Verizon To Charge $350 Cancellation Fee

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As you've probably heard, Verizon is about to start a huge BlackBerry sale. This sale will include some exceptional deals which, Verizon fears, are ripe for exploitation. In order to prevent customers from cancelling their line and selling their new phone on ebay for a profit, Big Red is about to hike their cancellation fee. Boy Genius has come across proof that Verizon will soon up their cancellation fee for 'advanced devices' from $175 to $350.

Posted on Wed, 4 Nov 2009 05:25:15 CST | by Robert Evans

Duracell Instant USB charger and GoMobile Charger Review

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Today I am checking out a couple of new battery devices from Duracell. One of the chargers is the GoMobile that charges AA or AAA batteries in the car and at home.

The other charger is the Instant USB Charger that provides power for anything that charges via USB. That includes the iPod, iPhone, and digital cameras. Read more

Posted on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:02:35 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Cell Phone Holsters...Bad For Your Bones?

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Back in the day, I had a huge, bulky sliding Windows Mobile smartphone. I don't remember the make or the model, but I do remember that it could play Heroes of Might and Magic 1 and X-COM. Those games were the only reason I had that phone; otherwise it was a pain in the ass. Its giant size meant that it could not comfortably fit into a normal pocket. I was forced to wear a holster.

Back then, I thought the only negative consequence of wearing a cell phone holster was looking like a gigantic nerd. Now I know that I was wrong. A recent study published in the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery (via Gizmodo) suggests that there may be a link between those goofy-ass holsters and reduced hip bone density. Holy shit!

Posted on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:48:17 CDT | by Robert Evans

Google Voice: Now With Your Existing Cell Number

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Say you love the idea of Google Voice and all of the cool features it represents, but you just can't stand the thought of memorizing ANOTHER phone number. Or your cell phone is a work issued phone and you have to stick with that number for business purposes. In the past, if that was your situation you were just SOL. But today, thanks to the wonderful folks at Google, that's no longer an issue.

Users can now get Google Voice with a Google issued number, or with an old, pre-existing number. If you choose to use your old number some features will be missing from voice, like call screening and recording, but most of Voice's features will remain intact. That includes Google voicemail, quite possibly the best thing about voice as a whole.

Posted on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:09:41 CDT | by Robert Evans

Universal Cell Charger Approved By ITU

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Republicans, Democrats, Europeans, Americans, Theists, Atheists, Circus Clowns, and small children can all agree on one thing; waste is bad. One of the most needlessly wasteful by-products of our modern existence is, wait for it, the cell phone charger. Think about it; every time you get a new cell phone, you get a new charger. Many of them aren't compatible and most cell chargers get thrown away when you stop using the phone.

Gizmodo states that we could reduce our waste by 51,000 tons a year if we were to switch to a universal charging standard. That's what they're doing over in Europe (Reuters) and all of the major manufacturers seem to be on board. If everyone uses the same charger, new phones don't need to come with new chargers. That's money saved for manufacturers, and for the carriers who have to ship all of that extra charger weight to their customers.

Posted on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:48:55 CDT | by Robert Evans

Texas Instruments Demos World's First Coin Cell for Bluetooth Low Energy Apps

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Texas Instruments has announced that it has demonstrated the world's first coin cell demo for the new Bluetooth low energy open standard based on its upcoming CC2540 single-mode, system-on-chip. Bluetooth low energy applications like sports and fitness equipment, mobile accessories, and home and office devices use coin cell and energy harvesting solutions to run for more than a year on a single tiny button cell battery.

The TI application supports both dual-mode and single-mode solutions and are optimized for low-power and low-cost applications. TI says that its device is packaged on a 6mm x 6mm unit including the controller, host, and application. Read more

Posted on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

BlackBerry Tour Heading For U.S. Cellular

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Good news, BlackBerry fans. Boy Genius has just gotten word that the BlackBerry 9630 will be coming to U.S. Cellular's CDMA network. The release date and the cost haven't been given yet, but the fact that the spec sheet is listed on their website points to an imminent release.

Posted on Thu, 8 Oct 2009 11:32:08 CDT | by Robert Evans

Toshiba CELL Regza 55X1 HDTV Unveiled

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Toshiba unveiled today the Toshiba CELL Regza 55X1 HDTV featuring the famous CELL CPU also found in the Sony PS3.
The Toshiba Regza 55X1 features the Mega Panel LED display with 1,250cd/m2 brightness, a 5m:1 contrast ratio and 240Hz technology. As far as I can translate the Japanese announcement Toshiba split the LED panel in 512 regions (96 are supposed to be standard) that are individually controlled to achieve good visual representation of the temper of the adjacent edges in the depiction of shadows and glows.

Toshiba placed a 3TB hard-drive storage system into the 55X1 and the CELL CPU plays out its power by enabling the recording of 8 channels at the same time. Read more

Posted on Mon, 5 Oct 2009 02:22:01 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

New Zealand Law Makes Cell Phone Use in Cars Illegal

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The Transportation Ministry in New Zealand passed a new law on cell phones recently that is set to go into effect on November 1st. The new law makes it illegal to use a cell phone inside a vehicle for sending texts and for any other use.

That means that it would be illegal to use the phone as a navigation device and a music player as well. The law is called the Road User Amendment Rule 2009. The rule banned the use of a mobile phone even if mounted in a hands free kit. Read more

Posted on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

AT&T MicroCell: Because Sometimes Your Carrier Sucks

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Imagine you're a tech junkie (for some of you this will be a very easy exercise). You picked up a brand-new iPhone 3GS at launch because it was the hottest young filly in the stable. Unfortunately, now you're hobbled to AT&T's network for the next two years. What good is having a balls-to-the-wall awesome smartphone if you've got 3G service that barely qualifies as anemic on its best days?

Your problems may seem insurmountable but, thanks to the magic of femtocells, there is a solution. AT&T has just announced the launch of the 3G MicroCell on their network. According to Boy Genius the MicroCell will allow you to use your land-based broadband connection to power your phone's 3G, instead of using your carrier's cell network. Basically, your own Internet signal fills the gaps in your carrier's coverage.

Posted on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:59:45 CDT | by Robert Evans

Myriad Software Puts Widgets onto Cheapest Cell Phones

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Users of newer high-end mobile smartphones and feature phones are taking software like widgets that allow you to access web information and applications with one or two clicks for granted. These applications are a big part of the feature set for more expensive mobile phones in America.

The ability to quickly access information from the web is important for driving the adoption of data services. A company called Myriad has announced a new mobile widget solution for very low cost mobile phones aimed at developing countries. Read more

Posted on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Cell Phones and Brain Cancer: Redux

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Remember back in the late nineties when all sorts of kooks were trying to warn us about the brain-melting dangers of cell phone radiation? Back then we couldn't find any proof positive of such dangers, so we ignored them and made fun of the crazy people. Well, today those nuts get vindication. Gizmodo reports that, according to the Environmental Working Group, long-term cellphone use is associated with a higher tumor risk.

If you still use an old feature phone, you're probably fine. The ten lowest-risk mobile phones were the Samsung Impression, Motorola RAZR V8, Samsung SGH-t229, Samsung Rugby, Propel Pro, Gravity, the T-Mobile Sidekick, LG Xenon, Motorola Karma, and Sanyo Katana II.

Posted on Wed, 9 Sep 2009 10:08:23 CDT | by Robert Evans

ZiiLabs Announces EGG StemCell Computer.

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Another Android-capable device comes down the line, but this one is different from anything currently out on the market. ZiiLabs created the StemCell computer to be an open standards development platform, capable of running a Linux distro or Android with equal ease. This ZiiLabs EGG is not a phone, but it can be upgraded with the proper chipset to become one.

In terms of specs, this bad boy is easily the equal of the Zune HD or iPod Touch. It's got a 3.5” true-color capacitive 10-point multitouch screen, X-Fi audio, 32 GB of internal NAND Flash, 256 MB of RAM, HDTV support through HD Cable, and a forward-facing VGA camera/rear facing HD camera, for recording and video conferencing. It also comes with WiFi and Bluetooth enabled, a GPS receiver with antenna, a 3-axis accelerometer, an ambient light sensor, a full SDHC slot that supports up to a 32 GB card, USB 2.0 Mini-B, a universal docking connector, a built-in speaker and microphone, a 1200mAH lithium-ion battery, and support for Linux-based Plaszma OS and Android.

Posted on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:12:28 CDT | by Robert Evans

Cellular South Launching Android Phone, Robot Invasion Continues

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It's official; Androids are taking over the world. Cellular South, which bills itself as the largest privately owned wireless communications provider in the US, just announced that it's bringing an Android to market. This is a big victory for Android fans everywhere, and yet another sign of the continuing explosion of Android adoptions in the smartphone industry.

A 2009 report from Strategy Analytics stated their expectation for Android to grow over 900% over the course of this year. Considering the bevy of sexy new smartphones and netbooks coming out in the next couple of months, I'd say they were right. In their press release Cellular South stated their expectation for Android mobiles to soon overtake even the iPhone, and they cited a 2009 Informa Telecoms and Media report as proof.

Posted on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:25:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

ProClip Cell Phone Holder System Review

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Today I am looking at the ProClip system to fit the iPhone and a Ford Mustang. There are vehicle specific mounts and device specific phone holders available to suit just about any need you have.

The system costs on average about $80, but can go more expensive than that depending on the holder you choose. The system is easy to install and does a great job holding your phone. Read more

Posted on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:53:23 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Cell Phone Credit Cards: The Next Big Thing?

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Have you ever tried to order something online with a mobile phone? It's one of the most infuriating experiences you can have that doesn't involve physical injury. The keyboard and screen are just way too small to easily enter in credit card numbers without difficulty. This is not a desirable state of affairs for online retailers, especially those who stake their bread and butter on impulse buys like ring-tones and items in online video games.

Retailers want smartphone shopping to be as easy and intuitive as it can possibly be. The less of a hassle it is, the more likely you'll be to make those silly little impulse purchases. Spending a couple of bucks a month on ring-tones doesn't seem like much to you, but the sheer number of smartphone owners (and the potential for growth within the smartphone market) makes it a very lucrative enterprise.

Posted on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:30:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

Sprint Offers Femtocells to Wholesale Partners

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Sprint has become the first major wireless carrier to offer femtocells to its wholesale partners. The femtocell is a small device that is sized like a router for a wireless network. The femtocell takes calls placed on a wireless phone and routes them over a broadband network to improve reception.

Sprint says that the femtocell covers up to 5,000 square feet and creates a CDMA network signal within the home or small office and offers performance that is more reliable and less interference than trying to use a public Wi-Fi network. Read more

Posted on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Cellufun Offers Social Games for Pre

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Palm launched its Pre over the weekend and the handset started with an application catalog that was mostly in beta form with few games. Cellufun has announced that its library of social games will work on the Pre and are available for new Pre owners to play via their Internet browser on the phone.

Cellufun claims to be the world's largest mobile virtual community with dozens of different social games the mobile browser is among the few applications available for the Pre at launch. Among the games available from the service is the new title from Cellufun called Made Off. Read more

Posted on Mon, 8 Jun 2009 09:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Victory for Cell Phone Owners: AT&T Suit to Proceed

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Gather 'round, dear readers, it's time for a story.

Once upon a time there were two corporations. One of them was named AT&T Wireless, and the other was named Cingular. For years the two companies were able to coexist in relative peace, gorging themselves on the fruitful bounty of a booming market. But then, in 2004, things went awry. The economy did a faceplant and AT&T started to weaken.

Posted on Wed, 27 May 2009 09:00:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

US Cellular Offers Samsung Gloss Handset

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Samsung and US Cellular have announced that the Samsung Gloss SCH-u440 will be available on the US Cellular network. The handset is a fashionable device that looks much like a makeup compact that women carry. The phone is almost a square shape and has a full QWERTY keyboard for texting.

The handset comes in black or pink colors and the pink has a pattern on the front as well. Features include a 1.3MP camera and integrated Bluetooth. Up to 16GB of external memory is supported. Read more

Posted on Wed, 27 May 2009 09:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

International SIM Card Launched: Use Your Cell Overseas!

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One of the more annoying hassles of international travel is the fact that it turns your phone from a mobile communication device to a shiny hunk of plastic and metal. For the longest time you needed a separate phone (or SIM card) that you'd have to switch between in order to make calls while overseas. It's an expensive hassle and one we might not have to deal with ever again, thanks to Telestial.

Telestial is an international communication company that provides budget calling solutions to world travelers. They've just launched a new prepaid program that comes with a dual-number SIM card. Customers who buy the dual-number Passport Roaming SIM will be given both U.S and U.K cell numbers. Both numbers will be international, and paid for under the same plan. Telestial claims that the new card will allow customers to use their cell phones in over 130 countries.

Posted on Mon, 11 May 2009 13:00:00 CDT | by Robert Evans