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Chris Ziegler

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AT&T Releasing New iPhone This Summer?

by Chris Ziegler on March 24, 2009 at 09:32 AM

Rumor has it that AT&T's gearing up for yet another door-busting, riot-inducing summer filled with new iPhone hardware, which would certainly jibe with everything we've heard in the past few months (never mind the fact that June is officially Apple's iPhone release cycle these days, and indeed, AT&T's apparently saying that the June cycle is becoming "a tradition"). That's not terribly interesting at this point -- what is interesting, though, is how AT&T plans to play it. Apparently, the carrier wants to ramp up its -- ah, how should we put this in a politically correct way -- "integration" with Apple's hardware, including a U-verse app that we're guessing will approximate the functionality to be offered by Verizon's FiOS. What really has us worried is not so much the U-verse app specifically, but the possibility that AT&T's sick and tired of having its crapware left out of its highest-profile device, leading to non-removable garbage like Cellular Video on a future iPhone's home screen. It's still a bit early to sound the alarm there, but you know, we're paranoid types around here. It's said the new device will be faster, though the exact meaning of that is a little unclear; the iPhone 3G's chipset is already 7.2Mbps-capable, so we're not sure if the carrier is simply referring to its ongoing infrastructure upgrades. Finally, it's said that a $99 netbook running something other than Windows (don't suppose that'd be Linux?) will be launching this summer, following on the 3G-enabled Aspire One that hit Radio Shack late last year. Heads up, though, AT&T: give us an iPhone with your Mobile Email app on the home screen, and let's just say we can't be held accountable for our actions afterwards. We know you wouldn't do that, but just sayin'.

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AT&T Confirms Contract-Free $599/$699 iPhone 3Gs for Next Week

by Chris Ziegler on March 20, 2009 at 04:16 PM

Just in time to nab your soon-to-be-jailbroken copy of iPhone OS 3.0, AT&T has now confirmed that commitment-free iPhones are going to happen -- soon, in fact. As of next Thursday, you'll be able to waltz into the AT&T store of your choice and pick up an 8GB or 16GB unit for $599 and $699, respectively; that's a little harder to swallow than the normal $199 / $299, granted, but in exchange, you're free and clear without two years of your precious life sold off to a wireless carrier like it's a cheap piece of meat. You're worth more than that, you know?
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RIM Names Its App Store 'BlackBerry App World'

by Chris Ziegler on March 5, 2009 at 10:51 AM


What's bigger than a store, a market, or a catalog? A whole frigging world, that's what. A sign-up page to be notified when the BlackBerry App World is available -- which we've linked -- went live at 10PM last night.
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Amazon Brings Books to the iPhone

by Chris Ziegler on March 4, 2009 at 10:04 AM

Sure, Amazon could pit the Kindle squarely against phone- and PDA-based e-book apps, but why not play both sides? The company had previously mentioned its desire to embrace non-Kindle devices in its digital delivery ecosystem, and the first fruits of that labor have now hit the iPhone App Store. The uncreatively-named Kindle for iPhone allows you access to all of your Kindle content right from the comfort of your iPhone or iPod touch, and if you have the good fortune of owning an honest-to-goodness Kindle, Whispersync will kick in to keep your location synchronized between readers. It's a huge win for owners of both devices, considering that the Kindle's still just a little bit big to be carrying everywhere you go, but your phone -- well, if you don't have that everywhere you go, you're just plain weird. [Warning: iTunes link] [Via The iPhone Blog]
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Garmin-Asus Announces WinMo nuvifone M20

by Chris Ziegler on February 12, 2009 at 01:26 PM

We'd been secretly holding out hope that Garmin-Asus would pull an Android piece out of its pocket in time for MWC this week, but it's looking pretty unlikely with the announcement of the M20. The second model in the nuvifone series following the G60, the new piece runs Windows Mobile 6.1 and features a 2.8-inch VGA touchscreen, quadband EDGE / triband HSDPA up to 7.2Mbps, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and -- naturally -- Garmin-provided satellite navigation.

You'll also find support for real-time traffic, weather, movie times, and other tidbits of information you're probably interested in when you're navigating. On top of that, you can get either 4 or 8GB of onboard storage and a service Garmin is calling Ciao!, which is basically a friend-finder along the lines of Google's Latitude.

Pricing and availability should be announced in the first half of the year, but in the meantime you can check out the gallery over at Engadget and the full spec sheet after the break. [Via MarketWatch]

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Exploding Cell Phone Kills Chinese Man

by Chris Ziegler on February 2, 2009 at 12:19 PM


Here's the thing about batteries: they store energy. Lots of it. Channeled correctly, that energy does really awesome things for us -- but channeled chaotically, and... well, you know where this is going, don't you? A man shopping in a Lenovo store in mainland China has been killed after the phone in his chest pocket exploded, severing arteries and leading to massive blood loss. The make and model of the phone and battery have yet to be identified, but seeing how this is the seventh high-profile case of an exploding phone in China in the last six years, it really gives you pause before installing that shady off-brand juice, doesn't it?
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T-Mobile Bringing Out New BlackBerry Curve 8900 in February

by Chris Ziegler on January 7, 2009 at 10:58 AM


Sprint's now officially holding up the tail end of the BlackBerry train in the States (though hopefully not for long) now that T-Mobile has announced that the thoroughly modern Curve 8900 is hitting the lineup. Like the 8320 before it, the 8900 does W-iFi for UMA-based HotSpot calling service and a 3.5mm headphone jack, but the similarities end there; besides arguably becoming the hottest BlackBerry in RIM's stable, the 8900 features a 3.2-megapixel cam with image stabilization and a glorious 480 x 360 display that'll put anything shy of a Storm to shame. Look for it next month -- T-Mobile hasn't committed to a date, though we have no reason to doubt the 11th rumor at this point.
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Nokia Phones Coming With Stalin-Themed Wallpaper in Russia

by Chris Ziegler on December 30, 2009 at 05:34 PM


Personally, we're always excited to get free multimedia packs loaded on our phones -- wallpapers and ringtones don't come cheap, after all. We draw the line at multimedia packs of Cold War-era dictators, though, which is why Nokia's pretty fired up that some of its sets are being sold at retail in Russia preloaded with exciting Stalin-themed memorabilia. Apparently -- and we believe them -- Nokia has nothing to do with the unexpected bonus, saying that "even if Nokia was on the brink of ruin and release phones or panel with a portrait of Stalin was the only chance to save our business, Nokia [would not do] that." Admittedly, we're pretty curious to learn more about the doomsday scenario they're referring to where companies can only survive by Stalin-branding their products -- but for now, Nokia's recommending comrades shoppers steer clear of the "special edition" devices since they're clearly not factory sealed. [Via textually.org]
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Consumer Reports Picks BlackJack II as the Top Smartphone

by Chris Ziegler on December 18, 2008 at 11:20 AM


Sometimes it's the unsung workhorses that deserve the lion's share of the praise, and that might just be the case with the aging Samsung BlackJack II -- a phone that you probably wouldn't expect to top Consumer Reports' January 2009 ratings of popular smartphones. Sure, it may not be the shiniest device on the market these days, but you've got to admit it's just about as functional as you'd ever need a business-class handset to be with GPS, HSDPA, and WinMo 6.1, which gladly sucks up Exchange accounts until you're blue in the face. When you factor in the fact that it runs just $80 these days on an AT&T contract in a choice of four colors... okay, yeah, we can kinda see it. The iPhone 3G and T-Mobile G1 don't play second fiddle terribly often these days (they were way down in the middle of the Consumer Reports pack in this testing cycle, in fact), so let's just let this old dog have one more moment in the spotlight, shall we?
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Verizon Posts First Update to BlackBerry Storm Software

by Chris Ziegler on December 6, 2008 at 03:18 PM

Lo and behold, Verizon's taken a break from releasing low-end Nokias for just long enough to officially release its first Storm update -- which just happens to be the same one that's been floating around on the interwebs for a few days now, 4.7.0.75. Anyone unwilling or unable to connect to their PC to nab the update can wait until 9:30 Pacific this evening, when it's said that an over-the-air version of the same software will hit the airwaves. Best of luck, upgraders!

[Via CNET]

Update: We've given the update a shot, and Mac users should be warned that there doesn't seem to be a good way of shoehorning the goods on to the phone at this point -- probably better off to wait for the OTA.
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Verizon Announces Samsung Omnia for $249.99

by Chris Ziegler on November 25, 2008 at 03:28 PM

If it's a 5-megapixel cameraphone you're looking for, there are decidedly cheaper entries on the market -- but if only a 5-megapixel WinMo Professional set will do, the Omnia's just about the best (read: only) deal you'll find on an American carrier these days. The CDMA translation of the smartphone that Samsung's been selling in other parts of the world for much of 2008 in GSM form carries over ... Read more »
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T-Mobile G1 'Google' Phone Now Available in Frosty White

by Chris Ziegler on November 25, 2008 at 01:01 PM

We've heard that it's been showing up on doorsteps and in stores for a few days now, but T-Mobile has just officially given the word that the G1 is now available in white to complement bronze and the especially personality-free black (not to say there's anything wrong with that, black G1 owners). The price, hardware, and software are all the same, so if you thought this release might somehow ... Read more »
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T-Mobile's Cameo Picture Frames Come With Their Own Phone Numbers

by Chris Ziegler on November 16, 2008 at 12:12 PM

We never thought we'd live to see the day that digital photo frames had cooler phones than our parents. Actually, okay, that doesn't surprise us at all -- and T-Mobile's helping us live out that reality with the Cameo, its Parrot-sourced frame that features integrated GSM hardware and a dedicated phone number that lets loved ones shoot pictures to it from afar via MMS or email. The rumored ... Read more »
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Samsung No. 1 in US Cell Phone Market, Dethrones Motorola

by Chris Ziegler on November 7, 2008 at 10:10 AM

No matter how dire Motorola's situation may be, it's still been able to cling to one last title keeping it firmly entrenched in the ranks of the world's mobile manufacturing elite: US phone sales. For years, Motorola has ridden the RAZR gravy train to success on its home turf more than any other, keeping more globally relevant rivals like Nokia and LG at bay. No longer, though -- Samsung has ... Read more »
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Sprint Launches Touch Pro at "Select National Retailers" This Week

by Chris Ziegler on October 26, 2008 at 04:14 PM

Locked in a footrace with AT&T's Fuze to become the first US national carrier to launch a variant of the HTC Touch Pro, Sprint has announced that folks can start ordering the QWERTY smartphone this week from "select national retailers," making good on a promise made at CTIA last month. That's not quite as cool as a full-scale launch, but at least we'll start to get 'em in the wild in the ... Read more »
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