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Posts Tagged “

Smartphones

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verizon

LiMo Mobile Linux Becomes "Preferred OS" for Verizon

It looks like Verizon Wireless is super duper committed to open development, because they've just joined the LiMo Foundation board of directors. LiMo is "an industry consortium dedicated to creating the first truly open, hardware-independent, Linux-based operating system for mobile devices." Verizon isn't dropping support for Android (or any other OS) as a result of the move, but LiMo will become their "preferred OS," with the first handsets dropping in 2009, starting out as simpler devices and moving into more complicated ones as they "get smarter." Unfortunately, it looks like the clunky red UI you've grown to loathe will remain intact, however. This gives Verizon a fair bit of say in how mobile Linux develops as well—and provides yet more competition for Android. Full press release below. More »

9:30 AM on Wed May 14 2008
By matt buchanan
703 views, 8 comments

Latest by ideaman2020: @P3nnst8r: LMao. more »

rim

RIM Sees Apple $100M Fund for Programmers and Raises $50 Million More

Hot on the heels of the BlackBerry Bold comes the news that the company behind it is to start up its own venture capital firm. And if it's a way of besting Apple's iFund, then the Canadians win, by fifty million buckeroonies. The BlackBerry Partners Fund is a bunk up between RIM and Thomson Reuters, and has earmarked $150 million for mobile applications and services for mobile platforms including BlackBerry. Full press release after the jump. More »

5:30 AM on Mon May 12 2008
By Addy Dugdale
4,646 views, 9 comments

blackberry

BlackBerry Bold (aka 9000) Officially Official

They said RIM's BlackBerry 9000 would be formally announced on the 12th. They said it would be called the Bold. Photos suggested that it would be the sexiest thing to come out of Canada since Sarah McLachlan's Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. And they wuz right. Boy Genius says it'll be available this summer on AT&T 3G, with a T-Mobile 3G edition in the wings—the handset can handle 850/1900/2100Mhz for HSDPA/UMTS, plus T-Mo's 1700MHz band. Sascha at PC Mag is reporting a CDMA/EV-DO version as well. Jump for more details like that 480 x 320 screen—and giddy tittering—from sources all around the web, plus the official press release. More »

12:01 AM on Mon May 12 2008
By Wilson Rothman
35,994 views, 74 comments

Latest by iomatic: @Monty: Naw, dude. Apple fan here. Own an iPhone. Guess what I switched to? Yup. Blackberry. Oh yeah, ask what I do fer a livin'. Yup. Designing interfaces. For about ten years... no, no, no; Apple is great. Their screen more »

smartphones

Rumor: MWg to Launch Windows Mobile 7 Device This Year

One fun rumor bopping around the phone sites is that MWg, the smartphone maker previously known as O2 Asia, will be rolling out a Windows Mobile 7 phone in the fourth quarter of 2008, specifically the Flame II shown above. That's about a year earlier than we last heard. Everyone sounds skeptical, but you never know, the timeline could have been Boy Genius, or to see the whole MWg presentation, have a accelerated because WM6 isn't exactly a crowd pleaser. If you want a more complete roadmap, check out Boy Genius; for the original video presentation from MWg, look at MoDaCo. Either way, take it with a grain or two of salt. [MoDaCo via BGR]

8:29 PM on Sun May 11 2008
By Wilson Rothman
2,673 views, 5 comments

Latest by MeeM: It's about time manufacturers took screen sizes seriously. 2.8" is decent, but if they intend on using VGA or better resolution in a compact device, they should at least use a screen size of 3" or larger. The more »

iphone

iPhone "Currently Unavailable" Online: Brilliant Pre 3G iPhone Strategy?

The iPhone is "currently unavailable" at the AppleStore US, following the dry-out in the UK. Does this mean they are waiting for the shipment of the next version? If so, this is a brilliant and rare move for Apple. More »

2:00 PM on Sat May 10 2008
By Addy Dugdale
36,881 views, 75 comments

Latest by justinpe: @Sleeper_Service: Kinda goes hand in hand. If you care about your customers and continue to meet or exceed their expectations, your profits will reflect this. So, yeah, I think Apple does care about its customers, because without them, there would be more »

iphone

Lextech App Turns Your iPhone into a Surveillance Device

A company called Lextech has created an application that lets you control surveillance devices via your iPhone. As well as watching the action on the phone, the app also lets you control the cameras via its touchscreen. See the system in action in a couple of videos after the jump. More »

11:45 AM on Sat May 10 2008
By Addy Dugdale
12,832 views, 17 comments

Latest by toyotaboy: cute cat, what's his name? annoying customer more »

blackberry 9000

Is the BlackBerry 9000 Really Going to Be Called BOLD?

And Lo, it came to pass that, after the blessed angel RIM announced the arrival of the BlackBerry 9000, pointing its followers to a May 12 launch, there came a tumultous cacophony of sound from the masses, who wanted to know if the smartphone was going to get a catchier name, like its sisters, Pearl, and Curve. And the angel RIM paused for a moment and said, "Verily, I say unto you that, from henceforth it shall be known as Bold." And with wailing and gnashing of teeth, the followers rent their garments and, smiting their breasts, said, "Bloody Norah, that sounds more like a washing detergent." [Crackberry]

10:15 AM on Sat May 10 2008
By Addy Dugdale
6,240 views, 23 comments

Latest by keyser: a rose, by any other name, would still smell as sweet - and f**k up yout thumbs if you dont wear those thick bright yellow gloves LOLOL. more »

rumors

Rumor: BlackBerry 9000 To Be Announced on May 12?

The BlackBerry 9000 will be officially announced on May 12 at WES 2008, according to the Boy Genius. The reviews have been glowing so far, so if you've been waiting for the 9000, time to start getting excited. [BGR via Unwired View]

10:30 AM on Fri May 9 2008
By Benny Goldman
6,061 views, 21 comments

blackberry curve

Blackberry Curve 8330 Coming To Sprint Tomorrow

Sprint may be a little late to the Blackberry Curve Party, but seeing as the Curve is a great phone, it's never really too late. The Curve 8330 will launch on the Sprint network tomorrow, complete with EV-DO, GPS, and tethering capability. You can order it tomorrow for $180 with a 2 year commitment. [Boy Genius via Crunch Gear]

7:28 PM on Thu May 8 2008
By Adrian Covert
2,496 views, 4 comments

blackberry 9000

Video: BlackBerry 9000 vs. Curve and Pearl Plus Full OS Tour (Smoothest BlackBerry Ever)


Crackberry follows up their rave review of the pre-distro Blackberry 9000 they snagged off eBay with a full video tour that compares it to the Curve and Pearl before diving into the OS for the most in-depth look yet. If you've been staring at BlackBerries for years, it looks like the new UI will feel pretty refreshing, since all of the apps benefit too, not just the home screen. And menus have transparencies! Plus YouTube support (vid opens in BlackBerry media player, but it's there). Must watch if you're at all interested in the 9000. [Crackberry]

1:50 PM on Thu May 8 2008
By matt buchanan
4,343 views, 26 comments

Latest by justinpe: @giislander: Kinda hard to notice a QWERTY keyboard that takes up half the real estate on the front of your phone. Also, RIM is developing a touch screen BB. Why would they do that if touch screens have no place in more »

verizon

VZ Navigator Update with Traffic Avoidance and 3D View Now Available

The latest and greatest version of VZ Navigator (4.0), which tosses in traffic avoidance for 75 cities, along with 3D view plus some other stuff is live right now. $10 a month or $3 to check it out for a day. [Verizon]

11:15 AM on Thu May 8 2008
By matt buchanan
1,883 views, 12 comments

unconfirmed

.Mac Push Email Coming To iPhones

According to what look to be leaked screens of the upcoming iPhone firmware, .Mac push email could be coming to the iPhone. A new "Fetch new data" button will lead to the list of email accounts (in the picture here). Notice that some are listed as "fetch" while .Mac is listed as "push." And while we realize that even the hardcore Apple fanbase tends to steer clear of .Mac, there are bound to be like, 5 or 6 people who are just thrilled. [TUAW]

10:30 AM on Thu May 8 2008
By Mark Wilson
3,148 views, 45 comments

Latest by imagine-engine: I recently renewed my subscription and I admit having the ability for real-time push email with my .Mac subscription will make paying the annual membership more reasonable. The iPhone will then be able to compete seriously with RIM's Blackberry push more »

iphone

Italy's iPhone to Have Two Carriers: The End of Exclusivity?

Following Vodafone's announcement that it would be bringing the iPhone to ten more countries, including Italy, Telecom Italia issued its own short and sweet press release: "Telecom Italia announced today it has signed a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Italy later this year." So that's two separate companies laying claim to the Italian release of the iPhone, which sounds like the end of Apple's exclusivity deal to us. There are even rumors that a third Italian carrier is thinking about it: "evaluating the market opportunity," as Wind's website puts it. Dare we hope that this news also implies unlocked iPhones? [Gadget Lab]

10:50 AM on Wed May 7 2008
By Kit Eaton
2,467 views, 30 comments

Latest by simone999: It was announced last month by TIM (the biggest carrier in Italy) that they got the iphone 3G from Apple, and that it wouldn't be locked. They sold it as a big win (they didn't want to share revenues with more »

palm

Palm Zeppelin and Skywriter Phones Coming in 2008?

Smartphone blog TamsPPC say they received an email from Palm regarding developer submissions for two devices codenamed Zeppelin and Skywriter.They suggest the Skywriter could be a Palm 500-style device with WinMo 6.1, and they posted possible mockup of what appears to be a dev unit. There were no facts provided about the Zeppelin, but TamsPPC included a copy of the email they received and think the phones will hit the market in Q3 2008. Hmmmm... [TamsPPC]

6:37 PM on Tue May 6 2008
By Adrian Covert
2,798 views, 14 comments

rumor

BlackBerry Niagara Full Specs Leaked (Has 3G After All)

It looks like The Boy Genius Report has scored some more information on the BlackBerry Niagara. Apparently it's a 3G (EVDO) device after all, planned for Verizon in May 2009. It's said to feature QWERTY, 480×360 LCD, aGPS, 3.2MP camera and OS 4.7. But to make things more confusing, there's a very similar model called the Javelin, featuring quad-band GSM/EDGE. In other words, the Javelin sounds like the what we thought the Niagara was yesterday, a dumbed-down Blackberry 9000 for cheapskates. Boy, isn't this fun! [BGR]

11:50 AM on Tue May 6 2008
By Mark Wilson
4,605 views, 10 comments

Latest by scotth0: @thom8706: Got my Curve for Verizon yesterday actually. Happy Cinco de Mayo to me... more »

htc

Hands-On with the HTC Touch Diamond (Verdict: Slightly Sluggish, But Has Nice UI Touches)

The HTC Touch Diamond—iPhone Killer or just another Windows Mobile device? It kinda reminds me of a mini-iPhone. A couple of nice design features: the animated weather display (you can have up to six places' weather forecast bookmarked) makes me think of the widget on my MacBook; the click-wheel in miniature that lets you zoom in on the screen; and there's a very nifty little feature that automatically switches the phone onto silent mode when you lie it on its front. UI was much more attractive than I was expecting, but the touchscreen takes quite a bit of getting used to: it's sluggish to the touch, compared to the hot-butterish iPhone, but the HTC rep assured me that it's not a final version of the software, and everything should have been ironed out by the time of the European and Asian launches next month. So, to answer my questions, No, and No.

10:18 AM on Tue May 6 2008
By Addy Dugdale
25,800 views, 39 comments

Latest by wpns: Oh, and after my less-than-stellar results with my Touch I can certainly trust HTC to fix any software problems that might crop up. How stupid am I again? more »

htc

HTC Touch Diamond: the Blurb, Specs and Official Pics

We came, we saw, we blogged, or Venimus, Vidimus, Blogimus, as they used to say in Roman times. HTC's press release for the Touch Diamond is after the gallery.

More »

8:45 AM on Tue May 6 2008
By Addy Dugdale
20,556 views, 46 comments

Latest by OliverTwist: @LagunaSol: I typed "black" when I meant "white." And then I ran far, far away. more »

smartphones

HTC Launches the Diamond—Small and Very iPhone-esque

So, this is the Touch Diamond. It's small, slim, "a holistic experience," according to Horace Luke, HTC's Chief Innovations Officer, and "just like your life." Out in Europe and Asia next month, we should get our hands on it later on this year, and it's the closest thing so far to an iPhone that hasn't come out of Cupertino. Not surprising, since Luke and his team wanted the design to be worthy of MoMA. I'm just not sure about the diamond design on the back. Here is a gallery, the specs and some of the choice quotes from the presentation:
More »

7:40 AM on Tue May 6 2008
By Addy Dugdale
16,068 views, 46 comments

Latest by dekigo92: How is that at all iPhone-esque? It looks nothing like it in my opinion. Everything with a screen is NOT a clone of the iPhone! We could go ahead and say the iPhone was a palm-pilot clone because it's flat more »