that involves creating a shortcut to the desktop and scheduling it to run at boot. But, it appears that even enterprise customers will be blocked from making the standard desktop the default environment. While Redmond is no doubt implementing such a policy to enforce consistency, it could prove to be a source of frustration for big businesses, which are notoriously resistant to change. We'll just have to wait for the final release to find out for sure.

[Source: Engadget]

Plextor M5 Pro bulges SSD envelope with 94K IOPS and 540MB/s

Plextor's newly launched M5 Pro is angling to be the top dot on the SATA III SSD spec charts -- and looks like it will mostly succeed. The Marvell Monet controller lets the unit hit a continuous 540 MB/s read and 450 MB/s write speeds for the larger models, as well as a hefty 94,000 read and 86,000 write IOPS. Those figures would put it ahead of or alongside most of its competitors except in steady write speeds, but Plextor claims that hustle is not the model's only trick. It also makes use of "True Speed" tech to minimize performance drops with age, uses 128-bit error correction to eliminate data inaccuracy and offers 256-bit full-drive encryption. The 128GB, 256GB or 512GB drives will be available mid-August for prices that have yet to be determined, but it's likely to be well north of its budget namesake, the M5S. You'll find the full PR after the break.

[Source: Engadget]

Samsung offering new Galaxy customers up to $300 for old handsets

Samsung is offering new Galaxy S III, Galaxy S II, and Galaxy Note customers up to $300 cashback in exchange for trading in old handsets. Dubbed Samsung Upgrade, the deal is currently available via the company's US Facebook page, where users are able to get an automatic quote for devices from every major manufacturer before submitting proof of purchase to Samsung. After receiving and verifying the old handset, Samsung will send out a check for its agreed value.

[Source: To read the full article visit The Verge]

Sony: Xperia P Android 4.0 update coming August 19-25

It looks like the Xperia P will be the next Sony handset in line for an upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Sony Mobile India has taken to its official Facebook page to announce that ICS will start hitting Xperia P handsets from the week of Aug. 19-25. It's unclear whether this release window applies to India alone, but even if it does, other territories shouldn't expect too much of a delay given Sony's track record.  As we mentioned in our review of the Xperia P, it's a decent handset that was held back by the inclusion of Android 2.3 Gingerbread out of the box. With the much-needed bump up to ICS, the Xperia P will represent better value for money in an increasingly competitive mid-range smartphone market.  The news also bodes well for owners of the Xperia U and Xperia Sola, as these handsets are powered by the same internal hardware and run an almost identical ROM.

[Source: Android Central]

Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note rumored for Jelly Bean updates in Q4

Samsung's Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note could be on track to be updated to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean before the end of the year, according to the latest online rumors​. The reports come from Samsung fansite SamMobie, and though they're unconfirmed rumors at this point, the site has proved fairly accurate with this sort of thing in the past.  Samsung's flagship Galaxy S III (S3) is said to be well on its way towards Jelly Bean, with internal testing proving successful, and "public" builds apparently now being put through their paces in anticipation of a late Q3 or early Q4 launch. Meanwhile, last year's leading Samsung phones, the Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Note are apparently being tested on Android 4.1 too. It's reported that the manufacturer currently plans to update both to Jelly Bean, though the decision isn't yet set in stone. Assuming these updates happen, the site suggests a release before the end of the year.

[Source: To read the full article visit Android Central]

Kantar On Smartphones: Samsung 45% Of Euro Sales; Apple Gained Only In UK, US; RIM Holds On In France

We have seen reports from Strategy Analytics, IDC and Canalys detailing how many smartphones that handset makers shipped in the last quarter (the takeaway: Android is still on top, with Samsung the chief benefactor); today, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, WPP’s market analytics business, has released its rolling monthly update on how that translates into on-the-ground sales in some of the biggest markets in the world. The results give more weight to Samsung’s current domination; and underscore how important it is for Apple to “wow” the market next month with the launch of a new handset.

 

[Source: To read the full article visit Tech Crunch]