• att,  bell,  hp,  pixi,  pre,  sprint,  verizon,  web os

    Rumor: HP webOS 1.4.5.1 Update On The Way

    May 8, 2011 /

    Call it a parting gift.  Call it a party favor.  Heck, it might as well be a case of Turtle Wax or a year’s supply of Rice-A-Roni, but HP is allegedly pushing out a very small maintenance update for devices running webOS 1.4.5.

    HP webOS 1.4.5.1 weighs in at an underwhelming 1MB and is reported to a bug fix release.  I’ve been checking my Sprint Pre for the last two days and there has been no notice of a new patch in the Updates application.  I’ve also checked the HP Palm support website, and the webOS Updates pages for the Pre, Pre Plus, Pixi, and Pixi Plus for Sprint, Verizon, AT&T and Bell don’t list any updates.

    Someone keeping watch over the Twitter @webOSdev account claims the update is real and that they are “just cleaning up some bugs.”  Hopefully, one of the bugs that will get fixed in the update is the annoying HTML tag error in the Contacts notes field that was fixed in webOS 2.x, but not in the 1.4.x software line.

    I’ll keep an eye out for the webOS 1.4.5.1 update and let you know if it finally arrives on my original Sprint Palm Pre.  The Palm webOS 1.4.5 update was first rolled out for the Sprint Palm Pre on August 10, 2010.  Additionally, HP has not yet released the details of their “alternative plans” are for customers who, according to them, will not be receiving the HP webOS 2.0 update.

    [Via PreCentral.net…]

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  • apple,  att,  iphone,  verizon

    Apple White iPhone 4 Now Available

    April 28, 2011 /

    After months of delays and false starts, the iPhone 4 is now finally available in white.  Starting today, the elusive white iPhone 4 can be purchased directly from Apple at their amazing retail stores or online at Apple.com.  You can also purchase a white iPhone directly from AT&T and Verizon locations or their online stores too.

    The white iPhone has the same internals as the black model and the only difference between the two versions is the front and back plates and the home button.

    The pricing for the white iPhone 4 is the same as the black model: $199 for the 16GB version; $299 for the 32GB version.  A new two year service agreement is required to get the special pricing.
    It’s rainy out today, so skip standing in line and use one of the handy links below to order your white iPhone 4 and stay warm and dry.

    Apple Online Store…
    AT&T Online Store…
    Verizon Online Store…

    Phew!  I’m glad that’s behind us now!  My guess that by this afternoon the iOS 5.0 and iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 rumors will be back in full force.

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  • apple,  att,  iphone,  rumors,  tmobile,  verizon

    Rumor: White iPhone 4 Lands on April 27th, T-Mobile Prototype Spotted

    April 25, 2011 /

    Just because it was a long Easter holiday weekend didn’t mean that there was a shortage of new white iPhone rumors.

    The first is that the white iPhone 4 will finally go on sale here in the United States this week.  Since this is a rumor, it is unclear if the near mythical iPhone will go on sale simultaneously for AT&T and Verizon Wireless or not.  After all of the delays, I personally hope that Apple rolls out the white iPhone 4 in both the GSM and CDMA flavors at the same time.  If the rumor is true, white iPhone 4’s are already being shipped in advance of the debut of their retail sales date.

    [Via AppleInside.com…]

    As a side note, BGR seems to have gotten their hands on what appears to be a prototype iPhone 4, yes, it’s white, running on the T-Mobile network.  The T-Mobile iPhone seems to have all signs pointing to test device, so don’t expect any T-Mobile/Apple product announcements anytime soon.

    [Via BGR.com…]

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  • apple,  att,  iphone,  verizon

    Rumor: The Mythical White iPhone To Arrive Soon – AT&T, Verizon

    April 14, 2011 /

    I don’t know which is more plausible: seeing a unicorn or a real – not hacked – white iPhone 4.

    AppleInsider.com is reporting that CDMA and GSM versions of the white iPhone 4 for both Verizon and AT&T are “nearly ready.”

    With some 8+ months having already passed since the black iPhone 4 went on sale, is there really anyone at this point, who has put off the purchase of an iPhone 4 just to get the white one?  I didn’t think so.

    [Via AppleInsider.com…]

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  • att,  pre,  sprint,  verizon,  web os

    I’ve Got The ‘End of Contract’ Itch. What Do I Do Now?

    April 3, 2011 /

    Ok, so it’s clear that two things are not going to happen in the next two months:

    • HP and Sprint release the Pre 2 or Pre 3 running webOS 2.1 or later
    • Apple and Verizon or AT&T will release the iPhone 5 running iOS 4.3 or later

    So what am I suppose to do with my 22 month old Sprint edition Palm Pre running a pre-release beta build of webOS 2.0.1?

    I think for the next six months I’m going to continue on Sprint (with at least four months going contract free), buying a replacement stock Palm Pre/Pixi battery, and going back to webOS 1.4.5.

    My Pre has suffered the test of time and has at least three cracks in it’s exterior casing, and one of the cracks has caused the microUSB door to fall out.  (For the record, I didn’t break it off.)  The battery is holding about 60% charge these days, so a new battery is going to be a must to make it until Q4, which is when the iPhone 5 could be arriving.  (Some bloggers seem to think that the iPhone 5 will go live this summer with iOS 4, and get a major software upgrade in September or October.  Others think Apple will continue to run with the iPhone 4, in black and white, until the ‘September-ish’ timeframe.)

    So that brings me back to webOS.  Don’t get me wrong: webOS is a great operating system.  I really do like it.  It’s just that it isn’t grabbing the attention of consumers like iOS and Android are doing.  The webOS pre-release beta build that I have on my phone is working, however, the code isn’t optimized to run on 2-year old hardware, and it is a bit ‘sluggish’.  (HP, to their credit, hasn’t released webOS 2.0.1 to the Pre/Pixi toting public.  The experience would be sub-optimal to anyone except the hardcore Palm fan – something I still consider myself.)

    So, fellow Palm Pre users still rockin’ it on Sprint, what are we going to do on June 6, 2011?  Time is almost up.

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  • apple,  att,  ipad,  verizon

    Apple Sees Strong Sales of iPad 2 During Launch Weekend

    March 13, 2011 /

    Apple enjoyed long lines and strong sales of their new table device, iPad 2 this weekend.

    The iPad 2, which went on sale this past Friday at 5pm, generated the kinds of lines that the previous iPad and iPhone 4 created.  According to a post this weekend on AppleInsider.com, Piper Jaffray researcher said that there where over 1,000 people in line at Apple’s 5th Ave retail store in Manhattan, New York City. Friday afternoon hoping to get their hands on the new device.

    Throughout the weekend, “supply checks” at various Apple retail locations and other authorized resellers indicated that the iPad 2 had been selling well and that some models had already sold out.

    Orders placed online for any of the Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + 3G models of iPad 2 are listed as shipping in 3-4 weeks.

    In the days leading up to the iPad 2 launch, Apple was not taking online reservations or pre-orders as they had done with the original iPad and the Verizon iPhone 4.  As a result, the launch of the iPad 2 generated the kind of customer lines that have become almost common place for an Apple mobile device product launch.

    For competitors hoping to finally get product out on the market this year who had been chasing after the original iPad, the bar has just been raised that much higher.

    [Via AppleInsider.com…]

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  • appletv,  att,  ios,  ipad,  iphone,  ipod,  itunes,  mac,  touch,  verizon,  windows

    Apple Releases iOS 4.3 Update Ahead of iPad 2 Launch (Updated)

    March 9, 2011 /

    Earlier today, Apple has released the iOS 4.3 update for current model iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch mobile devices.  iPad 2, which will go on sale at 5pm on Friday (3/11/11) will come pre-loaded with iOS 4.3 from the factory.

    Interestinly absent from the iOS 4.3 part is the new CDMA Verizon iPhone 4.  The Verizon iPhone 4 will not receive an update along side it’s GMS counterpart on rival wireless carrier, AT&T.

    iOS 4.3 provides some new features, including iTunes Home Sharing (streaming between your Mac or PC and your iOS device), iPhone 4 Personal HotSpot (Mi-Fi like cellular Internet connection sharing), and a new preference to allow iPad owners to chose the function of the slider switch (screen rotation lock or mute switch).

    In addtion to the new features, iOS 4.3 also enhances the Safari browser and the AirPlay feature, which requires a second generation AppleTV, first introduced in iOS 4.2.  ComputerWorld.com also reports that iOS 4.3 patches some 59 iOS bugs.

    iOS 4.3 supports all current model iDevices, include: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 GMS, iPad, and iPad 2, iPod touch (2009), and iPod touch (2010).  There is no world on when iOS 4.3 will be coming to the Verizon iPhone 4 or the second generation AppleTV.

    To install iOS on your device, first upgrade iTunes to the latest release, and then connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your computer and follow the on screen upgrade prompts.

    Update

    Apple has released a software update for the second generation AppleTV to bring it to version 4.2.  Click the Read More link for details.

    AppleInsider.com reports that Apple has updated the second generation AppleTV software version 4.2.

    New features of the update, as highlighted by Apple, include:

    • MLB.TV: Watch live and on-demand Major League Baseball games, access stats, scores and standings.
    • NBA: See scores and more, plus League Pass Broadband subscribers get live and archived games.
    • AirPlay for apps: Use AirPlay to wirelessly stream video from apps and Safari on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
    • Netflix Dolby Digital 5.1: Enjoy Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound when watching Netflix movies and TV shows
    • New slideshow themes: View photos with the new Scrapbook, Photo Mobile, and Holiday Mobile slideshow themes.
    • Improved on-screen keyboard: Search and enter names and passwords more easily with the redesigned on-screen keyboard.

    To update the software on your second generation AppleTV, use the software update feature in the settings menu.

    [Via AppleInsider.com…]

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  • apple,  att,  blackberry,  droid,  evo,  google,  hp,  iphone,  ipod,  palm,  pre,  sprint,  torch,  touch,  verizon

    Year End Deals on iPods, iPads, iPhones, Smartphones

    December 27, 2010 /

    Didn’t get the cool new phone or iDevice for Christmas that you were hoping for?  Are you sitting on a pile of cash or gift cards?  Don’t worry!  There are still deals to be had on new and refurbished hardware between now and the end of the year.

    Apple (Refurbished Hardware)

    • iPod Classic (Silver or Black) – $209
    • iPod touch 32GB (third generation) – $229
    • iPod touch 64GB (third generation) – $299
    • iPad Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G – $50-100 off refurbished units

    AT&T Wireless (Refurbished Hardware)

    • Apple iPhone 4 16GB – $99, $36 activation fee
    • Apple iPhone 4 32GB – $199, $36 activation fee
    • Apple iPhone 3GS 8/16/32GB – $29/$49/79, $36 activation fee
    • BlackBerry Torch – $9.99, activation fee waived
    • HP Palm Pre Plus – $0.00, activation fee waived
    • HTC Aria – $0.01, activation fee waived

    Keep reading for Verizon Wireless and Sprint phones.

    Sprint

    • BlackBerry Bold 9650 – $150 off online order
    • BlackBerry Curve 3G – $200 off online order
    • HP Palm Pixi – Free when ordered online
    • HTC Evo 4G – $150 off online order

    Verizon Wireless

    • HTC Droid Incredible – $149.99, BOGO
    • BlackBerry Curve 3G 9330 – $49.99, BOGO
    • BlackBerry Bold 9650 – $99.99, BOGO
    • HP Palm Pixi Plus – $0.00

    Depending on the phone model and service plan, a $36 activation fee may apply.

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  • att,  hp,  pixi,  pre,  sprint,  verizon,  web os

    Palm Pre Reaches EOL Status at Sprint

    November 16, 2010 /

    According to a PreCentral.net article posted today, the Palm Pre, the original HP webOS device, has reached End of Life (EOL) status on the Now Network.

    “Today we’ve received word from a trusted Sprint source that the end is here for the original Palm Pre, with Sprint marking the device as EOL (End of Life). It’s not a surprise after it already disappeared from their site, but it’s still a blow: we still find that the largest and most loyal webOS contingent lives on Sprint.

    Quantities of new Palm Pre phones in Sprint warehouses are very low (we’re talking hundreds of units here), so it shouldn’t be too much longer before the phone is completely sold out.”

    With the Palm Pre gone, Sprint customers will only have the option of the original Palm Pixi should they want to use a Palm phone and stay with Sprint.  There has been no word as to whether or not Sprint will pick up the new HP Palm Pre 2 that has already gone on sale in O2’s network in France, and will be headed to Verizon and AT&T in the near future.

    Personally, without a new high-end HP Palm or Apple iPhone on Sprint’s Now Network, I’m not sure how long I’ll be sticking with Sprint past the end of my 2-year contact that I signed when I purchased my Pre.  Sprint, you have until April, 2011 to pick up either the HP Palm Pre 2 or newer device or an Apple iPhone.  If not, I’m heading for Verizon or AT&T.

    [Via PreCentral.net…]

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  • att,  blackberry,  blackberry os,  blackberry tablet os,  rim,  torch

    AT&T Slashes Price of RIM BlackBerry Torch, PlayBook Priced Below iPad

    November 11, 2010 /

    Oh, really?  What’s going on with RIMM and AT&T?  This morning Barron’s Tech Trader Daily blog noted that AT&T has cut the price of the new BlackBerry Torch to $99.99 down from $199.99.  A 2-year service agreement is required.  The BlackBerry Torch was introduced back on August 3.

    The Torch, you will recall, looks like a second cousin for HP’s Palm Pre smartphone that was released back in mid-2009.  Those interested in the Torch, and yes, it is available in red, should head over to the AT&T Wireless website.

    Research in Motion Co-CEO Jim Balsillie also has been reported as saying that the Berry-themed tablet, the BlackBerry PlayBook will go on sale at Target and Best Buy retail locations and that the device, when it does become available in early 2011, will sell for less than $500.  The cheapest non-3G, Wi-Fi only Apple iPad starts at $499.

    The price cut on the Torch, while unexpected by me, isn’t too surprising.  Interest in the new slider BlackBerry hasn’t exactly lit the fire that RIM was hoping for.  As for pricing the PlayBook below the Wi-Fi Apple iPad’s $499 price tag, well, I think that anyone releasing a table in the next 12 months is looking for something, anything, that might resonate with consumers and get them to purchase their product verses and iPad.

    [Via Tech Trader Daily…]

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