The Verizon iPhone: Coming Q3, 2010?

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Verizon's recent “Droid does” ads are probably the most pointedly anti-iPhone pieces of advertising out there. This has led some people to theorize that Big Red has given up all hope of ever carrying the iPhone, instead choosing to focus their efforts on the Droid line. In the current climate, the idea of a Verizon iPhone certainly seems a little preposterous. And yet, if AppleInsider's sources are correct, that's just what's headed our way next year.

The blog has received a report from an industry analyst with OTR Global which states that Apple is hard at work developing a “worldmode” iPhone. This device would be smaller than the iPhone, with a screen of just 2.8”, but would be compatible with both CDMA2000 networks and UMTS 3G networks. The report claims that this universal functionality will be made possible thanks to a new hybrid chip from Qualcomm.

Posted on Sat, 7 Nov 2009 05:43:39 CST | by Robert Evans

iPhone 4G Will Pack RFID Reader?

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RFID technology has come a long way in the past few years. Chips are now individually very cheap, and thousands of uses for them have been devised by corporations and governments. Now it seems that Apple is looking to help make RFIDs something consumers make use of every day by adding a reader into the new iPhone. AppleInsider says that a site focusing on Near Field Communications has found evidence that Apple has built new iPhone prototypes that pack an RFID reader.

An iPhone-mounted RFID reader could have a wide variety of uses. It could allow “touchless” payments at vending machines, stores and toll booths, as well as enable a variety of AR technologies. RFID chips can also act as barcodes, which would make browsing for deals and 'at a glance' window shopping much easier for people with iPhones. Since many products and services are already embedded with RFID chips, we could see this functionality appear in the very near future.

Posted on Fri, 6 Nov 2009 07:34:14 CST | by Robert Evans

Samsung Mythic & Flight Smartphones Launch

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Smartphones, smartphones everywhere. Today Samsung announced the availability of two new TouchWiz packin' smartphones. The Mythic has a 3.3" touchscreen, 3.2 MP camera, AT&T Navigator and stereo Bluetooth capabilities. The Flight has a sliding QWERTY keyboard, touchscreen, 2 MP camera, AT&T Navigator and stereo Bluetooth.

In terms of price, the Mythic costs a baffling $249.99 before a $50 mail-in rebate (if you get a 2 year contract). Warning; this rebate takes the form of a "$50 AT&T Promotional Card". To be entirely honest, you'll get a lot more bang for your buck if you just spend an equal amount of cash on an iPhone.

Posted on Thu, 5 Nov 2009 08:12:03 CST | by Robert Evans

TAG Heuer Unveils MERIDIIST Lamborghini Mobile Phone

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I have seen my share of high-end mobile phones aimed at the rich before. The new TAG Heuer MERIDIIST Automobili Lamborghini mobile phone may be the best looking of them all. The device is housed in black titanium carbide coated 316L stainless steel and takes design cues from the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640.

The device has a keyboard with the Lamborghini bull and the display is made from 60.5 carats of scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. The device promises 7 hours of talk time and 28 days on standby. Read more

Posted on Tue, 3 Nov 2009 11:00:00 CST | by Shane McGlaun

iPhone 4G Parts Spotted?

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Alright readers, put on your wild rumor hats and get ready for the craziest bit of speculation I've seen in months. Gizmodo ran a story today about the latest set of iPhone rumors from China Ontrade. In case you don't recall, China Ontrade is a parts wholesaler who posted up images of parts to the iPhone 3GS a month before that device was announced. Today, China Ontrade has images of parts for a fourth generation iPhone on their site.

Since their 3GS images were proved to be legit last time, we have no reason to distrust them on this. Still, it makes no sense for the images to come out now. Parts for the fourth generation iPhone shouldn't even exist until a month or two before the official announcement. No manufacturer, especially one as paranoid about information security as Apple, wants to put their hardware out six months ahead of a release. This could mean that a surprise iPhone launch is around the corner.

Posted on Tue, 3 Nov 2009 09:16:50 CST | by Robert Evans

envIO Chorus: The Future of iPhone App Advertising

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In a few days Apple will send out a press release celebrating the approval of the App Store's 100,000th application. The news will be met with much celebration at Cupertino and pages of analysis from bloggers and tech sites. The rapid, unconstrained growth of the App Store is fine news for Apple shareholders and iPhone owners, but the message it carries for developers is not entirely pleasant. In a crowded ecosystem with 100,000 apps and counting, how do you separate your product from the herd?

This isn't just a problem for apps that have dozens of virtually identical competitors gobbling up their customers. Even if your app is truly unique it has better than even odds of being buried under a mountain of crap. When the cost of successfully pushing an app becomes greater than the small developer is able to bear, those independent (and innovative) small developers risk being pushed out of the business altogether.

Posted on Tue, 3 Nov 2009 09:00:00 CST | by Robert Evans

Xperia X10 Android Phone Unveiled

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Motorola is on the upswing with its new Android phones. Will Android be the savior for Sony Ericsson also? Sony Ericsson just unveiled the Xperia X10, formerly known as Xperia X3 or Rachel.
Features of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 include Android 1.6, 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 CPU, 4-inch WVGA screen, 8.1MP camera, 8GB microSD card bundled, and Wifi. See all specifications and a video below. The X10 sounds hot and looks hot (see hi-res photos), but we have to wait for it until Q1 2010.

The XPERIA X10 introduces a new UX platform that Sony Ericsson will expand across the product portfolio and expand over time continuously introducing new features and capabilities. Read more

Posted on Tue, 3 Nov 2009 03:29:27 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Blackberry Curve 8520 Smartphone Review

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Tbreak published a review of the the Blackberry Curve 8520.
Quote from the review: "The Blackberry Curve 8520 launched by RIM recently is probably the best Blackberry for someone looking to get into the Smartphone/Blackberry market. Read more

Posted on Mon, 2 Nov 2009 16:00:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

Mosquitoes Augmented Reality Game For iPhone 3GS launched

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I am a sucker for augmented reality apps (AR) and therefore had to try out Mosquitoes right away when developer Makayama pointed me to it.
The iPhone game Mosquitoes lets you shoot animated mosquitoes that are infesting your room. The game uses besides the camera, the compass and accelerometer to realistically let you hunt down the mosquitoes around you.
Try playing this AR Game on a rotating office chair - it works quite well.
Read more

Posted on Mon, 2 Nov 2009 07:43:09 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

World's Biggest Multitouch Screen Makes Your iPhone Look Small

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If you want to experience the world's biggest multitouch and multi user screen you have to visit the newly revamped Nürburgring in Germany. The Formula One race track has transformed into a theme park.
The two-piece so called ring°wall consists of an LED display and a multitouch information wall with a total surface of 425 square meters, which equals more than 6,000 computer displays. Read more

Posted on Mon, 2 Nov 2009 06:00:00 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

LG LG-SB210 Phone For Golfers Unveiled

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LG unveiled the LG-SB210 Phone in Korea today, which is dedicated to Golfers. The LG-SB210 is GPS enabled and has the map data of 280 Korean domestic golf courses stored.

Other features of the LG-SB210 include 3-inch screen, DMB TV, and Acceleration sensors. Read more

Posted on Mon, 2 Nov 2009 02:48:24 CST | by Luigi Lugmayr

iPhone Halloween App Gets You A Last Minute Halloween Costume

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Happy Halloween! Oh, you forgot to get a costume? No worries, there is an app for that on your iPhone. The Halloween Costume Generator app for the iPhone generates a virtual costume for you complete with theme song. The Halloween Costume Generator sells for $1.99 on iTunes.

There are tons of other iPhone Halloween apps that will get you into a Halloween party without being all dressed up as an elf or what not. Read more

Posted on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:27:23 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

There Will Be No Google Phone

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There have been rumors of a Google-manufactured phone since before the launch of the Android operating system. Just last week, TheStreet.com released an 'exclusive' article claiming that Google would be coming out with a smartphone before the end of the year. Today we have bad news for those of you who thought this round of Google-phone rumors would end differently than the last. In a talk with CNET, Google VP Andy Rubin stated clearly that his company has no plans for any Android hardware.

While Google designed the increasingly popular Android operating system, they've been content to let manufacturers worry about the hardware. Rubin said that it would make no sense for his company to “compete with its customers”. Although Google has, in the past, stepped in to lend a hand on designing some features of the handsets that carry their OS (like the G1), they simply see no profit in building their own.

Posted on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:49:16 CDT | by Robert Evans

Apple iPhone Has Launched In China

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After a long back and forth, the Apple iPhone is now on sale in China via carrier China Unicom.
According to Sina the first customer of the iPhone in China is a man named Zhi Xianzhong. He "only" waited 7 hours and 40 minutes in the cold and rain.

The question is now how many will follow his lead and buy the rather expense iPhone in China. According to Sina there has been large crowd gathered at The Place shopping center in Beijing before the China Unicom Store. Read more

Posted on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:21:16 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Sprint: WiMAX, New Smartphones in 2010

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Sprint's numbers showed some improvement last quarter, but the carrier is still weathering some financial issues. They're losing customers (albeit at a slowed rate) and it's going to take more than some new marketing and the Palm Pre to reverse that trend. Today, in a live chat (via Boy Genius), Sprint executive David Owens talked about how his company intends to get back on the right track.

First off, Sprint will be giving its customers more of what they want. More Android smartphones (mostly from HTC) will be coming soon, and Owens stated that he expects a price decrease for Android smartphones once a significant volume have been sold. Sprint's current Android devices, the Samsung Moment and HTC Hero, are both due for an update soon. For the Hero, this likely means Android 2.0; the Sense UI doesn't work on 1.6, and HTC has confirmed that they are working out a 2.0 release for the Hero.

Posted on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:06:03 CDT | by Robert Evans

Nokia To Create AT&T Smartphone

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While it is the #1 smartphone and mobile phone manufacturer on the planet, Nokia's US numbers leave a lot to be desired. They're looking to change that fact, though, with a bevy of new releases aimed at attracting American customers to Nokia smartphones. According to VentureBeat, one of those new releases is going to be a smartphone designed for the AT&T carrier. If true, this is big news; the rumored phone is said to have a Qualcomm chip.

Qualcomm does not currently make any chips that support GSM networks. This smartphone with Nokia will be their first foray into that territory. Qualcomm did announce earlier today that they have joined the Symbian Foundation, which makes this rumor a bit easier to believe. It's certainly sensible of Qualcomm to want to hedge their bets between as many different manufacturers as possible.

Posted on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:55:13 CDT | by Robert Evans

New Google Maps Navigation For iPhone Is Possible

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Google unveiled a great new navigation service called Google Maps Navigation for Android 2.0 devices like the upcoming Droid.

Google Maps Navigation, which is currently in beta, will feature turn-by-turn voice directions.
And, like all Google products, it's going to be 100% free. This means that, in the very near future, you'll be able to get turn-by-turn navigation on your smartphone at no extra cost. The software will also feature 3D views, automatic routing, and voice direction input.
Read more

Posted on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

TomTom Car Kit Does NOT Work With iPod Touch/iPhone 2G

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Bad news, iPod touch users and owners of a first generation iPhone; the TomTom car kit will not work with your gadgets. AppleInsider has received direct confirmation from TomTom that neither product is compatible with the car kit. Both gadgets can handle the app, but for whatever reason the car kit is only compatible with the iPhone 3G and 3GS. The TomTom car kit offers a better GPS and higher quality audio, in addition to acting as a dock.

Posted on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:28:09 CDT | by Robert Evans

Analyst: End Of AT&T iPhone Exclusivity Means Expensive iPhones

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After more than three years together, it's time for Apple and AT&T's exclusive relationship to end. While the arrangement still works out well for AT&T, it's only holding Apple and the iPhone back. That's why analyst Brian Marshall's prediction of an AT&T/Apple break-up isn't being viewed as a particularly bold one.

What makes his prediction (via AppleInsider) interesting is that he looks at an angle that most of us have overlooked. Tech bloggers have been writing about the likelihood of an end to exclusivity for a while, but you seldom hear anyone mention what that will do to the $450 subsidy AT&T pays for each iPhone.

Posted on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:12:12 CDT | by Robert Evans

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

Ericsson Android Smartphone Coming Soon

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Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh. I'm sorry folks, but journalistic detachment is going to take a holiday for this article. All of the tech blogs have been geeking out over the upcoming Ericsson Rachel smartphone since the first news of it leaked a few months back. Now Android and Me brings news of a promo on Sony's website that hints at a November 3 announcement concerning 'Project Rachel'. We don't know yet who will carry the X3, but current rumors hint at T-Mobile.

AndroidGuys has some more detailed information about the new Xperia smartphone. It will run Android 2.0 (d'uh), pack a 1 GHz snapdragon processor, and come with a beastly 8.1 MP camera. It's also set to have 32 GB of internal storage and a 4.1" OLED touchscreen. That's right a 4.1" OLED touchscreen. Are you drooling yet? Because I am.

Posted on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:34:46 CDT | by Robert Evans