I could use one – now also available with 15″ – 8th gen i7 – 16GB RAM and up to 1TB SSD

Christmas is just around the corner…

A New UI Design
Create a consistent experience across mobile and the web with material design, the new Google-wide standard.
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A New Runtime
Test your apps and get them ready for ART (Android Runtime), the default runtime in the next release.
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Enhanced Notifications
Get control over where notifications appear, how they look, and how they sync to non-handheld devices.
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Increased Efficiency
Project Volta is our effort to make the platform energy efficient and to give you more control over resource usage.
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Amazon`s approach to the tablet market is defined by the cut price Kindle Fire, which the company sells almost at costs in the hope that its investment will be recouped after users purchase content using the device.

The Kindle Fire, while only available in the US in its first iteration, is set to get a sequel in the next few weeks, with some sources claiming that this will eventually be followed by a standalone Amazon smartphone that will do battle with the iPhone range.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Amazon phone is already being put through its paces in the prototype stage and could be on shelves before Christmas, or at least in the first few months of 2013.

It is thought that Amazon will be creating a smartphone with a display measuring somewhere between four and five inches in size, presumably with a high definition resolution. This would put it in the same league as other high end handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S3 or the HTC One X, which feature 4.8 and 4.7 inch displays respectively.

It seems certain that Amazon would pick the Google Android operating system for its smartphone after using it for the Kindle Fire tablet. However, it remains unclear which version would make the cut for this handset.

The Kindle Fire has a famously overhauled version of Android 2.3 onboard, with a heavily customised interface which puts the emphasis on encouraging users to download books, rent movies and buy applications so that Amazon can make back its money.

Android 2.3 was looking long in the tooth even at the time that the Kindle Fire arrived, while Google has recently announced Android 4.1 for smartphones and tablets. This could mean that an Amazon mobile will come equipped with the latest iteration, although past evidence suggests that this may not be the case.

While the tablet market is dominated by Apple, the smartphone market is far more competitive and has handsets of all shapes and sizes for people of varied budgets and needs. If Amazon is to take on this sector then it could face an uphill struggle.

Of course if it is able to pack high end features, such as the aforementioned large display and a multicore processor solution, into a smartphone which is half the price of similarly specced alternatives, then it will find it easier to make waves.

Amazon will also have to strike deals with various mobile network providers in order to get its handsets offered alongside other contract phones. It could of course go it alone and offer the device solely through its own website, which would mean that it will be SIM free but come with an upfront cost for the consumer to bear. Only time will tell whether Amazon is indeed planning to move into the mobile market.

The Surface tablet comes in 2 versions. Both with a 10,6″ screen, where the Pro version comes with FULL HD, USB3, I5 processor and up to 128GB hard drive!

Very nice flip-out keyboard and back support. This will definitely be a huge challenge to iPad and other tablets. Let’s just hope the price is “right”.

Read more about Surface on Microsoft.com

Who is Shazam?

Grown into an established business, but retained our start-up approach and work ethic: Shazam believes in creating a magical experience and is passionate about developing innovative products and services. Because of our commitment, we have over 165 million people around the world who use Shazam to discover new songs or other content. And we’re growing every day, adding more than 1.5 million new Shazamers every week, resulting in more than 5 million tags a day!

Find out more and get your mobile app at www.shazam.com

Amazon Kindle Fire
Amazon has decided to take on the tablet market with the Kindle Fire and while some had assumed it would be gunning for big boy Apple and the iPad, this device proves that it has a different strategy in mind. The Kindle Fire is set to be one of the most affordable Android tablets around and although it will be based on Google`s mobile operating system it will feature a heavily customised interface which is very much unique. As well as playing games, running apps and allowing you to read eBooks, the Kindle Fire will let you browse the web and use Amazon`s various cloud-based services to stream media and store your data.

Pioneer Steez
The new family of urban-oriented portable speakers from Pioneer, known collectively as Steez, will catch your attention one way or another. Angular designs with piano black plastic, brushed metal speaker grills and a built-in handle for easy long-distance hauling make these models particularly suited for use out on the street. Dance crews who want to kick out the jams at their local park or take on others at a competition will know precisely what Pioneer is aiming to achieve with the Steez range and with a dock for portable media players it is ready for the digital age.

Nintendo 3DS
A generous price drop and the incoming addition of an add-on that will endow it with an extra analogue control stick makes the Nintendo 3DS look more attractive than ever. While it is still a good family-friendly portable gaming device, it is not just for playing Nintendogz with your nephew. Titles from leading franchises like Mario and Zelda are on the way and the three dimensional effects can be scaled back or turned off altogether if they do not appeal to you. In addition the cameras mounted in the Nintendo 3DS mean you can enjoy augmented reality gaming the likes of which has never been seen before.

Doxie 2.0
This may be the most practical piece of must-have technology on the list for Christmas 2011, but it is by no means a boring addition to your collection. It is a very compact document scanner which lets you create digital copies of paper documents which can be shared via your PC, Mac or smartphone. It can also be synchronised with services such as Evernote and Google Docs, making it simple to share your documents with others. This gadget and most of the others can be bought cheaply on the internet if you use PC World discount vouchers.

More info and photos here.

I think it’s time I also get one now

The encryption technology is based on MKI’s Schnuffi platform, which is claimed to help prevent unauthorized access by integrating all of the coding and security steps onto a single chip. Attempts to forcibly open the device triggers a self-destruct mechanism which is said to irreversibly burn the CPU and memory chip!

Aside from the security features, the Secure Pro still integrates a basic set of Swiss Army tools. Users can deploy the integrated knife, scissors, or nail file with a screwdriver point. The housing also features a laser pointer and a retractable ball-point pen.

The Secure Pro is currently available with storage capacities between 8GB and 32GB, with pricing ranging from £50 (~$75 USD) to £180 (~$265 USD). A real must-have for all us gadget freaks

I’m not sure – but I guess it’s going to be a hit like all the latest gadgets from Apple…

What’s your take on this, and more importantly have you tried it yet?? Feel free to leave a comment below on the subject

Update: Today’s HelpDesk helps put things in a different perspective

At a high level, Surface uses cameras to sense objects, hand gestures and touch. This user input is then processed and the result is displayed on the surface using rear projection. It is a natural user interface that allows people to interact with digital content the same way they have interacted with everyday items such as photos, paintbrushes and music their entire life: with their hands, with gestures and by putting real-world objects on the surface.

A quick demo (commercial) is seen below:

More related video’s are found here.

Windows Live is Microsoft’s collection of applications and services that according to them will help the user to gain information and keep in touch with family, friends and colleagues he/she cares about.

Windows Live was launched back in 2006 with Live releases of existing products like Messenger, Hotmail and Spaces. However, more than 40 Live products was announced at the time but only a few has seen the day of light so far and some will probably never surface at all.

In 2007 Microsoft released a second “Live wave”, this time including brand new products like Mail, Photo Gallery, the blogging tool Writer, and several services like Events, SkyDrive, Calendar and Family Safety.

Now Microsoft are building up the release of the third “Live wave” of products. First round includes new beta releases of Messenger, Mail, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Writer, Toolbar and Family Safety.

Microsoft has not made a complete list of all the updates so far but among the news released so far it’s clear that Live Messenger 2009 amongst others have been given a new design which according to Microsoft will make it easier to configure for each individual user. A screenshot is shown below:

All beta versions are available in multiple languages on this page.

To be totally honest I’ll probably stick to Digsby for for now… However, if you have any thoughts or first impressions with the new Beta series please feel free to share

As a result, NVIDIA will offer an optimized Opera 9.5 browser in its suite of pre-integrated, in-house and third-party software for the NVIDIA® Tegra family of computer-on-chip Windows Mobile and Windows CE solutions.

In an unformal comment Tor Odland at Opera says “our phones will behave like an iPhone on speed”. If it’s true and the rest of the specifications like storage and battery life can compete (or be even better) this seems like a VERY good alternative.

For more information on NVIDIA Tegra solutions, visit www.nvidia.com/tegra/, and, for more information on Opera Browser solutions for devices, visit www.opera.com/products/devices/.

Deep down in the configuration files in the latest iPhoneOS (version 2.x.) there’s a link to this “suspicious” Apple page that could possibly be used to block unauthorized applications.

The list is currently more or less empty but in case of an emergency (trojan, virus) there’s reasons to believe that your iPhone (if you have one) will connect automatically and deactivate any application that is found listed on this page.

This might also prove to be a way for Apple to block or alter additional hacks and workarounds that you have installed (at least with later versions of the OS).

Zdziarski has just written a brief note on his personal website to “clarify” all these conspiracy theories, but who knows for sure?

Noticed anything funny with your iPhone lately…?

Size and materials
Design is about 80% smaller than standard desktops, and it contains about 75% less printed documentation by weight when compared to typical tower desktops.

Power usage
Uses about 70% less power than a typical desktop, and meets Energy Star^® 4.0 standards with an 87% efficient power supply.

Packaging
Studio Hybrid packaging is made from 95% recyclable materials. And the Studio Hybrid comes with a system-recycling kit, so you can help preserve and protect the environment.

Besides looking good and “being good” it’s also a decent computer. Read all about specs, design and prices at Dell.com.