A look at gadget, game and geek happenings in the week ahead.
Samsung Tab may debut on Vodafone
The Samsung Galaxy Tab is in the news again. The much talked about tablet computing device from Samsung was seen last month when a leaked photo began circulating the web following a tweet from the official Samsung South Africa account.
“Android-powered Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab (tablet). More pics to follow,” said the tweet while the accompanying image had since been removed.
Now that the Tab is confirmed there is more news. Engadget reports that http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/15/samsung-galaxy-tablet-p1000-firmware-leaks-out-points-to-1ghz-h/ the device could debut with mobile operator Vodafone so there might be both a Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi plus 3G version like with the iPad.
There is also further speculation that it could make its first official public appearance at the IFA in Berlin next month. Either way, it could have a 1GHz processor just like the Galaxy S, possibly a front-facing camera and will have Flash and Swype for text input.
Survey shows majority don’t use safe passwords online
Speaking of text input it looks like we’re not so careful about how we input our passwords for online accounts if our British neighbours are anything to go by. UK credit reference agency Experian found that over half of Britons not only keep the same password although it is recommended that they are changed regularly but also admit to making their passwords easily available online.
If you’re wondering how someone could just leave their passwords online the answer is simple: most people use passwords that are in fact personal details about themselves. The three most used passwords are town of birth, date of birth and name of past schools.
These details are also amongst the top ten pieces of information that people tend to publish on their social networking profile.
And here’s the interesting bit: while 18pc of the adults surveyed said that they would put their hometown on their social networking profile only 3pc of the same would actually divulge this information to a stranger over the phone.
BlackBerry Torch is best RIM device yet
Meanwhile the BlackBerry Torch has been getting some good reviews. If you thought RIM’s number was up in terms of smartphone innovation then think again because DigitalTrends.com got their hands on one and the verdict is that it is the “best BlackBerry yet”.
The bad news? The Torch does not outshine the iPhone 4. It’s slide-out QWERTY keypad and 3.2-inch touchscreen LCD screen along with 5-megapixel camera and 4GD built-in memory do sound rather tempting. If you’re a BlackBerry fan then this is probably the handset you’ve been waiting for.
Twitter’s new ‘You both follow’ feature: discrete and useful
And small news on the social media scene: Twitter introduced a new feature on Friday that adds to the recommended followers add-on. When you hover over a user you’ll get a ‘You both follow’ bit that lets you know who you have in common. A minute change but infinitely less annoying than the recommended follower feature if casual observation on the service is anything to go by.
