DISCOVER THE NEW WORLD OF HANDHELDS

Asus Padfone 2 software update improves stability, camera

2013-03-22T19:31:00.001+00:00

Asus issued a new software update for the Padfone 2, which brings a couple of new features and improves on the old ones. The update brings the software to version V10.4.12.24, Android version remains at 4.1.
One of the changes is better performance and stability for the Padfone 2 itself and its Padfone 2 Station tablet dock. Wi-Fi connections should be more stable after the update too.
The camera firmware was updated with optimized HDR mode and automatic brightness control.
New features include NFC file sharing from Asus Studio and the new Asus Story app. The lockscreen has been tweaked and several of the existing apps had some work done as well, including the Contacts app, Email app, weather and battery widgets.
You can download the V10.4.12.24 update for the Asus Padfone 2 from the company’s web site. You’ll first need to check the SKU of your device (the first three letters of the Build number, found in Settings, About). The download is between 760MB and 880MB, depending on SKU, so make sure you get the correct one (or the update wouldn’t install).

HTC One delayed to late April everywhere but in UK, DE and TW

2013-03-22T19:24:00.001+00:00

HTC has just issued another official statement regarding the HTC One delayed launch.
A few markets will get HTC One on time after all - the United Kingdom, Germany and Taiwan will be lucky enough to get the HTC flagship next week.

The rest of the world will have to wait though. HTC promises to bring the One to Europe, North America and most of the Asia-Pacific countries before the end of April. This means the HTC One will lose its headstart before the Galaxy S4.
Here is the official HTC statement:
"HTC has seen unprecedented demand for and interest in the new HTC One, and the care taken to design and build it is evidenced in early reviews. The new HTC One will roll out in the UK, Germany and Taiwan next week and across Europe, North America and most of Asia-Pacific before the end of April. We appreciate our customers’ patience, and believe that once they have the phone in their hands they will agree that it has been worth the wait."
Surely one month of delay won't make a huge difference for the users no matter their complaints, but HTC One will have to put up with the pressure coming from the Samsung's Galaxy S4 which is set to launch about the same time.

News First Samsung Galaxy S4 mini live photos appear

2013-03-22T19:20:00.001+00:00

With the Samsung Galaxy S4 now official, it's time for the rest of the new generation Galaxy devices to start making an appearance. It turns out the first one to break ground is the Galaxy S4 mini.

SamMobile has got hold of some live photos of the smartphone, which reveals a design quite similar to the Samsung Galaxy S4. The photos below confirm that the S4 mini will even feature the back cover design of its bigger brother.
The Galaxy S4 mini (GT-I9190) will be available in a dual-SIM version as well (probably carrying the Galaxy S4 mini duos moniker and GT-I9192 model number).

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini live photos
Despite its name and resemblance to Samsung's flagship, the Galaxy S4 mini allegedly won't pack a monster of a CPU, but rather a 1.6GHz dual-core CPU and a 4.3" Super AMOLED display of qHD resolution (960x540 pixels, 256ppi).
It's slightly bigger than the ongoing Galaxy S III mini, which features a 4" display of WVGA resolution. Unfortunately, the S4 mini's CPU type isn't known at this point, but what's known from the photos above is that the smartphone will run what's currently the latest version of Android -4.2.2 Jelly Bean.
According to the source the Galaxy S4 mini is expected to make its debut in June or July this year.

Sammobile

FREE ONLINE LIBRARIES

2011-12-14T16:47:00.000+00:00

FREE ONLINE LIBRARIES

Sony Ericsson sees 180m Android phones in 2011

2011-05-12T12:49:00.000+01:00

Sony Ericsson VP and chief technology officer Jan Uddenfeldt said the company expects the Android-based smartphone market to increase from 60 million units in 2010 to 180 million units in 2011. With 60 percent of Sony Ericcson’s sales coming from smartphones, Sony has forged a new pathway that will see it deliver smartphones that only run Android. While it has supported the Symbian OS in the past, it has dropped the OS from its plans altogether. Although not ruling out Windows Phone 7, Uddenfeldt said that Sony Ericsson will not be shipping a device with the OS this year.To cash in on this market, Sony Ericsson has focused on ensuring its new devices are running more recent releases of the Android OS. It has also increased its Android phone line from four models in 2010, to a planned eight in 2011.

The most recent additions to Sony Ericsson’s line-up arrived earlier this month. The Xperia mini and Xperia mini Pro both run 1GHz Snapdragon processors and feature Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo review: More than a sequel

2011-05-12T12:46:00.000+01:00

Introduction

It’s a sequel. Same cast and the same story but with a new lead and a new director. Shot in HD. The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo is to settle some unfinished business at the box office. A year stands between the Vivaz and the Neo and Android does make all the difference.
The XPERIA Neo is part of Sony Ericsson’s new droid lineup and takes advantage of all the new features – the LED-backlit Reality display with Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine, an 8 megapixel Exmor R camera sensor, 720p video with continuous autofocus and the latest Android – 2.3 Gingerbread.
Key features

    Quad-band GSM /GPRS/EDGE support
    3G with 7.2 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
    3.7" 16M-color capacitive LED-backlit LCD touchscreen of FWVGA resolution (480 x 854 pixels) on Sony Mobile BRAVIA engine
    Android OS v2.3 Gingerbread
    1 GHz Scorpion CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 chipset
    512 MB RAM
    8 MP autofocus camera, LED flash, geotagging
    720p video @ 30fps, continuous autofocus
    Front facing VGA camera, video calls
    Wi-Fi b/g/n and DLNA
    GPS with A-GPS
    microSD slot (32GB supported, 8GB card included)
    Accelerometer and proximity sensor
    Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
    Stereo FM radio with RDS
    microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1
    Voice dialing
    Adobe Flash 10.2 support
    microHDMI port

Main disadvantages

    Display has poor viewing angles
    The competition has dual-core CPUs, 1080p video
    No smart dialing
    Loudspeaker has below average performance
    No DivX/XviD support
    Memory card slot under the battery cover

The Neo benefits from new technology but it does well to focus on the important stuff: imaging. It’s not the 3.7 touchscreen that makes this phone, nor is it the 1 GHz CPU or the latest Android Gingerbread. And hey, these are all fine features to have. But in the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo the HD-enabled cameraphone comes before the all-round droid smartphone.
The short list of downsides gives away a well-focused device. The XPERIA Neo is spared the predicament of a flagship too. While the Arc might be unsettled by the new dual-core beasts – the Neo doesn’t need top specs to be good at its main job. The previous generation hardware is less of a disadvantage.
Having met the Neo, this review doesn’t look as such a tough challenge. All it needs to do is cement the good impression it already made. Such kind of safety can be deceptive though. Let’s hope the Neo didn’t let its muscles soften. You’re welcome to follow us as we try to find out.

Samsung Galaxy Gio S5660 review: Average Gio

2011-05-12T12:43:00.000+01:00

Introduction

It’s devices like the Samsung Galaxy Gio that helped Android gain so much ground in so little time. They are a better bargain than the uber-smartphone and find their way into people’s pockets a lot easier. With that goal in mind, the Galaxy Gio must be an all-round pleaser of a phone.

They may soon be running out of names for the Galaxy lot. But it will be when number plates start to fall short that they’ll know they’re in trouble. Back to the point though. Boy number S5660 is called Gio. He’s a teenager – mischievous and fun, too young for a suit and tie.

It’s a decent offer for the midrange: with a good enough version of Android (2.2.1 Froyo), good enough screen, a powerful 800MHz processor and a great connectivity set, ranging from 3G to GPS. There’s little to complain about, save for the imaging skills perhaps.
Here’s the rest of what the Galaxy Gio has to offer.
Key features

    Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
    7.2 Mbps HSDPA support
    3.2" 16M-color TFT capacitive touchscreen of HVGA (320 x 480 pixels) resolution, multi-touch
    800MHz ARM 11 processor, Adreno 200 GPU, Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset; 278MB of RAM available to the user
    Android 2.2.1 (Froyo) with TouchWiz 3.0 UI
    Wi-Fi 802.11 b, g, n with Mobile Hotspot functionality
    GPS with A-GPS connectivity; Digital compass
    3.2 MP autofocus camera with geo-tagging and face-detection
    QVGA@15fps video
    microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1
    microSD slot (up to 32GB, 2GB in box)
    Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
    Accelerometer and proximity sensor
    DNSe sound enhancement
    Stereo FM radio with RDS
    Document viewer
    Smart dialing
    Swype text input
    Samsung Apps brings a few nice apps for free

Main disadvantages

    Poor video recording
    No shutter key for the camera
    No Adobe Flash support in the web browser
    No ambient light sensor for auto brightness
    No DivX/Xvid video support out of the box

The Samsung S5660 Galaxy Gio obviously isn’t a camera-centric device. QVGA video and 3.2 MP stills don’t go a long way. But as a smartphone it has what it takes to be taken seriously.

The Samsung Galaxy Gio is a phone of compromise. If you’re looking to give smartphones a try, you may be willing to live without a killer screen and a brilliant camera. The Gio will be a good choice for newbies or budget upgraders, if the price is right.

Samsung makes first fast 64-gigabit MLC flash

2011-05-12T12:41:00.000+01:00

Samsung has announced that it has developed the world’s first toggle Double Data Rate 2.0 64-gigabit MLC NAND flash memory chips. Samsung has been able to achieve the higher density by fabricating the new chips on a 20nm process. They have a 400 megabits bandwidth are said to 10 times faster than the Single Data Rate NAND flash memory used in most smartphones and tablets in use today.
Samsung expects the chips to be integrated into the next generation of tablets and smartphones, which rely heavily on flash memory for their storage. IHS iSuppli predicts that by 2012, NAND flash memory modules with 64Gb or higher densities will account for 70 percent of NAND shipments.

Upcoming WP7 Mango update to bring along turn-by-turn SatNav

2011-05-10T12:24:00.000+01:00

The next update for Windows Phone 7, dubbed Mango will supposedly bring along cool features like music recognition, camera-integrated search (barcode and image scanning) and even turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation for the Bing Maps application.
These are all unconfirmed features but the images, enclosed with the scoop, suggest them to be legitimate.

The first feature is Bing Audio, which acts like a built-in Shazam-like music recognition. It's not like there aren't apps like this for almost every OS, Shazam is even available for Windows Phone 7, but this is a music recognition feature, integrated into the mobile OS.

There will also be a feature, dubbed Bing Vision. It will give the camera app the power to scan barcodes or shoot landmarks (kinda like Google Goggles) and find similar images and information on items. Such feature also hints of future augmented reality apps, which could interact with the camera app and use it.
Also, the most exciting rumored feature is the turn-by-turn navigation for Bing Maps. It's a must-have smartphone feature.
UPDATE: Voice-guided navigation on Windows Phone 7 has been confirmed via Twitter. It seems, though, that it won't be available everywhere, just in selected countries, according to @WindowsPhone8. Should this turn out to be true it looks just like Google's strategy with the Google Maps voice-guided navigation.
There will be a podcast app, which will give you the option to listen and even download podcasts. There's even a hint of video podcast support.

Finally the Voice Dictation feature, which basically lets you create and send messages, hands-free. It's a great concept, but one we hope Microsoft explores more widely as there are tons of other actions that would be great, done only by voice, apart from text messaging.

There's no official word on when this update will be released. But when we think about the NoDo update with copy-paste functionality and how long it actually took Microsoft to roll it out and the debacles, following the update for some Samsung owners, we get the feeling that Windows Phone 7 users will have to wait awhile for it.
Hit the source link below for the full 57 min podcast. The interesting stuff is around the 40 min mark.

New Symbian^3 homescreen leaked by Nokia Germany

2011-05-10T12:21:00.001+01:00

Some images posted on the Nokia Germany website just lifted the curtain on one of the features to come in the next Symbian^3 update. What we are seeing is the free-form widgets that were initially rumored to come with the PR 2.0 Anna update, but apparently didn’t make it.
The new Symbian^3 homescreen with free-form widgets

Until now the Symbian^3 widgets had a fixed size and you could only fit a preset number of them on the screen. However when free-form widgets become available you'll be able to reduce those you need less often in size to make room for the more important ones.

Now there’s an outside chance that someone in the Nokia Germany PR department just went too creative on those images, but we really doubt that this is the case. After all, what would be the point in simulating such a minor feature if you don’t plan on ever releasing. It won’t attract any new customers and it might earn you some bad publicity.

So it’s a pretty safe bet that Symbian users will be able to resize their widgets once the next update becomes available. Dubbed PR 3.0 Belle, this upcoming update is expected to hit in the fall, but given that we’re still waiting for the mass availability of the Anna, we wouldn’t bet our salaries on that.

Mobile Spy v5 enables parents, employers smartphone access

2011-05-10T12:18:00.000+01:00

Retina-X Studios has updated their Mobile Spy 5.0 smartphone monitoring software to include the Mobile Spy Live Control Panel, which can grab screenshots from the user's smartphone (iOS, Android or Blackberry) as well as a map of its current location, updated every 90 seconds. The program also logs SMS text messages, call information, GPS locations, photos taken and other activities, and the latest version adds silent SMS commands for monitoring and recovering a child's or employee's smartphone as well as the option to have activity logs e-mailed to administrators.
"Silent" SMS commands that the software can execute include sending back GPS location, SIM card information, locking or unlocking the phone as well as a remote data-wipe operation. A version of the program can also work with Symbian OS or Windows Mobile devices. After any activity is logged, the information is silently uploaded to the administrator's private online account, which can be checked from any web browser without further access to the phone.
Apple's iOS devices must be jailbroken prior to installing the software, as Mobile Spy has not been approved by Apple and is not available through the App Store. It also does not work on iPad 2s at present, and the Live Control Panel is not available for iPad (either version) at all.
For Android devices running v2 or later, the software can be installed on any non-AT&T Android device without restriction (Mobile Spy 4.0 can support Android v1.5 and v1.6). AT&T is currently blocking third-party apps from being installed, so Mobile Spy does not work on devices using AT&T's network.
Blackberry devices running versions 4 or 5 of the Blackberry OS can also use Mobile Spy, but cannot capture web URLs visited at the present time. The software also requires that any device being monitored have GPS and an internet connection via Wi-Fi or data plan for continuous monitoring.
Mobile Spy 5.0 is available on a subscription basis, billed in quarterly instalments of $50, or semi-annual payments of $70 or a flat annual rate of $100. Compatibility information on individual models can be found here.

Samsung Galaxy Gio S5660: Average Gio

2011-05-07T05:47:00.003+01:00

Introduction

Key features

    Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support
    7.2 Mbps HSDPA support
    3.2" 16M-color TFT capacitive touchscreen of HVGA (320 x 480 pixels) resolution, multi-touch
    800MHz ARM 11 processor, Adreno 200 GPU, Qualcomm MSM7227 chipset; 278MB of RAM available to the user
    Android 2.2.1 (Froyo) with TouchWiz 3.0 UI
    Wi-Fi 802.11 b, g, n with Mobile Hotspot functionality
    GPS with A-GPS connectivity; Digital compass
    3.2 MP autofocus camera with geo-tagging and face-detection
    QVGA@15fps video
    microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1
    microSD slot (up to 32GB, 2GB in box)
    Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
    Accelerometer and proximity sensor
    DNSe sound enhancement
    Stereo FM radio with RDS
    Document viewer
    Smart dialing
    Swype text input
    Samsung Apps brings a few nice apps for free

Main disadvantages

    Poor video recording
    No shutter key for the camera
    No Adobe Flash support in the web browser
    No ambient light sensor for auto brightness
    No DivX/Xvid video support out of the box

The Samsung S5660 Galaxy Gio obviously isn’t a camera-centric device. QVGA video and 3.2 MP stills don’t go a long way. But as a smartphone it has what it takes to be taken seriously.

Samsung Galaxy Gio S5660 live shots

The Samsung Galaxy Gio is a phone of compromise. If you’re looking to give smartphones a try, you may be willing to live without a killer screen and a brilliant camera. The Gio will be a good choice for newbies or budget upgraders, if the price is right.

10-inch BlackBerry PlayBook reportedly already seen live

2011-05-07T03:58:00.003+01:00

First mention of a 10-inch BlackBerry PlayBook just this week has been quickly followed up by a sighting mentioned Friday. A reportedly credible traveller on a flight from Dallas to Toronto saw a device he said looked virtually identical to the seven-inch version but with a visibly better display. It was described to CrackBerry as unmistakable since it was using the same BlackBerry Tablet OS and was running Need For Speed, one of the bundled PlayBook games.

The rumor is unconfirmed but would line up with historical sightings. RIM employees have frequently been seen carrying pre-release devices on flights as engineers and executives fly back to Toronto and Waterloo from meetings with partners. For RIM, tablets are relatively new, but the launch of the PlayBook could mean staff are now comfortable carrying unreleased models.
A launch for the 10-inch PlayBook is rumored for the fall and would be a quick response to concerns that the current version is too small. RIM has claimed that the PlayBook can be an advantage for its pocketable size, but the it may be concerned that Steve Jobs was accurate about the problems associated with a seven-inch tablet. Its approach would follow that taken by Samsung, which tried out a seven-inch tablet at first but scaled up to larger sizes to hedge against customers preferring larger screens.

Samsung Exhibit 4G for T-Mobile leaks with 1.4GHz chip

2011-05-07T03:56:00.001+01:00

A leak Friday night confirmed that T-Mobile is lining up a more direct replacement for the Samsung Vibrant. The Exhibit 4G would be a close relative of the Galaxy S Plus and use its 1.4GHz processor, five-megapixel camera, and Android 2.3, but with some conspicuous upgrades and downgrades. TmoNews saw that it would have a slightly smaller 3.7-inch (though still 480x800) screen, but it would pack a front VGA resolution camera and its namesake HSPA+ data, though whether it would be 14.4Mbps or 21Mbps couldn't be identified.

The control scheme would be its most unusual aspect; rather than have the four touch buttons of the Vibrant or most US Galaxy S phones, it would use a consciously iPhone-like home button and reserve the rest for up top. Performance would be strictly middling at somewhere between the Galaxy S and the Motorola Droid X.
No release details exist for the Exhibit 4G. However, its appearance in working form with a final name could have it coming soon. The earliest opportunity is a known Samsung event on May 24.

Apple rumored talking to use YouKu on Chinese iPhones

2011-05-07T03:53:00.000+01:00

Apple was rumored on Friday to be making a rare exception and customizing the iPhone for a particular country. Chinese video site YouKu's head Victor Koo was purportedly talking with Apple chief Steve Jobs about having a YouKu app preloaded in the default configuration for phones sold in China. Since the YouTube app is banned by the Chinese government, YouKu would effectively be filling in, TechNode was told by a "trusted resource."
The timing for the claimed change wasn't given out, though it might wait until iOS 5 and the next iPhone.
While Apple often tries to insist on the same firmware for iPhones whenever possible, it has been willing to make exceptions when the law or carrier demands make it necessary. The Japanese iPhone 3G when it shipped came with a home screen shortcut to SoftBank's Yahoo portal. In China, Apple already had to temporarily sell iPhones without Wi-Fi along with removing the YouTube app.
YouKu may be a strong substitute for YouTube as the top video upload site in the country and the rough equivalent to Google's service.

LG Display blamed for iPad 2 shortage, Chimei due in May

2011-05-06T05:32:00.000+01:00

A large part of the iPad 2's shortage issues were put at LG Display's feet on Thursday night through claims from supply sources. LG Display reportedly had light leakage problems for screens made at its sixth-generation LCD plant and could only ship 3.2 million iPad LCDs between January and March. Samsung, already helping out, ended up producing more at seven million, Digitimes understood.
While the 9.2 million total was well in excess of the 4.69 million Apple sold, much of that production would have been intended for the spring. Apple is known to have stopped original iPad production near the very start of the year and to have shifted over to production around February. Shipments would have started out in low numbers both due to the LG Display issue and the usual time needed to ramp up production at a contractor like Foxconn.
LG Display was said to have already fixed the problem and should be producing many more in spring. Plans for Chimei Innolux to pitch in were reportedly still on track and would have it shipping the 9.7-inch, IPS-based touchscreens this month.
While unconfirmed, the LG issues would support complaints from some iPad 2 buyers who've noticed light leakage on some of the earliest production runs. Apple has readily acknowledged that it was limited only by supply in the first quarter of the year and hinted at LG's resolution with confidence production would get back on track quickly.

Dell Venue Pro goes on sale in AT&T version

2011-05-06T05:29:00.000+01:00

Dell has finally released its Venue Pro smartphone for customers using AT&T's network, following an earlier release through T-Mobile and other carriers in international markets. AT&T subscribers can choose from 8GB, 16GB or 32GB storage capacities, with prices starting at $100 when paired with a two-year contract.
The Windows Phone 7 smartphone features a 1GHz processor, 512MB or RAM, and a five-megapixel camera. Users can take advantage of Office Mobile applications and a QWERTY slider that deploys in portrait orientation.
AT&T customers looking for more than 8GB of integrated storage can pick up the 16GB variant for $150 or the 32GB edition for $200.

Samsung shows seven-inch navigator, tablet hybrid in Korea

2011-05-05T15:41:00.000+01:00

Samsung introduced a new hybrid tablet in Korea recently, the SENS-240. It syncs with an Android-powered Samsung handset or tablet using Bluetooth to allow for voice calls, data, and video. The seven-inch tablet also works like a portable navigation device with dedicated GPS software.
It is powered by a 1.43GHz processor, gets 256MB of RAM, and an 800x480 screen resolution. A USB 2.0 host port and an SD card slot are present as well. Koreans get a DMB TV tuner to catch over-the-air broadcasts. A paired smartphone can remotely control the SENS-240 as well through dedicated apps.
Pricing is unknown, as are release dates, though it will be confined to Korea only for the near future.

Motorola serves pro Android with XPRT, Titanium for Sprint

2011-05-05T15:33:00.000+01:00

Motorola pushed hard on the pro side of Android phones Thursday with two new models for Sprint. The XPRT [link up soon] is a Sprint adaptation of the Droid Pro and shares the mix of a 3.1-inch, 320x480 touchscreen with a fixed QWERTY keyboard for a BlackBerry-like design. Sprint's version shares Android 2.2, CDMA/GSM world roaming, five-megapixel camera, 1GHz processor, and 3G hotspot support with its Verizon parallel.
The Titanium [link also coming] is a direct sequel to the earlier i1. Although it's using the older Android 2.1, it's the first device on Sprint's push-to-talk iDEN network to use 2.x and gets Exchange mail support as well as newer apps. It still revolves around a 3.1-inch screen but has a subtler design that meets even tougher US military 810G specs for resistance to dust, shock, temperature, and other environmental conditions.
The XPRT is so far the only one committed to a release date and will ship June 5 for $130 when paired with a two-year contract. Titanium details were coming later.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA PLAY to finally come to O2 UK in June

2011-05-05T15:31:00.000+01:00

The first PlayStation-certified smartphone, Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play, is finally going to make its debut on the O2 network in UK next month. The carrier was initially expected to launch the handset in April, but reportedly software bugs found at the eleventh hour pushed its release back.
Now however, we’ve got an official confirmation from the O2 blog that the issues are nearly resolved and the handset will be available in O2 UK network next month. Unfortunately pricing is still a mystery at this point, but we should be getting an update on that soon enough.
Yet, we can’t help but wonder about those alleged bugs. After all, the handset hit the shelves as planned elsewhere and we didn’t notice any deal-breaking issues when we reviewed it, which leads us to believe that the issues had something to do with the bloatware that O2 is trying to install on the handset.
In case you are not familiar with the term, we are talking about the custom carrier-branded software that normally does little more than irritate users and slow-down updates. Boy, do we hope to be wrong with our assumption here.

HTC Wildfire S spotted for T-Mobile USA

2011-05-05T09:52:00.000+01:00

A sighting at a T-Mobile event has helped confirm that the HTC Wildfire S should come to the US through the carrier. While devoid of T-Mobile badging, the phone codenamed as the Marvel was put side-by-side with the Sensation. A guest relaying the info to TmoNews didn't get the shipping schedule or the price.The Wildfire S is an upgrade to HTC's entry-level Android phone and still has a 3.2-inch screen, but it upgrades to a 320x480 screen resolution, a more recent 600MHz processor, and a five-megapixel camera with flash.Along with the rumor, talk at the show supported rumors that the HTC Doubleshot would be called the myTouch 4G Slide. Another Windows Phone 7 device was coming from HTC besides the HD7, but what that would be wasn't said.

Skype rumored making deals with Facebook, Google

2011-05-05T09:42:00.000+01:00

Skype could face one of two major deals based on talk from a pair of sources. Facebook has supposedly considered either a joint venture with the VoIP pioneer or buying it outright, getting serious enough that its founder Mark Zuckerberg has been directly involved. Google has also been considering a joint venture, Reuters said, but wasn't to the point of buying it out.

Either prospective deal was early and could lean in any direction.Earlier tips had Facebook integrating Skype into its service to make phone calls, which didn't materialize and has been filled in by T-Mobile's Bobsled. Skype did eventually add a Facebook tie-in of its own later on.Google's reasons for Skype teamwork would be less clear. It already has VoIP, both through Google Talk in Gmail and through Google Voice. Skype could fill in holes such as calling on other parts of the web or else provide expanded voice and video Internet calls on Android. With a looming antitrust investigation, Google might be hesitant to buy Skype outright or make too strong a connection.None of the involved companies has commented on the rumors.

Official: HP Veer 4G headed to AT&T on 15 May, will cost $100

2011-05-05T09:31:00.000+01:00

The HP Veer 4G will be launched, exclusively in the US, on the AT&T network and it will set back users $99.9 on a two year contract. It will be available in-stores and online from 15 May.
The Veer 4G will be offered in either black or white color and is the smallest of the WebOS-yielding pack from HP.

On the inside, it’s powered by a Qualcomm NSN7230 processor, clocked at 800 MHz, with Adreno 205 graphics, a 5 MP fixed-focus snapper, 2.6” capacitive touchscreen display and WebOS 2.1.
The HP Veer 4G keeps all those specs inside a minuscule figure of just about a credit card.
The 4G at the end of the phone's name stands for HSDPA 14.4 download speeds, not the real LTE stuff.

Mobile phone usage report 2011: The things you do

2011-05-05T09:19:00.002+01:00

Introduction

A few weeks back we asked some questions to find out how you, our readers, are using your mobile phones. Now we are back with the answers and they have some interesting stories to tell.

Did you ever wonder what kind of phone usage is normal? We seem to have a pretty good idea. Are cell phones still mostly used for making calls or has web browsing already taken over? The answer is right here.
In some places, more people use their phone as a wakeup alarm than they do to make calls. More people use music recognition in North America than in any other place on Earth. You told us what features are used daily and what are only needed once in a while. We also know which are the most wanted but, for various reasons, still not widely used.

Before we go on though, we’d like to thank you for taking part in our survey so actively. More than 15,000 people responded, 10,000 of which clocked in the first 24 hours alone. As you could imagine, the results should be representative enough given the number of respondents representing various age groups, both genders and different continents.
And while the results can most probably apply to mobile phone enthusiasts all over the world they are hardly accurate as far as the whole world population is concerned. The thing is you, our faithful audience, are not exactly the average phone users. Being so informed and passionate about cell phones (why would you else be here reading all those long reviews) you tend to spend more time with your phone and use most of the features.
Here are some numbers that prove this further: 96% of all respondents browse the web on their mobile phone and more than 88% have a Wi-Fi enabled handset. You won’t be able to bring those numbers to the next class reunion, but you might just learn what your fellow commenters do on their handsets.
One final note before we begin: about 30% of the voters chose not to provide personal information but we still have plenty of feedback to be able to tell how the results vary across the different gender/age/location groups.
Now let’s check out those numbers, shall we? We will be starting with an infographic summing up some of our most exciting findings right after the break.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play review: Bring your 'A' game

2011-05-05T09:13:00.001+01:00

Introduction

With video gaming a sport in its own right, smartphones have no other choice but raise their game too. The Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play has strong ties to Sony’s gaming rigs, both portable and not, and Sony’s a big name in gaming.

So, what does all this pedigree bring? Games from the original PlayStation for one, with PlayStation 2 titles coming in the near future. The PlayStation Pocket game store comes with 50 games at launch optimized for the Play. You’ll certainly also appreciate the familiar feeling and design of the gaming buttons. .

Sony Ericsson XPERIA PLAY official photos
So, let’s have a look at the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play. They stitched thumbs to the robot: meaning a DualShock controller stitched to a 4” touchscreen in a side-slider form factor. A smartphone version of the PSP Go but with more processing power isn’t far off the truth either. Especially now that the PSP Go is officially discontinued.
Here’s a quick summary of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play:

Key features

Side-slider with dedicated gaming controls

Quad-band GSM /GPRS/EDGE support

3G with HSDPA and HSUPA

4.0" 16M-color capacitive LED-backlit LCD touchscreen of FWVGA resolution (480 x 854 pixels)

Android OS v2.3 Gingerbread

1 GHz Scorpion CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 chipset

512 MB RAM

5MP autofocus camera with LED flash and geotagging; WVGA video recording @ 30fps

Secondary front-facing camera

Wi-Fi b/g/n and DLNA

GPS with A-GPS

microSD slot up to 32GB (8GB card included)

Accelerometer, proximity and ambient light sensors

Standard 3.5 mm audio jack

Stereo FM radio with RDS

microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v2.1

Voice dialing

Adobe Flash 10.2 support

Dedicated game store

Main disadvantages

CPU and GPU not the best there is

Display has relatively poor viewing angles

Phone is a bit big for one-handed use

Video recording maxes out at WVGA resolution

No smart dialing

No shutter key

No video-calling over 3G

That’s the smartphone half of the XPERIA Play equation. It measures up pretty good as a droid and even though it can’t compete with the latest flagships, it’s got more than enough on its spec sheet for day to day use.
Mobile gaming is at an all time high. Everyone carries a phone around and everyone has gaps in their day to fill, making mobile games the time-killer of choice for millions of people.
Those are usually simple games optimized for touchscreen input, usually with just one or two controls. But some want more compelling games and those require more elaborate controls. The XPERIA Play is the first phone in recent years that has the proper hardware controls. The added tactile feedback is a major plus. Android also seems as a nice software platform of choice for its potential.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA PLAY live shots
Are you ready for round one? You’ll have to complete the hardware inspection of the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play to unlock the software.

DISCOVER THE NEW WORLD OF HANDHELDS

Asus Padfone 2 software update improves stability, camera

HTC One delayed to late April everywhere but in UK, DE and TW

News First Samsung Galaxy S4 mini live photos appear

FREE ONLINE LIBRARIES

Sony Ericsson sees 180m Android phones in 2011

Sony Ericsson XPERIA Neo review: More than a sequel

Introduction

Samsung Galaxy Gio S5660 review: Average Gio

Introduction

Samsung makes first fast 64-gigabit MLC flash

Upcoming WP7 Mango update to bring along turn-by-turn SatNav

New Symbian^3 homescreen leaked by Nokia Germany

Mobile Spy v5 enables parents, employers smartphone access

Samsung Galaxy Gio S5660: Average Gio

Introduction

Key features

Samsung Galaxy Gio S5660 live shots The Samsung Galaxy Gio is a phone of compromise. If you’re looking to give smartphones a try, you may be willing to live without a killer screen and a brilliant camera. The Gio will be a good choice for newbies or budget upgraders, if the price is right.

10-inch BlackBerry PlayBook reportedly already seen live

Samsung Exhibit 4G for T-Mobile leaks with 1.4GHz chip

Apple rumored talking to use YouKu on Chinese iPhones

LG Display blamed for iPad 2 shortage, Chimei due in May

Dell Venue Pro goes on sale in AT&T version

Samsung shows seven-inch navigator, tablet hybrid in Korea

Motorola serves pro Android with XPRT, Titanium for Sprint

Sony Ericsson XPERIA PLAY to finally come to O2 UK in June

HTC Wildfire S spotted for T-Mobile USA

Skype rumored making deals with Facebook, Google

Official: HP Veer 4G headed to AT&T on 15 May, will cost $100

Mobile phone usage report 2011: The things you do

Introduction

Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play review: Bring your 'A' game

Introduction

Key features

Main disadvantages

Samsung Galaxy Gio S5660 live shots

The Samsung Galaxy Gio is a phone of compromise. If you’re looking to give smartphones a try, you may be willing to live without a killer screen and a brilliant camera. The Gio will be a good choice for newbies or budget upgraders, if the price is right.