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Palm reveals WebOS 2.0

Posted by John Kilhefner Categories: Smartphones, Software,

webOS2.0
If there were an award for most underrated OS than Palm’s webOS would certainly be giving an acceptance speech. However, Palm is looking to tailor a new acceptance speech for ‘best OS around’ by introducing webOS 2.0. The new features slated for the upgrade are momentous to say the least, and with any luck HP will be able to help put Palm’s webOS where it should be in the smartphone market.

Stacks
Improving upon the already prolific multi-tasking capabilities of webOS, version 2.0 will make cards even more intuitive and easier to sort through. WebOS 2.0 will expand upon the card scheme of the original OS, but will introduce “stacking” into the mix. This will enable groups of cards to be kept in piles related to one another in order to minimize clutter and maximize efficiency. For instance, if you go to open a link in your Facebook app, it will become stacked within that group, and can be arranged and sorted as you please. Developers will even find that their applications will automatically be grouped by Stacks, requiring them to make no special changes to their applications.

Click to continue reading Palm reveals WebOS 2.0

Epic 4G review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds, Product Reviews,

The Samsung Epic 4G is the second phone from Sprint to take advantage of their speedier 4G service, the original being the EVO 4G. The Epic 4G is part of Samsung’s Galaxy S line of Android smartphones, although visually it’s a departure from others like the Samsung Captivate, Fascinate, and Vibrant from other carriers. You do still get the TouchWiz 3.0 interface, 1GHz Hummingbird processor, and the 4-inch Super AMOLED display. So what’s different, aside from the phone being able to access Sprint’s 4G network? Well, it’s a Galaxy S phone with a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard. So, is it worth your time—and more importantly—your money? We’ve got our full review for you, so click on through.

Click to continue reading Epic 4G review

Samsung Epic 4G unboxing gallery

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cell Phones, Features, Galleries, Handhelds,

Today, Sprint launched the Samsung Epic 4G smartphone, their second Android phone that can tap into their 4G network. We have our hands on the device, and we’ve taken a bunch of shots to show off Samsung’s only QWERTY keyboard-sporting Galaxy S device. We know you want to get to our Epic 4G review ASAP, but do take a moment and check out the Epic 4G unboxing gallery we’ve put together to really get an idea of the look of the thing, won’t you?

Gallery:

Bleeding Edge TV 361: Windows Phone 7 preview

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Cell Phones, Features, Handhelds, Microsoft, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos,

Wanna get an in-depth preview of what Microsoft has in store for Windows Phone 7? In this episode, we chat with Brian Seitz of the Windows Phone team, and he gives us a tour through the entire Windows Phone 7 interface. We get a look at a bunch of features and hubs, including things like social networking integration, Microsoft Office, Xbox Live, photos, friends, Zune, Outlook, and much more. Seeing how Microsoft was able to tie a bunch of their different service offerings (Xbox, Office, Zune, Bing, Explorer, etc.) so tightly into one device is impressive, and definitely gives us hope as they gear up for the launch of Windows Phone 7 devices this fall.

Are smartphones dumbing us down?

Posted by John Kilhefner Categories: Smartphones, Editorial, Features, Handhelds, Internet, PC / Laptop, Science,

The term ‘smartphone’ may be a tad misleading according to the recently published New York Times article, “Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime”. This is to say that frequent use of digital media can disrupt your brain’s downtime - a necessary component of internalizing information. Without this downtime, the brain has no chance to process information previously learned, resulting in cluttered, inattentive minds.

Chances are there are more than a few of you reading this article while accomplishing some cardio riding your local gym’s indoor bike, or while in class when you really should be listening to your professor’s first lecture of the semester (but don’t stop reading now on account of that!). While having a digital device handy is excellent for spicing up mundane moments, or for capturing your mind away from the tedium of exercising, it does come at a price.

Click to continue reading Are smartphones dumbing us down?

Samsung Epic 4G ad with Master Chief?

Posted by John Kilhefner Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Video Games, Videos,

If you’ve seen the new Samsung Epic 4G commercial then you might have been fooled into watching the whole thing thinking it was a new Halo: Reach commercial (raises hand). The similarities are probably not a coincidence considering Halo: Reach is set to be the biggest game of the year, and all eyes are on it right now. Knowing this, Samsung could have purposely chosen to borrow the money making look of Master Chief.

The start of the ad depicts a character bearing a strong resemblance to Halo’s Master Chief. The pseudo Chief is then chased by an alien space craft which bombards the Spartan-like clone with some heavy missile fire. Unmasking himself, the Samsung’s Spartan hops into his own aircraft, epic chase ensues. The terrain containing the massive battle is then revealed to take place in the palm of your hand - the slogan for the theater-like experience promised by the Samsung Galaxy S. All Halo inspired themes aside, it’s a pretty cool commercial, though you have no clue what it’s about until the very end. Microsoft states that “the commercial in question is not sanctioned by Microsoft.” However, whether or not Microsoft will want to have the look alike Master Chief hero pulled from the air is not known at this point.

Check out the ad for yourself below.

MetroPCS branded Samsung R900 Craft LTE-capable phone spotted

Posted by John Kilhefner Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Rumors,

Blurry photos of Samsung’s R900 Craft surfaced about a week ago within HowardForums. While the R900 is not running those new fangled operating systems that all the kids are raving for these days, the pics reveal that the phone will run on the MetroPCS’s LTE network making it the first LTE capable phone stateside, so it does breed a bit of excitement. Currently MetroPCS has only confirmed LTE networks to cover metropolitan areas in Las Vegas and Dallas Fort Wort, but states that they will cover several more metropolitan markets as well. Check out more photos of the MetroPCS Samsung R900 after the jump.

Click to continue reading MetroPCS branded Samsung R900 Craft LTE-capable phone spotted

Are your FaceTime conversations like this one?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Videos,

We’re big fans of the way that Apple has been pushing the FaceTime feature on the iPhone 4 commercials, but to be honest, we’ve never actually been able to partake in a FaceTime convo that was as touching as Apple makes them look. We think the video above is a more accurate depiction of what to expect!

T-Mobile selling Samsung Vibrant for just $99, today only

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Hot Deals,

Looks like T-Mobile is doing their best to stay in the news today. Aside from announcing the T-Mobile G2 HSPA+ smartphone this morning, they’ve also got a killer deal on the Samsung Vibrant. Just for today, they’ve got an online-only special where you can buy the Vibrant for $99. If you are unfamiliar, this phone typically sells for $199, and it’s worth every penny of that price with the amazing Super AMOLED display and 1GHz processor. Seriously, if you want a great phone on T-Mobile at a great price, you’ll wanna jump on this deal.

T-Mobile G2 Android smartphone first to use HSPA+

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Google, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi,

Okay, so we know that T-Mobile launched their super-fast HSPA+ network recently, and up to this point, only data-specific devices are able to take advantage of those increased speeds. However, that’s about to change with the impending launch of the T-Mobile G2. Yup, the G1, the first Android phone to hit the market a couple of years ago, is finally getting its successor in the G2, and it’ll be the first phone to support HSPA+ speeds. It will be available next month, and it’ll be built by HTC (which means it should be awesome.) Here’s a statement from T-Mobile on the news:

“T-Mobile is proud to have launched the world’s first Android-powered phone, the T-Mobile G1, which captured the imagination of developers and consumers alike nearly two years ago. Now, we are readying its successor - the T-Mobile G2 with Google. Delivering tight integration with Google services, the G2 will break new ground as the first smartphone specifically designed for our advanced HSPA+ network, which delivers today’s available 4G speeds. In the coming weeks we’ll share more details about the G2, including information on how current T-Mobile customers can get exclusive first access. Visit http://g2.t-mobile.com to register for updates.”

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