Nokia begins its Windows Phone 7.8 upgrade rollout

Talk of Microsoft finally deploying Windows Phone 7.8 has been building to a crescendo -- and we're glad to confirm it's more than just noise. The more customizable home and lock screens, Marketplace improvements and numerous under-the-hood upgrades are rolling out to all of Nokia's Windows Phone 7.5 devices, starting today and continuing through February. The company hasn't confirmed who goes first, although AT&T's Lumia 900 is believed to be part of the earliest wave. Other upgrades will depend on carrier timing, if you're using a locked phone, but the plan to push 7.8 is still good news for those who've wanted to keep their early Lumias as current as possible.

[Source: Engadget]

BlackBerry Z10 Shows Up in U.K. Store Hours Before Official Launch

RIM’s next great hope, BlackBerry 10, is about to be uncaged and let loose. In the meantime, devices running the company’s new OS, like the much rumored and often leaked Z10, is already out in the wild at one U.K. store. It looks exactly as we expected it to look.

The picture comes from a Twitter user at a Phone4U store, where the device will likely be on sale in a matter of hours. An earlier Vodafone leak suggested the Z10 would launch today. 

The tipster said Phones4U also has the white one in stock, and that both are set to go on sale at 5 p.m. However, spots such as Carphone Warehouse only got black models of the Z10 in—white models aren’t expected to show up until Feb. 15.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Vodafone UK launches its first ‘4G-ready’ phone, the BlackBerry Z10

  • Coming to Vodafone UK: the first smartphone powered by BlackBerry 10
  • BlackBerry Z10 just £29 on a £42 a month deal with unlimited calls, texts and loads of internet
  • The first ‘4G-ready’ phone from Vodafone UK


Vodafone UK is launching the BlackBerry® Z10, the first smartphone powered by the re-designed, re-engineered and re-invented BlackBerry® 10 platform and the first of Vodafone’s ‘4G-ready’ handsets. The new BlackBerry Z10 is the fastest and most advanced BlackBerry smartphone yet and offers customers a powerful new mobile computing experience.

The new BlackBerry Z10 will be available from January 31, in-store, online and through telesales. The smartphone is just £29 on the £42 a month Vodafone Red Data plan, which comes with unlimited calls and texts as well as 2GB of internet. It is free on the £47 a month variant of Vodafone Red Data and costs £69 on the Vodafone Red Plan, which offers unlimited calls, unlimited texts and 1GB of internet for £37 a month. All new and upgrading Vodafone pay monthly customers also get as much internet as they want, for whatever they want, for the first three months, with Vodafone Data Test Drive.

For small business customers, the BlackBerry Z10 is available free on Vodafone Red Business from £40.83 (ex VAT) per month. Vodafone Red Business gives business users the freedom to talk and text as much as they want, enjoy loads of internet and get a landline number on their mobile so they can answer any calls when out and about. For more information, visit vodafone.co.uk/redbusiness

The BlackBerry Z10 smartphone is the first handset from Vodafone that is ‘4G-ready’. Getting one of our 4G-ready phones means a customer will be good to go as soon as Vodafone 4G arrives, bringing them ultra-fast internet and the best mobile video they’ve ever had from us. Once a customer has got their new phone, we’ll let them know the moment Vodafone 4G is available in their area. Then we can talk about adding Vodafone 4G to their monthly plan. For more information, visit vodafone.co.uk/4G-ready. We are planning to launch 4G services later this year and we intend to use a signal that travels further into a customer’s home than any 4G signal that’s available now.

Blackberry Z10 Unboxing & First Boot

Blackberry 10 launches today and before the official launch, seems like a lucky person has got their hands on the new Z10 touchscreen smartphone. Check out the video below from MrIgorTV showing an unboxing & first look.

Buy a Year of PlayStation Plus, Get Three Extra Months Free

Sony’s added a little extra pep to the offering that is the premium PlayStation Plus package. From now until March 4th, 2013, gamers can score an extra three months on their subscription if they buy a full year of PS Plus.

“What’s PS Plus?” Well, Sony’s standard online network is free. You can play games, download movies and software and talk with others as part of the free entry point when you buy either a PlayStation 3 or PS Vita.

PS Plus adds an extra layer of discounts and free games to the PlayStation experience. So, for instance, being a PS Plus member means you can download and play Gravity Rush on the PS Vita for no additional charge. The same goes for games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Darksiders, inFamous 2 and Retro City Rampage.

PS Plus costs $49.99 for a year and $17.99 for three months. This deal, obviously gives you a nearly $68 value for $50.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

iOS 6.1 Released for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch

Apple just released iOS 6.1 for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The release says it includes:

  • LTE support for more carriers (complete list of supported carriers at www.apple.com/iPhone/LTE/)
  • Purchase movie tickets through Fandango with Siri (USA only)
  • iTunes Match subscribers can now download individual songs from iCloud
  • New button to reset the advertising identifier.

The update is available now, simply navigate to settings on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Foursquare gives business owners their own app to manage specials, track customer visits Mobile

Foursquare just recently tweaked its privacy policy to share more user information with local businesses, and it looks like it's already putting some of that data to use in a new app now that the policy has gone into effect. Launched today for the iPhone and iPod touch, Foursquare for Business is just that -- an app designed for business owners instead of customers. In addition to letting managers upload new photos and refresh their specials regularly, it'll also give them a peek into customer activity at their business (or businesses), including information on check-ins and the ability to keep an eye on their top customers. As Foursquare notes in its privacy policy, though, you can opt out of having that check-in information visible to businesses in the app's privacy settings.

[Source: Engadget]

RIM Reveals BlackBerry 10 Movie, TV and Music Partners

RIM will reveal the final version of BlackBerry 10 on Wednesday and it’s already starting to provide new details on what to expect. The company on Monday revealed its music, TV and movie partners for BlackBerry World, the firm’s new ecosystem that includes apps, videos, music and more.

On the movie front, you can expect films from: 20th Century Fox, Entertainment One (eOne), Lionsgate, MGM, National Film Board of Canada, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (U.S.), Starz Digital Media, STUDIOCANAL, The Walt Disney Studios, Universal Pictures (U.K.) and Warner Bros.

TV shows will be available from: ABC Studios, BBC Worldwide, CBC/Radio-Canada, CBS, DHX Media, ITV, National Geographic, NBCUniversal (U.K.), Nelvana, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (U.S.), Starz Digital Media, Twentieth Century Fox Television, Univision Communications Inc. and Warner Bros. Unfortunately it looks like shows from HBO and Showtime are off the list for now.

Finally, music will be available from “all major and independent” record labels, including: 4AD Records, Domino Recording Company, finetunes, Matador Records, [PIAS] Entertainment Group, Rough Trade Records, Sony Music Entertainment, The Orchard, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, XL Recordings and Zebralution.

RIM’s music store will only be available in 18 countries at launch and videos will only be available for purchase or rent in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Be sure to check out our in-depth video of BlackBerry 10 for a closer look at what to expect.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Pentax shows NERV, flashes Japan-only Evangelion-flavored Q10s

We've seen Neon Genesis Evangelion-branded devices for quite awhile now, and as a testament to the garish-hued series' longevity, Pentax has announced a special edition, show-themed Q10 series of its own. It'll release a mere 1,500 of the models in Evangelion heroine shades, starting with the Eva-01 model shown above at a price of 59,800 Yen ($660 or so). Besides showing your love for '90s anime, that sum will get you a 12.4-megapixel, mirrorless interchangeable shooter capable of Full HD video, while filling out the already-bounteous Q10 color choices from the hue-loving outfit. Stateside fans of the show will likely be disappointed though -- it'll only be sold in Japan, starting in April. Check the source to see the other colors.

[Source: Engadget]

Monkey Kit: Flexible Tablet Positioning System

 


The ultimate evolution of the tablet stand. Enjoy hands-free comfort, and use your iPad or tablet in an infinite number of positions.

 Imagine using your tablet hands-free in bed. Whether you're watching a movie or reading a book, your tablet will float effortless in front of you. Then, imagine taking your tablet to the couch and comfortably typing. The Monkey Kit works in bed, on a couch, in the kitchen, on an exercise machine, and in the car. Octa's instruction booklet shows you how to wrap, tuck and stand your Monkey Kit in a wide variety of places.

Most stands simply prop your tablet on a small ledge. For extreme use, Octa wanted to create a stand that literally affixed to your iPad. We started studying vacuum suction handles, which is the technology construction workers use to lift heavy plate glass high into the air. Then we developed our own patent-pending twist. Using innovative chambers and seals, we reduced the size of our Vacuum Dock to fit in your palm, while increasing the amount of air displaced by each pump of its button. We did all this work so that you could affix your Vacuum Dock to your tablet with five easy pumps. (The original system required as many as thirty!) Unlike a suction cup, the Vacuum Dock literally pumps the air out from between its sealing surface and your tablet, creating an incredibly strong and durable connection. The Monkey Kit will adhere to your tablet for days!

[Source: KickStarter]

HTC 'M7' parts caught on video

With the recent emergence of certain leaked photos, we've slowly been able to piece together a picture of HTC's upcoming 'M7' handset. And the successor to the One X has cropped up on camera again today, disassembled, in the form couple of leaked component parts. ETrade Supply got hold of what seems to be the back case and front housing of the phone, which looks a little smaller than the similarly-designed Droid DNA. That suggests we might be dealing with a 4.7-inch screen, as has been rumored in recent months.

Also of note is the second front-facing speaker down below, which roughly matches a render that leaked out a couple of weeks ago. And there's what seems to be a dedicated camera button on the right edge, below the volume rocker, an unusual sight on an HTC Android phone.

Without the front glass in place -- not to mention functioning innards -- it's difficult to get an overall impression of the phone. But it looks like we're dealing with a handset that shares much in common with the DNA and its international cousin, the HTC Butterfly. The edges are squared off, in stark contrast to the curved One X and One S, and there's a slight hump to the back, like the DNA and Windows Phone 8X.

There's no way of knowing whether this is a finalized HTC design or merely a prototype, but the parts shown in today's video certainly tick all the boxes we were expecting from a 2013 HTC flagship. The 'M7' is e

[Source: AndroidCentral]