Holiday 2013 Availability For Xbox 720 Hinted

Xbox

Xbox fans may have something to look forward to if recent reports are to be believed. Anonymous sources have reportedly told Bloomberg that the next generation Xbox may be unveiled by next year. The upcoming game console from Microsoft, which was called the Xbox 720 by some industry watchers, will supposedly be launched during the E3 event in June next year. However, some reports have indicated that a separate event will be held that will focus on the console itself.

The Xbox 720, which was given the codename Durango, will reportedly be ready for next year’s Black Friday sales event and holiday shopping season. When a spokeswoman from Microsoft was asked about the Xbox 720 reports, she avoided the topic and focused on how the company aims to extend the lifecycle of the Xbox 360.

The Xbox 720 will reportedly feature a Blu-ray drive, Kinect compatibility, A/V ports for viewing as well as recording television shows, and a better controller.

For the moment, the Xbox 360 is dominating the game console market in the US as it became the top game console in the US market for fifteen straight months last October. It also had 56 percent share of the US console market last October.

Although no official statements were issued by Microsoft on the reported Xbox 720, the Xbox World magazine reportedly indicated that the upcoming game console will be simply dubbed as the ‘Xbox’. The soon-to-be-defunct magazine also indicated that the reported Xbox 720 will come with a sixteen-core processor along with an 8GB RAM.

The recent report on the Xbox 720 follows earlier reports of a set-top box console that will reportedly be called as the Xbox Mini.

However since Microsoft has not released any official statements, the accuracy of the reports on the supposed Xbox 720 will remain uncertain.

Unlocked iPhone 5 Available In The US Market

iPhone 5

(Image Credit: http://www.apple.com)

One of the things that turn off some consumers when they purchase an iPhone is getting tied down to a two-year service contract with a particular mobile service provider. However it appears that Apple is reportedly making an unlocked iPhone 5 available in the US market, although it will require a bigger initial cash-out for the buyers.

The unlocked iPhone 5 is already available on the Apple Store as consumers are given the choice of getting an unlocked model of the smartphone without the usual two-year contract. The prices of this unlocked iPhone 5 are $649, $749, and $849 for the 16GB, 32GB and the 64GB model. This is higher compared to getting one with the two-year contract. An iPhone 5 that is subsidized by a mobile service provider starts at $199.

Consumers will be able to use any nano-SIM cards from any of the mobile service providers that support the unlocked iPhone 5.

The unlocked iPhone 5 will still have all the features of the iPhone that is locked to a two-year contract, according to the description of Apple for the unlocked model. Getting this model is beneficial for users who frequently travel abroad since they can easily use the nano-SIM of a mobile service provider at their destination.

Apple launched the iPhone 5 last September and it featured a new design, a better processor, and was slimmer and longer compared to its predecessors. The iPhone 5 is also lighter compared to the earlier versions of the device.

The unlocked iPhone 5 is reportedly compatible with the nano-SIMS of T-Mobile and AT&T.

In addition to the reports about the unlocked iPhone 5, it appears that the supply of the smartphone is getting better since orders from the online shop of Apple will only entail a one-week wait for US consumers. This is a major improvement from the initial one-month wait when the device was initially launched into the market.

Charge Your Nokia Lumia 920 With A LED Lamp

Konica Minolta Desk Lamp

(Image Credit: http://www.cnet.com)

Owners of the Nokia Lumia 920 may find the latest product innovation of Konica Minolta rather useful due to an innovative technology that the company has included in its design.

The chic-looking lamp features an innovative technology that makes it appealing to owners of devices that support a Qi wireless charging standard including the Nokia Lumis 920. The desk lamp actually features an integrated induction charging pad that charges devices like the Nokia Lumia 920.

The usefulness of this ordinary-looking desk lamp has increased with the innovative technology that Konica Minolta has added into the device.

The charging feature of the desk lamp is probably the only thing that makes it stand out among other everyday devices although it does has an integrated touch sensor that allows users to modify its brightness. The height of the desk lamp is 1.5 feet and is available in two color options, dark blue and ivory.

However, this innovative technology does come with a price since this device-charging desk lamp costs around $302, which is more than half of the price of an off-contract Nokia Lumia 920.

Sales of iPad 4 Affected By iPad Mini

iPad Mini

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If the people at Apple were concerned on the effect of the introduction of the iPadMini together with the latest model of the iPad, then their concerns are understandable. It appears that the smaller model of the tablet offering of Apple is already affecting the sales of the iPad 4.

Stocks of the iPad Mini are reportedly limited basing on a survey conducted by Citi in around fifty Apple stores. In comparison, the stocks of the iPad 4 were remained significantly high. The survey revealed that around 8- percent of the stores have revealed that some models of the iPad Mini are still available. However the overall inventory of the device is limited in 96 percent of the Apple stores in the survey, especially the model that consumers are looking for.

Among all models of the iPad Mini, the 32GB model has continued to be available in the stores.

In comparison, all of the stores have indicated that stocks of the iPad 4 have remained stable with only six percent indicated that its stocks are low. This gives indications that the iPad Mini may have affected the sales of the iPad 4.

An estimated ten million units of the iPad Mini were manufactured for this quarter while around fifteen million units of all the other models of the iPad were manufactured. Reports have hinted at the possibility that issues in the manufacturing side have affected the supply of the Apple iPad Mini.

Problems in the panel shipments have reportedly affected the manufacture of the device although the manufacturer, AU Optronics has indicated that there were no problems in the supply of panels for the Apple iPad Mini. The production of the panels may have been affected by design of the panel itself since it is thinner compared to the full-sized model of the iPad.

But the reported problems on the production of the panels for the iPad Mini may be dealt with before the New Year, which means deliveries of the device may increase in the next quarter.

Google Nexus 4 Stocks Replenished

Google Nexus 4

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Following a recent sold-out status, new stocks of the Google Nexus 4 are already available for consumers who were not able to purchase the smartphone when it was initially offered in the market.

The Google Nexus 4 was sold out minutes following its availability last November 13. Consumers who ordered the device but were not able to get one can expect the smartphone delivered to them soon. Stocks of the recently-released Google smartphone were not available in the past two weeks even as consumers eagerly awaited news of its availability.

The search giant revealed that the Google Nexus 4 will be available for sale on the Google Play Store.

The 8GB model of the Google Nexus 4 has a price tag of around $300, while the 16GB model is priced at $350. This low price point resulted to the sold out status of the device minutes after it entered the market. The company has reportedly sent emails to customers on the availability of the Google Nexus 4 and its upcoming resumption of deliveries.

T-Mobile is also offering the LG-manufactured smartphone at $200, which requires a two-year service contract.

Aside from the Google Nexus 4, stocks of the Google Nexus 7 and the Nexus 10 were also sold out a few days after they became available. Stocks of the two tablets have been replenished and are currently available in the market although there will be a two-week wait for the delivery of the 32GB model of the Google  Nexus 10.

It remains to be seen if the initial stocks of the Google Nexus 4 were not substantial enough for its expected demand or if there were problems in the supply chain of the company. Google has not revealed a specific sales figure for its latest device offering.

The demand for the Google Nexus 4 reflects the increasing appeal of the Nexus devices, whose sales were not quite impressive when the company initially offered the Google Nexus One in the market some time ago.

Touch Screen Capabilities on Google Chromebook Hinted

Google Chromebook

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The upsurge in the sales of tablets has left many laptop manufacturers in a quandary, whether to shift their R&D to design tablets or to innovate and offer products that combine the user-friendliness of tablets with the productivity of laptops. Apparently Google has opted to do both. The internet search giant has collaborated with a number of tablet manufacturers to produce its own line of tablets. In addition to the Google Nexus tablet devices that the company has offered in the market, recent reports have hinted at the possibility that the company will be offering a Google Chromebook with touch screen capabilities.

According to a DigiTimes report, a 12.85-inch Google Chromebook will be offered by the company before the year ends. Although the other features of the new Google Chromebook remain uncertain, adding touch screen capabilities into the device may increase its appeal in the market, especially when it is already being offered at a rather affordable price tag.

Since the Google Chrome OS is already designed with touch screen compatibility, it will easy for the company to simply add a touch screen display on any of its upcoming Google Chromebook offerings. According to the report, the company already placed orders for touch screen netbooks from a Taiwanese manufacturer, Opal. The company is already offering two other models of the Google Chromebook manufactured by Acer and Samsung.

There is also a possibility that the next model of the Google Chromebook will have the Google brand since the company itself placed the order for the devices. The current models of the Google Chromebook are being offered at a price tag that range from $200 to $450. The low price tag is mainly aimed at appealing to a number of budget-conscious consumers. However, the low price also resulted to its reliance on the cloud application suite of the company since the two current models of the Google Chromebook only offers a 16GB SSD.

Despite its low price point, the Google Chromebook has not made much of an impact in the market. Some industry watchers have indicated that the low price point may not be enough to offset the limited capabilities of the device when it is offline.

With the possible addition of the touch screen capability on the Google Chromebook, some industry watchers are speculating on a possible increase in the price of the device. In fact, the increase may even bring it up to the level of its competitors, which may take away its low price advantage.

It remains to be seen whether the search giant would release a Google Chromebook featuring touch screen capabilities since no statements were made by the company in connection to the report.

Price of Canon PowerShot SX150 IS Compact Megazoom Camera Reduced

Canon PowerShot SX150 IS

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The Canon PowerShot SX150 is considered to be a good compact megazoom camera for newcomers to photography.

This compact megazoom will allow them to learn more about controlling the aperture and shutter speed of a camera before they purchase a DSLR. The appeal of the Canon PowerShot SX150 has increased recently due to the reduction in its price tag at Target.

The price of the compact megazoom camera from Canon has reportedly gone down to around $100, which has made it a cheap option for newcomers to photography. The Canon PowerShot SX150 is a 14MP camera that offers a 12X 28mm to 336mm optical lens with an aperture value of f3.4 – f5.6 and image stabilization. This compact megazoom camera also features a three-inch LCD and a number of shooting modes from full manual up to full auto.

Since the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS uses AA batteries, it is ideal for travelers who will not have a hard time finding replacements for the batteries in case they run out of juice.

Although the performance of the Canon PowerShot SX150 may be slow, it may not matter for newcomers who are still trying to get a hang of changing the settings of this compact megazoom camera. For users who are looking for a faster performance, they can try using the Canon PowerShot SX160 IS, which is the successor to this particular compact megazoom camera.

The Canon PowerShot SX160 IS offers a better performance in terms of autofocus that enhances the speed while shooting. The lens of this compact megazoom camera is also longer compared to the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS at 28mm to 448mm.

Similar to the Canon PowerShot SX150 IS, the price of this compact megazoom camera has also been reduced in a number of retailers although it has been in the market for less than a year.