Digital Tech News - Digital Technology & Consumer Electronics

DROID 4 Phone by Motorola available on Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Network

Available now from Verizon Wireless, the new DROID 4 by Motorola is the thinnest and most powerful 4G QWERTY smartphone offered by Verizon Wireless. The phone measures less than half an inch thin, and offers a five-row QWERTY keyboard with edge-lit keys for easy typing in the dark.

DROID 4 runs on Verizon's 4G LTE network, and it features a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread - upgradable to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a 4.0-inch qHD display with scratch and scrape resistant glass, an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture, Front-facing camera for video chat, and 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot support for up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices.

Sprint to Launch Samsung Nexus S 4G phone with Google Voice

Finally, a mobile phone that takes Google Voice seriously. Sprint is scheduled to release the new Nexus S 4G phone by Samsung packing Android 2.3 and integrated "Pure" Google Voice, which will allow Sprint customers to set their existing Sprint wireless phone number as their Google Voice number, and also take advantage of all of the features offered with the preloaded Google Voice Android app.

Other highlights and features of the Nexus S 4G smartphone include a 1GHz Samsung application processor, 5 megapixel rear-facing camera and camcorder and front-facing VGA camera, a gyroscope sensor, 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, 16GB Internal Memory, 512MB RAM, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Integrated GPS, and a 1500 mAh Lithium-ion battery.

Nexus S 4G goes on sale in the coming weeks exclusively from Sprint for $199.99 with a new two-year service agreement or eligible upgrade.

 

Manage multiple devices with Google Voice

Google Voice makes it easy for people to manage and access most of their voice-based communication. It lets users manage up to six different devices through one phone number with intelligent call routing and advanced features like call screening, blocking and recording using the phone’s dial pad. Sprint subscribers will be able to use their Sprint number across their office, home and wireless phones, and personalize settings so calls from friends ring their wireless device and home phone, while calls from the boss only ring at the office. Google Voice users can receive transcribed voicemails and read or listen to them online. They can also read, send and search text messages and call logs online at www.google.com/voice.

Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY Playstation gaming smartphone announced

The Playstation phone is official. Sony Ericsson announced the new "PlayStation Certified" Xperia PLAY Android 2.3 based, gaming smartphone at the 2011 MWC, and it is scheduled to be available globally in selected markets as soon as March 2011. Xperia PLAY features a 5 megapixel camera, a 4-inch multi-touch screen and social networking features, but mobile gamers will be interested in the slide out game pad on this smartphone. It packs a digital D pad, two analogue touch pads, two shoulder buttons and the four PlayStation icons: circle, cross, square and triangle. Xperia PLAY is powered by Qualcomm’s optimized Snapdragon processor with a 1Ghz CPU and embedded Adreno GPU graphics processor, which is said to deliver smooth 60fps play-back 3D mobile gaming and Web browsing on-the-go.  The Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY also comes pre-loaded with an app for finding and downloading game titles that have been optimised for Xperia PLAY.

Sony Ericsson has partnered with key publishers in the gaming industry to deliver a rich, vibrant ecosystem at launch and post launch with many leading new titles available via the AndroidTM Marketplace. Leading franchises coming to Xperia™ PLAY includes EA’s Need For Speed, Sims 3 and a world-first multiplayer version of FIFA 10 for mobile. GLU Mobile/Activision will be bringing Guitar Hero while Gameloft’s titles include Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell. Sony Ericsson is also partnering with Unity Technologies, using its award-winning development platform, to ensure a continuous flow of high quality 3D game titles.

Content partners at launch include:

Sony Computer Entertainment
Digital Chocolate
Digital Legends
Electronic Arts
Fishlabs
Gamehouse
Gameloft
Glu Mobile
Handy Games
Namco Bandai Networks
Polarbit
PopCap
Trendy Entertainment
Unity Tecnologies

Kineo Android Tablet eBook Reader from Brainchild aimed at Schools and Students

Aimed at students and schools that want to use tablets and handheld devices in the classroom, Brainchild has introduced its new Kineo Android Tablet eBook Reader. Created specifically for education and learning, the Kineo is school-safe with built-in safety features. For example, the Kineo can only access websites that are pre-programmed by a school administrator or teacher, and messaging capabilities have been disabled to make sure that students use the Kineo for learning, as described in the following video.

According to Brainchild, Kineo Tablet orders are being taken now and the device will ship in March. The cost per Kineo is $299.99.

Motorola ATRIX 4G Phone Available for Preorder from AT&T on February 13

Touted as the world’s most powerful smartphone, the new Motorola ATRIX 4G phone will available for preorder on February 13th, as well as bundled pricing for the slick Motorola ATRIX 4G and the Motorola Laptop Dock combination.

AT&T is pricing the Motorola ATRIX 4G smartphone at $199.99 with a two-year service agreement, and it will arrive in stores on March 6th. The device is powered by Android 2.2 and a 2x1 GHz dual-core processor and it also boasts 1 GB of RAM, a high-resolution qHD display, Adobe flash player, and AT&T Mobile Hotspot service for connecting additional Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Unique accessories for the smartphone include Motorola's super-thin Laptop Dock, and the Motorola HD Multimedia Dock which uses ATRIX 4G's HDMI video output capabilities and processing power to enable browsing, application and media on an HD display aot HDTV.

New Asus Eee Pad Tablet PCs and Handheld Slate Devices Announced

ASUS announced four new tablet computers at CES 2011, including the Eee Pad Slider, Eee Pad Transformer, Eee Pad MeMO and Eee Slate EP121 models. 

Google Nexus S Phone by Samsung features Android 2.3 “Gingerbread” operating system

Google has announced the new Nexus S phone, which is manufactured by Samsung and based on the popular Samsung Galaxy S smartphone. The Nexus S will have some cool features when it's released on December 16th, including the latest Android 2.3 “Gingerbread” operating system, a front facing VGA camera and rear facing 5 megapixel camera with a flash, a 4” Super AMOLED 480×800 touchscreen Contour Display, a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 16GB of internal memory, Google Mobile services, and near field communication (NFC) short-range wireless technology. The Nexus S can read NFC tags on objects like movie posters, stickers and t-shirts, and provide information on the item right on the phone.

Google also announced that over 200,000 Android devices are activated worldwide everyday, and that developers can now get their hands on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread SDK/NDK. Android 2.3 is said to also offer user interface refinements, a new keyboard and text selection tool, Internet (VoIP/SIP) calling, improved copy/paste functionality and gyroscope sensor support.

Customers can buy a Nexus S starting on December 16th at Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores in the U.S. unlocked for $529 or from T-Mobile for $199 with a two-year service agreement and qualifying voice and data plan. In the U.K., the Nexus S will be available at Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy stores on December 20th.

Google literally takes you on a walk through of the Nexus S smartphone in the following presentation video, while the Google Android team's backstory video below shows the vision behind the product.

Gran Turismo 5 Game on Sale Now for PlayStation 3

Sony Computer Entertainment America has just released the highly anticipated Gran Turismo 5 car racing videogame for PlayStation 3 in stereoscopic 3-D. Priced at $59.99,  Gran Turismo 5 should keep gamers occupied and entertained for some time with awesome cars like the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing, and a load of new features and options.

For the first time in the franchise, players can look forward to real-time car damage, dynamic weather effects, kart racing, access to select NASCAR® cars, a Course Maker and robust online community features. The game will also feature an impressive line-up of more than 1,000 licensed cars from the world's top manufacturers and more than 20 tracks with over 70 variations, including famous world circuits, city courses, snow and dirt, and original environments popular among fans.

Verizon Wireless to release Samsung Galaxy Tab on Nov. 11th for $599.99

Verizon Wireless has announced release details and pricing for the sleek Samsung Galaxy Tab Android-based slate tablet device. It will be available on Nov. 11th for $599.99, which is not cheap these days. Verizon Wireless will be offering customers a monthly access plan that starts at $20 a month for 1 GB on its 3G network. Sporting a 7-inch touch screen, the Galaxy Tab will be running on Android 2.2, and powered by a 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird Application processor. Lets not forget that the Galaxy Tab does support Adobe Flash 10.1 for video and mobile gaming.

Google TV Box Tour with Google TV Apps Preview Video

Since we first heard rumors about Google TV a few years back, people have been patiently waiting for Google to make progress with its IPTV plans. Now we finally get some new details about Google TV box features on a new dedicated website.

Describing it as "a platform that combines TV programming and the open web into a single, seamless entertainment experience",  the official Google TV blog revealed upcoming features along with the video below previewing Google TV apps. One of the coolest features is the ability to use your smartphone to remote control Google TV.