Now that iOS 5.1 Beta 3 has been seeded to developers, we are now seeing reports and hints at what could be included in future updates. One of the first discoveries is that the iPad and perhaps the iPod touch could be getting some form of Siri.
Apple has released a new beta version of iOS 5.1. This time it's Beta 3 which brings us another step closer to a final release.
Not many changes are found within beta 3 other than the usual list of bug fixes which iron out problems before the final launch. What has changed in this version is the Enable 3G toggle which was removed on the iPhone 4S.
Last week, Corning teased a new glass called Gorilla Glass 2. Other than knowing its a follow on from Gorilla Glass, there wasn't any other information made available. Corning has now provided the details of what has changed between versions. As it's glass, the details might be too much of a surprise, but at the same time this will help smartphones become a little sleeker.
We've already had confirmation that the new Asus Transformer Prime will be getting the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update. This is of course happening on the 12th January (this week!). For those with the older generation device, the Asus Transformer, you'll also be getting the update this week.
Lenovo has launched a new tablet called the Lenovo IdeaTab S2. The device measures just 8.69mm thick and comes with a 10 inch display. The operating system running on the S2 is Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
The keyboard is an extra which adds a little thickness to the tablet. In a similar way to the Transformer Prime, the S2 keyboard allows the tablet portion to be docked so it can be used more like a laptop for data entry.
Vizio has confirmed rumours by announcing that it is launching five new PCs. The launch date for them is expected to be sometime in the Spring of this year.
All five models run the Windows 7 operating system. Other than that, the details are a little sparse at the moment although Vizio has commented that they will “turn the PC market upside down and accomodate the entertainment needs and wants demanded by consumers”.
The beta of iOS 5.1 has some indications that the next iPad and iPhone will run a quad-core processor. That particular processor is expected to be an Apple A6 provided by Samsung. Although a quad-core chip is not really a surprise, what is good to see is that the iOS 5.1 beta has references to such a processor.
An interesting report has been doing the rounds today about the iPhone 4S and how much data users eat through whilst using the device. When comparing it to the iPhone 4, users use double the amount of data. Some reports are blaming it on Siri with this being the only extra on the device.
We've certainly seen a fair share of PS4 concepts and after a few years of waiting we will soon get to see the real thing. The same goes for Xbox 720 concepts (not a real name yet). We'll also get to see the real next gen Xbox as well. Both will be going on show at E3 this year.
LoveFilm has managed to strike up a deal with BBC and ITV in the UK. The new deal will bring a number of TV shows to the LoveFilm service. These include Inspector Morse, Cold Feet, Doctor Who and other shows.
Jeremy Horowitz of iLounge has commented on Twitter that the iPad 2 will continue to live on after the iPad 3 has launched. This is no real surprise. He also comments that the iPad 3 will be 1mm thicker to incorporate an iPhone 4S like 8 megapixel camera and lens system.
Motorola fans appear to be getting a little frustrated with the company. Just like HTC and Sony Ericsson, Motorola had also promised fans that they would unlock bootloaders on Android devices by the end of 2011. This was subject to carrier approval. Unfortunately, not much seems to of happened with this and bootloaders are still locked in most cases. We will mention that some are unlocked, but not many.
