Is that a Moto X Google chairman Eric Schmidt is using? Photo via Corriere.it
A look at gadget happenings, as leaks indicate an August release date for the Moto X, Grand St. opens its metaphorical doors for those seeking indie gadgets, the Lumia 520 from Nokia emerges as the world’s No 1 Windows Phone, and Samsung unveils some super-fast SSDs.
Moto X release tipped for 26 August
During Google’s earnings call last week, CEO Larry Page expressed his excitement for the upcoming Moto X smartphone, the first coming from Motorola with Google’s input from start to finish. It was also spotted in the wild, being used by Google chair Eric Schmidt, spreading Page’s excitement among fandroids waiting to get their hands on the device.
Well, they may not have much longer to wait as Android Central seems to have got its hands on an internal memo from operator US Cellular that indicates a 26 August launch of the new device.
Image via Android Central
A one-stop shop for indie electronics
Grand St., a market for creative technology, emerged from beta last Wednesday, opening the online store up to all and sundry interested in unique, beautifully designed gadgets.
Each week, Grand St. will feature three products in depth, sharing the story behind them and, more importantly, giving independent producers and informed consumers a place to buy and sell. Each product featured on the site has been hand picked and tested by the team and its first ‘Collection’ consists of the store’s best-performing products to date, which includes Kickstarter successes like the Cosmonaut marker-like touchscreen stylus and Hone, an open-source Bluetooth keyring that lets you know where your keys are hiding.
The site also has an Archive for products previously sold there (where you can find Irish product Sugru). Here, users can put items on their waitlist and be notified if and when it goes back on sale.
To encourage the use of the marketplace in its early days, Grand St. is offering US$15 to new users and any friends they recommend who shop the site.
Nokia’s Lumia 520 is world’s favourite Windows Phone
Research by AdDuplex finds that Nokia’s Lumia 520 is the most popular Windows Phone 8 smartphone worldwide. In fact, when it comes to Windows Phone 8, Nokia is No 1 across the board, with the Lumia range accounting for a staggering 74.3pc.
HTC’s Windows Phone 8X makes an appearance with 3.7pc of the pie, but all others are lumped together in the final 21.9pc, with results too negligible to stand alone.
In the broader Windows Phone market, Nokia claims 85.4pc while HTC trails behind at 11.5pc, leaving just a sliver of the market left for Samsung (2pc) and Huawei (1.1pc).
The Lumia 520’s popularity has surged, previously ranking fifth in the world. The affordable entry-level handset now lays claim to 13.3pc of the market, while Nokia’s flagship Lumia 920 holds 11.8pc. Sales of this device may never reach the heights of the 520 once the updated Lumia 925 and Lumia 1020 start to gain sales.
Stylish stereo speakers from Logitech
We like the look of Logitech’s new Bluetooth Speakers Z600, which are capable of connecting wirelessly to up to three devices at once. The pair of stylish stereo speakers have been designed to complement Mac and Ultrabook computers, but would look well alongside most devices.
And, because looks are important, they even come with specially designed, lay-flat cables from the speakers and the power adapter, eliminating the chance of an unsightly tangle.
The Z600 speaker system also comes with a USB Bluetooth transceiver for connection to computers that don’t support Bluetooth. And for traditionalists, there’s a 3.5mm auxiliary input for connecting devices the old-fashioned way.
The Logitech Bluetooth Speakers Z600 will be available in Ireland from August in Harvey Norman and Peats stores and online at a suggested retail price of €149.
Samsung’s super-fast SSDs
The new 840 EVO range of five new SSDs from Samsung Electronics offer speeds up to three times faster than existing 840 drives for consumers.
The 1TB drive has a sequential write sped of 520MBps, which is twice as fast as its predecessor, while the 120GB model reaches three times its predecessor’s speed at 410MBps.
Prices for the new drives have yet to be announced, but Samsung revealed they will reach major markets in August, expanding to others at a later date.
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