British Windows Phone owners won’t have to let their TV viewing habits slip while they’re on the move. TVCatchup has just posted the promised Windows Phone 8 version of its streaming app, giving locals access to live programming from the BBC, ITV and others. OS-specific optimizations aren’t extensive, but they exist — it’s possible to pin a favorite network to the Start screen, and to use voice commands to jump directly to a channel or guide. Viewers just need to hit the Windows Phone Store to stay on top of the latest shows with their Lumias.
Sony piqued its fair share of interest when it trademarked the My Xperia name for an online service — what could it do in the cloud that it hadn’t alreadydone? Tracking lost devices, it seems. The now-official My Xperia service trial gives Sony phone owners the equivalent to a recovery tool like Find My iPhone or the early form of HTCSense.com, letting them pinpoint a missing Xperia and ping it, lock it down or wipe at least some of its data. Be ready for a very gradual launch, however. The very first wave of tests involves just Xperia acro S users in Nordic countries, and the trial will expand only to 2012 smartphones in the region that are still running Android 4.0. Those of us further abroad will have to wait for the eventual worldwide expansion if we want to easily find that Xperia S buried between the couch seats.
Wonder why that incessant honking stopped, and why all those folk are suddenly deeply asleep? That’s because BlackBerry 10 finally arrived. So guess what, a large scoop of today’s Mobile Podcast is about exactly that. But, because we love you, you get more than one scoop. Listen in to find out what the other flavors are.
Remember that unnamed Acer phone we caught skulking about Intel’s CES event? It’s been given a proper launch: meet the Liquid C1. True to form, the fully revealed device centers around a Lexington-based, 1.2GHz Atom Z2420 processor. The chip gives the C1 enough grunt to power an 8-megapixel camera with burst shooting while keeping the price in check, at about 9,990 baht ($335) off-contract for the inaugural Thailand release in February. Locals will otherwise get a solid Android 4.0 smartphone with a 4.3-inch display, HSPA+ 3G and a battery that lasts for nine hours of 3G talk. Other countries in southeast Asia are next on the list to get Acer’s turn at an Intel-powered handset, although we wouldn’t expect to see it everywhere — Intel’s Uday Marty warns ZDNet that the absence of LTE will keep phones like the C1 away from markets where the faster data is commonplace.
Looks like retailers might be jumping the gun a bit on the about-to-be-announced BlackBerry Z10 smartphone. Twitter user @bandozer spotted one at a UK Phones4U retailer and managed to snap a pic (after the break), saying that “it looks and feels good,” while our own tipster forwarded us the above image that came from another store. Looks like the only thing that’ll stop the numerous leaks is when RIM finally announces the darned thing — sometime in the next hour or two.
There’s been hints of a Windows Phone 7.8 update looming for the AT&T-spec Lumia 900, but little sign of a real timetable. As it turns out, owners hoping to move beyond 7.5 might be satisfied very quickly. Engadget has obtained an AT&T memo that claims the upgrade is rolling out on January 30th — as in, tomorrow. We don’t see any tweaks mentioned beyond what Microsoft itself said last year, although any update would most likely include Nokia-specific extras on top of the official package. We’ve reached out to AT&T, Microsoft and Nokia, and we’ll let you know if they provide tangible details. Whatever their answers, we’ll know the truth before long.
Amazon’s been doing a pretty decent job at blanketing those Android and iOS Kindle applications with the latest and greatest, but the same couldn’t exactly be said about its Windows Phone counterpart. Today there’s great news for users of Redmond’s mobile OS, however, as the Fire maker has announced an update that brings some much-needed support for Windows Phone 8 to the app, which should pair well with the company’s Whispersync tech and the extensive e-book repertoire it has to offer. There might be one caveat, though: early adopters of the refreshed Kindle app have said it’s facing some crashing issues and, in some cases, even having trouble launching — a few folks, meanwhile, have mentioned that it’s best to do a clean install rather than update the previous version in order to avoid any woes. The link to grab the application is down below, and do use the comments section to let us know how the process turned out for you.
Samsung’s Music Hub has only had a comparatively small reach to date, delivering tunes to seven countries (six with scan-and-match) and just a handful of devices. Senior VP of Media Services TJ Kang expects the audio service to broaden its horizons — he tells The Next Web that Samsung wants to widen access to rivals’ gear as well. There’s no convenient timetable to put on the calendar, but the expansion is a significant move for a service that’s frequently seen as more of a brand-specific checklist feature than a full competitor with the likes of Google Music or iTunes. Plans for Samsung’s own devices are more definite, Kang says. Music Hub is coming to more countries in 2013, as long as licensing deals work out, and further device support (including the non-mobile variety) will depend on flagship hardware releases scattered throughout the year. No matter where Media Hub heads next, it’s safe to presume that it will be more than just a nice bonus in the near future.
After being unveiled at the close of 2012, yesterday Samsung announced the Galaxy Grand for its native South Korea. At a glance the domestic build of this handset looks nearly identical to its foreign counterpart, however the device’s spec sheet tells a different story. Opposed to a meager dual-core chip and faux 4G connectivity, the Korean version of the Galaxy Grand sports a beefy 1.4GHz processor, along with LTE network support. Additional unique features include NFC capabilities and USB 3.0. Aside from these hometown enhancements, the device’s 5-inch WVGA display, dual-cameras and Android 4.1 operating system remain intact. Set to be available on three unannounced Korean carriers at an undisclosed time, potential suitors can pick up this superior version of the Galaxy Grand for 350,000 won (around $325).
Myriam and Brad are back, tentacles and octacores in tow. This week we’re covering everything from Firefox phones to leaked HTC 5 Sense screenshots, but there’s also an Elephant in the vocal booths: the imminent BlackBerry 10 launch. Best of all, Brad’s officially renounced the term “phablet” much to Myriam’s delight — seriously, y’all, it’s just a big phone. (Is it really, though?) All that and more awaits you in episode 167 of the Engadget Mobile Podcast below.
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