Casio G’zOne Commando specs, price and release date

There will be many of us that need a smartphone that is better suited to certain more extreme conditions that many of the thinner smartphones that are now available wouldn’t cope with. We now have news of the Casio G’zOne Commando specs, price and release date.
If you are on the lookout for a rugged smartphone and are a customer of Verizon Wireless the Casio G’zOne Commando 4G LTE may be ideal. This Android powered smartphone will only set you back $99 after a $50 mail-in rebate, and for your money you get a handset that is tough enough to cope with shock, water, dust, humidity, and vibration.
The device will be available via the carriers online and brick and mortar stores from tomorrow and features a 4-inch WVGA touchscreen display that can even be used with gloves, and is powered by a dual core processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 1GB of RAM running the Android Ice Cream Sandwich operating system.
There is also an 8-megapixel camera on the back capable of Full HD video capture, 1.3-megapxiel front facer, FM radio, and 16GB of internal storage. The handset even comes pre-loaded with some useful apps that include G’zWorld that records your movements on a map and tracks your running or hiking routes.
The Live G feature lets you connect with other G’zOne users around the world, and other features include sun and moon displays, tide views, temperature comparisons, an earth compass, and much more.
Source: Verizon.

New iPad mini and Nexus 7 2 to meet Acer Iconia W3

The tablet PC market space has got a lot more crowded in recent times and was arguably kicked off with the launch of the original iPad only three years ago. In the coming months though we are set to see even more devices being released, and the new iPad mini and Nexus 7 2 are to meet the Acer Iconia W3.
The recently announced Windows 8 Acer Iconia W3 tablet is likely to have a fight on its hands in the coming months trying to attract consumers. The device that features an 8.1-inch LCD display at a resolution of 1280 x 800 that is powered by a dual core Intel Atom processor clocked at 1.8GHz, while storage comes in either 32GB or 64GB flavours that is expandable via microSD card.
It is priced at $349.99 for the cheapest version of the W3 and could bring it above what the next versions of the iPad mini and Nexus 7, although the Nexus 7 will be slightly smaller. There have long been rumours that the Nexus 7 refresh will feature a Full HD display surrounded by smaller bezels, making the device easier to hold in the hand.
Other specifications are expected to include a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor along with 2GB of RAM with a 5-megapixel rear facing camera, and a 1.3-megapixel unit around the front. Unfortunately the device will probably come with non-expandable storage which will be the same as the devices main rival the iPad mini 2.
The next smaller tablet PC from apple will be going up against the 2nd generation Nexus 7 this year, and there have been mixed reports whether the device would feature a Retina Display. Most recent claims have suggested the device will have a display with a resolution of 1024 x768 along with a slimmer design powered by an Apple A6 processor.
This will also come running the new iOS 7 operating system but the iPad mini 2 will likely be the most expensive of the three devices but until it is announced officially we won’t know for sure.
Are you planning on getting a new tablet in 2013?

LG Optimus G2 photos: size, specs and expectations

The upcoming LG Optimus G2 is widely expected to be unveiled at an LG event being held on August 7, and this Android smartphone is generating a lot of interest, as it’s a successor to the Optimus G. We’ve already seen unofficial specs for this device, and now some leaked LG Optimus G2 photos have emerged, prompting us to think about the size, specs and expectations for this handset.
Last month we showed a leaked image of what was claimed to be a prototype of the LG Optimus G2, and slowly we have been hearing about various specs for the phone. The Optimus G2 looks set to have a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, with Adreno 330 graphics, while other inclusions could be a display of around 5.5-inches with full HD, 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel rear camera, and running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. However, much of this is not yet confirmed, so for now we need to be aware that this is unofficial.

A set of leaked slides purporting to be of the LG Optimus G2 has now come to light, and we are showing you some of the images here. Of course we cannot verify whether these are the real deal or not, but they do come from Evleaks on Twitter, and this source is coming up with a lot of reliable information lately. If you check out the photos you can see new -/+ buttons on the rear of the phone near to the camera, which is rather interesting.

Also one of the images appears to be a promotional ad that simply refers to the phone as the LG G2, dropping the Optimus from the title. It’s always difficult to tell an exact display size from images so this is still to be clarified, but if the 5.5-inch screen being rumored is accurate, that’s quite a step up from the 4.7-inch display of the Optimus G. We can also see from the leaked images that the phone is extremely slim and looks to have very thin bezels.
We’d like to hear what you are hoping for with the LG Optimus G2. If the rumors of a 5.5-inch display are correct, would you be pleased with that increase in size from the Optimus G? What other specs would you like to see confirmed? Tell us your expectations for the Optimus G2 by sending us your comments, as we’re always interested in what readers have to say.

iOS 6 vs iOS 7 icons in popularity choice

iOS 7 is at beta 2 stage for developers, and even though it has not released to the public yet we would like to ask what developers think about the new icons and the way they look. Of course some of the public can answer this as well, as they might have installed iOS 7 unofficially, or could have had a good look at some of the many reports on the upcoming operating system. For iOS 6 vs. iOS 7 icons in a popularity choice, which do you prefer?
Before the official introduction of iOS 7 at Apple’s WWDC recently, there had been a lot of speculation about the new-look OS. It was widely rumored that the new iOS under the influence of Apple guru Jony Ive, would be moving away from a skeuomorphic look to a far cleaner and and flatter design. When iOS 7 was finally unveiled it soon became clear that the leaks had been correct, and a more industrial and uncluttered look was evident.
We’ve written many posts now about iOS 7, and opinion seems to be divided between those who are keen on the revamped interface and those who wish that Apple had left things well alone. We’re really interested to find out whether developers favor the more streamlined appearance of iOS 7 icons or the fussier guise of iOS 6 icons. To be fair there may also be many developers or consumers who don’t have a strong opinion either way and may not have even noticed a difference.
Of course we should remember that many people don’t like change initially, and as Apple’s iOS design has barely differed over the last six years, for some people this could be considered a major change. However, there is often an uproar when new interfaces are introduced (such as on Twitter or Facebook), but this usually dies down pretty quickly once people get used to something.
The image below shows some of iOS 6 icons followed by their iOS 7 equivalents, and we feel that the iOS 7 icons are more clearly defined. They lack any texturing or shading, giving that ‘flatter’ appearance, and although some may miss the older icons, we think the new-look icons are perfectly acceptable and quite admire the new design. Obviously everybody has different thoughts though and this is something that seems to be polarizing opinion, so we’d like to know what you think.
When comparing the rejuvenated iOS 7 icons with their older counterparts, which do you like the best? Do you wish Apple had stuck with the more detailed look of the older icons, or maybe you much prefer the fresh feel of the new icons? If you’re a developer with a view on this, or a consumer, we’d like to hear your comments to get an idea of how the new look has been received.

Birthday Reminder app for iOS the easy way to remember

It can be quite easy to forget some people’s birthdays only remembering at the last minute before rushing out to the shops or purchasing some sort of digital gift or card, but today we have news of the free Birthday Reminder app for iOS that is the easy way to remember those dates.
This new free application will provide iOS users and easy way to remember people’s birthdays via their mobile device without the need of entering them all manually into the hardware. Birthday Reminder will automatically import birthday data from a users Facebook account or their address book.
Birthdays can still be added manually and the app will send a birthday notification to the user several days before the date of the birthday that will give enough time to send a card or gift via mail. Upcoming birthdays are listed soonest first so you will know who to shop for.
Users can change the settings in the app so it notifies them well in advance of anyone’s birthday, and they can even set the time of day a notification will be sent to them via their mobile device. There is even the option of switching off the notifications and use the application manually.
Birthday Reminder 1.0 is available free and worldwide on the App Store for owners of the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad running iOS 5.1 or later.

Umeox X5 vs Huawei Ascend P6 for slim smartphone title

While we have seen smartphones getting larger displays powered by more powerful processors in the last couple of years they have also become a lot thinner and lighter, and today we are looking at the Umeox X5 vs Huawei Ascend P6 for the slim smartphone title.
While Chinese manufacturer Huawei recently launched the Ascend P6 and labelled the device as the slimmest smartphone at only 6.18mm thick, but now there is a new handset that has been announced that comes in even thinner and it is another Chinese handset called the Umeox X5.
The X5 has a 5.3-inch display of unknown pixel resolution that compares to the Ascend P6 that has a 4.7-inch HD resolution display. The P6 has a quad core 1.5GHz processor with 2GB of RAM under the hood that compares to the X5 that has a dual core unit of unknown clock speed or RAM. Both handsets will be running the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system though.
On the X5 there is an 8-megapixel rear facing shooter along with a 3-megapixel front facer, which compares to the Ascend P6 that uses the same sized sensor on the back with a 5-megapixel camera on the front.
The X5 though only measures 5.6mm thick compared to the 6.18mm of the Ascend P6, and yesterday Sony announced the Xperia Z Ultra that is also pretty thin at 6.5mm. It is believed that the Umeox X5 will be arriving in Europe during the summer with France getting first dibs on the handset.
Do you think that smartphones are getting too thin?
Source: GSM Insider.

iPhone 5S mass production and release hint with photo

History will tell us that we are getting closer to the launch of a new iPhone model as we begin to see numerous parts leak and sometimes a working model left in a bar. Speculation has been mounting recently about what we can expect to see this year and it seems that there is a hint of the iPhone 5S hitting mass production ahead of a release from a photo.
The image that you can see on this page is allegedly showing the iPhone 5S display assemblies that seem to be on a production line. Images of the component recently surfaced and while the picture isn’t perfect you can still make out the redesigned flex cable connectors.
On the current model of the iPhone 5 the two connectors are both fixed horizontally but on this component one of them is placed vertically. This hints that mass production of the iPhone 5S display assemblies has already begun and may mean the handset could be launched earlier than expected.
Last month there were rumours that Sharp had begun production of displays for the handset with this set to hit full speed this month, and if the device is coming to the public in September Apple may be looking to release the iPhone 5S in more markets straight away.
There has been talk that the next version of the iPhone could feature a finger print scanner placed into the bezel, and this news also follows more images of an early prototype of the handset that included a bigger battery and dual flash camera.
It is also believed that the iPhone 5S will launch alongside the iPad mini 2 and bring with it the new iOS 7 operating system.
Do you think this image shows that production is underway for the iPhone 5S?
Source: Weibo via G4Games.