The Google Nexus S is the first Google-branded phone manufactured by device giant Samsung. Running on Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread out of the box and easily upgradeable to 2.3.4 in most countries, the 4 inch Nexus S has seen its fair share of popularity due to its unique outward design, solid specs and penchant for seeing Android updates ahead of the competition.
Microsoft has finally signed off on the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) build for the Windows Phone ‘Mango’ update. That means that the next phase will be almost entirely in the hands of the handset manufacturers and network carriers. The news is timely, as this move needed to happen soon if Microsoft wanted to hit the market sometime around that valuable September timeframe. It would be extremely beneficial for Microsoft to get the Mango update out as soon as possible, in order to contend with Apple’s new iCloud and iOS5 software services that will be seeing a September launch. As such the next gen of iPhone is also expected around this time.
The INQ Cloud Touch was the first of the new class of Facebook-centric smartphones. Originally referred to in only whispered rumors under the moniker of Facebook Phone, the Cloud Touch is an affordable Android device aimed those who have busy social lifestyles but don’t wish to pay for a top-end device. So, how does it compare to the competition and does its Facebook-centric user interface (UI) hold up under the pressures of a heavy user?
It seems that Microsoft’s new deal with Nokia was a much more needed move by the Finish telco than by the computing giant that brought us the Windows platform. While Microsoft is now boasting record full-year profits, Nokia has experienced “clearly disappointing’ results for Q2 of 2011.
The Motorola Triumph is a reasonably priced smartphone that sits around the higher range of the market without costing as much as some of the top end devices can and it’s just landed on Virgin Mobile on a variety of Virgin Mobile plans. In terms of hardware the Motorola Triumph certainly pulls its own weight. The single-core 1GHz Scorpion processor might not be the fastest around but it should get the job done efficiently and quickly when paired with 512MB of RAM.
The folks over at WPCentral have suggested that Microsoft seems to be working on shrinking down the chip inside the Kinect for future use in Windows Phone devices. While cool if true, this news definitely raises a few questions. Firstly, if you aren’t familiar with the Microsoft Kinect it’s basically a foot-long Xbox 360 peripheral with dual HD cameras that actually track your body’s movements in real time. The idea here is that users no longer need any form of controller to play; the movement of your body is all you need to interface.
September is shaping up to be a big month. First Apple’s announcement that both iOS5 and iCloud will be coming, then some leaked documents by Lulzsec suggested a new iOS device (possibly the next iPhone) and to add on all of that WinPho Mango may have been accidentally announced via Twitter.
There’s a rumor doing the rounds right now that Apple might be releasing a new iPad in time for Christmas. Whether or not this could be the iPad 3 or an upgraded iPad 2 is uncertain, although speculation seems to be favoring the latter of the two options.
It appears the new tri-monthly rapid update model recently adopted by Firefox is already kicking itself in to gear. Just one month after Firefox 5 was released for download Firefox 6 is already available in the form of a usable beta. Firefox 6 seems to be mainly improvements for handsets and tablets so far, something we consider a definite positive for the popular browser. Traditionally Firefox versions have taken a bit long to start up on Android devices and have been somewhat sluggish overall. Firefox 6 is aiming to fix much of that in order to expand its presence in the mobile market.
Apple loves talking about its App store. Whenever a download milestone is reached, another 50 000 apps become available or when there’s a chance to compare iOS game purchases to other gaming platforms Apple doesn’t hesitate to take the initiative. So with Apple’s recent announcement that it’s finally hit the 15 billion app downloads marker we imagine Steve Jobs doing nothing short of giggling with glee to himself in a corner somewhere. For anyone it hasn’t clicked for yet 15 billion is roughly 2.2x the number of people currently alive on Earth (source: Google PublicData).
Hundreds of cell phone plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.