Apple has unveiled the latest version of its popular Tablet PC, the iPad 2 – boasting a 33% thinner and upto 15% lighter design, combined with a new dual-core A5 chip, promising improved graphics, and a faster & better user experience, with 2 cameras, HD video – the Apple iPad 2 release date has been set for 25 March 2011.

iPad 2 – Dual Cameras

The new Apple iPad features a set of dual cameras – a front facing camera lets you shoot VGA quality photos and record video at 30 fps (frames per second) and enables users to make FaceTime video calls over WiFi to other iPad 2 owners, iPhone 4 devices, the new iPod Touches and Apple Mac computers.

There is a better quality rear facing camera on the iPad 2 tablet that enables HD video recording (720p) at 30 fps with audio and the still camera features a 5x digital zoom function to get closer to your subjects.

Owning the newer iPad with 2 cameras opens up new possibilities for communication and entertainment, particularly when utilizing the wide variety of iPad applications that push the creativity and fun factor even further, such as the iPad Photo Booth app.

iPad 2 Photo Booth

The new camera photo manipulation software app Photo Booth comes built in with the latest iPad – demonstrating a slew of fun, artsy and even weird photo distorting effects live on the display – but moreover, the Photo Booth app shows off the capabilities and power of the new dual core A5 chip, enabling such improved graphics processing, as it displays a 9 panel screen preview each with a unique photo effect that updates and changes as you move in real-time.

iPad 2 Multi Touch Display

Pinch, tap and swipe on the multi-touch display that detects the movement of your fingers by sensing the electrical fields as you touch the screen.  The iPad is fully controlled by your touch, from browsing the web, to tapping out an email or reading an eBook – the iPad 2 Multi-Touch display screen is both intuitive and a joy to use.

iPad Smart Cover

The new iPad 2 and the iPad Smart Cover were designed with each other in mind – both feature built in smart magnetic technology that  enables the two to work together in clever and innovative ways.  For example, the iPad Smart Cover fits neatly over your iPad to protect the display – fold back the Smart Cover and your iPad wakes up instantly and ready to use! Close the cover again and it puts your iPad back to sleep.  What’s more, the iPad Smart Cover can be folded over itself into the perfect iPad stand for those times when you want to watch a movie, play some games or browse the web.

The iPad Smart Cover comes in 10 vibrant colour choices, including 5 of which are made in a rich, aniline-dyed Italian leather.

iPad 2 Games

With the introduction of the new dual core A5 chip on the latest iPad 2, it does twice the work, faster and with up to 9x faster graphics performance the iPad 2 is able to offer an even better gameplay experience with smoother and more improved graphics on the high resolution 9.7 inch iPad display.

Combined with the built in accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, and a compass that all work together – the iPad knows your every movement, allowing for an added dimension and sense of realism from new iPad applications and games.

Apple iPad 2 Built In Apps

iPad – 10 Hour Battery Life

The new iPad may be thinner and lighter on the weighing scale, but with the power-efficient A5 chip, the iPad 2 can still offer a generous 10 hour battery life that lets you do more of what you love, for longer.

Related Sites

• Apple iPad 2 (Official UK Site) [Apple.com]

With announcements from Nintendo and Sony this week on the release of the next generation of handheld gaming machines, namely, the Nintendo 3DS and the Sony PSP2, is upon us, but the big question on most gamers’ lips at the moment is: will the next generation of super-phones and tablets spell the end of the handheld gaming console?

Is it Game Over for the Handheld Games Console?

Today’s super-charged Smartphones and tablets are just as powerful as any handheld gaming console on the market at the moment. And with the first dual core phones going on sale this year, your average Smartphone could very well end up packing more punch than the new offerings from Nintendo and Sony by the end of the year. Even the Smartphone’s big shortcoming, a distinct lack of controllers or joysticks, has been solved by cheap gamepad add-ons, such as the Game Gripper.

Game Gripper

Both Nintendo’s and Sony’s consoles have a long and prestigious heritage dating right back to Nintendo’s progenitory Gameboy. But with high-end processors and 3D capabilities, prices for handhelds are becoming prohibitive. And let’s face it, where else can they go from here? Has the handheld gaming device come to an evolutionary dead-end?

The Handheld Console Killers..

Without doubt, it was Apple’s iPad that struck the first nail into the coffin of the handheld gaming console. A wave of game releases over the past few months demonstrated that the iPad could play the most popular games just as well as the average home console and there’s plenty more on the way. The turning point was probably the release of Infinity Blade with graphics that were noticeably better than those on the Xbox 360 or the Playstation 3, and arguably one of the best games of 2010.

The latest big budget release for the iPad is set to take things even further. Dead Space is the prequel to the Xbox’s blockbusting sci-fi horror, Dead Space 2. But rather than being a simplified version of Xbox’s offering, it mimics every detail of the original. Likewise, Real Racing 2 is taking on Gran Turismo 5 in terms of graphic excellence. And Fifa 11 for the iPhone, despite its simplicity, is probably the best portable soccer game ever.

With all this going on, the lines between Smartphone and handheld gaming console are becoming more and more blurred. Now, with talk of a Sony PSP phone on the way, things are to set to become even more confusing. Is it a phone or is it a handheld gaming station? You decide.

Sony PSP Phone

See Also

• Video Game Consoles
• Mobile Phone Shops

It’s official. Men aren’t keen on chocolates or flowers for Valentine’s. Give the man in your life what he really wants this Valentine’s Day. Get him a gadget. It’s almost certain to last longer than flowers or chocolates and he’ll love you all the more for it! Here’s a rundown of our top techie Valentine Gifts for Him.

10. Belkin RockStar Splitter

Money can’t buy you love, so great gifts don’t have to be expensive. Take this MP3 audio splitter, for example. Now the two of you can enjoy your favourite tracks together, as long as you like the same bands as he does, of course!

9. Mix Tape Flash Drive

If you’ve been together a while you may have made your man a mix tape full of your favourite songs in the past. Send him on a trip down memory lane with this novelty flash drive that can store up to 100 MP3s.

8. Cooltronics Digital Photo Frame

Brighten up his day at the office and let him relive your most loving moments with a digital photo frame for his desk. This one even comes equipped with a calendar so he has no excuse for not remembering your next date.

7. Voltaic Solar Panel Backpack

Light up his life with this solar powered bag that can charge devices, such as phones, PDA’s and MP3 players. It won’t charge his laptop, but it will protect it.

6. Nikon Coolpix L20

Has he got a photo of you in his wallet? No? Well, that’s because you haven’t bought him one of these yet. Check out this easy-to-use bargain point-and-shoot digital camera at a price that’s right.

5. Bluetooth Laser Virtual Keyboard

Gifts don’t come more ‘James Bond’ than this. Ideal for tapping out a romantic thank you email to you!

4. Amazon Kindle

The Amazon Kindle is fast becoming the most popular e-reader out there. Why not load it with a romantic novel to get him in the mood for love?

3. Garmin Nuvi 205 GPS

He’d be lost without you, so make sure he can find you at a moment’s notice with this GPS system. Special software allows you to record your own voice commands so you pre-load it with some loving messages to send him on his way to somewhere romantic where you’ll be waiting for him.

2. Apple iPod Shuffle

This isn’t just any old iPod Shuffle. Many Apple retailers will now engrave a personalised message on the device for your loved one.

1. iPad 2.0

Okay, so what if it isn’t the most romantic gift in the world? If the rumours are true the new iPad 2.0 will be in the shops for Valentine’s Day. Buy him Apple’s latest toy and he’ll love you forever.

The CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is without doubt the event of the year if you’re into gadgets. It’s where techheads go to get the lowdown on what’s hot and what’s not in the world of consumer technology. More than that, it’s the place where you’ll find all the movers and shakers, i.e. what’s going to be big the coming year and beyond. This year’s CES 2011 show took place in Las Vegas at the beginning of January and from the products on display, it was clear what the big three consumer trends are going to be this year: Internet TV, 3D and PC tablets.

Internet TV

Sony was there showing off their Google TV, demonstrating that Internet TV has finally come of age. Certainly, we will be seeing media streaming, iPlayer and all sorts of apps appearing on TVs this year. But it won’t be just on TVs, these new services will be shared across phones, media players and Blu-Ray players. And what will be crucial will be a way of sharing information across all these devices. So it’s just as well that Netgear was there with their latest home Wi-Fi router on display, specially designed to handle all the new technology and devices that we’re connecting to the Internet from our homes.

3D or not 3D? That is the question

While many of us are still considering whether or not to invest in a 3D TV, it came as no surprise to anyone that 3D dominated many of the stands at this year’s exhibition. As well as the latest range of 3D TVs from Toshiba and Sony that don’t require glasses, the big trend this year was in 3D camcorder and still camera launches from all the big names, as well as a 3D mobile phone. The first 3D laptops from Toshiba and Sony even put in an appearance.

Take a Tablet

The final big trend at this year’s CES was Tablet PCs. Around 100 tablet devices were launched at this show alone. Blackberry’s Playbook seemed to be the one that most were eager to queue up to see. With a seven-inch display, a dual core processor, front and rear cameras, as well as a HDMI port, it’s not hard to see why Apple has their work cut out with iPad 2.0.

Lenovo came out tops in terms of innovation with their device that could be transformed from a laptop running Windows into a tablet running Android. Tablet computing might have been born in 2010 with Apple’s iPad, but 2011 is certainly going to be the year it comes of age.

What was increasingly evident at this year’s show was technology is now all about getting access to information wherever you are. As our lives become increasingly linked to technology, more and more electronic manufacturer’s seem to be putting the focus on getting all the devices in our lives talking to one another. And from this year’s show, clearly, 2011 is going to be a very big year for technology in the home.

The European Commission has drawn up technical specifications for a universal smartphone charger which has won the support of 14 mobile phone firms, which could pave the way for a standardized universal mobile phone charger for smartphones created by Apple, Nokia, Research In Motion (Blackberry) and Samsung among others.

The universal charger specifications were drawn up specifically for the smartphone type of handset because the Commission believes these will become the most widely used type of phone in Europe within the next two years.

The mobile firms have pledged to follow the new standard, with the first chargers expected to be produced according to the new specifications by early 2011.  The roadmap was initially set in 2009 when phone firms pledged to back any standards the Commission drew up and could potentially see the phasing out of proprietary power ports on handsets.

The benefits of a universal mobile charger specification would remove the inconvenience caused by incompatible chargers in addition to the environmental benefits which would reduce the amount of electronic waste without the need to dispose of as many old chargers.  Talks between the Commission and regulators are ongoing with an aim to have the universal mobile charger specifications adopted for worldwide use.

Toshiba joins the Tablet PC market with the release of the Folio 100 Tablet powered by the Android 2.2 Froyo operating system, offering a cheaper alternative to both the Apple iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab devices.

The Toshiba Folio 100 is a 10.1-inch tablet pc featuring a capacitive touchscreen with multi-touch support that lets you tap, pinch and swipe the screen to zoom and flick through the menus.  The Folio 100 has a screen resolution of 1024×600 but also integrates a mini-hdmi output port allowing you to connect the device to a TV with full HD 1080p playback.

Toshiba Folio 100 Side View Images – Ports & Connectivity

The Toshiba Folio 100 comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options on board, while a mobile broadband 3G enabled version of the Folio 100 is expected to be released early next year in the first quarter of 2011.

Android 2.2 Froyo Platform

Powered by the Android 2.2 operating system ensures there is a wide range of apps available, although at the present time most Android applications have been optimized for smaller screen mobile devices so the large screen of the Folio 100 may not always be utilized to its fullest – this will likely change as Android application developers begin to cater for the larger screen tablet devices.

However, the Toshiba Folio 100 does have 10.1 Adobe Flash support, something which is lacking in the Apple iPad.  On the front of the Folio 100 device is a 1.3 megapixel camera for video calls (over WiFi), and there’s 16GB of storage included, which can be expanded up to 32GB with an optional high capacity SD Card.  A built in Accelerometer allows you to rotate the display, which will automatically turn the orientation of the menu interface, and this can also be locked into place, which is convenient if you are retiring to watch a movie for example.  The Toshiba Folio 100 measures 14mm thick and weighs 760g and has a stated battery life of 7 hours, calculated on the basis that you browse the web for most of the time (65%), a bit of video (10%) and some time on standby (25%).  The Toshiba Folio 100 is out now and has a retail price of £329.

Samsung unveils the Tic Toc mp3 player, a mini palm sized device designed for style-conscious fashion and gadget lovers, young women and girls – operated by motion control.

The Samsung Tic Toc MP3 Player is available in 2GB and 4GB models and comes in a choice of 4 colour designs, including pink, blue, black, plus an exclusive Helly Kitty version.  Like the Apple iPod Shuffle, it does not have an LCD for display, but the Samsung MP3 Player does use a 3-LED display indicator light and interestingly has only one physical control button which is used for Power and Volume Control, while the rest of the functions are motion controlled by shaking the mp3 player left or right (whilst holding the device horizontally) to pause and skip tracks.  Skip albums by clicking three times or hold it vertically and click up and down to change the volume.

Samsung has listed the R.R.P as starting from £39.99 for the Tic Toc MP3 Player.

Samsung Tic Toc MP3 Player Images

So long as you haven’t been living in a cave for the past 6 months, you’ll be aware that the iPad has finally been released. There are thousands of apps already available for it, and many of these are fantastically useful. You may have heard of some of them already. We all know you can use the iPad to read books and play games, but what follows are a few things that maybe you didn’t realise it could do.

7.  Make Phone Calls

Now you can even afford to give up your iPhone, thanks to the Truphone iPad app, which allows you to wield around your brand new gadget like an enormous iPhone, even though you might end up looking a little ridiculous.

Truphone is a free VoiP application, which uses the web rather than regular phone lines. The makers state that calls to other users of Truphone, as well as Skype and Google Talk users is totally free, while the rate to call land lines and mobiles is in their words “really, really low”.

6.  Write With Your Finger

The new Writepad app is a handy little tool that allows you to take notes anytime, anywhere, without having to mess around typing. Simply use your finger like a pen and scrawl all over the screen! You can set Writepad in a blank notepad mode for taking notes at a meeting, or else you can use it while viewing documents and web pages in order to jot things down quickly and easily.

5.  Dictate Text

Going one step further than taking notes with your finger, how about having the iPad just take the notes for you? The Dragon Dictation app is the cheapest secretary you’ll ever employ, costing absolutely nothing. It uses voice recognition software to take down notes, which you can then copy paste and send as emails, messages etc.

4.  Gaze At The Stars

Astronomers will love this one. The award-winning Pocket Universe app works just like a telescope, except that it does even more! Point your iPad at the sky and the app’s built in digital compass will work out what you’re looking at and replicate that image on-screen, only with far more details than you’ll get from gazing at it by yourself. Names of stars and planets will be displayed, and clicking on any one of them brings up more additional information, and it’ll even direct you where to look in order to see special sights and events throughout the year!

3.  Watch TV

You can even use your iPad to watch thousands of your favourite TV shows and movies thanks to the Netflix streaming app. This app is totally free though you’ll need to sign up for a Netflix account for around £5 a month.

2.  Paint Pictures

Anyone looking to express their creative talents on their iPad should look no further than Brushes, one of the best illustration applications to appear yet. It allows you to choose from 13 different brushes to perfect your work, blend images, import photos for you to enhance and even watch video replays of you recreating your masterpieces. The very fact that several paintings created with Brushes have made it to the cover of Time magazine shows illustrates just how much potential this application has.

1.  Use It As A Cash Register

Our final feature showcased today is probably the most unusual one that anyone could imagine, yet perhaps it’s also the most useful one yet! Shop owners will be blown away by the potential of the free Square application, which transforms your iPad into a hi-tech cash register that’s able to recognise finger signatures, generate SMS and email receipts, calculate VAT and upload every sale onto an accounting dashboard to keep track of what you’ve sold. And if you buy the separately sold credit card swiper, you can even take credit card payments!

Apple has unveiled the next generation of its ultra-slim and lightweight laptops, the new MacBook Air, which now comes in 11-inch and 13-inch models.  The thinnest and lightest MacBook yet, is designed to combine the best attributes of the iPhone handset and the iPad tablet pc with the Apple Macintosh laptop series.

Apple MacBook Air Laptop

MacBook Air: Thin & Light In Size, Not In Features

Measuring only 17mm thick (or thin!) at it’s thickest point when closed and weighing a mere 1 kilo compared to the common weight of approx 2.5kg – 3.6kg in traditional laptops, the new MacBook air is aptly named and is powered with a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with additional upgrade options available for increased processing power and storage space.  Other key specs include 2GB of RAM, upgradeable to 4GB and there’s a web camera built in allowing for FaceTime video calls.

MacBook Air: Instant On

The MacBook Air includes 64GB of flash based storage rather than the typical hard drives found in traditional laptops, allowing the new MacBook Air to power up from standby and be ready to go, almost instantly.

The 11-inch MacBook Air features up to 5 hours of battery life on a single charge and up to 7 hours on the 13-inch model, while they can sleep for up to 30 days in standby mode.

MacBook Air:  Multi-Touch Glass Trackpad

The latest MacBook Air comes with a spacious and smooth glass trackpad with multi-touch capability that lets you tap, pinch, swipe, drag, rotate and scroll with ease.

Prices start from £849 for the 11 inch MacBook Air and £1099 for the 13 inch MacBook Air model.  Apple also revealed that its MacBook laptops will soon have an app store, mirroring the one that already exists for its mobile devices.

There’s a wide selection of e-readers on the market now as book lovers begin to realise the benefits they offer over traditional hard copy. Not least, the space they save when travelling. Books and magazines take up valuable space when going on trips and can even cost you money, as more and more airlines make customers pay for their baggage.

To get an e-book or e-zine you don’t have to even go to a store. Simply get online. And while you’re saving the planet’s trees, you can also be saving money, because electronic reading materials are nearly always cheaper. Furthermore, many e-readers do more than simply provide an illuminated reading screen, for example, they can double as MP3 players or flash drives.

5.  Amazon Kindle 3^rd Generation

Who better to put an e-reader on the market than an online company that started out selling books? Amazon’s 3^rd generation Kindle comes in two versions: Wi-Fi or 3G, and is smaller, faster and more user-friendly than previous models. So if you’re looking for a dedicated e-reader, you could do much worse. Okay, the Kindle doesn’t do much else, but in a consumer head-to-head with the iPad, two-thirds preferred the Kindle’s e-reading capabilities.

4.  Barnes & Noble Nook

It makes sense that book publishers are looking for some of the e-reader action too, so it’s no surprise to see Barnes & Noble bring their Nook to market. The device shows innovation in the touchscreen strip below the 6.5-inch display that offers a user-friendly and effective way of navigation. But, Barnes & Noble is a bookseller and not an IT company and there have been problems with the software that still need to be resolved. The company say a firmware update will be forthcoming.

3.  Apple iPad

Apple’s iPad comes with a superb e-reading application built in, but the device itself certainly doesn’t come cheap. If you need all the other functionality that comes with the iPad, then you might be prepared to splash out on this year’s must-have gadget, but it’s a bit expensive to be taking to the beach, where any number of costly catastrophes could befall it.

2.  Sony Pocket Edition Touch

Sony has the technology clout to take on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble with their range of e-readers. And the Sony Pocket Edition Touch seems to be beating all-comers on price too. But the really big benefit here is that Sony is using an open format for documents, which means you won’t be a slave to Amazon’s proprietary format. However, the trade-off for the low price tag is that files need to be tranferred by USB from a PC.

1.  Android Smartphone E-Readers

Finally, in case you didn’t know, it’s not just iPhones that make good e-readers, if you already have a SmartPhone running Android, then you’ve already got an e-reader. The three major e-book stores: Kindle, Nook and Kobo, all have apps for Android, so, if you’re interested in checking out the benefits of e-reading, this might be a good way to see if it’s for you.