Hasta La Gadget!

This week Sony unveiled the essence of the PlayStation 4 with glimpses of both the controller you’ll be using and the new Eye camera that’ll come with it, skipping the part where you actually see the final hardware. But we know the specifications of the actual PlayStation 4 console unit, and we know how we’re going to use it – so what’s the big deal? The big deal is Sony’s complete dismissal of the modern eyes-on presentation that the public expects here in 2013 – without something I can literally hold in my hands, the PlayStation 4 may as well be vaporware.

There are two rather polarized angles being tossed about this week as the Sony show (or no-show) of the PlayStation 4 was let loose. One side says it’s terrible that Sony made a 2+ hour presentation for the PlayStation 4 without actually showing the hardware, relying instead on the controller and a variety of promises from software developers to do all the talking. The other side says awesome! We know the PlayStation 4 is coming now, and we’ve got confirmation from some of the biggest-name developers that they’re on board, so we’re happy!

Here’s what we’ve actually got: a few details about the hardware, info about the PlayStation 4 Eye camera system and the Dualshock 4 controller included. We’ve got a collection of software titles and a few very brief demonstrations of what will be possible on the system. We’ve got Sony’s promise that Everything Everywhere will be their aim with the PlayStation 4 universe – cloud gaming and access for all devices included.

So what else do we need? We’ve got the hype – when your favorite hardware manufacturer creates a new version of the device you love and use every day, you’ll want that new system. We’ve got developer support – just as vital here as it is with a new operating system – perhaps even more so here since this isn’t a smartphone: the PlayStation 4 is made to play games first and foremost. We’ve got a Sony promise that this system will be their next hero system.

Do we really need to see the actual console? The piece of hardware that you’ll end up putting under your television, away from your eye and hidden anyway? This isn’t a smartphone, it’s not a tablet. It’s not a fashion accessory like those mobile devices end up quite often being. This is a video game console – and we don’t need to see it to want it!

PlayStation 4 console: why the box doesn’t matter is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Mophie’s Juice Packs are all the rage when it comes to giving a meaningful power boost to popular slabs like the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III, but let’s not forget others outside that group may need some help, too. Here’s where the California-based firm Jackery hopes to come in. The company’s just introduced its Bar and Mini external batteries, touting rather portable and peculiar designs as some of the main features present. More importantly, both of the USB-equipped power packs are loaded with 5,600 and 2,600mAh, respectively — and, according to Jackery, this is enhanced by the peripherals’ ability to hold a charge for up to six months, thanks to the company’s own “unique power lock technology.” Jackery’s 5.4-ounce Bar is available starting today for $40, while the more petite Mini (which weighs in at less than three ounces) can be yours for 10 bucks less than its heavier sibling.

Filed under: Misc, Peripherals

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Source: Jackery

Qualcomm today has announced the RF360 Front End Solution, which they claim “enables for the first time a single, global 4G LTE design for mobile devices.” The RF360 is actually a family of RF chips designed to eliminate the problem of band fragmentation while also improving RF performance — killing two birds with one stone. In turn, this helps phone makers manufacturer mobile devices that support all the major bands more easily than before. Plus, it’ll make future mobile devices thinner and more powerful.

These RF chips also feature numerous industry firsts, including the first envelope power tracker for smartphones, as well as “a dynamic antenna matching tuner, an integrated power amplifier-antenna switch, and a 3D-RF packaging solution incorporating key front end components.” Essentially, these chips reduce power consumption and improve RF performance, while also reducing the size of the RF chips by up to 50% compared to current offerings, allowing for thinner devices.

The envelope power tracker inside the chip is designed to reduce power consumption by up to 30% and dissipate heat a lot better than previous-generation chips. The dynamic antenna matching tuner extends antenna range to operate over more frequency bands and spectrums, and the integrated power amp and antenna switch also has a smaller hardware footprint, and is the first of its kind to implement the power amp and antenna switch in one chip, allowing phone makers to develop thinner devices.

As for when we should expect new devices packing this new technology, Qualcomm says that devices featuring the complete Qualcomm RF360 Solution are expected to be launched sometime in the second half of this year. Of course, we’ll be at Mobile World Congress in just a few days, where we may hear more from Qualcomm at that time. Stay tuned.

[via Android Community]

Qualcomm announces new RF chips for thinner, more-powerful devices is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Well, well, what do we have here? More details concerning the hardware specifications of the Huawei Ascend P2? Yes sir, this is the smartphone that is set to continue from where the svelte Ascend P1 left off, and we do hope to see it unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that is set to happen early next week. Official press images of the Huawei Ascend P2 have already been leaked last month, and it has been said that the smartphone is also dustproof and waterproof. Other than that, Huawei has certainly managed to achieve a new high in their design team with an insanely thin chassis which should measure less than 6.45mm. Could the Huawei Ascend P2 be the world’s thinnest smartphone when it is released or announced next week?

According to Huawei’s mobile division top executive Richard Yu, he mentioned that Huawei has decided to fall back upon a 4.7-inch 720p display for the Ascend P2, and just like the iPhone 5, it will make use of an in-cell display. Perhaps throwing in a Full HD display could push the Ascend P2’s price tag out of reach of Huawei’s target market, so perhaps the Huawei P3 will be able to address whatever shortcomings its predecessors had.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: LG Optimus G Arrives In Europe, Motorola Giving $50 Gift Card For Select Purchases By March 4,

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so what is GooPhone trying to do with the introduction of their GooPhone N2 Lite? Well, GooPhone must have gone all out to come up with what you can say is a pretty good clone of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, right down to its 5.5-inch touchscreen display that sports 720p HD resolution. Normally, clone devices of higher end models tend to share a physical resemble, but underneath the hood, the hardware specifications will be as different as night and day.

However, if you were to check out the GooPhone N2 Lite underneath the hood, it is a completely different creature, sporting a dual-core 1GHz MT6577 processor, 1GB RAM, a 1.3-megapixel shooter in front with an 8-megapixel camera located at the back. You can further augment its 4GB of internal memory with a microSD memory card. Forget about 4G LTE connectivity with the GooPhone N2 Lite, as it just supports 3G networks, but the 3,100mAh battery is a splitting image of the original inspiration. The GooPhone N2 Lite is said to cost approximately $160 a pop after conversion.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: LG Optimus G Arrives In Europe, Motorola Giving $50 Gift Card For Select Purchases By March 4,