Chrome OS release next year
by Tjhin Edi on December 2, 2009

Operating system from google chrome os is planned for release next year, OS Google Chrome is open source, lightweight operating system that will initially targeted at netbooks. Os Chrome itself will be designed to be lightweight and simple performance of the maximum operating systems to run both applications and in running the Internet, Google Chrome the OS is made for people who spend most of their time on the web, and is designed for computer power started from small netbook for full size desktop systems. Chrome is the future OS is expected to have maximum performance in running the Internet.
Chrome os itself is expected to provide all the facilities in the internet business such as receiving direct mail, etc..
And as for Google Chrome browser, Chrome os also go back to basics and actually redesigning the security architecture of the underlying OS, so users do not have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates.
With Internet capability so powerful, of course, the presence of Chrome the OS is awaited by the users who are more likely to spend much time on the Internet, we just wait if the presence of Os Chrome.

Review: TomTom Car Kit for iPhone and iPod Touch
by Gagan Biyani on November 30, 2009

Short Version

$219.94. The price says it all. The TomTom Car Kit is great; it works perfectly, and I loved using it. In fact, I wish I could keep the review unit that TomTom sent me. That said, would I ever spend 2 bills and change on it? Mayyyybe, but it’s unlikely. A standalone TomTom GPS unit can be as cheap as $100, which is half the price of the TomTom Car Kit ($119.95) + TomTom GPS App ($99.99) for the iPhone. Furthermore, it’s hard to justify buying both the hardware and the software when there are cheaper options for both (more on that later).

Of course, the product does serve multiple purposes as an in-car iPhone charger, Bluetooth speakerphone and GPS unit. All in all, I was fairly impressed with the device and think those that aren’t turned off by the price might consider its purchase. The convenience of an all-in-one device is compelling.

Hit the jump to read on…

Slightly Less Short Version

The TomTom Car Kit (as previously mentioned) was a blast to use. Super easy to install: I simply stuck the kit onto the dash, plugged the car charger into the cigarette lighter and popped in my iPhone. The first time around you have to pair the TomTom’s Bluetooth signal with your iPhone, but after that it automatically connects whenever you plug the iPhone into the kit. Then, I fired up the TomTom GPS application on my iPhone and it was just like any other TomTom GPS. You type in your destination and it provides turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions.

The directions were extremely accurate, and the TomTom kit corrected any problems with the iPhone GPS. On the iPhone, if I’m on a road parallel to another (e.g. driving on a highway and there’s a side-road right next to it), the GPS will go all over the place: one second I’ll be on the highway, the next I’ll be on the side-road. That problem was completely eliminated once I started using the TomTom kit. Moreover, the TomTom kit was quick to determine what direction I was going, which was another problem with the iPhone’s GPS system. Finally, I didn’t ever drop the signal of the GPS – I was pleasantly surprised that even if I was in a dead zone the GPS signal was rock-solid. Overall, the TomTom kit served extremely well as a GPS.

On top of the GPS features of the TomTom Car Kit, it was great as an all-in-one car kit for your iPhone. It charges your phone at a decent rate, so you’ll never run out of battery. The Bluetooth speakerphone is very valuable – it’s not quite as loud as I would have liked, but it’s way better than the iPhone’s abysmal speakers and provides a great hands-free calling option. The Car Kit’s suction cup sticks to the windshield extremely well, which is nice because you probably don’t want your precious iPhone to come crashing down while you’re driving along the highway.

Why the TomTom Car Kit Probably Isn’t Worth It

Ultimately, though, the fact that the kit worked is only part of the puzzle. The other major decision point for me was if I thought it was an overall good buy – and if I was satisfied with its value proposition vis-a-vis other options for navigating with your iPhone. Here are three reasons why I’m fairly uncertain as to whether I’d ever buy the TomTom GPS Kit for the iPhone:

First, Google Maps Navigation. When Google announced that their maps product for Android OS 2.0 was going to be completely free, and provide turn-by-turn voice-provided navigation to all, it spelled the end of for-pay GPS applications. It is only a matter of time before this comes out for the iPhone – absolutely free – and when it does, there would be no reason to buy the TomTom GPS application, or any others for that matter.

Second, the current Google Maps software is sometimes a better option than a TomTom-augmented iPhone solution. I don’t understand why GPS companies are so dumb. Google Maps has been out for years, yet search on the GPS devices still sucks. In fact, it’s so bad that I am sometimes too lazy to use the TomTom device because of all the buttons I have to press to enter my final location. There are three simple reasons. First, TomTom’s search is awful. It doesn’t have nearly as many cached locations as Google (”In-N-Out Burger” in Fremont, CA yielded zero results). Searching for categories (”grocery” or “restaurant”) is unusable. And I can’t do specific searches such as “chinese food” or “movie theater.” Second, I have to type in the address part-by-part. Instead of “43349 Pacific Commons Blvd., Fremont, CA” I have to type in “CA” >> “Fremont” >> “Pacific Commons Blvd” >> “43349″. Last but not least, I can’t cut and paste in an address. So if I use Google’s far superior search, I can’t simply cut and paste the address from Google into TomTom. Instead, I have to memorize the address and plug it in. Hands-down, Google Maps is easier to use for finding locations and directions than TomTom.

The third reason I’m uncertain about the TomTom GPS Unit is that the price is way too high. If a GPS unit costs $80-$150 for both the hardware and the software bundled together, why the hell would I pay more than $200 for ONLY half the hardware and the software? Them’s crack prices. Seriously, it is ridiculous: my iPhone is far more powerful than any TomTom hardware is, and all I need on top of that is a speakerphone and an improved GPS signal.

The Bottom Line

If you’ve got cash to burn and like the convenience of the iPhone as a true all-in-one full-featured device, then go ahead and buy the TomTom Car Kit. It is great as a Bluetooth speakerphone and the GPS actually works (unlike the iPhone’s native GPS, which is shoddy). If you’re cash-conscious, however, I’d stay away. Be patient, wait until Google Maps Navigation comes out, and then buy a $30-50 speakerphone so you can talk in the car.

Website : http://www.mobilecrunch.com/

LG announces GW820 ‘eXpo’ smartphone w/ 1GHz processor and optional projector
by Jeremy Kessel on November 30, 2009

LG has announced a new Windows Mobile 6.5-based smartphone, the eXpo. But unlike other 6.5 smarties on the market, the newest member of the LG family is packing just about everything but the kitchen sink including a 1GHz processor, a built-in fingerprint sensor, and an optional Pico Projector. Maybe they should have named it the LG SwissArmy Knife Phone.

That’s right. You can add a Pico Projector (sold separately) to this badboy that will “project images, video and Web pages up to a 40″ screen size onto any surface.” Unfortunately, LG has not offered any further details on the cost or availability of said add-on projector at this time.

But besides the optional projector, powerful Qualcomm (speculated to be Snapdragon) processor, and James Bond-like fingerprint scanner, the GW820 also features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 3.2″ 800×480 touch screen display, 5MP camera w/flash, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, accelerometer, proximity sensor, and an FM radio among other things.

The device measures 4.5″ x 2.24″ x 0.65″ (sans projector), has a 1500mAh Li-polymer battery, and, according to Phone Scoop, will initially be made available to AT&T enterprise customers for $200 (after MIR and new contract) on December 7.

Here’s a complete list of the eXpo’s features (via the official datasheet – PDF link):

LG eXpo™ Specifications Smartphone Features:
• Network: GPRS/EDGE Quad-band (850/900/1800/1900 MHz),
UMTS/HSDPA Tri-band (850/1900/2100 MHz)
• Camera: 5.0 MP autofocus, digital 3x zoom with built-in flash
• Dimensions: 4.45″ H x 2.16″ W x 6.3″ D
• Memory: 512 MB ROM + 256 MB RAM
(expandable 16 GB microSD™)
• Display: 3.2″ 16M color WVGA (800×480 pixels)
• Battery: 1500mAh Li-polymer
• OS: Windows Mobile® 6.5
• Bluetooth®: v2.1 with A2DP
• Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g with WPA2 security
• Email: Outlook®/Direct Push, POP, IMAP
• Messaging: Threaded SMS, MMS, Email, IM
• Keyboard: Side-sliding QWERTY
• Processor: Qualcomm 1 GHz
Highlighted Features:
• Integrated Pico Projector (sold separately): Allows users to project
images, videos and more on a screen up to 40″
• 5.0 MP AF camera with built-in flash
• Simultaneous voice and data with multi-tasking
• Touchscreen Windows Mobile 6.5 – the new Windows Phone
• Innovative 5-way navigation fingerprint sensor
• Turn-by-turn directions with AT&T NavigatorSM (sold separately) and
built-in GPS
• Access to your favorite AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots with built-in Wi-Fi
• Vivid display with 16M color high resolution display
• 3G HSDPA 7.2 Mbps broadband data speeds
Email, Messaging, Productivity and Internet Solutions:
• Access work and personal email accounts
• SMS, MMS, IM (AOL®, Windows Live™ and Yahoo!®)
• Microsoft Office® Mobile including Word®, Excel®, PowerPoint®
and OneNote®
• Internet Explorer® Mobile
Multimedia Tools and Services:
• Windows® Media Player
• AT&T MEdia™ Mall, MusicID, XM Radio™, MobiTV® and Games

Website : http://www.mobilecrunch.com/

Leaked Screenshots show HTC Hero running Android 2.1
by Greg Kumparak on November 30, 2009

HTC Hero owners, we feel your pain. Just months ago, you had the hottest Android device in existence. While it’s still one damned-slick piece of mobile on the hardware front, the software — now two builds behind — is beginning to show its age. You wouldn’t believe how many requests I get in the tips line asking if we’ve got any details on when the Hero’s getting the update treatment.

We still don’t know when, but it looks like we’ve now got a good idea of what the next Hero update will be: Android 2.1.

If these screenshots that BeGeek.FR managed to dig up are any indication, it looks like HTC might be skipping Android 1.6 and Android 2.0 all together, instead diving straight into the as-of-yet unannounced Android 2.1. As you can see, HTC’s custom “Sense” UI seems to be tickin’ away on the platform, which is good news; last we’d heard, that was the hurdle that was keeping HTC handsets from getting 2.0-ified.

Website : http://www.mobilecrunch.com/