Hasta La Gadget!

The Google homepage, traditionally a rather stark white sort of place, has had a rather front and center location updated to include a link to the company’s current hero tablet, the Nexus 7, up for sale in their online store. The space below the search bar (which has also had a bit of an update recently) has been reserved traditionally for only the most important of updates – September 11, 2001 news on the day it occurred being one example. Today Google’s placement of a portal leading to their one and only Nexus tablet has been met with some resistance by the very vocal fans of said page online.

Another example of a bit of content that sat below the Google Searchbar on their own Google.com homepage was a small tribute to Steve Jobs the day he died. Google’s newest update appears to be one of the only instances where what could be construed as an advertisement has appeared with prime placement on their homepage. Reactions have ranged from the very supportive to the very negative, calling for Google’s head and saying that their original motto “don’t be evil” has been forever besmirched.

Instead of screaming about one side of the situation or the other, we’re going to go ahead and offer you a look at the device Google is showing off. We’ve got a full review of the Nexus 7 and have had quite a few hands-on experiences with the device since it was revealed at Google I/O 2012. This tablet brings a rather inexpensive $199 pricetag to a quad-core processor-toting 7-inch touchscreen attached to a relatively light and thin chassis. The device is manufactured by ASUS and carries Google’s newest mobile operating system version Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

The link that Google connects you with brings you straight to the Google Play store online where you can see the $199 8GB internal storage version of the slate in black. The white model you see in the review above was released at Google I/O and is limited edition (thus far) for developers and other attendees of the convention only. Have a peek at our timeline of Nexus 7 hands-on and featured posts to gain more insight into the workings of this lovely little beast.

Nexus 7 shoved in Google homepage pocket is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The device you’re about to have a peek at goes by the name LG Optimus G and it’s about to bring on next-level hardware the likes of which you’ve never seen before. The LG Optimus G has been made official by LG this week, here showing its full specifications for one whole heck of a lot of smartphone glory. You’ll be working with the ultra-powerful 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064, 4G LTE connectivity, and LG’s futuristic application of their fully integrated touch technology that goes by the name of in-cell touch.

This technology called in-cell touch has also been tipped as being prepared for use in the iPhone 5 (or New iPhone, whatever you like), as it’s revealed some time next month (if the rumors are true, of course.) The CEO of LG let the world know last week that they were ready and willing to make their ability to create said technology in real hardware form public knowledge, and here with the LG Optimus G, it appears that the first implementation of the innovation has been revealed as well.

This device features a True HD (1280 x 768 pixel resolution) IPS+ LCD, a display which LG says is able to head right up to the edge of the 3mm bezel – fun stuff! On the back of the device you’ll find a massive 13 megapixel camera, on the front you’ve got a 1.3 megapixel camera, and inside you’ve got 2GB of RAM – that’s power! Paired with the quad-core Snapdragon processor inside, it appears that the Samsung Galaxy S III will have some benchmark competition.

The LG Optimus G will be appearing on NTT Docomo in Japan as the L-01E in October or November, while a more standard Korea release will be happening next week. This device will measure in at 8.45mm thin – considering that this is thin already, even without considering the 2,100 mAh battery inside – the LG crew may have a pretty awesome device on their hands. This smartphone will also be released with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich right out of the box.

[via Engadget]

LG Optimus G official with in-cell touch is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

A new video has been released by a rabid Apple fan showing off several components of what they believe will be the new iPhone 5 – or “the New iPhone” if you prefer. This device is shown compared by SmartphoneMedic to the iPhone 4S/4 casing we already know and appears to be quite similar to the supposed parts we’ve already seen hit the accessories market in leaked photos galore. These parts include an elongated display with the same width as its predecessor as well as a new double-sided mini dock for USB connections.

The video itself doesn’t let us in on a whole heck of a lot of new information that we haven’t already seen several times, but seeing it all in video form does give some basic form of visual legitimacy to the whole equation. This device appears to have a slightly modified set of holes above the display area, with a hole instead of a line and a smaller area for the device’s front-facing camera to peek through.

This video also compares the front panel of this supposed iPhone 5 to the currently already released Samsung Galaxy S III – in Garnet Red as supplied by AT&T. This comparison shows the amazing difference between the two units. with the Galaxy S III’s display dwarfing that of the possible Apple hardware. The Galaxy S III is also out on the market in this same hardware configuration on several other carriers in the USA as well as abroad.

The iPhone here is also appearing in dock form, with a close-up of the bottom of the device showing a port that has 8 pins on one side and 8 pins on the other. This piece lends itself well to the idea that a 16-pin connector is coming with this next-generation line of devices for Apple, with the ability to plug in right side up or upside down with no trouble either way.

Have a peek at the timeline below to see several other important leaks and tips regarding the iPhone 5, and see our iPhone 5 collection of posts in its entirety to get the full picture – put the full puzzle together here and now!

[via MacRumors]

iPhone 5 parts video shows smartphone fondle is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

A report from China today suggests that suppliers behind the production of the new iPhone – or iPhone 5, if you prefer, are finding manufacturing numbers to be a bit lower than planned due to shortage of materials. This report comes from DigiTimes, a publication that has a mixed record for accuracy, but has produced early Asia-based supply news well in advance of official Apple sources in the past. Numbers of iPhone 5 shipments are said to be hitting below 15 million this season where Apple had requested that they be in excess of 20 million for the holiday months.

This first batch of iPhones will be limited in supply but will ramp up in the first several months of 2013, fully prepared for the inevitable rush of post-Christmas shoppers. Shipment numbers are said to be tied directly to the manufacturing of in-cell technology for integrated LCD and touchscreen hardware as detailed earlier today by LG. While the report by LG does not mention specifically that supplies are low (or will be low,) they do speak on how it has been difficult to get to the point they’re at now where production can move forward at full speed.

An in-cell technology patent was passed just weeks ago for Apple for their future devices, the iPhone and quite possibly future iPad models as well. Apple originally set the patent application in motion in 2007 before the manufacturing of said technology was possible, with manufacturers just catching up with the futuristic method for parts integration here in 2012.

Supply numbers come from Foxconn International Holdings (FIH) and also have been tied to low numbers of parts available for the production of a new mini dock connector at the bottom of the new iPhone. This mini dock connector is said – and has been shown – to have two identical sides with a total of 16 pins rather than the 30 of past iPod, iPad, and iPhone models. Have a peek at our iPhone 5 portal for more information on this future generation of Apple products, and hit the timeline below for key iPhone 5 points as well!

iPhone 5 dock and display production cuts early supply is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The CEO of LG Display has this week made it clear that they’ve started production of display panels using in-cell technology, these panels quite likely headed for Apple’s new iPhone (aka the iPhone 5) next month. While LG has not been able to be specific about where the panels will be used, Han Sang-beom, LG Display’s chief executive, did allow reporters to know that though they’d been struggling with perfecting the technology up until now, “those hard times have finally ended.” LG is a major supplier of flat screens utilized by Apple’s iPad and iPhone devices.

If you’ll have a peek back at an in-cell patent that appeared with Apple’s name on it earlier this month, you’ll find that they are indeed prepping the technology for future products. This technology allows LCD and touch recognition hardware to be integrated into one unit rather than two, allowing whichever product that uses a touchscreen with said technology to have much more room for other components behind the screen – or a thinner product overall.

Another interesting point to be made here is that the patent was originally filed all the way back in 2007 when the iPhone was first produced. This very well could simply mean that the technology was invented then and took this long to perfect – this tying in well with LG’s current announcement that they’d “had some hard times at first”. Han also let reporters known at that “the in-cell technology is the industry’s latest development. We will be able to supply the panels without any fail.”

For those of you looking to pick up the new iPhone, you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared to pick up a converter accessory as well as the device itself – there’s a new docking port in the mix too! We’ll be prepping several articles between here and the final announcement for the iPhone 5 – or whatever it’ll end up being called – so that you’re fully ready for the drop. Get ready for a whole new generation of Apple product!

Also note that the image above is a rendering of the new iPhone as created by the talented folks at NWE. Probably quite close to reality!

[via WSJ]

iPhone 5 in-cell touchscreen rolling out at LG is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.