Like its new NF series netbooks, the latest line of notebooks from Samsung takes conventional mobile computer design and throws it out the window (though not in an outrageous, moody fangirl sort of way). Instead of the usual, two flat slabs of metal or plastic hinged at one end and opens on the other kind of mobile computer design, Samsung’s SF notebooks taper from the back towards the front, making the impression of sexiness without just appearing to be thin in an anorexic way.

Samsung describes the exterior finish to be tactile, glossy ivory, while the inside is supposedly a stylish mat-black. They refer to the combined alphanumeric keys as the island keyboard and the touchpad looks to be of a single-button form. Everything looks real good so far, but how is it as a computer?
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Samsung is evidently trying to set a new a new standard in mobile computer design with its recently introduced NF series netbooks. Mobile computer designers have reached an impasse, Samsung must have thought, and so, instead of relying on the trusted old ultra-thin netbook design that everyone everywhere seems to be so crazy about, they’ve employed a netbook design that’s thick around the back end and tapers towards the front (where the palm rest is). It may not look like much, but I think it kind of makes a statement. Something along the lines of, “I’m the new hotness.”
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Wouldn’t it be nice if you could call people directly on their phones while using a computer? Absolutely. This is what Google has set out to offer with the latest feature it has introduced to users of its popular e-mail service, Gmail. Now, Gmail users in the U.S. and Canada have the option to call people directly on their cellphones while using a computer. And while this type of service isn’t exactly new, there’s a twist to the story: Google will be offering phone calls from Gmail in the U.S. and Canada completely free of charge.

Oh yes, U.S. and Canada-based Gmail users can use Gmail to call other people’s cellphones for free, at least until the end of the year 2010. Meanwhile, Gmail users from outside of these two countries will be able to enjoy this new feature for as little as $0.02 per minute. A complete list of international calling rates can be found here: http://www.google.com/chat/voice/.

According to a post on the official Gmail blog, internal testing has shown this new feature to be useful in a lot of situations, ranging from making a quick call to a restaurant to placing a call when you’re in an area with bad reception. I can imagine some uses for this new feature myself. In fact, as a quick glance at the international calling rates shows that Gmail call rates are even cheaper than the rates from local telcos, I can already see myself using this. This just might prove useful for the upcoming holidays.

Update: Jessica Dolcourt wrote a quick review of the new Gmail calling feature for CNet’s Webware blog, and she says that overall, she was pleased with the call quality. “Calls were loud and mostly clear, however, there were a few moments of garbled voices on multiple calls. There was also sometimes a persistent high buzz that was noticeable, but that did not distract from the meat of the call. The experience was about on par for VoIP calls, which are known to break up due to variable conditions with the callers’ hardware, strength of Internet connection, and the telecommunications channels that process the voice data.”

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Apple is expected to release some new iPods this coming September just as they do every year. This time, it’s probable that one of the new iPods will be an iPod touch with a camera or two, just like the recently released 4th-generation iPhone. Apple of course has done good on keeping the truth behind their iPod unveiling plans secret, but an iPhone parts supplier called iPhone revivers sent in the above photo to MacRumors to confirm the rumors about a new camera-wielding iPod touch.

It’s a photo of what will be the front of the 4th-generation iPod touch and its got two holes on it. The larger one will be where the Home button should be placed while the smaller one opposite to it is though to be where the front-facing camera will be situated.

Combined with yesterday’s news of the leaked iPod touch case photo which showed a main camera at the back, we now have more evidence that Apple will indeed an iPod touch equipped with the same exact cameras that the iPhone 4 has. I’d say if you’re planning on buying a new iPod touch, you might want to delay it for a bit since September is just around the corner.

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Just the other day a free jaikbreaking tool for iOS 4 devices became available to the public. And it couldn’t have been simpler. All a user had to do was open up their iOS 4-based device (whether it be an iPhone or an iPod touch) and navigate to http://www.jailbreakme.com/. Today, a free unlocking tool called ultrasnow is being made available for iPhone 4 users, which makes Apple’s latest flagship smartphone compatible with operators from all over the world now. In short, it is a great day for iPod and iPhone users alike. Check out the source link below for more details on the iPhone 4 unlock.

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It seems every day we hear about another manufacturer who’s working on their very own tablet PC. It’s going to have a fairly large capacitive touchscreen display, Google’s Android operating system and a host of other features that will make it useful (at least about as much as your typical netbook, anyway). But does anyone think of new things anymore? At least one of them, as it turns out.

Motorola, maker of some of today’s best Android-based devices, is reportedly working with Verizon on an upcoming Android-based tablet TV. You read that right, Moto’s upcoming tablet offering won’t just be a PC. It’ll also be a TV. Granted, the only real difference between it and the myriad of other tablets on the horizon will probably only be a built-in TV tuner, but if it’s worth noting, it’s worth noting.

Motorola and Google are mum about this rumored project so far, but it has been reported that Motorola’s tablet TV will support Flash, have 2 built-in cameras (one for taking photos and the other for video conferencing) and can be expected to be thinner and lighter than the Apple iPad.

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Somewhere in the world, someone must have woke up, went to his computer and thought to himself, “I’m going to hack Fox News today.” At least that’s how I imagine things started out today for the currently unnamed hacker who gained access to the Fox News online radio newscast dashboard.

He’s either got a lot of time on his hands, is incredibly skilled or received help from others. If you look at the above photo, you’ll see a screenshot of the Fox News Radio popup that you get when you try to listen live to the online newscast on http://radio.foxnews.com/. It says the title of the next radio program is. “Glenn Beck Raped And Murdered A Girl In 1990.” And there’s more.
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MSI’s latest gaming laptop looks to be the option for those who simply want the best and won’t settle for anything less. The MSI GX660 gaming laptop comes with Intel’s PM55 chipset and a quad-core Core i7 mobile processor, as well as top-notch dedicated graphics in the form of the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 with 1G GDDR5 VRAM. Overall, it looks like a very well-rounded desktop replacement, as its key features also include a 15.6-inch full HD LED-backlit LCD screen, DDR3 1333 MHz RAM, Dynaudio onboard speakers and a 500GB SATA HDD. The MSI GX660R is the same laptop but with a RAID configuration that brings the total system storage space up to 1TB while doubling the write speed.

Connectivity-wise, the MSI GX660 also won’t be left behind. It offer HDMI and VGA-out, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports, 1 E-SATA port, mic and headphone in/out ports, built-in Ethernet port, Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth, as well as a 4-in-1 memory card reader.

A 9-cell battery and built-in HD webcam round out the MSI GX660′s short but sweet list of gaming laptop features. It should be available globally in the upcoming weeks, though MSI failed to mention where exactly and for how much it will be launching first. Continue reading to see the MSI GX660′s spec sheet.
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You might have already heard this one before, but as anyone who closely follows happenings in the tech sector might expect, several companies are already working on their own tablet PC offerings with either the open-source mobile Android OS or a mobile-optimized version of Windows 7. Samsung is among those first expected to deliver such a mobile device, and their upcoming product has been identified in the past as the Samsung Galaxy Tab (pictured above). Today, Reuters has posted news further confirming this as part of Samsung’s future plans, mentioning that Samsung’s tablet PC will have a 7-inch display (compared to the iPad’s 9.7-inch screen). Near the end of its news post, Reuters also mentioned that LG Electronics will also deliver a tablet PC with Android OS, and that it will be released in the fourth quarter following Samsung’s third quarter release date for their tablet.

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It seems like for the longest time, you can never purchase any Samsung netbooks here in the Philippines. No matter where you looked, no matter who you asked, you just wouldn’t be able to find any netbooks from Samsung being sold anywhere locally. Well, no more, hopefully, because Samsung just recently launched two of their latest netbooks on Philippine soil. These are the Samsung N150 Plus and Samsung N220 Plus.
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