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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

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The Engadget Show returns Friday, October 21st -- win a ticket to the taping!

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 11:00 AM PDT

Are you ready for this? We're dropping another Engadget Show on your head next Friday, October 21st! This time out, we'll be celebrating Halloween early, with a costume contest, a trip to New York Comic Con and all manner of additional surprises.

The Engadget Show is sponsored by Sprint and will take place in our intimate NYC studio, so if you want to get in, you'll need to win a ticket in advance. If you are joining us in studio, make sure to come in costume if you want to be eligible to win some awesome giveaways, including a very special $900 complete costume package provided by HalloweenCostumes.com. But don't worry, if you can't get there in person we'll have a download up soon after taping.

Sprint is also offering 60 guaranteed tickets to The Engadget Show taping to the first 60 entrants who text "ENGADGET" to 467467 or enter online! Standard text messaging rates apply. Click for the Official Rules and see how to enter online.

If you live outside of the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT), you can enter online for a chance to win a trip for two to New York City to attend The Engadget Show. Standard text messaging rates apply. Click here to enter.

Here are the details if you win a ticket:
  • The event is all ages.
  • We'll open doors and begin seating at 5:15pm on October 21st, and the taping begins at 6:00PM. We'll be closing the doors at 5:50PM.
  • Winners must pick confirm and print tickets 24 hours before taping begins or risk forfeiting their seat.
  • Please bring a photo ID with you to the taping.
  • The show length is around an hour.
If you're a member of the media who wishes to attend, please contact us at: engadgetshowmedia [at] engadget [dot] com, and we'll try to accommodate you. All other non-media questions can be sent to: engadgetshow [at] engadget [dot] com.

Subscribe to the Show:

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.

Photoshop contest: send us your best / most terrifying Frankengadget

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 10:35 AM PDT

Sure, you like playing with gadgets, but have you ever tried your hand at building one of your own? Well, here's your chance! We're going to clear some space in the lab and let you create your very own Frankengadget™ -- think Zombie Keepon, iGalaxy Tab or even an iPhone with a -- gasp -- micro-USB port. Let your imagination run wild, then make some magic in the image editing app of your choice. Once you're done, you can fire off a JPEG of your creation to our intern, Dr. Frankenstein (read: Jon), who will nominate ten creations for the grand prize: a congratulatory email from the team. Oh, and your very own copy of Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Master Collection. But first, we'll choose five of those ten submissions, then compile those contestants into a photo gallery, letting you select the winner. Looking for another chance to win? Hit up the coverage link below to enter Adobe's Imagination Challenge. You can also visit the UK site, which is hosting a similar contest -- the submission deadline has passed, though Adobe UK is giving away £50 per day (about $78) to one lucky voter. Jump past the break for our contest rules, and a link to download your very own free trial of Photoshop.

The rules:
  • Your image must fit within the Frankengadget category. Any image will do, but it must fit within the theme -- open to your interpretation. So no furry kitten with a Photoshopped bow ... unless you've also replaced kitty's paws with mini Roombas. You can download a free trial of Photoshop CS 5 for Windows and Mac here.
  • You may only enter this specific giveaway once. You may only send one email with one image.
  • Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
  • Submissions must be made via email. Save your creation as a JPEG, with a maximum (and minimum) of 1,000 pixels in either direction. Basically, your image needs to be 1,000 pixels tall or wide. Other file types and sizes will not be accepted. Send compliant images to frankengadget@gmail.com.
  • Attachments may be no larger than 500 kilobytes. We have a filter in place to toss larger attachments in the spam dungeon. You'll also be disqualified and stuff.
  • The winner will be selected by Engadget readers. Engadget staff will select five (5) images to advance to the final judging round.
  • The winner will be announced on the next Engadget Show. If you are chosen, you will also be notified by email after October 21st. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, the image with the next greatest number of votes will be chosen.
  • Entries can be submitted until October 16th, 2011 at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
  • Full rules can be found here.

Apple releases iTunes 10.5 with iTunes in the Cloud

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 10:12 AM PDT

As far as iTunes updates go this is a pretty big one -- version 10.5 brings with it what Apple's calling iTunes in the Cloud, which allows for automatic downloads of purchases to your Mac or Windows computers and all of your iOS devices, as well as the ability to download previous purchases on said devices as many times as you want. It's not exactly a traditional cloud-based service, but you do always have access to all of your purchased media, regardless of the device (so long as it runs some form of iTunes). As expected, it also finally adds WiFi syncing for your iOS devices, although you'll still have to wait a bit longer for the iTunes Match service -- it's slated to roll out closer to the end of the month. As usual, you can look for it in Apple's Software Update, or you can hit the link below to download it directly.

Live from CTIA's day one keynote with Dan Hesse, Dan Mead and Ralph de la Vega

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 09:20 AM PDT


1:43PM That's a wrap, folks -- we're going to head to the show floor now. Thanks for joining us!

1:42PM And we're done!

1:42PM No industry is better equipped to make an impact on the environment and innovation than our own, Dan says.


1:41PM Dan's encouraging collaboration and limited government intervention.

1:40PM This was a collaboration of CISCO, Verizon and Duke Energy. It uses Verizon's LTE network to gather data that's screened to tenants to see how much energy is being consumed, helping them learn how to do a better job of conserving energy and save costs.

1:39PM Dan's talking about a Smart Grid system in Charlotte.


1:38PM "Innovation has a much larger lifecycle today. The average lifecycle of a phone a few years ago was 24 months, and we all know that today it's much shorter than that."

1:37PM "We're working to help our customers envision the scope of possibilities that exist with these M2M solutions."

1:35PM "Creative partnerships have been a key focus for us at Verizon for the last few years."

1:34PM Dan's talking about an M2M solution that helps a 15-yaer-old boy in Missouri without an immune system. He goes to school using his computer and the robot goes to school in his behalf to help him interact with teachers and other students.

1:33PM "Cooperation has helped us come a very long way in a very short period of time."


1:32PM Dan's talking about the various innovations centers Verizon launched this summer.

1:31PM "We opened our networks to welcome new entrants to the wireless industry."

1:31PM Collaboration has definitely been a recurring theme for all of the speakers today.


1:30PM His theme is on delivering the full potential of wireless technology to customers now and in the future.

1:30PM Dan's talking about how the wireless industry helped us respond to emergencies, such as September 11, earthquakes, even lost hikers and boaters.



1:28PM Mead: "It's very good to share the stage with Ralph and Dan and hear their comments."


1:27PM And Ralph's off the stage, and Steve is back to introduce Dan Mead.

1:27PM "I think we're in an era where we can truly Rethink Possible."

1:26PM "We're transforming the way businesses are conducted... and the way people live their everyday lives."



1:26PM Now Ralph is talking about wearable devices, that can help athletes measure endurance, as an example.

1:25PM de la Vega: "We're only scratching the surface."

1:25PM AmberAlert GPS. "It's tracking every 5 minutes, and it gives a breadcrumb trail to show exactly where the child has been." It's the size of an Oreo cookie. Great idea!


1:24PM Product manager for Ford: "With AT&T's flexible platform, we can drive more features to customers at a lower price."

1:23PM Another video. This time they're showing off a connected device that senior citizens can use in case they fall or need help.

1:21PM He's talking about the massive number of connected devices AT&T has.

1:21PM The next area of innovation is connected devices. "We have to protect the user experience. If we can take everyday things and make them easier to use, we can really have an impact on people's lives."



1:20PM 58& of CIOs report an increase in user productivity.


1:20PM "AT&T's allowed us to provide platforms in a cost-effective manner, that allows us to expand upon our telemedicine very rapidly. A lot more patients would have lost their lives, and millions of dollars would've been spent if it weren't for [AT&T]."

1:19PM Now a doctor is mentioning TeleMedicine.

1:18PM "With the cellular device, it can be carried with teh patient anywhere in the world."

1:18PM ANother video. THey're talking about PikoLogic.

1:17PM This year, only 17% of all companies expect to cut their IT budgets. Ralph's talking about how companies are embracing tech to vault their business.

1:16PM Businesses are rushing to embrace mobile technology. "In the not so distant past, companies facing uncertain futures turned to IT to cut their budget."


1:15PM Another example is the drive mode app. "The idea came from one of our customer service agents in Detroit." Interesting, this app sounds familiar...

1:14PM More than 100,000 employees participating in TIP. More than 100 projects have already been funded, including the AT&T Toggle introduced yesterday.


1:14PM "Whether the ideas come from a senior level exec or a new hire, the pipeline can be used."


1:14PM TIP: The Innovation Pipeline is being introduced.

1:13PM "We believe that a great idea should come from anywhere."

1:13PM de la Vega's talking about the emerging devices department at the Foundry, using robots. "This highlights how AT&T is changing the direction innovation is taking."


1:12PM "It's all about innovation, tapping into the creative talent that startups and developers have."

1:11PM "We've built out access to the AT&T platform through really simple interfaces. ANybody who can write an app, can use AT&T services."

1:11PM Now they're showing a video about the Foundry in Palo Alto, CA.

1:10PM Right now AT&T has more than 100 current projects at the AT&T Foundry.



1:10PM "We're rolling up our sleeves with VC's and partners, to strategize on what's possible."

1:09PM "The new area code for telecom is 650, and we're right there in the thick of it."

1:09PM "WE can't wait for the innovation to come to us, we have to do it." de la Vega's talking about AT&T opening several labs, called the AT&T Foundry.

1:08PM "The driving force of this industry will be collaboration."

1:08PM He's talking up the importance of collaboration.


1:07PM "Businesses... are looking to collaborate with employees, vendors, partners, and customers." Now he's referring to Nike inviting customers to design shoes.

1:06PM "It's the perfect storm of innovation."

1:06PM "Since I started talking, I bet we've downloaded 50,000 mobile applications around the world. It's fascinating."


1:05PM de la Vega: "in the spring of 2010, I said we were on the verge of a mobile revolution."



1:05PM "Good morning! It's not too often you come to CTIA and get introduced by Dan Hesse and get compared to an actor [reference to John Wilkes Booth]."


1:03PM Dan's off the stage now, and Steve's back to introduce Ralph de la Vega.


1:03PM Winston Churchill quoted now. "History will be kind to me, for i intend to write it."

1:03PM Dan quoted Dan Quayle: "THe future will be better tomorrow."

1:02PM Sprint's also implementing measures to help people with disabilities, such as the Sprint Relay ID pack.

1:01PM Dan put a camera in his son's car to make sure he's not texting while driving. "I'm sure his prom date won't like that!"


1:00PM "We've also asked Sprint employees not to text or email while driving." Agreed!

12:59PM CTIA is pushing a measure called "On the road, off the phone"

12:58PM "We want less distracted drivers on the road."

12:58PM Hesse's quoting George Carlin.

12:57PM Hesse's using Bloom boxes and will be using wind energy to power its headquarters.

12:56PM Hesse's announcing a green closure for his company at the end of hte year, a 2 week period of time that employees can work from home to reduce carbon emissions.


12:54PM Carriers are also looking to improve carbon efficiency. "Verizon's reported a 15% increase in carbon efficiency between 2009 and 2011."

12:53PM "We'd like to see consumers push the industry to offer more [green] devices."


12:53PM As of Jan 2012, many smartphones in the US will have a charger that meets EnergyStar standards and reduce energy used by 50%.

12:51PM 140 million cellphones are discarded in this country every year. "Some are shoved into drawers, some are in landfills." Only 10% are recycled.

12:51PM Hesse is talking up Verizon, AT&T and Sprint's approaches to staying green.


9:47AM Mobile has a dramatic impact on economic perfermance. "One industry... is health care. Costs are rising 600% annually. The US spends more than any other country."

9:46AM He's talking about the collaboration between FEMA and FCC to assist during earthquakes and other emergencies, setting up a response system for those in crisis.

9:45AM Hesse: "2011 was a year with dramatic weather...wireless has changed teh way we respond to emergencies."




12:40PM 30% greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation. In some cases cities are using wireless to manage public transportation and cut down on gas emissions.


12:39PM Steve's talking about the environmental impact that wireless has.


12:38PM Steve's mentioning the goal to get microUSB receptacles in half of all phones by Jan 2012. "We're already surpassing this goal."


12:37PM Now he's talking about how the investment in spectrum will create more jobs. "We're calling on Congress to clear the air and help this country move forward."


12:36PM "We don't know too many industries that are eager to write up such large checks [to cover the cost of spectrum]."

12:35PM Demand will increase by 50 times between now and 2015. "THis will create one heck of a traffic jam."



12:35PM There's a 56% increase in smartphone use year to year. Wow!


12:34PM Data traffic is up 110% year-to-year.

12:34PM Steve's mentioning 104% penetration in the US.

12:34PM "We now have more wireless connections than people in this country."

12:34PM "It's clear that wireless is at the heart of the business future. MObile products are in high demand. We're up to the task of delivering. Here's the trick: we need more spectrum."

12:33PM He's talking about the iPhone and its innovation. "We offer our condolences to Steve Jobs' family. He will be greatly missed."

12:32PM Steve's talking about Steve Jobs.


12:32PM "It's great seeing so many of you this morning. We're looking forward to a fantastic week of wireless. the San Diego weather doesn't hurt either."

12:32PM Steve Largent is taking the stage.


12:31PM Lights are dimming. Looks like we're starting!

12:30PM Should be starting any minute now.

9:27AM "Ladies and gentlemen, silence your phones." 5 more minutes.




12:23PM And we're in! We've got some great seats front and (almost) center.
We're seated for the official kickoff of this week's CTIA Enterprise & Applications show, the opening keynote address. Today we'll have the pleasure to hear from the Dan Hesse, Dan Mead and Ralph de la Vega, the CEOs of Sprint, Verizon Wireless and AT&T (respectively). The topic: "Return of the Titans -- carrier insights." We can't be quite certain yet as to what this entails, but we expect many of these "insights" will actually be a plethora of witty jabs flying back and forth at each other. Regardless, we're rather stoked to hear what these gentlemen have to say. Tune in after the break!

LG P930 handset visits the FCC, does little to shake off the mystery

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 09:19 AM PDT

The last time we heard tell of the LG P930, the thing was little more than mysterious XML code. We still don't know that much about the Android-packing device, but at least it's now real enough to have earned FCC approval. There are a couple of interesting tidbits revealed in the documentation here, however -- first and foremost is the fact that it's referred to as an "LTE phone." Also on-board is Bluetooth and WLAN, 802.11n and WCDMA band V. As you can see from the above drawing, LG and the FCC aren't really giving us much to work with on the image front.

HTC Radar review

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 09:00 AM PDT


It took life as the Omega, but it didn't take long for HTC's Mango handset for the masses to be christened the Radar. Alongside the higher-end Titan (with its gigantic 4.7-inch screen and souped-up 1.5GHz CPU), it holds the potential to replace numerous devices in the company's Windows Phone lineup -- the Trophy, Mozart and HD7 all come to mind. Yes, we may see additional options down the road, but for the moment, it comes down to these two. While the Radar's aging chipset, sealed battery and limited 8GB headroom will undoubtedly discourage some buyers, it's managed to find a soft spot in our jaded hearts. Just how'd it do that? Read on, as we count the reasons why.
HTC Radar review

Hardware



Take one look at the HTC Radar and you'll realize its designers pursued a very minimalist aesthetic. To some, it may come across as slightly austere with its white-and-silver finish, but it's hardly drab. If anything, the look and feel exudes staid elegance. From the front, its heritage as a successor to the Trophy is quite apparent, although it has noticeably cleaner lines, primarily thanks to bezels and buttons that are longer and thinner. From there, the Radar makes a significant departure from its forebear with an aluminum unibody chassis that envelopes the majority of the phone. The noteworthy exception here is a removable cover at the bottom, which provides access to the SIM card slot alone. Yes, the 1520mAh battery is sealed and there's no option for memory expansion -- you'll be limited to the 8GB (6.54GB available) of built-in storage.


With a Qualcomm MSM8255 SoC, (that includes a 1GHz Scorpion CPU and Adreno 205 GPU), this handset is hardly a powerhouse -- not that the average consumer is likely to notice. In fact, we were quite happy with its responsiveness, especially when using Mango's built-in apps, which pop open with very little delay. Yes, its RAM is limited to 512MB, but even when playing music in the background and surfing the web with multiple tabs open, the UI happily kept pace and never left us waiting. Given the Radar's positioning as a mainstream device, it's all but guaranteed to satisfy its target users.

Benchmark HTC Radar HTC Trophy Samsung Omnia 7
CPU Integer 4.7 4.7 4.7
CPU Float 4.7 4.7 4.7
Memory 7.9 3.2 3.2
Storage Read 7.1 4.7 4.7
Storage Write 3.2 4.7 3.2

It's worth pointing out that HTC opted to include an S-LCD with the Radar, and its image quality is really quite nice. Text is crisp, colors are bright and vibrant and viewing angles are near excellent. Even the black levels appear deep, rich and are easy to appreciate -- provided the backlight isn't cranked too high. Granted, it still can't stand toe-to-toe with the black levels of a Super AMOLED display, but unless you're comparing the two screens side by side, you might just find yourself marveling at is quality. Unlike HTC's ginormous Titan, the Radar's display measures 3.8-inches, though both share a common WVGA (800 x 480) resolution. Given this consideration, the smaller option easily delivers better pixel density, which we've approximated to 245ppi for the Radar versus 198ppi for the Titan.


HTC pulled off the unibody construction of the Radar quite admirably. At 5.6 ounces (160g), it's a bit heavier than many devices of its size, but that's not to suggest its heft is unwelcome. To the contrary, it has a dense quality to that's hardly a burden. We perceived it as being quite solid and a thoroughly welcome departure from phones that feel cheap and flimsy. There are three physical buttons on the handset, all of which are strikingly narrow and run nearly flush with the body. This was most certainly an aesthetic consideration, and while it makes locating the buttons by touch alone slightly more troublesome, it's certainly not a deal-breaker. In all cases, they're situated logically, and with respect to the volume rocker, it's quite long and generally hard to miss. As a requirement of the Windows Phone platform, users will find a handy dual-stage shutter button that's used to open the camera app, focus on a subject and take pictures. A 3.5mm stereo mini-jack is situated on the top of the phone and the exposed microUSB 2.0 port occupies the bottom left side. As for the bottom cover, it's built like a tank and yet it's fairly easy to remove when that's your intention. Underneath, you'll find a nifty translucent plastic chassis. Funnily enough, the device loses power when the cover is removed (which is most certainly intended to prevent users from hot-swapping SIMs).

We were thoroughly happy with the Radar's call quality and perceived voices as being clear and distinct -- the same goes for callers on the other end. We were pleasantly surprised with its battery life, which gave us the ability to capture dozens of pictures, do a moderate amount of web browsing and emailing, along with placing a few voice calls throughout the day. After 18 hours, the battery reported 35 percent of its charge remained (which easily dispelled worries of its integrated cell). In our standard rundown test that involves playing a video on loop until the battery is completely dead, it kept the phone alive and chugging for nearly eight hours -- not too shabby, indeed.


The Radar 4G is expected to appear at T-Mobile before the holiday frenzy hits its stride, where it will be the AWS carrier's first Windows Phone handset to support HSPA+. After a little experimentation with this model, we found that T-Mo's version also supports faux-G on one of AT&T's bands once unlocked (hint: it's likely the 850MHz spectrum). An international version is also arriving on the scene that provides quadband support for GSM, GPRS and EDGE, along with HSPA / WCDMA support over the 2100 and 900MHz bands. Both variants offer 802.11b/g/n (WiFi) and Bluetooth 2.1, along with the requisite A-GPS, compass, accelerometer, proximity and ambient light sensors. Support for internet tethering is also in the mix (another requirement of Mango), and the device also carries DLNA certification.

Camera



Starting with the myTouch 4G Slide, HTC began taking its camera implementation much more seriously. While the Radar doesn't quite live up to this high standard, its imaging chops are quite good in their own right. It features an f/2.2 lens and a 5 megapixel backside-illuminated sensor that promises better shots in low-light conditions. We intentionally put HTC's claim to the test and took numerous shots in shady areas of town -- literally, not figuratively. For the most part, we were very pleased with the results. The wide aperture allowed us to capture crisp and vibrant images with quick shutter speeds and very low ISO values. Granted, you'll still have to deal with motion blur and tons of noise in situations that are downright dark, but that's certainly to be expected.
HTC Radar sample shots

On occasion, we found certain images lacked contrast and vibrance, but this generally correlated to the lack of light in a given scene. One notable situation where the camera is sure to let you down is with mixed-light conditions, where shaded areas appear unnecessarily dark and well-lit areas are slightly over-exposed. In these scenes, our shots ranged from bad to unusable. Sadly, Mango's support for wide dynamic range mode is nowhere to be found. Sometimes you'll be able to frame a shot in a way that makes this less of an issue. Other times, your best bet will be to rely on software enhancement if you're really in a pinch. One notable feature that's built into the camera app is the ability to capture burst shots. You shouldn't expect miracles, but it'll take five pictures in what we'd approximate as a two-second timespan. Just for kicks, we tested this feature with a traffic scene.

If you've been paying attention, you might've noticed that we've yet to mention the front-facing VGA cam. Yep... it has one, and we've included a samples from it, too. The feature is nice to have, but the results are comparatively poor and you'll want to avoid this option unless your situation necessitates its use.


By default, the primary camera captures video at VGA (640 x 480) resolution, though 720p (1280 x 720) and QVGA (320 x 240) are also options. We tested the camcorder mode with both VGA and 720p and were pleasantly surprised with the Radar's abilities. One feature we're especially pleased with is the camera's ability to continually auto-focus throughout shooting. Like still photos, however, you'll encounter similar exposure issues when filming movies in mixed-light conditions.

Software



Windows Phone 7.5 has arrived, and it's certainly a welcome addition to HTC's lineup. We've exhaustively covered Mango's numerous improvements in our in-depth preview and review, so most of this area will be dedicated to the manufacturer's added software. That said, Microsoft has done its utmost to provide users with a tightly integrated ecosystem and the end result definitely pays off -- both in terms of usability and performance. Sure, third-party apps don't run quite a quickly as their Mango counterparts, but with functionality for applications such as Yelp, Shazam and Google Goggles built right into the system -- not to mention Zune Pass, Facebook and Twitter -- many users will have little reason to look elsewhere (much to the chagrin of developers, that is). Microsoft's approach also ensures that its system remains nimble on hardware that's unquestionably falling behind the curve, which certainly makes the Radar's spec sheet less of an issue.

With respect to HTC's customizations, you can either think of them as icing on the cake or unnecessary distractions. It's hard to consider any of it bloat, however, and users looking for a pure Mango experience will be glad to know that each of the apps may be uninstalled without fanfare. HTC Hub, HTC Watch, Photo Enhancer, Connected Media, Locations and Notes all appear on the home screen, where they make quite the stand against the clean tiles of the Metro UI. Perhaps the manufacturer could've given greater consideration to Windows Phone's design philosophy, although it certainly helps break up the monotony of single hue squares. We also found it slightly arrogant on HTC's part to place Watch and Photo Enhancer more prominently than essentials such as Internet Explorer. At any rate, it'll be a good opportunity for users to re-arrange their home screen.


HTC Hub is essentially a weather app and live tile that smacks heavily of Sense -- they're so damn proud of it, they just can't go Metro. In addition to displaying the local time, date and weather, the main screen can be customized to deliver current conditions and temperatures in a host of other locations. Clicking on a city brings up additional (and useful) information from AccuWeather -- all presented atop some chintzy animated backgrounds. Weather junkies will likely dig the ability to view an expanded hourly forecast that's delivered in the form of a scrollable line chart. A flick of the screen to the right or left within HTC Hub also reveals stock quotes and an RSS news reader -- though without visual cues, you might've never known this if we hadn't mentioned it. HTC Watch, the company's pay-to-play portal for video rentals and purchases, also makes an appearance on the Radar. Unfortunately, we couldn't gain access to any content beyond the free movie trailers. Somehow, we'll live...

HTC's Photo Enhancer application is rather self-explanatory, which allows users to apply one-click adjustments to their images. As a nice surprise, not only were we able to apply filters to photos stored locally on our phone, but also to those in our Facebook albums. Connected Media is used for establishing a link to other DLNA-enabled devices, which allows users to stream audio, video and photos from their phone. We didn't get to test this one, although it does integrate nicely with the media hub. Locations is essentially a breadcrumb application that allows you to store coordinates, pictures and descriptions of places you've been. If you're looking for something a bit simpler, Notes is meant solely for text. Dig a bit deeper into the applications menu and you'll also discover that HTC has also included a handy flashlight app that controls the phone's built-in LED flash.

Wrap-up



With its smaller screen, slower CPU and lower-res camera, it was easy to overlook the Radar as it debuted alongside its larger, bulkier sibling, the HTC Titan. Even we were blinded by shock and awe, but after spending time with the little guy, we must say we're quite smitten. Moreover, it's going to be a tearful goodbye when we're forced to send the little runt back home. Still, whether it's the best phone for you is a different question entirely. If you find yourself in need of a removable battery or more than 8GB of storage, the Radar is out of the question. Its price on contract at T-Mobile is another unknown, but even if it debuts at $100, it'll have a hard time delivering a compelling argument against LG's G2x. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a Windows Phone and are undeterred by the Radar's few shortcomings, its support for HSPA+ alone will make an excellent holiday gift for yourself or someone you wanna see smile.

First Nokia 800 ads spotted, announcing the arrival WP7 for Finnish faithful

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:43 AM PDT

Nokia 800 ads
Nokia keeps promising that its first Windows Phone 7 device will be shipping by the end of the year and, though the company is cutting it close, we may actually see that vow fulfilled. It's already been caught in spy shots a few times over, but now marketing materials for the Nokia 800 have started to leak out. With Nokia World only a few weeks away, it makes sense that the Finnish manufacturer would want a campaign ready to roll. The ads for what was formerly known only as Sea Ray talk up WP7's social features, with one declaring "Take, tag, sort and share. All in a flash." It's hardly a confirmation, but this is as good as sign as we've seen that Nokia will actually deliver us a little slice of Mango before it's time to buy a new calendar.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Archos 101 G9 tablet goes on sale, 8GB version now $370

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:25 AM PDT

After popping up at IFA, and teasing us with the whole 'pre-sale' thing, the Archos 101 G9 is finally ready to empty your wallet. We've only seen it on the company's store so far, where the base model's available now bearing a $370 price tag, with no sign of the 250GB variant yet. For your cash you get Android 3.2, a 1.0GHz dual core processor, and even HDMI out for those times when the 10.1 inch screen just isn't big enough. Still not sure if the Archos slab's for you? Try checking out our hands-on to see if this slate with the French flair is worth your hard earned cash, and head on down to the source link if the answer is oui.

[Thanks to OneLove]

BlackBerry services offline for some in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Again. (update: RIM confirms India, South America, too)

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:13 AM PDT

Well, RIM, things really aren't looking good for you over in EMEA, are they now? We've received several reports of a second BlackBerry outage for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, and our friends over at T-Mobile UK and Vodafone Egypt have confirmed again on Twitter, just several hours after RIM tweeted that service had been restored. So, what's going on over there? We're reaching out to RIM for a statement, and like those of you affected, we can only hope that things get back up and running very quickly. Are you outraged? Experiencing perfect service (and in EMEA)? Jump past the break to tell us what's up in the comments.

Update: RIM has issued the following statement:

Media statement - October 11
Some users in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, India, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina are experiencing messaging and browsing delays. We are working to restore normal service as quickly as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Nintendo 3DS expansion up for pre-order in Japan, ready to bulk up consoles in December

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 08:06 AM PDT

Ever feel like your life is one right hand circle pad short of perfection? We've got some good news if you happen to live in Japan -- Nintendo's 3DS Expansion Slide Pad is now available for pre-order via Amazon in that country. Sure, not everyone out there is excited about the thing, but aside from some obvious problems with bulk, we didn't find it entirely unpleasant during our hands-on time at the Tokyo Game Show last month -- and if that's not a ringing endorsement, we don't know what is. The add-on will run you ¥1,500 ($19.50) and should start shipping on December 10th in Japan.

Raytheon shows off TransTalk speech translator for Android, hopes to find a home in the Army's app store

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:47 AM PDT

We've already heard about some of the smartphone apps that may or may not eventually find their way into the Army's own app store, and Raytheon is now hoping that it'll be tapped it to provide a key one. As Wired's Danger Room reports, the company has developed a new version of its TransTalk app for Android phones, which is able to translate speech from English to Arabic, Dari and Pashto (and vice versa). Since it's designed specifically for the Army, the app is geared towards translating phrases commonly used by soldiers on patrol, and it's also able to display and store the conversation as text. Just don't count on it hitting the Android Market anytime soon -- while the app runs on off-the-shelf Android hardware (a Motorola Atrix, in this case), there's no plans for it to be made available to the general public.

Root Cases launches wood iPad 2 duo, ditches the plastic for $79

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:23 AM PDT

Just in case that plastic shell you picked up has run its course and you're not looking to alert Al Gore with your next purchase, Root Cases offers a wee bit more environmentally friendly alternative. Now you can outfit your iPad 2 with either North American Walnut or eco-friendly, South Asiatic Bamboo. Both cases will protect your slate in book-like fashion, securing the tablet at the corners and sticking shut via magnetic closure. If you're ready to pull the trigger, you can grab both of these via the source links below for $79 each -- or hit the gallery for another peek at the pair. At least you won't regret splurging for a wood case like you did if you shelled out cash for one of these.
Root Cases iPad 2 Walnut and Bamboo

Neato's XV-12 robot vacuum cleans your floors dressed in white for $400

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 07:00 AM PDT

Neato Robotics XV-12
It cleans, it's hackable and has a laser guidance system -- what more could you ask of your Neato Robotics vacuum cleaner? You want it to assassinate those dust bunnies while dressed in white? Well then, you'll want to check out the company's latest offering, the XV-12. This successor to the XV-11 automated sucker doesn't appear to add much in the features department, but it does get a shiny new coat of "misty white" paint and is available exclusively through Target for $400. The big selling points here are still the constantly updating room maps that the XV series creates using lasers mounted on top and what the company claims is the "strongest suction available in any robotic vacuum cleaner." For some more details check out the PR after the break.
Show full PR text
NEATO ROBOTICS INKS EXCLUSIVE DEAL WITH TARGET

New Neato XV-12 automatic vacuum cleaner is available at more than 1,750 Target locations nationwide – just in time to spread more cheer at home during holidays

Newark, Calif., October 11, 2011 - Neato Robotics®, a Silicon Valley company that pioneers new technologies and products to free people from household chores, today announced it has signed an exclusive deal with Target to distribute its new Neato XV-12 all-floor vacuum cleaner as the retail giant's robotic vacuum cleaner of choice. The Neato XV-12, a Target exclusive, is currently available at Target.com and will be available at more than 1,750 Target retail locations across the U.S. beginning on October 16, as part of the retailer's national product refresh leading up to the busiest shopping season of the year.

The Neato XV-12 vacuum cleaner is designed to automatically and intelligently clean homes on a daily basis, ensuring clean floors and more free time for its owners. It cleans all types of floors and carpets and is the ultimate home appliance for everyone including working adults, busy families and pet owners. The Neato XV-12 is designed to pick up dirt, debris, and pet hair and includes a specially designed brush that avoids tangling. Its automatic daily cleaning reduces contaminants like pet hair, dust and pollen that can cause allergies and asthma.

"In today's busy world, it is difficult to find time to do all that we want and need to do. The Neato automatic vacuum frees up your valuable time and keeps your home healthy and clean so you don't have to do it," says Warren Flick, CEO of Neato Robotics, Inc. "Our mission at Neato Robotics is to deliver new and innovative products that save consumers time and keeps their homes neat and clean."

The Neato XV-12 automatic vacuum, which is available in a new Misty White color, can only be purchased through Target. In-store Target shoppers interested in seeing the new Neato XV-12 in action can simply scan the Quick Response (QR) code on the Neato box to see its full features and functionality using their smartphones or mobile devices. The Neato QR code will be available in store and in promotional flyers during the holidays to make it even easier to see it in action. The QR code and product images are available at:http://www.neatorobotics.com/branding, and a video of the new Neato XV-12 in action is available for viewing and embedding on the Neato Robotics YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/neatorobotics.

Key Features and Benefits

Some of the innovative features and benefits of the Neato XV-12 automatic vacuum cleaner include:

· Powerful suction: Designed as a true vacuum with a beater brush and the strongest suction available in any robotic vacuum cleaner.

· Methodical cleaning - Come home to that "just cleaned" look. The Neato XV-12 cleans using smart path planning and a back-and-forth pattern, ensuring that it thoroughly and neatly cleans floors and carpets.

· Scuff-free navigation: The Neato XV-12's laser-mapping technology constantly updates its internal map so it can accurately detect objects greater than four inches in height and carefully clean around them without damaging furniture and walls.

· Low-profile access: The automatic vacuum cleaner's low profile (less than four inches high) allows it to clean under beds, sofas, and kick boards in the kitchen.

· Smart design and large dirt bin: The Neato XV-12's D-shape is equipped with a forward-positioned wide brush allowing it to better clean the corners and edges of a room compared to other circular-shaped robots with short, centrally-positioned brushes. This industrial design allows for a larger dirt bin (660cc or .69 quarts)

· Self-docking to re-power: After completing its cleaning, the vacuum cleaner returns automatically to its base to re-charge itself. By utilizing the charging base, the Neato XV-12 is charged and ready to go when it's needed most.

· Cleaning scheduler: With its easy-to-use interface, customers can schedule the Neato XV-12 to clean every day automatically, keeping homes neat and healthy and carpets well-groomed.

Availability and Pricing

The Neato Robotics XV-12 automatic vacuum cleaner is available exclusively at all U.S. Target retail locations and online at www.target.com.The suggested retail price is $399.99. For more information, please visit www.neatorobotics.com or www.Target.com

About Neato Robotics

Based in Silicon Valley, California, Neato Robotics, Inc. was founded on the idea that it's possible to create robots that are smart enough to perform household chores as intelligently and efficiently as a human. The company is dedicated to improving consumers' lives, allowing them to spend less time cleaning and more time with their families and friends. The team of Neato engineers has squeezed innovation from commodity computing products – creating a smarter, more powerful automatic vacuum cleaner than any previously seen on the market.

Nissan's new charging technology will juice your EV in ten minutes, ten years from now

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 06:14 AM PDT

Nearly a month after unveiling its revamped quick charger, Nissan has now announced that it's working on new technology that would make EV charging... well, quicker. A lot quicker. Developed alongside researchers from Japan's Kansai University, the manufacturer's approach would allow drivers to fully charge their plug-ins in just ten minutes, without taking any toll on a lithium-ion battery's storage or voltage. Nissan says it could achieve this by tinkering with a charger's capacitor -- more specifically, by replacing its carbon electrode with one based on a composite of tungsten oxide and vanadium oxide. Industry insiders, however, say this technology may not reach the commercial level for another ten years -- substantially longer than ten minutes.

Roku announces $50 LT model, will add HBO Go streaming to all of its boxes this month

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 06:00 AM PDT

That cheaper, purpler, Roku LT we spied passing through the FCC and beta testing is official, and will hit retail shelves for just $50 next month. It's only $10 less than the also-720p-limited Roku 2 HD, but that model isn't sold everywhere and if you're just snagging a box to watch some Netflix you probably won't notice the missing Bluetooth and SD card reader. No matter which model is selected, starting next month viewers will be able to watch HBO Go streaming content on the Roku family of hardware. Cord cutters that have dropped pay TV entirely still don't have access, but Roku CEO Anthony Wood reports around 80 percent of Roku owners still have cable or satellite, so after adding Epix and being namechecked by Comcast to the FCC and at conferences, it's not surprising to see the TV Everywhere movement trying to co-opt the box for its own ends. Expect more content announcements from Roku going forward, including more gaming options -- Angry Birds 2 alone is one of the most used channels already -- and even more authenticated streaming as the cable and satellite players extend their reach onto other platforms.
Show full PR text

HBO GO Launching on Roku Platform

Roku to Offer More Than 1,400 HBO Titles for Streaming on TV

NEW YORK and SARATOGA, Calif., – Oct. 11, 2011 – HBO and Roku today announced that the two companies will launch HBO GO on the Roku streaming platform. With HBO GO on Roku, consumers
will be able to instantly access more than 1,400 titles, including every episode of every season of the best HBO shows – streamed to their TVs for convenient, on-demand viewing from the comfort of home.
Expected to be available on all Roku streaming players at the end of October, HBO GO will join Roku's large and growing collection of entertainment channels. HBO GO is available at no additional cost to
HBO customers who subscribe through a participating television provider.

"The HBO GO app has been wildly popular with our on-the-go viewers who enjoy being able to instantly access our programs on their mobile devices," said Bernadette Aulestia, senior vice president, domestic
network distribution & marketing, HBO. "Now through our partnership with Roku, we will make these programs available on Roku streaming players, allowing our customers to stream them directly on the
TV whenever they want."

HBO GO provides instant access to the best and latest HBO shows and hit movies including the critically acclaimed, award-winning series Game of Thrones®, Boardwalk Empire® and True Blood®; classics
like The Sopranos®, Sex and the City® and Deadwood®; plus HBO original films, miniseries, sports, documentaries and specials; in addition to a wide selection of blockbuster theatricals.

"Roku's mission has always been to provide the best selection of entertainment available for streaming on the TV," said Anthony Wood, founder and CEO, Roku. "To that end, we are delighted to be one of the
first platforms to offer HBO GO's wealth of acclaimed programming for streaming on TVs."

The best-selling Roku streaming players – now including the award-winning Roku 2 line – are affordable and easy to use. Roku now features more than 300 entertainment channels including Netflix, Amazon
Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Pandora and Angry Birds. Recently launched channels include Disney.com, AOL HD and FoxNews.com.

New Roku LT Streams Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon, Pandora and 300 More Channels

Saratoga, Calif. – Oct. 11, 2011 – Roku, the leading streaming platform today announced a new affordable streaming player with the market's lowest price of just $49.99. Called the Roku LT, this new
player works with virtually any TV and delivers the full award-winning Roku streaming experience with more than 300 channels including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Pandora, EPIX, Crackle,
Disney, and the newest premier addition to our channel line-up -- HBO GO. More details on the HBO GO announcement appears in a separate press release also issued today.

"Our goal is a Roku in every home," said Roku Founder and CEO Anthony Wood. "The Roku LT opens up streaming to more people by lowering the cost of entry in these difficult economic times. With a $49
price and selection of more than 300 channels we expect the Roku LT will be everyone's favorite Holiday device."

The Roku LT streams 720p high-definition video and features built-in wireless. It will be available from Roku.com, Amazon.com and in retail stores nationwide beginning in early November.

The Roku LT complements the Roku 2 family of streaming players which was introduced in late July. The Roku 2 family is unique in that it features casual gaming as well as streaming video and music. Roku 2 is
available in three models – Roku 2 HD ($59.99), Roku 2 XD ($79.99) and Roku 2 XS ($99.99)- all feature Bluetooth and a microSD card slot. The flagship Roku 2 XS model comes standard with the Bluetooth-
enabled Roku Game Remote with motion control for games like Angry Birds.

3LM resurfaces, still wants to make Android secure enough for the IT guys

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 05:47 AM PDT

Remember when Motorola bought 3LM, a startup dedicated to offering enterprise-class device management to Android users? After eight months of silence, there's finally some news about the company and its handset-agnostic solutions. It's called, erm, 3LM and you (yes, you) can begin the scintillating process of installing it on your servers and company-issued smartphones later this week. Administrators will get the power to encrypt data and removable storage on Android devices like the Motorola ET1, remotely install / uninstall / blacklist applications, connect to the devices over VPN and behave like the killjoys we all know and love admins to be. There's no word on how much this shebang will cost, but you'll find most of the other important facts in the press release, tucked after the break.
Show full PR text
3LM Launches; Catalyzing Android™ Operating System Adoption in the Enterprise

New Company Helps Enterprises Remotely Manage their Distributed Android OS-enabled Device Fleet with Standard Security Policies and Innovative Features to Mobilize the Workforce

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- (CTIA ENTERPRISE & APPLICATIONS™ 2011 Booth #707) -- 3LM, a subsidiary of Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. and a provider of enterprise-grade security, management and remote access for Android operating system (OS)-enabled mobile devices across Android handset manufacturers, announced today its solution to give security-conscious IT departments the required Android support and data protection needed to mobilize their business.

Addressing enterprise needs for enhanced security and device management, 3LM has collaborated with major handset manufacturers to enable their Android OS-based devices to be enterprise-ready, giving IT enhanced protection and management of the device itself as well as any application installed therein. This enhanced functionality can now be activated by IT administrators through an enterprise server console that is available as part of a complete end-to-end mobile device management platform that 3LM is launching this week.

"We're introducing a new generation of corporate mobile security and management capabilities to the Android landscape– delivering a unique architecture that enables even the most security-conscious IT administrators to empower users to bring their Android devices into the workplace and have these devices access and manipulate corporate data," said Tom Moss, CEO, 3LM. "We believe this is a bold opportunity for the enterprise market – as the Android operating system continues to outpace the growth of other operating systems – providing a win-win for IT and corporate end-users, protecting the integrity of corporate data while also preserving user's freedom to use their Android OS-based devices to their fullest potential."

By harnessing the power of 3LM solutions built-in at the Android OS level, 3LM provides IT with the following options to help remotely manage and secure data both on the device locally and while in transit to the enterprise:

1. Enhanced Android Device Security

Device encryption including full memory and SD card encryption as well as selective encryption of corporate applications only
Set a whitelist/blacklist of applications and control applications' access to corporate resources
Strong password enforcement
Full device and selective (i.e. corporate data) remote wipe

2. Optimized Device Management

Enables enhanced security and control of device, OS, and applications
The ability to remotely install mission-critical enterprise applications, with the option to make such applications irremovable on the device, as well as the ability to remotely uninstall/disable applications
Device location and breadcrumb tracking

3. Secure Remote Access (VPN)

Enables remote access to internal enterprise resources for selected domains/resources
Provides remote device health and status checking
Each device is identified by a unique IP address, and can be tracked as a network endpoint

Availability

The 3LM solution will be generally available in October 2011. 3LM enterprise customer trials spanning multiple vertical markets including government, healthcare, retail and education began in 1H2011.

The 3LM solution will be demonstrated at the CTIA ENTERPRISE & APPLICATIONS™ 2011, being held October 11-13, 2011 at the San Diego Convention Center at booth #707; San Diego, Calif., and at the Gartner Symposium ITxpo 2011 being held October 16-20, 2011, at Walt Disney World resorts at booth #507A; Orlando, Fla.

About 3LM
3LM is the only company providing enterprise-grade security, management and remote access for Android-based mobile devices across multiple Android handset manufacturers, giving security-conscious IT departments the required Android support and data protection needed to mobilize their business. The Company is a wholly-owned but independently managed subsidiary of Motorola Mobility and is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. For more information, visit: www.3LM.com or follow the Company on Twitter at: @3LM_News.

3LM and the 3LM logo are trademarks of Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. Android is a trademark of Google, Inc. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners.

BlueStacks App Player lets you run Android apps on Windows PCs or tablets (video)

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 05:15 AM PDT

If you've been dreaming of a world where Android apps are free to roam across your Windows desktop, you're in luck, because BlueStacks has just turned your reverie into reality. Today, the startup unveiled an alpha version of its App Player -- software that allows users to run a host of Android apps on Windows PCs, tablets or desktops, without requiring them to make modifications to their original OS. Available as a free download, this early test version comes pre-loaded with ten apps, and can support an extra 26, on top of that. BlueStacks' free Cloud Connect app, meanwhile, allows you to port third-party apps directly from your handset to your computer, though some games, including Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja, are prohibited. Those, it turns out, will be included under a paid version of the App Player, which BlueStacks hopes to launch at a later date. You can take the free software for a spin at the source link below, or meander past the break for a demo video, along with a pair of press releases.

Show full PR text
BlueStacks Releases Software Allowing Consumers to Run Android Apps on Windows PC

Alpha Version of BlueStacks App Player now available for free download

CAMPBELL, Calif. – October 11, 2011 – BlueStacks today announced the alpha version of BlueStacks App Player for Windows PC, a free software download that allows users to quickly run their favorite Android apps on any Windows PC, tablet or laptop. In addition, the apps can be run full screen providing a unique and new user experience.

With 56-percent of smartphone consumers purchasing an Android device in the last three months[1], it's apparent that Android is rapidly becoming a preferred operating system. The BlueStacks App Player now gives users one-click access to their favorite Android apps right on their Windows PC. Both Windows and Android users stand to benefit greatly from this capability.

For application developers in the Android ecosystem, the BlueStacks App Player opens up a market of over a billion PC users. BlueStacks does not require any additional work on the part of developers and the apps run unmodified on the Windows PC.

"The openness of Android is enabling innovation around the world. We are grateful to Google and others for their contributions. This is also a social equalizer in the US and countries like Brazil, India and China, where a large percentage of the population who can only afford smartphones can now enjoy and benefit from the ubiquity of apps on the Android platform," said Rosen Sharma, president and CEO of BlueStacks. "We look forward to getting feedback from our users on the alpha release."

The BlueStacks community is growing strong with more than 100,000 Facebook fans, while the BlueStacks App Player is already receiving buy-in from leading consumer, gaming and media companies:

· "This has huge implications for gaming. They've created 200,000 plus PC games overnight," said Vladimir Funtikov, co-founder of popular game developer Creative Mobile (available for comment).

· "Any incremental way for people to discover our apps and we're in. With full-screen, this is a big one. It could bring a big shift," said Markus Kassulke, CEO of HandyGames (available for comment).

"BlueStacks will do for Android what iOS has recently done for Apple. BlueStacks has enabled PopScrap.com to become the first cross-platform software application for the recycling industry," said Stacy Duty, president and CEO of PopScrap.com.

· "Outfit7 is very happy to partner with BlueStacks to bring Talking Tom Cat to PC users and hope they'll treat him nice," said Samo Login, chairman and CEO of Outfit7.

BlueStacks App Player has also been embraced by PC manufacturers and OEMs, who are looking to pre-load it on their devices. It has diverse uses from consumers to the enterprise, from running children's education applications on classroom digital whiteboards to running internal enterprise apps on a PC.

Pricing and Availability

The alpha version of BlueStacks App Player is free, and can be downloaded at www.bluestacks.com.
Show full PR text
BlueStacks Announces Cloud Connect Service

Connects Android Phones and Windows PCs

CAMPBELL, Calif. – October 11, 2011 – BlueStacks today announced Cloud Connect, a cloud-based service that enables a Windows PC to become an extension of an Android mobile device and vice versa. With Cloud Connect, any application on an Android device can be accessed and enjoyed on a user's PC with a simple click and sync.

Users can download the free Cloud Connect App from the Android Market and instantly sync their mobile apps to a PC for big-screen enjoyment of their favorite games, news portals and more. With the ability to connect multiple and different types of devices, such as PCs and tablets, Cloud Connect enables users to enjoy up to 35 applications seamlessly across preferred devices.

A custom "Apps Channels" page allows users to manage their apps in the cloud by easily viewing which apps have been downloaded to their phone, PC or tablet. In addition, a "Featured Apps Channel" provides direct access to the latest available apps from developers.

"Our vision is to make smartphones and PCs work together to provide a seamless experience for the user," said Rosen Sharma, president and CEO of BlueStacks. "There is a generational shift that has taken place. For young consumers, the smartphone is their first computing device, with the PC being secondary. Cloud Connect accelerates the convergence of mobile and PC, allowing users to access all the same apps across devices."

"Cloud Connect puts a foot on the seesaw for Android in its faceoff with iOS. It integrates the app and gaming experience across the Android and Windows ecosystems, colliding half a million Android apps with the massive Windows ecosystem. It has huge implications," said Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies.

Developers or device manufacturers don't need to make any changes to their apps for them to make use of Cloud Connect. BlueStacks is currently working closely with several leading device manufacturers, Telcos and retailers to embed this capability into consumer devices in the near future.

"The innovation in apps has shifted from the PC to the mobile and the rate seems to be accelerating. Cloud Connect will become the conduit for that innovation and will further accelerate its adoption," says Sharma. "We see a lot of things we can do with Cloud Connect. It will be a source of constant innovation. Stay tuned."

Pricing and Availability

The Cloud Connect App is now available and can be downloaded for free from the Android Market at https://market.android.com/.

Motorola Xoom a bit slow boomerangin' back with 4G LTE update

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 04:39 AM PDT

Consider yourself lucky if you sent off your Motorola Xoom for the 4G LTE upgrade and got it back in about a week, as promised. It seems that Motorola Mobility is now having some trouble holding up their end of the bargain on the quick turnaround. In a note to eager, empty-handed slate faithful, the company informed those waiting that it's experiencing delays and will let customers know when their device finally ships. Surprised that an upgrade that requires you to actually mail in your tablet isn't being returned "on time?" Yeah, neither are we.

SlingPlayer app now available for Honeycomb tablets, priced at $30

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 03:58 AM PDT

It was teased back in September and now, it's finally arrived -- the SlingPlayer Android app optimized specifically for Honeycomb tablets. Available today on the Android Market, Sling Media's latest app allows Slingbox owners to stream TV directly to their slates, and features a new program guide, designed to help users browse content and change channels with greater ease. The SlingPlayer app for Android handsets, meanwhile, will continue to function on tablets in "compatibility mode," without exacting extra charges, though it won't offer the same resolution quality you'll find on a Honeycomb-laced device. Interested parties can grab the app for the familiar price of $30, at the source link below. Otherwise, click past the break for more details in Sling's refreshingly brief press release.
Show full PR text
Sling Media Announces Availability of SlingPlayer for Android Tablets

All New Application Turns an Android Tablet into a TV

Foster City, Calif. - October 11, 2011-Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today announced the availability of SlingPlayer™ for tablets running versions 3.0 or later of the Android™ operating system. Available for purchase on the Android Market, the application lets Slingbox® owners extend their living room TV experience to their tablets and takes advantage of the higher performance, screen resolutions and video quality the latest Android devices can deliver. New to this release of SlingPlayer is a revamped program guide that makes it easy to browse content choices while continuing to watch TV. Familiar custom on-screen remote controls closely mimic the same experience the user has from the couch at home.

"A Slingbox is the perfect accessory to an Android tablet," said Raghu Tarra, senior vice president and general manager at Sling Media. "When combined with SlingPlayer, now anyone with an Android device can enjoy a beautiful, personalized TV experience anywhere in the world."

How It Works
When connected to a Slingbox SOLO or PRO-HD, the award-winning SlingPlayer software makes it easy to watch your home TV on your Android tablet running Android version 3.0 or later. Now Slingbox owners with Android tablets can change channels, control their DVRs and watch their favorite shows anywhere they have an Internet connection. They never have to miss another show or game, no matter where they are. To learn more, visit www.slingbox.com.

Pricing and Availability
SlingPlayer for Android Tablets is now available for U.S. $29.99, JPY ¥2600, UK GBP £20.99 and Euro €23.99 from the Android Market. The application can be purchased, downloaded and installed in minutes.

The SlingPlayer application for Android Phones will continue to work in "Compatibility Mode" on tablets at no extra charge. The Android Phone version of the application streams from all Slingboxes, but not at the higher quality resolutions available on tablet devices.

AT&T Toggle separates your mobile work and play, allows for IT meddling

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 03:04 AM PDT

Having trouble separating your bird slingshotting from your mergers and acquisitions? Have no fear, AT&T has announced its new Toggle service, which promises users the ability to keep their work and home lives apart on a single Android smartphone or tablet. The feature keeps business information secure and lets IT admins manage access to company resources, add or delete business apps and even wipe corporate info off of a device, in the event the employee leaves the company. The app is coming later this year and will be compatible with devices running Android 2.2 or higher. There's no word on pricing yet, but more info can be found in the press release after the break.
Show full PR text
Go Ahead - Bring Your Own Device to Work

Switch between work and play with a few quick taps on your smartphone or tablet. Carry one device, loaded with your favorite games and apps as well as your business email, contacts and calendars. And imagine your company not minding one bit.

All this is coming from AT&T*.

AT&T Toggle separates and safeguards business data on employees' mobile devices, creating a distinct work mode apart from the typical personal mode in a single smartphone or tablet. AT&T is the first U.S. carrier to announce this type of application, with availability expected before the end of 2011.

Personal mode: When not working, send text messages to friends, watch TV shows and movies, and play games on your mobile device as you otherwise would. Personal activities remain segregated.
Work mode: If it's time to buckle down and focus on business, employees can enter their work environment. In this mode, users can access corporate email, applications, calendars and more, just as they would on a company-provided device.

"Our research shows that approximately 50 million employees in the U.S. alone could benefit from business mobile applications," said John Stankey, President and CEO, AT&T Business Solutions. "Mobile applications delivered in a cloud computing environment can transform business operations. AT&T is focused on integrating advanced technologies – like cloud and mobility – to create valuable solutions for our customers."

Many Connected Devices, Few IT Resources

According to a July 2011 Forrester Research, Inc. report, nearly 60 percent of companies allow employees to use personal devices for work and provide IT support for some or all of these devices.1

The "bring your own device" trend can benefit businesses in a number of ways, saving on costs associated with company-owned equipment and satisfying employees' desire for flexibility. At the same time, IT personnel often struggle to maintain control over dozens of different smartphones and tablets, stretching their time and budgets to the limit.

With the number of mobile applications projected to reach 1.3 million by the end of this year – as opposed to only 75,000 applications for personal computers – managing employee-owned devices is not getting any easier.2

"When it comes to connected devices, one size doesn't fit all," said Chris Hill, Vice President, Advanced Mobility Solutions, AT&T Business Solutions. "People want to use their own smartphones and tablets for work, but that practice can create major headaches for businesses' IT departments. AT&T Toggle helps resolve the issue in a simple, affordable manner."

AT&T Toggle offers a convenient web portal that allows IT administrators to:

Manage which employees have access to which company resources.
Add, update and delete business applications on employees' personal devices.
Wipe all corporate information stored in work mode if an employee leaves the company or loses his or her device.

Designed to strip away complexity for both businesses and their employees, AT&T Toggle can be used on devices running Android 2.2 and higher, and with any service provider.

AT&T customers have already indicated interest in this type of solution. For one organization that provides company-owned devices to more than 1,000 employees, the CIO is exploring a new policy, which would allow employees to use personal smartphones and tablets to connect to the corporate network. With AT&T Toggle, the IT department could manage work-related functions remotely, controlling mobile and security preferences based on employee location and responsibilities. The CIO can protect business data – his number one priority – while simultaneously saving on the costs of issuing separate devices to employees.

Benchmarks clock iPhone 4S' A5 CPU at 800MHz, show major GPU upgrade over iPhone 4

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 01:40 AM PDT

Pre-orders for the iPhone 4S only began shipping this week, but a handful of early owners have already taken Apple's first A5-based smartphone for a test run, and they've got the benchmarks to prove it. The results, obtained by AnandTech, are hardly what we'd call shocking. In terms of Javascript performance (pictured above), the 4S measures up rather nicely against the Tegra 2-based Honeycomb competition, while out-dueling the iPhone 4 in overall CPU muscle. Geekbench results, meanwhile, clock the 4S at around 800MHz, with a score of 623. That's about 25 percent lower than the A5-based iPad 2, but notably higher than the iPhone 4 (see graphic, after the break). When it comes to GPU performance, GLBenchmark 2.1 tests in 1280 x 720, off-screen render mode place Apple's new handset well above the Galaxy S II, with scores of 122.7 and 67.1, respectively. It still trails the iPad 2, not surprisingly, but the 4S' scores show a major advantage over the iPhone 4, which registered a score of 15.3. For more statistics and graphics, check out the source link below.

European blue Wii bundle takes Mario & Sonic to the Olympics, sends US gamers home without a medal

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 12:58 AM PDT

You didn't expect the Olympics to land in London without a video game tie-in snapping at its heels, did you? Of course not, but did you expect it to be bundled with a powder-blue console? Here's the skinny: Nintendo's Mario & Sonic at the 2012 Olympic Games Limited Edition Pack pairs the outfit's upcoming Gamecube-free Wii refresh with the ghetto fabulous chromatic pop of the 1970s' tackiest grooviest tuxedo craze. Like the "Family Edition" bundle that clued us in on the hardware refresh, this package has only been announced for Europe, and there's still no word on how much either set will cost. Nintendo of Europe says they will be announcing additional bundles later this year, but if you just have to have a matching console for your blue Wiimote, you can pick one up November 18th.

Plantronics Voyager Pro HD headset knows when it's kissing your cheek

Posted: 11 Oct 2011 12:04 AM PDT

If you drive around all day bumping your gums with remote friends and colleagues, then you can't really get along with those more diminutive headsets on the market. That's where the fat and proud Voyager range from Plantronics comes in, with features like all-day battery life, a long boom, A2DP and an InstantMeeting app to connect you to conf calls on your iOS, Android or BlackBerry. The latest Voyager Pro HD model is the first to contain sensors that detect proximity to your jowls and allow the device to re-route calls appropriately. The Pro HD is available now at $100, which includes a year's subscription to the company's Vocalyst voice recognition service -- although we suspect a certain newcomer might have that area covered. The full PR is a click away.

Update: We've just been reminded that the earlier Pro UC headset also had the sensors, so please ignore what it says above (and in the Plantronics press release) about the Pro HD being the first. Thanks, b-e-q.
Show full PR text
Plantronics Eases Communication for the Busy Professional on the Go

Introducing Voyager PRO HD with Sensors and InstantMeeting Conference Calling App

Santa Cruz, Calif., October 11, 2011 – Professionals on the go now have new tools to make work and life a little easier. With world-class sensor and noise cancellation technology, Plantronics ' Voyager® PRO HD is the first consumer headset that knows when you're wearing it. Simply place it on your ear and Plantronics' Smart Sensor™ technology automatically transfers calls to your headset. Combined with the ability to stream high-definition audio and superior comfort for an all day fit, Voyager PRO HD is the smartest headset on the market.

Adding unparalleled convenience for the mobile professional, Plantronics InstantMeeting™ app now connects you to conference calls from your iPhone®, in addition to BlackBerry® and Android™ phones, with just one touch. InstantMeeting scans your calendar, automatically inserts the dial in number and passcodes, and lets you notify participants if you are running late so you'll never miss or be late to a conference call again.

"Plantronics technology is about improving the communications experience and delivering instinctive products that simplify your everyday life," said Elizabeth Hamren, vice president of Marketing, Plantronics. "The Voyager PRO HD and the latest release of InstantMeeting redefine mobile productivity so you can quickly and easily get connected and get on with your work and life."

Smart Sensor Technology
Making and receiving calls is simpler with Smart Sensor technology in the Voyager PRO HD. The headset knows when you are wearing it so it cleverly routes calls to the headset when it's on your ear and to the handset when it's not. Voyager PRO HD also has a locking call mechanism when it is not worn to eliminate accidental calling, and you can answer incoming calls simply by putting the headset on your ear – no buttons to press, applications to open or voice commands required. And if you are listening to music or other audio taking off the headset will automatically pause the stream. Voyager PRO HD also features enhanced voice alerts that announce remaining talk time, connection status, battery-level and mute.

Stay Connected with Your Voice
With Vocalyst™ Voice and Text Services you can send and listen to email or text messages, post to Facebook and Twitter, or check the weather―hands-free. A one year subscription to the cloud-based Vocalyst service is included with purchase of the Voyager Pro HD.

Superior Sound Quality
Like its predecessors, Voyager PRO HD boasts award-winning sound quality, noise cancellation, and three layers of wind noise reduction technology to ensure that your voice is heard clearly regardless of the sort of environment you're in. Plantronics HD audio plus Vocalyst is for more than just answering calls, you can listen to music, follow GPS directions, or check social media platforms and email.

Pricing and Availability
Voyager Pro HD is available now for $99.99 at Amazon.com, Best Buy, Plantronics.com, Sprint, and Staples and coming soon to Radio Shack and other select retailers and wireless carriers nationwide.

The Plantronics InstantMeeting app is available for $4.99 in the Apple App Store, Android App Market, and BlackBerry App World. To celebrate the launch of the iPhone version, InstantMeeting is available in the Apple App Store for free until October 14, 2011.

German video effects company builds camera drone for the Red Epic

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 11:19 PM PDT

Red Epic + Flying drone = The sort of geek math you can't help but wish you'd come up with yourself. German VFX company OMStudios decided to mount Red's super-camera into a custom Octocopter to record footage in resolutions up to 5K. As cool as the setup is, there's a practical purpose: not only is it far cheaper than renting a crane, it can also climb up to 150 meters -- making it just high enough to fly over Hollywood's tallest man, Tom Cruise. Since it's highly unlikely we'll ever get to play with one of these, we'll just have to point you to the video after the break and hope that no catastrophic power failures take place halfway through any real-world shoots.

[Thanks, Jeremias]

Bobsled by T-Mobile's free VoIP magic now available via browser, Android or iOS

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 10:23 PM PDT

Initially, T-Mobile's Bobsled brand simply offered a way to VoIP call your Facebook friends for free but with that angle sufficiently covered, it has moved on to wider access. Starting today it supports dialing out to mobile and landline numbers in the US, Canada or Puerto Rico right from your desktop browser. Also new are free apps for Android and iOS devices, however those are still limited to calling your Facebook friends (and enemies.) Still not quite sure what all this newfangled internet telephone business is? Check out the video demo above and press release embedded after the break.
Show full PR text
October 11, 2011 12:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Bobsled by T-Mobile Extends Free Calling to the Web, Android and iOS

New Dial-Out Functionality Allows Bobsled Users to Place Free VoIP Calls to Mobile and Landline Numbers from Across the Web

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--T-Mobile today announced enhanced and expanded functionality for its Bobsled™ by T-Mobile® service. The new Bobsled functionality provides users with an easy, seamless way to call Facebook friends from most desktop browsers, Android™-powered smartphones and tablets, and Apple® iOS devices, including iPhones®, iPads® and iPod Touch® products. In addition, Bobsled provides users with free calling to any mobile or landline phone number in the U.S., Canada or Puerto Rico from inside or outside the U.S. from their desktop browser.

"Earlier this year we brought voice to social networking with Bobsled for Facebook. Now we are expanding the capabilities of Bobsled, allowing users to easily communicate with friends from anywhere on the Web and even dial out for free to mobile and landline numbers," said Brad Duea, senior vice president, T-Mobile USA. "Users can also now jump on Bobsled from Android phones and tablets as well as from Apple iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch. Bobsled allows users to be heard across borders, websites, carriers and platforms."

As the way people communicate transcends networks and devices, Bobsled provides users with new ways to connect regardless of where they are online, the format of their message or what device they are using:

Bobsled on the Web

Bobsled is available for most Internet browsers. Once signed into Bobsled on their browser, users can call, message or voice message with their Facebook friends at any time while using their Mac or PC. Bobsled eliminates the need for dialing - you simply click on a friend's name to start the conversation. There's no need to remember screen names or to input numbers. Users simply click the phone icon to initiate a call with friends and family or message via Facebook Chat.

Free Calling to Mobile and Landline Numbers

Bobsled users can now call any mobile or landline number in the U.S., Canada or Puerto Rico for free. Users simply open Bobsled from their browser on a Mac or PC and dial a number using an open Internet connection from anywhere in the world. Also, users can add mobile or landline numbers to their existing Facebook friends.

Bobsled for Apple iOS and Android Devices

Bobsled is now available from the Apple App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, and from the Android Market™ for Android smartphones and tablets. Bobsled allows users to call or voice message their Facebook friends from their mobile device for free.

Bobsled's browser and mobile applications are powered by Vivox Inc. Together, T-Mobile and Vivox, with its compelling VoiceEverywhere technology, are ushering in a new era of voice communications - online, on the go, virtually wherever and however users want to converse.

"Vivox's partnership with T-Mobile and the Bobsled product is a stellar example of evolving the way we communicate," said Rob Seaver, founder and CEO, Vivox. "As evidenced by Bobsled, VoiceEverywhere creates massively scalable conversations across devices, platforms and experiences and makes digital communication more seamless and natural, regardless of the context or location."

For more information on Bobsled by T-Mobile and to install Bobsled, please visit www.bobsled.com.

Apple, iPhone, iPad, iPod and iPod Touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., and are not products sold by T-Mobile USA, Inc. Mention of these devices does not imply endorsement of Bobsled by Apple Inc. Carriers' standard data charges may apply.

About T-Mobile USA:

Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG (OTCQX: DTEGY). By the end of the second quarter of 2011, approximately 128 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group - 33.6 million by T-Mobile USA - all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS and additionally HSPA+ 21/HSPA+ 42. T-Mobile USA's wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile USA among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG. For further information on Deutsche Telekom, please visit www.telekom.de/investor-relations.

About Vivox

Vivox, provider of VoiceEverywhereTM, enables integrated digital conversations, anytime, anywhere, and on any device. An industry pioneer in integrated voice services, Vivox now serves more than 60 million users in 180+ countries - exchanging more than 3 billion voice minutes each month. Vivox VoiceEverywhere makes digital communication more seamless and natural, regardless of the context or location. With Vivox, businesses can quickly engage users within their communities and extend their brand beyond traditional boundaries, ultimately inspiring conversations, wherever and whenever people want. Vivox's partners currently include T-Mobile, CCP Games, Linden Labs, Nexon, Sony Online Entertainment, Wargaming.net and others. For more information, visit www.vivox.com.

AT&T starts CTIA off right by introducing five new smartphones to its Android lineup

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 09:01 PM PDT

At CTIA last March, AT&T stole the show by announcing its intent to purchase T-Mobile US. This time around the news is a bit more modest, but the company is still hoping to give us a bit of a shock by introducing a litany of new handsets right on time for the holiday season. The carrier promised the release of 12 Android devices throughout the course of the year, and this week's announcement pushes the 2011 running count to 19. Not too shabby. Naturally, we're looking for quality more than quantity, so we couldn't wait to dig into the devices that are coming out. Check out all five after the break, along with a quick video teaser.
AT&T CTIA Android Lineup



Our first contestant is the long-awaited Motorola Atrix 2, the follow-up to the original smash hit of the same name. Everything appears to be exactly what we expected, such as the inclusion of HSPA+ 21Mbps, 4.3-inch qHD 960 x 540 display, 8MP camera with front-facing cam and 1080p HD video capture. AT&T also announced the Samsung Captivate Glide, which looks to be a decently-spec'd QWERTY-packing device that comes complete with 4-inch Super AMOLED display, Android 2.3, a 1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU, 21Mbps HSPA+, an 8MP rear camera with 1.3MP front-facing cam, 1080p HD video capture and HDMI playback. It will be available in AT&T stores and online October 16th, for $99 on a two year contract (no rebate).

Let's check out the two new members of the Android family that offer a... well, different form factor. The Samsung DoubleTime is a clamshell QWERTY device with two capacitive touch screens -- an external and an internal. We give applause all around to attempting a new form factor, though the internals are a bit on the low-end; the new handset sports a 600MHz Qualcomm CPU and comes with Android 2.2. Yes, Froyo. To be fair, we imagine the DoubleTime will sell at a rather inexpensive price point, since it seems to be aimed at first-time smartphone buyers who want a crazy new phone design. Oh, and it comes in white and pink.

Next up is the Pantech Pocket, which offers a candybar Android 2.3 experience with a unique aspect ratio. How does a 4-inch SVGA (800 x 600) display sound? All in all, the Pocket sits squarely on the mid-end, with a 1GHz CPU, 5MP rear camera with flash and HD video capture (we're assuming 720p here, though it doesn't specify). Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but we've been told to expect the Pocket showing up on November 6th. Last but not least is the AT&T Avail, a ZTE device that's tailored specifically to the carrier's prepaid lineup. This one appears to hold up its end of the no-contract bargain pretty well, using a 3.5-inch display, running Gingerbread, and offering a 5MP rear camera with 512MB of RAM.

Get all that? It's certainly a mouthful, and the full listing of specs for each of the five devices can be found in the press release below -- as well as a gallery showing. Other than the Atrix 2 we weren't told pricing for any of the phones, and the Pantech Pocket was the only other one to receive a tentative release date. We're hoping to get the skinny on the missing details as we continue through CTIA. After all, we're just getting started.


Show full PR text
AT&T Exceeds 2011 Android Commitment, Announces Five Smartphones
Availability of Motorola ATRIX 2, Samsung DoubleTime, Samsung Captivate Glide, Pantech Pocket and prepaid AT&T Avail, bring total count of new Android devices this year to 19

Dallas, Texas, October 11, 2011


In January, AT&T* announced plans to introduce 12 Android devices in 2011 and today AT&T confirmed that goal has been met and will be exceeded during the fourth quarter.

AT&T announced today the upcoming availability of five new Android smartphones, the Motorola ATRIX™ 2, Samsung Captivate™ Glide, Samsung DoubleTime™, Pantech Pocket™ and the AT&T Avail™, a new smartphone option for prepaid customers. These smartphones will up AT&T's 2011 Android lineup to 19, with more planned to follow.

Motorola ATRIX™ 2

The Motorola ATRIX™ 2 combines "extreme power" with "life of the party" all at an affordable price. With its 1 GHz dual core processor and access to 4G speeds, entertainment lovers will revel in the ability to quickly download music and video and browse rich web pages in high-resolution on the 4.3-inch qHD display. Capture video in 1080p HD and display it on any size HD monitor with an HDMI cable using Mirror mode. With Motorola's webtop application, you can browse the web with a full Firefox browser. Connect to the new Motorola Lapdock 100 or use the optional HD Station and browse the web on any size HD TV or monitor**.

While the ATRIX 2 boasts a great deal of entertainment value, features such as device and microSD card encryption, enterprise-grade VPN, enhanced Exchange options and personal information management and remote wipe make this device business-ready. Users will enjoy the new free ZumoCast app, giving users hassle-free access to their music, playlists, pictures and videos stored on their computer.

UMTS 850/1900/2100
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
4G HSPA+ 21 Mbps (Category 14)
1 GHz dual-core processor
Internal memory: 8 GB ROM, 1 GB RAM, 2 GB microSD™ card (expandable to 32GB)
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
4.3-inch qHD screen 960x540TFT, with more than 500,000 pixels for sharper, clearer display
8 MP camera and LED flash
Front-facing camera
1080p HD video capture, 30 frames per second playback
On Device Encryption (ODE) and Enhanced Exchange ActiveSync® (EAS)
IPsec VPN
Lapdock 100 Accessory

Samsung Captivate™ Glide

The Samsung Captivate Glide is a 4G Android smartphone that keeps you moving with a thin, side-slide QWERTY keyboard and a powerful 1 GHz dual core processor. Running Android 2.3, the Captivate Glide features access to 4G speeds, a 4" Super AMOLED screen, 8-megapixel flash camera with HD (1080p) video recording and a front-facing camera for video chat.

For the business professional, the Captivate Glide has enhanced Exchange ActiveSync support for IT policies, task synchronization and global address lookup. Know your information and network are secured with virtual private network access and device encryption.

UMTS 850/1900/2100
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
4G HSPA+ 21 Mbps (Category 14)
1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 AP20H dual core processor
1GB RAM/1GB ROM/8GB Internal microSD™ to 32GB (not included)
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
4-inch 480x800 WVGA Super AMOLED™
Dual camera - 8MP Autofocus w/LED + 1.3MP front
Full HD 1080p video camera + HDMI playback
Enhanced Exchange ActiveSync® (EAS) to sync email, contacts, calendar and tasks
Device and SD card encryption
Virtual private network support
Mobile Device Management (MDM)

Samsung DoubleTime™

With its compact design and dual touch screen with a full flip keyboard, Samsung DoubleTime is perfect for texting, multitasking and staying connected to social networks. Running on Android 2.2, DoubleTime boasts a white and pink color scheme and features a 3.2 MP digital camera with a camcorder, voice recognition, a dedicated function key for shortcuts, drag-and-drop widgets, five scrolling home screens and an expandable menu with scrolling panels.

UMTS 850/1900/2100
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Processor Qualcomm 600 MHz
Onboard Memory Supports 260MB
Android 2.2 (Froyo)
microSD™ memory card supports up to 32GB (2GB microSD card included)
3.2" full touch screen display with 320 x 480 and 480 x 320 (HVGA) resolution

Pantech Pocket™

The Pantech Pocket is a slim Android 2.3 device ideal for customers focused on social entertainment and messaging. With a 4.0" SVGA touch screen display, wide profile virtual keyboard, 4G support, 5MP camera, and access to the Android Market, it is the perfect device for those wanting a wider screen for a better experience with browsing, navigation and entertainment in a one-handed design.

UMTS 850/1900/2100
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Internal Memory: ~600MB plus 2GB microSD™ included.
User Memory: 2.5 GB included (Includes a 2 GB microSD Card)
Support for up to 32GB microSD
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
Full touch 4" SVGA display
Screen size & resolution: 4" (600x800) 16M TFT
5 MP camera with flash and HD video recording
114.7mm x 78mm x 11.3mm
Weight is 4.66 oz
Bluetooth: v. 2.1 + EDR
Wi-Fi and access to AT&T hotspots

AT&T Avail™

The AT&T Avail from ZTE is the second Android smartphone launched by GoPhone, AT&T's pre-paid offering. This device features a 3.5-inch touch screen, 5- megapixel camera and runs on Android 2.3 OS. AT&T Avail provides an affordable option for customers seeking the Android smartphone experience while still maintaining control of their usage and monthly bill.

UMTS 850/1900/2100
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Internal memory: 512 MB ROM, 512 MB RAM, 2 GB microSD™ card
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
3.5-inch capacitive touch screen
5 MP autofocus camera and video recorder
Seven customizable homescreens
Wi-Fi capable

AT&T Android Portfolio

Committed to serving the growing number of Android fans, AT&T now provides more options for customers seeking the Android OS experience at a variety of price points, form factors and through unique services.

In January, AT&T announced its commitment to expanding its Android portfolio by launching 12 new devices before year's end. Since February, the company has introduced 12 Android smartphones and two new Android tablets. The Motorola ATRIX 2 and Samsung Captivate Glide join AT&T's premium Android smartphone lineup that includes the Samsung Infuse™ 4G, Samsung Galaxy S™ II, HTC Inspire™ 4G and LG THRILL™ 4G.

Square ditches $1,000 per week limits, has 800,000 merchants processing $2 billion per year

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 08:41 PM PDT

Square
Until now, when a merchant using Square racked up over $1,000 in payments in the course of a week, everything above that limit was held for a period of time, ranging from just a few hours up to a whole month. As of today, roughly a year and a half after the company's founding, that restriction has been lifted. Now all payments will be processed immediately and merchants will have access to the funds the next day. Square also announced that, in the year or so since it started offering its wares to the public, it has signed up 800,000 merchants who have processed over $2 billion in transactions. After ditching the $0.15 per-transaction charge and with the $1,000 per-week restriction limit lifted, we're sure those numbers will only increase in the year ahead.

YouTube extends movie rental service to the UK

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 08:14 PM PDT

YouTube -- no longer the favorite repository for cats playing pianos -- has launched its movie rental service for folks across the pond. Previously available in North America only, web denizens in Ol' Blighty will now have access to brand new flicks for 24-hours at $3.99 a pop. Looks like all Mountain View needs now is Hulu to fully control the play-shifted portal.

Oxford researchers show off autonomous Wildcat vehicle, no GPS required

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 07:52 PM PDT

BAE Systems has spent years developing an autonomous vehicle based on the rather menacing Bowler Wildcat, but it recently turned the project over to Oxford University, which is now showing off some of the improvements that its researchers have made. Chief among those are a new array of sensors adorning the vehicle, which promise to let it more accurately map out its surroundings and navigate without relying on GPS -- that not only includes monitoring the road (or lack of road, as the case may be), but keeping an eye on traffic patterns and changing conditions, and watching for pedestrians and other obstacles. That's the same basic idea seen from the likes of Google's self-driving cars, of course, although we're pretty sure this could drive over one of those if it wanted to. Head on past the break for some videos showing off the vehicle's capabilities, and hit the source link below for a few more.




Student spends summer turning a tablet into a Braille writer, says mowing lawns is for chumps

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 07:05 PM PDT

Lots of us spend the summer by the pool, sipping Mai Tais and working on our tans, but Adam Duran had better things to do with his vacation. Instead of engaging in such lethargy, Duran attended the Army High Performance Computing Research Center's summer course held at Stanford, where he and his mentors, Sohan Dharmaraja and Adrian Lew, developed a Braille writer app for tablets. You see, the average 8-key Braille writer is a custom laptop that costs $6,000, so given the paltry pricing on today's slates, this new solution is considerably more economical. Users place their fingertips on the display and the app populates keys underneath them, rendering tactile indicators of the keys' location unnecessary. Plus, the virtual keyboard provides a custom fit for your phalanges no matter how big or small they may be. The project has some "technical and legal hurdles to address" before it's made available to the masses, but here's hoping they can clear them soon. Video of the app in action after the break.

Wilson Electronics debuts the AWS 70 signal booster to bring life to your office's T-Mobile dead zone

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 06:07 PM PDT

See that beauty up above? That, dear friends, is the Wilson Electronics AWS 70 signal booster. We know, it doesn't look like the standard-issue 50-cent sticker that you slap underneath your battery, right? This beefy guy is meant to be a thousand times more effective, aiming to amplify your office's poor AWS signal -- most notably T-Mobile, but any 1700 / 2100 AWS connection can benefit -- by a total gain of 70dB. The booster offers the ability to manually adjust the amount of gain for uplink and downlink separately, so you can optimize it however you deem fit. With a MSRP of $360, it's not for the weak-walleted -- you'll likely want to put it on the company tab. If you're interested in how this all goes down, check out the presser below.
Show full PR text
Wilson Electronics Introduces AWS 70 Indoor Signal Booster at CTIA Enterprise & Application 2011

New signal booster is the most affordable AWS booster available, providing a strong
reliable signal indoors for all devices operating on the AWS 1700/2100MHz band

St. George, Utah – Oct. 10, 2011 – Wilson Electronics (www.WilsonElectronics.com),
manufacturer of North America's top-selling line of cellular signal boosters, has
announced the availability of the company's AWS 70 signal booster, built to improve
the performance of phones, data cards and tablets operating on the Advanced Wireless
Services (AWS) 1700/2100 MHz band.

The signal booster is on display at CTIA Enterprise & Applications 2011, booth #806 in
San Diego.

With a suggested retail price of $359.95, the Wilson AWS 70 is the most powerful and
most affordable consumer AWS booster available. With maximum gain of 70 dB, the
AWS 70 provides a strong, reliable signal to an indoor coverage area, more than double
the size of that of other competing boosters on the market today.

"Wireless customers using the AWS networks of T-Mobile™ and Metro PCS™ in the
U.S., and multiple other carriers in the U.S. and Canada, can now get the same Wilson
signal boosting benefits that those on other networks have enjoyed," said Joe Banos,
Wilson Electronics COO. "This booster will bring excellent AWS signal coverage to
those experiencing weak or blocked signal indoors."

This maximum indoor coverage area makes the AWS 70 ideal for multi-story or
larger single story buildings plagued by weak, unreliable signal. The result is reliable
connections where before there was weak or no signal, and faster data transfer speeds.

Wilson signal boosters feature cell site protection technologies developed over more
than a decade of research and development. These protections, many of which are not
provided by competing boosters, give peace of mind to system integrators, installers and
end-user customers who don't have to worry about causing cell site interference as some
poorly designed competing products could cause. These safeguard features make it the
safest consumer AWS booster currently available.

The AWS 70 features separate adjustable gain controls - one for the uplink (device-to-
tower communication), and another for the downlink (tower-to-device communication).
These gain controls allow the unit's gain, or signal amplification level, to be optimized
for its specific location. This also simplifies the installation process by allowing for more flexibility in the correct placement of the booster's interior and exterior antennas.

CyanogenMod 7.1 brings support for Xperias and 20 other handsets

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 05:28 PM PDT

All it took was a little love from Sony Ericsson and now CyanogenMod's latest official release includes support for a happy cohort of 2011 Xperias as well as the X8. The same goes for Samsung, which doled out a free GSII and some employment and now finds that the Galaxy smartphones are on version 7.1's list too. Wondering if your particular Droid, Optimus or Incredible can run the cyan shade of Gingerbread and its attendant perks? Then check the source link for the full roll-call of newly supported devices -- but remember, despite the increasingly friendly overtures from manufacturers, installing a custom ROM comes with certain pitfalls and can void your warranty. Got that? Now go and play some juicy FLAC files on that Arc.

UltraViolet 'digital locker' opens for business. Lets you buy once, play anywhere... eventually

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 04:57 PM PDT

UltraViolet
The first UltraViolet-enabled disks wont actually appear on shelves till tomorrow, but that doesn't mean you can't get a head start on migrating to DECE's buy once, play anywhere platform. The digital locker is now open for business (sort of) and consumers can go sign up for an account right now. Sadly, there isn't much you can do just yet. Though the Flixster app for PCs and iOS was updated to add UltraViolet support, there doesn't appear to be anyway to link your various accounts (like iTunes or Netflix) with the service just yet. An account can have up to six different users associated with it, and you can control what content they will have access too -- a feature sure to be welcome by families with children. If you want to be able to purchase your flicks once and take them anywhere, right now your only hope is UltraViolet and Blu-ray discs bearing its logo -- a slow trickle of titles which begins October 11th with Horrible Bosses.

LG panel puts LEDs along a single edge, achieves more nits with fewer watts

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 04:32 PM PDT

Confining LEDs to the edges of an LCD TV cuts its energy consumption, particularly if you can get away with just lighting up one or two edges instead of all four. LG claims its latest Full HD 47-inch panel is the "world's most energy efficient," using a single vertical edge backlight to achieve 400 nits of brightness with just 28W of power -- less than any other HDTV bigger than 40-inches and even less than many 20-inch PC monitors. That's all good so long as there's no head-lighting or other tell-tale signs when the panel built into a final product. We hope for LG's sake that the washed out right side on the picture above is due to burning rubber. Full PR after the break.
Show full PR text
LG Display Develops World's Most Energy Efficient LCD TV Panel

Seoul, Korea (October 9, 2011) – LG Display [NYSE: LPL, KRX: 034220], a leading innovator of thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) technology, today announced it has developed a 47-inch Full HD LCD panel, featuring vertical single side LED backlight technology, that offers maximum brightness while consuming less electricity than other LCD TV panels over 40 inches in size and even normal PC monitors over 20 inches in size.

The newly developed LCD panel achieves the world's lowest power consumption rate among large LCD panels by dramatically reducing the number of LED lamps used while maintaining a high level of brightness. To reduce the quantity of LED bulbs used, LG Display introduced its own backlight technology in which LED lamps are attached vertically to a single side of the panel, a world first for such technology.

Despite its large size, the 47-inch LCD panel uses only 28W, less than the power consumption of most 20-inch PC monitors which use between 30~50W. The LCD panel also delivers 400 Nits of brightness suitable for HD TVs through a three-film structure which helps focus and diffuse light, together with Local Dimming Technology and energy efficient LED bulbs.

Making it ideal for commercialization, the 47-inch LCD panel offers outstanding picture quality through its full HD resolution and ultra-slim design highlighted by its minimal 8.5mm bezel, in addition to its improved energy efficiency which will ensure cost savings for consumers.

"Together with our business partners, LG Display has developed this LCD technology to continue our commitment to improving energy efficiency with environmentally friendly solutions," said Shin Ho Kang, vice president and head of LG Display's LED Development Department. "We will continue to invest in developing more energy efficient technologies that can bring greater value to both the market and the environment."

This giant military spy blimp is really hard to miss

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 04:10 PM PDT

What's this spy blimp doing next to an 18-wheeler? We're not entirely sure, but it's certainly not being subtle about it. This jumbo-sized floater, codenamed "Blue Devil Block 2," measures some 370 feet in length and comprises a whopping 1.4 million cubic feet. Originally inflated in September, the definitely-not-blue Blue Devil took flight for the first time last week in North Carolina and, if all goes to plan, should head to Afghanistan by the middle of next year. The Air Force says the blimp will hover above the country for five days at a time, collecting surveillance data from 20,000 feet above the ground and transmitting its findings to US intelligence officers on the ground, via laser. When that's taken care of, it'll be used to make the biggest omelette ever.

Must See HDTV (October 10th - 16th)

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 03:48 PM PDT

Baseball playoffs are in full effect and altering TV schedules, so if you're digging Fox's lineup then too bad -- it's going to be mostly on ice for the next couple of weeks. We've still got a few major fall premieres trickling in, but the most significant addition are the first Blu-ray titles with Ultraviolet (Horrible Bosses, Green Lantern). Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames.

Forza Motorsport 4
It's no big secret that around these parts, our love of things that plug in and log on only narrowly beats out the need to go fast, and since we can't drive every car in real life, we'll leave that up to Forza. The fourth iteration of Turn 10's driving game arrives this week and has racked up a list of glowing reviews. New this time around are Kinect-enhanced car walkarounds and driving, enhanced community features and a revamped career mode. The only knock seems to be that some things are a little too familiar from its predecessors, but we can't wait to get behind the wheel and find out ourselves.
($59.99 on Amazon, October 11th)

Psych
The Adventures of Shawn & Gus' Psychic Detective Agency continue on this week, and while that title may make one USA's best show's appear somewhat childish, we assure you -- it's even more childish than you think. Of course, one of the appeals of Psych is its retro flair (so far we've seen Ralph Macchio as a guest star and an entire episode spoofing Twin Peaks) so if you're in the target age range and haven't quite grown up, this is one to watch.
(October 12th, USA, 10PM)

The Walking Dead
One of last season's most-talked about shows, this tale of survival in a zombie infested wasteland came in with a bang and went out with a whimper. We'll be watching to see if it cab retain the crunchy action flavor of the first few episodes and avoid the boring melodrama that came in later on. If you're willing to risk a few spoilers (surprise, the RV breaks down at the worst possible time) then check out the season two trailer after the break.
(October 16th, AMC, 10PM)



Blu-ray & Games
  • Forza Motorsport 4 (Xbox 360)
  • Dead Rising 2: Off The Record (PS3, Xbox 360)
  • Just Dance 3 (PS3, Xbox 360)
  • Green Lantern
  • Horrible Bosses
  • Chuck: The Complete Fourth Season
  • Zookeeper
  • Bones: The Complete Sixth Season
  • The Bad Seed (1956)
  • Judy Moody and The Not Bummer Summer
Monday
  • Enlightened (series premiere), HBO, 9:30PM
  • American Guns (series premiere), Discovery, 10PM
  • Bored To Death (season premiere), HBO, 9PM
  • Scare Tactics (fall premiere), Syfy, 9PM
  • (Dis)connected (special presentation), MTV, 9PM
  • Bears/Lions Monday Night Football, ESPN, 8:30PM
  • Terra Nova, Fox, 8PM
  • How I Met Your Mother, CBS, 8PM
  • Dancing With The Stars, ABC, 8PM
  • The Lying Game, ABC Family, 8PM
  • 2 Broke Girls, CBS, 8:30PM
  • House, Fox, 9PM
  • Two And A Half Men, CBS, 9PM
  • WWE Raw, USA, 9PM
  • American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior, Discovery, 9PM
  • Mike & Molly, CBS, 9:30PM
  • Hawaii Five-0, CBS, 10PM
  • Castle, ABC, 10PM
  • The Playboy Club, NBC, 10PM
Tuesday
  • Last Man Standing (series premiere), ABC, 8PM
  • BET Hip Hop Awards '11, BET, 8PM
  • The Dotted Line, ESPN, 8PM
  • 90210, CW, 8PM
  • NCIS, CBS, 8PM
  • NCIS: LA, CBS, 9PM
  • Ringer, CW, 9PM
  • Raising Hope, Fox, 9:30PM
  • Tosh.0, Comedy Central, 10PM
  • Parenthood, NBC, 10PM
  • Sons of Anarchy, FX, 10PM
  • Onion News Network, IFC, 10PM
  • Body of Proof, ABC, 10PM
  • Unforgettable, CBS, 10PM
  • Top Shot, History, 10 PM
  • Workaholics, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
Wednesday
  • Psych (season premiere), USA, 10PM
  • Sun Come Up (special presentation), HBO, 8PM
  • The Middle, ABC, 8PM
  • Survivor, CBS, 8PM
  • Up All Night, NBC, 8PM
  • Suburgatory, ABC, 8:30PM
  • Free Agents, NBC, 8:30PM
  • Inside The NFL, Showtime, 9PM
  • Law & Order: UK, BBC America, 9PM
  • Modern Family, ABC, 9PM
  • Criminal Minds, CBS, 9PM
  • Mythbusters, Discovery, 9PM
  • Harry's Law, NBC, 9PM
  • Happy Endings, ABC, 9:30PM
  • Rocket City Rednecks, National Geographic, 9 & 9:30PM
  • Luther, BBCA, 10PM
  • American Horror Story, FX, 10PM
  • The Real World, MTV, 10PM
  • The Ultimate Fighter, Spike, 10PM
  • CSI, CBS, 10PM
  • Penn & Teller Tell A Lie, Discovery, 10PM
  • South Park, Comedy Central, 10PM
  • Nick Swardson's Pretend Time, 10PM
  • Revenge, ABC, 10PM
  • Law & Order: SVU, NBC, 10PM
  • Inside NASCAR, Showtime, 10 PM
  • Mad Scientists, National Geographic, 10 & 10:30PM
  • Blue Mountain State, Spike, 11PM
Thursday
  • Cal/USC college football, ESPN & ESPN 3D, 9PM
  • Charlie's Angels, ABC, 8PM
  • The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 8PM
  • Community, NBC, 8PM
  • The Vampire Diaries, CW, 8PM
  • Parks & Recreation, NBC, 8:30PM
  • How To Be A Gentleman, CBS, 8:30PM
  • The Secret Circle, CW, 9PM
  • Grey's Anatomy, ABC, 9PM
  • The Office, NBC, 9PM
  • Person of Interest, CBS, 9PM
  • Whitney, NBC, 9:30PM
  • Private Practice, ABC, 10PM
  • The Mentalist, CBS, 10PM
  • Private Practice, ABC, 10PM
  • Prime Suspect, NBC, 10PM
  • It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, FX, 10PM
  • The League, FX, 10:30PM
Friday
  • Iron Man Anime (season finale), G4, 11PM
  • Wolverine Anime (season finale), G4, 11:30PM
  • NASCAR Nationwide Series @ Charlotte, ESPN2, 9PM
  • A Gifted Man, CBS, 8PM
  • Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Cartoon Network, 8PM
  • WWE SmackDown, Syfy, 8PM
  • Nikita, CW, 8PM
  • CSI: NY, CBS, 9PM
  • Fringe, Fox, 9PM
  • Supernatural, CW, 9PM
  • Sanctuary, Syfy, 10PM
  • Blue Bloods, CBS, 10PM
  • Strike Back, Cinemax, 10PM
Saturday
  • Margaret Cho: Cho Dependent (special presentation), Showtime, 10PM
  • Puppies vs. Babies (series premiere), Animal Planet, 10PM
  • Florida/Auburn college football, ESPN, 7PM
  • NASCAR Sprint Cup Series @ Charlotte, ABC, 7:30PM
  • How To Be A Gentleman, CBS, 8:30PM
  • Saturday Night Live with Ana Faris/Drake, NBC, 11:30PM
  • Bedlam, BBC America, 9PM
  • Free Agents, BBC America, 11 & 11:30PM
Sunday
  • The Walking Dead (season premiere), AMC, 9PM
  • Korean Grand Prix, Speed, 2AM
  • 60 Minutes, CBS, 7PM
  • Vikings/Bears football, NBC, 8:15PM
  • Curiosity, Discovery, 8PM
  • Dexter, Showtime, 9PM
  • Desperate Housewives, ABC, 9PM
  • The Good Wife, CBS, 9PM
  • Boardwalk Empire, HBO, 9PM
  • CSI: Miami, CBS, 10PM
  • Pan Am, ABC, 10PM
  • Hung, HBO, 10PM
  • Homeland, Showtime, 10PM
  • Around The World In 80 Ways, History, 10PM
  • How To Make It America, HBO, 10:30PM

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus up for pre-order: $399 16GB, $499 32GB

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 03:27 PM PDT

Korea's finest have been very coy on the dual-core and Honeycomb update to the Galaxy Tab 7, the 7 Plus. We knew that Austria and Indonesia would get it by the end of October but didn't know when it was likely to land in the States, or how much it would cost when it got here. Fortunately, it has now been spotted at J&R.com, where you will be happy to know that the 16GB version will cost $400, while the 32GB costs a bit more at $500. Now they just need to tell us when the thing will actually arrive.

We're live from CTIA Enterprise & Applications 2011!

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 03:02 PM PDT

We're gathering at the San Diego Convention Center to attend the fall edition of CTIA Wireless, also known as CTIA Wireless Enterprise & Applications 2011. Sure, the name's a mouthful, but we can't wait to check out the show floor and get a handful of the latest and greatest gadgets. The biggest news so far is what won't be shown off at this week's event, but we're certain this shindig's got plenty more to take our attention away from good ol' Nexus whats-his-face. So be sure to follow Engadget's CTIA 2011 tag to get all the action!

BlackBerry Tag: touch-to-share for... multimedia?

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 02:34 PM PDT

Research in Motion's Jim Balsillie's currently in Dubai, gassing about how amazing the latest update to BlackBerry 7 OS will be -- probably between trips to the beach. When it arrives, those crackberries equipped with NFC (Bold 9900 / 9930 and Curve 9350 / 9360 / 9370) will get BlackBerry Tag. You'll be able to tap two phones together to share contact details, multimedia content or add new friends to your BBM. RIM is planning to open up the relevant APIs so developers can use the facility in any number of interesting ways, like bringing touch-to-share to the system. Considering the speed constraints of NFC, it's difficult to believe that big files like images could be carried by the technology -- it's more likely that NFC will pair the devices and then send your files down a larger pipe, like Bluetooth. There's an enigmatic press release after the break, and hopefully the company will explain how this works in a little more detail before the update arrives.
Show full PR text
BlackBerry Tag enables effortless 'tap to share' exchanges of multimedia content and contact info between friends

Friends can also add each other as BBM contacts with a simple 'tap'

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES--(Marketwire - Oct. 10, 2011) - GITEX – During his keynote presentation at the GITEX conference in Dubai, Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) Co-CEO Jim Balsillie today unveiled a new way for BlackBerry® smartphone users to connect with one another and share multimedia content.

BlackBerry® Tag, which will be incorporated in the next BlackBerry® 7 OS update*, will allow users to share contact information, documents, URLs, photos and other multimedia content by simply tapping their BlackBerry smartphones together. BlackBerry Tag will also enable friends to instantly add one another as contacts on BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger).

"BlackBerry Tag is an exciting and innovative feature that makes sharing contact information and multimedia content effortless and seamless," said Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO at Research In Motion. "BlackBerry Tag opens a new dimension to the BlackBerry platform that is powerful, simple and intuitive and we think it will be welcomed by both users and developers."

BlackBerry Tag takes advantage of Near Field Communications (NFC) technology included in the recently launched BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900/9930 and BlackBerry® Curve™ 9350/9360/9370 smartphones, and these are the first BlackBerry smartphones that will support BlackBerry Tag.

RIM also announced plans to expose BlackBerry Tag through APIs on the BlackBerry platform, allowing software developers to take advantage of "tap to share" functionality from within their own applications.

* Subject to network operator certifications. Check with your local operator for availability.

About Research In Motion

Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ:RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.

Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used herein, words such as "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "should", "intend," "believe", and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by RIM in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that RIM believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause RIM's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those described in the "Risk Factors" section of RIM's Annual Information Form, which is included in its Annual Report on Form 40-F (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov). These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on RIM's forward-looking statements. RIM has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, Research In Motion and BlackBerry are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services.

Disney Mobile DM010SH Android phone hits Softbank stores in Japan, we go hands-on (video)

Posted: 10 Oct 2011 02:12 PM PDT

Disney Mobile's first Android-powered smartphone hit Softbank Mobile stores in Japan earlier this month, with 0 JPY (about $0) due up front. You won't be getting off that easy though -- expect to pay just shy of 74,000 JPY (about $965) off contract, or 24 monthly installments of 880 JPY (about $11) if you opt for the two-year agreement. The Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) DM010SH packs a 4-inch 960 x 540 qHD display with 3D support, a 1GHz processor, and the typical spattering of smartphone features, including 3G data, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and microSDHC expandability, along with an 8 megapixel camera.

Rest assured that Disney branding abounds, from the company logo just below the earpiece, to those signature mouse ears that replace a generic home button. There's also a default Snow White 3D wallpaper and a home screen link to the D-Market, where you can load up your device with Disney-branded mail, calendar, photo, calculator and pedometer apps -- so you can meet those fitness goals with hopes of getting one more Halloween out of that child-size Minnie Mouse costume.

We dropped by a Softbank store in Tokyo to play around with a Classic White version of the device (Classic Pink is also an option, though sadly we had to settle for boring old vanilla). Once you get past the not-so-subtle Disney branding, it looks and functions like any other Android smartphone. It felt quite snappy as well -- launching apps and loading web pages with just as much pep as many other Android phones we've used. Make no mistake, the appeal here is definitely the Disney Mobile branding -- but you should be pleased, assuming you don't mind paying a rather lofty sum for a ho-hum device to fit within your Heigh-Ho lifestyle. Jump past the break for a video walkthrough.
Disney Mobile DM010SH Android smartphone hands-on
at 11:23 AM

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