Posts tagged SmartPhone at Switched

Posts with tag SmartPhone

35% of Business Travelers Would Choose BlackBerry Over Spouse

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Sep 17th 2008 at 2:26PM

We're a little frightened to find out how many of you out there would choose your BlackBerry over your spouse. A new survey from StudyLogic finds that over 35-percent of business travelers would choose the ol' CrackBerry over their significant other.

Additionally, 87-percent of those surveyed said they brought their smart phones and BlackBerrys into the bedroom with them. It appears business travelers are obsessive about their e-mail: An astounding 84-percent said they checked their BlackBerries before going to sleep, and 80-percent checked their handhelds first thing in the morning. Even creepier: 62-percent said they 'loved' their smart phones. Not a word we'd use very often to describe our relationship with our gadgets.

We already know that some of you are having less sex in order to spend time online, but we're wondering how much time you could possibly you could possibly spend actively on a BlackBerry.

So what do you say, would you choose your BlackBerry over your wife? [From: TG Daily]

RIM Unveils Flip Phone Version of the BlackBerry Pearl

by Darren Murph, posted Sep 10th 2008 at 9:31AM

We'll be honest -- KickStart just had a nicer ring to it, but we suppose Pearl Flip will do. RIM's long-awaited (and not-at-all veiled) BlackBerry flip phone has finally arrived, weighing just 3.6-ounces and boasting a 320 x 240 internal display, Bluetooth 2.0, built-in multimedia player, 802.11b/g WiFi and a SureType keypad. The battery promises four hours of talk time / over a fortnight of standby life, and while pricing and exact release details are still hush-hush, Americans can count on seeing it "this fall" exclusively on T-Mobile. In related news, RIM also announced support for AIM / ICQ on all BlackBerry smartphones, though it's only available for USers at the moment. Feast your eyes on the links below for more, more, more.

Read - BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 release
Read - AIM / ICQ for BlackBerry
Read - BlackBerry Flip dedicated site

Mobile Phones Next Big Target For Hackers

by Will Safer, posted Jun 24th 2008 at 4:09PM

There's a downside coming for users of do-it-all mobile phones, according to tech security analyst firm IDC.

Though increasingly popular and mainstream, multi-function iPhones, Palm Treos and Blackberrys are expected to become ever more ripe targets for hackers, scammers and virus coders, who until now have seen personal computers and networks as the most enticing targets.

Considering how much personal and sensitive information (addresses, e-mails, documents, passwords, pictures) people keep on their smartphones, this growing threat is a major concern.

The change is coming with the open access environment of applications that are being written for these smartphones, say experts from the top security labs. While it's a boon for the folks who write programs, and the consumers who plan to use them, the open access also means it'll be easier for hackers to make malicious software available. (Programs for smartphones can be written by pretty much anyone.)

Trend Micro and Symantec, as well as other security firms, are already seeing a growing business supplying protection to businesses and individuals who use smartphones. IDC says businesses and consumers will spend $958 million by 2011, up from $214 million in 2006, on security. For an individual user, $30 buys a year's worth of protection.

These firms consider smartphones the most vulnerable link the complex chain of communications devices on the market today.

The attacks have already begun. Users of Windows Mobile smartphones have already found themselves subject to the InfoJack program, which knocked out their phones' security settings and connected the devices to a server in China.

So how do you protect yourself? Well, for starters, don't download anything that doesn't look familiar (like something in an e-mail that comes from someone you don't know). Also, consider installing an anti-virus protection program for mobile phones. Just take care to use the same precautions you use on your computer to avoid viruses and you should be okay.

Here's the good news for people who don't own smartphones (essentially, most clamshell and flat-phones that don't run Windows Mobile, Symbian OS, or Palm OS (or iPhones): You don't have to worry, since non-smart-phones don't allow for independent third-party applications to be installed, making them virtually virus-proof (and, also, of course, more boring, since they only allow apps from your mobile carrier to be installed). [Source: USA Today]

Internet Phone Calls at Risk for ID Theft?

Smartphones Growing In Popularity Among Women

by Will Safer, posted Jun 11th 2008 at 2:54PM

The pink Blackberry Pearl has proven to be popular among women consumers.

What do women want?

Yes, the age-old question with no single set answer becomes even more complex with the advent of technology that is geared now toward more than just functionality but also form and style.

So, add smartphones to the list of possibilities that will satisfy the people carrying around double-X chromosomes, because, as handset makers have discovered during the past year, the capabilities of these mobile devices have an ever greater appeal to women.

The new iPhone, announced Monday, certainly taps into this growing trend that says women want more capable devices that let them stay connected to friends and family – and also get some work done along the way.

But the iPhone is not the only solution, as the makers of BlackBerrys and Treos have learned. Models like the Blackberry Pearl (pictured above) have come along in sizes that are easy to put away in pockets or purses and – without being condescending in their marketing approach – colors that are more pleasing than standard silver or black, which previously was typical of most handheld devices.

Last October, according to Nielson, one in four iPhones was owned by a woman. By March, that number had risen to one in three. According to Verizon Wireless, 71 percent of women make the decisions about their families wireless products and plans, a fact not lost on BlackBerry's manufacturer Research In Motion, which has guided advertising dollars toward magazines such as Elle and Martha Stewart Living.

Samsung is getting in on the new trend with its Instinct, which by design and functionality is clearly intended to compete with the iPhone. Research In Motion will this summer introduce the BlackBerry Bold, which while not as stylish as the iPhone promises to be able to access much faster wireless networks. [Source: The New York Times.]

Smart Phones a Bigger Security Risk Than Laptops, Survey Says

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jun 3rd 2008 at 12:32PM

Laptops have long been a top concern for Information Technology (IT) security experts, but recent surveys have shown that the newest top priority is securing smart phones, such as BlackBerrys and even iPhones.

According to the survey conducted by data protection supplier Credant Technologies, a whopping 94-percent of senior IT staff fear that smart phones and PDAs present a security risk. That is more than the 88 percent that considers portable storage devices like flash drives a threat, and the almost 80 percent who think laptops pose a security problem. IT executives are bothered by the fact that most handsets are not password protected, yet still given full access to company networks.

Experts say it is essential for companies to get the phones and PDAs under control, before they lead to massive compromises of sensitive data. How about you, smart phone owners -- do you password protect your BlackBerry or handheld device?[Source: Computer World]

What's 4G and Should You Even Care?

by Will Safer, posted Apr 9th 2008 at 5:23PM

When people talk about the future of wireless communication, they sometimes speak of 4G, which is short for Fourth Generation Communications System. This is a still pretty much undefined area of wireless communications, but simply put, it means fast data, voice, and streaming content everywhere you go at any time. And so its also the topic of much interest for wireless companies, such as AT&T and Verizon, which just announced some of their goals for the bigger, better, faster wireless Internet.

The FCC is starting to let these companies talk about their plans for the standard, which they say will allow better applications to be developed for wireless gaming, smartphone functionality and remote control of digital video recorders, among other tasks.

While 4G functionality and devices are still a ways off from being available (and 3G is still really in the implementation stage, as well), the fact that the wireless spectrum is being made available for use and development is a big step that could lead to powerful applications being created for personal and business use -- and, of course, to new revenue streams for the service providers (and we all know that's one of the biggest motivating factors for these companies).

The 4G standard will be able to provide speeds from 100 megabits per second to 1 gigabit per second both indoors and outdoors, with the promise of greater quality and security (and we all know that's something personal and business users want).

What could this mean for you, dear reader? Well, right now, not a whole lot. But soon you'll start to see devices and products, both wireless and plugged in at home, that are more completely integrated.

From BetaNews.

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Google Announces gPhone? Not Quite.

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Nov 5th 2007 at 1:28PM

Well after months, -- nay, years of rumors the Google Phone (or gPhone) is upon us... almost. On a conference call this afternoon, Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google; Andy Rubin founder of Danger, the company behind the Sidekick and founder of Android, a mobile software company gobbled up by Google; and representatives of Motorola, HTC, T-Mobile, and many others revealed an open-source mobile platform that may actually, finally, live up to the title "iPhone Killer."

Today's announcement was not the unveiling of an actual gPhone, but the announcement of a mobile platform, called Android, to be used by the 33 companies that make up what is called the Open Handset Alliance.

The Android mobile OS is built on Linux and comes packaged with a user friendly interface and applications. In addition, the open nature of Android means plenty of powerful third-party applications will follow.

The software will be made freely available within a week and we can expect to see phones sporting the OS in the second half of 2008. Part of the draw of Android is a "very robust HTML web browser," according to Eric Schmidt, likely based on Firefox.

Schmidt also left the door open on the question of whether Google is still planning on developing its own branded cell phone. "We're not announcing anything, but this is THE (perfect) platform for building a gPhone."

Oh Google, will you ever stop playing coy?

Contrary to speculation, the platform will not be completely ad-driven (note the "completely"). Instead we expect Google is hoping that by giving away a full-featured OS with a "very robust" browser they can draw more users to their web services where they will be served advertisements.

Using Android will save handset makers money that would normally be used on purchasing licenses for Symbian or Windows Mobile, or for developing their own platform. We can only hope that this will allow them to spend more on phone hardware or cut the price of the handsets.

Android sounds promising, but only time will tell if Google has another Gmail on its hands, or a failure like its lagging social network Orkut.

From Engadget

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Daylight Savings Wreaks Havoc On Gadgets, or Does It?

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Oct 30th 2007 at 2:29PM

Prep Your Gadgets for Daylight Savings End

Don't forget that this coming Sunday, Daylight Savings Time ends. Hopefully, you got your software fixes back in February or March before the clocks changed last Spring.

Some predicted the Daylight Savings changes signed into law in 2005 by President Bush would result in a mini-Y2K. And they were right, just as when the the year changed from 1999 to 2000, nothing of much note occurred. There was some anecdotal evidence of issues with BlackBerrys, and one kid went to jail for 12 days due to a computer glitch, but otherwise the clock change went without notice among the gadget owning public.

That said, some owners of older gadgets and cell phones, as well as people who just forgot to manually install updates (and some parking meters in Baltimore), have already experienced an early time change that messed with their schedules.

In case you were caught last time with your electronic pants down, here's a quick run down of how to make sure you're prepared this time around. Sadly, there's no simple fix for your confused biological clock.

Windows Mobile 5 Smart Phones: Microsoft released the update for Windows Mobile 5 in February that fixes the Daylight Savings issue. If your handset runs WinMo 6 then you're already set.
BlackBerrys: RIM also released the necessary update for the Blackberry software in February. Simply download and install and you're good to go.
Palm OS Treos: Palm was a little behind others but still had its fix out in time for March's clock change.

Microsoft Windows, TiVo, and Mac OS X all had their patches pushed to them automatically in February,
so you should be set.

If you've got a cell phone that's older than four years, you might consider calling the manufacturer to make sure you're set for the time change.

From USA Today

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Palm Treo 500 Unveiled, World Shrugs

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Sep 13th 2007 at 1:29PM

Ok, so it's not the 'Centro.' In fact, it appears Palm is even keeping the "Treo" moniker that was supposed to go the way of the dodo. How or why they landed on the Treo 500 name is beyond us, but here it is in all its glory: The Windows Mobile Standard-rocking Treo 500.

The thicker-than-the-BlackJack Treo 500 sports nothing in the way of innovative features. In fact, the handheld is a huge step backwards for Palm, since Windows Mobile Standard means no touch screen, a first for a Treo. In fact, the only positive thing about the Treo 500 is the inclusion of 3G high-speed wireless data, though the specific flavor of 3G in the 500 is not compatible with US networks. With Samsung and HTC making such solid devices, Palm is going to have to step up its game.

It's sad to say, but it looks like we may be seeing the beginning of the end for Palm. Their supposedly revolutionary device, Foleo, was killed before it saw daylight. Palm had a big unveiling for that device, and most people just scratched their heads, disappointed supporters got vocal, and ultimately Palm killed the device.

And that was just the latest debacle for the suffering company. Its Linux-based successor to the Palm OS has been delayed again and again. After selling the same device with very minor adjustments for about 4 years straight (a decade in tech years), Palm has gone from industry-leader to laughingstock. And judging by the reaction around the Internets so far, the Treo 500 maybe dead on arrival. The 500 appears to be little more than a Dash or BlackJack with a Palm logo on it, and some pretty lackluster styling. Where is the Wi-Fi? The 3G for US users? The high-resolution screen? And most importantly, Palm, where's the touch screen?

Well Palm, it's been nice knowing you. It's been a long, strange trek together. Who knows? Maybe 10 years from now you'll stage an impressive resurgence similar to Apple's in the late '90s, but for now we think it's time to say goodbye.

From Engadget

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Handy List of Cell Phone-Friendly Web Sites

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Sep 11th 2007 at 1:33PM

Finding Web sites that look good on the substandard Web browsers and screens of most PDAs and PDA phones (read: Treos, Windows Mobile devices, and BlackBerrys) is a challenge. Thankfully, mobile-obsessed blogger Brian Cantoni has produced a quick and easy list of Web sites specially designed for the small screen. He even breaks them down into simple categories. And, of course, the list itself is smart phone friendly as well.

The list has become quite a hit for Cantoni, even garnering a mention in the New York Times as a good starting point for exploring the mobile Web. Just add www.cantoni.org/palm to your bookmarks on your cell phone. These pages will be nice and quick to load over that slow EDGE connection.

And don't forget to check up on us while you're out and about as well m.switched.com -- Switched.com's cell-phone-optimized address is, sadly, left off the list.

From Shiny Shiny

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Sprint Getting Updated Palm 800w Handset

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jun 11th 2007 at 5:05PM

Sprint Getting Updated Palm Handset - 800w

Gizmodo is reporting that Sprint will be getting an updated Windows Mobile based handset, the Palm 800w. There is no indication whether the new phone will be an improvement, form-factor-wise, on the clunky 700wx (pictured, right), form factor will be receiving any improvements, but the 800w's leaked specs appear to be impressive.

As is to be expected, the handset will feature Windows Mobile 6, plus a doubling of memory, a resolution increase to 320x320, Wi-Fi, GPS, and EVDO Rev. A, a 3.5G cellular technology that boosts download speeds to 3.1 Megabits per-second, and upload speeds to 1.8 Megabits per-second (similar to basic wired broadband).

Sprint will supposedly be releasing the phone in the fourth quarter of 2007.

From Gizmodo

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Mo Rocca Unveils iFido

by Tim Stevens, posted May 31st 2007 at 1:13PM

TV personality Mo Rocca has announced the release of a new tech product, iFido. It wirelessly sends and receives messages, provides audible meeting reminders and loves its owner unconditionally. Watch the video to see why your PDA/smart phone might soon be history.

From News Bloggers

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Sidekick 'Lite' Officially Launched

by Tim Stevens, posted Apr 13th 2007 at 8:16AM

While Sony kills its stripped-down version of the PS3, T-Mobile is taking the opposite tact with the official launch of the low-end Sidekick iD. Available beginning April 25th, the $99 iD features the standard Sidekick accoutrements: 2.4-inch color screen, a full keyboard, and integrated chat support for AIM, Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live Messenger. It also boasts a rubber exterior, which can be swapped out to fit its owner's personal color scheme. However, at a $100 discount compared to the full-featured Sidekick 3, it's no surprise that a few luxuries have been scrapped, most notably the camera.

From Engadget

Possible iPhone Killer Revealed

by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Mar 28th 2007 at 4:45PM

Our friends over at Engadget got their hands on an early-model Ocean, a new smartphone soon to be offered by upstart wireless provider Helio. The reviewer offers up some product porn shots and some initial impressions, all of which look pretty darn impressive. As you can see, the Ocean sports a dual-slide design that reveals a full QWERTY keyboard that's designed to be much less-cramped than those found on the Treo or Blackberry. It also includes some nicely-integrated instant messaging applications along with built-in Exchange server synching for those of you who want to get your business email while on the road. It also includes a 2 megapixel camera and 200 megs of internal storage for those who love devices that do a little bit of everything. Expect it to show up this summer for around $300, just in time to be a cheap alternative to Apple's upcoming iPhone.

From Engadget.

Put a Projector in Your Pocket

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 28th 2007 at 11:08AM

Most of the time when you think "projector" you probably visualize a big box with a lens sticking out of one side and vents on the other, innards stuffed with fans to try to keep a smoking hot bulb (or bulbs) from setting the whole thing on fire. Modern projectors are smaller, lighter, and cooler than their predecessors, but if Texas Instruments' latest claims are to be believed, the humble lantern about to take a major leap forward.

Engadget is reporting that TI is about to demo what it's calling a DLP pico-projector to the media. The company's press release indicates it will "fit in your fingertips" and be small enough to be "an integrated component in a mobile device," which basically means your cell phone soon may have a built-in projector (other companies, such as Microvision, are also working on built-in, cell-phone-projectors).

So, instead of trying to view a 150 column spreadsheet on, say, your smart-phone's tiny LCD screen, you could instead project it onto the wall, the floor, or even the back of the head of the blonde sitting in front of you on the bus. While this obviously won't be the ideal means of viewing private information in public situations, a mini-projector paired with a laser keyboard would definitely make for the ultimate in ultra-portable computing.

From Engadget [via PR Newswire]

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