Gizmodo: access

Lightning Review: Samsung Access Mobile TV Phone for AT&T

matt buchanan — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:30:00 EDT

The Gadget: Samsung Access, the second (and cheaper) phone launching AT&T's mobile TV service.

The Price: $199 w/ 2-year contract.

The Verdict: Underneath the shiny mobile TV veneer with its crystal clear, mondo-size-for-a-candybar screen, it's actually a fairly basic phone. (Which wouldn't be a problem, except for the price—you're essentially paying for the privilege of watching mobile TV.) The UI is better than average (other than the generous slathering of orange), but you'll get nothing truly deep here. It has the same gimpy built-in email client as LG's Vu (no Gmail or custom IMAP or POP support) but the non-QWERTY keyboard means you wouldn't be doing any heavy lifting anyway. Also the browser's not very robust—expected for this kind of phone, but at the same time, I feel like the phone's slick aesthetics promised me more (a la N95).

Let's talk about what this phone is supposed to do well, though: Mobile TV. It does succeed there. The screen is pretty exceptional, if a bit smaller than what I'd want to watch mobile TV on. But I can definitely get through Colbert or 30 Rock on it, and pretty much everything good (and bad) about the service comes through here: Resolution, clarity, content (yay CNN), etc. Yet, if you're really buying this phone because you're dying mobile TV, you should stick with the Vu (if you're paying $15-$30 a month for TV, I'm guessing the price difference is non-consequential for you).

The Vu has a bigger screen, enough said there—even though the Access is taller and wider, making it a tighter pocket fit (this won't fit in a hipster's jean pocket). (They both have lame proprietary headphone jacks though, grrr.) Also, the mobile TV signal is better with the Vu (tested by descending into the bowels of my apartment building), courtesy of the mondo antenna you can whip out to look like you're visiting from the 80s. And the Vu's only $100 more, plus is simply an overall richer phone. [AT&T]

Behold the "Access," Samsung's First Mobile TV Phone With AT&T

Sean Fallon — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:37:00 EDT

Samsung and AT&T have officially announced the arrival of the "Access"—Samsung's first device to support AT&T Mobile TV. The phone features a 2.3-inch landscape display, dual-band 3G and quad-band GSM, one-touch access to AT&T Mobile TV, Video Share, AT&T Mobile Music, Bluetooth, a microSD slot and a 1.3 megapixel camera with video. Pricing has not been announced, but you will be able to get your hands on one starting this May. Press release after the jump.

SAMSUNG AND AT&T ANNOUNCE THE SAMSUNG ACCESS™ First Samsung handset to support AT&T Mobile TV
DALLAS, March 27, 2007 — Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung) today announced the exclusive availability of the Samsung Access™, Samsung's first device to support AT&T Mobile TV, a mobile television service featuring high-quality programming.

The sophisticated and sleek Access is a bar-style phone with a slick black finish and large, crisp and clear 2.3" landscape display comparable to DVD quality, ideal for viewing multimedia content, and exceptional television reception without the need for external antenna. AT&T Mobile TV is easily accessible to users with a one-touch button which brings them directly to full-length television content and sporting events from top networks, including programming from leading entertainment brands CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, FOX Mobile, MTV, NBC 2GO, NBC News2Go and Nickelodeon. AT&T Mobile TV will also feature two exclusive channels, which will be announced soon.

The Access is a robust multimedia device and includes features such as Video Share™ AT&T Mobile Music, stereo Bluetooth ® technology, external stereo speakers, external memory microSD™ card slot and 1.3 megapixel camera with video record. With advanced messaging options such as multimedia messaging, instant messaging and mobile e-mail, the Access is a powerful communication device.

The Access also features dual-band 3G connectivity and quad-band GSM technology, which allows AT&T customers to make calls in more than 200 countries and download data in more than 145.

The Access will be available through select AT&T retail locations or athttp://www.att.com/wireless beginning in May 2008. To learn more about AT&T's other mobile entertainment offerings, visit www.wireless.att.com/entertainment .

Screenshots of ACCESS Linux Platform (The Next Gen Linux-Based Palm Treo OS?)

Brian Lam — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 15:32:57 EDT

Here are some new ACCESS Linux Platform (ALP) screenshots from Linux World. Interesting for the sake of the idea of an alternative mobile OS, like OpenMOKO's, but also because Treonauts believes that this'll run on a Treo arriving in 2008. We'll see. [Treonauts]

Remote Control Your Mac With Your iPhone

Jason Chen — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 13:20:03 EDT

One of the things on the iPhone wishlist is being able to use it as a universal remote for your Mac and your Apple TV, but this Telekinesis webserver app meets us at least halfway. By installing this app on your Mac and hitting up the webserver, you can load up pages that allow you to do screen capture, control iTunes, browse your files, run AppleScript, take an iSight image and even do some basic typing.

Sure, it's not what we were asking for, but it is a nice way to get into your machine from across the house (or even across town if you have the right ports forwarded).

Project Page [Google Code]

NetFront LocationFree Player For Windows Mobile PPC

Jason Chen — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 19:40:57 EST

If you've managed to buy yourself a Sony LocationFree to stream your TV to wherever you are, you might as well hock up another $19 and watch shows on your Windows Mobile phone as well. NetFront's LocationFree player for Pocket PC lets you stream MPEG4 over the air—or more likely, over Wi-Fi—from your Sony LocationFree at home to your phone on the go.

Using the phone, you can also operate external devices, fast forward and rewind—same as on any other LocationFree streaming device. Not a bad looking player UI-wise, and the video quality actually looks somewhat watchable consdering that you're stuck on a 320x240 screen. – Jason Chen

Palm Licenses Palm OS Garnet (OS 5) Source

Jason Chen — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 18:00:16 EST

Access, the company that through a combination of money, witchcraft, and the fact that nobody else really wanted it, got their corporate hands on the Palm OS source code a while back. Since this is same source that's used to power your Treo 650/680/700 smartphones, Palm (the company that makes the hardware) has been worried about how it could take its phones to the next OS level. That is, until now. Palm's just announced a non-exclusive agreement to license the Garnet source code for their upcoming PDA/Phones for $44 million.

This agreement gives them the right to modify the code to adapt it for smartphones, Cylons, or whatever else they decide to run the OS on. This means that when Palm makes a next-gen OS, it can shove in parts of Garnet to keep compatibility with current Palm apps so you won't have to throw away everything you already love. – Jason Chen

FAQ [Access via Palm Info Center]

Blockbuster Online's 'Total Access' Lets You Return DVDs To Stores

Jason Chen — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 17:45:40 EST

In an effort to stop competitor Netflix from totally crushing it, Blockbuster Online is instituting a "Total Access" plan that lets you return online-rented movies in stores. When you give them your rental, you get one free in-store rental, which works just like regular in-store rentals and carry standard ~~late fees~~ restocking penalties.

In addition, your online queue will show your movie as returned, and BB will send out your next movie as soon as possible or whenever they get around to it (most likely the latter). If you're like us and enjoy Blockbuster Online because your old account gave you two free coupons that let you rent games in stores, you'll probably enjoy this new feature as well. – Jason Chen

Blockbuster tries new online rental incentive [News via ]