Hisense Pulse with Google TV set-top box hands-on (video)

Hisense announced its low-cost set-top box, the Pulse with Google TV, a few days ago, and though pricing remains vague at "less than $100," we got a chance to see the device in action at IFA today. The Android-based Pulse supports content in 1080p, and includes HDMI, USB and Ethernet connections, along with WiFi, and the double-sided remote communicates with the square-shaped box via Bluetooth 4.0. Being a Google-branded product, it also gives users access to compatible apps from Google Play.

The remote includes dedicated buttons for YouTube, Netflix, the web and Live TV, and there's a small touchpad in addition to the standard remote-control keys. It's nifty, in theory, to have a trackpad on the remote, but in practice it's quite difficult to navigate across a TV's display this way: the touchpad is too small, and it doesn't support scrolling, which makes it incredibly inconvenient for viewing web pages. On the flip side of the remote, there's a full QWERTY keyboard -- the keys are large enough to make typing in the Chrome browser and other apps very easy. A booth rep told us the Pulse will drop in September, though that contradicts information from this week's press release. In any case, you can take a closer look in our video hands-on after the break.

[Source: Engadget]

Android Flash Player back in Google Play UK to support BBC iPlayer

After being unceremoniously dropped from the store earlier this month, Adobe's mobile Flash Player has returned to the Google Play store in the UK. According to BBC News, Flash's encore is the result of pressure from the BBC and "strategic partners" that rely on Flash for their Android apps. Perhaps the most notable app is BBC iPlayer, which requires Flash to play content.

The BBC says it's in the process of updating its app to stream video through other means, but until it does, Adobe will continue offering the download for UK customers only. Flash Player supports devices running Android 2.2 - 4.0, so users lucky enough to run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean will be unable to stream iPlayer content until the BBC gets up to speed.

[Source: The Verge]

Galaxy Camera accessory prototypes shown off

Samsung's Galaxy Camera appears to be a fairly humble point-and-shoot, but the high-end Android smartphone strapped to its back means we'd expect it to be pretty expensive. The company is showing off some prototype accessories at IFA that it says will likely weigh in at the high end of the pricing scale, too, and will only have the possibility of making it to market if the camera itself sells well. Almost no information was available on these products, unfortunately, and they were all firmly behind glass, but they looked interesting enough to share nonetheless.

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

Creative D5 Air Airplay speaker hits IFA, readies itself for a late-September release

There's nothing quite like a behind closed doors briefing at a busy tradeshow like IFA. Creative wasn't quite ready to take its new D5 Air out onto the showroom floor just yet, but the company did let us take a sneak peak at the thing in a small testing room room. As the name implies, this sound bar is an AirPlay speaker, so you can use it with devices that utilize Apple's proprietary streaming technology. We got a quick demo of the thing via an iPhone, and it sounded nice and loud.

The player has a small, square screen on the front that is "visible from any part of the room," according to the company, so you can sit on your couch and still see what's going on, while controlling it via your Apple device or the included remote control. Aesthetically, the single speaker system looks like exactly what you'd expect from Creative, all black, with the vast majority of the rectangle monopolize by mesh and shiny plastic ends on either side. There's also a black line with illuminated white dots that runs down its center, up to the iPhone / iPod dock on its top.

The D5 Air has a bass port built into the back and is constructed from a monocoque exoskeleton to help minimize vibration. It'll run you $399 when it starts shipping at the end of September.

[Source: Engadget]

Lenovo outs 15-inch IdeaPad U510 Ultrabook with Ivy Bridge CPU, optical drive: $679 and up (update: hands-on)

Lenovo's IFA itinerary is marathon-length. It unveiled no fewer than three tablets yesterday, not to mention three new IdeaPad S Series notebooks, and today it's serving up more laptops. Let's hit the high-profile guy first: Lenovo's IdeaPad Series lineup of Ultrabooks is getting its first 15-inch model, the Windows 8-running U510. The machine weighs 4.85 pounds (2.2kg) and measures 0.83 inches (21mm) thin, which is hefty for an Ultrabook but gives it enough room for a DVD burner or an optional Blu-ray drive. The 15.6-inch display's resolution is a ho-hum 1,366 x 768, which is exactly what you'll find on the IdeaPad U310. The laptop will be available with up to a Core i7 Ivy Bridge CPU, up to 8GB of RAM and a 500GB, 750GB or 1TB hard drive and optional 24/32GB SSD cache. Connections include USB 2.0, USB 3.0, VGA and HDMI, and there's an SD card reader as well. Lenovo rates the machine for six hours of battery life. The U510 will set you back $679 (for the entry-level configuration) when it goes on sale in September. For now, you can check out our hands-on photos below.

[Source: Engadget]

Samsung Galaxy Note II coming to ThreeUK and O2 later in the year

We've been speaking to the big five UK mobile networks, finding out where British phablet fans can get their Galaxy Note II fix. So far, only ThreeUK (after the break) and O2 have confirmed they'll be carrying the device when it arrives later in the year, while T-Mobile and Orange said they didn't have any details for us yet. Most cryptically, Vodafone's response was that it "isn't involved in this," so we figure we'll have to sit tight for more concrete news. If anything changes. we'll let you know.

[Source: Engadget]

Students – Get the Latest Tech and Stay Within Budget

It’s an exciting time for all students at the moment. Whether you’ve just received you’re ‘A’ Level results and are preparing for the big move to University or even if you’re a returning student heading back for the second or third year, the excitement levels are building ahead of the reunion with friends or the meeting with new ones and experiencing student life.

 

One unfortunate part of the student lifestyle is of course budgeting, with money always hard to keep hold of. You want to show that you can survive on your own, without having to run to the bank of mum and dad every few weeks to borrow a few pounds for a night out or a food shop, (there’s only so many tins of own-brand beans you can survive on!) Associated with the budgeting issues is of course the concern of making an impression on your new flat mates and course mates. You want to show them that you’ve got the latest gadgets, the best trainers and the designer clothes. So how do you combine the two? It’s nearly impossible.

 

Evaluating the market is a great place to start. While it looks great to show off your brand new device from the biggest name out there, it doesn’t look so good in the bank account. A lot of manufacturers of smartphones, tablet computers, laptops and even colour laser printer models have realized that there is a gap in the market and are targeting those customers. This gap has been identified as the people priced out of buying the big name brand models, and the majority of these more cost-effective and customer-friendly devices feature the same, if not similar, specifications as the product that is twice as expensive. This means not only do you save substantial amounts of money, but you get just as good a product, only with a different badge on it.

 

If you set yourself a budget before walking into the electrical store, and think about what you actually want your product to do and help with, it is much simpler to shop. If you know you want your computer, for example, to help with word documents, have a built-in webcam and microphone and help you with your graphic design course, then the one with the best spec for those requirements should be top of your agenda, not looking for the one with the best software package providing you spend over a certain amount. 

 

Checking online auction sites is another great way of getting the latest tech without having to pay full price. Students just like you might have gotten into financial difficulties and need some quick money, so they decide to sell off items that are worth decent money, or even items that they don’t need any more because they’ve either finished their course of a specific module. By checking here you could get some real bargains – and you’re not a proper student until you get into the habit of hinting for a bargain!

 

If you can find a way of remaining within budget, you’ll be in a very healthy position at the end of your academic year. You’d be able to go on more night’s out at the end of the semester and even be in a position to either clear some of your overdraft, put money towards the next year of your course, or survive the summer without having to look for seasonal work, allowing you to relax ahead of the new term.

Apple Media Event … Things Just Got Bigger

Rumours are rife on the internet, with many predicting that Apple will be holding a media event on 12th September 2012. There have been talks of an iPad Mini, new iMacs and of course a new iPhone.

Well, it is now a forgone conclusion that we will see a new iPhone come the 12th, but will this encompass all of the changes fanboys expect & want? Some websites are reporting we will see a larger 16:9 format screen, whilst others are touting a 3D capable camera. With the inclusion of NFC in many of the latest Google Android phones, it really should be there in the iPhone 5 or "new iPhone", but recent images tell a different story there too.

So what does Apple have to do to keep the money rolling in. Well, the new iPhone 5 will bring with it a brand new design. The glass back will be gone, with new sweeping lines and a slightly thinner profile. Incoming will be the larger screen with a higher resolution, and yes, this will be in 16:9 format. That makes total sense because this is a media consumption device. Speed demons will also be happy with the quad core processor and although Apple rarely talk speeds, this should clock at least around the 1.2GHz mark. Gaming performance will also be excellent, as this is one area Apple really work hard at. On the camera front a new 8 megapixel sensor will bring with it great clarity and another improvement in low light & depth of field (you know, for creating those arty blurred backgrounds). The only downer for all those waiting, is the actual lack of NFC, which won't be seen until next time around.

What we do know, is that there will be no iPad Mini. Apple will save that in the wings for another early October event. It is here we will see the iPad Mini alongside the new iPod touch & Nano, along with the retirement of the Shuffle. Stay tuned (and subscribed to The Geekanoids Channel for more news… exciting times are ahead.

New Features for Samsung ChatON

Mobile Instant Messaging has come a long way since it first swept the globe with Blackberry Messenger. iPhone offerings advanced the communication options, but Android, the fastest growing operating system today, is leading the way with the ChatON app from Samsung.
Leading the future of IM interaction, the ChatON app takes IM to the next level with animated messages for more creative freedom, calendar interaction to manage your busy schedule, group chat and chat rooms, and an interactive profile page. The “Trunk” feature allows you to store contents in a sharing box, and post comments to other sites including Facebook. 

Samsung ChatON app features:
Enhanced Group Chat, where broadcast messages can be sent to several buddies at once
“Trunk” - a ChatON Contents Sharing Box, where users can leave comments and share contents to other sites including Facebook
Animation Message, users can create their own animated messages with original drawings, texts, audio content and changing background images
Anicon (Animated Emoticon), users can download various animated emoticons from chaton.com
Buddies say, users can post comments directly to buddies’ profile at any time
Interaction Rank, users can check how often then chat with their buddies on the progress bar
Micro SNS Community (Social Network Service)

Now available in 120 countries in 66 languages, Samsung’s ChatON is usable across iOS, BlackBerry and Android devices. Download ChatON for free at https://web.samsungchaton.com

Twitter changes cause Tweetbot for Mac alpha to be pulled

We're starting to see changes to Twitter and Twitter clients following the announcement of new API rules. Late yesterday, Tapbots pulled the alpha version of Tweetbot for Mac. Paul Haddad explained that the company tried to work with Twitter to get around the user token limit during the beta-testing period. Twitter didn't find any solution acceptable, Haddad said, so the public alpha download was pulled. Those who already have the alpha client are still able to use it.

Haddad assured users that the final version Tweetbot for Mac will be available in the near future. He also urged those who tried the alpha and decided not to use it to revoke access and up the user token.

Meanwhile, The Next Web points out that Twitter no longer identified which client was used to post a tweet.

[Source: TUAW]

Craig Federighi and Dan Riccio Join Apple’s Executive Team as Senior Vice Presidents, Bob Mansfield staying on

Apple just announced that Vice President of Mac Software Engineering Craig Federighi and Vice President of Hardware Engineering Dan Riccio will join CEO Tim Cook’s executive team as SVPs. Apple’s Executive Bio page updated thusly.


Note: Apple currently has two SVPs of hardware engineering. Bob Mansfield announced his retirement in June but will instead stay to work on future products, while reporting to Cook.

[Source: 9to5Mac]

PS Vita v1.80 update now available, PSOne titles for download revealed

Of all the new features in firmware version 1.80 we're pretty sure that the ability to play PSOne classicswas fairly high on people's want-list. Well, the update is live, and with it a list of the titles available. There are nine on offer today for US Vita owners, which are: Arc the LadCool Boarders 2Final Fantasy VII,Hot Shots Golf 2Jet MotoSyphon FilterTomb RaiderTwisted Metal 2 and Wild Arms, with hopefully more to follow. This is in stark contrast to what's available over the pond, as Kotaku points out, with over 100 titles hitting European shores from tomorrow -- somewhat of an imbalance. But, with Sony said to be targeting a younger crowd, maybe it's banking on some of them not remembering the PlayStation's golden age.

[Source: Engadget]