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XIAOMI SMARTPHONE MEET CURVED EDGES PATENT DISPLAY APPROVED

2019-02-12T15:04:00.001-08:00

According to gizchina and letsgoDigital, Xiaomi has been granted a new patent approval by the WIPO (World International Property Office). The patent is titled full-screen smartphone with 4 sided edges, and it is full of illustration similar to Samsungs dual curved screen, but this time, Xiaomi is aiming to take the curvature to the rear, so the final device could come with glass design on the rear side.

Curved edge screen

The left and right-hand view look bare, but there is room for a USB connector on the bottom next to the edge of the curved screen. The top view is also bare, so that removes the option of a pop-up selfie camera.

full screen smartphone

While bezel-free display has almost become a reality, a smartphone with 4 curved sides with no plans for selfie camera would be something we wish to behold someday, but like some other patents, this might never become a reality, but then, we’re eagerly awaiting what becomes of this latest design.

Source Via/ Gizchina

Samsung Galaxy S III 2012

2012-07-11T08:37:00.001-07:00

Human nature is that we tend to get attached with others who understand us, fulfil our needs and desires and generally take care of us. But when a human and a smartphone develop a similar bond, it should seem to be out of the ordinary. But it is not, when the gadget in question is the Samsung Galaxy S III - the smartphone right on top of the Samsung lineup.The Samsung Galaxy S III is said to be the best phone Samsung have produced so far.
Before delivering further into the review, let me put the verdict upfront - If you can afford it, go and get it. It will in all probability start a new love story between you and your Samsung Galaxy S III.
However, the phone comes in two colours - marble white and pebble blue.

Hardware and styling
The Samsung Galaxy S III is quite light in weight. The smooth curves and rounded edges make it comfortable to hold. Even though the phone has elegant looks, the phone’s looks are not exactly stunning. But it is definitely an improvement over its predecessors.
The rear of the phone is simple and wears a blank look. The flash, camera and the rear speaker are all in a line. It might not look ugly, but the back cover failed to impress me. I wish Samsung used a metallic back cover.
The rear cover has a ceramic finish that is also scratch-prone. Maybe you should consider investing in a cover for your phone.
The S III has a big glass on the front, two capacitive buttons - back and options, and a physical home button in the middle. The hard button could’ve been dispensed with.
It has a front camera and an LED notification light on the front. The sides house a volume rocker and the power key. The micro USB port is at the bottom. Weighing just 133 g, the Galaxy S III is 8.6 mm thin, which makes it one of the slimmest phones available in the market today.
Unlike its rival from Cupertino, Samsung is not exactly known for its design finesse and the Samsung Galaxy S III falls short on the design front.
Display
The display is a stunner. The phone features a 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels. The display on the Galaxy S III produces vivid colours and has excellent viewing angles. If you look at the display, you will be impressed with its detailed results. Besides, the screen is scratch-resistant. So you don’t need to be worried about scratches on the screen.
The screen size is actually perfect. It lies between the elephantine Galaxy Note and the Galaxy S III predecessor - the Galaxy S II. The touch is highly responsive. It call it ‘butter touch’.
Playing games on this powerful phone is an amazing experience. I was simply hooked to Temple Run. Reading books on the Kindle app and watching videos on this phone is also a treat.
Operating System, UI and Performance
The phone has some interesting features on offer. It will act as your personal assistant and will remind you but won’t interrupt if you are busy. Quite like an efficient assistant it would’ve performed a lot of tasks even before you issued instructions.
The phone runs Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. Powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, the phone offers excellent speed, and multitasking on this device is a breeze. The user interface is intuitive and the navigation is fluid.
The lock screen offers direct access to the camera. So, you can have access to the camera app without unlocking the device.
The smart stay feature is quite useful when reading documents or emails. This feature disables the screen time out if the phone detects that your face is watching the screen. So you don’t have to turn on the display over and over again to finish reading a document. You just need to hold the phone at a comfortable angle so that the front camera can detect your face.
I found the LED indicator on this phone quite useful. It not only indicates when the battery is connected to the charger, but also tells you when the battery level is low and when you have missed events, messages or application events.
Another interesting feature is that if you want to talk to someone, you don’t have to dial the number, just lift your phone to your ear and direct call will dial the number automatically for you. The Samsung Galaxy S III is smart - it understands when you want to talk. It reduces the number of steps between two functions. For instance, when you are messaging someone but decide to call instead, simply lift the phone to your ear and you will be connected.
I also quite liked the Pop up play feature, which lets you do your work - sending emails, surfing web, texting and chatting - while watching any video. At one click, the video is resized, which you can drag to anywhere on the screen.
Usually we don’t bother to check missed calls or messages until the phone rings again. But the Samsung Galaxy S III does not let you miss anything. With the Smart alert feature activated, you will be alerted if you have missed calls and messages. It vibrates as you pick the phone up if there are any missed events.
The phone lets you take screenshots by just simply swiping from left to right or vice versa with the side of your hand.
To protect the data on your phone from miscreants, the phone has some interesting options to lock/unlock your phone. Apart from the usual PIN, password and pattern unlock options, the phone also offers face unlock, face and voice unlock options. Though both of them are low security options, but nevertheless are interesting. You can also set multiple unlock options at a time.
Other interesting features on this phone include palm touch to mute or pause sounds while playing media, tilt to zoom in or zoom out images and pan to browse images.
In terms of storage, the phone offers ample storage space. It has an internal storage space of 16GB (the user accessible is 11.35GB), which is expandable up to 64GB using a microSD card.
The phone has a Siri like personal assistant app - S Voice. I, however, did not use it much, only used it to check its effectiveness. The S Voice app could not comprehend my accent all the time. Also its response speed depends on your data connection. I would rate this app 7 out of 10.
The phone has a 2100 mAh interchangeable battery, which gives good backup. The battery takes around 4 hours to get fully charged. On a full charge, the Galaxy S III can easily last for a day when put to normal use. I used the phone to surf the Internet, play games and watch videos. And, most of the time, I only had to charge this phone after reaching home from work. But for heavy users, the battery may not last for the length of an entire day.
Connectivity options include WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, WiFi Direct, S Beam and Android Beam.
Camera
The phone sports an excellent camera. It has an 8 megapixel rear auto-focus camera with flash and zero shutter lag that captures sharp images, and produces detailed and clear results in both bright light and low light conditions. Even in dark surroundings, the camera produced satisfactory results. In the burst shooting mode, the S III is capable of capturing 20 shots in a row.
The camera offers a lot of options to customise images, including shooting modes, ISO settings, scene mode, exposure value, focus mode, auto contrast and effects.
Not only the rear camera, the quality of the 1.9 megapixel front camera is quite good and snaps quality images.
In the video mode also, the camera again performed brilliantly. The camera captures 1080p HD videos at 30fps.
The only flaw here is that zoom in and zoom out are a little jerky, but smoother than its predecessors.
Miscellaneous
The phone’s signal reception is strong and the calling experience on this phone is good. The speaker is loud but not jarring and produces a clear sound that is audible even in noisy areas.
The phone comes bundled with a pair of good-quality in-ear headphones which is not only comfortable but also offers excellent sound output..
Verdict
In a word, it is wonderful. If the price tag doesn’t seem too high to you, don’t think twice. Only if Samsung could equally wow me with its design. If I were to buy this phone, the design would not be a hindrance.
Pros
+ Great performance
+ Excellent camera quality
+ Stunning display
+ Rich features
Cons
- Average looks
- Jerky zoom
- Marginally overpriced

WP7-powered LG E900 breaks loose again, called Optimus 7

2010-09-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Here's another appearance of the LG E900. This time there are proper photos and even a 20-minute-long video. The Czech guys behind it call the device Optimus 7 but we've heard LG call another phone like that so we're taking the petname with a pinch of salt.

As we previously wrote, LG E900 or as suggested now - Optimus 7 - will pack a 1GHz or 1.3GHz Qualcomm processor, a 3.7-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and HD video recording, full connectivity package and, of course, it will run Windows Phone 7.

MobilMania.cz managed to get their hands on a pre-release unit of the Windows Phone 7-running LG Optimus 7. There isn't much to say, you'd better see it.

The LG E900, be it Optimus 7 or not, should be announced in several weeks when Microsoft finally pops the champagne on Windows Phone 7.

You are holding your iPhone 4 the wrong way!

2010-06-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's iPhone 4 launch was full of surprises - dead on arrival, yellow spots or white dots on the screen, lost reception signal and a bunch of happy users. It seems the yellow spots will disappear in a few days, what about the spotty reception?

There are numerous iPhone 4 users reports of the phone losing signal when you hold it covering the bottom left corner where the GSM and Wi-Fi antennas meet.

Apple states they know of the issue and their official statement is amazingly instructional:

"Gripping any mobile phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance, with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas. This is a fact of life for every wireless phone. If you ever experience this on your iPhone 4, avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band, or simply use one of many available cases."

Reportedly, Steve Jobs was even kind enough to reply to some user emails - briefly, but straight to the point:

"Just avoid holding it that way."

Ok, we understand how clever it was of Apple to design the iPhone antennas in that way and we can accept new technology comes with its own quirks. But stating a right and wrong way of holding your phone with the latter able to leave you totally signal-less - well that's plain wrong. Not to mention even THEY hold it the wrong way on their ads.

In this particular case what we don't like is Apple's attitude. Pretending such thing is not a big issue, saying it's a normal thing for a cellphone to lose signal, and not admitting a design flaw - that's arrogant. Fans will probably be willing to avoid holding the iPhone 4 that way. Being polite and confessing a wrong goes a long way. So does giving a bonus Bumper case to all affected. Just sayin'.

Flash 10.1 final available for smartphones with Android 2.2

2010-06-24T01:17:00.000-07:00

Adobe today announced the release of Flash Player 10.1 to mobile platforms. Already available on the Android Market, Flash Player 10.1 will be available in its final production release for all Android smartphones running ver. 2.2 "Froyo."

Some of the devices that Adobe lists as bound to get Froyo include Dell Streak, Google Nexus One, HTC Evo, HTC Desire, HTC Incredible, Motorola DROID and Motorola Milestone, and Samsung Galaxy S.

Too bad there's not even one device to feature Android 2.2 officially yet (except perhaps developers' Nexus One's).

Besides up on the Android Market, Flash Player 10.1 is also released to Adobe's partners for them to incorporate and preinstall in their products - BlackBerry, Palm's webOS, future versions of Windows Phone, LiMo, MeeGo and Symbian OS are all expected to start chewing Flash content online like only desktop machines could before.

Flash Player makes use of virtually every mobile CPU currently available on the market so it will be compatible with many smartphones. Additional features would allow it to integrate even better offering a seamless experience.

- For instance, support for on-board accelerometers will allws automation switching between portrait and landscape screen orientation.

- Flash Player will also pause automatically upon incoming calls or when switching from the browser to another application. Once users switch back to the browser, Flash Player will resumes where it paused.

- The Smart Zooming feature will allow Flash content to run fullscreen on any of the supported devices.

- The Smart Rendering feature makes sure Flash content embedded on webpages runs only when it's visible on screen reducing CPU toll and extra battery consumption.

- With the available Sleep Mode, the Flash Player will automatically throttle down when the device enters screen saver mode.

Dual-SIM touch Samsung B7722 officially announced

2010-06-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

The touch-based B7722 is the newest Samsung's dual-SIM phone. It has 3G with HSDPA support, working on one of the SIMs and packs Wi-Fi connectivity.

The previously leaked Samsung B7722 was officially announced today in Sweden. It packs 3.2-inch WQVGA touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM radio and microSD card slot.

B7722 most important feature is the dual-SIM capability. Both SIM beds support quad-band GSM, but only one of them is capable of 3G connectivity (single band - 2100MHz).

Samsung B7722 will run on TouchWiz UI, but its screen type and internal memory are still unknown.

The phone will launch this month with a hefty price of 420 euro price giving a new meaning to "overpriced". For that kind of cash, you can easily get two phones of this caliber.

Three UK gets the iPhone 4 too, O2 offers early upgrades

2010-06-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

Three is the latest major UK carrier to announce that it will get the iPhone 4 at launch. Launching its pre-order campaign on 15 June and starting actual sales on 24 June, Three becomes the fifth UK operator to offer Apple's latest mobile phone.

Meanwhile O2 announced that it will offer its subscribes an early upgrade if they go for the iPhone 4. You will be able to pay off the reminder of your contract and get an iPhone 4 on a new 18 or 24-month one (AT&T style).

O2 will charge you with 20 pounds for each of the remaining months of your contract, no matter how much you are really paying. That's about 30% off the cheapest iPhone tariff. This way it will still be cheaper to pay off your contract and get a new one, instead of buying a SIM-free iPhone.

There is a catch of course - you will lose the change-of-mind period option. So once you've decided to go the iPhone 4 way, there is no turning back.

With five carriers throwing tempting iPhone 4 offers your way it has to feel good to be British these days.

Google Maps Navigation is now available in 11 more countries

2010-06-10T01:39:00.000-07:00

Going on a trip around Europe? Don't forget to update your Google Maps Navigation and Google Mobile App, which now offer Navigation in 11 more European countries and voice search in four new languages.

Google Maps Navigation 4.2 for Android has been expanded and now does voice-guided navigation on the roads of Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. It already works in the UK (and the US of course).

Google Maps Navigation 4.2 is available for phones running Android 1.6 and up - you can get it from the Android Market. It preloads the needed data when you start the trip, so even if the data connection drops, it will continue guiding you.

Another upgrade that Google services got today is the support for new languages in Search by voice. It works both on Google Maps Navigation for searching for destinations and in the Google Mobile App for general web searches.

The newly supported languages are French, German, Italian and Spanish. Google notes that if you speak German in Austria, French in Switzerland, or Spanish in Mexico the system might not quite be able to handle your accent. The app with support for new languages is available only in the Android Markets for France, Germany, Italy and Spain anyway.

Unlike Google Maps Navigation though, the Google Mobile App is available for the majority of smartphone platforms - Android, iPhone OS, uh sorry, iOS, Symbian and BlackBerry OS. S60 and BlackBerry users can get the app by opening m.google.com on their phone, while Android and iPhone users can check their respective app stores.

IPhone 4 makes a stormy appearance at WWDC 2010

2010-06-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

At the WWDC 2010 Apple CEO just announced Apple's next-gen iPhone. Uninspiringly called iPhone 4, the new device comes with a bunch of new features along with the new design.

Design-wise the iPhone 4G packs a thin 9.3mm body with a metallic frame encircling the body. That metallic frame also serves as an antenna. Quite interestingly, the iPhone 4 back is also covered by glass much like the display upfront. Apple are reportedly using some new hardened glass that's supposedly way better than plastic. They are calling it engineered glass and we guess it's something along the lines of Gorilla glass.

The iPhone 4 uses a microSIM port (sigh!) much like the iPad Wi-Fi+3G and is powered by the same 1GHz Apple A4 platform ensuring extra speedy performance. Available storage capacities for the iPhone 4 are 16GB and 32GB. A secondary microphone caters for active background noise suppression.

The Apple iPhone 4 features a newly developed extra high-resolutions screen called Retina display. It delivers 640 x 960 pixels resolution, which amounts to a staggering pixel density of 326 pixels per inch.

The resolution is four times higher than the three iPhones so far, which means application upsamling should be quite easier for software developers. The 800:1 contrast ratio of the new display (a IPS panel) is also four times the previous ones.

The iPhone 4 makes use of 5 megapixel camera with LED flash. The sensor of the camera is backside-illuminated, which should probably deliver better highISO performance.

iPhone 4 records 720p HD video at impressive 30 fps. You can edit your movies straight on the iPhone thanks the built-in editor (plus you can use the new iMovie app from the AppStore) and the LED flash doubles as a video light quite expectedly. The video recording also makes use of tap-to-focus.

Sadly, the secondary microphone is not used during video recording so stereo videos are a no-go.

Next Apple are renaming the iPhone OS 4 for iOS 4 so they can put the iPhone and the iPad under the same umbrella.

Of course, with the new iOS we also expect to see the new iAds system for incorporating ads into mobile applications. The system will be pioneered on all iOS 4 devices come 1 July.

Whoa, did we mention the iPhone 4 also has videocall camera. They call it FaceTime. Man, that's so 2008! And they are still not fully ready with it - in 2010 it will only work over Wi-Fi. Seriously, how hard can it be? And it only works iPhone 4 to iPhone 4. Ha!

In the US the iPhone 4 16GB will be priced at 199 US dollars while the 32GB will go for 299 US dollars. A new version of iPhone 3GS with 8GB storage will be sold for 99 US dollars.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 4 start in eight days on 15 June and shipments to US, France, Germany, UK and Japan will begin on 24 June.

18 other countries will get the iPhone 4 in July. In September a total of 88 countries will enjoy the iPhone 4.

In the meantime, the iOS 4 will be available as an upgrade to iPhone 3G and 3GS users starting on 21 June. iPod Touch users will also get it - this time for free much like the iPhones. We guess the schedule for the iPad remains September.

iPhone 2G users are not getting the update to iOS 4. At least not officially.

Apple are also developing a new line of accessories including a new dock and a new colorful case called Bumpers.

2010-06-07T03:45:00.001-07:00

Google's Android operating system and Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 are the two main challengers to Apple's iPhone platform. These rivals offer two different approaches as they attempt to copy Apple's success in the fast-growing mobile device marketplace.

Visual tour: Windows Phone 7

Google's interest in mobility is driven by its conviction that mobile devices will become the most common and most frequently used means of accessing the Web, the home of Google's powerful search engine and the source of the company's profitability.

The Google-led Open Handset Alliance – now comprising around 70 software, silicon and handset vendors and some carriers –released the open source Android smartphone software platform in November 2007. The first Android smartphones arrived a year later.

The gamble that handset makers and carriers would embrace a free, open source mobile OS and aggressively innovate with it has paid off. Less than three years after Android's advent, smartphones running the new OS outsold iPhones in the United States during the first quarter of 2010, according to data from NPD Group. Globally, Android's market share soared from 1.6% in the first quarter of 2009 to 9.6% in the first quarter of 2010, according to analyst firm Gartner.

Motorola, for example, was on the verge of selling off its failing mobile phone division. Now that group is re-inventing itself, based on Android. Motorola crafted its own user interface over the Android OS, and the company is considering using Android in new classes of mobile devices, such as tablets. The well-received Motorola Droid smartphone, unveiled in October 2009, was popular and well-reviewed, winning favorable comparison to the iPhone.

For Microsoft, the stakes are equally high. Its dated Windows Mobile UI, built on top of the Windows CE kernel, was losing marketshare and its latest iteration, Windows Mobile 6.5, underwhelmed the industry in 2009. By then, CEO Steve Ballmer had reorganized the mobile effort, with new leadership in engineering and marketing. The re-engineered user interface, now dubbed Windows Phone, was unveiled in February 2010. In May 2010, another Ballmer shakeup separated the Xbox gaming and Windows Phone units, with both division chiefs now reporting directly to Ballmer, rather than through Robbie Bach.

The look and feel of the new UI is radically different, not only from Microsoft's previous efforts but from rival platforms. Microsoft hired talented outsiders, paired them with Redmond veterans, and gave them a blank sheet and nearly a blank check. One measure of Microsoft's seriousness is that Windows Phone scraps its long-standing principal of backward compatibility: applications written for the older Windows Mobile OS have to be rewritten for Windows Phone.

In general, Microsoft application developers have been favorably impressed with the new UI, and they've praised the quality of the early code and of the early versions of the developer tools. Windows Phone 7 has been favorably compared with the iPhone OS.

Microsoft plans to continue its business model of platform licensing, but it's forged closer ties with handset vendors and chipmakers, creating a joint specification to ensure a high-quality mobile experience for end users. Two challenges for Microsoft remain: to create a viable online software marketplace and to demonstrate that Windows Phones can tie in seamlessly with PC- and cloud-based data and applications.

In mid-2010, Android clearly has momentum. By the fall of 2010, Microsoft will have to show a pack of exciting handsets to reclaim the hearts and minds of consumer and business users alike.

TESCO GETS NOKIA N900

2010-06-06T06:07:00.000-07:00

Device available for £30 a month on Vodafone Your Plan 300

Tesco will stock Nokia’s N900 in its Phone Shops from this weekend.

The device will be available for £30 a month on Vodafone Your Plan 300, with 300 minutes, unlimited texts, and unlimited internet.

Features of the Maemo-powered device include a 5.0 megapixel camera, 3.4-inch high-resolution touchscreen and full QWERTY keyboard packaged within a black case.

A Tesco Telecoms spokesperson said: ‘We are delighted to welcome the N900 into our current portfolio of mobile phones as one of the most advanced mobile computers we now offer. The N900 marks a further step forward to providing our customers with a greater variety of choice at highly competitive pricepoints.’

Mark Loughran, managing director, Nokia UK, adds: ‘This is further proof of the wide appeal of this much-praised device and this deal will bring this great computing experience into the hands of many more people.

IPHONE 4G: WILL STEVE JOBS SMASH PREDICTIONS AT WWDC 2010?

2010-06-05T07:37:00.000-07:00

It is fair to say that this year’s WWDC event in particular is one of the most eagerly anticipated events ever. It will interesting to see the audience reaction when Apple finally unveil the iPhone 4G device – unless Steve Jobs has a surprise for us.

This event is also quite unique, as it is the first time that an iphone 4G has been leaked in this way – thanks to the whole saga surrounding the lost/stolen prototype device which Apple has now admitted is the real thing.

However, we still don’t know if this prototype device is the final design which will be used for retail release. For all we know, Steve Jobs may have used that prototype device as consumer feedback and he may be planning to introduce a completely new design at WWDC 2010.

It seems unlikely that this will happen, given all the recent leaks on the device – but you never know whats in store with Apple. Will WWDC 2010 reveal that we have all been misled by the recent iPhone 4G leaks, or do you think the event will go as expected?

APPLE BOSS DEFENDS CONDITIONS AT IPHONE FACTORY

2010-06-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Apple boss Steve Jobs has defended conditions at a Taiwanese electronics firm that produces the firm's popular iPhone, following a spate of suicides.

"Foxconn is not a sweatshop," he told a conference in the US.

Mr Jobs said that Apple representatives were working with Foxconn to find out why 10 workers had killed themselves at a factory in Shenzhen, China.

An eleventh worker recently died at another factory in northern China.

In total, there have been 13 suicides and suicide attempts at Foxconn factories this year.

"We're all over this," said Mr Jobs at the All Things Digital conference in California.

Foxconn has said that it will give its assembly line workers a 30% pay rise.

The firm had previously said that it would offer a 20% pay increase to its Chinese workers, who earn 900 yuan (£90) per month at entry-level.

"We hope the hike in wages will help improve the living standards of the workers and allow them to have more leisure time, which is good for their health," an official of Foxconn's parent company Hon Hai precision told AFP.

Hon Hai Precision is the world's largest maker of consumer electronics, and employs 800,000 workers worldwide, mostly in China.

Foxconn makes a range of products for manufacturers including Apple, Dell and Nokia.

The deaths have shone a spotlight on working conditions at the factory, where workers - often from rural China - work up to 12 hours a day, six days a week.

But Mr Jobs defended the conditions.

"You go in this place and it's a factory but, my gosh, they've got restaurants and movie theatres and hospitals and swimming pools. For a factory, it's pretty nice," he said.
Surreal moment

Mr Jobs addressed a number of other issues at the All Things Digital conference.

Last week, Apple overtook Microsoft to become the world's largest technology company by market value.

"For those of us that have been in the industry a long time, it's surreal. But it doesn't matter very much, it's not what's important," Mr Jobs said.

"It's not what makes you come to work every morning."

He also claimed that Apple's controversial move to block Adobe Flash animation and video technology from its popular iPhones and iPads was "a technical decision".

"We didn't start off to have a war with Flash or anything else," he said.

The comments are the latest step in a long-running dispute between Apple and Adobe over the Flash platform.

HTC Hero 3.31.751.1 update is out, users finally get the Android v2.1

2010-06-05T04:55:00.000-07:00

Hold your horses, it's only Asia that gets the goodies for now, but Europe should be close behind in getting some of those Eclairs. Unfortunately, Android 2.1 is as good as it gets for the now aging Hero but it's nonetheless a top-notch upgrade for owners that have been stuck at Android 1.5 for what now seems as ages.

The first signs of an Eclair update coming to the Hero appeared a few months back but as it turns out it's only now that HTC are finally ready to release the Android v2.1 update for the device.

According to company's support page you can download the update Over-the-Air (preferably on Wi-Fi). HTC didn't mention any other improvements to come along with the new firmware other than the new features inherent to the fresher Android version.

Currently, Android v2.1 update for HTC Hero is only available for the users across Taiwan but it should spread around the globe soon.

V20.0.019: Nokia N97 2.0 Firmware Now Available

2009-10-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

Finally Nokia have launched the long awaited 2.0 Firmware update for the Nokia N97. V20.0.019 is the firmware that will feature on the N97 mini and the one that every N97 user has been waiting for. It brings a host of bug fixes plus kinetic scrolling, new widgets and more allocated storage, however that’s not all. You can find the full list of all the major changes after the break.

Usability Improvement

Kinetic Scrolling: Allowing kinetic scrolling in the menu, contacts, and other applications with long lists
More Space: The new memory allocation brings around 20-30MB more space for applications and themes
Visually enhanced Music Player and Photo Menu
Improved accessibility to Symbols and Numbers: Holding a key for 1 seconds will activate the alternative character, no need to press the blue key first
Improved memory and battery performance
Improved image and video stability

New Experiences

New Homescreen Widgets: CNN, MySpace, ESPN, Elle and more have now been added
Newer Version of Ovi Maps: More features and a new service menu
Voice UI Improvements: Support for Voice over IP

Currently v2.0 is not available for all product codes so some of you will need to wait a few days or weeks. More over, it’s only available via the NSU at the moment so you will need to plug your device into a PC to download the update. As the N97 features User Data Preservation you don’t need to make a back up as all the data and settings will be preserved anyway. In case you don’t know how to update your N97 you can read our tutorial that will tell you everything you need to know. More updates on the new v20 Firmware will be up soon.

V20 is currently available for following pdoduct codes:

Nokia N97 (RM-505) v20.02.24

0576556: RM-505_MENA_FARSI black
0576575: RM-505_MENA_FARSI white

Nokia N97 (RM-505) v20.0.19

0576124: RM-505_APAC_AUSTRALIA Black
0591376: RM-505_APAC_AUSTRALIA Black
0576208: RM-505_APAC_AUSTRALIA White
0591377: RM-505_APAC_AUSTRALIA White
0576129: RM-505_APAC_Bangladesh Black
0576211: RM-505_APAC_Bangladesh White
0576120: RM-505_APAC_CAMBODIA Black
0576132: RM-505_APAC_CAMBODIA White
0576128: RM-505_APAC_EMERGING ASIA Black
0576210: RM-505_APAC_EMERGING ASIA White
0575297: RM-505_APAC_HONG KONG black
0575841: RM-505_APAC_HONG KONG white
0575724: RM-505_APAC_INDIA Black
0576213: RM-505_APAC_INDIA White
0576121: RM-505_APAC_INDONESIA Black
0576133: RM-505_APAC_INDONESIA White
0576119: RM-505_APAC_MALAYSIA Black
0576131: RM-505_APAC_MALAYSIA White
0576126: RM-505_APAC_NEW ZEALAND Black
0576209: RM-505_APAC_NEW ZEALAND White
0576123: RM-505_APAC_PHILIPPINES Black
0576207: RM-505_APAC_PHILIPPINES White
0575722: RM-505_APAC_SINGAPORE Black
0576130: RM-505_APAC_SINGAPORE White
0575266: RM-505_APAC_TAIWAN black
0575829: RM-505_APAC_TAIWAN white
0575728: RM-505_APAC_THAILAND Black
0576135: RM-505_APAC_THAILAND White
0576122: RM-505_APAC_VIETNAM Black
0576212: RM-505_APAC_VIETNAM White
0592448: RM-505_CHINA3G_China PRC 3G silver
0589790: RM-505_CHINA3G_CHINA PRC 3G White
0576356: RM-505_EMEA_ALPS_QW Black
0576435: RM-505_EMEA_ALPS_QW White
0576364: RM-505_EMEA_BALKANS_QW Black
0576462: RM-505_EMEA_BALKANS_QW White
0576411: RM-505_EMEA_Baltian_QW Black
0576488: RM-505_EMEA_Baltian_QW White
0585556: RM-505_EMEA_Belarus_QW Black
0585574: RM-505_EMEA_Belarus_QW White
0576351: RM-505_EMEA_Benelux_FR_QW Black
0576420: RM-505_EMEA_Benelux_FR_QW White
0579050: RM-505_EMEA_Benelux_NL_QW Black
0579054: RM-505_EMEA_Benelux_NL_QW White
0579051: RM-505_EMEA_BULGARIA_QW Black
0579055: RM-505_EMEA_BULGARIA_QW White
0576410: RM-505_EMEA_CIS_QW Black
0576487: RM-505_EMEA_CIS_QW White
0581899: RM-505_EMEA_CIS_QW_2 Black
0581901: RM-505_EMEA_CIS_QW_2 White
0576366: RM-505_EMEA_CZECH_QW Black
0576468: RM-505_EMEA_CZECH_QW White
0576412: RM-505_EMEA_Estonian_QW Black
0576489: RM-505_EMEA_Estonian_QW White
0570817: RM-505_EMEA_EURO_QW1 Black
0576350: RM-505_EMEA_EURO_QW1 White
0574380: RM-505_EMEA_FRANCE_QW Black
0592009: RM-505_EMEA_FRANCE_QW Black
0576423: RM-505_EMEA_FRANCE_QW White
0592010: RM-505_EMEA_FRANCE_QW White
0576355: RM-505_EMEA_GERMAN_QW Black
0576430: RM-505_EMEA_GERMAN_QW White
0576375: RM-505_EMEA_GREECE_QW Black
0576474: RM-505_EMEA_GREECE_QW White
0576377: RM-505_EMEA_HUNGARY_QW Black
0576480: RM-505_EMEA_HUNGARY_QW White
0576413: RM-505_EMEA_ISRAEL_QW Black
0576490: RM-505_EMEA_ISRAEL_QW White
0576358: RM-505_EMEA_ITALY_QW Black
0591374: RM-505_EMEA_ITALY_QW Black
0576459: RM-505_EMEA_ITALY_QW White
0591375: RM-505_EMEA_ITALY_QW White
0579053: RM-505_EMEA_MALTA_QW Black
0579056: RM-505_EMEA_MALTA_QW White
0576406: RM-505_EMEA_MOLDOVA_QW Black
0576486: RM-505_EMEA_MOLDOVA_QW White
0576368: RM-505_EMEA_POLAND_QW Black
0576472: RM-505_EMEA_POLAND_QW White
0576363: RM-505_EMEA_PORTUGAL_QW Black
0576461: RM-505_EMEA_PORTUGAL_QW White
0576402: RM-505_EMEA_ROMANIA_QW Black
0576481: RM-505_EMEA_ROMANIA_QW White
0576403: RM-505_EMEA_RUSSIA_QW Black
0591865: RM-505_EMEA_RUSSIA_QW Black
0576484: RM-505_EMEA_RUSSIA_QW White
0591866: RM-505_EMEA_RUSSIA_QW White
0576352: RM-505_EMEA_SCAND_QW1 Black
0576425: RM-505_EMEA_SCAND_QW1 White
0576353: RM-505_EMEA_SCAND_QW2 Black
0576428: RM-505_EMEA_SCAND_QW2 White
0576365: RM-505_EMEA_SERBIA_QW Black
0576467: RM-505_EMEA_SERBIA_QW White
0576367: RM-505_EMEA_SLOVAKIA_QW Black
0576470: RM-505_EMEA_SLOVAKIA_QW White
0576360: RM-505_EMEA_SPAIN_QW Black
0576460: RM-505_EMEA_SPAIN_QW White
0580747: RM-505_EMEA_Swiss_QW Black
0580748: RM-505_EMEA_Swiss_QW White
0587797: RM-505_EMEA_Syria white
0576357: RM-505_EMEA_TURKEY_QW Black
0576458: RM-505_EMEA_TURKEY_QW White
0576405: RM-505_EMEA_UKRAINE_QW Black
0576485: RM-505_EMEA_UKRAINE_QW White
0576554: RM-505_MENA_ALGERIA black
0576573: RM-505_MENA_ALGERIA white
0575743: RM-505_MENA_ARABIC 1 black
0576558: RM-505_MENA_ARABIC 1 white
0576503: RM-505_MENA_ARABIC 2 black
0576569: RM-505_MENA_ARABIC 2 white
0576504: RM-505_MENA_EMBARGO NON GPS black
0576570: RM-505_MENA_EMBARGO NON GPS white
0576500: RM-505_MENA_KSA black
0576567: RM-505_MENA_KSA white
0576502: RM-505_MENA_LEVANT black
0580177: RM-505_MENA_LEVANT COMMON ENGLISH BLACK
0580187: RM-505_MENA_LEVANT COMMON ENGLISH WHITE
0576568: RM-505_MENA_LEVANT white
0576555: RM-505_MENA_MEA B black
0576574: RM-505_MENA_MEA B white
0576553: RM-505_MENA_NORTH AFRICA black
0576572: RM-505_MENA_NORTH AFRICA white
0576562: RM-505_MENA_SSA FRENCH Black
0576578: RM-505_MENA_SSA FRENCH White
0576560: RM-505_MENA_SSA Multi Black
0576566: RM-505_MENA_SSA Multi White
0576561: RM-505_MENA_SSA PT Black
0576577: RM-505_MENA_SSA PT White
0576559: RM-505_MENA_SSA1 Black
0576565: RM-505_MENA_SSA1 White
0576563: RM-505_MENA_SSA10 Black
0576579: RM-505_MENA_SSA10 White
0576564: RM-505_MENA_SSA11 Black
0576580: RM-505_MENA_SSA11 White
0587796: RM-505_MENA_Syria Black
0575744: RM-505_MENA_UAE black
0576576: RM-505_MENA_UAE white
0580749: RM-505_MENA_Venezuela black
0580750: RM-505_MENA_Venezuela white

Nokia N97 (RM-506) v20.1.21

0572794: RM-506_CHINA _CTR CHINA black
0575821: RM-506_CHINA _CTR CHINA white

Nokia N97 (RM-507) v20.1.21

0576117: RM-507_NAM_ARGENTINA black
0576118: RM-507_NAM_ARGENTINA white
0580761: RM-507_NAM_AUSTRALIA_850 Black
0580762: RM-507_NAM_AUSTRALIA_850 White
0575402: RM-507_NAM_BRAZIL black
0576116: RM-507_NAM_BRAZIL white
0576557: RM-507_NAM_ISRAEL 850 Black
0588543: RM-507_NAM_ISRAEL 850 White
0575401: RM-507_NAM_LTA black
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0575400: RM-507_NAM_NAM black
0576111: RM-507_NAM_NAM white
0583786: RM-507_NAM_NEW_ZEALAND_850 Black
0583788: RM-507_NAM_NEW_ZEALAND_850 White
0583785: RM-507_NAM_PHILIPPINES_850 Black
0583787: RM-507_NAM_PHILIPPINES_850 White

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Rachael moves closer to officialdom

2009-10-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 (a.k.a. Rachael) just made another public appearance, confirming the rumors that its official announcement is coming really soon. An official sales brochure of what is Sony Ericsson make-or-break project appeared online, revealing another particularly cool part of the handset.

Obviously the Android-running handset will pack 32GB of internal memory, which will be expandable even further thanks to the memory card slot. That puts the XPERIA X10 on top of its class, equaling the Nokia N97 record.

Just don't get overexcited about that 1080p logo on the brochure. The smart money is on it turning out a cheesy marketing trick by Sony (just like they do when they advertise their digicams), indicating that the camera can be set to capture 1920 x 1080 pixel images (which is less than 2 megapixels really).

So with the official brochures printed and ready, the market release of the device itself can't be too far away. Will Sony Ericsson manage to do it in time for the Christmas shopping spree?

Free N900 or N97 Mini! | Official Nokia Contest

2009-10-26T06:51:00.000-07:00

Another amazing Nokia contest!

Nokia is very well known for its amazing and crazy contests, sometimes is a complex puzzle we have to solve and other times is just a silly thing we have to do. And well, this one is one of the goofy ones; but the reward is enough to do the most goofy and crazy thing in the world: a brand new Nokia N900 or Nokia N97 Mini. That is right, two of the most amazing devices currently made by Nokia, but, what do you have to do?

It is pretty easy, all you have to do is take a picture of yourself using the Mobira Cityman which you can download and print using this link: PDF Link. The best picture will receive either the N900 or the N97 Mini.

Nokia N97 Blog on Facebook

2009-10-26T04:22:00.000-07:00

Keeping in trends, Nokia N97 Blog comes closer to your needs. No matter where you are on the web, you can access your favorite nokia blog, because along with the web page of Nokia N97 Blog, you now get a facebook page. Get your updates on posts, reviews, free themes and games on your own facebook profile, a click away.
What makes it more interesting is that, combined with the facebook widget that is available for download in OviStore, you can even checkout reviews and new posts directly on your Nokia, whether it’s a N97, or a 5800 XM, E71 and many more models; download games and themes through facebook widget.

Just become a fan and you will have all these brought to you by Nokia N97 Blog. Tell your friends about it on facebook, come join a cummunity that is eager to bring you the latest in mobile phone technology. Interested in somenthing particular? Start a topic about it and along with your friends, we will help you understand.
So come join a fast groing network today.