Samsung GT-i9070 Spotted at FCC En-Route to China

Unveiled a year ago, one of the most popular Android smartphones available on the market, Samsung Galaxy S II still makes headlines from time to time.  Due to customers’ high demand for Samsung Android products, the Korean handset maker decided to launch more versions of the Galaxy S II in order to offer all Android fans the chance to taste some of the phone’s features. Aside from the carrier-bounded Galaxy S II variants, Samsung released a slew of Galaxy S II smartphones with more or less features in comparison with the original model. This time we have a specific Samsung GT-i9070 smartphone, which was spotted for the first at the Wi-Fi Certification site and in Samsung’s User Agent Profile, about a month ago. Today, the folks over...

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Nikon D400 DSLR May Arrive in Late March

Wondering what will replace the recently discontinued D300S in Nikon’s DSLR lineup? So are we, but apparently Nikon Rumors has managed to figure this one out. According to the website, there’s a strong chance that the camera will be called the D400 and some sources seem to suggest that it will be introduced by Nikon in late March 2012. No info regarding the specs of the DSLR accompanied this report, but if we were to guess we would say that improved video recording and a higher-res image sensor would be the most likely changes to be introduced. A higher ISO range could also make its way on the specs list, to make the D400 more competitive with Nikon’s current DX format digital SLRs. Speaking of the DX format, Nikon Rumors also reports that,...

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Motorola Recruits ATRIX 4G Owners for Soak Test

Shortly after Motorola managed to gather enough Motorola DROID RAZR owners for its new project, the company decided to start sending invites to Motorola ATRIX 4G users who want to participate in a soak test. Obviously, only Motorola Feedback Network members are eligible for this soak test. Although the handset maker did not reveal any details regarding the contents of the software update to be tested in the following days, there’s a high chance that this is a minor bug-fixing update. In the same news, Motorola already announced plans to upgrade some of its high-end smartphones to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and the ATRIX 4G, sadly, is not among the devices mentioned by the company. We can safely assume that Motorola will gather enough...

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Android 4.0 Kills the Menu Button

With Android 3.0 Honeycomb, came along the lack of a menu button on devices. In Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, no hardware button means that developers need not map it in their applications anymore.  Before Honeycomb, the button was used for applications to deliver various options that were relevant to the user, using the activity’s built-in options menu.  Since the physical buttons were removed in Android 3.0, the ActionBar class came to the stage to make options immediately visible to the user. Ice Cream Sandwich follows on the same tradition, and  applications built for the new OS flavor need to change to come in line with the new requirement.   “In order to provide the most intuitive and consistent user experience...

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DROID RAZR MAXX Now Only $199.99 at Amazon

DROID RAZR’s chunkier brother is available for purchase at Verizon Wireless for $299.99 (230 EUR) with a new two-year agreement. Although the smartphone was launched only yesterday, it looks like Amazon already slashed DROID RAZR MAXX’s price to only $199.99 (150 EUR). However, the smartphone is on backorder for the moment, but customers who cannot afford to purchase the DROID RAZR MAXX from Verizon or those who simply want to save $100, can wait in line at Amazon for their smartphones. The device features a similar specs sheet as the classic DROID RAZR with a few exceptions, such as the front-facing camera, battery, as well as size and weight. The DROID RAZR MAXX is a bit thicker at 9mm and weight a bit more than the DROID RAZR, 145g (battery...

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RIM Preps a CDMA Version of Porsche Design P'9981

Research In Motion is rumored to plan the release of a CDMA version of its Porsche Design P'9981 BlackBerry smartphone that landed on shelves only recently. Rumor has it that the company might aim at launching the device under the name of Porsche Design P'9531, though it would keep about the same hardware specs as the original. Porsche Design P'9531 should include a 1.2GHz processor and 8GB of internal memory, along with a microSD memory card slot with support for up to 32GB of additional storage space.  The CDMA flavor of this luxury handset might be launched on shelves at Verizon Wireless in the United States, though Sprint could also receive it. The original handset is available for over $2,000 and the CDMA flavor should be priced...

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ASUS Tries Out Laptops with Kinect Sensors and Windows 8

We already knew that Windows 8 was going to bring a slew of new features to the table, but we hadn't heard of Kinect-supporting laptops until today. Nevertheless, that is exactly what recent reports say ASUS is working on. To be a bit more specific, ASUS supposedly has two prototype netbooks with Windows 8 and Kinect built-in (go here to learn all about them). Microsoft means to use Kinect as a basis for computer logon that detects user presence and uses face recognition to decide whether or not access is permitted. ASUS may or may not care about that, but it probably does about the console-like gaming potential of its machines. Either way, one thing is almost certain: if Windows 8 does support Kinect features, ASUS won't be the only company...

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Power Ethernet Intros 'PE Socket' Electric Socket with Networking

It has been known for some time that it is possible to use a home's power outlets to install a local area network, but the first electrical socket with Integrated LAN has only now been introduced. The HomePlug AV standard for Powerline networking is not exactly new, but the “PE Socket” from Power Ethernet certainly is. Quite simply, this is the first electrical socket that integrates the networking technology out of the box. The PE Socket offers four Ethernet ports, filling the role of a fully-managed network switch, not just that of a filtered power socket. By using a building's electrical wiring, it creates a high-speed and secure data network for PCs. The connection is fast and stable, enough for Voice over IP phones, web-connected TVs,...

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Siri Works on iPad 2 with Spire, Absinthe

The popular personal assistant exclusive to the iPhone 4S, Siri, can now be installed on iPad 2 tablets. That is, if you’re willing to perform a few gimmicks that aren’t for the faint-hearted. According to the iDownloadBlog, to get started you need to jailbreak your iPad 2 with Absinthe (on iOS 5.0.1), install Spire and iFile (free downloads via Cydia), and then use SiriProxy on a computer. The app is supported on Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. The parts involving the jailbreak and Spire are fairly easy (for the relatively savvy user, of course). The SiriProxy thing is a tad more complicated, and it involves some risks. According to the tester, “This could make your iPad kick into ‘iPhone mode’ which makes your screen look funky, as everything...

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N8 and Other Symbian Anna Devices Now Shipping with Nokia Belle Preinstalled

Nokia confirmed last month that it would start rolling out the Nokia Belle update to some Symbian^3 smartphone sometime in February 2012.  However, it appears that the Finnish handset maker is already shipping some of these devices with Nokia Belle preinstalled. These Symbian Anna smartphones that are now shipped with Nokia Belle are not yet available in all regions, but the handset maker confirmed that the N8 with Belle was at the moment available for purchase in India. Responding to a Nokia fan who was asking about the upcoming availability of the N8 with Belle on board, the Finnish company said "We are already shipping new versions with Nokia Belle installed. Check with your local store for more information." Moreover, Nokia also...

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Windows 8 Laptops to Pack Kinect Sensors

Kinect has already been announced for Windows PCs, yet it appears that some vendors out there might be set to take it to a brand new level.  Rumor has it that ASUS is considering the release of a Window 8-powered laptop that would also include the Kinect sensor inside.  In fact, The Daily claims that they have already had the chance to check these devices, and that they do sport the said Kinect sensors at the top of the screen.  These are said to be Asus netbooks that run under the Windows 8 platform, and it seems that Microsoft has already confirmed that they are prototype devices set to land on shelves with the Kinect sensor packed inside.  The sensor is placed on top of the screen, where the webcam is usually located...

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Nikon D800 Full-Frame DSLR to Launch on February 7, Says Report

At the beginning of February, Nikon will reportedly introduce the successor of the recently discontinued D700 digital SLR, the full-frame D800, which is rumored to include a higher resolution image sensor than its forerunner, and improved video capabilities. As Nikon Rumors has found out, the announcement will take place on February 7 in Japan, February 6 in the US, while shipments will begin a few weeks after this date. The Nikon D800 has suffered an important number of modifications when compared with the D700, the most important of these being the addition of a new 36MP full-frame image sensor. This will be seconded by an Expeed 3 image processor, the combo enabling Nikon to offer a 100 to 6,400 ISO range that can be expanded to 50 –...

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Matrox Mura MPX Gets HDCP Compliance, 4-Panel Video Walls Await

Matrox used to be quite a player on the graphics card market back in its time, but NVIDIA and ATI (now AMD) left it behind eventually, so the company focused on specialized video solutions instead. One of its special-purpose products is the Matrox Mura MPX, a series of video wall controller boards aimed at the business/enterprise sector. Essentially, the Mura MPX input/output boards receive video signals from up to four sources and then “combine” them into a single image that ends up spread across four different displays. Matrox designed the Mura MPX a while ago but has now issued a new announcement about them. Basically, the video wall controllers have received HDCP compatibility, which means that high-definition video signals can now be...

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Galaxy S III Spotted on Samsung’s Website

Galaxy S III is the next flagship handset that South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung is expected to launch, with the Android operating system on board.  The handset has been rumored a few times before, and some more solid confirmation on it has just emerged. Samsung has listed it on its website, it seems.  A Samsung GT-i9300 smartphone was spotted on the handset vendor’s official page for the UAE, and it seems that this is the successor of last year’s Galaxy S II model.  Moreover, Younghee Lee, Samsung executive, confirmed that the phone was on its way to the market, and that the company was reviewing its launch timeframe. Listen to the audio clip below to learn more.  Galaxy S featured model number i90xx, Galaxy S...

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