Tips Mencegah Smartphone Meledak

Smartphone menjadi barang yang wajib atau kebutuhan primer yang harus dimiliki oleh manusia, karena berkat kemampuannya manusia menjadi mudah terhubung dengan orang lain dimanapun dan kapanpun. Sehingga, karena pentingnya Smartphone bagi manusia, banyak pemakaianya menggunakan erangkat elektronik ini diberbagai kondisi ekstrem. Seperti ketika sedang di kamar mandi, berenang sambil mengabadikan hewan-hewan laut bahkan saat penggunanya sedang terlelap tidur.

Karena saking pentingnya kebutuhan smartphone, membuat banyak orang akhirnya tidak bisa melepas waktu sedikitpun untuk setidaknya sehari untuk lepas dari smartphone. Bahkan bagi orang yang addict tidak melihat handphone sekejap bahkan terasa sangat menderita. Hal inilah yang terjadi pada seorang gadis muda di Texas Amerika Serikat, karena saking akrabnya dengan smartphone canggihnya Samsung Galaxy, dia akhirnya sering membawa handphone miliknya tersebut menjadi teman tidur. Bahayanya, smartphone canggih miliknya tersebut menaruh smartphonenya dibawah tempat tidur, alhasil Samsung Galaxy-nya meledak saat dia sedang tertidur. Beruntung ponsel yang ia letakkan di bawah bantal itu, hanya hancur dan tidak membuat sang wanita terluka.

Lain lagi cerita yang dialami seorang wanita di negara bagian Florida, wanita ini mungkin tidak seberuntung gadis muda itu sebab karena ledakan smartphone membuat wanita asal Florida tersebut menderita luka bakar diwajahnya. Padahal ia menaruh handphone di tempat Gym. Aneh ya? Kenapa smartphone mahal-mahal bisa dibuat menjadi produk yang tidak aman bagi penggunanya? Bagaimana cara agar smartphone kita tidak meledak seperti wanita-wanita diatas..???

Baterai Berkualitas Buruk

Beberapa orang mungkin akan mengganti baterai bawaannya atau original dari vendor. Hal ini dilakukan karena baterai ori lebih cepat habis dibandingkan baterai yang diganti dengan kapasitas yang lebih besar. Namun karena faktor mengganti baterai yang berkapasitas besar inilah yang menjadi penyebab smartphone Samsung Galaxy S4 di Texas meledak.

Menurut iFix sebaiknya pengguna perlu untuk memahami untuk menggunakan baterai asli dari buatan vendor, jangan menggunakan baterai bukan bawaan atau tertipu membeli baterai yang palsu. Sebab baterai yang tidak sesuai standar akan sangat membahayakan penggunanya. Hal ini dikarenakan baterai yang tidak mengikuti standar biasanya memiliki komponen-komponen kualitas tidak setara dengan yang asli.

Simpan Smartphone pada Ruangan Yang Berventilasi baik

Smartphone diketahui didesain dengan lubang yang kasat mata, lubang-lubang ini termasuk lubang tempat colokan charger jangan sampai tertutup. Misalnya menggunakan silikon atau chase yang menyelimuti seluruh smartphone. Karena dengan menutup lubang-lubang ini membuat sirkulasi udara di dalam smartphone menjadi kurang baik.

Para ahli juga menyebutkan hal yang sama, mereka mengharapkan agar para pengguna ponsel pintar untuk menyimpan smartphonenya di tempat yang baik. Pada bebarap smartphone, terdapat lubang kecil disekitar colokan pengisian, ini harus dibiarkan terbuka agar ponsel terhindar dari overheating (menjadi terlalu panas). Oleh karena itu, hindari membawa smartphone ketika tidur dengan menyimpannya di bawah bantal.

Jika Tercebur ke Air, Segera Perbaiki

Walaupun pengguna sudah mengeringkan ponsel pintar dengan handuk, atau menjemurnya dibawah terik matahari tapi menurut peneliti dari iFix mengatakan, handset yang terkena / tercebur di air walaupun sudah dikeringkan, tetap dimungkinan untuk terjadi korosi atau hubungan arus pendek (korsleting). Hal itu tidak bisa dideteksi dengan mata telanjang. Oleh karena itu, sebaiknya ponsel harus dibawa ke tempat service untuk memastikan tidak ada korosi yang menimbulkan arus pendek listrik sehingga menyebabkan meledak.

Jangan Gunakan Ponsel Ketika di Charge

Saat ponsel di Charge, smartphone menjadi lebih panas dari keadaan normalnya. Ketika ponsel digunakan saat di charge, dapat menimbulkan panas yang tidak terkendali di ponsel sehingga dapat memicu ledakan. Oleh sebab itu, sebaiknya matikan ponsel saat di charge, sebab walaupun kondisi tidak mati tetapi terdapat beberapa aplikasi yang berjalan dan mungkin menggunakan jaringan internet sehingga memicu panas berlebih. Ketika ini dibiarkan, maka panas smartphone dapat menjadi berkali-kali lipat dan sangat membahayakan penggunanya.

Facebook Resmi Meluncurkan Aplikasi Slingshot

Aplikasi Slingshot Buatan Facebook

Slingshot sebuah aplikasi berbagi foto dan video resmi diluncurkan Facebook, aplikasi ini akan menjadi penantang baru untuk menghadapi snapchat yang menjadi penantang serius bagi facebook.

Sebelumnya petikaian serius antara Slingshot dan Snapchat didunia aplikasi berbagi video dan foto, facebook sempat mengajukan tawaran sebesar USD 3 Milyar (setara 35 Triliun Rupiah) kepada Snapchat agar mau bergabung dengan facebook. Namun, sayangnya CEO Snapchat Evan Spigel menolak karena tidak ingin perusahaannya dijual.

Oleh sebab itulah facebook meluncurkan Slingshot, Aplikasi ini menggunakan interface yang mudah dipahami siapapun dan dapat terintegrasi dengan facebook messenger yang telah ada sebelumnya. Karena kemampuan integrasi dengan teman facebook, aplikasi ini akan membantu pengiriman foto dan video antar pengguna facebook.

Anda bisa memotret dan merekam, mengeditnya dan mengirimkannya ke Teman Facebook Anda melalui aplikasi Slingshot yang tersedia untuk perangkat iOS serta Android.

Selain dapat mengirimkan foto dan video, aplikasi ini juga dapat membubuhkan deskripsi atau keterangan singkat terhadap foto dan video yang hendak dikirim. Uniknya, aplikasi ini dibenamkan fitur yang menjaga privasi dengan cara menghapus pesan foto atau video dalam periode waktu tertentu.

Berbeda dengan aplikasi Instant Messenger yang sudah ada, Slingshot menawarkan cara baru berbagi pesan foto dan video karena layanan ini merupakan feed baru di mana semua orang diajak untuk menjadi pencipta konten.

Saat Anda melihat momen yang hendak diabadikan, rekamlah atau foto momen tersebut, lalu sling atau lontarkan konten itu kepada teman-teman. Untuk memperindah konten yang hendak dikirim, facebook juga membenamkan berbagai fitur efek dan coretan sebelum Anda bagikan.

Uniknya, pengguna lain tidak dapat melihat isi pesan yang dikirim itu sampai ia mengirim respons (berupa foto atau video) kepada Anda. Dengan strategi itu, facebook mengajak agarsemua pengguna Sling Shot dapat berpartisipasi dalam membuat konten foto dan video untuk di Slingshot.

Untuk mendownload Aplikasi Slingshot, silakan mengunduhnya di AppStore atau GooglePlay. Aplikasi ini hanya mendukung iOS 7 dan Android versi 4.4 (KitKat). Source Edit by : @daridimas

Microsoft Siap Luncurkan 'Intel Haswell' untuk Surface Mini, Benarkah ?

Seiring dengan semakin berkembangnya ilmu teknologi, hal itu tentu membuat para produsen terus menghadirkan varian terbaiknya untuk bersaing dengan produsen lain. Sehubung dengan perihal tersebut, Microsoft yang merupakan raksasa prosesor ini akan menggelar sebuah event pada 20 Mei 2014 di New York, Amerika Serikat. 

Event yang mengundang pers tersebut dikabarkan akan mengungkap detail informasi yang berkaitan dengan tablet Surface Mini yang dirumorkan akan siap dirilis oleh Microsoft. Tidak hanya itu, menurut info yang beredar, microsoft juga akan meluncurkan tablet terbaru dengan processor berbasis ARM dari Qualcomm. 

Beberapa hari lalu beredar kabar bahwa model Surface mini akan tampil dengan prosesor Qualcomm Snapdragon, sebagai pesaing dari prosesor Nvidia Tegra. Perangkat ini akan hadir dengan layar 8 inci.
Menurut sumber dari yang tidak ingin disebut namanya, ia mengungkapkan bahwaI. "Pasti ada Surface baru berbasiskan Intel," kata sumber anonim. Sumber tersebut juga memastikan bahwa tablet ini akan diperkuat dengan chip Intel Haswell.

Seperti produk Surface 2, Surface mini diharapkan akan dikapalkan dengan aplikasi Office. Perangkat tablet ini juga akan dilengkapi dengan stylus seperti device Surface Pro.

Nokia with First Windows Phone Handsets

Nokia unveiled a new crop of smartphones that could put the company back in the smartphone race with rivals iPhone and Android. It could also mark a turnaround for Microsoft's unpopular Windows Phone 7 software.

Nokia CEO Stephen Elop unveiled the company's new partnership with Windows Phone 7 today in the form of the Nokia Lumia 800 - a hi-tech, mid-priced handset running the latest version of Microsoft's operating system.

The phone costs £364. The cheaper, lower specced Lumia 710 model will cost just £234. Both will go on sale across Europe in November.

The pricing in particular could be crucial in putting Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 back in competition with its smartphone rivals. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that the Windows giant would cut prices to drive sales.

The partnership is predicted to capture 12.3 per cent of the European market for Microsoft over the coming year, said analysts Strategic Analytics this week.

Low-End Digital Cameras won't be Around In 2020

When Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S, smartphone competitors probably weren’t the only ones beginning to sweat. Digital camera makers also have much to be worried about. Apple’s newest phone has a killer 8-megapixel camera that takes in more light and records video at 1080p HD video. Until recently, those kind of specs were unique to digital cameras, but increasingly smartphones are taking over the market.

“Flip cameras went bye-bye and now low-end camera functions are being taken over by smartphones,” says Rob Enderle, principle analyst for the Enderle Group. Going forward, consumers will have less incentive to carry around a camera when they already have a phone in their pocket that takes quality pictures. “The point-and-shooters – and particularly the cameras that sell for under $200 – will eventually go away and be replaced by cellphones that do the same thing.”

On the other hand, Enderle predicts more expensive and high-tech cameras may have a brighter future, though not by much, as a smaller market of photo enthusiasts seek out professional-quality cameras that go above and beyond what’s offered on a phone.

Killer features from the future: Siri vs. Android Beam and Face Unlock

Both iOS 5 and Android 4.0 have a futuristic touch — and we're not just talking glowing blue tones either. With iOS 5, Apple introduced us to Siri, a voice command and search app that's almost eerily sophisticated. You can speak into your iPhone 4S and ask Siri anything you want (really, anything!) and Siri speaks the information you need — or least a quirky retort. Android has boasted handy built-in voice commands for longer, but Siri is far more comprehensive and far closer to being sentient.

Paired with the futurescape of its new look, Android 4.0 introduces two very cool little bonus features: Android Beam and Face Unlock. If you've ever used the clever app Bump to swap phone numbers, Beam is the exact same idea, but expanded. With Beam, you can tap two phones together and watch as websites, videos, directions, and apps are zapped from one phone to the other.

Face Unlock for Android 4.0 is a trick that could prove pretty useful in securing your phone from prying eyes. Using Google's face recognition technology, you can unlock your phone just by peering into the front-facing camera and having your face recognized.

Winner: Siri Both Apple and Android's new futuristic features have some inherent limitations. Siri is only available for the iPhone 4S, and isn't open to all iOS 5 users. Android Beam will debut on the new flagship Galaxy Nexus phone, and then be possible between any two Android 4.0 phones that have a Near-Field Communication (NFC) chip or sticker. Unfortunately, knowing Google's checkered past with Android updates and its ongoing struggles with its grab bag of Android makers, it's hard to say how long it'll be before the stars will align for Beam.

The World's First Bendable Cell Phone

Demonstrations of 'bendable' screens have been a staple of technology shows ever since there were screens small enough for us to carry. This week, Samsung has given the strongest sign yet that the hi-tech devices might become reality.

The company demonstrated 'bendable' AMOLED screens 4.5 inches across and just 0.3mm thick in January this year. Reports this week hint that phones using the technology - which can be 'rolled up' and survive hammer blows - will appear in the second quarter of next year.

The technology relies on atom-thick layers of 'graphene' - sheets of carbon atoms - sandwiched together, protecting a layer of liquid crystal 'screen'.

Earlier this year, reports leaked that Samsung had the capacity to manufacture large amounts of the screen by 'early 2012' - but no one knew what they might be for.

Samsung later released pictures of a concept phone using the technology - the Galaxy Skin.The phone would be no mere novelty.

Phones using Graphene screens would be practically unbreakable, and offer an instant advantage over every other smartphone on the market. Now, according to reports in the International Business Times, the handsets could be on sale early next year.

The report was remarkably specific, stating that the handset would offer specifications including a high-resolution 800×480 flexible AMOLED screen, eight megapixel camera and 1Gb of RAM as well as a 1.2GHz processor.

Apple's iPhone 5 Could Launch Worldwide on Oct 21

The word within the world of technology is that an October release for Apple's eagerly awaited iPhone handset is now almost certain, after continued silence from the company about when the handset will appear.

A screenshot submitted to American technology blog This Is My Next seems to confirm the day might well be October 21. The screenshot, sent to American blogger Chris Ziegler by an anonymous employee of the Best Buy electronics chain, which recently launched stores in the UK, shows an email sent to American Best Buy employees regarding an upcoming Apple launch.

It requests that a manager be present at 6am on October 21 to install a 'large Apple fixture' on the big screens in the American electronics store. The tantalising aspect to this detail is that 6am is the time at which Apple requested managers attend for the launch of iPhone 4 last year - also to install screens.

The Best Buy employee also revealed that an event was scheduled for October 10 for managers to discuss upcoming 'big releases' - which would fit with an iPhone 5 launch a fortnight later. Last year's iPhone 4 launch saw the device released in the UK and the US simultaneously, with other countries following rapidly afterwards.

Apple Loses Another 'Unreleased iPhone'

Apple has reportedly lost an unreleased iPhone prototype - potentially the iPhone 5 - in a bar for the second time in as many years.

Is a second incident too much of a coincidence to be anything other than an Apple stunt? Australian PR and marketing professionals say stunts like that are not in Apple's DNA and in any case, they weren't necessary for Apple to create buzz about its products.

Citing a source "familiar with the investigation", CNET reports that the unreleased iPhone went missing in late July at the Cava 22 "tequila lounge" in San Francisco's Mission district, sparking a scramble by security to recover the device.

Apple has not yet acknowledged the development of the iPhone 5 but a string of reports have said it will be unveiled in September or October. It is rumoured to feature a bigger 4-inch edge-to-edge display, better camera and a faster processor.

In a bizarrely similar occurrence, last year an Apple computer engineer missplaced a prototype iPhone 4 in a German beer garden. It was found and sold on to gadget blog Gizmodo for $US5000.

A warrant to search the home of the Gizmodo editor, Jason Chen, was obtained and prosecutors indicated they may charge him, but decided against this. However, the two men accused of selling him the prototype, Brian Hogan and Sage Wallower, are due to appear in court tomorrow.

Best Smartphone for Business

While most professionals know about the BlackBerry, the business phone that deserves more attention and runs on a familiar Microsoft platform is the Dell Venue Pro. This enterprise-focused smartphone, which is available for T-Mobile and AT&T subscribers, is an elegant-looking device with its 4.1-inch AMOLED display and slide-out keyboard. With sizable buttons and pronounced tactile feedback, the Dell Venue Pro is great for typing emails and taking extensive notes on the fly.

The phone’s Windows Phone 7 software may not be the most exciting mobile operating system, but it is arguably the most reliable. Further, if you or your business already run Windows products like Microsoft Office, the WP7 platform offers the most seamless integration. The Dell Venue Pro is currently the best device available on that platform, which also has its share of fun and games. When you're waiting for a flight at the airport or killing time between meetings, the Dell Venue Pro offers thousands of apps and even Xbox Live integration.

Of course, there is no denying that the BlackBerry is a top-dog for many business-focused smartphone users. With its robust operating system, advanced messaging capabilities, efficient keyboard and no-nonsense approach, manufacturer Research In Motion still has a strong grip on the corporate market. Another important benefit of BlackBerry smartphones is that they are available to customers of all major carriers including Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.

Increasingly, business users are also embracing iPhones and select Android devices. Just make sure to get the green light from your company’s technology managers before making the purchase.

OMG, Entire Fake Apple Store in China

China, long known for producing counterfeit consumer gadgets, software and brand name clothing, has reached a new piracy milestone — fake Apple stores.

An American who lives in Kunming in southern Yunnan province said Thursday that she and her husband stumbled on three shops masquerading as bona fide Apple stores in the city a few days ago.

She took photos and posted them on her BirdAbroad blog that show staff in blue T-shirts with the Apple logo chatting to customers in a white-walled shop with minimalist decor and signs advertising the iPad 2.

The three stores are not among the authorized resellers listed on Apple Inc.'s website. The maker of the iPhone and other hit gadgets has four company stores in China — two in Beijing and two in Shanghai — and various official resellers. Apple's Beijing office declined to comment.

The proliferation of the fake stores underlines the slow progress that China's government is making in countering a culture of a rampant piracy and widespread production of bogus goods that is a major irritant in relations with trading partners.

Source @

Man Builds His Own Bugatti Supercar by Hand

He used fiberglass and composite material to create the Veyron's iconic lines, and laid it all over a tubular steel frame. After a professional paint job and plenty of buffing, the car was ready for the showroom, but Duff wasn't done yet. He then took to the Cougar's interior, covering everything from the seats to the dashboard in genuine leather. When we spoke with him, he said the project took him a full 9 months from start to finish.

The detailed doppelgänger even sports usable back seats, which is something the real million-dollar ride completely lacks. Speaking of price, that's another area where this fantastic fake beats out its original counterpart. Duff currently has the vehicle up for sale with a price of $89,000 — less than 1/10th the price of a genuine Veyron.

Unfortunately, while that price will buy you the looks of a barely-legal race car, it doesn't buy you the performance. Under its gorgeous exterior, the "Cougatti" is still distinctly pedestrian, and remains equipped with its original 2.5-liter V6 engine that produces roughly 170 horsepower. This is in stark contrast to the 8-liter 16-cylinder powerplant of the real car, which produces a neck-snapping 1,000 horses.

Still, for the price of a Porsche, there's not much you can complain about when the car is a nearly indistinguishable replica of the fastest road car in the world. Not to mention the fact that some other Bugatti tributes can cost an order of magnitude more, and are never meant to leave your office.

The Next iPhone: iPhone 5 or the iPhone 4S?

The Wall Street Journal independently confirmed reports that the next generation iPhone will be on the way in the third quarter of this year. According to sources close to the supply line, Apple's next iPhone is expected to trim down the famously svelte iPhone 4, making it both lighter and thinner than the current model. While plenty of other technology outlets had published similar details previously, the credible new report solidifies what we can expect from Apple's next generation smartphone.

While we still don't know if the device will be named the iPhone 5 or the iPhone 4S, such significant improvements point to the former, which would make it an entirely new model, unlike the upgrade from iPhone 3G to the iPhone 3GS.

The report also suggests that the next iPhone will have a camera upgraded to 8 megapixels, a resolution boost up from the iPhone 4's 5-megapixel sensor and a confirmation of an earlier rumor from Bloomberg. Bloomberg's sources also suggested that the smartphone will sport the same powerful A5 processor as the iPad, which would yield a significant a speed boost for the device.

How to Defeat The Thieves after Your iPad

With your iPad, the place to start is to enable the iOS Passcode Lock under Settings. This will force you to enter a four-digit code when you start your device. If you don't want to be prompted to enter your code every time, you can use the auto-lock setting to only require the code if your device is off for a certain period of time.

You can also choose to have all the data and applications wiped from the iPad if the code is entered incorrectly 10 times. If you think a four-digit PIN is too simple, you can turn the simple passcode off and use a stronger alphanumeric passcode.

Apple has made the Find My iPad and Find My iPhone services available for free to all iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch owners. This uses your iPad's GPS to send the device's location to Apple so the device can be tracked.

This service requires that you enable the Find My iDevice option in Settings/ Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Once that's done, you need to download the free Find my iPhone app from the App Store. The only problem with this is that you need access to a second iOS device to find a lost device.

For MobileMe subscribers, access to tracking lost devices is available through any web browser. MobileMe costs $99 a year. Another option is to look at apps such as GadgetTrak and Security System.

Mind-controlled gaming becoming a reality

Controlling a video game with your mind might seem the stuff of science fiction, but then again, so did the idea of motion controls.

While still a ways from being a mainstream phenomenon, mind-controlled games are already on store shelves -- and more are coming.

Leading the charge is Neurosky. The San Jose, CA-based company is the, well, brains behind Mattel's Mindflex (Buy|Search) children's game -- which lets kids raise and lower a small foam ball solely by focusing their concentration -- as well as the Star Wars Force Trainer (Buy|Search), which basically does the same thing, only with a heavier geek vibe.

The company has slowly been branching out into the video game sector, though. At the recent Game Developers Conference, Neurosky showed off its MindWave headset, a gadget that monitors brainwave impulses from your forehead and categorizes them into different mental states, like relaxed or stressed. Using a device from tech company Puzzlebox, developers can learn more about how people play the game, seeing their levels of concentration and relaxation in real time.

For the player, that could mean titles with more emotional impact, as game makers can use the device to fine-tune their games.

Google Issues Hacking Alert

Google yesterday admitted that up to 260,000 smartphones have been hacked after handset users unwittingly downloaded virus-infected apps. The threat came to light last week when the technology giant was forced to withdraw at least 50 apps from its official Android Market.

Google operated a ‘killswitch’ and remotely removed all of the affected apps from peoples’ phones. The firm has now sent text messages warning those affected that the malicious applications could access their personal information and take control of their handset.

Studies have found that the dodgy applications were downloaded after they had been repackaged with a code that corrupted them. Google Android is an open-source software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications.

The deadly apps were simply copies of existing programs which had malware DroidDream found in them, and were swiftly taken off the site and recalled - but not before affecting hundreds of thousands of users.

DroidDream fires sensitive data, such as a phone's unique ID number, to a remote server. In addition the malware will check if the phone has been infected already. If it hasn't the program bypasses security controls and hands its creator access to the handset.

This means that the user can access information, including passwords for other personal things. Security expert Mikko Hypponen said the incident is embarrassing for Google because it shows the firm hasn't fully tested the safety of its apps.

Android Topples Symbian

Google's Android operating system has dethroned Nokia's Symbian as the world leader in smartphone software. The change ends a reign that began with the birth of the industry a decade ago, according to figures released by analysts Canalys.

In total, 32.9million Android-equipped phones were sold globally during the last quarter of 2010 - roughly seven times more than during the same time period in 2009 - compared to Symbian sales of 31million.

The rapid turnaround highlights how quickly Google, which offers its software to phone makers for free, has raced to the top of the smartphone market ahead of Apple's rapid ascension.

Google and Apple have revolutionised the smartphone market, sending Nokia scrambling.

But the numbers also highlight Google's success in battling Apple, whose shipments of its popular iPhone increased to 16.2million from 8.7million in the fourth quarter of 2009, when it almost doubled Android's sales of 4.7million.

Unlike Apple or Nokia, Google does not make its own phone hardware, but instead offers its Android operating system to other phone makers who can adapt it to suit their devices.

As a result of this and being free of charge, Android has become the standard software for many phone makers. Aside from smartphones, Google also gained on Apple in tablet computers, where its market share rose to 22 per cent in the fourth quarter, while Apple's share fell to 75 per cent from 95 per cent, according to Strategy Analytics.

Successor to Sony's PlayStation Portable machine coming soon

The popularity of smart phones including the iPhone is a potential threat to game machine makers as more people play games, watch video, send e-mail and chat on cell phones. People are also using other portable devices such as Apple's iPod and iPad to play games.

Sony's new machine, successor to its PlayStation Portable machine known as NGP for short, comes packed with motion sensor and GPS location technology so that gamers can tilt and sway the machine to play golf games, kill monsters and experience other "virtual realities," said Kazuo Hirai, who heads Sony Corp.'s gaming section.

It has a touch panel in the front and touch pads in the back to allow players to tap on the machine to move images, in addition to the usual buttons and switches.

Also provided is a third-generation wireless connection plus the already available WiFi, allowing for more social networking and downloads. Its five-inch screen is OLED — a different technology from liquid-crystal display — for good color and image quality about four times better than the current PSP.

Cool New Gadgets in 2011

Here are the myriad enticing devices we’ve heard about recently, from the Consumer Electronics Show and elsewhere, a list of very covetable products that are promised to be coming soon.

Verizon's iPhone

Verizon Wireless announced it will offer its version of the iPhone 4 in early February of this year. One cool feature Verizon has added is that the phone will feature free hotspot capability for up to five devices—meaning laptops, tablets, and other mobile devices will be able to get online through the Verizon iPhone, no cord required.

Vizio's "passive" 3D TV

3D TV in the market these days most of them are bulky with costly glasses. Now you can have the good news: Vizio is offering the industry's first "passive" 3D TV models, which use the kind of inexpensive, lightweight 3D glasses you get in movie theaters.

Sony's HD camcorders with built-in projectors

Sony unveiled three very intriguing high-def camcorders: Each includes a tiny projector embedded on the back of the flip-out LCD, which Sony says will be able to project a 60-inch diagonal image onto any flat surface. The camcorders include other nice features: The PJ50V (which includes a 220GB hard drive) and the PJ30V (32GB of Flash memory) each has a 12x optical zoom lens and includes a built-in GPS receiver for geo-tagging content.

Olympus's Tough cameras

Olympus introduced the TG-310 and TG-610, the latest additions to the company’s waterproof, freeze-proof, and shockproof line of cameras. Both cameras feature a 14-megapixel sensor, dual-image stabilization, and HDMI connections and can record 720p resolution high-def video.

AT&T Motorola's 4G phone

Motorola Atrix 4G, an Android 2.2 phone that features a 1GHz dual-core processor will be the world's most powerful phone. It will run on the network’s fast HSPA+ network. The Atrix has a high-resolution HD display and includes a revolutionary, super-thin laptop dock for which ATRIX 4G is the "engine."

Nintendo's 3D portable gaming

Nintendo 3DS: No glasses are required to view its 3D display. The graphics were clear, and the 3D effects added a new dimension—pun intended—to the gameplay. A slider on the 3DS lets you lessen the 3D effect, all the way down to 2D. Two cameras on the back of the system let you take 3D photos. You can import your Mii characters from your Nintendo Wii system, or automatically create new ones by taking a photo of yourself with the built-in camera. Cool isn't it?

Asus's first of four tablet computers

Asus started this year show with a bang, launching four tablets. The first one to ship will be the Eee Slate EP121, the largest tablet we've seen, at 12.1 inches. It will use an Intel Core i5 processor and run Windows 7 Home Premium. The widescreen display is a capacitive touchscreen that's LED-backlit and has a resolution of 1280 by 800. You can choose between 32GB and 64GB of SSD storage and up to 4GB of memory.

Sony And Google To Launch PlayStation Phone Soon

Sony hopes to take on Apple's iPhone, Research in Motion's BlackBerry and Nokia devices by offering the first smartphone that is based on a portable game console, with a set of controls that allows very advanced gaming.

Sony's long-rumoured PlayStation Portable smartphone is set to be launched in North America and Europe as early as the first half of 2011, according to a Japanese newspaper report.

The device would likely be based on Sony's handheld PSP Go game console, would be made by Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications and run Google's Android operating system, said the Asahi Shimbun's English edition, citing unnamed sources.

The PSP Go, launched in November 2009, already features software downloads through a wireless connection, allowing players to also browse the internet, watch movies, play music and read books and comics. The new PlayStation handset would similarly work with Sony's online media platform, the company's answer to Apple's iTunes.