How to force update your Windows Phone 7 with latest ‘NoDo’ March 2011 firmware
Bluetooth 31 Mar 2011

Many users of WP7 phones are waiting patiently to get the latest update delivered to their phones. Unfortunately, they are delivered by batches. If you own one of the unbranded ones, you migth be lucky to get it faster than the rest.

It is ironic that the first solution that appeared 2 days ago required you to do a “DIAL UP” to a VPN network on Eastern Europe and you would need to trigger the 3G , WIFI or any data connction switch to OFF state on the 40th second (around there). It worked pretty well and we managed to flash our HTC trophy 7 to version 7.0.7390.0.

Today, another solution appeared on the net while we were about to flash update our LG Optimus 7.

This solution is even simpler than the one before. You no longer need to make a VPN connection to Eastern Europe. Below are the procedures.

1) Turn off all 3G,WIFI connections of the phone (with or without SIM Card)

2) Connect the Phone to the PC via USB cable

3) Zune loads up automaticaly

4) Open the Network Connections  icon and look for your internet conenction, it could be LAN connection or WIFI connection.

5) In Zune, select Update. It will begin searching the server for an update

6) On the third second, Disable the LAN or WIFI connection of your PC.

7) You will see the message “An update is available” on both the Zune and phone.

8) Enable your network and Click Ok to update the phone.

For our HTC Trophy 7, it took us almost an hour to complete, probably due to the low internet speed at night. There are altogether 8 steps involved and it is automatic. Below are some screen shots of the process.

If you are an iPhone user, you wouldn’t miss this application “VIBER”. This application allows you to make free calls just like SKYPE.

Now, VIBER ver 2.0 includes free text messaging. So, why pay for expensive SMS charges, you can now text your friends overseas for FREE.

You can download the update from Apple AppStore.

March 30^th, 2011 – SPB Software, a leading mobile software developer, has launched SPB Shell 3D for Android – a 3D user interface for end users with the best-in-class user experience that offers a seamless fusion of functional usability and visual aesthetics. SPB Shell 3D is a product built on SPB UI Engine – a technology platform – optimized for building next generation, high-performance mobile user interfaces.

SPB Shell 3D is a successor of the SPB Mobile Shell product line. The SPB Mobile Shell series is the most awarded mobile UI solution available on the market today. It has been publicly recognized as the number one best-selling mobile UI application across all smartphone platforms for the past 4 years. SPB Mobile Shell has also been successful among mobile carriers and OEMs, and has been deployed by over 15 device manufacturers and carriers, including Sony Ericsson, Toshiba, and O2.

SPB Shell 3D provides the users with a rich engaging user experience that transforms the whole Home screen into a 3D space. Fast switching between screens with a single gesture, unique smart folders with easy access to all important apps directly from the home screen, and a rich set of animated 3D widgets, make the navigation simple, effective and intuitive. The underlying SPB UI Engine makes the UI fast, natural and highly responsive.

“The SPB Mobile Shell product line became very successful mainly because it matched up impeccably well with qualities that end users really like,” said Sebastian-Justus Schmidt, CEO of SPB Software. “SPB Shell 3D is a fine example of the UI that can be created using SPB UI Engine showcasing its capabilities, and it becomes a solid base for the custom UI solutions we create for device manufacturers and mobile operators.”

Pricing and Availability

SPB Shell 3D currently supports Android 2.1 and higher. Available for Smartphones with an OpenGL ES 2.0 compatible graphic controller.
SPB Shell 3D is available for 14.95 USD.

Digitimes reports that Taiwanese manufacturers – Acer, ASUS, Japanese Sony and Korea’s Samsung are ready to launch their Chrome OS based notebooks featuring Intel or NVIDIA processors at ComputeX Taipei 2011. They come in 10 to 12 ” screen either with Chrome OS or Dual boot configuration (Dual OS).

The Acer and Asustek’s Chrome OS or dual-OS notebooks will have a chance to see prices below US$300 to separate them from the tablet PC market which has a price range above US$499. Meanwhile, Sony’s new 11.6-inch Chrome OS notebook reportedly will adopt Nvidia’s Tegra 2 processor to help its battery longevity reach above eight hours.

If you are wondering about if the picture quality of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc is what as it claims, you might want to take a look on page 4 of our video review of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc.

Here are some additional pictures

Photos taken using Sony Ericsson Xperia ARC

Sick of waiting for NoDo? Even if you’ve got an unlocked, unbranded WP7 phone, you still may not have received the latest software just yet. With a little bit of configuration magic, you may be able to force an update, though this technique is far from 100% successful.

To start off, you’ll need one of those unlocked, unbranded WP7 models, along with a special phonebook (.PBK) file for a Hungarian server, letting your WP7 handset appear as if it’s configured for use in Eastern Europe. The steps that follow are all about managing your data connectivity. With the right timing, and a little luck, you may be able to coax your phone into retrieving the NoDo update.

If things just aren’t going your way, there’s a chance your phone just may not work with this technique. Supposedly neither the Surround nor Mozart have successfully updated via this method. If you’re up for giving it a try, follow the steps below:

● Download usaip.eu/en/USAIP.pbk open it and connect to EUROIP PPTP Hungary with USERNAME: demo PASSWORD: demo
● Connect your phone to the PC
● Disable WLAN in your phone but be sure to have FLIGHT MODE off
● Start Zune and keep it running all the time
● Switch to your carrier settings on the phone
● Manually search for an update within Zune
● After a few seconds (about 10-15 seconds for me) disable data transfer on the already opened settings tab on your phone –> The update shows up!

Source: XDA-Developers forum
Via: WPCentral

We have learned that a small percentage of our SSDNow V100 sold in the past has experienced a technical issue on the firmware. Kingston strongly recommends that a firmware update be applied to all SSDNow V100 drives to prevent possible data loss.
 
The firmware update will resolve this technical issue and is available via Kingston Technical Support. As with any firmware update, we must caution you to back up all your data prior to applying the firmware revision.

The firmware update to fix the technical issue is available via Kingston Technical Support. As with any firmware update, we recommend that you back up your data prior to applying the firmware revision.

Customer satisfaction and producing high quality products is the key to Kingston’s success, so we want to make every effort to ensure that our customers are aware of this firmware revision and have the opportunity to patch their V100 drive(s).

The firmware update can be downloaded from our dedicated support page: www.kingston.com/support/ssdnow/v100_firmware.asp

Customers can also contact our customer service hotline at 800-8861042 (toll free) or more information.

Affected Part Numbers are:

SV100S2/64GZ, SV100S2D/64GZ, SV100S2N/64GZ
SV100S2/128GZ, SV100S2D/128GZ, SV100S2N/128GZ
SV100S2/256GZ, SV100S2N/256GZ, SV100S2N/256GZ

It is important to note that none of Kingston’s other SSDNow products — with part numbers beginning with SNE, SNM, SS, SNV, SNVP and SVP — are affected by this potential issue.

This information was posted on Sony Ericsson blog and reposted for information.

We plan to bring an upgrade to Android Gingerbread for the Xperia^TM X10 to generic trade kits end Q2 / early Q3 this year. We have heard your requests all along but until today have not been able to confirm this. The great work on our 2011 products Xperia^TM PLAY, Xperia^TM arc and Xperia^TM neo actually has enabled us to start the work in a special project bringing Gingerbread to the Xperia^TM X10.

I believe this is good news to many of you out there and I am sure you have many questions around this. I’ve tried to list answers to the ones that came to my mind below. More details will come closer to launch but let me know in the comments section if I missed any questions. I’ll do my very best to find out and follow-up!

Why are you doing this upgrade?

We have listened to our consumers. In addition, the development of the software for our new 2011 range of Xperia phones gave us a solution that made it possible to deliver Gingerbread on Xperia^TM X10.

When will the upgrade be available for me?

The roll-out is planned to start end Q2/early Q3 this year. Today, Xperia^TM X10 is available in the market both in generic trade version and in versions customized for operators. Due to the resources available in this special project, we will focus on delivering trade versions of the software. Regarding possible customized operators kit we will have to get back with more information on this at a later stage. But we want to be very clear already at this stage on the fact that some of you may not get this upgrade.

What are the components of this upgrade and what are the major differences from the 2.1 version of Xperia^TM X10?

In short, we plan to bring similar software and functionality to Xperia^TM X10 as we have in our new 2011 Xperia smartphones. Our ambition is to provide the majority of functionality of the Gingerbread platform, as well as the Sony Ericsson specific User Experience and features. The final scope of the software is still a work in progress. We will get back with more details closer to launch in end Q2 / early Q3 this year.

Will any functionality from the previous software version disappear by doing this upgrade?

Yes – the work is still ongoing so details will be communicated closer to launch but these are the current expected limitations:

• The current plan is that the Xperia^TM X10 will get the Android standard Camera user interface and therefore features like e.g. face recognition, smile shutter etc will be lost.
• Moxier is replaced by the gingerbread native EAS functionality.
• Mediascape is being replaced by the media experience widgets and music player included in our new 2011 products.
• DRM keys for protected content on your phone will be lost in the upgrade process.
• The Sony Ericsson Backup and Restore client is not supported in the Gingerbread version and will therefore be lost.
• Support for bi-directional languages will be reduced compared to the latest version of the 2.1 version of the Xperia^TM X10.

What are the major differences between 2.3 on Xperia^TM X10 and 2.3 on your 2011 range, for example Xperia arc?

In short, the intention is that the Xperia X10 will receive similar software and functionality that we have in our new 2011 Xperia smartphones. The current ambition is to provide the majority of functionality of the Gingerbread platform, as well as the Sony Ericsson specific UI and features that are not restricted by hardware limitations (for example no HDMI out). The final scope of the software is still work in progress but we are working to minimize the differences. We will get back with more details closer to launch.

How do I get this upgrade?

The upgrade will only be available through our PC-based upgrade clients. I.e. it cannot be done over the air.

Can I go back to the 2.1 version if I am not happy with the upgrade?

No – our upgrade solutions do not support downgrading.

Will I lose any content or settings by doing the upgrade?

Yes – All your personal content and settings stored in the phone will be lost in the process. You will have to make sure that you have stored your information somewhere else. Note that the Sony Ericsson Backup and Restore client will not be included in the Gingerbread version, therefore we recommend using a 3^rd party backup application if you don’t have your data stored in other places than your phone. Content stored on your memory card is not affected by the upgrade, except DRM protected content since keys will be lost.

Why have you stated before that the 2.1 version would be the final upgrade to the Xperia^TM X10?

We didn’t plan to upgrade Xperia^TM X10 beyond Android version 2.1 and our communication reflected this. However, that plan changed but we didn’t want to communicate this until we were sure that we would be able to deliver a good user experience with Gingerbread on Xperia^TM X10.

Why didn’t you inform about this upgrade until now?

As a company we strive to be as open as possible in channels such as this product blog. We have been focusing on delivering our 2011 Xperia products on the latest Android platform for smartphones. In parallel we have investigated what of those efforts could be re-used for an upgrade of the Xperia X10. Our ambition all along has been to inform about this as soon as we concluded that we could deliver a good user experience with Gingerbread on Xperia^TM X10, which we now feel confident we can do.

Why did you bypass the 2.2 upgrade?

Our focus has been on Gingerbread. The work we have been doing on Gingerbread for our products launching in 2011 has given us a solution that made it possible to deliver Gingerbread on Xperia^TM X10.

Will you upgrade the Xperia^TM X10 mini, mini pro and Xperia^TM X8 to 2.3?

No, we have no such plans. We have had to prioritize our resources and have therefore focused on delivering the upgrade to Xperia^TM X10.

Will you continue to upgrade Xperia^TM X10 beyond Gingerbread 2.3?

No.

Is the upgrade based on Android version 2.3.2 or 2.3.3?

The Xperia^TM X10 Gingerbread release will be released on Android 2.3.3

What about upgrades for your new phones like Xperia PLAY, arc, neo and pro. Will users be able to upgrade to newer versions of Android when they become available?

The Xperia^TM PLAY, arc, neo and pro are launched on the latest version of Android for smartphones (Gingerbread 2.3) and we plan to upgrade these to the next version of Android (beyond 2.3) available to us, subject to the Google/Android roadmap. And even if it is too early to give detailed comments around later Android upgrades for future products, the changes we have made to our way of working with Android puts us in a good position to provide Android upgrades in a timely manner.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc Video Review
Bluetooth 26 Mar 2011

If you thought the thinnest smartphones comes from the another S brand, the Sony Xperia™ arc will truly stun you by it’s super slim and light body. The Xperia arc is just 8.7mm at its thinnest part where it fits snugly thanks to the unique arc design of the phone. The size is 125 x 63 x 8.7 mm and weighs 117 grams.  The screen is a a 4.2″ capacitive multi touch screen with 16 million colour TFT at 854×480 pixel resolution. It is shatter proof sheet on scratch-resistant mineral glass.

The 4.2″ large display is powered by the Mobile BRAVA engine which deliver crystal clear image and enhances overall experience. This is enhance with it’s no air gap display. The phone also comes with a 8.1 mega pixel camera using Sony’s award-winning Exmor R™ mobile sensor with the f/2.4 lens. It is capable of 720p HD video recording. Videos and images can immediately be presented on a large screen LCD screen though the HDMI connector on the phone.

The Xperia Arc comes with customised applications such as an improved TimeScape. There is also TrackID, ShowNearBy – a utility to search nearest ATM or movie theatres. There is also preinstalled WhatsApp and Foursquare.

In the next few pages, we will take a look at the phone and a video run through.

We tested the upcoming XPERIA PLAY android phone which is scheduled to be launched in Q2 2011. It has a PSP console like slide out. Below is a video which shows the features on the XPERIA PLAY.

BlackBerry PlayBook to support BlackBerry Java and Android apps
Native C/C++ development support added, in addition to HTML5, Flash and AIR support
Support from leading game engines: Ideaworks Labs (AirPlay) and Unity Technologies (Unity 3)
BlackBerry PlayBook becomes a new market opportunity for all the developers who have already created over 25,000 BlackBerry Java apps and more than 200,000 Android apps
Waterloo, ON – Developers wanting to bring their new and existing apps to the highly anticipated BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet will soon have additional tools and options to enhance and expand their commercial opportunities. Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced plans to greatly expand the application ecosystem for the BlackBerry PlayBook. The BlackBerry PlayBook is scheduled to launch in the U.S. and Canada on April 19.

RIM will launch two optional “app players” that provide an application run-time environment for BlackBerry Java® apps and Android v2.3 apps. These new app players will allow users to download BlackBerry Java apps and Android apps from BlackBerry App World and run them on their BlackBerry PlayBook.

In addition, RIM will shortly release the native SDK for the BlackBerry PlayBook enabling C/C++ application development on the BlackBerry® Tablet OS. For game-specific developers, RIM is also announcing that it has gained support from two leading game development tooling companies, allowing developers to use the cross-platform game engines from Ideaworks Labs and Unity Technologies to bring their games to the BlackBerry PlayBook.

Support for BlackBerry Java and Android Apps

“The BlackBerry PlayBook is an amazing tablet. The power that we have embedded creates one of the most compelling app experiences available in a mobile computing device today,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “The upcoming addition of BlackBerry Java and Android apps for the BlackBerry PlayBook on BlackBerry App World will provide our users with an even greater choice of apps and will also showcase the versatility of the platform.”

Developers currently building for the BlackBerry or Android platforms will be able to quickly and easily port their apps to run on the BlackBerry Tablet OS thanks to a high degree of API compatibility. The new optional app players will be available for download from BlackBerry App World and will be placed in a secure “sandbox” on the BlackBerry PlayBook where the BlackBerry Java or Android apps can be run.

Developers will simply repackage, code sign and submit their BlackBerry Java and Android apps to BlackBerry App World. Once approved, the apps will be distributed through BlackBerry App World, providing a new opportunity for many developers to reach BlackBerry PlayBook users. Users will be able to download both the app players and the BlackBerry Java and Android apps from BlackBerry App World.

The BlackBerry PlayBook and BlackBerry Tablet OS are built on the QNX® Neutrino® microkernel architecture with a 1GHz dual core processor and a leading OpenGL solution, which allows RIM to make this incredibly broad platform support possible.

BlackBerry PlayBook users and developers who are interested in seeing the new app players for BlackBerry Java and Android apps can see demos at BlackBerry World in Orlando, Florida (May 3 to 5, 2011) (www.blackberryworld.com).

BlackBerry Tablet OS Development Tools

The BlackBerry Tablet OS already supports an incredibly robust platform with support for Web development standard HTML5, through the BlackBerry® WebWorks™ SDK for Tablet OS, and Adobe® AIR®, through the BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR. The BlackBerry Tablet OS is built from the ground up to run WebKit and Adobe® Flash® as well, giving developers a fast and true Web experience to leverage.

RIM is also announcing today that the BlackBerry Tablet OS Native Development Kit (NDK), which is currently in limited alpha release, will go into open Beta by this summer and be demonstrated at BlackBerry World. The BlackBerry Tablet OS NDK will allow developers to build high-performance, multi-threaded, native C/C++ applications with industry standard GNU toolchains. Developers can create advanced 2D and 3D applications and special effects by leveraging programmable shaders available in hardware-accelerated OpenGL ES 2.0.

Other features of the BlackBerry Tablet OS NDK will allow developers to:

Take advantage of the QNX POSIX library support and C/C++ compliance for quick and easy application porting and for creating native extensions for both BlackBerry and Android applications
Easily integrate device events like gesture swipes and touch screen inputs
Integrate the BlackBerry Tablet OS environment into existing code management and build systems using industry standard Eclipse CDT (C/C++ Development Tools)
Leverage work done in standard C/C++ to make it easier to bring applications to the BlackBerry Tablet OS
Find and fix bugs quickly with provided debug and analysis tools
“The response to the BlackBerry PlayBook from the developer community has been exceptional. Our commitment to supporting HTML5 and Adobe AIR development has resonated and spurred developers to create fun and innovative applications for BlackBerry PlayBook users,” said David Yach, Chief Technology Officer, Software at Research In Motion. “The upcoming BlackBerry Tablet OS NDK beta will add C/C++ tools to our repertoire and gives developers one of the broadest and deepest platforms to develop on.”

Gaming Engines

Building on the power of the BlackBerry Tablet OS NDK, RIM is working with leading gaming and application development technology providers such as Ideaworks Labs and Unity Technologies to implement their native engines and application development platforms. Developers will be able to take advantage of these engines when building games and other applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook.

The Ideaworks Labs Airplay SDK is expected to include support for the BlackBerry Tablet OS soon, making it easy for publishers and developers to use their existing code to bring their games and apps to the BlackBerry PlayBook.

“Supporting a new OS can be a challenge for developers,” says Alex Caccia, President of Ideaworks Labs, “however, integration of the BlackBerry Tablet OS with the Airplay SDK makes this a non-issue. We think this is a far-sighted move by RIM: the BlackBerry PlayBook is a great device for games and applications, and combining this with content distribution via BlackBerry App World brings an exciting new ecosystem for developers.”

RIM has also been working closely with Unity Technologies, providers of the highly popular, multi-platform Unity development platform and Union, the firm’s games distribution service. Through Union, dozens of high-quality Unity-authored games are slated to make their way to BlackBerry App World for the BlackBerry Playbook.
“With a sharp focus on the multimedia experience, very powerful hardware, and fantastic games in the pipeline, the BlackBerry Playbook has all the right ingredients to be a mainstream hit,” said Brett Seyler, GM of Union at Unity Technologies. “Through Union, Unity developers have an opportunity to reach a new audience and grow with another great new platform.”

Availability
The new app players for the BlackBerry PlayBook are expected to be available from BlackBerry App World this summer. More information and demonstrations of the new app players will be shared at BlackBerry World. The BlackBerry Tablet OS NDK will be available in beta later this year and will also be showcased at BlackBerry World.

Taipei, Taiwan, March 25, 2011 – GIGABYTE Technology Co. LTD., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, is pleased to launch its latest premium graphics card – GV-N590D5-3GD-B. With two NVIDIA GeForceTM GTX 500 series GPUs on a single board and high speed GDDR5 memory, GV-N590D5-3GD-B is the world’s fastest DirectX 11 graphics card on the planet for gamers who need top performance. GV-N590D5-3GD-B features all innovative technologies including Microsoft DirectX 11, NVIDIA 3D VisionTM Surround, Quad NVIDIA SLI, CUDATM, and PhysX®. To cater to professional hard core gamers, GIGABYTE presents GV-N590D5-3GD-B premium packaging with GV-N590D5-3GD-B graphics card and GIGABYTE gaming mouse M8000Xtreme. Gamers can conquer all blockbuster games easily with GIGABYTE GV-N590D5-3GD-B premium packaging.

Heart-Pounding Gaming Experience
GV-N590D5-3GD-B features two GeForceTM GTX 500 series GPUs on a single board with 1024 CUDA cores (512 CUDA cores per GPU) and 3072MB memory size (1536MB per GPU). It delivers massive tessellation performance under its GPU architecture and can provide incredibly detailed environments and characters. In addition, GV-N590D5-3GD-B is equipped with one mini DisplayPort and three dual link DVI outputs to enable panoramic gaming across multiple screens from a single card.

Ready to Conquer with GV-N590D5-3GD-B Premium Packaging
Serious gamers deserve the most powerful gaming gear and GIGABYTE GV-N590D5-3GD-B premium packaging is designed for this. Combining GV-N590D5-3GD-B with M8000Xtreme gaming mouse in one package, gamers can beat any game easily with this special kit. M8000X gaming mouse supports high resolution up to 6000 DPI gaming grade precision and has built-in 32KB GHOSTTM engine supporting 70 onboard macros. Its powerful macro editor is able to record, read, and edit the desired scripts. In addition, M8000X’s gen-2 GHOSTTM Engine software features drag & drop structure. All settings can be easily done once dragging the drag icon on assigned macros. M8000X also provides the option to adjust and balance mouse weight ranging from 6g to 38g.

A strong earthquake struck northeastern Myanmar on Thursday night, shaking buildings as far away as Bangkok. No tsunami was generated.

The quake struck along Myanmar’s borders with Thailand and Laos, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) from Chiang Rai. The northern Thai city sustained a little damage, according to Thai television.

The 6.8-magnitude quake was just six miles (10 kilometers) deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. At that strength and depth, the monitor said 600,000 people got shaking anywhere from strong to violent and that the buildings are considered vulnerable so moderate to very heavy damage is expected in homes.

Buildings swayed in Bangkok, about 480 miles (770 kilometers) south of the epicenter.

Max Jones, an Australian resident of the Thai capital, was in his 27th-floor apartment when his building started swaying so hard he had to grab the walls to keep from falling.

“It was bloody scary, I can tell you,?? he said. Jones said he could smoke rising from nearby buildings and people running in the streets.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says it was located too far inland to create a destructive wave.

Source AFP

Sony Ericsson launches Xperia Arc, Xperia Neo and Xperia Play At Dempsey House, Singapore
Bluetooth 24 March 2011

Android everywhere, yes it is even found at the old CPMB at Dempsey House where Sony Ericsson held it’s press event for the 3 new products – Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play, Arc and Neo Smartphones.

Sony Ericsson today unveils the new Xperia™ arc smartphone with cutting edge Sony technology and an exceptional multimedia experience on the latest version of the Android™ platform- 2.3. Xperia™ arc is the first of a new generation of Xperia smartphones to be announced in 2011.

The first phone that caught our sigth is the Xperia Arc. Xperia™ arc takes the stunning design language that Sony Ericsson has become known for to a new level. Super slim and light, Xperia™ arc is just 8.7mm at its thinnest part and has a super wide 4.2” multi-touch screen. Created from premium materials and with a stunning arc body, this smartphone is sleek, strong designed to fit perfectly in the user’s hand. The best of Sony technology is inside Xperia™ arc. The Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine delivers exceptional visual brilliance and a crystal clear image which enhances the overall entertainment experience. Furthermore, Sony’s award-winning Exmor R™ mobile sensor with the f/2.4 lens enables the capture of high quality, bright pictures and HD videos even in low light. All pictures and videos can be shared in HD on your living room TV via the built in HDMI-connector.

Xperia™ arc will launch on the latest version of the Android™ platform providing access to Google Mobile Services and the myriad of applications available on the Android market. Xperia™ smartphones add best in class entertainment on top of smartphone fundamentals such as apps, maps, email and fast Internet to create the most entertaining smartphone experience.

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ arc – Key features

• Slim, lightweight and strong, with perfect ergonomics
• Extra wide 4.2” multi-touch Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine to ensure ultimate multimedia and viewing experiences
• Sony Exmor R™ for mobile: for best-in-class low-light photography and video capture
• 8.1 megapixel camera and HD video recording capability
• Android Market™ – thousands of applications to keep you entertained

Preloaded applications include:

• TrackID™: Sony Ericsson’s proprietary music recognition system that records a small sample of a song playing in the background, and displays artist, song and album info in a matter of seconds.
• ShowNearby™ for Sony Ericsson: The leading location-based service application in Singapore allows users to conduct customised searches for places of interest near you, ranging from ATMs to movie theatres.

The app comes with additional exclusive features for Sony Ericsson users, such as the bus timing widget which allows users to see all bus arrival timings at a selected bus stop at any given time. You can also find out the weather condition at any specific location, plus use a Timescape^TM plug-in that shows you nearby promotions.

• WhatsApp: WhatsApp Messenger uses 3G or WiFi connectivity when available to freely message family and friends, exchanging messages, pictures, audio notes and video messages.
• Foursquare: Foursquare is a location-based app that helps you find new ways to explore Singapore, see where your friends are, learn about these places they frequent and unlock rewards as you go along.

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ arc will be available in Singapore in Q1 in the colours Midnight Blue and Misty Silver. Pricing information will be available at launch.

Apple iPad 2 MC770LL/A Tablet (32GB, Wifi, Black) NEWEST MODEL from USD 799

Sony Ericsson launches 3 android smartphones in Singapore today. The three android phones are xperia arc, xperia Neo and xperia play.

The xperia arc will go on sale by end of march 2011 while the other two will be available in 2nd quarter 2011.

Microsoft has started pushing out it the firmware update to wp7 devices. Other than cut and paste feature, you’ll also see your apps and games load faster, your marketplace searches refined and your WiFi performance improved. There’s also a host of Outlook, messaging, Facebook, audio and camera improvements.

Users in North America are already getting the updates pushed to their devices. You might have to wait a while if you reside in the Asia Pacific region.

 After upgrade, the firmware version will be 7.0.7390.0.

The BlackBerry Playbook goes on sale at bestbuy online store for USD 499. So will you get this or the iPad 2?

This tablet features wireless networking for connecting to the Internet without wires and a 7″ LCD touch-screen display for easy navigation of features. The micro USB port allows for an easy connection to your computer.

Product Features

• BlackBerry operating system
  Allows you to stay connected and productive on the go.
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n network
  For Internet capability on the go (additional fees may apply).
• Bluetooth capability
  Allows you to pair the device with a Bluetooth-enabled BlackBerry mobile phone for access to Push technology, e-mail, calendar, BBM, tasks, documents and more. Also features BlackBerry security and data efficiency.
• 7″ LCD touch-screen display
  With 1024 x 600 resolution for clear viewing of photos, videos and more.
• 1GB RAM
  With Codex support for media playback, creation and video calling.
• 3.0MP high-definition forward-facing camera
  Along with a 5.0MP high-definition rear-facing camera for capturing special moments on the go.
• Micro USB port
  For an easy connection to your computer. Micro HDMI port for connection to an HDTV.

iPad 2 Arrives in 25 More Countries This Friday

Available in Hong Kong, Korea & Singapore in April

CUPERTINO, California—March 22, 2011—Apple® today announced that iPad® 2, the second-generation of its third post-PC device, will go on sale in 25 additional countries this Friday, March 25. iPad 2 will be available at Apple retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers at 5 p.m. local time, and online through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com) beginning at 1 a.m. Apple today also announced that all models of iPad 2 will be available in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and additional countries in April.

“While competitors are still struggling to catch up with our first iPad, we’ve changed the game again with iPad 2,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re experiencing amazing demand for iPad 2 in the US, and customers around the world have told us they can’t wait to get their hands on it. We appreciate everyone’s patience and we are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone.”

iPad 2 features an entirely new design that is 33 percent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter than the original iPad, while maintaining the same stunning 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen. iPad 2 features Apple’s new dual-core A5 processor for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics and now includes two cameras, a front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime® and Photo Booth®, and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video, bringing the innovative FaceTime feature to iPad users for the first time. Though it is thinner, lighter, faster and packed with new features, iPad 2 still delivers up to 10 hours of battery life* that users have come to expect.

Pricing & Availability
iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK on March 25 for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model, $699 (US) the 64GB model. iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model. iPad 2 will be available in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and additional countries in April, and in many more countries around the world in the coming months. Further international availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.

iMovie® and GarageBand® for iPad apps are available for $4.99 (US) each from the App Store℠ on iPad orwww.itunes.com/appstore. The Smart Cover is available in a range of colors in vibrant polyurethane for $39 (US) or rich leather for $69 (US).

PCMark 7 Announced For Windows 7

New Benchmark Includes 7 Suites for Complete PC Performance Analysis

HELSINKI, FINLAND – MARCH 21, 2011 – Futuremark®, the developer of the world’s most popular benchmarking software, announced PCMark® 7 today, a new benchmark offering complete PC performance analysis for Windows 7. PCMark 7 includes 7 separate test suites combining more than 20 individual workloads covering storage, computation, image and video manipulation, web browsing and gaming. A release date has not been announced though the official website states that PCMark 7 is coming soon. http://www.pcmark.com/

“Hardware innovations like solid state drives (SSDs), and new form factors such as netbooks and tablets are greatly increasing the range of PC performance available to businesses and home users,” said Jani Joki, Director of PC Products and Services at Futuremark. “With so much choice available, PCMark 7 is an essential and easy to use tool to test and compare PC performance accurately and reliably across a wide range of usage scenarios.”

PCMark 7 provides a set of 7 suites for measuring different aspects of PC performance with a high degree of accuracy. Overall system performance is measured by the PCMark Suite. The Lightweight Suite measures the capabilities of entry level systems and mobility platforms unable to run the full PCMark suite. Common use performance is measured by the Entertainment, Creativity and Productivity scenario suites. Component performance is measured by the Computation and Storage hardware suites. The Storage suite is ideal for testing SSDs and external hard drives in addition to the system drive.