Oil rises as U.S. gasoline stocks fall, Libya in stalemate

 
SINGAPORE- Brent crude rose above $121 on Wednesday, halting a two-day decline, as traders focused on the stalemate in Libya and a sharp fall in U.S. gasoline stocks ahead of peak demand season, while global agencies warned high prices could erode demand.
Concerns grew this week that high oil prices are beginning to dent oil demand growth and could hurt the global economic recovery, with warnings from several key forecasters, while Goldman Sachs' forecast of a lower Brent price also damped sentiment.
ICE Brent crude for May rose 40 cents to $121.32 a barrel by 0334 GMT. U.S. crude for May delivery fell 4 cents to $106.21 a barrel. The contract's 5.8 percent drop from Friday was the biggest two-day percentage loss since May 2010.

HTC overshadows Nokia at smartphone launches

 
HELSINKI/LONDON  - The scale of the challenge facing Nokia in the all-important smartphones market was underscored on Tuesday when a powerful new handset from Taiwan's HTC overshadowed two new models from the Finnish giant.
HTC, the world's fifth-largest smartphone maker, launched HTC Sensation, offering an entire library of movie and TV shows via a wide screen, with a fast 1.2GHz processor which is particularly important for services such as games.
Nokia, which dumped its once-dominant Symbian software earlier this year after falling behind Apple in the high-end handset market, launched two new models in a bid to stem customer defections while it works on a new offering.
The Nokia phones will run on an improved Symbian software, with new icons, better text input, faster Internet browsing and a refreshed Ovi Maps application, while the company develops its new devices using software from Microsoft.

Cisco kills Flip camera in reorganization

 
BOSTON/NEW YORK  - Cisco Systems Inc will ditch its Flip video camera division as it overhauls its troubled consumer business, following chief John Chambers' recent admission that the company had lost its way.
The move comes less than a week after Chambers said that he had to make some "tough decisions" about cutting spending on some product areas.
The company plans to cut 550 jobs from its workforce of 73,000 and take a pre-tax charge of about $300 million for the overhaul. The charge is expected to be recognized in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2011.

AOL, Huffington Post sued by unpaid blogger

 
NEW YORK  -The Huffington Post unfairly pocketed more than $100 million from its unpaid bloggers when AOL Inc bought it in February, a lawsuit against the influential news website said on Tuesday.
The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, comes two months after Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the website, sold it to AOL for $315 million. Of that price, at least $105 million was the estimated value of the website's unpaid writings, which should now be given to the bloggers, the lawsuit said.
"The Huffington Post is nothing without the bloggers who created the content," said Jonathan Tasini, a one-time Huffington Post blogger who filed the lawsuit and is seeking class-action status on behalf of the bloggers.
Part opinion, part news, the left-of-center website has to some extent relied on free contributions by celebrities, politicians and experts to drive its Internet traffic, turning it into a major online force since its start in 2005.

NASA sending retired space shuttles to US museums

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.  - The three retiring U.S. space shuttles will be going on display at museums in Florida, California and Virginia, the U.S. space agency NASA said on Tuesday.
Museums around the United States had competed for the aging shuttles, which are being retired due to high operating costs and to free up funds for a new generation of spacecraft that can fly farther from Earth.
The mothballing of NASA's shuttle fleet this year will hand over human space transportation to former arch-rival Russia 50 years after the first human space flight.
"Take good care of our vehicles. They have served the nation well," said NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, who announced the shuttles' final resting places at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the 30th anniversary of the first space shuttle flight.
Tuesday also marks the the 50th anniversary of the pioneering launch in the then Soviet Union of Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space.

Cisco kills Flip camera in first revamp step

 
BOSTON/NEW YORK  - Cisco Systems Inc will dump its Flip video camera division, retiring the popular brand in a first step toward reviving a company its CEO John Chambers admitted has lost its way.
The move to kill a gadget that won rave reviews for jump-starting low-cost handheld video and was the top-selling camcorder in the United States last year comes less than a week after Chambers said he had to make "tough decisions" about cutting spending on some product areas.
The surprise decision to shut down Flip rather than sell it underscores pressure on Chambers to whittle down a money-losing consumer division that also includes Scientific Atlanta set-top boxes and Linksys home routers.
Cisco bought Flip in 2009 for $590 million in an acquisition spree to build a stronger consumer business.
It will also fold its Umi home videoconference business into the more successful TelePresence arm for corporate customers.

Swedish firm starts using Russian satnav

 
MOSCOW  - A Swedish firm has become the first known foreign company to use Russian positioning technology GLONASS, in a sign that the system could become a credible challenge to established U.S. rival GPS.
Sweden's Swepos, a national network of satellite reference stations which provides data for real-time positioning with metre accuracy, said GLONASS was better than GPS at northern latitudes.
"It functions somewhat better at northern latitudes because its satellite orbits are located higher in the sky and we see them better than we do the GPS satellites," said Bo Jonsson, deputy head of a geodesic research unit at Swepos.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's pet project, Russia has been developing GLONASS since 1976, spending $2 billion on it over the last decade.

Chinese city tracks officials through GPS-enabled phones

Beijing, April 13 : The local government of a major Chinese city now tracks down the whereabouts of its officials using GPS-enabled phones. An official is asked where he is and if he lies about his location, strict action is taken against him.
Each government official in Chongqing has been provided with a 3G mobile phone with global positioning system (GPS) to ascertain his location.
Officials are required to keep the phone 24 hours a day and report their location whenever they are contacted. If their report differs from the GPS reading, disciplinary action is taken against them. They may even be asked to resign, the Chongqing Economic Times reported.
Chongqing is a major city in southwest China. It is one of China's four direct-controlled municipalities - the other three being Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin.
Mu Yong, director of a city inspection office, said a GPS-equipped phone costs about 3,000 yuan ($459), and the minimum monthly cost is 342 yuan ($52), all of which is paid by the local government.
The cost to the government comes to about 1.7 million yuan ($260,000) every year.
Xiao Lichao, a spokesman for a discipline inspection committee, however, told the Chongqing Daily that the government neither buys the GPS phones nor pays the phone bills for the officials. A local telecommunications company provides the phones to the officials for free.
The phones also have video functions to help the watchdog detect whether the officials are lying when they report their locations, said the report.
Mu said the officials are tracked twice a month. Half of them are called at random.
However, officials frequently evade being tracked by claiming that the phone is out of power due to the battery being dead or being dropped in water, a source said.
The system has also come under criticism from the community.
Lin Zhe, a law professor, said that while strengthening the inspection of officials outside working hours was necessary, tailing them with a GPS-equipped phone was the worst way of doing it.

All eyes on new CEO as Google reports Q1 results

 
SAN FRANCISCO  - The investor spotlight will land squarely on new Google Inc Chief Executive Larry Page, overshadowing decent, but uninspiring first-quarter financial results when the company reports its earnings on Thursday.
Less than two weeks after the Google co-founder officially took the CEO reins, investors are hungry for details about Page's management plans and strategy as the search giant faces sharp competition from Facebook and Apple Inc, and intensifying regulatory scrutiny.
Page's performance on Thursday's quarterly conference call with analysts and his views on spending and competition will be closely parsed by investors -- if the famously media-averse 38-year-old shows up in the first place, that is.

Apple iPhone-maker Foxconn ponders big Brazil move

 
BEIJING/SAO PAULO  - IPhone maker Foxconn Technology Group is considering investing $12 billion in Brazil, a move that could help Apple Inc and other tech companies expand in the world's eighth largest economy.
Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff said on Tuesday her government is studying Foxconn's investment plan, the latest move by the manufacturer to expand its manufacturing operations beyond the booming southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.
Rising labour costs have forced many companies to set up operations in cheaper parts of China, but a Foxconn move into Brazil would help tech companies sidestep hefty import tariffs on products they sell in the South American country. Its other clients include Hewlett Packard and Dell.
Tech companies are keen to sell to Brazilian consumers hungry for high-end electronics, but gadgets are often priced out of the market because of high production costs and import tariffs. Apple's cheapest iPad, for example, retails for about $860 in Brazil, versus $400 in the United States.

Gagarin event ends with fireworks display in Moscow

Moscow, April 13 : Russia's commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Yury Gagarin's 108-minute journey into space concluded Tuesday evening in Moscow with coordinated fireworks display across the capital.
The massive salute to the Soviet hero involved sending up 50 fireworks at 13 locations, including Sparrow Hills overlooking the centre of the city.
The celebrations were ordered by President Dmitry Medvedev.
All the fireworks were made in Russia, a spokesperson added.
The first manned spaceflight took place April 12, 1961, when Gagarin blasted off from Baikonur in Vostok spacecraft. He parachuted to earth less than two hours later in Russia's Saratov region.
Events marking the anniversary were held in Baikonur and Saratov, as well as other Russian cities and 70 countries around the world.
Earlier, hailing Yuri Gagarin's flight into space 50 years ago as a 'symbolic' and 'revolutionary' event, Medvedev said his country still dreams about 'conquering' other planets and flying to distant stars.
The first manned flight in space remains a landmark for mankind, he said in an interview with China Central Television.
'I believe it was a truly revolutionary event, a highly symbolic one. It was a tremendous achievement of Soviet cosmonautics, which divided the world into 'before' and 'after' the flight what has been termed the 'space era',' Medvedev said.
'I am proud of the fact that it was my country that made this first step,' he said.

NATO not doing enough in Libya: French FM

 
TRIPOLI/PARIS  - French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said on Tuesday NATO was not doing enough to protect civilians in Libya, the day after an African Union plan to halt the country's civil war collapsed.
Juppe said NATO should target heavy weapons besieging Misrata, the rebel-held city in western Libya where an increasingly bloody siege by Muammar Gaddafi's troops led rebels to dismiss the AU call for a ceasefire as meaningless.
"NATO must play its role fully. It wanted to take the lead in operations, we accepted that," Juppe told France Info radio ahead of travelling to Doha on Tuesday for a Libya contact group meeting.
"It must play its role today which means preventing Gaddafi from using heavy weapons to shell (civilian) populations."

U.S. probes A380 taxiway collision in New York

 
PARIS  - U.S. investigators have impounded an Air France A380 which collided with a smaller jet at New York's John F. Kennedy airport on Monday but the airline says transatlantic A380 flights will be unaffected.
The Airbus superjumbo, the world's largest jetliner with a wingspan of almost 80 meters (yards), hit the tail section of a Bombardier CRJ regional jet which spun in a quarter turn on the taxiway, according to amateur video.
A CNN correspondent on the Air France flight to Paris reported that he felt a "slight rumble akin to hitting a patch of rough pavement" as the plane with over 500 people on board was moving on the ground at about 815pm (0015 GMT Tuesday).

Japan raises nuclear crisis to same level as Chernobyl

 
TOKYO  - Japan put its nuclear calamity on a par with the world's worst nuclear disaster, Chernobyl, on Tuesday after new data showed that more radiation leaked from its earthquake-crippled power plant in the early days of the crisis than first thought.
Japanese officials said it had taken time to measure radiation from the plant after it was smashed by March 11's massive quake and tsunami, and the upgrade in its severity rating to the highest level on a globally recognised scale did not mean the situation had suddenly become more critical.

FCC says the wireless crunch demands TV spectrum

With the ever-growing use of high-data applications like streaming video, our wireless networks are struggling to keep up with demand. That is one of the reasons AT&T has put in a bid on T-Mobile, hoping to supplement their spectrum share before the crunch becomes more pronounced.

Now, the FCC is asking Congress to help carriers expand their spectral footprint. If Congress allows it, carriers could purchase segments of TV spectrum. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski explains: "I believe the single most important step that will drive our mobile economy and address consumer frustration is authorizing voluntary incentive auctions."

But television broadcasters still have concerns. While some broadcasters might choose to sell their spectrum, other broadcasters might abstain. But those choosing not to participate in the auction could still have their own spectrum plagued with interference and diminished signal strength. Genachowski points out, however, that the proposal would include compensation for any expenses related to repacking spectrum.

This shift in spectrum would only be an apt demonstration of the shifting industries. About 25 million Americans consume video and more on their mobile devices, quickly replacing the home television. And even at home, traditional media are being supplanted by streaming options. Genachowski explains that "This growing demand is not going away. The result is a spectrum crunch...The only thing that can address the growing overall demand for mobile is increasing the overall supply of spectrum and the efficiency of its use."

source: Reuters

Motorola DROID X gets Android 2.3 OTA upgrade; is Netflix coming to the device?

It would appear that Motorola DROID X users have finally received their serving of Gingerbread thanks to an quietly executed OTA download. There is one minor problem-those who have rooted their phone will lose root access with the download and the new Bootloader that comes with the upgrade prevents the user from regaining the root access.

More speculation centers around a .jar file that allegedly says the word Netflix in it. This could indicate that the video rental app will be coming soon to the device.

The Motorola DROID X might no longer be Verizon's flagship handset considering that the HTC ThunderBolt is now available with LTE on board. And the early word on the Droid X2 is that-as we reported- the phone will be sticking to 3G connectivity. But for those who don't care about the difference between 3G and 4G speeds, and for those who worry more about battery life-the Motorola DROID X still remains a beast. Add to that the upgrade to Android 2.3, and some of the problems that have been reported by ThunderBolt users and the DROID X remains a relevant phone even in this age of dual-core, 4G enabled handsets.

If you are one of the lucky Motorola DROID X owners who have received the OTA upgrade, let us hear about your experiences with Gingerbread by filling out one of the comment boxes below!

source: AndroidForums via Phandroid

Verizon appears to be silently rolling out the Android 2.3.3 upgrade for the Motorola DROID X

LetsTalk announces that pre-orders for the T-Mobile G-Slate go live tomorrow

You know something is brewing when an online wireless phone retailer begins to announce pre-orders for an upcoming Android powered tablet – which could literally hint to a very close launch.

We haven’t heard too many things regarding the G-Slate from T-Mobile, but that’s not stopping LetsTalk from opening up pre-orders for the tablet starting tomorrow. Yeah, you heard that right! You can essentially guarantee yourself the 3D photo/video taking capable tablet with a pre-order with LetsTalk, but more importantly, their announcement could possibly hint to a relatively close launch in the near future.

The rumors have previously pinpointed to April 20th as being the launch date for both the T-Mobile G2x and the G-Slate tablet – so the news about LetsTalk offering pre-orders for the tablet could provide some credibility to that speculated April 20th release date.

source: Twitter via TmoNews

Sprint is reported to offer the Wi-Fi Motorola XOOM first with a WiMAX version later

Although we’ve been seeing some good indicators regarding the Motorola XOOM with Sprint, the latest reporting about the Honeycomb filled tablet with the pin dropping network throws a pickle into the mix.

Just when we were hoping to see a WiMAX driven Motorola XOOM in the very near future, we’re now hearing reports that Sprint will basically offer the Wi-Fi only version of the tablet first – then some time after that, we’ll see the WiMAX variant. However, it’s not known exactly what kind of time frame the wait will be between when the Wi-Fi only XOOM is released and when the WiMAX version becomes available.

Additionally, it’s rather difficult to confirm whether or not this move is possibly related to technical issues with Honeycomb, or rather, something that’s happening due to the exclusive deal that Verizon has with the tablet.

Let’s just hope that it’s not a long wait considering that other tablets will be making their presence known – which may lessen the desire for a WiMAX Motorola XOOM.

source: BGR

Minor update brings Google Maps for Android to v5.3.1; mostly bug fixes in tow

Possibly related to Google’s recent new promotions and deals with its check-in feature with Latitude, we’re greeted with a minor update to Google Maps for Android which brings it up to v.5.3.1.

There’s nothing much in terms of new features with this update, but instead, we basically find some bug fixes that help improve some of its Latitude features. Specifically, the new version of Google Maps for Android essentially corrects some bugs with the auto check-in and Manage My Places. Aside from those two specific items addressed, there really isn’t anything else from this update.

So if you plan on using the location based check-in features with the app, just be sure to install the new update so you’re all set to get those nifty new deals.

via Android Central

A.I. type for Android reads your mind and saves you keystrokes while you type

A.I. type is an app in beta mode, available for free from the Android Market. In combination with the Gingerbread keyboard and an Android phone running 2.2 or higher, the app increases your typing speed by making auto-corrections and also by guessing what word you will type next. According to the developer, using A.I. type can save you 75% of the number of keystrokes normally used when typing..

Because the app reaches into the clouds for information, the software doesn't require much storage space. We installed it on a Motorola DROID and found that the program works as advertised. As you are writing a sentence, the program suggests the next word. Just click on the correct word and you have just saved yourself a number of  key strokes. The app also supports multiple languages and voice recognition.

If you are familiar with the Swiftkey keyboard, you will find A.I. to be somewhat similar. The difference is that the former comes with its own QWERTY keyboard while the latter uses the Gingerbread QWERTY. If you're not sure about downloading the app, you can check out the video below.

source: A.I.type via AndroidCentral

RIM finally gives the green light to its BlackBerry Trade-up program in Canada

RIM initially launched its BlackBerry Trade-up program in the US back in February, but some were wondering when it would become available in its native country of Canada.

Well, the time is finally here because RIM just gave the green lights to its popular trade-in service in Canada – meaning, you can part ways with your old handset and receive credit for the purchase of a new one. However, this Trade-up program is only limited to a select few BlackBerry devices and does not accept any others. In fact, you’ll only be able to trade devices like the BlackBerry Pearl, Curve, Bold, Storm, Tour, 8700, and 8800 Series devices for a credit worth up to $120.

Of course, its condition mainly hinges on how much you’ll get back for your device, but then again, it still might be better than simply letting dust collect on it in the basement. So if you’re a Canadian BlackBerry user who is potentially eying any future BlackBerry handset, this might be one way of slowly getting to your goal.

source: RIM via MobileSyrup

Fring's new Group Video feature is now in limited beta

Continuing to promote the seriousness and usefulness of its services over the competition, Fring is now looking to get some feedback on its new Group Video Calls feature that’s in limited beta as we speak.

Available to a limited set of users using the app on Android smartphones and the iPhone, the new feature basically allows you to enjoy free Group Video calls with up to 4 friends simultaneously. Essentially, when all users connect, you’ll be able to see all four faces of the people included in the video chat directly on your handset. Definitely nice if you want the presence of everyone in front of you, but then again, some people might find it rather difficult in getting some face time.

Currently, Fring has used up their entire beta slots for the iPhone, however, there are still some spots left for people using Android. You’d better apply now if you want to be able to check out this new feature and provide them some solid feedback about the new service.

source: Fring via Engadget

Sprint Music Plus allows users to discover & manage new music on Sprint phones

If you happen to be a Sprint customer and you have a taste for music, you’ll probably want to check out the rich set of exciting new stuff found with Sprint Music Plus.

Available in app form for Sprint Android, BlackBerry, and Java based devices released after May 2010 or through Sprint’s web site, it’s one way of being able to discover and manage a variety of music related items. Essentially, you can browse through a variety of songs in its store, create playlists, and even have the ability to preview tracks beforehand.

Conveniently, songs are priced between $0.69 to $1.29 for each one, but if you’re looking to purchase quite a few things, you can buy DRM-free songs and ringtones at a reduced price with a bundle. Of course, all purchases are going to be charged directly to your Sprint bill – so you’d better keep a close eye on how many you download.

source: Sprint via ZDNet

AT&T introduces its new GoPhone data plans

Chiming in on the special occasion that AT&T has finally brought aboard its version of the LG Optimus One to its prepaid lineup, the LG Thrive, we’re now seeing some new updates to its GoPhone data packages.

Seeing that the LG Thrive is a data consuming handset, AT&T suggests that its new $25 per month GoPhone data plan would go nicely with it since it provides 500MB of data per month. However, if you plan on consuming a considerably smaller amount, you’ll have the option to pick between their $5/month 10MB plan or $15/month 100MB offering. Granted that some might easily consider those amounts to be paltry, it should appease those customers who tend to rely on voice usage than anything else.

Additionally, the new plans will also provide customers access to AT&T’s vast network of Wi-Fi hotspots. Moreover, the new data packages are paired with either their $2/day unlimited talk & text plan or $0.10/minute voice plan. Finally, AT&T has surprisingly reduced its data overage fees from $0.01/Kb to $0.01/5Kb.

source: AT&T via Phonescoop

Samsung Galaxy S II vs LG Optimus 2X outdoor camera samples

Both the Samsung Galaxy S II and the LG Optimus 2X have 8MP autofocus cameras with a single flash of the LED technology, so the dual-core handsets are ripe for comparison.

Bear in mind that we are playing around with a pre-production unit of the Samsung Galaxy S II in the office, but the software build seems quite finalized, and the new camera interfaces is pretty with its transparent backgrounds that allow you to see the frame behind the settings list. As far as functionality goes, the camera interface stays mostly the same, just wrapped up differently. Here are some sample outdoor photos taken on a cloudy day with the two powerful Android handsets:

Samsung Galaxy S II sample photos

LG Optimus 2X sample photos

As you can see, both cameras capture pretty much similar amounts of detail, and it's a very good amount for a cell phone camera. The photos taken with the Samsung Galaxy S II, however, turn out a tad sharper than those from the Optimus 2X. Moreover, LG's handset tends to produce slightly undersaturated photos, with colder colors than they actually are. The images from the Samsung Galaxy S II, on the other side, have a higher contrast and thus are more pleasing at first look. Furthermore, we noticed that Samsung's 8MP shooter has about 10-15% wider field of view than the lens in the LG Optimus 2X - it fits more scene into the frame from one and the same position.

Samsung Galaxy S II sample photos

LG Optimus 2X sample photos

Thus we can give our personal preferences to the still photos from the Samsung Galaxy S II, but we guess that's not what you are reading this piece for. Of real interest with those two dual-core chipsets - the NVIDIA Tegra 2 in the LG Optimus 2X, and the Exynos in the Samsung Galaxy S II - is that they can process video recording in Full HD 1080p resolution, so we caught a sample video with both:

The LG Optimus 2X captures 1080p video with 24fps by default, which is on the borderline of fluidity, whereas the factory specs of the Samsung Galaxy S II peg it at 30fps in Full HD recording mode. This time the average framerate in our sample take with LG's handset went higher than 24fps, but even then the video taken with our preproduction Galaxy S II unit appeared smoother. Just make sure you choose the 1080p option of YouTube, and switch to full screen for full appreciation:

Samsung's finest 1080p videos are recorded in the better .MP4 container, rather than .3GP in the case of LG, plus they have a higher bitrate - 17Mbps vs 10Mbps for the Optimus 2X, although in the process the Galaxy S II Full HD video files turn out a third larger than those recorded with LG's handset for the same duration.

When you add the extra contrast and sharpness, we can declare the Samsung Galaxy S II a winner in the dual-core camera department, both in still photos, and Full HD video recording. The only thing that's missing from that picture is the newly announced HTC Sensation with its own 8MP camera sensor and two CPU cores, but we should be able to stage a catfight between the three relatively soon.

AT&T announces its versions of the LG Optimus One; the LG Thrive & Phoenix

LG Thrive	LG Phoenix

Certainly it was bound to happen, especially when so many carriers far and wide have their own variants, but it appears that AT&T is finally getting its own version of the popular LG Optimus One. Surprisingly though, we’re not simply greeted with one exact model, but rather, we’re presented with two different ones that accommodatesboth prepaid and postpaid.

First and foremost, the LG Thrive is being positioned as the very first Android powered smartphone for AT&T’s GoPhone prepaid service. Fittingly, it seems to compete very well with Boost Mobile’s recent Samsung Galaxy Prevail because it’s priced at $179.99 no-contract – making it one truly affordable smartphone. Naturally, the specs aren’t all that ground breaking, but it suffices to say the least to offer a reasonable experience. Some of its features include a 3.2” touchscreen, 600MHz processor, 3.2-megapixel auto-focus camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, microSD card slot, and powered by Android 2.2 Froyo.

Conversely, AT&T is making the same handset available as a postpaid option, but it’s being given the name of the LG Phoenix. Aside from the different colored paint job, the two handsets are identical in almost every way. However, the LG Phoenix carries a price tag of $50 with a 2-year agreement.

Surely they are the last of the major wireless carriers to announce a variant of the LG Optimus One, but as always, it’s better late than never. Lastly, both devices will begin to go on sale through AT&T stores and online starting on April 17th.

source: AT&T via Phonescoop

HTC Sense 3.0 UI demo on the HTC Sensation

In addition to a dual-core chipset, the brand spanking new HTC Sensation - announced a few hours ago at a special event in London - has some other tricks up its sleeve, namely - the improved Sense 3.0 user interface on top of Android. You know we have not been very big fans of manufacturer UIs found on top of stock OS UIs recently, and we've bashed many attempts in this field. However, Sense has always been among our favorites, as it has that all-encompassing reach and smooth visuals, which allow it to... you know, make sense. That's why we were very excited to get a chance to play with this golden boy of manufacturer-brewed UIs, but we didn't want to keep all the fun for ourselves, so we shot that neat little video below for all of you Sense-o-maniacs to enjoy. Check it out to find what's going on with Sense and its new features!

Of course, don't forget to check out hands-on with the HTC Sensation live from the event!

New HTC Sense launches apps straight from the lock screen

HTC is slowly realizing its vision of a joint hardware-software-cloud experience that it reiterated way back in September last year, when it lifted the veil from the HTC Desire HD and updated Sense UI.

At today's event in London the flourishing cell phone manufacturer got one huge step closer to that goal, announcing HTC Sense 3.0. Running on the powerful dual-core HTC Sensation (our hands-on here), and its T-Mobile version the HTC Sensation 4G, the new Sense UI is designed with speed of interaction in mind.

Starting off with the lock screen, you will notice that it now allows you to pin photos or various widgets, for example the weather or FriendStream ones, to it, as well as four app shortcuts. Thus you will be able to launch your most used apps, and have an instant glimpse at the weather situation or your friend's Facebook updates without even unlocking the phone. This should have been an integral feature of Android in the first place.

The homescreens have received a new 3D transitional animation and endless carousel, so you can swirl through screens, widgets and shortcuts, floating around, until you find what you are looking for. Speaking of eye-candy, the Weather widget now occupies the whole screen and those 3D effects we mentioned are now dispersed throughout the main menu as well.

HTC has included its own productivity goodies in Sense 3.0, like a video editor, task manager, support for Wi-Fi printing, and HTC Trace, the Swype-like text entry method. The limit on tabs you can have open simultaneously in the browser, has also been removed. The social networking integration has been deepened, with even the ability to see if the friend that is calling you has a birthday today, if you have synced your Facebook account.

One of the most useful additions is actually under the hood - greatly improved shutter lag, with negligible shot-to-shot times. The next improvement is that the Sense UI now lives up to its name, as it uses intelligently the information from the phone's sensors to know if the handset is in a pocket or a purse, and ring louder, until you take it out, then the ringer diminishes volume.

All in all, these sound like great additions to the already very helpful update that was the last HTC Sense version, which brought along the Locations app for offline navigation, HTCSense.com for remote phone management, and other niceties (our video review here). We can't wait to get our hands on a Sensation-al unit to review the new Sense UI.

Security flaw in Flash 10.2 threatens Android devices

Adobe has once again posted information regarding a malicious exploit for its widespread Flash software. Unfortunately, among a number of other platforms, the “critical” vulnerability can affect Google's Android mobile OS as well. The threat comes hidden inside of a Microsoft Word file containing embedded Flash content. Adobe reports that hackers are already using the exploit in order to obtain personal data by sending contaminated Word files as email attachments.

According to Adobe's Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT), the security “hole” may be exploited by a hacker enabling them to take control over the targeted device and steal personal data. In order for that to happen, it is required that the victim opens the Word file and clicks on the harmful Flash file, embedded inside it. Luckily, a patch from Adobe is on the way, and the vulnerability only affects Android devices running Flash 10.2.154.25 or a version prior to it.

Of course, this isn't the first time Adobe Flash is in the scope of hackers targeting unsuspecting victims. After all, it was less than a month ago when we reported about a quite similar vulnerability. Our advice is to be careful when opening your email attachments, keep your software up to date, and always bear in mind that no mobile platform out there is a hundred percent secure.

source: PSIRT via Android Authority

Software update to v1.1 brings geotagging feature to Twitter for BlackBerry

Twitter for BlackBerry has been a work in progress to say the least, but the latest version for the official application brings along some much wanted new features to its arsenal.

Naturally, the biggest new addition with version 1.1 is that it now provides support for geotagging your tweets so that the location will be visible. Furthermore, you can expect to find some enhancements like auto-complete suggestions for hashtags, new language support (Thai, Czech, Polish, and Chinese), and a new streamlined layout with the home screen.

Even though it might seem like new features, most of them have been available with the closed beta version of the app – which we’ve seen get plenty of updates. Still, if you’ve been sticking to using the full version of Twitter for BlackBerry, it’s now your opportunity to experience all the new refinements.

source: BlackBerry via IntoMobile

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BlackBerry Traffic updated, lots of improvements offered

BlackBerry Traffic is a neat app that helps the owners of RIM smartphones to avoid traffic jams, choose the quickest way to get from point A to point B with their cars, get ETA (estimated time of arrival) information and other goodies.

The new version of the app (BlackBerry Traffic 2.0.0.1749) is now available for download, and not only it offers new features, but also improves existing ones. One of the new perks is that you can pick two routes and choose between them thanks to the new future traffic view feature, which gives you ETA information based on the projected traffic conditions.

You can also choose pre-set destinations, and get ETA estimations to addresses from your contacts, or to places you have chosen manually. Once you get your ETA info, you can easily share it via SMS, e-mail or PIN message, so your pals don't have to wait nervously for you to arrive.

All you have to do to receive the update is to hit the source link and have a BlackBerry smartphone with a data plan and a version of BB OS 4.6 or above.

source: RIM

HTC Sensation Hands-on

HTC fans have been feeling left out of the dual-corathon that's been taking over the likes of Samsung, LG and Motorola in the past months. While MWC saw them up the ante to 1.5GHz in their Flyer tablet, their phones topped out at 1GHz. Queue the HTC Sensation - a 1.2GHz dual core goliath with a 4.3" screen with a resolution of 540x960. Throw an 8MP camera with 1080p video recording into the mix and our appetite is well and truly whet.

With its 16:9 aspect ratio, there really is no doubt where this handset excels. Bright and vibrant, the SLCD technology tantalizes, while the beautiful curved glass beveling adds a subtle sense of quality.

The styling of the handset is somewhere between an HTC Mozart and an EVO 4G. With the unibody chassis, the battery cover is the entire back and encroaching on the front - nesting the device snugly. Despite being an aluminum unibody, it doesn't feel as dense as the Desire S or Nokia E7 for example, and is indeed lighter than we anticipated it would be.

Multimedia is an area the Sensation also titillates - the 8MP camera with instant capture (reducing shutter lag), Full HD video capture (with on-board trimming software) and a qHD screen are just the start. HTC also offers its Watch service so you can rent or buy top quality movies encoded to the phone's screen specs for the ultimate viewing experience.

Everything flew when we thumbed through the HTC Sensation, menus were quick, video playback didn't stutter and it certainly delivered a great first impression. The new lock screen is intuitive, allowing shortcuts straight to applications of your choosing. In addition, you can find a preloaded Swype/Slide It style on-screen keyboard, if you're into that kind of stuff.

We can't wait to get our hands on a working device, and with a May release (at least in Europe; the T-Mobile US version comes out in the summer), shouldn't have to wait too long. Our beady eye will be on battery life. If HTC has made this better than the Desire HD on that front, this handset may well be the Sensation HTC is hoping for.

HTC Sensation Hands-On Video: