Cellfanatic

Google Maps brings voice search to BlackBerry Pearl

Nick Marshall — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:19:42 +0000

If the SureType keyboard is not your idea of fun, Google Maps has now added a voice search option for the Pearl 8110, 8120, and 8130, US only. If you are curious how it works simply press the left-side key and hold it while you say the name or type of business you’re looking for (for example, “pizza”). While only the US versions of the BlackBerry Pearl are compatible at the moment, the Google Maps team is constantly testing new features on different devices.

Some things to keep in mind are the accuracy of the voice recognition is limited by the software, the results have been impressive and lead to a number of good reviews. Without a BlackBerry Perl on hand we are going to leave the verdict out on this one until some of the readers chime in. The following is the 1,2,3 tutorial to using the Google Maps Voice Recognition on the US BlackBerry Pearl:

Using voice search is as simple as 1, 2, 3:

Press “0″ to center the map view around your location
Press the left-side key and hold it while you say the name or type of business you’re looking for (for example, “pizza”)
When you’re done speaking, release the left-side key, and our voice recognition technology will figure out your request and find the business you’ve been looking for, no typing needed.

LG Chocolate 3 Flips into Verizon Stores July 14th

Nick Marshall — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 05:56:07 +0000

If the first two LG Chocolates (VX8500, VX8550) didn’t win you over, round three starts in a little over a week. The LG Chocolate 3, also known as the VX8560, will be landing in Verizon Stores and online starting July 14th for $129 after $50 mail in rebate on 2 year contracts. If renewing your contract is not part of your game plan expect to pay $299 retail.

With 1GB of internal memory, microSDHC support for 8GB, 1.76″ 176×220 pixel external display with navigation wheel, 2.2″ internal QVGA display, 3.5mm headset jack, 2MP camera, stereo speakers, and Bluetooth ver 2.1, the LG Chocolate 3 is a contender for flip phone enthusiasts. Besides the design change, the big twist on the LG Chocolate 3 is that it will be the first Verizon device with an integrated FM Transmitter.

LG Chocolate 3 (VX 8560) Specifications:

1GB of internal memory
microSDHC support up to 8GB
1.7 inch 176 x 220 pixel external display, 2.2 inch 240 x 320 pixel internal display
3.5 mm headphone jack (standard size)
2.0 megapixel camera
stereo speakers, bluetooth 2.1
Release date: July 14, 2008
Price: $129 after rebates

Sony PSP Phone specs and pics leaked

Nick Marshall — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:56:12 +0000

What started as a rumor and eventually gained momentum towards truth-ville, the Sony PSP phone has just received a spec sheet update compliments of levelup. While we are not going to validate all of these specs at this point, it is still worth throwing the possibility that the following details could hold out to be true. For starters the Sony PSP Phone will allow you to rotate the screen which turns the phone into a full blown PSP, complete with 16:9 aspect ratio for movie viewing and of course the 16.77 million color 480 x 272 pixel screen for gaming.

The PSP Phone will be GSM, feature a 2.0 megapixel camera and support the latest in HSDPA connectivity with triband 3G radio support for 850 / 1900 / 2100 MHz. For 3G networks utilize these spectrums, the PSP Phone is a quadband GSM / EDGE / GPRS device with a 2.0 megapixel camera and a front-facing camera for video calling. According to the details the Media Manager software will be for the PC Only as well as the Synchronization software so it looks like Mac Users might be out of luck at this point, but we are sure unofficial software similar to ‘missing sync’ will get the job done if Sony does not release a Mac version.

So do you believe the specs of the PSP Phone are legit? Is this actually the specification sheet leaked by Sony for the PSP Phone or is it a collection of the rumored specs floating around the Internet? Go ahead and sound off in the comments section below and let us know what you think.

[Via: Unwired View]

T-mobile delivering HSUPA 1.4Mbps across the UK

Nick Marshall — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:30:02 +0000

While launching a HSDPA capable network is becoming more common, a full scale launch of a HSUPA network is a much different story. UK residents will be among the first to enjoy the first UK HSPA network (HSPDA + HSUPA) which will deliver up to 7.2Mbps downlink and 1.4Mbps uplink speeds. To say that we are not jealous living of T-mobile UK customers would be an understatement, especially when our best shot at 3G GSM lies in the hands of At&t. For those not familiar with the current At&t 3G situation, it can basically be summed up with the sad realization that only 5% of the US is 3G ready.

T-Mobile UK chief executive Jim Hyde said on Monday that the operator was addressing “the growing passion for sharing photos and videos on social-networking sites”. With the boost in uploads speeds, UK residents should have no problem uploading their 5.0 megapixel camera phone shots while T-mobile USA users putt away at EDGE speeds.

[Via: ZDNet]

Vodafone extending 3G Network to cover 97% of New Zealand

Nick Marshall — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:55:10 +0000

The land of Rachel Hunter and L&P just got some great news in the form of a Vodafone announcement regarding their 3G network expansion. According to the press release, Vodafone will be expanding the 3G footprint in New Zealand to cover 97% of the places New Zealanders live and work by 2010. While nothing is as good as today, especially in the world of tech, the current 3G footprint only covers 63% of those areas so the move is more of a necessity than excellence. In any case, Vodafone also announced that they are currently upgrading the HSDPA (downlink) speed to the highly coveted 7.2Mbps mark, sending a strong message to the competitive pressure from Telecom Corp. of New Zealand.

Full Press Release:

WELLINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Vodafone New Zealand Friday said it will extend its third generation mobile network to cover 97% of the population, taking total spending on 3G infrastructure investment to NZ$500 million.

The local unit of U.K.-based Vodafone PLC said its advanced mobile network would cover 97% of the places New Zealanders live and work in by 2010, up from the 63% coverage currently.

“The network extension means we’ll be able to offer true broadband speeds to almost every New Zealander, and especially our rural customers, by April 2010,” said Vodafone General Manager Corporate Affairs Tom Chignell.

“This means broadband will be available on customers’ mobiles and it can be used as a cost effective home solution, especially in areas where no land line-based broadband is available,” he said.

Vodafone said an enhancement of its downlink speed to 7.2 Megabits per second is currently being rolled out. In the future, peak downlink speeds will go up to 28.8 Mbps and uplink speeds 11.5 Mbps using High Speed Packet Access protocols.

Responding to the announcement, Communications Minister David Cunliffe said the country’s regulatory regime has given telecommunications companies the flexibility to bring broadband to rural areas.

“This announcement means that more New Zealanders will have access to high-speed internet via their home computers, laptops and on their mobile phones,” Cunliffe said.

“While many countries are still struggling with the removal of outdated restrictions on the use of lower frequency bands for HSPA, the flexible spectrum regulatory arrangements in New Zealand mean that the benefits of this technology can be delivered to New Zealanders now.”

Vodafone is currently also ramping up competitive pressure on Telecom Corp. of New Zealand by aggressively rolling out new broadband and home phone products following regulation that split the former state-owned monopoly into three separate companies and gave rivals access to its network.

-By Symon Ross, Dow Jones Newswires; 64-4-471-5990; symon.ross@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

T-Mobile allows SMS, MMS and IM blocking free July 16th

Nick Marshall — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:33:08 +0000

Tired of having random people message your phone because you just signed up for T-mobile and forgot to port over your number? Well starting July 16th the days and nights of random SMS, MMS and IMs will stop according to a post over on the PhoneScoop forums. According to the details, beginning July 16th T-mobile will offer message blocking, an add-on feature that gives customers the ability to block unwanted chargeable messages. The add-on is free and is available to new and existing customers in an effort to protect the privacy of their subscribers.

Our Message Blocking services will allow customers to block the following chargeable messages individually or all together:

• Text/Picture Messages
• Instant Messages
• E-mail

It looks like the only messages you can’t block on T-mobile are the non-chargeable messages from T-mobile alerting you when they have received your payment or emergency alerts. It looks like the message blocking service might be in response to the hike in SMS rates to 20 cents/message reportedly going down later this month.

[Via: PhoneScoop]

Philips X800 full touchscreen 2.0 megapixel ‘Xenium’

Nick Marshall — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:17:24 +0000

With the flood of full touchscreen devices hitting the market, the Philips X800 might have come a little too late to the party for the red carpet treatment. With a tri-band GSM/GPRS radio, 2.9 inch 240 x 400 pixel display and a 2 megapixel camera, the late launch of the X800 might be fatal with the Samsung Omnia, iPhone 3G and HTC Touch Diamond all offering similar and in many cases better specs.

While specs are one area, performance signs the checks when it comes down to business. With most smartphone overlooking the simplest of functions, the Philips X800 is a performer when it comes to battery life with almost 8 hours of talk time. The most impressive aspect of the talk time is that the X800 is only powered by a 1250 mAh battery.

Unfortunately no official price or launch details have been announced for the Philips X800. What we can tell you is that users not needing high speed 3G data and requiring considerably longer talk times than other touchscreen devices on the market should welcome the X800.

[Via: ePrice]

Nokia N810 Internet Tablet running Google’s Android

Nick Marshall — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:56:07 +0000

Sure the rumors are swirling that Android might be experiencing some delays, but could that really stop a die hard tech fans from living out their dreams of running the upcoming OS on their Nokia N810 Internet Tablet? Of course not and thanks to the guys over at Internet Tablet Talk Forums we have all the juicy details on how to get your own N810 Internet Tablet running Google’s Android OS. For starters this is only a simple 3 step process to get up and running, but we must warn you that by doing so you could be voiding some warranties if you are not able to restore the device back to the original shipping condition before sending it back to Nokia for repairs.

Installing Android on the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet: Step by Step Guide:

Download android.img.bz2 to the tablet’s memory card
Download and install android-installer.deb to tablet’s memory card
Reboot and hit the Android icon that will have appeared in the Nokia’s extras menu

If you have trouble downloading android-installer.deb from the first link, try here.

The first thing you might notice when you are running Linux/Android is that the interface is rather plain, but don’t fret there is plenty of time for UI refinements before a final product surfaces. With the Tilt, the Mogul and the Touch already being among many of devices currently running Android ‘unofficially’, the official release of Google’s Android OS might not be too far away.

[Via: Internet Tablet Talk Forums]

Happy 4th of July from Cellfanatic!

Nick Marshall — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:45:05 +0000

Just wanted to wish everyone to have a happy 4th of July whether it’s a late night at the bars or a family picnic, stay safe and keep those cell phones dry. We all know what can happen when a little water and a phone mix all too well. In the spirit of patriotism we would like to encourage our readers to go ahead and drop a comment in this post to help support our troops. Without their support, we couldn’t be here to give you the latest in greatest in the world of mobile phones 24/7, so in the spirit of the Marines — hoooorah!

Motorola Q9 ‘Napolean’ brings GSM and CDMA together

Nick Marshall — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:34:39 +0000

Verizon Wireless customers looking to get their fix on a CDMA/GSM combination device have been forced to look into the weary eyes of the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition, but today Motorola wants a piece of the action. Today we have news of an upcoming Motorola Q9, labeled the ‘Napolean’, which delivers both CDMA and GSM radios and adds a twist for the global GSM traveler. Unlike previous CDMA/GSM combination devices, the Q9 Napoleon has quadband GSM support which means you can use the device in the US on either T-mobile or At&t.

Other than the quadband GSM capabilities of the Motorola Q9 Napolean, the updated Q9 comes with Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard, EVDO Rev A, Quadband EDGE, a 2.0 megapixel camera with flash and WiFi. For an added bonus, the Q9 Napolean also includes a fingerprint scanner in case you happen to need to authenticate an associate in your next business meeting. Honestly the usefulness of a fingerprint scanner, really? I think it’s time for the ‘Last Stand’ / ZN12 / Alexander to launch already and let’s see what Motorola has left in the fridge before we turn out the lights.

[Via: BGR]