Network operator O2 has unveiled a variety of new iPhone deals for contract and sim-only customers.

O2, which is a subsidiary of Telefonica, has announced that anyone who already owns one of the Apple handsets – or any other smartphone – will be able to take advantage of its new offers.

These will start from £15 per month, which gives O2 customers 300 minutes and unlimited texts, data and Wi-Fi usage, subject to signing a 12-month contract.

At the top end of the scale, consumers can have unlimited calls, texts and data for £45 per month on taking up a 12-month agreement.

Anyone without a smartphone can still benefit from new O2 packages, including a £10 per month, 30-day rolling contract giving 100 minutes and unlimited texts.

“Customers’ habits are changing, with more texts being sent and data being used than ever before,” said Sally Cowdry, marketing director at O2.

This news comes after O2 was found to offer the fast average web browsing experience in the City of London.

If you’ve just dropped an arm and a leg on a new iPad, you might be a little short on dough for iPad Apps. With these of you in mind, we’ve come up with this short list of excellent free iPad Apps.

All of these apps can also be downloaded and used on the iPhone.

Red Ball
This highly addictive game isn’t the number one most downloaded free ipad app for nothing. While the game-play controls need a bit of improvement, it’s a pretty fun game, especially considering the price.

NBC Olympics
With the Winter Olympics just a few short days a way, this new app from NBC will let you keep up with medal counts and updates on all of the action from Vancouver. In addition, the app will allow viewers to access video highlights of many different events for free.

Flood-It! 2
This is the type of highly involved game that will make you wonder what happened to the last 2 hours of your life. In Flood It, you move around blocks and dodge obstacles to make the board entirely one color.

The Weather Channel
With the East Coast being battered by a snowstorm that’s shut down even the federal government, it might be useful to have an app that tells you when it’s safe to leave your home. At $0, the price is right.

Virtuoso Piano Free
Here’s an app that looks a bit like the life-size piano from the movie Big (when compared with how it looks on the iPhone). It’s also not just for seasoned musicians. The app helps you learn to play the piano by labeling the keys by their notes.

One big drawback of the iPad is the fact that it can’t run programs in the background while you’re using other apps. For instance, this means that you can’t listen to Pandora while you’re playing a game, reading or working on your iPad. Hopefully, with time Apple will find a way to make this possible.

With time, more and more free ipad apps are going to start being released. As that happens, we’ll keep you updated with all of the best new free apps.

Source: Gadgets4nowt

With just 60 days to go until the Apple iPad launch, and following a US-only launch event, there is much speculation as to where the UK sits with the Apple iPad. Both with regards to the release date, and the price.

First, let’s take a look at the release date. Apple announced “within 60 days” for the WiFi model, and “within 90 days” for the 3G model. We assume that the 3G model will take slightly longer because it has to undergo FCC certification in the United States.

Apple should have released the Apple iPad to the world (including the UK) by Sunday 28 March. Obviously Sunday is something of an odd launch date, and the last few iPhones have been released on a Friday so we think the 26 March is a likely bet if Apple takes it right to the wire. But, of course, it could come sooner than this if Apple decides to launch early.

The 90 date wait for the 3G model will take you all the way up till Tuesday 27 April 2010. Apple frequently releases products on a Tuesday, so this date seems appropriate. We think Apple will have planned the announcement with the FCC certification period so, to our minds, this date would probably be a bit more permanent (the WiFi unit may have some leeway depending on production).

So that brings us on to the issue of pricing in the UK. As many Macworld UK readers know, Apple products are uncomfortably high in the UK, and the prices have risen as our exchange rate has fallen against the dollar.

We’ve seen a lot of fuzzy maths today in the newspapers, who have taken the US price and – in the best case – added 17.5% VAT, or in the worst cases translated it verbatim somehow assuming that VAT no longer applies in the UK and have put this down to Apple just being expensive (we’re looking at you, The Metro).

A good rule of thumb is to take the US price, convert it to the UK price using the daily exchange rate, add on the 17.5 per cent VAT, then add on another 7 per cent or so (Steve Jobs said during the iPhone launch that this was simply because “it’s just a bit more expensive to do business here… store stuff, ship stuff around”.)

However, we’ve found a better rule of thumb is to take a product on the US store that matches the US price you’re looking at, then find the same product on the UK store and see how much it is. The more recent the product the more accurate the price. Apple sets prices locally, but they tend to match up prices across the entire product range. We used this system to accurately predict the original iPhone launch price (£269) and we’ve used it now to gauge the Apple iPad pricing in the UK.

We’re not saying this system is perfect, and Apple might give-or-take a few pounds in either direction. But this is an ‘educated’ guess rather than a stab in the dark. This is pretty-much where we expect the Apple iPad to sit. We will update our readers when Apple UK announces the exact price.  The alternative is to get yourself a free iPad!

Source: MacVideo

Online free gadgets site Gadgets4Nowt.co.uk has today announced it is to offer its visitors the chance to pick up the new Apple iPad for free, ahead of its official UK release and just days after its launch at the Apple Keynote 2010.

(30 January 2010) – - Online gadgets site Gadgets4Nowt.co.uk has today announced it is to give away the Apple iPad for free for users signing up to its online service, ahead of the product’s official UK release and just a few days after it was unveiled by Apple at their 2010 Keynote speech.

Users will be able to grab their own free iPad, simply by completing free online offers through the Gadgets4Nowt.co.uk website, allowing gadget fans everywhere to jump on board with one of the hottest selling products of this year before the iPad release in UK.

A spokesperson for Gadgets4Nowt.co.uk said that by showing its visitors how to get a free iPad even before its official UK release, Gadgets4Nowt.co.uk were continuing to lead the way in free online gadgets.

“The Apple iPad looks set to take the tablet market by storm, and we’re forecasting high demand for the product when it finally goes live.  Through our network of affiliate offers and advertisers, we’re already in a position to help visitors across the UK avoid the queues, and the price-tag, in getting an Apple iPad for free through completing a few basic offers online.”

“We’re unbelievably excited to offer our visitors the chance to grab the iPad for free, a number of months before it is officially launched to the UK market.  With demand set to be at an all-time high for the latest Apple launch, we’re proud to be offering our users the chance to get their hands on a brand new iPad for free, simply by signing up to and completing offers through our website.”

Gadgets4Nowt.co.uk helps visitors get the latest technologies for free, through completing online offers.  The Apple iPad is expected to be released in the UK in June 2010.

About:

Gadgets4Nowt.co.uk is a free gadget site, helping users pick up the latest gadgets for free simply by signing up and completing offers online.  With a range of gadgets to choose from, including the brand new Apple iPad, Gadgets4Nowt.co.uk is an easy way to get a free iPad before the iPad release in UK.

Steve Jobs tonight unveiled Apple’s latest gadget – the ‘magical and revolutionary’ iPad.

He told an expectant audience of technology experts that the tablet computer was a third type of gadget that would plug the gap between a laptop and a mobile.

‘It’s so much more intimate than a laptop and so much more capable than a smart phone,’ he said before detailing what tasks it would do.

‘Browsing the web. Doing email. Enjoying and sharing pics. Watching videos. Enjoying music. Playing games. Reading ebooks,’he said.

The iPad has a touchscreen keyboard that is almost full-size and is a ‘dream to type on’ according to Mr Jobs.

‘It’s very thin – you can change the homescreen to whatever you want. What this device does is extraordinary. You can browse the web with it. It’s the best web experience you’ve ever had.

‘It is way better than a laptop, way better then a phone. You can turn it any way you want. To see the whole page is phenomenal,’ he told the audience.

Jobs made the appearance in his trademark jeans and black turtleneck and opened with a history and update on Apple mobile devices.

The boss of a U.S. publishing company blurted out details of Apple’s iPad ahead of today’s launch.

Harold McGraw, chief executive of McGraw-Hill Cos Inc, was discussing his firm’s earnings on CNBC when he was asked about the tablet.

Mr McGraw then said Apple will ‘make their announcement tomorrow on this one” and that “the tablet is going to be based on the iPhone operating system’.

His comments, though brief, sounded authoritative and several Apple-themed blogs reported the incident as if McGraw had accidentally beaten Apple CEO Steve Jobs – who is fond of grand launch events – to the punch.

Mr McGraw added: ‘We have 95 per cent of all our materials that are in ebook format on that one – so with the tabloid you’re going to open up the higher education market, the professional market. The tabloid, the tablet is going to be just really terrific.’

McGraw-Hill is a major developer and publisher of educational textbooks, and some of its college texts are already available for reading on Apple’s iPhone.

However, other bloggers believe Mr McGraw’s announcement may have been authorised to further stoke up anticipation.

Apple are notoriously secretive in the run-up to any unveiling. All Apple CEO Steve Jobs has gone on record to say which could be interpreted as being about the iSlate is that this week they would release a ‘major new product that we’re really excited about’.

But tantalising titbits of information have been leaked out through anonymous sources. This ploy has guaranteed huge interest in the product as rumours and speculation on technology blogs reach fever pitch.

Publishers are reportedly looking to the machine to start an explosion in ebook and electronic magazine and newspaper sales – just what the iPod did for the music industry and the iPhone for the telecom sector.

In anticipation of the launch the internet is awash with a slew of images purporting to be the revolutionary new gadget dubbed the ‘Jesus’ tablet.

The pictures vary wildly in detail but techno-geeks across the globe appear to have reached a consensus on a few crucial issues.

It is widely accepted that the the iSlate will look like a larger version of the iPod Touch, designed to replace conventional laptops or smaller netbooks.

It is believed to be a keyboardless tablet computer with a 10in touch-sensitive screen that will be part of an integrated ‘ecosystem’ of services tipped to include functions and content for the education sector, digital books, newspapers and magazines.

With a bigger screen, the power of a laptop and the portability of an iPhone people will be able to watch movies, play music, read books and surf the web with ease.

The iSlate is thought to have a wi-fi connection to the internet and there is speculation that it will also link to the web via the mobile phone network.

If this is so, users will be able to download video, music, books and newspapers while on the go rather than being tied down to wi-fi internet hot spots in the home or town centres.

It is therefore likely to go beyond the Amazon Kindle eReader by offering colour and video, potentially reshaping publishing the way the iPod changed music, analysts say.

Technology magazine T3’s deputy editor Luke Peters is one of those predicting the tablet will transform the publishing industry.

He said: ‘If rumours are correct and Apple is working with the Wall Street Journal and other written media outlets, then this device could do to publishing what the iPod did for music.

‘Due to Apple’s already thriving app store and iTunes, this device could pave the way for bringing the notion of ebooks and touchscreen computing to the mainstream.’

Apple has invoked maximum security around the announcement which will be made in San Francisco at around 7pm UK time.

One German electronics retailer suggested the iSlate would cost 499 euros – £436 – if bought as part of a mobile network package from T-mobile.

It appears users would be expected to pay a monthly fee based on the amount of data downloaded over the mobile phone system.

It was suggested the price would soar to an eye-watering 899 euros – £786 – if the iSlate was bought without a mobile network package.
apple

Or is this the new iSlate? Another concept version of the gadget posted on Flickr

When Apple launched its iPhone into the UK, this was based on an exclusive distribution deal with the O2 network and Carphone Warehouse.

There is no information on which companies will distribute the new device in the UK.
Steve Jobs

The announcement will be made by Apple chief executive Steve Jobs at an event in San Francisco. The company is under constant pressure to reinvent its ground-breaking gadgets and come up with new products.

Its last announcement in September 2009 brought a new generation of its iPod Nano, which included a video camera, FM radio and voice recorder for the first time.

Earlier this week, Mr Jobs fuelled anticipation about its expected launch of the iSlate – or tablet computer – as he revealed a 50 per cent leap in quarterly profits to $3.38billion.

‘The new products we are planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product that we’re really excited about,’ he said.

Some 220million Apple iPods have been sold around the world to date, a staggering 73.8 per cent of all MP3 players. Twenty million of these are its iTouch media player.

The company has also sold an amazing 30million iPhones in just two years. There are more than 100,000 software applications for the phones, while consumers have made two billion downloads.

The company’s iTunes music and video download store is the number one seller of music in the world. Some 8.5billion songs have been purchased via a staggering 100 million accounts.

Source: Mail On Sunday

My new TV set up just didn’t look right with a white Wii and I was reluctant to sell it and buy a black one.  The answer was to buy an i-Case “Dark Knight” replacement for roughly £25.

Make sure the all important tool/screwdriver is included when you buy.  All you then need is a tutorial, patience beyond what is humanly possible and/or a swear-box.  Fifty screws undone and retightended later and your Wii will have a shiny black case like mine.  I was impressed with the tutorial overall but did end up finding I had not reinstalled one of the bits.

I’m not sure exactly what this is but if I had to guess, would say it was something to do with the heat sink/ventilation/fan.  The Wii is working and has been rigorously tested but I guess time will tell.

If anyone out there does know what the part is and where it goes, then please leave a comment, thanks.

In conclusion, I would warn people to make sure they realise what is required before changing their case but if you have the confidence to give it a go and take your time, then it is a better option than buying a new Wii.   I took the risk because I got my Wii for free and didn’t have so much to lose.

Steve

After a roller-coaster ride that I just wont bore you with, my new TV, accessories and stand arrived on Tuesday.   As you can hopefully see from the picture (which was taken with my iPhone and isn’t the best my taste in equipment is better than the wife’s choice of programme!

The TV is a 42″ G15 Panasonic and I’ve added a BT200 Blu-Ray surround sound.  You should also be able to make out a Sky+ HD box, Xbox 360 Elite and a Wii -  I already have the black case for that on order.  It all sits nicely on the new Alphason stand.

And the best bit…it was all free via Gadgets4nowt !

Steve

Vodafone have extended its pre-Xmas iPhone deals offer and anyone pre-ordering an iPhone from Vodafone will get free Vodafone to Vodafone calls.

The free calls to other Vodafone customers will be available throughout the duration of the customers’ contract, making it one of the best iPhone deals.

Vodafone hope the free calls, as well as free texts available on all but the cheapest tariff; will lure customers to their network over O2 and Orange, who also offer the iPhone.

The iPhone is a splendid mobile device and has achieved massive success worldwide, although we’re slightly disappointed we haven’t seen more of a price war.

Source: 3g.co.uk

My PS3 Slim competition has finished and the results are in!

Congratulations to @ozzlo33 – you’ve won yourself a free PS3 Slim, or cash/voucher equivalent if that suits you better.  Check your direct messages!

A huge thanks to everyone who entered,  posted comments, Tweeted and Re-Tweeted, I’ve got over 600 new followers of @Gadgets4nowt and that takes the total over 1,000.

Have a great Christmas and prosperous 2010.

Steve

Tesco is to enter the increasingly crowded market for Apple’s iPhone next week when the grocer will launch a mini price war on the smartphone. The supermarket group, which secured the rights to the phone last month, will start selling the 3G and 3GS iPhone models on Monday, offering a annual contract for just £20 a month. Customers will have to pay £222 for the basic 3G 8GB handset however.

The deal undercuts rivals O2 and Orange, which offer a lowest rate of just over £29 a month. Tesco also requires customers to sign up only for one year, compared to two years at its rivals, though their contracts make no charge for the phone.

A fourth operator, Vodafone, is set to enter the market in “the first quarter” of next year, but is yet to give details on pricing arrangements.

Analysts are expecting price competition to intensify after Christmas, once all four groups are competing for customers. “France Telecom [which runs Orange] will keep prices high in the run-up to Christmas to ensure they capture premium subscribers who were starved of the iPhone but were loyal to Orange,” said Will Draper of Evolution Securities. “When Vodafone joins the market the gloves will come off.”

On securing the iPhone last month, the supermarket group promised to add “Tesco value” to the smartphone market. “[The] iPhone is now available and affordable for all, with the best deals in the UK market,” claimed Lance Batchelor, the chief executive of Tesco Mobile and Tesco Telecoms.

“This is a fantastic announcement for us and we’re delighted to make iPhone available to our customers. It shows what a serious player in the mobile market Tesco Mobile has become,” he added.

Tesco Mobile is a joint venture between Tesco and O2, which did have an exclusive two-year deal with Apple to sell the iPhone until the autumn.

Tesco insisted yesterday that it was offering the lowest “cost of ownership” of the three networks, adding that its contracts offer more flexibility given the minimum 12-month, rather than two-year, deals. But few Orange or O2 deals, except those offering so-called “pay as you go” agreements, require customers to pay any upfront fee for the phone itself.

Tesco customers signing up to the entry-level deal get a “£60 credit bundle” for calls, texts and web browsing: typically, this would give iPhone uses 300 minutes of calls and 150 text messages. On a 24-month contract at £60 a month, Tesco Mobile customers will get unlimited calls and texts and a more recent model – the iPhone 3GS 16GB – for free. The iPhone will also be available to pay-as-you-go customers, for whom the 3G model will cost £342.

A spokesperson for Tesco said that, unlike Orange and O2, there were no plans to introduce business tariffs.

Source:  The Independent