Apple Announces iPad Mini

Yesterday evening Apple announced its 4^th generation iPad, the iPad Mini. The new device is "Thin as a pencil and light as a pad of paper", with a 7.9-inche screen. It looks like the old iPhone 3G due to its curved edges. It will have the same amount of pixels as the iPad 2 -1024 x 768 pixels and all software created for previous iPads will work on iPad Mini. 

It's 53 per cent lighter than the full-size model. It's got an A5 chip, FaceTime HD camera, 5MP iSight camera with 1080p video, has same LTE capabilities, Lightning connector and 10 hours of battery life. According to Apple the iPad Mini is "Small enough to fit in one hand, large enough to give you that full iPad experience", stressing "It's a concentration, not a reduction."


With the 16GB model starting at $329 about NGN 54,285 (Fifty Four Thousand Two Hundred and Eighty Five Naira) and ranges up to 64GB Wi-Fi + Cellular for $659 which is about NGN 108,735 (One Hundred and Eight Thousand Seven Hundred and Thirty Five Naira) prices may vary. Pre-orders start on October 26 in the U.S. with Wi-Fi shipping first - on November 2 and the Wi-Fi + Cellular models Two weeks later.

But what matters is how Apples latest instalment of its iPad will stack up against the completion. We’ve taking the liberty to provide you with a table to see how it stacks up against the completion.

Is Apples iPad Mini a scaled down iPad or a big iTouch? Is it a miss or a hit? Let’s hear you opinion in the comment section below. 

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iDrifta Launch Price Set for 9,500 NGN & 7 inch Walka rumours emerge

A few months ago we report about a new device for Apple devices that would be introduced to DStv Mobile line up of DVB-H devices in Nigeria, namely the iDrifta. Recently we received and update from our sources that a price had be set for the iDrifta that would be launched in time for the holiday season. A guess what they were right! An update on the DStv website showed that the iDrifta would retail for 9 500 Nigerian Naira.

 This gave use the confidence to talk about another interesting bit of new we’ve come across. I’m sure you’ve heard about the Walka - DStv Mobile’s handheld television. Well a newer version of the Walka is just around the corner which will be packing a 7 inch screen, that’s 200% screen size! That’s all our source had to say but with result of other predictions being correct we feel it seem legit!

A 7 inch Walka does sound awesome. This had us day dreaming about what we want in a 7 inch Walka. A 7 inch screen would mean it could have the option of switching between 4:3 and 16:10, maybe even a HD display? These days a touch screen devices are all the rage, so if DStv decides to scrap all those buttons for a touch interface I think that would be a welcomed addition.

We would like to hear what our readers would want in a new Walka too! Our comment sections have been looking bare lately, so don’t be shy take if for a spin an let your voice be heard.

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Apple v. Samsung - How it all began

This battle has been raging on for over a year, here’s a brief recap to help you fill in the blanks. This all began in April 2011, where Apple sued Samsung for (according to Apple) “Instead of pursuing independent product development, Samsung has chosen to slavishly copy Apple’s innovative technology, distinctive user interfaces, and elegant and distinctive product and packaging design, innovation of Apple’s valuable intellectual property rights”.

Samsung soon after announced that it was counter suing Apple - taking the fight international with lawsuits in Korea, Japan and Germany. Samsung soon launched its frontal attack filling a complaint in the North District of California, accusing Apple of 10 counts of patent infringement. Seven of the patents to do with UMTS/W-CDMA 3G cellular communication, and the remaining three covered various user interface elements.

On 9^th of August 2011 a German district court issued a preliminary injunction preventing Samsung from selling the galaxy Tab 10.1 in every EU nation except the Netherlands. Two week after a Dutch court ruled that Samsung Galaxy S, Galaxy Ace and Galaxy S II Smartphones infringe on one of Apple’s patents. Samsung avoided the sales injunction in the Netherlands by patching the scrolling and browsing behaviour of the infringing Samsung photo app use in Android 2.3 build (gingerbread).

On the 13^th of October, a federal court justice in Australia granted Apples request for an injunction barring local sales of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 until the two companies settle their dispute via trial.

In late November 2011 an Australian federal court overturned Apple’s patent related injunction of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 after a slight redesign, allowing the Samsung tablet to go back on sale in that region on the 10^th of December 2011. Soon after a US district judge in California denied Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction to stop sales of some Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

 

Early this year Germany’s Mannheim regional court rejected Samsung’s complaint involving a patent related to the 3G/UMTS wireless telecommunications standards, the court later went on to reject another of Samsungs patents infringement claim against Apple. A Dutch appeals court in The Hague upheld a lower court’s decision to not grant Apple’s request t halt sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the 10.1v with a preliminary injunction. 

A Munich court denied apples recent request for a preliminary injunction on Samsung’s new Galaxy Tab 10.1N and Galaxy Nexus devices in Germany. On the 14^th of March, 2012 the Hague District Court rejected Samsungs attempt to ban Apple’s iPhones or iPads in the Netherlands.

Two months ago Apple asked a US judge for a ban on the Galaxy S III before its US launch but the US District Judge delayed Apple’s plans to block the US launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S III due to Scheduling conflicts. The Hague district court has ruled in Samsung’s favour regarding a 3G patent asserted against Apple. Shortly after US district Judge Koh agreed to tentatively stop sales of the company’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in the US. Another US court ruled granting the motion and imposing a ban on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Almost immediately after learning of the federal judge Lucky Koh’s granting Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction on the Galaxy Nexus devices, Samsung filed a motion to stay the ban. Judge Koh then issued an order denying Samsungs request leaving the injunction in place for the time being.

After which Google and Samsung had a patch readied to address one of the search patent issues. This patch was to be rolled out to the Galaxy Nexus devices in the US regardless of carrier, which limit results from the quick search bar on the android homescreen  to just those from the web.

On the 4^th of July, 2012 the High Court of Justice’s Chancery Division in the UK ruled that the Samsung’s Galaxy Tab does not infringe upon the design of Apple’s iPad because Samsungs tablet isn’t well-designed enough to be confused with Apple’s product. Later that month a ruling from the Dusseldorf Higher Regional Court in Germany clears the Galaxy Tab 10.1N for sale but extends a German ban on the Galaxy Tab 7.7 to the entire EU.

 

The trial began on the 30^th of July, in Apple’s opening statement Apple painted Samsung as an aesthetic thief that took inspiration from Apple rather than innovate on its own, claiming Samsung infringed on four design patents and three utility patents. According to Apple, Samsung has sold 22.7 million devices in the US that take advantage of Apple’s intellectual property, generating $ 8.16 billion in revenue and more than $ 2 billion in profits, thus seeking $ 2.522 billion in damages.

In Samsungs opening statement, Samsung reassured the jury that “Samsung is a major technology company that develops its own innovations”. That it was a company that prides itself on providing consumers the products that they want – and if consumers want touchscreen devices, that’s what the company would provide. 

The battle raged on for three weeks coming to an end on the 21^st of August, with both sides issuing their closing statements. 

In its closing statement Apple’s lawyers said “Steve Jobs shocked the world” with the iPhone, and how did Samsung respond to that? They used three months to design what would become the original Galaxy S. “In those three months Samsung was able to copy and emulate” the “World’s most successful product”. Apple’s lawyers went on saying “No Samsung witness even sat in the chair and said ‘those designs are not similar’”, “The test is overall visual appearance not [these] minor differences”.

In Samsung’s closing statement, Samsung’s lawyers accused Apple of “attempting to block its most serious competitor from even playing the game”, stressing that “competition is what built this country [US]” Saying Apple thinks it’s “entitled to have a monopoly on a rounded rectangle with a touchscreen”.    

One Friday the 24^th of August, 2012 after a short deliberation of only three days, the jury has thus for ruled in favour of Apple. The focus of this particular case involves whether Samsung infringed on the variety of Apple patents.

The court also ruled that Samsung willing fully infringed on Apple’s Patents on a wide variety of its Phones, about twenty five different models to be exact, including the Galaxy S II to the infused 4G and more. Samsung has been ordered to pay Apple $ 1,051,855,000. Since the incident Samsung has experience a significant drop in its share prices as Apple pushes to have eight of Samsung’s smartphones banned from being sold in the US. Apple as well as other struggling Smartphone manufacturers such as Nokia and Blackberry experienced a significant rise in their share price.

So to stay up to date on the latest Samsung v. Apple News Like us on Facebook by clicking HERE or follow us on Twitter by clicking HERE.

Microsoft Announces New Tablet

With the introduction of the iPad the tablet race was officially on, and it wasn’t long before other manufactures and developers acknowledge the market need for slate like mobile computers. Today in the Nigerian technology market contenders in the tablet market are Apple’s iPad and Samsung Galaxy tablet. For older consumers that tablet trend was received well even though some people found it difficult migrating from the screen and key broad model they had grown so accustomed to – but that’s where I think this new devices will shine.

A few weeks ago Microsoft announced the existence of a new home-brewed tablet device simply called “surface”. Personally I feel this may be the dawn of a new tablet era or a phenomenal flop, but only time will tell. Let me introduce this new tablet from Microsoft. Yes, the name of the device just  “surface”, I would insert a pun here but it’s been done so much over the last few weeks, I’d rather not. Let’s leave the jokes to the comedians, ok people?

We’ll you may be thinking “oh, it’s just another tablet - big deal”. Well yes, it is another tablet, but it’s a tablet with a twist. 

 Here is the lowdown - the windows surface tablet will be available in two flavours. The first of which is the surface Windows RT (a version of Windows 8) and Surface Windows 8 Pro which will be made available a few weeks later. This later model will be able to play true PC games meaning you could buy or download any standard PC game and run it on the tablet. Impressive, no?

But the real unique features that these devices have would have to be their integrated kickstand which allows you to prop-up the devices leaving your hands free and also a special flip cover which serves as an external keyboard and touchpad which is also magnetically attached so you can pop it off or on as you please. Pretty cool, huh? Yea, we thought so too. 

So all this sounds nice but do you want to know what’s under the hood? Admittedly the specifications of this new device and relatively few but this how, what we know about it stacks up against its future competitors.

  click to enlarge 

Admittedly it not much but it does give you a feeling of suspense.

So to stay up to date on the latest News about Microsoft's Upcoming Tablet follow us on Twitter by clicking HERE and on Facebook by clicking HERE.

For Enquires and Feedback you can contact us at enquires.truetechkings@gmail.com, or comment below and let your opinion be heard.

Introducing the New DStv Mobile iDrifta

DStv mobile subscriber with Apple devices rejoice, the latest peripheral from DStv mobile is directed entirely at you! Allow me to introduce the hottest add-on to your iOS device, the iDrifta!

So what exactly IS the iDrifta? Well if its name didn’t totally give it away you probably don’t know what a “Drifta” is, so let me enlighten you. The Drifta is a DStv mobile branded device that functions as a receiver and decoder which enable you to view certain DStv channels via your smartphone, tablet or personal computer. Now do you get the idea?

So the iDrifta is a Drifta specialized for your iPhone, iTouch or iPad. Although only the fourth generation of iTouch and iPhone are supported but all versions of iPads are supported. The iDrifta is already on sale in South Africa and will be available in Nigeria Very Soon.

So for all the latest DStv Mobile News follow us on Twitter by clicking HERE and on Facebook by clicking HERE.