"There are problems in the market. The First ELSE solves them", says Amir Kupervas, ELSE CEO, boldly, launching a handset that promises to change the way we think about our phones.

Today saw the launch to press and business partners of the First ELSE handset, a mobile device that promises to be centred around the user experience, rather than the phone.

Taking a swipe at Apple, Kupervas gave the example of grabbing your iPhone to capture a video of your kid: "the phone rings and you lose your Kodak moment", he says candidly. The First ELSE aims to have the phone as an application of the device, rather than being the centre of that device.

We were on hand to grab some shots of the new handset, which is going to be hitting markets in Q2 2010. ELSE Mobile were closely guarding the new models, but we managed to get up close and personal.

No word on operators yet, but we did spy representatives from Orange at the event, and Kupervas confirmed to us that the target markets were USA, Western Europe and Russia.

News: State-of-the-art "First ELSE" Linux-based touchphone unveiled

Related links:

• Link - ELSE website

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Emblaze ELSE First ELSE Photos

PHOTOS: First ELSE hands-on originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:38:51 +0000

To best understand what the new GXR interchangeable lens camera from Ricoh is all about, take a look at the diagram above we grabbed from the press presentation.

The lens units are so much more than optics: they are a complete imaging unit. Packed in behind the glass you have the sensor, which will differ between lenses, as well as processors and motion sensors. The "camera" won't be limited by what you have in the main body, moreover, it will be defined by what you have in the lens unit.

The launch lenses are the GR Lens A12 50mm F2.5 Macro and the Ricoh Lens S10 24-72mm F2.5-4.4 VC (vibration compensation). The properties of these lenses are entirely different – it isn't just the focal length.

The GR lens has a 12.3-mexapixel 23.6 x 15.7mm CMOS sensor and it is capable of 720p HD movie capture: it costs £600 and will give you a 16:9 aspect image. The Ricoh lens has a 10-megapixel 1/1.7-inch CCD sensor and will only be good for VGA quality video: it's half the price of the GR lens, giving you a 4:3 aspect image.

The former is what you might expect from a DLSR camera, the latter, a compact camera. But what happens if you don't want to bump down to a lesser quality sensor just because you want a zoom lens?

The other side of the diagram shows what is packed into the body itself: another image processor, the battery, memory, flash, LCD and all the connectivity. Not only will you be able to buy different lens units, but in the future, potentially, you could be buying an entirely different body that fits with the system.

The two are connected by a single interface and as a sealed unit, you don't have to worry about dust and debris getting onto your imaging sensor, which Ricoh are pushing as a significant bonus of the system.

Check out the magnesium alloy body below and if you want to get heavy with pictures, head over to our hands-on photo gallery.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Digital cameras Ricoh Ricoh GXR

Understanding the Ricoh GXR originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:10:00 +0000

Pocket-lint was on hand to grab some shots of the new Ricoh GXR interchangeable unit system camera.

The GXR takes the fight to Micro Four Thirds, offering a system which lives in the small form factor of a compact camera, whilst offering interchangeable lens units.

Each lens unit pairs up the glass with the sensor and a processor unit, rather than using a sensor built-in to the body of the camera. The body, in effect, becomes little more than a battery pack and control unit.

Those sealed lens units offer the advantage of being sealed, so protect the sensor from dust or dirt ingress, an inherent problem with traditional SLR/DSLR cameras and the new Micro Four Thirds system cameras.

The hotshoe offers an accessory attachment point which, like the Panasonic Lumix GF1 or Olympus Pen EP-2, can accept an electronic viewfinder or a flash.

Feast your eyes on our hands-on pics below and why not head over and read the news story, or check out our First Look of the GXR? Links below.

Related links:

• News - Ricoh GXR Interchangeable Unit Camera System launches
• First Look - Ricoh GXR digital camera

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Digital cameras Ricoh Ricoh GXR Photos

PHOTOS: Ricoh GXR hands-on originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Ricoh has announced the launch of the GXR, which they are calling an "interchangeable unit camera system".

It is a new system for the company, as Ricoh tackles the challenge of increasing quality whilst still remaining compact. The name comes from a fusion of the GX and XR series of Ricoh cameras.

Kazunobu Saiki, General Manager Ricoh Europe, described the GXR as "drastically expanding the shooting range" available to photographers.

The GXR features interchangeable lens units which slide on to the main body of the camera. This allows the body of the camera to stick to small dimensions whilst giving the user the flexibility to chop and change lenses depending on their shooting requirements.

The GXR body features a built-in flash and 3-inch 920k-dot screen around the back, with the option of purchasing an additional electronic viewfinder which connects to the hot shoe on the top. The dimensions of the body are 113.9 x 70.2 x 28.9mm.

The real unique feature of the GXR system is the use of a sealed lens unit which also contains the imaging sensor, meaning that there is no risk of dust or dirt ingress – which is a risk on DSLR cameras and their smaller Micro Four Thirds challengers.

At launch you'll be able to get two lens units: the GR Lens A12 50mm F2.5 Macro and the Ricoh Lens S10 24-72mm F2.5-4.4 VC. The GR lens gives you 12.3-megapixels on a CMOS sensor, whilst the Ricoh lens presents you with 10-megapixels and a CCD sensor.

Ricoh is looking to launch more lenses in early Q2 2010 to expand the offering.

The Ricoh GXR will be available from December 2009 and the pricing lines this up as an enthusiast model. The GXR body will cost you £419, the GR lens £600, the Ricoh lens £330. The EVF will be £219 and the accessory flash will be £239.

Why not check out all our hands-on photos?

Related links:

• Photos - Ricoh GXR hands-on

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Digital cameras Ricoh Ricoh GXR

Ricoh GXR interchangeable unit camera system launches originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

So you've got your eyes on the HTC HD2, you've read our review of the flagship Windows Mobile 6.5 device and you just want to know more. Here are some of our favourite funky features for you to explore.

1. Shortcuts make Sense

The front page of Sense is more than just a pretty clock and animated weather graphics. Three programmable slots sit waiting to be filled with shortcuts. Swipe these up and you get access to nine shortcut slots. Simply press one and then select the program, bookmark or contact you want to fill it with and hey presto! You are rocking from the first page.

2. Face plant your Mum

You're sitting at work, chatting to a colleague when your phone rings. After a quick glance at the screen, you decide now isn't the time to talk to your mother, so flip the HD2 face down to reject the call. It has a great sense of finality. We love it. Our mothers don't.

3. Close proximity

The HD2 comes rocking with a proximity sensor so it knows when it is next to your face. This does a couple of things. Firstly, it shuts off the screen whilst you are talking, saving battery. Secondly, when you pull the phone away from your face you are presented with in-call options – engage speaker phone, popup the keypad for those pesky automated services and so on.

4. Poke to focus

Touch focusing on the camera is all well and good, but usually results in one of two things. Firstly it often means you take a shot of something you didn't mean to through a quick press and secondly, it means you get camera shake because you move that focus to press the shutter button. Not so on the HD2. Touch to select the focal point and keep your finger in place to take the shot. It's a deliberate action, rather than a fleeting press.

5. Cover art made easy

Windows Mobile is only really for boring business types right? Well it isn't when you add a dash of HTC Sense sauce. Enter HTC's media player in Sense and you'll find an icon in the top left that will find and fill in your missing album art. iTunes eat your heart out.

6. More keyboards than you can shake a finger at

The HD2 has a massive screen, so the chances are that you'll never have to use anything other than the full QWERTY keyboard in either landscape or portrait modes. But if you do want something else, a long press next to keyboard icon at the bottom will spring up the options for compact QWERTY or a 12-key keypad.

7. Kill them!

From Sense you can swipe all the way to the right to access the settings, or simply swipe to the left from the front page. Here in settings under Other, you'll find the Task Manager. Multi-tasking is great, but it's so easy to leave all those applications running that you don't need. Here you can quickly and easily kill them.

8. Expand your horizons

With a 5-megapixel camera on the back, the HD2 gives you the option to snap a panoramic picture. It does this in three stages and all you have to do is take your first picture and a neat overlay helps you align the next picture and then the third. Ta da! An ultra-wide photo of your office. 

Check out all our HTC HD2 coverage on the tag home page.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC HTC HD2 Windows Phone

HTC HD2 funky features fun originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:43:26 +0000

Sky today showed off their Sky Player integrated to Windows 7 which will appear as a tile in the TV section of Media Centre.

The aim is to provide a seamless experience as a value-added benefit for existing Sky subscribers, but also as a subscription package for non-subscribers. Prices were not confirmed at the event, but we'd guess it will follow the "from" £15 a month or £0.98 on-demand offering in the existing service. 

Sky also confirmed you won't have to commit to long-term contracts and that you'll be able to dip in for pay-per-view events as you wish. 

You'll be able to watch live Sky content, with the channels reflecting your subscription package, or access content on demand.

All content is streamed, however, and unlike the BBC iPlayer content is not stored locally, so you can't download films to watch on your travels and you won't be able to access the service outside the UK.

High-definition content will not be available on the service, with Sky saying that they were concentrating on offering a good standard-definition experience before looking at HD.

The date has not yet been confirmed, but we know that the Sky Player service is launching on the Xbox 360 on 27 October, so we'd expect it to appear in Windows 7 soon after.

Tags: Home Cinema Software Sky Microsoft Windows 7 Sky Player Video

VIDEO: Sky Player in Windows 7 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:00:00 +0100

Apple has revived the standard MacBook, giving a new entry into the Mac world. Based around a polycarbonate unibody design, the new white MacBook adopts much of the design ethos found in its MacBook Pro big brothers.

With a 13-inch LED-backlit display, featuring edge-to-edge glass, its innards are similar to previous generation unibody MacBooks, featuring an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.26GHz processor, 2GB RAM, an Nvidia GeForce 9400M GPU and 250GB hard drive.

It also features Apple's new built-in battery which purports to give 7 hours of use and of course features Apple's glass multi-touch trackpad.

The design is slightly fatter than its 13-inch aluminium friends, with curved edges giving it a nice rounded finish. The bottom also loses the feet, instead the entire bottom is a tactile mat, giving grip on whatever you put it on.

You still get the Superdrive and in terms of ports you have Gigabit Ethernet, 2x USB 2.0, Mini DisplayPort and a headphone socket, which is both in audio input and output.

Available now, it will set you back £799.

Tags: Hardware Apple Apple MacBook Photos

PHOTOS: Apple MacBook 2009 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:04:11 +0100

If you are looking to get your hands on some Android 1.6 action on the cheap, then the HTC Tattoo might be just for you.

You get a smaller form factor than other Android devices out there with a smaller 2.8-inch 240 x 320 QVGA screen, but you still get HSDPA connectivity as well as Wi-Fi.

You also get the 3.2-megapixel camera, GPS, digital compass and accelerometer, as well as an FM radio and a 3.5mm jack, so even though this is pitched as a mass market device, you don't get shafted on the tech specs.

You get HTC's Sense UI skin sitting over Android, just like the Hero big brother, with all the customisation options that Google's OS brings, including plenty of apps in the Marketplace.

Best of all, you'll be able to get it free on a £25 per month contract from Vodafone. Orange are also showing it on their site from free, but with no word on pricing.

Enjoy the pictures whilst we get to work on a full review.

Related links:

• Photos - HTC Tattoo cover designs revealed

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC HTC Tattoo Photos

PHOTOS: HTC Tattoo originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:09:41 +0100

We all knew there was a Storm coming, not because of the feeling in our bones, but because Carphone Warehouse did such a good job of telling us. We've finally got our hands on the new BlackBerry Storm 2 and grabbed a gallery of photos to show it off.

The SurePress "clicky" touchscreen hasn't been totally obliterated, but is entirely new. Rather than the former mechanical click it is now an electromechanical system. You still have to press to confirm actions, but when there is no current running through the screen – i.e., when the phone is turned off – then it is solid.

This also means that rather than the screen acting as one single button, it can now act as multiple buttons, so typing is faster and more natural. The Storm 2 will ship with version 5 of BlackBerry's OS.

The other specs read-out fairly typical for a modern smartphone, you get a 3.25-inch display, HSPA, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 3.2-megapixel camera with LED flash around the back.

We'll be getting our hands on the Storm 2 for a full review soon. Until then, sate your lust (or satisfy your curiosity) with this gallery.

News - Vodafone and RIM make BlackBerry Storm 2 official

Video - VIDEO: BlackBerry Storm 2 gets official promo

News - Blackberry Storm 2 unofficially official

Tags: Phones Mobile phones RIM BlackBerry BlackBerry Storm 2 Photos

PHOTOS: BlackBerry Storm 2 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:21:41 +0100

It was a day of firsts for Acer today: their first Android handset, the first handset with 1.6 Donut installed (for how long?) and the first Android device powered by the 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset (again, for how long?). We got our hands on the pretty sparkly red number and grabbed a few snaps.

Like the other Snapdragon handsets out there – Toshiba's TG01 and HTC's HD2 – the Liquid A1 has a massive screen with a high resolution, in this case 800 x 480 WVGA. It makes it a natural choice for those wanting to watch movies on the move.

The build is solid enough, but it lacks the wow factor of HTC's Hero, instead looking as though it has mostly come out of the mould of the Acer S200 (aka F1). Like the design, the Android offering is rather raw too: you don't get the sort of friendly user interface you'll find on the HTC Hero or the Motorola DEXT.

The Android interface is laid out with a basic three-page home screen set, so you can swipe to one side and find photos on a carousel, and swipe the other and find browser bookmarks, both sitting neatly across to one side, leaving space for future customisation.

The application menu shoots up from the bottom of the screen with real purpose. So far so good, but it is difficult to tell from a brief hands-on of a device without a SIM or content exactly how the Snapdragon experience will be.

We did try to get something out of the Acer Sync application, but in a disconnected device it isn't possible to see exactly how the 360 syncing service is actually going to work.

We also don't yet have a full run down of the specs, but playing around with it you get HSDPA, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a 5-megapixel camera with various advanced functions, like ISO options, offering some scope with the absence of a flash.

We don't yet have prices or dates, although the rumours are that we'll be seeing it again around the end of November.

Until then, feast your eyes.

News - Acer Liquid A1 Android handset announced

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Acer Android Acer Liquid A1 Photos

PHOTOS: Acer Liquid A1 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:03:15 +0100

Acer unleashed its Android netbook on the world today, something it had already admitted it was going to do.

The addition of Android isn't the only bonus for the D250 – it also now comes with Windows 7 rather than the Windows XP of the original version.

It is bizarrely familiar to those who have Android handsets, but without the touch support does seem a little weird. Plus, there are no designated keys to support Android, so you end up using the trackpad to get around and the ESC key to go back.

We were on hand at the launch to grab some shots of the new, or rather old, hardware with the new OS shoehorned into place.

We've got a date now too - the D250 will be hitting shelves from 22 October and will come in two versions. The XP Home with Android version will be £279 and the Windows 7 with Android will be £299.

News - Acer officially announces Aspire One D250 with Android

Tags: Hardware Laptops Netbooks Android Acer Acer Aspire One D250 Photos

PHOTOS: Acer Aspire One D250 with Android originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:06:44 +0100

Today, Acer has launched their new 3D experience on laptops, which we first heard of back in June 2009.

Acer haven't taken a hardware tack – like the Nvidia 3D Vision GPU – and instead relies on using a software solution called Acer 3D CineReal and a special 3D coating on the screen, with polarizing glasses.

You'll also get the TriDef suite of software containing the TriDef Media Player which will play your movies back in 3D, whilst TriDef Ignition enables 2D to 3D conversion in games and applications supporting DirectX 9 and above.

You'll be able to throw yourself into the Acer 3D experience on the Aspire 5738DG, which will feature an Intel Centrino2 processor.

No word on UK pricing yet or detailed specs, but at NZ$1999, it looks like it will be around £950.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Acer Acer Aspire 5738DG 3DTV

Acer Aspire 5738DG 3D notebook launched originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:55:21 +0100

Acer has officially launched their dual OS netbook, combining the Android operating system and Windows 7, which we first brought you news of back in June 2009.

This will mean instant-on booting (18 seconds "to be able to chat") and fast shutdown (3 seconds). You'll be able to access emails and the Internet through Android and switch over to Windows 7 when you want to be more productive.

The new Acer Aspire One D250 with Android comes with a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 LED-backlit LCD display, and is powered by an Intel Atom processor backed by up to 2GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive. 

Acer is also claiming that any internet connections made on the Android OS can remain active, even if you "reboot the netbook or suspend the session". We'll pin them down on exactly how this works and will update when we have more details.

We've got a date now too - the D250 will be hitting shelves from 22 October and will come in two versions. The XP Home with Android version will be £279 and the Windows 7 Start will Android will be £299.

Read

Related links:

• Feature - Five reasons to buy an Android laptop...

Tags: Hardware Laptops Acer Acer Aspire One D250 Netbooks Android

Acer officially announces Aspire One D250 with Android originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:23:10 +0100

Acer has officially announced the Acer Liquid A1, the company's first Android handset and also the first Android device to feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipset.

It will come with version 1.6 (Donut) of Google's operating system and features an 800 x 480 WVGA capacitive touchscreen. It packs in all the normal connectivity with a full fat HSDPA internet experience boosted by the 1GHz processor.

It has an autofocus 5-megapixel camera around the back, which Acer claims is optimised for geotagging, with ISO and self-timer options. It comes in a choice of colours too - white, red and black.

Acer will also be offering their new Acer Sync service in the new phone, which they describe as keeping "one handed" (phones) and "two handed" (notebooks) devices in sync.  

Other details are currently thin on the ground, but we'll update with more info when we have it.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Android Acer Acer Liquid A1

Acer Liquid A1 Android handset announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:55:46 +0100

Acer showed off some of their special editions notebooks today, celebrating the company's status as a Worldwide TOP Partner of the Olympic Games.

On display were the Aspire 4810T and Aspire 1410T models, which receive Olympic branding on the deck and lid, with the Acer logo and Olympic rings. Also available will be a special edition LCD display.

Whilst these notebooks are designed for consumers to join in the celebration, Acer has informed us that the actual hardware supplied for use during the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver 2010 will include the Acer Veriton 1000 and Acer TravelMate 6592.

No word on pricing or availability yet, but we'll update when we have it.

Tags: Hardware Laptops Acer Acer Aspire 4810T Acer Aspire 1410T Olympics

Acer launches Olympic Aspire special editions originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:33:25 +0100

Nikon has announced the "S" upgrade to their popular D3 model, in what they are calling "the most significant S update" they've made.

The Nikon D3S features a redesigned 12.1-megapixel (effective) full frame FX CMOS sensor, with a new Dust Reduction System and a new Hi3 ISO option, which brings the effective ISO range up to 102,400.

Nikon are pitching the D3S as the best camera for low light work, frequently mentioning that the D3S will let you shoot things "your own eyes can't see clearly".

Of course you get that 720p movie mode, at 24fps too, although some might question why there is no Full HD option. Nikon addressed this question in their briefing, responding that the D3S is a professional stills camera and the video should be judged by its quality.

Movies are captured in AVI format, using Motion JPEG, which will only support file sizes of 2GB, which gives you 5 minutes of 720p video. It does have the option to trim start and finish points in-camera, as well as grab a JPEG straight from the movie, although it is only really good for web use or smaller prints (e.g. 6 x 4). You do get full aperture control in movie modes as well as access to the full ISO range, opening up the possibilities for low light filming. 

Various other tweaks have been made, including some minor changes to buttons and the battery to make it easier for gloved hands, responding to customer feedback. You also get 100% viewfinder coverage in FX shooting mode.

There is a new NEF RAW image editing system built-in, which is designed to enable you to tweak an image and extract the JPEG you want, so you can send it straight out for publishing or print directly from the camera.

Yours for £4199.99, it will be on sale from the beginning of December.

Related links:

• News - Nikon D3S brings video and ISO 102,400

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras DSLR cameras Nikon Nikon D3s 12 megapixels Photos

PHOTOS: Nikon D3S originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Nikon has announced the "S" update of the D3 pro model, following its trend of tweaking existing models.

Adding to the D3's already impressive spec sheet is a new FX CMOS sensor. Although it maintains the 12.1-megapixel resolution of the original D3, the sensor has been redesigned to add enhancements to the performance and a new Dust Reduction System.

The most noticeable enhancement is the new Hi3 ISO setting, giving you an effective ISO of 102,400. The D3 was known for its noise suppression at high ISOs and Nikon claims that with the D3S, you'll be able to capture things "your own eyes can't see clearly".

You also get a new in-camera NEF RAW editing system with easy-to-use menus to tweak all the settings, such as white balance, exposure, etc, just as you would in post-processing on your PC. This will allow you to create the JPEG you want to send out instantly.

There has also been an increase to the buffer, so you can save up to 36 RAW files, or 124 large JPEGs in full resolution continuous shooting at 9fps.

And then of course you have D-Movie mode. Video capture is possible at 1280 x 720 at 24fps, so gets the HD sticker, but not the full-fat variety you'll find elsewhere.

You can take advantage of the high ISO settings for movies too, with the option of trimming clips to extract (selecting start and end points) and you can save movie frames as individual JPEGs (albeit not at full resolution). There is a mono mic on-board, with the option of adding an external mic.

Retailing for £4199.99, the Nikon D3S is going to be available from December.

Related links:

• Photos - Nikon D3S

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras DSLR cameras Nikon Nikon D3s 12 megapixels

Nikon D3S brings video and ISO 102,400 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0100

HP has announced two new models of its HP TouchSmart all-in-one PC. Both models – along with the HP Pavilion dv3 touch – will run version 3.0 of HP's TouchSmart software.

New highlights of the software include the TouchSmart Canvas, which will let you organise and edit photos by touch and TouchSmart Live TV which gives you the sort of functions you'd expect from a PVR, with the ability to pause live TV and record from the EPG.

The HP TouchSmart 600 will feature a 23-inch Full HD display, with Nvidia GeForce graphics, an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4GB RAM and 1TB hard drive.

As a fully featured PC the TouchSmart 600 will come with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a Blu-ray drive and a wireless keyboard and mouse.

An HDMI port gives you to option of connecting an Xbox 360 or PS3, to use the TouchSmart as you would a regular HD TV.

The smaller TouchSmart 300 has a 20-inch HD-Ready display, will come with an AMD processor and ATI Radeon graphics, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, Wi-FI and Windows 7.

The HP TouchSmart 600 will cost you £1199.99 and the 300 will cost you £899.99.

The updated Pavilion dv3 now comes with Windows 7, with a new HP Imprint finish - Modern Vintage - and a matching slip case. The new HP Pavilion dv3 will cost you £799.

Tags: Hardware All-in-one PCs HP HP TouchSmart PC HP Pavilion dv3

HP updates TouchSmart PCs originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:08:17 +0100

Gocycle has shown off a 12.9kg version of its electric bike at the London Cycle Show.

Dubbed the BlackR, it shares most of its construction with the regular Gocycle launched earlier in the year, but with a careful selection of components, Karbon Kinetics have got the weight down from 16.2 to 12.9kg.

The BlackR features the same Cleandrive three-speed drive system, and the same injection-moulded magnesium frameset with the funky Pitstop Wheels (which detach simply by flicking open the levers) as the regular Gocycle.

The changes have been made by adding a lighter saddle, pedal crank assembly, handlebar stem and lithium battery.

It folds away into the same soft or hard packing case to make it easily portable, but isn't designed to complete with the likes of Brompton's folding bikes.

A spokesperson told us that it was still a concept model and as such doesn't have a street price, but it was highly likely that it would be coming to market. With the regular version costing £1198, it won't be cheap.

The London Cycle Show is running at the Earls Court, London from 9-11 October.

Related links:

• Link - London Cycle Show
• Link - Gocycle

Tags: Sports Fitness Gadgets Eco Gocycle Gocycle BlackR

Gocycle BlackR electric bike demoed originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:00:06 +0100

Garmin's new Edge 500 brings sleek GPS functionality to a set of handlebars near you. If you don't want the mapping that the Edge 705 offers, the 500 will give you a much more compact unit.

It is still packed with technology however, offering GPS functions, so you always know your speed and distance, as well as a barometric altimeter.

It can gather your heart rate data, can be hooked up to Garmin speed/cadence sensors and is also compatible with ANT+ third-party power meters.

The battery promises 18 hours of life and all your data can be extracted and shared via Garmin Connect, an online portal where users can share routes or search for routes in their area, and upload it straight to their device.

It also has a simple twist mount, which makes it easy to move your Edge 500 from bike to bike.

Andrew Silver, fitness product manager for Garmin said: "Using feedback from the best focus group imaginable - the professional tour cyclists of Team Garmin-Slipstream, we’ve developed a lightweight cycling computer that’s powerful enough for the pros, yet simple enough for beginners. Complete with a redesigned handlebar mount, Edge 500 streamlines your ride data at a very competitive price". 

As a stand-alone device the Garmin Edge 500 can be yours for £199, or with the heart rate monitor and speed/cadence sensor for £249. 

Tags: Sports Fitness Sports Fitness equipment Cycling Garmin Garmin Edge 500 GPS Photos Heart rate monitors

PHOTOS: Garmin Edge 500 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:43:40 +0100

Sony today launched the colourful line-up of CW laptops to replace the CS line and we were on hand to grab some shots.

Available in blue, red, pink and white (with a hot black Blu-ray model in the UK too), the CW series is designed to fuse portability and power, with a touch of colourful class.

The keyboard response was great from our brief play, with individual keys poking through the pink chassis.

The Vaio button under the screen will launch the Splashtop Linux OS, allowing you almost instant access to the Internet and saving you from having to start-up Windows 7 proper.

A Display Off button does exactly what you expect it to, letting you kill the screen when you don't need it, perhaps during lectures or whilst just listening to music. 

With a 14-inch 1366 x 768 display, these aren't the slimmest notebooks around, but you do get an optical drive and all the connectivity you'd expect – including the HDMI.

The Sony Vaio CW line will be hitting stores from 22 October, prices yet to be confirmed.

Related links:

• News - Sony Vaio CW Series due 22 October

Tags: Hardware Laptops Sony Sony Vaio CW Vaio Photos

PHOTOS: Sony Vaio CW originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:27:18 +0100

When we clapped eyes on this Hannah Montana special edition of the Sony Walkman E-series Walkman, we knew it was something we had to get our grubby hands on.

Sony has partnered with Disney to bring out this limited edition Hannah Montana MP3 player in an unmistakable bright pink colour, with its laser engraved Hannah Montana signature and motif.

It comes in a presentation case that doubles as a jewellery box, with a mirror inside the lid. There are three drawers for all your stuff, with the Hannah Montana Walkman sitting in one, and the funky padded case residing in the other.

The E-series Walkman features a 2-inch QVGA colour screen, FM radio and comes in a 4GB capacity and will give you about 30 hours of music playback.

Available exclusively from Argos, Sony.co.uk and Sony Centres, it will be on sale from 15 October, and will set you back £99.99.

Related links:

• Buy it! - Argos.co.uk

Tags: Audio Sony Walkman Hannah Montana MP3 players Photos

PHOTOS: Hannah Montana E-series Sony Walkman originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:22:47 +0100

The days of mashing buttons are over when it comes to skateboarding games, as the new controller for the latest Tony Hawk game – Tony Hawk: RIDE – gives you a motion control deck.

Formed to look and feel like a skateboard, the controller features two accelerometers to give you yaw, pitch and roll sensors which will translate into 1:1 mapping in the game. This means your character on-screen will react to the subtle movements you make on the board.

A spokesperson for Robomodo, the game's developer, detailed how they had pulled apart "tonnes and tonnes" of controllers to find the best solution for Tony Hawk: RIDE.

Robomodo focused on creating a system that would allow for grabs, grinds, ollies and flip tricks to be pulled off in the game. This is achieved thanks to the accelerometers and the inclusion of four IR sensors around the deck.

The IR sensors let the board detect peripheral movements, so if you want to pull off a grab, moving your hand into the detection zone of the IR sensor will make it happen (if your timing is any good…).

Covered with grip tape, it feels like a skateboard and is surprisingly solid. It didn't complain one iota about abuse from a 13 stone man and is surprisingly responsive. Note the giant start button on the left-hand edge designed to be kicked to get you into the game.

Hitting Xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo Wii towards the end of November, we grabbed some pics of the new controller for Xbox, with a couple of Nintendo Wii ones at the end.

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Tony Hawk Tony Hawk Ride Nintendo Wii Activision Gaming accessories Gaming hardware Photos

PHOTOS: Tony Hawk: RIDE skateboard controller originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:15:12 +0100

We first saw the Palm Pre at CES 2009 and we published our review of the Palm Pre on 25 June. Why the history lesson? Well because it is hitting shelves of O2 stores in the UK next week, so we thought it was time to update all those eager to get their hands on the new device.

9 months is a long time. It's just about enough time to have a baby, but it is a long time in the life of a mobile phone handset and some will question why it has taken the best part of a year for the Palm Pre to arrive in Europe. Sure, there has been a minor hardware switch from EV-DO to HSDPA yet other manufacturers consider this from the outset. We've asked Palm about the delay, but have never got a reasonable answer.

One thing is sure though, the Palm Pre got rave reviews at the time, but how does it stand up against the latest collection of mobile phones? We now have Android devices like the HTC Hero and Motorola's DEXT which offer some of the same features that were well received on the Pre. If you've not read our review of the Palm Pre, why not head over there now?

What about the hardware?

The first thing to note about the Pre is just how glorious the screen looks. It is unique with curved edges and the webOS which fits the device perfectly. The touch response is very good indeed, with smooth scrolling between pages. It has more than just a dose of Apple's iPhone about it, and has to be one of the best looking interfaces you can currently get.

It's an interesting device too, because of the decision to make it a true hybrid. You have the slide-out QWERTY keyboard for text entry, but a system that works efficiently by touch. It side-steps one of the biggest problems with full touch devices, which is losing half your screen (or more) each time you want to enter something like a URL.

Palm's efficient design in the Pre gives a very usable balance between the keyboard and the screen, ideally suited for those that want a keyboard for writing those long emails, but want a rich multimedia experience from the screen space available. As a BlackBerry user, it makes a lot of sense and you get the reassurance of a keyboard, whilst enjoying multi-touch website navigation, all in a device that is still relatively compact.

Sure, the keyboard isn't as good as a BlackBerry, it is a little cramped and the rubbery feel is a little odd, but it works well enough and you do get used to the thumb cramp after a while.

Battery life is a disappointment however. During the testing period we've found ourselves charging it frequently – often more than just over night. The fancy Touchstone charge is a welcomed accessory, but in reality you'll probably want to get one for your phone to live on at your desk at work to make sure you have enough juice to keep it running.

What's all this about Synergy?

Synergy was a buzzword with the Palm Pre at launch. It allows you to bring in your data from various different sources to view them in one location. Essentially, it lets you bring in Google and Facebook contacts over the air and mash them in with your Outlook contacts into one address book.

Setup is blissfully easy and you can then find full rich contact views, with images from Facebook. Enter a contact and you'll find all their information there, so you can call, SMS or email them really easily. It's not unique these days with Motoblur offering the same idea and more comprehensively, even if it doesn’t look so slick.

And what about multi-tasking?

The other major plus point about the Palm Pre's webOS is multi-tasking. Yes, you can multi-task on Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and S60 devices, but none of them handle it with the confidence that the Palm Pre does. Press the central button (which looks like a trackball, but is just a button) and you spring into card view, where all your open apps can be flicked through till you find the one you want.

It means you can very easily and visually switch from one application to another without having to access any menus. Using these cards also adds another bonus – if you want lots of browser screens open, they exist individually, rather than grouped into the back of another screen.

When you have finished with an application you simply swipe the card off the top of the page and it closes – no pressing a Quit or Close button, no scrabbling around with a tiny X in the corner or anything like that. So simple, but it works so well.

Does it have a decent browser?

The browser is a shining example of how accessing the Internet on the move should be. Multi-touch zooming is exceptionally quick and double tap resizing focuses on the text on the page. And the combination of plenty of screen space and the keyboard means you can go to a webmail page and use the full online version, rather than a poor mobile alternative.

What about downloadable apps?

So with the substantial bases covered, what's wrong with the Pre? Welcome to the App Catalog. When we sat down with Palm and O2 back in July to discuss the Pre, a Palm official responded to our "why the delay?" question by pointing out that the App Catalog would have more available for UK customers when it finally launched.

Perhaps this is true, although the recent announcement that the webOS Developer Program will open in December reveals that it isn't really the case. And this is something of a sticking point. Browsing through the App Catalog, it seems sparsely populated. We downloaded the LinkedIn app and have been enjoying Tweed, the Twitter client (which isn't great for posting images to Twitter), but beyond that we're left wanting.

Where is the easy access to instant messaging? Yes, you have Google Talk and AIM included as standard, but there is no Windows Live or Yahoo option, and no app support for them either. There is no Skype, no Facebook, no integration with Flickr.

Perhaps those apps which provide a link to an online service will never really fly, because you can so easily open a browser page for them. We've happily had a Facebook Mobile page open and you can opt for mobile versions of many instant messenger programs too. But in a world where competing app stores get so much attention, we can't help feeling that Palm needs to catch up.

Should I buy one then?

The Palm Pre is a fantastic handset. It has real strengths in multi-tasking and making the most of a hybrid configuration, with a great browser offering. But the lack of depth in support for webOS is a real worry. It doesn’t have the established background that the iPhone gives you, or the choice of operators. Whether you'll get syncing with iTunes or not will yet to be seen, but in the long-term it isn't a sure thing.

It doesn't have the strength of developers currently working on the Android Market place either, and with handsets coming left, right and centre, you're spoilt for choice. Perhaps these things will come to Palm, but it's unfortunate that they didn't take the initiative in the UK earlier in the year.

The Palm Pre is launching as an O2 exclusive in the UK and can be yours for free on a £34.26 a month tariff, if you sign-up for 2 years. 18-month contracts start from £44.05 a month for a free phone, but if a kind relative is going to gift you £100, you could get it for under £30 a month.

Related links:

• Review - Palm Pre mobile phone
• News - Palm Pre to launch 16 October in the UK
• Link - Palm Pre from O2

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Palm Palm Pre O2

Palm Pre UK: Pre-nuptial considerations originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:27:35 +0100

Tony Hawk: RIDE on the Nintendo Wii, expected to be hitting shelves towards the end of November, is going to let you play as your Mii in the game for some bobble-headed action.

Combined with the new skateboard controller, you'll get wireless, handsfree control over your skater as you grind, grab and flip your way through the game.

If this wasn't enough, you'll also be able to play as Tony Hawk's Mii, or a selection of other pros, for the ultimate in life-imitating-art-imitating-life moments.

Hit play to check it out.

Related links:

• Link - Tony Hawk Ride

Tags: Gaming Nintendo Wii Video Tony Hawk Tony Hawk Ride

VIDEO: Tony Hawk: RIDE brings Mii to Wii originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:51:41 +0100