After making its appearance at Verizon earlier today, Sprint also announced that the BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone is coming soon to its lineup as well. Potential customers can register now to receive updates on the handset. Preloaded apps are the primary difference for Sprint's Curve 8530 and include the Sprint Music Store, Sprint TV and Pandora radio.
Litl has quickly acted on rumors by launching its first computer, the Webbook. The PC breaks away from the usual netbook market through a unique 12-inch LCD that bends almost completely backwards and turns the system into an easel-like display; the mode is considered ideal for video watching or for sharing content with someone else. To match, the screen uses a high-quality LCD with a 178-degree viewing angle and better colors, and unlike most netbooks carries a dedicated (but unnamed) GPU that can decode H.264 video at up to 720p.
Toon Boom Animation has launched a new animation title, Flip Boom All-Star, aimed at teens and older users. The software can import digital images and provides drag-and-drop drawings that are ready to be added to animations. It supports text entry and handles MP3 audio files. Animations can be uploaded to portals such as Facebook and YouTube, or transferred to an iPod or iPhone.
Rogers scored a minor coup tonight by becoming the first carrier in the world with the LG Eve. Also known as the GW620, the touchscreen slider is LG's first Android phone and hinges on a special Social Network Services app that pools Bebo, Facebook and Twitter updates into a single area. It simultaneously integrates those with the phone's regular contacts to tie phone, e-mail and SMS messages.
Eye-Fi on Wednesday said it has added Facebook support to its Wi-Fi enabled digital camera memory cards, letting them upload photos and videos without a PC. At the same time, they can alert their friends on the social networking site when they upload photos to one of more than 25 other photo sharing sites the cards already support.
Motorola today officially took the wraps from the Droid, its flagship Android phone and Verizon's primary challenger to the iPhone. The touchscreen slider is the first Android phone anywhere to use Android 2.0 and carries its new web browser, Exchange mail and other boosts. Notably, it also introduces a beta version of Google Maps Navigation, Google's first turn-by-turn app: the service uses voice commands to provide constant, spoken driving directions.
Google's rumored Audio music service will be less controversial than rumored at first based on two follow-up leaks. Multiple contacts tell Reuters that it will automatically provide players for MySpace-owned iLike or Lala when users search for songs on Google and provide at least the option of playing a sample or else buying the MP3. EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner are all believed to have linked their music to the service.
The Motorola Droid may have been designed by Google itself in what could be its best attempt to rival the iPhone, an early hands-on with the phone reveals. While Google has been known to provide input on Android devices like the T-Mobile G1, BGR now says the company had a "direct hand" in the Droid and virtually told Motorola what to build. The move suggests Google now wants a "halo" Android phone and is interested in competing more closely with Apple rather than relying on the platform alone.
The next major version of the official Facebook iPhone app, v3.1, will add push notifications, says developer Joe Hewitt. The title lets users view and update news feeds, as well manage photos, and browse profiles and other content. It is not known when v3.1 will become available; coming "soon" however should be v3.03, a minor update providing only bugfixes.
Sony Ericsson's first known Android phone, the XPERIA X3, has finally been spotted and been given more detail. The phone is now thought to have a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon inside and would tie the Acer Liquid for the title of fastest Android phone. It should also have a slightly sharper than expected 4-inch, 852x480 touchscreen, GSMArena says.
Specs and a video of the recently introduced Acer Liquid smartphone have been leaked, thanks to GPSandCo. The Android-powered device will be Acer's first with the Google-developed OS, and also its most powerful application, as the handset sports Qualcomm's 1GHz Snapdragon CPU. The video reveals the Liquid will be available in black, red or white and that it sports a 5-megapixel camera.
UK wireless carrier Vodafone is now offering the Vodafone 360 Samsung H1 smartphone on sale through its website. The device is the first to ship with the carrier's 360 social media platform preloaded. The H1 was especially developed for Vodafone, and sports a 3.5-inch OLED touchscreen.
Acer on Wednesday made a new claim to the fastest smartphone available with the Liquid. The company's first Android phone, it's one of the first to ship with Android 1.6 but is also the first Android phone to ship with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Using the 1GHz chip makes it faster than the 800MHz Samsung Moment and helps drive the 800x480 touchscreen as well as speed up 3D and Android's already accurate web browser.
Flip Video today countered the threat of the iPod nano as a camcorder by launching a redesigned Flip Mino HD. The pocket camcorder has a sleeker, silver-hued design but focuses most on addressing gaps in its design: the new version doubles storage to 8GB, enough for two hours of video, and has a much larger 2-inch LCD (up from 1.5 inches). Other upgrades include the HDMI output from the Ultra HD as well as more responsive touch-sensitive buttons.
Apple executive Steve Jobs is the most admired celebrity entrepreneur in the US, at least amongst tweens and teenagers, claims the youth organization Junior Achievement. The group recently surveyed 1,000 people aged 12 to 17, asking them to pick a name from a predefined list. Jobs was chosen by 35 percent of respondents, beating out talk show host Oprah Winfrey at 25 percent, and skateboarder Tony Hawk at 16 percent. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg attained 10 percent.
The Mini 3G handset introduced by INQ earlier this summer is now being offered by wireless provider 3. The candybar handset is meant for younger owners heavily involved in social networking, as it can be customized with body covers in eight different colors and has shortcuts for access to Facebook, IM programs, Skype and Twitter.
Electronista had a chance to stop by Motorola's booth at CTIA and take a closer look at the upcoming Cliq handset. The device is powered by the Android OS, with Motorola's own Motoblur user interface. The UI is designed to be widget-based, presenting additional features such as Facebook and Twitter in the same manner as basic phone functions. A virtual button reveals the entire range of apps, with a fairly long list pre-loaded.
Both Aha Mobile and ALK Technologies have released new updates to their GPS-enabled apps for the iPhone. The Aha traffic and destination-finder app allows users to see the current traffic flow and travel time of roads, while delivering tools for locating nearby rest stops or coffee shops. With the latest 1.2 update users have the ability to speak into their iPhone and broadcast voice tweets to nearby drivers, as well as post the Aha Shouts automatically to either Twitter or FaceBook.
Chumby will add a new gadget to its range, with the Chumby one, which will be a clock radio. The all-purpose device adds both a regular FM radio tuner, and will bring in Pandora Internet radio as well as access to other Internet radio stations. As with the original Chumby device, userscan install widgets that include Google Calendar, weather, Facebook and nearly 1,500 others.
UK provider Vodafone on Thursday announced it has launched Vodafone 360, a series of Internet services for cell phones and computers that brings together all contacts, favorite multimedia and photo files as well as social networks. This will allow messages or chats sent through IM programs or social networks such as Facebook, Windows Live Messenger and Google Talk, to be synced between computer and phone, via both wired and wireless methods.
Fon today formally rolled out its once-teased Fonera 2.0n router. The new update adds 802.11n Wi-Fi speeds but is better known for adding built-in clients for several services independently of computers. Owners can upload content to Facebook, Flickr, Megaupload, Picasa, RapidShare and YouTube when the relevant computer is turned off; it can also download BitTorrents and send Twitter updates to signal when a transfer has been completed or a guest connects to the public hotspot.
HP has introduced several new wireless-connected standalone displays, the DreamScreen 100 and DreamScreen 130. Both products are similar to digital photo frames, but with additional connectivity to services such as Snapfish, Facebook and Pandora. The interface is also capable of presenting weather forecasts, calendar information and a digital or analog clock.
Seagate pushed its external drive technology today by launching its first cradle for network-attached storage as well as capacity boosts for its more portable 2.5-inch external drives. The DockStar cradles a FreeAgent Go drive and links it over Ethernet to share its storage with the local network It's moreover one of the first third-party devices to have Pogoplug support and lets users download files from anywhere through a web browser.
Microsoft tonight provided full details for its Zune update with the launch of the Zune HD, including features both on the device and the PC side. Both the player and the new 4.0 software now support renting movies in 720p and in standard definition from the Zune Marketplace. Crucially, the player is also now revealed to have non-media (but first-party) apps: the Zune HD will support just a calculator and MSN Weather out of the box but should get Facebook and Twitter apps before the end of the year. 3D games are also coming in 2009 and should include Audiosurf Tilt, Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition and Vans Sk8: Pool Service to start.
Software developers Lee Byron and Owen Yamauchi have released Facebook desktop notification software for the Mac. An independent release, it places a Facebook icon in the Mac OS Menu Bar, with drop-down notification feeds and Growl-style alerts. It is considered experimental software and has only been tested in Mac OS X 10.5.
INQ late Thursday confirmed through a speech at the Mobilize conference that the company's next wave of phones would use Android. Company chief Frank Meehan provided few details but said INQ would have "pretty cool things" in store for these devices. As current INQ phones use proprietary but conventionally limited operating systems, though, the move would have INQ enter into smartphones for the first time and give it access to full third-party apps as well as Google's full feature set.
Apple regularly promises that each whole-digit iTunes revision is a major overhaul, but in most cases these are add-ons to the existing framework rather than genuine redesigns. Some have complained that this has gradually led iTunes into feature creep, especially at the iTunes Store: the sheer number of features has meant wading through the interface to get at what used to be simple tasks. iTunes 9 theoretically promises the best of both worlds; we're taking a first look to see if the claims live up to expectations.
Confirming rumors, Apple has unveiled iTunes 9, a major revision of its music and video jukebox software. The interface of the software has been improved for better layout and navigation, including a new app management system, which simulates the iPhone interface and lets users rearrange apps individually or in groups. Twitter and Facebook integration has been added to allow creating wishlists, or gifting media.
Toshiba produced a surprise at IFA today with word of a touchscreen media tablet of its own. The Journe Touch is treated as a high-end mobile Internet device (MID) with an emphasis on video playback: the device can play HD video either at a reduced resolution on its 800x480 display or at full resolution through an HDMI output. Its Wi-Fi is used that way as well, as web browsing is considered secondary to streaming Internet video from YouTube or the movie service Acetrax.
Samsung has launched the Corby S3650, its first touchscreen phone aimed towards young mobile users. As such, there is support for Facebook, Twitter and MySpace online social networks. The color scheme of the device also reflects its target audience, with bright yellow, pink, white and orange as color choices for most of the outer shell.
Facebook has released v3.0 of the iPhone version of its social networking website. The application allows users to communicate with each other by sharing written information, pictures and videos online. The latest version supports the iPhones landscape mode and enables users to view upcoming events and RSVP. Users can additionally view friends' birthdays and Pages, as well as post updates, photographs and videos directly from the iPhone 3GS.
Facebook is looking to acquire Spotify in what may represent a significant change in the way listeners get music, a rumor claims. While Facebook has supposedly been in talks to buy the unlimited music streaming service for the past year, TechCrunch has heard that the recent MySpace buyout of iLike has stepped up the pressure to take action in the past week. Those associated with the company have lately been expressing public interest in the company, including compliments to Spotify from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in a status update and investor Li Ka-Shing putting money into Spotify alongside the social network.
Microsoft debunked some claims of a unified app store for smartphones by launching OneApp on Monday. The software is aimed at bringing relatively complex Internet apps like Facebook, Twitter and Windows Live Messenger to regular, feature-limited phones. It pools all of these into the namesake single app and keeps the footprint down to just 150K while only loading both the local and cloud-based data that's actually needed.
Executives at Chumby have said on Thursday that they plan on bringing the gadget's software to other consumer electronics via a series of partnerships. The Chumby can so far bring weather, music, news, photos and trivia to living rooms from the Internet. According to a Thursday Forbes report, the company's chief executive, Steve Tomlin, has established partnerships with Sony, Samsung, Broadcom and Marvell to bring the open-source operating system into TVs, Blu-ray players, clock and tabletop radios and other consumer electronics, with some expected for a release before the end of 2009.
MySpace this afternoon confirmed rumors by making clear its intention to buy iLike. The deal, unofficially thought to be worth about $20 million, will give MySpace's social network control over the music service, which today lets users play and share song recommendations on sites like Facebook and also has its own fledgling downloadable music store. Existing staff at iLike should remain in the project and at their current Seattle location.
A fresh collection of purported iTunes 9 screenshots shows both new and previously-hinted features. Within the latter category is Facebook integration, now shown as allowing people to display playlists and purchased tracks in their personal news feed. Items in the feed link back to the iTunes Store, as a means of pushing Apple's music sales.
Screenshots of Facebook for iPhone 3.0 have been released by Joe Hewitt, the application's developer, according to appadvice. The application allows users to manage their Facebook account from their iPhone or iPod touch. The latest version offers a remodeled News Feed, matching it with the user's online preferences to eliminate posts from hidden accounts. The application adds the Like tool, featured on the traditional Facebook site, while allowing users to access Event pages.
Apple's rumored music event for September has been narrowed down to Wednesday the 9th, a source close to the company says. True to the company's past practices, the event is likely to be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco and should focus on both Apple's now habitual iPod upgrades as well as a new version of iTunes that the All Things D tipster says may involve a "social element" like the Facebook, Last.fm and Twitter integration recently mentioned in a photo leak.
MySpace may be close to upending the music market with an acquisition of iLike, a rumor this morning suggests. More than one TechCrunch source has the social network giant buying the music recommendation and playback app for about $20 million in a deal that could be made public later this week. The purported agreement would be separate from the MySpace Music download and streaming service available today.
Microsoft as part of its just-launched summer Xbox 360 update revealed that it will be the only game console maker to get Netflix movie support. The company explains the deal as an "exclusive partnership" and as such locks out PlayStation 3 and Wii owners from streaming movies and TV shows. Both companies decline to say how long the exclusivity will last.
Sprint today gave little time for rumors to spread by formally launching the Samsung Reclaim. The carrier's first turn at a green phone is made from 80 percent recyclable material and comes in suitably recyclable packaging. Similarly, the phone is free of toxic chemicals like BFR or PVC and abandons the paper manual in favor of a web version.
Telus this morning became only the second North American carrier to adopt the Motorola Rival on its network. The QWERTY slider is built for messaging with quick access to e-mail, Facebook and IM across Windows Live and Yahoo. It occupies the entry- to mid-range category among non-smartphones with a 2-megapixel camera, 3G data, a 3.5mm headphone jack and microSDHC support up to 8GB.
Ustream has launched an updated iPhone app, 3GS Recorder, that allows users to upload videos from their handset. The company's previous app could only be used to view content from Ustream's website. With the addition of recording capabilities to the iPhone firmware v3.0, videos can now be sent to Ustream, Twitter, YouTube or Facebook.
First rumored in June and more recently spotted, the Nokia N97 Mini has finally received some detailed information, including unofficial specs, thanks to a recent Mobile-Review report. A smaller version of Nokia's flagship device, the N97 Mini is expected to be formally introduced at the Nokia World 2009 expo on September 2 in Germany. As the suffix in the name implies, the device is smaller than its namesake, sporting a 2.9-inch touchscreen display with 640x360 resolution and automatic brightness control, which is very close to the Nokia 5530XM.
Bell this morning finally committed to a ship date and price for its version of the Palm Pre that make it only the second carrier in the world after Sprint to offer the smartphone. It should ship on August 27th and will sell for $200 when paired with a typical-for-Canada three-year contract that includes at least a 500MB per month data plan. The new carrier's version doesn't vary sharply from the reference version reviewed here but, as a result, should have full HTML web browsing, multi-network instant messaging and deep integration with Facebook and Google services, including Google Maps.
UK phone maker INQ Mobile on Tuesday announced it will soon offer two new 3G handsets that will bring quick access to social networking site Twitter, push Gmail compatibility and the capability to sync via iTunes on PCs and, in a rare instance Macs. The INQ Chat 3G is the provider's first QWERTY phone while the INQ Mini 3G sports the more traditional candybar form factor with number pad. The phone are sold on pre-paid plans, and Twitter compatibility is new to either, as previous handsets from INQ had support for Facebook, Skype and instant messaging programs.
Toshiba on Monday announced it has partnered up with FrameChannel, a web-based digital photo frame integration service, to bring weather, news and sports info, as well as uploaded photos to its new line of Digital Media Frames. There is an 8-inch frame and 10-inch frame offered. Videos and music uploaded to the FrameChannel servers will also get transferred to the frames.
Sony Ericsson got a much needed expansion of its American catalog today with two additions to AT&T's phone catalog. The C905a slider has the sharpest-ever camera in the US carrier's roster at 8.1 megapixels and stands as its most advanced cameraphone as a whole, with autofocusing, GPS-based geotagging and a xenon flash giving it more professional-looking shots. It appropriately gets AT&T-native 3G data and Memory Stick Micro support up to 16GB.
FON today significantly improved its core wireless router by launching the Fonera 2.0n. The device appropriately has 802.11n Wi-Fi for faster speeds and longer ranges than the older 11g model. More importantly, though, it adds USB and dedicated clients for multiple services directly on the router. Owners can download from BitTorrent, Megaupload or Rapidshare to USB storage without turning on a computer; they can also upload photos or videos to Facebook, Flickr, Picasa or YouTube from an attached camera.
AT&T began its week early by launching the Nokia Surge, a unique handset just for the US carrier. The device is designed like a typical QWERTY slider messaging phone but runs on Symbian S60 and gets access to the full roster of smartphone-class apps as a result. It's pitched as a social networking device and comes with a JuiceCaster app for posting both updates and media to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and elsewhere.
