Hasta La Gadget!

This week brought news that Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 would be released into the wild in just a few days. Today, a WiFi tablet from the Korean company made its way through the FCC bearing model number GT-P7310. Which, you see, is slightly different from the GT-P7510 moniker we saw in another FCC filing earlier this month, and this ended up being the limited edition 10.1 passed out at Google I/O. While some may think that this could well be the 8.9-inch version of Sammy’s Android tablet, the above drawing is actually identical to the previous one bar the extra text at the bottom, so our money’s on 10.1 again — maybe this variant is destined for other countries? We shall see.

Update: A bit more digging found a pair of 10.1-inchers demonstrated in Monaco with models listed as the GT-P7300 (a WiFi plus 3G Galaxy Tab 10.1) and GT-P7310, which, you guessed it, is a WiFi-only version.

Another Samsung WiFi Galaxy Tab 10.1 hits the FCC, this time dubbed GT-P7310 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 May 2011 05:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s been so much chatter about Apple iCloud that you’d think the streaming music service had already been announced and the deals inked. But it’s still just a rumor until an Apple executive takes the stage and unleashes the Amazon Cloud Player and Google Music competitor in a spate of superlatives. That hasn’t stopped Businessweek from stepping up with a good summary of all that is “known” thus far, while giving us some insight into the particulars of how the service will work and the motivations to make it happen. One revelation, sourced from three people in the know, claims that Apple will scan customers’ iTunes libraries (hello, LaLa) and quickly mirror the contents on Apple’s own servers — no massive DSL-choking upload required. And Apple will do you the solid of “replacing” any low bitrate tracks with the “high-quality” versions it stores in its fully licensed music locker for streaming to your connected devices.

Of course, this value-add won’t come free and will certainly require a subscription fee. The cost to the consumer, though, is still very much unclear as is the service’s integration with Apple’s $99 per year MobileMe sham. And you know those rumors about MobileMe being offered as a free service? We wouldn’t be surprised if it stays at $99 with iCloud being announced as a “free” feature update; aka, an $8.25 per month music subscription that also provides web access to your synced bookmarks, contacts, email, and calendar. Regardless, it’s this subscription model that has the major labels so enthusiastic as it will finally allow them to extort fees for all that pirated audio you may have stumbled upon since Napster was loosed on an unprepared music industry a decade ago. All signs point to WWDC for this to get official but we’re sure to hear more — much more — before the event kicks off on June 6th.

Apple’s iCloud music service will automatically mirror your iTunes library using ‘high-quality’ tracks? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 May 2011 03:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japanese mobile service provider NTT Docomo announced an update to their bike sharing scheme, called Interstreet, at the recent Wireless Japan exhibition held this week in Tokyo.

Earlier in the year the company teamed up with Japanese company Pedal for a trial service whereby the public could locate and rent bikes from their phones. The new update includes a specifically designed app for Android users and new docking stations allowing a number of different payment methods and more bikes equipped with GPS tracking.

To rent the bikes users touch their Osaifu Keitai (wallet phone) enabled mobiles to the sensor pad on the machines and register their phone number and mail address on the touchscreen display. A confirmation mail is then automatically sent to the phone which users then touch to the locking mechanism. The lock automatically unlocks and the cyclist can then take the bike, the time is registered by the service and on the users phone. Those without FeliCa phones can use either a credit card or another emoney payment system.

The bikes have a holder for the Android phones mounted on the handle bars to make use of the free, specially designed app for the service, COSOADO. The app gives the user map information, highlights local attractions and shops, suggests routes and uses GPS to track where and how far the cyclists pedal. It can also display health information such as how many calories burned during the cycle and the route taken.

Once finished with, the bikes can be left at any of the other bike stations around the area, meaning that one way trips are also possible. Users are then charged automatically, via emoney from their registered phones, based on how long they have used the bikes for.

The health and wellness market is a growing sector globally and tying in smartphone capabilities for a more enhanced experience is an obvious update from Docomo. It would be nice if it could be tied in with a social service such as foursquare or twitter also, users could for example then compete with others for the most distance cycled or areas visited. It would have been simpler also if the whole registration process could have been done via the Android app, without having to go through the different steps each time users want to rent a bike. The key to how useful the service is though will depend on how widely it is implemented, and it would also be nice to see more initiatives made by the government for cycle lanes and paths, of which there is a distinct lack of at present in the city.

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Just this morning we reported on the rather jovial atmosphere at Google’s big mobile payment announcement — well, it looks like PayPal’s prepared to bring an end to the celebration. According to Bloomberg, PayPal filed a suit against Google today in a California Superior Court, alleging that former PayPal executive, and one of this morning’s MCs, Osama Bedier misappropriated the company’s trade secrets. The suit further fingered Stephanie Tilenius, also formerly with PayPal, of violating the terms of her contract in recruiting Bedier. Though we’ve yet to get our hands on any clear details about which trade secrets PayPal’s pointing to, we’d say the timing speaks volumes.

PayPal swiftly slaps Google with mobile payment suit originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 May 2011 00:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This article was written on October 24, 2007 by CyberNet.

If you’re reading this, there’s a pretty good chance that you have a soft-spot for electronics. With so many electronic toys and gadgets to choose from, and many places to buy, it can be difficult to know where the best place is to buy. A recent article from ConsumerReports.org answers the question, “Where should I buy my electronics.”  Based upon over 90,000 purchases made, their readers rated walk-in and online stores to determine where to buy electronics. Here are some of the results.

Top Online Stores for electronics:

When it came to shopping online for electronics in terms of products, Crutchfield.com earned the overall highest reader score. They earned great scores for selection, customer service, and their web site. Not surprising, Amazon.com came in 2nd with high scores in price, selection, and website. The list of the top five include:

1. Crutchfield.com
2. Amazon.com
3. Costco.com (great scores for price)
4. Jr.com (price and selection)
5. BuyDig.com (price and selection)

Top Walk-in Stores for electronics:

1. Local independent stores (quality and customer service)
2. Tweeter (great customer service)
3. Costco (price)
4. Ritz Camera (customer service, checkout speed)
5. Ultimate Electronics (customer service)

Not all of the stores listed above are ideal for purchasing PCs.  The stores that rated the best for PCs include:

1. PC Connection.com
2. Newegg.com
3. Amazon.com
4. PCMall.com
5. TigerDirect.com

In the market for a mac?

If you’re in the market for a Mac computer, as you may expect, the best choices are, well, Apple… and Apple. More specifically, Apple.com or the Apple store were rated the best for places to purchase Mac computers. They were given high scores for customer service and selection (well I’d hope they’d have a good selection!), but not for price.  If you’re wanting a good deal on a Mac, it was determined that your best option is MacConnection.com, Amazon.com, or MacMall.com.

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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Let’s Talk About Your Old Gadgets…Top Five Online Electronics Stores By Consumer ReportsUgliest Gadgets & SoftwareMetaReview Gives You The Ins And Outs Before You BuyAmazon.com’s Best of 2006 List!