DYA Phone mobile concept

Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Cell Phones, Design

What you are looking at is a mobile phone concept by tech designer Aran Mun, affectionately called the DYA Phone, but we think it looks more like a DIY phone.  After all, who but a user would come up with a phone covered in elastic paint that protects it from damages?

Not only that, but who would come up with a phone with a set of ordinary looking, out-of-place buttons? Quite frankly, this thing looks like a mess, and the user experience would be fairly intolerable. What do you think?

Read More | The Design Blog

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3G speed test: Verizon wins, AT&T dead last

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cell Phones, Corporate News, Internet, Science, Wireless / WiFi

No shocker here. Wired.com did their own independent tests to determine the fastest and slowest average 3G network speeds in the US, and Verizon came out on top. The survey included 15,000 participants, with 12,000 of them reporting back with data that was valid and usable for the tests. Verizon clocked in with an average download speed of 1,940 kbps, T-Mobile dropped in at second at 1,793 kbps, Sprint took third at 1,598 kbps, and AT&T was way behind at just 901 kbps. That’s just sad, and very telling when you consider the complaints from many an iPhone user as it pertains to 3G speeds.

Granted, this wasn’t the most scientific of studies, as the test included 8153 AT&T users, compared to just 856 from Verizon, but hey, the info is still useful, right?

Read More | Wired

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Google Chrome OS Announced, Hits Netbooks in 2010

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cell Phones, Corporate News, Google, Internet, PC / Laptop, Software

Google just announced Chrome OS, their entry into the operating system world. According to the Google Developer Blog, Chrome OS will be a lightweight, open source OS platform meant to “power computers ranging from small netbooks to full-zize desktop systems,” with the goal being a practically instant-on system that takes you right into the web. Chrome OS will be able to run on x86 and ARM chips, which means 32-bit computers, including Intel Atom machines, can play nice, along with mobile platforms. All-in-all, Google aims to make the Internet the bulk of the operating system, with Chrome OS just providing some supporting architecture. Offline mode will undoubtedly be supported, since it’s built in to the Google Apps suite of products. Google says they are already working with OEMs, and we should see devices that are running Chrome OS hit the market in the second half of 2010.

The competition in the OS space is heating up, and the biggest winner, from where we sit, is going to be the consumers. Game on.

Read More | Chrome OS

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Opera Mobile 9.7 beta Available

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cell Phones, Handhelds, Internet

Opera Mobile 9.7 beta is now available for Windows Mobile-based phones. New to the version is faster downloading, compression technology to speed up data transfer and its upgraded Presto 2.2 browser that they say is up to 25% faster. With the add-on Widgets manager and Opera Widgets SDK, favorites can be added with a click, in addition to pre-installed Twitter, Google Translate and other widgets. You can download Mobile 9.7 on the Norway based site.

Read More | Opera

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Washington D.C. To Get Free Mobile Digital TV

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cell Phones, Handhelds, HDTV, Transportation

Lucky Washington gets to be the first U.S. city to receive free mobile digital TV for laptops, cell phones, handhelds and in-car entertainment systems. The first broadcasts will be like those beamed to TVs, including advertising. The target date is set for late summer and will consist of CBS, NBC, PBS, Ion and Fox. Mobile DTV will be available to about 2 dozen other cities by the end of the year, to include New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston and Atlanta.

Read More | USA Today

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800MHz P565 Handset Coming Soon From ASUS

Posted by Aaron Zollo Categories: Cameras, Cell Phones, GPS, Handhelds

ASUS announced that they would soon be releasing a smartphone with a touch interface and a whopping 800MHz of processing goodness.  ASUS is featuring a new touch interface they have named “Glide,” which overlays the Windows Mobile operating system.  The P565 features not only speed, but a 2.8-inch VGA touch screen with a resolution of 480 x 640.  The face is what you would expect for a touchscreen device, but what you cannot see is the leather that lines the back of the device, clearly aiming it for a business environment.  The P565 incorporates Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, GPS, 256MB of flash, with 128MB DDR SDRAM, an SD slot, Blutooth, a 3 megapixel camera, and supports HSDPA 3.6Mbps, UMTS 2100, EDGE/GPRS/GSM 900/1800/1900, Class 10.  No word yet on price or when it will launch, but it certainly should be a very capable device once it comes to market.

Read More | ASUSTeK

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Skype IM+ Goes Mobile

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Cell Phones, Handhelds, Internet

If you have a mobile device with SkypeOut credits and Internet connection, you can now get IM+ for voice and text communication to others with the service, landlines and those on MySpace. It works with no delay with any 3G/GSM/CDMA network, even one with a lower data transfer rate. There is a one time fee with all updates included and you have the option of redirecting incoming calls to voicemail to listen later. The IM+ service is available for $19.95.

Read More | Smartphone Thoughts

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Samsung Epix i907 Starts Arriving At AT&T Stores

Posted by Aaron Zollo Categories: Cameras, Cell Phones, GPS, Handhelds

The new AT&T Samsung Epix i907 has been showing up in AT&T stores recently as expected.  The phone is basically a Blackjack, but benefits from a touch screen incorporating Haptic feedback, a QWERTY keyboard and optical mouse.  The phone uses Windows Mobile 6.1 for the Core OS and supports 850MHz, 1900MHz, 2100MHz HSDPA 3G networks and carries a built-in GPS.  The i907 also incorporates a microSD slot, 2 megapixel camera, and costs $199 with a 2 year contract.  If the iPhone isn’t your thing because tactile QWERTY keyboard is needed, this may be for you.

Read More | BoyGeniusReport

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MyGlobalTalk $50,000 Gear Live Beta Giveaway (Take Two)

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Cell Phones, Hot Deals, Software

Yesterday, we put up 1,000 invites to the MyGlobalTalk Gear Live Windows Mobile beta test. The $50,000 in credits went almost instantly, so we talked the company into giving us 1,000 more. We got a bunch of emails from you guys complaining that you weren’t able to get in, so no more whining, and just click over and grab an invite already, okay? In case you are new and aren’t sure what this is all about, here you go:

If you are into chatting on your cell phone, beta testing different services, and getting free stuff, then you are going to like this one. MyGlobalTalk has just given us $50,000 worth of calling services on their new VoIP application for Windows Mobile phones to give away to Gear Live readers. We are giving that away to 1,000 readers, in $50 increments. That’s good for over 2,000 minutes of international talk time. There are just three prerequisites:

• You have a Windows Mobile smartphone/Pocket PC.
• Your Windows Mobile Operating System is 5.0 or 6.0. For Windows Mobile 5.0 click here to download the .NET Compact Framework update.
• Give MyGlobalTalk your honest feedback on the application. They know it’s not perfect yet but with your help, they can improve.

Now just head over to the MyGlobalTalk Gear Live signup page, download the app, and you are up and running. Once you get logged in, you will find $50 waiting for you in your account. Not too shabby, right? The best thing about the service is that you don’t need to be within range of a WiFi signal or hotspot to use it.

Read More | MyGlobalTalk Gear Live beta

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MyGlobalTalk $50,000 Gear Live Beta Giveaway

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Cell Phones, Hot Deals, Software

EDIT: Wow. Those went quick. We just talked with the guys at MyGlobalTalk, and we will have 1,000 more to give away tomorrow. How do you like that? Stay tuned!

If you are into chatting on your cell phone, beta testing different services, and getting free stuff, then you are going to like this one. MyGlobalTalk has just given us $50,000 worth of calling services on their new VoIP application for Windows Mobile phones to give away to Gear Live readers. We are giving that away to 1,000 readers, in $50 increments. That’s good for over 2,000 minutes of international talk time. There are just three prerequisites:

• You have a Windows Mobile smartphone/Pocket PC.
• Your Windows Mobile Operating System is 5.0 or 6.0. For Windows Mobile 5.0 click here to download the .NET Compact Framework update.
• Give MyGlobalTalk your honest feedback on the application. They know it’s not perfect yet but with your help, they can improve.

Now just head over to the MyGlobalTalk Gear Live signup page, download the app, and you are up and running. Once you get logged in, you will find $50 waiting for you in your account. Not too shabby, right? The best thing about the service is that you don’t need to be within range of a WiFi signal or hotspot to use it.

Read More | MyGlobalTalk Gear Live beta

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