Gadgets News

More pictures of the rumored white iPhone

2010-05-24T20:48:00.001-07:00

iPhone Much like Captain Ahab , Taiwanese Apple fan site tw.apple.pro is in pursuit of something elusive and white. They've posted pictures of what they claim to be the 4G iPhone with white casing on the back and front. Last week, the same site posted side-by-side photos of black and white faceplates supposedly meant for the new iPhone.

Dave & Buster’s declares tomorrow ‘National Play Day’

2010-05-24T20:47:00.003-07:00

According to the results of a survey conducted by a nationally recognized sociological wellness research group that is also a restaurant/arcade, America is facing one of the most drastic fun shortages it's experienced in decades. To combat our nationwide doldrums, Dave & Buster's has declared May 25 to be "National Play Day," a brand new holiday that appears to be based around a downloadable $10 voucher you can use in any Dave & Buster's arcade nationwide tomorrow. Scoff if you will, but there are way worse reasons to have a holiday.

iTunes share of the US music market swells to 26.7%

2010-05-24T20:47:00.001-07:00

iTunes Apple's iTunes music service has strengthened its lead in the US music market , growing to a whopping 26.7% of all music sold in the States, up from 21% a few years ago and 12% in 2007. That's pretty phenomenal growth, buoyed almost certainly by the rising share of digital music versus brick and mortar stores. Digital purchases make up 35.5% of music bought here, also up from 31% the last time Billboard released stats. So where are all of these music purchases coming from?

Wave goodbye to the iPhone 3G

2010-05-24T20:46:00.003-07:00

iPhone According to Boy Genius Report, the iPhone 3G is very likely to be discontinued . Apple has reportedly stopped supplying AT&T stores with the 8 GB iPhone 3G. Additionally, the Australian online Apple Store lists the iPhone 3G as "currently unavailable," and UK carrier O2 has altered its ordering options in a way that makes it impossible to purchase the low-end iPhone. It's not at all shocking that the iPhone 3G is most likely about to be discontinued .

Publish2 wants to take content distribution away from the AP

2010-05-24T20:46:00.001-07:00

Publish2 , a content distribution service for print and web publishing, announced today the launch of the Publish2 News Exchange, a proposed replacement for mega content distributor the Associated Press. The company claims that its new product, which launched today at TechCrunch's Disrupt conference, will help publishers avoid the high costs associated with the AP for equally high-quality and free content from around the web. Rather than purchasing content from the AP, the Publish2 News Exchange connects web publishers with print publishers to distribute content to anyone at anytime. The web publishers benefit by having their brand syndicated in print

T-Mobile Garminfone looks confirmed for June 2 release

2010-05-24T20:39:00.003-07:00

It seems that your wait for Garmin's first T-Mobile-bound phone -- the aptly-named Garminfone -- might be a short one. We'd already known it was coming in June for $200, but this shot here makes it sounds like June 2 is the date you should start lining up in front of the store at four in the morning (we kid, we kid) for your shot at arguably the best turn-by-turn experience available on an Android phone today. You can get over the lack of Froyo and a 3.5mm headphone jack, right? [Thanks, 0mie] T-Mobile Garminfone looks confirmed for June 2 release originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 May 2010 21:31:00 EDT

Old VCR Codes Have Been Junked

2010-05-24T20:39:00.001-07:00

Throw another one on the pile of outdated technologies. VCR Plus+ codes are no longer being generated. VCR Plus+ were the codes you used to need to videotape a television show.

Confirmed: Apple’s next iPhone will have video chat, feature to be shown in ads directed by Sam Mendes

2010-05-24T20:35:00.001-07:00

Well this can't be tremendously surprising. Apparently American Beauty director Sam Mendes is in the process of putting together a series of commercials for Apple's next iPhone , which according to a tipster is being referred to internally as the Mammoth / N90 . Besides that tip (with a handful of juicy details), a trusted source has confirmed to us that the ads will feature at least one spot where a mother and daughter are having a video chat conversation using the new front-facing camera that's been spied on the face of that iPhone floating around Vietnam and Northern California . Adding weight to this story, a cursory search on Twitter revealed that there's at least one actress who is up for a role in the "f***ing apple commercial" in New York, and another fellow who is auditioning for spots in California.

Wafer giant MEMC expands further into solar with $76M Solaicx buy

2010-05-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

Solaicx isn't your garden variety silicon wafer maker. The Santa Clara, Calif. company says it has devised a manufacturing process that allows it to churn out extremely efficient monocrystalline wafers tailored for the solar market at a viciously competitive low price — the holy grail of photovoltaics. This opportunity to steeply reduce its manufacturing costs looked too good to pass up for MEMC , one of the biggest makers of silicon wafers in the world, which has seen its core business erode since the economic downturn hit the semiconductor industry hard

Wal-Mart Dropping iPhone to $97

2010-05-24T20:32:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, retailer Wal-Mart plans to cut the price of the popular iPhone 16GB 3GS to $97. Currently this iPhone model is selling for $199. The $97 deal requires a two-year service contract with AT&T. The dip in price could represent a hope to clear inventory and preserve sales in the lead-up to the debut of the newest iPhone next month.

Samsung Wave Available in Europe

2010-05-24T20:27:00.001-07:00

"Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today announced the commercial availability of the Samsung Wave (Model: S8500) in European countries, including Germany, France and the UK. Unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2010, the Wave is the first smartphone based on Samsung's new, open smartphone platform, bada, and is the cornerstone of the company's commitment to 'smartphone democratization.' With the launch of the Wave, Samsung is actively constructing a total eco-system around bada platform including Samsung Apps. Samsung Apps will be available in 80 countries when the Wave launches, and will increase the premium content and applications pool through collaboration with partner companies and developers." Read more inside..

Samsung I9000 Galaxy S review: From outer space

2010-05-24T20:26:00.001-07:00

" Our homepage is the natural home of the deadliest smartphone carnivores. We normally don't mind but this time is different. Are we about to start feeling a wee bit nervous or what. It's a beast that tops the food chain, instilling fear and terror into the hearts of its prey. Our test lab is Jurassic Park, and the next predator we are about to meet is the T-Rex. Luckily we have a team of skilled keepers, capable of taming it. The Samsung I9000 Galaxy S has so much muscle that trying to impose your will with brute force is pointless. No sir, this creature needs to be befriended, patted on the back until it starts to trust you. But once it lets you jump on its back it will give you the ride of a lifetime."

Crazysoft announced support to Bada and Android really soon!

2010-05-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

Crazysoft announced support to Bada and Android really soon:

1) Samsung Bada
All games/apps are nearly done. Samsungs wave device is supported.
All games/apps will be out, aprox at the end of May 2010.

2) Google Android
All games/apps will be ported to Googles android.
All major resolutions will be supported and first releases will be out in June 2010.

Announcing the release of bada SDK 1.0.0b2, available to all developers!

2010-05-23T21:55:00.001-07:00

"We are happy to announce a beta release of the bada SDK, Samsung's new open mobile platform. With this release, you can create your own applications. These applications can be deployed and tested on the Wave phone, which is Samsung's first bada-powered device.

The SDK includes several components: an integrated development environment (IDE), Simulator, UI builder, sample applications, documentation and tutorials. Samsung bada's IDE is based on the Eclipse CDT (C/C++ Development Tools), which is a popular development environment used by many mobile developers. The Simulator provides a local test environment without the need for a physical handset." via http://developer.bada.com

ATT Palm Pre Plus Officially Due May 16th

2010-05-23T21:52:00.001-07:00

"Confirming last week's rumor, AT&T has broken their prolonged silence concerning the Palm Pre's release date via a Facebook posting. Ma Bell has updated their wall today with the official word that the Palm Pre will be available on Sunday, May 16th." via palminforcenter

Samsung Bada and Galaxy S Officially Coming to Vodafone

2010-05-23T21:51:00.001-07:00

"Looks like Vodafone is trying to keep up the whole "we've got good phones" thing, and they're doing a pretty good job of it, too. According to the wireless carrier's site, both prodigal Samsung handsets are going to be making their way to store shelves, both digital and brick-and-mortar, here in the near future. Good news for anyone on Vodafone wanting a new device, and, truthfully, both of them are amazing pieces of gadgetry.The Samsung Wave is the first Samsung handset to rock their proprietary mobile Operating System called Bada.

It's got a 3.3-inch Super AMOLED display, with an 800×480 display. The phone is pretty thin, and remarkably responsive. And while we didn't get a lot of time with it, be sure to check out our hands-on time to see if this device is something you'd be interested in.As for the Samsung Galaxy S, this is a device that we've covered in all sorts of different ways here. This is the original version, and it's packing a large 4-inch screen, the same Super AMOLED technology that's on the Samsung Wave, and it's got Android under the hood. Thankfully, it's Android 2.1. Also, the processor, codenamed Hummingbird, is apparently the fastest on the market right now, beating even the standard 1GHz Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm. Which, obviously, we can't wait to actually test out.The two sites that Vodafone have launched are intended to measure the general interest of its wireless customers based on the two handsets future availability. This might mean that only one handset gets launched, but we doubt that's what Vodafone is planning here. Besides, we imagine that both devices are going to get their fair share of interest, with plenty of clicked buttons to prove it. If you're under the Vodafone umbrella, be sure to head over there and tell them what you think."

HTC Wildfire Gets the Hands On Treatment

2010-05-23T21:50:00.001-07:00

"Are you a fan of entry-level handsets? How about entry-level handsets that are only entry-level because of their price tag? Yeah, we figured you were. Especially when the device in question is an Android 2.1-based handset, running HTC's immensely popular Sense User Interface. Well, we'd love to introduce you to the HTC Wildfire. She's new to the block, but obviously she gets her looks from some other already released devices.The Wildfire looks like a cross between the HTC Smart and Desire, and we'll be one of the first to say that that's not necessarily a bad thing at all. Specifications go something like this: a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, Bluetooth, WiFi b/g, GPS, with the standard swath of European wireless carrier UMTS/WCDMA for all that data you'll be consuming on the Wildfire. There's a MicroSD card slot, too, which should help on the memory department. You'll get a 528MHz processor, which is similar to the HTC Hero of yester-year.There's a software feature called "Application Sharing." Sounds cool, doesn't it? Unfortunately, the feature itself isn't as great as the name implies.

Sony Ericsson Aspen Review

2010-05-23T21:49:00.001-07:00

"When I first saw the image above I was somewhat excited by the prospect of trying this phone, but it would safe to say that the photographer has done a brilliant job of making it look better than in real life. It's certainly not ugly, but in black looks like almost every other front keyboarded device on the market. I hate to say this, but there is a touch of 'i-mate' in the design of the front."

Samsung I5500 is a Corby that runs Android 2.1 Eclair?

2010-05-23T21:48:00.001-07:00

"We've seen Samsung Corby phones in a variety of shapes and sizes, but now rumor has it that a new member of the group - the Samsung I5500 Corby - will run Android and become the first Corby to earn a smartphone degree.
We don't know much about this new Corby, except that it recently got a Wi-Fi certification for the b/g/n protocols. It received FCC certification as well, so we're looking at 3G, Bluetooth and GPS for the Samsung I5500. The camera resolution is unknown, but it probably won't be more than 3MP.
The rumors add Android 2.1 Eclair and Corby branding to the mix and an expected price of 200 euro putting it at the low end of the price range for an Android phone.
We don't have a photo of the Samsung I5500 Corby yet - the photo on the left is a quick mockup. In-the-wild photos can't be far behind though."

RIM BlackBerry Pearl 3G Now Available from Rogers Through Best Buy

2010-05-23T21:47:00.001-07:00

"So, while wireless carriers in the United States continue to bicker amongst themselves (yes, that's what we picture in our heads) about who doesn't want the BlackBerry Pearl 3G, it looks like Rogers up in Canada is all sorts of excited about the new iteration of the Pearl series from the company in Waterloo. But, just like the white BlackBerry Bold 9700 we brought to your attention yesterday, this one's not from the wireless carrier itself. Instead, you'll have to find your way to a Best Buy up there in the Great North to get your hands on this little guy. It's looking like it's of the burgundy persuasion, so if you can stand not having a black/chrome BlackBerry, maybe this will be your next device. It's the 9100 model, which means you'll get the QWERTY keyboard, along with the other standard features, like WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth. If you're into the whole contract thing, then if you sign your life away for three years, you'll be looking at a reasonable price of $79.99. If not, and you want to just buy the phone out-right, you'll have to pull out $449.99. But, if you do get yourself one, come on by and let us know what you think of it. We're definitely interested to hear your thoughts."

7 new Symbian phones in NTT DOCOMO's summer collection

2010-05-23T21:40:00.001-07:00

"On Monday NTT DOCOMO announced its summer 2010 collection of mobile phones; of the 20 phones announced, 7 are running MOAP-S (based on Symbian). These include the F06-B, F-07B, and F-08B from Fujitsu and the SH-08B, SH-02B Marimekko, SH-08B and SH-09B from Sharp. The F-06B can shoot full HD (1920×1080) video on its 13.2 megapixel camera, is fully waterproof to 1.5 metres (so you can shoot video underwater), can act as a WiFi hotspot and has a WVGA touchscreen. All of these phones will become available on the NTT DOCOMO network in Japan over the next few months."

Samsung i8910 HD gets HX V5 firmware update!

2010-05-23T21:39:00.001-07:00

The HX series of firmwares for the Samsung i8910 HD continue to roll out, with v5 the best yet, with a number of important fixes and detailed improvements, including, critically, fixing the Java certificate problem and improving battery life. As ever, these firmwares are 100% unofficial, but they're easy to apply* and can dramatically transform this old but still powerful smartphone. Comments welcome if you get a chance to try it on your i8910.

DataViz Documents to Go 2.0 Premium Edition for BlackBerry Review

2010-05-23T21:38:00.001-07:00

"BlackBerrys come preloaded with a stripped-down standard version of DataViz's "Documents to Go" that doesn't allow for new file creation, and if you want to do more, you have to buy the premium edition. Thus, the question is whether it's worth $50 for the full-featured app.
DataViz offers a simple desktop client that allows you to synchronize folders between a PC and smartphone. I'm not sure if this is necessary considering BlackBerrys show up as storage drives when connected to PCs anyway."

Google adds encrypted search option with SSL

2010-05-23T01:44:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Google announced a new feature for its world dominating popular search engine, SSL. By simply directing your web browser to https://www.google.com you can take advantage of a secure, fully encrypted web query. Here is what Google had to say about their latest beta feature: This secured channel helps protect your search terms and your search results pages from being intercepted by a third party on your network Google will still maintain search data to improve your search quality and to provide better service. Searching over SSL doesn't reduce the data sent to Google — it only hides that data from third parties who seek it.

Entelligence: Is Android fragmented or is this the new rate of innovation?

2010-05-23T01:43:00.003-07:00

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide. A few weeks ago I sat down with the father of Android, Andy Rubin. Andy's a super smart person, having done stints at Apple, General Magic, WebTV and Danger before starting the Android project