Jun 25

Droid X, iPhones Show Bluetooth Keyboard Powers

Posted in: bluetooth, droid, iPhone, motorola, Today's Chili

keyboardphones.jpg

The Motorola Droid X has an amazing power that Motorola and Verizon Wireless aren’t promoting: it works with both Bluetooth keyboards and mice using the Bluetooth HID profile. In fact, I’m writing this right now on a Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000, in the Droid X’s email program.
I’ve tried a few Bluetooth keyboards, and results definitely vary. An Apple Bluetooth keyboard dropped its connection after a few sentences, but this Microsoft model is plugging along fine.
I’ve wondered for years why more smartphones don’t support add-on keyboards, because it turns them into much better productivity machines. With this portable yet roomy Bluetooth kit, I could easily write entire articles on the Droid X, much as I wrote my coverage of the 1999 South African elections on a Palm IIIx with a ThinkOutside keyboard.
The keyboard usage is very impressive, but the mouse is a bit more of a parlor trick. You can use a Bluetooth mouse to scroll through and select options on this phone, but the interface just wasn’t designed for mouse usage, and the whole thing feels like a gimmick.
The Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 also works fine with the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3GS running iOS 4, letting me type notes and e-mails. The mouse didn’t pair with the iPhones, though.
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Jun 25

T-Mobile Announces Samsung Vibrant, 1 Ghz Smartphone

Posted in: Android, samsung, t-mobile, Today's Chili

T-Mobile’s official Twitter account has been Tweeting up a storm about a new smartphone called the Vibrant, which I have on good word is a member of Samsung’s Galaxy S family. That means it will be a large, slab-style Android 2.1 phone with a 1 Ghz processor – the first true Android “super phone” available with T-Mobile branding. 

Samsung has said they’re trying to bring out Galaxy S phones on all four major US carriers, and the Vibrant is the second one announced, after AT&T’s Captivate. The official Galaxy S launch party is on Tuesday night, but here’s what T-Mobile has had to say about it so far:
“How about the Samsung Vibrant? 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor, 4.0-inch Super AMOLED touch screen, 5 MP camera”
“The Vibrant’s 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor is optimized for superior media viewing and game play.”
“The Vibrant’s 5 MP camera is equipped with digital zoom and autofocus. Comes with an HD video recorder too!”
“The release date will be announced in the near future, stay tuned”
The carrier also has a silly rebus showing the phone’s name, but it’s clear much more information will come out soon. To whet your appetite, check out our hands-on with the Galaxy S from the official product line launch in March.
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Jun 24

Apple Responds to iPhone 4 Death Grip Reports

Posted in: Apple, Today's Chili

The “iPhone Death Grip” is somewhat real, but it’s more subtle than a lot of people have been putting on. It’s not a deal-breaker and it’s not a reason – by itself – not to buy the iPhone. But the nearly hysterical online reaction to the death-grip news reveals what people are really thinking.

First, here’s Apple’s official statement, with which I completely agree.

“Gripping any phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas. This is a fact of life for every wireless phone. If you ever experience this on your Phone 4, avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band, or simply use one of many available cases.”

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Jun 23

New Device Uses Mobile Phone To Test Vision In Developing Countries

Posted in: medical, Smartphones, Today's Chili

Netra Vision Testing Device.jpgWe tend to think of mobile phones as a matter of convenience, allowing us to be productive and entertained while we’re on the go. But a team of researchers at MIT’s Media Lab has created a simple and inexpensive device that when used with a mobile phone can help diagnose vision problems.

The underlying principles of the NETRA (Near-Eye Tool for Refractive Assessment) system are related to recent advances in adaptive optics. The test takes less than two minutes, during which the patient is asked to look through a small device attached to the screen of a mobile phone. The device uses small lenses and pinholes that require the user to focus at different depths. 
If any vision problems are discovered while looking at the test patterns, the user adjusts the display until it can be seen clearly. This quickly provides exact measurements, potentially more accurate than the current system, which requires patients to decide which of two separate, serially viewed options is better.
Aside from the software needed on the mobile phone, the only equipment needed is a snap-on plastic attachment that can be manufactured for less than $2 each. Though further testing is necessary, the system has the potential to be faster and more accurate that results obtained from much more costly traditional equipment currently used by ophthalmologists. The NETRA system recently won a prize in te MIT IDEAS competition, and the prototype and supporting research papers will be presented at this summer’s SIGGRAPH computer graphics conference.
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Jun 23

T-Mobile Adds Three New Samsung Phones

Posted in: samsung, Today's Chili
Samsung Gravity T.jpg
The latest phones to join the T-Mobile lineup are the Gravity T, the Gravity 3, and the 🙂 (Smiley), all from Samsung. All three of these text-centric phones include a physical QWERTY keyboard, T-Mobile web2go, and both personal and Microsoft Exchange email.
The Samsung Gravity T has a touch screen in addition to Bluetooth, a 2-megapixel camera with 12X zoom and a camcorder feature. A microSD slot supports cards up to 32GB in capacity, and the included A-GPS works with the included TeleNav and Google Maps applications. The Samsung Gravity T, a 3G quad-band GSM world phone, is now available for $74.99 after a $75 mail-in rebate and a new two year contract and data plan.
The Samsung Gravity 3, available in blue, features two keyboard. A T9 keyboard is on the front of the device, while a full QWERTY landscape keyboard is housed in a slider under the screen. This phone has the same camera and basic features as the Gravity T but also includes preloaded games such as Guitar Hero 5 for entertainment on the go. The Gravity 3 is $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a new two year contract and data plan.
The Samsung 🙂 (Smiley) is aimed at entry-level consumers. It has a slide-down keyboard, rounded edges, and a smaller profile. Other features include a 1.3 megapixel camera, music player, and T-Mobile Social Buzz, a preloaded social networking application. The Samsung 🙂 is $19.99 after a $20 mail-in rebate and a new two year contract and data plan.
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Jun 23

Verizon Unveils Droid X Accessories

Posted in: droid, motorola, Today's Chili, Verizon Wireless

droid x vehicle mount.jpg

Motorola and Verizon Wireless unveiled the new Droid X today. The device arrives on July 15, and Verizon also previewed a number of accessories for the device, from vehicle mounts (left) and charging cradles to snap-on covers and NFL skins.

The vehicle mount will set you back $39.99. The dock triggers a dashboard app, which includes navigation, music, voice search, Internet radio, and more. The app allows for three-foot reach and hands-free activity. A simpler combination vent and dash mount, meanwhile, will be available for $19.99, as will a window/dash mount.

The Droid X includes HDMI connectivity, and a six-foot HDMI cable will set you back $24.99. To store your content, a Sandisk 32GB card will be available bundled with the Droid X for $99.99, saving you about $50.

More accessories, with photos, after the jump.

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Jun 23

Motorola Droid X Coming In July, But Flash Comes Later

Posted in: Android, Google, motorola, Today's Chili, Verizon Wireless

droidxmini1.jpgThe Motorola Droid X is arriving July 15, but it won’t bring one of its flagship features along with it. Adobe’s Flash 10.1 requires version 2.2 of the Android OS, and that just won’t be ready for the Droid’s launch. Instead, it will be part of an upgrade later this summer. Here’s Verizon’s official word on the issue:

“DROID X will ship with Android 2.1 and consumers can expect to receive an upgrade to Android 2.2 in late summer via an over-the-air upgrade.  We work closely with Googleâ„¢ and our carrier partners to ensure a seamless device experience.  Android 2.2 and Adobe Flash Player 10.1 Beta were announced in May, and DROID X will receive an over-the-air upgrade to Android 2.2 late this summer, once we have fully tested it to ensure an optimized experience.”
The good news is, original Motorola Droid owners will also get a 2.2 update with Flash at the same time, execs said at the Droid X launch. We’re checking to see if there’s any word on when the HTC Droid Incredible, Verizon’s other top smartphone, will get the upgrades.
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Jun 23

San Francisco Again Passes Cell-Phone Radiation Law

Posted in: Smartphones, Today's Chili

cell phone radiation.jpgOn Tuesday night, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors gave final approval to a law which would require retailers to post the amount of electromagnetic radiation the phones produce.

The 9-1 vote was a final approval of the bill, as opposed to the preliminary approval, which took place on June 15. Mayor Gavin Newsom is expected to approve the new restrictions.

San Francisco will become the first city to enact a regulation of the sort, seen by the cell-phone industry and some retailers as artificially restrictive. Retailers just outside the city limits would not be bound by the new restrictions.

If signed into law by Newsom, the law
would require retailers to display the “Specific Absorption Rate,” an
FCC-mandated specification, next to the phones. Failure to comply would
result in fines of between $100 to $300.

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Jun 23

Best Buy May Not Have iPhone 4 On June 24, Either

Posted in: Today's Chili

It looks like the lines at Apple Stores are just going to get longer. After AT&T said yesterday that they won’t have any Apple iPhone 4 phones for folks who didn’t pre-order until at least June 29th, I went online and asked a Best Buy sales rep about whether iFans will be able to grab phones at their stores. Here’s his response, typos and all.

“Thanks for your interest in iPhone 4 with AT&T. Best
Buy will be selling the phone. Apple has it still listed for the 24th if
you pre-ordered, and if you go to the store on the 24th or after you
can pre-order it, we have not been told by Apple when we will get.
Pre-Ordering after the 24th means buying a 50$ Gift card as a deposit
and signing up. If you didn’t pre-order it then on the 24th most liekly
we will not have available for purchase. We do not know how many phones
we will actually have in storeon the 24th, if any.”

So as you can see, right now the only stores guaranteed to get iPhones on the launch date of June 24th are the Apple Stores. Good hunting!

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Jun 22

Steve Jobs: Why iOS4 Wont let 3G Owners Set Backgrounds

Posted in: Apple, iPhone, iphone 3g, steve jobs, Today's Chili

iPhone 3GThere’s been a lot of fuss over the yesterday’s release of iOS 4 for the devices that support it. Also about the fact that when a number of iPhone 3G owners upgraded to the new operating system, they found that–unlike iPhone 3GS owners (and iPhone 4 owners, when they get their devices tomorrow)–they were unable to set a custom background for their home screens.

Over at GIzmodo, one intrepid reader took the question of why backgrounds on the iPhone 3GS were supported but not the iPhone 3G all the way to the top: She e-mailed Steve Jobs directly and put the question to him. Steve e-mailed back in short order with a one-sentence response: “The icon animation with backgrounds didn’t perform well enough.”

Apparently the bottom line is that Apple didn’t think that the backgrounds on the iPhone 3G were up to par with the 3GS and the iPhone 4, so they decided to pull them entirely. Alternatively, it could just be one more reason for iPhone 3G owners to go ahead and upgrade to an iPhone 4. If you’re debating an upgrade, check out our benchmarks of iOS4 on the iPhone 3G and 3GS at PCMag.com.
 

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