With the imminent release of the Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet computing is about to get a whole lot more interesting: the Android-powered device is a real rival to Apple's iPad, promising multi-touch goodies without the expense of Apple kit. At least, that's what we hope is happening, because the Samsung Galaxy Tab price is still secret. The Samsung Galaxy Tab Android tablet isn't the only Google-powered device heading our way: in addition to the iPod-rivalling Samsung Galaxy Player Toshiba's working on an Android tablet, too, and the same reports suggest HP is doing the same.

TechRadar 

Foursquare CEO slams 'boring' Facebook Places

Foursquare might be one of the launch partners for Facebook's new Facebook Places geolocation service, but its CEO Dennis Crowley isn't a huge fan of the service. "I have now had a chance to play around with Facebook Places and it’s not that great or interesting," he tells the Telegraph. "It’s a pretty boring service, with barely any incentives for users to keep coming back and telling their friends where they are. The only interesting thing about Places is that it has a potential audience of over 500 million people around the world."

Norwegian browser maker Opera announced it has signed a non-exclusive global deal with Telenor. The software outfit said that its Global Frame Agreement might result in a version of its Opera Mini mobile web browser adapted for use on Telenor handsets. Under the agreement, Telenor's business units can co-brand, distribute and run the Opera Mini mobile browser. Morten Karlsen Sørby, EVP and head of corporate development at Telenor said it wants to provide mobile Internet with a great user experience to everyone.

We already had a fair amount of pre-IFA leakage yesterday, but we reckon Toshiba might just steal the show if the glasses-free 3D TV being touted today makes an appearance at the Berlin trade show. According to Japanese daily newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, the company will be bringing out three new models this year and they will cost "several thousand dollars". The sets will emit rays of light at varying angles to create the 3D effect, and ensure that users can enjoy the 3D effect from various positions.

The buzz about Dell becoming a smartphone player in the U.S. - a murmur that’s been swirling around for a couple of years now - is no longer speculation. The Dell Aero, an Android phone for AT&T, made its debut today in the U.S. It’s a crowded field out there - not just in smartphones, but increasingly in the Android environment, as well. And, with AT&T still the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the U.S., it looks like Dell has taken on a Hurculean challenge. Not only must it rise above the noise in Androidville, but it will also need to stand out as something really special in AT&T stores. 

Mozilla has released a fourth Firefox 4 beta, adding in its seasoned bookmark-syncing service, Firefox Sync, and its new tab-sorting interface, originally dubbed Tab Candy and now known as Tab Panorama. "This release lets you own and control your personal Web experience by syncing your data across devices, and by helping you organize your tabs in order to juggle and prioritize your busy online life," reads a blog post from Firefox development head Mike Beltzner.

Google is testing a service that lets you make phone calls from Gmail, according to a report that includes a screen shot of the test. Cnet says it has learned that Google is exploring a service that launches phone calls from Google Chat, the IM client that dovetails with Gmail. The report says that the service allows users to place and receive calls via a user interface that "strongly resembles" Google Voice, the new-age telephony thingy that lets you attach a single phone number to multiple phones and turn your voice mails into emails.

Handset manufacturer Nokia and computing giant Intel have joined forces to open a new research laboratory in Finland focused on developing new mobile user interfaces. Nokia and Intel highlighted 3D interfaces as a key area of interest for the two dozen research associates working at the lab, which will be based at the University of Oulu’s Center for Internet Excellence (pictured). The technology duo said they plan to “leverage the rapidly increasing capabilities of mobile devices” to investigate interfaces that generate similar interactions to the real world as has happened in movies and video games through the increasing use of 3D graphics.

Apple has refused to allow its iPhones to be included in the UK's first-ever green ranking scheme for mobile phones. The scheme gives phones a rating of zero to five based on their environmental footprint and major manufacturers including Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung have signed up. The network O2, which is launching the rating system today, said 93% of the devices its customers use will be covered. Launched in partnership with sustainability advisers Forum for the Future, the green ranking scheme scores handsets on the ecological impact of their raw materials, the manufacturing process, packaging, how long they are likely to last, energy efficiency and how easy they are to reuse or recycle.

The technology industry faces a growing shortage of semiconductors and other high-tech components following a failure to invest in new manufacturing facilities during the recession, experts have warned. Smartphone makers are now finding it harder to lay their hands on chips and display screens, leading to supply delays on some handsets. Analysts have said that this scramble is likely to become increasingly competitive, potentially hitting pushing up costs for consumers.