Sep 06

Unannounced Nokia Symbian Belle handset is a mysterious phone within a phone (video)

Posted in: leak, mobilepostcross, nokia, Today's Chili

Half the fun of trade shows is when unexpected beans get spilled at PR stalls and here, my dear Watson, we have another intriguing example. A TechBlog.gr pundit picked up a new Nokia 700 at IFA and was confronted with a stored promo video depicting a totally different and unfamiliar high-end handset. It looks slightly curved like the N9, runs the latest version of Symbian and possesses a rather attractive edge-to-edge LCD. The main gist of the promo is a wireless platform called Air Cloud, which apparently allows the phone to pair up with an audio system via NFC. Word on the street is this could be the N8’s successor — the so-called 801 — but there’s not a great many clues to back that up. In any case, check out the video after the break and savor that fleeting sense of infinite regress.

Update: Sherlock may have run away with himself slightly here. Mobiflip.de reckons it got a comment from someone at Nokia who said the phone is just a concept, made for the purpose of illustrating Air Cloud. Guess that edge-to-edge screen was too good to be true.

Continue reading Unannounced Nokia Symbian Belle handset is a mysterious phone within a phone (video)

Unannounced Nokia Symbian Belle handset is a mysterious phone within a phone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 03

webOS global business unit split outlined in leaked HP documents

Posted in: hewlett-packard, HewlettPackard, HP, leak, leaked, Today's Chili, webos

It’s been just over two weeks since HP announced plans to discontinue production of its webOS devices, and speculation over the future of the platform is still going strong. Just this week, Samsung CEO Choi Gee Sung put to rest rumors of a webOS deal, and now two leaked missives from inside HP show plans to split the webOS global business unit in two. According to letters apparently from Todd Bradley and Shane Robison, webOS software will find a new home in the outfit’s Office of Strategy and Technology, while the hardware division will remain with the Personal Systems Group. One of these letters from Tom Bradley explains the split:

The pan-HP charter of OS&T provides a broad view of how we can optimize our technologies. In fact, it has proven to be a successful incubator of technologies; it is home to a team of senior technology experts devoted exclusively to exploring longer-term strategies for our technologies.

The second missive, from Shane Robison, goes on to say that “webOS software is still a great asset.” None of this should come as a surprise, as our interview with Stephen DeWitt reiterated the company’s dedication to the webOS platform, while HP’s recent ads hocking PSG show the outfit’s intentions to spin-off its PC business. Now the question is, who has the bones to make it happen? For the full-length leaks hit the source link below.

webOS global business unit split outlined in leaked HP documents originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 02

HTC Flyer Honeycomb ROM leaks, not for the timid tableter

Posted in: Android, Google, GoogleAndroid, honeycomb, HTC, leak, leaked, os, rom, tablet, tablets, Today's Chili, update, upgrade
HTC Flyer

One of the biggest knocks against the HTC Flyer when it launched (besides the extra $80 the stylus would cost you) was that it shipped with a Sensed-up version of Gingerbread, instead of the more tablet-appropriate Honeycomb. But, with the Android 3.1-packing Puccini now official, the Taiwanese manufacturer is working to bring the rest of its inbetweeners up to speed and, as usual, the devs appear to have sprung a leak. There’s not much information about the early Flyer Honeycomb beta that just dropped on MoDaCo, courtesy of Paul O’Brien, but it’s already packaged up in RUU form and ready for flashing. It goes without saying, this is not for the faint of heart. If you cherish things like stability and reliability (you know, if you’re a wimp) it’s probably best to hold out for an official release. The bold can download it now at the source link.

HTC Flyer Honeycomb ROM leaks, not for the timid tableter originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 01

Bell prepping its LTE network, Samsung Galaxy S II LTE and Tab 8.9 to be offered at launch?

Posted in: 4G, canada, GalaxyTab, leak, leaks, lte, mobilepostmini, rumor, rumors, samsung, samsung galaxy tab, SamsungGalaxyTab, tab, Today's Chili

We’ve known that Bell’s intended to make the jump to LTE for nearly three years, but the Canadian carrier has kept incredibly silent about when or how it was going to leap. If we’re to believe an unnamed source, that silence may be soon coming to an end: supposedly the company will be launching its 4G network “soon” and is rumored to have a phone and a tablet prepped for launch right away. The suspected devices? None other than the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE and Galaxy Tab 8.9. If this happens sometime in the fall, such a move would put Bell in the running to become the second carrier in Canada to adopt the next-gen standard — Telus and Sasktel are expected to upgrade next year — which gives advocates of choice some wonderful things to look forward to over the next twelve months.

[Thanks, Doug]

Bell prepping its LTE network, Samsung Galaxy S II LTE and Tab 8.9 to be offered at launch? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 22:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 01

WikiLeaks cables shed light on Apple’s battle against counterfeit wares

Posted in: Apple, ios, ipad, iPhone, kirf, leak, leaks, Today's Chili

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but if you’re Rolex, Gucci or Apple, you probably aren’t very interested in being flattered. Due to Apple’s intense popularity, an entire industry has arisen that thrives on knocking off the iconic wares Designed in Cupertino. We’ve seen plenty in our day, and while it may strike some as if Apple’s doing absolutely nothing to curtail the aping, a new WikiLeaks release confirms otherwise. According to an electronic memo from the Beijing embassy dated September 2008, Apple began to put obvious and deliberate pressure on China to act against businesses who were copying its wares a few years back. As it turns out, knocking out the knockoffs isn’t exactly high on China’s list of governmental priorities, and progress on halting the KIRF extravaganza has been sluggish at best. The entire story is quite the exhausting read, but it’s worth delving into if you’re curious — per usual, you can get educated in the links below.

WikiLeaks cables shed light on Apple’s battle against counterfeit wares originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 01

Sprint to double Upgrade Fee to $36 starting September 9th?

Posted in: leak, leaks, mobilepostmini, rumor, rumors, Sprint, Today's Chili, upgrade
It’s time to either find your favorite teddy bear or pinch a few hundred pennies. In today’s second bout of unfortunate news coming from Overland Park, SprintFeed is reporting that we should brace ourselves for yet another hike in one-time charges on September 9th. This time, it’s the oh-so-beloved Upgrade Fee that’s the victim of inflation, getting beefed up to $36 for any existing customer who desires a new phone; if you’re hoping to renew contracts on multiple lines, Sprint is graciously willing to cap the fees at a maximum of $150. There’s speculation that these bumps may have something to do with the latest rumor coming out of Cupertino, but it may also simply be a routine policy change. Regardless of the motive, it means anyone holding out for the next best thing should start looking under every couch cushion they sit on, in hopes of scrounging up a few extra bucks.

Sprint to double Upgrade Fee to $36 starting September 9th? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 29

iPhone N94 prototype’s front assembly leaked, set to be an iPhone 4S?

Posted in: Apple, iPhone, iphone 4s, leak, mobilepostcross, rumor, screen, Today's Chili

As we approach the rumored September or October launch date for the next batch of iPhones, the web’s been spiced up with photos of alleged parts for an “N94” iPhone prototype. We’ve been rather skeptical about them until the above photos landed in our inbox, courtesy of our friends from uBreakiFix. A little while back we’d already heard from our other sources that the N94 is set to be a cheaper version of the current iPhone 4 (probably the 8GB iPhone 4 mentioned by Reuters last week), which would explain why all these components and cables look super familiar. The only notable difference here is the funny dot right next to the sensor location above the earpiece — the dotted pattern is very much like that used by the microphone and the webcam LED indicator on Mac computers, but obviously the latter is more likely the case here.

That said, do bear in mind that according to the mark along the bottom of this part, we’re apparently looking at an “EVT1” (Engineering Verification Test) piece from March 3rd 2011 (making it about three months older than the white N94 back covers that made the rounds last week, assuming they’re legit). Additionally, when our sources last checked around June and July, the N94 had yet to hit the DVT stage, so it’s hard to determine whether these parts will remain the same in the final design, or whether the N94 will even make it to the production line at all.

On the other hand, our sources pointed out that an elusive N97 device — previously reported by the Wall Street Journal as a tiny iPhone — had already reached “DVT” (Design Verification Test) stage back in June, though there’s little information about it other than that it’s been tested with various cellular technologies (though plagued by some bugs related to switching between specific frequencies back then), plus it may sport a camera module supplied by Sony, which was semi-confirmed by Howard Stringer himself back in April. Whatever the N97 ends up being, hopefully we’ll have something at least as slim as our little souvenir from Beijing.

Continue reading iPhone N94 prototype’s front assembly leaked, set to be an iPhone 4S?

iPhone N94 prototype’s front assembly leaked, set to be an iPhone 4S? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 28

Acer Aspire 3951 photos leaked, new Ultrabooks to launch in September

Posted in: Ifa2011, intel, laptop, leak, MacbookAir, Today's Chili


We don’t mind eyeballing a few impossibly clean renders when we get wind of a new toy, but there’s nothing like the real McCoy. Today’s bones slipped out of a (now pulled) HDblog hands-on of the Acer Aspire 3951 Ultrabook, possibly leaked ahead of an IFA 2011 embargo. The genuine article looks nearly identical to its rendered counterpart, albeit a bit thicker and more plasticky. The unveiled 13.3-inch MacBook Air competitor reportedly sports a second generation Intel Core processor, boots from sleep in under two seconds, and is only 13mm thick. The price? While there is no official word on this exact model, Acer head-honcho JT Wang mentioned last week that the outfit was prepping to launch a new Ultrabook in September for about $800. Lines up nicely with the Acer 3951’s rumored $770-960 price range, doesn’t it?

Acer Aspire 3951 photos leaked, new Ultrabooks to launch in September originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 19:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 28

Sony PRS-T1 e-reader spotted on Dutch retail site for 165 euros

Posted in: e reader, e-book, e-books, e-readers, leak, sony, Today's Chili

It’s nigh on a month since we caught the WiFi-toting Sony PRS-T1 flitting its way through the FCC. Now the unannounced e-reader has popped up again — this time on a Dutch seller’s webpage with some pics, specs and a price of €165 (or $240 after a straight currency conversion). If accurate, most of the new features merit a nod rather than a yelp: a six-inch 800×600 e-ink screen that allows dual-touch gestures like pinch-to-zoom; a plastic body that brings the weight down to 168g (six ounces, versus the 7.6-ounce PRS-650); plus, the inclusion of Wikipedia and Google search. Speaking of which, don’t those look rather like Android buttons? Could it be that Sony is founding its latest Reader upon the omnipresent OS (as various rivals have done) and even permitting some of that green robot goodness to bubble to the surface? Perhaps it’s better to wait than to speculate — after all, recent rumors suggest that the official launch for this device is imminent.

Sony PRS-T1 e-reader spotted on Dutch retail site for 165 euros originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 11:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 28

Refresh Roundup: week of August 22, 2011

Posted in: Android, att, BlackBerry, firmware, firmware update, FirmwareUpdate, HP, HTC, leak, leaks, mango, mobilepostmini, motorola, nokia, refresh, research in motion, ResearchInMotion, RIM, roundup, rumor, rumors, Software, software update, SoftwareUpdate, Today's Chili, update, verizon, vzw, webos, windows phone 7, WindowsPhone7, Wp7

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it’s easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don’t escape without notice, we’ve gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Official Android Updates

  • Motorola’s Photon 4G was the recipient of a minor over-the-air firmware revamp that offers improvements to responsiveness and voice calls, and offers more bug fixes and other enhancements. [via PhoneArena]
  • Want another bug fix update? The HTC EVO 3D is the next contestant, rolling out its second OTA refresh in as many weeks. This time it appears that a new “Corporate 4G” widget and a new radio have been added. [via AndroidCentral]
  • Gingerbread 2.3.4 is now rolling out to Bell’s Motorola Atrix 4G OTA. [via MobileSyrup]
  • Now that its official Gingerbread support page has gone live, Verizon’s Motorola Droid 2 will likely be receiving Android 2.3 in the very near future. [via AndroidCentral]
  • Sasktel’s HTC Incredible S is now the beneficiary of Android 2.3.3 in an OTA install. [via MobileSyrup]

Unofficial Android updates / custom ROMs / misc hackery

Other platforms

  • The Nokia N8 was recently blessed with Symbian Anna, but a few camera-related upgrades were left out. No need to fear, as an “experimental” update is now being offered, which adds continuous auto-focus and tweaks the UI to allow for faster access to the camera — among other improvements, such as a boost to 30fps. Check out the change log here. [via ZOMGitsCJ]
  • Given last week’s news about webOS, we were concerned the newly-launched Pre3 would be DOA, with no promise of future updates. HP’s proving this isn’t the case, however, as the device got a minor update that brought the phone’s help center live and fixed a few bugs along the way. [via PreCentral and PhoneArena]
  • Research in Motion released an upgrade to its Tablet OS for the BlackBerry PlayBook. Unfortunately, it’s not the 2.0 version we saw leaked screenshots of earlier this week, but it still brings a nice feature to the tablet: differential updates. This means that in future OS refreshes, only the affected sections will be changed. In addition, the new version, dubbed 1.0.7.2942, will improve WiFi connectivity via WEP and enhancements to BlackBerry Bridge. [via RIM]
  • WP7Mod showed a video of the HTC HD2 booting up with Windows Phone Mango’s RTM build installed. We’ve been told that it’s almost ready for any daring souls interested in a new challenge for their Windows Mobile device. [via WMPowerUser]

Refresh Roundup: week of August 22, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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