Jul 21

ATT To Offer New Sharp FX Messaging Phone

Posted in: att, Phones, Today's Chili
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The latest handset to join the AT&T lineup is the Sharp FX. The first Sharp phone to be offered by AT&T, the Sharp FX has a touchscreen display and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard underneath. A 2 megapixel camera with video capture and Bluetooth 2.1 round out the hardware design features.
The feature phone includes AT&T Address Book, which automatically synchronizes contact information so that it can easily be accessed and organized on the phone and on a PC via the web. The ATT.net Web browser and AT&T Navigator are also included, and AT&T Social Net allows users to access multiple social networking sites from within a single application.
The Sharp FX will be available on July 25th for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. A new two-year service contract and a monthly messaging and/or data plan $20 or higher are required.
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Jul 19

Motorola i1 Combines Nextel Direct Connect with Android in a Ruggedized Shell

Posted in: Android, motorola, rugged, Sprint, Today's Chili
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The Motorola i1 will be the first Android-powered smartphone to work with the Nextel Direct Connect push-to-talk feature. Based on Android 1.5, the handset has a 3.1-inch HVGA touchscreen display and a 5-megapixel camera with Flash, 4X digital zoom, and geo-tagging capabilities. The 1,400-mAh battery is rated for 200 minutes of talk time, and the microSD slot supports cards up to 32GB in capacity. 
The phone also meets military specifications for protection against dust, shock, vibration, and even blowing rain, making the i1 an ideal choice for enterprise deployment where users might experience more challenging conditions than the average road warrior.
In addition to all of the standard applications preloaded on the device, such as Google apps, users will also find the Swype virtual keyboard, and the Opera Mini 5 web browser. Several Sprint partner applications are also available. Choices include Sprint Mobile Locator, TeleNavTrack for mobile workforce and asset management, and Xora mobile workforce solutions. The applications offer features such as wireless barcode scanning, signature capture, and process automation designed to increase the efficiency of mobile workers.
The Motorola iI will be available on July 25th for $149.99 after a $40 mail-in rebate with a new two-year service contract. Be sure to check out the PC Magazine hands-on review of the Motorola i1 for more information.
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Jul 19

Finally, a Bracelet Speakerphone

Posted in: bluetooth, Today's Chili

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It’s the convenience of a Bluetooth headset without something electronic sticking out of your ear. It’s a way of freeing yourself from your cell phone and any possible radiation damage. It’s as fashion-forward as a “Dick Tracy” cartoon. It’s the Bluetooth Wristband Speakerphone, and it’s arrived. Wear it at home, in the garden, or anyplace else where people can’t see you.

The wristband offers audio caller ID, voice activated commands for placing calls and answering the phone, and both vibration and sound alerts. It lets you roam up to 30 feet from your cell phone and even beeps when you go out of range. On one charge, it’s good for up to 4 hours of talk time or 160 hours of standby. You can even use it to stream music. If you’re sold, head over to Atomic9’s Web site where you can get it for $99.99 in black or white.

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Jul 19

Hands On: Wrapsol Scratch-Resistant Film for Smartphones

Posted in: Today's Chili

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If you don’t have a case on your smartphone–or at least some kind of protection for your screen–well, you’re asking for trouble. A great alternative to a bulky case is a scratch-resistant film; I’ve always been a fan of the Invisible Shield. Today I’ve officially converted to its competitor: Wrapsol.
To the eye, Wrapsol is basically the same product; it’s a transparent film that you stick onto your phone. Invisible Shield is extremely powerful. You can literally take a key to your LCD and nothing will happen.  Wrapsol claims to be equally as powerful, but adds two more features. First, application is quicker and easier, as it requires no liquid sprays (as the Invisible Shield does). Second, the film has built-in shock protection, so it can guard your device against drops as high as a few feet.

Application was pretty simple and straight forward. It didn’t involve much more than peeling the film from paper and then sticking it onto my Motorola Droid.  The package includes a rubber brick meant for pushing out air bubbles. I did a really sloppy job at pushing them out, but a week later all of the air bubbles disappeared on their own (as seen in the images.) 

I can’t testify that the second claim holds up, as I had no desire to
drop my own phone. But there’s a bunch of videos online that demo this claim.  If I do drop mine by accident, I’ll update the post; but the videos are pretty convincing.

A smartphone Wrapsol package costs roughly $30 dollars. The company offers film cut to the dimensions of many different products, not just smartphones.

I took a lot of photos of the application process, which you can see
after the jump. 

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Jul 19

The Vapor Case Adds Style and Laser Engraving to your iPhone 4

Posted in: case, Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili

Vapor - CaseIf you followed the Apple press event and decided that you should probably get a case for your iPhone 4, you could do worse than to pre-order a Vapor iPhone 4 case from ElementCase. The Vapor is machine carved from a solid block of aluminum to form a metal bumper that’s specifically designed for the shape of the iPhone 4, with precision carved openings for the headphone port, microphone and speaker ports, and volume and mute buttons. Since it’s aluminum, it’s light and fits the overall design of the iPhone 4, and a power button was built into the case so it can be turned on and off without having to remove the Vapor.

The finish of the Vapor case is anodized, and while the first iterations are metallic black on black and black on pink, ElementCase expects to release additional colors soon. The side of the aluminum is laser etched with “Vapor” on it, and the company expects to offer custom engraving in the future as well. Best of all, if you’ve been suffering from the “death grip” issue, the inside of the Vapor case is non-conductive, so you won’t lose signal while the aluminum bumper is on your iPhone. ElementCase has the Black/Black and Black/Pink Vapor models available now for $79.95.

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Jul 16

Nokia Defends Antenna Design Against Death Grip Accusations

Posted in: Today's Chili

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Nokia said Friday that it has devoted thousands of man hours to study how people hold their phones in order to prevent the “death grip” problems that have been reported on the iPhone 4.

“Nokia has invested thousands of man hours in studying how people hold their phones and allows for this in designs, for example by having antennas both at the top and bottom of the phone and by careful selection of materials and their use in the mechanical design,” the company said in a statement.

Nokia’s comment came after Apple said Friday that the “death grip” affects many smartphone manufacturers, including Nokia, Research in Motion, HTC, and Samsung. Apple chief executive Steve Jobs hosted a press conference at the company’s Cupertino headquarters to announce that the company would provide free bumpers or covers for iPhone 4 users to resolve the “death grip” issue.

During his presentation, Jobs discussed YouTube videos that show the same reception problems affecting Nokia phones.

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Jul 16

Apple Live Blog: The iPhone 4 Press Conference

Posted in: steve jobs, Today's Chili

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Well, we know there’s going to be a press conference tomorrow in Cupertino. And we know that PCMag’s news editor Mark Hachman is attending. Beyond that, your guess is as good as ours. But there’s not much doubt that the company will address the “death grip” issue with the iPhone 4. Will they offer rebates? (5 percent of you think so.) Free “bumper” cases? (37 percent of our readers believe that will happen.) Will a recall be announced? (Only 7 percent go for that scenario.) Will Apple explain exactly how iOS 4 resolves the bar issue? (Whoa–37 percent think that will happen.) Will Steve Jobs say, “Ur doin it rong!” and demonstrate the proper way to hold the phone? (OK, we didn’t ask that question in our poll.)

Join us for a live blog and find out what it’s all about when we do, tomorrow at 1 PM Eastern time, 10 AM Pacific.

Update: So now we know. Even though Steve thinks there’s really no problem, Apple’s offering free (Apple-only!) bumpers as well as rebates for those who already bought them and full refunds for the iPhone 4, if you don’t want to keep it. Our news story on PCMag.com has all the details.

Check out our full transcript of the press conference after the jump!

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Jul 15

What Will Apple Announce at Tomorrows iPhone 4 Press Conference?

Posted in: Today's Chili

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We discovered just yesterday that Apple would be holding a press conference tomorrow, Friday, July 16th, at its Cupertino headquarters. The conference is said to be centered on the iPhone 4. As you have no doubt heard, Apple has been somewhat beleaguered lately
because of the so-called “death grip”
antenna problem with the newest iPhone.

What more do we know for sure? Not much. But of course, that stops no one from speculating as to what the company might discuss.

Lance Ulanoff, PCMag’s editor-in-chief, is taking a poll to find out what our readers think might happen tomorrow–and we want you to weigh in, here. Feel free to leave speculative comments below, as well!

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Jul 15

Device Stage Highlights Development Process of Droid X

Posted in: Android, motorola, Today's Chili, verizon
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It’s not unusual for information about upcoming devices to leak out well in advance of their consumer availability. But sometimes the leak comes early enough to catch a glimpse of the process that a particular device goes through before the final design is approved.
In this case, the culprit is the Windows 7 Device Stage, which actually shows a photo of the Droid X prototype–known as the Motorola Shadow when it was first discovered last December by Electronista. The photo looks quite similar to the Droid X releasing today, with a few notable differences. There are only three buttons beneath the display for menu, home, and back; there is no search button in the photo. 
Also of note is the fact that the casing of the prototype device was black and white, instead of all-black like the final version. This is the same color scheme that was supposed to be used on the rumored and then canceled Motorola Nexus Two 
Other details from the December 2009 leak turned out to be correct, such as the 8-megapixel camera, HDMI out, 9.9 mm thickness, and large 4.3-inch display running at an 854-by-480 resolution. It’s unusual to see a prototype device photo show up in Windows 7 Device Stage, but that just goes to prove that you never know just when or where they might turn up.
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Jul 13

Exolife iPhone 4 Case Adds Lots of Battery in a Slim Package

Posted in: iPhone, Miscellaneous Tech, Today's Chili

Exolife - Battery CaseIf you have an iPhone 4 and you wish you got a bit more juice from the battery, or you’re one of the people experiencing the now-infamous “death grip” problem, the Exolife rechargeable iPhone 4 battery case may be able to solve both of those problems. Exolife’s external battery case mounts to the back of your iPhone 4 without adding a ton of extra bulk. It completely covers the sides and back, and it has openings cut out for the power button, headphone jack, and volume buttons on the side. There’s also an opening in the back for the camera and flash.

According to Exolife, the case will virtually doubles your iPhone’s battery life with its 1500mAh Lithium-Ion polymer rechargeable battery. The case is designed not to interfere with the signal from your iPhone 4 (although since it covers the sides, it’ll probably help with the iPhone 4’s reported signal issues). The Exolife battery case also turns off automatically when power from the case is not needed, so the extra charge is ready when you need it.

Exolife is taking pre-orders for the black and white versions of the case now. Black versions will ship at the end of July, and white versions will ship at the end of September. Both versions cost $89.95 list. 

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