In a hastily arranged press conference also streamed live online via YouTube's new live broadcast functionality, Google has announced the launch of a new social web experience called "Buzz".

Taking a dig at Twitter and Facebook by saying there is currently a lot of irrelevant content we're forced to sit through (example given - "Joe had a bagel for breakfast") Google says web users are suffering from TMI (too much information) and "over sharing".

Trying to make sense of the relevance problems, Google has announced "a new approach" to sharing with Buzz's tagline revealed as "a Google approach to sharing".

Working in Gmail inboxes with a new "Buzz" tab under the inbox, Gmail users will find that Google has set up accounts to "auto-follow" the people you email and chat with the most for a great "out of the box" experience.

Buzz features are said to offer a "rich, fast sharing experience", with options for both public and private sharing, inbox integration with @ replies and "just the good stuff" with"recommended stuff" which highlights items user's contacts like, even if it comes from someone not in the user's contact group.

Google promises that it will somehow manage to filter out boring Buzzes with shorter Buzz comments, like three-word status updates (so presumably the "Joe had a bagel" type) shown in short form.

Google says Buzz is a solution to "manage social data" and help "filter through the noise", although Twitter integration will be an option (as in pulling in tweets, not replying at this stage) while Google Wave users are promised that integration is a "logical step" in the future.

The Twitter-rivalling part comes in with a user's Buzz content, profile and followers displayed on the user's Google profile, which will act as a public homepage, similar to Twitter profiles, or depending on your privacy settings, Facebook profiles.

As well as in Gmail, Buzz is to launch as a mobile phone application for Android, Symbian, Windows Mobile handsets and iPhones with geo-location functionality working with a new version of Google Mobile Maps adding location relevance to the service.

Google Maps will get a new "Buzz" layer that will show content that's been Buzzed in a certain location, which could well develop further along Foursquare lines, with location-based services a big growth area with GPS-enabled phones more common than ever.

Google has said is also plans to make Google Buzz available to businesses and schools using Google Apps, with added features for sharing within organisations.

Buzz will begin to roll out immediately - keep loading your Gmail over the next few days to see the features in your inbox, says Google.

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Tags: Software Google Google Buzz Twitter Social networking GPS software Phones Mobile phone apps Google Maps Car And GPS Biz Gmail Video

Google Buzz social sharing service announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:51:10 +0000

Sony Ericsson's Xperia X10, which we first saw back at the start of November, isn't out yet, but the manufacturer has already begun promising firmware updates that bring the Android version up to 2.1.

In an extensive post on its product blog, the company responded to criticism that the device is coming out with Android 1.6, despite other phones already being out with 2.1. The upshot basically being that SE doesn't really care about OS versions - they care about the total UI package.

The company's Sumit Malhotra says: "I am not trying to hide from the fact that there are platform upgrades between android 1.6 and 2.1, if utilized can enhance the experience for developers and users. Having that said, I have had discussions with carriers that are very sensitive and concerned generally about taking on devices in their range that are not competitive enough".

"I have faced head to head comparisons between Xperia X10 and generic 2.1 Android devices (as well as other OS) and carriers have concluded that we still stand strong in comparison. This is because of the layer that we ad on top of the generic OS.

Interestingly, Sony Ericsson's product page for the handset now says "To be announced" under release date. A while back it was saying 10 February, implying a slippage in release for the phone. We'll keep you posted when we hear more about what's going on there.

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

Sony Ericsson promises X10 updates originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:11:44 +0000

A Yorkshire company has successfully employed a quantum physics trick to create pressure-sensitive touchscreen technology that it's managed to license to Samsung and Japanese touchscreen manufacturer Nissha.

The breakthrough uses spiky conducting nanoparticles that are embedded in an insulating material. However, as the particles get closer together, the probability that they can pass a charge to each other increases - a phenomenon known as Quantum Tunnelling. That results in the current passing through the material increasing as it's pressed down.

The upshot of all that is that the phone can tell how hard you're pressing the touchscreen - so it could scroll faster if you push harder on the "down" arrow, for example. The switches can be made as thin as a human hair. Samsung has already integrated the technology into the nav button on some smartphones.

Peratech is also investigating the applications of the technology in robotics - allowing robots to touch, and be touched. The entire surface of the robot - like a human - could even be touch-sensitive. The robo-porn industry will have a field day with that one...

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Touchscreen Samsung Peratech

Quantum physics used to enhance touchscreens originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:50:03 +0000

Hopefully clearing the way for more exciting releases at Mobile World Congress, Samsung has announced the launch of Samsung "Monte", or S5620, a new full touchscreen device for the "style-conscious mobile user".

With a 3-inch WQVGA display, the Monte boasts a 3.2-megapixel camera, an accelerometer, GPS with Google Latitude and geo-tagging, Wi-Fi and offers Samsung's TouchWiz 2.0 user interface.

Social networking comes in with Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Bebo as well as IM and there's also Exchange ActiveSync and Google Sync for email.

Claiming a "sleek, organic design with a sophisticated and glossy look", the Monte is due with an "affordable" price tag at some unspecified point in the future.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Samsung Samsung Monte MWC2010

Samsung Monte announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:45:36 +0000

Motorola has announced, on its Facebook fan page of all places, that the Android 2.1 update will be rolling out to its Droid handset this week. It also says that it'll be making further announcements later in the week on upgrades to other handsets.

The company posted: "Hi all-- we know you are frustrated with the lack of details regarding Android software upgrades and we sincerely apologize for not being able to share info sooner. We're happy to relay the 2.1 upgrade to DROID will start to roll out this week, and we will have more information to share on other device upgrades later this week as well".

Meanwhile, over in Europe the 2.0.1 update is only just arriving for the Motorola Milestone - which is the same handset. Motorola Europe's Facebook page is full of upset customers, complaining about the update not being rolled out simultaneously to everyone. One user described the situation as "beyond ridiculous".

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Android Motorola Motorola Droid Motorola Milestone Android 2.1 Software updates

Motorola Droid gets Android 2.1 update originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:15:13 +0000

AT&T has revealed it is to offer five new Android-based devices from Dell, HTC and Motorola with three of them due to be exclusives to the US operator.

Without unveiling the handsets in any detail, AT&T has teased a little info to eager consumers stating the Motorola effort will be a "smartphone, powered by MOTOBLUR, with a unique form factor", while the Dell handset is said to be the company's first and the HTC model is just described as a "smartphone".

We already know that Dell's Mini 3 has been confirmed for launch on the AT&T network during the first half of 2010, so there's no mystery there.

With AT&T stating the Motorola effort will offer a "unique form factor" as well as MOTOBLUR, the new Backflip has got to be in the running as the most likely candidate.

Things are a little more open as far as HTC is concerned. There have been a few leaked handsets from HTC of late, but the HTC Legend and the HTC Incredible are both rumoured to be headed to Verizon, which might mean the HTC Bravo could be a possibility.

In addition to the handset info, AT&T has also announced a new software development kit, as well as the news that it will offer its customers access to all major OS app stores from Nokia's Ovi to Microsoft to BREW.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones AT and T Android HTC Dell Motorola Rumours

AT and T to launch five new Android phones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:44:41 +0000

Google has given in to pressure from owners of its Nexus One device and launched a telephone support line for the device. Previously, the company had directed people to either T-Mobile (the US network) or HTC (which manufactures the device).

Now, if you have issues, you can talk to a real live Googler. It's a US number -?888-48-NEXUS, which is 888-48-63987 when you ignore that strange letters-to-numbers thing that the US always does. It's open from 7am to 10pm EST, which is midday to 3am GMT. From Britain, you might want to use Skype or something to phone, so that you don't get charged vast amounts for the international call.

Google says: "Our approach with our new consumer channel is to learn fast and continue to improve, and we have, therefore, also been developing our capabilities to provide a number from Google for live phone support for the Nexus One. Live phone support from Google, combined with an optimized on-line support experience, enables a superior Nexus One customer experience".

Google has also reduced the Early Termination Fee (which applies when you break out of your contract early) to $150, down from $350. However, T-Mobile will add an extra $200 to that. We're yet to hear the details of UK contracts for the handset, though we do know that it'll be offered by Vodafone.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nexus One Google

Nexus One gets phone support line originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:01:01 +0000

By all accounts LG's KS360 slider has been a hit with the kids with over 5 million sold since its launch in summer 2008, and the Korean company is hoping to replicate that yoof market success with the new GT350.

A QWERTY messaging phone ("designed specifically for the textually-minded") LG claims the GT350 will let users "social network like a pro". It offers a 3-inch WQVA touchscreen display and built-in applications for major social networks.

With shortcut keys for accessing push e-mail, the web browser and instant messaging, the LG GT350 will be available in Europe from this April and will then launch in other markets around the world.

The phone will come in four colour combinations, says LG - aqua blue, purple, light silver, and black - some of which will be exclusive to mobile phone operators - we'll keep you posted on news of a launch, as well as further spec and pricing info as it's revealed.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones LG LG GT350

Social networking LG GT350 slider announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:47:46 +0000

The HTC Legend, which seems to be a direct upgrade of the HTC Hero if the leaked 2010 roadmap for the phone company is accurate, has appeared in the wild for the third time, following renderings showing up back in mid-December.

From the pictures we can't tell a whole lot - it has the Sense UI so beloved of HTC owners, it has a camera with an LED flash, and it appears to have an optical trackpad, rather than the trackball that the Hero packs. Also of note is that there's a great big company logo on the back - something that HTC has previously shied away from.

If past leaks are accurate, then it has a 3.2-inch OLED touchscreen and a 1300mAh battery (smaller than the Hero - though the display should draw considerably less power). Only a 600 MHz processor, though - no 1GHz Snapdragon in here.

We've heard previously that it's due in March, so it's likely that a full reveal isn't too far away now. Stay tuned.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC HTC Legend Android

HTC Legend snapped in the flesh originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:38:12 +0000

LG has announced the launch of what it says is the smallest and slimmest 3.2-inch touchscreen phone on the market with the introduction of the new LG Mini, or GD880 to give it its proper model number.

Apparently, the Mini has been developed in response to consumers saying they were "unhappy" with current touchscreen devices that they considered "too bulky, too clunky and too expensive".

Said to be "easily pocketable" and with the "trendy features that people want", the button-free Mini offers HSDPA connectivity at 7.2Mbps, Wi-Fi, A-GPS, a 5-megapixel camera, FM radio, media player and LG's "Social Network Connect" functionality with Facebook and Twitter built in.

The LG Mini will be available in Europe starting in March, with a UK launch set for April. Pricing, full specs and availability is to be confirmed nearer the time.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones LG LG Mini

LG intros smallest 3.2-inch touchscreen phone with new Mini originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:26:01 +0000

Want to know what's been hot in the world of technology and gadgets today?

We have plenty of technology and gadget ingredients to make our Pocket-lint roundup stew as tasty as ever.

First up and we have news of some leaked photos of what could be the HTC Incredible apparently running Android 2.1, this is then followed by the announcement from Play.com that it is stocking the Nexus One, at what appears to be a rather inflated price.

Meanwhile, iPhone news comes in the form of the iPhone Dev-Team releasing a 3.1.5 version of its PwnageTool after the 3.1.3 firmware was hacked in just 5 days.

We've also got news of Google's foray into translation, as it appears that it'll be working on Babel Fish-like abilities for future Android handsets and Inbrics announces it is to launch the Android-based MID M1 at next week's Mobile World Congress. Here are the top stories from the last 24 hours:

NEWS:HTC Incredible photos appear online
NEWS:Inbrics to reveal M1 Android-based MID at MWC
NEWS:Play.com begins stocking Nexus One
NEWS:VIDEO OF THE DAY – Homer’s iPhone
NEWS:Superbowl 2010 tech ads: Google talks love, Motorola puts Megan Fox in the tub NEWS:iPhone OS 3.1.3 firmware hacked in just 5 days
NEWS:Google to offer "Babel Fish" abilities with future Android phones
NEWS:HTC sends out chocolate Hero handsets
REVIEW:Dante's Inferno - Xbox 360
NEWS:Make your own Apple iPad out of paper

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

Daily news roundup: HTC Incredible photos, Nexus One and more originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:03:37 +0000

The iPhone OS 3.1.3 update, which Apple released just under a week ago, stopped most jailbreaking tools from working. 5 days later, and it's already been hacked - with the iPhone Dev-Team releasing version 3.1.5 of its PwnageTool.

The group advises against updating to 3.1.3 at all, saying "Unless you've personally observed a problem with the reporting of your battery percentage, there's?no reason to update". If you do, however, then PwnageTool 3.1.5 will allow you to preserve the jailbreak and ultrasn0w unlock. The blacksn0w unlock still doesn't work.

They also issue another warning - "iPhone 3GS users (regardless of unlock) should stay away from this and all 3.1.3 jailbreak tools unless you know you have your "SHSH hashes" backed up via Cydia. That’s because if you make a mistake you may find yourself stuck at official 3.1.3 with no way to jailbreak or come back down to 3.1.2 to jailbreak".

The hack is available on Bittorrent, and there's a bunch of mirrors and installation instructions on the hacking group's blog post about the release. Remember that jailbreaking will void your warranty, and Apple doesn't like it one bit.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone Hacking Software updates

iPhone OS 3.1.3 firmware hacked in just 5 days originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:38:58 +0000

Broadcom has announced the launch of a new processor and radio frequency transceiver for mobile phones that will rival Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor and claims to enable the production of "high-speed, low cost smartphone devices". ?

The new 65nm HSUPA processor integrates OpenGL 2.0 graphics core and advanced applications processor and is available now for the Windows Mobile and Android mobile platforms.

"Utilizing an integrated ARM11 processor that is capable of running popular open operating systems, the Broadcom BCM21553 HSUPA baseband processor can run innovative new applications and download media files at a much faster speed, resulting in sophisticated and affordable handsets, and a more satisfying smartphone experience", says Broadcom.

Other claims for the new chip are 5.8Mbps of upstream connectivity, 7.2Mbps of downstream connectivity, reduced power consumption, video support up to HVGA quality, an 8-megapixel camera, and the ability to encode and decode H.264 video at 30fps.

"With the introduction of our new BCM21553 HSUPA baseband processor and BCM2091 RF transceiver solutions, we are now enabling a new generation of increasingly affordable handsets that will offer the fastest cellular connectivity available, as well as the most popular smartphone features including wireless connectivity and diverse mobile applications", says Jim Tran, VP of Broadcom's Mobile Communications line of business, in a press release.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry Broadcom 3G

Broadcom's new 3G chip announced for faster, cheaper phones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:17:22 +0000

Google has laid down yet another marker this morning of the company's ongoing mission to take over of the world with the announcement that we'll soon have a voice translation service for mobile phones. In a couple of years, once the high quality speech recognition and dictionary software is in place, we'll be able to experience almost immediate translation of what we're saying to others and what others are saying to us. Very neat indeed.

2 years is, however, a little way off if you happen to be planning a holiday to a foreign country in the next few months. So, for those with a more urgent need, here are five translation apps you can use now which should cover just about all mobile phones.

World Nomads

Platform

iPhone OS

Languages

25

Price

Free

Whether or not you choose to go over to the company's travel insurance website doesn't really make any difference, but the fact is that World Nomads supply an excellent set of translator apps for the iPhone given that they're free. Each app is specific for translating between English and one of the 25 languages on offer. It's a bit of a bind to have a different one for each but then there's no need to have your trip to Japan slowed down by the weight of Hindi, Russian and Swahili, now is there?

They're far from complete, but offer 50 or so basic phrases spelled out phonetically and, best of all, include a voice to demonstrate how they should sound. So, if you're feeling really lazy, you can just go up to a local and press a button. Just no promising you'll understand the answer. On top of this, the app also offers 15 minute lessons to listen to giving you a few basics on the country and language you'll be coping with. Very good starter packs.

iTranslate

Platform

iPhone OS & Android

Languages

56

Price

From Free

If you'd like to take the experience one step further, then there's a world of direct phrase translators out there. A particularly nice one is iTranslate which you can get for both iPhone and Android. It's free if you just want to go from any of the 56 Google powered languages to another and you can then buy text-to-speech packages for around 20 of the languages if you want to hear how things should be pronounced too. The voices cost ?1.19 each and you can even choose from a range of different people.

Google SMS

Platform

All phones in America

Languages

As many as you can think of

Price

SMS cost

Google SMS has been around for quite a while now but it's still not available to us this side of the Atlantic. Our American cousins, however, can text message Google from whatever phone they happen to be using on SMS 46645 which spells GOOGL on old school keypads.

All you need to do is write "translate hello into hungarian" and they'll send back whatever the Hungarian for hello is. Naturally, the sevice draws on Google's ever-expanding dictionary database which isn't perfect but good enough for this kind of use. The service will also exchange money values for you as well, so you can work out how much that Forints price tag works out as in dollars. The only real drawbacks here are the response speed and the cost of the roaming SMS. On the plus side, you don't need a smartphone for it to work.

Mobile Translator

Platform

Languages

11

Price

Free

Slighty more advanced and much less clunky is the Mobile Translator service which, again, will work on any phone with a browser. It's a web application specially slimmed down and designed for mobile phones which will translate any words or phrases you enter between English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. There's no text-to-speech function and it does mean that you're at the mercy of mobile data roaming charges, but it works very well indeed.

iLingual

Platform

iPhone OS

Languages

French, German & Arabic

Price

Free

For the slightly less serious approach to language translation, iLingual has to be the one. The app was commissioned by Emirates airlines - hence the limitation to just German, French and Arabic from English - but it's a great way to break the ice in a foreign country.

The app has a small stock of foreign phrases that it'll sound out through your speaker at the touch of a button, but the real fun is that it synchs it up with an image of a pair of lips moving as if saying the words themselves. Even better is that you choose which lips will do it by taking photos of yours, your friends or any you see out and about. The idea is that you then put it up to your face as if it's your own very mouth that's saying it. Cue hilarity and instant friendships.

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Related links:

• News - 3 to let you tweet for free until the end of March
• News - Play.com begins stocking Nexus One

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps iPhone apps Features Google ilingual world nomad iTranslate

5 translation apps while we wait for Google's "Babel Fish" phone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:16:57 +0000

It's such a hassle to carry around both a mobile phone and a cigarette lighter, isn't it? No, it's not. But that hasn't stopped a Chinese company building what it claims is the "world's hottest cigarette lighter mobile phone" - the "Machismo".

The handset contains a heating element around the place where you normally find a camera, and it has a safety cover to stop it burning a hole in your pocket. It contains dual SIM slots, it's triband, and has a 2.5-inch touchscreen, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and "multimedia playback".

The product description on Chinavision.com says: "The problem with modern life is you have to carry around too many things in your pockets. Wallet, keys, iPod, cellphone, and if you're a smoker - a cigarette lighter too. Well here's the perfect solution -?The Machismo".

"Instead of carrying a phone AND a lighter, just turn this amazing phone around, slide open the safety latch, and the underlying heating element heats up in under 2 seconds. Place your cigarette on the glowing element and puff. Your cigarette is lit and you can enjoy your smoke. Super huh? Yes, Machismo!"

It comes with a free 2GB microSD card, and it's unlocked for use on any network. It'll ship to Britain, if you so desire, and it'll only cost ?43.76, plus delivery. That's less than eight packs of cigarettes from Tesco. Just be careful with that safety latch, yeah?

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Health Machismo

Cigarette lighter built into mobile phone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:48:36 +0000

Inbrics has announced it is to launch the Android-based MID M1 at next week's Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona.

The "smartphone-like device" offers a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen display and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Specs include Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, 3G or WiMAX, a 3-megapixel camera, front-facing VGA camera, 16GB of internal memory and a microSD card slot.

As well as phone functionality, Inbrics sees the M1 serving as a media controller for other devices, in order to "make it easy for consumers to access and share their digital photos, music, movies and more from any device in their home and outside wireless networks".

"A consumer may have one or more of the following: a TV, a mobile phone, a digital camera, a laptop, a desktop and a DVR", says Inbrics. "The Inbrics convergence 'controller' acts as a conduit so the data can be pushed to any device the consumer chooses".

We'll try and bring you more from MWC about how real this thing is, but it looks like it will be a while before this becomes available - Inbrics says it plans to introduce the MID M1 in Europe in 2010 - "or early 2011".

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Inbrics Android MIDs MWC2010

Inbrics to reveal M1 Android-based MID at MWC originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:48:21 +0000

Play.com appears to have put up a page on its website for an unlocked, SIM-free version of Google's Android-powered Nexus One handset. The retailer is confidently stating that it's due for release on 16 February.

As previously reported, the Nexus One has a 1GHz Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm, a 3.7-inch OLED display, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, a 5-megapixel camera, compass, GPS, Stereo Bluetooth, headphone jack, 4GB microSD card and trackball.

The handset has been available unlocked from Google USA for a little while for $529, which is about ?340 at current exchange rates. Shipping to Britain is $30, and Google will supply a UK adaptor for an extra $20. Even then, that totals $580 - just ?370. (Update - some people have added that it's more like ?450 when you take into account import duty).

Play.com, on the other hand, is charging a whopping ?600 for the handset. We've sent them an email asking how they can justify the difference. In the meantime, if you want one, we'd suggest either buying direct from Google or holding tight to see what Vodafone's contracts will be like. That info is due any time now, so we'll let you know as soon as we hear.

Thanks to James for the tip.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Play Nexus One Google HTC Android

Play.com begins stocking Nexus One originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:03:03 +0000

Language translation abilities could be a selling point for future versions of the Android mobile phone operating system, as it's reported Google is working on a "Babel Fish" phone.

Obviously the development would be a software, rather than hardware one, and is seen as a cross between the translation tools Google offers online and its speech recognition tech in Android.? ?

"We think speech-to-speech translation should be possible and work reasonably well in a few years’ time", Franz Och, Google’s head of translation services tells The Times.

"Clearly, for it to work smoothly, you need a combination of high-accuracy machine translation and high-accuracy voice recognition, and that’s what we’re working on. If you look at the progress in machine translation and corresponding advances in voice recognition, there has been huge progress recently".

The Times suggests that Google hopes to have a basic system ready within a couple of years, before reminding us that the in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by effectively removing all barriers to communication between different races and cultures, the Babel Fish caused more and bloodier wars than anything else in the history of creation.

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Related links:

• Feature - 5 excellent translator apps for mobile phones

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Google Android

Google to offer "Babel Fish" abilities with future Android phones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:44:29 +0000

HTC Russia appears to be sending out editions of the award-winning HTC Hero made of chocolate. It's not entirely clear why the phone manufacturer has cast the handset in cocoa, but the writing on the screen indicates that it's some kind of New Year's gift.

Russian blog EnglishRussia posted the pics, saying: "HTC is advertised in Russia by chocolate copies of their cellphones. It is not quite clear where they could be taken, but some lucky ones receive them as messenger delivery at home".

The phone appears to be exactly the same size and shape as a real HTC Hero, but sadly not quite as functional. Still, we expect it'll be delicious...

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC Chocolate HTC Hero

HTC sends out chocolate Hero handsets originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:32:46 +0000

Some photos have leaked onto the Web of a handset that claims to be the "HTC Incredible". It bears a striking visual similarity to the HTC Photon, seen in the leaked 2010 roadmap, but instead of running Windows Mobile, it's running Android 2.1.

It apparently also has a 3.5-inch or 3.7-inch display, a Snapdragon CPU (which runs at 1GHz) and 256MB of RAM. The screen may or may not be AMOLED, and the trackball of the HTC Hero and HTC Magic has been replaced with an optical trackpad instead.

The back has dual LED flashes, but there's no word on the quality of the camera. The device is apparently headed for Verizon in the USA, but it's not clear if it'll make it to Britain - HTC's lineup is often rather different on the opposite sides of the Atlantic. When we hear more, we'll let you know.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC HTC Incredible Android Rumours

HTC Incredible photos appear online originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:24:31 +0000

Following the announcement that the Motorola Devour Android handset featuring? MotoBLUR would be released on Verizon, official specs for the Devour have now also surfaced. The most notable surprise from the release involves Adobe Flash Lite being on board, even in the browser. There is no clarification yet on the version, but it is presumed to be 1.3.

Flash support in general though represents one feature of the Devour that the higher end Motorola Droid doesn't have, or at least for now since Motorola did announce plans to bring Flash to the Droid sometime in the first half of 2010.

However, while mobile browser Flash compatibility may still be giving Adobe and Apple headaches with the iPhone, it's not a first for the Android operating system. That title goes instead to the HTC Hero, which became the first Android phone to ship with Flash earlier last summer.?

Though Motorola's spec sheet does not specify the Devour's exact processor, many believe it is using the same 600MHz Qualcomm chipset found in the Palm Pixie. This is noteworthy since Palm announced it would not be adding Flash to the Pixie due to spec constraints. Subsequently Flash's presence on the Devour could either imply an efficiency gain offered by Flash Lite over Palm's webOS Flash 10.1 player, or conversely hint at potential Flash performance issues on the phone should the processor speculation be true. ?

Regardless of industry rumours, the announced capability to view videos on the Devour is definitely one feature that should add to this mid range Android handset's market appeal.?Most other specs related the phone fell in line with previous coverage. The Devour will ship with an 8GB SD card, run Android 1.6, and include a 3-megapixel camera with digital zoom along with video capture functionality at 23fps. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, will round off the device's feature set from a connectivity standpoint.?

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Android Devour Droid Flash Adobe

Motorola Devour official specs announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:10:34 +0000

The disgusting results of the most recent Pocket-lint survey are out. We posed the question: "Do you check emails, Twitter or surf the Internet in the loo?" - turns out that 65% of you are perfectly happy to admit your sick habit. The other 35% of you can consider yourselves clean.

A survey of Americans late last year found that while 90% objected to people using their phones at church, 75% had no objection to Twitter Shitters. In fact, there's even fan groups on Facebook for the habit. Be careful, though. It's not entirely clear whether most mobile phone insurers will allow you to claim for a handset that's accompanied the Browns to the Superbowl.

The next poll is a little more serious and concerns password security:

Do you use the same password for everything? Own up now (don't panic it's anonymous). If you've clicked yes on the right hand side, then you'll want to head right on over to our excellent guide to making yourself more secure.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Survey Polls Statistics Home And Kitchen Bathroom gadgets

65% of Pocket-lint readers text on the loo originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:32:01 +0000

This week's instalment of Pocket-lint and Megawhat's Tech Week in View show is fresh off the video editing suite and ready to go now for your viewing pleasure. As is customary each week, Stuart Miles takes the hot tech topics of the moment, chews 'em up, spits 'em out and tells you what he thinks.

This week under the Megawhat spotlight is pricing of ebooks - should digital issues cost the same as physical copies? Unsurprisingly it seems publishers think so and with the popularity of the Kindle and the iBooks-equipped iPad coming soon, it's a hot topic.

Elsewhere the iPad also gets hot (and steamy) with a gone-rogue Adobe employee suggesting in a blog post no Flash support means no online porn while Google gets hot under the collar about internet users clinging to Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6.

Finally there's a look at how Sky's 3D television debut went in the UK with the recent 3D football screening in nine UK pubs. Punters reported feeling dizzy, but whether that was the tech or the seven pints of lager they'd necked is yet to be determined... Hit play for more.

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

VIDEO: Megawhat Tech Week in View - ebook prices, IE6, Flash and 3D football originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:19:39 +0000

"Elmo wants you to make a monster friend", says Sesame Street, which, as a parent means forking out $3.99 or ?2.39, depending on what side of the pond you're on, and handing over your iPhone or iPod touch to the sticky fingers of your own little monster.

"Choose a monster body and touch its face to give it eyes, nose and a hat. When you're done, Elmo will dance and play with your monster!" reads the "Elmo's Monster Maker" app description.

If you need a quiet kid for 5 minutes this app might well do the trick with its Sesame Street goodness praised in the App Store reviews, with those who've downloaded it highlighting the great graphics - as well as hinting at secret bonus videos if you hit on certain feature combinations...

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Tags: Phones iPhone iPhone apps Dad Sesame Street Video

VIDEO: Elmo's Monster Maker iPhone app launches originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:15:30 +0000

Google has released a promotional video about the new Nexus One Android phone that should make for interesting viewing for those interested in the HTC-made device.

There's no major revelations here, but a look at the concept and design of the phone, as? this first episode in what looks like a series offers, is an insight you don't always get on a major product release.

Want the inside info on that soft-touch "suede" feel? The AMOLED screen? The phone's noise suppression? Why it marries software and hardware together? Then hit play for more.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Google Nexus One HTC Video Advertising

VIDEO: Google talks Nexus One concept and design originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:04:11 +0000

The Symbian Foundation has announced it has completed the open source release of the source code for the widely-used smartphone platform.

This means the 10-year-old Symbian platform, which has been the OS for over 300 million devices around the world, is now completely open with the source code available for free.

"Any individual or organization can now take, use and modify the code for any purpose, whether that be for a mobile device or for something else entirely", says the Foundation. ?
"The development community is now empowered to shape the future of the mobile industry, and rapid innovation on a global scale will be the result", Lee Williams, executive director of the Symbian Foundation, says in the press release.

"When the Symbian Foundation was created, we set the target of completing the open source release of the platform by mid-2010 and it’s because of the extraordinary commitment and dedication from our staff and our member companies that we’ve reached it well ahead of schedule".

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry Operating Systems Symbian Nokia Biz

Symbian goes open source ahead of schedule originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:14:16 +0000

Verizon is angling the Palm Pre Plus mobile phone straight at the "mom market" in the States, which may well damage sales long term if it puts non-mom types off the phone.

Two adverts - one of which is shown above - states the device is "smart enough to keep up with mom", a real contrast from Verizon's Motorola Droid advertising in which said it "makes you feel like a four star general with natural charisma, twelve arms and the power of mind control".

Engadget suggests that this, as well as the macho "Stealth" advert for the Droid, means Verizon's advertising says the Droid is for men and the Pre is for women, but what do you think?

Would you buy a phone angled at "moms" if you're a guy? Is Verizon sexist? Can different phones be better for different sexes? Are we reading too much into advertising messages? Have your say in the comments box below.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Palm Pre Palm Pre Plus Advertising Video Verizon

VIDEO: Verizon angles Palm Pre Plus at "mom" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:14:07 +0000

It's been a little quiet on the BlackBerry rumour front of late, but a Canadian analyst is about to change all that with renewed talk of the previously rumoured hybrid BlackBerry from RIM, according to a Reuters report.

While a previous report of the handset - also from an analyst - pegged it as "a cross between the Storm 2 and one of RIM's non-touch QWERTY devices", TD Newcrest analyst Chris Umiastowski now suggests the device could launch in the third quarter and says it will offer "a clickable screen alongside a keyboard and an optical navigation pad".

As far as other future products go, Umiastowski says the leaked Pearl 9100, that we brought you images of back in November, will be "a big success, just like the last Pearl" thanks to its high res display and optical trackpad, while the Tour 2 is said to be in production.

The new hybrid device could offer RIM's new WebKit browser said to be "progressing well". "From what we've heard, RIM appears to be on track to close the gap with Apple, Android and Palm on the browser experience", said the analyst.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry RIM Rumours BlackBerry 9900 Mr T BlackBerry Pearl 9100 BlackBerry Tour 2

Analyst says hybrid BlackBerry due in third quarter originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:36:31 +0000

O2 has revealed some interesting sales stats about the Apple iPhone, which it was the first operator in the UK to offer.

The Telefonica-owned company has revealed it has now sold 2 million iPhones in the UK. As the one million milestone mark was reached in February 2009, 16 months after sales began, this suggests that a year on and sales of the device are steady.

Reuters reports that Matthew Key, the chief exec of Telefonica, and Ronan Dunne, chief exec of O2 UK, told reporters "the company was still enjoying a boost from being the first operator to sell the Apple phone" with Dunne claiming that being associated with the iPhone in consumer's minds "will take a long time (to go) away".

Orange and Vodafone now also offer the iPhone in the UK and although overall sales figures are not known Vodafone recently revealed it shifted 100,000 of them in the first week.

Sales for the Palm Pre on O2 are said to be "good" but no hard stats were announced.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone O2 Statistics Biz Pre Palm Pre

O2 says it has sold 2 million iPhones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:45:15 +0000

Nokia has announced the Nokia 6303i classic describing it as "a sophisticated and compact device".

Said to follow in the footprints of the Nokia 6303 classic, building on what Nokia calls the "proven formula that made Nokia the world leader in mobile phones" the candybar phone will launch in the first quarter of 2010.

With a 2.2-inch display, the stainless steel 6303i gets a 3.2-megapixel camera, email and IM through Nokia Messaging and what's said to be great battery life. It's not clear at this stage what improvements it offers over the 6303 classic, as the spec list appears similar.

The phone will see an estimated retail price of 105 euros.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia 6303i classic

Nokia 6303i classic announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:05:02 +0000

Vodafone?has confirmed that it will be bringing the?Sony Ericsson Xperia X10?to the UK in April, 2 months later than previously expected.

The new handset, which we first saw back in the summer last year, will feature the Android OS and be the company's first foray into Google's operating system.

In November we reported that the "X10 was getting a Q1 launch" with an "expected launch - Feb '10."

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.

While you wait for April to roll around, you can check out our?Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 mobile phone - First Look review

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Related links:

• link - Vodafone.co.uk

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

Vodafone Sony Ericsson X10 hits UK in April originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:56:04 +0000

Verizon has announced it will be adding Motorola's latest Android smartphone known as the Devour to its handset line sometime this March.

Featuring a 3.1-inch, 320 x 480 capacitive touchscreen, 8GB microSD card, Bluetooth, 3-megapixel camera, and a slide out QWERTY keyboard, the phone is mainly noteworthy as being the first device on Verizon to use Motorola's custom MOTOBLUR Android-powered content delivery system. ?

MOTOBLUR stands out from standard Android operating interfaces thanks, largely, to its home screen centric "stream" based content delivery widgets. Built to handle users ever fragmented communication outlets,? MOTOBLUR provides the convenience of consolidating an individuals contact information and communications from email, texts, and popular social networks, all into one so called "Universal Inbox".

Positioned as a mid range alternative to Motorola's higher end Droid Android handset, already on the Verizon network, the Devour is stated to only currently run Android 1.6.

Also, while pricing has not been released, most analysts do expect the device to sell below the Droid's $199 US Verizon subsidised price tag.?

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Android Motorola Devour Verizon

New Motorola Devour Android phone coming to Verizon originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:40:00 +0000

The symptoms are clear - HTC Hero clutched in your hand, dismissal of the iPhone as "for mums", Gmail, Google Docs and Google Calendar open in three Chrome tabs. It's time to admit it - you're an Android fanboy. Or fangirl. Fanperson doesn't have the same ring to it.

So we bet you'll be wanting to get your hands on these immediately - they're vinyl collectible Android figurines. Sure, they're not quite as awesome as having a whopping great big green robot on your lawn, but they're as close as the rest of us mortals will get.

They're created by Dyzplastic and designed by artist Andrew Bell. Series one has twelve different designs in blind-boxed cases of 16. There's a few super-rare editions scattered in those cases too. Standing 3 inches tall, they're perfect for sitting under your monitor.

The official site says later this month, but rumour has it that they'll show up on 10 February, likely shipping from the States.

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Tags: Phones Android Google Toys Dyzplastic Operating Systems Mobile phones

Vinyl Android collectibles coming soon originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:40:06 +0000

Wordpress has announced that version 1.0 of the Wordpress for Android application has been released, and is now available in the Android Market. It allows you to manage your Wordpress blog from your mobile phone.

The features list is respectable, and includes the ability to write and edit posts, including categories, tags and photos, create and edit pages, moderate and reply to comments, and even includes support for multiple blogs. An option to have new comments pop up in the Android notification bar is available.

The app has been built from the foundation of the wpToGo app, with the coder behind it being brought in to work on the official application. As a result, development of that application has been discontinued.

You can grab the application by searching through the Android Market on your device for "Wordpress", or by scanning the barcode on Wordpress' download page with a barcode scanner app.

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Tags: Software Phones Mobile phone apps Wordpress Blogging Android Android Market Video

VIDEO: Wordpress app for Android released originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:37:43 +0000

Following the release of a new version of its Ovi Maps, making the mapping and navigation software and service free on certain phones, Nokia has announced it has hit a milestone.

Nokia says over 1.4 million have downloaded the application across the world with China topping the list and Italy, the UK, Germany and Spain making up the rest of the top five countries.

The top five most popular Nokia devices installing the download have been the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia N97 mini, Nokia N97, Nokia 5230 and Nokia E72.

Nokia announced at launch that there are currently around 83 million handsets Nokia has sold that are compatible with Ovi Maps, this works out as around 1.7% that could take Nokia up on the free GPS software offer.

"We're averaging a download a second, 24 hours a day", said Anssi Vanjoki, executive VP, Nokia. "When we announced free walk and drive navigation we knew it would be a game-changer. The number of people now using their Nokia for navigation, and as a result looking for more location-aware software, is growing faster than even we predicted".

Nokia says the milestone is great news for third party app developers as it means there's well over a million consumers out there "potentially hungry for new and innovative location-aware apps".

From next month, all new Nokia GPS-enabled smartphones will include the new version of Ovi Maps, pre-loaded with local country map data, with walk and drive navigation and access to Lonely Planet and Michelin travel guides.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Nokia Statistics Ovi Maps Car And GPS GPS software Biz

New Ovi Maps hits 1.4 million downloads originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:59:24 +0000

The Office of Fair Trading has sounded a note of caution over the proposed merger between Orange and T-Mobile. The agency says that the deal "threatens significantly to affect competition in mobile telecommunications in the UK".

The OFT has asked the European Commission if it can take a deeper look at the impacts of the merger on the UK market. The deal would create a massive phone operator with more than 28 million customers. It's worried that this would reduce the choice that customers have, and cause prices to rise.

If the concerns are still present when the investigation has been completed, the matter can be referred to the Competition Commission, who has the power to block such a merger from taking place. The two companies have both signed the final agreement for their UK operations to be combined.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry Biz Office of Fair Trading Orange T-Mobile

OFT concerned over Orange/T-Mobile merger originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:04:32 +0000

Apple has released an update for the iPhone, bringing the version number up to 3.1.3. It brings a few minor new features, a whole host of bug fixes, and a handful of security patches which close up the holes that jailbreakers use to get inside the handset.

The biggest new feature seems to be that the battery gauge indicator has got more accurate. Yup, the patch really is that minor. It also fixes a problem where third party apps wouldn't launch, and a potential crash when apps used the Japanese Kana keyboard.

Nasty MP4 and TIFF files have been protected against with patches from CoreAudio and ?ImageIO, and WebKit has been tweaked to better protect against HTML Mail messages and dodgy FTP servers. There's also better handling of USB control messages in recovery mode.

As a result, it seems like the most popular jailbreaking tools - Redsn0w, Blackra1n and PwnageTool - are all incompatible with this update, and their creators are warning jailbreakers not to install the patch, especially if you've got a 3G or a 3GS.

The download is a whopping 291MB, and is available now by plugging your handset into iTunes and letting it do its thing. Make sure you back up first, just in case something goes wrong.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone Software updates Operating Systems Apple

iPhone OS 3.1.3 update released originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:29:53 +0000

A recent software update for the Google Nexus One adds several key features to the handset. At the top of this list is multi-touch support which has been conspicuously absent from the Android operating system previously. More specifically, the recent upgrade integrates pinch-to-zoom compatibility in the phone's browser, photo gallery, and maps application.

Besides pinch-to-zoom compatibility, the Maps application will receive a more general upgrade to version 3.4. This change will enable users to synchronise starred favourite places between the phone or a computer, and make recalling previous searches for points of interest much easier. A new "Night mode" in Google Maps Navigation will also automatically adjust user's screens at night for better map viewing and driving.?

In response to persistent complaints of 3G issues with the handset, Google has pushed 3G connectivity improvements for "some Nexus One phones" as well and enabled their latest pet project Google Goggles to be used via the phone's Apps menu. Through this addition, Google stated on its blog that it hopes to encourage users to "just use your Nexus One camera to start searching the web."

When exactly all of these updates will hit individual phones is still somewhat uncertain, but Google does expect to have the changes rolled out to a majority of users by the end of the week.?

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Tags: Phones Android Google Nexus One

Nexus One receives multi-touch and 3G fixes originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:12:00 +0000

The filming of T-Mobile’s latest publicity stunt, which it is to turn into an advert, has apparently seen the largest flock of geese being driven through the City of London for almost 160 years.
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Said to have been thought up to highlight "outdated silly rules" (such as Freemen supposedly still being allowed to drive geese through the Square Mile) more than 100 geese were guided along Cheapside.
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"The geese brought the streets to a standstill with passers-by stopping to take photographs and film videos", says T-Mobile, "Some even helped shoo a few wayward birds on their way".

T-Mobile's first such "Life's for Sharing" ad saw 300 people carrying out a dance routine at Liverpool Street Station while more recently a Trafalgar Square sing-a-long starred 13,000 members of the public and pop-star Pink.

Watch out for the geese-themed ad hitting the small screen soon.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry T-Mobile Advertising

T-Mobile's latest publicity stunt: 100 geese in central London originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:38:09 +0000

A survey of 3500 Europeans conducted by Motorola has revealed that 84% of people consider themselves to be "constantly connected", and that their connectivity brings "emotional benefits", making them feel "peaceful", "relaxed" and "confident".

The survey, titled "The Motorola Media Engagement Barometer", was conducted by phone in France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the UK in November and December 2009. It split the population into three groups - those aged 16-29, 30-45 and 46-64, labelling them "Millennials", "Generation Xers" and "Baby Boomers" respectively.

Interestingly, the results indicate that a digital divide no longer exists between these groups - connectivity percentages were similar in all three age groups. However, there was a gap between generations in how many people transferred content between devices in their home - 87% of Millennials do this, compared to 72% of Gen Xers and just 57% of Baby Boomers.

61% of Europeans (and 69% of Brits) added that they expect to be able to access the same content "on the go" as they do at home - meaning that mobile applications seem to be finding their target. Only 70% of Brits, however, watch live television once a week - a figure that seems to be falling in the face of the growth of catch-up services and PVRs.

However, 51% of Brits are struggling with the flood of information that being constantly connected brings, implying that the future is bright for "filter" services that crawl the Web to deliver the best of the Internet, without any of the rubbish.

Lastly, one UK-specific figure that stood out is that in Britain, people are just as likely to want to watch video content on their mobile phones as they are on their computers - it seems like the small screen sizes available on mobile doesn't seem to be putting anyone off at all.

Are you constantly connected? And how do you feel about it? Is that flood of information too much, or does it relax you? Tell us in the comments below.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Surveys Statistics Motorola

84% of Europeans are constantly connected originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:09:09 +0000

Vodafone?iPhone?users can claim the fastest download speeds in the UK according to new data revealed to Pocket-lint.

Following our own investigation into network quality and speed of the three official operators for the iPhone in London, the makers of Speed Check, the app that we used to test network speed, have sent us more figures from thousands of users across the nation using the iPhone app.

According to Speed Check's data, Vodafone?comes out top when it comes to downloading data, followed by?O2, followed by?Orange.

Interestingly the company is also tracking plenty of speed checks by people on the?3?network, presumably on jail broken handsets. Including the 3 data into the listings and it actually beats O2 and Orange in performance when it comes to accessing data on the go.

It's not all good news for Vodafone though, with its average download speed coming bottom of the pile. Again including the 3 figures, the operator that doesn't officially stock the Apple phone comes out top followed by O2, followed by Orange and then Vodafone closely after.

In January Pocket-lint tested three handsets at the four stations and Apple's HQ in Regent Street in London carrying out a series of tests like downloading pages via the browser and making phone calls.

Speed Check, a free app for the iPhone allows users to check the download rate, ie how fast you are able to download data, as well as the upload rate, ie how fast you can request pages, upload messages to Twitter or send an email.

In our tests carried out at the beginning of January, based on the overall consistency of performance O2 won, followed by Vodafone, followed by Orange.

In the five tests we did with Speed Check, O2 had the best numbers overall in both upload and download speed, which also proved true in our real life tests of downloading the Pocket-lint homepage, accessing Google maps, streaming a YouTube video and making a phone call.?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Apple iPhone Vodafone 3 Orange O2

New data shows Vodafone iPhone has fastest download speeds in UK originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:48:41 +0000

Sony Ericsson has added a new phone into its eco "GreenHeart" range with a Windows Mobile option described as "the business mobile phone with green credentials at its core".

The 3G Sony Ericsson Aspen offers Windows Mobile 6.5 with Microsoft's MyPhone service, a QWERTY keyboard as well as a 2.4-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi, a 3.5mm audio jack, Google Maps and various social networking tools built in.

Specs include a 3.2-megapixel camera, A2DP stereo Bluetooth, microSD card slot supporting cards up to 16GB, FM radio, A-GPS and Skype.

"Sony Ericsson Aspen is the business phone with a conscience, perfect for any consumer or company who want to make a green choice in their daily work life", says Sony Ericsson in the press release.

The GreenHeart part comes in with a power-saving mode, an "Eco mate" app, an e-manual, waterborne paint, a "green" charger and a "green" box. ?

The Aspen, which is described as "affordable", is due in the second quarter of the year in black and white.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson Aspen Eco Windows Mobile Windows Phone

Sony Ericsson Aspen launches into GreenHeart range originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:28:54 +0000

Want to know what's been hot in the world of technology and gadgets today?

Top stories in today's roundup include a new Sega console hitting the shelves - hopefully in the summer and a video that shows you how to get your iPhone to look and feel like the Apple iPad.

The quality tech news keeps on coming with the announcement that Virgin Media is to offer free calls to Virgin mobiles, whilst Amazon fights with Macmillan over ebook pricing.

Add to this our feature, which gives some helpful tips for taking low-light shots with your compact camera, and you have the perfect news roundup. Here are the top stories from the last 24 hours:

NEWS:New Sega console hitting this summer
NEWS:VIDEO: Give your iPhone the iPad look and feel
NEWS:WEBSITE OF THE DAY - Startpage
NEWS:VIDEO: Apple iPad makes an appearance at the Grammys
NEWS:Five bright ideas for low light photography
NEWS:Apple iPad gets recreated in LEGO
NEWS:Sky's first 3D football match in pics and quotes
NEWS:Canon announces four PIXMA printers for March launch
NEWS:Virgin Media to offer free calls to Virgin mobiles
NEWS:Amazon fights with Macmillan over ebook pricing

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

Daily news roundup: New Sega console, low-light photography tips and more originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:34:46 +0000

Continental is to soon offer a system that will see Android-powered head units getting you connected in your car.

The Android-powered AutoLinQ system (one small element of which is rendered in the video above) is a new "connected services platform" that car makers could choose to install in their motors.

The head unit is capable of downloading existing Android applications while Continental also plans to release an AutoLinQ SDK in the first quarter of 2010 with a specific app store due in the second half of the year.

As well as offering connectivity whilst in the car, the AutoLinQ system will offer remote connectivity to the car via a mobile view from a phone or PC that will let users check the status or location of a vehicle. ?

On the obvious map, traffic and location applications, Continental has teamed up with Navteq while a "half-dozen" partners are also already working on early prototype applications said to "combine vehicle and social information to create exciting new experiences". ?

These will include "location based social networking applications that can safely be used in the vehicle". We will keep you posted with more as we get it later in the year.

Tags: Car And GPS Phones Android Continental Continental AutoLinQ Video Navteq

VIDEO: Continental reveals Android-based AutoLinQ connected head unit originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:03:29 +0000

Jabra has dropped us word of a new Bluetooth headset that it'll soon be selling in Britain - the Jabra Extreme, or EXTREME if we're being typographically accurate. It's already available in the USA.

The device comes with a new version of Jabra's noise reduction technology, called Noise Blackout Extreme. No caps lock this time. The company reckons it's twice as good at filtering out background noise as before, employing dual microphones to more effectively tell which bits of the sound are talking about Eastenders, and which are the people walking past you talking about Coronation Street.

There's also improved eargels, the "Ultimate-fit Eagels", which will gently mould to your ear over time - making things a little comfortable for you, and meaning that your friends are less likely to be able to borrow your headset, getting their 'orrible wax all over it.

The Jabra Extreme's battery packs 5.5 hours of talk time, 10.5 days of standby time, or some combination of the two. It costs ?60, and is available now.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones accessories Headsets Jabra Bluetooth Jabra Extreme

Jabra Extreme headset announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:04:51 +0000

Nokia's Beta Labs team has introduced a new "experimental" app - the Nokia Custom Dictionary - that lets users better manage their S60 phone's wordage.

The custom dictionary is used for storing your personal words that are used frequently while typing that will then come up when you're typing in predictive text mode.

Taking the functionality further, you can also view all the words in your custom dictionary, edit and delete existing words, export and import the dictionary as xml file to another phone and scan in words to add.

The Nokia Custom Dictionary can be installed on S60 3rd and 5th edition devices - hit play to see a brief explanation and head over to the Beta Labs site for more.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Nokia Video

VIDEO: Nokia explains new Custom Dictionary beta app originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:39:47 +0000

Virgin Media has announced it is to become the first phone provider in the UK to offer new and existing customers free home phone to mobile calls.

Due to start from 1 April (but presumably no joke) Virgin says the move will give "families and frequent callers a chance to save hundreds on call charges to mobiles each year".

As you might expect, the free calls are if you are ringing a Virgin mobile, seeing Virgin pushing its "quadplay" packages to consumers looking to save.

The free-ness will vary depending on what package consumers are signed up to and calls have to be less than 60 minutes - although callers can hang up and ring back within that time frame.

Those on XL phone packages (?11.99 plus a ?7.95 talk plan cost) will get the free calls all the time, L packages will get the free calls evenings and weekends, while M people will only get the free calls on weekends.

There's more info on the options, as well as full details of the deal, at www.virginmedia.com.?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Landlines Tariffs Virgin Media

Virgin Media to offer free calls to Virgin mobiles originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:10:10 +0000

If you can't wait for the iPad to be available, you can at least fake it with your current Apple hardware.

Jailbroken iPhone owners can make their iPhones looks like iPads thanks to this workaround that uses apps from the App Store and Cydia.

The video above will take you through the process in detail, but the end result is that you'll get the iPad look and feel, an iBooks-esque app, New York Times reader and the Kindle book catalogue. Hit play to see it happen.

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Tags: Hardware Apple iPad Apple iPad iPhone Phones iPod Touch iPhone apps Video

VIDEO: Give your iPhone the iPad look and feel originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:41:04 +0000

The UK's love of text messaging is continuing to grow, recent figures from the Mobile Data Association show, despite the rise of "social messaging" via services like Twitter.

The just released stats take into account both text messages and picture and video messages with info aggregated from each of the UK's mobile network operators.

During 2009 the UK saw a daily average of 265 million text messages and 1.6 million picture messages with the year's total coming in at a massive 96.8 billion text messages and 600 million picture messages.

As with previous years, the Christmas period and New Years saw a rise in mobile phone messaging with Christmas up 31% on 2008 and New Years up 21%.

"These statistics show that even with new social media forms of messaging such as Twitter and Facebook, people are using SMS as a social messaging tool because of its simplicity and ubiquity", says Steve Reynolds, the chairman of the MDA, in the press release.

"There remains a significant and still developing role for text messaging. In a seemingly relentless tide of status updates, tweets and pokes, the UK population’s love affair with mobile messaging for instant, on-the-go communication continues to deepen".

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Statistics SMS Mobile phone industry Biz MDA

Brits send 96 billion texts in 2009 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:12:24 +0000

Mozilla, the organisation behind?Firefox, has confirmed that you can now get a mobile version of its popular browser.

However, before you hunt for the download button on your phone, it's currently only available on the Maemo operating system found on the?Nokia N900.?

"Starting today,?Nokia N900?owners can enjoy many of the same Firefox features they know and love on the desktop on their mobile device", said the foundation in a blog post.

Key features dedicated to the mobile offering according to Mozilla include the lack of a need to type and the promise of seamless synchronisation with desktop Firefox.?

The browser is also the first mobile web browser to support add-ons, allowing you to customise the experience on your mobile as you would on your desktop. There are currently over 40 add-ons for the mobile version for Maemo.

The N900 Maemo version is available to download from?Firefox.com/mobile

There is no confirmation as to when the foundation will be launching other variants of the software.

We will keep you posted.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Nokia Nokia N900 Firefox Browsers Software Maemo

Firefox goes mobile originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:29:54 +0000

That the iPad is to offer its 3G connectivity via a "micro SIM" card isn't some necessary hardware requirement - the device is plenty big enough to boast a full-size SIM - it's Apple's way of throwing a bone to mobile phone operators after announcing the iPad, unlike the iPhone, would be offered "unlocked".

Unlocked it maybe, but the micro SIM option means consumers aren't going to be able to get their iPad online with any old SIM and cheap data deal, but will be forced to opt for whatever micro SIM contracts operators offer. So, who in the UK will be providing such packages for the iPad? We asked the operators to find out.

As far as the current iPhone operators go, O2 was the most forthcoming with information telling Pocket-lint: "The Apple iPad is an exciting device but we have nothing to announce at this time" as well as "there are currently no devices on the O2 portfolio that require micro-SIMs and as such they are not available from O2. We are ready to support devices which require micro-SIMs when these devices become available" while Vodafone came in with a "no comment" and we've yet to hear back from Orange who have put the question to its Group press office.

3 said as far as the micro SIMs go "at the moment we don’t range it and don’t have plans to either", Tesco told us there are "no plans yet to launch SIM for the iPad" and T-Mobile and Virgin Media have not responded to our enquiries at all.

The Carphone Warehouse CEO Andrew Harrison said in a wider statement about the iPad launch: "We are really excited about all the Slate/Tablet products currently in the pipeline and look forward to providing our customers with additional options for connecting and consuming content in the future".

Reports on the net from both "sources" and the manufacturing company that makes the small scale SIMs, suggest that Orange and O2 are UK operators almost certainly due to offer micro SIMs and data packages, but it seems it will be some time before anything is confirmed - we will keep you posted.

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Tags: Hardware Apple iPad iPad 3G Vodafone O2 Tesco Carphone Warehouse Mobile broadband T-Mobile Orange Mobile phone industry Phones

Which UK operators will offer micro SIMs for the Apple iPad? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:24:50 +0000

We might still be waiting for an updated version of Android on the HTC Hero, but the company has delivered on at least one of its promises - bringing the Sense UI to the HTC Magic, by means of a ROM update.

HTC says: "This ROM upgrade for your HTC Magic will let you experience?HTC Sense?on your phone.?HTC Sense?lets you create a phone just right for you. You can customize your experience to be any way you like. Discover intuitive experiences that make everything you do on your phone effortless and delightful".

So if you're not feeling like your phone is effortless and delightful enough, then go install it. A word of caution first, though - be sure that everything from the device is backed up before you start, because the update wipes it clean.

Oh, and it looks like it won't work for phones labelled "with Google", either, thanks to licensing restrictions. That includes the Vodafone edition in the UK. If you wanna test to see whether it'll work or not, just put your serial number into the form on the download page and it'll tell you yes or no.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Software updates HTC HTC Magic Android Google

HTC Magic finally gets Sense UI originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:20:27 +0000

Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Computers, has let slip a few more details about the Mini 5 mini-slate that we grabbed a few photos of, in all its pink glory, at CES 2010.

It's going to be packing a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 5-inch display, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3G. It will run the same OS that we saw on the prototype - Android 1.6 - and there's a five-megapixel camera on the back. CrunchGear has a short video of it, too - if you want a few more in the way of angles.

It'll be arriving in a "couple of months", according to Dell himself, but it'll come packing a massive $1098 price - which we'd expect would translate almost directly into pounds, once VAT and import charges are taken into account. That's a hell of a lot for a handset that's only a little bigger than the HTC HD2, for example.

Further info, UK pricing and availability info are all to be confirmed, but we'll let you know when we hear more.

Update: Commenter David suggests that the $1,100 figure might be erroneous. We've been unable to confirm it elsewhere, and it does seem waaaay too high, so take that one with a pinch of salt. We'll let you know when we're able to get hard numbers off Dell.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Hardware Internet tablets Dell Mini 5 Dell

Dell reveals a little more about the Mini 5 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:55:45 +0000

The Google Nexus Two could well be made by Motorola, as the phone manufacturer has confirmed it is working with the online giant on a device. During a conference call with analysts, Moto's co-CEO Sanjay Jha said one of 20 new smartphones planned for 2010 would be a "direct to consumer device with Google".

The direct to consumer quote references how Google offers the current Nexus One - made by long-time Google collaborator HTC - unlocked, via a website, rather than through the more traditional operator route.

Although this time a year ago the news that Google was working with Motorola on an exclusive device might have come as a surprise, Motorola has upped its stakes in the Android market with the Droid/Milestone, the Cliq/Dext and the coming-soon Motoroi.

The Google-Moto effort may also offer a next-gen version of the Motoblur interface with Jha revealing: “We plan to broaden the scope of MotoBlur by doing to multimedia what we did to social messaging by enabling users to share music, photos and other content in an interactive and dynamic way”.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Nexus One Google

Motorola working with Google on "direct to consumer device" originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:28:33 +0000

Nokia's recently announced financial results for the last quarter of 2009 show that the Finnish phone maker is clawing its way back in to the market.

With net sales up, Nokia saw a 38% growth in smartphone shipments over the past year, selling over 20 million smartphones in the fourth quarter, which compares to 15 million the year before.

This sees Nokia with an estimated mobile device market share of 39% in Q4 2009, up from an estimated 37% in Q4 2008 and 38% in Q3 2009.

"We grew our market share in smartphones in the fourth quarter, driven by the successful launch of new touch and QWERTY models", said Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Nokia CEO, in a statement.

"Our performance in smartphones, combined with continuing success in the emerging markets, helped us increase sales in our Devices & Services unit, both quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year".

As far as the next year goes, Kallasvuo was not letting anything slip about future handsets, but instead said Nokia was focusing on "user experience" with the recent Ovi Maps news used as an example.

"Our focus remains firmly on execution, especially around user experience. Here I want to highlight our move to shake up the navigation market with free walk and drive navigation on our smartphones, a good example of how we are leveraging our assets to bring real benefits to consumers".

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry Nokia Results Biz

Nokia fights backs with growth in market share originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:03:22 +0000

Fring, the?iPhone?instant messaging app that lets you manage your Skype, MSN and AOL accounts on your iPhone has confirmed that users will now be able to make VoIP calls over the 3G network.

The move, which has been made possible due to a change in rules in the latest Apple iPhone SDK released on Thursday, could spell trouble for the operators as there is a potential for people to now bypass the need for making lucrative international calls as part of their call package.

AT&T in the US, for example bars new customers making such calls for the first 3 months of a new contract suggesting this could be the lifeline they are looking for to make calls on the cheap or for free.

Skype, however, has yet to announce that it will be offering 3G calling from within its dedicated app.

Fring says current users won't have to download any new software, however do state that if users are experiencing difficulties using the new feature that they should log out and then back in again.

Having the chat application running in the background, however, is still beyond the realms of what is capable for the iPhone unless users jailbreak the handset.?

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps iPhone Skype Fring AT and T

Fring on iPhone now lets you use Skype over 3G originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:04:46 +0000

Google has announced that the Nexus One Desktop Dock is now available for purchase from the Google online store.

Said to be custom-designed for the Nexus One, Google says the dock offers a convenient place to charge your phone, on your desk or nightstand.

"As soon as you slip your phone into the desktop dock the Clock app opens, providing quick access to the local time and weather, alarm settings, photo slideshows, and your music. You can dim the Clock screen for nighttime use", says Google.

Complete with a charger and a 3.5mm-to-RCA audio cable, for connecting the dock to your stereo so you can listen to your phone's music on your stereo system, the dock is priced at $45.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone accessories Google Nexus One

Google announces Nexus One Desktop Dock originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:01:24 +0000

Our tech deal today looks at three handsets from the phone retailer Rightmobilephone.co.uk, which include the Nokia N900, the HTC HD2 and Blackberry Curve 8520.

These phone deals are perhaps worth considering if your circumstances mean that you are willing to sign your mobile-life away for an extended period, since all involve 24-month contracts.

First up we have the Nokia N900, which you can get at a monthly cost of ?26.25 with 600 minutes talktime and unlimited texts. The HTC HD2 will set you back ?25 a month, which will get you 600 minutes and unlimited texts, whilst the Blackberry 8520 Curve at a monthly cost of ?12.87, 75 free minutes and 250 texts.

All three offers are with Vodafone and have reduced line rental for a limited time, which you can claim back over the period of the contract. The Nokia will give you 6 months half price, the HTC HD2 gives 8 months half price and the Blackberry 8520 Curve 9 months.

All three deals can be found via this link and we'll have another tech deal for you tomorrow.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia N900 HTC HD2 BlackBerry Curve 8520 rightmobilephone Daily Tech Deal

Daily Tech Deal: Rightmobilephone's top handset deals originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:13:26 +0000

Colorware, the customisation company in the States that brightens up popular consumer electronics, has turned its palette to the recently launched Google Nexus One.

Sadly only available in the US, the Nexus One's ColorWare options are extensive and include the options to colour in the phone's frame, back, bottom and - nice attention to detail here - camera, in separate or the same colours in a glossy or matte finish.

The cost for this service is not inconsiderable. For a new model you're looking at $800 in total, while to send in your existing Nexus One, ColorWare will charge $175 with both services taking around 3 weeks.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nexus One Google HTC ColorWare

ColorWare turns its palette to the Nexus One originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:11:14 +0000

Nokia's research bods have revealed a "Mobile Radar" concept that shows how one day you could measure an object's distance, speed, and direction using a mobile device.

"It's essentially the same technology the police use in their radars", says Nokia, with the obvious potential as a sports application to judge the speed of a runner, cyclist or similar.

What's more interesting to the average consumer is the gesture control possibilities the tech offers - demoed in the video above. ?

The radar could see you raise or lower your hand to adjust the phone's volume, without ever touching the hardware, and it somehow works even when the phone is covered by an object.

However, Nokia says "don't get your hopes up that you'll see this in a Nokia handset very soon, it's still just a prototype".

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Tags: Phones Nokia Video Concepts Biz Radar

VIDEO: Nokia reveals radar-based gesture control and speedo concepts originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:42:17 +0000

3 has announced it has activated its 10,000th 3G site this week as a site in Shooters Hill, South East London, went online bringing better 3G coverage and more capacity to the area.

The site was added to the network as part of an expansion drive that 3 says should see its network reach around 13,000 sites this year, in part thanks to the Mobile Broadband Network Limited joint venture with T-Mobile.

Graham Baxter, CTO at 3 UK said in press release: "Over the past two years the continued growth of internet communications, smartphone use and mobile broadband uptake have brought the need for good 3G network coverage into sharp focus for millions of consumers. Our network is already the biggest 3G network in the UK. Now we're adding new coverage and capacity across the country to meet demand and bring the benefits of 3G to people who’ve never had access in their area before".

That best 3G network boast - that Orange also claims - is based on positioning of sites, residential population figures and an estimation of the reach of the network. 3 says its 3G network reaches 92.75% of the UK population and covers 99.5% for voice and text.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry 3 3G Biz

3 boasts better 3G coverage originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:14:23 +0000

Microsoft has just issued a software update for its Zune MP3 player that appears to confirm the existence of the much-rumoured Project Pink, or as it's better known, the Zune Phone.

Deep in the Zune.inf driver files included in the update are a list of compatible USB hardware IDs - numbers that identify different devices to a computer. In the list are the regular three types of Zune MP3 player, but also three identifiers marked "Phone". That means that Microsoft is planning at least three distinct phone devices that'll interface with its Zune desktop software.

There's already ?been talk of Windows Mobile 7 having a bunch of Zune-y features, but these IDs mean that there'll be three distinct devices produced in-house by Microsoft. USB regulations state that these IDs can't mask a different device.

Given we're just weeks away from Mobile World Congress, in which Pocket-lint will have a full presence at, we wouldn't be remotely surprised if Microsoft finally unveils the Zune Phone in Barcelona. Stay tuned for more.

Oh, and on a side-note, if you're in the UK, we'd advise against installing the update for now. It appears that Microsoft has disabled some features for international users - like SmartDJ and images being pulled down for artists in the Quickview mode.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Microsoft Zune Pink Rumours MWC2010

Zune phone confirmed in software update originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:03:31 +0000

Pioneer pins the development of its new in-car digital media receivers, the MVH-8200 and MVH-8200BT, on consumers' demand for "digital connectivity, integrated communication and an improved in-car listening experience".

The new car stereos dump the CD format in favour of USB, an SD card slot with music and video playback capability, iPod/iPhone hook-up and Bluetooth.

The MVH-P8200 and MVH-P8200BT are single DIN receivers that come with 3-inch screens for the digital interface and for playback of video files as well as on-screen access to all the playlists, album art, videos and more from the connected iPod or iPhone.

The units offer playback of MP3, WMA and iTunes AAC music files via USB and SD memory card while the integrated Bluetooth and mic on the P8200BT means it can be used for hands-free phone calls.

The Pioneer MVH-P8200 and MVH-P8200BT will be available in the UK from mid February 2010, but we've no data on pricing just yet.

Tags: Car And GPS Pioneer Car gadgets Car Stereos iPhone accessories Bluetooth Phones Hands-free

New Pioneer car stereo swaps CDs for SDs originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:03:00 +0000

The 1.6, 2.0 and 2.1 updates for the HTC Hero have been repeatedly delayed as HTC attempts to make them work nicely with the handset and the company's own Sense UI. But if comments from Irish network provider Meteor.ie are accurate then device owners might not see any device updates until March.

However, the good news is that once March rolls around, the Hero will be upgraded straight from 1.5 all the way to 2.1 without any of the intermediate steps. An administrator on Meteor.ie's forums, Glynn, posted:

"We’ve been in contact with HTC and they have said that version 2.0 will be available in and around March of this year. HTC sense UI will be tightly integrated with Android 2.0, as with other versions of the software. Because of this new versions of the software take a while to develop. As for 2.1 this would also need to be developed and there is no update on this".

He then later added: "Just got another update on this and HTC have said they are releasing 2.1 on the Hero and we are hoping to have this available by the end of March".

We've reached out to HTC for comment on this, and are awaiting a response. We'll let you know when we hear back.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC HTC Hero Android Android 2.1 Rumours

Android 2.1 for HTC Hero pushed back to March originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:19:57 +0000

While we were hoping for at the very least a new handset, it seems Nokia's launch for today that we brought you news of last week, is just a smaller capacity version of its existing X6.

The 16GB X6 "has all the stunning features of the 32GB", says Nokia, but will obviously cost less, priced at ?299 SIM-free direct from Nokia compared to ?449 for the larger capacity version.

The X6 16GB will be available to pre-order from Nokia's online shop from Wednesday 27 January and will also be available from major UK operators and retailers from 24 February 2010 on tariffs from ?25 per month. ?

Nokia says the X3 is also available to pre-order now from www.nokia.co.uk/shop at ?129.?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia X6

Nokia announces 16GB X6 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:41:39 +0000

Latest estimates from mobile analysts IDC suggest that Google's mobile operating system, Android, will overtake both the iPhone and Blackberry operating systems by 2013. IDC estimates that it'll gain an install-base of 68 million handsets, giving it second place in the platform wars.

It's also predicted that Symbian, the open-source operating system owned by Nokia which currently dominates the world's feature phone market, will continue to dominate. IDC suggests that it'll keep the top spot from Android by virtue of its popularity outside of North America.

Meanwhile, Linux and webOS are predicted to falter. The former will lose out to Android and the latter will suffer from its Palm-only device restrictions, despite the announcement of the Palm Pre Plus and the Palm Pixi Plus at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Android has grown rapidly in the last 6 months since the release of the HTC Hero, arguably the first superstar handset to feature the platform. Since then, there's been successes with the Motorola Droid (Milestone in Europe) and Google's own Nexus One handset. However, if HTC's leaked 2010 roadmap is accurate, this year could be even more interesting for the little robot that could.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Operating Systems Android iPhone Apple Google Symbian BlackBerry Mobile phone industry

Android to overtake iPhone in 2013 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:24:11 +0000

Since its release, the Nexus One has been widely welcomed, but the handset has also been criticised for some 3G difficulties - dropping down to Edge in certain areas. Google has responded to those issues and promised a fix.

The company posted on its support forums: "Our engineers have uncovered specific cases for which a software fix should improve connectivity to 3G for some users. We are testing this fix now, initial results are positive, and if everything progresses as planned, we will provide an over-the-air software update to your phone in the next week or so".

However, the company also warned that it might just be a rubbish network: "It may be, however, that users are experiencing problems as a result of being on the edge or outside of 3G coverage, which a product fix cannot address". So it could well be the fault of T-Mobile USA, or Vodafone in Britain, instead.

So keep an eye out for a fix rolling down to your handset, and when it arrives give it a test. If you're still having the same difficulties as before, then it's your network's fault. At least according to Google.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Google Nexus One Android Software updates

Google promises Nexus One fix originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:24:29 +0000

It seems Vodafone's DRM-free music is going down well with consumers as it has announced that nearly 450,000 Vodafone customers have signed up to its music subscription services since 2009.

Vodafone is claiming this customer base gives it the largest number of paying music subscribers in Europe. These services include 5 euro monthly 10-track MP3 bundles as well as "all you can eat" unlimited access subscription services.

"We are really excited by our customers reaction to these great music offers. We expect to see continued growth in our music service subscriptions driven by the increase in smartphone use, with their worry-free data tariffs and great value add-ons such as music bundles", Lee Epting, director of content at Vodafone Internet Services, said.

"We will carry on working hard with our partners in the music industry to develop new and innovative music services for our customers. Vodafone is starting to prove the significance of its place in the music industry".

Tags: Phones Vodafone Music downloads Statistics Biz Audio

Vodafone claims most paying music subscribers in Europe originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:34:19 +0000

Want to know what's been hot in the world of technology and gadgets today?

If you just can't get enough of the news surrounding Apple's soon-to-be-announced iSomething device you've come to the right place as our two top stories will be sure to help sate your need. If, on the other hand, you're fed up with Apple-related ramblings you can look through our guide to avoiding the announcement completely.

In the meantime we also bring you news of a Sonic the Hedgehog rollercoaster opening at Alton Towers, there's a handy video for anyone wanting an explanation of Nokia's new Ovi Maps and MusicDNA is proposed as a possible successor to MP3.

We also have the Motorola Motosplit revealed in a spy-shot and a handy little breakdown from Pingdom -? giving you a whole host internet usage stats. Here are the top stories from the last 24 hours.

NEWS:Four-screen Apple iTablet snapped
NEWS:Nearly half of Brits would only spend ?250 on Apple iTablet
NEWS:Sonic the Hedgehog rollercoaster to open at Alton Towers
NEWS:MusicDNA format proposed as successor to MP3
NEWS:WEBSITE OF THE DAY - knowem
NEWS:10 surefire ways to avoid the Apple Tablet announcement
NEWS:The Internet in 2009 broken down into numbers
NEWS:HP computers get Omnifone preloaded
NEWS:VIDEO: Nokia explains new Ovi Maps
NEWS:Motorola Motosplit revealed in spy-shot

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

Daily news roundup: Apple iTablet, MusicDNA and more originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:24:51 +0000

This week's Tech Week in View for Megawhat sees Pocket-lint's Stuart Miles perusing the main tech topics from the last week.

First up Miles considers Nokia's move into free navigation with the Ovi Maps announcement seeing the phone co's mapping and turn-by-turn directions now free for certain smartphones.

The ubiquitous Apple iTablet also gets a mention as invites to Apple's media event hit inboxes and there's a look at why Amazon has chosen now to release its Kindle Development Kit to allow developers to build apps for its ebook readers.

Finally, what does HTML5 mean for the Web and why has YouTube introduced support for it? Hit play now to find out...

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

VIDEO: Megawhat Tech Week in View - Nokia Maps, Kindle KDK, HTML5... originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:23:57 +0000

"The Nokia N900 is available exclusively for one more week to its UK customers", says Vodafone, as it states its exclusive on the handset runs through until 1 February.?

The Maemo-toting handset offers multi-tasking on a 3.5-inch high-resolution touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optic lens and 32GB expandable memory.

Vodafone has seen recent sales success with another touchscreen phone as it's been announced the operator has sold 100,000 iPhones in a week from launch.

Despite our initial reports suggesting the from price would be ?35 per month, the Nokia N900 is available for free on pay monthly plans from ?40.
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UPDATE: This story has been changed to reflect the fact that Vodafone has not added a week to the N900's availability, and was in fact stating it was available for "one more week", as in one week left, rather than "one more week" as in adding a week.


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Tags: Phones Vodafone Nokia N900 Nokia Tariffs

Vodafone: A week left on N900 exclusive originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:01:47 +0000

There's been a lot of interest in Synaptics' futuristic "Fuse" interface for touch-based control of smartphones, although figuring out how it works in practice from just text and images isn't that easy.

That's why we've managed to dig out a video for your viewing pleasure that we think, although basic, shows the concept off well, from the grippy side bars to the back of the phone touch-based controls, especially with the split screen effect.

Hit play on the video above now to see the interface in action - is this something you'd like to see in your next smartphone? Motorola is offering a watered-down version with its new Backflip device, so is it on the right track? Have your say in the comments box below.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Fuse Concepts Synaptics Texas Instruments Immersion TheAlloy The Astonishing Tribe Video

VIDEO: Synaptics Fuse phone interface gets demoed originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:18:18 +0000

It's only a blurry screenshot at this stage of the game, but as that's how news of some gadgets break cover, we thought we'd bring you news of the Motorola MOTOSPLIT.

Thought to be an Android handset "in the vein of the Droid", or Milestone as it's known here in Europe, the MOTOSPLIT is likely to be a high-end handset as it's rumoured to boast Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor.

Engadget suggests it's due to launch with AT&T in the third quarter of 2010, so along with the MOTOROI, recently announced for a March US launch, and the Backflip, will sit alongside the Droid in Moto's Android-powered offerings in the US.

Something similar to the "totally wild split-horizontal sliding QWERTY keyboard" has been used in other phones before - such as the Nokia 6820 - but it's quite a radical design compared to what the current crop of Android devices use.

Does the design appeal to you? Have your say in the comments box below and we'll keep you posted on all MOTOSPLIT news as we hear it.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Motorola Motorola Motosplit Rumours Android

Motorola Motosplit revealed in spy-shot originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:01:50 +0000

Nokia has stuck a promo video online for its new Ovi Maps service that will now offer turn-by-turn voice guidance and other navigational features for its GPS-enabled smartphones.

You can hit play on the video above to have two fresh-faced Nokia staffers explain the new service to you in a mini road movie.

The new Ovi Maps is available now for download for 10 Nokia Symbian handsets, with more smartphones due to be added in the coming weeks, while from March 2010 it will be preloaded on all GPS-enabled Nokia smartphones.

Although the N97 won't be included in the initial run of handsets available, Nokia has confirmed that it will be available by the end of the month.

The current list of compatible Nokia devices is as follows: Nokia N97 mini, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia 5800 Navigation Edition, Nokia E52, Nokia E55, Nokia E72, Nokia 5230, Nokia 6710 Navigator, Nokia 6730 classic and Nokia X6.

You can download the app and find out more at http://www.nokia.com/maps.

Tags: Phones Nokia Car And GPS Video Advertising Ovi Maps

VIDEO: Nokia explains new Ovi Maps originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:16:44 +0000

BlackBerry?maker,?Research In Motion, could be forced to halt sales of the popular smartphone in the US if?Motorola?is successful in a patent claim it filed on Friday.

The company, who is currently on a high with handsets like the Motorola?Droid,?Milestone, Dext, Cliq and?Backflip, has filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) claiming that Canadian firm RIM is infringing five of Motorola's patents.

According to Motorola, the five patents "relate to certain early-stage innovations developed by Motorola in key technology areas, such as Wi-Fi access, application management, user interface and power management, that are now being used by RIM".

What are Motorola after? The complete halt of BlackBerrys coming into the US, their sale in the United States, and a complete blackout of all marketing, advertising, demonstration and warehousing of inventory.

"In light of RIM's continued unlicensed use of Motorola's patents, RIM's use of delay tactics in our current patent litigation, and RIM's refusal to design out Motorola's proprietary technology, Motorola had no choice but to file a complaint with the ITC to halt RIM's continued infringement. Motorola will continue to take all necessary steps to protect its R&D and intellectual property, which are critical to the company's business", said Jonathan Meyer, senior vice president of intellectual property law at Motorola.?

We are awaiting comment from RIM.?

We will keep you posted.

UPDATE:?A UK high court judge has found thatBlackBerry?maker?RIM?does not infringe on a Motorola patent it seems reports the Calgary Herald.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones BlackBerry RIM Motorola Lawsuits

Motorola calls for halt to sale of all BlackBerrys in the US originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:36:44 +0000

The Android-based Samsung i5700 Galaxy Spica (the i7500's little brother model) has been rebranded the "Galaxy Portal" for its UK launch where it will be a T-Mobile exclusive for a month, while the black version will be a T-Mo exclusive for 3 months from January.

The HSDPA handset offers Android 1.5, gets a 3.2-inch HVGA display, 3.2-megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, DivX support, DNSe 2.0, a 3.5mm jack, measures in at 13.2mm thick and has an SD card slot that supports up to 32GB with a 1GB card bundled in with the phone.

As an Android device, the Galaxy Portal supports the full suite of Google services, including Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, and Google Talk but not some of the features the later builds of the OS offer.
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Galaxy Portal will launch, however, with Layar, the augmented reality browser which lets people access visual guides to what's around them by pointing their handset at their surroundings.

T-Mobile is offering the handset for free to those that sign up to a ?23 per month, 18-month contract with more details to be found on its site.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Samsung Android T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy i5700 Samsung Galaxy Spica i5700 Tariffs Layar

Samsung Galaxy i5700 drops "Spica" for UK debut originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:37:15 +0000

Vodafone has announced that it has just shifted its 100,000th iPhone in just over a week since it debuted on the network. For some comparison, Orange sold 30,000 on its first day.

The handset is just over half-way through a development cycle - with another one widely expected in June - it's rather impressive that Vodafone has managed to convince more than 100,000 people to sign up for a 2-year contract in full knowledge that by the time it expires, their handset will be 2.5 years old, or 3.5 if they opt for a 3G, rather than a 3GS.

Vodafone's CEO, Guy Laurence, told Pocket-lint: "The demand from both consumer and business customers has been phenomenal. They want an outstanding phone on an outstanding network and we're delivering that". The jury's still out on the "outstanding network" claim, though Vodafone came second in our recent network testing across London.

Tags: Phones Vodafone iPhone Mobile phone industry Statistics

Vodafone sells 100,000 iPhones in a week originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:20:28 +0000

Verizon Wireless has announced pricing for the new Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus that will hit shop shelves in the States on 25 January.

The Palm Pre Plus will cost $149.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, and Palm Pixi Plus will cost $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate, each with a new 2-year customer agreement.

Verizon is also running a launch special offer that sees customers buying a Palm Pre Plus or a Palm Pixi Plus getting a Palm Pixi Plus free (again after a mail-in rebate) up until 14 February.

The overall cost from Verizon for a Palm contract is comparable to a ?45 per month contract in the UK, because, as well as the cost of the handset, the monthly contract cost comes in at from $39.99 and consumers also have to shell out for a $29.99 monthly data plan.

As far as the Plus improvements go, the Pre Plus gets improved navigation, design and an inductive back cover for use with the touchstone charger. It's also getting a doubling of its internal memory - up to 16GB. The Pixi Plus is thinner and lighter than the original Pixi and is getting the addition of Wi-Fi functionality. Both will be able to act as a Wi-Fi hotspot.

There's no news yet on a UK launch for the Plus handsets - here in the UK O2 offers the Palm Pre.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Palm Verizon Palm Pre Plus Palm Pixi Plus

Verizon prices Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:56:12 +0000

Nokia may have made a splash with free navigation application for a small handful of Symbian phones but this stuff's been around for ages. If you don't happen to own an N97 Mini, then here are five other free navigation apps for your mobile phone, at least one of which we can guarantee will be compatible.

AndNav2

Platforms

Android

Map Data

OpenStreetMap

Areas Covered

United Kingdom, Germany,? Ireland, France, Denmark, Spain, Switzerland, Italy & Austria

Since turning from Google's data to the OSM, AndNav2 has been able to offer turn-by-turn navigation to all Android phones. In return it will send back mapping data and improvement details to the OSM. For the user, it means a free service with traffic information, text to speech and hazard avoidance. There's no US coverage but then they do have a rather good alternative.

Google Maps For Navigation

Platforms

Android 2.0 and above

Map Data

Google

Areas Covered

US only

It was a bad day for satnav manufacturers everywhere when Google Maps for Navigation was announced. Live traffic integration, photographic satellite views, superior search, endless POI database and full voice control are just a few of the reasons why. On the plus side, streaming mapping information is not for everyone, especially if you live in rural areas. If and when this service makes it out of the States, it'll probably become the standard by which all the others are judged - unless, of course,Nokia has already got a foothold.

Nav4all

Platforms

All

Map Data

Google

Areas Covered

North America, Brazil, Mexico, Europe, South Africa, Australia & China

Nav4all has about as basic an interface as you can get. In fact, sometimes its navigational advice will just consist of a large arrow. On the one hand this is to make the directions clear but, on the other, it's so the service will work on just about any phone you could possibly imagine - even ones without a GPS receiver (you will need to buy a separate receiver if not though).

Once you've inputted the address of where you want to go, your phone dials the central computer which then downloads the route guidance and hangs up again. The guidance comes in over 55 languages with a choice of 100 voices and the whole thing only needs GPRS to work. There are threats on the site to start making a nominal charge for each use but it doesn't look like this has been implemented as yet. Great choice for the non-smart of phone.

MobileTraveler

Platforms

WinMo

Map Data

Google, Microsoft & OpenStreeMaps

Areas Covered

All

The twist with MobileTraveler is that it's aimed at users who are travelling abroad. If you're thinking on your feet, you can pre-download the maps to your computer and your device or your can take your roaming chances with foreign 3G networks if money is of little object. The database is then good enough to provide you with route guidance to wherever you wish to go and even includes on foot and train journeys in places like Japan that are incredibly well covered. It might not be the prettiest on the block but it has POIs and all the usual garb you'd expect from a paid for service. It's almost enough to actually make you put up with the Windows Mobile OS.

Waze

Platforms

Android, iPhone - some Symbian & WinMo

Map Data

User-generated

Areas Covered

All

Waze may not currently be the most comprehensive navigation service on mobile phones but it certainly has the cutest interface. Looking like a cross between what Pac -Man and Mario might use in their cars, the beauty here is that it's all user-generated. On the one hand it means that it can be highly personalised by adding attachments of photos or giving live warnings of traffic that lies ahead but, on the other, it means the maps are rather thin in all areas outside the US.

Should it really take off, of course, then Waze has the potential to be more up to date and accurate than most other services. The GPS signals of the users' phones are recorded live so that real time traffic information can be gleaned and used to help make your decisions over which way to go. Where the maps are incomplete, the signals also allow you to start mapping uncharted territory or even correct mistakes. It's possibly not the best choice for your prime nav app, but it's certainly worth installing on both iPhone and Android.

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Related links:

• Feature - OpenStreetMap - Crowd sourced cartography set to re-map the world
• Review - Nokia N97 Mini mobile phone review

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Mapping Software Features Nokia Google Maps Navigation Nav4all MobileTraveler AndNav Waze Car And GPS GPS

Five free navigation apps for any mobile phone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:41:27 +0000

Sky has overhauled its iPhone remote app introducing a bevy of new features as well as completely redesigning the interface.

The app, that originally let you access the Sky Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) and let you remote record programmes on your Sky Plus box while you were down the pub will now let you view the information in a range of new views (landscape or portrait, grid or list) and watch live links to Mobile TV.

Customers looking to upgrade their Sky TV package will also be able to avoid the call centre and do it from the phone.

If that wasn't enough to keep you busy on the go, you'll also be able to create a "favourite" channel list as well as just surf for schedule information on HD channels.

However the app falls short of allowing you to actually watch live television from your iPhone, even just over a Wi-Fi network.

Version 2.0 is available in the UK Apple App Store from Thursday. It is a free app although you will need a Sky subscription package and box to access the features.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps iPhone Apple Sky

Sky iPhone app gets overhaul with Version 2.0 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:46:47 +0000

It seems the message from Sony Ericsson is that the new Vivaz is the cameraphone for you if you're a YouTube-obsessed menace.

The promo clip above appears to position the mobile as the ideal to film members of the public unawares, capture those times when someone starts busting some break-dancing moves on a zebra crossing right in front of you or perfect to scare the crap out of your mates by making them think they are being filmed by a mad stalker.

Who knows? Maybe it could work with today's yoof. After the Aino, Satio and Xperia X2 disasters of late, Sony Ericsson hasn't got much to lose.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson Vivaz Video Advertising Comment

VIDEO: Sony Ericsson reveals rubbish Vivaz vid originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:16:47 +0000

Pocket-lint can reveal that Nokia is to unveil a new mobile phone on Tuesday 26 January - just a day ahead of Apple's media event which promises a tablet device and possible iPhone news.

The launch has been confirmed to Pocket-lint by Nokia's UK boss Mark Loughran at the press event that saw the announcement of free Ovi Maps navigation for Nokia smartphones.

Although we can reveal news of the launch, Nokia's public relations staff stepped in to stop Loughran from unveiling any more details about the new phone.

So, what would you like to see from Nokia with this new launch? Are the Finns on the right track with the new wave of touchscreen devices? Do music-focused phones appeal? Could we see a special GPS edition considering the recent Ovi news? Have your say in the comments box below and we'll reveal all on the 26th.

UPDATE: It's a 16GB (i.e., smaller) version of the X6.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia

New Nokia phone to be launched on 26 January originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:01:07 +0000

So we knew this was coming, thanks to early leaks of the contents of Google's Nexus One, and we showed you how to get the app early on your phone, but now it's official.

Unlike the early edition of the app, it now works on Android 1.5 devices. In fact there seem to be two different versions of the app - one for 1.5 devices, and one for 1.6+ devices. It's not immediately clear what the difference is between the two, so if you know then do enlighten us in the comments below.

In our brief testing, we found browsing and finding music to be very simple. To buy, you just put in your email address and password and then it'll check off the login, authentication, purchasing steps in front of your eyes. Tracks will download over both Wi-Fi and 3G networks, though after download they just sit in a list. You can't just play them by tapping them, you need to open a separate media player app.

The Amazon MP3 application for Android is available for download now in the UK and it's free. Just search in the Android App Market for "amazon mp3" and you should find it. Most tracks cost 69p, and can be moved around whatever devices you like by hooking up a USB cable to your phone.

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Android Music Amazon Amazon MP3

UK Amazon MP3 for Android officially announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:27:41 +0000

Nokia is upping the ante in the mobile phone navigation market with the news it is to make walking and driving navigation free as part of a new version of Ovi Maps, as it looks to find ways of enticing smartphone customers to buy Nokia phones.

The new version of Ovi Maps - which will rival Google's navigation offering available on some Android phones, as well as many paid-for offerings from other companies, whilst threatening the in-car GPS market - will include turn-by-turn voice guidance for 74 countries in 46 languages, and traffic information for over 10 countries, as well as detailed maps for over 180 countries.

"It will boost our smartphone sales, it is a big change for the consumer", said Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia executive VP, speaking confidently at the service's London launch, before stating that there are 83 million handsets Nokia has sold over the past couple of years that will be able to use the service straight away.

Aside from data charges from operators, Nokia promises no hidden costs, and the "hybrid vector" nature of Ovi Maps means the application can run without a connection once you've got the correct map and route loaded up.

As with previous Ovi launches, Nokia is throwing the new mapping data out to the developers, hoping to empower developers to create new applications. Consumers however, won't be able to use the app on a PC - only on phones.

The new Ovi Maps is available now for download for 10 Nokia Symbian handsets, with more smartphones due to be added in the coming weeks, while from March 2010 it will be preloaded on all GPS-enabled Nokia smartphones.

Although the N97 won't be included in the initial run of handsets available, Nokia has confirmed that it will be available by the end of the month.

The current list of compatible Nokia devices is as follows: Nokia N97 mini, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia 5800 Navigation Edition, Nokia E52, Nokia E55, Nokia E72, Nokia 5230, Nokia 6710 Navigator, Nokia 6730 classic and Nokia X6.

You can download the app and find out more at http://www.nokia.com/maps.

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Tags: Car And GPS Nokia Phones GPS software Mobile phone apps Mobile phone industry Biz

Nokia makes Ovi Maps turn-by-turn navigation free originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:58:22 +0000

We're not sure what the thinking is behind this new advert from Nokia to promote its Ovi app store - maybe if you can't beat them, then you can still out-cute them?

The animation - that you can see by hitting play on the video box above - sees the phone as a portal (appropriate considering "Ovi" is Finnish for "door") to a planet that's content is created by various apps, all shown in a charming way.

Nokia's Ovi Store is due to get a 2.0 revamp in 2010 in order to try and better compete in a market dominated by Apple's App Store.

Tags: Phones Nokia Video Advertising Mobile phone apps Ovi Store

VIDEO: Nokia goes super cute with new Ovi ad originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:26:15 +0000

After we brought you details of the released-then-retracted Sony Ericsson Vivaz last night, the company has now made the handset official, coming under the "communications entertainment" category supposedly.

The headline feature here is HD video capture, letting you record video in 720p, with a boast of continuous autofocus in video mode and a dedicated video capture key. Those interested in imaging may be drawn to the 8.1-megapixel camera, with all the normal goodies included too.

Otherwise the Vivaz gives you a 3.2-inch 640 x 360 pixel resolution screen, in a handset that measures 107 x 52 x 12.5mm and weighs in at 97g.

All the normal connectivity is here, offering HSPA and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and A-GPS.

It is a Symbian S60 5th ed handset, which as Daniel Sandblom, global marketing manager for Sony Ericsson, tells us in his intro video, brings with it the five-panel UI seen on the Satio.

A quick glance at the specs shows it comes with YouTube, Twitter and Facebook applications and an 8GB microSD card in the box, with the option to expand up to 16GB. A 3.5mm jack is included (yay!) and it is also DLNA certified.

Out in first quarter 2010, it looks to fulfil all the criteria set out for the Satio with the launch of Entertainment Unlimited.

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson Vivaz

Sony Ericsson Vivaz becomes official, gets intro video originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:47:31 +0000

The HTC Bravo, touted for a?MWC?debut in Barcelona in February, has made its way into a dodgy spy shot thanks to the chaps at Omio.

The new handset, which is expected to measure up to the recently launched Nexus one, plus HTC's Sense UI and an optical trackpad rather than the ball one on the?Google Nexus One.

"Bringing advancements like an optical trackpad for scrolling (getting one over on the Google phone’s old-school trackball), multi-touch for iPhone-esque pinching to zoom and the Sense user interface that we fell in love with on the HTC Hero," claim Omio who've supposedly seen it up close.

"Whilst Bravo may not be the final name for the device, we can confirm that the handset will be equipped?with the latest Android build, the same 3.7-inch display and 5 megapixel autofocus camera currently seen on the Nexus One, and be available for free on a ?35 per month tariff," add the phone comparison site.

We'll bring you more details when we have them.?

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones HTC HTC Bravo MWC2010

HTC Bravo caught in the wild originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:41:57 +0000

The previous rumors surrounding a new?Sony Ericsson?built Symbian powered handset known as the?Kurara?clearly had one thing wrong - mainly the name.

Appearing to break somewhat ahead of Sony Ericsson's desired schedule and possibly a MWC launch, the official release by PR firm Burson-Marsteller has subsequently been pulled after briefly being published, but based on what was shown the device will officially be called the Vivaz.?

However outside of that detail, much of its initially predicted specs have not changed.?

According to the release, the device features a 3.2-inch screen, runs S60 5th Edition, and includes modern standards like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, SD card based memory and AGPS.

Other appealing goodies include FM radio, TV-out at VGA resolution, and an 8.1-megapixel autofocus camera, complete with picture improving tweaks such as image stabilization, face detection, geotagging, and 720 video capture.

The Vivaz will also be sold in four colour pallets creatively labelled: Moon Silver, Cosmic Black, Galaxy Blur and Venus Ruby.

While launch dates are vaguely set for Q1 of this year in select markets, both North American and global 3G variants with quad-band EDGE are slated to hit shelves.

However after the news of the Xperia X2 being delayed, resulting in Vodafone's decision to drop the handset, combined with murmuring that the Xperia X10 might be stalled as well, Sony Ericsson's reluctance to set firmer release time lines may be a smart move on their part.

Sony Ericsson is clearly hoping that this will put behind it the problems that arose with their Aino and Satio handsets.?

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Sony Ericsson Rumours Sony Ericsson Kurara Sony Ericsson Vivaz MWC2010

Sony Ericsson Vivaz breaks early, ditches Kurara name originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:35:15 +0000

The BlackBerry Storm 2 - RIM's update to its first touchscreen smartphone - is soon to be available in the UK on networks other than Vodafone as the operator's exclusive is due to come to an end.

Omio, a UK mobile phone retailer and price comparison service, has revealed that from the end of January O2 will offer the second-gen device while from the start of February, so will T-Mobile.

An O2 spokesperson confirm to Pocket-lint that it will be offering the BlackBerry Storm 2, but are yet to announce any details of timing, or price, or tariff yet. Meanwhile, T-Mobile won't give us a bean as far as confirmation or any kind of info goes.

Vodafone currently offers the Storm 2 for free to those signing up to a ?35 per month, 24-month contract - we'll keep you posted on the other network launches.

Read

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Vodafone BlackBerry BlackBerry Storm 2 T-Mobile O2 Tariffs

Vodafone's exclusive on the BlackBerry Storm 2 due to end originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:32:59 +0000

63% of under 10-year-olds in the UK own a mobile phone, suggests research from PrezzyBox.com. The research took the form of a recent poll put to just under 1400 parents with children under 10.

As well as the high number of kids toting portable telephones, the poll also revealed that three quarters of kids in the age group own a PC or a laptop.
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It seems the phone ownership came about in just over of the half cases due to constant pressure (read: whining) from the child while some agreed to the option for safety's sake. Although so many pre-teens have a direct line, 54% of parents said they didn't monitor usage in any way.

Other gadgets in the average under 10-year-olds' arensal include a handheld games console (62%), MP3 players (46%) and digital cameras (44%).

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Statistics Survey Dad PrezzyBox

63% primary school kids toting mobile phones originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:10:17 +0000

You can now get the Apple?iPhone?on?O2,?Orange?and?Vodafone,?but with zero difference between the handsets in terms of performance or customisations (operators aren't even allowed to ship them with dedicated apps pre-installed) it's all down to the network and the performance it offers which will help you differentiate what's on offer. So which one is best? We got handsets from all three operators and took them out and about to find out.

Network maps

It's hard to determine what the network speed or coverage is likely to be in your area without us actually coming to your house, work or usual hangouts and making a call or surfing the web in that spot. As we don't really fancy coming and sitting on your toilet (no offence) there are plenty of ways you can track and check how different operators work in your area. After all there is no point signing a deal with Vodafone to find that O2 will give you better coverage where you live.

The quickest way to find this out on your own is to visit the operator's website and punch in your postcode to check coverage.

O2 coverage checker

Orange coverage checker

Vodafone coverage checker?

That will tell you the operator's coverage story, however it's also worth getting a friend that already uses the network you are about to sign up to, to come around your house and see what the network coverage is like. It might cost you a dinner, but at least for the next 18-24 months you won't be whinging that there is a dead spot in your upstairs bathroom that gives you zero coverage.

If they already have an iPhone, even better, there are a host of network speed test apps that will allow you to monitor the connection, but more about that in a minute.

Network benefits

With the iPhone's hardware and price virtually identical across the three networks in the UK, it will be down to the add-ons and services that the three offer that might help swing you one way or the other.

Vodafone

Vodafone's iPhone comes with two apps which you will have to download manually from the App Store once you've activated the handset. People Sync will, says the blurb, "bring all of your contacts together in one easy to access connected address book that's always available on your iPhone, Mac and PC". All you have to do is connect your previous handset to the Vodafone 360 service and it will port them across to your iPhone's contact book (it's cross network by the way). The second app is Vodafone Navigation, a dedicated satnav offering that is free to download and free for the first month. Be warned, however, you will get a ?5 bill a month thereafter. Both Vodafone apps will only work on the Vodafone network. Vodafone doesn't currently offer an account checking app. Like O2 you are able to use BT Openzone Wi-Fi hotspots for free.

Orange

Orange offers an account app called "Your Orange" that allows you to check the status of your account at the press of a button, and a dedicated Orange Wednesdays app to get the most out of the 2 for 1 cinema deal that the operator has been running for years. The Orange Wednesdays app lets you check the latest releases, popular films or merely scan through via an A to Z listing. It will also let you know where the nearest cinema is and of course let you get the "241" deal, as Orange puts it, directly to your phone, so you can show the box office when you get there.

O2

O2, having been an iPhone carrier for nearly 3 years, surprisingly only has one app for you to download. My O2 is, like the Your Orange offering, a chance for you to keep in check with your account. Beyond that, O2 offers Wi-Fi connectivity with The Cloud and BT Openzone allowing you to access over 7500 hotspots around the UK as apart of your monthly fee. All that is required from you is to punch in your O2 phone number or login details, thereby enabling you to surf considerably faster when connected than over the 3G network.

Network coverage test

As we said at the beginning of this article, trying to evaluate the network coverage of the whole of the UK is rather hard without your help. That in mind, that didn't mean we couldn't see how London fared, so that's what we did.

Test methodology?

In our mini network test we took an iPhone 3GS on O2, Vodafone and Orange to five different locations in London.

Fenchurch St Station,?Liverpool St Station,?King's Cross,?Marylebone Station, and?Apple store Regent Street

.At each location (the four stations on the Monopoly board if you were wondering) we did a number of tests. First we loaded the Pocket-lint homepage in the browser. Then we made a call, and finally we ran a network speed test via a free app available from the App Store called Speed Check three times at each location. Speed Check lets you test the current download rate for the UTMS network, DSL operator or WLAN router. There are others available on the market, however Speed Check is simple, easy to use and gave us the data we needed - in this case download rate and upload rate.

For those not savvy with networks, the download rate is how fast you are able to download data while the upload rate is how fast you can request pages, upload messages to Twitter or send an email.

The results

The results varied massively between networks with Vodafone performing amazingly at King's Cross for example but shockingly bad at Fenchurch street station. It's worth pointing out as well that the tests merely test the speed of the network at that time (in this case in the morning while people were at work) rather than whether or not they can cope with demand with lots of people calling home. The idea is, that we were trying to replicate what most commuters do: phone to say they are on their way home, download a YouTube video while waiting for the next train or pull up Google Maps to see where they've got to go next.

Fenchurch Street

Best download speed was O2, while best upload speed was achieved by Orange.

Liverpool St

Best download and upload was O2

King's Cross

Best download speeds were Vodafone, while best upload speed was Orange

Marylebone

Best download speeds were achieved by O2, while best upload speed was achieved by Vodafone.

Apple Store Regent Street

Best upload and download speeds were Vodafone.

Conclusion

Based on the Speed Check data we gathered the best network in the London area for downloading content to your handset was O2 with three wins out of the five we did. It proved consistently strong in our tests. The results surprised us considering the recent spat of network problems the operator has had.

Best for uploading data was Vodafone followed by Orange. While both won two tests apiece, Vodafone's scores where higher across the board.

Worst for download speed across all five tests was Orange winning none of the tests against O2 and Vodafone.

So to a winner.

Based on the overall consistency of performance on our tests it has to be O2. Followed by Vodafone followed by Orange. It the five tests we did with Speed Check it has the best numbers overall in both upload and download speed, which also proved true in our real life tests of downloading the Pocket-lint homepage, accessing Google maps, streaming a YouTube video and making a phone call. Combine that with the BT Openzone and The Cloud connectivity options around the city and it's a tough one to beat.

What now...

Now we turn it over to you. What's your connection speed like? Do you have good coverage in your area? We would love to know...

Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone Apple Orange Vodafone O2 Features

iPhone network test: Vodafone vs Orange vs O2 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:12:42 +0000

Following the confirmation of a late January Apple media event and a plethora of reports on the topic, it seems increasingly likely that Apple is about to unveil a tablet-esque device.

While speculating on spec is pretty fruitless - Apple's secrecy surrounding new products means it's unlikely anything true will leak out - or at least not until the very last minute to really up the ante on the hype, we can speculate on what Apple would name such a device.

The Apple blogs and sites are in a frenzy doing just that, so we've had a look around to see what the suggestions are, come up with our own, and pulled together a brief list of potential tablet names. Have a read and please do let us know your favourites or new suggestions in the comments box below.

iTablet, Mac tablet

Until recently, iTablet has been the common name used to refer to the mythical device but we think it's unlikely to be the final name. Tablet has not only medical, but PC connotations with the touchscreen laptop form factor known as tablet PCs. Plus, if the device launches with an iPhone OS, it's highly unlikely it will be called Mac anything.

iSlate

Apple bought iSlate.com back in 2007 which means there is confirmed interest in the term from Apple. However, this was the year that it was forced to fork over a rumoured $1 million for iPhone.com, so the purchase may have stemmed from this sting. HP and Microsoft made much of the "Slate" tablet at CES, so it's perhaps unlikely Apple will want to name its new device after something with such big Windows/PC connotations, or, conversely maybe it will in a bid to grab the word and make it Apple-flavoured.

iPad

iPad, only recently revealed as in the offing, works really nicely with iPod due to the fact it sounds similar, it's also short and catchy and describes the light computing functionality a tablet could offer, especially one running the iPhone OS. However, it also sounds like a feminine hygiene product, which oh-so-savvy Apple might well chose to avoid.

iPhone XL

Nintendo offers an "XL" version of the DS, so if the tablet is to run the iPhone OS, and indeed be a larger version of the phone, then why not call it like it is? If the tablet is more at the 7-inches end of the scale, rather than the 11-inches also talked up, this could be a viable name, with the iPhone XL slotting in the range above the 3GS.

iTouch, MacBook touch, Mac touch,

Some users already called the iPod touch the iTouch, so this name could lead to confusion. MacBook touch or Mac touch would follow the iPod touch naming convention but does seem a little clumsy when Apple could take the opportunity to create all-new branding for a new device.

Newton touch

We jest, of course, but that's just how all the iTablet talk got started with news way back in 2007 that Apple was planning on reincarnating its MessagePad line. It would certainly appeal to the long-term, die-hard Apple fan boys...

Tags: Hardware Apple iTablet Rumours Features Phones Audio

As Apple's "iPad" trademark is revealed, we ask what will the tablet be called? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:47:59 +0000

The RAC has released a mobile application that allows downloaders to avoid traffic jams. The app, which is available in the iPhone App Store and on the Android App Market, overlays traffic data onto a Google Map and displays it with the latest warning information.

The app accesses your device's GPS to grab your location, which it then centres the map around, only displaying traffic difficulties in your vicinity. It can read out traffic warnings too, with a text-to-speech engine that you'll need to install separately, and gets its traffic info from Trafficlink, a provider of real-time traffic data.

RAC's director of sales and marketing, Saj Arshad, told Pocket-lint: "RAC's first app is a natural companion for motorists who frequently feel thwarted by the growing problem of congestion on the UK's roads. Given the popularity of our Route Planner online, we know motorists trust RAC when it comes to all things motoring. We're delighted to build on this legacy with a free app to help motorists plan their journeys using live traffic information".

It's available now.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps RAC Car And GPS iPhone Android

RAC builds traffic app for Android & iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:57:10 +0000

Apple is currently in talks with UK mobile phone operators about them offering its rumoured iTablet, or iSlate device, reports The Guardian.

While the device still only exists in the realm of rumours, Apple is holding a media event on 27 January, thought to almost certainly be the launch pad for the tablet PC.

Unlike Apple's iPhone, which launched as an exclusive to one operator almost every in the world it was available, the Guardian report suggests that Apple will not be seeking a similar sales model for the tablet.

It seems the iSlate will be available in the UK on several networks bundled with 3G mobile broadband contracts, although the price is set to be high - around ?800 is the estimate in this report.

"The device has created a buzz among mobile phone operators not seen since Apple pitted several networks against each other in the race for the exclusive British rights to sell the iPhone in 2007", says the news piece, before stating that Apple is talking to Orange - and that O2 and Vodafone are also interested.

As these are the three networks in the UK that currently offer the iPhone, it adds up.

We will keep you posted, but with a March US launch only followed by a UK debut later in the year, it might be a little while before any concrete details as far as availability in the UK emerge.

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Tags: Hardware Rumours Apple Orange O2 Vodafone iTablet Phones

Apple said to be in talks with UK operators over iTablet originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:52:47 +0000

Motorola executive Rick Wolochatiuk announced during the MOTOROI's Korean debut that the handset "will be launched in other markets around the world," while specifically confirming it's US release for March of this year.

As the first Android device released by the company in Korea, the Android 2.0 running smartphone packs a variety of appealing specs that will likely challenge Motorola's own Droid and the HTC built Google Nexus One for the title of top Android handset in the US.

Featuring a 3.7-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen, 8-megapixel camera with Xenon flash and 720HD camcorder, mini HDMI out port, Wi-Fi, and a unique docking station for use as an alarm clock or digital frame, on paper alone the MOTOROI already looks like an interesting proposition.

Throw in the fact that unlike the Droid, the Motoroi will support multitouch browsing out of the box, and its safe to say that Motorola has its sites firmly set on dominating the upper echelon of Android devices.?

No official word though on when we might see the MOTOROI hit other markets, or indeed, hit UK shores, but we'll be sure to follow up with those details as we learn more.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Android Motorola Motorola MOTOROI

Motorola's impressive MOTOROI confirmed for US - and other markets originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:29:23 +0000

Google will delay launching two new mobiles phones into the Chinese market as a direct result of the current tensions between the internet giant and communist country's government.

Following the attacks on Google Gmail accounts belonging to human rights activists, thought to have originated in China, and Google's assertions that it might not be willing to bow to China's demands any longer, it seems the phone launch's timing is not the best.

Google was due to launch two Android-based handsets - one from Motorola and one from Samsung - with Chinese operator China Unicom on Wednesday.

"The launch we have been working on with China Unicom has been postponed," the BBC quotes a Google spokesperson stating.

Tags: Phones Mobile phone industry Google China China Unicom Samsung Motorola Biz

Google postpones Chinese phone launch originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:25:56 +0000

The Apple iTablet event invites are out and, if the rumour mill wasn't already running at full speed, then it's now become super-charged and fuel injected. We don't know what it's going look like and we don't what some guy who knows a bloke who met a geezer in China that works at a chip factor said and we're not going to waste time pretending we do. Instead, let's consider this latest piece of kit from Apple, what we think it's supposed to be and, based on that, what it needs to be a success.

As we all know, 2010 isn't the first coming of the tablet. With touchscreens and wireless connection now firmly in place though, the recipe for success of this kind of paradigm might finally be here. Smaller than a laptop and bigger than a phone, we expect them to be portable if not pocketable, used freely about the home and while out on the move as well. This thing should be your phone, your on the hoof media player, your newspaper reader and your way of connecting with any part of your wireless home from any room in the house. Tall order? Well, yes but it wasn't us who asked Apple to reinvent the tablet.

So with that lot in mind here are a five things that could make this device a real success and five that could make it fail.

Apple Tablet Yeses

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1) High Specs
Nobody likes a slow laggy device and the good news for Apple, and all who sail with her, is that this is usually something the company gets right. The combination of software and hardware design means that Jobs and Co. know just what level of components are required to make their machines run properly. The word is that the iSlate won't have an Intel Atom chip at its heart which leads us to wonder whether it's going to be something similar or the kind you'd find in a full size latop; maybe something with more than one core? Combine that with a good chunk of RAM and GPU at least as powerful as the graphics device inside the iPhone and there's all the foundations of a really interesting unit.

2) Multitasking
With a multi-core CPU and enough number crunching memory too, there's every reason a tablet could multitask. Let's face it, plenty of other smartphones offer this already. Until now, Apple has kept this out of its mobile offerings but with a home tablet, you're going to need a little more flexibility at your fingertips. Someone's on a call with you, video or otherwise, and maybe you want to send them a link or browse some pertinent information on the internet and you'll need to be running more than one application at a time. The very fact that a tablet is for such a fluid environment means that it's going to need to be a bit of a Swiss Army Knife - often with two of those blades out at any one time.

3) You can watch your TV on it
One classic hope for a home tablet would be to be able to take the TV show you're watching on your main set to another room as you need. Whether by a TV adaptor or otherwise, catching transmissions direct from your main panel and display them on the small portable screen anywhere about the house would be a real bonus. Perfect for keeping up with domestic life while bringing the entertainment with you. Take this one step further and perhaps you could even tap into the source over the internet and 3G network while out and about but with mobile data speeds and prices, that might be pushing it.

4) An HD or OLED screen
Doubtless viewing videos is going to be a big part of life on the Apple tablet. So as good a screen as possible would be a real winner. An OLED or AMOLED would be the obvious choice here to provide glorious crisp contrast, wonderful deep colours and all at a low power outage to keep the battery lasting as long as possible. The downside, of course, is that such a display would probably send the price of thing through the roof. So, an equally good shout would be an HD resolution LCD. Pixel density makes watching films on the iPhone a great experience, so factor that up to a tablet size device and we really have to be talking about a 1080p display.

5) E-ink mode
It seems that the New York Times and others are brokering deals with Apple to supply newspaper and magazine content for the tablet and there's even word of book publishers like Harper Collins getting in on the action too. As much as we're getting used to reading on LCD screens for longer periods of time, if the iSlate could switch the display to e-ink or e-paper mode, then not only would it be the first to be able to do so but it would mean it could grab a massive chunk of the eReader market too. That alone could offer financial success. For the consumer, of course, it would mean one less device to carry around a break for dry-balls everywhere.

iSlate No-nos

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1) It runs OS X
We're not slating the Mac OS. Everyone knows it's good but to really get it to work, you need a keyboard. Touchscreens are all fun and games but the minute you need to do a fair bit of typing, it'll start to lose it's edge. OS X is a desktop operating system. iPhone OS is for touchscreens. The functionality of the full Apple software would certainly be appealing, and perhaps very tempting seeing as there's a good chance that the hardware in the iTablet would allow people to run it, but it's really too fiddly for finger operation alone - finger and thumb too.

The way to get round that might be to add a slideout QWERTY but there's all sorts of cascading problems out of that decision too. First, it makes it bigger, heavier and more clunky and, second, there's something of admitting defeat about it. It would almost be saying that Apple couldn't engineer something simple and intuitive enough to work without having to drop a big old piece of kit on top of such a lovely svelte device. That's not what the Cupertino creed is about.

2) Connectivity Issues
As a portable tablet for home and on the go, it's going to need the holy trinity of connection - 3G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. What's more, if it can't stream content over your home network, then it's a dead loss too. Naturally, 3G is a must to do anything with it internet based and away from home, and Wi-Fi it will most certainly have. If there's no media streaming option, then the user is stuck with side-loading or synching over the internet at best. The first would be a terrible ball and chain and the second both laborious and costly once you've factored in the MobileMe subscription.

Bluetooth might seem like an odd one but there's one important use and that's for making hands free phone calls. It could be circumvented partially by a really good speakerphone system but then everyone's going to hear both sides of your conversation which you might not necessarily want.

3) Poor battery life
For any mobile device these days, functionality versus battery life is the million dollar trade off. Get this one wrong and you cripple your product. With so much expected and so much possible from the iTablet , it's going to need one hell of an efficient and powerful battery. It has to keep up with the demands of being left on the sofa for a couple of hours before being needed again. Some efficient power management from the software would be a big help as would a low-voltage processors. It's also another reason why we might not see multitasking. How the company organises docking will also be an interesting one to watch for.

4) No stand and no speakers
Obvious ones really but this tablet is going to need to be totally hands free from time to time. A 10-inch, or thereabouts, device is going to get tiring to hold for the length of an entire film, so some kind of clever kick stand or perhaps dock is going to be needed. Its omission might not be a total disaster and naturally would spring dollar signs onto the eyeballs of Belkin and Griffin and pals but having no built-in speakers might be harder to stomach. If this thing is to be taken about the house and used in different settings, then chaining it to you ears via headphones cable would be both taxing and rather impractical, particularly if you're trying to do the washing up while listening to Spotify at the same time, say.

5) It's thick and heavy
Make this thing too big and there's going to be little point in choosing a tablet over a laptop. Apple, of course, is unlikely to make this kind of mistake. One of the pillars on which the company has rebuilt its comeback is that of design and with Jonathan Ive at the helm, it'd be a shocker to say the least if the iTablet wasn't as carefully created as the iPhone, iPod and all the iMacs before it. That said, anyone can make a mistake.

So, they're the big ones for us. What are you looking out for in the iTablet and would would scupper Apple's new creation for you? Let us know in the comments, guys and gals.

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Related links:

• News - "Come see our latest creation" - Apple iTablet event invites arrive
• News - Blog offers big cash for Apple iTablet pics
• News - Apple iTablet rumours get plotted graphically

Tags: Hardware Phones Tablets Apple tablet iSlate iTablet Features

What to look out for when the Apple iTablet arrives originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:57:28 +0000

At the Mobile Games Forum in London, Comscore has revealed a whole host of mobile gaming research, including statistics on what the most popular iPhone application is in the US, in Europe and in Britain.

In the USA, the most popular app is Facebook - useful for keeping up with your friends while you're on the move. In Europe as a whole, the most popular app is Shazam - great for identifying music that you don't recognise. In Britain? The top application is fake beer simulator iPint from Carling. A little depressing, no?

?Elsewhere in the stats, 58% of Europeans use SMS, compared with 31% in the US. That's probably because 21% of the US market owns a smartphone with unlimited data, compared to just 5% in Europe. The median age for mobile gamers is 31, and is equally split between males and females.

Notably, the most popular device for mobile web usage in Europe's top 5 markets was Nokia's 5800 Xpress Music, compared with just 9% for the iPhone. 20% of all handsets account for 79% of mobile web usage. The number of people downloading a game has grown 23% on last year in Europe, but the number of people buying a game has stayed flat.

Interesting stuff. Have you downloaded a game for your phone? Did you pay for it? For that matter, have you checked out Pocket-lint's mobile homepage? Let us know in the comments.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phone apps Mobile phone applications iPint Facebook Carling Shazam comScore Statistics

UK's most popular iPhone App is iPint originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:11:45 +0000

A image has surfaced on a French website of an artist's rendering of what the iPhone 4G could look like. It's from an agency called Designed By Item, and is clearly not any more than a flight of fantasy, but the French site has plotted the rumours for the forthcoming handset alongside, along with a guess at their probabilities.

Among the features with a high probability are an OLED display, 5-megapixel camera and the fact it'll be available between May and July (which is almost a given, but you can never be sure with Apple). Less likely, but possible, are a touch-sensitive case and processor upgrade, and rounding up the 'unlikely' list are a unibody case, removable battery and glowing Apple logo on the back.

We'd love to hear your wildest dreams for the handset, as well as your more realistic predictions about what the next phone from Cupertino will include. See that comments box below? Use it.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Apple Rumours iPhone iPhone 4G

iPhone 4G rumours visualised originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:42:08 +0000

Now that there are a full three operators at the iPhone table, you'd presume that getting an Apple handset on the cheap was easy. Think again. Speak to any of the operators - and we have - and you'll hear the same frustrated line from the sale staff that they're unable to cut you any deals because Apple controls the price so carefully. In actual fact, that's an understatement. After spending the day trawling the web for alternative offers, the phrase "wrapped up tighter than a mummy" springs to mind.

Before we began our investigations, our optimism had isolated three other distinct markets where we could save the pennies. This is what we discovered.

Unlocked iPhones

We weren't expecting bags of joy here but type "SIM free iPhone" into Google and you'll get plenty of results. Naturally, as Apple has such a tight reign on all first hand resale, the prices are nicely fixed in such a way that you basically make no saving whatsoever buying from one place or another. Like we say, as expected.

?349, ?449 and ?549 are the best you're going to get when stuck to one network or another and ?746 or ?820 for the unlocked versions on the 16GB and 32GB 3GS respectively. After you've factored in your monthly bill though, those unlocked options become fairly pointless. Apple 1 PL 0

Refurbished iPhones

This section was the big hope. We know it's possible. People have bought refurbished iPhones in the past with the evidence on the web pointing towards both O2 and Apple as well as a handful of 3rd party e-tailers. Again, punch the right words into Google and you'll get plenty of results; lenghty forum chats about people who got sold one free by O2 on a ?25 a month tariff but no mention of what number or web page they went to get it in the first place.

It's a similar story for the product pages for these mystical handsets too. Every one of them's a dead end. The pictures, pricing a details are all there but each time it's out of stock. So, we called up Apple and it seems they haven't sold these seconds for over a year now on the website but they'll do them in the actual Apple stores. So we called the Apple stores. "No sir, we don't sell them. Try the local Apple retailers," but it seems they don't do them either.

Next we tried O2. The website indicates that the network sells refurbished iPhones on both contract and PAYG but no product pages anywhere. So, we called up the sales team. It's their job to cut deals. We called once. "I've heard we sell reconditioned iPhones but we don't do them in this department, try customer services." "No, we don't do them here," says customer services, "they're only sold in-store. Try the O2 shops." It was beginning to feel trying to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow or tracking down Osama Bin Laden. You almost felt that people knew were to get them but didn't want to tell you.

The O2 stores were next on the list. No refurbished iPhones sold there either. Apparently, we'd been misinformed. Somehow we weren't too surprised. Finally, one of the sale staff at an unnamed branch recommended an independent mobile phone shop that does do reconditioned iPhones. You know the type. The ones with flashing lights outside and a big sign reading "unlocking service". Out of desperation, we even called them. "No, we don't have any iPhones at the moment."

"Have you ever had them?" we asked.

"Um, no."

Our final shot was to give Orange a try. There'd been a post on a forum saying that the network was planning on selling refurbs. They do them for every other make of handset but not iPhones it turned out. Not yet.

The rub seems to be with this category that they do exist and from time to time a network will release a batch of them when enough faulty ones come back and have their parts changed or repaired but you've got to be in the right place at the right time to catch them. That time, is not now. Apple 2 PL 0

Second hand market

We didn't want it to come down to this but, sadly, the only way to get a dirt cheap iPhone right now is to take pot luck with private sellers and their random letter and number combo user names. Fifty quid off was about the best you could find from more trusted users on Amazon with the odd good looking deal such as this unlocked iPhone 3G for ?320 if you're happy to put your faith in a new user.

You can grab an apparently new unlocked 32GB iPhone 3GS for ?520 - ?300 less than the equivalent on Play.com. That has to be the pick of the crop so far but if you want to knock that down even further, you can pick a "used-very good" model from an established seller for ?440. Not bad going but still only about the same as picking a PAYG from Tescos.

Probably the only one that makes it cash efficient is this SIM-free second hand 16GB iPhone 3GS on Play.com which you can pick up for ?100 less than the equivalent with Tesco. But the condition is only described as "Average". None too appealing.

There's little joy to be had on eBay with the majority of auctions finishing roughly where the Buy-it-Now products are priced anyway but if you're really committed to getting a Jesus phone on the super cheap, then it's Gumtree for you. There's the odd brand new and boxed 32GB 3GS for ?400 and host of others, mostly used for around the ?250 mark - some with apps included. The issues here though are whether it's a scam or whether the previous owner was mugged for the privilege. Your call and have no illusions that you're taking some chances. Apple 2 PL 1 Crooks 1

Conclusions

It is possible to get these phones cheaper than the networks or Apple knock them out at but at the moment, bargains are like gold dust. The best bet by far is the reconditioned handsets but your chances of timing it right with them are slim to none unless you're monitoring the forums like a hawk and calling up O2 every day.

So, as it stands, Jobs Inc still very much has it how it wants things to be. Good luck, and let us know in the comments if you happen to strike it lucky.

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Related links:

• News - VIDEO: Kevin Rose demos Square iPhone payment system
• Feature - Which is the best iPhone deal?

Tags: Phones Mobile phones iPhone iPhone 3GS Features O2

How to get a dirt cheap iPhone originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:01:10 +0000