Apple iTunes Preview Feature Lets You Browse for Apps in Regular Browsers New Apple iTunes Preview Feature Points to Browser-Ready App Store Version

Looking for apps for the iPhone and iPod touch can be annoying if you re
not exactly interested in buying any. But what if one could brow
se the App Store in a regular, old-fashioned browser? Wouldn t that be
convenient? Well it looks like iTunes Preview can do that for you now!
Apple has silently rolled out a web version of its App Store. All you
have to do is select the �Copy Link � option from the iTunes
application and the URL will take you there. The site offers you a full
description, pricing details and screenshots of any application from the
App Store. Not a bad feature, wouldn t you agree?
Furthermore users have access to system requirements, customer reviews,
update details and they also get information regarding the developer s
official Web site and support pages.
The website does require some more tweaking and tuning as it looks like
it won t be able to compare to the iTunes application when it comes to
actually browsing the App Store. Looking for new software or music will
not work as good as on iTunes and you won t be able to search for any
specific applications from within the browser.
iTunes Preview already works with music content and users can now
preview songs thanks to those 30-seconds samples that can be played
within the browser without the actual need of opening the iTunes player.
It looks like Apple might slowly be moving towards a new iTunes concept:
direct access to all the content available, music, videos and apps, from
any browser connected to the Internet. Such a move sounds very
interesting as it won t require you to download the application on your
device and maybe not even store the content locally.
Nothing is official yet and in the mean time we ll have to stick to
buying music, apps and video shows from the iTunes app. But it will be
interesting to see what happens with the whole iTunes concept in the
future as Apple is getting ready for even more content with the
introduction of their new iBook store.

redsn0w Unlocks & Jailbreaks Any iPhone or iPod touch redsn0w 0.9.2 Hack Deals with All iPhone & iPod touch Models

In case you own an iPhone or iPod touch that still happens to be locked
and �jailed � then we have an unlock and jailbreak solution for you.
Actually the iPhone Dev Team has developed redSn0w 0.9.2 and we only get
to show it to you. Not that we would ever encourage or support any
attempt of unlocking and jailbreaing iPhones and any other mobile gadget
whatsoever.
Unlike the iPad which will be available unlocked from the start, but
still �jailed � by Apple, most iPhones happen to be locked to the
carrier that sells them for a subsidized price. Together with the iPod
touch the iPhones are also jailed by Apple and the only way of getting
software installed on them is through the App Store available from Apple
s iTunes platform.
Naturally these conditions are not acceptable by �professional �
smartphone users that would want to run other apps on their iPhone or
iPod touch. You know, the kind of apps that get banned from the App
Store for various reasons.
Hence the need for a software capable of doing all that unlocking and
jailbreaking for you. There s one dedicated team that does that kind of
thing and everything is free of charge. The iPhone Dev Team has just
made available the latest version of redsn0w. Version 0.9.2 will unlock
and jailbreak any generation iPhone or iPod touch released so far. The
new hack is compatible with Windows and Mac OS X x86 platforms but
additional versions for Linux and PPC OS X users are on their way.
The custom hack comes with support for iPhone OS 3.0 and 3.1.2 and I bet
that the iPhone Dev Team can t wait to get their hands on Apple s
upcoming firmware version for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.
redsn0w 0.9.2 will install Cydia, afc2 and the IPCC tethering hack for
you. It also comes with custom logos and deals with WiFi issues reported
by other unlock and jailbreaking software.
Have you unlocked and/or jailbroken your iPhone yet?

Nexus One Getting Multi-Touch Functionality Google Rolling Out Multi-Touch Support To Android 2.0, Deal With Apple Reached?

Last week, we told you about the reports that sources within Google were
blaming the company's deal with Apple for the reason that Nexus One
phones in the United States didn't have general multi-touch support. An
entry on the Google Nexus One blog revealed that they'll be rolling out
an update today that will enable multi-touch on the phone.
Multi-touch, which Google's blog entry calls pinch-to-zoom
functionality , will be rolled out to all Nexus One phones via an
over-the-air update. More specifically, the multi-touch will be enabled
in the browser, Gallery app and Maps applications. No word from Google
on if it will be enabled for third-party apps, and since the news just
broke, reports from Nexus One users haven't come in yet.
Remember that Nexus One handsets in the US had limited multi-touch in
the phone's virtual keyboard only. TechCruch is also reporting that
Google is now letting mobile phone manufacturers and carriers decide if
they want to enable multi-touch on any currently available Android 2.x
smartphone, via a over-the-air update.
As we reported last week, sources within Google were telling the
internet press that Google wasn't including multi-touch on their phones
because of a deal with Apple. Apple's multi-touch patent in the United
States is very 'weak' and 'undefendable'.We've already seen multi-touch
on the Palm Pre (without a lawsuit from Apple), and Motorola's CEO
didn't seem to be phased by any Apple patents, as he revealed that
multi-touch would be coming on Motorola Android phones in the future.
Is a corporate rivalry brewing between Cupertino and Mountain View?
We'll let you decide, but if any Nexus One users out there got the
multi-touch update, please feel to post your opinions in the comments
section.

Litl CEO Responds to Apple iPad Unveiling iPad 'is More of a Traditional Device' Says Litl Founder – A Missed Opportunity

Following on from our full coverage of Apple s launch of the iPad, and
consequent to reporting on Litl Webbook a couple of weeks ago, John
Chuang, the founder and CEO of Litl, has offered his reaction to the
Apple iPad " and his thoughts are consistent with what we re hearing
from other industry players.
As reported by Xconomy, who tipped us on John Chuang s reaction to the
iPad (thanks Liasa) Litl s CEO reaction to Apple s iPad is, as noted
above, is very much that Apple have missed a golden opportunity that
could otherwise have furthered the status of the Tablet some
considerable way. Indeed, John Chuang hardly holds back in stating that
he belives that Apple took �the easy road and that the iPad is, in
essence, �just a big iTouch .
Here s John Chuang s feeling concerning the iPad published here with
permission of Xconomy (also credited below):
�We think the iPad is an extension of what they already have done,
in a different form factor. Ultimately, we are about a much bigger
change in how operating systems work and how computers work. We are
about operating-system-as-a-service, about being extremely
maintenance-free, about content, about synching. The iPad is more of a
traditional device "an extension of the mobile platform, which we ve
seen, but at the end of the day it s still local hardware, with local
storage, and that s not what we re trying to accomplish.
On the absence of an expected Apple announcement on January 27 about a
cloud-based, streaming music service : That sort of service is where we
see our company going. A service like that would not only benefit Apple
users but it would benefit Litl users, because everyone will be able to
access their information from any device. That s the world that Litl is
moving toward. They had the opportunity to transition their operating
system more toward that, but that s not what they did We re actually
relieved to see that Apple didn t jump head first into the cloud. That s
where computers are going, and that s where we are now. We re going to
use our head start to keep making our product better.
On whether Apple's entry into the tablet market could enhance consumer
awareness of devices sized between phones and laptops : They ve
introduced this easel-like concept, and our take on that is that, with
the Litl Webbook, we re giving you a device that is fully functional in
laptop mode and in easel mode. It s purposely designed to be a
no-compromises experience, with a full keyboard. They obviously
approched it with a tablet, and it will be interesting to see how
successful that is. But at the end of the day, I think there is
definitely going to be more choice for consumers between a plain old
laptop and a cell phone, and all of that is good. The Litl vision of
computing can really be put on all sorts of different devices with
different form factors. �
Interesting. So we re not the only ones disappointed with the iPad (like
we didn t know that already?).

Logitech Touch Mouse iPhone App Available Now, For Free Logitech Free iPhone App Transforms iPhone & iPod Touch into a Multitouch Wireless Trackpad & Keyboard

Personally I ve always been somewhat of a fan of Logitech and this shows
no sign of abating anytime soon thanks to Logitech release a free iPhone
and iPod Touch app that acts to transform your iPhone/iPod Touch into a
wireless trackpad and keyboard.
The Logitech Touch Mouse iPhone/iPod Touch App " which is free, just in
case you hadn t got that " works by harnessing the respective devices
WiFi connectivity allowing you to �point, click, scroll and type from
afar, in any application, on a Mac or PC with text input being
helpfully displayed on your iPhone/iPod Touch as your type.
Logitech Touch Mouse iPhone/iPod Touch App Key Features:Multi-touch
trackpad with the option for two or three mouse buttonsTwo-finger
scrollingKeyboard with Control, Alt, Command/Windows keysOn-screen text
display while typingShow or hide the keyboard at any timeTrackpad and
keyboard are available in landscape and portrait modes
The Logitech Touch Mouse iPhone/iPod Touch App " which, incidentally,
is gaining great user feedback (I m getting it myself as I write this)
" is yours, for free (I said that already , didn t I?) right no via the
iTunes Store (kudos to Logitech).

iCall iPhone VoIP App Gains 3G VoIP Calling Apple Lifts 3G VoIP Restrictions, iCall First App to Take Advantage

What with Apple having updated its iPhone developer SDK to allow for
VoIP calls over cellular networks iCall have been quick to take
advantage in now offering what they bill as the first, and presently,
the only iPhone and iPod Touch App to embrace VoIP functionality on 3G
networks.
The iCall iPhone and iPod Touch App, which is already available to
download via Apple s iTunes store (making iCall impressively quick off
the mark), is especially interesting not only thanks to offer 3G VoIP
calling but, also, as there s a strong chance that iCall will also work
with the newly unveiled Apple iPad (the iPad offers 3G " the 3G version
anyhow " and comes with both integrated microphone and speaker).
I applaud Apple's decision to allow iCall to extend its functionality
beyond Wi-Fi and onto the 3G networks, � said Arlo Gilbert, iCall s CEO.
�This heralds a new era for VoIP applications on mobile platforms,
especially for iCall and our free calling model. I hope that now more
developers will begin using our VoIP as a platform to integrate VoIP
into their applications.
The iCall iPhone and iPod Touch App is yours to download for free with a
free trial of its services but, after this trial, you have several
options such as an unlimited talk plan coming in at some $10 per month
(US/Canada) and a bill per call service though, if you are prepared to
put up with ads, you ll find yourself rewarded with free calls.

Nokia Doesnโ€�t Like Appleโ€�s โ€�Biggest Mobile Companyโ€ Claims Nokia Corrects Steve Jobsโ€� Keynote Claims; Nokia Still Number One Mobile Company

One strange thing happened during the iPad
keynote this week. Just before Steve Jobs unveiled the new product he
showed us again Apple s performance during these last few years. At a
certain moment he claimed that Apple is �the largest mobile devices
company in the world. � He wasn t talking only about iPhones but about
MacBooks and iPods too.
Steve Jobs even placed the Apple logo on top of Nokia and I bet the
Finnish company really hated that moment. In fact, Nokia decided to
respond to Apple and set the record straight. Apparently Nokia is the
�biggest mobile company by far � and it has been the biggest mobile
company for the last 12 years.
Mark Squires, the head of social media for Nokia wrote on the Nokia blog:
sometimes there are articles floating around on the sphere that get my
blood pressure rising to what my doctor is prone to call an
�unreasonable level for a man of your years/weight/physical condition'.
Reading coverage of one of our competitor's much hyped web pad event
this week, I was surprised to see that, by revenue, they were claiming
in their leader's keynote to be the largest mobile devices company in
the world �.
The difference between the two companies is even larger if you use the
more common measure: the number of devices sold. By that comparison,
Nokia has been the largest mobile devices company in the world for a
dozen consecutive years.
In case you forgot, the two companies have sued each other and both
filed with the ITC in order to ban the imports of the other company.
Will Nokia go after Apple for these �biggest mobile company � claims?
We ll just have to wait and see whether Apple will want to publicly
answer to Nokia in the following days before we decide who shall win
this pissing contest.

MSI Planning To Release 10-inch, $499 Tablet MSI Tablet Powered By Tegra, Specs Still Up In The Air

Despite the 10-inch $500 tablet market tablet getting a strong entry
yesterday, MSI is planning to solider on with their own 10-inch
touchscreen tablet which will sell at a $499 price. The device will come
out in the second half of 2010 in the United States, and will be priced
at $500.
MSI's tablet will be powered by NVIDIA's Tegra 2 technology and will be
running MSI's own flavor of L
inux. MSI demoed the device at CES to the press, but only after Apple's
announcement did they announce their prospective release date and
pricing. It's a bit odd that they would go head-to-head with Apple in
the price.
Don't write this off as an iPad rip-off. The iPad isn't perfect, and if
Apple faces competition from more well-equipped rivals (ahem, Nexus One)
it could drive them to improve the second edition of the iPad.
Despite showing prototypes at CES, MSI isn't ready to confirm what
internal specs the new tablet will have, other than it'll have the Tegra
2 chipset. MSI is hoping to adjust hardware based on market demand, and
they'll include different models of their new tablet line.
One place Apple might have an advantage over them is the dimensions of
the device. We've seen the iPad is thin and light. People who tried the
MSI tablet prototype at CES report that it's thicker and heavier than
it looks.
No word on an exact date, but keep your eyes peeled for the MSI tablet
sometime in the second half of this year.

ASUS Eee Pad Tablet Confirmed The Same Day Apple Tablet Debuts ASUS Exec Picks a Bad Day to Reveal Plans for Eee Pad Tablet

Not sure about you guys, but I was thinking that no other company would
even dare to make any official announcements today, as Apple is all
geared up to bring some amazing news that will take the tech world by a
storm. However, it looks like ASUS don't care much about the whole hype
around the Verizon iPhone release date, the iPhone 4.0
OS or the highly rumored Apple Tablet, and today, Vice-president Eric
Chen, has confirmed the company's plans to start manufacturing the ASUS
Eee Pad tablet.
What's even more interesting is that the company exec didn't bring much
to the table except for the obvious ARM-based processor, 3G connectivity
and the fact that ASUS is paying particular attention to the user
interface, comparing it with the iPhone. You look at the iPhone, for
example. The reason the iPhone is so successful " and call quality is
really not that good " is the UI function, I think, is just the best.
So this is also the way that we need to improve, he mentioned.
Other than the above, the Nvidia Tegra 2-powered Eee Pad is also going
to play video or something, when you like ; and can we speculate it's
going to be 720p quality, and not 1080p?
For now there's nothing official regarding availability and pricing, but
does anyone care, knowing that in 1 hour mark, Steve will be on the stage?

Luxurious Python iPhones For the Rich Fashionistas Python Inspired iPhone by Stuart Hughes

Remember Stuart Hughes, the Liverpool based company that has managed to
get our eyes and trash our pockets with their luxurious devices that
only the uber-rich could afford? We're talking about the iPhone 3GS
SUPREME, the solid gold PS3 SUPREME or the golden Nintendo Wii designs
that has been released last year, or Nokia Supreme, the most expensive
Nokia handset that they released this year. Well it looks like the guys
are at it again, this time pimping an iPhone with some python skin.
Not sure how appealing that's going to be for those militating for
animals rights, what we know is that Stuart Hughes has partnered with
David De Nizza of Milan and releasing a luxurious Apple handset that
features Python skin on the back of the case — expertly furnished
by hand over the original casing. On top of that, there's a 24ct gold
bezel with Swarovski crystals, sapphires and diamonds.
We use genuine Snakeskin from the Python originating from Indonesia ,
which we import using the appropriate documents(an expert permit of the
exporting country, import approval of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and
Industry) issued by authorities designated by the Washington Convention.
Although not as expensive as their previous work, the pimped iPhone will
set you backย between pound sterling1,695 and pound sterling6,495,
depending on the color as there are hundreds of choices to go with.

Sungworld Reveals Android-Powered MID Sungworld's 7-inch Android MID Takes Design Cues From The Apple iPhone

Sungworld, the maker of all things electronic, cheap and knocked-off of
popular devices, has revealed a 7-inch, Android-powered MID which
borrows the design of the Apple iPhone.ย The Sungworld Android MID
features a 7-inch touchscreen, an ARM926 processor and an Android UI
that has been suggested to resemble the iPhone OS.
The Sungworld 7-inch Android MI
D is not the first knock-off design that the company has released.ย
Last year, they released a $73, 7-inch netbook that resembled the
popular EEE PC, and before that the company produced a VAIO-style
notebook with a clear copy of the Sony VAIO logo.
While the designs are inspired by popular gadgets, the hardware specs
stand on their own.ย The Sungworld 7-inch Android MID features a 7-inch
touchscreen display, an ARM926 processor, 512 MB RAM, 2GB SSD, WiFi and
1080p video playback.ย Some reports even suggest that Sungworld's new
MID will feature an HDMI port for on-the-go connection to media devices
or for mobile playback of HD video on your home entertainment system.
Sungworld's iPhone-inspired MID should ship in the early part of 2010,
but pricing information has yet to hit.ย If Sungworld sticks to their
brand, it'll likely be priced somewhere between $cheap and $budget.

Apple Tablets Running iPhone OS 3.2 & 4.0 Spotted in Testing Analytics Company Flurry Identified 50 non-iPhone Devices Running iPhone OS 3.2 & 4.0

Flurry, a mobile analytics company, has apparently spotted 50 devices on
Apple s campus. Now don t expect any hot pictures since the company
doesn t have that kind of information. When I say spotted I mean that
they have interpreted data which shows that those Apple devices running
iPhone OS 3.2 and 4.0 are not iPhones. What other hardware do we know
capable of running iPhone OS?
Flurry says that those unidentified iPhone-like devices must be the
tablets that were being tested around Cupertino. The pre-release tablets
were noticed last year too but tablet testing increased significantly in
January 2010.
According to Peter Farago, Flurry s vice president of marketing, these
iPhone-like devices did not identify themselves as iPhones when asked by
the software. But what s clear is that they were running two iPhone OS
versions, 3.2 and 4.0.
Flurry suggests that those devices testing iPhone OS 4.0 have left Apple
s campus while those tablets running OS 3.2 stayed within the Cupertino
campus.
Earlier this month rumors said that the tablet would come with iPhone OS
4.0 on board. The new OS was said to be unveiled in two days from now
but maybe Apple will surprise us all by launching version 4.0 only
together with the iPhone 4G this summer and equipping iPhone OS 3.2 on
the upcoming tablet.
Flurry analyzed the applications that were downloaded and tested on the
new device and most of them were games:
Historically, tablet devices have been considered substitutes for
anything where workers use clipboards, note pads or day runners. In more
industrial settings, they could be used for inventory management, taking
purchase orders or data entry. However, there was a surprising dearth of
applications that support these use cases. Instead, the largest category
was games.
It s definitely fun turning the iPod touch or the iPhone into a mean
gaming machine but will we want to play the same games on a larger device?
On Wednesday we ll find out whether Flurry was right or not so stick
around for more Apple tablet-related news, folks!

Free Streaming Music Heading to Apple? Apple Discusses Free Music with Four Major Labels; iTunes Cloud Music Streaming Support Coming Soon

While people keep talking about the upcoming tablet, the iPhone 4G and
iPhone OS 4.0 Apple execs are busy with something totally different, but
complete
ly related to the core of their business. It looks like Apple is
interested in offering free streaming music to its customers and given
that iTunes is a big part of portable Apple gadgets such a
free-of-charge music service will be very well welcomed.
Although not confirmed yet it, looks Apple wants to bring the music to
the cloud. Thus the user will be able to access music from any connected
devices. The music would be stored and streamed from the cloud although
this will imply some heavy Internet use from consumers. But with all the
wireless hotspots around available today, music streaming might just
happen sooner than expected. Not to mention it will free up some of that
storage space that one could use for depositing other stuff instead of
music files. Say more games maybe?
Lala, a music company familiar with music streaming services was
acquired by Apple in December for $85 million. Following the purchase
analysts expect Apple to use the newly gained technology to transform
iTunes into a cloud-based music store. Our future playlists will be
pushed to the cloud and thus they will be easily accessible from
anywhere on Earth where there s an Internet connection.
Apple is said to have met with four major music labels regarding the new
music service but I think it s highly unlikely for the Cupertino-based
company to launch a new version of iTunes next week. Free-of-charge
music streaming is definitely something achievable and the cloud idea
could benefit a lot of Apple faithful customers. But there s no
indication that Apple has been preparing a new iTunes version for the
January 27 media event. And we all know how last time Apple updated
iTunes its new features have been leaked well ahead of the actual launch.
What about you? Ready for some cloud-based music streaming?

$1,000 BarMax iPhone Application Available in the App Store $1,000 iPhone/iPod touch App Too Expensive for Our Taste

Apple s App Store should be a nice, fun location that should be filled
with fun, useful content for the iPhone and the iPod touch. But as we
already know, the App Store world is dominated by a tyrant that only
lets certain application in. Well to be fair it lets most apps in as
long as they don t break any of Apple s written and unwritten laws.
And it looks like Apple, the tyrant in question, has decided to approve
a way too expensive application. BarMax is the app in question and, at
$1,000, it s way too expensive for our taste. I wonder how people setup
these prices. Do they really think they will score with such apps? Why
not lower the price and make sure you get lots of downloads instead?
Well I ll tell you just why in a second.
BarMax is the $1,000 app and it s apparently dedicated to future
lawyers. Well if you are preparing to become a lawyer well that s
entirely a different thing. Think of it like an investment in your
future and make sure you do pass the bar exam in order to make that
$1,000 back as quickly as possible.
The application was designed by Harvard lawyers and it will help you
pass that exam on condition that you actually study hard. For $1,000 you
get an application that s $1GB in size and that includes audio lectures,
practice tests, flash cards, and everything you would need from a
2-month course. The current version is made for the California bar but
other versions will arrive soon and they will be probably priced
similarly. By the end of the year you should find a BarMax version for
New York and other five popular states and a $500 version will feature
only multiple choice tests.
All in all, although it s still too expensive for our taste, this
application might just be one of the best resources in its niche. What
do you say, young lawyers, is BarMax going to be something you d
consider buying?

Zune Phone to be Announced at MWC 2010? Microsoft Could Launch Windows Mobile 7-based Zune Phone in the Near Future

In a surprising move Apple launched the first iPhone two three
years ago. The iPhone 2G was a revelation for the mobile business
which completely changed the way we imagine smartphones. What followed
was a frenzy of touchscreen handsets from various manufacturers. Meant
to fight against the iPhone and bring in some extra cash, none of those
models truly made a stand for themselves.
Microsoft stayed away of all the commotion and although people said that
Redmond was working on a Zune or Pink phone, Steve Ballmer never
confirmed the existence of the device. Even Google, a brand new player
in the smartphone business, managed to launch its own phone earlier this
year but Microsoft is still silent. Everyone was expecting them to try
to counter the Apple iPhone with a phone of their own but Microsoft
never came through for us.
Nowadays, when some people fear that Windows Mobile 7 could be postponed
to 2011, we hear more news about a Zune Phone. The rumored handset
should arrive sooner than we think and we definitely want it to be a
good, dependable handset.
According to Katherine Egbert, a technology analyst at Jefferies, the
Zune-based phone could be unveiled at the MWC 2010 in Spain next month.
If that doesn t happen then the next major event, the CTIA 2010 in
March, could feature the Zune Phone.
Naturally, the device will run Windows Mobile 7, a 5-megapixel camera,
HD video recording support, and an iTunes-like music
subscription/purchasing service. Bundle that with Microsoft Marketplace
and you could end up with a nice device capable to fight against the iPhone.
Microsoft would make a risky move announcing the Zune Phone now, a few
months away of the iPhone 4G launch. But this risky move should have
been done a while ago, so maybe it s time for Redmond to grow some nuts
and claim its place in the mobile business.

Chinese LCD Factory Goes On Strike Labor Strike May Affect Apple, Nokia Gadgets, Workers Will Get Their Bonus

e out yesterday in East China as workers for Wintek went on strike on
rumors that they would not get their New Years bonus for the second year
in a row. Wintek, a Taiwanese company that manufacturers screens for
mobile phones, including the Apple iPhones and Nokia phones, owns
manufacturing plants in China, which is where the strike took place.
Speculation has this strike potentially slowing the supply of iPhones
and other Nokia phones.
Every year in China, workers look forward to a week off of work on the
Chinese New Year (February 14th, this year), and a hefty bonus (some
sources say the average Chinese worker can expect a bonus equivalent to
$1,000 for the Chinese New Year – take it for what it's worth).
Last year, with the poor economy, Wintek declined to give out the bonus
to employees.
As the New Year holiday approached, rumors circulated around the factory
that Wintek was once again going to decline giving out a holiday bonus
to the workers, which led to the strike. Roughly 20% (2,000 of 10,000)
employees went on strike outside the factory, ceasing production for the
entire facility.
The workers aren't just upset over their bonus.Wintek is known to use
n-hexane, a flamable cleaning chemical that is used in cleaning LCD
screens and causes nervous system failure and death in humans. Hexane
isย illegal in the United States and other Western countries, but still
used frequently in China.
Four workers died in the past year, which the Wintek workers attribute
to the company's use of n-hexane. Wintek replied that one of the
worker's died of heart failure, and the other three were unrelated to
n-hexane, but the workers weren't convinced.
The strike lasted five hours, and riot police responded to keep the
strike from getting violent. At the end of the day, Wintek promised
everybody was getting their New Year's Bonus, and that they haven't used
n-hexane since August. Internet speculation has this strike affecting
supply of Nokia phones, iPhones and the iTablet – when in all
actuality, it probably won't.

Aluratek Shows Off PMP Cinepal PMP To Sport 720p, 8.9-inch screen, DivX

If you're still in the market for a standalone PMP, then you might find
Aluratek's new Cinepal PMP really tempting. The device comes with a
slate tablet-style appearance, with a sharp bezel and a wide 8.9-inch
display. Aluratek has been a leader in digital picture frames and has
also dabbled in internet radios and even NAS devices, but this is their
first PMP attempt.
The Cinepal will feature 4GB of on-board storage, which is expandable
via a SD memory card slot, or through a USB port. . The Cinepal will be
capable of playing MP3 and WMA music files, and for video, it'll play
almost anything you want, including AVI, VOB, DAT, MPG, MPEG, H.264, MVK
and RMVB.
DivX support will also be present, including support for DivX's new DRM
scheme, which will allow u
sers to purchase DRM protected DivX movies from a few sites already on
the market. In addition to the music, videos and pictures, the Cinepal
will also have 'eReader' functionality, which more than likely means it
will be able to read PDF files.
Despite the big screen and DivX support, the lack of a HDMI output and
no sort of wireless options might make this one to skip – and if
the rumored Apple Tablet device is, as some have suggested, a big iPod
touch , then that might make this Cinepal even more undesirable.
For those who still want one, Aluratek has promised a long battery life
, although they couldn't give any numbers. No release information was
given out, but they will cost you $180.

iPhone OS 4.0 Coming Soon? App Developer Suggests iPhone OS 4.0 Imminent Arrival

More proof points to the fact that the iPhone OS 4.0 is coming soon.
Rumored to be unveiled on January 26/27, during the Apple
tablet-dedicated event, the upcoming iPhone OS has apparently been
confirmed by a �prominent app developer. �
The rumored email from said developer basically said that their
application has been updated for the new iPhone OS 4.0 software. As
always with these kinds of news it might all be just too good to be
true. But then again, Apple hasn t issued a software update for a while now.
Other rumors say that Apple has refrained from updating the iPhone OS in
order not to reveal details about the upcoming iSlat
e tablet. That should prove again that the tablet is basically an iPhone
on steroids which could potentially run on an iPhone OS version.
Last year we told you how some app developers have been asked by Apple
to make full-screen versions of their apps which would be ready to run
on the tablet. While those rumors haven t been proved, when looking at
the whole picture everything seems to get more meaning.
Basically we can expect Apple to roll out its tablet at the end of the
month and also launch iPhone OS 4.0 at the same time. Once the tablet
and the new mobile software version are out we might find more details
about the upcoming iPhone.
The phone itself is not out just yet and I don t think it will arrive
earlier than July. While certain carriers do say that an early April
launch of the iPhone 4G is possible, I think it s highly unlikely for
that to happen. Apple is probably waiting for everything to fall into
place according to its own needs before launching the new phone. One of
the main arguments against an early iPhone launch would be the AT T
exclusivity deal. Apparently Apple is waiting for it to expire before
revealing the new iPhone to the public.
So there you have it, folks, while iPhone 4.0 OS might be coming in the
following weeks together with the tablet, the iPhone 4G will only land
later this summer.

LG to Launch Windows Mobile 7 Smartphone in September? Windows Mobile 7 is Alive; LG Android 2.1 Smartphone Also in the Works

Although it s the weekend, ladies and gentlemen, and we d expect people
to actually rest during these days, it would look like the tech world
doesn t have time to pause. And neither do we!
A very hot rumor is saying that LG is thinking Windows Mobile happy
thoughts. And I m not talking the 6.5 or 6.6 kind. Yes, you got it
right, it looks like LG will launch a Windows Mobile 7 device this fall
and we d love to hear more about it. Unfortunately this whole commotion
is based on some Twitter rumors which basically say that:
LG will release a Windows Mobile 7 mobile phone in September and an
Android 2.1 mobile phone in April in the USA followed by Europe just
after that.
Which gets me to the second rumored item of today, the Android 2.1
smartphone that LG is supposed to launch this April. We don t expect LG
to confirm any of these two upcoming gadgets but if I was a betting men
I d say that the Android 2.1 phone is definitely coming this spring. As
for the Windows Mobile 7 device, sure LG will launch one when the new OS
from Redmond is good and ready. But will that happen this year or only
in 2011?
Right now we ll be waiting for Apple s move. Should Cupertino launch
iPhone OS 4.0 at the end of the month, we might just see Google and
Microsoft hurry up to introduce Android 2.1 and Windows Mobile 7 at MWC
2010 in February. After that we can expect manufacturers, including LG,
to make more Android and Windows Mobile handsets in a preemptive strike
against the upcoming iPhone 4G.
And if Apple doesn t launch iPhone OS 4.0 in a few days, I d say that
both Google and Microsoft still need to launch their updated OSes as
soon as possible. After all the iPhone 4G is definitely coming this
summer and when it does, it might, yet again, deal a successful blow to
the competition.

iPhone 4G to Come with Touch-Sensitive Casing? Rumors Say iPhone Next-gen Casing Will be Just Like Apple’s Magic Mouse, Touch-Friendly

It s time for more iPhone 4G rumors folks and the one I m about to share
with you sounds very interesting. In fact, if true, it might totally
change the way we interact with the device and it could convince most
people to switch to the next-gen iPhone.We have previously talked about
the features that should be found inside the new phone and they also
sound very interesting: dual-core processor, OLED display, removable
battery, better graphics chip, front-facing camera and more. But what
nobody really cared about was the casing of the phone. And this is where
things get really interesting. It looks like the case will be as
touch-friendly as the Magic Mouse, also a new Apple creation.
According to Robert Chan, an analyst from Goldman Sachs, the new iPhone,
that s coming in June, will come with a touch-sensitive casing. If
indeed this is true then we can expect the new casing to help us
navigate through menus faster, scroll through pages and perform
different tasks activated by a fast touch on the back of the phone.
While all that sounds pretty innovative, although in all honesty there
is a phone that uses a similar concept, the Motorola BACKFLIP, I ask you
if we really need an all touch iPhone? How would one grab the phone?
Will involuntary touching of the case initiate a sequence of events that
we didn t really want to activate? Will we have to turn on the casing
every time we want to use it?
But hey, Apple comes up with whack, out of the box ideas that most of
the time just work. Steve Jobs will probably explain the features of the
new iPhone 4G better this summer when everything should unravel before
our eyes.
Oh and the picture above is an iPhone 4G design that presents the
next-gen iPhone in an interesting combination of aluminum and glass.
Naturally it s just an interesting design but not the official one.
Picture from Gizmodo