Digital Tech News - Digital Technology & Consumer Electronics

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus features Peel Smart Remote TV application

Pre-orders have begun for Samsung Electronics' new 16 GB Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus tablet, which is set to go on sale in the U.S. on November 13th for $399.99. The Tab 7.0 Plus has a 7-inch display and it is slim and lightweight, weighing just 345g and measuring 9.96mm thin. The tablet features the unique Peel Smart Remote TV application which allows you to instantly find and watch TV shows and discover new shows based on your preferences. Built-in infrared capabilities for controlling a home theater/TV setup by Peel allows you to control any TV, set-top box, DVD, Blu-ray player and AV audio system regardless of manufacturer. The Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus Android Honeycomb tablet is powered by a 1.2GHz dual core processor.

Verizon Wireless to release new DROID RAZR phone by Motorola

The ultra-slim RAZR phone brand is back, and this time it is a touch screen device described as the world's thinnest 4G LTE smartphone. Motorola Mobility and Verizon Wireless announced the new DROID RAZR by Motorola, which will be released in early November for $299.99 with a new two-year agreement at Verizon Wireless Stores and online. If you just can't wait, you can hit up www.droiddoes.com/droidrazr and pre-order the new Droid RAZR starting on October 27.

This slim smartphone measures 7.1 mm thin, yet it can withstand bumps,  bruises and spills because it is made made with KEVLAR fiber for strength and Corning Gorilla Glass for scratch resistance, and it also has water repellent nanocoating. The DROID RAZR is powered by Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, and it runs on Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network, which is said to provide speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G.

Impressive features on the new Motorola DROID RAZR phone include a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display with qHD resolution, an 8-megapixel rear camera with 1080p HD video capture and image stabilization, a front-facing HD camera for video chat over 4G LTE, 3G or Wi-Fi, 1GB RAM, 16 GB on board memory and 16 GB microSD card pre-installed.  This device packs Bluetooth 4.0, and it can also act as a 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot for up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices.  Quickoffice is included on this smartphone for view ing, creating and editing Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents on-the-go.

LG Marquee Android phone now available from Sprint

Sprint has released the new LG Marquee phone, which features a 4-inch NOVA display with virtual QWERTY keyboard, Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS, a 1GHz processor, and Adobe Flash support. The LG Marquee sports dual cameras, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for face-to-face video chatting. This smartphone can also be used as a Mobile Hotspot that supports up to five Wi-Fi devices.

The LG Marquee from Sprint is priced at $99.99 with eligible upgrade or new two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate.

 

Nokia N9 phone now shipping worldwide

The new Nokia N9 phone is now shipping to customers and stores worldwide, sporting a sleek button-free user interface on a 3.9-inch AMOLED screen made from scratch-resistant curved glass. The user interface on the N9 is controlled with a simple swipe, and offers three home views including Applications, Events and Live Applications. This smartphone is NFC-enabled and works with accessories like the Nokia Play 360 wireless speaker, as well as NFC wireless payments where available. The device also features an 8-megapixel Carl Zeiss autofocus sensor and wide-angle lens which also captures HD-quality video that you can easily share on your favorite social networks.

Nokia is also touting "Mobile Internet radio" on the Nokia N9, with a range of music out-of-the-box and no fees or account creation necessary. This is also the first smartphone to come with Dolby Digital Plus decoding and Dolby Headphone post-processing technology. 

The Nokia N9 is available in black, cyan and magenta colors, and in 16GB and 64GB versions.

 more from Nokia.

Verizon Wireless iPhone 4 Smartphone released and on sale today at stores and online

Today is a big day for Verizon Wireless customers who have been craving an iPhone. If you have not already pre-ordered your iPhone 4, you can today buy a Verizon Wireless iPhone 4 smartphone in the U.S. at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, all Apple store locations, Best Buy stores, select Wal-Mart stores in the U.S., and online at www.verizonwireless.com and www.apple.com

The Verizon Wireless iPhone 4 is on sale for $199.99 for the 16GB model and $299.99 for the 32GB model with a new two year customer agreement.

Sprint to release Kyocera Echo Dual-Touchscreen Smartphone

Kyocera Communications has unveiled its unique dual-touchscreen Android 2.2-powered Kyocera Echo smartphone, which will be released exclusively from Sprint this Spring for $199.99 with a new two-year service agreement or eligible upgrade and after a $100 mail-in rebate. The Echo features two high-resolution 3.5-inch WVGA touchscreen displays, allowing for some serious multitasking on-the-go when used side-by-side or combined as a 4.7-inch (diagonally) display. You can also use the device as a traditional single screen smartphone when it's closed, but you'll probably find yourself opening it up to do double duty if you need to do two things at the same time.

Kyocera says that you can use the dual-touchscreen to "send an email on one screen while surfing the web on the other, watch a video on one screen while texting on the other, comparison shop online with one web site on each screen."

The company has optimized Echo's software so that you can use the touchscreens in four ways, as described below:

- Single-Screen Mode with all the functionality of a single-display, touch-screen smartphone.  

- Simul-Task™ Mode with two of the phone’s seven core apps (messaging, e-mail, Web browsing, phone, gallery, contacts and VueQue™) running concurrently but independently on the dual displays – e.g., reading e-mail on one screen and opening a text message on the other; checking Facebook® via the browser on one screen while looking through a photo gallery on the other; or even searching the Web on one screen and checking email on the other.  

- Optimized Mode with both displays supporting a single, optimized app with complementary functionality and enhanced usability – e.g., composing e-mail on one screen with a touchscreen keyboard on the other; watching a YouTube™ video on one display while browsing and queuing additional YouTube videos on the other (with a preloaded Kyocera app called VueQue™); or viewing gallery images on one display while browsing image thumbnails on the other.  

- Tablet Mode with one application spread across both displays for a full 4.7-inch viewing area. Tablet Mode is ideal for viewing maps, videos, websites, detailed documents, and long lists on-the-go.

Samsung's First 4G LTE Smartphone coming to Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network service customers will have yet another phone to choose from soon with the upcoming Samsung 4G LTE smartphone being readied for release, preloaded with LTE-specific applications. The device is powered by the Android 2.2 operating system with Google Mobile services like Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, and access to over 100,000 apps on Android Market.

The Samsung 4G LTE smartphone for Verizon Wireless features a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus touch screen display, a 1GHz application processor and HTML5 Web browser that takes advantage of high-speed 4G LTE connectivity for faster downloads. The handheld is also designed with a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera that supports video chat. A Swype powered virtual QWERTY keyboard is also on board for text input and messaging on the Samsung 4G LTE phone, as well as Samsung's Social Hub and access to Samsung's Media Hub content service.

HTC ThunderBolt 4G LTE Android Phone will be available from Verizon Wireless

At the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show the powerful HTC ThunderBolt 4G LTE Android phone was officially announced, and will soon be released exclusively by Verizon Wireless.  4G LTE speeds on the HTC ThunderBolt will leave your average smartphone in the dust, as Verizon says you can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G Mobile Broadband coverage areas across the USA.

The HTC ThunderBolt also features the HTC Sense user interface, a 4.3-inch WVGA display, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, an 8-megapixel camera and HD video recording, integrate Skype mobile with video calling, Android 2.2 OS, Dolby surround sound, and wireless DLNA capability which allows the HTC ThunderBolt to stream and share content directly with compatible home theater components like HDTVs and stereo receivers.

Verizon Wireless and Motorola Droid BIONIC 4G Smartphone

At CES 2011, Verizon Wireless and Motorola Mobility unveiled the new Motorola DROID BIONIC Android 2.2 smartphone. The device boasts a dual core processor with each core running at 1GHz, 512 MB RAM, a 4.3 inch qHD display, and it connects to Verizon's 4G LTE service which offers speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G.  The DROID BIONIC phone supports Adobe Flash Player and HTML5 graphics, and it includes both a front-facing VGA camera with "See What I See" video feature over Wi-Fi or 4G, and a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera that captures photos and videos.

Verizon Wireless expects to release to release the Motorola Droid BIONIC Social smartphone in Q2 2011 with Wi-Fi mobile hotspot capability, pricing has not been announced.

LG Optimus 2X Smartphone features a Dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor

LG Electronics's LG Optimus 2X phone is one of the first smartphones to feature a dual-core processor, with the high-performance NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor powering the device for smoother web browsing and multitasking. The dual-core Tegra 2 system-on-a-chip on the LG Optimus 2X runs at a clock speed of 1GHz, and is said to boast low power consumption and high performance for playing video and audio. The smartphone supports 1080p HD video playback and recording and includes a HDMI output for viewing content on external full HD displays. The LG Optimus 2X can also connect wirelessly to any DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) compatible digital device and HDTV for a console-like gaming experience taking full advantage of the phone’s HDMI mirroring, accelerometer and gyro sensor. Additional features include Android 2.2 (Froyo) - upgradeable to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread),  rear- and front-facing cameras, microSD card slot, Micro-USB port and a 1500mAh battery.

The LG Optimus 2X will be first available in Korea in Q1 2011, and will then be released in Europe and Asia soon after.