• apple,  att,  iphone

    MMS Going Live on iPhone 3G, 3GS Today

    September 25, 2009 /

    The good news: iPhone 3G and 3GS owners will finally get access to MMS, or Multimedia Messaging Service, today.

    The bad news: To load the software update on your iPhone, you will need to download the update via iTunes and sync your iPhone to your computer.

    The really bad news: As we reported last month, original iPhone owners will be left out in the cold! (Sorry Shirley!)

    EngadgetMobile’s Chris Ziegler writes:

    “We’ve just heard from AT&T that new carrier settings for the iPhone 3G and 3GS will be available “late morning” Pacific Time (which would be early afternoon Eastern) this Friday, September 25, which will finally enable MMS support. Owners will have to tether up to iTunes to grab those settings, so fish out your cable (as if you don’t have it permanently attached to your machine already) and make sure you’ve got some solid time in front of the computer[…].”

    [Via EngadgetMobile.com…]

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  • o2,  pre

    Palm Pre Coming To Europe 10/16/09 on O2

    September 25, 2009 /

    Get ready Europe! The Palm Pre is headed your way on October 16th from O2!

    O2 today confirms that the Palm Pre phone will be available in the UK on 16 October exclusively on the O2 network. Customers can purchase the new device directly from O2, the Carphone Warehouse, Phones4U and Business partners who are part of O2’s specific partner programme. It will also be available for purchase online from the O2 shop at: www.o2.co.uk/shop.

    Ronan Dunne, CEO of Telefonica O2 UK said “Today’s announcement reinforces O2’s position as the home of the smartphone. With the addition of the excellent Palm Pre to our already extensive portfolio, we will continue to offer our customers the widest range of the very best devices on the market today.”

    “There’s a lot of excitement about Palm Pre in Europe as we continue to expand Palm webOS products across new carriers and countries,” said Jon Rubinstein chairman and chief executive officer, Palm, Inc. “We look forward to launching Palm Pre with O2 so people in the UK can see firsthand how Palm webOS offers a new and better smartphone experience.”

    For more details about the GSM Palm Pre on 02, including pricing plans, visit the O2 website.

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  • android,  dataviz,  google,  t-mobile

    RoadSync, Documents To Go Coming Bundled with “Pulse”

    September 25, 2009 /

    Earlier today, DataViz announced that they will be bundling RoadSync and Documents To Go on the European T-Mobile Pulse in October.

    DataViz, Inc., a leading provider of mobile office compatibility solutions today announced that their Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync client, RoadSync, and award-winning mobile Office suite, Documents To Go are included on the new T-Mobile Pulse (Huawei U8220.) The free full functioning license of RoadSync is optimized for Android-based devices and provides customers with built-in secure, wireless and direct push synchronization with Microsoft Exchange Server. Documents To Go further enhances the productivity value by adding support for viewing Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe PDF files and attachments.

    “As the Android OS continues to gain momentum in the smartphone market, we are excited to partner with Huawei and T-Mobile in an effort to help business professionals mobilize their Office life,” said Dick Fontana, President and CEO of DataViz, Inc. “The combination of top-notch devices, a reliable network and a comprehensive suite of enterprise-grade applications enables customers from around the world to get real work done when on the go.”

    Availability
    The preinstalled versions of RoadSync and Documents To Go will be available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, traditional and simplified Chinese when the T-Mobile Pulse (Huawei U8220) ships in October. Additional languages will be available in the coming weeks. For more information: www.dataviz.com/GetAndroid

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  • pre

    Pre Tip: Turn Off Location Services

    September 22, 2009 /

    We all know that we should do it, but we don’t – turning off unused services on our smartphones. On the upside, we gain quick access to all the nifty features of our phones like location services, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.

    But there is a price to be paid for having every last feature turned on and that is greatly diminished battery life!

    This morning before leaving the house, I did a simple little test to see the impact on battery life turning off Location Services, the GPS feature on the Pre, would have. The results where shocking! Usually by this time of day, my battery is running in the mid-20’s after starting the day at 6am on a full 100% charge. As I compose this post, my stock Palm Pre battery is at 45%; for me, that is a savings of at least 20%!

    Let’s put this battery savings into dollars and cents. There have been more than a few times where I have been out with my Pre where I have gotten the 10% battery life warning. If I’m working late at the office it isn’t the end of the world; I can easily begin charging my phone. But it is more of an inconvenience when I’m traveling. Over this past weekend, I was contemplating purchasing either a second stock Palm Pre battery ($49.99) or a Seidio Innocell 1350mAh extended life battery ($45.95). After today’s test, I have learned that cost savings in battery life of turning off the Pre’s location services is between $40-50. Not too bad considering today’s economy.

    I also keep the Pre’s Wi-Fi radio turned off unless I need it and I keep the Bluetooth radio on all the time. Individual mileage will vary, no doubt, however I encourage you to do some experimentation of your own before you go and race out to purchase a second battery for your Pre.

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  • pre,  web os

    webOS Tip: Use Universal Search

    September 17, 2009 /

    After having used Palm OS 5 day in and day out for many year, the arrival of the Palm Pre and webOS was like a breath of fresh air. For the most part, all of the Pre owners that I have talked to have had an easy transition to the new operating system. Want to take your game to the next level? Master using the Universal Search feature.

    Universal Search is an easy way to find a contact or application on your Pre. To use Universal Search, simply switch to Card View mode (press the Center button to reveal your open cards) and then start typing your search string. Palm webOS will begin searching your Contacts database and the names of the installed applications for a match. Search results are shown in real-time and the results set narrows as you continue to type more specific information. When you see the contact or application you want to use all you need to do is tap the object on the screen.

    When you are searching for a piece of information that is in a contact record, when that page appears, you can tap on a phone number to initiate a phone call; tap the SMS balloon icon to initiate an instant message; or an email address to start an email.

    But what happens when what I’m looking for isn’t available on your device? If Universal Search can’t find what you are looking for on the Pre, it offers to search online resources. So for example, if I type in “Sh” on my Pre, I will see all of the contact records for all of the people whose name starts with the letters “Sh” and the homebrew application “Shopping List”. When I change my search term to “apple pie” (it is September after all) Universal Search offers to search for “apple pie” on Google, Google Maps, Wikipedia, and Twitter.

    If I happen to be in an application, let’s say Memos for example, if I started typing “apple pie” while in the list view (cork board and sticky notes view) and I just happened to have a memo called “Apple Pie Recipe”, Universal Search will filter the list and show my just that memo.

    Universal Search could stand some improvements. For example, it can’t search my calendar or email messages meaning that there is no quick way to use the search term “sales meeting” to find out when the next meeting is being held or the email that had the Excel spreadsheet attachment that I might need to review before going to the meeting. As time goes by, Palm will no doubt refine and enhance the Universal Search engine in webOS, knowing today’s limitations will prevent hours of aggravation later on.

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  • apple,  editorial

    iPod touch: What Are You Going to Do?

    September 14, 2009 /

    I was looking forward to Apple’s iPod event last week with the hopes that there would be some cool new features added to the iPod touch. I was looking for an excuse to upgrade from my G1 touch since my headphone jack is acting flaky and I was hoping to get more storage space for the same price, or less, than I had paid for my 16GB unit. Plus the Internet was abuzz with rumors that there would be a digital camera in the new unit. And let’s not forget that newer versions of the touch also have the hardware buttons for volume control – something I miss from my 5th Gen iPod.

    The Apple event came and went with little more than a memory upgrade for the mid-tier iPod touch. Should I stick with what I’ve got? Should I buy a refurbished 16 or 32GB 2G iPod touch? Should I pick up a 32GB 3G iPod touch? Or should I keep waiting for the camera I was hoping would have been in the new iPod later down the road?

    The day before the Apple event, there was a rumor on the Internet that stated that a run of bad parts (the cameras) would delay the launch of the new 3G iPod touch. Turns out that Apple wasn’t going to hold up the new features that they could deliver.

    iFixit.com recently posted take apart directions for the 3G iPod touch that reveals that the motherboard does in fact have space for a 5th Gen iPod Nano style camera in it. iFitix also revealed that the Wi-Fi chip inside the new touch is capable of 802.11n, provided that Apple release the driver to take full advantage of the chip.

    So, iPod fans, what are we going to do? Since the 32 and 64GB iPod touch models are exactly “cheap”, I think I’ll be sticking with my 1G iPod touch until my headphone jack stops working or Apple finally gives the iPod touch the features it’s price tag demands.

    Click the Comments link below and let us know what you are planning to do.

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  • sprint

    Charlie Rose Interview with Sprint CEO, Dan Hesse

    September 12, 2009 /

    I just had a chance to watch the Charlie Rose interview with Dan Hesse, Sprint’s CEO. If you haven’t watched this interview yet, you should. It provides an interesting look into Mr. Hesse’s background, the wireless telecomm industry, and the foundation to Sprint’s customer satisfaction strategy.

    You can watch the full interview here…

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  • sms

    The Real Cost of SMS Messaging

    September 12, 2009 /

    Time Magazine has an interesting article on their website this week. The article, titled “Guess What Texting Costs Your Wireless Provider?” dumps a bucket of cold water on wireless subscribers.

    According to the article, American teens have a combined average of 2,899 messages (sends and receives) a month; which I find a mind numbing number. SMS messaging, works over a cellular carrier’s voice network, not the data networks that provide Internet access to smartphones like Apple’s iPhone or Palm’s Pre. Yankee Group analyst Christopher Collins states that because of the limiting nature of SMS messages, 160 characters at a maximum, the carriers have been able to route the traffic over the existing voice network infrastructure. “They cost the mobile carriers so little that you could argue that they’re free,” says Collins.

    Time’s article also sites the work of University of Waterloo in Ontario professor Srinivasan Keshav.

    “He showed that the wireless channels contribute about a tenth of a cent to a carrier’s cost, that accounting charges might be twice that and that other costs basically round to zero because texting requires so little of a mobile network’s infrastructure. Summing up, Keshav found that a text message doesn’t cost providers more than 0.3 cent.”

    If SMS messaging costs carriers less than a penny to process, why are wireless customers paying on average $0.15 – 0.20 per message sent or received? That’s what Wisconsin Democratic Senator Herbert Khol wants to know. Senator Kohl, “chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, [and will be holding] hearings on the matter in June.”

    You can read the full article on the Time Magazine website.

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  • android,  google,  motorola,  t-mobile

    Impressions of the Motorola Cliq

    September 11, 2009 /

    I wanted to get a better understanding of just what the new Motorola Cliq was all about. We know that is an Android phone, but there is a growing number of Android phones out there. What would make the Cliq unique in the rapidly expanding smartphone universe? To find out, I started reading what the newspapers had to say.

    In a Washington Post article about the Cliq, Motorola’s co-CEO and head of mobile devices,Sanjay Jha, said:

    “I see this as a first step in a long journey where we develop the kind of products which are really relevant for consumers.” “I think for Motorola to retain its tech edge and reputation for engineering, it really has to hit a home run – not necessary with this particular phone, but with its phones in the coming year, including this one.”

    A noble goal to be sure, and one that provides Google Android fans with another major device manufacturer in the mobile phone market. But what does it really do; besides making phone calls that is? How will the Cliq be different from T-Mobile’s other Android phone, the HTC Dream known as the G1? For the answer to that question, I turned to an article in the New York Times.

    “[The Cliq] is meant for young people obsessed with social networks. Instead of the traditional menu of features, the Cliq’s home screen is an ever-changing mosaic of e-mail, Twitter tweets and status updates, superimposed over photos of the people sending those messages.”

    The key to all the magic of this phone is Motorola’s Motoblur (video). Motoblur is essentially a technology that pulls data into your phone from multiple online sources such as your personal and corporate email account, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and more. It is Motorola’s answer to Palm’s Synergy technology that first appeared earlier this year in the Palm Pre’s webOS operating system.

    So now it makes sense. The Cliq is Motorola’s and T-Mobile’s social networking smartphone for teens and 20-somethings. While T-Mobile hasn’t announced the price of the Cliq with a new subscription yet, the feeling from around the web is that the Cliq will run about $100. There is also talk of a more expensive version of the Cliq that is headed to Verizon Wireless later this year that will include additional features. That phone is expected to be available “for the holiday season.”

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  • verizon,  windows mobile

    HTC Touch Pro2 Available on Verizon

    September 11, 2009 /

    Earlier today, Verizon Wireless issued a press release stating that together with HTC, the Touch Pro2 Windows Mobile powered smartphone will go on sale starting tomorrow.

    When we add Verizon to the mix, Apple, Palm, T-Mobile, and Big Red all announced or will begin selling new hardware this week!

    Verizon Wireless and HTC Corporation introduce the HTC Touch Pro2™, a global-capable smartphone designed for the busiest professionals and world travelers. The HTC Touch Pro2 features an extra-large 3.6-inch touch screen that tilts to an optimal viewing angle, an ergonomic slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and an advanced speakerphone with asymmetric speakers and advanced noise suppression to deliver customers a robust productivity experience. Created with the intuitive TouchFLO 3D user interface, data on the HTC Touch Pro2 can be easily accessed with just the touch of a finger.

    The Touch Pro2 will include the following key features:

    • High-speed connectivity over Verizon Wireless’ Mobile Broadband network (1x/EV-DO Revision A 800/1900 MHz)
    • Global connectivity to allow customers to access e-mail and data and use the phone for voice calling in more than 220 destinations (GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz WCDMA/HSPA 2100 MHz)
    • Wi-Fi capabilities (802.11 b/g)
    • 3.6 inch WVGA resolution (480 x 800) tilting touch screen
    • Advanced speakerphone with noise-cancelling technology
    • 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera with video capture
    • Touch-sensitive zoom bar
    • Seamless connectivity with Microsoft® Exchange, Outlook and Office applications with Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
    • Bluetooth® 2.1 with EDR and A2DP stereo
    • Processor: Qualcomm MSM 7600A, 528 MHz
    • Memory: 512 MB ROM, 288 MB RAM
    • Dimensions: 4.57” x 2.33” x .68” (length x width x height)
    • Weight: 6.3 ounces (with standard battery)
    • Extended 1500 mAh battery for longer operation times
    • Up to 5.3 hours of talk time (CDMA) or up to 13.5 days of standby time (CDMA)

    Pricing and Availability

    Beginning Friday the HTC Touch Pro2 will be available for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a voice plan with an e-mail feature or e-mail plan. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card. Customers can order the HTC Touch Pro2 online at www.verizonwireless.com, in business sales channels and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores.

    The full press release for the HTC Touch Pro2 can be read on the Verizon Wireless website.

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