Further to our reports several days ago that the Motorola Milestone - formerly known as the Droid - would be arriving on 7 December, it's been confirmed that online retailer eXpansys will get an exclusive on the phone until the end of the year.

Previously, retailers Clove and Super eTrader were listing the handset as available for preorder, but Clove has now taken its page for the device offline, suggesting this represents a last-minute deal that eXpansys has made with Motorola. Super eTrader's page for the handset remains online, claiming "stock due 7 December".

eXpansys has bumped up the price for the handset - Super eTrader was offering it for ?425, and Clove had the handset for ?401, but eXpansys is charging a whopping- ?450. Delivery costs an additional ?6.61. It's being offered SIM-free and unlocked, and the exclusivity means that it won't be available bundled with a contract until early in the new year.

We've already posted a full review of the US variant of the handset, which is identical in everything but name. We rated it 9/10, praising the docking station, the ease of setup and the sheer list of tech specs. Stay tuned for more info on network deals, which we'll reveal as soon as we get them.

UPDATE: Treeman has pointed out in the comments that if you put the handset into the basket, you get the option of an 18-month ?35/m T-Mobile contract. The phone itself costs ?50 if you do things that way. We're trying to get in touch with T-Mobile to find out whether this deal will be offered on its site too.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Android Motorola Milestone Motorola Droid

Motorola Milestone exclusive to Expansys originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:23:11 +0000

Following the news we brought you earlier of the UK discounts Apple is offering, the company's American deals have now been revealed.

The discounts are part of the "Black Friday" tradition in the States, where retailers mark the start of the Christmas shopping season after Thanksgiving by offering sales.

Those shopping at the Apple store in the States today can get $101 off an iMac and $101 off a MacBook Pro while the Magic Mouse sees a $5 reduction.

Other price cuts in the one-day-only spectacular see $11 off an iPod nano, $41 off an iPod touch, $21 off Apple TV and $21 off a 1TB Time Capsule.

In the UK the discounts are roughly in line with the American offers - although we're only offered ?11 off an iPod touch.

Tags: Hardware Audio Phones Apple shopping

Apple's American Black Friday deals revealed originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:32:53 +0000

3, that does not offer Apple's iPhone, has announced it is to bundle its wireless connectivity MiFi device with the iPod touch on a pay monthly tariff.

3's MiFi gadget will connect the 'pod to the Internet to browse websites, download music and apps or send emails while you're out and about.

"The iPod touch offers a really great browsing experience, but as with so many devices with Wi-Fi capabilities, the internet function rarely gets used because hotspots are so hard to come by", Charlotte Blanchard, director of products and services at 3, said.

"Now with MiFi on 3, iPod touch users can get wireless internet whenever they want on the network that's designed and built for the mobile internet".

Pricing for the MiFi and the iPod touch comes in at ?23 a month for a 2-year contract. The tariff offers 5GB of internet access, which 3 says is good for 72 hours of browsing, 800 songs and 400 applications.

Tags: Gadgets Audio Phones 3 MiFi iPod Touch Apple Tariffs

3 offers MiFi and iPod touch contract bundles originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:23:54 +0000

Following the news that the Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U have yanked the Sony Ericsson Satio for "issues", a second Sony Ericsson handset, the Satio's "Aino" stable-mate is also reported to be experiencing problems.

A number of Aino users are said to have had problems with the new high-end touchscreen device's screen, with a "small number of customers in Britain" said to be affected.

"Obviously we are working as quickly as possible to solve it", a Sony Ericsson spokesperson told Reuters.

As to how this development - following so closely after the Satio problems, could harm Christmas sales and consumer confidence in the Sony Ericsson brand - the phone manufacturer seems confident:

"At the moment, we don't see any damage or harm done", the company spokesperson said. "It is a contained issue affecting only a small number of consumers".

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson Aino Product recalls

Sony Ericsson Aino suffering from touchscreen issues originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:17:59 +0000

Google-owned AdMob has revealed that the Apple iPhone is far and away the biggest player in the world's mobile internet market, if October's online activity is considered.

AdMob has released its statistics for October that look at how many "requests" each of the major mobile phone operating systems made. Apple's iPhone, with full fat Safari browsers and data bundles in many countries, dominates in the smartphone market.

During October, in terms of global smartphone traffic, the iPhone weighs in at 50%. In the States, the figure rises to 55% (with HTC second at 22%), while here in the UK the iPhone commands a whopping 74% of all smartphone traffic.

In the UK, the next biggest player is Nokia, at 10%, lagging an astonishing 64% behind the market leader. HTC, also at 10% follows with Android nabbing the same percentile as far as OSes go.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry AdMob Statistics iPhone Online Apple Nokia Biz

iPhone accounts for three quarters of mobile internet use in the UK originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:55:22 +0000

Spotify's new Symbian app gets a video demo here with a quick look at the features the mobile phone application will offer.?

To get Spotify's Symbian application, users must be paid-up premium subscribers. They can then either download it directly to their phones by visiting m.spotify.com through their mobile web browser, or by entering their phone number on the new Symbian information page to receive instructions via an SMS.

Hit play to see the walk-through now and we'll keep you posted with all things Spotify.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Spotify Symbian Video Nokia

VIDEO: Spotify's Symbian app shown off originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:46:25 +0000

Nokia has announced that its latest music handset, the X6, is now shipping in some markets. The company is calling the handset, which comes bundled with the Comes with Music package, an "all-you-can-eat music powerhouse".

As previously reported, the phone has 32GB of onboard memory, supports all "main" digital music formats, sports a 3.2-inch touchscreen display and has a 5-megapixel camera. It comes bundled with three games too, Spore, Asphalt4 and DJ Mix Tour.

If you want to get your hands on one, then it'll cost 450 euros before taxes. That means it'll be about ??470 in the UK when VAT is added. It's available from the Nokia Online Store, but only if you live in Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East and Africa where the device is being initially made available.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia X6 Comes with music

Nokia X6 is now shipping originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:53:55 +0000

Remember the iPhone worm that spread an all-singing, all-dancing Rick Astley across jailbroken handsets? Well, the creator of the Ikee worm, as it's called, has been offered a job as an iPhone application developer by a company called Mogeneration.

The Australian 21-year-old, Ashley Towns, revealed the news on his Twitter feed, saying: "yey, i got the job! i'm now an iPhone application developer!". Mogeneration have a number of apps, including Lingopal, Xumii and Moo Shake!

Despite infecting approximately 100 phones with his rickrolling virus and admitting the creation of the worm, Towns hasn't been contacted by the law authorities. His attack was relatively trivial but it did lay the foundation for another, more malicious, virus that targeted ING customers.

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Tags: Phones iPhone apps Viruses And Malware Software

iPhone worm creator gets developer job originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:25:48 +0000

You're looking at the world's most expensive mobile phone, the iPhone 3GS "Supreme" as created by Goldstriker's Stuart Hughes.

Commissioned by an anonymous Australian gold mining magnate, the handset was priced at ?1.92 million and was 10 months in the making.

For just shy of the ?2 million mark, the businessman got 271 grams of 22ct solid gold, 136 colour F, flawless diamonds amounting to around 68 carats' worth, while the front navigation button features one single cut very rare diamond measuring in at 7.1 carats.

Tags: Phones iPhone Goldstriker

iPhone 3GS Supreme priced at £1.92 million originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:33:39 +0000

Orange has announced two new "connected laptops", the Asus 1005HGO and the Compaq CQ61 and two new mobile broadband dongles.

The 10.1-inch Asus 1005HGO with embedded SIM card is an Orange exclusive. Offering Windows 7 starter and weighing 1.27kg, it's angled as the on-the-go option.

The 15.6-inch Compaq CQ61 is bundled with an Orange e1752 dongle and comes with Windows 7 Home Premium.

The Asus netbook will cost from ?25 to ?35 a month on 18-month and 24-month mobile broadband contracts with 1GB, 3GB and 5GB options available.

The Compaq laptop is offered on the same contracts but also requires an upfront pay-out of between ?65 and ?130 depending on which contract is taken, although it is free on a 5GB, ?35 per month, 24-month contract.

As far as dongles go, the new Orange e1752 dongle will be bundled with mobile broadband packages while the Option 515M, which will come with a free 8GB Micro SD memory card, will be charged at around ?20.

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Tags: Hardware Phones Orange Laptops Mobile broadband USB modems Tariffs Asus Compaq Netbooks Software Asus 1005HGO Compaq CQ61

Orange offers two new "connected laptops" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:34:14 +0000

4iThumbs appears to be designed for iPhone users that can't get on with the touchscreen, but don't want to give up their precious.

It's a clear, tactile typing aid for the iPhone's screen that "facilitates faster and more accurate typing, enables blind typing, reduces glare and is the strongest screen protector on the market".

The tactile ridges are said to "guide thumbs for accurate input to ease the transition from other smartphones to the iPhone", so a little like stabilisers, we guess.

4iThumbs is priced at $14.95 for the portrait version, $16.95 for the landscape version and $19.95 for both. Hit the video above for a "spoof" ad.

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Tags: Phones iPhone iPhone accessories 4iThumbs Video

VIDEO: 4iThumbs tactile keyboard for iPhone launches originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:46:41 +0000

What do you get if you combine Space Hoppers, Twitter, a south London warehouse and marketing for mobile phones? Sony Ericsson's #Pumpt campaign is what.

The phone co is flogging its Space Hopper theme almost to the death with a new stunt that presumes people want to watch a live video feed of said bouncy toys being pumped up in real time as people tweet a hashtagged phrase on the micro-blogging site.

The whole stunt is designed to promote Sony Ercisson's recently launched Satio and Aino handsets, although users of the former may prefer the company to concentrate its efforts on a firmware upgrade.

Hit play on the video above to have it explained to you by some affable SE bods and if you must, tweet #Pumpt to insert your personal puff of air into the campaign.

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Tags: Phones Sony Ericsson Video Twitter Advertising Space Hoppers

VIDEO: Sony Ericsson's #Pumpt campaign explained originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:02:43 +0000

In an effort to "launch the Christmas countdown" with 28 shopping days until the big day, Vodafone has announced it is to give away free mobile internet to all its consumer customers this Friday.

On 27 November Vodafoners "will be able to check out where their friends are kicking off Christmas on Facebook, stay in touch with their webmail, bid and buy Christmas items on eBay and Amazon, book a last minute Christmas getaway or find a Christmas date on Dating Direct all for free".

The free-ness is open to both pay as you go and pay monthly customers on consumer price plans with those that usually "pay per day" not having to and those with a data pack not having the day's browsing taken from their monthly limit.

Tags: Phones Vodafone Mobile internet

Vodafone to give away mobile internet on free Friday originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:36:14 +0000

In the States, HP has announced the launch of the new HP iPAQ "Glisten" on the AT&T network.

Said to be a "feature-rich 3G world phone that meets the increasing demands of modern mobile professionals", the Glisten gets an AMOLED display.

Running Windows Mobile 6.5, the device boasts a touchscreen as well as a full QWERTY keyboard and five-way directional pad.

Other features and specs include Wi-Fi, GPS, a 3.1-megapixel cameraphone, a built-in speakerphone and Facebook preloaded.

The HP iPAQ Glisten is due to be available soon for $229.99 on a 2-year contract.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HP AT and T HP iPAQ Glisten OLED

HP iPAQ Glisten launches on AT&T originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:45:10 +0000

The spec sheet suggests that the Samsung Moment, available on?Sprint?in the USA should be one of the best?Android-powered handsets out there, with its AMOLED screen, fast processor and the "now" network. But can its specs live up to the dream? Read on to find out.

To say that the Samsung Moment is big would be an understatement; to say that it was ugly: a fairer statement; to say it is fast: that much is true.?That's pretty much the best way to describe the new Android 1.5 smartphone, because whilst it's one of the fastest Android handsets we've tested, it's also one of the most unpolished in terms of "wow" factor t.

The decline and fall of the handset starts with the design. A landscape slider, the unit measures a rather bloated 4.6 x 2.34 x .63in and weighs a hefty 160 grams (5.6oz). A brick (Mrs Pocket-lint's words not ours) is probably the politest way to describe it.

The rather impressive 3.2-inch AMOLED 320 x 480-pixel screen holds its own on the front of the unit offering up not only an array of touch-sensitive and physical buttons beneath but a gaudy strip at the top.

Sliding out to the side of the left screen is a QWERTY keyboard while the right offers a dedicated camera button, voice control and the Mini-USB socket. There's also a 3.5mm socket covered by a bit of plastic that will break within 3 weeks and the standard volume keys.

Slide open that keyboard and you'll hurt your eyes, especially if it's dark. Looking like a beehive honeycomb, the keys are laid out over four rows with the numbers getting their own dedicated row.

That means that Samsung?has crammed the rest of the keyboard over the next three. The end result is that the spacebar is in-between the "V" and "B" something that is very off putting and unconformable for the touch typists amongst you. You might not realise it but you know where the keys are on a keyboard and throwing in random space bars for us just doesn't work.

All this pales in significance however if you use it in the dark. The keyboard handily lights up, however all the function keys (there is one for every key) glow a strong blue. Confusing isn't the word.

Back to the top side of the device and the touch sensitive buttons under the screen offer the usual home, menu and back features found on most Android handsets. Beneath that there is a call answer and hang up button and between those a touch-sensitive optical trackpad (like that found on other Samsung handsets and the BlackBerry Bold 9700).?The touchpad is actually one of the cooler elements of the handset as it allows you scroll through menus, icons on the screen or the web pages without touching the screen.

The only other tech on the outside is the 3.2-megapixel camera with flash. With Samsung dominating the megapixel race (it's up to 12 megapixels) we're surprised to see only a 3.2-megapixel offering and at the current state of play it looks like Sony Ericsson will be the purveyor of high pixel cameras for the platform with the Xperia X10 sporting 8 megapixels.

Connectivity is served by Sprint's Dual-Band EVDO Rev. A 800/1900MHz offering and you'll get Wi-Fi b and g along side Bluetooth. There is also GPS in case you get lost.

Power up the phone and that 800MHz chip running Android 1.5 is fast. Even though we've played with a 1GHz Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 (pre-production) the Samsung Moment appears (currently) to be faster.

One of the reasons for this, is that like the i7500 released in the UK, the Samsung Moment has no customisation what so ever. No Sense UI, no Motoblur, no Nexus UX - Samsung might have embraced the Android platform, but it hasn't done anything to enhance the experience above and beyond what Google has offered in the OS.?In fact, beyond the big silver Samsung logo on the front and the second one on the back there is no trace of the Korean manufacturer.

As for Sprint, that's a different matter. As an exclusive handset it gets an even bigger silver logo above the screen and the usual array of Sprint flavoured applications like SprintTV, Sprint Navigation (Google Maps Navigation?is only available for 1.6 and 2.0 based devices at present), and Nascar Sprint Cup (all as found on the Sprint?HTC Hero).

As for the rest of the applications, well it's the usual story. The usual suspects are installed - Amazon MP3, Gmail, and Google Maps, with a further 10,000 available in Marketplace.?All this software or data that you create can be stored on the phone's own internal 288MB of memory or an external microSD card, you get 2GB in the box.

Phone time is around 5 hours from a single charge, while the battery lasted the usual day in our tests, but is heavily dependent on what you do. Use it like a laptop and it will last like one.

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Verdict:

The Samsung Moment really is one of those handsets that looks so much better on paper than in real life. The specs suggest this will be a monster, and in fairness in performance it is. The trouble is that it is incredibly dull both in its software offering and its design.?This makes the T-Mobile G1 look good and that's saying something.

It might be more powerful and faster than the HTC Hero from Sprint, however unless you are ready to be mocked by your friends when your phone rings we would avoid this from a street cred point of view at all costs.

That said, if you have no friends or don't care, you can't (currently) get much faster than this.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Samsung Android Google Sprint

Samsung Moment mobile phone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:45:11 +0000

We enjoyed the teaser campaign for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pureness, even if it was rendered a little brief by the sudden announcement of all the details. Originally planned for November, we were wondering where the designer handset had got to, but now we know - it's coming to Selfridges in early December.

As previously reported, the device is "targeted at the older affluent mobile user who wants basic functions". It does talk, texts and the time, and that's about it. It doesn't even have a colour screen. However, that might be for design reasons - the phone also has a transparent lcd and "subtle illumination" of the buttons.

The phone measures 102 x 43 x 13mm, and weighs 70 grams. It's available in black only, and costs a whopping ?530, being sold exclusively at Selfridges. One for your Christmas list, perhaps?

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Xperia Sony Ericsson Xperia Pureness

Xperia Pureness comes to Selfridges originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:40:44 +0000

The Motorola Milestone, the non-Verizon variant of the Droid by Motorola, has seen an online UK retailer put the new, high-end handset up for pre-order.

If SuperETrader is to be believed, we can expect the Milestone to touchdown in the UK on 7 December with a ?439-shaped wedge of cash required to take one home.

For that price, the site is offering the device unlocked and SIM-free, in black, with next-day delivery charged at an extra ?7.99.

We've previously asked Motorola when we might see the launch of the Android-based phone in the UK.

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".

The Motorola Milestone has launched on O2 in Germany, suggesting the operator may offer the mobile here too. We will keep you posted.

UPDATE: Clove is also offering the Milestone on pre-order for 7 December, priced at just over ?401. Thanks to Tom for the tip.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Motorola Droid Motorola Milestone Android Rumours SuperETrader Clove

Motorola Milestone up for £439 UK pre-order originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:32:08 +0000

Google has announced the launch of a mobile version of the new Google Search results for movies with a light-hearted promo vid.

With the claim that the service makes it easier to plan a trip to the movies, the app works for iPhones, Palm webOS handsets and Android-powered devices.

To use it, go to google.com in the phone's web browser, search for "movies", and then tap on the "More movies" link. From there, Google says, you can either browse a list of movies or "select the 'Theaters' button to browse a list of theaters near you".

The new movie listings page includes buttons to play trailers on your phone, ratings and categories, movie posters, upcoming showtimes, as well as a list of the nearest cinemas.

The new search results for movies are available in English in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Google Search engines Video Home Cinema

VIDEO: Google Mobile offers movie search originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:55:27 +0000

New gPhone whispers suggest that Google is gearing up for no less than "an all-out assault on the mobile phone market".

The report, from The Times, states that the new, Google-branded handset we've heard about of late will encompass "the first comprehensive Google phone service with unlimited free calls", and a built-in, advanced version of Google Voice.

"For the first time", says the paper, "a single company will control everything from the software in users' phones to the services they use to make calls and surf the web".

The Google handset is said to be "one of the most advanced smartphones, with a large touchscreen display and a [Qualcomm] processor almost twice as fast as the one powering Apple's iPhone 3GS".

It's likely to offer the future version of Android code-named "Flan", which continues the cake-themed updates, and is said to bring high-speed 3D gaming.

As mobile phone operators may be unwilling to offer a device that offers free Google Voice calls, it's suggested that Google may offer the handset direct to the public, although this could push the cost up to over ?500 - but it's a price some disillusioned consumers may be willing to pay.

This latest report pegs a gPhone launch as early as next year in the US - we will keep you posted.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Google gPhone Rumours Mobile phone industry Android Google Voice

Google planning "all-out assault" on mobile market with gPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:13:50 +0000

Fring has rolled out an update to its mobile phone application that allows users to conduct video calls over the mobile web. Fring video enables you to use both Wi-Fi and 3G to make calls to other Fring users or to your Skype or GTalk contacts.

Fring is an IM aggregator that connects up with IM networks like MSN, AIM, GoogleTalk and Skype, as well as social networks like?Twitter, Facebook, and Last.fm. You can make voice calls over the service, using apps on Symbian, Android and iPhone handsets, and now video calls too.

However, for the moment the video functionality is limited to a small subset of Nokia devices - the N97 mini, N97, 5800, N95 8G, N95 and N82. Fring promises that the functionality will be rolled out across a number of other platforms "very shortly".

Grab the download from Fring's website.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Fring VoIP Video

VIDEO: Fring rolls out mobile video calls originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:53:41 +0000

The new First ELSE phone, and its ELSE Intuition operating system, has gotten a classy teaser video that brings the whole revolution-in-mobile message home.

Technology has enslaved us apparently, and it's time we demand a change, in fact it's time for a revolution and it's not too late. So the video says, anyhow.

Hit the button above now to see the video play out and we'll bring you more on UK availability for the First ELSE as we hear it.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones ELSE First ELSE Video Advertising

VIDEO: First ELSE gets classy teaser originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:34:39 +0000

An interesting mobile phone network has just launched in the UK. Although owned by O2 and run by its execs, GiffGaff claims to be a completely separate "people-powered" operator, offering very cheap calls, texts and web browsing in exchange for customer involvement in the network.

You sign up, or get referred by an existing member, and then get sent a Pay-As-You-Go SIM card which will only work in unlocked handsets. You can then use that SIM card normally by topping up credit, or you can earn credit by doing certain things.

You earn ?5 by introducing a new member. You earn ?2 from a referral when people sign up, or 50p by telling friends about the service. There's other options too. Those points are doled out twice-yearly, in November and May.

Most impressively, there's a whole range of "tools" that consist of imagery and videos you can download. If you can turn one of those into an advert, and GiffGaff reckons it's good enough to use, you can become a "V.I.G." and get free texts, calls and web access for a year.

Speaking of web access, if you top up ?10, then you get unlimited browsing for 6 months. Calls are free to other GiffGaff users, and 8p per minute to other networks. Texts are free to GiffGaff users and 4p to other networks. GiffGaff reckons that makes it the cheapest operator around.

What do you think? Does this add up? Or is it a noble but doomed attempt at a hybrid sharing and commercial business? Have you signed up? Tell us in the comments.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Mobile phone industry GiffGaff Wikipedia Video

VIDEO: GiffGaff phone network goes live originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:46:56 +0000

Here in the UK supermarket behemoth Tesco has announced it is to offer the Apple iPhone in time for Christmas - a real sign of how mass market the handset is to become.

Going back 2 years, at launch the iPhone was only available on one network - O2 - and through O2, Apple or Carphone Warehouse stores, but fast forward to the present and the mobile is set to be available on three operators, and through a growing network of retailers, including now, Britain's biggest supermarket.

Tesco will offer the phone on its O2-powered Tesco Mobile network, according to a statement from the retailing giant: "Tesco Mobile through its joint venture partnership with O2 is pleased to announce that it will shortly introduce iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in Tesco Phone Shops and online through Tesco Direct in the UK".

Those hoping for Tesco pricing on the handset will almost certainly be disappointed, O2 and Orange - the two operators that offer the mobile now - have kept contract and handset prices high and with very little difference between them.

So will the ever-increasing availability of the iPhone see some of its shine rub off? Will Tesco offering the device lose the iPhone some kudos? Have your say in the comments box below.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Tesco iPhone O2

Tesco to offer the iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:38:49 +0000

When RIM launched the BlackBerry Storm in 2008 it was greeted with a mixed reception. Some loved it, others (like Stephen Fry) hated it. So can the second attempt fix the problems and give BlackBerry users a viable touchscreen experience? We've been using one for a couple of weeks to find out.

At a quick glance you'll think it's the same phone as last year. The design is similar, the form factor is virtually the same and the operating system doesn't look too different either.

Of course it isn't the same and RIM has worked hard to address all the minor and major issues associated with the first version of the handset. The software is faster and more responsive, the bottom buttons are now a part of the screen rather than separate, and overall it's a far better experience than before. Say what you want, but this is how the original Storm should have performed.

So does that make it another contender for phone of the year? In short, no. While the Storm users we tracked down were impressed - noting it was much improved in performance levels - the world has moved on from the innovative, if not controversial, approach of the first handset.

If you are moving over from a Bold or Curve, with its hard QWERTY keyboard, then the notion of having to jab the screen to accept your commands (SurePress as RIM calls it) won't be that annoying, but moving from a capacitive touchscreen device you will find it a shock.

The system works by floating the entire high-resolution 480 x 360 pixel 3.25-inch screen so you have to physically press it down to accept your command. It's not as bad as it sounds, but if you're looking to type a long email you will really feel like you have gone 10 rounds in a thumb fight: it's hard work.?

Upgraded from a single hidden button underneath to four actuators in the corners of the screen you get a more responsive press and therefore feedback to your actions. It also means it doesn't shift around as much as the first screen did in its cradle as it's held in place at the four corners rather than the centre. It will allow for two finger pressing, but not pinching to zoom for example.

Hardware-wise it's the usual story, following the "we don't need Wi-Fi" stance on the Storm, the Storm 2 now has Wi-Fi. Personally it's not that big a deal as Verizon and Vodafone's 3G coverage is very good, but if you were upset by the lack of Wi-Fi you now don't have to be. Wi-Fi joins 3G, CDMA (for Verizon) Bluetooth and GPS on the connectivity front. Multimedia wise, you get a 16GB microSD card inside to store your stuff on, a 3.5mm headphones socket, a 3.2-megapixel camera with flash, auto focus, image stabilization, and a 2x digital zoom as well as that very crisp screen ideal for watching movies and BlackBerry OS 5.0.

There's also a bump in Flash memory (double in fact from 128MB to 256MB) and on-board memory for storing Apps goes up to 2GB from 1GB.

The Operating system is the same, obviously adapted for the touchscreen, as you'll find on the latest BlackBerry handsets like the Bold 9700.?Those who have used a BlackBerry before know what they are getting here and the Storm on that front doesn't throw up any surprises.

We tested a Verizon handset in the US, although it is available on Vodafone in the UK. Verizon pre-install their VCast Sony ID, VCast Videos and VZ Navigator as standard on the unit. You can choose to remove them if you want, and there isn't any further customisation. It's not as violent as carriers used to be with dedicated skins for example.

There are tweaks to the software over the original making it a better experience all around, but ones to note are the Inertial Scrolling w/Snap Back that means you can swipe down with your finger and watch the page carry on scrolling (just like the wheel of fortune) and we especially like the ability to now press on the network coverage logo and get direct access to the connections. It's the same for the clock (i.e., alarms) and the volume, although you do get a physical volume button to mute it for when you hit that important "do not disturb" meeting.

Email is fantastic, giving you real power to search. Add that to Xobni's BlackBerry app when it comes out and this, for communicating on the go, will be hard to beat. It's what RIM do best after all, but that's true of the BlackBerry family, not just the Storm 2.

However get into web browsing and the browser is incredibly slow on Wi-Fi and 3G, a shame as Verizon's and Vodafone's 3G coverage is very good. Pages seem to take forever to load and while you can opt for the nippier Opera browser you can't set it as the default, which means you'll soon forget about it when you go to open a link in an email or tweet.

Verdict:

The BlackBerry Storm 2 is a vast improvement on the Storm. It's a better hardware design and better software build that gives you a better experience all around.

In the year since the Storm launched however, we've seen plenty of high-end smartphones hit the market in the UK and the US. The iPhone 3GS, the Palm Pre, the HTC Hero, even the Motorola DEXT show us what can be done with touchscreen and slider devices. In a segment of the market offering great possibilities from a large touchscreen, the Storm 2 just can't keep pace.

So the final result? It's a condescending "well done" to RIM for making it better, but unfortunately it's just not good enough when you compare it to the competition that's now available.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones RIM BlackBerry BlackBerry Storm 2

BlackBerry Storm 2 9550 mobile phone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:00:10 +0000

ELSE Ltd was born today along with their first handset, cunningly named the First ELSE. To clear things up ELSE Ltd was formerly known as Emblaze Mobile and today changed the name of the company as well as announcing their first device to the world. Pocket-lint were on hand to witness the unveiling, and have a close look at the new handset.

The company don't want you to call it a phone. They are pushing the First ELSE as a portable device capable of fulfilling a number of connected roles, but not centred around the phone. Company CEO, Amir Kupervas, called out Apple's iPhone, pointing out that it was named around the "phone" and that at all times the phone took prominence.

The differentiation perhaps doesn't go much further than marketing: it will be sold as a mobile phone, in mobile phone outlets and supported by the mobile phone network. We'll call it a mobile phone and so will everyone else.

In recent times we’ve seen a shift in mobile phone marketing to focus on applications and services, not just hardware. Windows Mobile is doing it with its giant application icons and Apple has been saying "there's an app for that" for yonks: it's fun, it's light hearted. The teaser video for the First ELSE plays out like something from a Tom Clancy movie. You expect to see Matt Damon stroking a PSG-1. It's the stuff of thrillers.

But is the handset itself thrilling?

The hardware specs are fairly typical. It measures 115.6 x 56.6 x 13mm, fairly average dimensions, if not a little on the long side. That gives you a 3.5-inch, 854 x 480 pixel resolution, display. It's a capacitive touchscreen and from what we've seen it seems responsive enough.

The widescreen aspect means that you don't get all the landscape space you might have wanted to reduce scrolling on websites, but it is sharp and the colours from sample images were certainly vivid, allowing of course for the fact that these were put in the device to do just that - show the screen at its best.

On the connectivity front you get UMTS/HSDPA (tri-band), GSM, EDGE (quad-band) as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It connects to the charger and your PC via a microUSB jack. A 3.5mm headphone jack sits on the top.

Around the back is a 5-megapixel camera, but no sign of a flash or a LED illuminator. Kupervas used the opportunity in presenting the phone to take a shot at Sony Ericsson's Satio, asking the audience when they'd choose a 12-megapixel phone over the 5-megapixel Canon camera? We didn't get to see the First ELSE's camera in action, so we don't know how it stands up. Of course you get GPS too.

You also get 32GB of memory, so the First ELSE really punches hard into the storage area. Unfortunately there is no microSD card slot, so you can't just stick your music collection in on a 16GB card, something of an oversight in our opinion.

The First ELSE isn't about the hardware though. It is about the user interface, so everything that is written above you'd be encouraged to ignore, or so the company would have us believe. With the First ELSE comes a new operating system and platform for you to discover. It is based on an Access Linux platform at its core, with a user interface called ELSE Intuition.

ELSE claims that Intuition is the end of the "main menu". In practise it doesn’t look like this really is the case, as you have a number of different styles of menu operation in ELSE. There is a diamond style menu that accesses major application groups and then there is sPlay. It is all designed to be operated by a single thumb for one-handed operation, with sPlay fanning out options for phone, diary and media, as the name suggests. You simply highlight the one you want and lift your thumb off to select that option.

Of course, that one-thumbed operation, as our pictures show, is the right thumb. If you are left-handed, you'll have to snort in derision and get on with it as us lefties so often do. ELSE told us that First ELSE is designed for right-handed folk but perfectly usable by left-handers, with a planned "flip capacity" for future versions. As it is, if you're left-handed, your thumb will cover the menu options as they splay out.

All the usual suspects are here and the interface does look a world apart from the staid menus that plague many other phones. But do you have a problem with Apple or Android's icons? The overall effect on the First ELSE is something like you'd expect to see in The Terminator's HUD. It has a raw futuristic look to it that looks sharp and technical.

There are also a number of shortcut touch buttons running down the right-hand side of the phone, giving you access to the menu, up/down navigation, back, and cross-platform search. This is a feature that we've all been calling for and ELSE claims to offer both device searching and online searching in a single integrated area.

We didn't have the opportunity in our demo to evaluate how this will be in day-to-day use, but it is interesting, futuristic and looks great. We asked Kupervas what the inspiration was behind the First ELSE and the reply was simple: The Fifth Element and Minority Report. The idea that a sci-fi look and feel could be put into a device now drove Emblaze (as it was then) and Access to design the interface that the First ELSE gives us.

We were hoping for three precogs hiding under the back cover, giving a psychic connection to the Internet, or Milla Jovovich wearing a few white straps, but it seems not. Instead the hardware sits on top of a Texas Instruments OMAP 3430 processor, the likes of which we've seen in the Palm Pre.

The First ELSE will also feature "silent communication", meaning you can turn your phone into your very own automated call centre. If you can't take the call, you can trigger a range of questions and responses for the caller, like "press * for urgent" or "press # to call back later".

The on-screen keyboard looked pretty futuristic too, boasting algorithms to workout what you are doing from your presses and predictive text entry to produce the words you meant. The switch from portrait to landscape seemed snappy too and works in most, but not all, applications.

The ethos behind the First ELSE is total integration. Rather than be a phone with a GPS, it is designed to behave like a standalone device. Kupervas named a number of companies whilst detailing the ELSE: iPod-like music system, BlackBerry-like email, TomTom-like GPS. Bold claims indeed, but as a marketing speech it sounds like the perfect device.

But then we come to the crunch, the single point which will likely define the success or failure of ELSE. All the above are supported by established systems whereas the First ELSE is starting from scratch. Almost. Looking at the supporting organisations brings out a few names that reveal what is behind ELSE. Navteq mapping, Emoze email, Alango to improve the voice communication, Nuance voice recognition, Red Bend OTA updating and so on.

ELSE told us that it has set up its own infrastructure for an easy out-of-the-box device that works straight away, but of course, we'll have to see it in action before we can pass a judgement on it. Whether that means you'll get cross-protocol IM or OTA Google Contact syncing, we don't yet know.

We were told that the SDK would be released when the phone comes out to allow third-party developers to generate apps. Given the success of the iPhone and growing success of Android, this has to be a primary concern. We were promised great things from the Palm Pre App Catalog, but that is still to put out the big guns in terms of apps.

Kupervas told us that third-party apps would be integrated to the core, so rather than a standalone app, you'd still get access to the live PIM and all the information there. Using Twitter as an example, Kupervas told us that rather than an extra Twitter layer, it would integrate fully with your existing contacts.

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Verdict:

ELSE made some bold claims with the announcement of the First ELSE. But you need to get people to take you seriously. The company is certainly pushing a different approach from a marketing angle, but ultimately it is joining a competitive marketplace full of smart devices demonstrating convergence and integration at an advanced level. There is nothing new here, per se, but the First ELSE aims to deliver the best of what everyone else is doing.

Companies like INQ Mobile have demonstrated that there is space for innovation and ELSE are certainly sending out the right messages here. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating and unfortunately it looks like we'll be waiting to spring 2010 before we get our hands on it in the real world.

Check out all our hands-on pictures over in our gallery.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones ELSE Mobile First ELSE First look

First ELSE mobile phone - First Look originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:35:32 +0000

A new version of BlackBerry Media Sync has been made available by RIM updating the software to version 3.0.

Media Sync 3.0 allows BlackBerry users to sync their desktop iTunes or Windows Media Player music with via USB "simply and quickly".

In addition to an improved interface, Media Sync 3.0 adds the ability to sync images to and from a device as well as add folders for syncing from a PC to a handset.

As far as pictures go, the software includes an option to optimise pictures for the phone with a "smart memory management" tool that shrinks down files to around 2% of the original size.

BlackBerry Media Sync 3.0 is available for PC and Mac via BlackBerry Desktop Manager for OS 4.6 and over but supports OS 4.2 and over, it's available for free via www.blackberry.com/mediasync.

Tags: Phones BlackBerry RIM Software updates BlackBerry Media Sync iTunes Windows Media Player

BlackBerry Media Sync 3.0 released originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:11:59 +0000

Apple has confirmed that it will be offering Black Friday deals around the world on the 27 November although, as yet, has failed to inform consumers keen to pick up a new iPod or Mac of what those deals actually are.?

Shoppers getting ready for the biggest day in the American shopping calendar are instead told to head online or in store on the 27th.?

Last week rumours started circulating that Apple would slash prices by up to 25%, however experts believe that is highly unlikely.?

The latest rumour, this is Apple don't forget, suggests a more mediocre $50 to $100 off a MacBook in the US with around $30 to $50 off an iPod or iPod touch.

We will keep you posted. ?

In the meantime why not read our?How to: Shop Black Friday?guide that gives you some great tips and tricks to get the best bargains around.?

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Tags: Hardware Phones Audio Software Apple Black Friday

Apple Black Friday deals confirmed... originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:25:25 +0000

Fring, the combined messaging service for mobile phone platforms from the iPhone to Android, has launched a new version of its software that allows users to make video calls from their phone.

Fring users can now make and receive internet video calls from mobile devices (for free), picking up their fring and Skype video calls from the road, and seeing the person they’re talking to from their mobile phone.

Fring video is currently only available on?Nokia?touch devices such as the?Nokia X6, N97mini, N97, 5800, N95, N95 8G and N82, however is promised for the iPhone, and Android handsets. Strange considering the iPhone doesn't sport a forward facing camera, and nor does any of the mainstream Android handsets like the HTC Hero or G1.

Currently the software, which is available for most mobile platforms, only allows you to text chat and talk with other contacts.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Fring Skype Symbian Nokia iPhone

Skype video calling comes to Nokia phones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:20:05 +0000

The?Nokia X6, the Finnish company's latest flagship model, will be hitting the UK on Friday 27 November according to the chaps at Nokia. The new handset will be a "Comes with Music" offering and be exclusively available through?Phones4U.

Free, as the Brits do best, it will cost you ?35 a month on Orange for the length of the contract. Hoping to lure in current Nokia upgraders you'll be able to get it for ?25 a month if you hand in a Nseries phone.

It is also available today to pre-order from www.shop.nokia.co.uk at ?449 SIM free.
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The X6, first debuted at Nokia World in September, will offer 32GB of on-board memory, a 3.2-inch, 16:9 ratio capacitive touchscreen and a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Comes with music Nokia X6 Phones4U

Nokia X6 hits UK Friday originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:05:33 +0000

Adobe?has made its Photoshop.com Mobile for Android app available outside the?US?allowing HTC Hero, Samsung i7500 and Motorola Cliq users, amongst others, the ability to edit their photos on the go.

The app, which is virtually identical to the?Adobe Photoshop.com Mobile for iPhone?version, has been available in the US for some time on both the Apple iPhone and Android platform will let users around the globe quick access to their photos with easy editing and sharing.

The application features basic editing tools like crop and rotate, colour adjustments and a photo browser that makes it simple to manoeuvre through photos.

In addition, users have the ability to view their entire online collection of photos from Photoshop.com and share those images from their phone via email.

No word from Adobe on whether the iPhone version will be making it to the UK, however it is expected to be, presumably once the application passes the usual Apple app process.?

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

Photoshop.com Mobile for Android hits UK... originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:50:09 +0000

"There are problems in the market. The First ELSE solves them", says Amir Kupervas, ELSE CEO, boldly, launching a handset that promises to change the way we think about our phones.

Today saw the launch to press and business partners of the First ELSE handset, a mobile device that promises to be centred around the user experience, rather than the phone.

Taking a swipe at Apple, Kupervas gave the example of grabbing your iPhone to capture a video of your kid: "the phone rings and you lose your Kodak moment", he says candidly. The First ELSE aims to have the phone as an application of the device, rather than being the centre of that device.

We were on hand to grab some shots of the new handset, which is going to be hitting markets in Q2 2010. ELSE Mobile were closely guarding the new models, but we managed to get up close and personal.

No word on operators yet, but we did spy representatives from Orange at the event, and Kupervas confirmed to us that the target markets were USA, Western Europe and Russia.

News:?State-of-the-art "First ELSE" Linux-based touchphone unveiled

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Related links:

• Link - ELSE website

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Emblaze ELSE First ELSE Photos

PHOTOS: First ELSE hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:38:51 +0000

It seems Sony Ericsson's new high-end Satio handset is suffering from "issues" as the UK's biggest mobile phone retailer, Carphone Warehouse, as well as Phones 4U, have withdrawn the device from sale.

As the Satio is "temporarily" withdrawn from Carphone shop shelves, the chain is also offering to replace handsets for any customer who has experienced problems.

"From time to time we experience issues with new handsets, and their software, which may result in a customer experience that is below our usually high standards. We want customers to have complete confidence and satisfaction in the handsets they buy from us, which is why we have temporarily withdrawn the Sony Ericsson Satio from sale", The Carphone Warehouse says in a statement.

"We are working closely with Sony Ericsson to restock the Satio phone as soon as possible and will offer any customer who returns a faulty Satio an exchange of phone".

Problems reported with the Satio include freezing, crashing, battery problems and issues with the phone's interface.

"Sony Ericsson confirms that it has been made aware that a small number of consumers have experienced software issues with its Satio handset when using certain applications", Sony Ericsson says in a statement. ?

"Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U have temporarily removed the handset from sale to ensure that future customers do not have an adverse experience. Sony Ericsson is giving this matter its utmost priority and is working toward solving it as soon as possible".

A Vodafone spokesperson told Pocket-lint that the Satio it offers is a Vodafone variant that's been through testing. The operator says it's continuing to keep a track of the situation, but it is still offering the Vodafone Sony Ericsson Satio for sale.

We've yet to hear if other operators that offer the handset will also be stopping sales or offering exchanges, but we'll update this post as we do.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Carphone Warehouse Sony Ericsson Satio Product recalls Phones4U Vodafone 3

Sony Ericsson Satio withdrawn from sale originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:30:48 +0000

Shazam has announced it's going (PRODUCT)RED with a special charity edition app now available for the iPhone on the App Store.

Offering the same music discovery features as the premium Shazam Encore app, there's also new content related to (PRODUCT)RED.

For each app purchased, Shazam will give 20% of the price to the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa.

The (SHAZAM)RED Special Edition App, to give it its official title, can be identified by its red-coloured product icon and is available for ?2.99, 3.99 euros or $4.99.

Tags: Phones iPhone apps Shazam Audio Product Red App Store

Shazam goes PRODUCT RED originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:18:15 +0000

The "First ELSE", described as a new "state-of-the-art mobile device" from Israeli design house Emblaze Mobile has finally been unveiled at a London launch event which Pocket-lint attended.

The First ELSE focuses on a "unique user experience" with the claim being that a user can interact with the device's features - such as phone, GPS or camera - "in the same way they interact with the equivalent stand-alone devices used on a daily basis outside of the mobile experience".

Powered by the Linux-based "ELSE Intuition", a new mobile platform jointly developed by software co Access, the First ELSE can run multiple applications simultaneously with its TI OMAP 3430 mobile processor.

Specs for the new UMTS/HSDPA handset include a 3.5-inch, 854 x 480 resolution capacitive touchscreen display with tactile feedback, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, a 5-megapixel camera, GPS and A-GPS as well as proximity, ambient light and tilt sensors.

The device is expected to go on sale to consumers in 2010 - we will keep you posted.

Related links:

• PHOTOS - First ELSE hands on

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Emblaze ELSE ACCESS Linux First ELSE

State-of-the-art "First ELSE" Linux-based touchphone unveiled originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:48:21 +0000

So far Apple has stayed out of the advertising spat between iPhone operator AT&T and rival network Verizon, but Apple's latest ads for its mobile makes a feature of the network in runs on - which can't be a coincidence considering the bashing Verizon has doled out of late, even sending the iPhone to the island of misfit toys.

While AT&T hit back with Luke Wilson, Apple has stepped in with two new iPhone ads that follow the format of previous versions, but ask "can your phone and your network do that?" after voice-over man demos the ability of the iPhone to handle data while on a voice call, the first time AT&T's service has been highlighted in Apple's campaign.

Hit play on the video above to see one of the new ads - which just aired on prime-time American television - and we'll keep you posted with more as we hear it.

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Tags: Phones iPhone Apple Verizon AT and T Advertising Video

VIDEO: New iPhone ads highlight AT&T's network after Verizon attacks originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:53:22 +0000

Nokia has announced two new 3G slider phones, the Nokia 6700 slide and Nokia 7230, said to be "made for the design-conscious consumer and optimised for socialising and sharing with those closest to you".
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Available in a range of colours the Nokia 6700 slide and Nokia 7230 are clearly aimed at the mid-market.
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Possibly the most colourful Nokia release yet, the Symbian S60 6700 slide will go on sale in a choice of six vivid colours - pink, red, blue, aluminium, lime and purple.

With a compact, modern design and an aluminium finish, the handset boasts a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, the ability to edit and upload pics on the go.

Other specs include a 2.2-inch display, FM radio and music player, and support for up to 16GB microSD memory cards.
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The Nokia 7230 gets a 3.2-megapixel camera, 2.4-inch display and what's said to be quick access to email, instant messaging and social networks on the go. It will be available in graphite and pink.

Both devices are due in first quarter of 2010, with pricing set at 160 euros for the Nokia 6700 slide, and 100 euros for the Nokia 7230, almost certainly meaning they will be free on contracts when they get picked up by operators.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia 6700 slide Nokia 7230

Nokia announces 6700 slide and Nokia 7230 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:18:32 +0000

Google has announced that all handsets running Android 1.6 will now be able to get?Google Maps Navigation?for free.

The news, which was announced on Monday, opens up the free GPS software beyond the Android 2.0 operating system and currently the only handset available, the?Droid by Motorola.

The new release, which aims to take on services from TomTom, Garmin and Navigon will, as long as you have a data connection, let you route your way around the US using the same Google Maps functionality, however, with a more traditional style GPS experience.

The release also includes the new Layers feature, which lets you overlay geographical information on the map. View My Maps, transit lines, Wikipedia articles about places, and more says Google.

If you have a phone running Android 1.6, you can download an updated version of Google Maps from Android Market to use Navigation today.

Android 1.6 phones in the US currently include the T-Mobile mytouch 3G,?the G1 and the HTC Tattoo, as well as the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. However handsets like the HTC Hero, Droid Eris, Samsung Moment and the Samsung Behold II all run Android 1.5 so won't be getting the new feature.

Google Maps Navigation is in beta and is currently available in the United States.

Some features of Android 2.0 are not available on Android 1.6, for example, the ability to use the "navigate to" voice command as shown in our demo video.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Android Google Google Maps Navigation GPS Samsung HTC T-Mobile mytouch 3G T-Mobile G1 with Google mobile phone Car And GPS Sony Ericsson Motorola

Google Maps Navigation comes to Android 1.6 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:58:52 +0000

A mobile phone gaming company has delivered a blow to the Android platform - in PR terms at the very least - by unfavourably comparing it to Apple's rival offering and revealing it is to cut funding for its Android products.

A senior executive from the French company Gameloft is quoted by Reuters whilst at an investor conference as revealing Gameloft sells 400 times more games on iPhone than it does on Android.

"We have significantly cut our investment in Android platform, just like ... many others", Gameloft finance director Alexandre de Rochefort said, suggesting other games companies were seeing similar results.

"It is not as neatly done as on the iPhone. Google has not been very good to entice customers to actually buy products. On Android nobody is making significant revenue".

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone games Android Gameloft Biz iPhone apps Android Marketplace Google Gaming

Gameloft: iPhone game sales 400 times that of Android originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:43:09 +0000

Truphone has announced a Thanksgiving gift for all its users, with a 12-hour window for free calls to the States on 26 November.

All calls made via Truphone to both mobile and landline phones in the United States will be free "so that friends and family can call each other to catch up this holiday season", says the VoIP co.

From noon to midnight UTC, or 7am to 7pm EST, or more importantly for us Brits 12 noon to 12 midnight on Thursday, the calls are utterly gratis.

The offer is open to existing and new customers anywhere in the world using the Truphone application.

Truphone has applications for the Apple iPhone, Apple iPod touch, BlackBerry, Nokia and Android devices available to download from www.truphone.com and the respective application stores for each device.

UPDATE: It seems VoIP co Localphone is offering a similar deal, with more info over on its site.

Tags: Phones VoIP Truphone

Truphone calls to America to be free on Thanksgiving originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:07:35 +0000

While what was said to be the first iPhone worm merely annoyed jail-broken iPhoners by installing Rick Astley wallpaper, a second is said to be "clearly malicious".

Security company F-Secure has discovered the worm that's specifically targeting those in the Netherlands using online bank ING, reports the BBC.

The malware - that again just affects SSH-enabled, jail-broken modified iPhones - redirects ING customers to a lookalike site with a log-in screen.

As well as the immediate financial implications, the worm could see such handsets accessed and controlled remotely.

"It's the second iPhone worm ever and the first that's clearly malicious - there's a clear financial motive behind it", F-Secure research director Mikko Hypponen told the BBC.

"It's fairly isolated and specific to Netherlands but it is capable of spreading".

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Tags: Phones iPhone Viruses And Malware ING F-Secure

Second iPhone worm targets ING customers, "clearly malicious" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:13:45 +0000

The N900 drops the moniker of "internet tablet", choosing to push forward with "mobile computer" as this model comes in to supplant the N810, released back in 2007. 2-years along and the landscape of internet-savvy mobile devices has changed greatly. Can this Nokia pocket computer trade blows with the best of them?

In the hand the N900 is something of a chunky monkey measuring 110.9 x 59.8 x 18mm. Lined up against the likes of the Motorola DEXT/CLIQ, it's is rather fat, weighting 181g, towards the top end of pocket devices.

The construction is good overall showing the wealth of experience that Nokia has. Finished in a neat matte black, the body stays free of dirty prints, except for the screen, of course. As a side-slider the opening action is critical. Forgoing any dodgy curves or angles, the straight-up slide opens with reassuring punch and is nice and tight in its construction: there are no wiggles or twists to worry about here.

The N900 wants to be used in landscape, taking advantage of the 3.5-inch, 800 x 480 pixel, resistive touchscreen display, which fits its side-sliding design. The keyboard has rubberised keys of a reasonable size, more on which later, but built with reassuring quality.

Sticking in a landscape format and working around the body of the N900 you'll find the left-hand side offering a Micro-USB socket and one of a pair of stereo speakers, matching another on the right. The right-hand side also gives you a rather unusual sliding screen lock, a 3.5mm AV jack and the stylus, which runs along the bottom edge.

The top then gives you a dedicated camera button, a small central power/device control button, and the volume/zoom rocker. That central button is really useful, letting you lock/unlock the N900, access the phone functions, change the profile and so on.

You'll notice that we've been talking around the phone in landscape. That's because the N900 really isn't a happy puppy in portrait; there is limited support for portrait interaction. With the N900 closed you'll get the phone in portrait mode, but little else, not even the customizable homepage. We are used to having the content of our devices change to suit how it is being held. There is an accelerometer on-board, however, as your photos will change aspect. It's an odd move and hopefully something that Nokia will address to offer more options when you want to use the device single-handed on the train.

As a phone it works nicely, with easy access to contacts on a large on-screen dialler. A proximity sensor kills the screen when it is next to your head: pull the phone away and you are presented with in-call options. Audio quality was good, but a hard rim around the screen is a little uncomfortable.

Recent announcements have revealed Nokia is looking to move its N series devices over to Maemo 5, an open source Linux platform, which is what the N900 is running on. Unfortunately at the time of writing this review, you won't find wide application support, so at present it doesn't compete with the likes of the iPhone or Android in terms of bringing in new apps. The Nokia Ovi Store for Maemo is yet to launch.

The N900 operating system gives you several layers. The top layer is a neat desktop which slides from side-to-side, giving you effectively four pages to customise. These can be filled with shortcuts, bookmarks, contacts and various widgets. So you get the usual offering of weather, Ovi shortcuts, media player, RSS and calendar widgets, with a neat mapping "where am I?" widget. They are live and seem to run well enough.

You can add contacts and once you have fed in the information, contacts are rich and full of detail and presented practically. Dump a contact shortcut and you'll have their picture (with online status if connected to one of your IM accounts) – a quick press and you have a full screen contact sheet, giving you the option to phone, message, call with Skype and so on.

The Facebook widget is a bit of a standalone feature: you still need to login to the webpage to use Facebook proper and to get your Facebook images to marry up with your contacts you'll need another app (Hermes). It's connected, but in a rather disconnected way, and doesn't go as far as HTC Sense or Motoblur.

You can login to Skype, Google Talk account, Jabber, SIP as well as Ovi by Nokia. You do get the option to import contacts from those services, but not your entire Google contacts or access other calendars for example. Merging contacts is easy, then giving you access to multiple avenues of communication for each individual.

IM conversations are handled rather well, as are text messages, in the Conversations area. This pulls SMS and IM threads into the same place, so you can open up a chat you were having with a contact. It's much better than having to open each different application individually.?

Email isn't handled in the same integrated inbox however. Setting up email is easy, whether you are gunning for Exchange, IMAP or POP mail. As with other Nokia devices, it will intelligently figure out your settings for common email services too. Received attachments are handled well, launching DocsToGo where necessary, or a PDF viewer.

One oddity, however, is that the send button is at the top of the message and as you write an email, it will vanish off the top, so you'll have to scroll back up to send it. Meanwhile at the bottom of the screen you'll get the option to change the font, colour and other such nonsense. If you want to attach a file or insert a picture, you'll have to open a menu to do so. It doesn't really seem to address the need of power emailers who want core features at their fingertips: we'd rather see font colours buried in a menu to be forgotten.

Talking attachments you really get to see the power of the N900 when you start saving pictures from websites, cropping them, and reattaching to emails to send out again. It's simple and a level of advanced file handling that many devices don't offer.

A big part of what the N900 is about is multitasking. The second level the OS offers is a neat icon-based breakout of your running application windows (behind which sits a third level in the form of a simple icon-based menu). Once you reach 12 windows however you'll need to start scrolling the page, so you'll never find what you are looking for.?

A top status bar (when not in fullscreen mode) displays the time, battery and data connections, with a neat pop-up menu where you can change profiles, volume, data connection or your availability for IM. In applications the top of the screen gives you access to menus, to close windows or to jump back into the multi-panel view.

The Maemo browser is easy to use and renders full HTML, thanks to its origins with Mozilla. You get Flash support too, something that hasn't yet appeared on rival devices. Flash video playback is a little haphazard, with the first play often just giving you an audio track with a few frames. A few plays would bring the frame rate up, but in all our tests over Wi-Fi, we were left wanting for better performance overall.

The high-resolution screen means that you can read full web pages, but the lack of conventional multi-touch interaction via a capacitive screen is glaringly obvious. Double tap zooming is a little random, but you can use the volume rocker to zoom web pages in their entirety. It's a little frustrating, but you do get used to it, especially as the swirly zooming alternative is unreliable. Selecting boxes for text input can be frustrating: sometimes you feel like you are being ignored until you zoom right in and stab it hard with your finger.

Multitasking does have an impact on the response of the N900 too. When pushing the device it will get sluggish. You'll often also find that background activities throw the N900 out of its comfort zone. When it can't connect to a particular messaging service it will pop-up a message telling you whilst everything else slows painfully.

The lack of applications (currently) means that things are more complicated than they need to be. In the absence of a solid consumer-ready Twitter application you'll find yourself using the website and another service for images, in another full webpage. It's a big draw on resources compared to a lightweight app, but does show you the power options that the N900 offers and that's the ultimate caveat: if there isn't app support for an online service, you'll almost certainly be able to easily use the web original.?Only 265MB RAM is dedicated to apps, but it is boosted to 1GB by virtual memory.

The keyboard itself is good, but the layout isn't the best. Every key has an alternative function in blue accessed by depressing the blue arrow key, on the left side. Shift is only on the left-hand side as well, whilst the space bar is offset to the right. The right has a set of cursor keys, which can be useful and we'd rather have them than not. Overall we didn't find it as fast as a BlackBerry keyboard, but once you get used to the layout, it is responsive enough.

Impressively there is a degree of UPnP support on the N900, as it found our Cisco Media Hub and Mac running Orb on our network. Navigation is slow and we had little success with video or photos, but we did get playback of audio files. Video out, with a cable in the box is a nice touch, reminding us that there is 32GB of storage available here, as well as the microSD card slot hiding under the back.

Media support is generally good, with MPEG4, AVI, WMV, 3GP all claiming to play (H.264, MPEG4, Xvid, WMV, H.263 codecs), but in reality we had to be selective with which video formats we used. Music support gives you WAV, MP3, AAC, eAAC, WMA and M4A. You also get access to internet radio through the media player and there is an FM transmitter too.

Around the back is a 5-megapixel camera, with Carl Zeiss optics, which performs nicely in daylight, but suffers when the light dips resulting in noisy images. The dual LED flash will illuminate your subject but won't result in a nice picture at the end. Shutter lag is terrible, so blurring is often common as the subject moves on, or you forget to stand still and wait for the camera to catch up with what you were doing. Some sample shots are included with this review.

Video capture gives you the single option of 848 x 480 pixel resolution, which is fair in daylight shooting. The 20fps frame rate is a little choppy and it does tend to drop frames and sometimes deliver patchy audio too, suggesting some optimization is needed in this area. Low light video is poor.

Geotagging is an option on images using the on-board GPS and there is a degree of photo editing possible. We found that cropping was no problem, but the option to change the brightness and contrast caused the phone to get very laggy, so is best avoided.?The N900 comes with Nokia's Ovi Maps included, which is a heavy-weight application, giving you 3D map views to get the most out of the GPS.?

Battery life, however, is a weakness. Nokia admits to a 1+ day of connected use, but we've found that it starts complaining from low battery levels within the day (and mostly only using Wi-Fi or 2G). Step-up to 3.5G and you need to stay near the power. A day of heavy use will see you out of battery during your working day.

We were testing a pre-production sample of the N900, so accept that it might still be needing some updates before it really hits the market. Hopefully this explains away a couple of restarts that the device executed off its own back.

Verdict:

The Nokia N900 has been a highly anticipated device and with the divide between the internet tablet and mobile phone having closed, many have expected it breathe life into the struggling phone giant.

To a certain extent it achieves these aims. The N900 is an extremely capable handset, which will let you do some very clever things and too many to cover in this review. But would we choose it over the best smartphones the rivals have to offer? Probably not.

The N900 will do a lot, but you feel like you are working for it and as a consumer you are likely to get more satisfaction from some of the more recent Android devices, which still have the open source goodness, but with a community that is a little more established. At the same time, we can see that the N900 has the potential to go a long way. Resource-sparing apps to make your life easier, combined with the wealth of options here and you could have a very accomplished handset.

The ball is really in the court of those supporting the handset. It needs aspect switching for the home pages, it needs the Flash support enhancing and it needs to develop the app offering. Until these things arrive the N900 is a supporting role, rather than the star of the show.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia N900

Nokia N900 mobile phone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:44:49 +0000

Logitech-owned Ultimate Ears has announced the launch of a new, free to download iPhone app that offers an interesting feature - a sound pressure level meter that will tell you the decibel level of anything you care to point your phone at.

Aside from that, other features range from the naff - "see the custom-made in-ear monitors of the artists who are wearing Ultimate Ears" - to the dull - "see a full list of our products".

There's also info on how to get the most out of your UE earphones and the ability to watch artists interviews, backstage footage, and photos from live shows.

Ultimate Ears warns that the sound pressure level meter is for recreational use only and accuracy of SPL readings will vary depending on iPhone model used, but for free it's got to be worth a download to see just how loud the No 7 bus/your mate's band/your dog's bark really is.

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Tags: Phones iPhone apps Ultimate Ears Logitech Audio

Ultimate Ears iPhone app offers decibel meter originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:37:25 +0000

The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards are back, letting you know what the best products of 2009 really are.

Now in its sixth year, the Pocket-lint Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year from around the world.

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available in the UK between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Nominations for the award categories are being taken now and the final list of nominations (five per category)?will be announced on Monday 16 November with the winners being announced at the awards party on 7 December 2009.?

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TICKET DETAILS

You are welcome to buy as many tickets as you like, and can bring journalists and others from your company.

We will be providing drink and nibbles on the night.

Tickets will be on a first come first served basis.

So just to recap:

What:?The 6th Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards?
Where:?The Light Bar, E1?
When:?7pm Monday 7th December?
Dress:?Smart casual (not black tie)?
Price:??25 a ticket
Drinks/nibbles:?Included?

Any queries etc give me a shout on email or phone.

Stuart

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Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Pocket-lint Awards

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards date confirmed and tickets on sale originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:13:14 +0000

Those clued up on the 2009 tech scene will grasp this concept straight away as it's just so very "now".

Using augmented reality, the new WorkSnug iPhone app, created in conjunction with Plantronics, lets iPhone owners see at a glance suitable perching locations in their vicinity for a quick log-on and a coffee or somewhere to work the day away.

Rating the locations - which could vary from coffee shop chains to greasy spoons to official pay-for-a-desk type work locations - on power provision, atmosphere and noise levels, it should give an idea of what a place is all about and users can add their own reviews too.

Currently launching for the London metro area, WorkSnug will soon also be available for the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Berlin and Madrid with a website planned to launch in the future.

The WorkSnug iPhone app is available now absolutely gratis from the iTunes App Store.

Tags: Phones iPhone apps WorkSnug Wi-Fi hotspots Biz Software Augmented Reality Plantronics Video

VIDEO: WorkSnug workplace-finding iPhone app launches originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:52:57 +0000

If you're in the market for a PAYG phone then you could do a lot worse than heading over to Orange, who are offering some free gifts along with your phone purchase.

The free gifts include the main event - a pair of Skull Candy headphones - along with 5 minutes worth of free international calls - perhaps good for that quick call to an overseas aunt and 30 free photo messages. You'll also get some free downloads for games, ringtones, etc... and some bits that you probably won't want, such as a yo-yo and card wallet.

The offer includes handsets ranging from ?30 and up so examples of phones available come in the form of the Alcatel OT-708, the middle of the range LG Cookie, through to the Nokia 5800, which will set you back ?205.

This link will take you through to the Orange website where you can take a look at all the phones on offer. After you've picked your phone you'll have to choose the animal-related PAYG plan that you want and how you want it delivered, which thankfully includes a free option.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Orange Skull candy Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Free Skull Candy headphones with Orange PAYG mobiles originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

While Vodafone got the exclusive on the new HTC HD2 for a few short weeks, the high-end Windows phone is now available in the UK through O2.

O2 has offered various HTC-made phones before, but the HD2 marks the first time the operator has allowed an actual HTC-branded device live on its network.

The new HD2 Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone offers a 4.3-inch multi-touch display, a speedy Snapdragon processor, a 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS and HSDPA.

"The HTC HD2 is the first HTC branded phone to be sold on O2. We love the large screen and combination of Windows Mobile 6.5 with HTC Sense", says Steve Alder, general manager devices for O2 in the UK.

"We are proud to be the home of smartphones and the HTC HD2 adds a new dimension to the range of devices we offer to our customers".

Full tariff details are to be confirmed while the website is being updated, but O2 tells us the HD2 will be avialable for free on a ?45 per month, 18-month contract - which is a fiver dearer than Voda.

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Related links:

• Feature - HTC HD2 funky features fun

Tags: Phones Mobile phones O2 HTC HTC HD2 Tariffs Windows Phone

O2 offers HTC HD2 free on £45 per month tariffs originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:50:40 +0000

American computer manufacturer Dell has announced the launch of its new Android-based smartphone, the Dell Mini 3i, on China Mobile.

The global debut of the phone in China sees the new handset available in "red passion" or the slightly dubious sounding "oiled bronze".

More specs for the device have now been revealed and we can report the quadband GSM/EDGE 3i offers a 3.5-inch, 640 x 360 widescreen display, built-in GPS, a 3-megapixel camera with video capture, flash and auto-focus, Bluetooth and a microSD card slot supporting cards up to 32GB.

In China, the Mini 3i will support China Mobile's "Mobile Market" app store, while Dell says the phone's features may well change as it launches across other operators around the world - "feature sets may vary depending on the needs of mobile operators".

Brazil's Claro network is due to offer the handset by the end of the year, but considering this warning Brazilians should hang on for confirmation of specs.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Dell Android China Mobile Dell Mini 3i

Dell Mini 3i smartphone launches on China Mobile originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:48:44 +0000

Palm has revealed that the latest update for its Palm Pre smartphone is heading across the pond to Europe.

Those with a Pre on Telefonica (so, O2) networks in the UK, Ireland, Germany, and Spain can expect an automatic update to webOS 1.3.1 "soon", the company says in a blog post.

The update will be delivered over-the-air to handsets whenever they are in range of Wi-Fi or 3G coverage within the next few days, so no need for Pre owners to lift a finger.

Highlights of the update include support for LinkedIn contacts and Yahoo calendar and contact information, the ability to forward messages in the Messaging app and a new Facebook for Palm app. It's interesting to note that unlike previous updates, there is no iTunes sync re-jig.

There's more info, including the full list of tweaks, bug fixes, improvements, enhancements and whatnot over on the Palm site.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Palm Pre Palm Pre WebOS Software updates O2

Palm Pre 1.3.1 update heading to the UK originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:03:01 +0000

While BlackBerry maker RIM has launched a variety of its consumer-aimed 8000 series Pearls, a next-gen version has yet to emerge - until now.

There images, leaked by CrackBerry, show the new handset in all its angular glory, and from the finished state of the phone, suggest an imminent launch.

The 3G BlackBerry Pearl 9100 follows previous models by offering a smaller BlackBerry form factor with a SureType keypad.

Specs are yet to be revealed, but we'll keep you posted.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry BlackBerry Pearl 9100 RIM Rumours

BlackBerry Pearl 9100 revealed originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:39:05 +0000

Spotify has expanded its mobile reach with a launch onto the Symbian platform - a potentially huge new audience spanning around half of the global smartphone market.

As well as a large range of Nokia handsets, the app will also run on a selection of Sony Ericsson and Samsung smartphones running the Symbian platform, such as the Samsung GT-I8910 Omnia HD and Sony Ericsson Satio.

To get Spotify's Symbian application, users can either download it directly to their phones by visiting m.spotify.com through their mobile web browser, or by entering their phone number on the new Symbian information page to receive instructions via an SMS.

As with the other iPhone and Android Spotify offerings, the Symbian app is only available to those who are Premium, i.e., paid-up members of the service.

Tags: Phones Audio Nokia Spotify Symbian

Spotify announces Symbian app originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:56:10 +0000

The?Sony Ericsson Xperia X10?is expected to be hitting AT&T?in the US when it eventually launches in February, if the spec sheet is to be believed.

According to Android news site, Phandroid, the specs for the Sony Ericsson first Android powered handset suggest that it will be going to the US mobile phone operator who also has the iPhone based on the radio bands the handset will offer.

According to the tech specs, the phone will come with GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 and UMTS/HSPA 800/850/900/1700/1900/2100, however will not offer UMTS HSPA 900/1700 for phones sold in the Americas.

While to most that will mean very little, it means AT&T will be the only carrier in the US who is able to support the handset.

There is currently no official word from either AT&T or Sony Ericsson.

We will keep you posted, but in the meantime check out our?First Look review.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Android AT and T

Sony Ericsson X10 destined for AT&T originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:24:43 +0000

Casio has released its second rugged handset in the US on Verizon hoping to appeal to the more adventurous phone user.

The Casio G'zOne Rock is a clamshell handset that looks like it could take a beating. On the inside there is a 2.1-inch colour screen, standard keypad (not QWERTY), Bluetooth, while the outside offers a 2-megapixel camera with LED flash.?

The phone hits the MIL-STD 810F standard meaning you can drop it down the toilet, throw it on the floor and generally go most places on the planet (read building site) without fear of it breaking.

Those who do adventure out into the wilds can be safe in the knowledge that the handset also offers a digital compass, walking counter, thermometer, daily tidal graphs, sunrise and sunset times and a moon calendar.

It's out on Verizon very soon.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Casio Verizon Casio GzOne Rock

Casio G'zOne Rock phone plays it tough originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:40:58 +0000

Seesmic, the Twitter client for the Mac, and recently PC, has announced that it is going mobile with BlackBerry and Android apps.

Leaving out the iPhone, BlackBerry and Android users will be able to get their Twitter feeds on their phone from Friday.

"Seesmic for BlackBerry groups all your Twitter timelines into a simple and clean interface", says Seesmic, with features for both apps including the ability to create and view saved searches, view Twitter lists that you've created on twitter.com, shorten urls and send photos, and configure notification alerts for Direct Messages and @Replies.

The news follows an earlier announcement this week that the company was launching a Windows 7 version.

The preview version, which is free, of Seesmic for Windows supposedly "combines the best features from our ever-popular social application and provides it to you in a native Windows environment".

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Android BlackBerry Seesmic Desktop

Seesmic BlackBerry and Android apps released originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:10:00 +0000

Windows Live Messenger is now available via the Nokia Messaging Chat application straight from compatible phone's homescreens.

This first instalment of Windows Live Messenger for Nokia Messaging includes tabbed chat windows, the ability to call directly from the buddy list, and notifications of new messages that pop up while the application is in the background.

Features include an appear offline login option while grouped contacts, emoticons and sounds are also available. ?

The Nokia E72 is the first device that comes with support for Windows Live Messenger, but the Nokia E63, Nokia E71 and Nokia E75 are also good to go after a download of "Nokia Messaging for IM" from the Ovi Store.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Nokia Instant messaging Windows Live Messenger Ovi Store

Windows Live Messenger hits Nokia Messaging originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:32:43 +0000

At a recent shareholders meeting Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer told attendees that "Windows 7 is simply the best PC operating system that we or anyone else has ever built".

As part of his opening speech Ballmer stated that the new OS was off to a "fantastic start" revealing that Microsoft has "already sold twice as many units as any OS in a comparable time frame".

At the event, on the defence after a shareholder commented on the popularity of Mac among younger users, Ballmer noted that "96 times out of 100, worldwide, people choose a PC with Windows" before calling Macs "quite a bit more expensive", a theme of a recent Microsoft ad campaign.

Finally, responding to a question about the iPhone's challenge to the Windows Phone market, Ballmer said: "Certainly our objective is to have the leading position. I think we have a lot of opportunity to improve... Undoubtedly we've got our work cut out for us".

"We've got our heads down to do our best", Ballmer said of the smartphone market, revealing the company has a "a lot of smart people" working on the topic.

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Tags: Software Microsoft Windows 7 Steve Ballmer Phones

Ballmer says Windows 7 is "simply the best" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:12:30 +0000

A new Motorola handset has emerged from the mists of the Internet as an as-yet-unconfirmed coming-soon Android device.

The Motorola "Motus", said to be due an official announcement in early 2010, has been spotted in this oh-so-blurry spy shot sent into an Android fan site.

Looking a little like the new DEXT, or CLIQ depending on which side of the pond you're on, the Motus is said to offer a 3.1-inch HVGA screen, a 5-megapixel camera with flash, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS and run Android 1.5 with the Motoblur interface.

Design-wise the handset gets a reverse flip keyboard and a rear directional touchpad adding serious weight to CellPassion's speculation it could launch as the "Backflip" a name recently registered in the EU by Motorola.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Android Motorola Motus Motorola Backflip Rumours

Motorola Motus emerges originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:05:01 +0000

They've kept this one quiet, but it seems Vodafone is offering free international texts all day today, so if you're a Vodafone customer and there's anyone overseas that you'd like to surprise with an SMS out of the blue, today is the day.

Vodafone customers can send free international texts from the UK to any international mobile phone number all day long today - Friday 20 November - apparently in honour of "World Hello Day".

There's no need to sign up - all customers will automatically get this offer with all texts sent from the UK to international mobile numbers today automatically free and not taking from a customers' bundle, if applicable. There's more info over at vodafone.co.uk/freefridays.

Tags: Phones Vodafone SMS

Vodafone offering free international texts all day today originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:31:59 +0000

If you think the proliferation of app stores among device manufacturers, mobile networks and just about any other company in the world was getting a little silly, you'll likely be alarmed to hear that Qualcomm is launching an initiative that could see any company set one up with the greatest of ease.

The white label service is called "Plaza" and represents an easily customisable app store (or "Mobile widgets" as Qualcomm is putting it) that can be as niche or mainstream as you like. "Any content, any network, any device" is apparently the company's motto for the project.

Qualcomm's EVP president of QIS & Europe told Pocket-lint that he thinks specialist boutique app stores that focus on one topic - sports and fitness, or music, for example - could prove as successful as device-centred app stores that have dominated the marketplace so far.

Qualcomm has an extensive website that details the options that it offers. What do you think - is the proliferation of app stores a good thing that'll create competition and drive down prices? Or will it just confuse consumers? Let us know in the comments.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Qualcomm Plaza Biz

Qualcomm plans "Plaza" of white-label app stores originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:09:10 +0000

Google has announced the launch of a "completely new" mobile Google News offering for iPhone, Android, and Palm Pre users.

This follows the availability of a mobile-optimised version of Google News for other phones, such as Blackberry, Windows Mobile, and S60, with the online giant promising "more improvements" for those versions in the near future.

The new iPhone/Android/Pre version claims to offer "the same richness and personalisation on your phone as Google News provides on desktop".

The new homepage displays more stories, sources, and images while there's access to see favourite sections, find articles and play videos "in fewer clicks".

Google News for mobile is now available in 29 languages and 70 editions and can be found at http://news.google.com on your mobile phone's browser.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Google Google News iPhone Android Palm Pre Pre

Google News gets updated for iPhone, Android and Pre originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:13:53 +0000

Want to know what's been hot in the world of technology and gadgets today? Of course you do. The news roundup always aims to bring you a nice mix of the stories from the last 24 hours and today is no exception as we have a myriad of news as well as a cheeky review creeping in there.

First up is the story that Sony Ericsson's Nexus Android skin - designed to give a? more graphical user interface - might be available on devices other than the Xperia X10. Keeping with the Xperia X10 theme, if you're keen to find out some initial thoughts on the new handset you'll want to check out our First-Look review.

There's also news that the Apple tablet has been delayed due to the introduction of an OLED screen, the Nokia N900 goes on sale in the US minus a carrier for $649 and the Sony Reader Daily Edition is now available for pre-order.? Here are the top stories from the last 24 hours:

• NEWS:Sony Ericsson's Nexus Android skin promised for more devices
• NEWS:Apple tablet delayed by late decision to add OLED display
• NEWS:Nokia N900 goes on sale in US
• NEWS:PS3 Remote Play for Android "makes sense"
• NEWS:MS Office 2010 beta now available
• REVIEW:Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mobile phone - First Look
• NEWS:TomTom for iPhone updated
• NEWS:Sony Reader Daily Edition available for pre-order
• NEWS:Want a big TV? Don't move to California
• NEWS:WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Fingertips

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

Daily news roundup: Xperia X10, Apple tablet, Nokia N900 and more originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:29:22 +0000

MediaFLO television, which launched in the United States, could be coming to the UK in time for the 2012 Olympic Games. The company's head of business development EMEA, Chem Assayag, dropped several hints to Pocket-lint, saying that 2012 is an "important year", adding that large sporting events are always good timing for broadcast products to launch due to the increased demand for viewing platforms.

The MediaFLO service, which uses a more traditional broadcast system than IPTV services, can be accessed on 10 different mobile phone handsets in the United States, available through Verizon and AT&T. It's also accessible on a recently-released 4GB standalone device, and the company showed us prototypes of dongles and wireless accessories that could connect up to any handset, including an iPhone (pictured above), not just one with Qualcomm's MediaFLO chip in.

In Britain, the company has bought up a suitable chunk of L-band spectrum that would support a mobile broadcast network. Back in May, the company announced it had won an auction for 40MHz of bandwidth to use to "bring a variety of innovative wireless technologies to the UK market".

UK content partners could include Sky, the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV, and it's likely that phone networks like O2, Orange, Vodafone, T-Mobile and 3 would also be involved - to provide the handsets to customers. As well as television, MediaFLO can also integrate other apps - we saw proof-of-concept of Twitter and Facebook integration that would allow you to chat with other people watching the same broadcast.

The technology can support up to 30 channels running at 25 to 30fps at QVGA resolution. That's tiny compared to a TV, and even a little on the small side for a laptop, but would suit the small screens of mobile devices very well. MediaFLO is working with LG, Samsung, Motorola and HTC right now, but chips could easily be integrated into any handset, so keep your eyes peeled in the next year or so.

As soon as there's anything more concrete about the launch of MediaFLO in the UK, we'll let you know.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone TV Qualcomm MediaFLO FLO TV

Mobile TV could be in UK in time for Olympics originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:56:34 +0000

Vodafone has expanded its Twitter options in the UK by offering a new service that allows Twitter users to retweet messages via SMS.

Vodafone customers can already send and receive SMS Twitter updates and now they can use the same number to retweet the most recent interesting posts from the people they are following.

Now available to Vodafone customers in the UK, to use the service, customers should send "RT twitter username" to 86444.

As an example, to retweet the most recent message from @VodafoneUK, you would type "RT VodafoneUK" which keeps it simple as it only works with the latest tweet from the Twitter account.

Sent texts will be charged at the standard network rate, or taken from the customer's SMS bundle where appropriate, says Vodafone.

After sending their message, customers will receive a free SMS notification confirming the message that they have just retweeted to their followers.

Vodafone customers will continue to receive SMS updates from Twitter free of charge.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Vodafone Twitter Software Online SMS

Vodafone offers paid-for SMS retweet option originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:48:55 +0000

Need to make a loud noise in a public toilet? Yes, you guessed it, there's an app for that too with the launch of "Cover Up".

The app creates more socially acceptable noises than the ones you're likely to make during a trip to the loo, such as running water or a hand drier, saving your embarrassment as you exit the cubicle.

We're guessing from its make-up compact looks, and the promo vid above it's aimed at the gentler sex, who can download it now from the App Store for 99 cents.

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Tags: Phones iPhone apps App Store Cover Up Audio Video

VIDEO: Cover Up iPhone app masks toilet noises originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:49:20 +0000

The official availability maybe some time off, however that hasn't stopped us from getting a hands-on with the Android sporting Xperia X10 for a second time (this time in New York) so we can bring you a First Look (over two sittings) of the new handset from Sony Ericsson. Will it be a game changer that will bring the company back into the spotlight? Read on to find out.

On the surface the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is another Android 1.6 handset with a large screen and yet another user interface or User Experience (UX) as Sony Ericsson calls it, promising to improve the usability stakes over everything else.

The hardware sees you get a 4-inch touchscreen display that dominates proceedings. Beneath this there are three additional buttons that allow you to access menus, the home screen, and skip back a step, and in between this there is even two white tiny LEDs that give you notifications as to what is going on although you will no doubt loose track over time. A dedicated camera button and volume controls pepper the side.

For the Droid or G1 fans out there, there is no slide-out keyboard. Get over it.

Around the back you'll get an 8.1-megapixel digital camera top centre and beneath that a flash - something not present on the HTC Hero or Apple iPhone.

Although impressive, specs are nothing out of the ordinary, certainly not for your top-of-the-range model and that means you get virtually every tech acronym you can think of including HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, DLNA, A-GPS, 3.5mm jack and Qualcomm's 1GHz Snapdragon processor. Storage is provided by an 8GB microSD card in the box and connects to your computer/charger via Micro-USB on the top. Unfortunately we weren't able to confirm what the storage allocation for applications is, but let's hope it is more than 256MB as with the Motorola Droid.

It is large, comparable to the Apple iPhone, but not as big as the HTC HD2. Underneath all that User Experience you get Android 1.6. Sony Ericsson are currently sending out mixed messages as to whether or not the handset will sport Android 2.0 when it eventually launches in February, with some spokespeople for the company saying it will and others not so sure.

What this means is that you will miss out on some features, like the ability to search the contents of your phone at the press of a button and Google Maps Navigation (US only). With a strong integrated interface in the guise of what Sony Ericsson is calling Nexus, you get, like the Sense UI from HTC, a lot more friendly functionality than Google offers as standard.

Of course you do get that "standard" approach. The Nexus UX Platform sits on top of Android 1.6 meaning you can run all the standard Android apps as well as apps designed for the phone and UX.?Unlike Motorola and HTC, both of whom have also decided to customise the Android experience, Sony Ericsson is hoping for further development by releasing a WebSDK.

The move means that developers will be able to develop applications specifically for Sony Ericsson handsets (the X10 is the first of many) that work only for Sony Ericsson. It's a brave move and one that will be interesting to watch. As a developer are you really going to be bothered to develop an app for an as yet unproven smartphone when you've got Apple, Android, Palm's WebOS, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Samsung's Bada and BlackBerry to develop for as well?

Either way in reality it seems that Sony Ericsson are playing the "you can play with us too" card and regardless of this forging on with their own apps to impress and improve on the Android OS.

In steps Timescape and Mediascape. 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. The experience is very "Aero" from Windows Vista and in practice not the easiest thing to read.

Each 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. It's a bit like HTC's contacts feature that shows you all the contact you've had with that person, however it's no Xobni. 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 with talk of Spotify being banded around at our briefing (something that might be harder to do than Sony Ericsson realizes thanks to Spotify's poor API).

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 HD's UI, though that's only a good thing.

Then there is the image viewer in Mediascape that supports facial recognition. What this means is 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, very much like Apple's face recognition feature in iPhoto. The feature can also hook in with your contacts list - you can tap a person in a photo to call them, for instance, however won't talk to Facebook or Flickr.

Those apps, and others for the Nexus UX, will be available from the PlayNow store.

Elsewhere and it's pretty standard Android fare for the handset. The software is, and acts, as you would expect for an Android 1.6 handset, however for some reason, one that continues to baffle us, is no multi-touch support.?With a touchscreen so large with no keyboard we think it's a catastrophic move, but then hey, what do we know?

As for performance? Well it's a little too early to say. The models we looked at both in London and New York have all been pre-production, and early builds at that. It certainly wasn't as zippy as we would have hoped, certainly for a device with a Snapdragon chipset, but then its too early to tell whether this is just because it's early code, or because Sony Ericsson has baked in so many graphical, almost PS3-like niceties, that it's buckled under the weight. We expect it's the former.

Verdict:

So is this going to be the Android handset that you wish you waited for? At the moment it's too hard to say as the software wasn't (we hope) working at full speed. That said on the hardware front it really is just a screen with some buttons and every acronym you can think of, looks good and has the potential to perform well.

We get the feeling though, that as soon as HTC announce an HD2 with Android, probably called the HD3, that shininess – i.e., the 4-inch screen - will soon disappear.

So how can Sony Ericsson hope to win your hearts? By getting developers to embrace the Nexus UX platform or for Sony to roll out as many apps as it can including dedicated apps like a PlayNow store, PSP emulator and PS3 Remote Play. Now wouldn't that be nice?

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is expected to be available in February 2010.

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Related links:

• Photos - Sony Ericsson Experia X10 hands on

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

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mobile phone - First Look originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

In news that its customers will be happy to hear, O2 has revealed plans for a big upgrade to its UK network, with ?500 million investment over the last 2 years.

The operator - which currently offers data-happy phones such as the Apple iPhone and the Palm Pre - is looking to improve its data handling capabilities.

As part of the plans, London will see around 40 new mobile data hotspots in the city by the end of the year, with another 160 following on in the next year.

Meanwhile the rest of the country will see another 1500 new locations to boost service across the UK.

Derek McManus, chief technology officer at O2 UK, said that the company predicts a surge in data usage over the next year and is working to improve its network capacity for the future.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry O2

O2 promises network improvements originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:39:08 +0000

If you're the type of person that thinks the presence of a few cats would spice up any photo, then there's an app for that.

CatPaint, just launched for the iPhone and iPod touch, adds a touch of puss to any pic with the option to drag and drop feline imagery into any photograph.

That's pretty much the extent of the app, but for $1, we're sure feline fanciers can't go wrong.

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Tags: Phones iPhone apps CatPaint

CatPaint iPhone app adds cats originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:55:23 +0000

American mobile phone operator AT&T has hit back at rival Verizon using the secret weapon of Luke Wilson.

The new ad, which supposedly compares the two operators' 3G offerings side by side, is a direct response to Verizon's current map-themed campaign which makes it appear as if AT&T has very little coverage across the United States.

AT&T was refused its initial legal request for an injunction to stop Verizon showing the adverts which AT&T deemed "misleading", so for now it seems a tit for tat battle will ensue until AT&T gets a second chance in court on 16 December.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry Advertising AT and T Verizon Video

VIDEO: AT&T fires back at Verizon in ad war originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:07:05 +0000

If you want to add a little regality to your iPhone then look no further than Ultra Case's Luxury Edition Royal Crown iPhone case.

"With heart shaped artificial crystal surrounded by Swarovski Crystals, it is the ultimate in chic and elegance", says the purveyors.

We thought it was the ultimate in something else, but if you agree with Ultra Case's assessment you should know it's on sale now for ?119.99.

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Tags: Phones Cases iPhone accessories Ultra Case

Luxury Edition Royal Crown iPhone case revealed originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:54:01 +0000

With wireless charging being the current crazy, its no surprise to see GEAR4 putting forward a solution for the iPhone.

The unit consists for two elements, the first is the inductive charging pad, on which you'll have to place you iPhone. The second element is a case into which you'll have to place your iPhone. Put one on the other and you have wireless charging.

The case is needed because the iPhone doesn't contain the necessary technology to support wireless charging. The case has a rubberised effect on what is otherwise a plastic body, which splits into two pieces. The top removes so you can slide your iPhone into the case, connecting with a dock connector at the bottom, which is how it makes contact with the battery.

Adding the dock connector does extend the length of your phone, with the rest of the case adding bulk – although you do have the added benefit of the protection that the case brings. The case measures approx 127mm in length (compared to 115.5mm) and is 19mm thick (compared to the iPhone's 12.3mm).

It doesn't contain a battery of its own, so it won't extend the battery life of your iPhone.

The PowerPad itself is constructed from plastic with a depressed matte area where you place the phone. It is otherwise finished in black gloss and looks minimalist enough. The power pack plugs in around the side and four rubber feet on the bottom stop it from sliding around.

GEAR4 claim that the PowerPad will charge your iPhone at the same rate as a regular charger and we found this to be true. You simply place your iPhone onto the correct place on the pad and off it goes.

A blue LED illuminates showing that the charger is working, but you won't necessarily need that LED, because of the noise. Yes, the PowerPad might be wireless, but it isn't silent.

Place your iPhone on the PowerPad and you'll hear and excited chirping coming from the pad, which then slows down into a regular chirping about 4 times a second. If you have the PowerPad on your desk in a quiet office it may well drive you mad.

We tested the PowerPad initially in the kitchen and it could be heard over the sound of the fridge. Then set on a desk next to a Mac and it was a distraction. If you was going to put this in the hallway and not spend much time near it, then fair enough, but for us, the noise was irritating.

And that's not all. We also found it clicking away, albeit faintly, whilst there was nothing on the pad. A handy reminder to turn it off at the wall.

Verdict:

The PowerPad is an effective wireless charge if you happy with the increased size that the case brings to your iPhone. The case will also give you a degree of protection, but it would have been nice to see options over the standard black plastic.

But the noise that comes with this charging solution might be too much to bear. In a noisy environment, like an office with aircon, heaps of computers, phones ringing, or even music, it won't be much of a problem. But in a quiet home office, or next to the bed a night, and it might just be too irritating.

Tags: Gadgets Phones Chargers iPhone Apple GEAR4 Gear4 PowerPad

GEAR4 PowerPad wireless iPhone charger originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

The?TomTom for iPhone app has received an update on Wednesday bringing with it a number of promised features and a couple of new ones too.

New to the mix is compatibility for the original iPhone and iPod touch (all models), meaning that owners of the iPod touch, with the help of the TomTom Car Kit can get in on the?TomTom for iPhone GPS?action too.

Aside from that, features are as expected so that means advanced lane guidance for difficult junctions in both landscape and portrait mode, and text-to-speech functionality that will see street names and places read aloud as part of the spoken instructions.

In addition, TomTom's "Help Me" emergency feature from its in-car satnavs will be ported to the mobile platform, there'll be options to customise audio warnings, while maps and safety camera databases will see an update.

Finally the app will catch up with other offerings like CoPilot on the market by adding iPod player control "ensuring drivers can conveniently control their music from within the application".

The update is free to all those who have already downloaded the application.?

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps TomTom iPhone apps iPhone GPS Car And GPS TomTom for iPhone

TomTom for iPhone updated originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:21:38 +0000

The?Nokia N900?has gone on sale in the US on Wednesday for a $649 unsubsidised after the mobile phone manufacturer failed to find a carrier to offer the handset.?

Not deterred by the lack of interest from the likes of Verizon or AT&T, Nokia has opted to go it alone:

"Consumers from every segment of the population are looking for more out of their mobile device - more power, more ability, more connectivity", said Alessandro Lamanna, vice president, Retail Sales, Nokia - hoping people would quickly jump at the opportunity to buy the new handset.

The Nokia N900, which is the first from the Finnish company to sport the new?Maemo?operating system, is available in a black finish and will retail for ?649 through Nokia flagship stores in New York and Chicago, nokiausa.com and various independent retailers and e-tailers including Amazon.com.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia N900

Nokia N900 goes on sale in US originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:06:57 +0000

Sony Ericsson has hinted that it could launch a "PS3" app similar to that found on the Sony Ericsson Aino handset launched earlier in the year for the Android OS, when the company's new?Xperia X10?handset launches in February.

"It makes a lot of sense for it to be on other handsets", said Christopher David, head of developer and partner engagement at Sony Ericsson, before backing up that statement with an "it should be expected".

It is not certain at this time whether an app, if developed, would be restricted to the X10 and Nexus UX platform or be available to all?Android?handsets, but could mean that phone users opting for devices sporting the Google Android OS could access their PlayStation 3 and stream content to their phone from around the world, in a similar way to the Sony Ericsson phone or the PSP console.

The phone, which packs the same DLNA and wireless connectivity as the Aino, before building on the specs with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset and 4-inch screen, would be a perfect hardware device for such an app, something that David acknowledges.

"For it to work you would need wireless and DLNA connectivity," said David, after we tried to lure more than an "it's possible" answer from the man, when asked to engage in the new Sony Ericsson Nexus UX platform for the X10.

As for other apps to expect in the future? David was keeping quiet, however we did get a chuckle and acknowledgement of a "good question asked" as to whether Sony Ericsson's Play Now store, that allows users to download movies and music, would get an Android app of its own.

"You never know", was the official response with a wry smile.?

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Tags: Gaming Phones Mobile phones Mobile phone apps Sony Android PS3 Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

PS3 Remote Play for Android "makes sense" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:23:13 +0000

Sony Ericsson?has implied that it may bring its new?Android?skin destined for the?Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, the Nexus UX platform, to other devices.

"Nexus has been developed with a broader focus in mind", said Steve Walker, head of portfolio planning and communications for Sony Ericsson, following a question in an informal journalist briefing on whether we would see the new UI on other devices.

Although not going into specific details about specific products, Walker hinted in a further conversation with Pocket-lint that the new Nexus interface had been developed for devices of "all shapes and sizes".

The news comes as Sony Ericsson announces further details for its latest handset, the Xperia X10, which is due out in February 2010.

Working in what appears to be a similar way to HTC's Sense UI, Sony Ericsson will create a new "skin" for Android and Symbian OSes called the Nexus UX platform that offers a more graphical interface for users to get involved in.

Creating a dedicated WebSDK to accompany the new "skin", Sony Ericsson is hoping that by allowing developers to create apps specifically for Sony Ericsson handsets, it will help it gain the edge over other Android based handsets from Motorola or HTC.

"It is more than a UI skin", Christopher David, the man in charge of pushing the SDK to developers told us in a one to one interview. "The WebSDK, announced today allows developers to develop applications specifically for our phones and be sold in the PlayNow store".

Sony Ericsson will start the ball rolling with two applications, Timescape and Mediascape with the promise of many more over time.

Timescape will promise to manage all your communication with one person in one place, allowing you to browse through your conversations on Facebook, Twitter, photos, emails, and texts all in one go. Mediascape will focus on the multimedia elements to the handset, allowing you to search your phone for music, photos and videos as well as access interactive services like YouTube or PlayNow.

"We expect to have around a couple of hundred apps and plug-ins for Nexus at launch", David confirmed.

Other features of the new OS overlay include a feature that links faces with contact details at the touch of a button from within the phone on the fly.?

Sony Ericsson says that users will be able to download dedicated Sony Ericsson Android apps created using its WebSDK via its Play Now store rather than in Android Marketplace, however users will be able to access standard Android Marketplace as you would normally.?

The Xperia X10 is the first of many handsets that will use the platform, says Sony Ericsson, with the new handset acting as the flagship model when it hits stores in February.?

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

Sony Ericsson's Nexus Android skin promised for more devices originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:52:03 +0000

While we doubt Apple's voiceover guy will be highlighting this offering in any forthcoming advert ("you want your iPhone to blow? There's an app for that) the Blower - Real Air app appears to do just that.

By abusing the phone's speaker by producing low frequencies it appears that the app can create a tiny stream of air from the speaker - enough at least to blow out birthday candles - which is a pretty impressive trick, although not quite magic.

It's no Airblade, granted, but does go some way to show what a clever mind can come up with - even if the ultimate result falls somewhat flat in the land of pointless.

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• Shop - iTunes

Tags: Phones iPhone apps Video

VIDEO: New iPhone app blows... originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:07:09 +0000

Pocket-lint has teamed up with video news site TechVi to bring you a weekly show analysing the biggest stories of the week.

Hosted by Randall Bennett and featuring members of the Pocket-lint team, this week Duncan gives us a lesson in all things Pirate Bay and shares his love of Spotify.

The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 also gets a plug while the trio discuss the trend for "mini" versions of popular phones.

Hit the play button above, or for a more interactive video, where the web page jumps around the web as the stories are discussed, head over to TechVi.com.

Tags: Audio Video TechVi Comment Phones Software

Pocket-lint on TechVi: Mini phones, Pirate Bay changes and awards season originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:33:18 +0000

A new Apple job advert is leading to all kinds of speculation around the Web as to what the consumer electronics giant is up to.

The Cupertino-based company is currently recruiting for a "Game/Media Software Engineer", a full-time position based at its Californian headquarters.

Apple wants the new staff member to work on "interactive multimedia experiences on the iPhone and iPod touch".

With being a "passionate gamer" a must, Apple is requesting that the candidate have experience of working on at least one "AAA title".

Is Apple about to branch wholesale into games development for its iPhone platform?

This seems unlikely considering the wealth of top quality games available from developers happy to do the hard work for a lucrative slot in the App Store.

Wilder speculation suggests the company needs an in-house bod to develop games for the much-rumoured iPad for its on-stage demo debut, as tasking a third party with such a job would leave the famously secretive company's future plans open to a leak.

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Related links:

• Link - Apple

Tags: Gaming Apple iPhones Phones Hardware iPad iTablet Rumours Software

Apple advertises for mystery games engineer originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:15:40 +0000

A startup called RidRx has created an adaptor that'll allow you to mod an old stethoscope into a fully-functioning iPhone or iPod touch-enabled version of the heartbeat detector. It comes with a phone dock/holder and an app that will record and analyse the audio you capture.

It's called the iStethoscope Pro, and can't be sold for anything other than recreational use thanks to the US regulators. However, it could prove useful - if only for kids who want to prove an irregular heartbeat to their PE teachers so they're able to get out of rugby practice on a cold November morning.

The adaptor kit costs $30, but you'll need to provide your own stethoscope - which will likely set you back the best part of $100 too, unless you know a friendly Doctor. The app itself costs 99 cents and is available now on the iPhone App Store.

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Tags: Phones iPhone apps Mobile phone apps iPhone Medical Health Sports Fitness Video

VIDEO: iPhone gets stethoscope adaptor originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:02:28 +0000

The Vodafone Pocket-lint Awards 2009 public vote is now live, letting you - our valued readers - have your say in which gadgets you think should be crowned top for 2009.

As you will see over on the voting page, each of the nine categories has five products that have been nominated as the best of the year.

We need your help to narrow the five down to one overall winner for each category, the result of which will be announced at our Awards ceremony on 7 December.

The public vote will count towards 10% of the overall scores, with the other 90% weighting from the official Pocket-lint judges (a panel of industry professionals from around the globe) so your vote will make a real difference to the final winners.

Head over to the voting page now where there's simple instructions on how to cast your vote and stay tuned for the results on 7 December.

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Tags: Audio Pocket-lint Awards Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness

Vodafone Pocket-lint Awards 2009 public vote is now live originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:30:29 +0000

Just over a year after the application's launch, Google has announced an update for Google Earth for the iPhone and iPod touch.

With the original at one point the second most-downloaded free application overall, it's an update that will likely be downloaded by a fair few users.

Version 2.0 of Google Earth for iPhone adds the ability to view maps created or saved on a desktop computer on an iPhone via the MyMaps settings, improved icon selection and performance and the availability of the app in new languages.

The app will be rolling out around the world over the next day or so, available to download for free from the iTunes App Store.

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Tags: Phones iPhone apps Google Google Earth Car And GPS Software updates Software

Google Earth hits version 2.0 for iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:14:15 +0000

Magellan has joined the iPhone navigation party with the news it is to launch not just the RoadMate GPS application, but like TomTom and Navigon before it, a tailor-made car kit.

Magellan's offering is more of a rival to TomTom's system as it too claims to offer enhanced signal with a built-in GPS receiver, noise-cancelling speakerphone functionality, boasts in-car charging and can rotate for landscape and portrait use.

As far as the software goes, the Magellan offering looks fairly comprehensive with the navigation offering spoke street names, lane assist, 3D landmarks and address book integration.

Extras include in-app music control from the get-go, find your car functionality, a pedestrian mode and a "OneTouch" favourites menu.

Touch owners should note that when combined with the car kit - and its built-in GPS receiver - the set-up can turn the iPod into a navigation device too.

The app is available in the States now for $79.99, while pricing for the car kit (due late 2009) is $129.99, UK/Europe details are TBC.

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Tags: Phones iPhone apps Magellan GPS software Car And GPS Car gadgets

Magellan launches iPhone app and car kit originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:33:46 +0000

The countdown to?CES 2010, the biggest electronics trade show on the planet, has begun, but what can we expect from the show, and what should we start to get excited about? Here are six areas that are going to dominate the news come January.

Don't forget, Pocket-lint will be bringing you all the news, reviews, comment, photos and video as it happens in the run up to CES and live from Las Vegas for the duration of the show.

You can bookmark our CES coverage at pocket-lint.com/CES2010

Digital Living

Technology has gone mainstream supposedly, so that means the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center will be filled with technology launches that embrace all of us rather than just a select few. In real terms that means everything from gadgets for kids, gadgets for mums and dads that look after kids, and gadgets for the silver surfer. Expect new toys for health, parenting and higher education.

Apple

Don't get too excited,?Apple isn't attending CES, regardless of how many rumours you hear, but that doesn't mean companies that work in the Apple eco-system aren't going to be in Vegas launching new gadgets. With a whole area dedicated to the iPod,?iPhone?and Macs, expect a fair share of iPod speakers, cables to connect to something else in your life and the usual array of cases to protect it all.

eBook readers

If you're planning on getting an ebook reader for Christmas you might want to think again. The ebook market has exploded in the US with Amazon,?Barnes & Noble?and?Sony?all fighting over each other to offer you the digital reader you supposedly need. Plastic Logic has already confirmed that it will be launching a new ebook at CES and there is bound to be other manufacturers like?Spring Design?and iRex offering new models.

3D

Riding on the wave of euphoria that Avatar will no doubt give the industry, consumer electronics manufacturers like?Sony, Toshiba, LG?and?Samsung?will be likely to be pushing?3D TV?hard at CES 2010. IFA 2009 already showed us the concepts, CES will show us the reality. Expect new televisions, announcements from the Blu-ray Disc Association, television makers, graphics card companies like Nvidia and movie companies all trying to get in on the action.

Netbooks

While most people have surely moved on from the popularity of netbooks, CES organisers CEA believe netbooks are going to still be big news at CES 2010. What that means is a barrage of computers that don't do much but let you surf the Web and write the odd document. Of course manufacturers will be trying to tell us otherwise with improved graphics courtesy of Nvidia and ATI. You should also probably expect a barrage of tablet devices with touchscreens allowing you to surf the Web around the home.

Green

With the economy making a comeback, manufacturers can once again turn their eyes to saving the planet. Although the idea of being green for green's sake is still very niche, generally manufacturers will be trying to tell you to ignore the thousands they are spending on lighting their booths and the sheer carbon emissions the show creates, by concentrating instead on how they've made advancements in the glass they use or the boxes your favourite gadgets go into. At least you can sleep at night knowing that we haven't had to chop down any trees to let you read this.

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Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness CES2010 ebooks Televisions Netbooks Sony LG Samsung Toshiba Apple iPod iPhone 3DTV Laptops Eco Amazon Barnes and Noble Spring Design

CES 2010: What new gadgets will be announced? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

T-Mobile has admitted guilt in recent news that an unnamed mobile phone operator had been caught selling personal data about customers to competitors.?

Staff apparently passed on millions of records from thousands of customers to third party brokers, who then cold-called people who were near the ends of their contracts. The issue was discovered after customers complained about those very calls.?A T-Mobile spokesman said the data had been sold "without our knowledge".

The network faces large fines from the Information Commissioner, who also took the unusual step of calling for?the staff members responsible to be handed a prison sentence instead of the ordinary ?5000 fine that comes with a violation of Britain’s Data Protection Act.?

Are you a T-Mobile customer? How does this make you feel? Let us know in the comments.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry Biz Information Commissioner

Personal data sold by T-Mobile originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:43:30 +0000

iPhone owning Star Wars fans hoping to relive the final battle scene of Star Wars, where you get a chance to take down the Death Star as if you were shooting Womp rats on Tatooine, can now do so following the launch of a new game for the iPhone.

Star Wars: Trench Run puts you in the cockpit of a Rebel X-Wing as you take on the Galactic Empire and is controlled by moving your iPhone forwards and backwards and side to side (thanks to the accelerometer).

The games developers, THQ, have said that the game adds special graphical features for the iPod touch second-generation, iPhone 3GS and other future devices meaning users will get a better graphics experience where possible.

The game is available to download from the App Store and costs $4.99 in the US and ?2.99 in the UK.?

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps iPhone iPhone apps Star Wars Star Wars Trench War

Star Wars: Trench Run for iPhone lets you bring down the Death Star originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:07:10 +0000

A UK mobile phone operator has seen a data leak of millions of records from thousands of customers, the information commissioner has revealed.

Staff at one of the UK's major mobile phone companies sold on the customer information to other phone firms, Christopher Graham told the BBC, making a mockery of the data protection act.

Customers have reported being cold-called as their contracts came to an end, ultimately resulting in the phone company alerting the watchdog to the problem.

The information commissioner has searched company premises, interviewed employees and is planning to prosecute those involved, but the operator has not been officially named.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry Biz Information Commissioner O2 Orange Vodafone T-Mobile 3

UK mobile phone operator sees major data theft originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:36:03 +0000

The latest episode of Pocket-lint's Tech Week In View has hit the small screen as a moustachioed Stuart Miles brings his unique take on the big tech stories of the last week or so.

Miles considers Rupert Murdoch's threat to build a pay-wall for News Corp's online content to stop everyone "stealing" it and there's the old faithful of the debate over violent video games as Modern Warfare 2 heads to the top of the charts.

Future tech also goes briefly under the microscope as Miles muses the technology he's seen of late and its implications for the near future.

Finally, has the Twitter bubble burst? An 8% dip in Twitter use in the States during October has seen nay-sayers suggesting that the micro-blogging site has peaked. Hit play on the video above to see Stuart's take on all this.

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

VIDEO: Tech Week in View - Murdoch, violent games and the Twitter bubble bursting originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:18:15 +0000

It's fair to say the BlackBerry Bold took the QWERTY market by storm. It was a badge that said you'd made it in business, as commuter trains packed full of suits flashing RIM's flagship device. The last Bold hit as the world economy slumped, so it's perhaps fitting that the new Bold trims off the fat, tightens up and is a meaner machine.

The design is the biggest change you'll notice, as it steps closer to the form factor of the Curve 8900, a handset that's been incredibly popular both in business and among consumers. Touches of the old Bold are still here, not only on the tech spec side of things, but also around the back, with the leather insert meaning your fingertips get to enjoy that textured premium feel.

From the front the BlackBerry Bold 9700 looks like a slightly more mature Curve 8900, with a flash of angle applied to the edge of the screen to make it more Audi than VW. Around the sides you now have the tactile rubberised finish so the 9700 is secure in your hand, with the side buttons getting the rubber finish we saw on the 8520.

The top is slightly more pronounced than previous BlackBerrys, with the key lock and mute "buttons" having a positive and substantial feel to them, where the 8900 is rather unsubstantial. The left-hand side of the 9700 gives you the 3.5mm headphone jack and Micro-USB with a user-defined shortcut button, which we like to assign to launch Twitter. The right-hand side sees the camera shortcut and volume.

The optical trackpad has now moved into the 9700, ousting the "Pearl" trackball that now seems destined to the recycle bin. This is one of the primary interfaces you'll use for menu navigation and browsing on the device, but fortunately the switch is a seamless one and you'll barely notice the difference. We took the sensitivity down a touch to reflect the trackball response we used previously, but it's easy to set it to your preference.

The trackpad sits on a middle belt giving you your calling, back and BlackBerry menu buttons. Above is the 2.44-inch, 480 x 360 pixel resolution display which is beautifully crisp and bright. It might not be the largest screen or pack in touch technology, but it does have the brightness to be visible in bright sunlight, something that we really like.

But the BlackBerry Bold is all about the keyboard and here in the new 9700 it keeps the ridges of the previous Bold and an action that is possibly the best QWERTY keyboard of any mobile phone. With the keys flush together, they are larger than those of the 8900. There is a silky feel to the keyboard. Not only is the choice of materials perfect, but the action is tight and responsive too.

The backlighting shines through so you can happily bash out those midnight emails and there is enough space for some serious two-thumbed action, whilst still letting you reach all the keys with a single thumb for those moments when you have your hands full. Converts from the 8900 will find that that keyboard has less of a click, but it has a softness that is reassuringly premium.

Packed into the BlackBerry Bold 9700 you get all the connectivity you expect. You get HSDPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. You get the assisted GPS and the 3.2-megapixel camera with an LED flash. RIM has a habit of differentiating between their devices by omitting some critical piece of hardware and fortunately the Bold 9700 gets the full bunch.

Dive into the interface and the 9700 comes with BlackBerry OS 5, the latest version of their software, carrying the look and feel that was introduced with version 4.6. In essence little has changed here: it is functional and relatively easy to use, but occasionally you'll find yourself digging around in some minor menu looking for an obscure setting.

If there is a criticism of the BlackBerry family of devices, it is that the user interface is tired and doesn't bring with it the wow factor that many of the new touch devices have. Sure, a bigger screen and touch interaction gives you greater visual scope, but you get the feeling that some of the core interaction with social networks or existing online services needs to be deeper ingrained in the BlackBerry ethos in the future.

Yes, BlackBerry App World is bringing together many applications for you to download for free or at a price, but it doesn't compete with Apple's App Store or to a certain extent the Android Marketplace.

But one area that BlackBerry still reigns supreme is email. The optimised push email service is RIMs knockout punch. Setup is incredibly easy and the way it handles attachments just makes your life so easy if you are a heavy email user. It might lack some of the visuals of its rivals, but it is dependable, and this is a key point for those who rely on email.

The 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera doesn't bring any surprises with it and performance is very similar to the 8900. It might not reach the vaulted 5- or 8-megapixel levels, but we feel that 3.2 is enough. It gives you an image that is great for sharing and using online and is better than many other phones in the 3MP range. Video, captured as 3GP is restricted to 480 x 352 pixels, so it can't compete with other devices, except in offering solid 30fps capture, so performance isn't too bad.

The BlackBerry Media Player is reasonable, giving you support for the usual video and music formats. There is only 256MB of memory however, which you'll need to keep aside for your applications that you download. Under the back cover you'll find a microSD card slot to handle expansion, and our review model came with 1GB in the box, although this may vary by carrier.

The BlackBerry browser is pretty good. It does at least let you open most pages in full and the optical trackpad makes navigation easier than previously. If browsing the Internet is the most important thing for you, then this probably isn't the right device. At least you know that when you need to look something up, you'll be able to dive in and quickly jump in to page columns to read the details and so on, with minimal fuss.

The battery in the 9700 is the same as the original Bold. It stands up well against touchscreen smartphone rivals, but the constant data consumption does leave its mark on the phone. In normal use it will get you through a couple of days, but on intensive days you'll find it needs charging every night. But it will also happily sit around for several weeks, picking up emails and still keep charge.

Verdict:

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 feels like the last step in an evolution of devices, bringing together the form factor from the Curve 8900 with the tech specs of the original Bold. It brings with it the two key elements that BlackBerry users love: an excellent keyboard with which to abuse BlackBerry's excellent email service.

This is a device with communication at its core. It is a comfortable handset to use for voice calls, with good quality audio for both the caller and the receiver. It provides an excellent messaging platform for those who use email day-in-day-out with SMS and MMS not ignored. Instant messaging via BlackBerry's own service, or via a more popular download like Windows Live Messenger will keep you in touch with your most important people. Diving in and out of calendar, browser, instant messaging, copy and pasting information is what the BlackBerry is really good at.

But step outside this communication-heavy business-friendly core and the BlackBerry seems to give a nonchalant shrug. Social networking? Well, sort of. By this stage of the game, Apple and Android have a big lead. For business users this might not be a concern, but as the divide between business and social lives narrows, it's becoming much more important.

RIM will certainly evolve their BlackBerry offering and as it stands the BlackBerry Bold 9700 is the best BlackBerry yet: a very comfortable device to use, delivering its core functions with aplomb.

Thank you to T-Mobile for the loan of this handset.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700

BlackBerry Bold 9700 mobile phone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:22:12 +0000

Microsoft's Windows Mobile Application Markplace has opened a little wider to encompass any handset running Windows Mobile 6.0 or above. Previously, it was only available to handsets running the very latest version - Windows Mobile 6.5.

The catalogue contains over 800 apps, so it rivals Palm's App Catalog, but both remain a drop in the ocean compared to the Android and iPhone app stores. Still, developers might be more keen to develop for Windows Mobile now that more than a handful of phones can access it.

However, there's always been a vast ecosystem of Windows Mobile applications - they're just not all concentrated in one place. Microsoft now has a hell of a task in front of it, in attempting to collect them together. You can grab it by hitting up mp.windowsphone.com in your phone browser.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Windows Mobile Windows Phone App Store Microsoft

Windows Mobile App Marketplace opens to all originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:11:07 +0000

Rather than go down the Pizza Hut route of offering a full fledged iPhone app, Dominos has taken the Papa John's path by offering an optimised version of its site for those with iPhones.

Said to be "specially made for the phone" Domino's iPhone option is accessed online from www.dominos.co.uk or www.dominos.ie and offers all of the features of the main site, but "optimised into a bite sized form".

The "app", created by Vexed, went live on 13 November and is said to have already seen "thousands of orders" from mobile pizza fans across the UK and Ireland.? ?

Sales and marketing director for Domino's in the UK and Ireland, Robin Auld, said: "The translation of our site onto the iPhone has already proved popular with our customers".

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Tags: Phones Dominos iPhone apps Online Software Vexed

Dominos claims to offer iPhone app originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:10:20 +0000

The Samsung Galaxy i7500's little brother - which we knew was incoming - has finally been made official.

The new handset will launch as the Samsung Galaxy Spica i5700 and offers DivX support, DNSe 2.0, a 3.5mm ear jack and measures in at 13.2mm thick.

Previous reports suggested it boasts the same AMOLED touchscreen, Wi-Fi and Android OS as its predecessor, but storage is down to 1GB and camera is down to 3.2-megapixel, without a flash.

As an Android device, the Galaxy Spica supports the full suite of Google services, including Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, and Google Talk.

Samsung says the device is already out in Europe - a UK launch is planned but we're waiting to hear on availability.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Samsung Android Samsung Galaxy Spica i5700

Samsung Galaxy Spica i5700 announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:52:32 +0000

Here is the full list of nominations for The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009.

The following products were chosen because we feel they represent the best of the best in the category, and ones that given the money we would recommend you buy or at least try. All have gone on sale in the last 12 months that are available in the UK.?

The nominations are:

?

Best Music Gadget 2009

Sonos S5 ZonePlayer

Monitor Audio Airstream 10

Etymotic/ACS hf2 custom fit headphones

Griffin myPhones headphones

Apple iPod touch 3G

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Best Car Gadget 2009

TomTom XL Live

CoPilot for iPhone

Navigon 8410

Jabra SP700

TomTom One IQ

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Best Digital Camera 2009

Olympus Pen E-P1

Canon PowerShot S90

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1?

Nikon D5000

FujiFilm FinePix F200EXR

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Best Laptop 2009

Apple MacBook Pro

Sony VAIO VGN-Z21ZN/X

Dell Adamo XPS

HP Envy

Toshiba NB200

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Best Software, Service, or App 2009

Spotify

Windows 7

Tweetie 2

Dropbox

Sky Player for Xbox

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Best Video Game 2009

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Guitar Hero 5

Battlefield 1943

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

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Best Home Cinema Device 2009

Philips 56PFL9954H Cinema 21:9 television

Panasonic DMR-BS850 Freesat Blu-ray recorder

LG 37LH7000 television

Sony PlayStation 3 Slim console

Humax Freesat+ FOXSAT-HDR recorder

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Best Mobile Phone 2009

HTC Hero

iPhone 3GS

Palm Pre

BlackBerry Bold 9700

HTC HD2

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Best Gadget 2009

Dyson Air Multiplier

Eye-Fi

Livescribe pen

Logitech Wireless Guitar

Sony Reader Pocket Edition

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Product of the year 2009

HTC Hero mobile phone

Spotify

Apple Mac Book Pro

Eytmotics HF2 Custom Fit headphones

Canon PowerShot S90 digital camera

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Now in its 6th year, the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year released in the UK.

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available in the UK between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Winners will be announced at an Awards evening in London on Monday 7 December.

If you would like to order tickets to the event please visit our awards event page.

Public voting will start on Wednesday 18 November.

Related links:

• Link - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Pocket-lint Awards Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009 Nominations in full originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Here are the nominations for the Product of the Year in The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009.

The following products were chosen because we feel they represent the best of the best, and ones that given the money we would recommend you buy or at least try. All have gone on sale in the last 12 months and are available in the UK.

The nominations are:

HTC Hero mobile phone

Spotify

Apple Mac Book Pro

Etymotic/ACS hf2 custom fit headphones

Canon PowerShot S90 digital camera

Now in its 6th year, the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year released in the UK.

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available in the UK between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Winners will be announced at an Awards evening in London on Monday 7 December.

If you would like to order tickets to the event please visit our awards event page.

Public voting will start on Wednesday 18 November.

?

Related links:

• Link - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Tags: Audio Car And GPS Dad Gadgets Gaming Hardware Home And Kitchen Home Cinema Phones Cameras Software Sports Fitness Pocket-lint Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Product of the Year 2009 nominations originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Compared to the might of the iPhone App Store, and slightly-less-but-still-respectable presence of the Android Market, Palm's webOS App Catalog, used by the Pre and the Pixi, looks decidedly lacklustre.

However, it has just got a tiny bit bigger with the addition of an official Facebook application. It's not exactly extensive - just delivering an unfiltered live stream of your friends' activities with the ability to comment and "like" particular items.

You can post to it yourself, and add a picture, but that's pretty much it. No events, information, search or anything else. Still, something is better than nothing, right? You'll need webOS 1.3.1, and you should be able to find it in the webOS App Catalog.

Let us know what you think of the app in the comments.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Facebook Palm Pre Palm Pixi WebOS

Palm Pre and Pixi get Facebook app originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:56:05 +0000

Here are the nominations for Best Mobile Phone in The Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009.

The following products were chosen because we feel they represent the best phones on sale in the last 12 months that are available in the UK.

The nominations are:

HTC Hero

iPhone 3GS

Palm Pre

BlackBerry Bold 9700

HTC HD2

A notable commendation should also go to the Sony Ericsson W995 and the Nokia N900.

Now in its 6th year, the Pocket-lint Gadget Awards, thought to be the longest running in the UK, pick the best gadgets and gizmos from the last year released in the UK.

Pocket-lint's vigorous vetting process means that all the gadgets up for nomination have to have been seen by a member of the Pocket-lint team (so far over 600) and have to have been available in the UK between December 2008 and December 2009.

The awards, voted by a panel of leading gadget journalists from around the world, including the staff from the Pocket-lint team, will decide the real must-have gadgets of the year, rather than those simply deemed cool or anticipated, being the definitive guide for consumers looking to buy gadgets.

Winners will be announced at an Awards evening in London on Monday 7 December.

If you would like to order tickets to the event please visit our awards event page.

Public voting will start on Wednesday 18 November.

?

Related links:

• Link - Vodafone Pocket-lint Gadget Awards 2009

Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC Apple Palm BlackBerry Sony Ericsson Nokia

Best Mobile Phone 2009 nominations originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +0000

In the States, LG has announced the launch of the Shine II, describing it as "another flash of brilliance in their product line".

Following on from the Shine's multi-million-selling success, the next-gen handset is available at AT&T and stays faithful to the original Black Label handset as far as overall design goes.

Featuring polished round edges and an "elegant" slider design, the LG Shine II boasts stainless steel construction and a 2.2-inch mirror LCD display.

There's also a music player and stereo Bluetooth, a 2-megapixel camera with flash and video recording complete with basic editing software.

The LG Shine II will be available at AT&T across the States from 22 November. Pricing has been revealed as $119.99 after a mail-in rebate for a 2-year agreement.

A UK release has not yet been announced for the Shine II, but we will keep you posted with news.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones LG LG Shine II AT and T

LG Shine II announced in the States originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:27:56 +0000

A new BlackBerry-flavoured rumour has emerged suggesting RIM is not planning on putting all its future eggs solely in the touchscreen basket.

While RIM's first touchscreen handset, the Storm, got mixed reviews for its click-touch screen, the second gen version, the Storm 2 (available now) is said to have a greatly improved touchscreen interface.

However, this maybe a step too far for many BlackBerry-using diehards who favour RIM's smartphones for their QWERTY keyboards.

If the rumours are to be believed, RIM is busy prepping a touchscreen slider that will offer consumers "the best of both worlds".

The rumour has gained pace with a recent research note from Kaufman Bros analyst Shaw Wu who says the new handset, "resembles a cross between the Storm 2 and one of RIM's non-touch QWERTY devices".

"It's currently in the prototype stage and is likely to ship sometime in 2010", reports Electronista quoting Wu's research.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry RIM Rumours BlackBerry 9900 Mr T

New sliding touchscreen BlackBerry rumoured originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:40:01 +0000

CoPilot is one of many GPS apps for the iPhone, but at half the price of the rest of the pack is this app any less feature rich, or are they just looking to sell you a good deal? We get in the car and find out.

At ?26 for the UK maps, ?49.99 for the European maps or ?20.99 for the US maps, the CoPilot offering is cheap. Not Google Maps Navigation cheap (it's free on Android 2 handsets in the US), but compared to TomTom which is ?59.99, a considerable saving.

Power up the app and you are presented with a menu system that is straightforward but comprehensive. As you would expect you get Destination, My places (like favourites) the chance to change settings, and handily the mode you are travelling - i.e., on foot, by car, bike, RV, or motorbike - with the directions and view mode (2D or 3D) changing accordingly.?

Opting for Destination gives you the ability to punch in the address via an onscreen keyboard. There is support for 7-digit postcodes or you can grab it out of your contacts if there is an address to grab.?The software also lets you pick a Point of Interest, either nearby, in a different city or on your route, and failing that you can just pick somewhere on a map or punch in the coordinates (Long/Latt or OS) if you are being particularly geeky (handy for geocaching).?My Places, as you might expect, lets you store your most commonly used addresses in case you forget how to get to work or get home. It's also the area you can find your recent trips, as you'd expect.?

What you might not have expected to find here is live services such as traffic, weather and friends, that uses your data connection to update the maps on the fly. Obviously the weather is a bit pointless if you are just looking at your location (look out of the window), but it does let you see weather for where you are going as well so you know to pack a coat or a t-shirt.

Not content with just offering you traffic data, the software will also help you spot speed cameras, or safety alerts as it likes to call them, as well as warning you if you are breaking the speed limit for a certain bit of road (you can turn it off).?We also like the Quick Stop feature that allows you to program in a detour to a petrol station or greasy spoon and then get you back on your route afterwards.

For those who want to use the iPhone's iPod functionality there is also the ability to load in tracks from your collection to be played at the same time. It's a work-around for the fact that the iPhone can't multitask, and it comes across as just that, but it's better than nothing. Voice directions are then played over the music rather than it cutting out - showing this is an after-thought rather than a fully integrated feature.

Get past the multitude of options and the maps are clearly laid out with little to offend. Points of Interest are shown by little icons, the app works in both landscape and portrait modes to take advantage of the iPhone's aspect ratio and the colour can be changed at night to best suit your preferences.

In use and the app is as good as the TomTom and Navigon offerings we've tried, with the software telling you when to turn, etc.?Where it lacks against TomTom's solution is things like IQ routes (which is very handy), however at over half the price we think that most will be able to live without that feature.

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Verdict:

CoPilot 8 for iPhone, like the Android and Windows Mobile versions is incredibly feature-packed considering the price.

As with the other satnav solutions for the iPhone, we would recommend you look for a windscreen cradle and a charging option as the software will eat through your phone's battery fairly quickly.

The only real grumble we had was that the walking mode was a bit lacklustre, but then you've got Google Maps for that.

If you need a satnav, but only on occasion, then at ?26 you can't really go wrong.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Car And GPS ALK Technologies CoPilot 8 for iPhone GPS iPhone apps

CoPilot Live 8 for iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:21:23 +0000

The O2 Joggler, the company's connected family-organiser-digi-frame-come-media-hub offering, has seen a dramatic price cut in the UK, suggesting the ?149 the operator was asking for the device was deemed too high by consumers.

The Joggler will now cost ?99.99 and from now on offers internet radio - bringing over 100 radio stations to the device for free - as powered by Pure's radio and media portal The Lounge.

The new addition means the Joggler now offers a calendar, music and video player, photo viewer, as well as news, traffic, weather and messaging options.

O2 is also upgrading the device's software from Flash 8 to Flash 10 and has revealed it will be making an SDK available to developers shortly via O2 Litmus, so they can create downloadable Joggler apps.

Following on from the availability of the SDK, O2 will be launching an application store for the O2 Joggler which is due to go live on the device by the end of the year.

The paid-for apps "could include anything from internet shopping through to video recipes and takeaway food applications", says O2, which clearly has big ambitions for the niche device.

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Tags: Phones O2 Digital photo frames O2 Joggler Pure Internet radios

O2 Joggler sees price cut by a third originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:37:31 +0000

Muggles everywhere can become fledgling wizards with the help of a new iPhone and iPod touch app. Warner Bros' digital arm is offering the new spell app that "will turn iPhones and iPod touches into magic wands".

Offering over ten "spells" the app can be practised alone before would-be wizards can "duel" opponents.

The only official Harry Potter game available on the App Store, it's available now for ?2.99 or $4.99. There's an official trailer above and more at www.harrypotterspellsapp.com.

Tags: Phones iPhone apps Harry Potter Video App Store

VIDEO: Official Harry Potter iPhone app launches originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:40:32 +0000

Sony Ericsson has revealed a little more about the launch timescale for its latest Xperia-branded handset, the X10.

Via a pre-order page on its site, the phone manufacturer has revealed that the new high-end handset is due in February.

We knew the X10 was getting a Q1 launch, but this is the first time the phone's debut has been pinned down to a month - although the exact text reads: "Expected launch - Feb '10".

Those who like the look of the new Android device can pre-register their interest now to be kept informed of progress.

The touchscreen X10 offers a 4-inch display, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, an 8-megapixel camera, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and Sony Ericsson's new Mediascape and Timescape applications.

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

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 dated originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:13:14 +0000

Nokia has unveiled a new version of its 5330 handset - the Nokia 5330 Mobile TV Edition, described as "an entertainment hub" that combines the EU's preferred brand of mobile TV - DVB-H, social networking, music and gaming "in one compact 3G device".

With a QVGA 2.4-inch screen, the phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack as well as built-in speakers and boasts Nokia's Electronic Program Guide and a battery life for watching TV for 6 hours.

Nokia vice president Mark Selby says: "The introduction of the Nokia 5330 Mobile TV Edition responds to the arrival of DVB-H broadcast mobile TV networks in new markets and offers an affordable device for new and existing customers alike".

DVB-H mobile TV services are currently available in Austria, Finland, Ghana, Kenya, India, Italy, Namibia, Nigeria, Netherlands, Philippines and Switzerland. Nokia says "additional commercial launches can be expected during the next 12-18 months in more than 20 countries".

The Nokia 5330 Mobile TV Edition will cost 155 euros before taxes and subsidies.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia 5330 Mobile TV Edition DVB-H Mobile TV

Nokia 5330 Mobile TV Edition announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:44:27 +0000