• 30Jun

    Recap: Samsung Galaxy S press event in NYC

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    Skylight West was the place to be yesterday evening.  Complete with drinks, Galaxy S devices of all shapes and sizes, and B.O.B., it was a neat little place in Hell's Kitchen.  During the event, all I could think about was "Wow, Samsung accomplished the four phones on four carriers concept."  Each device is similar (and based on the same platform), but they're unique enough to give each carrier a different flavor of the Galaxy S line.  Want a QWERTY keyboard?  Epic 4G.  Like Avatar and want it pre-installed on your device?  Vibrant.  Cool tapered design your thing?  Captivate.  Want Mobile Hotspot and V CAST services?  Fascinate.



    Samsung Fascinate (Verizon Wireless)

    From a design perspective, Verizon's is (in my opinion) the most boring of the bunch.  In addition to the 1 GHz Hummingbird processor, 4.0-inch Super AMOLED display, and Android 2.1 that the others offer, the Fascinate comes with VZ Navigator, V CAST for Music, V CAST Song ID, and Mobile Hotspot.



    Samsung Captivate (AT&T)

    My favorite in the design department.  Sporting beveled edges, the Captivate is sleek and offers a nice carbon fiber battery door.  Services include AT&T Navigator, MobiTV, and other AT&T-branded goodies.  No word just yet as to whether the Captivate will allow non-Android Market apps or not, but it's nice to see a high-end Android device on the way.


    Samsung Epic 4G

    Specs-wise, it's the best Galaxy S variant out there.  4G connectivity, Mobile Hotspot, front-facing camera, and the full QWERTY keyboard make it an awesome potential replacement to that Samsung Moment.  The keyboard on the Epic 4G consists of five rows, making it roomy enough for small and large hands alike.  I'm picky when it comes to keyboards (I send a lot of e-mails), and loved the fact that the space bar had its own dedicated row.  The Epic 4G is slightly thicker than the other devices due to the keyboard, but not by much.

    The device sports the usual array of Sprint applications like Sprint TV, Sprint Navigation, Nascar Cup Mobile, and Sprint Music.  Interestingly enough, the Mobile Hotspot capabilities support five users, and not eight like the HTC EVO 4G.

    Samsung Vibrant (T-Mobile)

    As the only Galaxy S device to have an official release date, it's exciting to finally see the Vibrant in the flesh.  From a design perspective, T-Mobile's version is the closest to the unlocked Galaxy S.  As you would expect (thanks to T-Mobile's Twitter clue game), the Vibrant ships with Avatar, The Sims 3, MobiTV, and a shortcut to GoGo's in-flight Wi-Fi service.

    The Samsung Vibrant will be available on July 21st for $199.99 after rebates.  You'll be able to snag it in T-Mobile retail stores, online, and through telesales.

    Other Details

    -My initial impression was that the devices are a bit too plastic-y.  Holding a Galaxy S device in one hand and holding something more substantial like the Nexus One or iPhone 4 in the other really shows the build quality differences.  I don't think it's a durability thing (they seemed quite sturdy), but coming from devices made of metal and glass, the difference shows.

    -As I figured, Samsung disabled the "available storage" section of Android so we couldn't see what the units were packing under the hood.

    -As I said above, the Samsung Vibrant (T-Mobile) is the only device with an official launch date - July 21st.  It's a waiting game with the others.

    -The Samsung Epic 4G (Sprint) and the Samsung Fascinate (Verizon) both offer a flash with the camera; the Captivate (AT&T) and the Vibrant (T-Mobile) do not.

    Check out the gallery below, and hit the comments section with your thoughts!

     

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  • 30Jun

    Foursquare security breach exposes 875,000 check-ins

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    Foursquare privacy

    Foursquare is one of the more controversial social networks available, as many don't want people knowing where they are at any given time.  Those fears have gotten real as hacker Jesper Andersen revealed a security breach with the Foursquare website. This hole allowed him to snag data from 70 percent of all check-ins in the San Francisco area over the last three weeks.  That adds up to around 875,000 check-ins.  Wired explains how Andersen's hack worked:

    On pages like the one for San Francisco’s Ferry Building, Foursquare shows a random grid of 50 pictures of users who most-recently checked in at that location — no matter what their privacy settings. When a new check-in occurs, the site includes that person’s photo somewhere in the grid. So Andersen built a custom scraper that loaded the Foursquare web page for each location in San Francisco, looked for the differences and logged the changes.

    The hole has been shared with Foursquare, who responded by allowing the option to opt out of the "Who's Been Here" section.  Andersen, who says he is "trying to be a white-hat," says he hasn't seen a drop-off in his check-in data, meaning people may not be aware of the change.

    It seems like every social network goes through some sort of security issue at least once in its lifespan, and Foursquare is no different.  This news is kind of startling, but at least Andersen is using what he's learned for good rather than trying to exploit the data for evil.  Since Foursquare involves giving out such sensitive data, hopefully the company will learn from this mistake and up its privacy measures.  I don't need any hacker knowing how many times I check into Starbucks every week.

    Via Wired

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  • 30Jun

    Second wave of iPhone 4s will arrive July 7th

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    Unless you've been living under a rock in the middle of the desert with no access to any sort of technology or communication, you're probably aware of the slew of problems Apple and AT&T have had since the day they started pre-ordering the iPhone 4.  Cancelling orders, changing shipment dates, and antenna issues are just a few of the issues you've probably already heard of.  But there might be some light (albeit dim) at the end of the tunnel.

    The initial promise was that you'd receive your iPhone 4 on June 24th, iPhone 4 launch day (a holiday in some countries, no seriously), followed shortly by a delay to July 2nd.  Not long after that people whose orders got cancelled or ordered too late were told they'd have to wait until the 14th of July to receive their iPhone 4.  So, what's the good news?  According to Gizmodo, the second shipment of iPhone 4s should be on their way soon and you can expect to receive them by July 7th.  No one seems to know what happened to the July 2nd date, but hey, at least you don't have to wait until the 14th, right?

    Via Gizmodo

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  • 30Jun

    iPhone 3G, hacked to run Android 2.2, is now unlocked as well

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    iPhone 3G Android

    Remember when the iPhone 3G managed to get itself a port of Android 2.2 before most Android devices were able to?  Now the Froyo-toting iPhone 3G has one-upped itself, as Sergio McFly has unlocked the device for use on other GSM networks.  In order to achieve the unlock, ultrasn0w was ported into the OpeniBoot process by hacker bluerise.  Now not only can you use an iPhone on T-Mobile, you can use an iPhone running Android on T-Mobile, which is sure to cause some sort of rip in the space-time continuum.  The unlock isn't available as of this writing, but Mr. McFly says that he's "in a rush" to make the unlock available, so we'll be sure to let you know when the download link is live.

    After Android was ported to the HTC HD2 earlier today and now this, it's obvious that the Android hacking community can achieve just about anything it wants given some time.  I'm surprised, and kind of disappointed, that we haven't seen an Android port come to the iPhone 3GS.  Since the 3GS is reportedly more difficult to hack than previous iPhones, though, I'm sure we'll see it happen at some point.  Have any of you tried out these Android-to-iPhone ports?

    Via GadgetsDNA

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  • 30Jun

    Sources: There will be no next of KIN

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    Ever since the Microsoft KIN devices were announced and eventually launched, they received underwhelming reviews from bloggers and consumers alike.  Whether it was the pricing, the ability of the phones (or lack their of) or the data plans that accompanied the phones, you rarely heard people talk about how excited they were about their new KIN.

    Just a few weeks ago we heard reports that only 500 KINS were ever sold, and though there has yet to be any confirmation on actual sales figures, it's not particularly surprising to hear that the KIN is officially dead.  According to a Gizmodo source "close to Microsoft," the company is officially pulling the plug on the project and integrating the KIN team with the Windows Phone 7 team (lets hope that doesn't bring Windows 7 down a notch).

    If you bought a KIN (sorry) you will still get support for your device, but who knows what kind of software updates will be available in the future.  If it makes you feel any better, Microsoft released an official statement, though it's not particularly comforting to those who just spent money on a device that has absolutely no future, and is still costing a fortune on a monthly basis.

    "We have made the decision to focus exclusively on Windows Phone 7 and we will not ship KIN in Europe this fall as planned. Additionally, we are integrating our KIN team with the Windows Phone 7 team, incorporating valuable ideas and technologies from KIN into future Windows Phone releases. We will continue to work with Verizon in the U.S. to sell current KIN phones."

    Apparently Microsoft and Verizon will be trying to get the current stock off the shelves, but buyer beware!  Let me ask you this, would you rather deal with the Android fragmentation problem or no further development at all?  It seems pretty black and white, but I'll let you be the judge!

    Via Gizmodo

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  • 30Jun

    Nate’s Straight Talk Express: The Android development rant continues…

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    Last week’s column about my frustration with the lightning-fast pace of development of Android, both on the hardware and software fronts, seemed to strike a chord with many of you, and I got a lot of great feedback. The common theme was that a lot of faithful Android users feel the same way I do. I do feel like I need to clarify my sentiments a little. My beef isn’t so much with Google and their hyper-active OS update schedule, as it is with the hardware manufacturers and the carriers. After all, Google is trying to claw its way to the top of the OS heap, and do it in a hurry by adding great new features that make Android more functional. It’s the manufacturers and carriers that seem to be too busy catering to new customers and upgraders than supporting those who’ve already taken the plunge and locked themselves into that carrier contract.

    Between the hardware manufacturers and the wireless carriers, I’m not sure which is in the driver’s seat of the of the hardware spec one-upsmanship battle royale. Further, I’m not sure it’s fair to try to pin the ‘blame’ (my word, since it’s my rant) on either group, as the carriers are obviously battling to keep current customers while trying to steal new customers away from competitors. Manufacturers have to continually research and develop new technologies and processes to keep the carriers in constant supply of the newest and best hardware to support the carrier’s aforementioned goals.

    So with all of that said, I’ve got to say that I truly do understand that none of these parties have the luxury of sitting back on their heels, because if they do, they’ll be chewed-up and spit-out. To see a couple of prime examples of what complacency will do to a tech company, look no further than to Palm and Microsoft, and the historical dominance of both company’s legacy mobile operating systems. Both companies failed to recognize the need to modernize and keep pace with Apple and Google’s upstart mobile operating systems.

    Speaking of Apple, I’m going to go out on a limb and say, as a consumer who desires a measure of predictable longevity in my gadgets, I really envy those who own iPhones if for no other reason than I would know when the next iteration of the hardware and software cycle will hit and could plan my emotional roller coaster (and my purchases) accordingly.

    I wonder what a world would look like in which hardware manufacturers spent all of their research and development dollars developing just one or two great pieces of smartphone hardware each year for each mobile OS and let the chips fall where they may. While this model has worked very, very well for Apple, and historically well for Research in Motion, not many other companies have been able to combine and leverage that same kind of integrated hardware and software brand loyalty. 

    As you all can see, I’m pretty adept at identifying what I perceive as problems for consumers, and I’m pretty sure you all have thought pretty hard about these issues as well. I most definitely don’t have any viable solutions. The truth is, while the mobile tech world is NOT a democracy, you as consumers DO get a vote. You vote with each dollar that you spend.  While you have to make purchases within the framework provided by the carriers, with contracts and subsidies and the like, you need to make sure you consider your experience with the Android hardware and software development cycle over the past 12-18 months and remember how you feel right now.  You’ll probably feel the same way after six or eight months with your next new phone, as well.

    My advice, for what it’s worth, is to get a calculator and a pad of paper and map out the cost differences for service plans across all the wireless carriers that meet your service criteria (re-evaluate this too while you are at it), as well as the hardware price of a one-year vs. two-year contract.  The key to all of this is that you are going to have to put a dollar-value on the techno-lust that you are feeling right now, as you will feel like this again and you will not be able to predict what kind of hardware is going to be available half-way through your next contract.  The rest is up to you. 

    Alright, I may have gotten a bit too philosophical with you all, but I really want to hear your ideas about how to prevent this “stuck” feeling the next time around.  I know lots of you have suggested that you’re sticking with T-Mobile or Sprint because their contracts give you an upgrade discount after 12 months or something, but what if an unbelievably amazing device lands on another carrier and you are stuck?  My point is, think outside the box and let me know in the comments what ideas you’ve come up with. We may not be able to effect any real change in the marketplace, but (a) misery loves company, and (b) if we don’t start talking more openly about this at sites like PhoneDog.com, I’m not sure who will.

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  • 30Jun

    VZW letting customers change orders from Incredible to DROID X free

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    Motorola DROID X

    Today Verizon said that it is offering a free $25 gift card to users who have endured long delays of its HTC DROID Incredible.  While that's certainly a generous move, it may not be enough for some users.  Verizon has another offer up their sleeve for those patient folks, though, as they will now let anyone who has been waiting for the backordered Incredible switch their order to a Motorola DROID X for free.  The tipster who shared the news with Boy Genius Report went on to say that Motorola has guaranteed stock of the DROID X for launch, so there should be no delays for the new device.

    While it's disappointing that HTC hasn't been able to get the whole DROID Incredible shortage under control, this is great for customers have been eyeing the new DROID X.  This is good news for Motorola, too, because now they'll be able to steal a few sales from HTC.  I'm sure there will be more than a few customers taking advantage of the deal as the DROID X becomes Verizon's new flagship device.  That, coupled with the fact that we know Android 2.2 and Flash 10.1 will be coming to the DROID X by the end of summer, makes this offer very difficult to resist.  Are any of you going to take advantage of this incredible deal?

    Via Boy Genius Report

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  • 30Jun

    HTC HD2 spotted running Android and Ubuntu, cheating on WinMo

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    HTC HD2 Android

    One of the most common complaints about the HTC HD2 upon its release was that it was running Windows Mobile and not the Android OS.  The HTC Linux team has been working on porting Android to the HD2 for a while now, but they finally hit a major breakthrough with the project.  The team has managed to get the HaRET Linux bootloader to play nice with the touchscreen, allowing things like an Android port to work properly.  The stable release of Android for the HD2 is still a little ways off, though, as there are a few bugs left to squash.  Check out a video of an HD2 running Android and then Ubuntu in the video below. 

    As I've always said, the Android hacking community is alive and well, and this video just proves that.  While the HTC HD2 is starting to get a little long in the tooth (at least when it comes to the pace of mobile technology), the HTC Linux team has managed to breathe new life into the device.  There's not final release date for this hack, but judging by how smooth it looks in the video, I'm betting that we'll see it sooner rather than later.  Who else is considering picking up an HD2 just to try this out?

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    Via Engadget

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  • 30Jun

    Canadians to get free Wi-Fi at Starbucks, too

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    Just when you thought getting free Wi-Fi with your coffee and scone at the nations most popular coffee joint couldn't be any cooler, Starbucks announces that its Canadian customers will be getting free Wi-Fi too.  According to BGR, Starbucks will be partnering with Canadian Carrier Bell to offer free Wi-Fi to all customers come July 1st (hey, that's tomorrow!).  What's more, the service will be available through a simple "one-click login system" which means you won't have to bother with silly little things like logins and passwords anymore.  Hooray!  Anyone headed to a Starbucks in Toronto tomorrow to give it a try?

    Via BGR

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  • 30Jun

    Motorola DROID X ad knocks a certain phone having signal issues

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    Motorola DROID X ad

    Not long after Nokia put a post on its Nokia Conversations blog that took a shot at a recently released phone that is experiencing signal problems, Verizon and Motorola got in a few words of their own.  Motorola has placed a full-page ad in the New York Times today to show off its new DROID X, landing on Verizon on July 15th.  The ad touts the DROID X's 8 megapixel camera, 1 GHz processor, HD video capture, and one other important feature:

    "And most importantly, it comes with a double antenna design. The kind that allows you to hold the phone any way you like…"

    It's great to see the competition between carriers and manufacturers continue, as this will only lead to better products for the consumers.  As often as Verizon knocks AT&T or the iPhone in its ads, though, I wouldn't mind seeing AT&T or Apple fire back with its own clever ad. Regardless of all of these ads, both the iPhone 4 and DROID X both have their pros and cons, and they both look like they're going to be very popular with consumers.

    Via TechCrunch

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