LG is releasing the Optimus 4X HD, and it should be here in June.

The LG Optimus 4X HD features Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), a 4.7-inch True HD IPS display, and NVIDIA’s Tegra 3 Quad core CPU.

Dr Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics, said: “Beyond the fast processor, superb display and largest-in-class battery, the Optimus 4X HD is the first LG smartphone to feature the new User Experience (UX).”

Dr Park added: “As the smartphone segment consolidates even further, it’s becoming more and more apparent that both great software and great hardware are crucial to stay on top of the game.”

Dr Park, however, did not elaborate on the phone’s supposed new feature.

Other specifications include an eight-megapixel camera, DLNA-support, and something called Fingertip Seek. This allows users to preview a video frame by touching the progress bar. Also featured are live zooming by pinching, video speed control and thumbnail list play. This last feature is very interesting, as it allows you to view a thumbnail version of a video while still playing another video on full screen.

In other news, NVIDIA, the company that has provided the microprocessor for the above-mentioned LG Optimus handset, has apparently bought 500 patents relating to wireless communication. This seemingly involves 4G technology as well as 3G.

A smart move, it seems, as NVIDIA believes mobile technology is set to expand radically over the next few years, and particularly wireless mobile technology.

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It seems networks are effectively blacklisting websites that are perceived as corrupting, but in reality the reverse is true.

Networks are supposed to censor sites such as pornographic websites unless adults ask for the ban to be lifted.

However, it appears that while everyone thinks this is a noble way to protect children, networks are also blanket banning particular sites that they think are not suitable. This has resulted in some bizarre bans, such as a website built by residents of St Margarets in Middlesex.

This particular site acts as an online centre for the people of the village, but it also has a blog that looks into the impartiality of the BBC. Whether it is this last facet that has caused the website to be censored is not known, but some experts have argued that if true then it is an attack on free speech.

The news came about after the London School of Economics compiled a report to look at censorship. The report suggests that this blacklisting has gone too far at times, and goes on to say: “It can mean a business is cut off from a slice of its market. It can simply see people unable to get directions to a bar. It may stop a prominent political organisation from reaching concerned citizens.”

As many sites are also accessible by smartphones and other mobile gadgets, it could be a case that an individual travelling to an area may want instant information, but this is denied simply because a network has blocked it.

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Image Courtesy of Apple

It seems that the iPad Mini may not be a phantom device after all. It might just still be a rumour, but it seems a number of analysts have been told that the seven-inch device is going into production very shortly.

The idea of the mini iPad has been circulating for quite a while now, and its invention is thought to be a reaction to the high price that has to be paid for the original iPad 2. With Europe in particular being in economic turmoil, it makes sense for Apple to offer something cheaper.

So what will it cost?

Again there are rumours, but many experts believe the cost will probably be in the region of £150 – £200.

What differences will there be between the iPad Mini and its big brother?

Seemingly the differences will be small in terms of features. Some think it is like to possess a 2048×1536 pixel resolution display, which is the same as that of the iPad 2. The main difference is thought to be storage.

However, until the iPad Mini is finally released, everyone will just have to wait.

In other Apple news, there are suggestions that the company will be announcing its own 3D mapping technology as part of the latest iOS 6 operating system at this year’s WWDC event, which will take place this June in San Francisco.

This is interesting; up until now Apple has been using Google’s mapping technology, but the US firm appears to want to ditch it in favour of its own version.

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If you are a BlackBerry fan then you will be interested to learn that the BlackBerry Curve 9320 is now available for free from T-Mobile.

The contract is £15.50 per month for 24 months, or you can buy it outright for £149.99.

The BlackBerry Curve 9320 is considered by experts to be an entry-level device with function and affordability being key rather than high-end specifications.

The display screen is BlackBerry’s usual size of 2.4 inches, something that by today’s standards is rather small, and of course there is the ubiquitous QWERTY keyboard.

Other features include a 3-megapixel camera with LED Flash, MP3 player and FM radio. Inside is 512MB onboard storage and a 1450mAh battery, the latter being quite large by traditional BlackBerry standards.

External storage is up to 32GB via a MicroSD, while the operating system is version 7.1, which has disappointed many people. However, it is thought that the device is likely to be upgradeable to version 10 when RIM finally releases it.

The contract with T-Mobile also gives users 100 minutes of calls, unlimited texts and 250MB of data.

T-Mobile appears to be the first network operator to be offering the BlackBerry Curve 9320. Nothing is known about whether the other networks will also be offering similar contract deals, although this is probably just a matter of time. T-Mobile, as far as it is known, does not have an exclusivity deal with RIM. The latter is not generally thought to do such deals anyway.

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If you are bothered about which operating system you use, tell Stephen Elop, Nokia’s Chief Executive Officer.

In one way, Mr. Elop is probably right. Consumers are probably not interested in the mechanics of the different platforms used, such as Symbian or Android. They are more concerned about what it can do, and whether it benefits the end user.

However, consumers will also make a decision on the type of operating system they want to use based on how it ‘operates’. This is the probable reason why so many Nokia customers have left. It is also probably one of the reasons why Nokia itself has ditched Symbian in favour of Microsoft’s Windows Phone software.

In short, Nokia customers became bored with the platform, perceiving the last version as being little different to the previous one. However, if Nokia expects previous customers to suddenly come flocking back just because the company has now embraced the Windows Phone platform, the firm could be in for a rude awakening. The Microsoft operating system has not, up to now, been a major player in the market. The real tussle has been between Android and Apple’s iOS operating systems.

However, the Finnish outfit certainly seems confident that it could break the market wide open. Marko Ahtisaari, Nokia’s executive vice president of design, said: “In Windows Phone, there will be things that happen to the core experience, on Lumia, that will be our own.”

He may well be right, as US sales of the handset have been surprisingly good. Can this be maintained in Europe?

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Shatterproof screens could be here as soon as next year if LG manages to manufacture them in time.

One of the biggest bugbears for people is a display screen that cracks or even shatters when they drop their mobile device. LG Electronics appears to have solved this problem, as it has been working on creating shatterproof versions of the display.

Moreover, it seems that the Asian outfit is ready to pour money into the building of a new production plant with the sole objective of making flexible and unbreakable displays for its future smartphones. The investment is thought to be in the region of $176 million.

This is an interesting development, and one to watch.

In other news, some time ago it was reported that Google was developing some newfangled spectacles or glasses. While this news was not widely reported or was perhaps forgotten about, it seems that the reality is getting closer.

In fact, the reality is closer than many would have thought, as photos were posted online. One of these series of photographs shows one reporter whirling his son around while a picture was taken via the glasses.

It is well known that taking still pictures of a moving target does not always have a happy outcome; the resulting photograph is generally blurred unless you are an excellent photographer. However, the quality of the ‘glasses’ pictures is very good.

Some experts think that Google’s ‘glasses’ could be on sale as early as the end of this year, although Google itself has denied that this is likely to happen.

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Facebook is facing potential revenue problems, and apparently it is all the fault of smartphone apps.

It seems that advertising, which is the main revenue generator for the social network site, cannot keep up with the growth in the uptake of apps. The latter enables mobile phone users to go directly to Facebook without the need to use a computer.

The major problem for Facebook is that the site is essentially free to use, with posters uploading photos, videos and so on. Facebook as such does not make money, so in effect revenue generation can be affected.

A spokesperson for Facebook said: “We believe this increased usage of Facebook on mobile devices has contributed to the recent trend of our daily active users increasing more rapidly than the increase in the number of ads delivered.”

It seems that around 85% of the revenue accrued by Facebook last year was made from advertising. This amounts to a $3.7bn; however, unless the company can develop a better strategy to take into account the massive growth in app use, the company could potentially be in trouble.

What is more, it could affect the flotation of Facebook on the stock market, which is expected shortly. The flotation is thought to possibly raise as much as £96bn.

Aware of the problem, Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, has been looking at ways to improve the situation. He recently went on a shopping spree, buying up all sorts of businesses, such as Instagram, in the hope that this would help. Instagram is a photo-sharing application.

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The Asian manufacturer HTC has indicated that it will be releasing a new budget Android smartphone.

Called the HTC Desire C (its final name apparently), a photograph of the phone was spotted online.
Features are thought to include a 3.2-inch 480 x 320 pixel display, an 800MHz single-core processor, 512MB RAM and 4GB of storage. However, at the moment this is just speculation.

Experts have been told that the HTC Desire C will be officially launched in June.

The corporation released another budget device last year, called the HTC One V, as part of the company’s latest One range of smartphones. Like the Desire C, this particular phone also runs Android 4.0, more commonly known as Ice Cream Sandwich.

Interestingly, it has been something of a surprise to many commentators that Ice Cream Sandwich has been used in budget phones, which may indicate that Google is pushing this as the standard for all future mobile phones and tablets.

If this is correct, it is likely to put to bed the criticism that Android is too fragmented a platform.

In other news, the rumour mill is in full swing over Apple’s latest machines. There are suggestions that not only will the iPhone 5 be launched in September but so will the Apple iPad Mini. The rumour of its existence has been around for a while, but many experts think it will make an appearance this September, or possibly even in August.

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Image Courtesy of Apple

Do you own an iPhone and make a lot of calls and texts? Then you are sure to be interested to know there is a now an application available allowing you to make calls and send texts for free.

Called Tu Me you can now enjoy making telephone calls and sending text without the worry of how much it will cost. However you must be using O2’s network.

A spokesperson for O2 told the Daily Telegraph: “The service will continue to be developed with added value functionality.”

The spokesperson also pointed out that although at the moment only iPhone users can make use of this new app, Android phone owners will soon be able to do so as well.

And it isn’t just calls and texts which can be made and sent for free. It seems that other media such as photos, instant messages and other things can also be freely sent.

The new application is a development of O2’s parent company, Telefónica Digital. Stephen Shurrock, the Chief Commercial Officer at Telefónica Digital, said: “Tu Me puts all your communications needs into one place, for free, and is a great way for people to stay in touch with those close to them.”

Free calls from mobiles is not exactly new. Skype has been offering customers something similar for a long time. However, what does appear to be new with this particular application is that many digital media is also included and not just telephone calls.

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BT’s famous red coloured phone box was a landmark of many British streets; however, since the advent of the mobile phone, these objects have often become neglected, with vandals ensuring they cannot be used again.

While the rest of the country may no longer see many of these phone boxes in their local area, London still appears to hold affection for them. What is more, they appear to have become popular once more, with people snapping up refurbished boxes and paying around £2,000 to own one.

It seems that while most people prefer to make a call from the handheld device, the humble red telephone box still holds affection in the hearts of many people. The boxes in London usually end up in what has been called a red box graveyard, where experts meticulously restore them to their former glory.

While a lot are sold, some are returned to the streets of London. It is also expected that they will be used during the Olympic Games, despite the proliferation of smartphones.

Others, though, are being sold off to anyone who would like one, as confirmed by Richard Parker, who has been charged with disposing of the phone boxes. He recently said: “The phones haven’t stopped ringing, if you’ll excuse the pun. We’ve had over 600 calls from across the globe – Australia, America, the Far East – from people wanting their own piece of British heritage. Thirty boxes have been allocated already

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