Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile
It looks like the new update to the Motorola Cliq this week has users seeing more problems than before. The new update, 1.3.18, has a number of users going to the T-Mobile forums to complain of various issues that their phones are now having.
Problems users seem to be experiencing include the inability to log into MOTOBLUR, Bluetooth connectivity issues, SMS lagging and crashing, problems with the virtual keyboard, dimmed displays and reseting the clock to Linux “0” (7 p.m. December 31, 1969). A moderator on the T-Mobile forums has stated that the issues are being passed along to those who can fix them. In the mean time, the mod advises against master resetting your phone if your OTA didn’t download or caused problems.
Hopefully the issues can be fix relatively soon, having a bricked, or near bricked phone can not be fun. The issue seems like it would lie with Motorola, though like the Danger problems, it’ll likely come back to T-Mobile. It is sad to see the carrier see so many issues that really can’t be fixed without relying on other companies. At least this time there’s an option to not experience the issues, at least assuming you didn’t download the update yet.
Read [Boy Genius Report]
Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Video, Portable Video, Communications, Smartphones, Mobile, Gadgets / Other, Features, Originals, Columns, Who's On Crack
Welcome back to this week’s Who’s on Crack, the Interwebs only column brave enough to suggest illegal narcotics fuel many of the moves in the tech world. It’s either that or Gadgetell is nuts for giving me a platform to spout off about stuff that bugs me or is just outright dumb. How dumb? Well take a week at this weeks nominees:
- Comcast = Dunder Mifflin
- E-readers killing the college bookstore?
- Walmart snatches up Vudu
- Nelson considers a Palm buy
Comcast taking cues from Dunder Mifflin
Weeks ago, Comcast decided they needed to shake things up and get some of that new-fangled branding everyone’s been talking about. The solution? They’ve introduced a new brand for their high-tech offering: Xfinity. Flippin’ genius!
Hot right? To me, someone in Comcastland has been watching way too much of The Office TV show as they’ve subconsciously swiped the name of Dunder Mifflin’s website initiative called Infinity. I say subconsciously because it would take a tweaked stoner to think that was a good idea. On the show, the website led to the site being overrun by perverts in the forums and eventually to the incarnation of the employee responsible for it. I can’t be the only one watching way too much of The Office right?
It’s too close not to be a coincidence, right? Will Comcast find jailtime too? $5 it won’t be on fraud, it will be charges the DEA will be interested in. I mean, if you are going to copy something, make sure you’ve got perverts and jail time as your milestones so you know when you find success.
E-readers better than used textbooks?
On the surface, the idea is fantastic: forget dropping thousands of dollars on books only to get $.25 on the dollar for them when June rolls around. Instead, buy a $10 (or $15) ebook for an e-reader like the Kindle and carry all your books in your purse, or murse as the case may be.
The response from two trial horses Princeton and University of Washington who tried out the Kindle DX isn’t as you’d expect or hope. In fact, students said, “yo, the Kindle is whack,” or something like that. As reported by our Sue Walsh, “students reported that it didn't quite make the cut due to complaints about it's navigation, folder, and note taking systems.”
Walmart gets into video in a big way
This week Walmart, famous for low prices, bought video on-demand service provider Vudu. On-demand movies are big business and it looks as though Walmart will be going after Netflix and Blockbuster. What the heck is Walmart smoking? Walmart gets two strikes for this one
Strike one:
Walmart has “low prices” plastered all over their images. I didn’t buy a Vudu box because it was too expensive. The Roku box was much cheaper and then plays Netflix on-demand movies for free. Contrast that with Vudu is after you swallow the $149 to buy the box, then you pay to watch each movie. No freebies. So big expense upfront and then pay again when you watch something. Um, buying Redbox might have been smarter if you plan on sticking to that whole low price thingy.
Strike two:
Where you find drugs, often you find sex. The two seem to go together like PB&J. Our Sue Walsh (she picked some good topics this past week) tells us, “In what really isn't a surprising move given their much publicized store policies, just days after buying streaming video provider Vudu, Walmart has announced it is shutting down it's After Dark service, which discreetly provided hundreds of adult films to its subscribers. The service was the only major service with such a large and up to date library.”
So Walmart buys an expensive service that has a following thanks to the loads of porn available and then kills the porn. In other news, Walmart has bid on faltering auto brand Hummer while working a deal to include censored Playboy magazines to buyers. Cavity search, aisle 5.
Our Editor, Robert Nelson considers the Palm Pre
Admitted recovering iPhone addict and recent Android purchaser Robert spent some time with the Palm Pre Plus and the Palm Pixi Plus for the past few weeks and wrote up a piece “2000 apps are enough” or something like that. I didn’t take the time to read it.
OK, I did read it, mostly because I disagree. When Apple says, “we’ve got 150,000 awesome-tastic apps” and when the funny little Android does a robot dance and chimes, “I am rocking 20,000 apps” and Palm’s creepy girl says, “I’ve only got 2,000” I feel bad for her (and creeped out, but mostly bad). As consumers we compare: we don’t stop to check quality vs quantity. But it isn’t just big numbers.
Apps of the moment come in iPhone flavors and maybe Android if there is time. Case in point: I am a big America’s Cup fan and downloaded the Alinghi app to keep tabs on the defender; no Android app. Or I have Comcast phone and TV service and love their iPhone app; but again no Android app. These are two apps I adore with no options on other mobile OS.
Dealbreaker? Maybe not but it’s something to consider. These devices are largely entertaining and a lot of that entertainment value (of the iPhone anyway) is sitting there and sifting through apps to find some gems. The best app ever is just “20 more” away. Now that Verizon has both webOS devices, hopefully that will drive webOS into firming ground but until then, size matters.
Unfortunately, Robert didn’t make enough of a declarative statement about the lack of apps being OK for me to quote it and ridicule him for it here. I will say, Robert owns a Zune; and leave it at that.
Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile
According to Boy Genius, Sprint has confirmed the intended release of webOS 1.4 for the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi. Unfortunately, the source referenced on his post has been pulled from the Sprint site. Where does that leave webOS users?
The upgrade looks sizable, besides numerous bug fixes, the update includes eventual support for Flash 10 on the Palm Pre. Sprint hedges the inclusion a bit by saying it will be a plug in down the road. Here is the list:
- Phonebook Transfer (import & export)
- Adds Video Capture capability & edit Calendar Enhancements
- Messaging Enhancements
- Improved Performance (Phone & CAL)
- Email Enhancements
- Notification Enhancements
- Adds Adobe Flash 10.0 (Pre Only)
- NOTE: The 1.4 software adds the ability to use the Flash 10.0 Adobe plug-in which will be available shortly from the Palm App Catalogue
It will be interesting to see if only Sprint webOS devices get this upgrade to day or if Verizon puts it off for a bit. More as it happens.
Read: [BoyGeniusReports]
Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile
We see lots of criticism in terms of webOS and the low number of available apps. Actually, in the past I have been a voice of that criticism, but after having my hands on a Pre Plus and Pixi Plus for a few weeks I am having a slight change of heart. Of course, this could still be the high that comes from playing with a new gadget, but I think there is more to that. You see I am a recovering iPhone addict, or more specifically a recovering iPhone app addict. Given that when I first heard these numbers on the amount of available apps for webOS users I almost said “only 2,000.”
Anyway, before I go any further in my rant, according to a recent post on PreCentral the current app totals and breakdowns are as follows;
“as of this writing, the official on-device App Catalog has 1623 apps (counting all apps in all regions), Web Distribution has 145 apps, Beta distributionhas 61 apps, and the homebrew gallery has 443.”
Which in the end adds up to 2,272 available apps. Compared to other places that is not a high number, but should we be comparing? I am saying we don’t need to compare.
You see, I once knocked webOS because of the lack of apps that were available in the App Catalog. Of course we all know that there are plenty of reasons for the low number and I am not going to suggest that I don’t feel like there should be more at this point. But after looking at what webOS and the App Catalog is by itself, I now think that 2,000 is actually an ok number.
I will say that it is ok for a few reasons, but mainly because the apps that are available are seemingly all nicely done. In fact, short of having to do a few things in the browser that I had an app for on the iPhone I have found everything that I need (and yes I realize everyones needs are different).
Bottom line here is that it is easy to poke fun at what is a low number compared to the iPhone App Store or the Android Market. But what is important to remember is that few people need more than a handful of apps and many will likely find what they need if they were to just give it a chance. Plus there is a Facebook app, as well as several Twitter apps and for lots of people that is where the need for apps truly ends.
As far as what I have installed outside of the default apps, in no particular order, here is the list. The Weather Channel, Slacker Radio, Mediafly, Evernote, TweeFree, Facebook, Foursquare and The New York Times.
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
Those looking for a little more video watching oomph on a netbook, you may want to check out the latest offering from Dell. Its the Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook, and it is now being offered with a Performance Plus Package. As far as what you will get over and above the regular version; SRS audio, a Broadcom Crystal HD card and a 10.1-inch display with a 1366 x 768 resolution. Other standard features of the Performance Plus package include Windows 7 Starter, a 250GB hard drive and a 56WHr 6-cell battery. All in all this should make watching playback of HD content much nicer. Price wise, the Dell Mini 10 with the Performance Plus Package starts at $409.
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