News

  • HP TouchPad Available for Pre-Order

We first saw the WebOS based device in January, when HP showed it off at an event just before CES 2011. It looked promising, and many big names considered it to be the first major competition to the iPad. On Monday, the TouchPad was officially made available for pre-order from HP’s site. The device itself is equipped with a 1.2 GHz dual core processor and 512mb of RAM. HP also announced the pricing of the TouchPad: $500 for the 16GB model and $600 for the 32GB. The device will ship on the 1st of July, and stay tuned to TechInform for more information on the TouchPad.

  • Nokia N9 Announced

It’s fair to say that, in recent years, Nokia have been rapidly decreasing in market size as the demand for smart phones has increased. To attempt to revert this trend, Nokia have adopted the MeeGo OS for use of their future smart phones. The first of these is the N9, which was announced on Tuesday. The device has a beautiful, aluminium design with a large, 3.9” curved display taking up most of the front. Inside, the N9 packs a 1 Ghz processor and 1Gb of RAM to support this. The camera is also one of the highlighted features, and is an 8megapixel snapper, with a maximum aperture of f2.2, which should give the phone excellent low-light shooting capabilities. Where this phone falls down on however, is the OS, which has not been greatly received as Nokia hoped. As of yet, there is no word on pricing or availability, but stay tuned to TechInform for all the latest as we get it.

  • Final Cut Pro X Released

One of the biggest technology headlines this week is the arrival of Final Cut Pro X in the Mac App Store. This is the much-anticipated update to the rather dated Final Cut Pro 7, which lacked several recent features. Alongside it comes the new Motion and Compressor software, which are also available in the App Store. FCPX is priced at $299 and the supplementary apps are both priced at $49. The first impressions of the software are good, however many professional users are complaining about the lack of some pro features. Ryan and Colt have got their hands on the software, so expect a lot more on Final Cut Pro X coming soon.

Rumors

  • iPhone 5 to be a Big Upgrade

This week, Boy Genius Report has said that a source has told them that the iPhone 5 will be a big upgrade, despite the rumors that it would be a small, internal update.

‘We have been told by a reliable source to expect a radical new case design for the upcoming iPhone’

So, what are your opinions on this rumor? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

  • Apple TV on Its Way?

This rumor has been going around in circles, constantly making the headlines. The last time we heard about this was in April, when Apple posted a job vacancy for a TV expert. Now the rumor has returned once again, this time an ex-Apple employee stating that we will see the much-anticipated TV in the fall or early 2012. We are still not sure whether an Apple TV would be a success, as it will probably be very expensive, and not much better than the competition. Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Reviews

  • iHip Headphones

The iHip Stereo headphones are an excellent pair of inexpensive ear-buds. They performed well in our tests, and the built-in microphone is a useful feature. You can find the full review here.

  • Nikon D3100

The D3100 from Nikon is the updated version of Nikon’s best-selling D3000. Packed with a 14.2 megapixel sensor and a large ISO range, the camera performs incredibly in both photography aspects and video. The full review, as well as comparisons with other camera bodies, can be found here.

  • Sketchbook Express

This free piece of photo editing and graphics software is a must for anyone who would love the features of PhotoShop, but can’t justify the hefty price tag. To read more on SBX, check out the full review here.

  • Exolife iPhone Battery Pack

Do you often find your iPhone’s battery drains quickly when in constant use? If so, then this product is perfect for you. It has an elegant design and adds 7 hours of talk time, or 10 hours of video playback time to your iPhone. You can read more about this battery pack here.