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BT is Set to Trial 4G Across the UK
Even thought the tech has been widely available in the USA of a few years now, the UK is still waiting for a tangible 4G network to come available. There is however a light at the end of the tunnel as BT and Everything Everywhere are looking to come together to produce the UK’s first wireless 4G network.
They plan to implement a 3 month trial in Cornwall, which has a large number of broadband ‘not-spots’, the trial will ask 200 homes to take part from September 2011 with the aim to assess the feasibility of a longer term evaluation for the entire UK.
Now the technical bits. In order to send the required data, BT will be using some radio space which has been released in Cornwall by Ofcom. This is because they have already switched off the analogue TV transmitters (2009). If the trial goes well BT will look to buy the remaining air space as the rest of the UK completes the digital switchover by the end of 2012.
The main benefit to come from the massive upgrade will be that rural areas which cannot currently receive broadband through the traditional copper wiring could receive access to the internet at speeds up to 40mbps wirelessly.
TomTom GO LIVE 800 Series Launched
TomTom has officially launched its new range of SatNavs in the 800 Series. This encompasses two new mapping solutions, the GO LIVE 820 and GOLIVE 825, both of which come with the firm’s connectivity services as well as HD Traffic, Voice Control and hands-free calling built in.
TomTom’s HD Traffic solution is brilliant at letting you know where the traffic jams are on your route and guiding you round them. Another great addition is the QuickGPSfix feature which enables a quick start by locking on to your GPS position much faster than previous editions. Add in features like hand-free Bluetooth calling, TomTom weather for local 5 day forecasts and a live search tool for areas of local interest, which means that it will go up against the likes of Nokia Maps and Google Maps Navigation.
Both the 825 and the 820 feature TomTom’s flip mount screen and accelerometers so that the device can be rotated 180 degrees without worry of which way the devices are mounted. The main differences between the 2 devices are the 825 comes with a 5” display which is fantastic and the 820 a not so large but equally great 4.3” display.
The new GO LIVE 825 is set for launch shortly around £229.99 and the GO LIVE 820 is yet to be priced but is expected to be slightly cheaper and launched around September.
Windows 8 Coming in 2012?
According to Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, Windows 8 is set to launch on Microsoft platforms in 2012.
Speaking at a developer conference in Tokyo, Japan, last week, Ballmer made reference to Microsoft’s next OS as “Windows 8” for the first time and he also mentioned that the OS would arrive next year for PCs, tablets and slates.
Ballmer told developers “We’re obviously hard at work on the next version of Windows. Windows 7 PCs will sell over 350 million units this year. We’ve done a lot in Windows 7 to improve customer satisfaction. We have a brand new user interface. We’ve added touch, and ink, and speech. As we look forward to the next generation of Windows systems, which will come out next year, there’s a whole lot more coming.”
Xbox 360: 3D Gaming to be Announced by Microsoft?
The time has come at last for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 to emerge into the world of 3D.
Even though some have said 3D is short lived, for the meantime it is here to stay. Microsoft is in agreements as they are on the brink of unveiling full 3D gaming for the Xbox 360 next month at E3.
The Xbox is not a stranger to 3D. COD Black Ops is available to play in stereoscopic 3D and even though it is at a lower resolution, Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg commented a few months ago “The capability is there”.
The obvious question is whether or not the consumer demand is there. Greenberg went on to say; “We’re not a consumer electronics company that’s trying to sell 3DTVs, so we have the benefit of waiting until the market responds.”
The PS3 currently offers full HDMI stereoscopic 3D at 720p to each eye and this is something most people agree the Xbox 360 is more than capable of matching, if not exceeding. The update would be delivered via firmware updates and would be ready for anybody with a 3D TV and capable game to utilise.