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Tony Ibrahim

The Smartphones BlackBerry’s Fate Rests Upon

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Leaked images and specifications of two BlackBerry smartphones reveals RIM might have a decent game plan after all.

The leaked internal document, labelled RIM Strictly Confidential on top, depicts BlackBerry’s L and N series smartphones.

The L series resembles the developer device showcased at RIM’s BlackBerry World conference, donning a 1280×768 touchscreen that will have a pixel density besting Apple’s very own retina display (356ppi).

But BlackBerry loyalists didn’t fall in love with exclusive touchscreens; that’s Apple’s crowd. They’re after the physical QWERTY keyboard that turned them into CrackBerries in the first place, and that’s where BlackBerry’s new N series comes in.

The new N series smartphone features a portrait QWERTY keyboard (unfortunately individual keys have been censored in the photo) and couples it with a 720×720 screen. Although a smaller screen, there’s a good chance it could also be touch capable as it offers a pixel per inch density of 330ppi, which is on par with Apple’s iPhone 4S.

The document alleges these smartphones will use OLED panel technology, but there’s always the chance BlackBerry could switch over to LCD screens in a bid to be more competitive on price.

BlackBerry’s fate depends on the success of these devices and its BB10 operating system. With relatively limp developer support, the software and smartphones must shine; otherwise this haemorrhaging company could share the same fate Palm has.

The BlackBerry L is expected to be launched in Q2 of 2012, with the N supposedly debuting early 2013.

Windows Phone 8 Launch With Samsung, HTC & Nokia

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CN is live at the Windows Phone 8 launch being held at Shangri La’s Blue Bar in Sydney.

9:01am: Ben MIller, Director Operator Channel at Microsoft, has taken the stand.

“We want to show you why Windows Phone 8 is the best phone to use with Windows’ operating system,” began Ben.

9:02am: Megan Howard (Microsoft’s Business Group Lead) is now presenting. One of the updates is greater integration and greater development of WP8’s live tiles and live apps.

“The only phone with a people hub.”

9:05am: Microsoft believes this phone is great for “people who have kids” by including a feature called “Kid’s Corner.” It’s a part of the phone that is partitioned from the rest. The parent can pick which games, videos and apps a child has permission to use

9:07am: “The smart screen is alive.” Comprised of live tiles, information relevant to the user is displayed from different apps on one unified screen.

9:09am: Contacts can be grouped, feeding social network updates and other communications to one live tile found on the home screen.

9:13am: Brett Murray has been summoned to the stand. “I love how unique and personal windows phone 8 is.” There’s a lot of talk about how much WP8 can be tweeked to suit the individual.

9:16am: Murray is showing off Microsoft’s Office suite. Documents are shared across the Microsoft ecosystem, allowing users to access documents on smartphones, tablets and computers seamlessly.

 

9:17am: Office isn’t the only thing that synchronises across the Windows Ecosystem. Purchased songs from Microsoft’s music store will be downloaded to your range of Microsoft devices.

9:17am: WP8 has a wallet! Your Visa card, flybuys and other forms of digital currency can be securely stored in the Wallet application on WP8.

9:19am: Steve Lewis from Nokia has taken the stand. “The industry is moving from a battle of devices to a battle of ecosystems.”

Nokia’s Lumia 920 and 820 will be on Australian store shelves in November. Telstra will be ranging the flagship, with Vodafone and Optus stocking the 820.


Nokia’s Lumia 820 and Lumia 920

9:20am: Nokia’s maps are used across the Windows ecosystem. Nokia is spruiking its mapping, wireless charging and its pureview capabilities.

9:21am: On the accessory front, Nokia is teaming up with Monster and JBL.

 

9:23am: A HTC representative has taken the stand to introduce the “signature” Windows Phone: The HTC One 8X. He’s boasting its Beats by Dre audio capabilities and its ‘beautiful’ design. 

“It’s about creating this magical experience.”

“We were inspired…by the colour of the whole Windows ecosystem.”


HTC’s One 8X (above). The company is also launching the One 8S

9:26am: Here’s the Beats lowdown. Both HTC Windows Phones come with a Beats amplifier for the speaker and another amplifier for the 3.5mm jack.

The rear camera has strong low light capabilities with f/2.0 aperture.

The front facing camera has the same aperture sensitivity and a wide angle lens, allowing you to capture up to four people in a front-facing shot. The front camera has 2.1MP resolution.

9:28am: The 4.3 inch screen has a HD 720p resolution, resulting in a 341ppi density.

9:29am: The 8X is launching as a 4G device. HTC don’t have an estimated launch date, other than saying ‘Coming Soon.’

9:29am: Samsung’s VP of Telecommunications, Tyler McGee, is now addressing us.

 

9:30am: “We’re probably the only company who can create an entire range of Windows products.”

9:32am: The Samsung Ativ S: Dual core 1.5GHz processor, 8MP camera (Full HD recording), expandable memory, 2,300mAh battery and a removable cover.


Click to enlarge

Unlike the phones before it, it feature a metal casing.

It has a 4.8inch Super AMOLED HD screen.

9:33am: Samsung is bringing their Navigon GPS device to Windows Phone 8. Navigon is used on 1 million Samsung devices.

9:34am: The Ativ S will be available exclusive from Optus in December, or can be purchased outright from Samsung’s Experience store.

 

9:35am: Ben Miller has taken the stand and has revealed DataSense, a feature WP8 users in the US, will be coming to Australia following negotiations with carriers.

9:36am: Windows Phone 7.8 for existing users will be coming “in a couple of weeks.”

9:37am: Windows Phone has 120,000 apps in the Windows Marketplace today and is growing “rapidly.”

9:40am: “We believe the market share we hold in the PC area will impact people’s purchasing decision,”–Megan Howard.

9:43am: The WP8 SDK will be released tomorrow and existing applications will be compatible with WP8.

9:50am: That’s a wrap guys and girls, I hope you enjoyed the live feed. Smarthouse out.

Review: 50/50 Is Lovably Funny, Heart Wrenching & Real

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There are a few moments loaded enough to change the course of someone’s life. For Adam, that moment happens on a routine jog.

He goes to the doctor under the impression he’s pulled a muscle, but is ambushed with a cancer diagnosis. It’s the kind of cancer characterised by a long, impossible-to-say name, which in itself is a sign of its severity. His doctor comes off as sadistic by burying his diagnosis in medical jargon and gives him a fifty-fifty chance of survival.

A tumour? Me? That doesn’t make any sense though. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink. I recycle.

All of this makes for a serious premise, but 50/50 has the uncanny ability to dabble in comedy as it deals with the profound subject matter.

The story follows its natural course and simply shifts to and from uplifting humour to meaningful contemplation. We never know if the next scene is going to be funny or serious, and not knowing what to expect makes situations funnier, or more confronting. This is in part owed to the flawless direction of Jonathan Levine, who combines various filmic elements seamlessly, but is also propelled by the relationships between Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and the family and friends that make up his support group.

Much of the comedy injected in 50/50 comes from Adam’s childhood friend Kyle (Seth Rogen). At first glance you’re fooled into thinking Rogen is playing the testosterone-fuelled character he’s renowned for, but that’s where the childhood friend starts from, and as they try to cope with Adam’s diagnosis, Kyle is revealed to be so much more than the wingman trying to get laid.

 

Rogen’s approach would’ve been influenced by his friendship with the screenwriter, Will Reiser, who overcame a spinal tumour himself. It might be unfortunate, but Reiser’s script turns to his experience with cancer and its authenticity shows.

Then there are the ladies in Adam’s life. His girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) didn’t sign up to be a bed-nurse, but she makes the commitment anyway. The diagnosis strains their relationship, but 50/50 goes one further in contrasting Rachael’s role with Adam’s mum, Diane. Diane (Angelica Houston) stood beside her husband who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and, upon hearing about the news, moves in with the young couple.

As Adam’s cancer matures and a surgery deadline approaches, so does Adam’s temperament and these relationships. We watch him endure chemotherapy with other cancer patients and open up to (or not) with a psychiatrist. This back stage pass is honest and revealing, but 50/50 is more enlightening than hard to watch.

In fact it’s not hard to watch at all. It’s entertaining and you can’t help but care for all of the characters. By the end of the movie you’re rooting for Adam to be okay with every fibre of your body, and when an audience is intimately concerned for fictional characters, well, that’s the mark of good filmmaking.

50 50 isn’t a drama, nor is it a comedy: You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll care. You’ll love it.

Wanna Sell Your iPhone? How Does $446 Sound

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A service specialising in buying used Apple devices in Sydney has launched and will offer up to $446 for second-hand iPhones.

iXchange specialises in buying a variety of used Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, iPods, Mac computers, Apple laptops and Apple’s iTV.

Quotes can be generated in three steps from its easy-to-use website. People who own a mint-condition 64GB iPhone 4S will be offered $446, while owners of a 16GB iPhone 4S in excellent condition are offered $373. The same phones in fully-functional condition, although have signs of wear and tear, are offered $409 and $342 respectively.

According to a survey released by iXchange, 98 percent of Apple users own redundant Apple products, of which 79 percent prefer to upgrade when a new device is released.

Their findings also revealed on average Apple users have $900 worth of redundant Apple hardware.

The company anticipates a wave of customers off the back of Apple’s iPhone 5 announcement yesterday.

“iXchange offers a more cost effective upgrade path to latest releases, and helps to reduce the growing ‘stash’ of products out there that are no longer used.” iXchange’s marketing manager Tamara Keniry said.

“We incentivise people to realise the value in these old devices, which in turn means they can go on to be used by someone else.”

Source | Via

Samsung Teases Next Galaxy With Cryptic Anagrams

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Samsung is taunting Galaxy S3 enthusiasts with anagrams and websites reminiscent of the Da Vinci Code.

Samsung posted the following tweet earlier in the day:

It might look like incoherent spelling, but in actuality enthusiasts looking for the next Samsung flagship have pointed out it is an anagram. When deciphered, it reads ‘Destination: TheNextGalaxy.’

If you head over to the tgeltaayehxnx.com, it reveals a website with a countdown timer that is due to end within the next few hours. The folks at GSMArena delved into the website’s source code and found the following description embedded: “Discover how Samsung is about to challenge the way you view the GALAXY once more.”

Although the thought of finally discovering the secrets of the Galaxy SIII warm me up, so far everything concerning the S3’s unveiling has pointed to May the 3rd at an event to be held in London. The invite sent out by Samsung is evidence difficult to contend.

One thing for sure is the tech foreplay Samsung has going on is titillating and will surely pay off in a few hours.