Tech-Exposed.com

We think we’ve already got a handle on the various chipset revisions planned for Microsoft’s too-beautiful-for-this-world Xbox 360*, but it looks like that planned 45nm “Valhalla” combined CPU / GPU motherboard design we’ve been hearing about might also come in a redesigned, smaller case. That’s certainly news to us, but TG Daily has the refresh happening on the same fall-2009 timeline we’ve been hearing about, so at least all these sketchy rumors line up. We’ll see when we see — it sounds like the 65nm Jasper units are coming off the line for that August release in the meantime to keep us all warm at night.

*Guess which Engadget ed had his 360 go RRoD over the weekend? You only get one try.

Review LG has come up with another touchscreen option to get your fingers working: the LG KF700 sliderphone, which combines a tap-to-control UI and dial-spin control with HSDPA 3G high-speed connectivity.

How many different ways can you package touch technology for mobiles? LG seems determined to find the answer, with a flurry of recent handsets offering different takes on touchscreen operation.

LG’s KF700: enough space for tapping, scrolling and swiping

While its KF600 debuted a two-screen approach, the KF700 has three input methods: a large touchscreen, a slide-out number pad and a spin-to-scroll thumbwheel on the side of the phone.

The touchscreen control system is similar to that employed on the successful LG Viewty, although this device is a slightly smaller, with a short feature run-down than LG’s flagship touchscreen phone.

Are three input methods strictly necessary? LG reckons that it’s set up the KF700 so each of the three takes care of business in a way that best suits the input style. The 3in, 240 x 480, 262,000-colour display is obviously the most important part of the user interface. It provides plenty of room to view images and video content, frame shots for the KF700’s three-megapixel camera, and browse web pages in landscape mode. It gives enough finger space for tapping, scrolling and swiping your way through the menu system.

The slider design gives the KF700 the girth of a sturdy candybar phone, measuring in all 102 x 51 x14.5mm and weighing 107g. Slipping up the screen, the number pad beneath has a conventional layout with well-sized number keys on a flush surface plus call, end and clear buttons.

Apple has agreed to give US and Canadian customers two separate settlement offers to make charges of faulty and misrepresented products go away.

Canadian owners of older iPods can get a CDN $45 (credit) rebate over claims the battery life in its devices were much shorter than advertised.

Americans who purchased replacement power adapters for Powerbook and iBook notebooks will get cash refunds betweeen USD $25 and $79 over accusations the device did a fine impersonation of a Morning Glory sparkler on Independence Day.

Assuming they kept the receipts.

Eight hours of muswughla…

Apple Canada is offering CDN $45 (~ USD $44.70, £23) store credit to as many as 80,000 customers who purchased first-, second-, and third-generation iPods before June 24, 2004.

The settlement, expected to be finalized by June 20, is the result of two lawsuits alleging Apple misrepresented the lifespan of iPod batteries.

The plaintiffs, Bradley Waddell of Toronto and Ines Lenzi of Montreal, claim the older iPod batteries failed after only three hours between recharges, rather than the eight hours advertised.

Take note the settlement is as good as $45 in Apple funbucks - customers get store credit that’s only usable at Apple’s online retail store.

And even then:

A Store Credit may not be used on the Apple online education store or any Apple online specialty store, and may not be used to purchase gift cards, gift certificates, software downloads, iTunes content, refurbished products, any products which are not Applebranded, or any products redeemable for cash. More specifically, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, a Store Credit cannot be used to purchase or obtain a refund on iTunes content, iTunes Store Cards, iTunes Store Gift Certificates, iTunes Song Codes or Allowances, or any products redeemable for iTunes content.

AT&T has flip-flopped yet again on the issue of iPhone customers getting free access to AT&T hotspots. While yesterday the iPhone plans page clearly stated that access to the hotspots was included with all plans, that statement is now gone again. Hey, AT&T: why don’t you make up your minds and be clear about this? This is ridiculous.