September 29 - 9:25pm EDT   Eltima Software has released SyncMate 1.4.0.365 for the Mac. It allows Mac users with Win Mobile pocket PCs and Smartphones to sync contact info, calendars and more. The new version adds First Name/Last Name order management, repairs some interface quirks and fixes duplication of contacts during an "all" category sync. The .365 upgrade also fixes AM/PM processing, Time zones problems, deletions of SMS in bulk and problems with contact note attachments. The software supports USB and WiFi, syncs iCal, iPhoto, iTunes, Notes, Time and bookmarks and manages SMS. [full story]

July 14 - 7:35pm EDT   While Apple CEO Steve Jobs' concerns about 3G's impact on the iPhone's battery life were valid, the iPhone 3G still maintains a longer-running battery life than other popular competing mobile devices, including the new Samsung Instinct. PC World investigated several 3G smartphone handsets, showing that the iPhone 3G bests the Instinct, the HTC Touch Dual, and the LG EnV with 5h 38m, the only three others which featured over five hours of talk time. [full story]

July 14 - 12:10am EDT   Sprint has finally unveiled the Palm Treo 800w, more than a week ahead of schedule and after some stores began unofficially selling the device last Friday. The 5oz device, which appeared on Palm's online store on Sunday, includes Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Software as well as advanced GPS functions --with both autonomous and simultaneous GPS using Sprint Navigation for turn by turn directions along with points of interest searches. It supports outlook email with Microsoft Direct Push Technology and HTML support as well as the ability to receive email from multiple corporate and personal POP/IMAP email accounts and offers a central five-way navigation button for easy ... [full story]

June 19 - 2:45pm EDT   AT&T reportedly paying a $325 for each iPhone 3G, an unprecedented dollar amount that would put the device well above competing smartphones and mobile devices in terms of carrier-supplied financial assistance. Oppenheimer analyst Yair Reiner told Barron's that typical smartphone gets a subsidy of about $200, but the iPhone will command a dramatically higher subsidy because of "AT&T's faith in the iPhone's ability to attract new subs and increase ARPU." The report also claims that AT&T is paying Apple an extra $100 for subscribers signed up in Apple stores, for a total commission of $425. [full story]

May 12 - 2:20pm EDT   For anyone who needs a low-cost smartphone that still offers advanced features, take a look at the Samsung BlackJack II smartphone. The BlackJack II may lack fancy features found in more expensive smartphones, such as a touchscreen, but its still more than functional. Since the BlackJack II uses Windows Mobile, it’s especially handy for synchronizing data with a Windows PC (but less desirable for Mac users). [full story]

May 7 - 11:30am EDT   Samsung on Wednesday announced the release of its newest bar-style smartphone, the i200. The tri-band GSM phone is aimed at business professionals with its use of the Windows Mobile 6.1 OS with Office Mobile. For wireless data transfer or Internet capability, the i200 supports HSDPA and EDGE data networks. [full story]

April 1 - 4:25pm EDT   Microsoft is extremely confident that Apple will not catch up to it in smartphone sales, noting that it had shifted more licenses of Windows Mobile than both Apple and RIM combined in the past year. According to Pocket-lint.co.uk, the announcement came as part of an interview with group product manager for Microsoft's mobile communications department Scott Rockfield when asked about how the company expects to keep ahead of competitors. [full story]

March 31 - 9:10pm EDT   Palm today announced that it has sold 1 million of its Centro smartphones, which has company representatives attributing to its lower price tag. According to The NewsMarket, the phone accounted for 11-percent of all domestic mobile phone sales during 2007, and is currently available in 10 countries – Palm also confirmed it has desires to sell the device in additional areas, but has not announced a formal timeframe for the move. [full story]

March 11 - 5:50pm EDT   Puretracks, with labels Universal, Sony BMG, Warner, EMI, and various independents under its belt, is offering a new DRM-free mobile music store and service for BlackBerry smartphones from Research In Motion (RIM). As the latest company to take a stab at Apple's music download dominance, the new music service competes directly with Apple's WiFi iTunes store for the iPhone and iPod Touch and will work with the BlackBerry Pearl, BlackBerry Curve and BlackBerry 8800 series smartphones. Using compressed DRM-free AAC/AAC+ file formats, Puretracks Mobile Edition will be unveiled March 12 at the South By Southwest (SXSW) event in Austin, Texas. A full version of the mobile ... [full story]

February 5 - 1:45pm EST   Apple ranked third in the global hardware market during the fourth quarter of 2007, according to canalys.com, with its iPhone garnering a whopping 28 percent of the smartphone market. Smart mobile device shipments reached 118 million last year, up 53 percent over 2006, while converged device shipments of smart phones and wireless handhelds rose 60 percent to hit 115 million in 2007. Apple entered the market late in the year, and has thus far shipped only one device. [full story]

December 4 - 11:55pm EST   Palm recently announced the availability of unlocked Treo 750 smartphones, shipping with Windows Mobile 6. Previously available only through AT&T, the unlocked smartphone can be used through any GSM service provider. The Treo 750 features a Palm handheld PDA in the same package as a five-band world phone. With Windows Mobile 6 built-in, the device can sync with Exchange Server 2007. Palm is selling the unlocked unit through its retail and online stores for $550. [full story]

December 3 - 1:35pm EST   Nokia has developed a unique way of incorporating a camera into a phone that can adjust for different shooting modes while improving quality of the resulting shots, a patent filing published late last week reveals. The design would rest the camera in a bar mounted sideways at the top of the phone, taking up no more space than an average camera; it could then swivel when the user wants to capture photos to face both outwards for everyday images or inwards for self-portraits and video calls. Such an invention would allow more advanced sensors and lenses to fit with the same flexibility as many other phones, Nokia says. [full story]

November 22 - 3:05pm EST   Apple had a strong third quarter this year with the iPhone, shipping over 1.12 million iPhones in the US, while industry analysts are predicting the company will see an increase of one-percent in global laptop market share. According to Alley Insider, Apple seized 27-percent of the smartphone market in its third fiscal quarter, or 1.12 million out of 4.2 million units sold. Demand for smartphones has tripled since last year, with smartphones making up 11-percent of a total 38 million cell phones sold, with the previous year showing 1.5 million smartphones out of 36.5 million phones sold (4%). [full story]