IntoMobile - Cell Phone News, Information, and Analysis

Rogers Navigator for iPhone Coming Soon – Will Not be Voiced by Kenny Rogers

James Falconer — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:06:27 +0000

Seems like Rogers (NYSE: RCI) has been busy over the last little while. They’ve just launched the Samsung Galaxy ‘Spica’ powered-by Android 1.5, and late last week they also launched the new Rogers ‘RedBoard’ to help them connect with customers. Now, it looks like a new iPhone navigation app from Canada’s ‘Big Red’ is on the way.

‘Rogers Navigator for iPhone’ could be available as early as March 26th, and for a rumored price of $4.99 will provide the following:

Voice turn by turn directions
Enter addresses or commands by speaking them
Real time traffic alerts
One touch reroute
2D or 3D maps
Business finder
Integration with address books
Listen to music while navigating
Works with Bluetooth

Personally, I’m hoping the turn-by-turn directions will be voiced by Kenny Rogers. Wouldn’t that be creepy AND hilarious? ‘Turn left at the stop sign, darlin’. Oh boy, it’s been a loooong day.

Canadians, what say you? Would you consider picking this up for $4.99, or will the whole project end up a steaming pile of garbage? Share your thoughts, please…

[Via: MobileSyrup]

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Sony Ericsson’s X10 gets unboxed

Blake Stimac — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:03:40 +0000

Ladies and Gentleman, the Android device that at some point turned into vaporware in some minds has been unboxed. The Sony Ericsson X10 is by far one of the most gorgeous Android devices to date and now, with an official unboxing, this thing best be right around the corner!

The video is just what it says – an unboxing – so it is rather short. The video unboxes both available colors of the device, Sensuous Black, and Luster White. The contents of the box are minimal, consisting of the handset, a charger, USB cable, battery, and a getting started guide. The essentials. However, I’d like to see some sort of protective case to protect that huge display. Even if it was something like the crappy neoprene sleeve you get with the Nexus One.

Glad to see this device getting some more love, the last we’d heard from Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) in the Android space was the announcement of the two X10 Minis, which almost looked like they were going to be released before the original device. For those who somehow forgot about the X10, this is one of the best upcoming Android devices that will be available, for now. With a sleek body, 4-inch display, 8 megapixel camera, 3.5 mm headphone jack, and Sony Ericsson’s custom user interface, dubbed Rachael – which includes the Timescape and Mediascape user interfaces. The X10 is running on Android 1.6, but will eventually be upgraded to Android 2.1, or later. Rumors have pointed to a release on AT&T (NYSE: T), or T-Mobile (NYSE: DT), but nothing seems to be finalized at the moment. The handset does support the 1700Mhz band that T-mobile uses for their 3G, so maybe there will be a big Magenta branded X10 popping up at some point.

Hopefully this baby will see the light of day sometime soon. Unboxings are great, but pricing and availability would be much better. I’ve been looking for a backup phone in case I hack my Nexus One to death.

[ Via: SEPoductBlog ]

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Steve Ballmer praises Apple’s App Store

Marin Perez — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:31:19 +0000

Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer reportedly had some kind words for its long-time enemy Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) and its App Store. Will wonders never cease?

“Apple’s done a very nice job that allows people to monetize and commercialize their intellectual property,” Balmer reportedly said about the App Store last week at the University of Washington.

This is a remarkable turnaround for Ballmer, who has been less than kind regarding the iPhone (see video below). Some might say this is a move to ease relationships with Apple in order to unite against the common foe Google (NSDQ: GOOG). A few weeks ago, the hot rumor was Bing would replace Google as the default search on the iPhone. But I think that’s kind of a stretch. It’s impossible to to not acknowledge the success the App Store has been over the last few years, even Ballmer knows that.

[Via AppleInsider]

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Sprint fumbles NFL Mobile, Verizon takes it to the house

Marin Perez — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:04:37 +0000

Get ready for some football Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless users, as the largest U.S. carrier has struck a deal to get live National Football League games on its handsets.

The deal is reportedly worth $720 million over four years and Verizon subscribers will be able to use their handsets to watch live games on Thursdays and Sundays – NBC’s Sunday Night Football and NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football - as well content around the clock from NFL Network. NFL Mobile will also give you access to the cool RedZone Channel, which provides live looks in to close games or scores across the NFL schedule.

“For Verizon Wireless, it is NFL content delivered over our 3G network so football fans can extend the excitement of the sport long after the last touchdown of a season,” said John Stratton, Verizon’s executive VP, in a prepared statement. “And the NFL content is customizable in that consumers have options from video to ringtones to alerts; the choice is theirs.”

The service will go live before the NFL draft in April, and it will provide live coverage of that event with in-depth videos on those drafted. The app had previously been on Sprint (NYSE: S) phones and it was bundled with the Simply Everything plans. I used it every once in a while and it was pretty solid. A Sprint representative told Phonescoop it didn’t extend the NFL deal because the third-largest carrier wasn’t sure if it was getting a great return on investment.

There’s no official word on what handsets this will come to but it’s safe to assume it will hit Android and BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) smartphones on Big Red. There’s no word on what pricing will be but we will know in a few weeks. I hope Verizon just bundles it in with its smartphone data plans because I don’t see NFL Mobile being a feature people will want to pay extra for it. As a free, Verizon-only app, I think it could be a valuable tool for retaining customers though, particularly if it is free.

[Via The Wall Street Journal (subscription link) and Verizon]

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SMS Text Messages Sent En Masse Thanks to Betwext

Simon Sage — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:03:28 +0000

Betwext has just launched a new SMS text message service that allows you to send a single message to multiple recipients. They’re calling it n SMS chat room, but if you were to take on an e-mail analogy, this would be like adding CC: and Reply All features to SMS. Those registered with Betwext would build mailing lists of people, who, when replying, would send messages out to everyone else on the list. This is accomplished by funneling everything through a single dedicated number that handles all of the deliveries.

At first blush, I had trouble figuring out why folks just wouldn’t get a Twitter account and opt-in for device updates from particular people. As a bonus, that’s free, and Betwext is a subscription service. Part of the convenience of Betwext is that you don’t have to convince your friends on getting in on some newfangled social networking fad – SMS messaging is built into whatever phone they happen to be using, and odds are good that they’ll already be used to sending SMS messages. There’s also no proprietary software client, so there’s no hassle setting up. Even if most phones natively allow you to blast out messages to multiple recipients, those recipients don’t have the luxury of seeing who else was on the list, so replies remain fragmented and nobody is on the same page.

Neat, if niche idea. Pricing ranges from $9 to $180 per month for 200 and 5000 messages, respectively. Find out more at betwext.com.

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Palm Pre and Pixi get Gowalla for webOS

Simon Sage — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:20:54 +0000

The Gowalla location-based check-in service that has been making the rounds on Android and iPhone is now available for webOS devices, like the Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre and Pixi. Anyone familiar with Foursquare will roughly know the shtick: go to a place, check in using a mobile app, and get rewards, both virtual and real. Gowalla differs in that instead of getting points for every check in, you get a badge, and specific locations have signature badges which are meant to lure folks out into noteworthy locations. The whole “passport” and “stamp” nomenclature is supposed to inspire wanderlust in users, apparently.

Like Foursquare, users that don’t find the location they want to check into in the Gowalla directory can add it directly, resulting in a sizeable amount of user-generated content in certain hotspots. One of my favourite parts of Gowalla is the virtual geocaching established at each registered location – basically, you can leave a badge at a spot, and take one that someone else has left there. Useless, sure, but definitely fun.

I’ve been using Foursquare for a week or two now, and it’s a delicate balance trying to participate while not irritating everyone following your Facebook and Twitter accounts with updates like “Hey I’m here now! I have a badge! I’m eating a sandwich! Yay!”, but there’s a way to pull it off tactfully. Twitter has implemented location support, and Facebook will be getting into the location game, so love it or hate it, it will be hard to get away from location awareness regardless of your social network. webOS is all hip and with the social networks, seeing as how they work with native apps through Synergy, so it seems like a natural destination for Gowalla and other apps in the check-in category.

For those looking for something more closely resembling a game, MyTown is in the same ballpark, but allows you to “own” businesses you check into regularly, and charge fictional rent to others who check in, kind of like Monopoly. For the critics out there, Yelp has implemented check-ins with their mobile app, as well as tip/review writing. As for Gowalla, links to all of their apps, including webOS apps for the Palm pre and Pixi, can be found below.

[via BusinessWire]

Gowalla for Android (Free) [Android Market Link]

Gowalla for iPhone (Free) [iTunes App Store Link]

Gowalla for webOS (Free) [webOS Market Link]

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March Madness will stream to iPhone over 3G

Marin Perez — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:50:45 +0000

Don’t even worry about the “boss button” this year because you’ll be able to get your March Madness fix on your iPhone over WiFi and 3G.

Last year’s version could only stream over WiFi but AT&T (NYSE: T) is apparently confident enough in its network to let games stream over its data network. The $10 app will also include live radio broadcasts, push notifications of scores, social media integration, interactive brackets and a host of other statistics. The “Lite” version will be free and have video highlights and news and scores. A BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) version is also expected, but it won’t have video.

“Last year, we were the first to do a live sporting event with the March Madness app, and since then the appetite for video and live video has grown massively for us … We one-upped ourselves,” Rob Gelick, the SVP and GM of CBS, told paidContent.

I haven’t been following college ball much this year, so I need IntoMobile readers to tell me what team is going to be cutting down the nets this year.

Get the March Madness iPhone app ($9.99) [iTunes link]

[via paidContent]

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HTC Supersonic turns itself on – on video

Blake Stimac — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:18:57 +0000

The HTC Supersonic aims to be one of Sprint’s first 4G (WiMAX) enabled phones of the year. Today, a video was added onto YouTube showing the Supersonic booting up, and what it looks like on the back. If you’ve got a whole 42 seconds to spare, check it out, won’t you?

Not long ago, we previewed one of the first videos for the Incredible, followed by some more pictures that popped up out of nowhere. Now, we have a real-deal video for the Supersonic, and while the video doesn’t know the interface (we’ve all seen Sense at this point, right?), you can get a feel for what the device looks like in hand.

Comparable to the Incredible, the Supersonic runs Sense, and will also be a CDMA device. They also share AMOLED screens, Android 2.1, 5-megapixel cameras, you get the idea. With the Incredible going towards Verizon (NYSE: VZ), seemingly, at least, the Supersonic does indeed look like it will be heading towards Sprint (NYSE: S). What better to have as your launch 4G device than a beautiful, HTC made, Snapdragon smartphone? Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) may be filing a patent for the word ’smartphone’, so we’ll just call it ‘handset’ from now on.

HTC’s new line up of phones– Desire, Legend, Incredible, and Supersonic is stunning, showing so many improvement’s from the original Hero. With leaks of HTC’s devices coming out of the woodwork left and right, they might just be right around the corner. Let’s hope we’ll see some in action at CTIA.

[Via: AndroidMobileOS]

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Windows Phone 7 Series to have 3D gaming, hardcore Xbox Live integration

Marin Perez — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:16:49 +0000

We keep learning more about Windows Phone 7 Series everyday, as Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) previewed some of the features for XNA 4.0, which is a development tool that will hopefully enable creators to make games for a PC, XBox 360, and Windows Phone 7 Series phone without much hassle.

Michael Klucher, lead program manager for the XNA development platform, detailed some of the features in XNA 4.0 on his blog. He confirms that WP7S phones will have 3D graphics as well as robust Xbox Live integration including gamer tags, achievements and more.

“Yes, We have hardware accelerated 3D API’s on Windows Phone 7 Series. Yes, We have Visual Studio 2010 integration with our toolset. We’ve even added buffered audio support to the Audio API’s that many of you have asked for.”
“The other key component of XNA Game Studio 4.0 that we’ve enabled exclusively for Xbox partners is Xbox LIVE and a premium gaming experience on Windows Phone 7 Series. Through the Gamer Services API’s you can pull in a user’s Gamertag and 2D Avatar as part of the game experience, unlock achievements on the platform, and leverage notifications for asynchronous turn based gaming.”
“Yes, We have hardware accelerated 3D API’s on WP7S. Yes, We have Visual Studio 2010 integration with our toolset. We’ve even added buffered audio support to the Audio API’s that many of you have asked for … The other key component of XNA Game Studio 4.0 that we’ve enabled exclusively for Xbox partners is Xbox LIVE and a premium gaming experience on Windows Phone 7 Series. Through the Gamer Services API’s you can pull in a user’s Gamertag and 2D Avatar as part of the game experience, unlock achievements on the platform, and leverage notifications for asynchronous turn based gaming.”

We’ll know some more details later this week at the Game Developer’s Conference, where Microsoft will be speaking more about XNA 4.0 and hopefully showing off some games. We should definitely have all the details on developing for WP7S at next week’s Mix conference.

[Via Michael Klucher's blog]

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iPhone developer agreement published, favors Apple

Marin Perez — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:48:28 +0000

When Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) zaps applications from the App Store, many times the end users and developers are confused. But according to the leaked iPhone Developer Program License Agreement, Apple has the right to kill any app, any time, and the company can even remove apps remotely from your handset.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation leaked the document and pointed out a few clauses it found troubling. As mentioned above, developers have to agree that Apple can “revoke the digital certificate of any of your applications at any time.” Content creators also can’t speak publicly about the agreement, can’t make the app available outside the App Store, reverse engineer the operating system, and can’t unlock an iPhone. What I find astonishing is that Apple also can’t be held liable for more than $50 to a developer, no matter the circumstances. If you’re building your business around the iPhone App Store, that has to be a scary development.

“If Apple wants to be a real leader, it should be fostering innovation and competition, rather than acting as a jealous and arbitrary feudal lord,” the EFF wrote in its post. “Developers should demand better terms and customers who love their iPhones should back them.”

The EFF was able to obtain this document by using the Freedom of Information Act because NASA has created apps for Apple’s mobile platform. The agreement has reportedly been revised, but I doubt much has changed.

The EFF paints this as extremely one-sided for Apple, but let’s not go too crazy. I’m no hippie – I understand that every single one of these developers agrees to these conditions and should understand the repercussions. It’s the price of doing business to reach the more than 70 million iPhone OS users. But this type of heavy-handedness is a step backwards for how we should be approaching development for mobile computing. It could also bite Apple in the behind in a few years if Android picks up more momentum or other platforms provide a viable alternative.

Download the agreement (PDF file) [Via Electronic Frontier Foundation]

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