Archive | Mobile
Last month, an eBay auction appeared for a Helio phone that wasn’t supposed to exist. Now, we’d heard whispers of this phone before, but we only really knew two things: 1) It was a Helio-branded and modified version of the Samsung F400, and 2) It was cancelled. Being the fairly obsessed Helio geek that I [...] Last month, an eBay auction appeared for a Helio phone that wasn’t supposed to exist. Now, we’d heard whispers of this phone before, but we only really knew two things: 1) It was a Helio-branded and modified version of the Samsung F400, and 2) It was cancelled. Being the fairly obsessed Helio geek that I am, I just had to play with one - but somehow in the stir of craziness that is December, my intent to bid was forgotten, and the device (known only as the A533) slipped from my grasps. My disappointment was colossal - until I found out that the winner of the auction was a close friend of mine. It took a few weeks to work out, but the A533 has now spent a good amount of time in my hands - and in my lightbox. Want to know more about the Helio phone that almost was, but never will be? A533 Specs & Facts: 2.0 Megapixel Camera Dual portrait slide - slide the face up, and the number pad is revealed. Slide the face down, and a pair of speakers appear. 3.5mm headphone jack 960mAh battery microSD support, located below battery Previously, the closest thing this handset had to a name was its Samsung designated A533 model. Lying deep, deep within the diagnostic info of the handset, however, was what we believe to have been it’s intended final name: the Helio Opus The original F400 utilized Bang and Olufsun speakers; no reference to B&O is found anywhere on the Opus. This device was at the very tail end of the prototype phase when it was canned. The one we played with felt almost ready to go, though a few software bugs still lingered. The count varies a bit, but it’s believed that fewer than 20 Opus prototypes still exist. The primary input key of every Helio phone released thus far has a Helio flame on it - the Opus would have been the first without it. The firmware on this prototype still has some kinks in it, although we believe it was the final build created before the project ended. As such, we’re not going to give it a full review - but we’ll touch on some highlights. Media playback, Slideout Speakers: The Media browser on the Opus is quite similar to that found on the Helio devices that preceeded it, albeit a bit more polished and seemingly snappier. The video player, which has always been a wee bit lacking on past Helio handsets, is surprisingly capable - our test video was encoded in H.264 at 24fps/512kbps, and it was smooth as butter. The slideout speakers are loud. Really loud. I’m a sucker for loud speakerphones on mobile devices, and these definitely meet the bill. SMS: Threaded SMS! This would have been the first Helio device with threaded SMS support. UI: Helio devices all share a common user interface, albeit with slight modifications depending on which OEM software they’re working with. On every device but the earliest, the theme has been a rainbowy smorgasbord of color which we’ve heard referred to more than once as the “Circus” theme by Helio expatriates. On the Opus, it appears they were toying with a much more modern look: glowing blue icons on an all black background. It’s very stealth, and it’s way easier on the eyes. Browser: The browser found on the Opus seems quite similar to that found on other Helio devices - except that it has tabbed browsing, which was sorely missed in all prior versions. While we may never find out why this project was canned, we’re quite disappointed for Helions everywhere that the Opus will never see the light of day. With a bit of polish on the overall firmware stability, this would have easily taken the throne as the best non-Ocean device Helio ever put in their lineup. Check out all seventeen Opus shots below. Powered by Picturesurf Gallery Crunch Network: CrunchBase the free database of technology companies, people, and investors Source[Mobilecrunch]
Filed under: Software, Android It's anybody's guess when we're going to get this stuff in the G1, so we may as well torture ourselves in the meanwhile with some visuals, right? IntoMobile has posted a handful of Cupcake screen grabs, showing scintillating features like a task manager (minus the "manager" part since you can only see what's running, not kill processes), a work-in-progress world clock, new controls for transition effects and visuals, and -- of course -- the all-important virtual keyboard. It's good stuff all around, and realistically, it's stuff that should've found its way into the shipping build.On a related note, we got an official statement from T-Mobile regarding Cupcake's release on the G1 today, and it's every bit as vague and unhelpful as we'd expect it to be: "According to the Android team, 'Cupcake,' which is the code name for an Android software build, is still a work in progress that is considered to be a development branch and not for general availability. We will update you as T-Mobile G1 software updates are made available to T-Mobile customers." In other words, this could be out tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year, but considering the totally varied completeness of different Cupcake features, we wouldn't be surprised to see it doled out in bite-sized increments over multiple over-the-air updates.[Via Talk Android]Android Cupcake in all its keyboard-having glory, T-Mobile plays dumb originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read
Filed under: Handsets, RIM, Sprint, iDEN iDEN devices aren't typically the slimmest or the sexiest phones you can buy, but all things considered, the BlackBerry 8350i does a decent job of sucking in its gut and looking presentable. It's chubbier than its GSM and CDMA cousins -- and it trades the 3.5mm audio jack for a less-useful 2.5mm one -- but in exchange, phoneArena observes that you get the best keyboard and trackball ever found on a Curve. What's more, the load of BlackBerry OS 4.6 found here is said to be smooth as silk and crash-free -- a far cry from the experiences of some Bold and Storm owners dealing with builds of similar vintages. Ultimately, the review wraps up with a conclusion we'd expect: it's great for an iDEN phone and Nextel folks are guaranteed to be stoked, but should anyone without an incessant need for push-to-talk fly into a jealous rage? Probably not.Nextel's BlackBerry Curve 8350i gets reviewed originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read
Huawei’s Android handset might drop during the original first half of 2009 time slot instead of the 3Q 2009 some reported. The maker will at least show it off at next months Mobile World Congress, with production hopefully starting shortly there after. *fingers crossed* We don’t have any other details including if the phone will [...] Huawei’s Android handset might drop during the original first half of 2009 time slot instead of the 3Q 2009 some reported. The maker will at least show it off at next months Mobile World Congress, with production hopefully starting shortly there after. *fingers crossed* We don’t have any other details including if the phone will be a touchscreen-only, keyboard-equipped, or the price, but at least we know it runs Android. How well will be determined next month at MWC. Huawei via Phonescoop Crunch Network: CrunchGear drool over the sexiest new gadgets and hardware. Source[Mobilecrunch]
Filed under: ATT, Verizon Wireless, Misc, LTE After initially opposing the Obama administration / Jay Rockefeller digital TV delay -- pushing the analog TV shutoff date back from February 17 to June 12 -- Verizon CEO Ivan Seiderberg has jumped on board with competitor AT&T in support of the plan. Considering Verizon just dropped $9.63 billion on the soon / not-so-soon to be vacated airwaves for its 4G wireless rollout this is an interesting position to take, but it appears that as long as the delay is a mere 115 days he can join AT&T ($7 billion or so invested) in waiting for the DTV converter coupon program to work itself out. Of course, if anyone wants to take advantage of the extra time to subscribe to FiOS or U-verse, we're sure that wouldn't be problem either.Verizon CEO joins AT&T in backing digital TV delay -- as long as it's short originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read
Filed under: Handsets, Nokia, GSM, EDGE Outside Asia, the world seems to have turned squarely against styli in the past couple years -- but devices like Nokia's 6208c certainly give us pause. ePrice has a review of the freshly-announced set with plenty of fabulous pictures, and unless you're in a Chinese-speaking territory, this is about as close as you'll likely ever get to one. Most of us know Series 40 as a purely button-based platform, but it looks like Nokia has done a commendable job of adapting the UI to the demands of a touchscreen and on-screen character entry -- and it doesn't hurt that the phone's mighty nice to look at, either. Wonder if that stylus would open a bottle of Tsingtao?[Via Daily Mobile]Nokia 6208c poses for beauty shots originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 07:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read
Filed under: Others, Accessories While the iControlPad still isn't available for mass consumption, homebrew developer ZodTTD has released a video of him using it to play quake4iphone. Hard to tell just how well the gamepad works, but it's gotta be a helluva lot easier than blocking the screen with your greasy digits. Last we heard it had gone into production, but still no word on price or release date. Video embedded after the break.Continue reading iControlPad gamepad frags demons on cameraiControlPad gamepad frags demons on camera originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 04:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read
Filed under: Handsets, Samsung Samsung's added yet another -- if this guy's the real deal, and we're thinking it likely is -- to its stable of multi-megapixel handsets with this unknown 8MP beastie. Branded with Samsung's Anycall and purportedly packing a WVGA (800 X 480) display, a Xenon flash, and what appears to be a TouchWiz UI, it has all the makings of a worthy companion for the Innov8 and PIxon. Though, that branding has us worried that this phone may well be a Korea-only adventure for Samsung. Mobile World Congress is just around the corner, and if we''re going to learn anything new about it, there's a good chance it'll be then. Another 8MP Samsung set to join Pixon and Innov8? originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sat, 17 Jan 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read
Contrary to stories of overnight fortunes and money-printing fart machines, making money with an iPhone app can be tough. Thus far, your primary options are to charge for it (risky, unless your app is amazing or you manage to pull in a decent amount of coverage), or to place advertisements in the app (which, depending [...] Contrary to stories of overnight fortunes and money-printing fart machines, making money with an iPhone app can be tough. Thus far, your primary options are to charge for it (risky, unless your app is amazing or you manage to pull in a decent amount of coverage), or to place advertisements in the app (which, depending on your users, ad placement, and app usage could work out to big money or barely enough to be called pocket change). Offerpal Media thinks they’ve found the answer to monetizing iPhone applications. Built around the same system they have in place for development on Facebook, Myspace, Bebo, and a number of other platforms, end users are able to participate in a variety of offers (from online surveys to product trials) in exchange for virtual currency. Users spend this currency on in-app goods, and the developers get paid. Offerpal will be looking for partners to help them fine tune the system over the next 6 weeks, at which point the program will launch into beta. Each partner application will face a vetting process which, once they’ve opened the doors a bit more, CEO Anu Shukla says should take “around 24 hours.” Though the integration is a bit complex in its current state, Offerpal says they are moving toward a much simpler drag-and-drop integration method. Just as traditional ads don’t work for all applications, I imagine that such a system might be a hard sell within certain apps - not all of them have a use for a virtual currency system. With a bit of creativity on the developer’s end, however, this might work out to a good chunk of change from an otherwise profitless application. Crunch Network: CrunchBase the free database of technology companies, people, and investors Source[Mobilecrunch]
Filed under: Handsets, Features, LG, Sprint, EV-DO, CDMA We'd really harshed on this phone prior to its release, because... well, when you're used to flip phones looking a certain way, it looks kinda funny. In the flesh, though, the LG Lotus looks just fine -- once you get past the fact that it's basically a perfect square when closed -- and anyone who does a lot of messaging should probably take note.Gallery: LG Lotus hands-onContinue reading LG Lotus hands-onLG Lotus hands-on originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink
Filed under: Software, Apple, OS X The iPhone has plenty of great applications but for whatever reason whenever one comes out -- like the new TiVoRemote pictured above -- that will help us control our home theater it looks as bad as you can imagine. Sure function is more important than form, but most of these are ridiculous. It's bad enough that the developers think you want to use a touch screen to control something like a directional pad -- imagine looking up to see the menu on the screen and then down to look at the remote 25 times -- but at least they could make it look cool. It's not that we hate all of 'em as the Apple Remote for the Apple TV and iTunes is really slick, but with all the possibilities when it comes to gestures and the iPhone's accelerometer, we'd think there'd be a decent solution by now.Why are most iPhone remote apps so janky? originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read
Filed under: Features, Palm, Symbian, Windows Mobile, Apple, OS X, Android, webOS In case you missed the keynote, Palm took some special moments to let everyone know that they're not trying to compete with Apple -- which is of course exactly what they're doing with the Pre and webOS. Sure, there's plenty of room in the market for multiple operating systems and manufacturers, as both companies have pointed out, but we can't help but think that Palm took a long hard look at where Apple was at with its ultra-successful mobile OS and what they could improve upon, and we would like to assume that Apple is looking very carefully at webOS right now (and hopefully the Pre's physical keyboard, but we're dreamers) and comparing it with its current iPhone OS. So, if you'll indulge us, let's look at a few of the iPhone's existing shortcomings that Apple might try and shore up -- or perhaps already has fixes in the works for -- now that there's some very serious competition on the scene. Plus, with Steve on the sidelines, we can imagine there's some extra pressure on the company to prove that innovation at Apple is not just about one man.Read on over at Engadget!What Apple could learn from Palm's webOS originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read
Filed under: StudiesThere has been plenty of research into cloaking devices, but while scientists are still working their way towards the visible light spectrum they seem to be having the best luck with microwaves. Most recently, a new metamaterial made from over 10,000 individual pieces of fiberglass has been used to cloak a bump on a flat mirrored surface -- the material prevents microwaves from being scattered, giving the RADAR (we're guessing it's a RADAR) the impression that the surface is flat. This has many possible applications, such as cloaking sources of interference to cellular communications. Unfortunately, the implication we most desire -- rendering us invisible during high society jewel heists -- has yet to become reality. Cloaking device puts the kibosh on cellphone interference originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read
YellowSn0w is out and it’s ready to rock. Here’s how to become SIM-independent. 1. First, download quickpwn and jailbreak your phone. Use the latest firmware to pwn your phone (download it from Apple here). This will allow you to install Cydia or Installer. Read more… Crunch Network: TechCrunch obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies YellowSn0w is out and it’s ready to rock. Here’s how to become SIM-independent. 1. First, download quickpwn and jailbreak your phone. Use the latest firmware to pwn your phone (download it from Apple here). This will allow you to install Cydia or Installer. Read more… Crunch Network: TechCrunch obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies Source[Mobilecrunch]
Filed under: Handsets, LG Touchscreen, 3.5G, 5-megapixel autofocus camera -- what's there not to like? It's a winning formula, obviously, as evidenced by LG's announcement that they've managed to push some 5 million Viewty handsets around the globe since the series' launch a little over a year ago. North America sadly excluded, variants of the Viewty have graced large swaths of Europe and Asia, and if we had to guess, LG's tasteful application of color to the different models probably has something to do with the rousing success. And heck, if they wanted to bring it to the States, we'd wager they could sell a few more before this craze has run its course.[Via Unwired View]LG celebrates 5 million Viewtys in 14 months originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read
Saturday, January 24, 2009
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