info gadget

Samsung Galaxy S II gets official for Canada on Bell, Virgin Mobile and SaskTel

We've already had some indication of where and when the Galaxy S II would land in Canada, and three carriers have now finally made things fully official (even if they haven't yet got completely specific). That includes Bell and Virgin Mobile -- neither of which are confirming a price at the moment -- plus regional carrier SaskTel, which plans to offer the phone for $79.99 on a three-year contract. SaskTel and Virgin Mobile both also say that the phone will be available in the coming weeks, while Bell isn't offering much more than a chance to win the phone in a contest that ends July 19th -- we've previously heard that the phone will be hitting Bell on July 14th. Perhaps not surprisingly, it's looking like the phone will also alternatively be known as the 'Galaxy S II' or 'Galaxy S II 4G' depending on the carrier.

HTC EVO 3D gets Netflix under the table courtesy of EVO 4G's APK

So, you just bought HTC's EVO 3D for its three dimensional display and delectable dual-stage camera key, and you're loving its buttery smooth Sense 3.0 software. Yet, you were dismayed to find that the device wasn't among the chosen few granted access to Netflix for Android. But don't worry, folks, apparently the Netflix APK for the EVO 4G can get you streaming cinematic masterpieces in no time. Just head on over to the source link to get your download on, then sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Nokia's N950 demos MeeGo Harmattan in marathon video

Still obsessing about Nokia's N950 -- you know, the sexy developer-only MeeGo device you can't have? Before you let Elop rain on your parade, indulge yourself with an exhaustive 17 minute video from Thailand, dutifully documenting every nook and cranny of Espoo's ill-fated OS. The long-winded film tours the dialer, browser, and gives a peek at a plethora of camera settings -- like ISO, aspect ratio, and timers -- that we didn't get to see on the N9. Also making an appearance are maps with turn-by-turn navigation, what appears to be a document viewer, and a Facebook app. Go on, have a gander, and dream about a luscious MeeGo future that might have been.

Sony intros G-Series micro HiFi iPhone / iPod systems, blends retro looks with modern features

Sony's got a reputation for pumping out forwardly-designed wares,
but its new G-Series micro HiFi systems are a blast from the past -- at a glance, anyway.
Both rigs are MP3 and iPhone / iPod-compatible via USB and will be available in two different configurations.
To start, the CMT-G1BiP / G1iP feature 60 watts of RMS power with DAB packed into the former for those who find only having AM/FM is passé.
Next up, the CMT-G2BNiP / G2NiP add WiFi for getting your stream on from the Web or a PC and can be remote-controlled with a free iOS app.
The 'HiFi' moniker mixed with iPod connectivity might have audiophiles raising a brow to sound quality,
but the brushed metal console and its piano-gloss satellites are lookers none-the-less.
A single variant is currently listed on the Sony UK site, although there's not a squeak regarding cost or release dates. For now, we'll refer you to the PR after the break.

Google+ for Android app (hands-on)

Given the number of apps Google's made available for smartphones,

it shouldn't be much of a surprise that it's taken its suite of social networking services direct to the mobile world as well.

As soon as Google+ was officially announced, an app was ready for download in the Android Market and a web app became available

for Safari for iOS (with its full offering to the App Store coming soon). As usual, we couldn't resist the urge to play around with it,

but how does the mobile iteration fare against the competition? Continue past the break to get a peek of the larger-than-life

service squeezed into a 4.3-inch (or smaller) display.

HTC Eternity leaked: 1.5GHz processor, 4.7-inch display, front-facing camera

As the world runs short on snarky phone titles (and in fact, starts using a couple of the gems on more than one occasion),

we're left to overlook the moniker here while focusing on what's important: that display.

In fact, the 4.7-inch WVGA Super LCD shown here actually does seem to extend on for Eternity,

and if HTC Inside's leak pans out, we could be looking at the world's next WP7 superphone.

It's bruited that this fellow will be shipping with a single-core 1.5GHz processor,

8 megapixel camera (autofocus, dual LED flash), a 720p movie mode, front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera,

16GB of storage, DLNA support, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS and a 1,650mAh battery.

That's a pretty startling list of features,

and savvy Windows Phone followers will recognize that the Mango update will indeed be necessary before that front-facing shooter becomes useful.

Needless to say, we'll be keeping an ear to the ground for more, as essentials like price and release have thus far eluded us.

Nokia shutters online and retail stores in UK, US web store

Nokia will be entering Q3 free of any direct-to-consumer sales channels in the US and UK. The Finnish smartphone maker shuttered its remaining UK retail stores earlier this month (with the exception of Heathrow Airport, which remains open), and also discontinued sales on its US and UK online stores -- joining France, Spain, and The Netherlands, which all went offline last month. We spoke to a former Nokia UK retail employee, who cited poor marketing, high prices, slowing traffic and a high product return rate as a few of the reasons that the stores closed -- returns of the N8 and E7 dominated other handsets, with customers complaining of device crashes and corruption, hardware failures, and usability issues. He reports that the stores were also only able to sell devices on Vodafone and T-Mobile, and only Vodafone allowed customers to upgrade in a Nokia store. The majority of customers came into the store for support, rather than to make a purchase.

'The last two months were particularly quiet. Even if the shopping centre was busy, the Nokia store would have perhaps no more than 30 people through the door a day, usually for technical assistance. And that was that, all stores were closed abruptly on June 20th.'

We imagine pricing played a large role in the decision to close the UK and US online stores, just as it did with UK retail and online stores in other countries. Both country's online stores have been replaced with a closure notice, with the US store directing customers to Amazon, and the UK store referring visitors to eight retail partners, instead.

Gallery: Nokia Shutters UK Retail Stores

Apple Thunderbolt cable gutted, a dozen other things found within

You know the rigamarole by now -- product gets introduced, product takes forever to ship, and at long last,

product hits the hands of a few lucky souls. And then, the fine folks over at iFixit rip said product limb from limb in the name of science.

This go 'round, they found twelve larger chips and a smorgasbord of other bantam components within Apple's first Thunderbolt cable,

and they didn't hesitate to suggest that the $50 asking price was at least somewhat justified.

A Grant's worth of dissection photos await you in the source

Samsung announces 32GB microSD card capable of 12MBps write speeds

Go shopping online for a microSDHC card and you'll find that while manufacturers don't hide the speed specs,
they're not exactly crowing about 'em either. Make no mistake, though: Samsung is mighty proud of its new 32GB number,
which boasts a class 10 speed rating and read / write rates of 24MBps and 12MBps --
ideal numbers for those of you who plan on making good use of your phone's 1080p camera.
If you're a storage buff, you know that class 10 is the highest speed category for SD cards at the moment,
and that it sits above classes 4 and 6 -- the tiers covering many other microSDHCs on the market.
No word just yet on pricing, but we think it's safe to say you'll be dishing out a premium.

Summit iPad 2 cover from iFrogz

I have reviewed a lot of products from iFrogz before, and I usually think of them as iPad, iPhone, and iPod accessories for the masses. However, after seeing the iPad 2 Summit Case, I’m seeing a case that is quite classy.

Seriously, if I was ever at a party full of rich people in tuxes and women in fancy dresses, I wouldn’t be surprised if the people in attendance had this type of case on their iPad. Just to let you know, it isn’t real leather, but it would fool me.

The Summit has a folio case which has polyurethane with the same material in its core. The Summit case allows access to ports, inputs, and sensors, so nothing is blocked.

Not only does it protect against impact damage, dust, and scratches, but it doubles as a stand for many angles. The folds even attach to the case via velcro.

Yes, all in all, it is really classy, and practical. I would imagine if I could afford an iPad, I would spend a little more to get a case like this. After all, the price is a modest $59.99 on the iFrogz site. Anyone know how this price compares to an iPad case that is made of real leather? Leave a comment if you know the answer.