Yes, it’s happened. Days after Jack Dorsey comes in to head product, the dreaded #Dickbar, or the Quickbar that inserted ads into your tweet-stream on the iPad and iPhone, is dead. While Twitter had taken the step to pin it to the top of the app weeks ago, today it’s decided to do away with it altogether.
Read the rest of this entry »
Would you look at what dropped in our inbox this morning? Good old HTC is cooking up a little somethin' somethin' for an April 12th launch in London town, for an event kicking off at 1.30PM GMT or 8.30AM ET. While consulting our solar calendars, we noticed that's when Microsoft's MIX 2011 developer gathering is also getting started, but we're sure it's just a coincidence and HTC isn't about to spring a battery of new Windows Phone 7 devices on us. In fact, if you stare at the invite's image long enough, you might just convince yourself you're looking at a bulging smartphone screen, which could indicate we're talking about the EVO 3D's European launch. You never know with these things. Whatever happens, we'd advise circling the date and making sure your popcorn supplies aren't running low.
Freight issue means Sony Ericsson handset will miss tomorrow’s release at some retailers and carriers, although some will continue with the launch on time
Sony Ericsson has encountered shipping delays to its Xperia Play handset (pictured) meaning it will not go on sale at some retailers and carriers tomorrow (April 1) as originally planned. Sony Ericsson said this had been due to “a freight issue”.
It’s the latest blow for Sony Ericsson after O2 announced last Friday (March 25) that is is delaying the launch of the Xperia Play, of which it has in exclusive in white, after finding “bugs” in the device’s software.
In a statement Sony Ericcson said: “We can confirm that the Xperia Play handsets are still planned to launch in the UK for April 1, as originally communicated. However, as of today, we have experienced a freight issue that may impact the number of Xperia Plays arriving at some retail outlets. This said, consumers can purchase Xperia Play as of April 1 at a number of stores across the UK.”
Last night Vodafone sent out a message to all customers that pre-ordered the devices. It read: “Sony Ericsson has advised us that it will not be able to supply the Xperia Play and Arc devices to meet their original launch date of April 1.
“Unfortunately this means there will be a small delay before pre-order customers receive their orders, and the device made available for sale in our shops. We’re working closely with Sony Ericsson to ensure our customers’ phones are delivered as soon as possible and we will contact people directly with specific timescales when we know more.”
Orange and Phones 4U both said they had received their full Xperia Play allocation and will go ahead with tomorrow’s launch as planned.
Now obviously if you own an Apple iPad 2 you aren’t about to go shooting your beloved iOS tablet are you, but accessory maker Zagg wants to bring home to Apple iPad 2 users that the world is a dangerous place and thus you should protect your shiny new Apple gear.
Thus Zagg has put out a TV commercial whereby the Apple iPad 2 gets shot and destroyed, and all in slow motion so you don’t miss that destruction. Of course we have that TV commercial for your viewing pleasure below courtesy of the guys over at Daily iPhone Blog.
Zagg is obviously touting their accessories for the iOS tablet with the commercial and use the tag line “Protect, stylise & accessorise your precious gadgets,” although one does have to say having your Apple iPad 2 shot whilst out and about is somewhat rare.
Having said that, if you do enjoy seeing gadgets exploded in slow mo then head on down, hit that play button and check out the footage, oh, and don’t try this at home…enjoy.
If you are into checking out minute things and don’t really want to lug around a full-fledge microscope but own an iPhone 4, there is a neat little accessory attachment than can turn your iPhone 4 into a mini microscope.
According to an article over on Ubergizmo by way of Red Ferret, if you are into snapping close up shots of stuff the Mini Microscope of iPhone will probably suit your needs as it comes with a 60x zoom along with LED lights to keep the subject matter illuminated.
The Mini Microscope for iPhone clips right onto your iOS smartphone just like any other case although you will need to remove your existing case if you use one, and only covers the top portion of the iPhone and enables the user to get up close with plant life, insects and other minute things.
The Mini Microscope for the iPhone 4 is available to purchase from Firebox and commands a not unreasonable price tag of 29.99 with free delivery, and ideal if you enjoy scrutinising the tiny things in life and completely portable.
As reported here on Cell Phones Etc. and across the Web, here’s your daily brief on what happened in the world of mobile phones this Wednesday, March 30th, 2011.
The Source flyer reveals Bell Incredible S 3-year price will be $99.95
There you have it. As far as Bell’s Incredible is concerned, it’ll debut with a 3-year on-contract price of $99.95. It’s not an official announcement from Bell, but still official nonetheless as the info’s coming from none other than their own retail chain The Source.
Mobilesryup
Vimeo’s gratis iOS video editing app punks iMovie in its own house, available now
Want to edit videos on your iPhone 4? Yes, we know there’s an iMovie app for that, but why spend $4.99 when you can do it for free. That’s right. For $0, you can edit and share movies with Vimeo’s official iPhone app. It’s got transitions, effects, and a bunch of other treats to let you turn your iPhone into a mini portable editing machine. Download it now at the iTunes App Store.
Engadget
Nokia C6-01 now Available in Canada via Bell
Right on schedule, the Nokia C6-01 is now official in Canada. Pricing is spot on with what we’ve heard – $0 on a 3-yr contract or $279.95 outright purchase. The Nokia C6-01 sports a 3.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, an 8-megapixel camera with dual LED flash at the back, VGA camera on the front, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, HSPA connectivity, and comes bundled with a 4GB microSD card. It’s not a great phone, but a pretty decent one.
Check it out at Bell, or head on over here for the full press release.
In-app billing launches on Android Market
It may have taken Google some time to roll this out, but that’s already water under the bridge. What’s important is the here and now, and that’s in-app billing is now available for developers to utilize in their Android apps. Tap Tap Revenge and WSOP3 are just some of the apps out now that have this feature enabled, and more will definitely be coming soon. Good news for developers. Bad news for Android users already addicted to app shopping.
BGR
TELUS extends free long distance calling to Japan until April 30th
The title, I guess, already says it all. Telus will continue to provide free calls to Japan up until the end of April. For those who want to help out by donating funds to the relief effort, you can text “QUAKE” to 45678 to share $10 to The Salvation Army in Canada or “ASIA” to 30333 to send $5 to THe Canadian Red Cross Society.
Mobilesyrup
As promised yesterday, we’ve got a bit of a giveaway goin’ on over at our brand new Facebook page. Two lucky MobileCrunch fans are gonna be walkin’ away with a brand new Mophie Juice Pack Air iPhone case. Part protective case, part external battery, this thing should keep your iPhone safe and juiced up.
So, how do you enter to win? It’s crazy easy:
Head over to our new Facebook page and hit the LIKE button. Liking won’t automatically enter you, but you’ve gotta Like the page to qualify to win.
Find the secret passphrase. It’s not hidden or anything — just look for our wall post about this contest. Hell, here’s the link.
E-mail the secret passphrase to greg+FBContest@crunchgear.com (that’s a plus sign there in the first bit. Don’t worry — it’ll work.) Make sure you send it from an e-mail address I can respond to. )
We’ll pick 2 winners at random from those who followed the steps above on Thursday 3/31/2011 at 11:59 PM Pacific. Winners will be alerted via e-mail by Friday. Good luck!
I have seen a lot of strange things come out of Japan and hit the gadget market. A lot of the weird stuff has to do with cats. I blame that on Hello Kitty mostly. A new gadget has surfaced for the computer user that gets a cold mousing hand. It looks like a cats head too.
You put your hand inside the cat’s mouth to grab your mouse and control the computer. It has a USB powered heater as well to keep you nice and toasty while you work.
The cat pad is 234 mm x 260 mm x 110 mm (9.21 in x 10.24 in x 4.33 in) and 95 g (3.35 oz). I’m not sure how much this thing sells for, but I am pretty sure it’s more than the thing is worth.
Verizon Wireless today announced two new efforts designed to help chipset providers and device manufacturers develop and build handsets and other devices for use on the company’s leading 3G and 4G LTE networks. The new certification process, along with a new provider of (U)SIM and CSIM Interface test equipment, will help bring those products to market more quickly.
Verizon Wireless now requires all baseband chipsets to go through a common certification process. Intended to streamline the overall process and eliminate redundant testing among chip vendors, device vendors and Verizon Wireless, the new certification requirements can also lead to a faster approval cycle for the chipsets. The program simplifies device certification requirements, while ensuring uniform quality across chipsets used in devices launched across Verizon Wireless’ networks.
UberMedia, the leading independent provider of applications for reading and posting to Twitter and other social media platforms, announced the release of UberSocial 1.5 for iPhone. Formerly known as UberTwitter, it is the iPhone companion to the most frequently used Twitter app on the BlackBerry, UberSocial.
In addition to traditional Twitter client features – such as composing and sending tweets, retweeting, direct messaging and embedded link shortening – UberSocial for iPhone offers an innovative feature called LivePreview that makes reading Tweets faster and easier. Either by tapping the Tweet in portrait mode or turning the phone to landscape mode, users will be able to view and use content from any embedded link (e.g., webpage, photo or video) instantly without leaving the app or opening a new page within an app.
Mozilla Firefox 4 for Android, Android mobile browsing, Mozilla mobile browsing
Mozilla, a global, nonprofit organization dedicated to making the Web better, is excited to release Mozilla Firefox 4 for Android. Firefox delivers an intuitive interface, unparalleled customization and support for modern Web technologies. To make mobile browsing effortless and fun, Firefox provides seamless and secure access to personal data across desktop and mobile devices, including browsing history, bookmarks, open tabs, form data and passwords. Firefox is available from the Android Market and for download on Maemo devices. Firefox for mobile is offered in more than 10 languages.
Firefox for mobile allows users to take the Firefox experience they love everywhere and minimizes typing with features like tabbed browsing, bookmarks, add-ons and Firefox Sync. With a sleek new look that hides browser controls when not in use, Firefox allows users to focus on the websites they visit. Firefox Sync gives users seamless access to their browsing history, bookmarks, open tabs, form data and passwords across computers and mobile devices. Firefox also offers thousands of ways to customize the features, functionality and look of mobile Web browsing with Firefox Add-ons.
Firefox is up to three times faster than the stock browser on Android. Major enhancements to the JavaScript engine make everything from page load speed to graphics to overall performance snappy in Firefox.
Firefox for mobile is built on the same technology platform as the desktop version. With modern Web technologies like HTML5, developers can build rich, interactive applications and websites. Go to Web O’ Wonder and check out the incredible online experiences developers can now create.
What’s New in Firefox for Android and Maemo:
Streamlined Interface
Focus on Web content: Features like tabs, one-touch bookmarking and browser controls that stow away when not in use help users focus on the websites they visit
Browse More, Type Less
Awesome Screen: Type less with easy access to history, bookmarks and open tabs
Save to PDF: Capture important websites, like directions or a boarding pass, to view offline
Share Page: Share websites via apps like email, Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader and more
Add Search Engine: Customize your search engine list
Private and Secure Synchronization
Firefox Sync: Access Awesome Bar history, bookmarks, open tabs, passwords and form data across multiple computers and mobile devices with secure end-to-end encryption
Most Customizable:
Firefox offers thousands of ways for users to customize the features, functionality and look of their mobile Web browser with Firefox Add-ons
Cutting Edge Tools for Web Developers:
Firefox improves existing tools like CSS, Canvas and SVG to enable developers to make exciting Web pages
HTML5 support in Firefox for Android and Maemo includes Location-Aware Browsing, device orientation, accelerometer, desktop notifications and more
The JavaScript engine incorporates the new JgerMonkey JIT compiler, along with enhancements to the existing TraceMonkey JIT and SpiderMonkey’s interpreter for faster page-load speed and better performance of Web apps and games
For many years I always believed that ADHD was in children and not adults but I was very much mistaken, it goes to prove that if you do not know the full outcome of ADHD we should read a little more. Well thanks to the ADHD iOS app I have tested myself and it seems I should get checked out.
What is ADHD? What are the ADHD symptoms? Do you or your children have ADHD? So many questions that need answering can be done so via the iOS app we have here. We must make you aware that this app is for fun but does give you an idea if you have ADHD and after the iOS apps results you MUST seek professional advice.
Test yourself with the ADHD app via iTunes that costs 2.99, ADHD aka Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder that should always be evaluated via face-to-face evaluation but the apps test gives you an idea.
You will be given a series of questions and all you need to do is answer by clicking on the listed names such as yes, no, maybe, sometimes, often, quite often etc. Basically you can screen yourself and after the test you can decide if you need to get professional advice.
Do you have ADHD? Test yourself with this app and let us know your results. Few screenshots below of app -
If you would like to be the owner of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play or the SE Arc smartphones then maybe you should take a peek at what Vodafone has to offer.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc are both available for pre-order and if you do so right now before April 1 Vodafone will have it delivered to you by April 5th.
If you pre-order any of the above named smartphones before March 31 Vodafone will give you FREE unlimited UK calls to Vodafone mobiles. Bargain as they say, below is a few details about contract tariffs.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play – Free phone from 35p/m with 900mins, Unlimited texts and 750MB Mobile Internet Data (24 month contract) – Please check out deal here
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc- Free phone from 30 p/m with 600mins, unlimited texts and 500 MB Mobile Internet Data (24 month contract). Check deal out here
Ever wanted to have your voice on Facebook? Well there’s a new app for iOS, Android and BlackBerry called BabblOn that enables the user to record any sound an then post it to their Facebook wall or Facebook friend’s wall.
The BabbleOn App for iOS, BlackBerry and Android smartphones features a simply intuitive UI, delivers the ability to listen to your BabblOn repording previous to posting to Facebook or the BabbleOn community so you can decide if it’s right or needs changing, delivers full access to Facebook friends, and has the ability to add text to babbles.
The president and co-founder of BabbleOn, Michael Mills says… “This application will break down the walls of social media communication and allow users to create voice messages for all to actually hear. For instance, you can sing Happy Birthday to your sister who lives across the country, record your baby’s first words, tell all your friends all at once you just got engaged or just update your status… the possibilities are endless and more efficient and satisfying than typing a message.”
BabblOn Technologies Inc aims to expand the BabblOn app with the launch of the BabbleOn community website that will enable users to follow friends, products and celebrities. The BabbleOn app is available as a free download for the iPhone from iTunes, for Android devices from the Android Market and for BlackBerry from BlackBerry App World.
If you’re a MobileCrunch reader, it’s probably because you’re an early adopter. Or you’re just awesome.
Well, we’ve got something new for you to be an early adopter of (or that’ll just make you more awesome): the brand spankin’ new MobileCrunch page on Facebook.
Yeah, I know: we should have built a Facebook Page ages ago. To be honest, it’s been sitting on our to-do list since back around the time man discovered fire — we’ve just been busy. As an apology of sorts for our tardiness (but primarily because we like to give stuff away), we’re going to start things off with a giveaway tomorrow, exclusive to our Facebook fans. What’ll we be giving away? It’s a secret, for now — but unless you want to forget about the giveaway, you better hit that Like button.
Oh, and don’t think that tomorrow’s giveaway is going to be the only one. If I have my way, we’ll be hookin’ our readers up on a regular basis.
Last week, Microsoft released a NoDo update schedule for all of its WP7 devices, and it looks like T-Mobile's sticking to the plan. That's right folks, T-Mobile's HTC HD7 owners are officially the first to receive the OTA NoDo download. T-Mo announced on its Twitter feed and website forum that the update has commenced, and our tipsters confirm that some have indeed already received the new software. The announcement states that users will only start getting the update today, and will get a pop-up notification telling them when its available. So if you haven't yet been hit with your dose of NoDo, rest assured that help is on the way.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Verizon USB551L 4G LTE Modem, Verizon 4G LTE Modem, Novatel USB551L, USB551L modem, Verizon USB modem
Verizon Wireless and Novatel Wireless today announced that the Verizon USB551L made by Novatel Wireless will be available to order on March 31 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at http://www.verizonwireless.com. The USB551L gives businesses and consumers expected download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage areas in a portable device, small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.
The Verizon USB551L 4G LTE modem is a high-performing USB modem with a compact design and industry-leading flexibility, convenience and reliability. The USB551L modem is designed to provide connectivity to check email, download rich multimedia content and stay connected to family, friends and coworkers. Customers who travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage area, will stay connected on the Verizon Wireless 3G network.
Key features:
Compact and lightweight USB modem with advanced proprietary antenna technologies to maximize data throughput and operating range
Supports Windows XP 32-bit, Vista 32/64-bit (SP2) and Windows 7 32/64-bit, MAC: 10.4 or higher
Pricing and data plans:
The Verizon USB551L will be available for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a 4G Mobile Broadband plan.
4G LTE Mobile Broadband plans begin at $50 monthly access for 5GB. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Data usage can be tracked by logging on to My Verizon online at www.verizonwireless.com/myverizon.
The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, launched in December 2010, is the fastest, most advanced 4G network in the United States, providing speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless’ 3G network. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company’s entire 3G coverage area over the next three years.
So the big question about this year’s Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco is will Apple unveil what has become known as the iPhone 5? Something that is being rumoured as not going to happen and the event will be about iOS and Mac OS X Lion.
Much of this speculation I believe revolves around an article posted by The Loop where Jim Dalrymple claims Apple wont unveil new hardware during the event due to Phil Schiller saying Apple will unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS.
However as far as I am aware, Schiller didn’t actually say Apple wasn’t going to unveil any new hardware did he?
According to an article over on Computer World, Gartner Research analyst Michael Guttenberg has said… “People have gotten a little too used to Apple doing certain things at a certain time of the year. There’s nothing that says Apple has to make journalists’ or analysts’ lives easier by keeping to a pattern. Sometimes they don’t.”
Then again Technology Business Research analyst Ezra Gottheil says that supply chain issues that have resulted in the Japan disaster may have caused Apple to delay the iPhone 5 and iOS 5 saying… “The Japan story changes things. “There’s a possibility that we will see some delay in availability of the iPhone 5.”
On the other hand, Gleacher & Co analyst Brian Marshall apparently says… “Apple will still launch the next iPhone in June or July.”
The bug bare with the iPhone 5 launch is whether Apple would unveil the iPhone 5 without iOS 5, but why not? Does a new iPhone require a new iOS every time? Could Apple now release the iPhone 5 with iOS 5 following later?
Whatever the case or argument, the only people that can actually confirm whether the iPhone 5 will be unveiled at WWDC 2011 is of course Apple, and you know full well they aren’t about to become loose-lipped.
One analyst says this; another says that, one says no another says yes. But in the end even analysts can be wrong, so I see it like this, there’s always a chance that Apple will stick with what they have done for the last three years and unveil the next iPhone, or they could break with that tradition and not unveil it…we’ll just have to wait and see.
The worldwide smartphone market is expected to grow 49.2% in 2011 as more consumers and enterprise users turn in their feature phones for smartphones with more advanced features. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, smartphone vendors will ship more than 450 million smartphones in 2011 compared to the 303.4 million units shipped in 2010. Moreover, the smartphone market will grow more than four times faster than the overall mobile phone market.
"Overall market growth in 2010 was exceptional," said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. "Last year's high market growth was due in part to pent-up demand from a challenging 2009, when many buyers held off on mobile phone purchases. The expected market growth for 2011, while still notable, will taper off somewhat from what we saw in 2010."
Best Buy Connect, Best Buy’s mobile broadband service for computing, today announced the arrival of 4G mobile broadband connectivity service on an expanded selection of computing devices sold at Best Buy stores nationally. The 4G service provides consumers with high-speed internet access on-the-go, with service activation, billing, hardware and connection support from Best Buy.
“We’re finding that customers increasingly want choice in service providers for mobile broadband,” said Jed Stillman, vice president of Best Buy Connect. “Best Buy Connect is an end-to-end option that gives them the freedom to connect virtually, whenever or wherever, and the convenience of one point of contact – Best Buy – for selection and service.”
Google has missed out if they wanted to launch a new cloud-based music service because Amazon has beat them to the post and launch Amazon Cloud Player and Drive Player.
This new service not only works on the Web but also works on Android devices, the new Amazon Cloud Player will provide all users with cloud storage of their music. You will have to visit Amazon.com/Clouddrive to get the ball rolling and then just enable the service on your Amazon account, then just update your Amazon Mp3 app.
A good place to be if you want to stream all of your music that is located on your new Amazon storage, users can get 5GB of free storage but there is a price list of you want more GB.
The Price List: For $20 a year you can get 20GB, 50GB is $50, 100GB if you haven’t guessed is $100, 200GB is $200, for $500 a year you can get 500GB and the big one is $1000 for 1000GB. Please visit Amazon for more information on this topic.
We will bring you more news on this as time goes on, this is great news and we will definitely be bringing you much more. For instant updates when we get them please join us on Facebook or Twitter.
Source – Android Central
If you are an owner of the Motorola Atrix 4G and HTC inspire 4G smartphones on the AT&T network and have been experiencing appalling upload speeds with your device the reason is AT&T has slowed down their 4G network.
According to an article over on Arstechnica, AT&T has admitted they have slowed down 4G due to the release of the HTC Inspire 4G and Motorola Atrix 4G handsets, although after numerous complaints to the Better Business Bureau, AT&T will roll out an update to the handsets to fix the issue sometime in April.
Apparently customers have found that 4G upload speeds on AT&T have been no faster than 300 kbps and according to Dsl Reports, the carrier at first skirted the problem by saying that the HTC Inspire 4G can’t use 4G; however, they now claim they are still carrying out “testing and preparations.”
The word is AT&T will release a software patch sometime in April to the HTC Inspire 4G and Motorola Atrix 4G that should fix the problem and allow access to AT&T’s HSUPA network.
So have any of our readers with the Motorola Atrix 4G or HTC Inspire 4G been suffering with the slow upload speeds, if so feel free to shout out and vent in our comments area below.
If you haven’t managed to grab the latest iOS tablet from Apple yet you might like to know that as of today RadioShack will offer the Apple iPad 2 at 500 of its most heavily used stores, so if one of those stores is near you, you just might be able to grab the tablet today.
According to an article over on Phone Arena by way of Apple Insider, RadioShack sent out a corporate memo to the chosen stores letting them know they will get the Apple iPad 2 after a deal between RadioShack and Apple was finalised in the last few days.
However, there are no other details and no word on what the next generation Apple iPad will cost from RadioShack, but if you want to find those 500 locations that will offer the tablet you can do so by hitting up here.
No word on what time the Apple iPad 2 will go on sale at those 500 RadioShack stores or how many units they’ll have in stock, so perhaps a quick phone call to your local store may prove beneficial if you still require the Apple tablet, let us know if you are successful.
Oh snap! Look who just ate Apple and Google's lunch here? Minutes ago, Amazon rolled out its very own music streaming service which is conveniently dubbed the Amazon Cloud Player. Existing Amazon customers in the US can now upload their MP3 purchases to their 5GB cloud space -- upgradable to a one-year 20GB plan for free upon purchasing an MP3 album, with additional plans starting at $20 a year -- and then start streaming on their computers or Android devices. Oh, and did we mention that this service is free of charge as well? Meanwhile, someone will have some catching up to do, but we have a feeling it won't take them too long.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Update: As some readers have confirmed, it appears that the Cloud Player will support music purchased from iTunes as well, presumably from the post-DRM era.
Update 2: Press release after the break.
Show full PR text
Introducing Amazon Cloud Drive, Amazon Cloud Player for Web, and Amazon Cloud Player for Android
Buy anywhere, play anywhere and keep all your music in one place
Start with 5 GB of free Cloud Drive storage - upgrade to 20 GB free with purchase of any MP3 album
SEATTLE, Mar 29, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced the launch of Amazon Cloud Drive (www.amazon.com/clouddrive), Amazon Cloud Player for Web (www.amazon.com/cloudplayer) and Amazon Cloud Player for Android (www.amazon.com/cloudplayerandroid). Together, these services enable customers to securely store music in the cloudand play it on any Android phone, Android tablet, Mac or PC, wherever they are. Customers can easily upload their music library to Amazon Cloud Drive and can save any new Amazon MP3 purchases directly to their Amazon Cloud Drive for free.
"We're excited to take this leap forward in the digital experience," said Bill Carr, vice president of Movies and Music at Amazon. "The launch of Cloud Drive, Cloud Player for Web and Cloud Player for Android eliminates the need for constant software updates as well as the use of thumb drives and cables to move and manage music."
"Our customers have told us they don't want to download music to their work computers or phones because they find it hard to move music around to different devices," Carr said. "Now, whether at work, home, or on the go, customers can buy music from Amazon MP3, store it in the cloud and play it anywhere."
Store Music for Free
Customers automatically start with 5 GB of Cloud Drive storage to upload their digital music library, and those who purchase an Amazon MP3 album will be upgraded to 20 GB of Cloud Drive space. New Amazon MP3 purchases saved directly to Cloud Drive are stored for free and do not count against a customer's storage quota.
Adding Music to Cloud Drive
Amazon's easy uploading process makes it simple for customers to save their music library to their Cloud Drive. Files can be stored in AAC or MP3 formats and will be uploaded to Cloud Drive in the original bit rate. Customers can hand-pick particular songs, artists, albums or playlists to upload or simply upload their entire music library.
Cloud Player for Web
Customers who have a computer with a Web browser can listen to their music. Cloud Player for Web currently supports Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari for Mac, and Chrome. Cloud Player for Web lets customers easily manage their music with download and streaming options. Customers don't need to worry about regularly updating software on their computer to enjoy music, and Amazon MP3 customers can continue to use iTunes and Windows Media Player to add their music to their iPods and MP3 players.
Cloud Player for Android
Cloud Player for Android is now bundled into the new version of the Amazon MP3 App; it includes the full Amazon MP3 Store and the mobile version of Cloud Player. Customers can use the app to play music stored on their Cloud Drive and music stored locally on their device. Features include the ability to search and browse by artist, album or song, create playlists and download music from Cloud Drive.
Secure Storage
Customers never need to worry about losing their music collection to a hard drive crash again. Files are securely stored on Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) and each file is uploaded to Cloud Drive in its original bit rate. Customers can buy music anywhere and know that their MP3s are safely stored in Cloud Drive and accessible from any device.
Store More than Music
Cloud Drive allows customers to upload and store all kinds of digital files; music, photos, videos and documents can be stored securely and are available via web browser on any computer. In addition to the 5 GB of free storage, customers can purchase storage plans starting at $20 a year for 20 GB.
Surely you remember the Kyocera Echo, that dual-screen Android 2.2 phone that Sprint unveiled way back in February. Well, if it managed to pique your interest, then you'll be glad to know that Sprint's thrown up quite the unique reservation page that will let you reserve the phone now for $200 (after a $100 mail-in rebate) to ensure you'll have it on its April 17th release date. The company warns that there'll be limited quantities, so if you want to be the only one in town rocking a dual-screen smartphone, hit the source link and punch in your info -- and don't forget to try your hand at a game of Bottle Bustin' Bandits while you're there for a chance to win one of these phones.
This afternoon, Sprint has filed a press release calling on federal regulators to formally block the purchase of T-Mobile USA by AT&T as well as detailing the reasons why the proposed purchase would be bad for competition. The release also spells out how Sprint and the industry would be affected as found below with quotes from Sprint Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Vonya McCann:
“Sprint urges the United States government to block this anti-competitive acquisition. This transaction will harm consumers and harm competition at a time when this country can least afford it. As the first national carrier to roll out 4G services and handsets and the carrier that brought simple unlimited pricing to the marketplace, Sprint stands ready to compete in a truly dynamic marketplace. So on behalf of our customers, our industry and our country, Sprint will fight this attempt by AT&T to undo the progress of the past 25 years and create a new Ma Bell duopoly.”
This follows similar comments made last week during the CTIA trade show, with Sprint detailing its reaction to news of the purchase in an open letter to the media.
We already know that Google has been working on a Near Field Communications (NFC) payment system, we recently saw the launch of Google’s new Smartphone which features NFC built in the Google Nexus S.
Now the WSJ are reporting that Google is working with MasterCard and also Citigroup on NFC payments, and according to the report the payment system would let customers who use Citigroup debit cards to pay for things via NFC with an NFC enabled mobile application on their smartphone.
The report also states that the deal includes VeriFone Systems Inc, who make credit card readers, and they are apparently working on a device which would be able to communicate with a users NFC enabled smartphone at point of sale.
We have also heard previously that Apple may be working on a new NFC payment system, something which we were expecting to see in this years iPhone 5, although recent reports have indicated that we may have to wait to 2012 to see the first NFC enabled iPhone.
As most know Amazon has now launched their Android app store in the US, but international Android users can’t download those Android apps to their smartphone, which is somewhat of a pain if certain apps don’t end up in the Android Market like Angry Birds Rio.
However US Android users can now apparently check out app before purchasing them as according to an article over on Slash Gear, by way of Android Community, the Amazon Appstore enables users to “test drive” certain Android app on their PC, thus delivering a preview of what the app would work like.
Currently there are roughly 20 Android app available for people to check out via the Amazon test drive program, and again something that isn’t available to Android users outside the US of A, (does Amazon have something against international Android users?)
Apparently a user can click on an app and a pop up windows appears that you can use the app for roughly 30 minutes and you use your mouse rather than a touch screen to work the app.
Like I said, if you are outside the US don’t bother trying the test drive program because the “test drive” button doesn’t show up for UK users anyway. Perhaps it’s about time Amazon made their Appstore available via their UK and other international sites as well.
There seems to be quite a few Android Gingerbread rumours floating around lately and it would appear that the latest is that the HTC Thunderbolt 4G will gain Android 2.3 Gingerbread sometime in the summer.
According to an article over on Android Community, the news of Gingerbread coming out to play on the HTC Thunderbolt came by way of a Thunderbolt user who was troubleshooting a Bluetooth compatibility issue and apparently received an email from an HTC rep.
Apparently the HTC rep emailed that the HTC Thunderbolt would see an update in Q2 that would deliver Android 2.3 Gingerbread to Verizon’s 4G enabled smartphone.
Here’s what was apparently said in the email…” We are excited to announce that the Thunderbolt will receive the Gingerbread update in Q2 2011. Stay tuned for details as we get closer to the update availability.”
However, the word is that Q2 upgrade date is the HTC schedule, but Verizon will need to clear the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update before it is rolled out to the HTC Thunderbolt.
Word has if several refinements will be included with Gingerbread for the Thunderbolt including copy and paste, improved user interface, improved power management, single touch word selection, better graphics management and gaming performance, new media framework, and an open API for native audio along with numerous behind the scenes improvements.
So if all holds true then the HTC Thunderbolt should be playing nice with Android 2.3 Gingerbread sometime summertime, does this make Thunderbolt users overjoyed?
Well apparently Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread has finally made its way to the Motorola Droid X albeit not via an official route, as apparently an official build of the operating system has been leaked to both the Motorola Droid X and the Motorola Droid 2.
And the guys over at Android Central have come up with a video of Android Gingerbread playing on the Motorola Droid X, which of course we have for your viewing pleasure below that delivers almost five minutes of seeing what Android Gingerbread looks like on the Droid X.
With the leaked Android Gingerbread the Droid X gains a proper dock which houses 3 customisable icons and there’s also an improved app drawer enabling the user to group icons within the drawer which excludes all VCast gear on the handset.
So all you need do now is check out the video below, and if you would like to have a go with Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread on your Droid X you can grab all the necessary by hitting up My Droid World, and if you do feel free to let us know how it goes by dropping us a comment…enjoy.
Ever since the Nexus S and its nifty little NFC chip hit the market, there's been speculation that El Goog was planning a foray into the mobile payment arena currently occupied by the likes of Charge Anywhere. Now, it looks like that plan may be in high gear, as the Wall Street Journal reports that Google's secretly partnered with MasterCard and Citigroup to test out just such a system. According to the publication, the early demo pairs "one current model and many comping models of Android phones" with existing Citigroup-sponsored credit and debit cards, and is using the phones' NFC chips with those VeriFone readers we recently heard about.
What's more, a newly-published patent application from the crew in Mountain View may hint at the software behind such things. The application describes a service that sets up Google as a third-party broker who receives the shopping cart info of customers placing orders via a device (including those of the mobile variety), allows them to select shipping and other options, and provides the total order cost. It then collects payment, coordinates shipment, and forwards order information to the seller to complete the transaction. So companies can have Google handle all their payment-taking needs in return for getting a sneak peek at what folks are buying -- something that the WSJ's sources say might be a component of the setup Google's testing right now -- as opposed to other third-party services, like Paypal, that only obtain and exchange payment info with merchants. Looks like Alma Whitten (Google's Director of Privacy) has her work cut out assuaging the concerns such a system will inevitably create in an increasingly privacy-minded populace.
Sean Hollister contributed to this report.
We just got home from this little massive US mobile industry event you may have heard about called CTIA Wireless. It took place in Orlando this year (instead of Las Vegas as usual) and we can definitely say that Sprint was the star of the show with its HTC EVO 3D, HTC EVO View 4G, and Google Voice integration. Samsung also delivered some goodies with the Galaxy Tab 8.9, a redesigned Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Google Nexus S 4G for Sprint, and the Android-powered Sidekick 4G for T-Mobile. LG re-badged the Optimus 2x as the G2x on T-Mobile, and the Optimus 3D as the Thrill on AT&T. The HTC HD7 made a comeback as the Super LCD-equipped HD7S on AT&T, and Nokia gave us the Astound, nee C7, for T-Mobile. Of course, that's just the tip of the iceberg -- so if you missed the action this past week, we've got you covered with all the nitty gritty in the links below.
Major news / product releases:
AT&T agrees to buy T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom for $39 billion
Google Nexus S 4G with WiMAX announced for Sprint: coming this spring for $200
Sprint, Google Voice getting tight integration, will let you use your number without porting it
AT&T launches HTC HD7S with WP7 and LG's 3D-enabled Thrill 4G Android phone
Sprint's BlackBerry 4G PlayBook portal goes live, still on track for a summer release
LG's T-Mobile G2x announced, available 'later this spring' (update: preloaded with Tegra Zone)
T-Mobile's LG G-Slate priced at $529.99 with a two-year contract
HTC EVO 3D officially announced for Sprint
Sprint makes EVO View 4G tablet official: 1.5GHz, WiMAX, 7-inch screen, and a stylus to boot
LG gets official with WCP-700 Wireless Charging Pad, fails to provide pricing
Samsung's CTIA press conference posted online, skinny new Galaxy Tabs shown off (video)
Hands-on / previews:
Nokia Astound for T-Mobile coming April 6th for $80 (hands-on with video)
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play for Verizon hands-on (video)
T-Mobile Sidekick 4G by Samsung priced at $99.99 with a two-year contract, we go hands-on
Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and new Galaxy Tab 10.1 hands-on: thinner than the iPad 2, dual-core power, TouchWiz 4.0
T-Mobile G2x from LG hands-on (video)
HTC EVO 3D vs. EVO 4G... fight!
HTC EVO 3D first hands-on! (video)
Sprint's HTC EVO View 4G hands-on (video)
HTC HD7S hands-on
AT&T's LG Thrill 4G hands-on (video)
T-Mobile G-Slate bundled apps tour (video)
Cricket teases CDMA-only Samsung Indulge, Huawei Ascend 2 at CTIA (hands-on)
T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot hands-on
Wysips wants to turn your phone's display into a solar cell (hands-on with video)
ZTE's Style S and LTE tablet coming to the US during the second half of the year
Kyocera pictures a world of deeply understanding phones
Google Nexus S 4G for Sprint hands-on (video)
Google Voice for Sprint hands-on (video)
Samsung's original Galaxy Tab 10.1 renamed the Tab 10.1V, thicker Galaxy Tab 8.9 no more than a trade show dummy
Everything else:
LG's T-Mobile G2x spied at CTIA
Cobra Tag Bluetooth key tagging system to ship in July, iRadar and PhoneLynx coming to Android
Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 specs and Honeycomb UI tweaks leak out before its official launch
EVO 3D specs confirmed: 1080p 2D video, 720p 3D, dual cameras, 1.2GHz dual-core CPU
HTC EVO 3D and EVO View 4G tablet spotted -- on Sprint's website, where else?
Live from CTIA's day one keynote with FCC chairman Julius Genachowski
Live from Samsung's CTIA event!
Live from Sprint's CTIA event!
Verizon says 4G LTE network will cover 'at least' 147 US cities by the end of 2011
HTC's WiFi-only Flyer launching exclusively with Best Buy 'this spring'
Kyocera launches developer program for dual-screen Echo smartphone
Best Buy signs up for LightSquared's wholesale LTE service
Femto Forum publishes API specification for femtocell apps, places focus on 'awareness information'
Blio e-reading software still alive, will come preloaded on T-Mobile Android devices
Samsung's original Galaxy Tab 10.1 renamed the Tab 10.1V, thicker Galaxy Tab 8.9 no more than a trade show dummy
And if that's still not enough, be sure to listen to our CTIA 2011 podcast and take a look at our CTIA 2011 page right here.
We all know that the HTC EVO 3D comes with no kickstand, well now we can all be happy because a new case has a prop-up section on the back.
Kickstands are a very popular part of the EVO 4G handset, how many mobiles comes without kickstands, which can be a problem when wanting to relax watching videos, making video calls. It is nice to out that handset on a desk so that you can sit back and relax, so HTC EVO 3D users will be happy to hear that a kickstand is coming.
Andrew Kameka of Androinica went to the Sprint CTIA booth and asked why a kickstand was not on the latest EVO, the answer came back saying “As you know, the kickstand needs to be part of the device,” a Sprint rep explained to me. “Because of the two 3D cameras and the battery, there wasn’t room for it.”
Well the above issue has now got an answer thanks to HTC because they have developed a case with a kickstand built on; this new case design has not yet been finalized nor has the price and availability.
The HTC EVO 3D is launching this summer and shortly after the smartphone’s release the new case should release, the EVO 3D handset should have come with a kickstand considering it has the new 3D technology and people would like to watch things handsfree.
For more information on the HTC EVO 3D please check out Mark’s previous article covering a hands-on and specs, you may also be interested in seeing the first commercial video of the handset.
Kingston 16GB Class 10 card, Kingston Digital, microSDHC, Flash memory
Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced it is shipping a 4GB and 8GB Class 10 microSDHC card, joining the previously released 16GB Class 10 card. Kingston will add a 32GB capacity to the family in Q2. The Class 10 cards have a fast minimum data transfer rate of 10MB/s.
“Kingston’s Class 10 microSDHC cards are compatible with many of the latest mobile phones including Android smartphones and BlackBerry devices, hi-def cameras and the increasingly popular tablet PCs,” said Mike Kuppinger, Flash card business manager, Kingston. “The Class 10 speed provides faster data transfer rates and the various capacities help satisfy storage needs for users with both light and heavy memory needs.”
Kingston takes mobility and versatility a step further when it makes these cards part of the Mobility Kit, which includes an SD adapter and a USB card reader. The SD adapter allows users to capture continuous images or videos in digital cameras while the reader provides a simple and fast way to transfer data to a host PC. The Class 10 microSDHC cards will ship as part of the Mobility at the end of March.
In addition to the Class 10 cards, Kingston currently ships the microSDHC card in a Class 4 specification as both a standalone and part of the Mobility in capacities up to 32GB. The cards are backed by a lifetime warranty and 24/7 live technical support. For more information, please visit www.kingston.com.
Kingston microSDHC Class 10 Features and Specifications:
Compliant: with the SD Card Association specification
Versatile: when combined with the adapter, it can be used as a full-size SDHC card
Compatible: with microSDHC host devices; not compatible with standard microSD-enabled device/readers
File Format: FAT32
Reliable: lifetime warranty
Capacities*: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB
Dimensions: 0.43″ x 0.59″ x 0.039″ (11mm x 15mm x 1mm)
Speed: Class 10 – 10 MB/s. minimum data transfer rate
Operating Temperature: -13°F to 185°F (-25°C to 85°C)
Storage Temperature: -40°F to 185° (-40°C to 85°C)
Weight: .1 oz. (2.7g)
Google has confirmed to BusinessWeek that it will delay the long-awaited release of the complete source code for Android Honeycomb, citing and reiterating its intentions for the Android version to be used on tablets and never intended to be ported to any other devices such as smartphone hardware until the company feels its ready to be released and properly ported. As a result, the platform source will be limited to device manufacturers for the foreseeable future.
Android 3.0, Honeycomb, was designed from the ground up for devices with larger screen sizes and improves on Android favorites such as widgets, multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization. While we’re excited to offer these new features to Android tablets, we have more work to do before we can deliver them to other device types including phones. Until then, we’ve decided not to release Honeycomb to open source. We’re committed to providing Android as an open platform across many device types and will publish the source as soon as it’s ready.
Another reason for the delay may lie with the level of completion of Android Honeycomb as a functioning operating system, as the Motorola XOOM tablet is the first Android Honeycomb tablet on the market, with many customer complaints based around ease of use, stability and speed affecting satisfaction as well as the homebrew ROM community porting the currently available build from image dumps, with varying levels of success and functionality across different hardware with the goal of using Honeycomb as yet another option for smartphones.
Following this morning’s launch of the iPad 2 in Europe despite predicted delays, Apple has also released iOS 4.3.1 for the iPhone 3GS/4, iPad/2 and the Apple iPod Touch 3/4. The update is not available for the Verizon iPhone 4. The update fixes the following issues:
- Fixes an occasional graphics glitch on iPod touch (4th generation)
- Resolves bugs related to activating and connecting to some cellular networks
- Fixes image flicker when using Apple Digital AV Adapter with some TVs
- Resolves an issue authenticating with some enterprise web services
Iomega ScreenPlay Media Player, ScreenPlay DX HD Media Player, Access Netflix, Iomega ScreenPlay DX HD, Iomega Media Player
Iomega, an EMC company and a leading innovator in digital storage and content management solutions, today announced the worldwide launch of the exciting new Iomega ScreenPlay DX HD Media Player line, a family of easy-to-use multimedia devices that changes the way you experience digital entertainment in your home. With the Iomega ScreenPlay DX HD Media Player, you can access and enjoy videos, movies, photos and music on the Internet as well as content you own – all on your own TV in full 1080p high definition.
The new lineup of Iomega ScreenPlay DX HD Media Player products is compatible with the most popular formats, including H.264, WMV and RMVB, as well as being DLNA certified for easy streaming with compatible devices on your home network. Other notable features include DivX Plus™ HD certification for stunning playback of MKV movies, WiFi capability right out of the box thanks to the included 802.11n adaptor, and a user-friendly remote control featuring a full QWERTY keyboard for fast and easy text entry of online links, websites and more.
The ScreenPlay DX product family includes 1TB and 2TB models for consolidating your digital entertainment collection in one place, and the Iomega ScreenPlay TV Link DX HD Media Player, which has no onboard storage but the same large screen TV experience with Internet content as well as your own digital entertainment collection stored on your network, or USB-based storage devices connected to the ScreenPlay TV Link DX model.
“With previous generations of our ScreenPlay products, Iomega has become a world leader in sales of high definition media players,” said Jonathan Huberman, president of Iomega. “The new DX products represent our best ScreenPlay line yet, making it even easier to enjoy your favorite web-based content as well as everything on your home network right from your HD TV. Forget about hunching over the laptop or desktop to enjoy the Web or your own videos, photos and music. The ScreenPlay DX HD Media Player allows you to effortlessly immerse yourself in the Web from the comfort of your couch and your TV. Once you try one of Iomega’s new ScreenPlay DX products, you’ll never go back to the computer for your digital entertainment.”
Features of the New Iomega ScreenPlay DX HD Media Player
The new ScreenPlay DX product family provides non-stop entertainment, including your favorite videos in your personal collection as well as all sorts of content on the Internet, including Netflix, Pandora and more. Users can relax in front of their TV, interacting with the Web as well as everything on their home network thanks to an easy-to-use QWERTY remote control. Practically everything you own on your home network and popular content from the Internet is now accessible on your TV with the new Iomega ScreenPlay DX HD product family.
The new Iomega ScreenPlay DX HD Media Player line incorporates a web browser giving users the freedom to view content from pre-selected sites and to visit other sites of their choice.
Iomega ScreenPlay DX HD Media Player models easily connect to a television by HDMI or composite video and optical audio outputs. Users can also connect all of the computers on their home network, making it easy to store, access and share videos, photos and music across the home network or store all the files in one convenient location.
Iomega ScreenPlay DX HD Media Player Products – With or Without Storage
Iomega is launching the new Iomega ScreenPlay DX family in three different versions: the ScreenPlay TV Link DX, which has no onboard hard drive, and the Iomega ScreenPlay DX HD Media Player with either a 1TB or 2TB onboard hard drive for conveniently storing your digital entertainment collection in one place.
All three versions of the Iomega ScreenPlay DX HD Media Player are compatible with DLNA devices on your home network, as well as Wi-Fi ready (802.11n) for flexibility in placing the unit next to your TV. Each model features two USB ports for additional storage, making the Iomega ScreenPlay DX HD Media Player a networked media center as well as a centralized storage solution for the home.
With full 1080p high definition playback, the Iomega ScreenPlay DX HD Media Player supports virtually all of today’s popular CODECs and file types, including H.264, WMV, MKV, DivX and plenty of others.
We have been hearing about the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Android Honeycomb tablet for some time, and Asus has now officially announced that they have started shipping this new tablet.
The Asus Eee pad Transformer will come with Android 3.0 Honeycomb, and it features a 10.1 inch IPS touchscreen display with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, processing is provided by a NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor and it also comes with 1GB of RAM.
The Eee Pad Transformer features a 1.2 megapixel camera on the front for video chat and a five megapixel camera on the back with built in autofocus, there is also 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR.
Other specifications include a microSD card slot, and there will be two models available one with 16GB of storage and one with 32GB of storage. There is also two USB 2.0 ports and an SD card reader and HDMI out.
Dealer Jez Harris discusses how the Nokia and Microsoft partnership will benefit both companies long-term, as well as praising Orange’s efforts in the business market
Nokia and Microsoft tie up
The big news of the mobile industry over the last couple of weeks is the announcement by Nokia and Microsoft of their new joint venture.
Although Nokia is still the world’s biggest manufacturer of mobile phones, its market share has taken a hammering over the last 12 to 18 months, especially in the expanding smartphone market.
I’ve often commented how Nokia launched its latest and greatest smartphone with every top-end feature, only to be beset with problems and faults with the handsets at launch. It left a bitter taste in the mouths of dealers, having to pacify customers with very high expectations.
On paper nearly all Nokia’s big releases should have stormed the market as they had high specifications and attractive designs. More often than not, though, the software seemed to let down these launches in a big way. Nokia had a boring interface and on the high-end phones the software was prone to crashing. Software updates were common but did nothing to improve overall user experience.
The announcement by Nokia and Microsoft of their far-reaching partnership with Windows Phone 7 is huge for both companies. Nokia will have the best of both worlds: high-quality innovative phone hardware with a stable and increasingly popular Microsoft software platform to take full advantage of it. Microsoft will benefit from the fact that Windows Phone 7 market share will jump massively with the hundreds of millions of handsets that Nokia produces every year.
The partnership goes deeper than having Microsoft software on Nokia hardware. Nokia will adopt and integrate the Microsoft Bing search capabilities, while Microsoft will integrate Nokia Ovi maps. Nokia’s Ovi store will be assimilated by Microsoft Market Place.
The partnership should help increase the adoption of more smartphones and help the dealer community, if we can get behind and support the technologies and features that advanced phones bring. Customers need the expertise specialist dealers can bring to help them understand and take full advantage of the possibilities of these smartphones.
Whilst the Windows Phone 7 operating system is still in its infancy there is soon to be an update that will add missing features and improve performance.
It has been said that as part of this partnership Nokia has gained concessions allowing Nokia to make changes to the user experience of the Microsoft Windows Phone 7 operating system. This is major, as no other manufacturer has been allowed to make any of these changes. In particular HTC, which has done stellar work with its user interface the HTC Hub. One can only hope that Microsoft will relax its rules slightly for the other manufacturers to innovate with Windows Phone 7, too.
Orange doubling benefits
Orange seems to be really pushing for new business customers lately. As well as attractive commercials, it has this month increased the benefits a business customer receives on Business Solo tariffs.
As well as the choice of unlimited Orange to Orange or unlimited landline calls, a customer can choose two of the following benefits as opposed to the normal one: inclusive email, 1GB internet browsing, unlimited texts, 30 per cent discount on international calls, or 10 per cent discount on roaming calls. These benefits can be changed on a monthly basis, too.
The offer is available on 24-month and 36-month contracts and applies to upgrades as well as new connections.
Orange/T-Mobile advertising
The Everything Everywhere partnership is moving fast, with the networks embarking on a joint advertising programme, and enjoying the benefits of increased network coverage for Orange and T-Mobile customers.
In my local area it seems every available billboard is taken by Orange or T-Mobile, so heaven only knows how much these guys are spending on advertising. The ads can only benefit dealers that sell either Orange or T-Mobile or both, as it will highlight to potential or existing customers the benefits the combined networks will bring.
In-life handset registrations
In yet another move that can only help the dealer channel look after its Orange customers, Orange announced that dealers can now process ‘in-life handset registrations’. How often have you had a customer that wanted to change their handset but was still in contract and not eligible for upgrade? Your customer knows that they have to pay for the upgrade and the only thing you could do was sell them a SIM-free phone or prepay and get them to use their SIM card in this new phone.
The problem was, customers were no longer covered under Orange Care and customers who purchased, say, a BlackBerry in this way could not take full benefit as Orange has them down as using a different phone.
Orange will now allow dealers to sell any Orange Pay Monthly handset to customers and by following a specific procedure perform a SIM swap. Orange will transfer Orange Care (if they have it) to the new handset and for BlackBerry handsets Orange will fully support all BlackBerry services as well as doing the same for the iPhone 4. Obviously, if a customer goes for an iPhone they either have to pay for the increased Care charges or remove Care altogether.
No handset commission is paid on in-life handset registrations so dealers have to charge customers accordingly, but at least we can perform these sales with official sanctioning and support from the network. Things finally seem to be moving in the right direction!
Looks like Motorola Atirx 4G user are in line for their first software update for the device at some point in the not too distant future as Motorola has now confirmed there are working on software for the Android 2.2 Froyo smartphone.
According to an article over on Droid Dog by way of Phone Dog, Motorola has confirmed via the Motorola Support Forums that the software update for the Motorola Atrix 4G is forthcoming, but hasn’t commented on just what the software update will deliver.
However Motorola is on the lookout for 1000 testers to obviously test out the software update before such time as Motorola release it for public consumption, and anyone wishing to become a tester can do so by registering here, and then completing the form up until 11am Central Time today.
The guys over at Phone Dog have also updated their post to say that a Motorola forums manager has stated that the Motorola Atrix 4G software update WONT include a fix for the voice quality problems the device is currently experiencing.
So looks like Atrix users are still stuck with that voice quality problem for now, so I wonder what will come with this new software update…any ideas?
Who's in charge of Sony Ericsson today and what did they do with the old crew? Reversing a previous statement saying there'll be no Android updates for its Xperia X10 family beyond Eclair, SE has just announced that it'll bring Gingerbread to the X10 at the end of Q2 / start of Q3 this year. That's right around this summer, when we should expect a user experience roughly equivalent to that on the new Xperia Arc, Neo and Play devices, whose Gingerbread implementation looks to have served as the basis for the elder X10's upcoming update. Seriously, Gingerbread on the X10, we still can't believe it.
P.S. - If you're wondering about the X10 Mini, X10 Mini Pro or X8, those are all stuck on Android 2.1.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Attention humans, just a friendly reminder that the Engadget Show is taping tonight at 7:00pm with HP's Jon Rubinstein at The Times Center in New York City! Joshua Topolsky will be sitting down the former Palm CEO (current HP Senior VP) to get the inside scoop on everything from the TouchPad, new Pre 3, Veer, the state of WebOS, and much more! What's more, our very own Joanna Stern will be demoing the Samsung 9 Series laptop, we'll have the Nintendo 3DS on stage for a live demo, and special guests Nilay Patel and Paul Miller will be joining the roundtable! We'll also have the usual slew of insane giveaways (someone will be walking away with a brand new HP Envy 14 notebook) and rocking chiptunes music from Minusbaby with visuals from The C-Men, as well as some more surprises! Remember, giveaways happen at the live show only, so make the trek and join us at The Times Center in person! We'll also be streaming the show right here on Engadget, so stay tuned!
The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint, and will take place at the Times Center, part of The New York Times Building in the heart of New York City at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues (see map after the break). If you want to join us tonight, tickets are -- as always -- free to anyone who would like to attend, but seating is limited, and tickets will be first come, first served... so get there early!
There is no admission fee -- tickets are completely free
The event is all ages
Ticketing will begin at the Times Center at 2:00PM on Friday, March 25th, doors will open for seating at 6:15PM, and the show begins at 7:00PM
We now have assigned seating, so the first people to get their tickets -- and the Sprint text-to-win winners (you'll know you've won by a text message) -- will get priority seating. This also means that once you get a ticket, your seat is guaranteed -- you won't have to get back in line to get a good seat.
Ticketing will continue until all tickets are given away
You cannot collect tickets for friends or family -- anyone who would like to come must be present to get a ticket
Seating capacity in the Times Center is about 340, and once we're full, we're full
The venue is located at 41st St. between 7th and 8th Avenues in New York City (map after the break)
The show length is around an hour
Subscribe to the Show:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
Quickoffice Enhances Its Android Mobile Office Application
Quickoffice, Inc., the global leader in mobile office productivity solutions, today released a new software update to its Android productivity application. Supporting smartphones running Gingerbread, Froyo and clair (2.0-2.3) operating systems, Quickoffice Pro features dramatic new enhancements, including robust editing features, faster file loading, scrolling and zooming, integrated contextual search, text-to-speech via Google PDF viewing, as well as overall performance improvements. Formerly branded Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite, Quickoffice Pro version 4.0 also further extends the app’s editing capabilities within Microsoft Office files, enabling users to insert images and format text in tables in Word and create new PowerPoint 97-2008 presentations.
Quickoffice Pro enables a true mobile Office experience, providing full editing of Microsoft Office files and mobile cloud storage access to Box.net, Google Docs, Dropbox, Huddle, SugarSync and MobileMe accounts. The latest software update brings enhancements to its Connected File Manager, Quickword, Quicksheet and Quickpoint editors. Enabling users to easily manage, sort and locate its files and digital content within the application, Quickoffice’s Connected File Manager now features a new toolbar, the ability to send files directly via email and via Bluetooth to enable a smoother workflow.
In addition, all three powerful editors now feature cut/copy/paste text and undo/redo capabilities. Other product enhancements include:
Quickword – edit/format text in tables; floating contextual toolbar; insert/remove images from camera and gallery; paragraph alignment; find and replace; text-to-speech; web lookup; quick scroll in page layout; edit text in page layout; and scrollable application toolbar with shortcuts
Quicksheet – shortcuts to math calculations; insert/remove rows and columns; find and replace; add, remove and rename worksheets; cell alignment; follow and edit hyperlinks; display additional charts; and scrollable application toolbar
Quickpoint – insert, remove and rearrange slides; inline text editing on a slide; insert, remove and resize images; move/resize shapes; edit speaker notes; follow hyperlinks; select and format text and scrollable application toolbar
“With our biggest software update for Android smartphones since our initial launch, our goal was to provide users with significant performance and editing enhancements, while taking into consideration our top customer requests,” said David Halpin, vice president of engineering at Quickoffice. “As the Android smartphone market share is one of the fastest growing segments, we view it as a critical platform and aim to provide a robust mobile Office editing experience that will enable superior performance while on the go through a slick, user-friendly mobile interface.”
Quickoffice also comes pre-loaded on the majority of the world’s Android devices. Consumers with the view-only version of the app embedded on their smartphone can purchase an upgrade to include full editing and cloud access functionality for an introductory price of $7.99.
As reported here on Cell Phones Etc. and across the Web, here’s your daily brief on what happened in the world of mobile phones this Thursday, March 24th, 2011.
Microsoft serves up a ‘NoDo’ update schedule for Windows Phone 7 devices
Yes, the NoDo update has started to roll out, but no, it isn’t available yet in Canada. What to know when it’ll be debut locally? Well, we don’t have an exact date, but according to Microsoft’s timetable, it’s already in the scheduling process. “This phase typically last 10 days or less.” As such, it should definitely be out before mid-April arrives.
Engadget
Samsung Apps Celebrates 100 Million Downloads
While the battle between the Apple App Store and Android Market continues to surge on, Samsung’s own app store, Samsung Apps, site quietly by the sidelines. But that’s not to say their not experiencing some growth of their own. In fact, they’ve just celebrated their 100 millionth download after 10 months since opening. A small feat compared to the big boys, but still a feat nonetheless.
SlashGear
SaskTel drops all Smartphones to $0.00 on a 3-year
SaskTel has joined the sale bandwagon. They’re now giving away all of their smartphones for free on a 3-year contract. Some of the notable goodies up for grabs include the BlackBerry Curve 3G, BlackBerry BOld 9780, BlackBerry Torch, BlackBerry Curve 8530, Samsung Galaxy S Vibrant, and the LG Optimus Quantum.
Mobilesyrup
Microsoft application creates 3D model using a cellphone, blows our minds
Microsoft’s cooking up a new app that’ll make cameras on phones more useful than what they are today. Just by taking a series of photos of an object from various angles, Microsoft’s new app will then stitch these photos together then create a 3D model of it. Everything’s done in the cloud so it shouldn’t really matter if you’ve got a 1Ghz super smartphone or not. Head on over to the source for a video of this neat new technology.
Engadget
Mobilicity releases the “dependable travel companion” Samsung Oyster
Not into the whole touchscreen craze? If so, then Mobilicity’s newly released Samsung C414Y Oyster might just be your cup of tea. This entry-level flip phone comes with Bluetooth connectivity, voice recognition, and a 2-megapixel camera. It’s not much, but it’ll probably more than suffice for those looking for a handset to just call and SMS people with. It’s retailing for $109.99.
Mobilesyrup
We finally got our hands on the elusive Samsung Nexus S 4G for Sprint at CTIA here today and it's pretty much what you'd expect: a Nexus S with its GSM / HSPA radio swapped for a set of Sprint-compatible CDMA / EV-DO and WiMAX radios. While the Nexus S 4G lacks a SIM slot, it's actually 0.3mm thicker than the Nexus S -- that's the thickness of a business card, and is meaningless for all practical purposes. The phone also features a 4G signal indicator in the status bar, along with a 4G sub-menu in the wireless settings. Our demo unit was running Android 2.3.4 (!) -- a version we have not yet come across -- but we were told that neither the hardware nor the software are final at this point. So don't be surprised if the production model receives a few tweaks before launch. Perhaps a Sprint logo? Enjoy the gallery below, and hop past the break for our hands-on video.
Google Nexus S 4G for Sprint hands-on
Take it from us: what you see up north isn’t a crackpot mathematical equation. This slim disk and USB multi-port is the homebase for all those sticks scattered on your work desk, in your bed room, and other places in the house. If you’re the type who’s susceptible to USB overdose, by all means seriously consider the CVTA.
The genius part here is of the ports are for USB 3.0 while the other half and the two slots on top are for USB 2.0. Here’s more form the online retailer, Chinavasion:
This USB 3.0 HUB will save you the hours; after all, you’re only really awake 16 hours a day. Why waste much of that waiting for your collection of movies, or almost missing the project deadline because you have to wait 2-3 hours to transfer files from one location to another.
Don’t have a USB 3.0 port on your computer? Not a problem! Simply order this product together with our CVTA-K112 USB 3.0 PCI card for desktops, or the CVTA-K113 USB 3.0 Express-card Adapter for laptops, and in a few short days you can finally enjoy amazingly fast USB 3.0 transfer speeds.
The CVTA is available for less than $40.00 and the price slides down if you buy these in bulk.
If you have been on a commercial flight in the last few years that offered WiFi while in the air, odds are you were using Aircell hardware. Aircell is one of the largest companies in in-flight broadband. The company has all sorts of hardware for WiFi in business jets as well and it has announced a new smartphone.
This isn’t a smartphone along the lines of the iPhone. The Aircell Smartphone is an Android device that is designed only for use in the air on a private business jet. The smart feature is that the thing can be used as a corded or cordless handset. It has a 3.8-inch touchscreen and the exact version of Android it uses isn’t specified.
The device is made to be easy to operate and Aircell claims it is so easy you don’t even need instructions. It is designed to be a drop-in replacement for the current Axxess flush mount handsets from Aircell. It also supports wired headphones and Bluetooth for hands free. The Aircell Smartphone will be available late this year and pricing is unannounced at this time.
You know what just doesn't understand true feelings enough? Our phones, that's what. But it doesn't always have to be like that if you ask Kyocera. Sure, the company had its dual-screened Echo on display at CTIA, but it also had an interesting exhibit of concept phones, including the ones pictured above, which can change shape based on human emotion. The premise is that since the majority of our communications comes through body language, these handsets would physically morph to express the mental state of your caller. Don't ask us why Kyocera's future just doesn't have better mobile video chatting solutions for that sort of thing, but as you could probably creatively imagine, the black slab on the left would represent a good mood while the one on the far right is clearly all worked up about something. Not zany enough for you? How about some phones that morph in your hand to adapt to how you're holding the device? Okay, that one actually seems pretty awesome, as does the one that looks like a spider web, but we'll let you wrap your heads around the rest of the concepts the company had on display by hitting the gallery below.
Kyocera concept phone display
