Hasta La Gadget!

Having only recently marked its return to the handheld computing space with the iPAQ Glisten, HP seems intent on forging ahead with more hardware in the coming year. The above trademark applications — filed in September and October 2009 — mark out some very broad categories, but we can narrow them down a little with the help of some context. Given all the industry excitement over tablet devices, the Zeen could well be the name of a forthcoming slate-shaped machine and accompanying software, while Airlife seems to be planted firmly in the smartphone arena. The moniker suggests a software ecosystem rather than actual hardware, but that would make little sense with just one handset out there; if we were the betting type (and believe us, we aren’t), we’d probably expect to see more mobiles coming from the computing giant in order to take advantage. Of course, companies don’t always follow through on trademark applications, but it sure seems as if HP is casting a wary eye over the burgeoning handheld market (and / or planning to not get left behind in the months ahead).

HP files for ‘Zeen’ and ‘Airlife’ trademarks for handheld devices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Look, let’s not beat around the bushes — Verizon Wireless will one day stock Palm’s Pre. It’s a rather well documented fact, and at this point the only real question is “when?” Judging by a mysterious Wi-Fi Certificate that just popped up, we’re beginning to think that the waiting period is nearly up, and with CES 2010 happening in a week, there’s hardly a better time for us to really start believing. If you’ll recall, Sprint’s Pre snagged a Wi-Fi Certificate number of P100EWW, and just this summer we spotted a few leaked Palm devices within VZW documents with “P101” and “P121” monikers; lo and behold, the certificate for this elusive dual-mode (WiFi and cellular) smartphone boasts a P101EWW label. We aren’t trying to read too deeply between the lines or anything, but if this isn’t a Pre destined for Big Red, we’re eager to know what kind of new mobile Palm has lined up for its presser at CES.

[Thanks, Rehman]

Continue reading Palm smartphone pops up in WiFi certification database: is this Verizon’s Pre?

Palm smartphone pops up in WiFi certification database: is this Verizon’s Pre? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 05:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If the San Francisco Department of the Environment gets its way, starting as soon as next month Bay Area residents might start noticing the radiation levels of cellphones displayed prominently next to their respective price at retail outlets. This is, of course, despite no definitive research that the handsets cause harm and the FCC’s insistence that the devices sold to consumers are safe. The proposal is being endorsed by Mayor Gavin Newsom, who as it’s noted is not about to stop using his iPhone anytime soon. Not to worry, Maine, you’ll still keep the top spot for most ridiculous cellphone warning label.

San Francisco considers displaying phone radiation levels next to price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 02:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When the Omnia II first appeared on our radar, two things caught our attention: TouchWiz 2.0 and Windows Mobile 6.5. To be honest, neither of these items really piqued our interest: we knew what to expect from WinMo and had serious reservations about Samsung’s latest and greatest UI. That said, we were more than willing to suspend judgement until we saw her in action. With bullet points that include a 3.7-inch AMOLED display, 800MHz processor, and 8GB storage (before you even get to your microSD card), one could honestly hold out hope for a pretty decent product. Did the handset make for a satisfying, well-rounded smartphone? Or did it just find new ways of repeating the same old errors? You’ll have to read on to find out.

Continue reading Verizon Samsung Omnia II impressions

Verizon Samsung Omnia II impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The anti-iPhone. The phone that “does.” The first Motorola device that we’ve seen in years that’s downright awe-inspiring. Naturally, we’re referring to the Droid. VZW spent all kinds of money to hype up this Android 2.0 handset as the phone to get if AT&T’s 3G coverage was just too weak for your liking, and it seems to have been at least decently effective. We know the phone had its fair share of quirks right off the bat, but we’re happy to say that most of those nuisances were taken care of via firmware update. Still, we know geeks, and those suckers are never happy. If you were in charge of redesigning this thing, what aspects would you tweak? Is the slide-out QWERTY up to snuff? Is the display crisp enough? Are the transitions snappy enough? Do you wish it was impossible to turn off the “Droid” sound emission each time you received an email? Dish out your hot fury below.

How would you change Motorola’s Droid? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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