Smartphones

Hands-On Vmoda’s Vibe Duo Headphones for iPhone (Verdict: Punchy, No Remote)

What made these $100 headphones irresistible Apple store iPhone retail bait? If it was a sin to use white earbuds with a nano, it surely was a sin to use it with a $600 phonepod. They’re also the only headphones to launch with the iPhone that explicitly work with the recessed headphone jack. They sound…

Google Phone Prototypes, Software, Project Costing Hundreds of Millions of Dollars

Valleywag realizes that Google will not likely do phone hardware themselves. Whatever. As long as it supports the software, hopefully some shiny Mobile Google OS, we’re interested. Either way, this is what the WSJ and Reuters said today: •”Now it is drafting specifications for phones that can display all of Google’s mobile applications at their…

LG’s KC1 Smartphone has 4G WiMax/WiBro, Mobile TV, Lots of A/V

If you need another reminder of how far ahead Korea is in the cellphone space compared to us, here’s the LG KC1. It’s got WiBro support, which is 4G and lets the phone get Wi-Fi speeds pretty much anywhere. The fast speeds allow the phone to do stuff like remote PC control, streaming videos, video…

These Euros tested the iPhone’s cold weather durability by tossing it in a freezer. It passes. [YouTube]

Aluminum Foil Stops iPhone Car Tape Adapter Buzz

When I tested Monster’s “iPhone compatible” tape adapter, I expected the $25 setup to have extra shielding to stop GSM buzz from the cellular radios. It didn’t. As a joke, I tried some anti-alien brainwashing technology, or aluminum foil. Turns out wrapping a bit around the first few inches kills off a lot of the…

Nokia’s Music Store to Launch August 29th Worldwide…Sideloading Only?

Nokia is planning to launch a worldwide music store on August 29th. Fortune compares it to iTunes, and somehow works iPhone into the headline. Two things I notice: a) This isn’t an application, it’s a website. b) This is like iTunes in that you can’t buy songs over the wire; you have to download them…

Amp’d Handsets Die Tonight; Prexar Mobile Offers Questionable Shelter

Amp’d customers left with dead handsets after the company’s death can take their handsets over to Verizon, Sprint, or other CDMA carriers, it is rumored. Or, where Amp’d officially recommends you go, to Prexar Mobile. GOOD IDEA: move from one relatively unstable carrier to an even more unknown one. At least they won’t make you…

iPhone-ish Virtual Keyboard for the Nokia N800

No predictive text, but plenty of popup letter action, plus sliding. In landscape mode, the letters here seem to have a bit more breathing room between letters, esp on the 4-inch screen. [JKOntheRun]

Nokia N95 Ads Portray Laptops as Crazed, Jealous, Violent Exes

What better way to portray your so-called laptop-replacing smartphone than to make fake videos and images detailing how laptops are attacking people who use it? Take this ad, showing a new college student being bitten by an unnamed laptop as she’s making a movie with her parents with the Nokia N95. Then there are the…

iFuntastic 2.1 Released: Easier AT&T Logo Destruction

iFuntastic, the iPhone Ringtone swapping GUI app, just jumped to version 2.1. It still can load your iPhone with ringtones of your choice and can even rearrange the main menu icons. But now you can swap out that swarmy AT&T logo for any PNG at 65 x 18 pixels. (Above, I used a transparent background,…

Apple Patents Text-to-Speech Messaging

In a recent patent filing “Multimedia data transfer for a personal communication device,” Apple is offering text messages without the GSM SMS protocol, or even the need to read. While SMS requires an intermediary server between sender and receiver, Apple’s patent has a sender’s device convert text messages to an audio signal with this audio…

iFuntastic 2.0 Released: iPhone Ringtones and More

iFuntastic, the iPhone custom ringtone GUI app, is in version 2.0. They’ve added the ability to change carrier logos, and reorder the main menu’s icons. [iPhonealley, thanks Mike]

Free iPhone Ringtones from iTunes

TUAW’s post on how to rip the 30-second track samples from iTunes for use on an iPhone is evil, brilliant and I love it. The secret: export a playlist from the iTunes store, download the MP4 sample clips, and upload them using iFuntastic. Stick it to the carriers who overcharge for ringtones of songs you…

Fans of Yahoo and Windows Mobile can have both now that Yahoo! Go 2.0 has been released. Phones like the Sprint Mogul and AT&T 8525 can get in the action. [Yahoo Go]

AT&T Shafts Employees, While Apple Gives iPhones to Theirs

Not only are AT&T employees not getting free iPhones, unlike their Apple counterparts (who are starting to receive theirs, by the way), but they don’t even get a discount. [TUAW]

ActiveSync and Exchange Support for Helio Ocean

Helio is announcing Activesync support for the Ocean. The phone will then be able to sync calendars, email and contacts from an Exchange server. They’re also doing a file viewer app that will view PDF, Word, Powerpoint and Excel docs. $10 a month for Helions with All-In service plans. HELIO LAUNCHES MAIL FOR MICROSOFT EXCHANGE…

Motorola First to Commit To Mini Laser-Projector Tech

Motorola is the first major cellphone maker to officially plan on putting Microvision’s Pico Projector technology in future gadgets. The laser-based display engine is being placed in a prototype for now, using a 854 x 450 image. [Microvision via Oh Gizmo!] https://gizmodo.com/ces-2007-microvision-to-debut-miniature-projector-226157

Palm OS Based Treo 755p coming to Verizon sometime soon. [Wireless Info]

Samsung and Armani are teaming up to fight LG Prada. Maybe that P520 is the first? [Textually] https://gizmodo.com/samsungs-p520-is-slim-touchable-and-reminds-me-of-some-281650

Megaphone, Cellphone Gaming is Social

Without downloading any extra software or performing special networking, one design student came up with a viable social gaming concept for cellphones. A large screen projects a game in which people can join at any time by calling a number just above the screen. Then, using the standard touchpad (through key tones), users can control…