Cell Phones and Multi-Function Devices

AT&T Loses First Verizon Ad Battle

News — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:54:14 GMT

AT&T has lost the first battle in its fight against Verizon's anti-ATT-network ads. The company has sued Verizon, saying the maps and statements made in the latest Verizon ads confuse consumers.

At issue in the lawsuit, the maps (above) compare Verizon and AT&T 3G coverage. AT&T says that the maps are interpreted by many as indicating that AT&T has not coverage in those areas not marked blue in their map. Instead they simply indicate a lack of 3G coverage.

It's clear that Verizon has the advantage in terms of 3G coverage in the U.S., though their CDMA technology has plenty of minuses. At least, however, they don't drop 30 percent of their calls.

U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Batten Sr. refused to serve Verizon with an injunction against showing the ads. He said that people might “misunderstand” the commercials, “but that doesn’t mean they’re misleading.” At the same time, he noted that most people, when watching TV, aren't all that attentive anyway. “Most people who are watching TV are semi-catatonic. They’re not fully alive.”

Of course, he didn't list another reason to forego the injunction: as more people buy DVRs, they aren't watching commercials anyway. Battle lost by AT&T, but the war goes on.

The Nokia N900 'Computer in Your Pocket' Arrives

News — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:10:14 GMT

Nokia's highly anticipated N900 is now available in the U.S.; it's also shipping to customers who preordered the Maemo-powered mobile computer. The N900 has a 3.5-inch touchscreen, full QWERTY keyboard, and four customizable home screens. This handheld also offers a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and a dual LED flash.

Operating on the Linux-based Maemo platform with 32GB of storage and multiple connectivity options, the N900 gives users multiple ways to connect to the Internet, access their email, files, and much more. The N900 is also capable of multitasking.

"Consumers from every segment of the population are looking for more out of their mobile device - more power, more ability, more connectivity. The Nokia N900 ushers in a new era with a very powerful mobile computer," said Alessandro Lamanna, Vice President, Retail Sales, Nokia. "With an open source operating system, incorporated technology like an OMAP processor, and real time web widgets, the Nokia N900 delivers the experience of a pocketable computer that has the information you're looking for right there waiting for you thanks to the ability to be connected just about anywhere."

As you may recall, Maemo software is based on an open source platform. The N900's web browser is based on Mozilla technology, providing a computer-like browsing experience with support for Adobe Flash 9.4 and gestures.

The Nokia N900 is available with a black finish for $649 through Nokia Flagship stores in New York and Chicago, nokiausa.com and various retailers.

TomTom Brings Navigation App To iPod touch

News — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:02:59 GMT

Up until now, TomTom's iPhone GPS application was, well, only for the iPhone. It required iPhone OS 3.0, and for obvious reasons surrounding a physical GPS module, it wouldn't work with the iPod touch. Today, all that changes.

TomTom has just released its newest version of the GPS app, and with it comes support for the iTouch. The only stipulation is that a car kit dock be used, since the touch has no internal GPS chip. Thus, TomTom is simultaneously announcing its new TomTom car kit for iPod touch, which does everything the TomTom car kit for iPhone does save for handsfree calling, and it does so for $20 less.

The TomTom car kit for iPod touch is listed for $99.95, though it's currently sold out at the company's website. Still, this here seems like a pretty awesome combo; the iPod touch, when used in this kit, could navigate you without requiring a data plan, turning your portable media player into much, much more. The app is still $100 on its own, so it'll cost you a grand total of around $200 to add a true navigation system to your iPod touch. We know that some standalone GPS devices could be had for less, but having everything all in one sure is a nice feeling.

TomTom to update its application for iPhone with major improvements and new features for free

~ Advanced lane guidance, text-to-speech and the “Help menu” among new features coming soon ~

Concord, Mass. – November 12, 2009 – Users of TomTom’s popular iPhone navigation application will soon be able to enjoy even more advanced features, with a free update ensuring users always have the best navigation experience.

This update*, which is being submitted to Apple for review today and will be awaiting their approval, will bring significant and advanced additional features that TomTom fans around the world have come to appreciate. These are:

-         Advanced lane guidance giving drivers extra clarity when navigating difficult junctions. For the first time this is in both landscape and portrait mode.

-         Text-to-speech helping motorists to keep their eyes on the road by enabling street names and places to be read aloud as part of the spoken instructions.

-         “Help Me” providing direct access to emergency numbers and directions to the nearest emergency providers.

-         Updated map and safety camera database**.

-         Customizable audio warnings when approaching safety cameras or driving over the speed limit, increasing driver safety and saving money.

-         iPod player control ensuring drivers can conveniently control their music from within the application.

“The TomTom app for iPhone is a priority for us and we are committed to both its long term development and everyday improvements,” said Benoit Simeray, TomTom’s senior vice president, On-board Mobile. “Current and future customers of our application for the iPhone can count on more great updates from TomTom for free.”

Teens Still Crazy Over Texting While Driving

News — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:42:33 GMT

What seems to be a plethora of studies and research prove that text messaging while driving is dangerous. Despite this, a new Pew Research study (.PDF) shows that 1/3 of teens aged 16 and 17 text while driving.

Here are some of the highlights, or rather, lowlights, of the report:

75% of all American teens ages 12-17 own a cell phone, and 66% use their phones to send or receive text messages.
Older teens are more likely than younger teens to have cell phones and use text messaging; 82% of teens ages 16-17 have a cell phone and 76% of that cohort are cell texters.
One in three (34%) texting teens ages 16-17 say they have texted while driving. That translates into 26% of all American teens ages 16-17.
Half (52%) of cell-owning teens ages 16-17 say they have talked on a cell phone while driving. That translates into 43% of all American teens ages 16-17.
48% of all teens ages 12-17 say they have been in a car when the driver was texting.
40% say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put themselves or others in danger.

Worse, some teens are flippant about texting while driving, and feel unconcerned about the possible dangers. This sort of "belief in their invulnerability" is something quite common among teens, and not restricted to texting while driving.

Said one high-school aged boy: “I think it’s fine ... And I wear sunglasses so the cops don’t see [my eyes looking down].” Likewise, another high school-aged girl wrote that she texts “all the time,” and that “everybody texts while they drive (.,.) like when I’m driving by myself I’ll call people or text them ‘cause I get bored.” One older high school-aged boy explained that he limits his texting while driving only if his parents are around: “I’m fine with it, just not with my mom and dad in the car. Like when I’m with my brother, I do it.”

Teens did make a distinction between reading text messages and sending them. “There’s a difference, I think,” said one older high school boy. “Because just reading a text isn’t that bad, it’s just reading and then moving on. If you’re texting, it’s going to take more time when you’re supposed to be driving, and that’s when most people get in accidents.”

It's actually not much better to read vs. write when texting while driving. In either case, your attention is diverted from the road in front of you and onto your device's screen.

Fortunately, not all are so casual about texting while driving. One high school boy in a focus group, when asked about riding with drivers who text, said: “Not if they know what’s good for them. I’ll snatch the phone out of your hands – don’t be driving in the car with me and doing that ... I want to live until the end of this car ride.”

The study is based on a telephone survey on teens’ and parents’ use of mobile phones and 9 focus groups conducted in 4 U.S. cities between June and October 2009 with teens between the ages of 12 and 18. The quantitative results in this study were based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research International between June 26 and September 24, 2009, among a sample of 800 teens ages 12-17 and a parent or guardian.

Plotting Out Black Friday Attack Plan? Yeah, There's An App For That

News — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:28:36 GMT

Black Friday. It's a name that was once only known by savvy shoppers who scoured the Internet for deals, but now it's a household holiday in America. Everyone from tweens to grandmothers will be waking up early on the day after Thanksgiving in order to fight the crowds and attempt to snag those too-good-to-be-true deals that happen just once per year.

As would be expected at a time such as this, a company has now come forward with an iPhone application that can help shoppers plan out their attack route and score the best deals. MEDL Mobile has just introduced Mall Maps, an iPhone app provides its user with a comprehensive database of malls, shopping centers and plazas across the US.

When fired up, it utilizes the internal GPS chip to locate where you are, or if you'd rather, you can search by city/state, zip code and even a list of all 50 states. The app even includes store listings and actual floor plans for malls all across the country, so you really can plan out a route to take beforehand rather than just running around wildly. It's available now for $2.99, which seems like a small price to pay for the shortest route to the bargains you crave.

AT&T Attempts To Set The Record Straight

News — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:30:47 GMT

Last week, we told you about AT&T's lawsuit against Verizon Wireless, claiming the latter company's "There's a Map for That" ad is misleading. While obviously mocking Apple's "There's an App For That" iPhone slogan, the ad points out that AT&T's 3G coverage isn't near as far-reaching as Verizon Wireless' 3G coverage.

In its lawsuit, AT&T claims customers who see the ad with its maps may believe the maps represent pure coverage, not just 3G coverage. Not satisfied with leaving things at that, the company is now hoping to set the record straight with a statement.

After acknowledging that it usually doesn't respond to competitors' advertising, AT&T goes on to say "recent ads from Verizon are so blatantly false and misleading, that we want to set the record straight about AT&T's wireless data coverage."

More specifically, AT&T points out that its wireless data coverage reaches 303 million people, or 97% of the U.S. population. AT&T currently provides three types of data service:

3G: 233 million people or 75% of the population are covered by AT&T's 3G network.
EDGE: 301 million people or more than 96% of the population are covered by EDGE.
GPRS: Covers 303 million people, allowing you to talk, text, email and access basic websites optimized for wireless.

The company also explains that 3G and EDGE coverage allow customers to access the Internet, send email, surf the Web, stream music, download videos, send photos, text, talk, and more. The difference is 3G is faster than EDGE with some data applications.

After setting this record straight, AT&T goes on to brag on itself for a bit. The company claims:

AT&T is the #1 network for smartphones, with twice the number of smartphone customers than Verizon, our closest competitor. Some of the reasons include:

Most popular smartphones. Unlike Verizon, AT&T offers the most popular smartphones in the industry.
More wireless apps. Unlike Verizon, AT&T customers have access to more than 100,000 applications, more than with any other wireless company.
Talk and E-mail at the same time. Unlike Verizon, AT&T's 3G network lets wireless customers simultaneously talk and surf the web or do e-mail.
Fastest 3G in the nation. Unlike Verizon, AT&T has the nation's fastest 3G network.

While AT&T makes some valid points about its network and coverage in the lawsuit and statement, wouldn't you rather see the company spend its time, efforts, and money on expanding coverage, rather than excuses and lawsuits?

Verizon Wireless Raises Early Termination Fees

News — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:47:59 GMT

Rumors surrounding Verizon Wireless' Early Termination Fees (EFTs) have been flying around in recent days. Over the weekend, Verizon officially upped the fee for cancelling your contract early from $175 to $350. Under the new fee schedule, Verizon gives you a bit of a break by reducing the fee by a mere $10 per month for the life of the contract. Of course, that still leaves you with a $120 EFT 23 months into a 24-month deal.

The new fee applies to "advanced devices." Verizon provides a full list of these devices, but safe to say, most smartphones are on there. You should also know that other phones not considered smartphones are on the list as well, such as the Versa and Glyde. EFTs for Verizon wireless devices that are not on the list such as standard cell phones won’t change. The current ETF is $175, and it decreases by $5 each month over the life of the contract.

Anyone who bought a phone prior to the 14^th should be under the old fee schedule. You can also avoid the fee by paying full retail price for a phone, though keep in mind this is a very costly option up front.

The increase is an interesting move for Verizon, who just last year agreed to pay $21 million to settle a class-action lawsuit in California over early-termination fees. In the lawsuit, California customers claimed Verizon's EFTs were illegal under California law and that they were designed to unfairly lock customers into long-term contracts.

iPhone Home Button Earrings Mark You ... As A Major Fangirl

News — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:35:02 GMT

... or major fanboy, we suppose. Problem is, this has to be something for the ultimate geek. And the thing is, we normally associate that term with a guy. This isn't exactly a nice small stud a guy can wear.

They are iPhone Home Button earrings. Besides the obvious question, which is who would wear these, there's also the other question, which is why did anything think these would sell?

Perhaps we am wrong. The site says that even at a pricey $14.95 (for plastic earrings) that:

Orders placed will ship on Nov 19th - Nov 20th due to very high demand.

High demand? Well, if you really, really have to have all things iPhone, we suppose it's a must have.

Nokia Ships E72 Smartphone For Symbian S60 Loyalists

News — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:23:31 GMT

It's somewhat hard to believe that Nokia's E72 smartphone actuallylaunched way back in June, and trust us, a lot has happened in themobile world since then. Even Nokia itself has shown off a newsmartphone OS (Maemo 5), but the tried and true Symbian S60 is poweringthis one. The E72 is a slim, broad candybar-styled smartphone with afull QWERTY keyboard that's always out in the open. According to Nokia,the wait to snag one has finally ended--if anyone was still waitingaround for it, that is.

This phone builds on the similar E71, maintaining the same basic formfactor but adding new functionality such as desktop-like email and chatexperiences. Morevoer, the latest version of Ovi Maps with A-GPSnavigation andcompass, an optical navi key and 5 megapixel camera are all packed intothe phone. You'll also find push consumer email service, NokiaMessaging, and now for the firsttime people can set up instant messaging (IM) directly from thehomescreen, accessing communities such as Windows Live(TM) Messenger,Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk and Ovi Chat. Just like chatting via thedesktop, people can respond to friends and colleagues across multiplecommunities in real-time.

Amazon has the phone listed at $469 without a contract, though Nokia'sofficial announcement doesn't mention a specific price point.

New Android Phone From Saygus Features Two-Way Video Calling

News — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:00:02 GMT

Saygus unveiled a new Android equipped smartphone that has two-way video calling capabilities. The Saygus VPhone is expected to be available as a CDMA device through Verizon’s Open Development Initiative (ODI).

The VPhone has two cameras—a 5 MP main camera with auto focus and flash and a VGA forward-facing camera for video calling. The phone also offers Wi-Fi, USB, Bluetooth, a slide-out keyboard, and a screen resolution that is twice that of the iPhone. Its long-life battery can provide up to four hours of video calling and seven hours of talk time.

Using major U.S. cellular networks, Saygus has achieved two-way cellular video calls at 24 to 30 frames per second using its low bandwidth video calling technology. The company has tested its technology on other devices and other cellular networks implementing video calling at 2.5G EDGE data rates.

VPhone features:

Video Calling. Saygus VPhone includes Saygus' proprietary video calling technology for the world’s first low bandwidth two-way cellular video calling
Tethering. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB tethering for up to eight devices
1500 mAh Battery. Supports up to four hours of video calling and seven hours of talk time
QWERTY Slide-Out Keyboard. Large keyboard area with raised keys for ease of use
Multi-Touch Screen. High-resolution 3.5-inch 800 x 480 capacitive multi-touch capable screen
624Mhz Marvell PXA310 processor
Dual Cameras. 5 MP main camera with auto focus and flash and VGA forward-facing camera for two-way video calling
CDMA EVDO Rev A
USB Charging. Host and client capability

The Saygus VPhone is expected to be available in the United States soon.

Dual Electronics Turns iPod Touch Into A PND

News — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:00:31 GMT

Later this month, Dual Electronics plans to ship one of the first kits that will convert your iPod Touch into a PND (portable navigation device). The GPS Navigation & Battery Cradle will enable the iPod Touch to receive a GPS signal and to use location-based service applications.

Dual Electronics' system consists of a snap-on module and a window mount kit as well as a GPS application. The module snaps on to the back of the iPod Touch and has a built-in GPS receiver with a rechargeable battery. The unit also has a built-in speaker to amplify voice prompts and a mini USB port and audio-out jack to connect to a car stereo. The system works with the NavAtlas turn-by turn application (free from iTunes) that is based on the GMap app. A windshield mounting kit and charging cable are also included.

We've seen other GPS kits such as TomTom's recently introduced model, but they only work for the iPhone. The GPS Navigation & Battery Cradle will offer text-to-speech pronunciation of street names along with maps of the US and Canada. It is expected to cost $179. By comparison, TomTom's iPhone GPS kit costs $119 plus $99 for the application.

AT&T Adds BlackBerry Curve 8520 To Smartphone Lineup

News — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:07:33 GMT

AT&T is adding RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8520 to its lineup. Like many BlackBerry handhelds, the Curve 8520 features a full QWERTY keyboard and a touch-sensitive trackpad. It also has built-in Wi-Fi, an advanced media player with dedicated media keys, and a 2 megapixel camera with video recording capabilities. Other key specs include a 320x240 display, a 512 MHz processor, and 256 MB of Flash memory.

AT&T currently offers more than 20,000 U.S. hotspots for Wi-Fi access. As with other Wi-Fi enabled BlackBerry smartphones from AT&T, BlackBerry Curve 8520 users with a qualifying data plan get unlimited access to these domestic hotspots at no additional cost. All consumer BlackBerry unlimited data plans qualify for this access. When traveling outside the U.S., AT&T provides access to wireless voice coverage in more than 215 countries and wireless data coverage in more than 185 countries.

The Curve 8520 gives users the ability to edit Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files using the DataViz Documents to Go suite. The Curve 8520 also comes preloaded with Facebook and My Space applications.

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone will be available in the coming weeks for $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate. A two-year agreement and a minimum service plan of $69.99 are required.

Samsung Behold II Brings Even More Android To T-Mobile USA

News — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:46:17 GMT

If AT&T is your home for the iPhone, Sprint is your home for webOSdevices and Verizon is your home for the Motorola Droid, we guessT-Mobile USA is the home for all other Android phones. Ever since theG1 launched on the carrier last year, it seems like a never-ending flowof Android handsets have found their way onto America's second-largestGSM operator.

The next handset in line for deployment is the Samsung Behold II, whichbills itself as a "multimedia powerhouse." The phone features a full3.2" touch-screen OLED panel, integrated Wi-Fi, support for T-Mobile's3G network, a 5MP camera (with autofocus, zoom, flash, five shootingmodes and video capabilities) and Samsung's own cube menu also providesquick access to six top multimedia features: music, photos, videos, theWeb, YouTube™ and Amazon MP3 for music downloads.

That UI goes by the name of TouchWiz, and this certainly won't be thefirst phone to sport it. TouchWiz gives users the ability to customizetheir phones by providing access to commonly used features andapplications, and it also offers three different home screens toorganize multiple workspaces with favorite widgets and applicationshortcuts. With Google's own OS onboard, it's no surprise to findGoogle Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube and Google Talk on hand, andof course the App Market will be front and center. There's also supportfor personal e-mail and corporate e-mail with Exchange ActiveSync, aswell as instant messaging, and text, picture and video messaging.A-GPS, Bluetooth 2.1 and visual voicemail round things up, and if the2GB microSD card isn't large enough for you, you can always spring fora larger one.

The Samsung Behold II will be available nationwide at T-Mobile retail stores, select authorized dealers and online at http://www.T-Mobile.com beginning Nov. 18, 2009 (that's tomorrow!), though pricing is not yet announced.

PhoneSuit Primo Extended Battery Clips Into Your iPod/iPhone Dock Connector

News — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:30:00 GMT

Let's face it: the iPhone is a fantastic smartphone, but the battery within isn't exactly the greatest. Heavy web users will understand that the battery typically dies before your full day is done, leaving you to carefully select when and where to use that precious final 20% of battery. A few extended cell options are out there, but most of them involve a bulky case; what if you've already got a case that you love, or what if you prefer to carry your phone sans a case?

PhoneSuit's Primo is a simpler affair, with it being a simple connector that plugs into the bottom socket. It's described as a Micro Battery Pack, and it can work with your iPhone or any dock connecting iPod; in other words, if you have multiple Apple devices, you can carry around one extended charging solution to share between 'em.

The mini solution includes an 800mAh battery, which is said to add up to 45 hours of music playback time or up to 3 extra hours of talking through an iPhone 3G. It's available now for $35, but a 3-pack is available for stocking stuffers at $89.95.

The Primo Micro Battery Pack

The PhoneSuit Primo is the ultimate in iPod and iPhone power portability. It’s so small it can easily be attached to your keychain or kept in your pocket for emergency use. The ultra-compact design allows a comfortable feel while using your iPhone or iPod. Take the Primo with you anywhere and never run out of power.

The Smallest, Most Powerful iPhone & iPod Battery

The Primo is about the size of a person's thumb, yet packs enough power to give you many hours of audio and video play on your Apple devices. The Primo has an impressive 800mAh capacity battery. That's enough to give you up to 45 additional hours of music time on your iPod or up to 3 hours additional iPhone 3G talk time.

Apple Certified Compatibility

The Primo is "Made for iPod" and "Works with iPhone" Apple certified. Use the Primo with nearly all your Apple devices including all iPhone's and most iPod's. The Primo's versatility will never leave you without battery charge. Compatible with iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPod, iPod Classic, iPod touch, iPod touch 2G and iPod Nano (All versions).

Enhanced Gaming Experience

The Primo's design is perfect for playing your favorite iPhone or iPod touch video game in landscape mode. The side mount actually allows for a better grip and increased sound volume. Tired of accidentally covering up the iPhone speaker with your hand when playing in landscape mode? The Primo solves this issue by extending you grip on to the side of the Primo, allowing for full, clear audio.

Advanced Battery Technology

The Primo uses high quality lithium-ion power cells to provide high capacity in a small package. The batteries do not hold any memory and are good for over 500 full charges.

Charging the Primo

Charging the Primo is simple, just use the included standard USB cable and plug into any USB 2.0 or 1.1 compatible outlet.

Battery Charge Meter

The Primo features an LED battery charge meter displaying the battery's remaining charge. When charging, the green LED turns blue to show you that it has fully charged.

Primo Warranty

The Primo includes a full 1 year repair or replacement warranty against manufacturing defects. You can rest assured your battery will perform worry free. Please contact customer support for full details.

Fujitsu Introduces Cell Phone That Splits in Two

News — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:09:34 GMT

Fujitsu announced a new cell phone this week that is capable of splitting into two parts. The F-04B was announced as part of NTT DoCoMo's new line-up. It is scheduled to hit Japanese shelves in March or April.

At first glance, the new phone looks like a conventional slider. After closer examination, however, you'll see that you can decouple a catch to allow the entire back half of the cell phone to pull off. The top half of the unit contains a 3.4-inch touchscreen display, radio module, and antenna. The back half is comprised of the QWERTY keyboard and a slide-out numeric keypad. When disconnected, the two halves will stay in contact with one another via a Bluetooth connection up to a distance of about 10 meters.

The top half of the unit is functional on its own, allowing you to lighten your load by leaving the back half at home. When kept together, you'll get additional benefits, such as the ability to use the keyboard half to make or receive a call and the top half to check email or take a picture.

Both halves of the phone have a microphone and a speaker, so either can be used for receiving calls. The top of the phone has the ringer and vibrator while the bottom has a light that will alert you of an incoming call. In addition to receiving calls with either half, you can also place calls though the bottom half lacks a display to let you know if you're entering the correct phone number.

Full details of the phone are not yet available, but NTT DoCoMo has said the phone measures 11.4 x 5.1 x 20.4 centimeters and weighs 173 grams. Standby time is 600 hours in WCDMA mode and 400 hours in GSM mode. Talk time is 300 minutes and 330 minutes respectively. Other specs include a screen resolution of 480 by 960 pixels, a Japanese and English interface, built-in Felica contactless smartcard, and a 12.2 megapixel camera. Fujitsu also plans to offer an optional projector unit that can clip onto the bottom of the phone in place of the keyboard.

While this phone definitely seems unique and cool, sadly, there are no plans to put the F-04B on sale overseas, so if you want one, you'll have to head on over to Japan.

iPhone GPS Apps From TomTom & Navigon Receive Updates

News — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:21:11 GMT

TomTom and Navigon announced updates to their turn-by-turn GPS navigation apps for the iPhone this week. TomTom's update for its $100 iPhone app includes a number of highly requested features, including text-to-speech directions and the company's popular Advanced Lane Guidance feature. Text-to-speech enables the iPhone to read the names of places and streets out loud. Advanced Lane Guidance provides a graphical view of complex intersections to help you navigate.

TomTom's latest version also has map and safety camera updates, a new Help menu, in-app control for iPod playback, and customizable audio warnings to let you know if you're speeding or approaching a safety camera. The free update from TomTom has been submitted to Apple for approval.

Navigon also announced updates to its $90 MobileNavigator North America iPhone app. The latest version features an extended-destination search that helps you find a destination even if you don't know the full address. You'll also be able to move your destination pinpoint at any time.

Perhaps the best addition to the MobileNavigator North America iPhone app is the availability of Navigon's Traffic Live feature. This add-on feature uses real-time traffic information to provide the fastest route, update travel times, and warn of incidents that might deter your trip. The traffic data is gathered from other Navigon iPhone users, commercial fleets, ClearChannel’s Total Traffic Network, and other GPS systems.

The Traffic Live add-on will be available for $20 for the first four weeks after its release and will increase to $25 thereafter. There are no ongoing service fees for Traffic Live, though a data plan is highly recommended so that you don't incur additional data charges.

Garmin-Asus nüvifone M20 Gets Updated To Windows Mobile 6.5

News — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:00:11 GMT

Although the Garmin-Asus nüvifone M20 may have taken a little while to become available, the companies are not ignoring the fact that a new version of Windows Mobile is now available. Garmin-Asus recently announced that this all-in-one phone is now available with Windows Mobile 6.5. Thankfully, early adopters aren't left in the cold—they'll receive an update to bring them up to date with the latest OS.

Windows Mobile 6.5 provides improvements such as large touch-optimized icons, mobile applications via the Windows Marketplace for Mobile, and the Microsoft My Phone service. The My Phone service offers features such as data migration, data auto-syncing, backup and restoration, and remote data wiping. It also lets you view, sync, and share photos across PC, phone, and web platforms.

Garmin-Asus has combined its navigation centric user interface with Windows Mobile 6.5. "Through its innovative integration of a phone, navigator, and browser, the nüvifone M20 is designed to enhance the lives of consumers today,” said Benson Lin, Vice President and General Manager of the ASUS Handheld Business Group. “With Windows Mobile 6.5, users can enjoy the same great LBS (location-based service) features of the original nüvifone M20, but with a richer and more rewarding user experience.”

The Garmin-Asus nüvifone M20 running Windows Mobile 6.5 will be available in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Czech, Turkey, and other markets by the end of this year. Current nüvifone M20 users who are running Windows Mobile 6.1 are eligible for a free update to Windows Mobile 6.5. Visit www.garminasus.com for more details regarding the update.

Dell Goes Official With Android-Based Mini 3i Smartphone

News — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:50:06 GMT

The day has finally come, folks. Dell is getting into the smartphone business. It's kind of tough to believe, actually. Dell has been a staple in the PC industry for years, selling customized desktops, notebooks, netbooks, all-in-one PCs, media centers and every possible PC accessory you could ever think of. But what it hasn't done is, well, anything other than that. Until today.

With the cellphone industry at large booming, particularly in respect to smartphones, the company is looking for ways to broaden its product line and possibly make up for sagging demand for desktops. We'd heard over the past few months that the company was indeed working on something to talk on, and now Dell has finally come forward in official fashion to confirm as much.

China Mobile and Claro, both foreign operators, will be the first two to sell the phone. We're guessing that Dell did this intentionally in order to guage the interest overseas first before diving deep into the North American sector. This way, it has time to make tweaks and fine-tune the OS before the critical Americans get their hands on it. Also, China Mobile serves over 500 million people, so that's a pretty big subscriber base to cater to.

credit: tech.sina.com.cn

The Mini 3 will be called something slightly different in each market it seems (such as Mini 3i in China), but few details about the device itself are available. You can tell by the images that it'll be a touch screen-based phone, but exact specifications will be announced on a partner-by-partner basis when devices are available in stores, anticipated in late November for China Mobile and year’s end for Claro. Best of all, Dell's using the Android operating system here, so it actually does stand a good chance of rivaling phones like the Pre, Droid and iPhone. Here's hoping it comes to other markets soon!

Nokia's N900 Starts Shipping: Can Maemo 5 Topple The iPhone?

News — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:38:03 GMT

It has been quite some time since Nokia issued a smartphone that was reasonably competitive with the slew of Android handsets on the market, Apple's iPhone and Palm's Pre. Granted, the company has never really had a huge foothold in the North American smartphone market, but with market share slipping away in other parts of the world, it's apparently looking to pick things back up with the N900.

The N900 represents a huge leap of faith for Nokia. It's the company's first smartphone based around the new Maemo 5 operating system, and it's the first OS that has been designed to really rival the other modern-day systems on phones today. In fact, Nokia calls this a "mobile computer," and starting right now, consumers can find 'em in stores for around 500 Euros (without a contract). The real question is how will this do without support from a carrier? No major operating in the US will be subsidizing this phone, so folks will have to spring for an unlocked (expensive) version to use on either T-Mobile or AT&T. We're guessing it won't be as well as the iPhone, but it's not like that's a big stretch.

At the heart of the Nokia N900 is its powerful ARMCortex-A8 processor and up to 1GB of total application memory. Userscan browse the internet the way they would on any computer and keepdozens of application windows open simultaneously on the dashboard. Thepanoramic desktops in the Nokia N900 can be personalized with widgets,contacts and shortcuts. Pictures and videos taken with the 5Mpx CarlZeiss camera automatically show where they were taken, and users canadd their own description tags to make searching the photos eveneasier. SMS and instant messages are organized as chat flow and peoplecan convenienty switch between the multiple conversation windows. Thebuilt-in 32 GB storage is big enough to store up to 7,000 songs or 40hours of DVD-quality video, and it can be expanded up to 48GB with anexternal microSD card.

Nokiaworks closely with the developer community and has recently seensignificant innovation happening with Maemo. As a result, people willbe able to discover a wide range of games, utilities, themes, panoramicwallpapers and service plug-ins for photo-sharing and messaging for theNokia N900 through Ovi Store and Maemo Select, starting later in theyear. In October Nokia announced official Qt port to Maemo 5. Thismeans developers can use Qt software to target the Nokia N900 and thatapplications can be easily ported to all Qt's supported platformsincluding the next Maemo 6 release as well as Symbian.

TheNokia N900 will initially be available in Europe, Middle-East, Russiaand North America. It is also possible to order the device from theNokia Online Store: http://europe.nokia.com/buy-online

New iPhone App Keeps You Connected With Your House

News — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:19:54 GMT

Protection One is now offering an iPhone application that lets you access your home's security panels and receive real-time security updates from an iPhone or iPod Touch. The new eSecure application allows users to confirm that their security system is armed while away from home. Should you need to send a contractor or someone else into the home unexpectedly, you can turn off the alarm remotely from the application.

When your system is armed, the eSecure system will send text or email messages if motion is detected, a particular door is opened, in the event of a flood, if high carbon-monoxide levels are recorded, and even when a liquor or medicine cabinet, safe, or other sensitive area is accessed.

By providing the application, Protection One hopes to deliver peace of mind to users whenever they are away from home. “No one wants to spend a vacation or business trip worrying about leaving the garage door open or if the security alarm is set,” says Protection One President and CEO Richard Ginsburg. “This application puts security at your fingertips and keeps you connected, even when you’re away.”

The application uses multiple layers of password protection to maintain safety and security. A standard Protection One keypad code is required for access to the eSecure keypad, which is not stored on the device or visible to anyone looking at the screen.

The new eSecure iPhone application is free with the eSecure service subscription and available for download at the iPhone App Store.

Sprint Offering NFL Network Games Free To Customers

News — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:17:50 GMT

Like the NFL? Who doesn't, right? Evidently Sprint is certainly expecting its own customers to dig it, as it has today announced that it will be the only wireless carrier to offer live NFL Network game telecasts via its exclusive NFL Mobile Live application and on Sprint TV beginning Nov. 12 when NFL Network televises the first of its eight-game Thursday Night Football schedule.

Sprint has always embraced mobile TV more seriously than the other carriers, but this type of partnership could actually get more than a few people to switch. The NFL is easily the most popular sport in America, and the allure of free games on-the-go is pretty darn tempting. Best of all, both NFL Mobile Live and Sprint TV are available at no additional cost to Sprint data subscribers with a data plan. Granted, watching entire NFL games on a phone won't be nearly as smooth and enjoyable as they'd be on an HDTV, but if you're stuck in some meeting somewhere, it sure beats the alternative of dreaming about it.

The first televised game features the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Chicago Bears on NFL Network. NFL Network’s Thursday night telecasts will be available to Sprint subscribers including games on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26) and special NFL Network games on Saturday, Dec. 19, and Christmas Day (Friday, Dec. 25). Interested in getting in? Just switch to Sprint, get a smartphone that supports Sprint TV/NFL Mobile Live and pony up for an unlimited data plan.

The NFL Network games that will be available to Sprint subscribers are:
Nov. 12, Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers
Nov. 19, Miami Dolphins at Carolina Panthers
Nov. 26, New York Giants at Denver Broncos
Dec. 3, New York Jets at Buffalo Bills
Dec. 10, Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns
Dec. 17, Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars
Dec. 19, Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints
Dec. 25, San Diego Chargers at Tennessee Titans

Slacker Radio Now Available For Android

News — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:46:59 GMT

Slacker is making its Slacker Radio app available for Android phones. With the app, music lovers can create a nearly unlimited number of custom stations or enjoy over 100 expert-programmed Slacker genre, seasonal, and spotlight stations, and over 10,000 artist stations. To help you create the perfect custom radio station, the app lets you mark songs as favorites or ban songs and artists.

Slacker also provides artist biographies, album reviews, station fine tuning, "peek ahead" song previews, and song lyrics. The Android version of the app supports vertical and horizontal orientation as well as the ability to run in the background while controlling the app from a widget on the desktop. You can share your favorite Slacker Radio stations via SMS, MMS, or email.

Slacker Radio for Android offers:

Free music library featuring millions of songs
High-quality stereo playback from any wireless connection
Create custom artist stations based on artists or songs
Over 100 professionally programmed genre stations
View artist biographies and photos
View album art and read reviews
"Peek Ahead" artist and album preview
Multi-tasking - listen to music while using other applications
Share station links via Email, MMS or SMS messaging
Rate songs as favorites
Ban songs and artists
Vertical and Horizontal modes
Desktop widget

To get the free application, visit www.Slacker.com from a supported Android phone (DROID by Motorola, HTC G1, HTC MyTouch, HTC DROID ERIS, and HTC Hero) or use the Android Market. For DROID owners, you can also get the application by visiting the Verizon channel of the Android Market. The Slacker Radio app works with the free Slacker Basic Radio service, Slacker Radio Plus, and Slacker Premium Radio subscription offerings.

Jailbroken iPhones Get "Rickrolled"

News — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:32:46 GMT

Jailbroken iPhone owners, you've already been warned this week with a different hack. This one uses the same "vulnerability" to "rickroll" the homescreen of jailbroken iPhones.

To "rickroll" someone is to intentionally redirect them to a video of "Never Gonna Give You Up" from one two-hit-wonder 80's pop "superstar" Rick Astley, but it's also used for a variety of Astley-ish stunts. Thus, this one, in which a hacker named "ikee" hacked into jailbroken iPhones to replace their home screen with a Rick Astley background.

Just as with the hack we wrote about earlier, it has to do with the fact that as SSH is generally enabled on jailbroken iPhones, if you don't change your default root password, you will be vulnerable. This is really no different than how people don't change their router password either. Just as with many routers, the default password used by Apple is well-known (alpine).

This and the earlier hack leverage the fact that many fail to modify that password. The first hack tried to blackmail users into giving the hacker €5. The second "rickroll" hack is actually more of an experiment (according to the writer), who freely gives up information on removal.

That doesn't mean the "rickroll" hack isn't pervasive. Once an iPhone is infected it looks for others to infect.

For once, Apple's warnings about jailbroken iPhones is correct: they can be more vulnerable. That isn't necessarily the case, however. It's not that hard to secure your jailbroken iPhone; you just have to remember to do so.

There are two ways to secure your jailbroken iPhone. You can turn off SSH when you are not using it (SBSettings is a well-known app for jailbroken phones you can use for this), and / or you can change your root password. For that, you can use MobileTerminal (another well-known app).

It's six of one, half dozen of the other. Jailbreaking gives you access to tons of functionality that you can't normally access. It also usually opens up some issues, including bugs and security holes.

T-Mobile Getting Rid Of myFaves

News — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:23:49 GMT

After introducing new unlimited plans last month, T-Mobile plans to quietly phase out the use of its myFaves calling feature. Similar to other calling circles from other networks, myFaves allows unlimited calling to any five numbers regardless of what network the users are on. T-Mobile doesn’t plan to drop support for customers who already use the feature.

In a statement provided to FierceWireless, T-Mobile said: "Our new Even More plans, which feature options for unlimited calling, text and data service, have taken the place of our myFaves unlimited calling feature…. We continue to offer the myFaves home screen, at no additional charge, across our broad portfolio of phones as a way for customers to easily connect with their Fave Five through voice, text and email. And customers currently subscribing to the myFaves unlimited calling feature canchoose to continue to benefit from that plan."

T-Mobile introduced myFaves in 2006 in response to Alltel's My Circle calling plans. Verizon Wireless and AT&T have introduced similar calling circles with unlimited calling to a specified number of people. Sprint recently introduced a new Any Mobile, Anytime offering which provides unlimited calling to any mobile number regardless of network.

As you may recall, the Even More Plus plans are no-contract plans that offer offer free nights, weekends, and T-Mobile to T-Mobile calling as well as options to get unlimited voice, text, and browsing. The Even More plans require a two-year agreement but offer a phone subsidy. Even More unlimited talk plans start at $59.99.

AT&T's USBConnect Lightning USB WWAN Card To Support 7.2Mbps 3G

News — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:46:17 GMT

While AT&T struggles to stop Verizon Wireless from calling out its 3G network on national television, the company is still plugging along by selling more and more devices that can be used on it. Sierra Wireless has had a long standing relationship with the US carrier, and that relationship seems to be growing with the introduction of the USBConnect Lightning.

This is the company's newest USB WWAN card, which enables any USB-equipped machine (which is pretty much all of them made within the last decade) to hop online wherever an AT&T signal is found. It won't actually be on sale until November 22, but it will enable users to surf at up to 7.2Mbps (HSPA) where available.

"The Lightning is a high-performing device compatible with our latest HSPA technology," said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "As we continue our 3G network evolution, we are building a solid portfolio of HSPA 7.2 devices to meet the future needs of our customers."

"The USBConnect Lightning offers an innovative, eye-catching lighted design with a swivel hinge for flexible use in horizontally or vertically oriented USBHSPA 7.2 coverage," said Dan Schieler, senior vice president of Worldwide Sales for Sierra Wireless. "People continue to expand their use of mobile broadband in their everyday routines wherever they are, and the evolution of the AT&T 3G network and devices like the USBConnect Lightning provide them with the flexibility and freedom to do so."

The Lightning comes pre-loaded with AT&T Communication Manager (ACM) 7.0 software to help customers manage their connections. The newly revamped Communication Manager will automatically connect users to an AT&T Hot Spot at no cost on eligible rate plans when the application is running. Customers can also download the latest version of AT&T Communication Manager at www.att.com/communicationmanager. ACM 7.0 is compatible with Microsoft Windows 7. ports, and we are pleased to offer it exclusively to AT&T customers as the company deploys

The Lightning will be available at no cost after a $100 mail-in rebate with a DataConnect Plan of at least $35 a month, and speaking of which, the available plans include one with 200MB per month ($35) along with a 5GB plan for $60 per month.