Google has finally launched its long-awaited Google Music store, gunning for the likes of Spotify and Apple's iTunes Match service. Pics of the mobile Google Music store running on an Android phone have already leaked, so the features list isn't entirely surprising – but there's still plenty to get excited about.
Google Music is US only for the time being, but it's being offered for free – so Spotify had better watch out. The service comprises an online store, a new music app for phones and tablets running Android 2.2 and higher and a web player. Read more...
New mobile battery charges 10x faster and lasts 10x longer
Recently the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S have been taking flak for poor battery performance, but that could soon be a thing of the past. Boffins at Northerwestern University have taken a lithium-ion battery – like that found in mobiles, tablets and even cars – and optimised it to charge ten times faster and last ten times longer. That means your phone would charge in 15 minutes and last for a week.
The most exciting part is that this technology could be available as soon as two years from now. It simply uses silicon as a lithium replacement to support a greater charge at a faster rate. With mobile phone companies, computer makers and car manufacturers all relying on batteries, this sort of research could soon become as valuable as oil – unless someone works out how to break the laws of thermodynamics.HP unveils Folio 13 Ultrabook
HP’s first Ultrabook has been a long time coming (we first caught wind of it back in July) but today the PC giant lifted the curtains off its first offering – the HP Folio 13.
Packing a 13.3in display and tipping the scales at 1.5kg, the Folio 13 should be portable enough for most, although the uniform 18mm thickness may seem a tad on the chunky side when compared to the likes of Asus’ Zenbook or Apple's MacBook Air. Read more...Nokia Windows 8 tablet and new Lumia phone in the works?
Paul Amsellem from Nokia France has let it slip to Les Echos that a Nokia Windows 8 tablet will be unveiled by June 2012. If true, we hope Nokia will opt for an oversized Lumia 800–style tablet, whose build quality and sleek design would complement Windows 8’s colourful Metro UI rather nicely.
Amsellem also let slip a juicy titbit of mobile gossip, suggesting that a newer, better Lumia device is in the works. Comparing the Lumia 800 to a BMW 5 series, he implied that a BMW 7 series-equivalent was on the way – a Lumia 900 with 12MP snapper and beefed up internals? Yes please.
Acer readies Iconia A510 and A511 Tegra 3 tablets
Before you get too over-excited about Asus' almighty Transformer Prime – powered by Nvidia's jaw-dropping Tegra 3 quad-core processor – and HTC's as yet unnamed quad-core tab, you should know Acer has a couple of equally powerful Tegra 3 slabs of tech in the pipeline. That is, according to Japenese site Blog of Mobile.
Dubbed the Iconia Tab A510 and A511, Acer's next-gen tabs are thought to be available in Wi-Fi only and 3G + Wi-Fi flavours respectively, which both have the Transformer Prime and HTCs quad-core tab squarely in their sights. Read more...7in iPad mini and 4in iPhone rumours resurface
We can’t remember a time when the Apple rumour mill wasn’t grinding away on overtime and it’s not about to slow down any time soon. The latest reports from the interwebs have seen a Korea Times industry insider spill the details on a collaboration between Apple and LG with regards to screen production for the next-gen iPhone and iPad. Read more...
