Bluetooth 4 is expected to appear in products by the end of the year.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) said on Wednesday that version 4.0 of the wireless specification may be incorporated into devices by the end of the year. The new spec will bring Bluetooth to a whole new set of gadgets including watches, pedometers, and all other low-power devices that run on coin-cell batteries.

This is a huge step considering that Bluetooth only resided in devices that used triple-A or larger capacity batteries. Michael Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG, said that 4.0 combines both the high-speed data transfer capabilities provided by Bluetooth 3.0 with the new ability to transmit small bursts of data over short ranges.

The IGD News Service reports that Bluetooth 4.0 won’t offer users a major improvement in actual battery life– only a nominal improvement at best. Foley provided an example, saying that Bluetooth 4.0 radios will see the same battery drain as Bluetooth 3.0 radios when used to sync headphones to music players, or to connect smartphones to laptops.

Charles Golvin, principal analyst at Forrester Research, said that Bluetooth 4.0 will be better than the competition because it can be deployed across a wide variety of devices, giving the tech a head start over the other technologies. Unfortunately, the data transfer rate hasn’t improved: Bluetooth still shoots data from device to device at a maximum rate of 24Mb/s (BT 3.0 + HS).

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Hewlett-Packard India, has expanded its Mini notebook portfolio (netbooks) with the launch of HP Mini210.

With the broad HP Mini portfolio, including the previously introduced Mini 110 and HP Mini by Tord Boontje, customers have a choice of sleek companion PCs that let them stay connected from anywhere. The HP Mini by Studio Tord Boontje is crafted with environmentally friendly materials.

“The new HP Mini210 range has been conceptualised after extensive research to offer the best Digital experience and a variety of options to consumers. With a full breadth of color and feature options, we are inspiring, engaging and equipping the digital generation with unexpected fun and endless possibilities,” said Rajiev Grover, Director Mobility Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP India. “In todays market its about development of a continuum of devices that meet consumers’ unique needs. We are helping consumers discover the world of possibilities by infusing innovation, technology and design into our new range of HP Mini notebooks,” added Grover.

The HP Mini210 boasts of the latest Atom 450 with advanced features and power packed applications for all users’ computing needs including chicklet keyboard, touchpad with multi gesture support, stereo speakers, wireless LAN, integrated webcam, Bluetooth, Microsoft Windows 7 OS and battery life of more than 9.5 hours.

Starting at 1.22 kilos (with HDD) and measuring less than 1-inch thin, the HP Mini 210 is available in a colorful choice of stylish Black Crystal, Silver Crystal, Pacific Blue or Sonoma Red HP Imprint finishes.

With a 10.1-inch diagonal standard or optional BrightView Infinity HD LED widescreen display and an island-style keyboard that is 93 percent of a full-size QWERTY keyboard, the 210 also features a built-in WLAN, webcam, microphone, GPS-ready system and optional 3G broadband connectivity.

Users can keep their music in sync with HP QuickSync software. The software synchronizes files created or edited on the road with a home or business PC over a wireless connection when connected to the same network. HP QuickWeb allows users to access the web without booting up the notebook by simply pushing a button. HP Cloud Drive allows users to access their synchronized content including documents, photos and music from the cloud without having to store it on a local drive.  With HP MediaStream users can stream multimedia content from one PC to another over the Internet, without requiring data to be downloaded.

In addition to viewing HD content on the Internet, users can experience their own personal multiplex via an optional Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video Accelerator, which allows users to enjoy up to 1,080-pixel HD content.

The HP Mini210 costs Rs. 16,000 onwards.

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Samsung Electronics has added to its portfolio of touchscreen dual-SIM handsets with the launch of the B5722.

The Samsung B5722 allows users to pre- set the SIM change-over time automatically, depending on economical operator tariffs or to ensure a work/personal life balance. The dedicated SIM switching key and intuitive touch interface makes the changeover a seamless experience. The handset also provides the added benefit of one touch access through 6 SNS widgets on the home screen. The phone also offers instant messaging services through Palringo messenger which helps users to connect to Google Talk, AIM, ICQ and supports exchange of text messages through Bluetooth Messenger.

The phone also offers a 2.8” QVGA full touch screen display, 3 MP camera with image editor, Bluetooth, hi-speed USB , 8 GB expandable memory 1200 mAH battery, and 13.4 hours of talk time. The new B5722 also provides 3D sound output through DNSe. Users can tune into FM radio for audio entertainment and can continue to listen to the background music even as they access various phone applications. The phone also comes equipped with an advanced mobile tracker, which has been introduced for the first time for the Dual SIM touch phone segment.

Ranjit Yadav, Director, Mobile & IT , Samsung India Electronics Pvt. Ltd said, “At Samsung, our endeavor is to continuously provide the market with superior, consumer friendly products and the Samsung B5722 is an example of the same .This phone aims to cater to the fast growing Dual Stand By market, wherein the discerning consumers want the convenience of a single feature rich handset with two connections operating simultaneously. Samsung’s easy access , touch experience and one click access to six networking sites , all serve to enrich the user experience .”

The Samsung B5722 dual-SIM is priced at Rs. 11,680.

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Apple has finally announced their much anticipated, (almost prayed for) tablet, and it’s called the iPad.

The bridge between a smartphone and a laptop, the iPad has a 9.7- inch touchscreen. It’s reportedly half an inch thick and weighs 1.5 pounds. iPad is powered by A4, Apple’s next-generation system-on-a-chip. Designed by Apple, the new A4 chip provides exceptional processor and graphics performance along with long battery life of up to 10 hours. Apple’s advanced chemistry and Adaptive Charging technology deliver up to 1,000 charge cycles without a significant decrease in battery capacity over a typical five year lifespan. It also has built-in iPhoto, iTunes, a calendar and address book.

The iPad will come in three sizes – 16, 32, and 64GB – and features a speaker Bluetooth and WiFi.

Stay tuned for more updates from Apple’s conference or follow us on Twitter.

A new iPhone SDK has been announced which will allow developers to tweak their apps for the iPad.

Update:The iPad has no flash support for the browser but has a magazine, newspaper and Ebook reader.

Apple also introduced a new version of iWork for iPad, the first desktop-class productivity suite designed specifically for Multi-Touch. With Pages, Keynote and Numbers you can create beautifully formatted documents, stunning presentations with animations and transitions, and spreadsheets with charts, functions and formulas. The three apps will be available separately through the App Store for $9.99 each.

Greenpeace rejoice. Each iPad enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy-efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iPad contains no brominated flame retardants and is completely PVC-free.

The iPad will cost $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB and $699 for 64GB.

Apple’s iPad can be used as a canvas with artists optimizing the multi-touch display to the fullest.

For convenient typing the iPad will come with an optional keyboard dock and camera connection kit.

iPad features 12 next-generation Multi-Touch applications. Every app works in both portrait and landscape, automatically animating between views as the user rotates iPad in any direction.

iPad runs almost all of the over 140,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for iPhone or iPod touch.

iPad syncs with iTunes just like the iPhone and iPod touch, using the standard Apple 30-pin to USB cable.

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Sony Ericsson has announced the Vivaz that follows on from the Xperia X10 announced in November 2009, and is the second phone in the new family of communication entertainment phones coming to market in the first half of 2010. Sony Ericsson Vivaz will come to market in Q1 2010.

The Vivaz has high quality HD video allowing consumers to produce and broadcast their experiences with the latest video capture and sharing features.

The open platform also allows users to personalise their entertainment experience by downloading great applications through PlayNow and the Symbian Developer Community.

Sony Ericsson Vivaz features the new design philosophy ’human curvature’, first introduced with the Xperia X10, which will become a consistent feature of Sony Ericsson’s portfolio.

The Vivaz also features:
•HD video – produce and broadcast your best experiences with the latest video capture and sharing features
•Social networking – easy access to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter
•8.1 megapixel camera – capture life’s moments in high quality
•Face and smile detection – a perfect picture every time
•Sony Ericsson Media Player
•3.2-inch-widescreen
•3D games
•A-GPS
•Google Maps
•Wi-Fi
•Bluetooth
•8GB microSD card

Sony Ericsson Vivaz supports UMTS HSPA 900/2100 and GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS HSPA 850/1900/2100 and EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 and will be available in select markets from Q1 in the colours Moon Silver, Cosmic Black, Galaxy Blue and Venus Ruby.

Pricing hasn’t been announced yet.

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