With the UK seeing the arrival of a White Galaxy Note today.

Older owners of the Samsung Galaxy Note have been waiting for news about its future upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich, but with the debacle that has ensued for many devices it looks like Samsung are playing it safe with thsi new update and not giving ICS a chance to cause havoc on more happy new customers.

Firmware update not ICS:

While I can see the disappointment in peoples faces already, all is not lost with his update as it does appear to offer some significant improvements even if it is only a bit of a make-up job, so here is what will be included with the update:

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• Set brightness levels for browser to save some juice
• Improved lockscreen with arrows around the padlock, encouraging you to swipe to unlock.
• Preinstalled torch widget that supports three different brightness levels
• Keyboard now has five rows with the number row being always visible
• New “one hand” mode that shrinks the layout, making it easier to type with one hand only.
• Calendar app now supports different date formats

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It appears that the update is only for devices that are unlocked and it will be rolling out right about now, with carriers bringing the update to owners at a later date. This will be to ensure that they dont p*** off more people with an unstable update that can and does occur…wise move I say.

Are you wishing that this was more of an Ice Cream Sandwich flavour than a tarted up gingerbread?

Good news for Prada lovers, according to German gadget site BestBoyz the new Prada LG 3.0 will be coming in January, and here is what it looks like.

What are the specifications?

The details given over at BestBoyz indicates that it will boast a 4.3 inch screen with Gorilla Glass, and a 800 x 480 resolution display, the processor will be the same as in the K2 which is a 1Ghz dual-core OMAP4430 processor.

The camera will be a pretty standard 8 megapixel affair with autofocus, and the ability to record 1080p and 30fps compressed video, the on-board storage capacity will be 8GB and an optional microSD extension will allow additional, the phone will be NFC enabled, with Bluetooth 3.0, 802.11n, and HSPA+.

The new smartphone will use the Android operating system running 2.3.7 Gingerbread, with this latest release of Gingerbread being Google Wallet ready, hence the NFC capability. It will measure 127 x 69 x 8.5mm and will have a redesigned Prada UI

So if you are looking to get a bit bling, albeit with a pretty average phone, then by all means go for it baby, work that smartphone.

So when will the new Prada LG phone be released?

It would appear that the device will make an appearance in January 2012 and be showcased properly very soon, we will keep you posted on that.

Well I have had the misfortune of once again getting lured into a Mashable article to find that as expected, it contained around 150 words of pure averageness relating to the release date of the iPhone5. There really is no accounting for the tastes of vast swathes of people who are regular readers of such tripe, but hey-ho such is life….But bloody hell, 3500 re-tweets or something silly!…My god I am doing something wrong…..but I shall not be budged.

So getting back on track.

It appears that the release date of the iPhone 5 will be some time in early October, with reports stating that it could be around the 4th at one of their regular yearly shindigs where they release something of importance to the world….in this case not a cloned Steve Jobs, but more likely a rather average set of improvements to the iPhone 4.

What to expect?

Well with a new CEO in Steve Cook, you will not be getting that all too familiar Jobs shuffle on stage. But what of the device? And is it really Cookies or rather still Jobs latest child from the revolution he spawned?

iPhone 5 A5 processor and Qualcomm chips:

With Apple and Samsung at loggerheads over patents, it seems likely that Apple will ditch the current Samsung made processors for their new smartphones. Instead going for the powerful dual core Qualcomm chips that offer serious speed (often at the cost of battery life). Will the iPhone 5 bring in comparable speeds and improve the life of its batteries compared to its competitors?

Likelihood for speed and processor improvements stated above 4/5

Likelihood of battery life being improved drastically 2/5

iPhone 5 new design:

New design – Wall street journal report that they have seen the new iPhone and can confirm it has a new design with a metal back, the WSJ again reports that the design will be thinner and lighter.

Likelihood of design changes 4/5

iPhone 5 Near Field Communication:

Near Field Communication (NFC) will play a part in mobile devices of the future and it looks likely with the appointment of a guy called Benjamin Vigier, who is now Apple’s new Mobile Commerce Manager that NFC will play a part in the new design especially as Google’s Android have made it part of their O/S in 2.3 Gingerbread.

This will mean that your lovely new iPhone 5 will be able to make payments as a virtual credit card, I want to see how this rolls out in time and if it will speed up things, or if technology needs to move on further before it becomes truly functional, but now is the time for NFC and Apple I think will pick this up and run with it in its iPhone 5.

Likelihood of NFC? – 3/5

iPhone 5 8 megapixel camera:

In an interview with the Wall street journal, Sony CEO Howard Stringer has made it clear that since Japan suffered the tsunami, OmniVision who were the usual company assigned to deliver the glass for their cameras has had trouble with it’s manufacturing arm, as a result Apple have reputedly sought Sony out to deliver the new iPhone 5 camera glass.

Likelihood of a 8 megapixel camera? – 3.5/5

So are you excited about this new arrival or has it been so long coming that you have got a bit bored and actually moved onto a new Android based device like myself, so will have to wait for the arrival of Apple’s iPhone 6/7 before even getting close to having a chance to change devices after my 24 month agreement is up….I am not paying £4-500 for it that is for sure even if it does sport a holographic image of Steve Jobs at my request telling me, “You did good lad!”

I have been eagerly awaiting the release of the Andy Pad, courtesy of a company who started out in the wholesale mattress business of all things.

So is this UK based cut price tablet (iPad) worth its geeky salt or should it lay down and be buried in a years worth of bed sweat where it came from?

All things to some men:

With two options for the taking, the Andy Pad comes as a standard version and also a pro version, the standard comes in at £129 and the pro at a slightly more expensive £179.

Andy Pad Specifications:

Running a crowd pleasing Android 2.3 the device offers WiFi connectivity, a decent quality 3D chip and 1.2 Ghz processor with a nifty 1080P HDMI port.

The pro version sports a 16GB storage capacity, Front and Rear camera, Sensatouch screen and 1020 x 600 screen, with bluetooth included.

The standard version offers 8GB, Front camera ResiTouch screen and a 800 x 480 screen.

The iPad for the poor?

Having spoken on many occasions to the very friendly George Eastmead, business-development director at Andy Pad. I noticed a quote from a while ago stating that they had pitched the Andy Pad as a poormans iPad.

Eastmead reckons the Andy Pad:

“is going to be the tablet for the guy who wants an iPad, but can’t afford it”.

I am looking forward to seeing how this does, here is a new video showing off some of it’s gaming skills and while it does not have the wow factor of the iPad, it maybe just the kind of thing you end up putting in your trolley on a Sunday afternoon aimlessly strolling around Asda after a heavy night out when you have just won some cash on the football.

Yes good luck to the Andy Pad and look forward to seeing what retailers they get into soon!