Telstra Selling 32GB HTC One XL (4G) From June 5 
Aussie Teen's Picture Of Cash On Facebook Leads To Home Robbery 
Motorola Defy Mini Review 
The Downside Of Living In A Digital World 
Australia, NZ And South Africa To Share Square Kilometre Array 
Watch That Tiny $74 1.5GHz Android-Powered Thumb-Puter In Action Phone News is citing (without sharing) “internal memos circulating within Sprint Retail Stores” that suggest two potential launch windows for the Palm Pre, depending on shipping efficiencies. Sprint employees can also kiss May vacations goodbye.
This is the Ares I-X Launch Abort System, the mini-rocket that will be the tip of the main vehicle, responsible for saving the astronauts’ life in case of a major malfunction at launch.
Microsoft reporter queen bee Mary Jo Foley has put together a few signs suggesting that Windows 7 may debut earlier than anyone imagined—in the first half of next year. While it’s been expected that it’ll be released to manufacturing by the end of the year, a few signs point to it being on track to RTM before mid-2009. In particular, Microsoft is now advertising that the Windows Hardware and Engineering Conference 2008 will be the only chance to engage with the team before Windows 7 is released. WinHEC 2009 starts on May 3.
The highly-anticipated Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 smartphone has been approved by the FCC and helpfully posted on their website so I can spend my Saturday mornings combing through confusingly bureaucratic PDF files looking for announcements like this. The specific model vetted by the fatcats in Washington probably isn’t the one we’ll be seeing here in North America: it’s referred to as the X1i, which in Sony terms means Europe, and it’s not yet equipped with 3G. Still, this is a good indication that we will be getting the X1 before 2009, though it’ll still be after those shifty Europeans. [Crave]
Sony Style has posted a teaser on its front page promising that the company’s going to drop some knowledge on Monday at 9PM. Chances are, it’s about Sony’s new Centrino 2-based VAIO line, which should offer better performance while consuming less power than its older models. Laptops rumoured to be featured include the company’s first 16:9-ratio notebooks, including the 13.1-inch VAIO Z and the 16.4-inch VAIO FZ. [Electronista]
It’s two days and counting until iPhone 3G liftoff. If you’re planning on getting your hands on a shiny new (i)phone on Friday, then it’s time to start preparing for a big couple of days. So what do you do? Fortunately, Giz is here to hold your hand through the hardest part of it all – the waiting.
It all begins in New Zealand. At 12:01 NZ time, the very first iPhone 3G handsets will be sold. Hell, they’re already queuing up to lay claim to that exclusive title of “first”. Giz AU will actually be over in Auckland on Thursday night, covering the world launch of the next Jesusphone (and hopefully scoring one ourselves), so make sure you come back for all the latest up-to-the-minute information. And if you happen to be lining up in Auckland yourself, make sure you say G’day.
Back in Australia, the first step is getting over the fact that the Kiwis beat us at getting their hands on the iPhone (you can always take solace in the fact that no matter how bad the iPhone plans are over here, they’re much worse over there). The second step is planning either a late night or an early morning, so long as you’re in Sydney, that is.
As a reward for putting up with Peter Jackson and his crew for years, New Zealand users are getting their iPhones at 00:01 July 11, which is earlier than everyone else on the planet. Three Vodafone stores will be open in Auckland City, Wellington and Christchurch and if you’re close you should think about lining up. Any of our Giz readers going? [Vodafone]
Next Tuesday, July 1st, poses something of a dilemma for me. You see, over the past six weeks, I have received four invites to press events on the same day. About six weeks ago, the guys from Philips asked me to save the date for an event of theirs. About four weeks ago, Canon sent around an invite for an event on the same day, with overlapping times and everything. Two weeks ago, Nikon invited me out for lunch on the same day, and now, on top of all of that, TiVo are holding a press event as well.
Aside from the obvious clash from four different launches, I also have to take my wife to see her cardiologist that day.
Just like Michael Bluth, for me family comes first, so my afternoon is booked out. But which event should I choose from the other four that are on offer? Do I go to Philips, because they got in first (and I told them I would be there?) Or do I opt for the latest (and potentially most interesting) event from TiVo? Or do Canon or Nikon deserve my presence?
What do you guys think? Let me know in comments.
About 40 minutes ago, the Sydney Apple Store opened its doors to the hoardes of rabid fans that had been lining up outside.
The corner of George Street and King Street was packed, shoulder-to-shoulder with curious workers, interested tourists and indifferent passers-by. But no matter who it was, there was one company on everybody’s lips – Apple. Whether it was the iPhone, The Macbook Air, or even just the iPod, everybody we walked passed was talking about the shiny white Apple and their new store.
There’s something in the air. It smells like iPhone fever. And the latest, most exciting piece of information is this photo of… a box. MacTalk Australia have received this image from a “very reliable source” – a box from Apple with an NDA requiring that the box isn’t opened before Tuesday June 10 – which for those of you playing at home correlates to the Australian time of the WWDC.
According to MacTalk, Apple resellers all around the country will have received boxes like this one, and although they haven’t yet seen the insides, the smart money is on it containing a new 3G iPhone.
The fact they’ve only received a single box is put down to it being a promotional unit, with retail units to ship to stores for the reported June 19 release date.
It looks pretty legit to me. And although I haven’t read the NDA that applies to that particular box, here’s hoping that the tape is ripped off at 12:01 next Tuesday – 3 hours before the WWDC kicks off – so we can get all this suspense rubbish out of the way.
[MacTalk]
