BlackBerry Bold 9700 unboxing by Aaron Baker from PhoneDog.com. 624 MHz processor, trackpad, 3.2-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, and OS 5.0. Is it a worthy upgrade to its predecessor?
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05Nov
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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05NovNoah gets some time with Droid Eris, Verizon's version of the HTC Hero, which goes on sale Nov. 6. Android 1.5, HTC Sense UI, and multitouch.
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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05Nov
Take a look at this. What is wrong with this picture? (If it’s not hitting you, take another look. Do you see it?)
That phone better be encased in solid gold and rubies to justify that Buy Now price. More likely, a horrendous (and hilarious) typo was made. Either way, it’s not surprising that there haven’t even been any feeble attempts at bids, much less any takers.
Talk about overvaluing your handset. Geez….
Via: eBay
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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05Nov
In case you missed the “R word” in the title, this is strictly rumor category:
BoyGenius Report says there are no less than two sources claiming that AT&T and Apple are mulling over the possibility of offering a cheaper, lower-end iPhone to compete with all the Droid hoopla. If the rumor’s to be believed, it might happen in time for Christmas.
I know, I know — iPhone: You either love it or hate the bejeebers out of it. But if they did offer an 8GB model for a C-note, would you grab it? At this price, they’d practically be stocking stuffers…
Via: BoyGenius Report
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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05Nov
We’re on the cusp of D-day (DROID day), and the Droid PR machine hasn’t let up. This is the recent commercial touting the device. Which one do you like better: This movie preview–style Stealth commercial or that now classic “iDon’t” ad?
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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05Nov
In a previous post, I got slammed for perceived bias against T-Mobile. I mentioned the voice outage that affected various users across the country, coupled with the Sidekick/Danger data gaffe, and implied that cost savings might not be worth this kind of hassle. Truth is, if any carrier was plagued with these kinds of issues within such a short period of time, I would’ve called them out the same way, so I wasn't apologetic then. But I might be eating my words now — especially if that recent blowout had anything to do with what I’m about to report:
It seems Tmo is preparing to launch its new HSPA 7.2Mbps 3G network. Not only that, but various subscribers are already experiencing sudden bouts of fast speeds. The guys at AndroidandMe confirm that on average, users — specifically in Chicago and New York City — are getting 5.4Mb/s and 3.8Mb/s, respectively. (Apparently, a simple reboot is all that’s needed to enable the crazy fast 3G connectivity.)
While there hasn’t been an official announcement on the rollout yet, most are predicting it will happen by the end of the year.
This puts everything in a new light. T-Mobile’s official word on the outage was that it was due to a back-end system software glitch that resulted in “abnormal congestion,” but there were no specifics mentioned of why or how that happened — or which back-end system caused the gaffe. TmoNews wonders if it could be tied to this 7.2 rollout.
Oh boy, if that’s true:
Then I am truly sorry, Magenta, for besmirching your network. Rollouts are never smooth, and if errors happen in the course of upgrading to a lightning fast new 3G network, then it’s all for the good. No, not good — really amazingly great. So I’m sorry, Tmo. I like your funky personality. I love your customer service. And your phone lineup is getting better by the day. So can we be friends again? Please?
As for all the Tmo customers in the house, are you experiencing a boost in 3G speeds? Report in and let us know. (If you’re wondering how to check, AndroidandMe has the following how-to: “Download the Xtreme Labs Speedtest and post your results (make sure WiFi is turned off). Run the test a couple times and share what you find. If your phone is rooted, tether it to your laptop/netbook and try running a test on speedtest.net. I have found I received much higher download speeds when tethered vs. just testing on an actual device.”)
Via: AndroidandMe, TmoNews, PhoneArena, PhoneScoop
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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05Nov
If you’re addicted to Twitter like @CarlosGraves is, and you are sick of iPhone apps that get laggy and drain your battery, then look no further! Tweetie 2 (or 2.0) has arrived! Twitter is my main social network, so naturally I want an application that will be smooth, sexy, and most importantly – reliable.
If you use the original Tweetie 1x and want to upgrade but notice that it costs $2.99 to upgrade (yes, even if you bought Tweetie 1), this might change your mind. Because of this, you might ask, “What’s so different in Tweetie 2 that I have to pay for it again?” Well surprisingly, there are a lot of new features packed into Tweetie 2. The most notable is the revamped UI (user interface). If you use the Mac desktop version of Tweetie, you’ll likely find Tweetie 2’s look to be a combination of that and iPhone Tweetie 1.
At the bottom of the new UI, you have the usual tabs (left to right) – Friends, Replies, Direct Messages, Search/Trends, and More. In the “More” tab, you have – My Profile, Favorites, Go to User, and Drafts (A new feature in Tweetie 2). Now to get more in depth with some of the new features...
The main goal with Tweetie 2 was to make it easy to use, but also very stylish. For example, the refresh system - To refresh, all you have to do is pull down on your current list of tweets and you will see a message at the top that says “Release to Refresh”. This is one of the more obvious changes in Tweetie 2. Another key feature that I really love is the tab notifications. Every time Tweetie 2 refreshes, the tab with new tweets or messages gets a little glow underneath it. I like this a lot better than a system like Echofon’s (formerly Twitterfon), which gives you a numerical tweet-count.
Have you ever seen a tweet you liked in your twitter stream, but forgot who it was from? Well now you can find out with ease! Twitter 2 introduces a search bar at the top of your friend stream so you can search for those amazing tweets even if you don’t remember who crafted them.
But my absolute favorite new feature in Tweetie 2 is the full landscape support – and when I say full landscape, I mean FULL landscape! Every screen in the app can be auto-rotated into landscape mode, which is perfect for people who are horrible at typing in portrait mode (Editor’s Note: Like Noah). Another cool must-have feature in Tweetie 2 is the ability to edit your twitter profile. Tap into the My Profile section, and you have the ability to change everything about your profile, even your picture!
Like I said before, this new and refurbished app will cost you $2.99 in the App Store – but it’s a very worthy buy in my opinion.
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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05Nov
Lars Aronsson of GeekedOut.se has put together one of the most comprehensive guides to Windows Mobile available on the web. There is so much information we decided to break it down for our readers in numerous blog post. The first part covered Tweaks, Tips, and Optimization for Windows Mobile. Part 2 highlights essential software while Part 3 covers User-interfaces. This new section is a quick look at some great modifications and windows mobile goodies.
Modifications and Goodies
This is a little list of some nice user-interface modifications and enhancements, along with links to their corresponding original threads when applicable.HTC Enlarge Start Menu - HTC's larger version of the start menu
Touch-HD cabs - Lots of nice extracts from the HTC Touch HD
Extra CABs for the Touch-IT 5 ROM - Plenty of sweet add-ons, check it out
HTC Footprints - Geotagging app
TouchResponse - Vibration feedback
FingerSuite - Replaces the standard menus
FingerKeyboard 2.1 - A finger-friendly touchscreen keyboard
FInixNOver VGA Battery/Network Icons - A better battery meter
AnX1 Landscape mode for TF3D
SE X1 Icons (SEX1cons) - New taskbar icons
Wisbar Advance - Task management and interface customization tool
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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05Nov
Beyond the DROID and DROID Eris, Verizon’s LG Chocolate Touch, BlackBerry Curve 8530 and Samsung Convoy have also become bona fide. The carrier announced official launch dates for these additions to the lineup, including:
LG Chocolate Touch (November 5, $79.99 after $50 MIR)
This music-oriented phone offers Dolby Mobile, so users can customize audio prefs to crank the bass or clarity, in addition to a slew of audio-related features.- FM radio with 12 presets
- Integrated Song ID
- Dedicated side key (to access favorite songs)
- Bluetooth with support for headset, hands-free, dial-up networking, stereo, phonebook access, basic printing, object push for vCard and vCalendar, file transfer, basic imaging and human interface device
- “Join the Band” lets users play along with built-in instruments, including: a full drum kit (snare drum, kick drum, floor tom, hi-hat cymbal, ride cymbal, crash cymbal, and even a cowbell) with finger tap input, and a piano function (with a full scrolling 88-key keyboard)
- Dolby Mobile equalizer, with customizable prefs for headphones, plus Natural Bass, High-Frequency Enhancer, and Sound Level Controller
- Social networking (including Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace) with a dedicated key that lets users upload pics and vids
- 3.2 MP camera and camcorder with 5 different resolutions, zoom, panoramic shooting feature, integrated image editor and manual controls for white balance, color effects, brightness and self-timer.
Samsung Convoy (November 15, $49.99 after $50 MIR)
This beast of a feature phone was built to military specifications to endure the toughest of elements. It’s a Push to Talk device that comes with a stereo speaker, extended battery life and multiple messaging options.- Rugged, durable design
- Meets military specifications 810F standards for shock and dust resistance, vibration, salt fog, humidity, solar radiation, altitude and low and high temperature storage
- Push to Talk over Verizon Wireless’ EV-DO, Rev. A network, for fast two-way communications
- High-quality stereo speaker
- 1300 mAh for long battery life
- 2.0 megapixel camera with Night Shot, panorama, color effects and more
- Bluetooth (v2.1): supports headset (mono/stereo), hands-free, dial-up networking, serial port, object push (vCard and vCalendar only), basic image, basic printing and phonebook access
- Personal organizer with calendar, tip calculator, currency converter, notepad, alarm clock, world clock and stop watch
- Has VZ Navigator, which allows audible turn-by-turn directions for more than 15 million points of interest and lets users share directions with others
BlackBerry Curve 8530 (November 20, $99.99 after $100 MIR)
The slim BlackBerry Curve 8530 — with 3G, built-in Wifi and GPS — seems like quite a nice update to the Curve 8330. It also features a 2 MP camera with zoom and vid recording, expandable memory via hot swappable microSD/SDHC memory card slot (up to 16 GB, possibly up to 32 GB, when next-gen cards are available), 256 MB flash memory, 528 MHz next generation processor, plus all the stand-out email and messaging features that BlackBerries are famous for. (For more on this, hope over here to Aaron’s post on the Curve 8530’s launch.)
In all cases, the mail-in rebates come in the form of a debit card, and the list price requires a 2-year contract. For more info, you can check out Verizon Wireless online or grill the sales clerks at your local retail store.
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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05Nov
On the heels of tomorrow's Droid Day at Verizon Wireless, the carrier has launched a YouTube video walkthrough of the HTC Droid Eris. Yes, people will inevitably learn the device as they grow accustomed to it, but I like the fact that Verizon is taking a proactive step to launch training videos (and of course, it helps them in marketing the Droid line as well).
Check out the video, and get ready for tomorrow's big day!
Via: Verizon (YouTube channel)
Tags: blog, cell phone news, discussion, mobile
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