iPad 3/HD rumors round-up

The  next generation iPad is just few hours away from making itself official to be iPad 2S, iPad 3, iPad HD or to whatever moniker it would be out on the overwhelming tablet market. Along with this unveiling sure comes tons of rumors ushering the next iPad generation on its official launch, that’s why we have compiled some of the most notable features expected to be tailored on the newest version of Apple’s magical slate. Learn more after the break.

According to report of The Mac Herald, here are the details of the rumored specs:

• Processor: Initial reports claim that the next iPad will boast a quad-core A6 chip. But others claim that it will be a dual-core A5X chipset. It’s supposed to have a more powerful GPU.
• Display: It’s almost certain that the new iPad will have a screen having better resolution than its predecessor. It is said to flaunt a 2048 x 1536 Retina Display.
• Memory: RAM will be upgraded to 1GB from 512MB.
• Software: iOS 6.0 and a new version of a web browser. Siri on board.
• Hardware: The new iPad is said to be thicker to accommodate the larger battery. A camera upgrade is also expected.
• Connectivity: It is rumored to be LTE capable. It’s supposed to have two versions, one for AT&T network and another for Verizon network. There’s also word on an international model with CDMA/3G similar to the radio chipset on iPhone 4S.

We would love to have the Retina Display and faster A6/A5X processor to make it on the stage of the Apple event, so let us know what are your picks.

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Sony Mobile not in a hurry to join quad core band

Many wondered why Sony didn’t join the quad-core bandwagon during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Although the line up they unveiled is great, the smartphones seems stuck in the dual-core era. Apparently, there is a reason for this. According to Stephen Sneeden, Sony Mobile’s product marketing manager, they don’t feel that quad-core performance matches battery efficiency at the moment. Here is an excerpt of the interview:

“We’re going to join quad-core when we feel that the performance matches the battery efficiency,” he said. “Because right now we don’t feel that is there. What we are going to be doing in the second half of the year is moving to the Cortex A15 architecture, which we feel outperforms the current quad-core architecture.”
“You’ll see in 2013, as we’re evaluating the quad-core performance where it makes sense, where you’re not suffering in quality and the performance truly is there, and there really is something that demanding applications need,” he continued.” That’s when we make the right move to quad-core.”
I for one think that there is still no need for quad core processors and battery life is also to be highly regarded. But it is a bold move not to match the offerings of competitors in terms of processing prowess especially now that it seems like smartphone is regarded as the faster the better. We’ll see if this strategy of Sony works when their new phones become available to consumers.

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iPhone 5 to sport a bigger 4-inch display

Rumor mills like what we have seen before for the next iteration of iPhone, this time with iPhone 5. There’s no official sense if Apple will follow the numbering moniker of iPhone 4 and goes on with iPhone 5, but earlier we learned that the handset is reported to feature 8MP camera,  next generation A5 processor and Qualcomm chipset that will unify the CDMA / GSM / UMTS radios and NFC integration that will boast “universal SIM”, not enough? And how about 4-inch larger screen?

In a report by Engadget, WSJ and Bloomberg the two sources claims accordingly with their sources that the iPhone 5 will be lighter and will feature larger 4-inch screen.

“Well, if DigiTimes and its chatty “upstream component suppliers” are to be believed then the next generation iPhone will be sporting a 4-inch display. While DigiTimes can, at times, be a suspect source for Apple information, the idea of a larger 4-inch iPhone flagship to help differentiate itself from a smaller iPhone nano and legacy iPhone 4 (that becomes the budget model) does make some sense.”

Now we almost forget, how about the iPhone Nano reported earlier or this very cool unthinkable and unimaginable iPhone 5G?

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Final Audio Design’s stainless steel headphones worth $8,000 weighs near 2 pounds

 

Carved out of stainless steel and boasting a 40mm drivers with sound output level of 112 dB and low impedance rating of 16 ohms, the Muramasa VIII by Final Audio Design not really highlights the high-quality sounds that should be automatic for $8,000 worth of listening. What more distinguishable on this device is its shiny-stunning “bling” design factor and neck-breaking 850g weight that likely appears to double-up any regular headphones physical feature. It seems that you’ll be needing a neck brace(highly recommended) before getting this flashy headphones.

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Ferrari F12 Berlinetta is the world’s fastest Ferrari so far

Top Italian car manufacturer Ferrari have just unleashed a beast from the 2012 Geneva Motor Show showcasing the mighty F12 Berlinetta. Under the hood, this monster boasts a 740 horsepower V12 that’s capable of launching the vehicle to 62 mph in 3.1 seconds.

Moreover, Ferrari let loose of the 12-cylinder Berlinetta for few laps in Fiorano, where it “completes a lap of the Fiorano test circuit in 1’23″, faster than any other Ferrari road car. The previous record for a Ferrari road car was 1’24.00 by a 599 GTO in 2010, preceded by an Enzo which went around in 1’24.90 in 2002 and a 458 Italia 1’25.00 in 2010.” There’s no question for its raw power, but there are notable technologies and engineering prowess propelling the Berlinetta, “such as Aero Bridge, Active Brake Cooling, a new generation of carbon-ceramic brakes (CCM3), a further evolution of the magneto rheological suspension control system (SCM-E) plus the usual E-Diff, ESP Premium, F1-Trac, and high-performance ABS control systems.”

Now if you’re asking for the price, we’ll be 1-second faster on answering that this car will not be that affordable (unfortunately, there’s no word on its official price}.

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Top 10 Most Anticipated Smartphones in 2012

Do you still remember what your first mobile phone was? It has been decades since they first introduced mobile phones in the market. If we’re going to back track the history of mobile phones, we will see that it has gone far from where it started. It has evolved a lot from only being a call and text mobile phone to the smartphones that we have now. The smartphones that were being released in the market nowadays offers a lot of great features from instant messaging, gaming, social networking and many many more. And because of this, the demand for smartphones has grown from year to year. This is the reason why top mobile phone manufacturing companies are launching different and new variants of smartphones. 

Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Blackberry are some of the top mobile phone companies nowadays and to give you an idea on what these companies may have in store for us this year, here are the top 10 most anticipated smartphones in 2012.

1. iPhone 5

Since 2011, we already heard a lot of rumors regarding this phone. Many Apple fans have been waiting for the release of this smartphone and have become a big hit already. It is believed that it will be one of the best Apple products ever launched with its improved features. More details on iPhone 5 here.

 

2. Samsung Galaxy SIII

It boasts a 12 MP camera with 1080p full HD video recording, a dual core 1.8 GHz processor and a brilliant connectivity features. This phone is known as the biggest competitor of iPhone 5.

3. Blackberry 10

This superphone as it was called is one of the most awaited Blackberry of all times. Although there are rumors about the features, it has not really been evidently revealed. But they are pointing out that it will level up to the latest smartphones to be released.

4. Nokia Lumia 900

After Nokia released the version of Lumia 800 last 2011, they come up with Nokia Lumia 900 which is packed with features. It is considered as the superior form of the previous Lumia which has a 4.3 inch AMOLED ClearBlack screen at 800×480 pixels, 8 megapixel with Carl Zeiss optics and 1.4 GHz Snapdragon processor.

5. Sony Xperia S

This smartphone was launched during CES 2012 and believed to be released on the 2nd quarter of 2012. Runs in Android 2.3 with 4.3-inch HD display, dual core 1.5GHz processor and NFC capabilities.

6. Lenovo S2

Lenovo S2 is an Android smartphone that is powered by Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). It is great for social networking, has a good battery life and also has good 3G and WIFI connectivity features. This smartphone also comes in two versions, the 16GB and 32GB.

7. Sony Xperia Ion

Another one from Sony Ericsson that is said to be released this year is the Sony Experia Ion. It is powered by 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, has a 12.1 MP camera and an internal memory of 16GB.

8. Motorola Droid Razr Maxx

For 2012, Motorola will be releasing a new Android phone. It has an advanced touch screen display with qHD, a remarkable 8MP camera with flash and image stabilization and an excellent battery life.

9. Lenovo K800

Another one from Lenovo, the first Intel-powered smartphone, Lenovo K800. This smartphone has a 1.6GHz Intel Medfield processor, a TFT display, and an 8 megapixel camera and runs in Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

10. HTC Titan II

The smartphone which may become the next target of HTC fans this year. It has superb LCD capacitive touch screen, a 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S2 processor, and a 16MP camera that provides excellent quality photos and videos.

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JLab Audio B-FLEX X-Bass USB Laptop Speaker Review

A few weeks back, we first featured JLab Audio's GO MP3 Player and it was a good product overall. It did what it was supposed to at an alright cost. This time around, JLab Audio once again returns with a product that’s not as far off as their waterproof player but is still as valuable based on its intended operation. For those that bring laptops and net books around all the time, it is common knowledge that speakers of these gadgets are not of the best kind, as they’re clearly meant for personal use and manufacturers assume that headphones would be more practical. But for those situations that laptop audio is a necessity and the built-in speakers suck, then JLab Audio has something in their sleeve to offer. Today’s review will focus on JLab Audio’s B-FLEX X-Bass USB Laptop Speakers.

Unboxing and Presentation:-

 

Unlike the previous JLab Audio product, the B-FLEX actually comes in its actual retail packaging. Like most speaker sets though, the B-FLEX also comes in a plastic clam type of packaging that has the typical cardboard backing that contains the product shots and details. At the front is the company logo and product name, with the speaker unit itself embossing the plastic packaging for easier inspection of contents without having to open the package. The rear of the package is basically the same as the front with the product window showing the rear side of the speaker. More details are also seen, including the most important positives of the product and basic functions. Nothing special about the package but it definitely helps any possible buyer of the B-FLEX.

Things also don’t get complicated when opening the said package. It doesn’t have any twist ties or any adhesive used in sealing in the product. You can easily slide out the speakers and plug it in to any USB port and you’re ready to go. There are no other accessories included in the package, aside from a paper manual that anyone can basically get around not reading as the product is very simple to use.

Features

• Plug and play for PC* and Mac. Uses only USB power, no wires or batteries!
• Easy to use. Incredibly compact and portable. Great for travel!
• Produces crystal clear sound with dual 1-watt digital amps and 2 high output, full range micro drivers and passive subwoofer.
• Patented flexible design allows you to totally customize your listening experience by flexing the speaker into virtually any position.
• Second Edition of the B-Flex gadget that was featured in the NY Times, on ABC News, in WIRED magazine, and on virtually every gadget site in the world.

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