YouTube's Big Revamp!

Last week saw the launch of the refreshed and redesigned YouTube. The new interface was designed to promote YouTube Channel's, aiming to begin competing with channels provided through your household cable or Sky service. This was Google's first major redesign of the service since securing YouTube five years ago.

You now have the ability to customise your YouTube homepage. You are presented with three main columns, one to organise Channels on your left, a middle column relating to your subscriptions, and a 'recommended for you' column out on the right. There is also now an option to connect to YouTube via a Google+, or Facebook account to share what you are watching with your friends.

BEFORE

NOW

To quote the Google official blog, they say they have designed a "simpler YouTube, with a consistent grey background, bigger video thumbnails and a more streamlined watch page." as a whole the site is definitely more customisable, and Google definitely havn't stripped away that 'YouTube feel' by completely changing the look of the site. Although we aren't too sure on the huge advert banner at the top! Luckily it can be switched off.

It is clear they are focussing on making the service more 'tv-like', but don't worry as Google do promise to keep everything free, including 25 hours of on-demand services available each day!

Samsung > Apple - New advert

I have just seen Samsung's latest advert for their T3 award-winning 'Phone of the year', the Samsung Galaxy S2. It undermines Apple's 'creative' users rather brilliantly, being both subtle and funny. Of course the advert does not directly mention Apple or either the iPhone 4S, however it is quite obvious what Samsung are getting at with the suggestion of battery problems, and the quote "if it looks the same, how will people know I upgraded?".

The advert suggests that the generic iPhone groupies, are blinded by the fact the 'magnificent' phone they see someone holding, is a Samsung. Of course up until the Apple fanatics are aware it is a Samsung, they are blown away by the Galaxy S2. Check out the advert for yourself! Especially if your an Android fan...

Siri on your Android?! HACKED!

A french mobile software company called 'Applidium' recently managed to hack Apples 'Siri' service, that comes on their latest piece of kit, the iPhone 4S. The developers at Applidium managed to figure out that a vast amount of the work involved with Siri, is done on Apple's remote servers. Hence why Siri doesn't work if you are out of 3G service or not connected to WiFi.

They then figured out by using a reverse-engineering protocol how Siri communicates with Apple's servers, and that if you have the correct 'code' to speak to these servers, you can then use Siri from absolutely any device. The only thing you need to be able to use Siri on any tablet/smartphone then is a unique iPhone 4S key, which you will have to figure out how to get on your own! You can check out Applidium's Siri crack tool on their website.

This news could come as a major blow to Apple, seeing as the introduction of Siri to the iPhone 4S, is one of the main features used to differentiate it from the iPhone 4. Who knows maybe we will see Siri working on Samsung Galaxy sII's , Motorola Razr's and Amazon Kindle Fire's in the next few weeks!!!!

First Android Docking Speakers?!

Philips have just released a 'Fidelio' range of docking speakers for your android smartphone. This comes quite literally as music to the ears of many Android fanatics, who have been left without a way of docking their smartphones in order to play music aloud while charging. I am almost surprised it has taken anyone so long to get this idea out on the market! It seems like a huge gap in the market, especially seeing as Android are out-selling Apple at a 2 to 1 ratio in the UK!



Philips AS851 - This will be the more powerful of the Fidelio range, rocking 30 Watt speakers, a microUSB port for docking, a remote control, five band equaliser and Digital Sound Processing for 'crystal-clear' music. Includes Songbird for easy syncing of music between your mobile and PC. RRP is £199 and is available to buy now on Philips website.

Philips AS351 - This is the middle of the range speaker dock in the Fidelio series. It's aimed at being more portable for use at home and also on-the-go, therefore it can be powered by AC or battery. It features 10 Watts of power, a FlexiDock and even the capability of charging a second device via USB at the same time. Also includes Songbird and is retailing at £129 on the Philips store.

Philips AS111 - This is entering as the low-end speaker of the bunch, not to say it doesn't still include some top features. The digital clock display automatically syncs its time with your android phone, while it also includes a soft glow night light, Songbird, a FlexiDock and like the AS351 it incorporates 10 Watts of power. This will cost you £70 from the Philips store today.

Emulation on the Samsung Galaxy S2 - N64, PSX, GameBoy Colour, SNES

I just uploaded a video to my YouTube channel showing game-play on multiple emulators running on the Samsung Galaxy S2. All of the emulators shown run incredibly well with completely competent fps rates. I thought I would also write about each one to mention particularly good/bad points! You can check what I have to say about each one after the video...

N64oid - In the video below you can see me running 'The Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time', a timeless classic that completely performs on the Galaxy S2. The one thing I would mention with this emulator, is that obviously due to the N64 controllers being rather complex with buttons in all kinds of places!, it isn't the easiest to use. However once you have used it for long enough you will find it usable and will be playing tunes on the ocarina in no time!

Super GNES - Runs all SNES games very well, with the added bonus of the SNES roms being small files so quick to download. The interface is nice to use either portrait or landscape, with simple buttons and a D-Pad.

FPse - This playstation emulator is the most powerful of the four emulators shown in my video. Seems crazy to think you can now play games on your smartphone that were made for a platform that sold 100 million units in 9 years! Really good for all time classics such as Crash Bandicoot , Spyro, Tomb Raider and much more, with easy to use and very customisable controls.

GBC A.D. - GameBoy Colour emulator that makes your smartphone look exactly like a GameBoy!  Really good for use on touch-screen smartphones considering the simplicity of the interface. Brilliant for platform games such as Pokemon, Super Mario, Wario Land etc.http://digitalspotter.blogspot.com/2011/10/wow-samsung-galaxy-s2-overclocked-to.html

World's first Quad-Core Smartphone? ....Enter the HTC Edge

Recently leaked images, specs and rumours have appeared online over the past few days surrounding the HTC Edge. Potentially the first ever Quad-core smartphone, it will be running a 1.5GHz NVidia Tegra 3 processor, the same one used in the recently announced Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet PC.

Rumours indicate the phone will be the next step onwards from the recently announced 4G HTC Rezound. This means we can expecet a whole host of top smartphone features, including a large 4.7" 720p HD display (simliar to the HTC Titan), 1GB of Ram, 32GB of internal storage, an 8MP camera with backlight and f/2.2 lens, and expected Bluetooth 4.0.

It is not clear what operating system the Edge will be running out-of-the-box, but with the Galaxy Nexus set to kick off Android 4.0  'Ice Cream Sandwich' on the 17th of November, it would be surprising if it didn't get Android's latest software version. With HTC's recent collaboration with Beats Electronics, it is also incredibly likely that the Edge will launch with Beats Audio.

Another Siri 'Blackout'

Yesterday saw frustrated iPhone 4S users due to Siri being '...unable to do that.' Users were left in the dark as Siri was incapable of processing any commands, despite people having full service on 3G or being connected to a WiFi network. The supposed 'network outage' lasted for approximately 5 hours, with problems first being reported at around 11am PDT and the service not coming back online until about 4PM. However not everybodys Siri 'servant' are back to their usual selves, with some users still reporting problems.

Apple were quick to suggest that there could be a 'network outage', but refused to imply there may be a problem with the service. Customers reported that when calling for tech support, Apple were suggesting there servers were overloaded, despite the fact no other Apple devices seemed to incur any problems.

I have mentioned before my personal opinion on how far is too far in terms of 'technical assistants' ? For example people who were relying on Siri yesterday, would clearly have had problems. Apple are not showing any sings of an official statement on the matter as far as we know.

The whole matter almost reminds you of a certain iPhone 4 antenna situation huh?

Preview : Motorola Xoom 2 - 10.1" and 8.2"

Today saw the official announcement by Motorola of the successor to the original, and highly popular Xoom tablet PC, the Motorola Xoom 2. This time there will be a choice of sizes, either a 10.1 inch, which is the same size as the original, or a smaller 8.1 inch version (named the 'Media Edition), perhaps more suited for use on-the-go.

So what's been changed ?

Well to start, Motorola have made their successful 10.1" tablet 10 percent lighter, which weighing in at 599g is just a little lighter than the iPad 2. This weight reduction has had the result of making the tablet a whole 33% lighter! No surprise that Motorola took this decision as there was many a review suggesting the original Xoom was rather weighted. Both screens have an improved High-Definition display, which will make viewing media only more enjoyable. The processor is now a 1.2GHz dual-core, a 0.2Ghz improvement on the original. The cameras included are a 5MP rear-facing, and a 1.2MP front facing. This is interesting seeing as the original version had a 2MP front-facing camera, not really sure what has gone on there! Motorola have also shaved the corners of the Xoom 2 off, in an attempt to make it easier to hold.

A microUSB port is included in the new Xoom, this time accompanied by a microHDMI port which will be useful for input/output with various devices. You can also buy a stylus for the Xoom 2 which can be used to navigate the tablet, while also use it for various drawing applications much like the HTC flyer. It also appears infra-red is back in fashion, with the potential of controlling TV's etc with your device.


Both versions will come in 16GB with no 3G option that we know about as of yet. This is a slight disappointment seeing as there was a 32GB and a 3G option on the original Xoom. The tablet will launch with  Android 3.2 Honeycomb, a shame that it won't be running 'Ice Cream Sandwich' out of the box, however Motorola have promised there will be an update made available eventually.

You can already register for the Motorola Xoom 2 on Motorola's website.

Pictures taken from http://www.theinquirer.net and www.CNet.co.uk

GTA V teaser trailer is here!!

Today saw the release of the teaser trailer for Grand Theft Auto 5 by Rockstar Games. Rockstar's website has had the image below blown-up full screen on the homepage for the past few weeks, obviously to create a bit of hype surrounding the popular sand-box (freeroam) game.

The trailer depicts the typical cool cut, GTA gangster style, and will definitely excite fans from all over the globe. Once again you can see from the trailer, Rockstars attempt to make the game seem even more realistic by including social norms such as family, the rich and the poor, and the obvious - the good and the bad!

The setting in this edition looks to be a fictional Los Angeles, with a clear reference to 'Vinewood' suggesting the game is going back to San Andreas! The theme proposed in the trailer suggests a criminal living a thug life, but looking to get away from it in order to retire. Take a look at the trailer below and see for yourself...

Ubuntu to tackle the tablet PC / smartphone market?

For those who don't know, Ubuntu is an increasingly popular operating system distributed as open source software/ freeware. Approximately 20 million global users are estimated to use the most favoured desktop Linux distribution. Ubuntu is sponsored by Canonical Ltd, a UK based company that is owned by South-African Mark Shuttleworth.

Mark Shuttleworth claimed at the recent Ubuntu Developer Summit that he was expecting to see the Ubuntu platform coming to select smartphone and tablet PC devices in the next 18 months. This isn't a surprise considering how popular the smartphone/tablet market is at the moment. Apparently the Ubuntu community have been building on the idea for quite some time now, what with the development of the Unity user-interface, which supports multi-touch input.

Suggestions that Unity and Ubuntu could even reach out as far as TV's, and specialist screens for all kinds of purposes (e.g. in your car!), have been proposed. The open-source factors that run hand in hand with Ubuntu would certainly create an appeal for developers, especially as it is clear computing is steering to all kinds of other devices, other than just the your desktop & laptop.

GoldenEye 007: Reloaded - Coming to PS3 and Xbox next week

Next week will see the release of the revamped version of the insanely popular N64 classic, Goldeneye 007. The game has been completely redesigned for next generation consoles, and has so far impressed plenty of critics.
Many other Bond games have been made since the 1997 classic, which sold 8 million units worldwide (3rd best selling game ever on the N64), but none have made ever such an impact. Therefore the designers at Activision were keen to give the new game a similar touch to the original version, obviously with a few new game modes and HD graphics running at 60fps. Fans will enjoy the classic split-screen death match mode to play with all your mates, plus the added new option of playing online with up to 16 people.

We will have to wait and see how Goldeneye Reloaded does when released at such a similar time to the long-awaited Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, but for now check out a trailer as it certainly looks damn good!

Galaxy Nexus coming to the UK 17th November

Samsung has recently confirmed that the long-awaited Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be due for release in the UK, on the 17th of November.
Seeing as the Galaxy Nexus' predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy sII, was dubbed the 'best android smartphone yet', many android fans will be itching to get their hands on the first Android 4.0 'Ice Cream Sandwich' mobile. The 16GB sim-free version of the smartphone is already up for pre-order on Amazon, at a retail price of £549.99, that's £50.00 cheaper than the iPhone 4S! Not bad at all for a mobile that will run a 1.2Ghz dual-core processor, Android OS 4.0, a 4.6 inch super AMOLED display and 1GB of system storage! read more on the spec in my previous post here.

Check out the official presentation of the Galaxy Nexus below...

This also comes with the news that Samsung are now the world's leading vendor of smartphones, ahead of Apple. According to recent research, Samsung have taken 23.8 % of the global smartphone market in the last quarter, compared to Apple's 14.6 %. Nokia were the third company to come in the list with 14.4 % of the market.

Nokia Kinetic : World's first flexible mobile?!

With Nokia World being held yesterday, not only did we see a preview of Nokia's first Windows Mobiles the Lumia 800 & the Lumia 710, but also a concept phone with a bit of a twist!

The concept phone that was on show, the Nokia Kinetic, is actually designed to be twisted, bent and pulled in order to control it! Bear in mind this is only a concept phone, but still the idea seems incredibly interesting. It could be a very well thought out design for people living in cold countries, due to touch-screen displays not working particularly well with gloves.

Take a look for yourself below..

Scottish left in the darkness by Siri!

Floods of reports have been published online by Scottish users of Apple's latest bit of hardware kit, the iPhone 4s. Complaints that Siri cannot understand the heavy Scottish accent, has left some users at a loss. Apple do supposedly claim that Siri is compatible with the English language when spoken by 'native members of the UK.' However the recent reports suggest this may not be so true!

The question that must be posed is when to stop in terms of 'personal assistants?' I mean we all managed to use mobiles before Siri! And there would be a few less Scottish persons stumped at what to do, when learning their new assistant doesn't understand them!

Sneak Preview at Nokia Windows Phones - Lumia 800 & 710

Tomorrow should see the official unveiling of Nokia's first ever two Windows Phones - The Lumia 800 and the Lumia 710. Both phones will be running the latest version of Windows mobile OS , Windows Phone Mango. 

The Lumia 800 will sport a design almost identical to the Nokia N9, a tremendously sleek design with curved edges almost like we have seen in past iPhones. And if it has all the same design traits of  the N9 then we can expect an 8 megapixel camera that can shoot video at 720p@30fps, a 1.4GHz processor, 1GB RAM, a 3.9 inch AMOLED display, 16 or 64GB internal storage, and plenty more top of the range smartphone features. Check out the trailer below for the Nokia N9.

In contrast, the Lumia 710 (AKA Sabre) could reportedly contain a 1.4GHz processor, 1GB RAM, a 5 megapixel camera and a 3.5 inch touch-screen display, looking more like a slightly more budget smartphone as we have seen with the Nokia C7.

Nokia world will begin a mere 9-10 hours away from now as things begin at approximately 9AM BST. You will be able to follow live coverage of the event online if you so wish, and I will be writing up on the event later in the day.

GTA 5 Rumours and Speculation - Teaser Trailer coming soon!

The announcement that Rockstar Games will release Grand Theft Auto 5 has now been made official. Of the multi-award-winning video game series,  the most notable past releases were GTA IV that sold 22 million copies, and GTA San Andreas which sold a massive 22.5 million copies. Hopefully the new edition which is speculated for a late 2012 release, and also potentially aimed to be a first game on a next generation console, will follow in popularity with its predecessors. 

Rockstar are promising a teaser trailer on November the 2nd, so we will just have to wait and see what the next edition is promising to bring fans from across the globe!

Check these vids out for a history of the sometimes controversial series, and a teaser trailer....for the teaser trailer haha!

Overview : Amazon's first tablet - the Kindle Fire

With the extreme success of Amazon's popular e-reader, which accounts for 59% of all e-readers that are shipped, it is no surprise the company have decided to build on that platform and design a tablet PC. The Kindle Fire is essentially a tweaked and tuned version of its ancestor the Kindle, that provides extra services and potential.

The Kindle Fire includes a 7" colour touch screen display that uses in-plane switching to achieve a wider reading angle (much like what we have seen on the iPad). The tablet will run a modified version of Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and it is still unclear whether this will be updated to 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich at some point. Also included is 8GB of internal storage + free Amazon cloud storage, a dual-core processor, WiFi connectivity, a 3.5mm audio jack, and approximeately 8 hours of reading battery life (7.5 hours video playback). On top of this, Kindle Fire users will have access to 18 million movies, TV shows, songs, e-magazines and e-books, fast internet-access, plus a wide variety of apps available on the Android Appstore. If you are a Amazon Prime member you will also gain access to unlimited, immediate streaming of thousands of movies/tv shows.

The tablet is on sale in the US already at a very reasonable price of $199.00 (£124.37), and will be released on the 15th November. It is unclear when the Kindle Fire will be due for release in the UK yet. Reasons for the cheap price presumably include the fact no camera is included, no 3G is available and neither will GPS be a possibility. One thing I personally think could distract potential buyers, is that it steers away from the E-Ink electronic paper display, which makes reading on the Kindle so easy. However still at this brilliant price, it certainly looks like a good budget-tablet

Android Market Reaches Half a Million Apps

The number of apps available via the Android Market reportedly reached 500,000 last September. This is a huge number that is still rising, considering that Android was merely founded in October of 2003. Research2Guidance, who are a research firm that focuses on mobile statistics, claimed that in September, the number of apps available on the Android Market was only 17% less than the content available on Apple's App Store.

It is expected that potentially by the closing stages of 2011, or the start of 2012, Android will overtake Apple in terms of apps available on their individual stores. In September of this year, 42,000 apps were uploaded to the Android Market.

Blackberry Playbook - is Flash a significant factor over the iPad/ iPad 2!?

One thing that the iPad, iPad 2 and all Apple iPhone generations have failed to include, is the presence of Adobe Flash on their systems. The Blackberry Playbook, however, includes full Flash support. This is a major factor that supports Mike Lazaridis' claim that the Playbook is 'The world's first professional tablet'. Considering that Flash supports 75% of video content on the web, it is a major advantage web-browsing wise when comparing the Playbook to Apple's devices.

According to Adobe, 98% of desktops support Flash, so the question is, why do Apple not support it on their devices? Well, Apple enjoy incorporating their own hardware and software into all of their devices, and they are also very big on keeping the performance of their products at their optimum. Apple have claimed that Flash is 'glitchy', and would also have a degree of effect on performance aspects such as battery-life. Another issue would mean Flash on Apple devices opens a great new door to developers. Developers could write code in flash and just put it on a webpage for iPhone/iPad users to access online. This could potentially mean less business for the app market as people could just go to the web for Flash games, websites, apps and more!

Nevertheless Windows Mobiles are expected to run Flash, while some Android devices already do. So perhaps Apple will need to give in to Adobe in the future? If they are to keep up with the smartphone/tablet market.

Check out the video below previewing Flash on the Blackberry Playbook.

New Android Film Rental Service from Google

A new film rental service for use with all Android devices has been launched by Google. Prices for film rentals start at just £2.49 for Android customers in the UK. It will be interesting to see how this service will compare in popularity with already established film-renting services such as LoveFilm. Initially Android users in the UK will have access to approximately 1000 different films, however im sure that figure will grow as it becomes more widely used. Once you have rented a film using the service, you will have access to it for up to 48 hours.

Wow, Samsung Galaxy S2 overclocked to 1.5Ghz !

Just seen a video online of somebody that has overclocked their Samsung Galaxy S2 to run at a massive 1.5Ghz. Overclocking is a technique that is usually used to improve performance on your desktop PC , quite often for gaming purposes, by increasing the clock rate (cycles per second) of a computer component. Overclocking can often lead to damage and poor functioning if not done correctly so I definitely wouldn't recommend trying it out unless you know what you are doing!
This video shows the S II performing at a grand 1.5Ghz, thats faster than the new iPhone 4S 1Ghz processor, the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus 1.2Ghz and even the new Motorla Razr Droid at 1.2 Ghz!

Take a look for yourself!

and another...

Motorola Razr returns! To arrive in UK next month.

It seems Motorola have brought back their popular Motorola Razr, the mobile that once sold 130 million handsets worldwide, and is still today the best selling clamshell mobile ever. However the new Motorola Razr Droid , will leave the clamshell design behind, and opt for a more current, slick design.

You can already register now  for the Droid Razr, on Motorola's website. So what do we know about it spec-wise?
The smartphone includes a 8mp camera with the opportunity of recording 1080p video. While this is more megapixels than the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus AKA Google Nexus Prime, this does not necessarily mean the camera will be of a higher quality. The new Razr also includes a 4.3 inch super AMOLED display, a super fast 1.2Ghz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and not to forget its only 7.1mm thick. 

Software wise it does include some pre-installed Motorola apps, a notable one being 'Smart Actions', where you can program instructions to carry out specific tasks, based on things such as your current location or the time of day. Also similar to Samsung's Kies Air, the new Motorola smartphone includes an app called Motocast that lets you remotely access your files from your PC or laptop. The Razr is expected to have an update to Android 4.0 ICS in 2012, but for now it will be running Gingerbread.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich's awesome new facial recognition lock!

Just happened to see a video of the new facial recognition software that can be used to authenticate somebody access to your smartphone. A brilliant idea in that if you were using the feature and happened to have your mobile stolen, they may not be able to gain access to the handset.
This is just one of many new and exciting features that comes to Android 4.0 (will be posting full review soon). It also comes in conjunction with news that Siri on the iPhone 4S could be a serious potential security flaw. Reason being it can be accessed from the lock screen and so if your handset is stolen, you can then use Siri to repeat back to you personal details that have previously been stored on the phones memory. While Apple claim there is a button to turn Siri off, Siri is on by default.

Anyway check out the video of Android 4.0's new facial recognition locking software!

As the time draws closer! Nexus Launch !

We are now less than an hour away from the Hong Kong launch of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and once again another video has leaked online!!!

This video gives a full hands on preview of the Google Nexus Prime running the brand new Android 'Ice Cream Sandwich' and damn is it looking swish!!! Looking forward to a full run down of features at 3am!!

Remote VNC Pro with Samsung Galaxy S II - Control your desktop through your phone remotely!

I just uploaded a short preview of myself using the Remote VNC Pro app available to download via the Android market, on my Samsung Galaxy S2 to remotely access and control my desktop computer. This is an incredibly good app that is free to download, easy to use and really could save you if you have forgotten a file at home or work! Or if you want to lie in bed and control your desktop without having to move to your desk, then this is your answer!

First Look !!! - Samsung Galaxy Nexus / Google Nexus Prime reverse photos!

Images of the back of the new Galaxy Nexus have started to appear online just a matter of hours before the scheduled launch in Hong Kong at 3AM GMT tonight! The reverse of the smartphone appears very clean cut with the camera set in the middle of the mobile, almost similar to the design in the previously seen HTC desire. Also good to see, very much as expected, a flash included in the back of the latest piece of Android kit! The side on photo also shows the exciting, slick curvature of the phone.

More info posted when it appears online/ after the launch event!!

Nexus Prime/ Ice Cream Sandwich Preview & Launch - Just hours away (3am UK time)

The Nexus Prime is apparently to be showcased at a Google X Samsung launch late tonight (Tuesday evening) in Hong Kong, this will be around 3am UK time. This will be the first official showcasing of the latest piece of Android hardware (See the first unofficial hands on video here.)

Read more on the Google Nexus Prime/Samsung Galaxy Nexus in my previous post here. This launch event also means there will be a preview of Androids latest OS version 'Ice Cream Sandwich.' This is an event that Android fanatics have been drooling about for more than a while now! And I'm sure there will be plenty of people staying up late tonight to see what Android have in store for their customers.

Gameplay - Samsung Galaxy S2 running FPse - Crash Bandicoot Warped and Tekken 3!

Just put togethor a little 'hands-on' gameplay video showing the FPse Playstation Emulator running on my Samsung Galaxy S2. The emulator works incredibly smooth and includes customizeable controls, vibration settings, button themed types, Save/Load state options and much more. Head over to the Android Market and purchase it for yourself, and you could be running ROMS of your favourite classic PS1 games in no time!

Check out the video..

BlackBerry says 'Sorry' to customers with free Apps & Vlingo

Due to the large outrage from BlackBerry customers in Europe, The Middle East and Africa last week, RIM have responded by promising customers a variety of free apps, and even BlackBerry's 'Siri' alrernative - Vlingo (RRP $19.99/£12.62). Other free apps that will be made available free to subscribers by Wednesday this week, include the Sims 3, iSpeech Translator Pro, and Photo Editor Ultimate. Customers will also be awarded free technical support as a result of RIM's blackout.

RIM co-chief executive Mike Lazaridis commented that "We are grateful to our loyal BlackBerry customers for their patience" and that "We are taking immediate and aggressive steps to help prevent something like this from happening again."

But the question that must be asked, is whether this is all too little and too late? and have an already under-threat company, potentially lost a number of customers faith. This comes as news this week that the Royal Bank of Scotland , has begun the trial use of iPhones and iPads among senior staff. Similar trials have also begun amongst  US banks such as Citigroup and the Bank of America. Read more about that here.

Android Ice Cream Sandwich X Google Nexus Prime (Galaxy Nexus) Launch!

This week will see the release of the long-awaited Google Nexus Prime (AKA Galaxy Nexus), at a launch event that will also unveil the new Android OS 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
The Nexus Prime is said to be the most highly anticipated Android mobile ever, and will be the first mobile to run the new 4.0 OS.We know that the Nexus will make use of Google's new Google Wallet system, as that is now official on their website, also Long Term Evolution and Near Field Communication.

Speculation also suggests the Prime will include a 4.65 inch Super AMOLED screen, 4G LTE Radio Ready, 1GB of RAM, a 1.5GHz Dual-core processor, shoot in 1080p HD video and have a slick ultra-thin finish. This time there will be no buttons and the smartphone will be entirely touchscreen.

'Ice Cream Sandwich' (Android OS 4.0) is what a lot of current android owners will also be excited about due to its release this week. The new version will pull aspects that have been particularly admired in various previous versions of the operating system, such as 'Honeycomb' and the Tablets OS. It aims to be the first Android OS that can be integrated between smartphones and tablets collectively, without the need of a seperate version for each device.

Early indications show that android users could be in for a very solid update with a bunch of features that look very promising. While the interface and navigational menus may not differ too far from previous versions, a new multi-tasking panel should appear, while the Music app has supposedly had a refreshing facelift, with the possibility of integrating it with Google's new Music Cloud experience. Another key feature is that you should be able to transform your tablet (and potentially smartphone) into a USB hub, which would allow the use of perhiperals such as keyboards/mice/game controllers etc. Face detection is also rumoured to be included, and as always the OS will be open-source.

We will just have to wait for the launch this week to see what other features ICS will reveal! More information will be posted as soon as it is available.

iPhone 4 running Siri!?

THIS video shows the Siri interface working on the older iPhone 4 model. However the creator of the Youtube video does still claim that they are unable to connect to Apple's servers. Essentially, at the moment there is no way of running Siri as it is intended to be used on the iPhone 4s, on an older model iPhone. It does ask the question though, why do Apple not release Siri to be used with the iPhone 4?!

Well the obvious reason would be that its a main selling feature of Apple's new "Most amazing iPhone yet", and by not giving iPhone 4 users access to the feature, Apple will hope to get customers to upgrade. The second idea as to why Apple will keep the feature exclusive to their latest bit of hardware, is because Siri on the iPhone 4 may cause even the very slightest affect on performance, which of course for Apple, would not be acceptable.

Also, not really post relevant, but a funny video I happened to come across ..

Steve Wozniak queues for iPhone 4S?

The co-founder of Apple was reportedly the first customer at the front of a long queue waiting to get their hands on the new iPhone 4S. You would have thought being the co-founder of the company, you might not have to queue to get the new handset! Seems like a crazed marketing stunt by Apple if you ask me!

Blackberry Catastrophe : Latest!

The past week has been dubbed such things as 'BlackBerry week', the 'BlackBerry Crisis' and so on due the Candian maker 'RIM's darkness relating to their regularly heavily-used services. Customers this week have been left unable to surf the web or use BlackBerry Messenger (a feature that draws many young customers to the service) for long periods of time, leaving users across Europe and many other places across the globe angry and potentially looking for a new mobile service.
THIS  article suggests that BlackBerry could lose up to one in five customers ! thanks to this weeks upsets. This is a staggering number for the already under pressure mobile company, and I'm sure BlackBerry will be attempting to put things right to ensure that the service does not go down again. More information on the matter will be posted as soon as new information is released.

Steve Jobs Memorial

A Steve Jobs memorial service is to be held on the 16th of October at the Stanford University campus. The memorial service is expected to attract notable Silicon Valley names, and others who knew Jobs on a personal level. The event is supposedly a private service and will not be open to the public. 

Steve Jobs  was co-founder, chairman and chief executive of Apple Inc, working with them from 1974 - 2011, and recently passed away on the 5th of October due to pancreatic cancer.
While I and many more may not be personal fans of Steve Jobs, there is no doubt that he was a major influence in technology that is widely used today. A lot in which many people used to hear news of Jobs death, such as the iPad, iPhone and other Apple devices.

Apple iOS 5

I happened to have enough free time today to check out the apple store and have a look at the new iPhone 4s, and its new OS iOS5.
The most notable change in the updated OS is the notifications center. Almost strangely similar to the 'pull-down' notifications center we have already seen in the Android OS 'Gingerbread', it provides users with regular email, event and social networking reminders you may not have otherwise remembered. While this is a good (yet possibly already thought of by Microsoft) feature, I also had a chance to test the precision in Apples new 'Siri' service. Siri is good enough to comprehend with common tasks such as 'Do I need to wear a jacket today', but overall I personally was not impressed by the precision in Apple's new 'killer' feature. I asked many a questions in which Siri did not return the correct words in which I had spoken. I will try to get a video up as soon as possible demonstrating 'Siri' working at its prime. The new iPhone 4S does not appear a dramatic improvement on the already popular smartphone iPhone 4, however initial sales do not indicate Apple fans have lost faith in the company. Rumours already indicate the iPhone 5 could be set for release in late 2012 but I will be sure to keep you updated when more news on that is made official!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq-UTP9YU_Q

Google Nexus Prime confirmed for launch on 19th of October!

The long awaited and apparently most anticipated Android smartphone to date, has had its launch date confirmed on the 19th of October, only 5 days away!
This news come just days after leaked images of the smartphone were posted up online, along with the already famous Unofficial first-look video. The phone will be running the latest in Android firmware, Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0), which is set to be the first in Android software built for use on tablets and mobiles combined. The Nexus Prime is set to have a dual core, Cortex A9 chip which should run at an impressive 1.2GHz! along with 32GB of internal storage, a super-amoled HD screen with a large 4.65 inch display, a 5 megapixel camera that shoots at '1080p' on the back, a 1.3 megapixel camera on the front, and a 1,750 mAh battery.