Mobile, Internet, etc

Filed under: Software, RIM, BlackBerry OS

Don’t expect anything out of a science fiction novel like placeshifting — better look to the gurus at Sling Media for that — but if you’re just looking for a nice, easy way to peruse your channel guide and set up TiVo recordings remotely from the soft glow of your BlackBerry’s screen, there’s a new option in town. The aptly-named TiVo for BlackBerry app lets you record one-off shows, set up Season Passes, and browse a guide that looks surprisingly similar to the UI you’ll find on the TiVo itself. It’s available for download now from App World, and rest assured, you don’t need to worry about blowing through your carrier’s data caps with this one.

TiVo for BlackBerry now available, remotely schedules recordings with BlackBerry-like efficiency originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, RIM, CDMA

Gemini had its Aries, and now it seems Javeline (a.k.a. the Curve 8900) has found its own CDMA equivalent in the BlackBerry Atlas. (Isn’t a shame that RIM’s device codenames are so often catchier than their final designation? But we digress.) A new BlackBerry has hit the internet in grainy photograph form, and according to Salomondrin with additional notes from Crackberry, the pictured leak (it’s the one on the left) boasts CDMA bands, WiFi, and a 8900 series keyboard. Mum’s the word, officially and otherwise, on pretty much any other details, but hopefully RIM won’t keep us waiting too long.

[Via Crackberry]

Leaked BlackBerry Atlas gives Curve 8900 its CDMA counterpart? originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, HTC, Sprint

We’d hypothesized that neither Sprint nor T-Mobile wouldn’t be able to hold out long at the positively ridiculous $349.99 on-contract price point they’d both set for the HTC Touch Pro2 out of the gate, and it looks like at least one of the two might finally be getting the hint. Sprint’s now rumored to be bringing the beastly smartphone down to $199 after mail-in rebate, which would match Verizon’s current pricing — a move Sprint simply had to make, especially considering that the carrier typically positions itself as a value brand. Hopefully this rumor pans out, in which case T-Mobile will be looking pretty silly if they hold out at $350; if they capitulate, that’ll put all of the currently-released US Touch Pro2s under the magic $200 mark and put a ton of pressure on AT&T to stay in line by the time it drops the green flag.

[Thanks, Guy]

Sprint readying big price drop on Touch Pro2? originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Features, Podcasts

You know how this goes: we miss a few weeks (wouldn’t be the first time) and we find ourselves deep in catch-up mode. Fortunately, catch-up mode is our specialty around here — so just watch as we work magic through a solid hour of hot topics and listener questions!

Hosts: Chris Ziegler and Sean Cooper
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Solvent - Devices and Strategies (Ghostly International)

00:02:25 - HTC Tattoo (aka, Click) brings Android, Sense UI to all
00:10:27 - The Palm Pixi is official, headed to Sprint this holiday season — we’ve got hands-on and video!
00:17:43 - Palm Pre falls to $149.99 on Sprint
00:20:33 - Palm Pre coming to the UK and Ireland October 16, Germany October 13, all O2 exclusives
00:22:03 - Motorola CLIQ
00:27:34 - LG officially announces GW620, its first Android phone
00:29:22 - AT&T’s 3G MicroCell runs $150 in Charlotte trial, service is free without unlimited calling
00:32:27 - Nokia Twist for Verizon hands-on
00:35:09 - i-mate CEO says company isn’t dead yet, just dealing with ‘major fraud’

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Engadget Mobile Podcast 026 - 09.29.2009 originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, Apple

Apple might be talking a big game about how it’s revising the App Store approval process with an oversight board and trotting out Phil Schiller to do damage control at opportune moments, but the process itself is still generating inconsistent and maddening results — like today’s rejection of an app advocating for healthcare reform called iSinglePayer, which was rejected for being “politically charged.” Yeah, that’s insane, especially since the app just consists of healthcare spending information and a GPS-driven lookup tool for local Congress members and how much money they’ve received in health-sector donations. Say what you want about the political motivations of the app, but that’s a fairly benign set of functions, and it’s one that’s been echoed by political apps on both sides of the aisle since the launch of the App Store. So why this rejection, and why now, when apps with names like “Conservative Talking Points” have been approved? And honestly, how is it even possible anyone at Apple is dumb enough to reject this without anticipating the firestorm of controversy it would cause? Who knows anymore — we have a feeling ol’ Phil’s about to earn his paycheck explaining this one.

[Via Daring Fireball]

Apple rejects iSinglePayer iPhone app for being ‘politically charged’ originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Software, Nokia, Linux

It’s one thing to read a product preview here and there, but if you really want the Maemo 5 experience before you’re even able to set foot in a store and buy an N900, look no further than mobile-review’s characteristically exhaustive look at the platform. From the endless array of screenshots, you quickly get the impression that this is an attractive shell — evolutionary and familiar for owners of the 770, N800, or N810, yes, but significantly freshened nonetheless. Here are a few big takeaways from the War & Peace-esque compendium:

• There’s apparently an N920 in the works that lacks a QWERTY keyboard. We’ve heard rumors in the past that the N900 will remain Nokia’s sole Maemo 5 phone for at least a few months, so we might look to see this in 2010.
• Process management invokes a curiously webOS-like card view which looks great. Helps when you have a beefy OMAP3 in there, doesn’t it?
• The call log effortlessly aggregates GSM and VoIP calls — a neat trick, and a tip of the hat to Maemo’s roots as a VoIP-friendly platform.
• MMS isn’t supported, strangely, though the platform’s SMS support handles both threaded and traditional views.
• While chatting up Maemo’s calendar services, Eldar specifically says that he “Palm’s WebOS-powered organizer much more enticing and promising.” Lack of Google Calendar synchronization sucks, but we’re not sure what that’s all about — Maemo does support Exchange ActiveSync, after all.
• Eldar his the nail on the head regarding Maemo’s Mozilla-based browser: it’s always been good, just way too slow. The N900 cures those ails on better hardware, though “it hasn’t caught up with the rest of the pack yet.” Flash support seems wonky and performance isn’t always great — it depends on how many apps are running.
• The music player is pretty bare-bones (typical Nokia), though anyone happy with the N97’s sound quality will feel right at home here — it’s the same hardware.
• The integrated Maps app apparently lags way behind the bar that Ovi Maps has set over on S60 — super slow and “resource-hungry.”

Of course, the beauty of Maemo is its wide-open philosophy, so many of the niggles here that aren’t corrected by Nokia proper will hopefully be handled by the community at large — and the good news is that by the time you get done reading this review, the N900 should be on store shelves for you to try yourself.

Maemo 5 reviewed in breathtakingly granular detail originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, Vertu

You might think you’re hot stuff for carrying around a new Vertu Constellation Ayxta, but this is America, bub — and your blinged-up Nokia has to kick it at the FCC just like everyone else. Of course, without that fancy always-on-call Concierge service and Vertu Select, all you’re really looking at here is a pretty anonymous featurephone wrapped up in high-end garb, but you’re not spending your $10,500 on features here — you’re spending it because you’re too lazy and rich to buy something good.

Vertu Constellation Ayxta luxo-flip slums it at the FCC originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, T-Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, Android

Counting down the moments with your besties until T-Mobile USA opens up the pre-order page for Motorola’s first-ever Android device? Might as well do something more productive in the meanwhile, particularly since the aforesaid carrier has just announced plans to charge $199.99 for the CLIQ on a two-year agreement. Without a doubt, that’s quite a bit more than the $0.00 we gently expected (okay, not really) it to run, but it’s pretty much par for the course these days. Existing T-Mobile customers that are interested in getting ahold of this thing (in Titanium or Winter White) early can pre-order one from October 19th through November 1st, while newcomers and procrastinators can get theirs in-store starting on November 2nd. So — you in, or what?

Motorola CLIQ coming to T-Mobile next month for $200 on contract originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Reviews, Studies

It doesn’t matter who your carrier is, you’re gonna have some complaints. But is the grass always greener somewhere else? To answer that question, the kids at Laptop Magazine have conducted a test of the customer service practices of the big four (Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T) to ascertain each company’s friendliness, knowledge, and timeliness. The publication placed customer service calls twice during a week (once at midday and once during rush hour), visited two stores per carrier in New York City, and tried to find solutions to its problems using each carrier’s online knowledge base. Apparently, T-Mobile takes the prize for in-store assistance and web support, and Sprint, while not always able to answer questions, at least had taken steps to streamline the support process (and the fact that its employees were friendly didn’t hurt). Apparently Verizon Wireless offered solid in-store support (albeit with grumpy employees), “quick and accurate phone support” and “solid” online help. AT&T, sadly, was the loser here — Laptop says it left the store “shocked” that one representative couldn’t figure out how to get email up and running on its Blackberry. Shocking! Hit the read link to see for yourself.

AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon goaded into customer service showdown originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Software, RIM, BlackBerry OS

Will Verizon release an official update to 5.0 for the current generation of the Storm? Maybe — it’s a total crap shoot — but even if they do, your children’s children could be having midlife crises before it’s actually released considering the glacial pace that Verizon typically gets new hardware and software to market. Of course, that’s partly thanks to an infamously back-breaking testing regimen that helps Verizon consistently earn high marks for network quality and generally keeps customers off the support lines, but for those of us who want nothing more than to live on the edge, it’s good to see that another packaged 5.0 update for the 9530 has hit the wires — this one versioned 5.0.0.230. We imagine this one’s leaps and bounds more stable than the nearly unusable stuff from earlier this summer, and initial reports from users seems to indicate as much — the camera works (always a good thing) and there seem to be countless minor tweaks and fixes that folks are describing as “promising.” As always, your average BlackBerry user who relies on the phone day in and day out might want to wait for something a little less leaky — but like we said, it could be a bit of a wait.

BlackBerry Storm gets a freshly leaked upgrade to OS 5.0 originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, Motorola, T-Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS, Android

In a little over 19 days from now, you’ll be able to get your CLIQ… ah wait, no you won’t, but at least you’ll be able to express your interest in getting a CLIQ, which is a good first step, we suppose. T-Mobile has just thrown up its official CLIQ preorder countdown page, which we’re thinking the most die-hard Android types out there are probably going to leave running in the background of their machines for the next three weeks until the moment of truth finally comes. In the meantime, you can register for official updates, which — sorry, T-Mobile, much love — probably won’t come as quickly as we can provide them. Just sayin’.

[Via TmoNews]

T-Mobile’s Motorola CLIQ presale countdown page is up and running originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, HTC, Verizon Wireless, Windows Mobile, GSM, CDMA

As you know, Verizon is one of the carriers participating in the worldwide WinMo 6.5 rollout extravaganza bonanza on October 6, and that Microsoft has said they’ll be ramping up to thirty smartphones for the OS by year’s end, so the chance is pretty good that the HTC Imagio XV6975 is one of the new handsets we’ll be seeing early next month. As reported by PhoneArena, this one is by all accounts Leo’s little brother — a CDMA / GSM device that sports a 3.6-inch WVGA display, 528MHz processor, Wi-Fi, Opera browser, 5 megapixel autofocus camera, microSD slot, and all the TouchFLO 3D lovin’ you can handle. In addition, it will also be the first Verizon Smartphone to sport VCast MobileTV — you know, if that’s what you’re into. No word on pricing or release date, but you’ll know as soon as we do.

HTC Imagio with WinMo 6.5 out October 6 on Verizon? originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, HTC, Android

We’re expecting the official release of Android 1.6 phones any day now, but those of you hardcore enough to rock the badass unlocked Dream known as the Android Dev Phone 1 can get a bite of that Donut immediately: HTC’s posted up an official 1.6 image file for you. Sadly it doesn’t seem like regular G1 or Dream owners can use this code, but at least someone’s having a good time.

[Thanks, Loe S.

Android 1.6 update for Dev Phone 1 now available originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Multimedia, Peripherals

Say it with us now: “Yippee!” Why such joviality? We’ll tell you why. Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba, Sony and Silicon Image have all teamed up to create yet another new connector, with this one hoping to forever harmonize the strained relationship between mobile phones / PMPs and high-def displays. The so-called Mobile High-Definition Interface Working Group is seeking to create a new “industry standard” for connecting handsets and other portable consumer electronics to HDTVs and displays, though we’re still wondering why exactly we need a replacement for HDMI, DisplayLink and the forthcoming Light Peak so soon. As with most of these things, details about the actual product(s) are slim, but trust us, they’re working on it. And they’re working hard.

Nokia, Samsung, Toshiba and Sony align on Mobile High-Definition Link originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, ASUS, Others, ATT, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA

Can you believe it? No, seriously — can you believe it? Nearly two full years after its surprise introduction to the world, the nüvifone G60 is finally coming to US shores. In an official press release outed today, the Garmin nüvifone G60 has been blessed with an October 4th launch date on AT&T. Oddly enough, nary a mention of “ASUS” or “Garmin-Asus” is found, but regardless of semantics, you can bet that it’ll be looking for buyers this Sunday. The internal GPS chip and 3 megapixel, auto-focusing camera will enable users to geotag photos and emails and navigate using the same heralded user interface that folks rely on today with the company’s standalone PNDs. You’ve already pounded the specifications into your head by now, but the last figures you’ll need to know are these: it’ll run $299 on a two-year agreement after a $100 mail-in rebate, and if you’re hoping to access Premium Connected Services — which includes traffic updates, white pages, weather, movie, local events and fuel price content — you’ll be forking out $5.99 per month after the 30-day trial expires. So, after all of this, who’s in?

Garmin nuvifone G60 officially coming to AT&T: October 4th for $299 originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: O2, Orange, Apple

Think of it from the perspective of the media relations team: after a two-year run dating back to the original iPhone, your network has just lost its exclusivity with Apple — perhaps the highest-profile company to do so. Do you pretend it didn’t happen? And if you do decide to address it, how do you spin it? Well, sit back, ladies and gentlemen, and observe O2’s PR gurus at work — because they’ve just spit out a terse two-paragraph release on the matter that makes no mention of Orange whatsoever, and only a veiled reference to the exclusivity loss at all. Instead, they’re boasting that they “always knew that iPhone exclusivity was for a limited period of time” and even throw in a mention of the Pre, another high-profile model that’s about to become an O2 exclusive, closing on a high note: “We also offer award-winning customer service and benefits, which is why more people choose O2 than any other network in the UK.” You just had to play the subscriber count card, didn’t you, guys?

O2 issues brief, cold press release on Orange’s iPhone win originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Software, Android

Late last week word hit the Android community that the developer of the Cyanogen Android ROM received a cease-and-desist from everyone’s favorite “do no evil” company, Google. Many reacted negatively to Google asking a developer to not modify what is purported to be an open-source operating system, but the issue was not with the OS; rather it was with the apps that ship on it, things like Google Maps and Gmail — things that are most definitely not open source — which Google does not want distributed on modified flavors of Android. The solution, according to the dev, is to simply remove them from the ROM, but to provide a way for users to install them back on their devices. The dev will be working on an app that will enable users to back up those applications and then, after the ROM has been installed, to restore them like new. It certainly sounds like a tidy way around Google’s restrictions, albeit one that is going to take a considerable amount of time to implement, the net result of which will be exactly like before. That leaves us wondering: was this really worth the bad PR for the Googs?

Cyanogen Android ROM modder bends to Google’s will but does not break originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, Nokia, Others, GSM

It’s pretty typical for serial KIRFers to make minor changes to the names of the brands they’re ripping — take Sany Ericssan, for example — but we’ve never really known why. “Go big or go home” is the KIRF mantra we prefer to live by, and if you’re going to gank a phone’s design, by golly, do it with gusto. Give it 110 percent. In your heart, after all, that NOKLA’s really a Nokia — it’s what you feel deep inside that really matters, and no well-staffed, well-funded Finnish legal team can tell you otherwise. That’s why we’ve got to hand it to this particular model, simply called “Copy Nokia N900” in a painfully honest, accurate admission of its true raison d’être. Strangely, though, they’ve missed a few basic points: the Copy Nokia N900 trades the genuine article’s landscape QWERTY slider for a dual slide configuration in the same vein as the N85 and N95, for example, and Maemo 5 has gone missing — instead, you’re treated to a frighteningly accurate S60 5th Edition knockoff. If you can tolerate the dismal VGA cam, GPRS data, and QVGA screen, you’ll be pleased to discover that the phone features an analog (yes, analog) TV tuner and an accelerometer with “support” for flick control, which you can watch in action on video after the break — looks super fun and usable, doesn’t it?

Continue reading Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXXXVI: Nokia N900 rip shows no trademark fear

Keepin’ it real fake, part CCXXXVI: Nokia N900 rip shows no trademark fear originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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