Hasta La Gadget!

After Verizon aired advertisements bashing the iPhone, many tech observers agreed it was unimaginable that Apple could be considering sharing the popular smartphone with Verizon. But a new report suggests the contrary.

Apple is indeed delivering a Verizon iPhone in the third quarter of 2010, claims research firm OTR Global. The firm cites sources who say Apple is working on a “worldmode” iPhone compatible with Verizon’s CDMA network. (Apple’s current iPhones only work on the GSM standard, which AT&T’s network is part of.)

The firm’s report, which was provided to AppleInsider, also claims the handset will have a smaller screen — 2.8 inches, significantly smaller than the current iPhone’s 3.5-inch display.

Whispers of a different iPhone being developed for Verizon were exchanged back in April. BusinessWeek cited two sources “familiar with the matter” saying Apple and Verizon were working to offer two new iPhone-like devices: a smaller, less-expensive calling device (perhaps an “iPhone lite”), and a more expensive, unnamed media pad, which can place calls over Wi-Fi, display photos, and play music as well as high-definition video.

Apple’s exclusive contract with AT&T will reportedly end in 2010, and many observers speculated that the Cupertino, California company would then share the iPhone with Verizon. However, the consensus quickly reversed when Verizon aired its Droid TV ads ruthlessly attacking the shortcomings of the iPhone.

See Also:

• Verizon iPhone? Don’t Hold Your Breath
• Verizon iPhone Could be Here Next Year
• Verizon Attacks the iPhone, Hints at Upcoming Droid
• 4 Reasons Apple Should Share the iPhone With Verizon
• Rumor: Apple Developing Two New iPhones for Verizon

Photo: Fr3d.org/Flickr

You can’t keep a phoenix down and this Xbox 360 wireless n adapter seems to be a bird of similar feather. After discretely showing up on US retail sites and subsequently managing to drop off into internet obscurity, the 802.11n-compliant peripheral has returned to the scene via Costco’s site, this time with a November 10th shipping date and a more attractive than before $88 price tag. With only five days until the 10th, will this finally be the price and date that stick? Who knows — but at least this time we won’t have to wait long to find out.

[Thanks, WeakSasco]

Filed under: Gaming, Networking

Xbox 360 802.11n adapter rebirths on Costco site, ships November 10th for $88 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Ballmer might have no idea what’s going on with the Microsoft Courier tablet, but a new set of documents leaked to Gizmodo certainly suggests the product is more than just a couple videos the boss-man hasn’t seen. The images detail the Courier’s unique user interface, which draws on everything from multitouch gestures to pen-based handwriting recognition. The heart of the interface appears to be the Smart Agenda, pictured above, which pulls together all your disparate content like calendar entries, emails, and to-dos into one unified starting place, described as “Cliff Notes” to the Pagestream “novel.” The journal itself appears to be searchable by all kinds of data, including time, location, and tags, and it’s all accessed by a special multi-button pen. There’s also a camera and an offhand mention of “boos and subscriptions,” so it sounds like whoever was dreaming this all up considered using the Courier as an ebook reader as well — which would be totally sweet, given the types of annotations you could do. Of course, none of this is real yet, but we’re hoping against hope — please, Mr. Steve, make our holiday dreams come true?

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

Microsoft Courier interface explained in more detail originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Before we’ve even had time to get sick of the new iPhone 3GS, hints of a fourth-generation iPhone have already surfaced on the web.

Chinese wholesaler China Ontrade has posted a part listing, accompanied with a photo, that it claims is the fourth-generation iPhone’s midboard. But given the timing of this listing, Wired.com doubts the authenticity of the part. Rather than an actual Apple component, this is probably China Ontrade’s marketing gimmick to attract iPhone counterfeiters looking to make the next iPhone knockoff.

It’s worth noting, as Gizmodo has pointed out, that China Ontrade earlier this year leaked photos claiming to be parts for the third-generation iPhone, which were confirmed to be the real thing when the iPhone 3GS was disassembled.

But why so soon? Apple has released each of its iPhones in the summertime, so a fourth-generation iPhone shouldn’t hit stores until June or July of 2010. Thus, it’s questionable why a part would be produced for the next iPhone so far in advance: Manufacturers traditionally order parts at the last minute to avoid stock congestion or last-minute changes, Gizmodo points out. Gizmodo also speculates there’s a slight possibility Apple could be rushing out the next iPhone to compete with the increasing number of Android phones on the market.

Still, Apple would not be pleased if a partner leaked parts giving away hints of any of its future products. (Why would Apple continue to work with China Ontrade if it leaked third-generation iPhone parts?) A more logical inference is that China Ontrade is most likely using its proven “track record” for leaking images of the iPhone 3GS parts to gain attention in the press, and thus attract producers of Chinese knockoffs to buy this new part.

The marketing angle is such: “You could produce the ‘fourth-generation iPhone’ before Apple!” In the next few months, expect boxes labeled “iPhone 4G” to appear on shelves in Chinese electronic stores.

What do you gather from the part listing? Add your thoughts in the comments below.

Product Page [China Ontrade via Gizmodo]

See Also:

• Gallery: iPhone 3GS Teardowns Reveal Underclocked CPU, More
• Chinese Supplier Already Selling 3rd-Gen iPhone Bezel
• New iPhone Knockoffs Are Nearly Indistinguishable From Original
• NYT Investigates Suicide Over Missing iPhone
• Report: Missing iPhone Prototype Pressured Chinese Worker to Commit Suicide

Photo: China Ontrade

Peek’s never been one to shy away from the wacky and opportunistic marketing schemes but launching a whole product just for Twitter? That’s courage, drive, and possibly a mental health issue. Yet here’s the TwitterPeek — what looks to be the same old Peek you know, love, and probably haven’t purchased, stripped of its email and SMS functionality and re-oriented towards telling the entire world too much about your body and what you’re doing to it every waking moment of the day. Now, to be fair, we’re getting a distinctly strange feeling of phoniness about this whole thing, but there’s already an Amazon listing and a picture of the box has already surfaced on — where else? — Twitter, so this could really be happening. Just think about that for a second. And then tweet about it, of course.

[Via LiveDigitally]

Read – Amazon TwitterPeek listing
Read – Peter Ha’s TwitPic of the box

Continue reading The TwitterPeek is… a Peek for Twitter?

Filed under: Handhelds

The TwitterPeek is… a Peek for Twitter? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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