Hasta La Gadget!

There’s just something about Sciphone’s Android-based handset, the N21, that we can’t get enough of. This KIRF-tastic little dude has attitude in droves, to go with its clunky exterior. The 3-inch touchscreener boasts a 5 megapixel cam, WiFi, and an onscreen keyboard — not to mention what looks like a killer stylus experience. In the video (which is after the break), you can check out the many and varied features of this looker of a device.

Continue reading Sciphone’s Android-loving N21 gets some time on video

Sciphone’s Android-loving N21 gets some time on video originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink PMP Today  |  YouTube  | Email this | Comments

Sony Ericsson has yet to make this public, but we’ve learned that the flagging handset maker has caved once more to the pressures of the modern phone market place. If you’ll recall, 450 employees were nixed from the company’s payrolls in September of last year, and now the entire Research Triangle Park facility is being shuttered. In an internal announcement made this morning, SE is fixing to close four total sites: RTP in North Carolina, a smaller Miami facility and operations in Kista (Sweden) and Chennai. All told, 2,000 employees will be trimmed, with severance packages being offered to those who qualify. As of now, the departing individuals have yet to be chosen, with employees in RTP given the opportunity to apply for jobs elsewhere (likely in Atlanta or California). We’re told that the cuts will happen “in stages,” with project teams being assembled as we speak to work out the logistics. Frankly, we aren’t as shocked as we are saddened to hear the news — SE has refused to keep pace with the other handset makers, and its decision to wait until next year to ship an Android device is indicative of the choices that have kept it in the shadows these past few years. Here’s hoping this restructuring effort actually gets things headed in the right direction.

Update: And it’s official. SE will also be shutting down small offices in Seattle and San Diego, with its North American headquarters shifting from RTP to Atlanta and its research and development operation transitioning from RTP to Redwood Shores, California.

Filed under: Cellphones

Sony Ericsson closing four facilities, laying off 2,000 employees worldwide originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

webOS 1.3.1 was always destined to come right around the launch of the Pixi, but it’s surprised us by showing its face early. No app catalog bombshells here, but there are a slew of more minor fixes and updates that should make users experience a great deal smoother. Is this the update that finally unlocks access to the GPU and provides the speed boost Pre owners are waiting for / advances the iTunes chess match another step? We’ll let you know once our unit reboots, for now here are a few highlights from Palm’s list of changes:

Update: Downloaded, applied and rebooted. iTunes still isn’t spotting our Pre as a device to sync with, and at least for the moment there’s no great speed increases to speak of, but we have noticed a few more key tweaks that owners are sure to like — setting a specific ringtone for text messages is exactly what we’ve been looking for.

• Yahoo! now appears as a Calendar/Contacts/instant messaging synchronization account.
• You can forward a text or multimedia message by tapping the message > Forward.
• A new option is available for restarting the phone: press and hold power > Power > Restart. The prior restart method (Device Info > Reset Options > Restart) is still available.
• Widescreen videos (including YouTube) now display in widescreen mode on the phone by default, instead of being cropped.
• If you tap to play a YouTube video embedded on a web page, the YouTube application launches and the video plays in the app.
• You can select a unique ringtone for new message alerts: Open Messaging > application menu > Preferences & Accounts > Sound > Ringtone.
• While listening to a song with album art displayed, you can tap the screen below the art to display a playback slider. Dragging the slider jumps forward or backward in the song.

Filed under: Cellphones

Palm Pre WebOS 1.3.1 update available now originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The lines may have been subdued, but one way or another, it sounds as if Motorola managed to sell quite a few DROIDs over the weekend. According to analyst Mark McKechnie at Broadpoint AmTech, the outfit managed to move around 100,000 of ’em during the opening weekend, with most stores moving at least half of their original shipments. He also estimated that Moto would sell one million Android-based phones in Q4 2009 alone (which includes the CLIQ, obviously), and that he viewed the first few days as “encouraging.” It’s been a long, long while since we’ve been able to say this, but hey — nice job, Motorola.

Filed under: Cellphones

Analyst estimates 100,000 DROID smartphones sold in first weekend originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Michael Jackson may never take the stage again, but that doesn’t mean you can’t commemorate him in your pocket, right? This special, “limited edition” mobile phone appears to have been dipped in gold and diamonds, and, if we’re not mistaken… it’s basically a Vertu KIRF that’s dressed like a headless MJ? We’re pretty light on specs and pricing information here, but rest assured that unless you live in China, you’ll probably never be able to get your be-gloved hand on one of these. Nothing like cashing in on the dead.

[Via Shanzhai]

Filed under: Cellphones

Blinged out Michael Jackson phone is fashionably late originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments