Sonos has releases an update to its iPhone and iPod touch app bringing it in line with the new?Sonos Software 3.1?update released recently for the music systems dedicated controller and computer software.?

The new update, which is now available in the Apple app store allows?Sonos owners?to tweet what they are listening to, as well as tweaking the menu system with new icons and logos for the relevant music service.

It also brings in support for the company's new?Sonos S5 ZonePlayer, which includes a built in speaker. Handy, as the iPhone and the iPod touch app is the main way the company hopes to entice new users in to the streaming music system.

The Sonos controller iPhone app is available across the globe.

Read

Tags: Audio Sonos Phones Mobile phone apps Apple iPhone iPod

Sonos Controller iPhone/iPod app gets twitter update originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:08:22 +0000

Adobe Photoshop.com Mobile for iPhone?app?has come to the Android platform the company has announced.

Following on from the launch of the iPhone app in the US in October, the company has rolled out the "Free" app on the Google OS.

The Android application equips consumers with same image-editing tools, colour adjustments and instant photo-sharing capabilities.

Users get photo-editing tools like crop, rotate and flip as well as "effects" like the Soft Focus filter can be used to create a blur effect, and for performing color adjustments such as exposure, saturation, tint changes and classic black-and-white.

Due to the ability to multi-task, something the iPhone can't do, Adobe says users we be able to automatically upload pictures to Photoshop.com albums in the background, even when the app isn't running.

As with the iPhone app, the application is currently available in the US and Canada only.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Android Adobe Photoshop Mobile for Android Photoshop Mobile for iPhone App Stores

Adobe Photoshop for mobile Android edition launched originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:16:40 +0000

Fancy being apart of one of the leading global gadget news and reviews sites in the world? Thought you did.?Pocket-lint is looking for positions to fill in?New York and?San Francisco.

We are looking for roving reporters to join the team based in New York and San Francisco to replace Stuart who is heading back to the UK.

Ideally you will be well connected within the gadget scene and be available to chase down briefings, meetings and attend events when needed.

You will have to be able to get into either New York city or San Francisco for meetings, come with your own computer and digital camera and of course be able to access the internet without excuses.

Work amount and schedule is based on your ability to generate original stories and we are looking for you to take the lead rather than be spoonfed ideas.

Salary etc will depends on work and experience.?

The ability to file quickly at events is also a must.

To apply email us via the feedback form with links to two examples of your work and the answer to the following two questions:

1. Why should we hire you?

2. If you were a product on a supermarket shelf what would you be and why?

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness

Pocket-lint is hiring in US originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:04:10 +0000

Lawyer: Mrs. Simpson, what did you and your husband do after you were ejected from the restaurant?

Marge Simpson: We pretty much went straight home…

Lawyer: Mrs. Simpson, you are under oath!

Marge Simpson: We drove around until 3AM looking for another all-you-can-eat fish restaurant.

Lawyer: And when you couldn’t find one?

Marge Simpson: We went fishing…

Lawyer: Do these sound like the actions of a man who had all he could eat?

?

What am I talking about, and why have a started with a quote from a Simpsons episode? Well, because it's the same problem that is affecting the mobile phone industry at the moment, with neither Ofcom or the Advertising Standards Agency apparently bothered that consumers are being lied to on a daily basis every time they sign up to a mobile phone contract.

The frustration, and one that was experienced by Homer Simpson in the episode, comes down to the definition of Unlimited.

In my books and strangely enough in the dictionary Unlimited means:

Main Entry: un?lim?it?ed

Pronunciation: -li-m-td

Function: adjective

Date: 15th century

1 : lacking any controls : unrestricted 2 : boundless, infinite 3 : not bounded by exceptions : undefined

— un?lim?it?ed?ly adverb

However, talk to any mobile operator and the word "unlimited" seems to come with an astrix that highlights caveats or that the term is based on our "fair usage policy".

According to Orange, that "Unlimited" bundle means 750MB of data, far from what the dictionary describes above.

But why isn't the ASA or Ofcom clamping down on these unfair and misleading claims?

When we contacted Ofcom we got the following response:

"As far as I know, this is not something that Ofcom has published anything on".

Not published anything? Really? However they are happy to spend thousands investigating why people buy pirated DVDs on the Internet - surely they just go to torrent sites?

Meanwhile the ASA doesn't believe that mobile operators lying or being quiet about the terms and conditions of a data plan that could, potentially, cost you thousands of pounds over the course of a contract is that much of an issue.

"The ASA does not have guidance on the use of the term 'unlimited' as the ASA position is derived from the Advertising Codes and previous case history (our ASA case law)", an ASA spokesperson told Pocket-lint when we asked them what was what.

"In a nutshell, the term 'unlimited' can be used to describe a service that, if containing a fair-usage policy, will only affect the a-typical user. (i.e. the majority of users will not be affected.)"

So what's the solution?

I believe that mobile phone operators shouldn't be allowed to use the unlimited moniker unless it really is that. As mobile phones increasingly become the gateway to our digital lives on the go we are likely to be consuming more images, more video, more music and therefore more data.

I don't want to sign up to a contract where there is normally a termination fee if I haven't been made aware of all the facts before signing up.?

At the moment words like "Unlimited" are nothing more than lies, even if "a typical user" won't supposedly be affected.?

Although the ASA might consider "unlimited" an acceptable term for tariffs with data caps or fair usage policies, here at Pocket-lint, we don't. And as such, we are making a stand. We will no longer continue to use the word "unlimited" when the tariff it refers to clearly is no such thing.

We will also be sure to make such caps or usage limits apparent every time we cover news that refers to an "unlimited" deal.

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Tariffs Orange Vodafone T-Mobile O2 3

Limited "unlimited" claims should be banned originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:37:26 +0000

Mobile phone retailer Phones 4U is exclusively offering the Nokia N97 Mini in white to customers from 6 November 2009. ?

Phones 4U also enjoyed an 8-week exclusive on the white version of the original N97 starting back in June this year.

Said to be "one of Phones 4U's most successful handset launches to date", the retailer is hoping the white model of the mini-me handset will prove simialarly popular.

With stainless steel cues and sleek white casing, the white Nokia N97 Mini is available now free on a ?35 a month contract on Orange or Vodafone.

Those that trade in their existing Nseries handset however, can get the new phone for free on a ?25 a month contract.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia N97 Mini Phones4U

Nokia N97 Mini available in white from Phones 4U originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:24:59 +0000

First off congratulations to Paul Story who won last month's comments comp for his comment on the story "Amazon Kindle UK import orders begin". For those who didn't win, don't fret, because the kind folk at TomTom have sent a TomTom XL Live IQ Routes Europe unit for us to dish out for our November comments competition.

The rules of the competition are simple, you can enter as many times as you like by simply commenting on any story. It doesn't have to be in depth, detailed or technical, but it does have to be useful, helpful or funny.

You don't have to sign up to comment on the stories, we just ask for your name, location and email address - that does not show up online and is not passed on.

The TomTom device measures 123 x 80 x 18mm and features 4.3-inch touch display, the screen being bright and a convenient size enabling ease of use whilst driving.

Along with Live HD Traffic, now with added support for Europe, the TomTom XL Live has excellent route guidance and with the added MapShare feature, it allows for easy updating of maps within the TomTom community.

To be in with a chance of winning this top-notch effort just comment on any story during the month of November. At the end of November the Pocket-lint team will take a look and choose what we believe is the best one.

Make sure you take a look at Pocket-lint's full review where it received a 9/10 score.

?

Tags: Audio accessories Biz Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness TomTom GPS Competitions

Win a TomTom XL Live IQ Routes Europe originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:42:25 +0000

Something for the weekend? Any iPhone or iPod touch owners may well be interested in today's tech deal, as LogMeIn is putting its award-winning Ignition for iPhone application on sale.

LogMeIn Ignition for iPhone and iPod touch normally retails at ?17.99, but this weekend the app will be available at the discounted price of 11.99 via the Apple App Store. This offer is available today, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November.

Ignition for iPhone enables users to control their computers from their Apple iPhone and iPod touch when out and about, the upshot of which means that you'll never have to be away from your computer and possibly work. Although clearly of use to some, paying for the privilege of spending any more time in front of your PC might seem a little perverse.

Still, the offer is a good one and as mentioned lasts all weekend.

?

Tags: Phones iPhone apps LogMeIn Ignition LogMeln App Store Apple Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: LogMeIn Ignition iPhone app gets discounted originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:13:12 +0000

The deal that will see Orange and T-Mobile merged in the UK to form the biggest mobile phone operator has been finalised.

Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom have now signed the final agreement to combine their respective UK operations into a 50:50 joint venture company.

The companies say that completion is conditional on relevant authorities approval and is expected in the first half of 2010.

Timotheus Hottges, the CFO of Deutsche Telekom says the joint venture "will set new standards as the number one in the UK mobile market".

Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry Orange T-Mobile Mergers Acquisitions Deutsche Telekom France Telecom

T-Mobile and Orange 50:50 joint venture finalised originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:28:24 +0000

Today sees the sales kick off for the Droid by Motorola on the Verizon network in the States.?

Those that signed up for more info have received the above mailer with the somewhat quirky message as follows:

"The phone that makes you feel like a four star general with natural charisma, twelve arms and the power of mind control is here and ready to serve".

We'll keep you posted with any sales stats that are revealed and, as ever, we're on the case with news of a UK launch.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Verizon Motorola Droid

Droid by Motorola goes on sale in the States originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:40:31 +0000

Apple is rumoured to be testing some prototypes of a next-generation iPhone that includes an RFID reader built in. According to Einar Rosenberg, who runs LinkedIn's Near Field Communications group, "the reaction was very positive that we can expect this in the next gen iPhone".

We're a little skeptical. Not that Apple is testing RFID in iPhones, after all - it's patented the idea, but that it'll be showing up in the next iPhone in June 2010. On the one hand, near-field communications is a growing industry, but on the other hand there's relatively few places you can use it right now (outside of the Oyster Card system on the London tube network).

Rosenberg posits that it could be used to link iPhones to Macs for syncing purposes, which is possible. We think it's more likely, though, that this is an extension of Apple's new iPod-touch based purchasing systems for Apple store staffers, and could make its way into a more enterprise-targeted product.

What do you reckon? Tell us in the comments.

Note: The embedded video above is from the Touch Project's iPhone RFID Demonstration - it's not an Apple video.

Read

Tags: Phones iPhone Apple Mobile phones RFID Concepts Rumours Video

VIDEO: Apple prototyping RFID iPhones? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:01:36 +0000

Spotify has announced on its blog that the previously-promised Spotify Phone is now available from 3 UK, in both its retail stores and online.

The deal comprises of an HTC Hero preloaded with the Spotify Android app, a 24-month subscription to Spotify Premium, 750 minutes and unlimited texts and data for ?35 per month over 24 months. The phone itself will require a ?100 initial outlay.

If you like the idea of the deal, but aren't keen on the phone, then there's a good chance that if this does well, more handsets will become available with similar offers, potentially from other operators. If and when that happens, we'll bring you the announcement.

It'll also be interesting to see what effect this has on services like Nokia's limited Comes with Music. In the meantime, is this a deal you like the look of? Or is the monthly fee and upfront payment a smidge too much over a 2-year contract? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Audio HTC Hero 3 Spotify Music

3's HTC Hero with Spotify now available originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:27:42 +0000

In the States two new Samsung mobile phones have been announced as due within days to AT&T customers.

The Mythic offers a 3.3-inch full touchscreen and features Samsung's TouchWiz user interface. Boasting one-touch access to the likes of AT&T Mobile TV and social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, the Mythic is angled as a "portable entertainment powerhouse". ?
?
Available in red and silver, the Flight is described as a next generation messaging device and boasts a vertical sliding form factor that opens to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard underneath with a touchscreen on top.

The Samsung Mythic goes on sale for $199.99 after a mail-in rebate while the Samsung Flight is available for $99.99 after mail-in rebate.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Samsung AT and T

Samsung Mythic and Flight launch in the US originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:55:58 +0000

You can get iPhone cases that protect your phone, you can get them that offer you extra power, you can even get them with a Bluetooth headset in them, and now, thanks to a community back project, one with a built-in torch that can double up as a camera flash.

Beamer is, supposedly, "the case that shines!"

In reality it is a hard plastic, slim fitting case with a friction-fit, 2 piece design. All you have to do is simply press the silicone button once and the light will remain on for 10 seconds - leaving you with enough time to snap your picture.?

Pressing the button twice in a row will leave the light on indefinitely until you are ready to turn it off - to do so, just press the button a third time says the company.

The Beamer comes equipped with a replaceable coin-cell battery that provides 10 hours of super bright illumination.
?
It is now available for sale at quirky's online store for $32.00

?

Tags: Phones iPhone accessories Beamer iPhone cases

Beamer case adds flash to iPhone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:19:48 +0000

We've been doing a little bit of digging to find out who, in the UK, will be offering Motorola's forthcoming Droid handset. The Android 2.0-sporting QWERTY slider scored a whopping 9/10 in its Pocket-lint review, but given that it's supposed to be due on Friday in the States, we're not seeing any sign of the handset in Britain.

We gave all the UK operators a call to find out exactly whether any of them were planning on stocking the device. O2 told us that it wasn't going to be selling the handset, despite its German wing selling it as the "Milestone". 3 said the same thing - there are no current plans to offer the handset at this time.

T3 spoke to Nicola Shenton, head of handset and device marketing at T-Mobile UK, who told the magazine that the company had tested the phone, but passed it up. We also talked to Orange and Vodafone. Orange told us that it had nothing to announce other than the fact it's selling the Motorola DEXT, and Vodafone promised to call us back and haven't.

From that, we can rule out three of the major five operators. Orange is looking likely, especially given the non-denial when other networks were happy to confirm "no". ?We'll update you as and when we hear more from Orange or Vodafone.

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Motorola Droid Android Verizon O2 Orange 3 Vodafone T-Mobile

Who'll be selling the Motorola Droid in the UK? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:17:37 +0000

Vodafone has announced new SIM-only 30-day and 12-month price plans for those who aren't interested in getting a handset bundled in to their tariff.

The new ?20 and ?25 price plans for 30 days and 12 months give customers "unlimited" data for as much mobile internet browsing and Facebook searching as required - up to a fair usage policy of 500MB.

The 30 day SIM-only plans give customers 600 minutes anytime, unlimited texts and unlimited data for ?20 or 900 minutes anytime, unlimited texts and unlimited data for ?25.

The 12-month SIM-only plans offer 900 anytime minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data for ?20 and 1200 minutes anytime, unlimited texts, unlimited data and unlimited calls to landlines for just ?25.

Tags: Phones Vodafone Tariffs SIMs PAYG

Vodafone's new SIM-only price plans revealed originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:52:54 +0000

So you've got your eyes on the HTC HD2, you've read our review of the flagship Windows Mobile 6.5 device and you just want to know more. Here are some of our favourite funky features for you to explore.

1. Shortcuts make Sense

The front page of Sense is more than just a pretty clock and animated weather graphics. Three programmable slots sit waiting to be filled with shortcuts. Swipe these up and you get access to nine shortcut slots. Simply press one and then select the program, bookmark or contact you want to fill it with and hey presto! You are rocking from the first page.

2. Face plant your Mum

You're sitting at work, chatting to a colleague when your phone rings. After a quick glance at the screen, you decide now isn't the time to talk to your mother, so flip the HD2 face down to reject the call. It has a great sense of finality. We love it. Our mothers don't.

3. Close proximity

The HD2 comes rocking with a proximity sensor so it knows when it is next to your face. This does a couple of things. Firstly, it shuts off the screen whilst you are talking, saving battery. Secondly, when you pull the phone away from your face you are presented with in-call options – engage speaker phone, popup the keypad for those pesky automated services and so on.

4. Poke to focus

Touch focusing on the camera is all well and good, but usually results in one of two things. Firstly it often means you take a shot of something you didn't mean to through a quick press and secondly, it means you get camera shake because you move that focus to press the shutter button. Not so on the HD2. Touch to select the focal point and keep your finger in place to take the shot. It's a deliberate action, rather than a fleeting press.

5. Cover art made easy

Windows Mobile is only really for boring business types right? Well it isn't when you add a dash of HTC Sense sauce. Enter HTC's media player in Sense and you'll find an icon in the top left that will find and fill in your missing album art. iTunes eat your heart out.

6. More keyboards than you can shake a finger at

The HD2 has a massive screen, so the chances are that you'll never have to use anything other than the full QWERTY keyboard in either landscape or portrait modes. But if you do want something else, a long press next to keyboard icon at the bottom will spring up the options for compact QWERTY or a 12-key keypad.

7. Kill them!

From Sense you can swipe all the way to the right to access the settings, or simply swipe to the left from the front page. Here in settings under Other, you'll find the Task Manager. Multi-tasking is great, but it's so easy to leave all those applications running that you don't need. Here you can quickly and easily kill them.

8. Expand your horizons

With a 5-megapixel camera on the back, the HD2 gives you the option to snap a panoramic picture. It does this in three stages and all you have to do is take your first picture and a neat overlay helps you align the next picture and then the third. Ta da! An ultra-wide photo of your office.?

Check out all our HTC HD2 coverage on the tag home page.

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC HTC HD2 Windows Phone

HTC HD2 funky features fun originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:43:26 +0000

Casio has gone tough in the US with Verizon, launching a new Push to Talk ?(PTT) handset geared towards those who like to beat their handset while they work.

Coming with "Military standard" ruggedness - a real term - the handset made by Casio will be called the Casio G'zOne Brigade and offer users a flip out QWERTY keyboard in a clamshell design, a 3.2-megapixel cameras and 3G connectivity.

That military standard (MIL-STD-810F) means you get water, shock, dust, vibration, humidity, salt fog, altitude, high temperature, low temperature and solar radiation resistance.

More appealing to small businesses will be Verizon's contacts feature that allows you to manage contacts on up to 50 handsets at the touch of the button, meaning your army of workers never have the excuse of not having the right number.

Keeping on the business front you will also be able to view Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint presentations as well as PDFs

Yet to be priced the handset is expected out in the US shortly.

Verizon also launched the Samsung Convoy, a more traditional clamshell?rugged Push to Talk (PTT) device with military specifications. The Convoy will be available on 15 November.

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Casio Verizon Push to talk Casio Brigade

Casio G'zOne Brigade gets tough with Push To Talk originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:14:50 +0000

The CoPilot Live navigation application for the iPhone has received yet another update.

This third update, in as many months, claims to bring a number of improvements, including enhanced GPS performance. The update also allows for iPod controls within the CoPilot Live application.?

Incidentally, the CoPilot app holds the number one position in the iTunes Top Grossing Apps chart, meaning that it has generated more revenue than any other app sold via the Apple App Store here in the UK.

The updated CoPilot Live app is available to buy now from the App Store for a one-off fee of ?25.99, while existing customers can download the update for free.

There's more info over at www.copilotlive.com/iphone.

Tags: Phones iPhone apps CoPilot Live Car And GPS GPS software Software updates

CoPilot Live for iPhone gets third update in as many months originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:05:23 +0000

LG announced a new "Chocolate" handset on Thursday on the Verizon network in the US forgetting its stylish heritage for a brief moment.

The rather gaudy looking handset will be offered for $79.99 and slip into the mid-tier range of handsets for those looking for a phone without a $30 data plan.

Tech specs include a touchscreen, random buttons, 1GB of internal memory, microSD card and 3.2-megapixel camera.

While Verizon has moved away from cluttering its handsets with software and applications, the Chocolate Touch doesn't benefit with the operator going for a more "traditional" approach.

That means V Cast Music and the company's navigator software as standard.

Of course, aimed at "the kids" means it's social network savvy with interchangeable backs. Luckily, we've been told, you can switch out that purple backplate.

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones LG LG Chocolate Touch Verizon

LG Chocolate touch launches, forgets stylish heritage originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:53:13 +0000

A new Sony Ericsson mobile phone has been revealed in rumoured online news and leaked photographs.

Said to be called the Kurara, the device is reported to be Symbian S60 5th generation smartphone.

Specs are unkown, aside from a 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen and an 8.1-megapixel camera.

It's thought the Kurara could sit in Sony Ericsson's range alongside the Satio, that mixes the Walkman and Cyber-shot brands together.

A February launch at the Mobile World Congress event is rumoured, but no doubt there will be more leaks between now and then, so we'll keep you posted.

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ercisson Rumours Sony Ericsson Kurara

Sony Ericsson Kurara revealed in rumours and spy-shots originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:04:20 +0000

Rihanna will show off songs from her forthcoming album "Rated R" exclusively to a Nokia audience via a globally streamed live performance on 16 November.

Due to be performed live from "a secret London location", fans can sign up to watch the live stream now while those that are really excited about it can download a web widget counting down to the live performance.
?
Nokia is also touting "an exclusive Rihanna mobile application" available from its Ovi Store while it will also offer of an exclusive version of the new Rated R album via the Nokia Music Store.
?
Rihanna is quoted as saying: "I am so excited to partner up with Nokia. They are doing some really revolutionary things with this album, enabling me to reach more fans than ever before".
?
The Rihanna event and content is as a result of "groundbreaking new global music partnership", "Nokia Play 2010" with the Island Def Jam Music Group and Universal Music Group International.

Those interested in the live stream can register at www.nokia.com/rihanna.

?

Tags: Phones Nokia Audio Rihanna Media streaming Music downloads

Nokia announces Rihanna live stream event originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:35:14 +0000

HTC?and?Verizon?have confirmed the rumours that the second "Droid" handset alongside the?Motorola Droid will be called the Droid Eris and be created by HTC.?

The new handset will offer a virtually identical feature set to the?Sprint HTC Hero?and feature a 3.2-inch multi-touch touchscreen display, 512MB ROM, 288MB RAM and a Qualcomm MSM 7600, 528MHz chip.?

Running Android 1.5 rather than the newly announced 2.0 OS, users will get the Sense UI to guide them through the phones features.?

Differences to the HTC Hero on Sprint will be a smaller battery (1300mAh over 1500mAh) a slightly more rounded design and a matte black rather than silver finish. It will also come with a proximity sensor which turns the touchscreen off when next to your head - something the European and Sprint version doesn't have.?It's also thinner (only just).

In the hand it was quick to respond to our requests, and the multi-touch certainly helps it win out over the Droid by Motorola's 2.0 OS, however it's worth mentioning that with no GSM support this will only work in America.

Priced at $99 (the same as the iPhone) Verizon is being very aggressive on this one it seems. The new handset will be available from 6 November in the US.

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC Verizon Droid Eris Android Motorola Droid HTC Hero Photos

PHOTOS: Verizon Droid Eris by HTC hands on originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:01 +0000

Verizon and HTC just dropped a bombshell on Sprint and its HTC Hero offering, marketing a virtually identical handset for $80 cheaper in the US, in what is sure to create a price war in the run up to the holidays.

The new handset, The Droid Eris?by HTC, has been announced as part of the new DROID range on Verizon and will cost just $99 compared to Sprint's $179 HTC Hero.

The new model will come with the same 3.2-inch multi-touch touchscreen display, the same Qualcomm MSM 7600, 528MHz chipset and same ROM and RAM specifications (512MB and 288MB respectively), however, a proximity sensor has been added to turn the touchscreen off when next to your head. It will sport a slightly smaller battery (1300mAh vs 1500mAh) though.

Aiming to the be entry level handset to Verizon's new Droid range and taking on the Apple iPhone 3G, the HTC Droid Eris, as it will be known, will come with Android 1.5 OS rather than the newer 2.0 offering from Google and feature HTC's Sense UI as found on the HTC Hero.

In keeping with the Droid by Motorola handset launch, Verizon has left the handset operating system untouched only adding in its Visual Voicemail service.

The handset will be in stores from 6 November.

?

Related links:

• Photos - Hands on gallery

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC Verizon HTC Hero Droid Eris

HTC Hero becomes Verizon Droid Eris by HTC originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Another carrier, another handset, that is pretty much the story with the?Droid Eris, now on its third iteration from the?HTC Hero?launched in Europe back in May. So what has?Verizon?brought to the table and for American's, should you opt for this one over the?Sprint HTC Hero?

We haven't seen the official press release, but no doubt when it does arrive on our desk it will say the new design oozes a black finish never before seen, and one that is tactile to touch over the silver shimmers of the Sprint offering.

In reality there is very little between the two in terms of design. The Verizon Droid Eris sports a black shell with a slightly more rounded bottom curve. The Home, menu, back and search buttons are now in a single line. Touch-sensitive, they've been built into the same casing as the screen. The only physical buttons underneath the multi-touch screen are a call and hang-up buttons an a trackball as found on the MyTouch 3G and G1 handsets.

That trackball is very responsive, not that you'll find yourself using it that much.?Why? The touchscreen above.

The screen remains at 3.2-inches, the same as the Sprint model. Compared to other smartphones on the market it is slightly larger than the Palm Pre's 3.1-inch screen and slightly smaller than the iPhone's 3.5-inch screen. Either way the smaller hyptic-enabled screen means a more compact phone that won't take up as much real estate in your pocket, but one that is still very usable.?

Like the Sprint handset the phone offers a 3.5mm jack, volume buttons and a 5-megapixel camera on the back. There is no flash. Slip the case off and you'll find a microSD slot.?

Keeping on the technology front, you'll get Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity as well as GPS so you can find your way home. This being Verizon the handset runs on the CDMA network. However with no GSM support you won't be able to travel to Europe with it. This is not a world phone.

Of course this isn't just an identical phone in a different colour for a different operator. HTC doesn't do that. So the offering is slightly thinner, which in turn means that the battery is slightly smaller. While HTC wouldn't, in our play, be drawn on what this would mean to the overall performance, it confirmed that users would notice very little difference (it's 1300mAh compared to 1500mAh for those wanting the numbers).

On the upside the company has fixed one of the underlining bug bears from the original version and added a proximity sensor so when you put it up to your head the screen turns off. Handy.?

Running Google's Android 1.5 OS, the Droid Eris is Verizon's second handset, the Droid by Motorola is the other. Like the Sprint HTC Hero, HTC has once again taken the Android OS as a starting point, and put their own special sheen on the operating system. Called the Sense UI it basically gives you a graphical skin over the Android OS giving it a more grown-up experience.?

In reality you'll mostly experience this through a series of customised screens giving you quick access to a number of the key features. Whether it's work, play, social networking or all of the above, the screens are incredibly easy to use, stylish and the key to the phone's simplicity.?

In our brief play the Droid Eris was quick and nimble, most likely benefiting from the HTC Hero update recently rolled out to the Sprint variant. It's fast enough that you won't find yourself struggling with whether or not you've pressed the button or flipped a screen. And as flipping through screens is something that you'll find yourself doing a lot, it only fair to expect good performance. We weren't disappointed. ?

Software-wise you'll get all the usual apps, with Verizon only choosing to install its Visual Voicemail service on the phone. Like the Motorola Droid, this is a clean handset.

Verdict:

Software wise there is very little different between the HTC Hero released in Europe, the HTC Hero on Sprint and the Verizon version. Where the difference appears is in the hardware and cosmetic design of the handset.

Whether you choose the Sprint HTC Hero or the Verizon HTC Droid Eris is going to be down to networks and what you are happier with. Both carriers have left the handset pretty unfettered, both haven't done anything crazy with the hardware to make them stand out from each other either.?

One deciding factor however is likely to be the price. The Droid Eris is at the time of writing $80 cheaper.?

For the non Apple or Palm believers, this is one to strongly consider.?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC Verizon HTC Hero Droid Eris First look

Droid Eris by HTC mobile phone - First Look originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

The Nokia Foundation has announced that it has granted its 10,000 euro 2009 award to Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia.

Nokia says Wales was awarded "for his contributions to the evolution of the World Wide Web as a participatory and truly democratic platform".
?
"It's a great honor to present this award on behalf of the Board of the Nokia Foundation to an individual who we believe has made a unique contribution to accelerating online collaboration and interaction for millions of people around the world, and effectively democratizing information sharing", said Henry Tirri, head of Nokia Research Center and chairman of the Nokia Foundation.
?
Wikipedia was created in 2001, gets more than 330 million monthly visitors and boasts 14,000,000 articles in more than 260 languages.

Tags: Software Wikipedia Nokia Phones Biz Jimmy Wales The Nokia Foundation

The Nokia Foundation award goes to Jimmy Wales originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:48:26 +0000

Vodafone has an offer on a range of PAYG mobiles offering ?100 worth of calls or texts with the purchase of selected phones. As well as the Genio Touch in pink and white, the offer also extends to the LG Viewty Lite, the Samsung Tocco Lite and the Vodafone 541.

Basic specs for the Genio include 2-megapixel camera, FM radio and MP3 player along with that touchscreen. You also get access to social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo and the ability to swap the back of the phone in order to indulge any desire you might have for different colours.

The Tocco Lite has slightly improved specs with a 3.2-megapixel camera, whilst the LG Viewty gets 5-megapixels and HSDPA connectivity. To take advantage of the offer orders need to be in by 22 December, with further details of the deal as well as full specs of the phones on the Vodafone website.

Prices are ?80 each for the Genios, ?100 for the Viewty, ?90 for the Tocco and just ?40 for Voda's own touchscreen 541.

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Vodafone Samsung Genio Samsung Tocco Lite LG Viewty Lite Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Vodafone offers £100 credit with £80 Genio mobile originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

The furore over the Orange terms and conditions for the iPhone may be dying down now that the mobile operator has said it'll happily turn a blind eye to customers using streaming services like Spotify and YouTube, but there still remains the issue over this 750MB per month data limit. This is what Orange has described as "unlimited" mobile internet access and we've got no particular issue with the company stretching the definitions of the word, any more than we have with all the others that do it. The real question is though, just what will 750MB get you?

Fortunately, Orange has a mobile broadband data calculator on its own site, so we had a play to find out how far our notional budget will stretch. As it turns out, not very far.

Attempt 1 - The Power User

?

Emails

20/day

Attachments

5/day

IM

1 hour/day

Browsing

2 hours/day

Music

1 song/day

Video streaming

30 minutes/day

Total

5.01GB

Verdict

Bust

First of all, we tried a few stats of the kind we would expect most gadget fiends and Pocket-lint regulars would stick to. A couple of hours of browsing a day while on the way to work or using up a little dead time, plus just one song download and lets say a half hour episode of your favourite TV show and, unfortunately, we're already well off the scale. Time to calm it down a bit.

?

Attempt 2 - The Heavy User

?

Emails

20/day

Attachments

5/day

IM

30 minutes/day

Browsing

1 hour/day

Music

1 song/day

Video streaming

10 minutes/day

Total

2GB

Verdict

Bust

This time just a few emails with attachments, only 30 minutes on IM, half the browsing we were doing before, the same one song a day and just a couple of 5 minute YouTube clips every 24 hours and we're already three times over the limit. Back to the drawing board.

?

Attempt 3 - Medium Use

?

Emails

15/day

Attachments

3/day

IM

15 minutes/day

Browsing

30 minutes/day

Music

1 song/week

Video streaming

4 minutes/day

Total

817MB

Verdict

Bust

This time we only just went over. Let's cut the IM down to a minimum. We can use phone calls, email and text for that kind of thing. Again, just half an hour of browsing now, just the one YouTube clip and only one download per week seems to be about what Orange is telling us we should be using. It's not a lot and maybe that video streaming could be substituted for a little more music streaming but you're still living on the data edge somewhat.

?

Attempt 4 - Light User

?

Emails

10/day

Attachments

1/day

IM

5 minutes/day

Browsing

10 minutes/day

Music

1 song/week

Video streaming

4 minutes/day

Total

632MB

Verdict

Inside

To take it down to its bare essentials with only 10 minutes of browsing per day and we find ourselves comfortably inside, but that doesn't exactly look like the kind of freedom we'd expected on an unlimited package no matter how "unlimited" it is.

?

Attempt 5 - The Streamer

?

Emails

0

Attachments

0

IM

0

Browsing

0

Music

0

Video streaming

5 minutes/day

Total

686MB

Verdict

Inside

Finally, let's say, instead, that we forgo all other pleasures apart from streaming video. Emails are for wimps, IM for losers, browsing should be done on a computer and downloading is so 2002. With that in mind we can bathe in the luxury of 5 whole minutes of video streaming each day without going over the 750MB per month barrier, and that's it.

?

Attempt 6 - The no media option

?

Emails

50/day

Attachments

10/day

IM

1 hour/day

Browsing

1 hour/day

Music

0

Video streaming

0

Total

745MB

Verdict

Inside

Of course, if you really want to, you can save all your credits and ditch streaming and downloads altogether which is essentially what the original terms and conditions might have you do, and for good reason it seems. Suddenly, you get up to an hour's IM and browsing per day with as many emails and attachments as you can shake a stick at. Now that is what you might call unlimited.

So, there's a few fairly obvious conclusions we can take from this:

1) 750MB per month doesn't really get you that far
2) Video streaming will get you into trouble on this package
3) Although O2 simply presents users with the company's rather nebulous fair usage policy, it could well work out at more. Fortunately, both operators apply a warning system if you go over the limits rather than charging you the excess but it's probably not worth being a persistent offender.

?

Related links:

• Feature - 12 Apps worth jailbreaking your iPhone for
• Feature - Best iPhone tariffs: O2 vs Orange

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Orange iPhone O2 Features

How much does the Orange unlimited iPhone package give you? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:48:31 +0000

T-Mobile has announced it will be offering the BlackBerry Bold 9700 online and via telesales from 6 November and in T-Mobile stores across the UK from 10 November.

The Bold follow-up is a slimline QWERTY handset with HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity, BlackBerry's push email service, a 3.2-megapixel camera, on-board GPS, media player, 3.5mm headset jack, plus 32GB of memory storage via an interchangeable microSD card.

T-Mobile is offering the BlackBerry Bold 9700 from free on ?35 per month contracts with BlackBerry email charged at an extra ?5 and unlimited internet yet another ?5 per month, bringing the total to ?45.

Vodafone is also offering the new Bold 9700, from free on ?35 per month 2-year contracts or for ?40 a month on 18-month contracts.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry T-Mobile RIM Tariffs BlackBerry Bold 9700

T-Mobile to offer BlackBerry Bold 9700 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:45:03 +0000

LG's newest touchscreen handset, the LG GD510 Pop, announced back in September, is now available at the Carphone Warehouse for ?99.95 on pay as you go basis.

Said to be easy to use, the Pop offers a 3-inch WQVGA touchscreen with a thin bezel of brushed aluminium casing.

Described as the smallest full 3-inch touchscreen phone yet, it features a 3-megapixel camera, a web browser and multimedia player. Boasting 8GB of external memory the Pop measures in at 97.8 x 49.5 x 11.2mm.

The LG Pop is also available for free on ?15 per month 24-month contracts, or ?20 per month 18-monthers.

Related links:

• VIDEO - LG GD510 Pop gets promo

Tags: Phones Mobile phones LG LG Pop Carphone Warehouse

LG GD510 Pop gets £99.99 price tag at Carphone Warehouse originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:11:35 +0000

Sony Creative Software has announced the launch of "1000 Ringtones", a DVD containing ringtones designed for the Apple iPhone.

As well as music, the ringtones include sound effects and spoken words and users can select tones for incoming calls, emails and text messages.

In a move that will see iPhone owners bypassing Apple iTunes Store's charges for ringtones, the files are in MP3 and M4R format and can be used straight away by syncing the selected files with iTunes.

The DVD includes a tutorial video that demonstrates how to get the tones loaded on the iPhone in "simple steps".

"iPhone devices are one of the most popular cell phones on the market. We invite users to add a personal touch to their device with 1000 Ringtones", said Dave Chaimson, Sony Creative Software vice president of global marketing.

"1000 Ringtones" is now available for $19.95 in the States and for ?12.95 here in the UK.

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Sony Music software Ringtones Audio Sony Creative Software iPhone Apple iTunes

Sony offers 1000 Ringtones for the iPhone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:19:24 +0000

Twitterpeek, the dedicated Twitter device announced earlier in the week?in the US could be making its way to the UK in the early part of next year according to the company behind it.

"Someday TwitterPeek will cross the pond to the UK. someday could be early next year I would guess", said Amol Sarva, the founder and CEO of Peek on Twitter.?

The TwitterPeek as it is called, has a dedicated colour screen, and is a QWERTY keyboard sporting device that allows users to dump their smartphones, email and phone calls and just check their Twitter stream regardless of what they are doing.

The new device, available at Amazon.com, will cost $99 and include unlimited nationwide service for the first 6 months, which jumps to $7.95 per month for service thereafter.

The company is also offering a $199 package, which includes unlimited Twitter service for the lifetime of device without the need for a contract.?

Read

Related links:

• Link - peek

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Twitter Twitterpeek peek Social networking

TwitterPeek UK bound? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:48:38 +0000

The HTC Droid Eris has been steadily leaked over recent times, but just-revealed unboxing shots from US blog Boy Genius Report propel this effort from the realm of rumours into the big time.

We know Verizon is planning an entire family of Droid-branded Android phones, and it seems hot on the heels of the high-end Droid by Motorola, we can expect an announcement about this more mid-range effort soon.

What looks to be a variant of the Hero, the Droid is rumoured to launch at the $99 price point in the States - we will keep you posted.

UPDATE: The Droid Eris by HTC has now been confirmed, you can read our First Look review?or check out the?hands on?photos

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC Verizon Android Droid Eris

HTC Droid Eris revealed in unboxing pics originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:50:20 +0000

Who needs official apps (all 100,000 of them)?when there are a handful of apps that aren't approved and available to anyone wishing to "Jailbreak" their iPhone.

With?BlackRa1n?now unlocking the latest 3.1.2 firmware and Apple's app process going potty at times, here are 12 Jailbreak apps to get you started*:

BlackRa1n

It comes as part of the blackra1n unlock and jailbreak and basically lets you install the three main unofficial app stores - Cydia, Rock and Icy. From here you then install apps, change themes and basically run amok.

Price: Free

3G Unrestrictor

This 99 cent app does what its name suggests and unrestricts apps like Skype that don't currently allow you to use them over a 3G connection. Load it up, select the applications you want unrestricted and then you can use them on the network without the need to find a wireless network. Good apps to try it with are the iTunes' and App store's (10MB limits disappear), Skype for using SkypeOut over the 3G network and SlingMedia's SlingPlayer for iPhone.

Price: 99 cents

GV Mobile

Apple may have pulled the Google Voice for mobile app in the official App Store, but that doesn't mean you can't get it in the unofficial one - Cydia. As long as you've got a Google Voice account (US only at the moment) you can then make calls, access your contacts list and generally use the service to its fullest without having to mess around with a web widget.

Price: Free

qTweeter

There are plenty of free and paid for legitimate Twitter apps for the iPhone. qTweeter is different in that it is just an app for firing out those thought provoking 140 character sentences you know you are good at. Swipe your finger down from the top of the screen at any point, whether you are in an app or not, and qTweeter will allow you to post a tweet or Facebook status update in seconds. You can attach pictures, video and the URL from whatever page you are on in Safari.

Price: $4.99

Backgrounder

The iPhone doesn't allow multi-tasking of apps, but this app lets you do just that. Of course running applications in the background will have a serious drain on your iPhone battery performance if left running, but for people who like to Skype or run multiple apps, this allows you to jump to and from them without having to boot up the app every time.

Price: Free

Kirikae

Ignore the name - it has nothing to do with what this app actually does. Instead it will allow you, on a double tap of your home key, to see what apps are running on the iPhone as well as letting you access a list of favourite apps to load quickly. Working in harmony with Backgrounder, it basically lets you see what you've got running and better still allows you to close them if you've forgotten.

Price: Free

WinterBoard

Apple spent a long time designing the iPhone interface to be simple and effective in its design, but if that design just doesn't cut it you can install WinterBoard, which allows you to install themes and other functions, thereby altering how the iPhone user interface looks. Want a colourful picture instead of the black on your background? No problem. What about an Android or Palm webOS theme? You can do that as well. The app even lets you determine how many apps appear on each page.

Price: Free

Cycorder

Apple added video recording functionality to the iPhone 3GS, but for 3G owners that means you got zip. Not with this app. Cycorder basically allows your iPhone 3G to record video, even though Apple don't think you should. The app will capture video at 15 frames per second at a resolution 384 x 288 saving the end result as a QuickTime Movie.

Price: Free

PDAnet

AT&T still isn't offering tethering in the US, while in the UK O2 and Orange will charge you extra. Luckily for those who need to use their iPhone as a modem for their computer there is PDAnet, an app that, you guessed it, allows you to bypass the tethering blocks on the phone, allowing your computer to connect to the Internet. The application lets you connect a laptop via a Wi-Fi connection to the phone or via USB cable to Windows PCs. A warning though, if your operator finds out you could be disconnected.

Price: Free

TV-Out

Apple lets you connect your iPhone to your TV, with an approved cable, enabling you to watch YouTube videos or videos you've got stored in iTunes. However anything else is out of bounds. TV-Out lets you basically watch anything on the TV, be it a game, your email, Safari, Google maps, or anything else you can think of.

Price: Free

StatusNotifier

Turn on your iPhone and you're presented with a picture of the world and a "slide to unlock" command. Not very helpful is it? But what if you could fill that opening screen with a note telling you whether you've SMS, email, or IM messages you've got unread.

Price:?Free

BossPrefs

This is a management app that allows you to quickly turn off certain features of your iPhone without having to go through the setting pane. You get control over all the key elements like location, Bluetooth, brightness, EDGE, WiFi, as well as the ability to hide icons. You can even force a reboot or power off without having to press a physical button.

Price: Free

More

There are of course plenty more applications available. Which ones do you use? Share them in the comments below.

*Jailbreaking your Apple iPhone will void the warranty leaving you without official support if the handset goes wrong for any reason. Basically doing so means you are on your own.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps iPhone Apple App Store Features

12 Apps worth jailbreaking your iPhone for originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:20:25 +0000

Pizza Hut and Vodafone have announced they are to team up for a new app on the new Vodafone 360 H1 from Samsung.

The Pizza Hut delivery app is due to launch shortly and will see H1 owners able to order a pizza via their mobile - and charge it to their monthly, or PAYG - phone bill.

Vodafone's location-based services means the nearest Pizza Hut delivery store to the customer's location is automatically highlighted.

Orders are capped at ?30, but in a move that means you'll get more for your money, Pizza Hut is offering 20% discount for orders placed via the app.

While in the States Pizza Hut's iPhone app is said to have generated over $1 million in sales, here in the UK, the app may be rolled out to other devices after a trial period.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Pizza hut Vodafone Vodafone 360 Samsung

Vodafone 360 H1 to offer Pizza Hut app originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:26:36 +0000

Apple has now officially announced that the App Store has hit the 100,000 available apps milestone.

Apple iPhone and iPod touch customers across 77 countries have downloaded well over 2 billion apps, making the App Store not only the largest, but the world's most popular.

"The App Store, now with over 100,000 applications available, is clearly a major differentiator for millions of iPhone and iPod touch customers around the world", said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing.

"The iPhone SDK created the first great platform for mobile applications and our customers are loving all of the amazing apps our developers are creating".

Tags: Phones iPhone Apple iPhone apps App Store Statistics Biz

App Store hits 100,000 apps milestone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:26:18 +0000

It's always nice to report on a company striving for eco credibility, that green label being all so important for companies who at least need to be seen to be doing something, even if the impact of their actions is limited.

In this case Orange are starting their Recycle & Reward scheme, which enables people to recycle their old mobiles, laptops and personal music players in UK Orange stores in exchange for cash. The company reckons that "two thirds of Brits have old mobiles gathering dust in their homes which equates to approximately 90 million unused handsets worth approximately ?450 million".

The company also states that the scheme is: "Underlining Orange's commitment to becoming a more sustainable, greener business, Recycle & Reward will help reduce the amount of electronic goods sent to landfill and, instead, help consumers obtain a competitive price for them".

In store you'll be able to find out how much your old unit is worth and after you've left the unit with them Orange says you should receive a cheque within 7 days. Examples of of the amount of money you can expect to receive for particular items include, up to ?85 for Nokia N95, ?75 for a Sony Ericsson C905 and ?95 for a Samsung SCH 900. Orange will also recycle electronic devices and accessories with no monetary value.

Orange is also offering a "Copy and Keep" service to enable customers to transfer essential contacts, music, and photos in all Orange retail stores, an attempt to remove the hassle of transferring the data yourself. The service is free to all Orange care customers and if you're not part of their gang then it'll set you back ?6.

Paul French, head of care products said: "At Orange, we’ve made some significant strides recently in reducing the environmental impact of our business. For instance, 80% of our electricity now comes from renewable sources while in July we introduced the mini-SIM to
reduce the amount of waste associated with new SIM cards Recycle & Reward is just another small step, for us as a business and for the public, in our journey towards greener, more sustainable practices".

There doesn't appear to be any mention in the release of where and how the products are to be recycled, or whether they will be sold on to - for want of a better term - emerging markets.

?

Tags: Phones Eco Orange Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Orange launches Recycle & Reward originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

HTC has announced the HD2, its new high-end Windows Mobile 6.5 handset, is now shipping in Europe and Taiwan.

In addition, HTC has confirmed the HD2 will be available in the United States with "a major US carrier" in early 2010.

Here in the UK we're still waiting for exact launch info. It seems T-Mobile may be offering the device - it was named on the operator's coming soon section - although there's no official comment yet as to when, how or why.

The HD2 offers the speedy Snapdragon processor, a 4.3-inch display, a 5-megapixel camera, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, and HTC's Sense UI interface on top of Windows Mobile 6.5.

We will keep you posted on its UK debut.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC HTC HD2 Windows Phone Microsoft

HTC announces HD2 is now shipping originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:05:49 +0000

It seems Verizon's "there's a map for that" AT&T bashing campaign has not gone down well with the latter's legal department.

AT&T is suing Verizon and has filed a motion to get the adverts pulled as it considers them "misleading".

As those who've seen the spots will know, the adverts compare Verizon's 3G coverage with AT&T's using red and blue splotches across a map of the States.

Verizon is a 3G network, so its coverage looks rather more impressive than AT&Ts, which covers a lot more of the States than is shown, but just not 3G.

"We believe the ads mislead consumers into believing that AT&T doesn't offer ANY wireless service in the vast majority of the country", says AT&T in the legal complaint.

The iPhone operator goes on to speculate: "Verizon's misleading advertising tactics appear to be a response to AT&T's strong leadership in smartphones".

We will keep you posted with developments.

?

Read

Tags: Phones AT and T Verizon Lawsuits Advertising

AT&T sues Verizon over "there's a map for that" ads originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:48:34 +0000

Since we brought you news of the new Nokia Illuvial range it's been announced that Pixie Lott will be "the face" for the new series.

A Carphone Warehouse exclusive, the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic Illuvial, Nokia 6700 Illuvial and the Nokia 6303 Illuvial are being flung into the Christmas market.

Pixie Lott is quoted as saying: "I spend loads of time on my mobile, so it's important to me that it looks good. The phones in the range all look fab – they're stylish and yet still girlie".

Nokia 5530 XpressMusic Illuvial is due to be available on a PAYG basis from ?99.95, pay monthly from ?15 a month.

The Nokia 6700 Illuvial will cost ?179.95 on PAYG and is available on a pay monthly basis from ?20 a month, while the Nokia 6303 Illuvial gets a PAYG price tag of from ?79.95, and pay monthly from ?10 a month.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia Illuvial Carphone Warehouse Pixie Lott

Pixie Lott to be the "face" of Nokia's Illuvial range originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:05:56 +0000

The N900 isn't far away now - it's due on 16 November. As a result, we're due some pricing information and, lo and behold, here it is courtesy of mobile comparison site Omio.

It's possible to get the handset on a 24-month contract for as little as ?20 per month from Orange, though that'll only give you 200 minutes and you'll have to shell out ?170 for the handset. A similar 24-month deal from O2 for ?30 per month will net you 600 minutes, and the phone itself will only cost ?10.

If you're determined to get the handset free, then a 24-month deal from Orange will set you back ?35 per month with 900 minutes. The cheapest 18-month contact is ?25 per month, again from Orange, with 600 minutes and ?220 upfront phone cost.

Are you itching to get your hands on the N900? Tell us why, and which pricing option you reckon you'll go for, in the comments.

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia N900 Tariffs

Nokia N900 gets Pay Monthly pricing originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:20:11 +0000

Nokia has announced the launch of five new mobile phones designed for consumers in emerging markets.
?
The Nokia 1280, Nokia 1616, Nokia 1800, Nokia 2220 slide and Nokia 2690 - support Nokia Life Tools and boast ease of use and affordability.
?
Priced at 20, 24 and 26 euros the Nokia 1280, Nokia 1616 and Nokia 1800 offer an FM radio, a torch, an anti-scratch cover and a dust-resistant keymat.

The long battery life, with up to 22 days of standby time, is described as "vital" for people in areas where access to electricity is limited.

The Nokia 2220 slide and the Nokia 2690, at 45 and 54 euros, also support Ovi Mail with accounts that be can be created on the device for PC-free emailing.

Other device features include FM radio, VGA camera, GPRS and MMS support, phone books for up to 1000 contacts, and Bluetooth.
?
The new phones are due to be available in Indonesia this year and next, along with Nokia's Life Tools service, providing agricultural, educational and entertainment info and services.

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia

Nokia launches five new phones for emerging markets originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:17:59 +0000

In the States Motorola has revealed its latest advert for the coming soon Droid.

Moving away from the iPhone-bashing Droid Does pre-launch campaign, this new effort is a big budget affair seeing Droids in pods fired to the earth from Stealth bombers, before revealing the device's "drop date" of 6 November.

Hit play to see the advert now and we'll keep you informed with any Motorola Droid - or Milestone as it will be known outside the US - news as we get it.

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Droid Advertising Video Verizon

VIDEO: Motorola Droid gets big budget ad originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:40:56 +0000

HTC knows how to steal the show. On the day that Microsoft "officially" unleashed Windows Mobile 6.5 on the world, HTC pulled the covers off the HD2, their flagship Windows Phone and one that leaves other Windows Mobile devices in its wake.

HTC have a history of customising interfaces from previous iterations of Windows Mobile to more recent Android devices. A large part of the HTC Hero's success was down to HTC's Sense UI, which now finds its way onto the HD2, although visually it is close to previous TouchFLO layer that HTC have used.

With a massive 4.3-inch 480 x 800 pixel resolution display, it steals the crown from Toshiba's poorly-received TG01. Unlike the TG01, however, HTC have designed this handset well, with neat industrial-looking lines.

It measures 120.5 x 67mm but it is only 11mm thick, so despite the large footprint, it is still pocketable. We've been carting it around in the hip pocket of our jeans, but with such a large glorious screen, you can't really put anything else in the same pocket for risk of scratching. It is perfectly suited to an inside jacket pocket, however, which is where we suspect HTC see this phone heading: a corporate world of finely tailored suits.

Running across the bottom of the screen you get the usual suspects in terms of control buttons: calling, Home, Windows and back. As we saw on the HTC Touch2, the Home button takes you to the front of HTC's Sense interface, whilst the Windows key takes you to the front page of Windows Mobile 6.5 and the new honeycomb interface (which can also be accessed through the "Start" option in the top left-hand corner on all pages except in "full screen" viewing modes).

Around the body of the handset you have a volume control on the left-hand side, but that's the only other hard button on offer. On the bottom you'll find the Micro-USB and 3.5mm connections. Around the back is the 5-megapixel camera, with a dual LED flash, sitting next to the outlet for the built-in speaker, which is rather good.

The phone itself is edged in a rubberised finish which neatly caps the top and bottom, as well as running around the edges making it feel secure in the hand. The neat metal backplate removes to give you access to the battery, microSD and SIM slots. It all feels and looks like the premium product that it is. One slight disadvantage, like the iPhone, is that you get a hard edge across your ear when actually using it for phone calls.

Power on and you are greeted with familiar setup pages from HTC, helping you to swiftly hook-up to a Wi-Fi network and taking you on to register on your social networks (if you want to), so you are instantly jacked-in to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Ominously missing is a connection to Google, which the Android siblings thrive on.

As we saw in the First Look of the HD2, the HTC Sense in this form is similar to previous iterations of HTC's TouchFLO customisation, but that's no bad thing: it is user friendly. Instead of being greeted with Microsoft's rather boring opening menu, you have the luscious HTC gloss on everything.

From the Sense front page you can swipe across like you can on the Hero, but rather than having 5 pages, here you move across the shortcut bar at the bottom, giving you access to what is essentially a range of widget pages. You can customise some pages as well as adding and removing widget pages, so you can dump Stocks, or Twitter, if you don't think you'll use them.

The more you dig through, the more it does look like Sense as we know it from the likes of the HTC Hero. You don't get the same visual pop as the screen changes, but it is easy to get around and you can run your finger across the bottom shortcut bar to land you on what you want to access.

On the front page you have three visible shortcut spaces, which you can add contacts, applications or bookmarks for instant access. The front page, though, has hidden depths. Swipe it up and the clock neatly folds away and you are into a customisable grid of shortcuts, so you can dump your favourite apps, contacts or bookmarks in here, so you never have to press that Windows button.

Contacts offers the same luscious visual experience. Arrive at the Contacts page and you again have a customisable grid where you can select your frequent contacts for one-press access. A great thing about this shortcut list is that you can choose what that shortcut does – take them to that person's contact details, or call one of their numbers, or perhaps directly into email.

You can have a regular list of contacts under "All people" which you can either flick to scroll through, or run your finger down the right-hand edge to jump to a letter of the alphabet. Of course, once you've pulled in Outlooks contacts from your PC via ActiveSync, the HD2 will pair them up with your Facebook friends - but you'll have to nudge it to do so – bringing in more info and populating the images and so on. It's a far cry from the bland Windows Mobile default Contacts display lurking in the back somewhere.

From a contact's details page you can pull up the Google Map of their location to instantly get directions, or move sideways to view their messages, emails, updates and call history too, which is a great person-focused approach and the very essence of the Sense UI.

The same experience ranges through messages and emails, with easy access to multiple accounts, be they POP, IMAP, or Exchange. Moving through to photos you can flick through your photos with a finger swipe, with pinch or double-tap zooming. Photos and videos can be quickly shared right from the off, with Facebook and YouTube links already established.

The Twitter widget page in Sense is pretty much like the Android version, letting you view, or enter Peep proper. If you are a heavy Twitter user, you might as well just add a link to Peep right from the front page to head straight into your Twitter feed, rather than scrolling across, but each to their own. The widget pages in Sense can be rearranged too, if you prefer.

Pressing the icons across the top of the screen will bring up your notifications area, which will tell you if you have missed calls, messages and so on, as well letting you view the mobile operator, Wi-Fi and battery statuses, so you can kill Wi-Fi or whatever you choose. Like Windows Mobile 6.5 proper, the lock screen on the HD2 also gives you notifications, so you can see with a tap that you have emails, missed calls and so on and get right to them.

What HTC have done with the HD2 then, is taken the pain out of Windows Mobile and they have done it in a way that takes the integration their own interface very deep indeed. In fact, in most daily tasks, you don't have to touch a Windows Mobile page – even the Settings menu as been reskinned. It's a beautifully refreshing experience as a result.

There will be occasions then you get a frightening reminder of what is lurking underneath, when you'll get a rough Windows Mobile 6.5 page punching through. For example if there is an error in your email setup or something like that, you get a glimpse back into the dark ages. Depending on how you use the phone, you may experience more of less of this, of course.

You also get those benefits that Windows Mobile brings, and with the HD2 packing in a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, Microsoft's operating system runs with a fair lick. Opening applications is swift and it copes with skipping around without getting bogged down. Copying and pasting multiple files from the memory to an inserted microSD card, for example, was quick and easy in File Manager.

The size of the HD2 also neatly sidesteps one of our gripes about Windows Mobile, and that's the occasional need to press a tiny "X" or "OK" to close a page. Here the icons are big enough to tap with a finger. Ditto the two options presented that the bottom of the page, usually to access the menu or make a selection. Here you can actually do it reliably first press.

And that is due to the HD2's capacitive touchscreen display. It means that presses are so much more reliable than before and you don't find yourself pressing away with no response. That response is essential when you move over to the keyboard.

The keyboard is HTC's own keyboard supported by their predictive entry which helps to iron out any mistakes that you introduce whilst bashing in a message. It is responsive enough to actually use at speed too and we found the experience to be very close to the HTC Hero – high praise indeed.

You get options for a full QWERTY, a compact QWERTY, or a standard 12-key phone keypad, but with the space on offer here, you never really need to dive out of the full thing, even in portrait mode. It will also spell check as you go, if you want it to.

The screen lends itself to photos and video viewing, which we’ve already mentioned and a YouTube app is ready installed to get you off to some online video viewing. With so much space available it also lends itself to browsing the Internet too.

You get multi-touch browser support in the form of pinch zooming, but once we really set it to task, we found it was not as reliable as the Palm Pre, occasionally stuttering around the edges of pages and bouncing back to the centre. Double tap zooming is also present, quickly snapping in and out of pages. Dragging pages around is also relatively smooth, not quite as good as some other rivals, but the best we've seen on a Windows Phone. This is partly due to ditching Internet Explorer Mobile in favour of Opera, so you get great full screen browsing which is relatively quick, with support for multiple pages.

The 5-megapixel camera around the back performs well but does suffer from some shutter lag. Autofocus will pick-up on your subject, or you can touch to focus, with touch and hold to take a picture, so saves you from the shake of moving your finger. The dual LED flash gives some hope to indoor snappers and ISO runs up to 800, but with noticeable noise.

Video capture comes in at 640 x 480 and seems to hold a regular 25fps fairly well, and we found the results were good – better than many mobile devices seem to achieve.

Another headline feature of the HD2 is its Wi-Fi router feature. Our Mac found it and hooked up with no problems at all, drawing data through the mobile phone network. Apparently on some phones you'll be charged for tethering, which isn't a problem here.

The battery life is also surprisingly good. You'll get a full day of average use from it. Yes, it will need charging every night, but with calls, plenty of data and a bit of everything else, it's seen us good. Those who plan to use it as a Wi-Fi router and make plenty of calls might want to look at getting a second battery however.

Verdict:

The HTC HD2 gives you a full smartphone experience from all angles. The tech specs are fully loaded, giving you HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a digital compass, accelerometers, proximity sensors (so it knows when it is next to your face…). You get that 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, video capture that actually looks ok and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Then there's the responsive 4.3-inch high-resolution capacitive touchscreen display.

It wouldn't be fair to mark the HD2 down simply because it is a Windows Mobile device, despite that OS having a number on inherent problems. If anything, HTC should be praised for what they have achieved with the HD2 through their customisation.

But you do have to consider that when you push beyond what HTC Sense offers you here, you are back to Windows Mobile and that unfortunately includes a rather basic Windows Marketplace, which still looks a little sparse at present.

Another downside, of course, is that you have a giant phone. If you spend most of your time moving from home to desk via the train, this might not be a problem, but slip it into a pair of shorts come summer and you might want something smaller.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC HTC HD2 HTC Leo

HTC HD2 mobile phone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:52:38 +0000

The constant battle between Apple and those that want to open up the iPhone operating system took another step forward today, this time in favour of the coders.

George Hotz, a developer, has managed to circumnavigate Apple's coding to allow users to unlock the latest 3.1.2 iPhone update and allow users to install non approved applications as well as allow them to use the iPhone on other mobile networks like T-Mobile in the UK and US.

The software, which is available for both Mac and Windows users, requires very little knowledge of how these things work and will no doubt force Apple to release a new update to shut the loop hole.?For those who used the?DevTeam’s PwnageTool?to jailbreak, Hotz says the blacksn0w app will soon be available on Cydia, the unofficial app store.

Earlier on Tuesday a warning was issued that iPhone users who "jailbreak" their phones could be under threat by hackers?looking to steal personal information due to a security setting that is left open after a user unlocks their handset.

It is also worth mentioning that unlocking your handset voids the warranty.?

?

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Apple Blackra1n iPhone iPhone unlock

BlackRa1n iPhone 3GS unlocks iPhone in under 20 seconds originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:17:23 +0000

Sony Ericsson's newest handset - the Xperia X10 - isn't due until February next year, but it's already up for pre-order from Clove Technology. The handset formerly known as Rachael can be yours for ?460, including VAT.

As previously reported, the X10 has a heavily modded Android 1.6 OS, 4-inch capacitive TFT touchscreen, and 8.1-megapixel camera and a speedy 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. It has Wi-Fi, HSUPA and Bluetooth, and comes with an 8GB microSD card.

It's packed with a range of apps, too. Mediascape lets you browse through local and online photo, video and audio content, and Timescape lets you organise and interact with your contacts across a wide range of messaging platforms. Both of which are part of the UX platform that will be arriving on several handsets from Sony Ericsson next year.

Oh, and if you need to see a few more photos of the device before you make up your mind, you can check out our gallery of shots from the secret preview event that we attended in London.

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Android Clove

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 available unlocked for pre-order originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:07:01 +0000

Orange's terms and conditions for its mobile internet ban applications like Spotify, AudioBoo, Ustream, Facebook and YouTube, something which could be of concern to those considering buying an iPhone with the mobile network.

In the company's T&Cs, it says:?"Not to be used for other activities (eg using your handset as a modem, non-Orange internet based streaming services, voice or video over the internet, instant messaging, peer to peer file sharing, non-Orange internet based video). Should such use be detected notice may be given and Network protection controls applied to all services which Orange does not believe constitutes mobile browsing".

That covers a whole host of different applications that are wildly popular on Apple's handheld computing platform. The company also limits its "Unlimited" plan to just 750MB per month, as Dan pointed out in his comparison feature the other day, which might be worth considering if you're planning to use these apps heavily.

The issue was spotted and pointed out to the BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones, who says: "if too many power users start streaming TV and playing online games on their phones, the Orange network may buckle under the strain".

Orange has, however, commented to the BBC - saying: "We do recognise that iPhone customers will use popular streaming services such as YouTube, Spotify etc. As a result we do not intend to apply network protection controls to anyone, as long as they are within their usage allowance. The T&Cs are in place to reserve the right to restrict access should they continue to exceed our Fair Usage policy, and our other Mobile data users suffer a reduced data experience as a result".

If you don't mean it, Orange, why put it in your T&Cs?

?

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Orange iPhone O2 Spotify Facebook YouTube

Orange T&Cs ban Spotify, Facebook and YouTube originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:52:50 +0000

Sony Ericsson has released a detailed video of its new Xperia X10 mobile phone.

As well as offering hands-on footage of the new handset and its interface, the official vid goes into great detail about the new Timescape and Mediascape functionality.

As some of you might know, Timescape is a communications app, which aggregates email, Facebook, Twitter, IM, and SMS into one big "lifestream", while Mediascape is built around music, video and images and organises all three on your device.

Hit play on the video above to see more and we'll keep you posted on Xperia X10 news.

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Video Android

VIDEO: Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 demoed originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:52:34 +0000

BT has finally begun to make something of its acquisition of Ribbit in 2008. The phone company is taking names for a beta trial of a cloud phone service, which will allow any mobile users (not just BT customers) to get online access to their calls, messages and phones.

BT Business got a Ribbit for Salesforce app back in April, but this is the first time consumers have had access to the technology being offered by the cloud computing startup. It'll enable users to get a virtual, online, version of their phone to reply to emails and texts, read voicemail messages and make and receive calls from.

Ted Griggs, founder of Ribbit, said: "There are more than 60 million mobile phones in the UK today, and the Ribbit Mobile service works with most of them. You don’t need a new number or a new device, and you don’t have to download software or sign a contract. You simply activate Ribbit on your phone and go".

Interested mobile users should head over to the Ribbit Mobile site and fill in their details, though don't expect to be allocated an account until early 2010. That's when the beta test is due to start.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones BT Ribbit Cloud computing

BT begins Ribbit cloud phone beta trial originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:12:50 +0000

Peek, the company that offers a dedicated handheld email device, has today announced a new device just for twitterholics.

The TwitterPeek as it is called, is a dedicated colour screen, QWERTY keyboard sporting device that allows users to dump their smartphones, email and phone calls and just check their twitter stream regardless of what they are doing instead.

"Twitter has become a worldwide phenomenon, but – until now – the millions of Twitter users without a smartphone haven’t been able to fully experience the fun of Twitter on-the-go. TwitterPeek will make it easy and affordable for everyone who doesn’t have a smartphone to really enjoy Twitter on–the-go", said Peekster-in-Chief Amol Sarva hoping Twitter fans won't just opt for a free app instead.

The new device, available at Amazon.com will cost $99 and include unlimited nationwide service for the first 6 months, which jumps to $7.95 per month for service thereafter.

The company is also offering a $199 package, which includes unlimited Twitter service for the lifetime of device without the need for a contract.?

?

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Twitter Twitterpeek peek Social networking

TwitterPeek device aims to appeal to the Twitterholic originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:19:08 +0000

A number of Dutch iPhone users who had jailbroken their handsets came in for a shock recently, after a hacker was able to target them and attempt to extort 5 euros for instructions on how to "secure" the phone.

The hacker used port scanning to identify phones running on the T-Mobile network in the Netherlands that had SSH running. Most jailbroken handsets enable SSH so that a user can login and run terminal commands, but many people don't bother to change the default root password, leaving their phones vulnerable to attack.

The hacker posted a message on the handset, reading: "Important Warning: You iPhone's been hacked because it's really insecure! Please visit doiop.com/iHacked and secure your iPhone right now! Right now, I can access all your files. This message won't disappear until your iPhone's secure".

Visiting that site asks the user to send 5 euros to a PayPal account. Upon receipt, the hacker then promises to send out instructions on how to remove the hack, which Ars Technica reckons would most likely just be a factory reset of the phone.

So if you have a jailbroken iPhone, make sure you secure it by changing the default root password. If you're not sure how to do that, then a quick Google should sort you out. You can also deactivate SSH when you're not using it. The lesson, though, is to not trust sensitive information to a device that's running code you don't 100% trust.

?

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone Security

iPhones get jailbreak security warning originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:44:06 +0000

Opera has released the beta of Opera Mobile 10 for Nokia and other Symbian S60 handsets.

With a revamped look and feel, the browser works with touchscreen phones and boasts a host of improvements with the video above giving a brief overview.

Opera Mobile 10 beta is available for Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung smartphones running Symbian S60, 3rd and 5th editions.

The beta is free to download from http://www.opera.com/mobile/next/ or directly to a mobile phone from http://m.opera.com/mobile.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Browsers Opera Symbian Video Software

VIDEO: Opera Mobile 10 beta available for Symbian S60 phones originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:21:53 +0000

A Wi-Fi-less Apple iPhone has gone on sale in China and the first week's figures are described as "slow", thought to be a result of the amount of cheaper, unlocked iPhones available in the region.

Apple's official Chinese iPhone partner, China Unicom - that it signed a 3-year deal with back in August - has confirmed it has seen sales of 5000 iPhones so far since it went on sale last week.

China Unicom chairman, Chairman Chang Xiaobing, said, "We are satisfied with iPhone sales so far, and we aim to have an additional 1 million new 3G subscribers each month in the near future".

With a potential market of over 700 million, estimates put future Chinese iPhone sales at 460,000 per year - thought to be less than the number of "grey market" phones already in the country.

Read

Tags: Phones iPhone Biz China Unicom Statistics

5000 iPhones sold in China originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:42:50 +0000

TAG Heuer has launched a limited edition variant of its already-expensive Meridiist handset that's branded together with Lamborghini, creating the mouthful that is the?Meridiist Automobili Lamborghini Luxury Mobile Phone.

Only 1963 handsets will be sold, in tribute to the year that Automobili Lamborghini was founded. The phone is housed in black titanium carbide coated 316L stainless steel, and the battery cover plays host to the same signature that's on the?Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640's V12 engine block.

The display is 60.5 carat sapphire crystal, and the handset offers 7 hours of talk time or 28 days of standby battery life, which makes it "unrivalled", if you believe the slightly hyperbolic press release from the company.

Want a quote? Sure you do. "The MERIDIIST Automobili Lamborghini phone epitomizes TAG Heuer consistency in inspiring and framing its diversification, combining technology and design, and partnering with the best sports car brands. We are very proud of this new partnership with such a great brand as Lamborghini", said Jean-Christophe Babin, president & CEO of the TAG Heuer Group.

?The handset will be available from November at TAG Heuer and Lamborghini retailers. No word on how much it costs, but it's probably one of those situations where you can't afford it if you need to ask.

?

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones TAG Heuer Tag Heuer Meridiist

TAG Heuer launches Meridiist Automobili Lamborghini phone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:16:51 +0000

MagicBox has added an answer machine to its designer Colombo phone.

The Colombo One offers the same styling as the original - inspired by the work of 60s Italian designer Joe Colombo - but also boasts a fully featured digital answer machine.

The retro inspired handset stands upright on a charging base station with the built-in answer machine that can be accessed remotely.

Features include the ability to store up to 250 numbers, text messaging, various ring tones, an alarm clock, caller ID and an "eco" mode.

The Colombo One is available now priced at ?49.99 from Argos.

Tags: Phones Landline Phones MagicBox

MagicBox Colombo One gets answer machine originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:11:19 +0000

Orange has announced that its first UK exclusive app, Orange Wednesdays, is now available on the App Store.

The new app from the operator - which is due to offer the iPhone from 10 November in the UK? -? brings the Orange Wednesdays cinema experience to the iPhone and iPod touch.

The app offers film reviews and trailers with info on what's on, where films are showing, information on how to get there and the ability to redeem the 2 for 1 Orange Wednesdays cinema voucher on the Orange iPhone.

Hit play on the video above for a brief overview, while the app is available as a free download over at the App Store now.

Tags: Phones iPhone apps Orange Home Cinema Video iPhone

VIDEO: Orange Wednesdays iPhone app announced originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:53:35 +0000

Google has announced its search by voice service is available as a free download for Nokia S60 phones such as Nseries or Eseries handsets.

Google explains: "The new version of Google Mobile App places a shortcut to Google search on your Nokia phone's home screen, allowing you to search using your voice or by typing. You can search for anything - from "movie times", to "fish 'n chips", to "masala dosa." It doesn't matter if you're in London or Bangalore: we'll use your location to give you nearby results. And Google Mobile App shows search results in the application, so you don't have to wait for a web browser to launch to get an answer".

The new version of Google Mobile App for Nokia S60 devices works for Mandarin speakers too, with support for Mandarin speech recognition such as Android and iPhone in the works.

Read

Related links:

• Link - Google

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Google Nokia Search engines

VIDEO: Google search by voice launches for Nokia S60 phones originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:36:22 +0000

Kodak has introduced the Pic Flick App, a new, free iPhone and iPod touch app that lets users upload pictures to a Kodak W1020 wireless digital frame or print them wirelessly on the Kodak ESP 5250 all-in-one Wi-Fi-enabled printer.

"The Kodak Pic Flick App provides a fast, easy and fun way to print, display and share within seconds of capturing a moment at home or away from home", said Randy Brody, vice-president of marketing inkjet systems, Eastman Kodak Company. ?

The Kodak Pic Flick App works on Apple iPhone and iPod touch devices using OS version 2.2 and above and is available in the States on the App Store for free.

There's more information over at www.Kodak.com/go/PicFlick .

Tags: Phones iPhone apps Kodak Cameras

Kodak launches Pic Flick App for iPhone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:16:14 +0000

Sony Ericsson is about to launch its latest smartphone, the Xperia X10. Pocket-lint managed to get a sneak preview of the handset, formerly known as Rachael, so we grabbed some photos.

The first thing you'll notice is that this is an Android 1.6 handset with a considerable UI overhaul. SE has turned the whole thing blue and modded the default interface considerably. Everything from the dialler to the homescreens to the contacts and messaging apps have been re-skinned.

There's also a couple of custom applications - Timescape and Mediascape - which allow you to sift through your contacts and messages, and your pictures, music and video, respectively. The apps and UI will be rolling out across several handsets in the first half of 2010.

The Xperia X10 has a 4-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 8-megapixel camera with flash, and all the connectivity options you'd expect, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HSUPA, and GPS. It ships with an 8GB microSD card, and there'll be up to 1GB of on-board memory, too.

It will be showing up in Q1 of next year, around the middle of the quarter. "It won't be 31 March", said Steve Walker, Head of Portfolio Planning at Sony Ericsson. It'll come in either Sensuous Black or Lustrous White.

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Photos Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

PHOTOS: Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 hands-on originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Sony Ericsson, following considerable teasing, has finally unveiled its flagship handset for 2010 - the Xperia X10. It's an Android 1.6 device, complete with 4-inch capacitive touchscreen and a whole host of interface modifications that Sony Ericsson has created for the phone, and for a range of other handsets that'll be launched in 2010.

We got up close and personal with the handset, and spoke to Steve Walker, Sony Ericsson's head of portfolio planning, about how the release represents the company altering the way it does business. He told us that the company is now focusing on providing camera and multimedia functionality in the same phone - rather than splitting the product range.

The X10 represents that move, including both an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash and a 3.5mm headphone jack (very welcome on a Sony Ericsson handset) with a tonne of multimedia software - something that is a weakness of the default Android build.

The Android build has been heavily modified for the X10, but it's just the start of a whole range of both Android and Symbian handsets that'll be appearing from the company in the first half of 2010. Each will share a common interface design and set of applications and functionalities, starting with Timescape and Mediascape on the X10.

Timescape is a communications app, which aggregates email, ?Facebook, Twitter, IM, and SMS into one big lifestream that you can navigate through. Each "event" is represented by a tile, which you can tap to view in more detail, or long-press to get a preview of.

That tile has a button marked with an "oo" infinity symbol. Hitting that will take you to related content - which could be content from the person in question, or it could be web content related to whatever is on the tile. The list can be filtered by medium, and you can reply to individual messages within the application.

Mediascape is the other "signature" application. It's built around music, video and images and organises all three on your device. It incorporates players for all three, too, and can hook into various bits of online content. YouTube was named explicitly, but we'd expect Last.fm and perhaps Flickr to show up here too.

Items in Mediascape also have an infinity button and pressing this will again summon related content. For a band, that could be songs on your device, YouTube videos, or even other artists that are similar to whatever you're listening to. The overlaid controls of this section looked quite similar to the Zune's UI, though that's only a good thing.

Lastly, the image viewer in Mediascape supports facial recognition, meaning that you can tag up to five people in a photo and then the handset will attempt to identify those people in other images too - the more you tag, the more accurate it is. The feature can also hook in with your contacts list - you can tap a person in a photo to call them, for instance.

Although Sony Ericsson has deeply modded the UI, it's still Android at its heart. Any regular Android app can be installed and will look normal, and no sections of the default interface have been locked off and made inaccessible. Mostly they've just been re-skinned.

The handset packs a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and has a big 4-inch capacitive FWVGA TFT touchscreen. It has an 8-megapixel camera, with LED flash, and comes with an 8GB microSD card in the box. It has HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth, and connects to computer via micro- (not mini-) USB on the top.

It'll initially be launched in Q1 in "some markets", rolling out across the rest of the world (including Japan) over the first half of the year. It's not clear exactly which markets, but Walker hinted that Europe could be high on the list, discussing its "more flexible carriers" compared to the United States.

As for when in Q1, Walker said "it's not going to be two months, and it's not going to be five. You won't be seeing this on 31 March". Perhaps late February is a good estimate then, though handsets are often prone to delays. Although it ships with Android 1.6, Walker confirmed that Android 2.0 would be rolled out as soon as possible.

However, as this is only the first in a range of Android and Symbian handsets from Sony Ericsson that'll be packing similar user experiences, we wouldn't imagine that the company would be hanging around in launching this product. When we hear anything concrete about launch dates, or pricing and networks, we'll make sure that you know.

Update: There's now an Official Press Release on the handset.

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Android

Sony Ericsson unveils the Xperia X10 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:00:00 +0000

If you're expecting to see a major difference in the cost of an iPhone between these two UK networks, then think again. It's not an accident that the price is similar. When it boils down to it, it seems likely that both companies buy the handsets with the same overheads and naturally that's going to be passed on to the customer. It may be a different story by the time Vodafone comes along but for now, that's the way it is.

That said, there are differences in the price plans, if not the overall cost of each package. Combine that with an alternative way of looking at each deal and you start to get a better picture of where the real value lies. Take a look. The O2 packages are in blue and the ones from Orange in, er, orange.

What strikes you first if you glance over to the far right column is that, generally speaking, those 24 month contracts seem to cost a lot more in the long run. In fact, if you look at the differences in similar deals over the two time periods, it's quite astonishing. So, it appears that extending the term to alleviate the initial outlay might not be such a good idea. Together with the fact that your phone is more likely to be out-dated in the course of 2 years and it looks very bad indeed.

Beyond that, it's quite impressive how well these tariffs have been set out within each provider as well. The jump up from handset to handset within each tariff is regular according to the time frame of pay back. The bottom line is that you're not going to find one deal that significantly better value than another. On the other hand, it does give you a better idea of which one might best suit your needs.

Other Choices

Other important considerations beyond the plan are going to be over which network is going to suit you. Both providers offer "unlimited" Wi-Fi hotspot access with their partners as well as making you pay additionally for internet tethering as well.

Both also provide what they call unlimited data packages too. Orange puts a real figure to it of 750MB, whereas O2 only refers to a fair usage policy which is designed to reflect proper usage as well as the user's drain on the rest of the network. In practice, it's designed to make sure people are just using their allowances for mobile browsing, but at the same time it does give the company a license to set the bar wherever it pleases. Which proves to be more in practice is anyone's guess.

Much has been suggested about O2's quality of network as well, but its people have also looked to the handset's short-comings to explain a perceived poor reception. It's unlikely there'll be a huge difference with Orange, so at the end of the day, you'll do best to stick with the provider that works best in your area.

Last of all, it's worth considering the added benefits. One reason for not talking about the PAYG plans is that Orange is applying its animal tariffs to them where you can receive free weekend and evening calls or unlimited texts or free music. At the same time, O2 has top-up bonuses to consider as well.

So, until Vodafone arrives onto the scene, what it might all come down to is Orange Wednesdays and a bit of personal choice. Of course, by that time there'll be a new iPhone to consider - in leaks if not in reality. Decisions, decisions. Ever thought about Android?

?

Related links:

• News - Orange confirms 10 November for iPhone

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Orange iPhone Apple Tariffs Features O2

Best iPhone tariffs: O2 vs Orange originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:22:07 +0000

It appears the HTC HD2 has found a home with a UK operator as T-Mobile has revealed via its website it is to offer the new device.

The new Windows Mobile 6.5 handset offers a 4.3-inch multi-touch display, speedy Snapdragon processor, 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS and HSDPA.

The "HTC Touch HD2" has now appeared on T-Mobile's coming soon section of its online shop with a due date of November.

However, it's accompanied by the wrong image and is said to boast a 3.8-inch screen and Android Market, so we're certainly not holding our breath on this one. ?

UPDATE: T-Mobile says it has no comment.

Read

Related links:

• Shop - T-Mobile

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC HTC HD2 T-Mobile Android Windows Mobile

T-Mobile to offer "HTC Touch HD2" with Android Market originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:20:04 +0000

Haynes, publisher of the famous Haynes Owners Workshop Manuals, has released the first Haynes iPhone app with help from developer Gourmet Pixel.

The Haynes App - "as intuitive and simple to use as the classic Haynes repair manual" - features step-by-step guides with images, 30 automotive categories and an overview to learn the basics of how a car works and operates.

The "My Garage" offers service reminders, MOT, insurance and tax renewal dates as well as options to create to do lists. There's also videos so users can watch exactly how each task is completed by a Haynes engineer.

The new app - Haynes: Car Tips - is available over at the App Store now for ?2.99.

Read

Related links:

• Link - Gourmet Pixel

Tags: Phones iPhones apps Haynes Books App Store Gourmet Pixel

Haynes manuals hit the iPhone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:42:48 +0000

Back at Mobile World Congress 2009 Sony Ericsson introduced us to the concept of Entertainment Unlimited, typified here by the Aino. The phone drops to the Walkman and Cyber-shot branding, but punches hard in both the camera and multimedia sectors, including Remote Play on the PlayStation 3.

Out of the box you get a slider handset measuring 104.0 x 50.0 x 15.5mm. You'll find a 3-inch widescreen display with a 432 x 240 pixel resolution. The screen is touch-enabled, but the Aino is a hybrid device, meaning sometimes you can touch and sometimes you can't, which we'll come to later.

The design of the phone is pretty sleek: the front is free from buttons with the screen closed and moving around the body the only other buttons are the lock on the top and the volume rocker and camera button on the right-hand side.

Slide the screen up and it opens with a nice crisp action, exposing the 12-key keypad and usual range of control buttons across the middle. The keyboard is pretty average for Sony Ericsson's handsets, giving a reasonable response, but not the best for fast action messaging. It does feel like a good quality keyboard and feels like it will last the length of your contract. Our review version was finished in black throughout and it looks like a cool phone overall.

The menu system is typical Sony Ericsson stuff, with a main menu divided into icons giving you access to all the main areas. It is looking a little tired, as essentially the layout and content of these menus hasn't changed over the years, it's just expanded. With Apps now taking centre stage on many phones, Sony Ericsson still has "Applications" languishing in "Organiser".

You get the feeling that things are no longer cohesive: you have Entertainment, Media, Music Player menus, but they don't contain all the options for media control. The main media menu employs Sony's XMB, which is great to use and mirrors the PSP and PS3 layout.

You also get a separate media interface that is operated by touch control when the phone is closed. This is the only time that the Aino does accept touch however (except to take incoming calls and set camera controls), and gives you access to the camera, photos, music, video and radio. Sadly, this touch menu has its own design, dropping the XMB, but it does give you access to media without opening the phone.

It is a shame that you can't do more via touch. Whilst being able to access your media and use the camera is nice, it seems like a missed opportunity not letting you browse your messages for example.

Our Aino came with an 8GB microSD card in place, so it is ready and willing to get funky with all your tunes on the move. It is perhaps a surprise to find that the Aino doesn’t feature a 3.5mm headphone jack given that it is pitched squarely as a multimedia beast. But our rage was thwarted by the inclusion of the MH100 Bluetooth adapter, meaning you can simply plug your headphones into the Bluetooth dongle and stash your phone in your pocket. The MH100 even gives you volume controls, play/pause and track skip functions and a mic for when you need to make a call.

The bundled headphones can be bettered if you have a decent set of your own, which will really get the most out of your music, but the bundled set aren't too bad. Taking things a step further you also get a neat dock to sit both the handset and the MH100 on, meaning you can charge and sync your phone with your PC with minimal hassle.

One of the big headline features in the Aino is the PS3 connection. In reality it isn't that exciting and isn't very reliable as you are given little guidance for configuration. However, once you have made your connection you can connect over 3G or Wi-Fi. You don't get to remote play games, but you can access content on your PS3, if you have any, or drive PlayTV whilst you are away from home.

You can also connect up to UPnP servers to play music over a network, if you have such a service available. The handset is DNLA certified and also supports BBC iPlayer, so you can download programmes you've missed and watch them on the train, or stream them.

The second big headline feature of the Aino is an 8-megapixel camera. But hold your horses and remember that 8 is just a number and not a gauge of performance. In fact, the 8-megapixel sensor here inhibits the performance terribly.

The camera interface is fairly clean, with controls selected through on-screen options. You can capture an image either through the button, or by pressing the screen, which in reality is a bit of a pain, as the slightest touch and you'll be taking a picture of something you didn't want.

Writing a full-resolution file to the memory card takes about 10 seconds, so this is time you'll just be sitting and waiting. Better performance is offered by turning the thing down to a more reasonable 3-megapixels, which will save you standing around for such a long time waiting, at least. Unless you have perfect lighting and a perfectly still subject, it isn't worth using the full resolution anyway as there is a lack of detail to offer opportunities for large scale prints or cropping, so best to stick with something more manageable.

The camera suffers not only lag on buffering, but also in the shutter, with noticeable delay. The shutter speeds are often slow, even with the LED "flash", so any movement in low light, or even average lit indoors scenes, result in blur and high contrast scenes attract a great deal of fringing around edges.

Video is offered at a top setting of 640 x 352, giving you a widescreen aspect, or 640 x 480 for 4:3, captured in MPEG4. The results aren't too bad, but there is a noticeable lag on the display when filming. It captures at 25fps, so copes with moving subjects better than some but low light shots can be very noisy. Given the phones media "sharing" angle, we'd have expected a higher video resolution, but as it is it performs well enough.

In terms of data you get HSDPA and Wi-Fi, so you can enjoy the rich media experience whilst on the move or at home. There is a GPS too with Google Maps doing the usual business. The browser does leave you wanting however, so if browsing the Internet is high on your list of priorities, you might want to look elsewhere.

The Aino doesn't really step to the plate against smartphones. It doesn't give you access to thousands of applications to further expand what the phone will do. You do get a Facebook app pre-installed, with Facebook links appearing in photos and messages for example, and a homescreen status update "widget" that although nice, took about 3 days before it would show us any info.

We also found that the battery life was surprisingly poor for a slider handset. We found ourselves charging it every day during testing.

Verdict:

The Sony Ericsson Aino offers features galore, but fails to wrap them into a package that really wows. There is a lot on offer here, but you feel like you have to work for it at times, finding the best route to get to the content you want. The link to the PS3 is a nice addition, but doesn't feel like a reason to buy the phone.

The same can be said for the 8-megapixel camera offering. It is just a number and comes with limitations not found on your compact camera, so don't choose the Aino because you think it will replace your compact camera – it won't.

The Sony Ericsson is something of a premium handset too, because it comes in a quite a price, comparable with smartphone rivals, which will ultimately offer greater flexibility and a better user interface.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson Aino 8 megapixels PS3

Sony Ericsson U10i Aino mobile phone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:35:02 +0000

INQ's not-long-released Mini 3G handset has just received a price reduction to ?49.99, down from ?59.99.

The handset has Facebook, IM, Skype and Twitter functionality along with a 2.2-inch display and 2-megapixel camera.

There have also been changes to the pricing of the wireless modem that enables Mi-Fi on the 3 network, which now costs ?49.99 upfront on the "Broadband 5GB 1 Month deal", down from ?69.99. The package includes 5GB of data for ?15 a month.

Previously only available on a monthly contract, Mi-Fi is now available on PAYG, so you can shell out the initial ?49.99 and top-up as and when you need it.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Inq INQ Mini 3G 3 Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: INQ Mini 3G gets price cut originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

RIM is advertising for a Canadian-based WebKit developer, following its acquisition of Torch Mobile (a company that developed the WebKit-based Iris Browser). Both bits of evidence irrefutably point to the fact that RIM knows the BlackBerry browser is a bit rubbish and is trying to fix it.

WebKit is a rendering engine that's used, most notably, in Apple's Safari (both on desktop and in the iPhone) and Google's Chrome browsers. It's also used in Symbian's S60 browser which can be found on Nokia, Samsung and LG handsets. Android's browser is based on WebKit, too, as is the Palm Pre's.

It's essentially the industry standard, and should help to make the BlackBerry browser more of a joy to use than its predecessor. For now, though, there's no official acknowledgement of the switch, let alone any kind of release date for a newer version of the browser, so sit tight for now and we'll let you know when we hear anything more concrete.

?

Read

Tags: Phones Software BlackBerry RIM Webkit Browsers Safari Chrome Symbian Palm Pre

RIM advertises for "WebKit Developer" originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:24:36 +0000

Gosh, Sony Ericsson has done quite a job on the interface for its forthcoming "Rachael" Android handset. The bulk of the additions seem to be targeted at the multimedia end of the operating system, which, as Engadget points out, has always been a little on the meagre side.

There's a tinge of blue about everything, and some very Zune-influenced menus and interface choices. Lots of big pictures of artists too, which we hope are sourced from the Web, otherwise our patchy ID3 tags will be exposed. The title of the video also betrays the screen resolution that the device is getting - a roomy 480 x 854.

So we've got a good look at the interface, and a good look at the outside of the device, all that's left is a full reveal of the handset - something that we should be getting imminently. We'll keep you posted.

?

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Video Android

VIDEO:Sony Ericsson's Rachael Android UI detailed originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:44:08 +0000

Suggesting a UK annoucement might not be too far off, it's been revealed the Droid by Motorola, recently jointly announced with Verizon in the US, is to launch in another country soon.

O2 Germany is to offer the new Android handset, but under a different name - Droid being what Verizon has dubbed its forthcoming family of Android-based phones.

In Germany the Droid will launch as the GSM "Milestone" sometime in November although details for consumers are yet to be confirmed.

Whether this suggests the phone may be an O2 offering in the UK - the operator already boasts the iPhone and the Palm Pre in its device portfolio - is anyone's guess.

Pocket-lint got in touch with Motorola in the UK as the Droid was announced to see when it might be touching down in the UK. At the time a Motorola spokesperson said:

"We've not yet announced availability of this device in other markets, but look forward to continuing to expand our Android-based portfolio around the world".

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Droid O2 Motorola Milestone Android

Motorola Droid to launch as Milestone in Germany originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:54:05 +0000

Orange has now officially confirmed what we've previously reported - it will offer the iPhone in the UK from 10 November.

The iPhone 3G and 3GS will be available in Orange stores on Tuesday 10 November from 7am in certain stores with some shops staying open late.

The iPhone will be available on Orange in all Orange stores, online, at Orange HMV concessions, as well as through Apple Retail Stores, Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U.

Revealing that a quarter of a million have pre-registered interest for the Apple phone, Orange says it will offer the iPhone on a pay as you go basis, to pay-monthly customers and to business customers too.

As far as pay as you go goes, customers who top-up ?50 at purchase will get an iPhone 3G for ?333 while the iPhone 3GS 32GB will be ?539. This compare's to O2's pricing of ?538.30.

The pay as you go deals offer just 250MB of data each month, plus a year's BT Openzone access.

On a pay monthly basis the iPhone 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models will be available on various monthly plans, with the 3GS 16GB free on all ?45 plans and the 3G model free from ?30 plans - both with a 24-month contract.

The cheapest monthly contract, a ?29.36 per month, 2-year contract will see the iPhone 3GS 32GB charged at ?225 with the handset only available free for those paying out for a ?73.40 a month contract. In terms of data, Orange has a "fair usage" allowance of 750MB per month.

O2's free handset structure for the 3GS 32GB is similar, although it charges ?274.23 for the phone on lower-cost 18-month tariffs and ?175.19 for the device on its 24-month ?34.26 plan.

iPhone owners who want to use their iPhone to get mobile broadband on their laptop can take out additional tethering bundles starting at ?5 per month.

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Orange iPhone Apple Tariffs

Orange confirms 10 November for iPhone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:27:49 +0000

Movember is upon us once more and that means plenty of talk about moustaches, moustache gadgets and of course not forgetting the main reason for the facial hair growth - helping raise awareness for?prostate Cancer.

Over the next 30 days the Pocket-lint team and others will be growing a moustache for charity. It's a tough job that from experience means we will be ridiculed, stared at, and worse still not get many kisses.

But fear not my hairless friends (that's you), it is not too late to join our hairy(ish) team.

We will be keeping a mo diary on the site so you can see our progress and expect plenty of related features exploring everything "Mo".

Men of tech! (that's you) join our brethren.

Read

Tags: Gadgets Bathroom gadgets Movember Comment Audio Car And GPS Dad Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness

Gentlemen start your Mo originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:35:49 +0000

When Google released its first Google phone with T-Mobile in 2008 the industry had high hopes. Here was an open source platform that would change the face of the industry and give Microsoft, Apple and anyone else who happened to be interested, a run for their money.

The problem was, that while the concept was there, the execution was poor. The G1 was a dog of a handset with a poor design and while sporting a promising interface, was lacking in many ways.?Here at Pocket-lint we gave it a 5/10 citing the handset as a "not consumer ready device" and one that you should steer clear of:

"Our suggestion would be to wait 6 months to a year and by then you'll have so many handset choices (perhaps even the Touch HD) that will offer a far better, sexier, more consumer focused, offering that this will be old news and look, well, rather crap. A great OS let down by a shoddy handset design."

And guess what? 6 months down the line we started to get those far better handset choices in the guise of the HTC Hero and Samsung i7500. Now a year to the day since we posted our G1 review, has Android, Motorola and Verizon brought a handset to market that is any better? Read on to find out.

As a quick background, it's worth pointing out that this handset has been created by three parties, all hoping to get something out of the deal. Motorola has built the hardware, which we will come to in a moment, Google provides the interface and Verizon the network.

Motorola or Verizon have, it seems, been allowed to interfere with the software implementation. There is no Motoblur, no operator bloatware and certainly nothing that isn't Google.

Motorola might have been "allowed" to slap a user interface on the CLIQ (DEXT in the UK) but here, they haven't even been allowed so much as nuance. Its job has been hardware, and hardware alone. Even the name, Droid, is going to be used by Verizon to create a family of handsets from a range of manufacturers.?Motorola is very much an OEM player in this threesome.

Sporting all the exciting features that you would expect (more in a moment) all of these features have been shoehorned into a handset that is surprisingly compact, but distinctively retro in its appeal. While the iPhone and iPhone 3GS is all about curves, the Droid by Motorola is about angles. It's not dainty by any stretch of the imagination.

Slightly thicker than the iPhone, it is weighty in the hand and comfortable in the pocket. It's not small, but its not HTC HD2 massive either.

Rather than opt for a white or silver, it's black and "brown sugar". That "brown sugar" will come across as "bling gold" though, and it's the first time we've seen gold on a phone that wasn't attempting to charge us thousands for the privilege. We're sorry to say that it's a bit too ostentatious for our liking. Luckily it's really only kept to three small details: the speaker grill on the rear, the d-pad on the front and the dedicated camera button.

There is a reason it has been called the Droid: the design, like a robot, has no emotion.

So what have they put inside? The key tech specs include a massive 3.7-inch screen, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, Android 2.0 and a processor fast enough (550MHz) to power it all. Storage is offered by a 16GB microSD card that comes pre-installed (not hot swappable) and there is of course the usual bevy of connectivity technology such as GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Quad-Band and, because of Verizon, CDMA.

There is a 3.5mm jack and speaker for the music savvy and a small green light that flashes when you've got a message or alert of some sort. You can turn it off, but it will keep the BlackBerry switchers happy.

Gaming-wise the processor is powerful enough to cope and with built-in Open GL support for the games we played (Robo Defence amongst others). With only 256MB of available memory for apps, the move could limit what games (i.e., high octane graphic-filled) will work. It will certainly make developers lives harder.

On the camera front you get a 5-megapixel camera with the ability to capture video at DVD quality up to 24fps and zoom in 4x via a digital zoom. There is a dual LED flash and it features automatic focus.

Within the camera application itself, which is turned on by pressing the dedicated button on the side of the handset, you have some control over the way the camera acts. There is of course the usual still and video modes and a quick access point to the photo galleries. There is also the ability to change the settings of your images like White Balance, Scene mode, Flash mode, Color effect, Store location, Picture size, Picture quality and Focus Mode.?Scenes offered include Portrait, Night, and the like but there is no Macro.

In use and the camera struggled to autofocus on our subjects. You get a warning and the ability to take an image still, but what's the point if it's blurry? This is a nice addition rather than a reason to buy just like most phones that aren't camera focused. Dedicated compact cameras don't have too much to worry about just yet.

Then there is the slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Used landscape it instantly reminds us of the HTC Touch Pro from 2008. The keys are arranged across four rows and lay flat. You'll either love or loathe this as it doesn't give you any indication of where you are on the keyboard - one of the key reasons for going QWERTY over touch. Next to the keyboard there is an overly-large d-pad.

Of course you don't really have to ever slide-out the keyboard as the phone's 3.7-inch touchscreen combined with Android's landscape and portrait keyboards, don't need you to. The screen is bright and as crisp as any other screen in the market that isn't OLED. Beneath the screen are four quick shortcut keys: back, menu, home and search and they get you to where you want to go quickly. All are touch-sensitive and all are built into the glass screen so it's a continuation, like the BlackBerry Storm 2, rather than four separate buttons.

Physical buttons, aside from the hidden keyboard, are kept to a minimum: dedicated camera, volume and lock. Even though it has a QWERTY keyboard, those keys are really just for that. There is no "Mail" key or five ways of accessing the home screen as can found on your average Nokia.

Power it on and the fun starts. Someone, somewhere, clearly has a sense of humour. While the notion of a HAL-esque eye looking out at me sends shivers down my spine every time I've booted the system, the fact that is plays an audio clip that says "Droid" in a robot accent does make you giggle. Expect yourself, if you sign up for this handset, to be boring you friends for days, if not weeks.

If you've used Android before you will know what to expect. As we said at the beginning, this is very much a Google experience. There are no tricks, no Sense UI elements, no Motoblur. You get a desktop, and the slide-out draw for your applications and that's it.

Sporting Android 2.0 there are a number of new features that have been added to the mix to justify getting this over the HTC Hero - for the time-being (HTC have confirmed 2.0 will be coming to the Hero). The OS is quick and nippy in use.

Android 2.0 offers more functionality improvements over 1.6, rather than visual flair or excitement in the same way that perhaps Apple concentrates on. But it's the little things that can soon add up to make it better than the sum of its parts.

One of those is the ability to mute the handset with a swipe of your finger before unlocking it. The other is the search box that like the Palm Pre and iPhone allows you to search the phone, and its data straight away. Where it beats the iPhone is that it automatically starts searching the web for you, integrating those results into the mix as well.

Among the improvements will be email and contact syncing with multiple?accounts from multiple sources, Exchange sync support, a combined inbox for those multiple email accounts, better calendar, improvements in address book UI, loads of camera improvements including flash, digital zoom and a macro mode, a better virtual keyboard, improved graphics, three-point multi-touch, a better browser and Bluetooth 2.1.

Setting up email was (almost) straightforward. Gmail users will be able to punch in their username and password, while Google Apps users will have to make sure they are running all the right software on their domain. We had to enable Google Talk (Chat) before it would allow us to sign in to the service - cunning.

If you are a Google Apps user it will automatically sync everything to the phone. Contacts, Calendar dates, the lot. It's very pain free, In fact the most pain-free install we've ever experienced. Multiple calendars, multiple contacts, and over 10,000 emails accessible in about 60 seconds. This is very much the essence of Android for those already in the Google system.

As for browsing the phone as you covered too. It's not iPhone easy yet, but there are lots of impressive new features. The main one is that when you load up a page you get a full "desktop" view of the page you are looking at. Double tapping zooms you in to the page, but frustratingly there is no pinch zoom or multi-touch support. We aren't sure why as it's on the HTC Hero and the lack of it makes the browser harder to use. You do get zoom buttons, but they aren't the same.

We also noticed some strange page layout issues with the browser (see picture) that while not impeding your browsing experience completely, isn't how those pages were designed.?YouTube videos are playable and loaded into the handset's media player. It's a painless experience.

One of the biggest elements to gain excitement on the launch of the Droid by Motorola and Android 2.0 was the introduction of Google Maps Navigation. Currently only available on the Droid, it brings true turn-based GPS to the phone for free.

The new offering aims to take on the GPS hardcore from TomTom and Garmin by offering a fully-functional GPS device in your phone. Users can speak their directions to the handset rather than having to type them in and access maps and Points of Interest via the "cloud", suggesting mapping updates and new features needed to be downloaded will be a thing of the past.

In practice and it's as good as it sounds. Telling a phone to "Navigate" to a destination is very Start Trek.?Feeling peckish, our first request was to "Navigate to pizza in Hoboken". After it analysed our dulcet tones, it then offered us a number of pizza restaurants in Hoboken with the option to click on one to give us directions. No multiple menu systems, no working out where they were - just a phrase and off we go.

While the system waits for the GPS to kick in you get a run through of the route and then there are a series of different views you can catch including 2D, 3D, and Street View. You can also overlay layers on to the maps such as live traffic (where supported), Satellite, and Points of Interest like ATMs, Gas Stations and Car Parks.

The software does take some getting used to, we struggled at first, and it doesn't seem to be as intuitive from the outset as TomTom or Garmin. It lacks that experience of helping people out get from A to B, like easily finding recent destinations. There also is valueable information that is missing from the "dashboard", like estimated time of arrival, the ability to block roads, and other niceties that you just expect from even the cheapest PNDs. The voice is pretty ropey as well, and of course, you are dependent on downloading your maps too.

The performance is good, but Google has a long way before the dedicated manufacturers should really start the firesale.?This is a free GPS solution and therefore one that isn't to be sniffed at, just don't expect to ditch your dedicated device just yet.

Being the most advanced Android handset on the block currently has its benefits, mainly that you have full access to virtually all of the apps in the Android Marketplace. While our recent review of the HTC Tattoo found that there is currently plenty missing from the lower end phones, this didn't seem to be the case here.?

So you've got your new phone, it's a funky new shape and there isn't the massive eco system. While the Droid doesn't come with speaker docks and cases, Verizon is offering two accessories that make perfect sense. The first is a docking station for your nightstand, the second is a windscreen cradle so you can use the Google Maps Navigation. Both cost $30 and really are just cleverly designed bits of plastic with magnets in the right place to activate software on the phone - hence the cheap price.

The docking cradle loads a dashboard style interface that lets the phone become a glorified alarm clock. It works too. You get a big clock, the weather, access to your music and photos as well as the ability to dim the light so you can sleep. There is also a quick button to the alarm settings. We really like it. It's a neat idea first seen on the BlackBerry Bold and one that is welcomed here. The car mount does a similar thing and loads the navigation interface. It doesn't however go the one step further - like the TomTom for iPhone cradle - and boost the GPS signal, but Google has confirmed to us that it would be possible within Android to do it if a manufacturer wanted to.

Verdict:

It's the question that everyone will ask, so we might as well get it out of the way now - is this an iPhone or HTC Hero killer? And the answer is no.

Where the Droid by Motorola or Motorola Droid, as it will no doubt be known, succeeds is that it offers you a state of the art experience of Android 2.0 on a network that has flawless telephone reception across the country. Against the iPhone, which is a multimedia internet device first and a telephone second, that will be a deal clincher for many.

In tests around New York, a notorious AT&T blackspot, the Droid outperformed the iPhone when it came to network connectivity every time.?Get past the small detail of making phone calls and there are some really nice features here. The docking station, the ease of setup and the sheer list of tech specs make this no slouch.

But there are issues. The QWERTY keyboard isn't that great, no multi-touch in browsing is frustrating, and the Google Maps offering is close but not quite there yet.

In fact the best way to think of this handset is the true sequel to the T-Mobile G1. For some, especially those who don't like the idea of their OS being meddled with (a la the Sense UI) this will be their calling. To others looking for that graphical eye candy you won't get it here.

This is a fantastic phone, but would we personally choose it over the Hero? Not if the Hero, as suggested by HTC, will be getting Android 2.0.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Verizon Google Motorola Droid Android

Droid by Motorola mobile phone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:09:29 +0000

With the message "We're looking forward to November 3rd. We think you should be too", Sony Ericsson has stepped up its teaser campaign for its next handset launch with a new video.

Briefly showing glimpses of the device - thought to be the "Rachael", or Xperia 3 handset, the video asks "What's next?"

The rumour mill has stepped in so far to answer that question with some spy shots and a few murmured specs, but it's not long now before all will be revealed. We will keep you posted.

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Video Rumours

VIDEO: Sony Ericsson issues Rachael teaser for 3 Nov launch originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:46:01 +0000

Nokia has revealed that it is to close the doors on its N-Gage platform next year, in favour of offering all its gaming through its Ovi Store content portal.

Nokia's N-Gage launched as hardware back in 2003 with a "taco-shaped" gaming phone, which although now arguably a cult device, had design flaws which made it ripe for ridicule.

A few years later and Nokia rolled out N-Gage gaming abilities to its higher-end mobiles, with the more recent N81 angled as a gaming phone, making N-Gage into a mobile gaming platform available across a range of handsets.

"We are not releasing any more games on N-Gage, although the store - the ability to buy N-Gage games - will remain open until at least September 2010, and the N-Gage service will run through to the end of 2010", Mark Ollila, director of X-Media solutions, media and games at Nokia, explained to ME.

"The message is that Ovi Store is the place to find and purchase mobile games. It's our one-stop shop for games".

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phone games Nokia N-Gage Ovi Store

Nokia to axe N-Gage originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:36:02 +0000

From the chaps that brought us the iPhone with Cover Flow multi-tasking, Apple's mobile gets Dashboard Widgets in this latest concept.

The clip from Ocean Observations shows one possible way the iPhone could offer Dashboard Widgets as seen in the Mac operating system on desktops and MacBooks.

Hit play to see the vision and meanwhile we'll be sure to keep you posted with all iPhone news - real or imaginary.

Tags: Phones iPhone Mac software Concepts Video Ocean Observations

VIDEO: What if the iPhone had Dashboard Widgets? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:05:22 +0000

LG's accidentally put a website for its forthcoming Android-powered GW620 handset live a little bit early. While we're expecting it to go down imminently, the site is full of latin text but does contain a few videos that demonstrate some of the functionality of the handset.

There's a 5-megapixel camera, full 5-row QWERTY keyboard, 3-inch touchscreen, 3.5mm headphone jack and microUSB port. On the inside, it comes equipped with Android (though not Android 2.0, it appears) with custom UI, a "social networking service manager", and some intriguing facial recognition software.

Check out the video above, complete with social networking butterfly, creepy stalker-owl and awesome QWERTY-toothed monster thing. There's no sign of any pricing or availability info yet, but it's due before the end of the year. We'll keep you posted.

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones LG LG GW620 Android Qwerty Video

VIDEO: LG accidentally unveils GW620 details originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:11:28 +0000

Nokia is planning a fresh attack on the US mobile phone market, teaming up with AT&T on a new Symbian phone, a new report suggests.

The device will be developed along with Snapdragon-maker Qualcomm, who has recently joined the Symbian Foundation board.

Although the news that Nokia and Qualcomm had put past differences aside and are planning "advanced mobile devices" was announced officially in February of this year, adding iPhone operator AT&T into the mix is news.

VentureBeat says it "has heard from sources close to Nokia that the company has ... agreed to launch a phone in the US market with AT&T using a Qualcomm chip".

Back in Feb, Nokia and Qualcomm said the Symbian device they were teaming up on would offer "cutting-edge processing performance and ubiquitous mobile broadband capabilities".

Nokia has a low market share in America of around 5%, a big difference from its 38% share globally, and was caught on film recently trying to persuade consumers to opt for unlocked Nokia handsets in an attempt to up its US success.

?

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Qualcomm AT and T Rumours Symbian Foundation

Nokia and Qualcomm working on new Symbian phone for AT&T originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:24:41 +0000

HTC CEO Peter Chou has confirmed that the company has no plans to launch an Android version of its?HTC HD2?handset.

"Technically, we could make the HD2 an Android phone, but I have to take care of Windows Mobile", Chou told Forbes magazine.

The handset, which has just been?priced in the UK and sports a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, a 1GHz processor, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and a 5.0 Megapixel camera, is expected any day in the UK with Windows 6.5 as the operating system.

"We're working hard on these kinds of products to get excitement about Windows Mobile back", says Chou.

The news is likely to come as a disappointment to the Android fan base hoping to get a big screen touchscreen device from HTC.

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Android HTC Windows Mobile HTC HD2

HTC: No Android HTC HD2 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:51:00 +0000

While Verizon has come clean about the Motorola Droid it's had lurking up its shirt sleeve, there's still the mystery of the HTC Droid Eris to clear up.

We know that Verizon is planning a veritable family of Droid handsets and the Eris, also known as the HTC Desire to its special friends, is tipped to be the next relative to market.

There's been whispers of low-end spec and a pocket-friendly price point of around $99, but now an image of the Hero-esque device has emerged over on PhoneArena.com.

The snap - from a tipster - comes in with the info that the Android device will get Wi-Fi and a 5-megapixel camera, but none of the slim-line slider looks of the Droid by Motorola.

If that wasn't enough to entice, HTC CEO is on record saying:

?"We've worked with Verizon for several years, but this is the first time we've been elevated to the role of core supplier", he says. "We are very excited about that opportunity".

The comment came in a recent interview with Forbes where it reports the?"company will introduce an Android phone on Verizon later this year, Chou confirmed. He says the handset, which will likely debut in the first week of November, is a sign of HTC's growing rapport with Verizon, the largest U.S. wireless operator.

?

Read

Related links:

• and via - Forbes

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC Android Verizon Motorola Droid Rumours

HTC Droid Eris gets a little bit more leaked originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:55:05 +0000

INQ caused something of a wave when it dropped its INQ1 handset into the mobile phone pond last year. Taking an approach that focused on software, the INQ1 was one of the first devices to offer out-of-the-box access to social networks and online services, fitting closely with 3's move towards offering the likes of Skype on their handsets.

The mobile phone world has changed significantly in the last 6 months and some might credit INQ for ushering in this change: we now have the likes of Motorola's Motoblur and HTC's Sense UI picking up your social networks and delivering an enhanced connected experience, but at a much higher price than INQ.

The INQ Mini itself is a compact candybar handset, measuring 102.9 x 45.8 x 12.8mm, small enough to slip into any pocket and at 128g, it is pretty light too. At first glance it looks like a number of entry-level devices from the likes of Sony Ericsson or Nokia, with a 12-key keypad, a central bad on control keys and a 2.2-inch display above. The display is 240 x 320 pixels, a typical resolution for entry-level devices.

Buttons are kept to a minimum around the body: on the right-hand side you'll find a camera button and a shortcut button that will take you to the Switcher banner, containing instant access to apps or websites. A volume rocker sits on the left-hand side.

The top of the devices sees the Mini-USB connection next to a small catch to release the back cover, which comes in red, but can be swapped out for a number of other colour options available separately. Ominously missing here is a 3.5mm jack, so you'll be left using the bundled headset unless you go for a Bluetooth option.

The bundled headset is of the hard plastic earbud variety which doesn't do your music justice. We've questioned many manufacturer's decisions in the past to omit a standard headphone jack, and with the INQ Mini pitching straight to the youth market, it seems almost criminal here.

Around the back of the phone is a 2.0-megapixel camera, which is an average performer and nothing more. It is fine for candid shots and sharing on the phone, but lacks the quality for prints. Images lack detail, the colour is poor and fringing is abundant around high contrast areas. Video capture is also offered, at a miserable 176 x 144px at 10fps, which is fine for sharing on a phone, but lacks the quality these days for much else. Also sitting on the back is the external speaker, which is relatively good considering its size.

The keyboard itself is positive enough in use, although the tactile finish wasn't to our taste. It doesn't feel nice under your fingertips and is reminiscent of running your fingernails down a chalkboard, for those old enough to remember what a chalkboard is. For the most part it doesn't matter, but the placement of the two keys beneath the screen is too cramped, especially when you are frequently using these to selection on-screen options.

INQ could have given more space over to the controls if they shrunk the logo'd "ok" button in the centre of the four-way controller.

Based on the Brew OS, the INQ Mini 3G is really all about the interface. It doesn’t have the same luscious visuals as some of the latest releases, but that is partly due to the lower resolution screen and the need to keep the cost down.

Out of the box you have access to Twitter, Facebook, Skype and Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger, which for many will cover their major social networking bases. You also get the Gmail app, which runs reasonably well, and also provides access to your Google Contacts. The INQ Mini doesn't ask you to integrate your Google Contacts from the off, but you can then call people using your Google Contacts via the app if you wish.

Missing Google Contacts is a shame as it is a simple way to get all your contacts from one central place like you do on rival services. So to get a truly centralised Contacts book in the INQ you'll need to bring in your numbers, then make the connections with other networks, merging contacts into one form. From Contacts you can dive over to a Facebook profile or call via Skype or just use regular messaging.

The clever thing is being able to send Facebook messages direct from contacts as you would a text message, which for heavy Facebook users will save plenty of time. Equally, you'll get access to received Facebook messages via Messages. Messages pulls together your various communications nicely, without having to rely on the different apps.

The menu system is interestingly designed, giving you a nice bright look and feel. It can sometimes be a little sluggish, refusing to respond to button presses, which reconfirms the budget status of the phone.

Dive into the menu and all the usual suspects are here, so you get access to your applications (most of which you'll probably access through the shortcut Switcher), but you'll also find access to music, photos, videos, etc. Sadly there is no radio.

You'll want to take advantage of the microSD card slot hiding under the back cover to expand on the minimal internal memory, especially if you are looking to carry around any quantity of music.

Getting content on to your phone is a breeze too, thanks to some thoughtful inclusions on the INQ. Connect the phone to your PC and options open up allowing you to use your INQ Mini as a 3G modem for your PC on the move, sync, transfer files or use DoubleTwist to manage your media. Mac users are also catered for, which is a rare thing indeed.

You can also customise the homepage with a number of widgets, so you can have weather, or a Google or Yahoo search right from the off, without having to dive into the browser. The browser experience isn't great, constrained by the size of the screen and although it renders full web pages, it is slow to do so, preferring mobile versions instead.

In terms of hardware, as the name suggests this is a 3G device, giving you HSDPA connectivity, but you don't get any backup for that: there is no Wi-Fi to continue your browsing without drawing on the mobile phone connection. There is no GPS either, although Google Maps is included, offering triangulation location and easy map searches.

Battery life in practise is reasonable, although if you make a lot of calls you'll find the battery might not last you the day. We found that standby was better and we got a couple of days from it before we needed to be charging again.

Verdict:

There are things we don't like about the INQ Mini 3G when you stack it up against what larger devices are doing, but then when you compare it to some of the current offerings outside the "smartphone" category, it copes very well indeed.

Sure, you don't get all the hardware specs, but we like the OS and the way it integrates aspects of your digital life in an innovative way. It's becoming more common, but stacked against rival Symbian S40 devices, it's a breath of fresh air. We mention S40 devices because the INQ Mini 3G also comes in as good value for money: the handset is free on a ?15 a month tariff from 3, or ?59.99 on pay as you go.

For those who want a compact and affordable phone, which offers the integration of the major social networks, then the INQ Mini 3G is well worth a look. But do try the keyboard as we found this the most annoying aspect of the device.

Related links:

• Photos - INQ Mini 3G and INQ Chat 3G

Tags: Phones Mobile phones INQ Mini 3G Inq

INQ Mini 3G mobile phone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:24:37 +0000

The BBC has announced it has made a deal with Stitcher.com to make its BBC World Service content available to users of the mobile phone-based application across the globe.

As many of you will know, Stitcher is a free mobile phone "Smart Radio" app, available on a number of handsets, including the iPhone, the Palm Pre and BlackBerrys.

The BBC World Service programming joins a wide range of audio content available including news, sport, talk and entertainment which is streamed on-demand.

BBC World Service will "provide a selection of English language podcasts, with programming such as Global News, Digital Planet, Global Arts & Entertainment and Africa Today", says the corporation.

Tags: Audio Media streaming Internet radio Stitcher BBC BBC World Service Mobile phone apps BlackBerry iPhone Podcasts iPhone apps Phones

BBC World Service content available on Stitcher app originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:58:50 +0000

The New Yorker's front cover for its latest issue will show an illustration of parents accompanying kids as they trick or treat on the street.?

The interesting element though, isn't the illustration style or the recording of something millions of families do at Hallowe'en, it is the fact that while the children ask at the doors of houses for sweets, the adults are buried in their phones.?

The latest edition of the New Yorker will be out on the 2 November, with no hint as to what the cover story will be about.

But it's a good question? Will this be you at the weekend? Let us know in the comments

?

Read

Related links:

• Via - Twitter

Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone Android

Phone addicts at Hallowe'en: Is this what we have become? originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:57:39 +0000

The mysterious, unnamed Asian company that saved Polymer Vision from closing completely after in went bankrupt earlier this year has been named as Taiwanese ODM Wistron.

Polymer Vision was closed down by its Dutch parent company for financial reasons, back in July.

The company's consumer offering that never made it to market was the Readius, a fully-functioning 3G mobile phone with a 13cm fold-out black and white E-Ink-type display for reading documents, newspapers, books, etc.

DigiTimes now reveals that Wistron's board of directors has officially approved the company's 12 million euro acquisition of Polymer Vision.

The Polymer Vision team have stated they will "continue to focus on research and development of rollable display with the goal of taking the technology to mass production", but it's unclear whether the Readius itself will survive.

Read

Tags: Phones Wistron Polymer Vision Acquisitions Biz eBook readers

Wistron named as Polymer Vision purchaser originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:34:26 +0000

3 has announced it is very soon to offer the Sony Ericsson Satio, the first 12-megapixel camera phone on sale in the UK.

Available on both contract and on a pay as you go basis, cost-concious consumers will be happy to note that 3 is under cutting Vodafone's pricing for the new phone.

While Vodafone is offering the Satio free on ?35 per month, 2-year contracts, 3 customers can get the handset for free by signing up to a ?30 per month tariff for 18 months.

3's Mix and Match contract comes with 300 minutes or texts, 300 3-to-3 calls, free voicemail, free Skype-to-Skype calls and Windows Live Messenger. Unlimited internet and email access costs an extra ?5 a month.

For those that would rather nab the new handset without a contract, they'll need to shell out ?399.99.
?
The Sony Ericsson Satio will be available from 3 from the 30 October.?

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson 3 Vodafone Tariffs

3 to offer Sony Ericsson Satio originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:14:05 +0000

It may have been all about the thunder before it became the Storm series, but that hasn't stopped RIM looking to the lightening for its new Storm 2 advertising campaign.

Focusing on the addition of Wi-Fi, the more responsive screen and hundreds of apps, the advert promises "the perfect Storm" this time round for the revamped model.

The Storm 2 is available on Vodafone in the UK and Verizon in the US - hit play to see the new advert now.

?

?

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry RIM Advertising Video Storm 2

VIDEO: BlackBerry Storm 2 ad promises "the perfect Storm" originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:47:32 +0000

As expected, Nokia has released a new Nokia N97 software update, version 2.0 that claims to add "new user experience elements and functionalities to the device".

The standard version of the update is available now, via user's PCs at www.nokia.com/softwareupdate, and will be followed by a range of country and operator versions over the coming weeks, as well, Nokia says, as the possibility to do the update over-the-air. ?

The 2.0 software update adds "flip scrolling", shortcuts to personalised homescreen, Ovi Maps 3.1 with 3D maps, Nokia e-mail, Ovi Contacts and the Ovi Store.
?
While N97 users are busy trying to update their handsets, the Nokia N97 mini makes its debut in stores, priced at ?429.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia N97 Nokia N97 Mini Software updates

Nokia N97 gets update as N97 Mini goes on sale originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:36:34 +0000

The Wildcharge comes in the form of a slim black pad with silver conductive strips running along its surface and can either be picked up by itself or bundled with an optional adaptor depending on which device you’re primarily looking to use with it.

Skins are available for the Apple iPhone/touch and Blackberry Curve/Pearl and a range of additional adaptors are available for various other devices, along with a "PowerDisc" multi-adaptor solution that includes Mini- and Micro-USB along with attachments for most popular mobile phones.

You’ll need one of these skins/adaptors before you can use the Wildcharge, since there still needs to be a bridge between the power supplied by the pad and the power port on a handheld. In essence then, this is not so much a truly "wireless" charger as a way to bypass a simple cable.

With this in mind we can see the compartmentalised solutions on offer to Apple and BlackBerry owners as being far more appealing than connecting using a multi-adapter, and even though you can charge multiple devices at once using the pad we wonder how eager people will be to shell out for the necessary hardware in order to avoid plugging a phone in at the wall.

Setup and operation is very straightforward however, and a phone or other gadget is charged in the same way as it would be conventionally, and in about the same time. It really is as easy as placing a device down on the mat if you’re using a skin-solution, though the PowerDisc does involve fishing out the right adaptor and plugging this in manually.

The Wildcharge pad itself comes in at just under ?50, a multi-charger will set you back ?14.99 and dedicated "skins" start at ?22.99, though bundles are available for a significant saving. Still, it’ll be a simple assessment of cost versus benefit for most consumers and while gadget aficionados will no doubt laud the convenience of the WildCharge we’d question its appeal to the mass-market in its current guise.

Verdict:

The Wildcharge works well in an optimum environment and to an extent does what it says on the tin. There are conditions however, such as the fact that you have to employ a dedicated skin for Apple and BlackBerry devices or plugging a gadget in manually using a multi-charger, which kind of defeats the point. Those willing to shell out for what is ultimately a mild convenience should enjoy the benefits, but we can’t see it taking off quite yet.

?

Tags: Gadgets Wildcharge Chargers Wireless Phones BlackBerry iPhone Phone chargers

Wildcharge wireless charger originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:34:40 +0000

The?HTC HD2,?the company's Windows Mobile 6.5 handset, might have already had an operator free price detailed by an?over zealous online retailer, but now it seems it's got a contract price for those waiting to grab it with their grubby mitts.

Mobiles.co.uk is the culprit, this time offering the handset to Windows Mobile fans on O2 starting at ?25 a month if you're happy to part with ?184.98 upfront.

Those looking for a cheaper way in can opt for a ?35, 18-month contract for which you'll get 600 of the operators finest minutes.

As is the way in the UK, those looking for a free handset need to sign away 2 years with the handset and ?40 a month.

No word on an availability date but the handset that sports a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, a 1GHz processor, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and a 5.0 Megapixel camera is expected any day.

?

Related links:

• Via - electricpig

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC HTC HD2

HTC HD2 priced in UK originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:12:34 +0000

HTC?has confirmed that it will be bringing Android 2.0 to the HTC Hero.

"The rumors are true! Hero will be getting an Eclair update. We ask for your patience as we update Sense for the fancy new Android OS", the company said via its official Twitter feed.

No deadline was given as to when the handset maker will release the update, or whether it will be coming to other handsets like the G1, G2, Magic or Tattoo, but presumably it's a matter of implanting the Sense UI into the OS.

HTC is expected to announce?a new handset?next week under the Droid family banner from Verizon, however comments from Verizon suggest this won't be an Android 2.0 sporting device.

We will keep you posted.

UPDATE: There are unconfirmed rumours that in the meantime, the HTC Hero won't be getting the Donut 1.6 update. Our approaches to HTC on the subject were met with a refusal to comment.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Android HTC Google HTC Hero

Android 2.0 HTC Hero Inbound originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:39:37 +0000

Verizon?has confirmed that the?Droid?name will become a family of handsets with multiple phones from different manufactures, rather than just the single offering from?Motorola.

The news, clarifies rumours on the Internet that the Verizon Motorola Droid isn’t just a single standalone product.

"We do plan to bring other handsets to the Droid brand," a spokesman for Verizon confirmed to Pocket-lint at the launch event in New York city.

The Motorola Droid will, according to one of our contacts in the company, be the flagship model with Verizon pushing hard to promote the handset for the "Holidays" in the US.

But those worried about the $200 price and suggested $80 a month price plan shouldn't be:

"They won't all offer Android 2.0", our man says.

That comment will no doubt add fuel to the rumour that a second handset will be announced in the next couple of weeks from HTC, perhaps a US version of the?HTC Tattoo?

Not as much fuel, however, as whispers at the event hinting at a 5 November event for a second as yet unannounced handset.

We will keep you posted.

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola HTC Verizon Motorola Droid

Verizon: Droid becomes a family, other handsets coming originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:04:39 +0000

Google has said that it has no plans at present to offer?Google Maps Navigation?on other platforms like the iPhone?or BlackBerry?handsets for the time being, but hinted that might not always be the case.

"It's currently only available for the Android 2.0 OS," Michael Siliski, product manger for Google Maps?told Pocket-lint, however when pushed further did confirm that the iPhone 3GS would have the graphics power and OpenGL support to offer the software, perhaps suggesting an updated app could be in the works.

The new offering, called Google Maps Navigation, aims to take on GPS offerings from TomTom and Garmin by offering a fully functional GPS device in your phone. Users will be able to speak their directions to the handset rather than having to type them in and access maps and Points of Interest via the "cloud", suggesting mapping updates and new features needed to be downloaded will be a thing of the past.

With an Android 2.0 requirement, that currently limits the new service to the Verizon Droid handset, launching on 6 November in the US, is perhaps another reason why the Google Maps Navigation is US only for the time being.

We will keep you posted.

?

Tags: Car And GPS Phones Google Google Maps Navigation GPS GPS software iPhone iPhone 3GS BlackBerry Motorola Droid

Google Maps Navigation "could" run on iPhone 3GS originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:37:06 +0000

Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0 will not just be setting the cat amongst the pigeons but is probably more akin to handing a rocket launcher to our feline friend as well. From demonstration, the turn by turn satnav system has got several advantages over traditional PND devices from the off but if you need convincing, hereare five reasons why you might want to try it and a few just to make you think again.

More accurate maps

One of the problems with satnav devices is that they often rely on outmoded maps usually either supplied by Tele Atlas or Navteq. The trouble is that, not only are these maps slightly inaccurate on purpose, but roads change quite frequently and theses companies can only send round cars to check once every 18 months or so. Recently Google started crowd sourcing corrections much as the OpenStreepMap project does, which means that the internet giant's atlas is going to be more accurate than on any other navigational device. Perhaps it's only a relatively small amount, but take into consideration the updates to way points and business addresses too and it becomes more important. Nothing more frustrating than to drive all the way to a museum to find it's closed or not even there any more.

Superior search

You don't have to just search for a destination or address but you've got the whole of Google's database to rely on for finding a place you want, and you're not going to find one on any PND as good as that. It's up to date and comprehensive and it'll even search specifically places along the corridor of your route. While most satnavs have a set number of way-points, this system will find you just about anything. If you're looking for a spanner on the way to fix your girlfriend's car, then it'll take you via the appropriate hardware store with just the one you need. Scarily, it's probably the ultimate on the move tool for stalkers for the same reasons too.

Voice Control

This is one of those areas that you really need to have tried out before we know whether it's a boon or not but, potentially, a voice activated satnav is a lot easier and a lot safer while drivers are supposed to be keeping their eyes on the road. You can use it just as you would a Google search and demand the same parameters, even if they're fairly vague - eg: cinema in East London that shows art house films. It'll then direct you to Rich Mix or Rio or any suggestion for the theatre you're after. Naturally, traffic noises, the radio, kids in the back or a poor mic on your handset could completely scupper this one but it's a nice idea. It did also seem to take the phone a little while to register in the demo video but at least it cuts down on finger work for long search enquiries.

More views

While traditional hardware satnavs recently added 3D views to their maps and a few landmarks too, these have only ever been in place for a limited number of roads and cities. GMN can offer a complete set of satellite maps with which you can zoom in to road level detail plus there's also Street View for a few parts of the world to offer drivers an exact picture of what the upcoming junction may look like. You might not use it all the time but that's one feature you just can't compete with.

Live traffic integration

We were calling for this one for years before the satnav companies finally linked up the traffic reports with route guidance to give us now, not only the shortest journey from A to B but also the fastest as well. The trick here for Google is the way they've shown it on the UI and the fact that it comes at no extra cost as well. The traffic view mode highlights sections of your route in either green, yellow or red depending on how heavy going the conditions are. If you're not happy with what you see, you can get the software to re-route for you.

It's free!

There's probably quite a bit of egg being wiped off TomTom's faces right now and, if there isn't, it's because the company must be too busy worrying just how it's going to convince consumers to pay the ?59 for the mobile app when it launches on Android. It might also tempt a few potential iPhone users away from the platform, but then we all know that that Apple logo doesn't come cheap. The fact is that whatever satnav hardware or other navigation mobile software manufacturers can offer - which is probably going to be a lot less than this Google package anyway - it's going to be next to impossible to beat them on price, and, as a race of thoroughbred cheapskates, that means a lot.

So, Google seems to be right on the money with this but it's not all roses. There could be a few problems with the software's implementation and practical use in the field. Most of them are centred around the age old issue of the software they can account for, but over the hardware that runs it, Google has a lot less control.

Sucks up battery

If you're using GMN on your Android phone then it's going to tear through the battery, which is massive issue as smartphones get smarter anyway. You'll have to find an adaptor for your 12V car socket or you can kiss goodbye to complete route guidance, let alone a day of actual phone use. This, of course, isn't so much of a problem with a traditional satnav. You're not going to need one of them to make a phone call after you get out of the car.

Small Screen

The very smallest satnavs have got 3-inch displays and many people prefer something around 5 inches for a decent route guider. There's not a lot of phones out there with that kind of pixel power and it's really a tablet that you're going to need to offer that kind of size.

Touchscreen trouble

The whole system is going to rely on a decent interface. Google can take care of one end but there's nothing more frustrating than a satnav with a dead touchscreen. This is not the kind of thing that'll make the GMN experience a joy. Pick the wrong phone and you might never use the service again. The same is true of the microphoneto to a lesser extent, but that would only affect the voice control feature.

Less of a navigational pedigree

Now, it might be that Google gets it bang on but TomTom, Navman and co have been practicing with their market for many years. There are touches in their systems like fuel counting and economy settings that don't appear to be part of GMN as it stands. Until we get a good look at the system, we're not going to know what else might have been missed out. Also, as far as commercial organisations go, it's a lot cheaper to buy their drivers PNDs than it is to fork out for Android handsets and educate their employees on how to use them.

?

?

?

?

?

Related links:

• News - Google to add free turn-by-turn navigation functionality to Maps on Android 2.0 phones

Tags: Phones Android Google Google Maps GPS software GPS Software Android 2.0 Street View Video Google Maps Navigation

Six serious reasons why Google Maps Navigation is pure win... originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:54:47 +0000

Further to the news we brought you of Verizon's official unveiling of the Droid by Motorola, we now have a hands-on gallery of real-life pics to share with you, straight from its New York debut.

The slim QWERTY slider will be the first Android 2.0 device to launch when it hits Verizon shop shelves on 6 November. The US operator is offering the new phone for $199 on new 2-year agreements.

While there's no news yet of a UK launch, US consumers can look forward to multi-tasking, Google Maps Navigation, 5-megapixel camera with video, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, Google Talk, as many Android Market apps as you can wiggle the accelerometer at, up to 32GB microSD memory and that glossy 3.7-inch high-res touchscreen display.

The Droid will be offered along with an optional extra multimedia dock that will transform the phone into an alarm clock, movie player or digital picture frame, a clever idea considering how many people already use their mobiles for the first function on a daily basis.

There is also a car dock as well that mounts to your windscreen with a chip in it that automatically launches a navigation menu.?

Oh and that gold colouring - it's called "Brown sugar" - sweet.

?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Motorola Droid Verizon Photos Android 2.0

PHOTOS: Droid by Motorola originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:54:46 +0000

...3G, QWERTY keyboard, multi-tasking abilities, a 5-megapixel camera with video, voice-activated search, 3.7-inch high res widescreen, touchscreen display, Android 2.0, Google Maps Navigation, Wi-Fi, aGPS, Android Market, customisable homescreens, accelerometer, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, 3.5mm headset jack, USB 2.0, visual voicemail, expandable 16GB memory card, Flash 10 ready HTML5 browser, Gmail (plus others), Exchange support and Amazon MP3, Google Talk and YouTube preloaded...

Some might say this thing will sell itself, but just to be on the safe side Verizon is offering a 5-minute promo. Hit play now to see the Droid in real life.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Motorola Droid Verizon Video

VIDEO: Verizon intros the Motorola Droid on film originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:29 +0000

Verizon has officially announced the teased and leaked Motorola Droid - or as it's officially dubbed "Droid by Motorola" - in the US with a launch date in early November and a $200 price tag to those happy to sign away 2 years of their mobile life.

And happy they might well be as the Android 2.0 device, complete with Google's new Maps Navigation, looks like a pretty capable gadget offering 3G speeds, slide-out QWERTY keyboard yet skinny dimensions, multi-tasking abilities, a 5-megapixel camera with video, voice-activated search and a 3.7-inch high-res widescreen, capacitive touch display.

Due to be the first Android 2.0 device to hit the market, the Droid gets Wi-Fi, A-GPS, Android Market, customisable homescreens, accelerometer, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, 3.5mm headset jack, USB 2.0, visual voicemail, expandable 16GB memory card, Flash 10 ready HTML5 browser, Gmail (plus others), Exchange support and Amazon MP3, Google Talk and YouTube preloaded.

Droid by Motorola will be available in the United States exclusively at Verizon from Friday 6 November for $199.99 with a new 2-year customer agreement after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Motorola will also be offering a multimedia docking station to "transform" the Droid into an alarm clock, movie player or digital picture frame. An in-car mount will also be available.

Pocket-lint got in touch with Motorola in the UK to see when we can expect to be able to do the robot with this new device, but have received a statement that gives nothing away. It reads as follows:

"We've not yet announced availability of this device in other markets, but look forward to continuing to expand our Android-based portfolio around the world".

?

Related links:

• Photos - Hands on gallery

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Verizon Motorola Droid Android Google Android 2.0

Verizon officially announces Motorola Droid originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:40:33 +0000

Intel is to launch its Moorestown Atom platform for MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices) sometime early next year and we got a sneak peak at an upcoming device from Taiwanese OEM Wistron.

The un-named device was on display at the Ericsson booth at the Taiwan Broadband show and the reason for this is simple, Intel is co-operating with Ericsson to bring HSDPA data modules to Moorestown based MIDs.

Although the device on display was only a mock-up, it filled us with a lot more confidence in Atom-based MIDs as a whole, as so far most of them have been anything but impressive. It offers a very large widescreen display and the overall design is very similar to the recently launched BL40 Chocolate from LG.

With the beefed up hardware comparable to most smartphones, the Wistron MID should appeal to those that want a pocketable computer, as it’s slim enough to fit in most jacket pockets at least. It offers a USB port, a microSD card slot and interestingly a micro HDMI port which allows it to be connected to external displays.

It also has a 5-megapixel camera, a top mounted headset jack, Bluetooth, presumably Wi-Fi and of course HSDPA data connectivity. Judging by the design, Wistron has added phone functionality, as there’s what appears to be an earpiece at the top of the device and at the bottom are a pair of buttons for initiating and ending calls.

It’s too early to draw any conclusions, but it looks like next year might very well bring some very interesting MIDs for those that are looking for something a bit more powerful than a smartphone, but don’t want the bulk of carrying around a netbook.

?

Tags: Hardware MIDs Wistron Intel Moorestown Phones Ericsson

Moorestown-based MID from Wistron shown off originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:21:45 +0000

Google has just thrown somewhat of a spanner in the works for satnav hardware and software companies as it has revealed it is to offer free turn-by-turn navigation functionality to its Maps product that will be offered in Android 2.0 devices.

"Maps Navigation" will debut in beta by default on all Android 2.0 devices and appears to offer a comprehensive satnav service that integrates Google's two very popular products, satellite and Street View, which could be used for the likes of lane guidance.

Hit play on the video above from Engadget that sees a Google product manager giving an overview of the potentially disruptive new service and we'll bring you more on this breaking news as we have it.

Read

Related links:

• Feature - Six serious reasons why Google Maps Navigation is pure win...

Tags: Phones Android Google Google Maps GPS software GPS Software Android 2.0 Street View Video

Google to add free turn-by-turn navigation functionality to Maps on Android 2.0 phones originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:35:06 +0000

Today's tech deal brings you word of an offer from Camera Phone Zone. These good folk are throwing in a half price compact photo printer with selected touch screen camera phones.

The photo printer itself comes in the form of the HP Photosmart A526, which produces 6 x 4 "high quality" borderless prints from a variety of memory cards, and has a 2.4-inch colour LCD screen.

This printer will be available for ?29.99 when bought with the following camera phones:

Samsung Genio Touch, 2-Megapixel: ?73.40 RRP

LG KS360, 2-Megapixel: ?73.40 RRP

Samsung Tocco Lite, 3-Megapixel: ?97.87 RRP

LG Viewty Lite Silver, 5-Megapixel: ?97.87 RRP

Follow the link to the Camera Phone Zone website for full details and we'll have another tech deal for you tomorrow.

?

Tags: Phones Printers Photo printers HP HP Photosmart A526 Camera Phone Zone Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Half price HP photo printer at Camera Phone Zone originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

An Apple fanboy has hit back at Verizon's Droid Does teaser campaign, created to promote the soon to be officially revealed Motorola Droid handset by bashing the iPhone, with a home-made 'iDon't care" response.

The video, that's currently racked up over 100,000 views on YouTube, states "iDon't need a droid... unless it's R2D2", before ending "iCame first" in reference to the iPhone.

Hit play to see the clip in full, and we'll be sure to bring you all the Motorola Droid - as well as Apple iPhone - news as it happens.

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Verizon Advertising Video Apple iPhone Motorola Droid

VIDEO: Apple fanboy hits back with "iDon't care" clip originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:37:57 +0000

So you've got an iPhone?(who hasn't) and you know that it's probably the worst device on the planet for actually lasting longer than a couple of hours without needing a charge.

In steps the Griffin Simplifi, an iPhone/iPod docking station that is designed for your desk rather than your night stand, the principle aim being to keep your Apple created device powered.

We say principle aim, because the Simplifi has more to it than just charging your favourite phone or MP3 player. Closer inspection actually reveals that the Simplifi is about "de-cluttering" your desk, well at least that's what the box says, so what is it exactly?

Put simply (get it) the Simplfi is a memory card reader, USB hub and iPod/iPhone docking station in one.

The square light grey solid lump of anodized aluminium and plastic sports two memory card slots at the front that support CompactFlash, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, SD, and xD formats. Around the back you get two USB ports as well as a power-in so those two USB ports can in turn power devices like portable hard drives or keyboards without complaining.

The top of that lump sports the iPhone/iPod dock and there are, as you would expect a series of different "cups" to fit the device you have.

As you might imagine there isn't much to the operation of the Simplifi. Power is provided via the included power adapter, while PC or Mac connectivity is via the included USB cable. ?

Memory cards are automatically accepted once you connect them and the same goes for the iPhone/iPod too. Transfer speeds are based on your memory card capabilities, but they will be fast enough for most.

Grumbles? It would have been nice to have included a USB socket around the front, and just two seems a bit stingy. The design would have allowed, albeit a bit cramped, more sockets to make this a "Real" hub of merit.?

?

Verdict:

If you are short of space on your desk, need a memory card reader for your camera and looking to expand your USB options (the MacBook and MacBook Pro only come with two remember), this is as good a solution as any.

This is Griffin doing what they do best, creating simple and easy to use products that don't necessarily break the mould, but just work.?

We just wish there were more USB sockets.

Tags: Audio iPod docks iPod accessories iPhone Phones Griffin Griffin Simplifi Memory card readers

Griffin Simplifi dock originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:30:00 +0000

Eyemags has announced that it's launching new functionality that'll allow users to "install" its pages onto their iPhones and iPod touches. The app will let users save pages from the Eyemags mobile website onto their homescreens, like they were applications, and then access that content even when offline.

Those applications can be built by a web developer and can include HTML5 standards. Eyemags is saying that this allows developers to bypass Apple's lengthy approvals process if they're just building simple applications, billing it as "the peoples' app store".

It's free to create apps at the time of writing, but from 16 November a charge will be levied on publishers. A larger charge can also be applied if you want your app to be built into a more traditional "native" iPhone application. To see Eyemags pages in action, try going to?http://eyemags.com/23 on your iPhone browser, or hit play on the video above.

Read

Tags: Phones Online Websites EyeMags iPhone apps Video

VIDEO: EyeMags launches iPhone functionality originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:13:57 +0000

Phones and the world of fashion are meeting on an increasingly regular basis. It seems female fashion brand Roxy are the latest to enter the mobile phone market.

The "Roxy phone" is a Sagem-made device and offers acceptable specs of HSDPA, a 3.2-megapixel camera with flash, a 2.4-inch QVGA display, media player, FM radio, microSD card reader, Bluetooth and Windows Live Messenger.

Currently on sale in France, there's no news yet of a UK launch, but we'll be sure to let you know if one is planned.

Read

Related links:

• Link - Roxy

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Roxy Sagem Quiksilver

Roxy phone spotted originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:53:36 +0000