Top 8 iPad 2 Accessories

1. Apple iPad 2 Smart Cover

Unveiled alongside the new tablet, the Smart Cover uses a series of magnets that when placed over your iPad 2 will put your slate into sleep mode and awaken it when opening. It also doubles as a stand to watch movies, or to type out your emails.

US Price: Polyurethane $39, Leather $69 | UK Price: TBC

Link: Apple

2. Apple iPad 2 HDMI video out connector

Joining the Smart Cover on stage with the iPad 2, the new connector is similar in design to the current USB one found with the current iPad model and allows for 1080p video content to be transferred from the iPad 2. There's no setup required and the tablet will charge whilst in use as standard.

US Price: $39 | UK Price: TBC

Link: Apple

3. GEAR4 Jumpsuit for iPad 2

Keeping your iPad 2 protected from the odd bump or two it's likely to take, the rubberised casing is shockproof to help guard your Apple pride of joy.

Price: £19.99-£24.99

Link: GEAR4

4. GEAR4 Angry Birds iPad 2 case

These Birds are everywhere, and now you can have the animated mobile gaming stars emblazoned on your iPad 2 case. As well as Red Bird, you can also get a Family Shot, and Pig King vs Red Bird themed polycarbonate case.

Price: £34.99

Link: GEAR4

5. Native Union Moshi Moshi 05 POP phone

With front-facing and rear-facing camera now in tow, this ergonomic handset connects via 3.5mm jack or can be fitted with an USB adaptor, helping you chat over Skype and other VoIP services in an old fashioned landline style.

Price: £24.90

Link: Native Union

6. Scosche foldIO iPad 2 case

Giving your iPad 2 protection on the go, the Folio-style case delivers three position landscape viewing and features a suede interior for that added secure touch. You can grab one in a range of textures which include leather, white leather, carbon fibre and white carbon.

Price: £39.99

Link: Scosche

7. Scosche glosSEE iPad 2 case

For added iPad 2 gripping, the gloSEE rubber case offers shock protection and also comes packed with an ultra-clear screen protector and a microfibre cleaning cloth.

Price: £29.99

Link: Scosche

8. Cygnett Lavish iPad 2 case

The book-style designed case from Cygnett offers access to all ports and buttons, three viewing angles and a concealed magnet to keep your iPad 2 shut away snug.

UK Price: £34.95

Link: Cygnett

18 Battery tips and tricks for longer battery life (Android)

If you’re new to owning a smartphone the biggest thing you’ll have to get used to is how often you’ll have to charge your phone. Especially if you’re coming from a phone that was, well, just a phone; it’ll be a big change from charging your phone once  every other week to once every other day. So here are some tips that can help you max at your battery life.

If you try and do all of these it may ruin your Android experience because you’ll be constantly finicking with your battery; thats not what this is for. These are ALL the tips/tricks I know. Even I don’t use all of them. Using just a few of these (possibly even one or two) should be enough that you notice an increase in your battery life.

FOR ALL USERS

1. Turn off of your radios when not using them

Radios are what connect your phone to the rest of the world. You have your general mobile connection, wifi, data/internet connection (3G), GPS, and/or 4G. Those are listed in order from least to greatest in battery consumption. If you’re not using the radio turn it off. If you know you won’t be online for a long time, why turn 3G data on? If you’re at home, use wifi instead of 3G. If you’re not using Google Maps why is your GPS on? You’d be amazed at how much battery life you can save just by turning off the radios that you aren’t using. There are plenty of widgets in the market that will allow you to turn off the radios without even going through settings (Sense users have these widgets packaged in).

2. Vibrate uses more battery

Anytime your phone vibrates a lot of battery is used. This include haptic feedback. A lot of keyboards have the option to turn off haptic feedback and I would recommend it. If you’re a heavy texter you’ll notice very quickly how much longer your phone will last. Also, if you’re in a place where you can easily hear your phone why do you need to have vibrate enabled? If you know you’ll be able to hear your phone there’s no reason for it to be buzzing too.

3. Don’t use task killers

Crazy, right? Especially if you’re on Froyo (Android 2.2) or higher, Android has it’s own task killer that’s actually very good. If programs are using too much memory your Android OS will kill it. A common misconception is that apps run in the background forever; this is not true. If an app is using too much memory (which links to battery life) it’ll be killed by your phone. That’s why if you play a game, check a message, and come back the game is still running. It’s memory usage isn’t that high. However if you put your phone down, walk away for an hour, and the game is still trying to run in the background, there’s a good chance it will be closed before you come back. Separate task managers have to constantly be running in the background which can actually use more battery than it saves. Yes, task managers can use more battery than they save.

4. Do this shenanigans

Originally posted by kthejoker20, this trick came from HTC themselves and can seriously DOUBLE your battery life.

With the phone in the on position.

Fully charge the battery with the phone on… (until the led turns green.)

Once the led turns green, unplug the charger until the led goes off.

After the led goes off, plug the charger back in. When the led turns green , power off the phone.

now…. with the phone fully powered off…

1. Unplug the charger.

2. Wait until led goes off.

3. Plug charger back in until the led turns green. When it turns green, unplug the charger again and go to step 1.

4. repeat steps 1 and 3, 10 times. This may take anywhere from 30 seconds to 30 mins per cycle. Typically only about 1 minute. though.

It takes too much work for me, but I’ve done it once just to test it. It works.

5. Juicedefender

A lovely free app (there’s an extended version called UltimateJuice) that helps your phone save battery. You have to see it to understand it, but anyone who is serious about saving battery needs this app.

6. Don’t use live wallpapers

They look awesome, right? They also use a lot of battery (especially the more complex ones). We’ve all used live wallpapers to show off how cool our phones can be, but for daily use they can KILL your battery.

7. Set your screen timeout to something shorter

Some phones start with their screen timeout at 3 minutes or more. That’s completely unnecessary. While you don’t want it to be instant, you know your preferences. Set it to as low as you see fit. The sooner your screen goes off, the longer your battery life will last.

8. Kill tasks you aren’t using

Not the same as an automated task killer. Find an app in the market that can kill programs MANUALLY. People running AOSP Devices (Android Open Source Project…aka your phone is pure Google and not HTC Sense or some other skin) have the benefit of being able to hold the back button to kill apps.

9. Your camera flash and battery don’t get along

If you like using your camera LED for a flashlight realize that will absolutely MURDER your battery. In all seriousness, your flash uses battery more than any other process on your phone.

10. Low cell signal hurts battery

Your phone is always searching for a stronger signal…This process gets more hectic as the cell signal goes down. So if you’re at one bar your phone’s battery life will drop faster than if you’ve got full coverage. There’s not much you can do here, but if you’re in a place where your phone has little to no signal anyway, you probably won’t be making calls so you might want to just turn on airplane mode or your phone off.

11. Turn off always on mobile data

I know on my Evo the setting is hidden under menu>settings>wireless & networks>mobile networks>disable always on mobile data. What this will do is turn off your internet/data when you’re not using it (specifically after your phone’s been asleep for 5 minutes). It will turn back on shortly if you have a new email or need to sync something.

12. Speaking of syncing…

Check your settings to see what is syncing and when. You probably have things syncing you don’t even use (stocks, news, contacts, etc). You can turn those off and edit the other ones. I don’t need my contacts’ statuses every hour, so my facebook sync is scheduled for once a day rather than the old once an hour. However, I like my weather being up to date so it’s synced every half hour. Find out what you need and how often you want it, and turn the rest off.

13. Don’t use GPS unless you have to

Some apps give you the option to precisely determine your position using GPS, or make a general estimate (usually within 100 meters) based on wifi or 3G data. While this isn’t always the best (like if you’re driving or getting navigated), try to use the 3G connection when it doesn’t really matter. The data radio uses far less battery than GPS.

FOR ROOT USERS

If you’ve rooted your phone you have a few more options. You don’t gain too many more options, but they are even more effective than the ones listed above.

14. Trickle charging kernels

Try and get kernels that use trickle charging. These will really ramp up your battery life.

15. Find out if your phone likes HAVS

Basically, try undervolting kernels and see if your phone likes them. If it does, use them. They change the voltage your phone uses based on your activities and how much battery life you have left.

16. If it doesn’t…

Use the Collin_ph Battery Tweak. That one is specific for the Evo, however there are other builds for other devices. I personally use this and can testify that it works WONDERS.

17. Underclock your phone

Just like SetCPU can overclock your phone, it can underclock it as well. Set it to underclock when the phone is sleeping or even lower the max clocking speed.

18. Try different kernels

Just because he/she said that it works for their phone doesn’t mean it will work for yours. Every phone handles kernels differently. Trying some of them (GIVE THEM A DAY OR TWO TO SET IN) can give you a perfect experience of performance and battery.

Try using these tricks and your battery life will never be better!

Is T-Mobile Launching A 3D Android 3.0 Honeycomb Tablet With 4G On April 20th?

Rumor has it that at the upcoming CTIA 2011 convention T-Mobile will be announcing the launch date for their much anticipated first 4G Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet in the LG G-Slate. The rumor comes via tmonews, a popular news site dedicated to T-Mobile news. Tmonews states that their info tells them that T-Mobile will during CTIA (March 22nd – 24th) announce the LG G-Slate will launch on April 20th.

The G-Slate or other times known as the LG Optimus Pad is an 8.9-inch tablet that has 3D capabilities as well as standard Android 3.0 tablet specifications. LG states the tablet is capable of recording 3D content using the supplied rear dual cameras and you can view recordings with 3D glasses on 3D HDTV’s or on the tablets own 3D display.

LG has previously indicated they will be launching the G-Slate branded tablet in the US only with T-Mobile and have the Optimus Pad brand used everywhere else. Pricing for either tablet hasn’t been officially announce yet.

LG G-Slate/Optimus Pad Main Features:

• 8.9-inch WXGA (1280 × 720 pixels) 3D-capable multi-touch display
• Nvidia Tegra 2 SoC (Dual 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 cores and 8-core ULP GeForce graphics engine)
• 32 GB of internal memory
• Gyroscope, Accelerometer and Adaptive Lighting sensors
• Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS
• Wi-Fi capable
• HDMI output with Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels) support
• One front facing camera and dual rear facing cameras (one 5MP sensor and LED flash with 1080p HD video capture capabilities).
• The two rear facing cameras can capture 3D content (at unknown resolutions) but you need 3D glasses to view captures.

VZW Confirms March 17th As HTC Thunderbolt Launch Date

Looks like we finally have a launch date for the HTC Thunderbolt, branded by Verizon. So St Patricks day we can wear our green shirts, and pinch ourselves to make sure we’re not dreaming when we see the long awaitied Thunderbolt on display at the nearest Verizon Wireless retailer.

This phone has been highly anticipated since announced at CES 2011. This is Verizon’s first LTE device, and will be powered by Android-2.2, with 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 8GB onboard memory, 4.3” WVGA display, 8-megapixel rear facing camera.

Take note of the past few tweets this morning from @VerizonWireless.

So get out there, get your hands on the new Thunderbolt! Press Release after the break:

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless and HTC today announced that the ThunderBolt by HTC, exclusively from Verizon Wireless, is available on March 17 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $249.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
Powered by Android™ 2.2, the ThunderBolt by HTC is the first smartphone to take advantage of Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network. The ThunderBolt by HTC features the latest version of the HTC Sense™ experience, which offers enhancements including new personalization options, a consolidated e-mail inbox, and unique camera effects and filters. The ThunderBolt by HTC is equipped with support for Google Mobile Services, including Gmail™, YouTube™ and Android Market™ with thousands of free apps. Additionally, the ThunderBolt by HTC will feature 4G LTE optimized apps such as EA’s Rock Band, Gameloft’s Let’s Golf, Tunewiki and Bitbop.
Additional features:

• 4G LTE – customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G Mobile Broadband coverage area
• 4.3” WVGA display
• 8-megapixel rear facing camera and HD (720p) video recording
• 1.3-megapixel front facing camera with video chatting capabilities
• Newest generation of the 1GHz Snapdragon processor
• Mobile Hotspot capability – share 4G connection with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• 8 GB of onboard memory and a pre-installed 32 GB microSD card (Actual formatted capacity will be less)
• Built-in kickstand for easy media viewing

With the ThunderBolt by HTC, customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan and a 4G LTE data package. Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 monthly access and an unlimited 4G LTE data plan start is $29.99 monthly access. Mobile Hotspot allows users to connect up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the nation’s fastest wireless network via an application available on the ThunderBolt by HTC.
Mobile Hotspot will be included through May 15 for no additional charge. After May 15, customers may choose to activate Mobile Hotspot for $20 for 2 GB of data per month. Customers can track their data usage by downloading the My Verizon app available in Android Market or by logging on to their My Verizon accounts online at www.verizonwireless.com/myverizon

Adobe finds 'critical' security hole in Flash Player, won't fix it before next week

Oh, here we go again. Adobe's kicked out a security bulletin for users of its Flash Player on "all platforms" -- that'll be the entire population of the internet, then -- warning them that a new critical vulnerability has been discovered that may cause crashes and potentially permit the hijacking of systems. The issue also affects the company's Reader and Acrobat software products. Even better news is that Adobe has found it's being actively exploited "in the wild" via a .swf file embedded in an Excel spreadsheet, but a fix won't be forthcoming until the beginning of next week. So, erm, enjoy your full web experience until then!

Internet Explorer 9 out now

Hardware acceleration in, but XP support out as Big M takes on Mozilla and Google.

Microsoft has finally pushed Internet Explorer 9 out from its public preview state, talking up its newly-minted browser at a special bash held at South by South West Interactive.

The new-look effort, which was released as a public preview last year, boasts hardware acceleration, meaning it can use a PC’s graphics grunt as well as its regular processor. What’s more, it’s better at detecting viruses in dodgy downloads and comes rocking HTML5 skills.

However, the Big M says it won’t work with Windows XP, as it looks to close the door on its ageing but still ubiquitous operating system. Microsoft says it wants to concentrate on, “…pushing the web forward.” With Firefox, Chrome and Safari all snapping at its heels, that’s hardly a surprise.

Have you snagged IE9 yet? Tell us what you think of Microsoft’s new effort.

Motorola Droid 3, Droid X 2 and LTE-equipped Targa pictured?

The Motorola Droid 2 and Droid X are both headed toward their one-year anniversaries this summer, which has pretty much become the culling hour for a smartphone of any creed these days. Their successors, ingeniously titled the Droid 3 and Droid X 2, have seemingly made an appearance over atHowardForums, courtesy of longtime forum member wnrussell. He's also kindly provided imagery of a heretofore unknown device, called the Targa, which promises Verizon 4G LTE and has a protrusion on its rear that looks to be dedicated to accommodating an outsized camera sensor. It reminds us most of Motorola's XT720, though it sports a chrome outline to its body similar to what you see above on the purported Droid 3.

Philips' new camcorder comes with 23x zoom and WiFi, but no price or release date

Philips makes plenty of audio / video equipment for use when consuming our content, but until now, the company didn't offer many options on the creating end. Well, Philips fanboys (they exist, don't they?), take a gander at your next must-buy purchase -- the ESee HD camcorder touts a 23x zoom, 1080p recording to an SD card, touchscreen viewfinder (of unknown size), WiFi for uploading vids (so as not to keep fans waiting for your next cinematic masterpiece), and an audio zoom feature. Yeah, a zoom for your audio. Details about pricing and availability are nowhere to be found, but not knowing makes you want it all the more, right?

Couldn’t Get An iPad 2? Is Ebay To Blame?

Reports that Apple sold up to 500,000 iPad 2 tablets during its debut weekend means little to those who stood in line for the iDevice on Friday, only to come up empty handed. What makes this news more frustrating is knowing that some of those iPad 2 buyers who were successful are now making a quick profit. But is this a big problem?

Benefiting financially off the iPad 2 isn’t surprising. In fact, Apple indirectly encourages the practice. As with other product launches, the iPad 2 debuted only in the U.S, and won’t be available for another two weeks in other countries.

Between now and then, people across the world will pay a huge premium for the iDevice, which retails for as low as $499.

Many would-be sellers cash in by turning to eBay or Craigslist, among other online locations. While the majority of the listings are for one iPad 2 only, some are for lots of two or more. Prices for the iPad 2 range from a low of $800 for a 16GB Wi-Fi model to $4,000 for two Wi-Fi + 3G units sold together.

A quick survey of current listings on eBay tells the story: Nearly 7,700 “iPad 2” listings are available on the popular auction website. Of these, nearly 1,450 are from so-called “top-rated sellers.” In other words, from those who make a living buying and selling on eBay.

Similar listings are popping up on Craigslist.

Clearly, most iPad 2 buyers aren’t profiting from their purchase. Rather, they simply want to enjoy one of Apple’s newest iDevices (and got in line at the right time).

Still, is there something Apple could do to eliminate this early profiting? Probably not. After all, the reason Apple staggers product releases in the first place has nothing to do with assisting eBay or Craigslist sellers, and everything to do with being unable to keep up with initial demand.

The iPad (and iPhone too) always generates more demand at launch time than Apple could ever be expected to supply. If they could, the company would happily take the added profits, which would come from selling more units.

Our advice to would-be buyers: Avoid overspending for an iPad 2. Within a few weeks, the iDevice will be available at numerous locations in the U.S. and across the world.

Rather, save the money and use it to buy apps and a Smart Cover.

Car2go test drive: RFID, GPS, and mobile apps make for a smarter Smart

Car2Go is, basically, a Zipcar competitor. Like Zipcar you get an RFID card that provides access. Just walk up, tap it on the windshield, and the car unlocks. Right now you find the keys hiding in the glove box and, after punching in a PIN and accepting a few terms and conditions on the car's center-mounted touchscreen, you're ready to roll. But, there are some differences between the services, like no annual fee with Car2go, offset by a higher one-time registration, $35 vs. $25 for Zip, and a potentially higher hourly fee as well, at $12.99 maximum per hour vs. $8.50 (though Zip's fee does go up to $13.25 on weekends).





But those fees are potentially much lower, too. Car2go actually charges by the minute, $.35 each, and interestingly the average user keeps a car for just 30 to 40 minute at a shot. 150 miles are included, plenty to get in and around the 52 square mile coverage area, but if you feel like roaming you can go well outside of that area too. You will, however, need to return the car into the coverage area if you want the clock to stop running on your rental.

And that leads to one of the big changes with Car2go versus the others: you can park anywhere you like. Well, anywhere that's legal, anyway. Car location is updated via GPS and monitored centrally, along with information like fuel level and plenty of other metrics, all uploaded over an integrated data connection. It's T-Mobile. Using that connection you can also request that the car get a cleaning before it's rented again, and even call their support center -- hands-free, of course.





Location info is available through the company's apps, which sadly at this point are only available for iOS devices -- though there is a simple XML-based API if you feel like rolling your own. From here you can see where any of the 210 Fortwos are scattered about, or at least any of the available ones. The app is layered over Google Maps and so you can get walking directions if you don't know your way around. You can also place a reservation up to 24 hours in advance, though that may have a slight negative impact on your reputation as someone bound by neither rules nor schedules. Also, those who are sticklers about spelling mistakes should not use the iPad version, nor look too closely at the above screen shot.

In practice the process is easy enough, though it's the cars that may leave some wishing for a bit more. If you've never been in a Fourtwo they are perhaps a bit more comfortable than you might have expected, but they're certainly no larger than you'd hoped. There's plenty of storage in the back for a messenger bag and a jacket but not much more. You could certainly stuff a couple loads of laundry in there if you don't care about how wrinkled they'd get on the way home, but making a run to Ikea to pick up a new and exotically named home entertainment center is definitely not in the cards. 





Still, it's a great little car for short inter-city missions, and the service is structured to match that. The biggest problem is, of course, availability, and 210 cars in one city are hardly going to revolutionize modern transportation. The company promises us that "a couple" of new cities are coming "within the next year" and, while that's too vague for our tastes, it's certainly a lot better than "nowhere" and "never."

Xperia Play 'Donor' ad shows how Android got its thumbs

If you've watched the creepy Xperia Play "Android thumbs ad" and wondered about the backstory of the thumbs in question, then you'll be relieved to hear that Sony Ericsson has provided you with the answers you crave in a brand new commercial.

The ad, entitled "The Donor", tells the chilling story of a man brutally robbed of his opposable digits by Sony Ericsson just so you can play Tekken on your phone. Check it out for yourself after the jump. The Xperia Play is due out in Europe later this month.

HTC, DELL, ACER AND TOSHIBA ANDROID 3.0 HONEYCOMB TABLETS IN JUNE

Dates and prices for a bevy of new Android tablets have been leaked from an unnamed US retailer. PreCentral is only really interested in the HP Touchpad and a new 7-inch webOS tablet, the HP Opal, but also in the line-up are 10-inch slates from HTC, Dell, Acer and Toshiba, all due in June 2011.

There’s also a 7-inch Acer running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and expected to launch in April for $399. The remainder get Android 3.0 Honeycomb, with the HTC unpriced but Dell’s 10-inch model expected to be $499, Acer’s to be $449 and Toshiba’s to be $499.

The two Acer models are likely to be the Iconia Tab A100 and Iconia Tab A500, which we played with back at MWC 2011 in February. HTC has been tipped to be readying a 10-inch model for some time now, launching with Honeycomb out of the gate rather than Gingerbread like the HTC Flyer.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 shows off Android Honeycomb features [Video]

While we’re still waiting for the official announcement of Samsung for their new Samsung Galaxy Tab, which is bigger than the previous model, a new video was uploaded in YouTube, showing some of the physical and software features of the 10.1 inches Android-powered tablet.

One one compelling features of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is its operating system, Android Honeycomb 3.0, and without the Samsung tweak, so expect the software to be faster. “Everything runs smoother,” says the video while showing how to pinch to zoom while browsing the web using the stock browser that looks much like the desktop version of Google Chrome.

The only “inaccurate” feature that the video noted is the “150,000 apps and widgets,” because the video forgot to say that most of the apps in the Android market are not yet tablet compatible. But, Android is known for its fast-growing apps, so expect to see more tablet-friendly apps this year.

One commenter in YouTube said, “looks much better than iPad 2,” while another one added that “HD video recording looks a little choppy (at least in this particular video) which is my only complaint. I hope this feature is fixed come release time because I’m passing on the Xoom and iPad 2 for this.”

iPhone 5 won't have NFC, say insiders at UK carriers

The Independent is starting our week off on a sour note with the information that Apple's next iPhone won't have NFC hardware built in. Near Field Communication has found itself coming to the fore this year, thanks in large part to the Nexus S touting it as a major feature, however sources at "several" of the UK's major carriers have told the newspaper that Apple intends to skip on it for this year. That intel is reportedly coming directly from meetings with the Cupertino brain trust, which is said to be dissatisfied with the current lack of a clear, universal NFC standard. It's generally been Apple's wont to omit or delay features it doesn't feel it can implement well, and NFC looks fated to be another one on that list.

Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD Updated, Now Optimized For The iPad 2

The popular racing app, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD, has just received a great iPad 2 update. Now, gamers can enjoy “faster gameplay and incredible new visual features” when playing Asphalt 6 on their second generation iPad.

New features of the $6.99 app include “smoother real time reflection,” real time road lighting and shadows, motion blur, and massive performance improvements. Asphalt 6now runs twice faster on the iPad 2 than on the original iPad, which is very impressive.

Additional improvements include support for the gyroscope (in your garage, you can now turn your iDevice and view your cars as if you’re actually there), and improved particle effects – meaning smoke, collisions, and off road driving will look more real than ever!

The updated version of Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD ($6.99) is available now in the App Store. If you have an iPad 2, check it out, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

iPad 2 specs discerned, 900MHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 and PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU blow away graphical benchmarks

iFixit may have physically uncovered Apple's latest silicon, but it's the processor gurus that have discovered what's truly inside -- using software benchmarks, they've unearthed the speeds and feeds of the Apple A5. As you'll no doubt be aware having read our headline above, there actually isn't a 1GHz CPU at the helm, as AnandTech and IOSnoops report the dual-core ARM Cortex A9 is dynamically clocked around 900MHz, likely in search of reduced power consumption. Perhaps more interestingly for all you gamers in the audience, the iPad 2 reports that it has a dual-core PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU on the die as originally foretold -- and, spoiler alert -- it mops the floor with both the original iPad and the Motorola Xoom. Though the new chip didn't quite demonstrate 9X the graphical prowess of its predecessor, it rendered 57.6 frames per second in a GLBenchmark test where the (admittedly higher-res) Tegra 2 tablet managed only 26.7fps, and last year's iPad pulled only 17.6fps. 

Hulu for Android coming soon, destined for 'select' phones with Android 2.2?

Since the dawn of Flash on Android -- yes, that was just ten months ago -- Google smartphone users been largely unable to access their favorite Hulu programs on the go. At CES 2011, we heard that Hulu would indeed come to Android, but not when or where. Today, we're a step closer to the answer. An eagle-eyed Engadget reader spotted this image at the company's website, depicting a most unusual combo: an image of a Samsung Nexus S (which comes with Android 2.3) and a suggestion that Hulu Plus will soon be available on a subset of devices running Android 2.2. We can't say which devices quite yet, but we've heard this tune before, and suspect Hulu will only run on phones that have DRM baked into their hardware. Now how about that Google TV?

Screenshots: Twitter for BlackBerry 1.1: New user interface, push notifications

The next generation version of the popular Twitter for BlackBerry application, version 1.1.0.17, has been released onto the BlackBerry Beta Zone for limited testers, and includes a wealth of new features designed to make the experience more in tune with the web based version for desktops.

Some of the new features are clearly apparent, such as the new menu icon and the redesigned user interface, which now includes a separate menu icon for trending topics.

Push notifications of @mentions are apparent with messages coming through instantly instead of incrementally. Lots of bugs have been fixed, and language support has been increased in French and Portuguese, and there is greater integration with the BlackBerry OS 6.1 Social Feeds application.

This shows the new icon in the menu, which now shows the Twitter bird instead of the trademark lowercase ‘t’.

The new user interface isn’t radically different, but does add more space to the menu at the top, leading to a greater prominence to the tweet itself. This menu bar disappears once you scroll down, however.

And trending ‘popular’ topics has its own separate menu option at the top of the screen, showing what is currently going on in the Twittersphere.