The lack of much requested Android emulation and native mail app aside, the new OS 1.0.5 update does bring a host of features that will be nonetheless welcomed by owners taking in the likes of a new, optimised Facebook app, in-app payment functionality, increased language support, Wi-Fi hotspot detection (we sense a cheer from PlayBook owners concerning this particular enhancement) as well as video chat (including integration of TURN – Traversal Using Relay NAT – protocol) and tweaks making it easier for users to adjust screen brightness, place the tablet in standby and turn the device on and off (those that don’t own the tablet but have kept their ears to the ground will recall that there’s been some negative feedback concerning the tablet’s rather diminutive power button).

Here’s a full rundown of the features and enhancements offered up by BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.5 (as detailed by the official BB Blog, Inside BlackBerry, duly credited below):

Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet Update and Preload

In addition being available on the BlackBerry App World storefront, the first tablet-optimized Facebook application will come preloaded within BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.5. The Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet app has been updated to include video uploading, Message deletion, Facebook Search enhancements and more! There’s so much in the Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet update that we gave the app its own post, so click the link and check it out!

In-App Payments Support

The BlackBerry App World storefront now enables BlackBerry PlayBook applications with in-app payment support. Whether it’s buying another level in a game, or a new edition of a magazine, in-app payment support means dynamic possibilities for BlackBerry PlayBook applications and better apps for users. Developers should read this important post, Introducing the BlackBerry Payment Service and BlackBerry Payment Service SDK, to learn more about updating and submitting their apps to include in-app payment support.

BlackBerry PlayBook Charging and Battery Pop-up:

• The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet can now be charged even when fully powered down.
• BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.5 now alerts you if you are using an incorrect charger with your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. For example, if you accidentally plug a BlackBerry smartphone charger into the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet you will now receive an alert on the screen to let you know that this charger will not charge your tablet.
• After touching the battery indicator on the top right corner of the home screen, a pop-up will appear and you can now choose to restart the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, turn it off, or put it into standby mode. You can also adjust the screen brightness from this same pop-up.

Additional Language Support:

With BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.5, we have added support for the following languages: French, Italian, Dutch, German, Spanish, and UK English.

Video Chat Connectivity:

We’ve added support for the TURN (Traversal Using Relay NAT) protocol, which enhances Video Chat connections between users when their call is crossing between a public network and an enterprise network behind a firewall.

Wi-Fi Hotspot Detection:

Automatic Wi-Fi hotspot detection in the BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.5 makes it easier to connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot (at a coffee shop or airport, for example) during the set up process.

Headset Audio Boost:

This new option allows you to add an extra level of volume to help maintain an enjoyable audio experience with your headset in noisier areas, such as airplanes.

According to OnLive users can expect a full on experience taking in full voice chat during multiplayer gameplay – ‘both in-room and with others throughout the world’ – Facebook integration (why, of course) as well as offering spectator mode allowing users to sit back and watch live gameplay whilst the apps concerned will, as noted above, allow tablet users to employ their devices as touch controllers whilst also allowing for motion based control (using the tablets inbuilt accelerometers). You will also have the option to use the device’s screen or connect up your tablet to a HDTV should you wish.

“The power of the cloud is definitely the theme this week, displacing what had been assumed to be platforms that could never be displaced,” said Steve Perlman, Founder and CEO of OnLive. “The OnLive Player App for iPad and Android shows how with the power of the cloud, the question is not whether cloud gaming will be able to catch up to consoles, it will be whether consoles will be able to catch up to cloud gaming.”

The OnLive Player Apps for uPad and Android tablets is said to launch later this year, though at this juncture no exact date of release has been forthcoming, and, as an aside, and definitely worth a mention, whilst announcing their up and coming Player Apps OnLive also confirmed the first 10 gigabit cloud-based full-featured browser for both iPad and Android tablets (as well as HDTV units) which, they say, will offer the ‘full richness of the Web loading from ultra-fast 10 gigabit/second Web connections to OnLive’s cloud-based servers, including support for full-featured Flash and video sites’.

As welcomed as a new controller for racing games/sims will undoubtedly be we suspect that few, if any, of the keen racers out there will be looking to ditch their Fanatec’s (or, for that matter, long since available MS Xbox wheel) for MS’s newly unveiled Wireless Speed Wheel being that it’s not actually a wheel at all but is, rather, somewhat of a hybrid device that seems rather more suited to bouts of casual gaming rather than those looking to immerse themselves in the true sim racing. So, all in all, those looking for a newly updated ‘proper’ steering wheenl from MS for their Xbox 360 consoles are going to be pretty disappointed. On the other hand, those looking for a little more of a (shall we say it, yes we shall) arcade experience may well take nicely to the Speed Wheel. Never one to sit on the fence, it must be said it does nothing for me, but, hey, what does that matter.

Billed as offer precise wireless control complete with haptic feedback with rumble MS are touting the Wireless Speed Wheel as being a device that ‘combines a fun and immersive driving experience’ offering trigger buttons for the control of acceleration and braking that, as can be seen in the press release below, ‘balances the realism of a wheel with the feel of a controller for greater user edge in game play’ (sorry, but, again, hate to say it but that sales pitch says it all to me, and not in a way that appeals).

Here’s MS’s official release:

Launching in early October, the Wireless Speed Wheel is completely wireless and controlled intuitively with precise steering, standard controller buttons/triggers, and haptic feedback with rumble. The device is compatible with all racing games right out of the box*. The Wireless Speed Wheel will be available for $59.99 (U.S. ERP) and will ship to retailers worldwide beginning September 26, 2011. This device combines a fun and immersive driving experience with the biggest racing game of the year, the best rated “Forza Motorsport.”

With trigger buttons for gas and brake, combined with a rumble feedback, the Xbox 360 Wireless Speed Wheel provides intuitive standard controller buttons that immerse the driver into the game, whether you like to white knuckle it down the race track with your hands at “10 and 2” or “9 and 3.”

The new Xbox 360 Wireless Speed Wheel balances the realism of a wheel with the feel of a controller for greater user edge in game play. It includes buttons for game specific functions including triggers, ABXY and D-pad along with green bands of lights on each handle to provide visual cues when necessary.

For more information on the Wireless Speed Wheel, visit www.xbox.com.

*Limited functionality in some games. See www.xbox.com/wsw for details.

Xbox 360 Wireless Speed Wheel gallery (click on images for full size versions):

So, are you sold? Ready to throw your current wheel into the pit lane? Do let us know as we like to think we are not alone in being not at all enamoured with this as a racing sim controller (as an arcade controller, yeah, perhaps, but, as can be seen in the press blurb above, MS are pitching this squarely at Forza Motorsport users which just seems, well, a little misdirected).

Set for release next year, March 6th 2012 specifically, and priced at $18, Walter Isaacson’s iSteve: The Book of Jobs promises to be de rigueur reading for anyone whose an extrovert or introvert Apple/Jobs fan not only on account of it being a wholly official biography of the Jobs-meister but also on account of the fact that Isaacson has previously been chairman of CNN as well as the managing editor of no less than Time magazine (which leads one to a whole set of expectations in itself). Moreover if anyone has read his previous biographies (he’s written four to date, the latter being Einstein: His Life and Universe and Kissinger: A Biography, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life) you’ll know that Isaacson’s work is known for being particularly insightful as well as a damned good read.

iSteve: The Book of Jobs, which, according to Amazon’s listing is ‘drawn from three years of exclusive and unprecedented interviews Isaacson has conducted with Jobs as well as extensive interviews with Jobs’ family members, key colleagues from Apple and its competitors’ and thus promises to offer the reader a (one assume no holes barred) insight into both the professional and personal life of one of this age’s major icons, and a glimpse into the life of someone who is known for being particularly secretive.

Of course, as those who have their fingers on the pulse will know, Walter Isaacson’s iSteve: The Book of Jobs was announced February of last year but it’s only now (I say only, there’s still quite a wait to be had) that an official date of release complete with the facility to pre-order direct from Amazon has been forthcoming (and we should stress that the link provided is not an affiliate link).

I expect the entire writing team at TFTS to be getting Chris (our resident Apple aficionado) a copy, or three.

*We should stress that the post image is made by us for illustrative purposes only and is not the cover of iSteve: The Book of Jobs.

According to Xuxian Jiang, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, NC State University, (credited below), the DroidKungFu Android malware, which has managed to slip undetected past two unnamed ‘leading’ mobile security apps, utilises two specific platform vulnerabilities resulting in a backdoor install that allows hackers to gain full control of your phone – meaning not only do they gain access to all the afflicted device’s stored data but that they can also render an affected device into a ‘bot’. Scary stuff.

As at the time of writing, the researches who uncovered DroidKungFu are said to be working with anti-virus companies in a bid to assist them in building detection of the malware into their virus detection software but, in the meantime, users are being urged to utilise a common sense approach when downloading apps (you do that by default, right?) even if not based in China lest DroidKungFu puts in an appearance elsewhere.

Specifically, as per Xuxian Jiang’s advice:

• Only download apps from reputable app stores that you trust; and always check reviews, ratings as well as developer information before downloading;
• Always check the permissions on apps before you actually install them and make sure you are comfortable with the data they will be accessing;
• Always be alert for unusual behavior on the part of mobile phones and make sure you have up-to-date security software installed on your phone.

We will, of course, keep you in the loop concerning any updates to this report as well as any other information concerning DroidKungFu.

According to the chaps over at Nordic Hardware (duly credited below), who back up their claims with no less than two videos proving the problem (one showing the loss of Bluetooth, the other the loss of Wi-Fi connectivity), the problem appears to be related to the HTC Sensation’s design, specifically the plastic areas embedded in the metal back cover that serve as antennae which, when covered by a users hand (a la Death Grip), are affected in terms of loss of signal strength leading to possible loss of connectivity on account of your hand acting as a barrier – but this issue, alas, is different to that experienced by the iPhone 4 in that the use of bumpers is seemingly not an outright solution to the problem.

In short, the use of bumpers to circumvent iPhone 4 Death Grip issues worked because, in the case of the iPhone 4, the issue was with users’ grips ‘shorting’ the antenna whereas, in the case of the HTC Sensation, the problem arises due to the user’s hand blocking signals which means the addition of a bumper is not a solution (and, indeed, may actually make matters worse).

So, interestingly, it seems, should Nordic Hardware’s findings transpire to ring true (and there’s no reason to think that they don’t, especially what with having offered up video evidence) it’s not just the iPhone 4 that suffers from Death Grip issues and we don’t doubt that some iPhone 4 users will gain some satisfaction from this (having endured numerous jibes when this issue was first uncovered with their Apple handsets).

Of course we await a lengthy list of ‘how to’ guides offering specific instruction concerning how one should (and should not) hold their HTC Sensation…

Of course, and before you tuck into the Battlefield 3 multiplayer footage offered below, we have some bad news for those of you who happen to own Windows XP gaming rigs as, if you haven’t already heard, BF 3, which utilises the DirectX11 powered Frostbite 2 engine, won’t run on XP, period, but the light at the end of the tunnel for those still harbouring XP powered gaming rigs is that this could be (andf probably will be) the game that serves as the excuse to upgrade your hardware. And yes, the game really does look that good.

Aside from being powered by the DX11 Frostbite 2 engine, being decidedly XP unfriendly, offering up to 64 player multiplayer (for PCs, console players will have to make do with 24 player matches) all we additionally know about the long awaited next iteration in the massively popular Battlefield series is that it’ll pack fighter jets (F18 and Mig 29 confirmed so far) and, yes, you will have the ability to go prone (something that’s been requested in community forums for quite a while following the console-centric BF: Bad Company and BF: Bad Company 2 titles). Additionally, you can count on new squad features, though these have not been explicitly detailed as yet, more weapons (more than BF: BC2 anyhow), 4 new classes and future DLC known as Back to Karkand that will include a number of BF2 maps, namely Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman, Sharqi Peninsula and Wake Island.

Of course, the moment we can fill you in with further details, or post up additional in game footage, you can count on us doing so.

For the moment at least, let us move to the main event, and to the enormously impressive spectacle that is known as BF3 – enjoy, and prepare to salivate uncontrollably (there, we warned you, best sit away from your keyboard).

Enjoy…

Update – added Thunder Run Tank Gameplay footage…

So, having reported previously concerning the seemingly persistent rumours as to what the Galaxy Tab 2 Galaxy Tab 10.1 was envisaged as bringing to the table we can now confirm, as per Samsung’s MWC press event, that the Android 3.0 Honeycomb based Galaxy Tab 10.1, which measures in at 9.69” x 6.71” x 0.43”, is so named on account of boasting a 10.1-inch TFT touch screen display offering WXGA (1,280 x 800) resolution whilst, under the hood, you can factor in Nvidia’s Tegra 2 chipset (aka a 1GHz dual core processor), 16GB or 32GB memory (dependant on model), integrated Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR, 802.11 (a/b/g/n) WiFi and UBD 2.0 connectivity.

Other highlights include integrated dual cameras consisting of a rear mounted 8MP auto-focus camera complete with LED flash (which, incidentally, is capable of 1080p Full HD movie capture at 24 frame per second) supplemented by a front facing 2MP camera facilitating video calling whilst, in terms of connectivity, naturally, the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) Galaxy Tab 10.1 offers HSPA+ support allowing for data transfer speeds of up to 21Mbps.

So, there you have it, and there’ll be few that would disagree that the Galaxy Tab 10.1 certainly looks set to take the fight to the likes of the iPad and equally highly anticipated Motorola Xoom, however, whilst Samsung have finally offered up confirmation as to what exactly what we can expect in terms of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 they stopped short of announcing pricing details – but, for those of you who are Europe or Asia based, the good news is that you can expect the Tab 10.1 to hit in March with Vodafone being in the hot seat in terms of being the first launch network of choice.  If, however, you’re US based, there’s no news as yet concerning a US release so best hanker down and take a hefty dose of patience.

Here’s Samsung’s official press release:

Samsung expands the Samsung GALAXY Tab range with a 10.1″ Entertainment Powerhouse

Global launch of Samsung’s first Honeycomb-based, Dual Core smart media device

BARCELONA, February 13, 2011 – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a provider of smart media devices and the global leader in Android™ tablets, in partnership with Vodafone Group, today announced the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 (Model: P7100), a powerful Dual-Core Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) Smart Media Device, designed to deliver the ultimate mobile entertainment experience.

“As a leader in the Android-powered tablet market, Samsung is committed to providing a variety of feature-rich, always-on devices” said DJ Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Sales & Marketing. He continued, “The Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 is a valuable addition to our expanding portfolio of smart media devices. Sporting a large 10.1 screen and dual surround-sound speakers, it enables users to enjoy multimedia to the maximum extent without having to compromise mobility.

Patrick Chomet, Vodafone’s Group Director of Terminals, said: “Vodafone customers in over 20 markets around the world will be the first to get the GALAXY Tab 10.1 when it goes on sale this spring. Samsung have produced a stylish, market-leading implementation of the new Android 3.0 platform which will be the first Honeycomb device to arrive in many of those markets. Vodafone’s competitive data tariffs and reliable, high-speed networks make using the GALAXY Tab 10.1 a great experience.”

“Samsung continues to develop innovative products that contribute to the continued growth of the Android ecosystem,” said Andy Rubin, Vice President of Engineering at Google.

As the tablet market experiences unprecedented interest, Samsung and Vodafone have partnered to cater to customer demand and offer them the perfect way to enjoy the huge variety of opportunities the Android platform provides. Whether playing games, reading eBooks or updating your Facebook status, the lightweight, ultra-slim Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 is the ultimate entertainer and builds on the industry-wide success of the two million-selling Samsung GALAXY Tab.

The Ultimate Entertainment Experience

A 10.1″ (WXGA TFT LCD) display with crystal clear resolution (1280 x 800) makes the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 an unrivalled device for experiencing the hundreds of thousands of games and applications available from Android Market™. To compliment the amazing visual quality of the device, the GALAXY Tab 10.1 includes dual surround-sound speakers to immerse you even more fully.

The device also includes an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera with Auto Focus and a 2 megapixel front-facing camera which lets users capture experiences with the best-in-market full HD record and play as well as easily share them. With the Android browser and Flash 10.1, the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 is the perfect tool for consuming the world of the internet content wherever you are.

Performance and Speed

Combined with the latest version of Android’s tablet-optimized operating system, Honeycomb, Samsung has created a device that is powerful and lightning fast.

The Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 includes a 1GHz Dual Core application processor, giving you the kind of fast and powerful multimedia and web browsing experience. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1′s Dual Core processor, low power DDR2 memory and 6860mAh battery, make it perfect for task management in an energy efficient way.

Maximized Portability

At just 599g in weight and mere 10.9mm- slimness, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is lighter, slimmer and more portable, meaning users are free to enjoy its many features while on the move. With the need to remain constantly connected, Samsung has also included super-fast HSPA+ 21Mbps, Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR and Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity to support rapid mobile download speeds and reduce data transfer times.

Image credit: CNet

(PLEASE NOTE – as this is a transcript from out live updating site, you need to read bottom to top)
TFTS CES 2011 LIVE COVERAGE | Update @ 18:49:39 PST

You can access our live coverage direct from Las Vegas here or simply click the image below (the updates are automated and auto refrssh, incidentally, so you can just sit back, relax and take in the very latest news without lifting a finger).

We hope you enjoy our CES 2011 coverage….

Now I strongly suspect that a great many of you have already had the call – just out of interest, if you have could you leave a comment as we’d like to get a feel on this – but, just in case you’ve been spared to date, and on the basis that I have just received my second call from these lowlifes, I thought we’d better offer up another warning lest any of you get caught out here.

Of course, if you are reading us then you’re probably pretty tech savvy (and wise concerning such scams) but the issue here is protecting our wider friends and family as these guys are, on the basis of the call I’ve just had, clearly not done yet.

So, if you’ve had a call already, read our previous advisory or you’re just not interested, move along now. For the rest of you, who may not have heard of this scam yet, please do listen up.

Should you get a phone call from a person pertaining to be from Microsoft Support regarding issues with your PC our advice is either to hang up or place them on hold and throw the phone in a cupboard for a while (they’re paying for the call after all) – as this is entirely bogus.

What they are after is non-tech savvy people allowing them to remotely access PC’s in order to ‘fix them’ and, in the process, steal anything they want from your PC (passwords mainly, but your contacts to also target).

Microsoft Support do not phone people up randomly like this and , besides, anyone who allows a stranger full remote access to their PC is kinda asking for it. That said, we need to remember that there are those out there that are either gullible, vulnerable or who are having such a bad days they’d fall for anything – and its incumbent on us all to ensure that these [editor removes word from own posting – nice to see self-censorship is alive and kicking] do not gain anymore victims than they already have.

As said previously, I’m sure you all know about this but please, once again, do try to ensure that the vulnerable amongst us (aka those that still think all humans can be trusted by default) don’t fall prey to these leeches.

This scam, as just evidenced, is still alive and well so they must still be netting victims. Let’s ensure that the word is wholly out there so they net no one else.

As well as offering news direct from the show floor, our man in the field, Kevin Schram, will also be attending and live blogging direct from major keynotes and press conferences via the auto-updating live site which will facilitate you getting in the know asap concerning key CES 2011 news and announcements as they break.

Obviously we would like to thank all the companies that have got in touch with us in terms of offering up invites to press conferences and scheduling meet and greets at product booths and, by way of offering you all a little insight as to what you can expect from our CES 2011 coverage, here’s a run down of some of the key events we’re primed to offer live updates from (of course, as mentioned previously, we’ll also be walking the show floor speaking with company reps when Kevin’s pretty busy schedule allows so the below is merely a taster as to what you can expect from our coverage).

Tuesday, January 4th

• MSI Press Conference – 7pm Vegas Time – 0300 UTC (Wednesday)

Wednesday, Januay 5th

• LG Press Conference – 8am Vegas Time – 1600 UTC
• Intel Press Conference – 10am Vegas Time – 1800 UTC
• Samsung Press Conference – 2pm Vegas Time – 2200 UTC
• Panasonic Press Conference – 3pm Vegas Time – 2300 UTC
• Motorola Press Conference – 4pm Vegas Time – 0000 UTC (Thursday)
• Sony Press Conference – 5pm Vegas Time – 0100 UTC (Thursday)
• Steve Ballmer (Microsoft) Keynote Address – 6:30pm Vegas Time – 0230 UTC (Thursday)

Thursday, January 6th

• Ivan Seidenberg (Verizon) Keynote Address – 8:30am Vegas Time – 1630 UTC
• Skype Press Conference – 10:30am Vegas Time – 1830 UTC
• Boo-Keun Yoon (Samsung) Keynote Address – 4:30pm Vegas Time – 0030 UTC (Friday)

Friday, January 7th

• Alan Mulally (Ford) Keynote Address – 11am Vegas Time – 1900 UTC

What some big announcements we expect out of these press conferences? Well, Intel should officially be unveiling their Sandy Bridge launch lineup. Samsung should be showing off tablets and other Android goodies. Motorola will probably unveil the Xoom Android tablet and maybe other Android phones. Microsoft will likely have some more Windows slates on display, and they might talk about the new ARM-powered version of Windows that’s rumored.

The real treat is the Verizon keynote address on Thursday morning. It’s all but confirmed that they’ll unveil the HTC Thunderbolt 4G, the first 4G LTE handset for Verizon. But, will Steve Jobs be there? Some have suggested that Seidenberg will pull a Verizon CDMA iPhone out of his pocket. Will he? Won’t he? You’ll have to tune in to our live coverage to watch. Ford CEO Alan Mulally is one of the best CEOs in America today, in my opinion. He’s really turned Ford around and guided the American car maker through some tough times lately. He should really have some good stuff to talk about.

Of course, as well as live-blogging from the event – see below for the URL of our 100% ad-free live updates site – the team at TFTS HQ will also be complimenting Kevin’s up to the minute updates with deeper analysis, informed commentary and detailed background information concerning all the breaking news stories that matter to you.

If you’re looking for informed and up to the minute CES 2011 coverage, you’ll find us concentrating on the hot topics of each day here on the main site whilst Kevin will be live-blogging direct to our new live updates site (which auto-updates, so you won’t need to keep refreshing to get the news as it breaks) which can be accessed here:

TFTS Live Updates: TFTS Live at CES 2011

Naturally, our live updates will also be tweeted as they happen via our Twitter account (you can find a link for this as well as our RSS Feed at the top of the sidebar on the right).

You want the best CES 2011 coverage? You’ve come to the right place.

Stay tuned…

Take care wherever you may be, and have a good one from a team that continues to be enormously proud to be your chosen port of call for the latest in tech and gadget news.

Peace.

These a veritable raft of discounted pricing offered in Office Depot’s Black Friday ad, with notable items including Office Depot exclusives on AMD and Intel CPU powered HP dual-core laptops – $329.99 and $399.99 respectively – as well as a billed exclusive deal on a Compaq Presario AMD II powered desktop bundled with a monitor and a printer for $379.99.

Other highlights include a 20” LG widescreen monitor of just shy of $100 (if you are looking specifically for a killer Black Friday deal on a new LG HDTV or LG 3D HDTV you may find this posting of great interest), a Sony Walkman MP3Plaer for $59.99, a range of iPod/iPhone docks from just $29.99, GPS units from just $89.99, a pocket HD camcorder of under $70 (saving $80) and a host of camera deals from manufactures such as Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Kodak and GE.

You can get acquainted with all of Office Depot’s Black Friday deals via the scan below (note: clicking on a scan will show a far larger image that’s rather easier to read).

Whilst we’ll offer you the scans below – simply click on the imagery to see larger, somewhat more readable copies – of particular note are a 17.3” HP Notebook with a $200 saving (yours now for $449.99), a HP wireless, AIO printer at $49.99 (half price), an Iomega 500GB external HDD for just shy of $50 (again, half price), a Samsung BD player for $119.99 (saving $60) and a Garmin GPS unit for a mere $99.99 (seeing a $70 reduction).

You can peruse Radio Shack’s Black Friday deals below (click images of interest for larger size versions).

The new Amazon big screen LG HDTV deals take in HDTVs ranging from 42” up through to 55” in size as well as both LCD and LED displays and, if your on the lookout for a killer deal on an internet connected big screen full HD TV you’l be pleased to know that Amazon are also offering deals on 6 internet connected HDTVs.

Amazon’s early Black Friday LG HDTV bonanza specifically takes in the following LG HDTVs.

LG 42LD450 42-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV

Product Features (as per Amazon listing):

• Full HD 1080p Resolution
• 100,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• Picture Wizard II
• Smart Energy Savings
• ISFccc Ready

List Price: $749.99

Deal Price: $548.98 (with Free Shipping)

You Save: $201.01

Check out the LG 42LD450 42-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV here

LG 42LD520 42-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV

Product Features (as per Amazon listing):

• Full HD 1080p Resolution
• TruMotion 120Hz
• 100,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• Picture Wizard II
• Smart Energy Savings

List Price: $899.99

Deal Price: $709.93 (with Free Shipping)

You Save: $190.06

Check out the LG 42LD520 42-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV here

LG 42LD550 42-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV with Internet Applications

Product Features (as per Amazon listing):

• NetCast Entertainment Access (Wi-Fi Ready)
• Wireless 1080p Ready
• TruMotion 120Hz
• Full HD 1080p Resolution
• 150,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio

List Price: $999.99

Deal Price: $709.00 (with Free Shipping)

You Save: $290.99

Check out the LG 42LD550 42-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV with Internet Applications here

LG 47LE5400 47-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV with Internet Applications

Product Features (as per Amazon listing):

• LED Backlighting
• NetCast Entertainment Access (Wi-Fi Ready)
• Wireless 1080p Ready
• TruMotion 120Hz
• Picture Wizard II

List Price: $1699.99

Deal Price: $1079.00 (with Free Shipping)

You Save: $620.99

Check out the LG 47LE5400 47-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV with Internet Applications here

LG 47LD450 47-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV

Product Features (as per Amazon listing):

• Full HD 1080p Resolution
• 100,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• Picture Wizard II
• Smart Energy Savings
• ISFccc Ready

List Price: $999.99

Deal Price: $648.98 (with Free Shipping)

You Save: $351.01

Check out the LG 47LD450 47-Inch 1080p 60 Hz LCD HDTV here

LG INFINIA 55LE8500 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz Full LED Slim LCD HDTV with Internet Applications

Product Features (as per Amazon listing):

• INFINIA Series
• Full LED Slim w/ Local Dimming
• THX Certified Display
• NetCast Entertainment Access (Wi-Fi Ready)
• Wireless 1080p Ready

List Price: $3499.99

Deal Price: $1924.98 (with Free Shipping)

You Save: $1575.01

Check out the LG INFINIA 55LE8500 55-Inch 1080p 240 Hz Full LED Slim LCD HDTV with Internet Applications here

LG 42LE5400 42-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV with Internet Applications

Product Features (as per Amazon listing):

• LED Backlighting
• NetCast Entertainment Access (Wi-Fi Ready)
• Wireless 1080p Ready
• TruMotion 120Hz
• Picture Wizard II

List Price: $1399.99

Deal Price: $902.94 (with Free Shipping)

You Save: $497.05

Check out the LG 42LE5400 42-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV with Internet Applications here

LG 47LE8500 Infinia Full HD 47-Inch 1080p 240Hz LED LCD TV

Product Features (as per Amazon listing):

• INFINIA Series
• Full LED Slim w/ Local Dimming
• THX Certified Display
• NetCast Entertainment Access (Wi-Fi Ready)
• Wireless 1080p Ready

List Price: $2699.99

Deal Price: $1398.77 (with Free Shipping)

You Save: $1301.22

Check out the LG 47LE8500 Infinia Full HD 47-Inch 1080p 240Hz LED LCD TV here

LG 55LX6500 55-Inch 3D 1080p 240 Hz LED Plus LCD HDTV with Internet Applications

Product Features (as per Amazon listing):

• 3D TV. LED Plus
• NetCast Entertainment Access (Wi-Fi Ready)
• Wireless 1080p Ready
• TruMotion 240Hz
• Espresso trim

List Price: $3599.99

Deal Price: $1875.99 (with Free Shipping)

You Save: $1724.00

Check out the LG 55LX6500 55-Inch 3D 1080p 240 Hz LED Plus LCD HDTV with Internet Applications here

LG 47LD520 47-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV

Product Features (as per Amazon listing):

• Full HD 1080p Resolution
• TruMotion 120Hz
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LG 55LD520 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV

Product Features (as per Amazon listing):

• Full HD 1080p Resolution
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Check out the LG 55LD520 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV here

LG 55LE5400 55-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV with Internet Applications

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(All prices correct at the time of publishing)

The result of the above detailed move will be a period ranging between four and six hours of downtime, during which TFTS will be completely offline.

The team and myself would like to apologise for the pending downtime but we would also like to stress that this migration to a new powerhouse of a server is not only very obviously required but that that this new ‘home’ will allow us to serve you better, allow us to bring in a new design with enhanced site features (being worked on already) as well as act as the backbone that will serve as the foundation for us to continue to actively, and aggressively grow the site in line with our ever increasing audience base.

Whilst many sites in (and outside of) our niche have been letting staff go due to diminishing advertising returns during these tough economic times, TFTS has been expanding rapidly and, of late, you’ll doubtless have noticed that we added to the standing writing team of Chris, Kevin, Robert and Steve (and, occasionally, myself) with four new, experienced writers – namely Oliver, Catalin, Eric and Angelo (in no particular order). And, of course, you can count on us looking to bring in more experienced writers to the team as and when we’re in a position that enables us to as we move ever forward in acting to bring you more of the content you positively crave.

Exciting times lay ahead, what with the pending new design, a host of new features and other enhancements and, with the new server, we will be more free to breathe as we look to surpass the 100,000 page views a day mark and keep pushing still further.

Of course, our growth is down to you, the readership (both site visitors and feed subscribers), and the team and I would like to stress that we appreciate your patronage. From a personal perspective I would also like to thank my team for the sterling work they do day in, day out, and for their ceaseless passion for the site as well as their unerring support concerning its growth and what lies ahead in terms of expanding features and content. I am enormously proud of them, and I feel genuinely privileged to have each and every one of them working for TFTS.

So, with the downtime pending as we look to move to our new server, I’ll sign off with the promise that we, as a team, will be coming back at you from outr new “home” with the same fervour that has got us to where we are now.

We look forward to seeing you on the other side.

Andrew Tingle (TFTS Editor)

Yes, wholly unsurprisingly, Fallout: New Vegas is seriously moving units, to the extent that it’s entered straight in at the coveted number one spot in the UK Gaming Charts (seeing Medal of Honor, which is by no means a not pretty significant and much anticipated game, having to make do this week with its number two placement).

In fact, and just to underpin how successful Fallout: New Vegas is, the title by no means doesn’t have its substantial role to play in seeing Xbox 360 titles claiming a whopping 60% of sales whilst the PS3 takes half that shart (30% for those that have had a long day) and the PC having to put on a brave face at just a 10% share.

Here’s a full rundown of the Top Ten Gaming Titles in the UK and, you’ll doubtless note, that there’s actually few surprises here:

1. Fallout: New Vegas (Obsidian Entertainment, Bethesda)
2. Medal of Honor (Danger Close/DICE, EA)
3. FIFA 11 (EA Sports, EA)
4. Professor Layton and the Lost Future (Level 5, Nintendo)
5. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft, Ubisoft)
6. Wii Party (Nintendo, Nintendo)
7. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo, Nintendo)
8. F1 2010 (Codemasters Birmingham, Codemasters)
9. Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 (Team PES. Konami)
10. Dead Rising 2 (Blue Castle Games, Capcom)

The Barnes & Noble Nook Kids App is envisaged to comprise of over 12,000 children’s books, ranging from novels to picture books and enhanced editions of classics (‘Jamberry’ being but one example) and is aimed specifically at children between the ages of three and eight years of age and with big name publishers such as HarperCollins and Random House partnering with NookKids it’s not as if Barnes & Noble aren’t taking its younger audience (either established or potential) pretty seriously – and why not, after all the kids or today are the consumers of tomorrow so you can hardly blame B&H for trying to promote their eReaders to a younger target audience.

Of course, Barnes & Noble’s up and coming color eReader, the Nook Color, is also expected to be launched within hours (well tomorrow anyhow) and there’s no doubt that this platform will doubtless benefit from B&H honing in on accommodating a younger audience.

The Best Buy advertisements, as can be seen below, specifically detail a WiFi only model as well as 3G+WiFi models in the form of a black Galaxy Tab (Verizon) and a silver Galaxy Tab (Sprint) who’s data plans are not specified in these particular ads – indeed it’s being reported that, if you’re wanting a 3G+WiFi complete with a 3G service plan from either Sprint or Verizon via Best Buy then you’ll need to speak with one of their “mobile specialist” guys to get the lowdown regarding each network’s pricing plans.

Interestingly, at this juncture, and as the eagle-eyed amongst you will doubtless have already noted, there’s no mention in these specific Best Buy advertisements of T-Mobile or AT&T with respect to 3G+WiFi units but that’s not to say that Best Buy won’t be factoring in these networks as we build up to release.

Moreover, even the less than eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed that the Best Buy ads additionally offer us some indication as to Galaxy Tab pricing in confirming that they’ll be be selling from $499 (sans mail-in rebates).

Or at least it would be a ‘strictly official positively glowing light’ were these video promos to actually give viewers more of an idea as to what’s happening on the screen – ie, how the featured players movements were being sensed by the system – but, alas, its pretty hard not to notice that the main focus in both videos here is not actually the Kinect at all, but rather the people purportedly playing it and so doing in a strictly choreographed manner (not that we’re trying to infer anything here).

Yes, it would have been nice to see more of the players with the screen in frame, except for what can best be termed a fleeting glimpse in each, but, hell, what’s the Kinect got to do with anything anyhow. I mean the connect is about people interacting with the Xbox 360 right?

Not withstanding the above, these two further promo videos concerning Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect make for potentially interesting viewing (assuming that not seeing a product or its capabilities actually featured that much at all – indeed, its appearance, such as it is in each video, almost seems as if a mere afterthought – isn’t something you can’t live with).

Got that? Great. Happy viewing (of happy smiley people jumping around).

The image in question, which, its being widely speculated (and not unduly), could be the Android packing Nook Color, appeared for a time on Barnes & Noble’s official site and was spotted by a savvy anonymous CNET reader who then tipped the site (credited below) concerning their find. Needless to say, now that their find is getting some significant interest, the specific B&N product page in question has gone AWOL which only lends more credence to the image it previously featured indeed being that of the Nook Color.

Is the image above really our first glimpse of the Nook Color? We seemingly only have till tomorrow to speculate but, clearly, this isn’t some lame PS mock-up and the fact that it hit Barnes & Noble’s own site rules out the possibility of this being anything other than a B&N product (either set for unveiling or in the works).

Place your bets now, but we say this is exactly what it appears to be.

Already supporting Android, iOS, BlackBerry Tablet OS, Macintosh, Windows and Linux, Adobe are keen to see their Adobe AIR software platform – which offers up support for accelerometers, cameras, videos, microphones and, last but by no means least, multi-touch and gestures  - make it into our living rooms and, in that respect, they have confirmed that Samsung will be supporting Adobe AIR courtesy of its range of SmartTV range whilst Acer, HTC, Motorola, RIM and Samsung are looking to roll out AIR runtime pre-installed on a host of future devices taking in both smartphones and laptops.

“With the release of AIR 2.5 more than three million Flash developers can now build a single game or application and easily deploy it across multiple application stores and devices,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Creative and Interactive Solutions Business at Adobe. “This is a huge step forward for developers looking to build rich, engaging applications but have historically had to incur the cost of building and deploying this content across multiple devices and platforms.”

Adobe AIR 2.5 and the Adobe AIR 2.5 SDK for Android and Windows, Macintosh and Linux are available today with (specifically) Adobe AIR for Android 2.2 “Froyo” devices also now being available to download from the Android Market whilst Adobe AIR 2.5 for the BlackBerry Tablet OS and Samsung’s SmartTV platform is billed as being set to hit sometime early 2011.

[via Press]

For some reason, however, Nokia is remaining pretty tight-lipped with respect to what an NFC chip is doing inside the C7, why its not been at all well publicised (though Nokia have previously admitted its there) and what its function could be once it is (assumedly) brought to life at some point in the future courtesy of a software update. And, when asked about the C7’s NFC chip, Nokia chose to offer no clarification whatsoever regarding what their plans for it is but speculation is mounting that it could be employed to allow end users to merely tap together handsets to exchange contact deals rather than being used for NFC based smart payments or secure ticketing being that there appears to be a lack of an embedded secure chip.

That said, there is speculation that Nokia have something up their corporate sleeves here as they have trialled a system known as Swipe that may be another intended purpose for the presently dormant C7’s NFC chip.

Of course, Nokia being so secretive concerning its intended employment and use of the C7’s NFC chip can only lead to increased speculation up until all is made clear but its pretty interesting that Nokia are seemingly unwilling to discuss its intentions at this juncture.

Needless to say, our ears are firmly pressed against the ground on this and the moment Nokia let something of substance slip we’ll bring you an update.

The T-Mobile HTC HD7 is set to become available on in the second week of next month, specifically November 8, and it’ll be yours for as low as a mere $199.99 subject to you signing a two year contract and subsequent to allowing for a $50 mail in rebate which, considering you’re talking about a flagship handset (and a flagship HTC handset at that) isn’t exactly a deal that’ll break the bank.

So, what exactly does this flagship WP7 handset from HTC bring to the table? How about, as TMO’s new HTC HD7 page puts it, ‘the largest screen available on a Windows Phone smartphone on the market’ (the HTC HD7 sports a 4.3” 480 x 800 resolution display) as well as ‘best-in-class productivity with Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office’. Additionally you can also factor in Netflix streaming, a Slacker Radio App and (assumedly) T-Mobile YV which offers on-demand access to the likes of ABC News NOW, FOX Sports, PBS Kids (though, interestingly, T-Mobile’s HD7 page doesn’t actually make mention of this). Ah, and there’s also Zune and Xbox support, a 5 megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording capabilities and, under the hood, a much praised and particularly punchy 1GHz Snapdragon processor to ensure that things run especially smoothly.

For those looking to familiarise themselves pronto with the HTC HD7’s key features and specifications, here’s a quick run-down:

• 1GHZ Qualcomm QSD8250 chipset
• 512MB ROM and 576MB RAM
• 8GB non-removable microSD card
• 4.3-inch 480 x 800 WVGA capacitive touchscreen display with pinch-to-zoom capability
• HSPA/UMTS dual-band 900/2100MHz
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE quad-band 850/900/1800/1900MHz
• HSDPA/UMTS 900/1700/2100MHz (T-Mobile USA support included)
• 7.2Mbps HSDPA / 2Mbps HSUPA
• 5-megapixel dual-LED flash autofocus camera with built-in scenes (candlelight, landscape, portrait, etc)
• 720p HD video recording
• A-GPS
• G-Sensor
• Digital compass
• Proximity sensor
• Ambient Light sensor
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• Dolby Mobile and SRS surround sound audio
• Bluetooth with A2DP for wireless stereo headsets
• 2.1 with EDR
• Wi-Fi b/g/n
• USB 2.0 support
• Social Networking Integration
• Kickstand (as pictured above)

So, for those of you running non-Windows OS phones, is the HTC HD7 tempting enough to see you switch to a handset running Windows Phone 7? Do let us know.

Both devices are Android smartphones and will hit just prior to the November 11^th touted release of Droid 2 Global, Droid Pro, the Motorola Citrus and the possible release of the HTC Merge. And, as if that’s not enough for you, it now also looks like the Palm Pre 2 is also set to make its appearance on Verizon on or around the same November 11^th date.

Of course, if you’re already looking to start to make your mind up concerning which of this gluttony of new handsets is best suited to your requirements we can direct you to a little light reading to get you started (well, of course we can).

Do feel free to bed down and tuck right in.

Samsung Continuum

Samsung Continuum Spotted In Verizon Inventory [New Samsung Smartphone Headed For Verizon Is Supposed To Be A Cheap Android Phone, But Is It Really Packing Windows Phone 7?]

Samsung Continuum Smartphone Details Revealed, Tipped For Release With Verizon Wireless [Samsung SCH-i400 Continuum Details Revealed, Will Feature Primary & Secondary OLED Display Along With Galaxy S Branding]

LG Vortex

LG Optimus One Android Smartphone Tipped For Release With Verizon Wireless [Verizon Rumored To Launch The LG Optimus One As The Verizon Vortex]

Motorola Droid 2 Global

Motorola Droid 2 Global Specs & Features Confirmed; 1.2GHz Processor Spotted [Motorola Accidentally Confirms Droid 2 Global Android 2.2 Froyo Smartphone; Slightly Different Than Original Droid 2]

Motorola Droid Pro

New Motorola Droid Pro Specs & Features Confirmed at CTIA [Verizon Announces New Droid Family Member, the Motorola Droid Pro]

Motorola Citrus

Motorola Adds on Budget Phone, The Citrus [Motorola Citrus Sports Android, Called Entry-Level]

HTC Merge

HTC Lexikon (HTC Merge) Release Date Could Be Nov. 11 [Tipster Says That The Next Verizon Android Phone Is Coming Next Month, Giving The G2 About One Month Lead]

Palm Pre 2

Palm Pre 2 Officially Announced By HP, Will Feature 3.1″ Display, 1GHz CPU & HP webOS 2.0 [Palm Pre 2 Now Official, Coming To SFR France On October 22nd & The US & Canada In The "Coming Months"]

WebOS 2.0 Gets An Official Unveiling & Is Rebranded As HP webOS 2.0 [HP webOS 2.0 To Feature Exhibition, HP Synergy, Just Type & More, Will Arrive First On The Palm Pre 2]

Of course, if you read TFTS regularly you’ll also know that the first Fallout: New Vegas DLC will hit the Xbox 360 first (prior to release on other platforms) but, at this juncture, what with Fallout: New Vegas just out, who cares. There’s more than enough to keep you going here for a while after all.

So, without further ado, and, as previously mentioned, by way of some consolation for those yet to have secured their copy of Fallout: New Vegas, here’s the first 15 minutes of the game (just to rub it in as to what you’re missing out on).

Got Fallout: New Vegas yet? Read our Fallout: New Vegas review? See – Fallout: New Vegas Review [We Spend Some Quality Time With New Vegas To See If A Trip To The Strip Is Worth the Cost of Admission]

The KIDDI Galaxy Tab/ SMT-i9100 is, in essence, in terms of hardware and features, the same as your stock Samsung Galaxy Tab Tablet – 1024 x 600 resolution display, 512MB RAM, integrated webcam, MicroSD memory card slot, etc, etc – though its exterior lacks the aforementioned stock model’s branding and, interestingly, this revised version has been designed more with landscape usage in mind – the result being its capacitive buttons being differently aligned. That said, having said the KIDDI Galaxy Tab/ SMT-i9100 boasts the same hardware spec as its non-KIDDI flavoured counterpart, there is one pretty major difference between this and the stock Galaxy Tab in that the SMT-i9100 comes devoid of 3G connectivity.

Yes, you read that right. KIDDI’s individual take on the Galaxy Tab Tablet lacks 3G and this, we don’t doubt, will prove pretty unpalatable to most. Ah, and there’s one other notable difference between this and the stock Galaxy Tab in that you’re looking at 4GB internal storage capacity though this potentially somewhat bitter pill is sweetened thanks to the SMT-i9100 being offered with a pretty swanky docking cradle which, it has to be said, sets off the SMT-i9100 beautifully (in term of overall appearance) as well as a mobile router.

The KIDDI Galaxy Tab/ SMT-i9100 is set to hit retail in Japan from February.

According to Nokia’s official press release, an unlocked (SIM-free) Nokia C7 will set UK consumers back £389 should you order direct from their won online portal whilst the C7 will come in at £25 per month on a contract basis with UK networks that are confirmed to carry the C7 taking in Carphone Warehouse, O2, Phones4u, Three Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone and T-Mobile – the latter set to offer an exclusive black edition of the C7 smartphone.

“Combining stainless steel and glass, with a full touch screen, The Nokia C7 is ideal for managing your life on the go, also incorporating HD video, an 8 megapixel camera and WebTV,” reads Nokia’s press release. “Facebook and Twitter feeds are on your homescreen, as well as one touch access to popular email accounts including Ovi Mail, Yahoo! Mail and Windows Live™ Hotmail.” Whilst Sami Lehtinen, General Manager at Nokia UK adds “The Nokia C7 combines beautiful design with loads of great apps and powerful media tools, it really brings social networking to life at the touch of a button.”

Nokia C7 Image Gallery (click images to view full size):

But what exactly does the Nokia C7 bring to the table (aside from the info offered in the above press blurb)? Well, for those of you who are still yet to be clued up concerning the Nokia C7’s capabilities and features, here’s a brief rundown that should serve to put you in the know:

•  3.5-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display
•  640 x 360 resolution
•  WCDMA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 support
•  GSM 850/900/1800/1900 support
•  8GB mass memory
•  microSD memory card support up to 32GB
•  internal user memory up to 350MB
•  HD 720p video recording
•  HD video playback
•  8-megapixel camera with Dual LED flash, HD video
•  GPS with OVI Maps Navigation
•  Wi-Fi b/g/n
•  Bluetooth 3.0
•  Micro-USB connection
•  3.5mm headset jack
•  Symbian^3
•  Ovi Store support
•  Social networking support

You can pre-order your new Nokia C7 smartphone, should you wish to opt for a Symbian^3 based handset, direct from here.

Of course, it hardly going to hurt that Angry Birds for Android was offered up by GetJar for free but, even allowing for this, the fact that it achieved over 1 million downloads in just one, single, solitary day is pretty remarkable. Accordingly it’s also hardly surprising that GetJar’s servers struggled under the strain and, indeed, slipped over making their site inaccessible for periods.

This is no time to be a pig, that’s for sure.

The WD TV Live Hub Media Center STB, which, like the aforementioned WD Live Plus HD Media Player, offers access to services such as YouTube, Pandora, Live365, Mediafly, Accuweather, Facebook and, of course, Netflix, (as well as blockbuster on demand) comes with integrated 2.5” HDD and Gig-Ethernet allowing for network connectivity, as well as the required internet access to allow access to the aforementioned net based services, meaning end users can access and download premium content without the need to fire up their PC – though you can drag and drop files (aka downloaded content) directly from your PC to the WD TV Live Hub Media Center STB if required – and if you’re also looking for the ability to play content directly from USB mass storage devices you’ll be pleased to know that’s also taken care of.

Further details leaked include a pretty extensive rundown of features (specific to the CA $230 unit) as detailed below which made it briefly as a Besy Buy listing but which has now been removed:

• Access popular Internet content from the comfort of your living room via wired network connection
• Full HD 1080p video playback makes this Hub the perfect partner for your compatible HDTV
• Use the programmable remote control to make your entertainment choices using animated navigation menus
  Play almost any type of media file; the WD TV Live Hub supports a wide variety of the most popular file formats including HD camcorder video formats (no need to spend time transcoding)
• Store all your media on the 1TB hard drive, and the Live Hub finds and categorizes it all and displays it in one easy-to-view menu system
• Copy, move or delete files stored on a USB drive, a network drive, your camcorder, or a camera to the Live Hub built-in drive using the on-screen menus
• Stream any file on the WD TV Live Hub media center to a WD TV Live Plus or WD TV Live media player or any DLNA/UPnP compatible TV, Blu-ray Disc player, or game console
• Powerful enough to handle multiple streams so you can stream a movie in one room, while viewing photos on your TV upstairs
• Cool, quiet and ultra-compact design
• Supports a wireless network connection to your home network with an optional USB wireless adapter (sold separately)
• HDMI 1.4, composite video and component video output
• An optical audio output sends digital signals to your AV receiver for the best surround sound experience

Tempted?

‘We’ve been looking forward to these for a long time ourselves, and have tried to make them really easy to use. We think it’s the perfect gift for all sorts of occasions (especially for all of you last-minute shoppers!)’ states the Pandora blog which additionally outlines Pandora One’s key features for those yet to be versed with their internet radio service, these being:

• Unlimited Listening, No Advertising -There’s no monthly listening limit and it is completely free of ads.
• High Quality Audio – Experience 192K bits per second audio. More bits mean better sounding music.
• Easy Access – Play Pandora stations right from the Pandora One desktop application. No more browser window.
• Custom skins – Surround the Pandora tuner with a customized theme.

The new gift subscriptions, that are offered in the form of a printed subscription (though you’ll need access to a printer in order to obtain said hard copy) or an email gift subscription (which will serve to save paper, save trees and thus keep us all breathing for just that while longer) offer recipients 192kbps unlimited streaming sans advertisements and can be ordered up to a year in advance – all for a not unreasonable $36.

The Iomega External SSD Flash Drive USB 3.0 series (a big fat zero out of ten for inventive product naming) take in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities and, should you be looking for some degree of future proofing, and are yet to make the jump to USB 3.0, you’ll  doubtless find their backward compatibility with the USB 2.0 standard somewhat reassuring – though, of course, Iomega will happily provide you with a USB 3.0 adapter card (at additional cost) allowing for transfer speeds of up to 5 gigabits per second should you want to hit the fast (data transfer) line without splashing out on a new USB 3.0 touring rig.

“When time is money and you need the latest technology in portable storage, Iomega’s new high performance external solid state Flash drives are the ideal solution,” said Jonathan Huberman, president of Iomega Corporation. “Iomega’s new external USB 3.0 SSD Flash drives are compact, rugged portable storage devices that deliver data transfer speeds considerably faster than any standard rotating disk drives, as well as the confidence that comes with a solid industrial design, hardware encryption and the complete Iomega Protection Suite to protect users’ important files, all of which makes Iomega’s new SSD Flash Drives the storage of choice for high-end users who demand the ultimate in performance and portability.”

The new Iomega External SSD Flash Drive USB 3.0 series, which come bundled with Iomega’s Protection Suite (taking in v.Clone, Iomega QuikProtect, Roxio Retrospect Express as well as access to both the MozyHome Online Backup service and a complementary 1-year subscription to Trend Micro Internet Security for the PC, or Trend Micro Smart Surfing software for Mac) is set to become available from November with pricing coming in at $229, $399 and $749 for the 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacity units respectively.

The PadDock 10 iPad dock, along with offering up dual 3-Watt speakers – which makes it somewhat more preferable than the previously featured Luxa2 H4 iPad Stand (though we prefer the latter’s design) – additionally sports syncing and charging your iPad whilst docked courtesy of built in AC and USB posts, whilst, as well as allowing you to rotate your iPad for viewing in both landscape and portrait orientations the dock also allows you to tilt you iPad so as to ensure the optimum viewing angle.

“SMK’s new PadDock 10 allows you to use your iPad as it was intended – to contribute to the quality of your everyday life,” says John Blair, General Manager of Branded Products for SMK-Link. “Held snuggly in the PadDock cradle, your iPad is secure and ready to run apps in any screen orientation. It’s ready to easily sync to your iTunes content. Your iPad is available to be your bedroom, kitchen, dorm room or office stereo system – providing hours of entertainment. Combine that with the ABC Player or Netflix app and it acts as an ultra convenient TV. Use it with a Bluetooth keyboard and surfing the internet is even faster and easier. When you’re ready to hit the road, simply snap your iPad out of the PadDock 10 cradle. It’s fully charged, synced with your iTunes, and ready to go. It’s just that easy.”

The SMK-Link PadDock 10 iPad dock is available to pre-order as of now for just shy of a not unreasonable $100 and, I must confess, I think my hunt for an iPad stand/dock that actually does the iPad justice may well be over. How about yours?

The patent in question, specifically Patent #7,812,826, which was initially applied for back in December 29, 2006 (way before multitouch displays hit the consumer market and became, as they are now, pretty much commonplace) has, over time, become somewhat more defined to the point where it’s become rather more specific than Apple would have otherwise wanted (that’s not to say that Apple won’t be celebrating bagging what they have as it certainly has potential ramifications for Apple’s multitouch embracing competitors should they now not tread carefully).

The patent, as Engadget reports, hinges on a pretty specific set of actions which they have distilled in order to detail thus:

1. A multitouch display detects at least two contacts.
2. Those contacts perform a first gesture.
3. That gesture adjusts an image in some way: magnification, orientation and rotation are specifically claimed, but the patent is broad enough to cover virtually any adjustment.
4. The first set of contacts is broken.
5. A second set of contacts is detected.
6. The second contacts perform another gesture within a pre-determined period of time.
7. The gesture continues to adjust the image in the same way.

Now, here’s the crux – and here’s why Apple, whilst feeling pretty smug, will be keeping the (doubtless logo emblazoned) champagne on ice – because, as you’ll note from the above, Apple’s patent doesn’t encompass pinch-to-zoom as a whole but, rather, covers pinching to zoom twice within a measured timescale – ie, pinch-to-zoom, insert timed break here (crucially the time lapse has to be defined/timed), then pinching to zoom once again. Should the lapse between both pinch-to-zoom gestures not be timed then it would appear, based on our interpretation of the the patent documentation, that this would not fall under the auspices of said patent.

So, there’s the rub. Apple’s competitors must be breathing a sigh of relief as there is some (considerable) scope for working around Apple’s grasp on the pinch-to-zoom means of input via a multitouch display and, in honesty, it won’t just be Apple’s competition that’s relieved, it’ll also doubtless be many a consumer.

Notable observations during the N8 teardown include the size of the 12MP autofocus camera which utilises a lens composed of five individual aspherical shaped optical elements and the BL-4D 3.7 V 1200 mAh Li-Ion battery that’s touted as not being removable but, in practice, transpires to be pretty easy to replace (just two screws need unfastening and, crucially, it’s not soldered in place).

Another observation of note is that the “digitizer and display cables still attach the front panel to the rest of the phone” so iFixit suggest that, once you have your N8 and you opt to strip it (for some reason) you lift the display assembly from the top and there’s good news here to as, should you bust your screen (as in the glass) as its not permanently joined to the N8’s AMOLED display unit you’ll only need to replace the glass as opposed to the entire screen assembly.

Their verdict? The Nokia N8 gets 8 out of 10 in terms of its reparability with special note being taken of the above points (replaceable battery, ease with which glass can be removed for replacement).

Interested parties can study iFixit’s full Nokia N8 teardown here.

The new coffee themed tablets offer a range of specifications from the Latte series, that build ‘upon the success of the GenTouch 78’ which appears to be predominantly catering for reading eBooks through to the 10.2” 1024 x 768 resolution, captive multitouch touting GenTouch Expresso Doppio which comes with a 1GHz CPU under the hood, a battery offering up to a purported 10 hours juice (more if you dock the unit with a base) and a ‘QWERTY chocolate style LED backlit keyboard’ (though it’s not clear whether its milk or dark oe whether merely using it will bump up your calorie intake).

Augen officially detail their six new GenTouch tablets thus:

GenTouch Latte – MSRP $199.99

Weighing in at only 13.05 ounces, the new improved ultra sleek design provides a remarkable experience with touch sensitive front access controls; featuring a G-Sensor function and HDMI output which provides a brilliant multimedia experience. This 7″ Resistive Touch Screen with 800×480 resolution (soft tipped stylus included) incorporates 2GB of built-in flash memory with the latest WiFi-802.11(a/b/g/n) technology. Expandable storage through its SD Card slot supports up to 16GB.

GenTouch Latte Grande – MSRP $249.99

As a step up to the GenTouch LATTE, “The Grande” features a 7″ Multi-Touch Capacitive Screen with resolution 800×600. This flagship model offers a powerful 800MHz CPU processor with Android 2.2 Operating System. Downloading books is a snap with Adobe DRM SDK9. With 2GB built-in flash, WiFi, Micro SD Card slot this tablet has a lot to offer. But we are not finished yet… “The Grande” offers additional features with 3 axis accelerometer, 3 axis compass, and Ambient Light Sensor to conserve battery power. The HDMI output offers the finest multimedia and gaming experience on the users TV.

GenTouch Espresso – MSRP $349.99

The Espresso features a 7″ Multi-Touch Capacitive Screen with resolution 800×600. This model offers an industry leading powerful Cortex A9 1GHz CPU processor with Android 2.2 Operating System. With a forward facing 3 megapixel camera, video conferencing is one click away. The latest Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR Technology sync’s the users top shelf entertainment systems along with creating an unparalleled wireless atmosphere. The Espresso is equipped with the latest WiFi-802.11(a/b/g/n), 8GB built-in flash, Micro SD Slot, and a 3 axis accelerometer/compass. This device includes an On Screen Vibration Keyboard and an Ambient Light Sensor to conserve battery power.

GenTouch Espresso Dolce – MSRP $429.99

This impressive 10.2″ Multi-Touch Capacitive Screen features a 1024×768 high-resolution display with a 4:3 aspect ratio which delivers the user an unsurpassed viewing experience. Featuring a Cortex A8 1GHz CPU processor with Android 2.2 Operating System, this device includes fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating that reduces onscreen fingerprints. The Espresso Dolce is also equipped with the latest WiFi-802.11(a/b/g/n), 8GB built-in flash, forward facing 3 megapixel video conferencing capable camera, Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR Technology, 3 axis accelerometer/compass, Standard SD MMC Slot, HDMI output, Ambient Light Sensor, and an On Screen QWERTY Vibration Virtual Keyboard that combines cutting edge touch screen functionality with the satisfying feel of a keyboard.

GenTouch Espresso Doppio – MSRP $599.99

This is a flavor the user will never forget. We blended the revolutionary Espresso Doppio with the best features of the traditional laptop and newly developed tablet making this the first hybrid device with Dual Boot Android/Ubuntu OS. The Doppio OS (Dual OS) combination allows users to select either Android 2.2 or Ubuntu Operating System when turning on the device. Espresso Doppio’s Android/Ubuntu OS utilizes full functionality of a laptop; including a variety of emailing, social networking, business applications, and printing options.

The combination of imagination and vision reflects this product’s unique mix of having a detachable 10.2″ tablet (with an enhanced brightness and high resolution 1024×768 Multi-Touch Capacitive Screen) with a high-tech designed base including a QWERTY chocolate style LED backlit keyboard. Both components contain an independent lithium 6000 mAh battery which is equivalent to 10 hours of usage. When the devices are docked together, the combined battery life extends up to 15 hours (Industry first).

The Espresso Doppio is powered by a 1GHz processor for accelerated processing, 512mb Mobile SD RAM, 4:3 aspect ratio for a sharper multimedia viewing, 3 megapixel DSC front facing camera for video conferencing, 3 axis accelerometer/compass, multi-touch track pad which replaces the traditional mouse, WiFi-802.11(a/b/g/n), 2 USB OTG/Ports, and a 2.5″ SATA IDE HDD 160GB hard drive which redefines the laptop computing and tablet world.

GenTouch Espresso Firma – MSRP $349.99

The Espresso Firma tablet with a magical wand pen (included), allows the user to create a digital note taking experience simultaneously transmitting the hand written notes digitally to the 7″ tablet. The regular sized ink pen writes on standard paper and does not require any digitizing surface. The Espresso Firma allows the user to conveniently email files, sign documents, and help utilize the powerful capabilities like personal note taking and hand written email compositions.

The Espresso Firma hand recognition device incorporates a Dual Core CPU Processor with the main CPU frequency operating at 600MHz and auxiliary CPU frequency (digital command control) at 550MHz. The 7″ Resistive Touch Screen with 800×480 resolution is powered by Android 2.2 OS and incorporates 2GB of built-in flash memory with latest WiFi-802.11(a/b/g/n) technology.

Yes, soon you’ll be able to insert your wand type thing with a glowing bulbous tip (aka Playstation Move controller) into a piece of moulded plastic that happens to resemble a machine gun spiced up with ‘distinct Quasi-futuristic styling’ and you’ll know, deep in your icy cold mercenary heart, that if you were crap at gunning anyone down before you’ll still be crap now but at least (yes, at least) you’ll look the part in the same way that a real solider with a plastic gun featuring a wand type thing with a glowing bulbous tip sticking out so totally doesn’t.

The CTA Digital Playstation Move Submachine Gun comes with a modular design allowing for ‘customised assembly’ (removable scope and stock) and can be yours from November for just shy of a mere $30.

[via Geeky Gadgets]

Of course Hulu are not averse to partnering with hardware vendors in order to bring its streaming service to more end users – Hulu is already available via TiVo Premiere and Roku, for example – but, crucially, these products only offer access for Hulu Plus subscribers and don’t offer up free Hulu content so its reasonable to assume that this may also be the case should a Hulu and Google partnership transpired and Hulu makes its way to those availing themselves of Google TV.

At present, however, as matters concerning a Hulu / Google partnership are pretty scant – neither company are offering any insight as to the current state of play in their negotiations – your guess is as good as ours though we’d be surprised if free Hulu streaming content makes Google TV though not in the least surprised if Hulu Plus makes an appearance. After all let’s be honest here, such a tie up would be pretty beneficial to both parties with Hulu having access to a wider customer base whilst Google can mark up yet more content that’s available via their net connected TV service.

It’s a win/win no-brainer.