Motorola Xoom More Speed Flexibility and Freedom Superbowl Ad

It looks like Motorola is gearing up and starting to promote their new Motorola Xoom tablet which is expected to challenge the Apple iPad once it becomes available and today we are treated to a new Motorola Xoom advert, which we have for you below.

The Motorola Xoom advert called goodbye 1984 comes our way courtesy of Marin Perez over at Intomobile and by way of ShareMoto and delivers one minute of turning the Earth into a red planet depicting the Motorola logo.

In the video Motorola promotes the Xoom tablet’s more speed with a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1080p HD video playback, and upgradeable 4G, more flexibility with Android 3.0 Honeycomb and Adobe Flash Player, 5 megapixel rear camera and 2 megapixel front facing camera, and more freedom and ime to explore.

According to an article over on Gearlog, this new Motorola Xoom ad is the Superbowl advert which for some reason are showing it online right now, and takes a bit of a stab at Apple with those familiar white Apple earbuds.

Anyway all you need do is jump on down and check out the latest Motorola Xoom advert that doesn’t actually show off the Motorola Xoom…enjoy.

iOS Safari Gaining Google Instant Previews

The word is for all you owners of iOS devices out there in Apple land, the Google guys are rolling out their Instant Previews feature to your iOS device, meaning the iPhone, Apple iPad, and iPod Touch one would presume.

According to an article over on 9to5 Mac, Google Instant Previews enables the iOS user to hit the magnifying glass which will pop up a preview of the website you are viewing in Safari and delivers a quick look at the website before loading the page.

Apparently with Instant Previews in iOS Safari the user can flick through the previews of a search query just like flicking through native Safari tabs. However the guys say they aren’t too sure if Google Instant Previews is rolling out to every iOS user yet.

Furthermore apparently Google hasn’t come out with any official announcement of this yet, so this could be a limited roll out for test purposes with a possible full on iOS roll out soon according to Gizmodo.

So keep you eyes open and if you happen to get Instant Previews on your iOS device feel free to shout out in our comments area below.

Cell Phone With Integrated Projector To Go On Sale In Japan

Way back in October 2008, we reported about a cell phone that featured a built-in mini projector. The cell phone was showcased by Japan’s biggest mobile carrier, NTT Docomo, as a prototype. But today, the same carrier announced [JP] that such a spectacular handset will finally go on sale in Japan this Friday.

If you’re an avid MobileCrunch reader, you’ll remember we covered the Sharp SH-06C in November as part of Docomo’s winter line-up of new cell phones.

Since then, Sharp has changed the name (from SH-05C to SH-06) and finalized the spec sheet.

The handset will come with the following features:

DLP projector featuring 9 lumens brightness and 640360 resolution

3.7-inch touchscreen with 480854 resolution

5.1ch Dolby Mobile sound support

5.3MP CMOS camera with AF

OneSeg digital TV tuner

Blu-ray recorder connectivity

microSDHC slot (16GB max)

Bluetooth

GPS

e-wallet function

size: 1195915.7mm

weight: 137g

Apple iPad Losing Ground to Android Tablets

Ah, the never-ending battle betwixt iOS and Android moves from the smartphone battleground today into the tablet theatre of war as more and more Android based tablets come out to play and threaten the dominance of the Apple iPad.

According to an article over on Mashable by way of Business Week, although Android’s tablet only operating system, Android 3.0 Honeycomb isn’t out yet, Android tablets are doing reasonably well in the mobile space according to figures.

Those figures come from market research company Strategy Analytics which say that during Q4 of 2010 Android tablets rose to 22% market share, which equates to virtually a tenfold increase when compared to the previous quarter’s 2.3%.

According to the figures, strong sales of the Samsung Galaxy Tab are the reason for the large jump. As for the Apple iPad, the figures show Apple in the last quarter shifted some 7.3 million iPad units while the tablet accounted for 75% of worldwide shipments in Q4 dropping down from 96% the previous quarter.

Google is holding an event on Wednesday where it is hoped they will release Android 3.0 Honeycomb, which would make Android tablets the main runner against Apple’s iOS tablet. However Apple is also due to release the Apple iPad 2 shortly, so maybe with the arrival of that, Apple may be able to fend off the Android tablet invasion for a while longer.

Of course iOS fanboys will jump to the defence of their favoured platform while the Android faithful will no doubt say that Apple has had its day and it is time to hand over the reigns to Android. But I’m pretty sure both Apple and Android will be around for quite some time vying for the top position.

Angry Birds Ripped Off by Monty Python iOS Game

There’s a new iOS game due out at the end of the month called Monty Pythons Cow Tossing, which is based loosely on Monty Python’s Holy Grail, but if you check out the gameplay footage we have for you below you should notice something quite similar to another highly successful mobile game.

The Monty Python’s Cow Tossing gameplay video comes our way courtesy of Multiplayer Blog, and by way of Zediphone, and once you check out the video you’ll note that the gameplay closely resemble the Angry Birds game.

The difference being that with Monty Python’s Cow Tossing the user tosses animals via a weird looking catapult at English knights that are hiding in constructions rather than Angry Birds launching at green pigs, but basically the premise of the game seem to be a knockoff of the Rovio game.

According to the game blurb on the YouTube page, Monty Python’s Cow Tossing is for the iPhone, Apple iPad and other mobiles and includes 80 levels, 6 types of animal, unlockable movie clips, Game Centre support, catapult upgrades, and power ups when a holy grail shows up.

However, according to Pocket Gamer, Zed the developer of Monty Python’s Cow Tossing for iOS says that the game does have several features that set it apart from its obvious inspiration, Angry Birds.

Having said that, as soon as the gameplay video started I instantly thought of Angry Birds, so basically my personal view is it’s just a rip off of the Angry Birds game with a Monty Python slant. It will be interesting to see what “features” will set it apart from Angry Birds once the game is released.

So if any of our readers happen to download Monty Python’s Cow Tossing at the end of the month feel free to let us know your views on the game and if you feel it’s simply too similar to Rovio’s hugely successful multi-platform game.

Android 2.3 security bug shows microSD access vulnerability

A researcher at North Carolina State University is warning of an Android 2.3 security vulnerability that gives attackers access to your personal information, further proof that Gingerbread isn't all sugar and spice (to be fair, that SMS issue has since been remedied). According to Xuxian Jiang, the bug allows malicious websites to access and upload the contents of a user's microSD card, including voicemails, photos, and online banking information to a remote server. The flaw apparently resembles a similar bug in previous version of Android, thought to have been addressed with Gingerbread. However, as Jiang points out, that fix is easily bypassed. Apart from removing the microSD card, disabling JavaScript, or switching to a third-party browser, Android 2.3 users have little recourse in squashing the bug. The folks at eWeek reported that Google is working on a solution to the problem, but there's no word on when we can expect to see an update.

LG Optimus 2X and Optimus Black priced at €499 by Amazon Germany, not yet available to buy

Amazon's German outlet has started listing LG's two latest and undoubtedly greatest phones: the Optimus 2X (seemingly renamed the Optimus Speed here) and the Optimus Black. Both run Android 2.2 on 4-inch screens, with the former offering a dual-core Tegra 2 processor capable of 1080p video recording and HDMI output, and the latter cranking up the display brightness to a quite unreasonable 700 nits. The Optimus Black also has one of the thinnest profiles on a smartphone of its class at 9.2mm, and will be one of the first phones to offer WiFi Direct connectivity. Intriguingly, Amazon's Optimus Speed / 2X listing also shows a brown color option for the handset, though only its black SKU is subject to a neat €50 discount bringing its price to €499, the same as the cost of the Optimus Black. We don't know when either one will drop, but you can go and reserve yourself one (or a dozen) at the links below.

[Thanks, Julian]

NSN starts O2′s southern network upgrade

Deal follows announcement Siemens will cover operator’s northern operations and means NSN now provides 75 per cent of O2′s network access

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) has begun the modernization process of O2′s network in the south of the UK over the next three years.

The process will expand capacity, coverage and performance using NSN’s ‘Flexi Multiradio’ which allows for a “smooth” evolution from GSM and 3G to LTE.

NSN will also use its Radio Network Controller to upgrade the sites and its ‘Serve at once Traffica’, which monitors service quality continuously.

The deal means that NSN currently provides two-thirds of O2′s 3G access network in the UK.

Earlier this week Siemens announced it would carry out a similar upgrade to O2 sites in the north of the country covering the area from Birmingham upwards.

Nokia Siemens head of customer team for O2 UK and Ireland Rob Stent said: “We are committed to providing our radio equipment to power O2’s great network and increasing coverage and capacity for Telefnica O2 UK,

“Our Flexi Multiradio Base Station is recognized as the market leader. The hardware being delivered now, as well as providing O2 customers with faster data rates and better connectivity, will also allow support for future LTE services with a simple software upgrade.”

O2 UK chief technology officer Nigel Purdy said: NSN fully understands our requirements to fulfil the expectations of our smartphone customers.

“We have a long-standing relationship with the company and based on its past track record, we rely on its expertise in expanding and modernizing our 3G network to deliver the best possible experience to our customers.”

Verizon Wireless Launches VZ Navigator in 3D for DROID

Verizon Wireless today announced VZ Navigator VX – the latest version of the company’s award-winning navigation service – is now available on select DROID smartphones, including DROID X by Motorola, DROID Incredible by HTC and the Samsung Fascinate. Powered by TeleCommunication Systems, VZ Navigator VX is unlike any other navigation service offered today, providing customers with 3D navigation views using enhanced 3D city models and true-to-life images of highway and exit signs.

An evolution of ordinary direction services, the 3D capabilities of VZ Navigator VX are available in six cities at launch, including: Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Mo., New York, and Washington D.C., with more cities being added in 2011. The 3D city and road views add dimension to the turn-by-turn directions VZ Navigator VX offers. Other enhancements in the newest version include “real” signs and road views, satellite maps and day/night modes among other features.

“Verizon Wireless continues to add more to VZ Navigator, and VZ Navigator VX now gives our customers some of the most advanced mapping and navigation services available today,” said Kristi Crum, director, Consumer Solutions for Verizon Wireless.

“Whether they are in a familiar place and need to get around more efficiently or exploring new territory in a car or on foot, customers can turn to VZ Navigator to get them where they want to go.”

VZ Navigator VX builds on existing location-based technology, including an easy-to-use interface, improved functionality for finding points of interest, the ability to run multiple VZ Navigator functions simultaneously within a navigation session and integration with Facebook®.

Customers can download VZ Navigator VX from the Android Market. It is available for $9.99 a month for unlimited access, $4.99 for a weekly usage or $2.99 for a one-day/24-hour use. VZ Navigator VX is available initially on DROID X by Motorola, the Samsung Fascinate and the DROID Incredible by HTC with additional devices rolling out in 2011. Unlike traditional navigation devices that require annual upgrades to remain accurate, the monthly charge includes continuous updates to maps and points of interest. Download charges vary and airtime or megabyte charges may apply when browsing, downloading and using certain applications.

TeleCommunication Systems (TCS), is a leader in location-based technology whose mobile services empower consumers to make quick, smart decisions when they’re on the go. For more information about TCS products and services, visit www.telecomsys.com. 

Verizon Wireless reminds customers that when behind the wheel, safe driving should always be the first priority. For additional information and a full set of terms and conditions for VZ Navigator, visit www.verizonwireless.com/vznavigator. 

White House backs plan to reserve 700MHz 'D Block' for public safety network

Public safety agencies in the US have been pushing for some time to have the so-called 'D Block' portion of the 700MHz wireless spectrum all to themselves, and it looks like they can now officially count on the support of the White House in that effort. The Obama administration announced today that it's backing plans to reserve the airwaves -- estimated to be worth $3 billion if they were auctioned off -- for a new national public safety network, and it also plans to ask Congress to approve the additional spending needed to actually build out the network, which the FCC estimates could cost as much as $15 billion. As The Wall Street Journal notes, the fate of the proposed network is now largely in the hands of House Republicans, who remain divided on the plan -- although some key members have come out in support of it in recent days.

Virgin Mobile Confirms February 1st Launch of Optimus V

Following up on our extensive coverage of the LG Optimus V the past few days, Virgin Mobile has officially confirmed the launch of the Android smartphone for February 1st.

As previously reported, the Optimus V will undercut the cost of the Samsung Intercept and ships with Android 2.2. The phone is currently available at Target locations, with many selling out of stock as more people call and ask for them ahead of its official launch, considering the pricepoint is the lowest price for a prepaid Android smartphone in the US.

The Optimus V is identical to the Sprint version, save for the omission of built-in mobile hotspot support with a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display, 3.2 megapixel camera with video recorder, 512MB RAM/256MB ROM underpinned by the Qualcomm MSM7627 at 600MHz, visual voicemail support, Wi-Fi radio, GPS and microSDHC card slot.

Geolocation app appeals to your inner good samaritan, makes you an amateur EMT

When you go into cardiac arrest, you've got about ten minutes to live if you don't receive medical attention, and the average emergency response time is seven minutes after you dial 911. In an effort to get folks help more quickly and leverage the iPhone's life saving abilities, the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District in California has created the FireDepartment app to enlist the help of the citizenry in fighting the (unfortunate) results of a lifetime of eating tacos. The iPhone app -- Android and BlackBerry versions are currently in the works -- allows emergency dispatchers to notify users via text of a nearby crisis. For those feeling heroic, the app displays a map with the victim's location and any nearby automatic electronic defibrillators, and provides "resuscitation reminders" in case you're the CPR teddy-toting type. For now, the service only works in San Ramon but there are plans to port it for use elsewhere. That means we can look forward to a nation of amateur EMTs, which makes us thankful that mouth-to-mouth is no longer a part of CPR. Check the video after the break to see the app in action.

Samsung posts $1.3 billion telecom profit

Samsung posts record 38 per cent quarterly profit increase in its smartphone division thanks to strong demand for the Galaxy S

South Korean manufacturer Samsung has reported profit of $1.3 billion in its telecom business for Q4 2010 – a 38 per cent increase on the same period in 2009.

The growth was driven by a strong year-end demand for Samsung smartphones which bought quarterly sales of mobile devices to 80.7 million units – a 17 per cent increase year-on-year.

Yearly handset sales reached 280 million units – a 23 per cent increase which Samsung said “outperformed the market”.

The manufacturers flagship device the Samsung Galaxy S shipped a total of 10 million units and its tablet counterpart the Galaxy Tab also shipped strongly but no figures were given.

Despite the strong end of year growth, Samsung said it expected mobile handset sales to dip slightly in Q1 2011 before strong growth returned toward the year end.

It has set 60 million units as its sales target

Samsung vice president and head of investor relations Robert Yi said: “Despite the difficult business environment including reduced IT demand caused by the economic slowdown, we achieved record-high results both in terms of sales and operating profit in 2010.”

FCC grants LightSquared terrestrial-only waiver, puts an end to LTE drama

If you've been following the drama over LightSquared's application to build a wholesale integrated broadband / satellite network, it's time to put away the tissue box and toss out the bonbons. That's right, the FCC finally approved the company's conditional waiver for an ancillary terrestrial component integrated service rule. In other words, the entity gave LightSquared the green light to offer terrestrial-only phones, in addition to satellite service, as long as interference problems are addressed before the company starts building its network. Just two weeks ago, it looked like the FCC might strike down the proposal on a recommendation from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which warned of potential interference on the SMS network with the likes of Department of Defense Communications. LightSquared remained silent during deliberation, but following the FCC's decision, both parties gave a thumbs up to the outcome. Honestly, we could have done with a more heated back and forth, but we'll leave that to the professionals. What time is Bridalplasty on again?

Show full PR text

LightSquared Statement on the Federal Communications Commission Conditional Waiver of the Ancillary Terrestrial Component (ATC) Integrated Service Rule

RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LightSquared, the nation's first wholesale-only integrated wireless broadband and satellite network, issues the following statement on the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Conditional Waiver of the Ancillary Terrestrial Component (ATC) Integrated Service Rule:

LightSquared is pleased with the Federal Communication Commission's grant of its request to allow its wholesale customers to provide either dual-mode or terrestrial-only devices as part of an integrated satellite-terrestrial broadband service. LightSquared's network will provide a robust, open-access network that will permit reliable and affordable service to customers across the country in every market segment. The FCC's grant of this application is an essential building block for our network as we build out to meet the rigorous construction timetable that the Commission has made a condition of our authorization and reaffirmed in today's grant of our request.

To assure that its rollout of full commercial service will satisfy the concerns about the possibility of inadvertent harmful interference to certain GPS devices, LightSquared pledges a diligent effort to work with all interested parties in an open and comprehensive process to address those concerns.

IDC: ZTE takes fourth in global cellphone rankings, leapfrogs Apple and knocks RIM out of top 5

You like numbers? Good, because it's the season and amid all these lovely financial reports we've been hitting there are some broader trends to look at. IDC has released its mobile phone report for 2010 and has concluded that, worldwide, the industry grew 18.5 percent over 2009, shipping a massive 1.39 billion units. That's nice and all, but check out this bit about ZTE. The manufacturer boosted its annual shipments by 94 percent, stealing Apple's recently-won fourth place position globally and, in doing so, knocking RIM straight into the dreaded "others" category. Can RIM make it back? Will Apple recover? Will Siobhan and Lucky ever reconcile their differences? Tune in next quarter to find out.

Verizon offering BlackBerry 6 upgrades for Bold 9650 and Curve 3G tonight

RIM and its partner carriers have been promising BlackBerry 6 updates for a number of recent models, and Verizon's getting a couple of the heavyweights out of the way today with the introduction of official upgrade packages for the Bold 9650 and Curve 3G 9330. In addition to universal search and an overall streamlined UI, one of the most important improvements here is the addition of RIM's WebKit-based browser that makes hitting your favorite pages moderately less painful than before. Look for the update to become available at 8:00PM Eastern this evening, both online (see the Source links for instructions) and over-the-air.

Motorola will enable Atrix 4G's 1080p video recording in post-launch software update

The software on Motorola's upcoming Atrix 4G has already been subject to some stern (and premature) scrutiny, but here's some rather more concrete information about it, courtesy of the company's own spec page for the device. As it turns out, Moto intends to launch the Atrix with some of its hardware capabilities clipped -- specifically its Tegra 2-derived power to encode 1080p content -- but will deliver them to users in an update (hopefully soon) thereafter. LG's Optimus 2X, which is built around the same dual-core chip from NVIDIA, has been spending its time before launch showing off exactly what those 1080p encoding skills can deliver -- both with video recording and through its HDMI connection -- so it'll be a downer for Moto fans to learn that their hallowed new superphone won't be able to match up at launch. Then again, when we think about how often phone makers fail to tap the full potential of their hardware, maybe we should just be happy that 1080p abilities are coming to the Atrix at all, eh?

[Thanks, Mr. techcrunch]

NGP aka Sony PSP2 and Apple Gaming Saga

Sony has just announced its new gaming device called the NGP aka PSP2 and it looks like they are going to take on the likes of Apple and its iOS platform.

Sony is gearing up to take on iOS with its new PlayStation Portable, Android game store. Sony will be releasing its new PlayStation Suite game store that will be available on Google’s Android mobile operating system and this is already big.

We reported earlier covering the PSP2 specs etc that features all the PlayStation goodness and more, the announcement was made at a media event in Tokyo Thursday and Engadget was there reporting the news, the device will release late 2011.

Not only is this going to be a gaming device it will also be a social connectivity haven for networkers, Converging Real and Virtual (augmented) Reality and Location-based Entertainment according to Apple Insider. This source also has great details about Sony vs. Apple that we suggest you reading, here is a quick break down.

The PSP2 main features include GPS, 3G, WiFi, 5-inch touchscreen OLED display (resolution of 960 pixels by 544 pixels), dual analog sticks, front and rear touchpads, front and rear cameras, and motion sensors and electronic compass. The bit we like is the quad-core ARM Cortex A9 CPU.

Sony put the gaming device into action showing titles such as Little Big Planet, Killzone, Resistance and Uncharted and the cool rear touchpad. Tim Sweeney, Epic Games founder showed off Unreal Engine 3 on the NGP and that looked awesome. So can Sony beat the likes of Apple?

Sony is going to partner up with Google Android and we know they are rivals of Apple’s iOS; two big names joining hands can only mean annoyance via Apple. More and more users of smartphones play games on their handsets so it stands to reason to have a joint venture with a mobile operating system platform.

There were rumours of Apple buying Sony last year but guess that idea fell through, According to Reuters Sony is struggling and expecting a fall in profits leaving Apple in a very good position to dominate.

Can Sony beat the likes of Apple? Please do post all your comments below.

Deutsche Bank ditches BlackBerry for iPhone, Apple puts chink in RIM's enterprise armor

For years, suit-and-tie circles have bowed to BlackBerry as the king of corporate communication, but iOS has been creeping in on enterprise territory, calling into question RIM's sovereignty in the boardroom. The folks at Deutsche Bank Equity Research struck the most recent blow to RIM's enterprise dominance with the announcement that they'll buck BlackBerry for iPhone, following a trial using Good Technology's secure email app. The company tested the app in conjunction with Microsoft Exchange Server, delivering AES 192-encrypted email and calendar data to employees, and, according to the firm's research analyst, the iPhone proved an easier and faster solution to BlackBerry. Last summer, AT&T announced that 40 percent of iPhone sales are enterprise, and we just reported on RIM's possible move to devices beyond the BlackBerry. We're not saying it's off to the guillotine with the old standard bearer, but it definitely looks like there are new contenders for the enterprise crown.

Editorial: bugs on unreleased phones don't matter

There's a story going around today about an alleged problem in the power management unit affecting Motorola's first two dual-core smartphones -- AT&T's Atrix 4G and Verizon's Droid Bionic -- that leads to a hodgepodge of issues: overheating, weird RF fluctuation, the list goes on. Sounds like a tragedy in the making, doesn't it? Worst yet, the PMU problem is said to be a "major unfixable flaw that will plaque [sic] it forever." Bummer!

But let's back up and consider the facts here. First, as best we can tell, the sources are two posters in a HowardForums thread, one of which doesn't even have the information firsthand -- he was allegedly given the news "by someone who is testing the devices." Furthermore, there's really no such thing as an "unfixable" bug; you might need to peel away several layers of software and hardware to fix an issue depending on how fundamental the flaw turns out to be, but engineers have proven time and time again that "unfixable" isn't really in their vocabulary (white paint aside, of course).

None of this really matters, though. The problem -- the reason we're not reporting this as a straight rumor -- is because bugs on unreleased phones, whether they turn out to be real or not, don't matter. This device isn't in your hands, and the manufacturer doesn't intend to let it ship with a fundamental flaw that makes the phone unusable. This holds particularly true for Motorola Mobility, a company that just won its independence and is still in the throes of trying to claw its way back into the big leagues after years of mismanagement -- the Atrix 4G and Droid Bionic are Big Deals for Moto, and the company undoubtedly intends to get them right. Or, at the very least, right "enough" to make you want them.

My frustration is intensified by the fact that neither of these phones have announced ship dates, so -- again, assuming this problem is even real and needs to be solved -- there's not even anything to slip yet! This is why manufacturers and carriers give launch windows measured in quarters, halves or seasons of the year: things are fluid. It depends on how testing goes. There are many, many pieces in the puzzle to get a marvel of modern engineering like a cellphone to ship, and each of those pieces has some wiggle room.

My point? Let's give Motorola (and everyone else) a break. If this was leading to a missed launch date, sure, it'd absolutely be news. If Motorola said "sorry guys, there's a fundamental flaw in these devices and we can't ship them," then yes, we'd be all over it. But a rumor of a bug in a device that Motorola knows isn't ready for consumers -- and has no material effect on any official launch date -- simply doesn't matter.

T-Mobile Sidekick 4G in the wild, made by Samsung?

If these first in-the-wild shots of T-Mobile's upcoming Android-powered Sidekick 4G turn out to be legit -- and we've no reason to doubt them, especially considering TmoNews' track record -- then we'd say the carrier has done a reasonably good job porting the classic Sidekick design and pulling it into the modern age off the strength of a big display... and, of course, a modern operating system. Interestingly, word on the street is that the new model is made by Samsung, not Sharp; historically, Sharp has made all of the Sidekicks with the exception of the forgettable Slide, which was a Motorola one-off. Looks like the swivel display has been replaced by a tilt-slide, but most importantly, the device looks the same when open and closed, which should put a warm, fuzzy feeling in the hearts of old-school Sidekick users. Who's excited?

Port Your Mobile Number to Google Voice

 

Google today announced that Number Porting is now available for all existing Google Voice users allowing them to make their mobile number they've always used their Google Voice number, so it can ring any phone you want—or even your computer.  (See video above).

 

To activate Number Porting, log in to your Google Voice account, visit the Settings page and click on “Change / Port” next to your Google Voice number.

Porting your number to Google Voice costs $20 and is usually completed within 24 hours. You may incur additional charges, including early termination fees, from your wireless carrier. Contact your carrier to get more details about the charges applicable to you.

After porting your number to Google Voice your mobile service plan will be cancelled, and there are a couple of steps that you’ll have to take to continue making and receiving calls on your mobile device. For more detailed instructions on how Number Porting works and to find tips for making the process as smooth as possible, visit the Google Voice Help Center.

Number Porting is currently available for existing Google Voice users and will become available to new users within the next few weeks, and at this time, Google Voice is available in the U.S. only

HTC Thunderbolt Accessories Rolling Into Best Buy Feb 19th — Thunderbolt to launch shortly thereafter?

Verizon’s still being pretty hush-hush about when they’ll be launching the HTC Thunderbolt, outside of the totally non-specific “sometime in the first half of the year” window they gave us at CES. While it’s by no means concrete, the above listing for some Thunderbolt accessories pulled from Best Buy’s inventory system (as obtained by DroidLife) might narrow that window a bit.

According to the inventory, the Thunderbolt accessories should start rolling in around February 19th. Accessories have a tendency of showing up a bit before the actual handsets, but not by too much. The rumor mill’s currently pinning the Thunderbolt launch at the end of February — throw this evidence in, and that’s looking more likely than ever. In the mean time, check out our video demo of the Thunderbolt here.

Recycler Redeem in management buyout

Scottish recycler Redeem acquired in management buyout from original founders for undisclosed fee

Mobile phone recycler Redeem has been acquired from the organisation’s founders, Jamie Rae and David McCabe, by an incoming management team.

The management buy-in has been led by Curt Hopkins, formerly managing director of Vodafone Business Services, and Pete Petrondas, former chief executive of Eazyfone and Envirofone.

They have assumed the roles of chief executive officer and chief operating officer respectively.

Hopkins and Petrondas have invested in the acquisition of Redeem with backing from private equity investor Trevor Bayley, a founding partners of HgCapital.

Bayley becomes chairman.

Hopkins said: “Redeem is well positioned as a leading recycler of consumer electronics and print cartridges and it is a privilege to acquire such a strong and fast growing business in an expanding marketplace. Our aim is to create Europe’s leading value recycler with the vision of making corporate social responsibility easy.”

Petrondas said: “We are delighted to complete the acquisition and look forward to building on the value Jamie Rae and David McCabe have created since founding the business in 1999.

“We are pleased to have Trevor Bayley as our financial partner. He supports our strategy, understands the sector and is committed to helping us achieve Redeem’s substantial growth potential – both organically and through further acquisitions.”

Rae said:  “The business has achieved significant success in terms of growth and its commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

“The wealth of knowledge and experience Curt and Pete bring will allow them to drive the business to achieve its ambition to be Europe’s leading value recycler.”

Redeem, established in 1999, will retain its headquarters in Falkirk.

It works with operators and retailers in the UK and Ireland, including O2 and Boots.

Super Friends! Social Discussions iOS App Released

Own an iOS device and enjoy some social networking well the Super Friends! iOS app enables the user to make new friends or start a discussion with their old friends or even just make fun of those friends.

The Super Friends! app for iPhone, iPod Touch and Apple iPad is a casual game that enables the user to ansewer in excess of 400 questions about their friends and takes social discussion “to the next level” by enabling the user to import friends from their address book contact and or Facebook.

Apparently Super Friends! for iOS devices unlike standard Facebook questioning apps, provides more advanced features and sharing capabilities and allows the sharing of their answers by posting them to their friends facebook walls or by Twitter or SMS.

The lead creative of Mention Mobile who created Super Friends!, Don Okuda, says…“Our number one priority with Super Friends! was to keep it simple. Although it may not seem like it, the development process of Super Friends! was a bit complex. Now that we have a solid foundation, updates will come frequently.”

Super Friends! For the iPhone, iPod Touch and Apple iPad running iOS 4.1 or above is available to download to your chosen iOS device at a cost of $0.99 by hitting up iTunes.

Ericsson begins O2 northern network upgrade

Ericsson will upgrade O2′s northern infrastructure over three years, increasing coverage and data capacity and preparing for LTE implementation

Ericsson has started a “substantial” network modernisation project for O2 in the north of the UK.

The project will provide the operator’s customers with greater coverage, voice and data capacity.

The network will initially be used to provide 3G capability and support HSPA download speeds of up to 42Mbps but will be fully prepared for LTE introduction and other future developments.

The operation which will cover the area north of Birmingham, will take three years to complete and is designed to handle “significant” growth in smartphones.

There was no comment on how much the deal is worth.

Ericsson will solely deploy “state of the art” multi standard base stations and provide core network infrastructure including a high capacity ‘Mobile Switch’ solution using blade technology.

Blade technology delivers a smaller footprint, high availability, high capacity solution for the core network. It is also environmentally friendly and power efficient.

O2 UK chief technology officer Nigel Purdy said: “The modernised core network will be capable of greater capacity at a reduced operational cost, allowing for site consolidation through a smaller footprint.

“Our nationwide investment programme is centred on providing a better experience for our customers today and will set us on the road to building a ‘smarter’ future for tomorrow.

“We pride ourselves on being the UK’s home of the smartphone, pioneering the explosion in mobile data, and we focus on provisioning our network accordingly.”

Ericsson president of west and central Europe said: “With the ever increasing demands on networks from mobile broadband applications and the UK’s love of smartphones, O2’s network modernisation really addresses the needs of their customers both immediately and into the future, with the ability to deliver continuing improvements to support the customer experience.”

Nokia Siemens Networks is currently responsible for O2′s base networks in the south of the country but there was no confirmation from O2 whether a similar contract had been granted in the region.

Need to check out that mole on your arm? Just buy this $1,500 iPhone case

You’ve got a funky mole growing on your arm, but you’re too lazy to go get it checked out by a Doctor? Don’t be silly. Go to the Doctor. Funky moles can kill you dead.

You’ve got a funky mole long diagnosed as harmless, and you want to get up-close-and-personal with it? Oh, and you’ve got fifteen hundred bucks and an iPhone? Perfect. Check out the handyscope, a plug-and-play conversion case for the iPhone 4 that turns Cupertino’s finest into an on-the-go dermascope. Just like you always wanted!

[Source: MedGadget via Engadget]

Sony reveals PlayStation Suite, the PlayStation experience for

Sony just dropped a bomb on the Japanese stage -- not a single PlayStation Phone, but a PlayStation Phone experience for everybody. The company just announced a cross-platform software framework called PlayStation Suite, which emulates first-generation PSP titles across a wide variety of devices. Sony's calling it a "hardware-neutral" development framework to bring games to mobile devices, complete with touchscreen controls if you don't have a pop-out gamepad handy, and as part and parcel of this mobile agenda, it's bringing a PlayStation Store to Android devices.

Developing...

Sony reveals PlayStation Suite

Microsoft: 'over 2 million' Windows Phone 7 licenses sold to manufacturers so far

Microsoft just dropped a few tidbits of knowledge on us regarding Windows Phone 7's performance in the marketplace so far. Here's what we've got:

'Early research' says 93 percent of WP7 customers are 'satisfied' and 90 percent would recommend the platform to others. We don't know details about the research, though -- number of customers polled, time frame, so on.

Average of 100 new apps in the Marketplace per day, and over 6,500 total are available right now.

Most importantly, "over 2 million" licenses have been sold to OEMs around the world.

What does that tell us? Well, let's get the elephant in the room out of the way: the iPhone 4 sold 3 million units in a little under a month after its launch, so Microsoft clearly has plenty of room to catch up -- but that comes as no surprise to us, analysts, or Microsoft itself. Furthermore, selling a license to an OEM isn't the same as selling a phone to a customer, since many of these manufactured devices are sitting on store shelves; it's unclear exactly how many WP7 devices are actually in users' pockets right now, but the number is certainly less than "over 2 million."

Microsoft's earnings call is tomorrow where we expect to get more detail on the platform's performance, but the company is saying today that it sees plenty of reasons to be "bullish about the foundation for long-term success" here -- and considering that they simply can't afford to fail in the mobile game, we hope they're right.

LG had a pretty bad quarter, financially

Wowza. After the news that LG was pushing Optimus Ones off the shelf at a rate of around a million handsets per month, I sort of just assumed they were having a good quarter, financially.

Not so much, it turns out. In fact, Q4 was pretty much their worst quarter in recent history.

As a whole, LG’s mobile communications division posted a Q4 loss of $245 million dollars — of that, the handset group made up a loss of $234 million. While they managed to get 30.6 million handsets out the door, handset sales were still down over 15% from Q4 of last year.

It makes some sense; LG’s biggest successes lately have mostly been lower-end, wallet-friendly smartphones. Things like that can’t have huge profit margins. Lets hope their shiny, high end toys coming later this year, like the Optimus 2X and Optimus 3D, can swing’em back into the positive.

Oh, and here’s a fun fact: Can you guess where LG sells the most handsets? Hint: It’s not Korea, China, Japan, or anywhere else in Asia. You ready? Coming in at 32% of LG’s handset sales: it’s North America!

Android Apps: Charge Anywhere Payment Upgraded

For Android smartphone users who enjoy being able to pay for goods whilst on the go you might like to know that an upgraded version of the Charge Anywhere payment app for Android has been released to the Android Market.

According to an article over on Mobiletor, the Charge Anywhere mobile payment app for Android aside from credit card payment also empowers the user to make cash and cheque transactions along with ACH payments.

The president and CEO of Charge Anywhere, Paul Sabella, said…“Charge Anywhere is excited to participate in the explosive growth of the Android Market and business interest in Mobile Payments. Businessowners can download our mobile payment app for Android smartphones and for Android tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy and start to grow their business anywhere, anytime.”

According to AppBrain this latest version of Charge Anywhere is version 2.0.0.3 for all Android devices although a credit card account may be required.

Users can combine mobile payment transactions with other Charge Anywhere solutions to gain a higher level of integration with several accounting applications like QuickBooks. The Charge Anywhere mobile payment app for Android can now be downloaded from the Android Market as a free download.

We have a short demo video for the Charge Anywhere mobile payment app for your viewing pleasure below courtesy of CHARGEAnywhereMKTG …enjoy.

Verizon ramps up trade-in, upgrade programs in advance of iPhone 4 launch

Not exactly a huge surprise here, but it looks like Verizon will be doing everything it can to pair folks with a new iPhone 4 when it launches on the carrier next month, even if they've just purchased a new phone on Verizon or another carrier. During an investor meeting this week, Verizon CFO Fran Shammo revealed that the carrier will be using its existing trade-in program (which launched in October) to lure would-be customers, with a Verizon rep further detailing that it will be "more actively" promoting the plan in the lead up to the iPhone 4 launch -- under that program, a 16GB iPhone 4 from AT&T will net you a $212 credit. In addition to that, Verizon is also rolling out a new "Special Upgrade Offer" that will let existing customers trade in a phone they've recently purchased for a Visa debit card ($200 for a smartphone trade-in, or $75 for a feature phone). Only those that have purchased a phone between November 26th, 2010 and January 10th, 2011 will be eligible, though, and you won't exactly get that cash right away -- you'll first have to first buy and activate your iPhone 4 at the full retail price, send in your trade-in phone within 30 days of activation, and then wait four to six weeks to receive the debit card.

Amazon UK Shopping App for Android Released

For all you Android smartphone users out there that enjoy a bit of shopping from your handset there’s a new app available from the Android Market and it is from Amazon for UK Android users, and simply called Amazon UK.

Amazon UK for Android enables the user to shop fast and conveniently for loads of products on Amazo.co.uk along with thousands of Marketplace sellers and features barcode scanning vie your smartphone camera.

The Vice President of EU Retail at Amazon, Greg Greeley says, “Customers in the UK have been requesting an Amazon shopping application on their Android devices and we are thrilled to bring them the Amazon App for Android.”

With the new Amazon app for Android UK users can use their existing Amazon.co.uk account for gaining access to shopping features such as tracking packages, althering orders, purchase via Amazon 1-Click ordering, compare prices across multiple sellers, get personal recommendations, view reviews and access their Wish List.

The Amazon app for Android is available for UK customers to download from the Android Market as a free download and is for all Android devices.

My BlackBerry Is Not Working

Is your BlackBerry causing a fuss? The BBC’s Ronnie Corbett and Harry Enfield have got you covered.

O2 offers free Wi-Fi for all

O2 is to launch a new “market changing” Wi-Fi business to offer free internet  to customers of all networks through selected partners

O2 has created a new standalone business, O2 Wi-Fi, which will offer free Wi-Fi services to customers on all networks in selected business areas across the UK.

The operator said it will establish partnerships with multiple UK retailers and restaurants who will use Wi-Fi hotspots to target customers with promotions and  offers in addition to offering “fast” access data services on their device.

It said the O2 Wi-Fi needed to be available customers on all networks to be viable for partners and described it as the the next step in Wi-Fi evolution.

O2 will roll out more than 15,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the UK by 2013, double the current number offered by BT Openzone and the Cloud combined. O2 will begin the roll out across its 450 retail stores in February.

Customers can access the Wi-Fi through their enabled device after a one-off sign in.

Newly appointed O2 Wi-Fi managing director Gavin Franks described the current Wi-Fi hotspot market as “stagnant” and the time to strike is now as businesses are looking to use Wi-Fi to attract customers and the number of smartphones has exploded.

Franks said: “This is an entirely new business unit, a standalone business within the organisation, and not just another service being put out there. What we are doing will transform the market in terms of Wi-Fi.”

O2 business development director Tim Sefton added: “We have pioneered the explosion of mobile data over the last three years and know better than anyone where people are accessing data. O2 Wi-Fi hotspots will bring high quality public Wi-Fi access to the majority of mobile users.

“Only 20 per cent of people who have access to free public Wi-Fi on O2 tariffs actively use it despite the majority of devices being Wi-Fi enabled. We know Wi-Fi as a technology has great potential and can be a very fast service.”

Google Voice Expands Number Porting to All Current Users

Following up on last week’s report, Google has officially enabled inbound number porting to the service for existing users, with new users that register from today onward receiving the option in the next few weeks.

As previously reported, Google will charge users that wish to port a desired number into the service $20 for the privilege via Google Checkout with the user responsible for any early termination fees that result from the port. According to Google, the process takes about 24 hours

Android And iOS: IRS Releases IRS2Go Apps

For those iOS and Android users that may need a little help with their tax, the IRS has release two new applications, one for the iPhone and the other for the Android platform called IRS2Go, with both apps available as of right now.

According to an article over on Daily Finance by Douglas McIntyre, Doug Shulman, the commissioner of the IRS said…”This new smart phone app reflects our commitment to modernizing the agency and engaging taxpayers where they want, when they want it.”

Whether you use an Android device or the iPhone both apps are the same and delivers the ability for users to check the status of their refund, grab IRS Twitter feeds, and sign up for helpful tax tips.

IRS2Go for iOS is for the iPhone, iPod Touch and Apple iPad running iOS 3.0 and above and is available from iTunes, while IRS2Go for Android is for Android devices running Android 2.1 or above and available from the Android Market, with both apps being a free download.

LG Optimus 3D Leaks Out Via Retailer Ahead Of Mobile World Congress

Whoops.

February has to be one of the most frustrating months of the year for phone manufacturers. With Mobile World Congress going down in Barcelona on February 14th, just about anyone who’s anyone in the hardware world (besides Apple, but you know, they kind of do their own thing) launches a phone or two. Phones they’ve kept secret for months. All the while, they’re working behind the scenes with retailers to get their hottest new gear on the shelves ASAP without anyone finding out early.

Every year, someone screws something up. Be it to inflate pageviews or an honest accident, one of the retailers always seems to leak a handset or two. The first pre-Mobile World Congress retailer leak of the year: The LG Optimus 3D.

Word of the LG Optimus 3D comes from Netherlandish retailer ThePhoneHouse (the page was here, but has since been pulled.) On the upside, the leak wasn’t nearly as bad as it could’ve been; no specs were revealed, and the picture used appears to be a placeholder (that’s the Optimus One). In other words, it’s just the name.

Oh, but how much we can learn from a name. “Optimus 3D”? Given the glasses-less 3D trend we saw starting at CES this year, I think we can figure out where LG is going with this one.

[Source: AllAboutPhones via AndroidCommunity]

HP Files for 3 New Tablet Trademarks

Obviously when it comes to the tablet game, HP isn’t going to be left out in the cold and wants to make sure they get a piece of the action, and as such apparently HP has now filed for three new trademarks all presumably judging by the name, for tablets.

According to an article over on Ubergizmo and by way of Pocket Now, HP has files with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the “HP Touchslate,” HP Touchcanvas,” and “HP Duopad,” following on from last weeks “HP Touchpad” and previous “PalmPad.”

So either HP can’t make up their mine on what to call their latest tablet device or there could be 5 new tablets devices coming out of the HP camp.

Of course with their webOS 2.0 event just round the corner on February the 9th we could well see several new tablets being unveiled by HP.

So any of the above trademarks take your fancy and attract you towards an HP tablet? That HP Touchcanvas sounds rather interesting don’t you think.

Verizon profits nearly double, but miss Wall Street expectations

Verizon's quarterly report is in, and profits are nearly twice what they were this time last year: $4.65 billion compared to $2.37 billion a year ago. Additionally, VZW added 872,000 customers, a fair bit more than the 646,000 it was expected to gain. Great news, right? Not if you're a Wall Street analyst, who wanted to see earnings per share of 55 cents. The actual figure was 54 cents, and so down Verizon's shares go, a 1.3 percent drop so far. Nothing particularly shocking there, but this is the last quarterly report the company will have before VZW adds the iPhone to its stable, so we'll be very curious to see what these numbers look like three months from now.

Azzurri awarded 5m UC contract with OCS

Three-year deal will see managed service provider supply and manage a unified communications solution for OCS and its 30,000 staff

Azzurri Communications has been awarded a 5 million three year contract by facilities services and strategic outsourcing company OCS for the design, implementation and management of a unified communications solution for its 30,000 staff.

The solution will support OCS’s drive for productivity and innovation based on flexible, collaborative working, according to the managed service provider.

It will integrate OCS’ existing data networks (wide area networks and local area networks) with a centralised and hosted VoIP network, replacing older PBX technology. Azzurri Communications added new converged mobile and fixed devices will provide users with feature-rich standardised functionality and connectivity anytime, anywhere.

The O2 ‘strategic’ partner claimed the new contract will also enable OCS to reduce its communications spend by over 30 per cent over the next three years, whilst continuing to refresh its technology platform through harnessing new technology. It said the new integrated and unified platform will allow the firm to provide significantly improved services to its customers through service innovation and workforce productivity.

It said this is because the solution is the first of a new breed of unified communications solutions to be deployed in the UK which federates the services of a number of previously conflicting vendors and carriers to deliver a fully managed solution.

The managed service provider added it will use its cloud platform to bring together multiple suppliers of MPLS, Ethernet, SIP and DSL services, combined with mobility from O2 and hosted VoIP capabilities from Avaya.

Azzurri Communications director of mobility and converged solutions Martin Flick (pictured) said: “OCS wanted a partner who could match their ambitions and we’re delighted to be working with them on this ground-breaking project. Our 11 years of experience as an independent provider of all of the core communications disciplines gives us a significant advantage over newer entrants into the converged telecoms market.

“Our ethos to align to the customer requirement in the first instance, rather than be tied to a particular technology or carrier, allowed us to meet the challenges OCS posed with an open mind. Once the concept had been developed, it was then down to us to select the best of breed suppliers to partner with, to deliver OCS an innovative solution and ongoing service that will be far more valuable than the sum of its parts.”

OCS ICT director Jenny Sener said: “We really challenged the market with our requirement for a transformational communication infrastructure. Our vision is to take advantage of paradigm shifts in technology to gain an edge in a highly competitive sector. We have chosen Azzurri to help us achieve our roadmap for innovation, productivity and cost reduction to support improved customer services. We believe that a consolidated, managed platform delivered by one primary supplier provides the leverage for delivering economies of scale for major UC implementations.”

Report says that Sony Ericsson has Windows Phone 7 devices “in the pipeline”

A report from Digitimes today has stated that Sony Ericsson have Windows Phone 7 devices “in the pipeline.”

Sony Ericsson have previously said that Windows Phone 7 has “remained on their roadmap”, but, to date, we’ve seen nothing of any WinPho devices from ol’ ess eee.

However, with Sony Ericsson’s market share continuing to decrease, it seems that they may now be taking WP7 a little more seriously.

These are early days, so don’t expect any information on specific devices or hardware specs to leak out for a little while yet.

So, are you excited for a Sony Ericsson Windows Phone 7 handset? Are there any little bits of Sony magic that you would like to see included? Let me know in the comments.

[via BGR]

HTC Merge/Lexicon appears with Alltell branding

We’ve not heard a peep from the HTC Merge (formally Lexicon) in some time now, and it was notably absent from CES this year, causing a few people to think that it might have been axed.

However, a new image of the device infers that maybe the device isn’t destined to fade away, but, rather, make an appaerance on regional carrier Alltell.

Of course, the only branding in the leaked image is on a homescreen wallpaper, which is hardly concrete (or even mudbrick) evidence, but it’s still worth noting, as we’ve not seen a Verizon related leak about the device in quite a while.

Back in November, we heard that it had been delayed until Q1 this year, in order to fit an LTE radio, so we’ll soon see if those rumours pan out, or if the device really did get the axe from Verizon.

Droid Life sourced the image, and also note that Alltell may also be getting the DROID X. It’s great to see some stellar phones are making it out to the regional carriers.

[via Into Mobile]

Google Launches Cloud Print Apps for iOS and Android

Following its first announcement last year as part of Chrome OS along with intergration with Gmail and Google Docs, Google has launched the first app for its Google Cloud Print service for iOS and Android.

Unlike Apple’s competing AirPrint protocol, which requires the printer and computer to be on the same network as well as a compatible printer, Google Cloud Print allows documents to be printed on any printer over any network.

The service itself will be rolled out this week as a beta supporting Google Docs and GMail as well as select filetypes. Initial printer configuration requires Windows for the time being with Mac OS X and Linux printer configuration support being rolled out soon.

Ding! The White iPhone 4 Shows Up In AT&T’s Inventory

Would-be White iPhone 4 owners, resume your position on the edge of your seat. Following last week’s appearance of a white iPhone 4 in Best Buy’s inventory system, the most mythical handset of the smartphone world (It’s like Big Foot and the Lochness Monster pooled their money to build a phone designed by a Unicorn) has just appeared in yet another database — but this time, it’s AT&T’s.

The database shows two separate entries: one for a white 32 GB model, and one for a white 16 GB model. Alas, there’s no date mentioned — but if that Best Buy listing holds true, the white iPhone 4 might finally debut around the end of February. “The end of February”, of course, being just a few months before the iPhone 5 is almost certainly going to be announced.

[Via BGR]

Microsoft meets with WP7 Jailbreak team. Hugs ensue.

In a move that will surely only help move more Windows Phone 7 handsets, Microsoft have met with the team behind the WP7 Jailbreak, Chevron, and the results appear to be positive.

Writing on their blog yesterday, Rafael Rivera, Chris Walsh, and Long Zheng have revealed what they can (outside of the NDA they voluntarily signed) about the 2 days of meetings, and are “genuinely excited” about what lays in store for the platform.

They are now working “with Microsoft towards long-term solutions that support mutual goals of broadening access to the platform while protecting intellectual property and ensuring platform security.”

As a nice bonus, the three of them were given non-production ASUS E600 development devices, on which to weave their magic.

Note that, while a future WP7 update will fix the bug that allowed the ChevronWP7 unlocker tool to work — and thus render it useless — the guys are collaborating with Microsoft to create an “interim solution that will continue to support homebrew developments after the update.”

In short, Microsoft are doing their best to support both the interests of IP holders, and the interests of the homebrew community.

This approach seems to be paying off, too, with multi-platform hacker Geohot going out and buying a Windows Phone 7 handset. Or, at least he would have, had the head of WP7 development, Brandon Wilson, not offered him a free one.

[via Redmond Pie]

Microsoft meets with WP7 Jailbreak team. Hugs ensue.

In a move that will surely only help move more Windows Phone 7 handsets, Microsoft have met with the team behind the WP7 Jailbreak, Chevron, and the results appear to be positive.

Writing on their blog yesterday, Rafael Rivera, Chris Walsh, and Long Zheng have revealed what they can (outside of the NDA they voluntarily signed) about the 2 days of meetings, and are “genuinely excited” about what lays in store for the platform.

They are now working “with Microsoft towards long-term solutions that support mutual goals of broadening access to the platform while protecting intellectual property and ensuring platform security.”

As a nice bonus, the three of them were given non-production ASUS E600 development devices, on which to weave their magic.

Note that, while a future WP7 update will fix the bug that allowed the ChevronWP7 unlocker tool to work — and thus render it useless — the guys are collaborating with Microsoft to create an “interim solution that will continue to support homebrew developments after the update.”

In short, Microsoft are doing their best to support both the interests of IP holders, and the interests of the homebrew community.

This approach seems to be paying off, too, with multi-platform hacker Geohot going out and buying a Windows Phone 7 handset. Or, at least he would have, had the head of WP7 development, Brandon Wilson, not offered him a free one.

[via Redmond Pie]

Best Buy to Exclusively Carry HTC Thunderbolt In Lieu of Verizon iPhone Sales

According to a report, Best Buy has secured the exclusive retail sales rights to Verizon’s forthcoming HTC Thunderbolt LTE smartphone as a consequence of being unable to sell the Verizon iPhone due its current agreement to sell the AT&T version and the retailer’s decision to push Verizon’s LTE network.

The HTC Thunderbolt will be one of the first LTE smartphones on Verizon when it is launched in late February, with employees instructed to guide customers looking for the Verizon iPhone to either the Thunderbolt as an alternative or the AT&T version.

Announced during CES at Verizon’s press conference, the Thunderbolt is the dual-mode CDMA/LTE variant of the Desire HD with a 4.3 inch WVGA resolution capacitive touch display, Snapdragon processor, Android 2.2, front facing camera, 8GB of flash memory with 768MB RAM, 32GB bundled microSD card, Wi-Fi N radio, Bluetooth with stereo audio support, dual microphones with noise cancellation support, Dolby Surround audio, compass, accelerometer, proximity sensor, Light sensor, 3.5mm headphone jack and FM radio along with an 8.0 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash.

AT&T offering free MicroCells to top 7.5 percent of customers 'likely to experience poor in-building coverage'

We've known that AT&T has been test-marketing free 3G MicroCells to subscribers with particularly awful reception in certain parts of the country since the product launched last year, but as of January 23rd, they're codifying the offer and taking it nationwide. Bottom line: the "top 7.5 percent of 3G wireless customers identified as likely to experience poor in-building coverage at home or in small offices" will be receiving some snail mail with a discount code; bring it into an AT&T store and you'll be offered a gratis MicroCell. There's a catch, though -- you need to agree to a one-year contract on the unit (separate from your normal account contract), so if you cancel service within that year, you need to either return the MicroCell or get charged $199.99 minus $16.67 per month that you've had it. Of course, that lines up with the newly-increased MicroCell price that the carrier is instituting starting this Sunday. Considering that AT&T needs to acknowledge that you're in a terrible reception area to get it, we can't say we'd hope to be one of the "lucky" 7.5 percent -- but it's a nice benefit nonetheless.

Verizon iPhone Launch: Apple Halts Vacations

Its been years coming and many have waited for the day, and that day draws even closer as Apple prepares to release the iPhone 4 on Verizon Wireless and bring the Verizon iPhone to reality.

And the first signs of that happening has now come about as according to an article over on the Boy Genius Report by Jonathan S. Geller, they have been told that Apple has now begun sending out “ mandatory vacation blackout notices” to their stores.

Obviously the notices ban Apple store employees from taking vacation or take time off during the notice dates, on pain of death or dismissal no doubt, which are apparently from the 5th of Feb through to the 18th of Feb as this is when the Verizon iPhone will launch.

Furthermore, in anticipation of demand buy customers, Apple store will have extended hours during the period to accommodate the expected influx of Verizon iPhone hungry public.

So it would appear that Apple and Verizon are expecting the CDMA iPhone to shift in large quantities. Are any of our readers snapping up the Verizon iPhone as soon as it launches?

New HTC handsets get leaked

Still on the leak bandwagon, we now have a bunch of HTC handsets for your perusal courtesy of PocketNow.

First up is what looks to be like the successor of the HTC Desire. Gone here is the optical trackpad and physical buttons, and in place are a set of resistive touch controls beneath the display. Also new here though is the front-facing camera, which we’re guessing will now be present in most high-end Android smartphones with Gingerbread finally supporting it. Unfortunately, that’s about it for now with this particular handset.

Next is something for Verizon, and its twin for other carriers. We don’t have its name yet nor its specs, but one thing noticeably new here is the button-less interface. No optical trackpad. No touch sensitive buttons below the display. Nothing. Just a plain touchsreen display. There also appears to be a 3.5mm jack on top of it.

This one, meanwhile, is HTC’s new Brew-powered handset. As Unwiredview puts it, this will most likely be named the HTC Smart2. Only thing confirmed with this baby is that it’s now got a home button where the back key used to be.

Last, but certainly not the least, are three new touchscreen phones headed for China: the HTC A3360 TianShan (right), HTC A3380 (middle), and an unnamed handset purportedly China Telecom-bound.

While we don’t have a launch date yet to look forward to for these HTC 2011 offerings, we’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for these at the coming MWC even in Barcelona next month, and hopefully, one or two of these new goodies will be making its way to the Canadian market.

[source]

BT Broadband Price Cuts by Ofcom: Competition Encouragement

Are you with BT Broadband and would like a price cut? Well if the answer is yes you will be happy to know that telecoms regulator Ofcom is stepping in and forcing BT to cut its prices.

BT has been forced to cut wholesale broadband prices in certain areas it is a sole provider of internet connectivity, the reason Ofcom is putting this in force is because it will encourage more competition.

As you know BT is not the only broadband provider and such move would bring competition encouragement, over 3-million homes across UK could benefit if prices cuts are enforced.

According to ITPro around 12 per cent of all households in areas such as Yorkshire, South West, Cumbria, Norfolk, Northumberland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. This new pricing should come into force in the summer.

Please let us know if these price cuts will benefit you, are you happy with your BT broadband setup?

Valentine’s Day 2011 iOS App: Make Love Note

Valentine’s Day 2011 is only around the corner and would love to know what you have planned for February 14 (Yes its on a Monday). Please let us tell you update the updated iOS App aka Make Love Note 2.0.

This is a great Valentine’s Day app that allows you to generate random love notes (Aww Bless) that can then be sent to that special loved one, there are many features within this application such as the large heart button labeled “Make Love”, this is used to generate notes until the perfect one is found.

This app has been updated and that now means you can post your love notes straight to Facebook, in addition to email or text message. You may get a poem, humorous or even a romantic note, it even provides hugging, cute kissing and whistling sounds as soon as you press the button.

Main Features Include: Romantic Form Messages, Random Love Poems, Messages can be sent via Text Message/Facebook/Email, Romantic sounds, Fun for all ages, Favorites List and Customized Message Closing, plus a cool “Make Love” Heart Button.

For this app to work you will need an iPhone with a valid service required for SMS messages, 0.6 MB of spare space and iOS 3.0 or higher (iOS 4.0 Tested).

Please do visit the official website for more information or download direct from iTunes, you can watch the video (Courtesy of YouTube) below of Make Love Note 2.0 in action.

Blatant IP Theft In App Store Garners Little Response From Apple

One of the criticisms of Apple’s App Store (and application stores in general) is how it is commonplace for a popular app or game to have dozens of clones. These can be sifted through due to their low popularity and shoddy icons, and on the off chance you prefer an ad-supported knock-off over a 99 cent app, they’re a good alternative. But not every clone is flattery and bandwagon-jumping; some are outright theft. Case in point, an iOS game entitled The Blocks Cometh, which is a straight lift, graphics and all, of a Flash game of the same name by developer Halfbot. The original is at left, above, and the clone at right.

The iOS app has been approved and is available to buy now, though of course you shouldn’t buy it (Halfbot is working on an actual iOS port). A week ago, Apple was notified that the game was clearly made entirely from stolen IP (the character sprite was stolen from another game, The League Of Evil), which isn’t surprising, as the rest of the offending developer’s games seem to be knock-offs as well. But a week later, Apple has yet to pull the app or give any kind of substantial response.

Now, it’s easy for us to snipe at Apple from here, since we’re not in charge of executing the distribution of hundreds of thousands of discrete applications. But as I pointed out when Facebook made a similar seemingly minor lapse and foreclosed on a perfectly legitimate fan page, if they are unwilling to take responsibility for the ecosystem they’ve created, that’s worthy of serious rebuke. In this case, Apple is failing to address the very pressing concerns of on of their most important demographics: independent developers. Melvin Samuel at Halfbot, whom I asked for comment regarding all this, expressed concern over the lack of real feedback from Apple. Legal recourse could be taken, but shouldn’t developers have a direct line to publishers in cases like this?

If Apple will take responsibility for the app by approving it, they must also assume responsibility when they have made a mistake doing so, properly and in good time, and follow through when something like this IP hijacking takes place. That’s called paying the cost to be the boss. If they can’t or won’t do that, well, at the very least, developers will start to get the feeling they’re not appreciated, and that the App Store isn’t the level playing field it’s advertised as (an optimistic fiction to begin with). That’s not something Apple can risk.

Like I said with the Facebook fan-page shutdown, it’s not the actual scale or content in these situations that makes them important. It’s that we are responsible for keeping institutions like Apple and Facebook on their toes, and to do that it’s necessary to make a scene now and then. Casual injustices like this brazen theft of an indie developer’s hard work mustn’t be allowed to be swept under the rug.

[via Destructoid's continuing coverage]

Samsung Gem SCH-i100 Now Official

Samsung has officially announced an oddly-styled Android smartphone.  Called the Samsung Gem, it bears a cheeky diamond-shaped home button and a similarly-framed camera lens cutout.

Aimed at the entry-level market (according to the Samsung page), the handset is the same one previously leaked as coming to Verizon Wireless in the US.   It ships with a rather disappointing Android 2.1, although the decent-sounding specs should more than make up for it.

Details include a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen display (480 x 272 resolution), a 3.2 megapixel camera module, Bluetooth 2.1, 124 MB of onboard storage and microSD card expansion (up to 16GB).  Action is managed by an 800Mhz processor (billed as "the fastest" on the entry-level category), which should let you work through Android 2.1 without any hitch.  Based on the specs list on the Samsung page, the device won't be getting WiFi, 3G nor GPS.

Phone dimensions are 4.48 x 2.18 x 0.48 inches, with a weight of 3.85 ounces.   As for apps, you'll get the usual Google fare, along with both Swype and Social Hub on board.

No word on pricing or release date for the Samsung Gem SCH-i100.  Expect it soon, though, either for free or at sub-$50 on a two-year contract.

[Samsung]

Samsung Acquires Display Technology Provider Liquavista

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a global technology innovation and digital convergence leader, today announced it has acquired display technology firm Liquavista BV. Samsung completed the acquisition of Liquavista, based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, in December 2010.

Liquavista, founded in 2006 as a spin-out from the Philips Research Labs, offers a new type of electronic display technology known as electrowetting for applications in e-readers, mobile phones, media players and other mobile devices.

 

The electrowetting technology, which operates in transmissive, reflective, transparent and transflective modes, enables the creation of displays with bright, colorful images with dramatically reduced power consumption. Offering more than twice the transmittance of LCD technology and able to operate at low frequencies, displays utilizing electrowetting consume just 10 percent of the battery power of existing display technologies.

With the acquisition of Liquavista, Samsung aims to expand its leadership in next generation display technologies by pioneering the application of electrowetting in e-Paper and transparent displays. As electrowetting can be manufactured by modifying existing LCD production lines, Samsung will be able to realize significant synergies through the utilization of existing manufacturing equipment and capabilities.

In e-paper applications, the response time of the electrowetting displays will be more than 70 times faster than that of existing reflective displays, allowing for color videos, which was previously thought impossible. In future, the application of the technology is expected to expand to transparent, transmissive and transflective displays.

Video: This Concept Phone Is Pure Madness

You know the cool thing about “Concept” products? They don’t really have to make complete sense. Take the one in the video up above, for example. Crazy long screen? Neat! Buttery, ultra minimalist interface? Gorgeous! Touch sensitive frame? Er, sure. Connectivity allowing you to put three of them side-by-side to make a little on-the-go PC? … Seriously?

Still, it’s damn fun to look at — and according to TheNextWeb, this guy just won top accolades in a Concept Design competition in China. I look forward to using this phone while soaring through the clouds with my solar-powered jet pack.

Samsung Chat 350 Leaked, Comes With Sliding QWERTY

Chances are, the Samsung Chat 350 won't receive all that much of an unveiling.  It's just a compact messaging feature phone, after all.    Now that someone managed to leak details of the handset, you may as well consider this as official an announcement as you can get.

The likely third phone in the Chat series (which Samsung irritatingly continues to refer to as the Ch@t), it sports similar dimensions and styling to the Samsung Champ 3300.  Except this one takes on a landscape slider form factor, coming with a flush-looking four-row QWERTY keyboard in tow.  Oh yeah, it's thicker, of course, measuring in at 100 x 52 x 16 mm.

Details of the Samsung Chat 350 include a 2.4-inch touchscreen display (320 x 240 resolution), a 2.0 megapixel camera module, Bluetooth 2.1, an FM radio and microSD card expansion (up to 8GB).  Neither 3G nor WiFi are onboard, so you're stuck with GPRS for data connectivity.

According to the source, the phone will be running a proprietary UI software (not TouchWiz), much like the other phones in the series.  Since this isn't an official announcement, there's neither pricing nor release date.  With a product shot like that, though, expect this to hit the budget section in your local carrier's roster soon.

[via Samsung Hub]