Sep 13

HTC Runnymede and Bliss details sneak out from leak-town

Posted in: Android, HTC, mobilepostcross, qualcomm, Today's Chili
Naming your flagship handset after a small village in Surrey isn’t what we’d do, but then we aren’t in the handset business. The first full render of the HTC Runnymede has leaked and as you can see, it’s one big heap of telephone. It’s the first phone to benefit from the company’s partnership with Beats Audio and will come with a pair of Beats-branded cans rather than regular earbuds. If you missed the specs first time around, the 4.7-inch, 9.9mm thick phone gets a beastly 768MB of RAM, 1.5GHZ Qualcomm chip and a serious 8 megapixel camera with f2.2 lens and double LED flash round back. Availability is still up in the air but we know that UK prices are £499 or £530 for the 16 or 32GB versions (roughly $790 and $840, respectively).

HTC also apparently thinks that women don’t buy enough of its phones, so it’s releasing the HTC Bliss, a smartphone that’s reportedly designed specifically for women. HTC’s belief is that the ladyphone needs to be smaller, gentler and do generally less than its contemporaries — it gets a much smaller 3.7-inch Super LCD display and a 5 megapixel camera. This is my next has also confirmed that the Bliss comes with an accessory called the Charm Indicator, a light-up bauble that fits to a handbag or bracelet (depending on size) and flashes when your phone requires attention. There’s no word on pricing or availability but presumably all will be revealed at the stylish HTC promo event on the 20th.

HTC Runnymede and Bliss details sneak out from leak-town originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink unwired view, This is my next, AndroidGuys  |  sourceePrice (Translated)  | Email this | Comments

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Sep 13

Verizon intros $50 unlimited plan, takes a swing at pre-paid operators

Posted in: mobilepostcross, plans, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless

In a direct shot at its lesser competitors, Verizon Wireless announced today the launch of a new $50 unlimited plan for pre-paid customers. Available starting this Thursday, the unlimited talk, text and web option’ll rollout to all of the operator’s retail locations, in addition to Walmart, Best Buy and Target. Users who opt for the plan won’t get their pick of high-end smartphones, and will, instead, have to choose from a selection of four feature phones from LG, Samsung and Pantech. The move could seriously undercut growth for Sprint — which operates Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile — as well as smaller operators, like MetroPCS, that count pre-paid users as the majority of their customer base. It’s not really an even fight, but with fellow industry titan AT&T already offering a similar non-contracted service, all’s fair in this messy wireless war.

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Verizon intros $50 unlimited plan, takes a swing at pre-paid operators originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 13

Apple wants to press pause on patent suits, calls Motorola a lame duck

Posted in: Apple, Google, lawsuit, mobilepostcross, motorola, patent, patents, Today's Chili

In what could turn out to be a very expensive lesson in minding one’s mouth, Apple plans to use Google’s and Motorola’s own words against them in court. Over the weekend, Cupertino’s lawyers filed two motions to stay in patent-related litigation with Moto, claiming the OEM’s pending merger renders its patent suits indefensible. According to Apple’s legal team, the proposed Motorola Mobility acquisition effectively transfers patent control over to Google, an allegation that public-facing statements from both companies seem to corroborate. Citing the potential waste of resources and probable reversal of future pre-merger settlements, the house that Jobs built is hoping to hold off on the court room fisticuffs until after the GoogMo consolidation is settled. With both cases set for far-off trial dates in April and August of 2012, it looks like all parties involved have plenty of time to sort this mess out, and then battle it out once again.

Apple wants to press pause on patent suits, calls Motorola a lame duck originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 13

Medfield-based Android phone shown at IDF 2011, future Android builds to be ‘optimized’ for Atom

Posted in: Android, breaking news, gingerbread, Google, GoogleAndroid, intel, mobilepostcross, Today's Chili
Google’s Andy Rubin just came up on stage here at the IDF keynote, joining Intel CEO Paul Otellini who was holding a bona fide Medfield-powered smartphone running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)! Hard to be sure, but the device looks eerily like the Aava Mobile handset we’ve seen before. The cameo was part of a much larger initiative, which will see Intel working concurrently with Google in order to optimize future processors for use with Android. We were actually tipped off on this a few days back, but at the time, it was difficult to tell how much of a consumer impact it’d have. Given Andy’s showing, though, it’s looking better and better in that regard. The most impressive tidbit, however, is the promise that all future Android builds will be “optimized” for Intel’s low-power Atom clan. We’ve compiled a gallery for you below, and hopefully we’ll have a hands-on later today.

Gallery: Intel’s Medfield based Android smartphone

Dante Cesa contributed to this report.

Continue reading Medfield-based Android phone shown at IDF 2011, future Android builds to be ‘optimized’ for Atom

Medfield-based Android phone shown at IDF 2011, future Android builds to be ‘optimized’ for Atom originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 13

Sony announces Walkman Z PMP: 4.3 inches, Tegra 2, Gingerbread and ‘Throw’

Posted in: gingerbread, mobilepostcross, PMP, tegra 2, Tegra2, Today's Chili, wifi
We already got some brief hands-on time with this Gingerbread-sporting PMP at IFA, where it went by the name of “Walkman Mobile Entertainment Player.” Now it’s just been announced as the Sony Walkman Z, which rolls off the tongue a whole lot easier. Beneath that 4.3-inch WVGA display lurks a 1GHz Tegra 2, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and a battery rated for 20 hours of music and 5 hours of video. There’s HDMI out as well as Sony’s Throw feature for pushing media wirelessly to a Bravia TV. Pricing remains “open” apparently, but Sony does commit to availability in Japan from December 10th. You’ll get a choice of 16, 32 or 64GB models in either red/black or black/blue, or you can wait for a limited edition white version in early 2012. If you’re planning on sending it our way, Sony, then you should know we’ll be utterly broke by then.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Sony announces Walkman Z PMP: 4.3 inches, Tegra 2, Gingerbread and ‘Throw’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSony Product Page (Translated), Sony PR (Translated)  | Email this | Comments

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Sep 13

Samsung, NTT DoCoMo to develop smartphone chips in proposed joint venture

Posted in: business, Japan, market, minipost, mobilepostcross, money, Panasonic, partnership, phone, qualcomm, samsung, smartphone, Today's Chili

Qualcomm may be facing some new competition in the mobile chip space, now that NTT DoCoMo and three other Japanese firms are looking to join forces with Samsung. According to Japan’s Nikkei business daily, the quartet of firms (which includes Fujitsu, NEC and Panasonic’s mobile unit) is currently finalizing negotiations with Samsung over a proposed joint venture that would design, develop and market smartphone chips. The partners are reportedly planning to incorporate the new chips into their own devices, while selling them to other handset manufacturers, as well. DoCoMo would hold a majority stake in the ¥30 billion (about $390 million) partnership, which could help lower procurement costs, while reducing the partners’ dependency upon industry-leading Qualcomm. A DoCoMo spokesman acknowledged that the provider is exploring a variety of collaborations, but was quick to point out that nothing’s been finalized. Samsung and Fujitsu, meanwhile, have yet to comment.

Samsung, NTT DoCoMo to develop smartphone chips in proposed joint venture originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 07:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 12

Leeds researchers tout gel-based batteries as better, safer and cheaper

Posted in: mobilepostcross, research, Today's Chili

They’re some fairly bold claims, but a team of researchers at the University of Leeds say they’ve managed to develop a new type of polymer gel that could lead to batteries that are safer, cheaper to manufacture and more flexible than traditional lithium-ion batteries. That last detail could have some particularly interesting consequences, as the researchers say it allows for batteries that can “shaped and bent to fit the geometries of virtually any device.” What’s more, all of that apparently comes with no compromise in performance, and the team has already licensed the technology to Polystor Energy Corporation, which is now conducting trials to commercialize the battery cells. The only catch is that there’s not so much as a hint as to when such batteries might actually be available.

Leeds researchers tout gel-based batteries as better, safer and cheaper originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 01:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 12

Chumby NeTV unfurls its web-connected tentacles for the FCC

Posted in: Android, Email, hdpostcross, hdtv, interface, mobilepostcross, Today's Chili, TV, video

FCC appearances are usually a good indication of a product’s imminent arrival. And with Chumby’s NeTV already headed to developers’ hands later this month, this Commission filing isn’t exactly catching us off guard. Now, a firm retail date is all that’s missing to complete the once huggable platform’s official outing. Those unfamiliar with the Flash-based, WiFi-enabled device can look forward to a webified HDTV experience that’ll stream online content, as well as texts and photos from your Android phone, to a flat panel display. Sure, there are plenty of other options to bring the net to your livingroom, but how many of them can claim an octopus as their mascot? Check out the source link below if emissions testing and user manuals tickle your fancy.

Chumby NeTV unfurls its web-connected tentacles for the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 12

Sprint launches Drive First Android app to curb texting and driving, keep chatty teens at bay

Posted in: Android, app, BlackBerry, Google, Microsoft, mobilepostcross, research in motion, ResearchInMotion, RIM, Sprint, Today's Chili, windows phone, windows phone 7, WindowsPhone, WindowsPhone7, Wp7
Are you concerned that your talky teenager is trying to keep up on the high school gossip whilst behind the wheel? Or are you a more experienced driver looking to get rid of the temptation to update your status at 65 MPH? Sprint’s got you covered with Drive First. The app, announced by CEO Dan Hesse at CTIA in March, will lock up your phone when it detects you’re in a moving vehicle; calls will be automatically redirected to voicemail and incoming texts can get automatically replied to with a customized message. The service costs $2 / month per phone after a 15-day trial, and unfortunately only is available for Android devices, though BlackBerry and Windows Phone support has been promised in the near future as well. We’d say the more the merrier — for parents, that is. Head below for the full press release.

Continue reading Sprint launches Drive First Android app to curb texting and driving, keep chatty teens at bay

Sprint launches Drive First Android app to curb texting and driving, keep chatty teens at bay originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 12

Orb Live finally lands for Android: streams video, delivers Hulu without the Plus

Posted in: Android, app, apps, Google, GoogleAndroid, hulu, mobilepostcross, streaming video, StreamingVideo, Today's Chili, YouTube
Orb Live for Android

Orb may have taken its sweet time, but an Android port of its Orb Live streaming app is finally available. By now you probably know the deal: install the Orb Caster app on your PC then fire up Live on your handset and you can start watching Netflix, Hulu (without a Plus account), YouTube, live TV (with the aid of a tuner) and video from other streaming sources like ESPN3 right on your phone over 3G, 4G or WiFi. In fact, Orb will stream just about any media from your PC to your phone, provided you can swallow the $10 price of the app. Orb Live for Android isn’t showing up in the market just yet for us, but we suspect it won’t be much longer now.

[Image credit: GigaOM]

Orb Live finally lands for Android: streams video, delivers Hulu without the Plus originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink GigaOM  |  sourceOrb  | Email this | Comments

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