Mar 03

Worldwide cellphone use hits 60 percent, developing nations largely to thank

Posted in: cellphones, Today's Chili

Outfits like Nokia have been just rolling in profits from selling oodles of low margin handsets in developing nations across the globe, so it’s no shock at all to hear that those very countries have propelled the worldwide usage tally well above the 50 percent mark. According to a wide-ranging United Nations report, around six in ten people across the globe now use mobile phones, and as expected, fixed line subscriptions have increased at a much slower pace. If you’re wondering just how significant this figure really is, chew on this: in 2002, just under 15 percent of the global population used a cellie. Impressive, eh?

[Via TG Daily]

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Worldwide cellphone use hits 60 percent, developing nations largely to thank originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 24

Steve Ballmer pounds chest, decrees Windows Mobile 7 coming next year

Posted in: cellphones, Microsoft, mobile, steve ballmer, Today's Chili, Windows, Windows Mobile, windows mobile 6.5, WindowsMobile, WindowsMobile6.5

Sure, we’re still anticipating — but not necessarily merrily — the release of Windows Mobile 6.5, but for those who wish to look even farther into the future, Microsoft head honcho Steve Ballmer said in a conference call this week that WinMo 7 will be out sometime next year. That jibes pretty well with what we’ve heard from Motorola and ZDNet before, although there’s probably a dozen or so known unknowns that could push it well into 2011 or beyond. For now, however, we’re willing to take Steve at his word. Hey, at least they’re not gearing up for a Windows Mobile 6.75 in the interim… right?

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Steve Ballmer pounds chest, decrees Windows Mobile 7 coming next year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 16

Windows Mobile 6.5 Announced, Leaks Confirmed

Posted in: cellphones, mwc, mwc09, Today's Chili, top, Windows Mobile, windows mobile 6.5

Microsoft finally got around to giving official word on the stopgap disaster relief measure known as Windows Mobile 6.5, and here it is: Marketplace, My Phone and the new interface are, as expected, happening.

The most exciting part of WinMo 6.5, aside from the new, finger-safe interface, is the Windows Marketplace—a feature which was teased at, but not fully integrated into, the various leaked ROMs that are floating around places like XDA developers. As it turns out, it’s pretty much a straightforward app store, like Apple’s or Google’s, which will be accessible from your handset or your PC with nothing more than your Windows Live ID.

It doesn’t sound like store prohibitions will be too strict, either, though the required “simple security and compatibility check” could turn out to be as stringent or lenient as Microsoft desires. Some crucial details are missing though, like whether or not paid apps will be immediately available, if MS will host the store contents, and if there will be any cost associated. Anyway, the app store is happening, and should be open for business when WinMo 6.5 handsets start shipping.

The rest of the news doesn’t break so hard: My Phone, as we knew, is part of the release, as are the new interface tweaks. Microsoft’s screens show some minor UI differences between the leaked ROMs and the final product, but our impression remain good—the honeycomb app launcher looks usable, the finger-oriented navigation improvements are sensible, and the new menu and widgets have a significant modernizing effect on the whole OS. Microsoft says to expect 6.5-based phones by the “the second half of 2009”. Sadly, there’s no indication that 6.5 will be available as an upgrade, paid or otherwise, to 6.1 users. Boooo!, etc. Full presser below. [Giz at MWC]

BARCELONA, Spain – Feb. 16, 2009 – Today at Mobile World Congress 2009, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer along with key mobile partners unveiled new Windows® phones featuring new user-friendly software and services. The next generation of Windows® phones will be based on Windows Mobile 6.5 and feature a new user interface and a richer browsing experience. In addition, Windows® phones will feature two new services: My Phone, to sync text messages, photos, video and contacts to the Web; and Windows® Marketplace for Mobile, a new marketplace that will provide direct-to-phone mobile applications that can be controlled from both the phone and the Web.
“Windows® phones bring together the best of the Web, the PC and the phone so you can connect instantly to the experiences you care about, no matter where you are,” Ballmer said. “We’re working with partners across the industry to deliver a new generation of Windows® phones that break down the barriers between people, information, and applications and provide great end-to-end experiences that span your entire life, at work and at home.”

Windows Mobile 6.5 Delivers New User Experience
Windows Mobile 6.5 includes a new home screen with customizable widgets that display glanceable updates from users’ favorite Web services and let users tap into them quickly, along with faster, more efficient access to personal e-mail, work e-mail, phone messages and instant messaging. It also includes an improved touch-screen interface, making it easy to take action with a finger, and an updated version of the latest Internet Explorer Mobile browser, which in a third party research study by sponsored by Microsoft, supported execution of up to 48 percent more assigned tasks than the other browsers and phones studied.
My Phone Service Connects the Phone to the Web
The free My Phone service will enable people to access, manage and back up their personal information on their device to a password-protected Web-based service, making it easier to upgrade phones without the worry of losing important information. With automatic syncing and backup, users can count on their contacts, appointments, text messages and other information being kept up to date and easily restored should they lose or upgrade their phone. Consumers also will be able to wirelessly update photos and video from their Windows® phone directly to the My Phone service, making it simple to share content that, in the past, would have lived and died on the phone. The My Phone service is currently available in a limited invitation-only beta.
Rich and Integrated Marketplace Service Will Offer Easy Access to Mobile Applications
The new operating system features Windows® Marketplace for Mobile, a rich and integrated marketplace for searching, browsing and purchasing mobile applications from Windows® phones or from a PC by simply using a Windows Live ID. The new marketplace will ship inside all Windows phones based on Windows Mobile 6.5, which will allow consumers to easily find, install and experience those applications that fit their needs and make the phone truly personal. Developers, who have already built more than 20,000 applications for Windows® phones, will be able to offer applications to customers through the marketplace via a simple security and compatibility check from Microsoft.
The new Windows® phones are expected to be available at the beginning of the second half of 2009. Additional information about Microsoft at Mobile World Congress 2009 is available on the Microsoft MWC Web page at http://www.windowsmobile.com/mobileworldcongress.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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Feb 14

How To: Tether the iPhone or G1 To Your Laptop For Free 3G Broadband

Posted in: Android, Apple, cellphones, feature, HTC, iPhone, jailbreak, mobile broadband, Smartphones, Today's Chili, top

If you read Gizmodo, the odds are good you’re carrying one of these two pieces-they’re among our favorite 3G smartphones right now. Today let’s learn how to tether ’em up to your laptop.

Note: while data tethering is possible on each phone without any additional tethering plan, you’ll want to be careful that you’re not accidentally seeding a bunch of torrents or something when you’re connected via your cellphone. While we’re pretty sure you’ll be OK doing standard surfing, we can’t guarantee you won’t get slapped with some charge, somehow.

So let’s get started.

What You’ll Need
• For G1: USB cable, Tetherbot App, Android SDK, Firefox
• For iPhone: iPhoneModem app, Jailbroken phone

G1 Tether
This guide is based on the instructions and Android app written by Graham Stewart. Many huzzahs to Graham for figuring out this easy tether setup. This one, however, is a SOCKS proxy instead of a true modem tether, so it’s limited to Firefox browsing-you won’t be able to use any other apps unless you can configure them to connect via a proxy yourself. We’ve tested with Firefox though, and it works great.

1. Go here on your G1’s browser and install the Tetherbot app. If unknown sources are not enabled on your phone (under Settings -> Applications -> Unknown Sources) do that first.

2. Turn on USB Debugging under Settings -> Applications -> Development and connect your phone via USB.

3. Get your Android SDK set up. If you’re on Windows, you’ll need to download and install a driver.

4. On your phone, fire up the Tetherbot app and tap the “Start Socks” button.

5. Now, the SDK incantation. In a terminal window on Mac or a run window on Windows, navigate to the “tools” folder within your SDK directory and then type the following:

Mac:

./adb forward tcp:1080 tcp:1080

Windows:

adb forward tcp:1080 tcp:1080

6. Now, in Firefox, go to Options -> Advanced -> Network, and click to configure how Firefox connects to the Internet. In the window that pops up, choose “Manual proxy configuration” and clear out everything that might be there. Under SOCKS host, type “localhost” and change the port to 1080. Hit OK, and you should be in business. Easy right?

iPhone Tether
For this, you’ll need to jailbreak your phone. All you need to know to do that can be found in this post on the iPhone Dev Blog. If you’re running OS X, I STRONGLY recomment using Pwnage Tool instead of QuickPwn to manually create a jailbroken software image and install it via iTunes-I have yet to get QuickPwn to work with my phone, and I have no idea why.

One caveat: there are two iPhoneModem apps-one, found at iPhoneModem.de is free, and comes with a utility that makes tethering on a Mac easy. That’s the tutorial we’re following here. They claim it’s possible to use on Windows, but there is no companion app and, unfortunately, no Windows instructions.

The other iPhoneModem is nagware ($10 to get rid of the nags), and does include a Windows config app, which we have not tested. If you’re running windows, try that one, and let us know how it goes in the comments. There is also another method using an app called 3proxy that requires lots of manual configuration, but that one may also be worth a try. Update: Commenters are also recommending PDANet for Windows tethering, which is in Cydia as well.

1. Once you’re jailbroken, open up Cydia and install the package called “iPhone Modem zsrelay” – you can find it by searching “modem.” Also install OpenSSH – find it by searching “SSH.” BossPrefs is also recommended, so you can make sure SSH is running.

2. Download the iPhoneModem.de helper app and run it, and go to “Settings…” under the little iPhone icon that just appeared in the status bar.

3. Fill in the following fields:

IP-Address of Mac: Leave the default value (192.168.100.1)
Password of Mac: Your admin password
WLAN Name: The name of the ad-hoc network that will be created – your choice
WLAN Password: It must be 13 characters-your choice as long as it’s 13
SOCKS Port: Leave default (9999)
iPhone root Password: alpine (as long as you’re running 2.x firmware)
iPhone Mac Address: Found under Settings – General – About – make sure you use the wi-fi MAC address.

4. Once your config is saved, go to “start connection” and follow the prompts. Your Mac will create an ad-hoc network, which you will then join with your iPhone (make sure you get an IP address on your iPhone before continuing). Everything should go smoothly, and voila, you’re tethered!

Hope you enjoyed our how-to. For more on iPhone jailbreak apps, see yesterday’s essentials list, and more how-to guides here. Enjoy the weekend!

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Feb 11

Ocean 2 Review (Verdict: A Great Phone If It Were 2007)

Posted in: cellphones, feature, review, Smartphones, Today's Chili, top

The Helio Ocean was an amazing phone in its day, so we were excited to see all the cool updates hitting Virgin Mobile‘s Helio-branded Ocean 2. Turns out, there’s not much cool to be found.

Originally released almost two years ago, the Ocean was a great phone at the time. Its dual-sliding design was unique, and it was packed full of features that weren’t widely available elsewhere, such as 3G surfing, GPS and great Gmail integration. Cut to two years later, and none of these things seem all that unique.

Today, the Ocean 2 doesn’t hold up as well. It’s seriously thick compared to most other phones—twice that of an iPhone—and its dual-sliding design requires a fatness that is the phone’s Achilles heel. It’s not worth the space when a touchscreen could replace the entire numerical pad level. A much simpler configuration would be a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a touchscreen for dialing, like on the Palm Pre. Sure, the screen is brighter and sharper than the original, but it’s still not a touchscreen. Cost-cutting was clearly a key influencer in the Ocean 2’s design, but that may hurt it in the end.

The Ocean 2 does, however, offer some upgrades to its predecessor. Besides the noticeably sharper and brighter screen, you also get 2GB of built-in storage, plus an SD slot for more videos and music.

There’s a new optical navigation pad, which is a bigger, fancier version of the “OK” button on the original Ocean. It still acts as an OK button, but it also is touch-sensitive, allowing you to scroll around websites and through menus without any clicking required. Unfortunately, it’s too small to feel very useful, and you end up accidentally scrolling when you’re trying to hit OK.

There are some new software features that are nice, including Helio Connect, a way to check on your Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube accounts, as well as your RSS feeds, all in one place. It’s a convenient way to get caught up without having to jump around to a half dozen websites or apps.

On the other hand, the browser is inexcusably bad. It completely destroys the rendering of most websites, and if you choose to view them as regular HTML, you’ll be scrolling all over the place. It’s also very slow, despite the 3G connection. It just feels like a last-generation mobile browser.

Overall, the interface is basically identical to the original, just like the design. Yes, there have been updates, but none of them feel all that substantial or consequential. This feels more like the Ocean 1.5 than the Ocean 2.

With phones such as the Palm Pre and the iPhone out there for not all that much more, you’ve got to wonder how many people are going to be interested in signing a two-year contract for a two-year-old phone that’s merely been polished instead of being really revamped. You certainly won’t feel like you’ve got the hottest piece of tech on the block, but it’s also too expensive and bulky to be seen as a good budget phone. It’s stuck in a vague middle area, a place few customers are going to want to go. [Virgin Mobile]

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Feb 07

How To: Hack Android For Multitouch Web Browsing on the T-Mobile G1

Posted in: Android, cellphones, feature, multitouch, Today's Chili, top

Android’s new 1.1 update doesn’t include multitouch because Google is scared of Apple. We are not, however, and nor should you be-follow our guide to get iPhone-like multitouch browsing on your G1 right now.

As teased yesterday, this update will also give you all the new Android 1.1 firmware features, so if you haven’t received your over-the-air update from T-Mobile yet, wait no more and follow our guide. And on top of the added multitouch features, the hacked ROM you’re going to install will also include handy root access to your G1 for further hacking.

Many thanks in particular to the folks at the xda-developers forum, the #1 hangout for HTC phone tweakers on the web.

What You’ll Need:
• Your G1
• USB cord
• JFv1.41_RC33.zip-an Android RC33 ROM With Multitouch assembled by a nice chap that goes by the name of JesusFreke.
• An old RC29 ROM (with root access bug)
• An Android recovery image
• A micro-SD card reader (maybe, if you mess things up)
• The Android SDK (for installing more multitouch demos)

Let’s get started:

Downgrade Your Android Software to Gain Root Access
Even though Android is open source, access to the root user is disabled by default, so you still have to work to get root access. To do that you have to exploit a well publicized bug in an earlier Android build that easily allows you to slip into root access easily.

Note: In doing this, you will lose everything you have saved to your phone. Your synced Google Account info will of course stay put, but you’ll lose your installed apps, text messages, and anything you have on your SD card. Searching “backup” in the Android Market will lead you to apps that can backup your SMS messages and other files.

1. Your phone is likely running either the RC30 (1.0) or the new RC33 (1.1) version of the Android software (you can check under Settings -> About phone -> Build number). RC29 is the one with the bug, so you’ll need to download that file here (grab this one if you’re in the UK, and perhaps seek out a UK-specific guide, as we’re talking North American language here and I don’t want you to hurt your phone).

2. Reformat your phone’s SD card to the FAT32 format.

3. Rename the downloaded file to exactly this: DREAIMG.NBH in all caps for the extension and the filename. It matters. It will still show up with a lowercase extension in the bootloader, but that’s OK, as long as the file you dropped on your SD card was named properly, you won’t get a FAIL.

4. Drop the downloaded and renamed RC29 file onto your SD card via USB, power your phone off, and then power it back on while holding down the camera button. This will bring you into the bootloader. Press the power button to start the update, which will wipe your phone and install the old software.

5. When it’s done you should get a declaration of success. After that, hit the trackball button (known as the “action button” in the darker recesses of the G1’s bootloader) and then press Call, Menu and End simultaneously to reboot into your downgraded G1. You’ll see that you’re starting from scratch.

6. Sign in to your Google account and then grab the “Telnet” app from the market. You’ll need this to exploit your newly gained root access.

Update Your G1 With a Multitouch-Enabled ROM
Now that you have not only the permission but the impetus to do naughty things with root access, it’s time to install the updated Android files.

These are assembled by a nice chap that goes by the name of JesusFreke on various phone-hacking forums. He’s the one, primarily, who made all this multi-touching on the G1 possible.

1. Grab Le Freke’s RC33 v1.41 ROM (the one with multitouch goodness baked in) and rename it from “JFv1.41_RC33.zip” to “update.zip”-all lowercase-and copy it to your SD card.

2. Also grab this tweaked “recovery.img” file and also copy it to your SD card. Eject your SD card from your desktop and unplug the USB cable when you’re done.

3. Now that you’re in the exploit-y RC29 version, your phone will start responding to various Linux commands you type on the keyboard no matter what you happen to be doing in Android at the time. Fun! What you need to type to get root access is:

UPDATE:Due to some HTML weirdness, this command didn’t show up properly before. What you have to do here is press the enter key twice, then type “telnetd” (no quotes) and then hit enter once more. Sorry for the confusion:

[enter] [enter] telnetd [enter]

You may find yourself in some odd place in the OS, but it doesn’t matter-if done correctly, a telnet server should be running in the background on your phone.

4. Open up the Telnet app you downloaded from the Market, type in “localhost” in the box if it’s not there already, and tap “Connect to server.” You’ll see some weird ASCII characters, but all should be well. To test, type this in at the prompt (make sure you’ve ejected your SD card from your computer and detached the USB cable):

ls /sdcard

You should see the names of the files you copied (if you don’t, try step 3 and 4 again).

5. Now it’s time for some more command line magic. You’ll need to type four more commands to mount the file system in a writeable state, change to the system directory, copy the recovery.img file from your SD card to your phone’s /system directory, and flash the recovery image, in that order:

mount -o remount,rw /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system

cd /system

cat /sdcard/recovery.img > recovery.img

flash_image recovery recovery.img

You won’t get any response from any of these commands other than a slight pause before the next prompt appears-that means you’ve done everything correctly. If you get any error messages, check for typos and try again.

6. Power down your phone, then power it back on again. One power cycle is required to complete the magic.

7. Power down your phone AGAIN. And now, while off, start it up by holding the Home button along with Power; your phone will enter into recovery mode, which normally shows a caution icon with a phone, but will in this case stream a bunch of Linux code on the screen. Wait for that to calm down, and you will reach the ROM flashing screen of Mr. Freke’s design. If all looks good, press Alt+S to flash your ROM, then press Home+Back when prompted to restart into your multitouch-enabled G1.

8. Open up the browser, and try the ol’ pinch-to-zoom gesture. Hey, what’s that? Zooming! It’s not lighting fast at the moment, but I’d say it still beats pressing plus and minus buttons to zoom.

While Mr. JesusFreke is responsible for packaging this up for consumption, we can thank Mr. Luke Hutchison for the actual multitouch coding. His blog sheds more insight on the state of the multitouch implementation you’re now playing with, and illustrates how it will soon improve. But let’s play some more.

Download More Multitouch-Enabled Apps
In the flashed ROM you just installed, only the WebKit browser has been tweaked to accept multitouch input. But your fun shan’t stop there. Hutchison has provided a few more demo apps-including a simple Google Maps app, photo browser and fun Multitouch visualizer. You can download them all in .apk package format from his site.

To install an APK package via the Android SDK, make sure you’ve enabled “Unknown sources” under Settings -> Applications, then follow these instructions for Windows or, for Mac:

1. Open the Terminal and navigate to the directory where you unzipped the Android SDK (you can auto-fill the Unix path to any file or directory in Finder by dragging it to the cursor point in Terminal):

cd

2. Then, with your phone plugged in via USB, type:

./tools/adb install

3. After the “Success” message, voila, the app is now on your phone.

And that’s about it! Enjoy multitouch browsing, and for more Android hacking on the G1, check out these sites:

References
• AndroidWiki
• XDA Developers Wiki
• XDA Developers Forum

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Feb 04

Samsung 8MP Touchscreen Memoir Cellphone Is the US’s First

Posted in: cellphones, samsung, Today's Chili, top

The Samsung Memoir could easily be mistaken for a real camera. On one side is a full touch-screen, and on the other is an 8-megapixel camera, 16x digital zoom, and Xenon flash.

The phone, which we first saw hints of in December, will run on T-Mobile’s 3G network. Besides the 8-megapixel camera, it also has a full-touch virtual QWERTY keypad, a music and video player, built in GPS, and Bluetooth.

SAMSUNG MOBILE AND T-MOBILE USA INTRODUCE BEST-IN-CLASS
8-MEGAPIXEL CAMERA PHONE

Samsung Memoir™ Captures and Shares High-Quality Images
With Advanced Features and Touch Screen

DALLAS, and BELLEVUE, WASH. — Feb. 5, 2009 — Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) and T-Mobile USA, Inc., today announced the upcoming availability of the Samsung Memoir™, a full touch-screen mobile phone equipped with an 8-megapixel camera and premium multimedia features, placing it among the highest quality imaging phones available in the U.S.

The Memoir, available exclusively from T-Mobile, is designed to look and feel like a customer’s current point-and-shoot digital camera. The built-in 8-megapixel camera with Xenon flash, 16x digital zoom and five shooting modes empower customers to capture exceptional photos and videos from their phone — whether they’re on the go, on a vacation or just hanging out around the house.

The touch-screen phone, enabled by Samsung’s TouchWiz™ user interface and powered by T-Mobile’s high-speed 3G network, makes sharing photos easy. Samsung’s new photo widget allows customers to post images taken with the Memoir directly to their favorite online photo sharing source, such as flickr®, Kodak® Gallery, Photobucket and Snapfish.

“With the 8-megapixel Samsung Memoir, T-Mobile customers can capture and share little slices of life in all their vibrant brilliance,” said Denny Marie Post, chief marketing officer, T-Mobile USA. “With the ability to share photos at your fingertips, the Memoir helps make those connections more meaningful by their immediacy.”

The Memoir’s full-touch virtual QWERTY keypad and multiple messaging capabilities, including text, multimedia messaging, instant messaging and e-mail, make staying connected quick and easy while on the go. The Memoir is complete with a music and video player and built-in Assisted GPS navigation, which allows customers to utilize location-based services including turn-by-turn directions. For hands-free use, the Memoir features stereo Bluetooth® technology, speakerphone and voice-activated dialing.

“This is the camera phone that will make people want to leave their digital camera at home,” said Bill Ogle, Chief Marketing Officer for Samsung Mobile. “When you combine the Memoir’s imaging capabilities, customizable menus and music player, not only is it a great phone, but the entertainment possibilities are unlimited.”

T-Mobile’s 3G coverage available in select markets. Samsung Memoir also works on T-Mobile’s 2G network. See coverage maps at T-Mobile.com

Model number: SGH-t929

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Feb 04

Our Android T-Mobile G2 Wishlist

Posted in: Android, cellphones, feature, HTC, iPhone, Smartphones, Today's Chili, top

HTC’s successor to the G1 is on the way, but with few details to go on, we’ve compiled a wish list of what could make the sequel to a good phone significantly better.

We’ve included lots of hardware-only feature we want to see, but also on our list are improvements to Android that could be made independently of any phone. But with Android, phone makers can customize and modify the distribution that shows up inside their phones, as long as its done responsibly and in a way that allows future stock updates to still apply. We’d love to see HTC put some innovation into Android for the G2.

As we’ve said several times before, Android will only be as good as the developers making software for it. And so far, due to a lack of market saturation and a number of small to significant obstacles (many of which we’re proposing fixes for here), we haven’t seen that developer community take off. Here’s a list of features we could see on the G2 that could go a long way toward changing that.

• Better Battery Life: For God’s sake. Please. One of the G1’s most crippling shortcomings is its horrific battery life, and the fix will have to go beyond simply squeezing in a more dense Li-ion cell (although that would be nice too). No, the root of the problem needs to be addressed—namely, Android’s power-hogging connection management, and the G1’s inefficient 3G and wi-fi chips. Whether it’s primarily one or the other or a combination of both, HTC and Google need to sit down and get this right, because a mandatory lunchtime charge just to make it through the day under standard use is totally unacceptable.

• A Smooth, Consistent UI That’s Skinnable: One of our major gripes with the G1 (and Android in general) was a lack of consistency across its UI. Sometimes a long-press pulls up a contextual menu, sometimes it selects something, sometimes it does nothing at all. Graphically, the OS itself could use a bit of polish in several places, although the fundamental design vocabulary we’re OK with. Thankfully, Android is flexible and open source, and HTC is totally capable of bringing its own UI improvements to the stack as a whole, or offer them only on HTC phones.

HTC already has experience in re-skinning mobile operating systems, and even though TouchFlo isn’t that great sitting on top of Windows Mobile, it does look pretty, and placed on top of Android’s decidedly more solid and competent foundation, a slightly tweaked graphical UI—that still stays true to Android’s fundamentals—would be cool to see.

• Sexy Hardware: The shots we’ve seen look great and all, but we want an Android phone that’s really going to wow us. We know HTC has it in them—they’ve given us blue balls a-plenty with the Euro-only Touch HD. Let’s see some high-end hardware—be it an ultra-high res screen, a slick form factor, anything—to get the blood pumping a little.

• Better Media Handling (and a F@#&ING 3.5mm Headphone Jack!): Android’s media apps feel half-assed. People now expect to have a fully functioning PMP built into their phone—that is one area where the iPhone truly pushed things forward. And while the G1 will never work natively with iTunes (prove me wrong!), it can do a lot better with their media apps. By adding video playback, for one. And maybe better playlist management, and an overall sexier look. And of course, almost above all else: a 3.5mm headphone jack. DEATH TO DONGLES!

• Ditch the Qwerty Keyboard: My opinion is not mainstream, as many companies and studies have cited general public favorability for physical keyboards over touch—but touch keyboards, done right, are the future. I have yet to play with the soft keypad found in Android’s forthcoming “Cupcake” OS, but if it’s good enough to fluidly handle texting and light emailing, that’s all i need. This will allow for a much slimmer profile for the hardware and a more intuitive (and less schizophrenic) control setup. Word from the source of the leaked G2 images is that the QWERTY has in fact been ditched, but with no side shot, we can’t tell yet for certain. Hope so.

• Front Camera/Video Chatting: Google Talk already can handle video chats easily via its web interface and standalone app; why not bring it to the phone for the first truly mainstream mobile video chatting package, which could be a killer app? For that we’ll need a front camera (something we don’t see clear evidence of in the spy shots).

•Built-in Flash Memory: We are oh so happy that the G1 has an integrated microSD card slot for added storage flexibility, but built-in memory ensures that we don’t lose access to images or music if we need to switch SD cards.

• Add Multiple Google Accounts: Another huge crutch for the Google Accounts integration is the ability to only use one account at a time, and the fact that you have to perform a full phone reset to switch. That’s ridiculous. Not only do we want to use the superior Gmail app interface with our work email (which also uses a Google Account for Domains), but we don’t want to have to wipe everything on our phone to change accounts. A smart interface for living with multiple Google accounts on your phone would solve all of this.

•Give Users the Option of Desktop Sync: Only being able to use Google Contacts was a huge, huge pain when I first set up my G1. I had never used that system, so I had to figure out the best way to get my OS X Address Book contacts into Google and then into my G1. But I’m still wading through dupes and contacts I don’t want on my phone, which I’m too lazy to fix because it’s not intuitive. And if it’s not intuitive for me, God help the average Joe.

• Wireless File/Media Sync: As a corollary to desktop sync, let’s go crazy and make it wireless. This will be another leg-up on you-know-who, and even if it’s just for media and file syncing, the ability to easily pair my phone to my PC via Bluetooth or, better yet, auto-detecting wi-fi to transfer files back and forth would be great, and one less cable on my desk.

• System-Wide Multitouch: We know for a fact it’s possible. And we also know Google is scared of potential litigation from Apple. But until Android adds multitouch as a core service for every app developer to utilize in creative new ways, it won’t be a cutting edge platform.

• Android Market Tune-Ups: There are two major problems with the Android Market right now—there is no easy way to manage updates, and there is no way to browse through the available apps via the web, or any place other than on your phone. As for upgrades, apps can phone home to an upgrade server, but all that usually brings is a notification to go download the updated app manually from the store. And as far as the lack of a Market web interface, this is a problem for a lot of people—the developers who don’t get any exposure, the potential G1 buyers who want to browse what’s available, and, frankly, the press who publicize the apps and don’t want to waste precious time wading through a lousy interface to find apps. These are both Android-specific problems, but let’s hope some improvements here come hand in hand with the G2’s launch.

More:
• Android G2 Photos: Thinner and No Keyboard
• T-Mobile G1 Google Android Phone Review

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Jan 27

T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8900 First Impressions

Posted in: BlackBerry, cellphones, RIM, Smartphones, t-mobile, Today's Chili, top

After the BlackBerry Bold’s epically delayed launch on AT&T and the Storm’s epically borked launch everywhere, RIM needs 2009 to be better than 2008. The T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8900 is a good way to start.

We looked at a close-to-production model Curve 8900 a few months ago (albeit one marked for the Death Star). So far, our experience on this retail unit for T-Mobile has been pretty much the same as it was on the prototype, both good and bad (but mostly good).

We won’t call anything bulletproof without less than a week with the device (especially given horribly depressing comments muttered recently by RIM’s CEO), but BlackBerry OS 4.6 has been around for several months and been on a few devices at this point, and the Curve 8900, so far, seems like the most stable and least buggy product RIM has shipped in a while. It’s also notably hardware that’s a return to what they’re most comfortable making—a 2G device with Wi-Fi—the kind of phone they’d poop out in the old days (you know, two years ago) and it’d still work fine and deflect missiles and small children while maintaining two-day battery life. So, it does bode well.

Conceptually, the Curve 8900 is almost exactly what you want in a sequel—it ups the ante in a lot of the right ways, like sex quotient, but keeps the fundamentals in place. It’s not a beautiful piece of hardware that will magnetically pull drool out of people’s lips in a trickle, but it’s black-and-chrome modern enough with just the right lines (borrowed from the Storm) that it will draw eyes, if only for a split second.

Hardware
Three things make the hardware exceptional: The screen is delicious and not just because a video of John Mayer is preloaded on it, one thing RIM’s been getting very right (the screen, not John Mayer, though that is also very right). Colors pop like John Mayer’s lyrics, contrast is contrasty and the 480×360 resolution is fantastic, with a nice, wide viewing angle. The screen’s still too small to watch anything longer than a music video—starring say, John Mayer—but it’ll look pretty good while it’s rolling.

The new “Atomic” trackball seems noticeably sturdier than the one that’s been on BlackBerrys for years. It’s more solidly implanted in the device, with less room for nasty junk to squeeze inside, but still plenty of spin in the wheel.

The keyboard, I feel, is better than the original Curve’s, with a more pronounced sloped to the keys, a la BlackBerry Bold. I prefer the Bold’s keyboard, since it’s way roomier and has perfectly squishy keys, as opposed to the super-punchy ones found on the Curve 8900. That said, the Curve 8900 keyboard is still one of the best smartphone keyboards you’ll ever tap on. RIM knows how to make QWERTY keyboards with their Canadian eyes closed, even if they’re still working out the whole touchscreen clicky thing.

The build quality is another strong point. It’s a solid device that you know won’t go down without a fight, like all RIM hardware. I’d say it feels more sturdy than the original Curve, which I always thought was excessively plastic-y. It definitely feels nicer than the Curve—more high end, and its smoother lines make for a better handfeel too. The weight’s similar to the iPhone 3G—not a feather, but not a monster like the G1 or BlackBerry Bold. The flimsiest part of the phone is the cheapo battery cover, which pops off and on mercifully easy.

A few things muddle the hardware’s excellence: The lack of 3G (sorry, once you’re used to it, you can’t go back) and the Wi-Fi’s persnicketiness—it just didn’t want to play nice with a few of the secured Wi-Fi networks I had it on, constantly dropping out. Open Wi-Fi points seemed just fine though. Also, when I talked to my mommy, the call quality wasn’t bad—it was very clear—but it also had a weird kind of hollowness to it.

Software
Software-wise, the Curve 8900 has every strength and weakness that every BlackBerry phone has when compared to other smartphones: If you’re not familiar with BlackBerry email, BlackBerrys are all about it, with features like real push, server-side search, Exchange support, serious security, a million keyboard shortcuts and other power perks. It’s not the sexiest looking email client around, but it does everything you’d ever want a smartphone to do in terms of email. There’s a reason it’s a corporate warrior’s mandatory piece of kit.

The OS is fairly easy to use (some particulars aside)—it’s an icon-based layout where what you see is what you get. Settings can be a bit of a listicle labyrinth, but for the most part, everything’s presented right up front and easy to get to.

Even though the iPhone and though Android get all the press for apps, BlackBerry also has the backing of a pretty solid developer community for applications, so there are tons of applications to download and install, even if they aren’t quite as shiny as what’s on the iPhone or Android or available from a convenient storefront (yet). The Curve 8900 comes loaded with a solid starter suite though, with instant messenger apps from everybody that matters, like AIM and GTalk; BlackBerry Maps (which is alright, though I prefer Google Maps); and Office to Go, which lets you edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint files…on the go. The media apps work fine, with a fairly generic UI.

The software is hampered mostly by its message-oriented roots, so while it does email better than anyone and does have a ton of apps from the developer community, the whole web thing the iPhone, Android and Palm Pre get, and its attempt to scale to that kind of complexity, is clearly a struggle within the BlackBerry OS paradigm. The Curve 8900’s browser, though ridiculously more usable and accurate at rendering than the original Curve’s, is slow even over Wi-Fi. Its application approach is still browser-oriented while we wait for the BlackBerry app store and it’s pokey and annoying, even from RIM’s own central app hub. The apps are there and many are good—Kevin from CrackBerry highly recommends the Bolt browser for a much faster browsing experience—you just have to find ’em.

Oh, one other sore point for BlackBerry is trying to sync one to a Mac. It’s not a fun experience, with PocketMac providing nowhere near the kind of complete functionality of the PC BlackBerry Desktop Software, which handles all of your syncing, app and media management, and the total inability to have more one sync program installed on a Mac at once. If you install BlackBerry Media Sync to sync iTunes to your BlackBerry on a Mac, it borks your other syncing programs. =(

Conclusion
Based on our time so far, if you have a BlackBerry Curve, the Curve 8900 is the same thing, but better in a lot of little ways that add up to a markedly better experience overall, thanks to a gorgeous display, slicker OS and well-designed hardware.

It’s not a phone to switch to T-Mobile for—especially since it’s obviously coming to AT&T, and most probably Verizon and Sprint too—but this is the BlackBerry that most people will be rocking in the next year as it inevitably spreads from carrier to carrier, and for good reason. If you’re on T-Mobile, you really have two (good) choices for a smartphone now: This or the G1. If you do serious business, well, the choice is made for you.

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Jan 21

Android G2 Photos: Thinner and No Keyboard

Posted in: Android, cellphones, Google, rumor, Smartphones, Today's Chili, top, touchscreen

Here they are: Alleged spy photos of the second generation Android cellphone, the thinner, shinier, and totally lickable T-Mobile G2 made by HTC. It has no keyboard and its back looks oh-so-soap-bar-smooth:

As you can see, it has a 3.2 megapixel camera. According to our source, it will come in mid-May. Currently it has an interface “very similar” to the G1. We will see what happens this spring, but if true, this thing looks like a winner.

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