Samsung to create iPad rival

Samsung is planning a brand new tablet computer that will be built to compete directly with the Apple iPad. According to reports, Samsung is looking to trump the iPad in terms of technological clout, with a faster processor and a slicker operating system.

Samsung has so far said that it will be using Microsoft’s Windows 7 platform as the base operating system for its tablet computer. However, new rumours suggest that it will be ditching this in favour of Google’s Android.

Tech site Tweakers has reported that Samsung is dissatisfied with the performance levels of the tablet using Windows 7 and is considering Android as the ideal replacement.

Other rumours that surfaced online have implied that the Samsung tablet computer will feature some kind of mobile broadband connectivity, with 4G potential alluded to in a forum post from Samsung’s Philip Newton.

Mr Newton, who heads up Samsung’s Australian IT division, also said that an Intel Atom processor was probably going to be chosen as the CPU for the tablet computer.

Using an Atop CPU makes a lot of sense, as Samsung is already familiar with this family of processors through its own line of netbooks. The inclusion of 4G connectivity will allegedly allow the Samsung tablet computer to make voice calls as well as providing data access.

Mr Newton said that the tablet will offer greater physical connections than its major rival from Apple, which observers have taken to mean that there will be the option to attach USB peripherals and storage.

Time TO Facebook Up With Your INQ Mobile

Following on from last week’s post about how Facebook is, rather unsurprisingly, the UK’s most regularly visited website, we thought we’d look at ways you can interact with the social networking website. A lot of mobile phones are sold on the premise that you can use them to access your Facebook account but few offer the same kind of synchronous relationship as the latest INQ handsets that will synchronise between your mobile phone phonebook and your Facebook buddies list. Make a new friend on Facebook and they’re instantly added to your mobile contact list.

If you’re a Facebook freak that has to log on every day, and believe us you’re far from being alone on this one, and you spend hours and hours chatting to your friends, commenting on their walls, and reading their latest updates then get yourself an INQ mobile handset. One of the unusually great things about them is that we in the UK are actually ahead of the USA in this one too because they don’t have them yet.

Obviously, the INQ1 also has a 3.2 megapixel camera so that you can take pics of everything and wherever you are (as seems to be the Facebook way) and then instantly update your Facebook profile with your latest mugshot. The INQ1 is all about being sociable with Windows Live Messenger and even Skype calls that could massively reduce your phone bill and it has last.fm offering similar capabilities so that you can listen to your favourite tracks while you’re on the go.

Orange hopping off the project Kangaroo pot?

After immense speculation in the press that French mobile phone giant Orange where interested in buying into the broadband on-demand video project Kangaroo technology, it appears that they may now have gone off the boil. France Telecom owns Orange and was reportedly very interested in the broadband project to add to their already up and running service, Orange TV. It is estimated that Orange TV currently has an estimated 1 million subscribers, and with the proposed acquisition of the broadband on-demand video service it would allow them to expand their coverage in France.

Project Kangaroo was an ambitious broadband on-demand video venture originally planned by the big television media names in the UK, BBC, Channel Four and ITV. The launch of the new video on demand project was planned for March 2009, however after an indepth review by the Competition Commission it was determined to infringe strict competition rules and so the plan was shelved at the eleventh hour. Since the abandonment of the project by the original backers who had invested some £20 million, they have been seeking a suitable buyer for the technology ever since.

Orange is believed to have adopted a more cautious approach to the proposed acquisition due to the volatile economic climate. They have however reiterated their commitment to become a ‘major player’ in the UK home entertainment market in the future.

It is believed that Orange was not the only interested party and that a technology company was also in talks with the backers to purchase all the assets of project Kangaroo it is thought for a much reduced price tag. It is hoped that the on-demand video service that has taken much time, effort and cost to develop will eventually be sold, however some believe that as time passes the technology developed is fast becoming obsolete.

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