These days smartphone is all about faster and faster processors. We’ve seen plenty of Nvidia’s Tegra 2 dual-core SOC processors, and also Apple’s A5 dual-core SOC. Qualcomm is also going to debut their dual-core Snapdragon in HTC’s Sensation 4G. But there’s another processor coming from Qualcomm which is blazingly fast.

Sitting in Pantech’s 5-inch Android 2.3.3 smartphone (yes, 5-inch!) is Qualcomm’s dual-core 1.5GHz MSM8660. Apart from the extra 0.7 inches of screen size, what we have here is essentially the same package as the Vega Racer: 800 x 480 LCD, 8 megapixel 1080p camera, front-facing camera, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 16GB of memory, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, and 14.4Mbps HSPA+ connectivity. Yes, a full fledge notebook already, save for a CD-ROM and a full fledge keyboard.

No word on international availability, but expect this slate to hit the shops in Korea later this month.

SOURCE via Bodnara Korea

Acer already had a Honeycomb tablet which is the A500 tablet that we’ve seen before. But that’s powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 2 processor, and Acer is said to be launching a new Honeycomb tablet powered by Intel’s Oak Trail platform in July, if DigiTimes is correct. Also, do note that the date we’re referring here is ‘retail’ date, which means Acer should be launching them earlier than the date given here. Will Acer reveal this new tablet over at Computex, which is just around the corner?

SOURCE via DigiTimes

Is this news legit? Well, that depends on how legit is the ‘Microsoft Developer Network page’. Because this page has just listed out all the APIs in Silverlight for Windows Phone 7.1, and what’s this 7.1?

Microsoft never mentioned this version 7.1 thing, and the only update that we know coming from Microsoft for their new Windows Phone is ‘Mango’. Previously we’ve heard that ‘Mango’ will be version 7.5, but that was based on supposition more than anything else, and a .1 upgrade makes sense in light of the current 7.0.7 version number. It just doesn’t make sense to jump away so much right?

SOURCE via MSDN

I’ve not seen many people using the 5-inch Dell Streak, but if you’re one of the nerdy owners, then we have good news for you. Now you can have Android 2.3 aka Gingerbread on your Streak, of course, in an unofficial method that is.

DJ_Steve, a phone enthusiast has updated the StreakDroid with the GingerStreak 2.0.0. Yes, this hacked ROM will spit Gingerbread into your 5-inch smartphone cum tiny tablet. This will provide the option of selecting Gingerbread’s app launcher to users.

Of course, Steve has noted a handful of bugs in the ROM’s early stages, including issues with the Superuser app, less-than-stellar graphics performance, and the fact that both GPS and 720p video recording require an engineering baseband and DSP to be flashed.

SOURCE via Modaco

Want some fun facts? Well here’s one uniquely from Microsoft. But how did they get this number?

Well, Microsoft claims that their IE8 and IE9 actually helped you blocked block between 2 and 5 million attacks each day thanks to the built-in URL-based SmartScreen filter, and shocking 1.5 billion attempted malware attacks have been thwarted since the launch of SmartScreen in the older IE8 browser. Yes, let’s give them a hug of appreciation. But… I’ve never used IE ever since 2004.

But their bragging continues. They said that they’ve added another new layer of defense in their brand new IE9, which is used against socially engineered attacks that looks at the application poised to be downloaded by the user. Called Application Reputation, the extra line of defense will be an addition to the current URL-based SmartScreen protection. Essentially the browser will check out the web site’s URL first, and then determine if the desired file has been downloaded by other users, and if it has any record of carrying suspicious baggage.

“Using reputation helps protect users from newly released malware programs – pretending to be legitimate software programs – that are not yet detected by existing defense mechanisms,” said Jeb Haber, Program Manager Lead, SmartScreen. “Reputation also enables IE9 to remove unnecessary warnings for downloads with an established positive reputation. Both publishers and individual applications build reputation. For example, a digitally signed application from a well-known publisher that has been widely downloaded has a better reputation than an unsigned application that has not yet been downloaded widely and has just been posted on a newly created Web site.”

“From our experience operating these services at scale, we have found that 1 out of every 14 programs downloaded is later confirmed as malware,” Haber added although that figure only applies to Internet Explorer.

Haber said that Application Reputation warned IE9 users of a malicious program central to a very large-scale malware attack the very moment it hit the Internet (at Hour 0). Traditional URL-blocking and anti-virus protection updates didn’t kick in until Hour 11, yet thanks to the new Application Reputation warning, 99-percent of IE 9 users chose to delete or not run the program beforehand.

“In this attack, IE9 Application Reputation interrupted the deception of the attack (which was otherwise very convincing) and most users were able to make a great decision on their own,” Haber said. “This outcome is exactly why we built SmartScreen Application Reputation into IE9. 99-percent of users were able to avoid the infection.”

SOURCE via Microsoft

When Lexus debut its LFA supercar, it’s considered one of the best tuned supercar in the world. But the LFA is not the only performance car under Lexus’s hood. No, there’s also another one that’s been around for quite some time, and that’s the monster sedan, the IS-F. So Lexus did something stunning, and took the only two performance car that they have, and pit against each other, something that we rarely see from manufacturers.

The Lexus LFA is one of the best supercars around. What’s more, the engine and exhaust tones around specifically tuned, making them sound like a Formula One car. But the F-performance series car from Lexus, the IS-F is also not short of bragging rights, as the 5.0-litre V8 engine is also tuned by Yamaha, as with the LFA’s 4.8-litre V10 engine.

One interesting fact is that the IS-F is powered by an 8-speed automatic gearbox, whereas the LFA is powered by a 6-speed automated manual transmission. Apparently Lexus tried a dual clutch box out but decided shifts were too smooth and did not give an ‘emotional’ feeling. What’s more, they even sent their engines, which are made by Yamaha, to be tuned by Yamaha music to give the correct note sound. Talk about perfectionism.

Microsoft held a Japanese Microsoft Developers Forum on Monday over at Japan, and during the conference the mighty CEO of Microsoft Steve Ballmer promised ‘over 500 new features’ on the upcoming “Mango” update for Windows Phone 7, which will be called ‘update 7.5’ by then.

“We have a release that will come to market later this year — not only is it a new release that is much more global, but we’ve added over 500 new features to Windows Phone,” said Ballmer. “That information will be forthcoming, including some of the particulars about who is going to be building Windows Phone and which carriers will be offering them in Japan.”

The “Mango” update will reportedly bring the Windows Phone OS to v7.5 and provide support for multitasking, the addition of Internet Explorer 9, and better integration with Microsoft Office. Other features will include Twitter support for People Hub, an enhanced email client with better search options and email threading, means to create homescreen “tiles” from any application feature or page, and more.

“We’re pushing for a different approach to user interface design, an approach which — literally right on the homescreen of the Windows Phone — you, our developers, can provide integrated experiences across your own and third-party applications that are alive and vibrant and real time for our joint customers,” he said.

There’s also a good chance Skype will be integrated into the “Mango” update. “Skype is the most popular software on the planet for people who want to do real-time video connections in addition to being very important in helping people do voice and other real-time communications,” he said. “And we want to connect that up for business and consumer to all parts of the planet and continue to transform the future of communication.”

SOURCE via Tech Flash