"Qantas to hand out free iPads to all passengers on Boeing 767s, save fuel and our sanity (video)"

Qantas just upped the ante for its Australian counterparts Jetstar and Virgin in the airline tablet wars. 

Following an earlier trial, the transporter plans to hand out free iPads to all of its passengers -- not just the high-flyers in business-class, like with Jetstar's iPads or Virgin's Galaxy Tabs -- on every Boeing 767aircraft in the fleet. 

"Acer Aspire S5 review: is this innovative Ultrabook worth $1,400?"

With dozens and dozens of Ultrabooks on parade, you'd be forgiven if one skinny laptop with an ultra-low voltage processor started to look like the next. 

Even so, it's tough to forget the Acer Aspire S5: of all the ultraportables we've seen these last nine months, this is the only one with a motorized port cover. 

"Comcast Xfinity TV Player for Android updated with beta support for Jelly Bean, Nexus 7"

Comcast subscribers who have already received their Nexus 7 tablets or are sporting Android 4.1-powered phones should cast an eye towards Google Play for an updated version of the Xfinity TV Player app. 

"Nokia Drive 3.0 arrives with My Commute, your Lumia is no excuse for being late (video)"

Nokia gave us a hint of Nokia Drive 3.0's commuter-friendly additions all the way back at Mobile World Congress in February. 

It's been quite the wait, but the update is at last lurking in the Windows Phone Marketplace. Although developed at the same time as Google Now, the Drive update will feel like a small slice of Android 4.1 for Lumia owners through its predictive routing: it can learn when you leave for work and how driving habits will affect the trip, giving a heads-up about traffic jams before you turn the ignition. 

Windows Phone reasserts itself through the option of pinning favorite destinations as tiles on the home screen, and an automatic switch between day and night modes is just as new. 

Drive's My Commute feature will initially work only in the US, but it should be available within the next day or two for any Lumia owner -- so those being denied Windows Phone 8 still won't have any justification for being late to the office.

via: Symbian Tweet source: Nokia Conversations

"Jelly Bean now available to Nexus S via OTA download, we coat our phones in more sugar"

It's already possible to force Android 4.1 onto your Nexus S without much trouble, but for those of you that prefer life on easy street, then kick up those heels: many carriers have now made Jelly Bean available for OTA installation. 

"Star Wars-themed GPS steers Japanese geeks away from the dark side"

As if George Lucas wasn't already milking his money-printing franchise for all it's worth, comes this GPS gem out of Japan. 

Samsung set to reveal next US Galaxy device on August 15th

We just received a "save the date" email from a Samsung US representative that revealed a new Galaxy device will be seeing the light of day on August 15th. 

"The savoir faire of safe mobile banking"

The convenience and fluidity of access that mobile devices promise makes them one of the most sought after platforms for banking and mobile commerce. A recent study by IDC shows an estimated growth of 49.2% in the worldwide Smartphone market. This implies that these devices are being used for just about everything. What this also suggests is that, there will be challenges where security and privacy of the users and the service providers are concerned.

Upcoming security features of Windows 8 Enterprise edition

Antoine Leblond, corporate VP of Windows Web Services says – “Windows 8 is enterprise ready by design. Adding features that bring new possibilities in mobility, productivity and security, Windows 8 will delight developers, IT professionals and the employees they support.” In addition to Windows 8 Pro features like Bitlocker and (EFS) Encrypting File System for encryption, here are the security features for enterprise clients.

Dell to ship XPS 13 with Ubuntu Linux in some areas, Precise Pangolin goes ultraportable

Dell's Project Sputnik is successful enough that the company is launching another satellite, so to speak. 

Chromium browser for Raspberry Pi beta available

Well known ChromiumOS developer Hexxeh has been fiddling around with the Raspberry Pi since its debut and his latest experiment is a beta version of the Chromium browser, ready to run on Raspbian images. 

LG 84-inch 'ultra definition' 4K HDTV going on sale in limited quantities

It looks like LG is actually going to sell that sweet 84-inch ultra-definition TV we saw at CES. 

"Insert Coin: POP portable battery comes with 25,000 mAh of power, charges multiple devices (video)"

In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.


If you're a geeky pack rat who likes to travel with a mini Radio Shack store in your bag a la Steve Wozniak, then you're likely always looking for ways to keep your precious devices powered up. 


One option that may be worth a peek is the POP rechargeable battery -- a portable power pack that eschews the brick-like design of many of its brethren and comes with 25,000 mAh worth of juice to help bring your gadgets back to life. 


According to POP creator and Edison Jr. co-founder James Siminoff, the portable battery has enough capacity to charge either 10 standard smartphones or 1 1/2 third-generation iPad tablets.

To help prevent users from re-creating their own personal Gordian Knot, the POP also includes four retractable cords that each feature a micro-USB and 30-pin Apple connector. Flipping over its undercarriage reveals two standard USB ports as well. 

Eventually, Siminoff hopes to add various accessories to the charger, including speakerphone tops and perhaps even a solar cover. Before that can happen, though, there's still the matter of making his $50,000 Kickstarter goal. 

A pledge of $149 gets you one POP portable battery. Raise it to $169 and you can get custom artwork on the device as well. If successful, the expected retail price for the POP is $199. For more of the juicy, power-packed details, check out the source link and video below.

Previous project update: With 53 days to go, our previous Insert Coin project -- the Pear Bluetooth device -- has more than doubled its $40,000 goal with over $92,000 in pledges from 1,685 backers.

source:Kickstarter

"Verizon: smartphones constitute 50 percent of our postpaid customer phone base"

This morning Verizon trotted out its latest financials, and amongst the numbers was a noteworthy stat. According to the big red, for the first time ever, 50 percent of its postpaid customer phone base is of the smart variety. 

This figure is up three percent from the last quarter, and won't factor in certain recent arrivals. 

Verizon's recent plan revamp is likely an attempt to cater for this trend, and ties in generally with the recent market share analysis reports. Now if a few other things come to pass, then this number is surely set to keep heading north.

Update: Appleinsider reports that to date, Verizon has sold 2.7 million iPhones, and 2.9 million Androids (some 2.5 million of which, are LTE), giving some insight into what makes up that 50 percent total.

Source: Verizon

"ViewSonic outs 27-inch VX2703mh-LED monitor with 1080p, SRS Premium Sound"

ViewSonic's New 27" VX2703mh-LED Monitor Combines High Performance With Low Total Cost of Ownership

WALNUT, CA, Jul 16, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, today announced its latest high performance, energy efficient display -- the VX2703mh-LED.

Ideal for consumers, SMBs and educational environments alike, the VX2703mh-LED is a 27" widescreen LED monitor with a contemporary thin bezel design. Ideal for both home and office, this versatile Full HD 1920 x 1080p monitor offers HDMI(R), DVI and VGA inputs with HDCP support, along with a speedy 3ms response time, a 10M:1 MEGA Dynamic Contrast Ratio, integrated power, and built-in SRS Premium Sound(R) speakers.

The VX2703mh-LED also comes standard with loads of useful features such as automatic aspect ratio adjustment to ensure content is optimally positioned and sized for screen viewing, in addition to being Windows(R) 7 certified and VESA wall mount compatible. The VX2703mh-LED is as feature rich as it is eco-friendly. In fact, this mercury-free display offers ViewSonic's ECO-mode feature for extended display life, along with an energy savings of up to 40%* when compared to a regular 27" monitor.

"The new VX2703mh-LED is the ideal display for home and office applications, as well as web surfing and multimedia entertainment with its multiple video inputs," said Erik Willey, LCD monitor and PC product marketing director at ViewSonic. "If you're looking for a versatile monitor with both low TCO and high performance, backed by a display heritage you can count on, the ViewSonic VX2703mh-LED is your solution." The VX2703mh-LED comes standard with a 3-year limited warranty, and the industry's best pixel performance policy. The VX2703mh-LED will be available in North America in mid-July for an ESP of $299. For further information, visit ViewSonic.com or follow ViewSonic on the Company blog, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

About ViewSonic ViewSonic(R) Corporation, headquartered in Walnut, California, is a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics, and communications solutions. Founded in 1987, ViewSonic's mission is to be the preferred global brand of visual solutions as we continue to focus on display-centric product offerings including LED monitors, tablets, projectors, digital signage displays, and cloud computing solutions. ViewSonic continues to pioneer in visual technology innovation to build a connected and ever-reaching digital future. For further information, please visit ViewSonic.com.

source: ViewSonic