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Major release of Windows Phone every year

kurosaki — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 02:56:34 +0000

Microsoft has promised it will release a major edition of Windows Phone every year.

The promise was revealed in a Microsoft job posting on Monday. Engadget notes that the timeline shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given that iOS and Android both push out major releases months apart. Microsoft’s job posting states the following:

There has never been a more thrilling time for the Windows Phone team! Windows Phone 7 launched and is building momentum in the market. Do you want to be part of driving the next big business for the company? If you believe Windows Phone is a critical area of investment for Microsoft and if you have a passion for creating compelling mobile user experiences then come join the Windows Phone Customer Experience Engineering team (CXE) and help shape the future of mobile. We are passionate about delivering world-class products to our users and partners. We aren’t just building a me-too iPhone or Android competitor; we’re changing the way customers use and experience their device. The Application Platform team is building the new development framework for Windows Phone applications, responsible for defining the application model and delivering the application manager, execution framework, integration with the OS, notifications, data services, integration with cloud services and delivering the ecosystem for supporting mobile application developers.

This Senior Program Manager position will be the CXE Feature PM that drives all development work on the Application Platform for update releases between major yearly releases. You will work closely with the Application Platform team who is working on major yearly releases and with the best technologies/teams across the company (e.g. Silverlight, XNA, .NET Compact Framework). We believe leveraging our partners, combined with building phone specific technologies within our own engineering team, results in leveraging the best technology from Microsoft for our developers.

Microsoft is currently on track to release Windows Phone Mango in the fall. The software giant unveiled a number of new Windows Phone Mango features last month. Mango will include over 500 new features ranging from multitasking through to some major Bing search improvements.

Garmin to purchase Navigon

kurosaki — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 03:02:41 +0000

Garmin plans to acquire Navigon leaked out earlier this month. GPS giant will bring the smaller German company under its wing beginning in late July. Pending regulatory approval, the deal would have Navigon, one of the largest GPS brands in Europe, functioning as a subsidiary of Garmin, which has a much stronger presence in North America. Companies were unable to reveal any financial information, though previous estimates priced the deal in the “mid-double-digit million” Euro range. Navigon says it’s not ready to share any details concerning the acquisition, but we’re unlikely to see major effects in the US, where the company has smartphone apps but hasn’t sold dedicated GPS devices in several years

Garmin® Ltd. Announces Signing of Agreement To Acquire Navigon® AG

Schaffhausen, Switzerland and Hamburg, Germany /June 14, 2011/Business Wire – Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN) and Navigon AG announced today that Garmin Ltd. and the shareholders of Navigon AG have signed an agreement for a subsidiary of Garmin to acquire privately-held navigation provider Navigon AG (“Navigon”).

“This acquisition is a great complement to Garmin’s existing automotive and mobile business. Navigon has invested significantly in the European automotive OEM business, and we feel that we can rapidly expand our automotive OEM footprint and capabilities through this transaction,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin’s president and COO. “With Navigon, we are also acquiring one of the top-selling navigation applications for the iPhone and Android platforms – something that we expect will help drive revenue for the combined company going forward. Combining Navigon’s and Garmin’s strength also improves our competitiveness and standing particularly in Europe.”

Navigon is headquartered in Germany. In addition to its automotive OEM and navigation application for smartphones, the company has an estimated seven percent share in portable navigation devices (PNDs) in Europe. In regards to PNDs, Navigon’s products are known for their compelling design, performance, and innovative software features.

“We look forward to sharing expertise, technologies, and relationships between Navigon and Garmin in order to serve more customers, expand product offerings, and lead the market in hardware and software innovation,” said Egon Minar, CEO of Navigon. “Our two companies each bring complementary strengths to the table, but what we share is a passion for customer satisfaction through innovation.”

Navigon will operate as a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Financial terms of the transaction will not be released.

Next-Gen Xbox at E3 2012

kurosaki — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 02:56:14 +0000

According to VideoGamer.com , the software giant is preparing to announce the successor to the Xbox 360 at E3 2012 . site claims that Crytek is already developing a new TimesSplitters game for the next-generation console. Hardware specifications have not been fully finalised. Crytek is working with Microsoft’s DirectX 11 as the basis for its development plans. Microsoft could announce and launch its new console ahead of rival Sony. VideoGamer’s source claims that the game was reportedly shown privately in video form at E3 2011.

Microsoft has managed to keep the Xbox 360, released in November 2005, fresh through a number of software improvements and hardware refreshes. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 gaming console dominated U.S. charts in 2010. Microsoft revealed at CES in January that the company has sold over 50 million Xbox 360 consoles worldwide since launch. Microsoft also has 30 million active Xbox LIVE members and has sold 10 million Kinect sensors since the device debuted in November. The Kinect sensor is a horizontal bar that sits at the base of your TV. The device has an RGB camera, depth sensor and multi-array microphone which runs proprietary software. Kinect allows for full-body 3D motion capture, facial recognition, and voice recognition.

Xbox Console Architecture team has been hiring for numerous positions on the next-generation Xbox team. The job listings appears to have confirmed that Microsoft is in the early stages of pre-production for the next-generation Xbox. Microsoft is so early on in the development stages that the graphics hardware hasn’t been fully decided and tested. Previous speculation had suggested that Microsoft was further on in the development stages for its next-generation console.

Rumors of a new Xbox kicked off on Friday when gaming site Develop claimed that an unnamed Electronic Arts studio had taken delivery of a new Xbox console. It’s claimed that the new hardware was sent to EA last month and is packaged and stored inside a PC shell. EA developers are allegedly getting to grips with the hardware to create first-generation software says Develop. Microsoft declined to comment on the story but EA spokespeople claimed the story was false. “This story is a total fabrication – 100 percent not true,” said EA corporate spokesman Jeff Brown.

The 3D Innovation, Gimmick or Game?

mohseen lala — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 20:31:54 +0000

Forget HD (high definition) TV, the future is 3D. So we are led to believe by major entertainment and electronic companies. If a practical and budget concise view is taken towards the whole 3D trend, it honestly seems like a complete gimmick.
First of all it should be noted that 3D technology itself is an amazing piece of innovation, the problem is with its implementation. Also a major problem with 3D is that it has almost no compatibility with any modern existing technological standard, as a result users have to fork out extra cash to enjoy their 3D TV’s or game consoles. Speaking of extra peripherals, the following is a list of major reasons certain 3D outlets should be avoided, and also a list of 3D outlets that you should consider using if you do truly enjoy 3D.
3D CINEMA: the biggest craze for 3D content right now is in the form of movies, and this is a double edged sword. Some movies are certainly excellent when viewed in 3D, their storyline, shooting format and genre lend themselves very well to 3D technology (Transformers 1,2,3, Avatar). Unfortunately Hollywood disagrees, a majority of movies are coming out whether or not they would fit into the 3D realm of movie watching, a crying shame really. What’s worse is the cost, you have to fork out extra cash for those gigantic and awful looking 3D glasses to watch a movie that would have been perfectly suited to either IMAX or plain 2D.
3D TV: 3D TV is another piece of gadgetry made to suck your wallet or purse dry, most users are dismayed when they realize the only piece of 3D media they will be able to watch on their TV’s are 3D DVD movies and games, which require the purchase of 3D compatible games. Watching 3D DVD’s usually requires the extra purchase of a compatible DVD player, glasses and of course the actual screen. So just save your money and purchase a nice big HDTV, you will much better off as a result.
3D Games: 3D Games are generally worth the cost, especially if you are buying the Nintendo 3DS, whether or not to buy 3D compatible games for a Playstation 3 Depends on how big a fan you are of the game in question, but over all 3D gaming is a good way to spend your money as a 3DS fan.
3D Phones: There are only two 3D phones in the market right now, the LG Optimus 3D and HTC EVO 3D, both phones are definitely worth buying, particularly the LG Optimus 3D as it comes with 3D TV OUT, which means you transfer your 3D content to a 3D TV. It also shoots 3D video.
So there you have it, 3D cinema is only worth it if the movie compliments a 3D avenue, otherwise it a gimmick.
3D TV is a complete gimmick, requires a dozen or so peripheral and extras to work. Please avoid. 3D gaming is worth it on the handheld Nintendo 3DS, otherwise it depends on the game being played. 3D phones are definitely the future of 3D, as they do not require glasses or any other peripheral. So in short 3D games are good to go, so are 3D mobile phones. Otherwise 3D is still just a gimmick.

iPad, Was it Worth The Hype?

mohseen lala — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 20:26:13 +0000

The iPad2 is out, and its selling at $499. But let us take a look at the original the first true Pad, the original iPad.

The iPad was truly minimal in terms of features and outstandingly expensive. It was simply a large iPhone, actually the iPhone was better… You could make calls with it.
The iPad lacks external memory upgrades, true multi-tasking, powerful battery life, Flash support (how did they ever miss that!). As a matter of fact, the iPad was simply hype. For cash strapped iPad fans, here is a cartoon to illustrate a point you should keep in mind when buying the iPad 2.
It seems like Samsung and other companies took what was missing form the original iPad and capitalized on it, my personal favorite being the Galaxy Tab. As a result the iPad 2 seems to be their equivalent, no their leader. Hmmm, that must be a first time experience for Apple. Suffice it to say that Apple have lost the Pad contest, even with the iPad 2 in tow. Whether it be in terms of features, the Ipad has lost tot he Galaxy Tab, in terms of power it loses to the Motorola Xoom. In terms of OS its a tie between Android and IOS4.

So here is our lesson, the iPad and iPad 2 are not very good Tablets to buy now, unless your rich and wish to make a fashion statement, there are much better alternatives. Keep searching and good luck.

Wireless Router Vase

Kyisha Long — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:47:34 +0000

Yes, you read right. A vase with a wireless router capability. A Saudi Arabian company called STC came up with this unique, but weird idea. Not only can you use this electronic as a vase for watering your lily’s and plants; you can get still use it as an wireless router at the same time. That’s what I call killing two birds with one stone.

Though, you have to be careful when using this device. It’s still an electronic so it will still act like one too. Meaning, if you accidentally spill some water while watering your flowers and plants then you’re in big trouble. Water and electricity obviously don’t mix.

LEGO Business Cards!

Cool Tech Toys — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:11:39 +0000

Since ThumbGods loves LEGOs, I wanted to share this awesome LEGO “business card”.

I don’t think I’d forget that contact! But I might get distracted by playing Legos instead of returning phonecalls. What do you think? Cool way to hype your business?

Via Coolest business card ever.

Check You Car Performance with this tiny chip

sheikh chandio — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:21:28 +0000

The gadget that i am going to review right now is for all you car junkies out there. This is a gadget to keep you updated with the engine performance of your car. Car Chip Pro Performance Monitor. It is a small gadget and is very easy to install. You just have to plug it into some switch of your car under the dashboard. After driving the car you can download all the data into you PC. I was amazed to see that it gives you all the details of your ride including how long it was drove, what was the speed, distance travelled etc. The package also includes a CD of Software and a USB cable. It works with all windows but, i don’t know if it works on Mac. You can buy it for 120 dollars from the internet. Just search for the gadget on your favorite search engine. Overall ,I think this is a very useful, especially for parents for keeping an eye on their children. I have got mine, make sure you get yours.

Spy Camera Sunglasses

sheikh chandio — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:52:44 +0000

Always wanted to be a spy and carry equipment like James Bond and Tom Cruise do? Well you can fulfill your desire of becoming a spy and capture everything in your eyes with these Spy Camera Sunglasses. These glasses cannot capture videos but, they have the ability to capture still images, at a resolution of 1280×1024, with a 1.3 mega pixel camera. This gadget can also play MP3 files for you, so that you can shoot secret images while listening to James Bond or Mission Impossible music. The phone supports up to 4GB storage. You can connect the gadget with you computer via USB port. You don’t need any cells for making this gadget work. It has a rechargeable battery with a life of up to 9 hours. The gadget comes with a wireless remote that you can use for capturing images. You can buy this fun gadget for $50-$60 from thinkgeek.com. I have ordered it make sure you do yours.

Electronic Drum Kit T-Shirt for Music Lovers

sheikh chandio — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:34:00 +0000

All music fans pay attention please because i am going to review something that is a must have gadget or instrument or a toy or a T-Shirt! for you music fans out there. If you like to attend concerts or parties then this T-Shirt is going to attract attention of alot of people towards you. The name of this gadget is Electronic Drum Kit Shirt. This shirt comes with a full electronic drum kit with builtin speakers and it can play upto 7 different sounds. All you have to do is tap the drums on the T-Shirt with your hands and the sounds will come out from the speakers. You dont have to charge this shirt, it only requires 4AAA sized batteries. So, if you cannot afford a real drum kit then don’t worry. Just buy this T-shirt for $30. Just search for it on your favorite search engine or shopping site. And don’t worry about washing the T-Shirt. It comes with full instruction regarding the process of washing and drying.