Korean bookseller Kyobo has recently unveiled a new e-book reader with a 5.7-inch (1024 x 768) Mirasol display. In case you didn’t know, the Qualcomm Mirasol display technology combines some of the best features of e-ink and LCD displays. The Kyobo Mirasol eReader is powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 processor, a customized version of Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS and WiFi connectivity. No word on pricing or availability so far.

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The is powered by the Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 OS, a 2.13GHz Intel Atom D2700 processor and a Radeon HD 6450A graphics chip that is fast enough for 3D movies in HD and 3D gaming. The computer also has a 4GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM, a 500GB 5400RPM hard disk drive, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, an HDMI out and an 8-in-1 memory card reader. The will be launched on December 1st, 2011 for $349 upwards.

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Genius has unveiled its new eco-friendly mouse namely the DX Eco. This wireless battery-free mouse features a 1,600 DPI BlueEye optical sensor and a built-in gold capacitor that can be quickly charged in 3 minutes. The Genius DX Eco also uses the 2.4 GHz wireless technology that offers a range of 15 meters. Additional specs include several hot keys, a “flying” scroll wheel and a rubber insert. The is priced at 45 Euro ($61.77).

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It may not look all that mouse-like, but this so-called micromouse robot can navigate a maze unlike any other -- robot or otherwise. Built by Ng Beng Kiat, the Min7.1 bot has a top speed of 12 kilometers per hour, and it recently set a new record in the Japan Micromouse Robot Competition with a time of 3.921 seconds. For those not up on their robot maze-racing stats, that's a full second under the previous record holder. Of course, it didn't just blaze through on its first attempt. The bots are first allowed an autonomous exploration phase, but even it is fairly impressive to watch. Check out it and the record-setting run after the break.

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Recent apps, home screen, and Face Unlock with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
(Credit:Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)
The apps launcher looks essentially the same as Gingerbread's, though it has a slightly different layout and a fancy graphical transition as you swipe horizontally through your apps. I really like that the Market app is persistently accessible on the top of the screen, and that the app launcher has expanded to include widgets. However, the "tiled look" for widgets that Google proudly showed off at the Ice Cream Sandwich launch event looks cluttered and confusing.
Screenshots
If you like this screenshot tour of Ice Cream Sandwich, you can thank, well, Ice Cream Sandwich, and its new native screenshot capability in particular. Late to the game compared with Apple's iOS (and even some Android phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S II), the feature is nevertheless a boon for app developers, for us journalist types, and for anyone who wants to diagnose an error or save a snap of a game for bragging rights.
The trick is pressing the hardware combination of the volume-down button and power button in the right way to trigger the native screenshot tool. Unfortunately, it took time to get a feel for it on the Galaxy Nexus. The action was awkward, and not always successful, especially at first. The ease of snapping screenshots will vary by a handset's individual proportions.
Cameras and video
The panorama feature in the Ice Cream Sandwich camera was one of the first secrets to leak. Several Android-bearing phones have seen the feature before, but only as an addition to a Samsung or HTC camera, never as a blood-and-bones part of Android. Now, Google has made it front and center, one of your three camera "mode" choices, in addition to the standard camera and video.

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Top-rated reviews of the week (photos) Gallery
Subscription games headed to the App Store
If a new type of app takes off, in the future you could be renting your game from the App Store as opposed to buying it. Big Fish Games is reportedly the first publisher to work this out.
Apple Talk
An inside look at the testing of Windows Phone 7
In part three of a behind-the-scenes look at the development of Microsoft's new phone software, Ina Fried takes a look at Redmond's massive testing operation.
Beyond Binary

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was supposed to be a "Facebook killer". Some now say it's already dead - but the search giant says it is just getting started.
The 19th Century writer Mark Twain once famously told a newspaper journalist: "The report of my death was an exaggeration," following unfounded media speculation that the author had suffered a fatal illness.
Similarly, search giant Google, which unveiled its much-anticipated online social network Google

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It's been a big year for Roku. The streaming content box manufacturer launched its Roku 2 HD, XD and XS this summer, with a $50 LT model coming just last month. Now, the Netflix / HBO Go / Angry Birds player will cross the border into Canada and the U.K., with the expansion set to begin in early 2012. The company is looking to build its 350 channels with region-specific content, which can be provided free, supported by ads or with a subscription -- and if you choose to add your own content to the service, you'd certainly be in good company. Show full PR textRoku Announces International Expansion

Roku Streaming Platform Now Open to Content Providers and Developers in UK and Canada

SARATOGA, Calif., Nov 17, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Roku, the leading streaming platform in the U.S. today announced plans for international expansion. Roku expects that consumers in the United Kingdom and Canada will be able to purchase Roku streaming players beginning in early 2012. Roku is expanding its open platform to support region-specific channels. Publishers of video, music, games and other Internet-delivered content can now reach their customers' TVs directly through Roku. Content can be free, ad supported or paid. Those interested in developing for Roku should contact partners

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Navigon 2.0 arrives for iPhone

Navigation junkies have been pining for Navigon's latest MobileNavigator application ever since our sneak preview at CTIA, but that wait is now over -- at least for iPhone constituents. To mark its arrival, the app was re-branded as Navigon 2.0, and yes, it's a free upgrade for current users. Most notably, the software now enables individuals to selectively load maps into their iPhone on a state-by-state basis -- thereby creating extra headroom for more important uses. Additionally, Navigon fans will also discover a completely re-designed user interface along with an in-app purchase function that delivers quarterly map updates. Now through November 30th, new users may purchase Navigon 2.0 for $20 off the normal price of $49.99 for the United States or Canada, and $59.99 for all of North America. Curious to see it in action? We've included a demo video and the full PR just beyond the break. Show full PR textThe Next Generation of Onboard Navigation Apps: NAVIGON 2.0 for iPhone Lets You Download Maps by State

Map Management Capabilities Prolong Internal Phone Storage, also Includes an Option for Quarterly Map Updates and a New User Interface

Hamburg, Germany, November 17, 2011-NAVIGON GmbH, a leading provider of mobile phone onboard navigation, today launched the second generation of its award-winning iPhone navigation app, NAVIGON 2.0 for iPhone. The new version completely redefines core elements of iPhone navigation, including a new and unique map management function and an in app purchase option for quarterly map updates, both not found in any other onboard navigation app. Also included is a very simple and intuitive user interface. Existing NAVIGON for iPhone users receive the update to the new version at no cost.

"Navigation systems have become more complex over the last years. We've added over 30 new features to our app since it first launched, ranging from traffic and parking information to advanced lane guidance, and our challenge with this new version was to not just add new functionalities but take the overall user experience to the next level," said Gerhard Mayr, NAVIGON vice-president of worldwide mobile phones and new markets. "We completely rethought the way the app interface is structured and as a result, NAVIGON 2.0 is more intuitive and easier to use than ever before. We're also the first ones to solve the problem of having to save large amounts of map data on the phone to be independent of a data connection. The new version allows users to pick exactly which maps they need on their iPhone, leaving more room for other apps or photos and videos, for example."

Map Management and Update Capabilities
NAVIGON 2.0 is the first iPhone onboard navigation app that separates the app from the maps, allowing users to choose which map regions to download to their device. Users who, for example, own the USA version can pick the states they want immediately and download additional regions at a later time

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Forget DLNA, that pesky setup requires all of your electronic kit to match up with the same certification. If you want full HDMI-mirroring without the fuss, your go-to's going to be an innocuous little dongle from Dream Chip Technologies. The plain, white xBounds stick links up to your smartphone over WiFi using the outfit's xBeam encoder, transmitting mobile content via HDMI to an HDTV set or external monitor. Games and videos streamed to the big screen will also enjoy output in a higher resolution thanks to the company's xBounds ReMatch tech. But all of this ease of use comes at a price, as the RemoteGPU device is purported to cost €99 (about $134), with the full-on dev kit (which includes a Nexus S) ringing in at €998 (about $1,350). There's no word yet on an official release, so you'll just have to make due with the video after the break.

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He's got your personal data, relationship status and those pictures from last night -- now Mr. Zuckerberg is aiming for a share of your desktop, too. Facebook has released a desktop messenger client for Windows 7 that brings you access to the site's chat, ticker feed and notifications without everyone in the office spotting the blue-bar-of-lost-productivity across the top of your browser. It's currently in limited beta, so there's still time to build a rival client -- maybe with some support from the Winklevii?

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And just like that, the Honeycomb begins to drizzle anew. It took Sammy a few days to sort things out after an available Android 3.2 update broke WiFi, Bluetooth and auto-rotate on some users' 10.1 slates. But now official word from the company has that planned OTA software upgrade aiming for a round two redux, rolling out with a fix in tow for affected tabs. Of course, if you were one of the few besot with crippled connectivity issues, you can download the software via the Kies desktop app and sideload it from there. So, no need to worry. Your happy tablet days are here again.

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Looking for another way to use that aging VGA CRT screen hogging space in the closet? Try making your own dedicated weather screen by mixing together Google's meteorological data stream and some Arduino magic. It looks like parsing that Google Weather data was a bit of a challenge on the miniscule 2KB of RAM, but a tinkerer going by the handle Zmashiah has managed to do it. He's even managed to cram in a few extra graphical flourishes, including icons and background themes that change depending on the temperature and time of day. The entirely PC-free device grabs the data through an Ethernet connection and flashes up all the weather goodness in stunning VGA. Any meteorological mavens reading this can grab the full shopping list and procedure at the Instructables link below.

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Pierringastestedeep-rootedtedd newd newwith the aim of the aim of the aim of dein support ofn brand newhowf its RAbrand newbrethcorrespondinglyaadd up tongamajigmajigknowledgeitionallytionallytionallyl appearanceaclele newndrcheckefacial appearancetfacilityn support ofreliminaryarynd schedule.Byort of support ofnwith reference toulatingcted withnny, havenn Gingcorrespondinglysupport ofatedtedhavennnump sports the outfit's MotoBlur-derived Moto Switch UI, with an eight megapixel camera on the back and a VGA shooter on the front. The XT615 packs quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900), WCDMA (900/2100) and HSPA (7.2Mbps) radios, while handing out power comes from a a little underwhelming 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7227A-0, probably explaining the NTD$10,900 ($360) charge tag. The pearly-toned phone hasn't revealed in the least campaign to leave the island state of Taiwan merely yet, but with the aim of doesn't mean you can't make acquainted by hand with the packed specifications in the PR less.

Show packed PR textTake the Party With You with the New XT615 Android Smartphone from Motorola Mobility and Taiwan Telecom

With a great tap screen, glossy look and slim charge, the Motorola XT615 merely made itself your favorite brand new accessory

Nov. 17, 2011

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Nov. 17, 2011 – Thanks to the brand new Motorola XT615 Android™-powered smartphone from Motorola Mobility, Inc., you can cease stretching barred your favourite Friday-night jeans to mug up your phone into the reduced-size. At merely 9.8mm tinny with a 4-inch edge-to-edge screen and Android 2.3, this is not your uncle's smartphone – it's all yours. The Motorola XT615 is your party-ready, knows-what-you're thinking greatest companion, and it will be obtainable across Taiwan exclusively from Taiwan portable myfone retail food preliminary in December in support of merely NTD$10,900. With this smartphone, the organization by no means stops.

"Motorola has constantly been with reference to relating luxury with knowledge," whispered Ritchie Ma, broad-spectrum boss of Motorola Mobility Taiwan some degree of, Hong Kong and Taiwan. "The brand new Motorola XT615 embodies the connection of luxury and knowledge with lone more wonderful improvement: A charge that's almost too skillful to be dutiful. Now an amazing combination of power and luxury is surrounded by the spread of more population than always by."

You know come again? You like, and the Motorola XT615 embraces it. With the brand new Moto Switch user interface, this smartphone learns who you sermon to and which apps you waste and keeps all of with the aim of in sequence front and spotlight. You'll by no means be inflicted with to look twice (although you might mean to merely in support of fun), for the reason that all of your content is displayed on a crystal-clear 4-inch touchscreen with the aim of is guaranteed to impress. The Motorola XT615 loves personalization on the outside too, so affix your favorite keychain or phone charms and constitute it your own.

Spend a night on the town and capture your friends' signature dance moves with the Motorola XT615's 8-megapixel camera. They might confuse with the LED show in support of a strobe light. And gratitude to Android 2.3 and an 800MHz computer, you're constantly on top of your game. Motorola XT615 is obtainable in two party-ready ensign – licorice and ultra white. So grab your phone, slip on folks grand jeans, and prove them your luxury.

Key Features and Specifications:

Bands: WCDMA 900/2100; GSM 850/900/1800/1900
HSDPA 7.2M/HSUPA 5.76Mbps
Platform/ OS: Android Gingerbread 2.3 with Moto Switch UI 2.0
Dimensions: 117.7 x 60.5 x 9.85 mm/ 123.6g
Display: 4.0" 480x854 FWVGA
Camera: 8MP LED flash/VGA front
Connectivity: 3.5mm, USB 2.0 HS, BT3.0 EDR/A2DP, 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct
CPU/Memory: Qualcomm MSM7227A-0 800MHz; 1GB ROM/512MB RAM, ropes up to 32GB microSD card
Video & Audio: MPEG4, rmvb, Divx, H.263, H.264; AMR, AAC, AAC

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RIM has fixed so as tos to they will rushfering the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet through selected US and Canada retailers preparatoryory by $1rusho the local holidayholidayflicted with season. This offer will be accessiblee pro a incompleteete age in the role of the role of a remiguaranteehe Breleasery PlayBoosend a letter toes jam packed with a 7-inch (1024 x correspondinglyive touchscreen spectaclele, a 1GHz Texas Instruments dual-late lamented central processing unitrocessing unitpro vis-а-visegapixel front-facincorrespondingly5.0-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 1GB RAM and GPS navigation. The contraptionption plus offers several connectivity options such as WiFi, Bluetooth, a micro USB havenn and a micro HDMI havenn.

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Here comes a inexperienced line of USB 3.0 second drives from Green House, the PicoDrive S3. Available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB sizes, these USB second drives hold a black anodized aluminum body, a USB 3.0 connection interface and agreement to save read and put pen to paper speeds of up to 80MB/s and 25MB/s, in that order. The 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models will start shipping in too late November on behalf of as regards $32, $65 and $117, in that order.

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PC Koubou hits baby the side of with a brand up-to-the-minute dequallyktop PC namely the Amphis BTO GS7100iby the side of7G TYPE-SR. This BTO (Construct To Ordemade knownroutine stepinstead ofwia large amount made known0GHz Intel Core i7-3930K proposelaptop, an Intel home-grownCrootothroughoutCin no waytput behind youForce GTX 550 Ti 1GB thenhics license, an 8GB DDR3 Rcomfortablea 50step lengthyfocal pointias a substituteVD Tsingleendous MulsomeDrive and runs on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS (Customary somefiguration). The AtotalBTOlodge00iCi7proposertereliabletead of19,980 Yen (sorttclearlysingle).

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Amazon has adopted the AOSP settlement and has launched the supply code for the Kindle Fire. By releasing the supply code it lets builders and modders get a glance in to how the Kindle Hearth works. What it additionally means is that the modders will be capable to make custom ROMs for the Kindle Fire.

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Google has up to date the Android.com web site to incorporate details in regards to the new working system Android 4.0. The new OS is named Ice Cream Sandwich and was released yesterday when the Samsung Galaxy Nexus launched.

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The Chromebook has a 12.1 inch screen that may display 1280x800 pixels. It runs an Intel Atom Twin-Core processor. It has WiFi however no 3G. A webcam is inbuilt along with a mini-VGA port.
The Sequence 5 WiFi model costs $349 and launches with the most recent model of Chrome OS. It's out there over at Amazon.
Supply

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Remember those rumblings about Mozilla and its very own mobile OS known as Boot to Gecko? We now have further details to share, and unlike most operating systems -- which demand their own hardware -- this one is aiming to shack up with Android smartphones. Given the existing complexity of altering many of these devices, Mozilla's Boot to Gecko will likely find favor among geeks alone, but the project itself has much greater ambitions. First and foremost, the OS will be designed with web apps in mind, yet with functionality and device integration that's on par with native applications. The true boon here is the potential for other operating systems to integrate Mozilla's technologies into their own browsers, thus allowing true cross-platform application development and the possibility of bolstering platforms that struggle for developer interest. Right now, much of the project exists only in the minds of a few tenacious developers, but the group hopes to unveil a public demo early next year. As if this weren't wild enough, while Mozilla has no intention of creating its own Boot to Gecko device, the group has expressed a willingness to work with OEMs that share its dream of a web-based future. Go ahead and count us in.

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The multimedia features on the new Nook Tablet mean more than just watching video and listening to music -- they actually give a bit of a boost to the reading experience, as well. One of the best implementations of this is the new Read and Record feature, an update to the Nook Color's Read and Play feature, which takes advantage of the Tablet's new mic to let users (parents in most cases, we assume) record narration to children's books. It's a simple but clever addition that certainly drives home the product's value for families.

The feature lets you record custom narration on each page of compatible texts, offering up the words as a script. Once recorded, the text can be saved with a simple icon, so kids can play it back themselves -- in the case of our hands-on demo, it was a gingerbread man (fitting, perhaps, given the OS we're working with). The feature is equally simple to use on both sides of the equation, and is a nice little bonus for parents who, for whatever reason, can't always be around to read to the kids. Video after the break.

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It'll be hard to find a sports matchup that equals last weekend's 'Bama/LSU showdown, but Fox will try as it dives into the octagon with some MMA this weekend. There's also a few family-friendly Blu-ray 3D titles on deck, and the final edition of some series called Harry Potter hitting stores on Friday (pick up Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim while you're there, you'll thank us later). Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
The king is back. The Modern Warfare series has reigned over the console shooter pile for the last few years and it's no secret why. A combination of fast-paced action and precise controls make it the online game of choice for many (some prefer the Battlefield games, it's a matter of taste). This year's edition once again hails from the offices of Infinity Ward, birthplace of the best this series has to offer so this one is a must-buy. The only thing giving us pause? A new "Elite" feature, which adds online stat tracking and more for hardcore players, but comes at a hefty price of $49 a year.
(November 8th, $56.99 on Amazon)

UFC on Fox
CBS tried bringing MMA fighting to network TV a couple of years ago but hasn't had any bouts in a while, opening the door for this weekend's heavyweight match on Fox. Cain Velasquez is one of the scariest human beings alive, but he appears to have a worthy competitor coming for his title in Junior Dos Santos. We've been fans of UFC for a little while, if expensive PPV matches and reality TV-styled The Ultimate Fighter have been the only thing keeping you on the outside, this could be the one that makes you a fan -- or disgusts you beyond words. Check out a trailer embedded after the break.
(November 12th, Fox, 9PM)

Death Valley
Looking for a a zombie alternative to The Walking Dead (which actually improved this weekend -- apparently someone finally told the writers that less is more)? You've found it. MTV's Cops-style mockumentary follows officers around an alternate reality Los Angeles populated by werewolves, vampires and more otherworldly creatures with a campy sense of humor throughout. Beware however, here anyone can become a meal for the people they're pursuing, including members of the camera crew.
(November 7th, MTV, 11PM)

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Nokia is still champing at the bit when it comes to creating the so-called three horse race, but the Finnish mainstay has another three word secret weapon up its sleeve: NFC. In an interview with Electronista, the company's VP of Location and Commerce, Michael Halbherr, said the manufacturer plans to "equally support" NFC in the US, while remaining "accommodating and open" to various mobile payment schemes like Isis. He mentioned that it was "not clever" to commit to one payment system at this point, implying instead that Nokia may create its own version of the mobile wallet down the line. Although we're not sure which Nokia phone will be first to hit the States, looks like we won't have to hold our breath until we're blue... er... cyan in the face for NFC. Check out the source for the full interview.

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Alcatel One Touch, best known for Android phones that'll give your bank balance a mere glancing blow, is purportedly going big. New Mobile managed to get its hands on the One Touch 995, which will apparently be decked out with a 1.4GHz processor and a gratifying 4.3-inch touchscreen to show off the latest version of Gingerbread. Alcatel has managed to cocoon all this, alongside a five megapixel shooter, into a shell apparently "less than a centimeter thick." What really caught our attention, however, is the apparent promise from the company that Ice Cream Sandwich will be making an appearance on the handset. We're still waiting for the official word from Alcatel, but the phone is expected to be unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2012, with a very tempting €200 ($276) price tag -- a nice price for a large screen Android handset. See more of the One Touch 995 hardware at the source link below.

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Well, the guys and gals over at Plex are on a roll right now. Less than a week ago they took the wraps off myPlex then, just a couple of days ago, new versions of the desktop and mobile clients hit the web alongside updated server software. Now the streaming media service is landing on the newly revamped Google TV. Even though this is the first release of the client for Mountain View's living room platform, all the most essential features are in place, including myPlex support and some keyboard-friendly UI tweaks. It seems like the only major limitation, and we're using that term loosely, is the limited support for HLS -- an essential ingredient in Plex's transcoding formula. Thankfully, bandwidth over your local network shouldn't be a major concern and Google TV has pretty robust codec support, so you might not even notice it's missing. You'll find a few more detail at the source and you can install the app right now from the market.

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Sure, we may have had our official Halloween costume contest on October's Engadget Show, but who are we to deprive you the reader of taking part in the spooky holiday fun? We've asked everyone to send in their geeky costumes and got some great responses, from the above playable Game Boy, to Barf from Spaceballs, to the requisite Vulcan, to a handful of Steve Jobses. Check out some of our favorites after the break, and continue to send them along to tips

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(Credit:Matthew Moskovciak/CNET) Let's say you want to catch up on the canceled-too-soon TV series "Party Down." Hit the search button, type in "Party Down," and it shows up, although you'll need to navigate to the TV & Movies icon. Then you'll go to Google's TV series page for "Party Down," where you can select a season, then an episode, then where you want to watch it: Amazon (to purchase) or Netflix (free).
After all that, it finally launches the actual Netflix app and you have to hit play again. It ends up feeling like a lot of work after that initial "I want to watch Party Down" impulse and you start to wonder why there isn't a Netflix icon right on the first search screen.
Errors, controllers, and other headaches
Then there are the error messages. The frequent, cryptic error messages. We ran into three of them within my first 4 hours of testing the new update, and that's not counting any of the times where I felt flat-out lost in the Google TV user interface.

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HTC Rhyme
Perhaps purple isn't your favorite color, but if you like compact smartphones with good battery life and extra accessories, then the HTC Rhyme is worth a look. Read the full review.

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We list the date of the SDK release rather than the over-the-air (OTA) update timeline since OTA release dates vary by carrier and handset model.
Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0)
Gone are the tiny incremental changes we saw from Froyo to Gingerbread. Ice Cream Sandwich heralds a dramatic, bold new Android. Despite its cutesy name, Ice Cream Sandwich is all about strong lines, sharp corners, and darker colors. Google is even switching up the type face to one called Roboto, which is intended to be clearer, crisper, and easier to read.
Here's a list of the main new features, but our hands-on impressions go much deeper.
Virtual buttons in the user experience free up display space.Create folders by dragging apps on top of each other.There's a new tab for thumbing through your widgets.Calendar app now supports pinch-to-zoom.Gmail gets offline search (nice), a two-line preview, and gesture support for swiping between conversations.The revamped Gmail user interface has an action bar for composing a message, searching, and accessing labels.Take screenshots by holding power and volume down buttons (finally!)."Request desktop site" in the Chrome browser opens the full version of a Web site and syncs with your bookmarks.Save Web pages offline and use up to 16 tabs in the browser.More keyboard error correction and an inline spell check.Access apps directly from the lock screen.A recent applications icon."Roboto" is a new typeface.Delete individual notifications by dragging them off the notifications menuImproved voice integration and copy and paste.Face Unlock is a facial recognition service that use your face to unlock the phone.New Data Usage options in the Settings menu will notify users when they near a data use limit and disable the feature when the limit is reached.You can kill off apps that are using data in the background.Open the camera quickly from the home screen.Camera has no shutter lag, continuous focus, zoom while recording, panorama photos, time-lapse settings, and 1080p recording.Face detection in the camera.Integrated photo editor, including focus and exposure and "hipster filters" (we don't want to know).New gallery layout, organized by location and person.People app brings together high-res photos, social media information, and status updates.Phone app lets you swipe between favorite friends with integrated visual voice mail.New photo gallery layout for organizing by location and person.Speed up and slow down voice mails.Quick message sends canned response text message when you decline a call.Android Beam, an NFC feature for exchanging information between two phones by tapping them.
Jelly Bean
Just about the only thing we know about the release to follow Ice Cream Sandwich is that it might be called Jelly Bean, and even that remains unconfirmed. The best we get is the tantalizing promise from a third-party's source that Jelly Bean will contain some "game-changing stuff," in addition to features that weren't finished in time for Ice Cream Sandwich.
Watch out, Apple. It's getting to be a Google World.
Editors' note: This article was originally published August 4, 2010. It was updated February 7, February 15, September 20, and November 2, 2011.

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Top-rated reviews of the week (photos) Gallery
Apple mulling end of life for Mac Pro line, report says
Apple's high-end desktop towers, which start at $2,499, could be getting the ax soon, according to a new report that says Apple's re-thinking its place in the desktop workstation market.
Apple Talk
An inside look at the testing of Windows Phone 7
In part three of a behind-the-scenes look at the development of Microsoft's new phone software, Ina Fried takes a look at Redmond's massive testing operation.
Beyond Binary

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Advanced Micro Devices might be feeling a bit silly proper about now. To indicate off how highly effective the Bulldozer chip actually is, it drafted in the world's most elite overclockers, set them up in a room with whatever was required (including a vat of liquid helium) and broke the chip-pace world record. With a verified pace of 8.429GHz, the company collected its Guinness world file and sat back, thinking that nobody might ever best it. Lower than two months later and Andre Yang (who we are able to assume does not have his own army complicated to run his experiments in) managed to get his Bulldozer operating at 8.46GHz, 30MHz faster than the chip's own father or mother might manage. We wouldn't dare recommend that anybody stand outdoors AMD's Sunnyvale HQ while taking part in the unhappy trombone -- but when anybody deserves that chance, it'd definitely be Mr. Yang.

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We have already seen Ubuntu working on tablets and smartphones, however not in any official capacity. Rumors had it that Canonical can be making a severe push into the pill space in early 2011, but that effort by no means materialized, or at the least was by no means acknowledged. Nonetheless, Unity has some finger-pleasant streaks and Oneiric added ARM help -- so it is not much of a stretch to see the favored Linux distro on your cellular devices. Well, on the Ubuntu Developer Summit, Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth made that move official by issuing a problem to the Ubuntu group to start out pushing past the traditional PC type factor. Few details were given, but Shuttleworth did say that he believes the time is true for the OS to begin making strikes into the tablet, telephone, in-dash infotainment and good TV spaces. There have been no products to announce, but Shuttleworth was confident the OS could be prepared and in transport client electronics by the point version 14.04 arrived in April of 2014. Although, we're sure some prototypes will start displaying up sooner slightly than later.

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Nicely, we already knew the original Transformer would be getting an Ice Cream Sandwich improve sometime in the near future, and now ASUS Germany has confirmed that the quad-cored Prime and the Eee Pad Slider can even get a style of Android's newest OS. No semblance of a datum for release just but, however the triumvirate of Transformers will be a part of the improve queue behind ASUS' different Android offering, the Padfone.

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Microsoft's Windows 8 developer preview greeted us with an interface steeped in Redmond's new Metro model -- its tile-centric start display screen is modern, fresh, and downright pretty. Think about our shock then, when the preview's desktop default view punted us straight again to the modern "Aero" dressing of Home windows 7. It is not an unsightly interface by any means, however shiny, translucent window frames are so last generation. Where's the model? In the large M's newest Building Windows 8 preview, of course. The MSDN blog's newest Activity Manager replace exhibits the familiar feature in a clean Metro suit. Though Aero remains to be the OS' default look, the Windows 7 basic theme has been substituted for a style closely inspired by Metro's clear tiles. The put up would not say a lot on the matter (nothing at all, actually), nevertheless it's good to see the basic interface getting a facelift to match Microsoft's new look. Wish to see more? Hit the supply link under, it's received all of the Metro window frames you would ask for.

Replace: This post initially misstated that the up to date Primary theme was a new style, but actually, it's already out there within the Home windows 8 developer preview.

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Panasonic simply launched an entire new collection of Micro Four Thirds lenses a couple of months in the past, and it seems to be prefer it would possibly soon also have a brand new Micro 4 Thirds digital camera to make the most of them. That photo you see above recently turned up on the Mobile01 boards with a bundle of others, displaying a hereto unannounced Panasonic Lumix GX1 MFT digicam, which appears prefer it may very well be a real successor to the GF1 (versus the GF2 and GF3 that moved in a less pro-minded direction). Rumored specs remain a bit mild, however the camera apparently has a touchscreen show 'round again, which will doubtless see a good bit of use except you go for an exterior EVF. It's also urged that the digicam will probably be launching quickly -- on November 8th -- although that is obviously yet to be confirmed.

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