Seregni Super Fast Android Smart Phone Debuts in U.S.

The iPhone 4S will arrive in stores Friday, but for obvious reasons, the dynamics of this product launch have taken a most unusual turn.
Before the untimely passing of Apple's former CEO and co-founder, it was generally ceded that the new iPhone was a stopgap measure to help Apple compete with ever-improving Android and Windows 7 offerings.
Tributes to Steve Jobs have exalted Apple products to new heights, but the fact remains that the iPhone 4S will face tough competition. The new Samsung Galaxy S II (GS2) is but one example, albeit a formidable one.

In Europe and Korea, Samsung sold five million GS2s in 85 days, and now the company's runaway success is coming to the U.S., where it will be sold by AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile retailers.
Powered by a powerful, dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, the super-thin smart phone features a vibrant 4.3” super AMOLED display (viewable in daylight), an 8MP camera (with flash) that records 1080p HD video, and a 2MP front-facing camera. Sixteen gigabytes (16GB) of on-board memory is standard, but if you need more, a built-in microSD card slot supports up to a 32GB cards.

The phone is Wi-Fi capable and provides surprisingly fast broadband speeds thanks to HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul (available in limited areas). The system is not in the same league as Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE, but web pages load quickly and videos play smoothly.
The operating system is Android Gingerbread (v.2.3.4), which includes full support of Android Market (with access to more than 250,000 applications), Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Google Talk and more.

Navigation is accomplished via an improved TouchWiz user interface with a very customizable home screen and a notification service on the lock screen. The latter provides direct access to missed calls and text messages by swiping the alerts without having to navigate through the applications menus.

The GS2 also features six-axis motion sensing, using an accelerometer and gyroscope, so you can use gestures to zoom in on images or silence a ringing phone.
Also included are Samsung’s Media Hub, support for an array of cloud services, and a feature that allows controlling the device via voice commands, including voice dial, text message, navigation, music, Web browsing and search.

The platform also includes enterprise-level solutions, such encryption of user data stored on the device and support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync v.14. Cisco VPN access and WebEx mobile conferencing are also available.
Depending on which carrier you choose, you can expect to pay around 200 bucks for the Samsung Galaxy S II with a two-year contract. Terms and conditions, early termination fees, data caps, etc. will vary. See local AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile dealers for details.

iOS 5 is here at last!

For a moment, let's forget about the debut of the iPhone 4S on Friday. Today, iOS 5 finally becomes available, and the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system will provide owners of Apple iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPad, and iPad 2 devices with over 200 new features!

Among the most anticipated is an all-new Notification Center, where you can keep track of new email, texts, friend requests, and more in one place, similar to Android phones. Just swipe down from the top of any screen and there it is. No more interruptions. One of the most annoying things about previous iOS versions is finally fixed.

Other overdue improvements include new Camera features. You can now access the camera app right from the lock screen and use grid lines, pinch-to-zoom gestures, and single-tap focus to compose pictures on the fly. To release the shutter, simply press the volume-up button.

The magic doesn't stop there, either. You can crop, rotate, enhance, remove red-eye, even organize your photo albums right from within the Photo app. Using iCloud, you can push new photos to all your iOS devices. This means that if you’re taking photos on your iPhone, copies are automatically sent to your iPad, where you can quickly touch them up before showing them off.

Speaking of iPad, iPad and iPod Touch can now stay in touch with iMessage. You can send unlimited text messages via Wi-Fi or 3G from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch to anyone with one of those devices. You can even start a conversation on one of your iOS devices and pick up where you left off on another.

The iPad is revolutionizing publishing, so its not a total shock that iOS 5 also introduces Newsstand, an folder that lets you access your favorite publications quickly and easily. A new department of the App Store now handles newspaper and magazine subscriptions that can be delivered in the background straight to Newsstand. New issues appear as soon as they become available — complete with the latest covers.

Reminders lets you organize your life — complete with due dates. Reminders can also be location-based, you’ll get an alert as soon as you pull into the supermarket parking lot, plus it works with iCloud, so changes update automatically on all your devices and calendars.

The new operating system also makes Twitter easier to use with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Single sign-on allows you to tweet directly from Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube, or Maps. You can even add a location to any tweet, no matter which app you’re tweeting from.

Email messages sent from your iOS 5-powered device can now include formatted text (bold, italics, or underlined fonts), and tabbed browsing in Safari (iPad only) makes switching between multiple web pages easy. Safari Reader displays web articles without ads or clutter, allows you to save content to read later, and uses iCloud to keep your reading list updated across all iOS 5 devices.

With iOS 5, you no longer need a computer to manage an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. You can activate and set up your new iPhone, iPad 2, or iPod Touch wirelessly, download software updates directly on the device, and back up/restore automatically using iCloud.

AirPlay now supports video mirroring, which means you can wirelessly — and securely — stream whatever’s on your iPad 2 or iPhone 4S to your HDTV via Apple TV. Exactly what’s on your iPad or iPhone is displayed on the big screen — even when you rotate your device from portrait to landscape or zoom in and out.