New Technology Reviews!.: Beats

HTC Bass aka HTC Runnymede leaks on video

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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="205" mce_src="http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/7904/shoththags.png" src="http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/7904/shoththags.png" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="shoththags" width="312" />It’s someone in the UK that gets the credit (or the blame?) here, folks, for a video that shows off the soon to be revealed (or revealed again, if you count the multiple leaks across the internet) HTC Runnymede aka HTC Bass. You should know that this is going to be one of the first HTC devices to work with Dr. Dre’s Beats audio integration, one we expect to come packed with branding galore, a gigantic 4.7-inch display, and a lovely white front and back. Have a look at this video and let us know what you think.</div>
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It was all the way back in August that we first saw the HTC Runnymede appear, not two days later seeing what appeared very much to be the HTC Runnymede 2 – a second before there was a first. We saw it again halfway through the month and got a full specs sheet the day after that. It was if we were DRINKING the mede and getting fully drunk on it. Next we saw that the Runnymede was going to be called the HTC Bass and that was basically the last we heard of it.</div>
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Now we’ve got a video!</div>
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And notice the following – it’s got a vodafone UK carrier name on it, which means it’ll likely come out over the sea before dropping here in the states. Also note that it’s got the big Beats logo on the back which means that Chris Davies description of Beats integration on the Sensation XE will likely be true here as well:</div>
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The big change, beyond the CPU, is the audio. Beats Audio has had three main parts to play in the Sensation XE: the bundled headphones, the DSP and the audio profiles. Gone is the janky, throwaway hands-free kit you’d normally find packed in a new cellphone box, replaced by a tangle-free rubberized Beats set in eye-catching red, with an in-line remote – for answering calls as well as controlling media playback – and comfortable earbuds with a selection of three different sized tips. They’re a welcome change from what would normally be included, certainly, with plenty of bass and solid mids and trebles.</div>
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All that sound pretty alright to you?</div>
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HTC Bass aka HTC Runnymede leaks on video

It’s someone in the UK that gets the credit (or the blame?) here, folks, for a video that shows off the soon to be revealed (or revealed...

HTC Runnymede mentioned

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<img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-86481 aligncenter" height="131" mce_src="http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/4697/htcrunnymede.jpg" src="http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/4697/htcrunnymede.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="htc-runnymede" width="140" />HTC could very well have a spanking new high end Android-powered smartphone on the way – where it has been called “Runnymede” for its codename. Originally spotted some weeks back when it appeared in select EXIF data on a photo sharing site, here is the nitty gritty on the upcoming Runnymede. It can be quite a mouthful to pronounce especially when you’re not used to it, but I am quite sure that HTC would have something that is far easier on the tongue when they are about to release it. In fact, this could very well be one of the first few handsets that appear after HTC and Beats Audio came to an agreement.</div>
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HTC Runnymede mentioned

HTC could very well have a spanking new high end Android-powered smartphone on the way – where it has been called “Runnymede” for its co...

Video: DJing on an iPad

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In the video below, you'll find a pretty rocking DJ set thanks to an iPad and some other pretty gnarly hardware. This isn't exactly a DIY solution, since DJ Kutski is using <a href="http://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/dj/traktor-pro/">Traktor Pro</a> (that's the software on the screen above) and <a href="http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/dj/traktor-kontrol-x1/">an X1 controller</a>, both of which are pretty significant pieces of DJ gear. But the iPad is definitely a big part of the equation, and it's running <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/touchosc/id288120394?mt=8">TouchOSC</a>, a neat app that allows you to hook up sound interfaces over Wi-Fi using some very configurable abstract graphics.<br />
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There's not much in the way of explanation. You can definitely see him changing pitches and adjusting the volume in real-time (pretty impressive just running the controller over Wi-Fi), but non-DJs will probably have to look elsewhere to figure out exactly what's happening here. Then again, if nothing else, you can enjoy some nice iPad-driven beats on this Christmas Eve. Enjoy!<br />
<h6></h6><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhFU1U3XUbw">Source</a>

Video: DJing on an iPad

In the video below, you'll find a pretty rocking DJ set thanks to an iPad and some other pretty gnarly hardware. This isn't exactly...

RIM beats earnings estimates, falls just shy on subscriber growth; co-CEOs now co-chairmen, too

<DIV class=separator style="CLEAR: both; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDK5vtAZ93gdUfsQwNrpqurSaFbtXGuWYsg7WX6pdzLT0i6uv178pUifQyNlxJI6aexS9n_CIMd27pebDaQ2gFMujzT379LLUTWvYnEu1SJk2atMlNTuC6RDJippwPIfyoc-mBwyIorE/s1600/11-16-10-web202600060-1289937793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; MARGIN-RIGHT: 1em"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDK5vtAZ93gdUfsQwNrpqurSaFbtXGuWYsg7WX6pdzLT0i6uv178pUifQyNlxJI6aexS9n_CIMd27pebDaQ2gFMujzT379LLUTWvYnEu1SJk2atMlNTuC6RDJippwPIfyoc-mBwyIorE/s320/11-16-10-web202600060-1289937793.jpg" width="320"></A></DIV>For now, RIM's looming mindshare problem is more theoretical than it is practical -- as far as Wall Street's concerned, at least -- on today's news that they've beaten the consensus estimates for fiscal Q3 revenue and income with $5.49 billion and $911.1 million, respectively. The company also shipped a record 14.2 million units in the three-month period, up a whopping 40 percent year-over-year, but subscriber additions fell a bit short -- 5.1 million versus the 5.2 million that analysts had counted on. Interestingly, RIM has elected not to report adds anymore, which means they're not offering guidance on adds for the next fiscal quarter, either -- which certainly doesn't seem like a good sign. Be that as it may, Waterloo's confidence in its long-running leaders seems stronger than ever before, because co-CEOs Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis have just been made co-chairmen of the board... presumably just so they can crack jokes about running "dual-core" board meetings. Anyhow, they're looking at revenue for the next quarter of $5.5 to $5.7 billion and earnings per share of $1.74 to $1.80, both of which outstrip estimates, on device sales of 14 million. Any PlayBooks in that figure, do you suppose?

RIM beats earnings estimates, falls just shy on subscriber growth; co-CEOs now co-chairmen, too

For now, RIM's looming mindshare problem is more theoretical than it is practical -- as far as Wall Street's concerned, at least -- ...

Beats of a Tweet

<br />		<p>While my wife still prefers to chirp on the phone I have taken to tweeting. A message in broken English is no more a telegram, it is a tweet. Telegrams, cablegram and telex are limping or almost dead. We wrote their obituary a decade ago. I would be tagged technologically challenged if I did not throw jargon like spamming, phishing, and email worms in my conversation. I would be hacked from my social network if I failed to understand the nuances of Tweeter and Facebook.</p><p>These are the new tools of communication that I must profess, practice and propagate or face the fate of the telegram. I have now done a year on Twitter. The tweeting community is a classroom of young and old, growing at a breath taking pace with new admissions. We share on the tweet board - love, hatred, ideas, beliefs and even minuscule topics as bowel movements. I am amazed at the speed and power of tweeting. You could tweet a gorilla war with menacing results and yet have no blood shed. Politicians and commissioners would endorse my views.</p><p>Internet is the mother of all inventions; it has taken the world like a storm on a computer screen. My first acquaintance with computers was only in 1983. It looked like a programmed mini idiot box. I had never liked computers other than the fact that they were nested in air conditioned rooms; conditioned air was a student luxury then. I believed engineering studies was about machines and steel structures; computer was OK for steno and secretaries. Like an inflated egoistic macho man, I kept away from the feminist computers. Not any more.</p><p>Computer today is like a pace maker that ticks my heart. I may live with a viral but not a computer virus that I can ill afford.</p><p>I must confess I have been sharing a lot with my PC. My passwords, my work, my pleasures and my credit card bills. For most part of the day my computer stays on my lap - like a genuine affair. We share tea, coffee, games, music, chats and shopping escapades. My computer faithfully reminds me of birthdays, anniversaries, funerals and pops a work plan, for all my days. I have reciprocated well to my computers loyal gestures. Most of my shopping bills are on upgrading my PC with soft wares, discs, pen drives, mouse, printers, key boards and an up market carrying case. My work table is more expensive than my bed. I do not remember when I last bought jewels for my wife, no wonder she abhors my extra-marital computer affair.</p><p>My friends, colleague, kith and kin are no different. We do not party nor go barbecue camping any more. We care enough to be on the face book 24x7. We do not write letters, yet we post messages on the wall. We neighbors now only tweet. The lesser privileged are in the internet cafe. The last time I said, "Hello" on my phone, was a year back. That is when my PC had crashed.</p><p>Today my phone was ringing again. I reluctantly moved from my lazy chair to take the call. Guess what, it was my best friend and we had not spoken for a while. Life kept us busy. My friends PC had crashed and wanted to know if he could borrow mine. I was in a dilemma. It was a choice between life and death. How could I share my PC? My wife felt I was being too possessive. I chose to live.</p><p>Life is on an identity crisis - quizzed between tweeting word smiths and modern communication tools. We are breathing through the flesh and pulse of plastic gadgets. We are now cultivating a new breed of computers, the Blackberry and Apple. Emotions now are buttons, keyed to a key board. The human touch is missing. We have lost our fingers dialing messages, emails, tweets and Facebook clicks. We are robotic couch potatoes, waiting for the "click of a button" to make life happen. Technology cannot be an excuse to fence our emotions. When did we cry, when did we laugh? Computer the Pied Piper is leading us to death. Is death a mouse click away? Are we tweeting to death?</p>	<br />	<br />		<br />			<br />				<br />					<br /><br />						<p>S.P Singh, <br> Fair & Square, <br> Freelance writer based in United Arab Emirates,  <br> Email: <a href="mailto:sptalk@gmail.com">sptalk@gmail.com</a></p>					<br />

Beats of a Tweet

While my wife still prefers to chirp on the phone I have taken to tweeting. A message in broken English is no more a telegram, it is a tw...

Paypal beats Google Checkout to the local payments market

<a name="2836849683245370662"></A><br /><P><a href="http://www.techgeeze.com/2010/11/paypal-beats-google-checkout-to-local.html" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQFqWpSASdyL12RpFNH3My5peiHAmuAAgBl1iO1AJ1bM9jq46M&t=1&usg=__l9d8kP8rFJ3TFKvwmlM_0EyEnTI=" width="150"></A></P><br /><P>During the recent <B>PayPal</B> Developer Conference held from October 26, 2010 to October 27, 2010, the company announced a range of new products including their new <B>micropayments product and an apps platform.</B> These products are aimed specially towards businesses and the release of the new version of their popular iPhone application has seen a great response from the users. The application allows the users to find businesses near their immediate location which accept PayPal as a form of payment, making it easy for them to make payments using their PayPal account.<a name="more"></A><BR>Stores within a locality are able to attract more users to them using this application. The application also allows merchants of these businesses to post deals and promotions to the app to attract nearby customers. This is the biggest selling point which PayPal offers to merchants by allowing them to offer deals and incentives to attract customers. Whether it is a nearby store, or a restaurant, customers can search for just about anything using the search location in the application, select a store or service and check out their special offers. The application also allows the customers to pay the merchant using their PayPal application, and they can later collect their goods from the merchant store physically.The new app by PayPal gives a competitive edge to the local merchants, as this way they are able to accept payments both online and offline, and hence generate more revenue. By reaching out to the local payment space, PayPal has come in competition with another noteworthy competitor: Google Checkout. Although not as popular as PayPal when it comes to the number of users, Google Checkout has a competitive edge over PayPal when it comes to Google Places. Services by Google including Google Maps and Google Places allow local businesses to list themselves, and post and edit information regarding their business in real time. These businesses get listed in Google search results and get traffic and users as a result of being listed.Taking advantage of this service, Google can easily turn on Google Checkout as a payment method for all these local merchants and extend their service to mobile phones also, similar to what PayPal has done. For PayPal, it is difficult to reach out to all the local businesses and teach them how to use PayPal and also their mobile phone application. However, Google has an advantage over PayPal as they already have millions of local businesses listed in Google Local, which means it would be easy for them to reach to local businesses if they launch their own mobile app as a payment mechanism.The fact that PayPal lacks the advantage of reaching to the local merchants individually is the main reason why their new mobile app for payment processing for local merchants is being tested in a limited market in the San Francisco. Google Checkout may be lacking the number of users that PayPal has when it comes to the payments area, but it is way ahead in the war when it comes to the local market. The whole battle of the two payment platforms will definitely get a lot more interesting in the coming years!<B>Author Bio</B> Anthony is a chief editor since early 2007, and he currently works for MyDUIattorney. A website that helps you to find the right DUI lawyer, you can search for a <a href="http://www.newjerseyduilawyer.org/" target="_blank">New Jersey DUI Attorney</A> or for <a href="http://www.myduiattorney.org/maryland-dui-lawyers.html" target="_blank">Best Maryland DUI Lawyer</A> online, anytime!<BR><BR></P>

Paypal beats Google Checkout to the local payments market

During the recent PayPal Developer Conference held from October 26, 2010 to October 27, 2010, the company announced a range of new products...

Review: HP Envy Beats Edition

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/HP%20Envy%20Beats/765b_o-200-200.jpg"/><p>It's currently the done thing in the laptop world to be kitting your machines out with high-end speaker systems. Asus was one of the first with their <a href="http://www.techradar.com/662570">Bang & Olufsen NX90</a> notebook, and MSi followed shortly with the <a href="http://www.techradar.com/717284">GX660R</a>, a machine that boasts a Dynaudio system embedded in the chassis.</p><p>HP has gone another route with the HP Beats Edition, and employed the help and expertise of legendary Hip Hop producer Dr Dre and his Beats brand, that manufacturers high-end headphones. </p><p>Built around the chassis of a standard Envy 14, but £400 pounds more expensive, the HP Envy 14 Beats Edition features a number of audio upgrades. </p><p><img alt="HP envy beats edition review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/HP%20Envy%20Beats/949_o-420-90.jpg" width="420"></img></p><p>These include specially designed Beats speakers and clever positioning of the notebook's sound card, allowing for impressive sound quality when using the bundled Beats Solo headphones.</p><p>Aside from the audio upgrades, the Envy 14 Beats Edition boasts a new black rubberised chassis that we rate very highly, and a series of cutting-edge components that make this a very powerful machine.</p><p>As the Envy 14 Beats Edition is a jazzed up version of the standard Envy 14, let's take a look at what you get for the extra £400.</p><p>The notebook is built for those looking for a premium sound from their machine, and the Envy 14 Beats Edition delivers nicely. Two front-mounted premium speakers provide excellent sound quality, and are controlled by an intuitive piece of Beats software that helps you tweak the audio to your exact specification.</p><p>Once you've got the settings just right, it's simply a case of hitting the [Shift] and [b] key to activate the Beats software and effect. Without Beats, sound quality is good enough, but when it's activated, music tracks take on a fullness and depth we've rarely heard from notebook speakers.</p><p>The effect is even more pronounced when using headphones. The HP Envy 14 Beats Edition comes with a pair of Beats Solo travel headphones that retail for about £150. They're very comfortable to wear, and fold at the hinges, which make them great for tucking into a bag or pocket.</p><p>As mentioned above, HP has located the notebook's sound card right next to the headphone jack, and this reduces the amount of audio degradation you experience compared to if, say, the card was located on the other side of the chassis.</p><p><img alt="HP envy beats edition review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/HP%20Envy%20Beats/7a_o-420-90.jpg" width="420"></img></p><p>The combination of headphones and Beats software is excellent, and especially suits bass heavy tunes – as you might expect with the Dr Dre heritage. We were especially impressed by how loud the laptop goes while showing next to no bass distortion, which is a real achievement.</p><p>The Envy 14 Beats Edition features a black rubber finish to the chassis, which looks and feels great. Not only is it easy to grip, but the material is nigh on impossible to scratch, and so easy to keep clean.</p><p>The Envy 14 Beats Edition's chiclet-style keyboard is large and spacious. The travel is decent, the action relatively firm, and those after a notebook for regular typing will find a lot to like here. There's no dedicated numberpad, however, which might put off those who regularly input data.</p><p>The keyboard is backlit, and the subdued red light that shines up through the board both enhances usability in low light conditions and looks great, giving the laptop a pleasingly sinister appearance.</p><p><img alt="HP envy beats edition review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/HP%20Envy%20Beats/39d_o-420-90.jpg" width="420"></img></p><p>A spacious touchpad is included below the keypad, but proves a frustrating affair. It's irritatingly easy to brush while typing, which means that when you're writing your text will often jump all over the shop.</p><p>Along the right side of the Envy 14 Beats Edition's chassis sit a USB/eSATA port, an HDMI interface, Gigabit Ethernet and Firewire mini. Down the left side you'll find a further two USB ports and the slot-loading optical drive. </p><p>It's worth noting that there's no VGA out, which might put off those looking to hook up TVs or monitors that don't feature an HDMI port.</p><p>The black screen lid doesn't feature the rubber finish of the chassis, but has got the large Beats logo spread up the back. Some might light this, but we think that it would be overkill, ruining the understated design of the notebook.</p><p><img alt="HP envy beats edition review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/HP%20Envy%20Beats/ded_o-420-90.jpg" width="420"></img></p><p>The 14.5-inch display within features a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution. It's sharp and detailed enough to enjoy films and photos on, but a shiny screen coating makes the Envy 14 Beats edition an irritating laptop to use in very bright light.</p><p>Whereas the standard Envy 14 sports an Intel Core i5 processor, the Beats Edition boasts a Core i7 720QM. Not only does this boast Intel's latest hyper threading and turbo boost technologies (for maximum multitasking and power efficiency), but the processor has four cores, providing some serious power. </p><p>This combined with the 4GB of memory helped the Envy 14 Beats Edition breeze through all our benchmarking tests, and there's no doubt this is one of the most powerful 14-inch notebooks we've come across.</p><p>Similarly, the ATi Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics card is very high-end. There's 1GB of dedicated video memory also included, and this gives the Envy 14 Beats edition the sort of graphical firepower we'd expect from a large multimedia desktop replacement system such as the <a href="http://www.techradar.com/692711">Acer Aspire Ethos</a>.</p><p>As a result you'll have no problem playing the latest gaming titles, and will be able to carry out resource-intensive multimedia tasks, including photo and HD video editing, with no problem at all. Considering the small form factor of the Envy 14 Beats Edition, this makes the notebook a very powerful and versatile option.</p><p>A 500GB hard drive is included to home all your files and folders and, unless you have a serious appetite for movie, music and photo libraries, should provide plenty of storage for a good few years.</p><p> It's also worth noting that the drive spins at 7200 rpm, rather than the standard 5400rpm. This allows the processor especially quick access to your data, enhancing performance.</p><p><img alt="HP envy beats edition review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/HP%20Envy%20Beats/191_o-420-90.jpg" width="420"></img></p><p>The Envy 14 Beats Edition features a Tri-Format DVD dual layer reader and writer for reading or backing up data but, unlike many HP drives, doesn't feature LightScribe technology, which lets you burn labels onto the surface of a disk.</p><p>With the wealth of powerful components on board you'd think the Envy 14 Beats Edition would offer terrible portability, but that's not the case. The 209-minute battery life is perfectly serviceable and will last you the commute, while the 2.6kg makes this a notebook that's no trouble to carry around all day long.</p><p>The notebook features the standard one-year collect and return warranty, with a range of options available for upgrading or extending the service from HP direct.</p><p>With many of us now storing our multimedia libraries on our computers, notebook manufacturers are finally confronting the age-old issue of poor sound quality. </p><p>While Asus and MSi were slightly quicker, there was never any doubt that the world's number one manufacturer would come out of the gates firing, and HP has done exactly that.</p><p>The Envy 14 Beats Edition creates great sound quality that knocks the socks off your average notebook and, although expensive, we feel the price is justified – especially with the inclusion of the Beats Solo headphones.</p><p><img alt="HP envy beats edition review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/HP%20Envy%20Beats/949_o-420-90.jpg" width="420"></img></p><p>But there's a lot more to the Envy 14 Beats Edition than just good sound quality. This is an extremely powerful notebook, both in terms of everyday and graphical performance, and it provides the sort of power we'd expect from a much larger desktop replacement machine. </p><p>The notebook is also portable, making it a genuine option as a travelling companion.</p><p><strong>We liked</strong> </p><p>There's a serious amount to like about the Envy 14 Beats Edition. Yes, the notebook is roughly £400 more expensive than the standard Envy 14 – but the extras justify the price hike.</p><p>With that in mind, highlights include the excellent sound quality, courtesy of the Beats technology imbedded in the notebook and, of course the Beats Solo bundled headphones.</p><p>Everyday and graphical performance are also aggressive, making this a notebook that'll provide plenty of power and future proofing – it'll be ticking system requirement boxes for quite a few years to come.</p><p>Portability is another strong point with battery life, weight and strong build quality all impressing. The Envy 14 Beats Edition is also a great looking notebook, and one we took great pleasure in reviewing simply because it is such a usable and attractive machine.</p><p><strong>We disliked</strong></p><p>There's not a lot that we disliked about the notebook. It's a shame the Envy 14 Beats Edition screen resolution isn't a bit higher, but that's to be expected with such a small panel. </p><p>The lack of a VGA out does seem like a bit of an omission, however, and those with TV screens and monitors with no HDMI will be a little stuck.</p><p>Usability is generally excellent, but the touchpad is an irritant. Having to repeatedly shift text around a document because brushing the touchpad while typing has shot it to the other end of the page gets boring very quickly.</p><strong>Related Links</strong><ul><li><a href="http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/techradar-s-reviews-guarantee-622749">TechRadar Reviews Guarantee</a></li><li><a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks">Read more laptop reviews</a></li></ul><img border="0" height="1" src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/9809/s/f58b479/mf.gif" width="1"/><div class='mf-related'><p>

Review: HP Envy Beats Edition

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