GADGET UPDATE powered by Stuff: Apple, LG, Fujifilm and more

 

 

iPhone 5 slims down thanks to skinny screen patent

 

Patents are big business, and while the main players are busy suing each other over them we'd much rather keep an eye on what it means for exciting new tech. For example Apple has already landed a 3D gesture controls patent that we’re hoping to see in the new iPhone 5. Now it has bought up 21 new patents for future design ideas, the most exciting being an integrated touch screen which combines display and touch circuitry for a thinner, brighter, low power consumption display.  Read more...

 

LG Prada K2 caught on camera

 

Remember the LG Prada and Prada 2 – two sexy slivers of mobile phone tech? Well, it's time for round three. The LG Prada K2 has popped up in a super short, blurry video on Pocketnow. It may only be ten seconds of gadget porn, but that's long enough to drool over its ultra-slim 8.8mm design.

 

It promises to be more than just a pretty face with dual-core power, 8MP camera, 1.3MP front-facing snapper, 16GB of internal storage and 21Mbps HSPA+ connectivity. Meanwhile, Gingerbread 2.3 runs the show behind a mega 4.3in NOVA display boasting 1000 nits of brightness.  Read more...

 

Samsung brings HD, Smart Hub and 3D to BD-DT7800 PVR

 

Take a look at that PVR box. The Samsung BD-DT7800 looks average enough doesn't it? Like it might receive a few Freeview channels and let you record them. Samsung's new set-top box does in fact have a few extras thrown in that will have bona fide TV addicts quivering with anticipation.

 

Take HD recording for example, or the scene searcher and editor so you can cut the filler and save your favourite TV and film clips. Then there's the built-in Smart Hub with BBC iPlayer, thousands of films online and music on demand. Plus 2D to 3D conversion (including your own videos and web content), not to mention 3D recording straight from Freeview.  Read more...

 

Facebook Messenger app unveiled

 

Facebook Messenger hopes to take over the social networking world but it’s going to have a fight on its far reaching hands. The app due to land on iOS and Android devices combines MSN Messenger with Facebook to put all your contacts in one place. Like the online version of Facebook Messenger all your messages will be aggregated in one place – texts, emails, chats and IMs. Messages can be sent to Facebook contacts and phone book contacts from one place that will be delivered via alerts or text messages as required.  Read more...

 

Windows Phone Tango to succeed Mango for budget handsets

 

Windows Phone Mango OS has been in the hands of developers for two weeks now and it looks like they’re doing less developing and more simplifying. According to a contact of ZDNet, the next release – possibly called Tango – will be tailored to Nokia and the Asian market’s ranges of low-end handsets. The Nokia Sea Ray is strongly linked to the Tango release, meaning we may see the OS dance onto European shores soon.  Read more...

 

Fujifilm Finepix F600EXR unveiled

 

Like a seven-year-old beating you at Xbox on his first go, the smaller a camera is, the more impressive its capabilities can seem. Picking up where the F550EXR left off, Fujifilm's new premium compact crams even more features into its teeny dimensions.

 

For starters, there's the 16MP EXR-CMOS sensor, now backed up with motion detection tech to reduce blurring. Couple that with a 15x optical zoom, a panorama 360 mode and 1080p movie capture, and you start to wonder how this thing can take a bad picture. There's even an augmented reality landmark navigator showing the relative position of over a million places of interest – day-tripping photographers will be champing at the audio tour headset. They (and you) will be able to get your finger on the F600EXR's shutter button at the end of October but keep your eyes peeled for a Stuff.tv review coming soon.  View photos...

 

New video! HTC EVO 3D review

 

Since LG announced it was slapping another dimension onto one of its smartphones, it's been slim pickings in the 3D phone department. Until very recently if you wanted in, you had no choice but to succumb to the Optimus 3D. But next in line to have a bash at the 3D smartphone thing is HTC. Whether you're the phone fan who wants it all, the 3D fanatic who wants to watch movies on the move, or a lover of all things gimmicky, the HTC EVO 3D puts up a good fight against the might of the Optimus 3D.  Watch video...

 

Orange Monte Carlo arrives this week

 

Bargain hunters looking to muscle in on Android turf may want to hold out for Orange's own-brand Monte Carlo. Launched as part of a budget-busting trio alongside the Stockholm and Barcelona, the Monte Carlo – the UK version of the ZTE Skate – is the last to arrive and is its fastest smartphone to date.

Following on from the success of the Orange San Francisco, the Monte Carlo is a significant upgrade, boasting a higher definition 5MP camera, faster 800MHz processor and a bigger 4.3-inch touchscreen – pretty good specs for a budget blower. Best of all, it's up to date in the Android department by offering Gingerbread 2.3.  Read more...