Apparently a leaked dev video for Windows Phone 8 “Apollo” has detailed all if not most of the upcoming features for the operating system. New features include dual-core processor support, NFC, Skype integration, official microSD card support, four new screen resolutions, and tons of new security tweaks for business integration. There is also a great deal of additional features, like Windows 8 desktop integration. Full details of the leak available at Pocketnow.
If only tech news were so simple. Any Galaxy S II successor will not launch at MWC 2012, says Samsung. Instead, it will be an event in the first half of the year, which is closer to the launch of the SGS III. For your information and enlightenment, Samsung’s statement is pasted below:
“Samsung is looking forward to introducing and demonstrating exciting new mobile products at Mobile World Congress 2012.
The successor to the Galaxy S II smartphone will be unveiled at a separate Samsung-hosted event in the first half of the year, closer to commercial availability of the product.
Samsung stays committed to providing the best possible mobile experiences for customers around the world.”
At the very least, they are launching some sort of new hardware at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, of which speculation assumes is a new Galaxy Tab.
Via: TechRadar
With Mozilla’s new launch cycle of every six weeks, Firefox 10 is not much of a jump from previous versions. There are bug fixes, minor improvements, and a few user interface switches. Also, according to Mozilla, updates will change versions once every seven releases, making the next release due around November, essentially meaning Firefox 11. Keep in mind this forced effort is mainly a response to get Firefox back to the honorable position it once was in; Google Chrome has taken Mozilla’s spot of world’s second favorite browser, with Internet Explorer being first. Via: Mozilla
AT&T has announced that the massive Samsung Galaxy Note will be made available on their 4G LTE network this February 19th for $299 on a new contract. Specs include a rather large 5.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display at 1280×800 resolution with Samsung’s S Pen stylus for “increased productivity”. As for computational hardware, the Galaxy Note’s press release does not mention the camera, Android build, or processors, but AT&T was sure to mention that it would be available for pre-orders on Super Bowl Sunday, February 5th.
Hrm. Marketing strategies.
Back in 2010, I used to write a wonderful roundup post entitled, “This Week On LaptopMemo”. Its goal was simple: to compress this week’s stories into one post, with links to each of the aforementioned stories. After its success, like a true oaf, I stopped writing it (due to laziness, I concur). So today, it’s been decided (confound it!), that This Week On LaptopMemo is back! It will be presented in different formats each week, but for the 1st week, it will be in the form of– dun dun dun — bulletpoint links.
That all being said, let’s get on with this week’s best tech news, which had all the elements for awesomeness: a former CEO departs, tweets can be censored, and Apple has enough cash to make another Apple pie.
In what Adobe describes as Photoshop CS6 being more intent on “immersion” is a darkened UI that would help with — something? Anyways, the video of Photoshop CS6 in action can be watched above the very words that I’ve just finished typing. Of course, software designers at Apple as well as leaning towards the more “professional” black color scheme, which depending on how you look at it, also looks sharper and even charming.
Via: Teh Verge
It has come and gone: the menu button. Apparently, just a few months ago it was all the rage at Google, but now as part of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, Google is urging developers and designers to try and not use the menu buttons at all, to a point where it would not exist in the hardware. What the big G wants is devs to make use of the Action Bar, first seen in Android 3.0 Honeycomb. While in some apps this may prove troublesome, most of them will have to update to work on the newer software (properly, that is), so improvements can easily be made so that actions that rely on the menu buttons are switched to vertical or horizontal positions. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.
At the very least Google is making Android more uniform. Via: Android Developers
Mozilla is doing what Google can with Chrome, and they can’t. That is, have a fast launch cycle (multiple versions of the browser in the month or in a quarter), whilst keeping all parts of the software polished. An example of this is Firefox’s start page — it has stayed almost the same since a decade ago, when it first launched. And so it shall change. A full preview of all of the new elements is available at the source link. Via: ExtremeTech
This is sweet. Near the launch (February 22 in the U.S.), the PlayStation Vita (we want one so badly, Sony. *wink*) will have a bundle that retails for $299 and contains an 8GB memory card, 3G + WiFi Vita, a PSN game (of unknown title), and an AT&T DataConnect Session pass “good for one free 250MB session.” It is reasonable and Amazon seems to be the only retailer with the limited edition bundle currently available for pre-order — at least for now.
Kudos to Sony for getting an attractive package available at launch to boost sales.
Via: PlayStation Blog, Amazon
Have you ever experienced a 3D TV like you get at the cinema? Lightweight glasses, cool effects and a great picture experience? LG 3D televisions bring it right into your home.
