Research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) has revealed that “smart connected device” shipments — which includes computers, smartphones, and tablets — reached a record high during the third quarter of 2012, largely thanks to Apple and Samsung. The pair’s hugely popular devices helped the market grow 27.1% year-on-year as it reached a record 303.6 million shipments valued at over $140 billion.
Looking to grab a capable tablet for a loved one this Christmas without breaking the bank? Amazon just slashed $50 off its new Kindle Fire HD 8.9 for customers in the United States — reducing its price tag to just $249. You’ll have to be quick, however; Amazon says “quantities are limited,” and the deal is on for today only.
Jabra, purveyor of absurd and dorky ear-jewelry to corporate stooges the world over, has invented the Solemate, a portable, battery-powered Bluetooth speaker with a sneaker sole glued to the bottom.
Samsung kept us waiting a long, long time for the Galaxy S III. We expected it to arrive at CES 2012 back in January, and when that didn’t happen, we hoped for a release at Mobile World Congress the following month (which Samsung didn’t bother turning up to). As it turns out, the Korean company’s flagship smartphone didn’t get its grand unveiling until May.
We may not be in for the same wait next time around, however. Samsung is already teasing “something new” for CES 2013, sparking speculation that the Galaxy S IV will be arriving as early as next month.
This is the original Parrot Asteroid Classic car stereo head-unit ($349), and it made quite a splash when it launched last year. The single-DIN, 4×55 watt receiver boasts a formidable array of features: Bluetooth connectivity, powerfully accurate voice recognition for both calls and music, a GPS receiver, a bright, 3.2-inch LED screen and a quiver of apps that run off its customized, upgradeable, early-vintage Android 1.5 OS (all of which require a data connection via a dongle).
Though this model was originally called the the Asteroid (no Classic), the Classic nomen was added to lessen confusion as three new models were announced a few months ago. However, the Asteroid Classic still very much in play; in fact, as this review goes live, the Classic is the only member of the Asteroid family currently available, as its new siblings haven’t shipped yet.
With its Android-based OS, you’d be forgiven if you thought the Asteroid Classic was more friendly to Android phones than the iPhone. In fact, the opposite is true, as I’ll explain later. And while it suffers from something that can probably be described as teething trouble, it’s still a lust-worthy system.
