Windows 8 Soon to be Released

We're almost there. 12 more days until the big reveal. But that doesn't mean there aren't still a few final Windows 8 secrets to be disclosed. Two of those are the price and the packaging, which online retailer Newegg has just let slip. 

There are four packages listed: Windows 8 Professional Upgrade ($69), Windows 8 Pro Pack ($69, product key card only), Windows 8 OEM ($99) and Windows 8 Professional ($139), with the latter two being available in both 32- and 64-bit versions (for the same price). 

If you go into the product page, however, we can see that the original price for the upgrade and product key card only versions is listed as "$199" suggesting that this might either be a launch offer, or subject to change. Don't forget though, there's still the chance to upgrade for an even lower price, for those who qualify. You can officially reserve your copy of Pro from today for $69.99 at all the main retailers, but if you can hold back on that impulse purchase for just a little longer, you'll be able to upgrade to Pro online for $39 (until January 31st 2013).

iPod Nano 7th Gen

Apple will release the new iPod Nano 7th Gen this month, they like to reinvent their products very regularly as we know but what is so special about this new iPod.

The new iPod weighs a mere 31g which will more than likely feel like you don't even have it in your pocket but don't let that draw you away from purchasing one, it has lots of new features and a new bigger 2.5 inch touchscreen with 16:9 aspect ratio better showing those movies that you might have on there.

There are no click wheels on this iPod just a simple home button like on the bigger iPod and the iPhone's  although it has a circle in the middle unlike the square on the iPod and iPhone, and the power button looks nice on the top of the device and on the upper left there is a nice rocker button With this you can adjust volume and, by pressing in the middle, play/pause music or engage in any of the Morse code-like commands for shuffling or skipping tracks. 

On the bottom are the three forms of connectivity, two ports and a tiny window through which the Bluetooth 4.0 antenna talks. On the left is the 3.5mm headphone jack and on the right, the new Lightning connector, As on the iPhone 5 and the new iPod touch.

It has a similar setup to the older Nano with regards to the iOS like interface and has 2 pages of apps, you can rearrange these to your liking . The Nike+ app is still there and has been made even better in this version by having everything built into the device. You no longer need to clip on a receiver or put an accelerometer on your shoe to track your walks or runs, you can even connect Bluetooth heart rate monitors wirelessly. although the lack of the integrated clip will be seen as a slight step backward by those whose running shorts lack pockets. 

The Spec is below

Type	Media Type	Audio Playback Time	Video Playback Time	Price
Audio / Video Player	Internal Storage 16GB, Flash	Upto 30 Hours	Upto 3.5 Hours
Audio Codec Support	Dimensions	Weight	Released	From $149
AAC, MP3, WAV	3.01 x 1.56 x 0.21 in	31g	2012/10

 

iPhone 5 Lightening dock soon to be released

A company called iphone5mod.com has released the first aftermarket iPhone 5 dock and cable the product called the iPhone 5 Flash Lightning Dock is available to purchase now but orders will not start shipping until late October.

You can buy the cable and dock separately or as a package.

The cable on its own is $19.90 plus P+P

The Dock on its own is also $19.90 plus P+P 

The Package is $39.90 plus P+P

There are pros and cons to the dock mainly being that is does not have Audio out but it will allow you to sync and charge you iPhone 5 and it will fit with or without a case on the phone too so there is no issue of taking your phone out of the case to charge it.

Overview

The iPhone 5 Flash Lightning Dock comes in 2 parts. A classic dock for the iPhone 5 and an illuminated Lightning Cable. You can charge and sync your iPhone 5 with the iPhone 5 Dock. Your iPhone sits upright in the dock as it syncs or charges, so it's perfect for a desk or countertop. It comes included with a specially made Lightning Cable that has an intelligent power managements system built in. You can actually see the flow of current going into your iPhone 5.

I have not seen the alternative apple dock as of yet but im sure that it wont be to far away.

New super cheap E-Reader coming out soon

There have been some cheap e-readers released in the past, there is a new competitor in the market called the Txtr Beagle, the beagle will surely back the main competitors into a corner being so cheap at €10 or about $13 when it comes out.

Obviously, for such a low price, you're not going to get lots of featuers. There's no touchscreen, no backlight, no 3G -- not even WiFi is baked into the impossibly 5mm thin device. The screen is only five inches but,  its claiming to offer a more enjoyable experience than reading an iPad or talking to your significant other. What is inside this barebones device is 4GB of storage and a Bluetooth radio which, when paired with your phone, can transfer ebooks from your mobile to the Beagle using the free Txtr app (available for Android 4.0 with an iOS version is in the works).

Instead of an expensive rechargable cell, power is provided by a trio of AAA batteries, which the company claims will last you up to a year of regular reading. Almost as interesting as the device itself, is the model being used to keep the costs down. Txtr is positioning it not as a standalone e-reader, but as a smartphone accessory it hopes that carriers will offer with a small subsidy. The company's chief commercial officer Thomas Leliveld has said that work is underway to get AT&T and Sprint on board, but that talks are still ongoing with providers.

So keep your eyes peeled for this gadget it wont be to far away.

eBay has rebranded after almost 17 years

eBay has finally jumped on the band wagon and after 17 years, have re-branded from the clunky logo that we are used, they have decided to go with a more smooth simple single font logo, it was announced back in September this year that they would be re-branding but it would not be until mid October that we would see the change. Well i can confirm that the change has already started to appear.

The new logo makes eBay look more corporate. It’s definitely nicer on the eyes than the old logo for sure, but toned down on the personality and originality. eBay president Devin Wenig is calling it “the new eBay” which could be hinting a refreshed auction experience altogether.

There are new promo photos which include an eBay billboard and shopping bags.

Lets hope this is the start of new things for eBay, maybe a site refresh, for more info head over to the funky HTML 5 page they have released here

Ever wanted to talk to your friends through your hand

Yes that is right we have all done it, pretended that we were talking to someone on the phone using our hand as the telephone.

Well an Italian company has made this a part reality through their new invention called the hi-call this is a glove with Bluetooth connectivity that you can link to your phone and talk as if you were a kid.

Below are the specifications for the Hi-Call, They are available for purchase from their website and cost 50 Euros ($70), although these would not be very good if you were driving as you would still be pulled over for talking on the phone, but are a great idea for the winter strolls in the park.

Specifications

hi-Call: 
The glove phone! 
hi-Call Bluetooth is a glove that allows you to talk on the phone "at your fingertips". 
The left glove is equipped with a speaker and a microphone sewn in the thumb and little finger, respectively, and so, with a simple gesture, you can talk on the phone protecting you from the cold and all your wonderful friends. 
Warm and snug, perfect for all kinds of sports, from skiing to jogging, 
hi-Call, you can also use the touch screens of all smartphone thanks to the capacitive technology on the end of your finger and thumb.

Compatible with: all phones with Bluetooth technology

Specifications: 
Operating range: 12 meters 
Standby time: 10 days 
Battery life Talk time: 20 hours 
Size: man and woman 
Dry clean 
Colours: black, gray 
Fabric: 95% polyacrylonitrile, 3% cotton, 2% polyester

Included in the package: 
hi-Call 
microUSB to USB Charging Cable 
Instruction Manual

"From an idea by Alain Morelli"

Workers at Foxconn strike yet again over the iPhone 5

Workers at Foxconn's Zhengzhou factory strike in reaction to new iPhone 5 quality standards.

So you waited a few weeks to get your new iPhone 5, only to open the box and find that it has some scratches and marks around the outside edge.

So Apple have asked Foxconn to adhere to a stricter quality control program for the new iPhone 5, this in turn has sparked outrage among some of the workers and they have decided that they would strike over the demands.

According to China Labor Watch, three to four thousand workers stepped off the production line to protest the new standards, which only allow for a 0.02mm appearance defect. "It's tough under such stringent quality requirements," writes Sina Weibo user and Foxconn employee Yefudao. "A 0.02mm appearance defect is already beyond that of our vision. With such a demanding task, workers' mental pressure becomes so immense that they have to vent it out."

China Labor Watch reports that the issue stems not only from the higher quality demands, but the fact that workers are being asked to meet them without receiving the training necessary to do so. The situation hasn't broken out into a riot, but a dispute between line workers and quality control inspectors reportedly sparked a fight that led to property damage, injury and some hospitalization. Production lines have temporarily been frozen by management while Foxconn deals with the situation.

Whilst i can understand our frustrations about buying a new iPhone 5 and it already being scratched before you even use it, i can see where the Chinese workers are coming from, i do have a few marks on my iPhone 5 but nothing that i will be sending it back about, after all the outer edge of the iPhone 5 is metal painted black it would be extremely difficult to not get any marks on this item during production, maybe this infact an issue that apple should have thought about before putting it into production, sure metal would be the ideal substance for the part but maybe a better protective coating of paint or even powder coating might have been better.

We will just have to see how long the riots and strikes go on for or if Apple will change the provider of the manufacturing process to another company if the defects still keep happening.

LG Smart Tvs To rent out Disney 3D Movies

If you like me own a LG Smart 3D TV you may seen that the 3D World content has now started to show Disney movies to rent, you can watch a small 2 or 3 minute trailer of each of the available movies and you can rent them for roughly $8 AUS for 3 days.

So far the selection is not huge but it is a start of a whole new world of renting out media on the Smart TV's.


This means movies from studios such as Disney Pixar, Walt Disney Pictures, Marvel and Touchstone Pictures will available to rent in three-dee directly from LG's 3D World, including The Avengers, Toy Story, Alice in Wonderland and, later next year, Finding Nemo.

Gone are the days when you have to head out to the rentals store and take your time sifting through the ones you want to watch, all we need now is to get the popcorn popping and were fully set.

iCloud: Extended complimentary storage for former MobileMe members

Apple Has Extended the complimentary storage for former MobileMe members

If you are a former MobileMe member and had access to more than 5GB of MobileMe storage when you moved your account to iCloud, then you received a complimentary iCloud storage upgrade automatically. That upgrade has now been extended, free of charge.

How much complimentary storage did I receive?
Your complimentary storage upgrade was based on the amount of MobileMe storage you were paying for when you moved to iCloud. You were granted either the 10GB, 20GB, or 50GB storage upgrade.

To check which storage upgrade you received:

On an iOS device: Go to Settings > iCloud > Account.
On a Mac: Go to System Preferences > iCloud, then click Manage followed by View Account.
On a PC: Open the iCloud Control Panel for Windows, then click Manage followed by View Account.

How long does the complimentary storage extension last?
We will continue to provide you with this additional storage until September 30, 2013, or until you choose to upgrade your iCloud storage plan.

Can I buy more storage if I need it?
Yes. If you need to upgrade your storage to a larger amount, you can purchase one of our standard storage upgrade plans at the regular price.  Please note that when you purchase a new storage upgrade, it will replace your complimentary storage plan. If you cancel the upgrade at a later date, you will return to the standard free 5GB storage plan and will no longer have access to your complimentary storage upgrade.

What if I already upgraded my storage plan prior to this extension?
If you upgraded your storage plan before September 30, 2012, we have automatically extended your upgrade at no additional charge until September 30, 2013.

Can I transfer my complimentary storage upgrade to another account?
Your complimentary storage upgrade is not transferable. You can use it only with the iCloud account that you originally moved from MobileMe.

GameKlip - unleash the inner console of your smart phone

I was surfing the internet the other day when i came across this awesome new piece of equipment, it basically allows you to use your PlayStation Dualshock 3 controller to play games on your smartphone, the ingenious piece of kit called a GameKlip, just simply clips around your controller and has a mount for your smartphone.

GameKlip comes in 2 versions, a wired version and also a wireless version, you do have to install an app called Sixaxis Controller (can be found in the Google Play Market) to allow the controller to work on the smartphone but it brings a whole new way of playing those games you have on your phone, there is also a tablet version of GameKlip in the making too which will be released very soon.

This only appears to be out for Android smartphones at the moment but I am sure there will be a Apple variant along in the not to distant future.





To purchase the GameKlip head over to their website and purchase it from their online shop here.
The wireless version will set you back $15 plus P+P and the wired equivalent will set you back $23 plus P+P and all prices are in US$