Monthly Archive for July, 2010
The average Android smart phone comes with a basic touch screen interface. In fact, that is all that a user needs to properly navigate the user interface. Occasionally, there are some devices that come equipped with physical keyboards; phones such as the Motorola Milestone and the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro. But this time, there is a new form factor that will be using the Google Android operating system: a Samsung handset using the BlackBerry form factor.
Sure, we can all refer to it as a portrait keyboard with a wide display, but everyone knows that these types of mobile phones bear an uncanny resemblance to the famous smart phones made by RIM. Anyway, one can only think that Samsung is planning to delve into the mobile business market with this new form factor that they are trying out.
Right now, there are no official or even leaked images of the Galaxy Q, so at best, we can all just imagine a Samsung Galaxy S with a cut down touch screen display and a four row keyboard on the face of the device. It should work, but most regular users will still opt for the more familiar Galaxy S smart phone.
It seems that with their successful run in the past few quarters, Samsung now has the freedom to let loose and experiment with new designs for smart phones. Surprisingly, they chose the Android OS to be running on this device instead of the proprietary Bada OS.
The Galaxy Q’s release date is still unconfirmed for now, but considering the device’s specifications, it should be released sometime before the end of this year. The device is also said to be running the new Samsung Hummingbird 1GHz processor, the success of the Q will show the power of Samsung’s latest CPU.
Tags: Google, Google-Android, Hummingbird-CPU, Samsung, Samsung-Galaxy-Q, Samsung-Galaxy-S
According to 3 UK, the Apple iPhone 4 is about to be released this week. The virtual network operator has made the announcement earlier and has confirmed that interested buyers may call ahead to schedule an appointment with 3 UK store staff so that they may be accommodated on launch day.
So far, it is not known if there will be a queue for 3 stores, but with the demand for the iPhone 4 still going strong, it is likely that customer will certainly need to book an appointment in advance to be able to get a handset on the release date. It has also been announced that 3 UK stores will be opening early this July 30th so expect to have booking options available quite early in the morning as well.
Of course, many smart phone fans might be wondering if the iPhone 4 from 3 UK will come with a complementary iPhone 4 bumper. The answer, so far, is a no. According to Apple, the only way to acquire the free bumper is for users to download the official Apple bumper app from iTunes and use their account to acquire the accessory. This allows Apple to keep track of which users have already been given free bumpers to.
For those wondering why a bumper is important, this is because the iPhone 4’s antenna is faulty. A small portion of the antenna is exposed in the lower edge on the side of the handset. This portion of the iPhone 4, when touched, will cause the device to lose signal. In the middle of a conversation, touching this part accidentally will most likely lead to a dropped call.
While Apple is not willing to make a massive recall to fix all iPhone 4, they have announced that they will be giving out free iPhone 4 bumpers that would keep the antenna from being exposed.
Tags: 3-mobile, antenna, Apple, Apple-iPhone, Apple-iPhone-4, apps
Several years ago, people would say that word of mouth is no longer a powerful advertising tool. With mass media in its growth the most successful advertisements were often the ones with the most air time on television, the largest billboards, the most posters and the widest streamers.
People could still give out recommendations to friends and family, but word of mouth can only travel so far. Unless you were a journalist or elsewhere in the media, a personal opinion and recommendation is not going to change the future of your favorite corner book store.
Today, a single Tweeted opinion can be as powerful as the most expensive commercial air time during a major sports event.
This is the world that we live in today, highly influenced by three major factors: better smart phone technology, the growth of social networking and the improvement of mobile wireless technology. Information can be sent, received and share instantly, not just among small circles of friends, but across hundreds and thousands of linked acquaintances, colleagues, peers, co-workers and other contacts.
In a portion of the findings from research firm Gartner’s study, it was revealed that may people rely heavily on what people in their social network say regarding products and services. The study covered the influence of social networking in the purchasing habits of over 4000 consumers from all over the world.
According to Gartner, the realm of social networking is a highly underutilized tool for marketing that many commercial companies are failing to tap to into. Despite the already large number of ads that appear all over sites such as Facebook and sponsored Tweets there are still plenty of avenues left unexplored, and many brands still without an online presence.
One could say that smart phone technology and the internet have turned the concept of marketing into a full circle –giving the power of influence back to the consumers. From what we are seeing, it looks like the progress has pushed marketing beyond its’ original scope.
Tags: Facebook, Internet, smartphones, social-networking, technology, Twitter
Everyone who has postponed purchasing an iPhone simply because they are waiting for the white version of the popular handset will be sorely disappointed to know that its release has again been delayed. Apple CEO Steve Jobs previously announced that the white version of the iPhone 4 was due to be stocked on shelves at the end of this month.
Contrary to what he said however, Apple’s official statement last Friday declared that the much coveted version will not be available until later this year. Apparently the delay can be attributed to how hard it is to actually make white iPhone 4s:
“White models of Apple’s new iPhone 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected”
Does it sound familiar? It was just how Apple explained the delay for the white version experienced during the preorder period for the iPhone 4. The extension will surely disappoint many fans who have been putting off buying an iPhone 4 and those eagerly waiting to trade in the black version of the device for its fairer counterpart.
It is surprising that Steve Jobs, being the authority on all things that is iPhone 4, was seemingly optimistic about the white iPhone’s release just two weeks ago during the emergency conference. The bad news may have been delayed to prevent irking fans further after the repeated bad press that the reception problems have caused. Or it may be a strategy to draw in more customers as the hype and media attention centered on the device increases.
As of now, there is no tentative date of release or any word if the white version will have any hardware tweaks (like, say, a better positioned antenna) compared to the original black.
Tags: antenna, Apple, Apple-iPhone, Apple-iPhone-4, Steve-Jobs, White-iPhone-4
Fans of Google’s Android smart phones now have a new device to look forward to: the new Stream handset from electronics manufacturer Acer. The handset has been designed to deliver a complete Android experience when it comes to high end devices, which places the Stream on the same bracket as the Google Nexus One, HTC Desire, Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10, Samsung i9000 Galaxy S and Dell Streak Mini 5.
The only thing about the Acer Stream that buyers should remember is that online retailer eXpansys has retail exclusivity on the device, making it a very elusive Android smart phone. For those not too keen on ordering online, you might want to consider getting one of the other Android devices mentioned above.
For others, the Stream is very impressive handset that is worth trying out for one’s self.
The device’s look and form factor are pretty reminiscent of the Motorola Milestone –only this phone has better features but lacks a slide out QWERTY keyboard. But it does have those stylish line forms and slightly molded edges that give the handset a very solid look. At only 140 grams, the device is light and easy to handle, do not worry about placing it on your pocket as it will not encumber users.
The 3.7 inch AMOLED touch screen display easily matches the visual quality of all other smart phones in the bracket –with the exception of the Samsung Galaxy S which uses a super AMOLED screen. The Streak’s screen has a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels which makes viewing both websites and videos quite the experience.
The handset has plenty of focus on its HDMI features. The 5 mega pixel camera records videos at 720p HD (30 FPS) and it even comes with a mini HDMI output port for viewing content on larger screen displays.
Tags: 5-mega-pixel, Acer, Acer-Stream, AMOLED, Google-Android, QWERTY
The Google Online Store only sells one product: the Nexus One Android smart phone. Now, the store has been taken down and the Nexus One is no longer available through this specific channel.
When asked about the move, Google stated that the Nexus One has already achieved what Google wanted and expected of the handset. With many other Android devices already being released, it is hard to imagine that the Android community would insist that the handset stay available.
Either way, Vodafone UK is still offering the handset on certain contracts. Since it has not been announced how much stocks they have or how long they plan on offering the Nexus One, those who intend to own this Google branded smart phone ought to get one as soon as possible.
The Nexus One, despite not being a major selling handset, is actually an impressive piece of technology. The device comes with a 3.7 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen display, providing users with both amazing visual quality as well as responsive and accurate touch controls. The 1GHz Qualcomm MSM7227 Snapdragon CPU gives the Nexus One all the necessary power and speed to handle any app and feature without skipping a beat.
The handset also comes with a 5 mega pixel camera, support for WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and all the usual smart phone features. Google has added in an upgraded version of the speech detection software –which gives the Nexus One speech to text features. Users can even use speech commands to initiate search queries as well.
This handset is loaded with Android 2.1 Éclair, and is compatible with the new Android 2.2 Froyo update. Froyo makes the Android OS run faster (both the UI and browser has been upgraded), and it will also be compatible with the newly launched Adobe Flash Player version 10.1.
Tags: 5-mega-pixel, AMOLED, Android-2.1-Eclair, Android-2.2-Froyo, Google, Google-Android, Google-Nexus-One, Qualcomm-Snapdragon, Vodafone
Owners of the Apple iPhone 4 are getting several options from Apple, and none of these are going to be solving the antenna, issue. Still, it is nice to have a choice every now and then. According to Steve Jobs, current owners of the iPhone 4 may choose to have their handset fully refunded to Apple –no questions asked. As for those willing to stick it out for the device, they will have a choice of various iPhone 4 casings that will help the device function no matter what way it will be held.
The sad part here is that most of the people who are going to bear with the troublesome antenna of the iPhone 4 are Apple’s very own fans and followers, and it is hard to deny the fact that these folks deserve a whole lot better than just a free case. Apple should at least give the users a substantial rebate or discount on repair costs –as no one should really stick with a handset that is practically broken already.
For those who missed out on the details of the emergency conference that Apple gave last Friday night, Steve Jobs basically went up onstage and practically denied that the iPhone 4 really has an issue.
The man managed to insult RIM, Samsung and HTC with a single slide as well as tell the world that the iPhone 4’s antenna has no real problems –with a straight face.
In any case, it is hard to imagine what form of bizarre time wasting rituals Apple might have at Cupertino that it took them a whole 22 days before they decided that they were powerless about the situation and should simply give out free casings to all iPhone 4 users.
On a more interesting note, it seems that the status quo for Apple is about to change once September 30 hits.
Tags: antenna, Apple, Apple-iPhone, Apple-iPhone-4, HTC, RIM, Samsung, Steve-Jobs
While it would be too much if we called foul, after all, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However, one can also argue that Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Phone 7 did not deserve the outright slamming that it received from one of InfoWorld’s tech bloggers, Galen Gruman.
The issue he points out is that the OS is not even worth a lump a coal (or is only as valuable as one). Gruman lays out several points regarding this matter: first off, the OS style seems to be heavily theorized on the concept that Apple had last 2007 about making the user interface dynamic.
The UI is described as awkward and unsophisticated –which is actually odd. We have all seen video demonstrations of the UI where you can tap on anything on the screen and bring up a quick lists of tasks attributed to the content.
Click on a contact and you can choose to call, email, find the address on a map, or bring up a history of conversations with that person and more. Click on an image and you will have options to edit the file, attach it to an email, send it through SMS, or even upload it online.
It’s a simple one touch policy that brings it on the same level as the First ELSE (which was cancelled due to financial concerns of the developers and not because people are not interested in it).
Tiles are pretty hard to bash, after all, the sizes are actually quite variable (size is something that Gruman is so peeved about). And compared to widgets, the Tiles are far more convenient and easier to use. Maybe it is just us, but having 4 continuously live active boxes onscreen at a time is enough. Filling a touch screen with widgets just reeks of excessiveness.
Tags: Apple, FirstELSE, InfoWorld, Microsoft, Windows-Phone-7
According to a recent study, radio is back! Smart phones are indeed very influential, not only because of the things they can do, but also because people have them all the time. Not only did they change the way people access the internet, but they also gave life back to the dying media that is known as radio.
The digital music industry did a pretty big number on radio as less people wanted to tune into broadcasts and instead, chose to focus on the music stored in their devices. However, the smart phone industry is slowly changing all of that. Users now state that they have rediscovered radio thanks to their smart phones. It seems that having an FM radio is a big deal –as it allows users to listen new things all the time.
Now, since users often carry around their mobile phones and have access to radio, people are tuning in more often than not. Aside from using the car stereo to listen to the latest chart toppers while on the road, many have found that listening to the radio on the mobile will free up plenty of space on the handset that was originally dedicated to music.
A study showed that 13% of adults use mobile phone technology to listen to the radio. And that number is expected to continuously grow over the next couple of years as users realize the value of having an extra guard on the handle.
Podcasts are ironically, the new broadcasting medium that is encouraging users to tune into actual radio stations. While listening to a specific podcast program will get users specific kinds of content, being able to tune into whatever is on the air is a great idea –and something that most smart phone users have learned to practice when basic web access is not available.
Tags: Internet, mobile-phones, radio, smartphones
Size does matter in choosing a mobile phone that is right for you. While there are already a handful of sleek, classy mobile phones out in the market, there is only one modular mobile phone. Meet the Modu, the world’s lightest handset. This means that you will now be able to call, send text messages and play music using a device that weighs only 40.1 g. There is even Bluetooth connectivity and a 2 GB internal storage.
Bluetooth connectivity is also present, as well as MP3 playing capability and a (non-expandable) 2 GB internal storage capacity. Since the mobile phone measures only 72.1 mm high, 37.6 mm wide and 7.8 mm thick, it can only house a 1.3 inch screen. The OLED display is able to show up to 65 thousand colors, decent enough but the size of the screen may not be for everyone.
If you are worried that you may fumble with the lightweight Modu, you can always just go for a “jacket”. These jackets add new features, such as a 3.2 megapixel camera, or convert your mobile phone into, say, an 8 inch digital photo frame charging dock.
You can also turn it into a fitness buddy with its pedometer option. If you can’t sleep without a night light, the Modu can be slipped on an ambient light jacket for your convenience.
The miniscule gadget has made it into the Guinness Book of World Records, being deemed the lightest in the world. This innovative device first came out in its home country of Israel about 2 years ago, but fortunately, the Purely Gadgets website is going to sell them exclusively for the UK market. They will cost 129.99 GBP a unit and a Modu jacket can come with it at a discounted price. Check it out at the web store this month.
Tags: Bluetooth, camera, gadgets, mobile-phones, Modu, Modu-1, MP3, OLED
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