Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Google  Android’s differences in look and feel to the iPhone stand out when you show the home screen. On the iPhone you are greeted with rows and columns of little chicklet style shortcuts. However Android’s home screen is a bit more intuitive, allowing you to set widgets to the home screen that perform functions of the application itself. Now, Google has released its own widget for Buzz to allow for easy access. The widget itself takes up 4 horizontal icon spaces on the screen and when clicked, takes you to an input screen for your Buzz. You have the ability to, of course, type out a message, but also attach a photo, or launch the camera to take a picture. Below that is an option to show your location (I would not recommend using the location function when at home), and the post button. The widget requires Android 1.6 and is available only in English. Google recommends searching for “Google Buzz” in the market, but if that doesn’t work, go to the apps section > social > just in, and it should be up towards the top. After installation you can add the widget to any screen in the same way you add any other widget. Read [Google Mobile Blog] Via [Mashable] Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Haven’t caught all of the Gadgetell news this week? Here's your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles! - PC World calls iPad buyers “Idiots”
” PC World writer, Galen Gruman, called out iPad pre-order buyers on Saturday, calling them names in his post, “iPad Pre-Orders: For Idiots Only.” Apple’s iPad went on pre-order Friday and is rumored to have 120,000 devices sold as…” MORE » - Verizon’s Nexus One to be sold only at online store
” Smartphone users on Verizon’s network have been patiently awaiting the release of the Nexus One for several months now. Well apparently the release date is coming up fast according to the leaked…” MORE » - Netflix pulls plug on contest
” Many a geek have participated in Netflix’s competition to improve their recommendation algorithm. The prize? $1 million. However, Netflix has now officially cut the second iteration of this competition short due to privacy concerns. Apparently, a woman filed a lawsuit against Netflix…” MORE » - New version of Digg is “five years in the making”
” With the majority of the technology community in Austin this week for SXSW, Digg felt it was a good time to release a new version of their social bookmarking site. In, fact they decided to release the alpha version…” MORE » - BlackBerry users itching to leave? 40% to jump ship says study
” Is RIM losing the attraction it once held so proudly? Maybe, according to a study by Crowd Science that looked at mobile phone owners and asked what their next device will be. While customer preference…” MORE » - Nexus One headed to Verizon, available beginning as early as next month
” According to reports in a Chinese newspaper, HTC has already begun shipping a CDMA version of the popular Android based Nexus One to Verizon and it should be on sale by early next month. This will come as good news to Android lovers,…” MORE » - AT&T gets cloud syncing - makes messaging phones smarter
“Today, in addition to the 4 new devices announced, AT&T offered up their plan to earn your quick messaging device dollars. In all, three new services are designed to make your low-cost device behave more like an expensive smartphone at a fraction of the cost. The services…” MORE » - Windows Phone 7 Series developer partners to include the AP, Pandora, Sling, Foursquare and more
” MIX 10 has kicked off, and as you would have expected the press releases have begun to roll out. The first of which gives us some details about…” MORE » - AT&T reveals spring lineup. New phones for quick messaging
” AT&T announced two Samsung devices, the Strive and Sunburst as well as two Pantech devices, Link and Pursuit as part of the there new Spring line up. AT&T also announced services to make…” MORE » - HTC Desire, Legend coming to UK in April
” When they were announced, the HTC Desire and Legend quickly became the Android phones to want. The announcements at MWC, however, came with no release dates, and no talk of a US release. Now we have no official US release…” MORE »
Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Video, Portable Video, Gadgets / Other, ebooks  It seems unlikely that at some point the Kindle will offer a color screen to keep up with the myriad of color screens featured on stealthy competitors like iPad, JooJoo, Slate and others. When Amazon decides to pull the trigger, they’ll likely go with one of the new screens shown here. These screens were shown by Kindle’s current screen maker, Prime View Intl. at a trade show in China.
These new screens offer color but not real video. The refresh on these screens is short of real videos 30fps, but slower animations are possible. These screens look to be an evolutionary step bringing easy reading e-ink to new places. The screens will go into mass production in Q4 of this year. It was confirmed that Amazon and the Barnes and Noble have seen the new screen but no comments on adoption. Touch screen e-ink screens were also shown off that could find a welcome home on the Kindle. Simple hand-written note taking was shown in a demo and brings to mind the issues educational institutions ultimately had issues with the Kindle in testing. Perhaps touch is on the Kindles roadmap as well. Read: [PC World] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile Two blogs, two stories about what happened to the supposed rollout of an update to the Motorola Droid’s operating system. One says this is all on purpose the other suggests a flaw was found in last minute testing and aborted. Supposedly, Verizon has confirmed both, so what’s the truth? Planned According to Phonescooper, Verizon reached out to them confirming the plan is (and always has been) to update a small sample group of users first. Then, based on their experiences, roll out the update to all users. Sounds like a smart plan. Only I was unable to identify another upgrade roll out where Verizon followed the same schedule of updating a few select users, then broadening it out to the general user population. It could be that the Droid currently sits atop the carriers “best phone” throne and they wanted to insure it wasn’t a pr nightmare? Or it could be the companies new way of doing things. Crikey! It’s a bug According to BGR, the rollout was called off at the last minute. BGR confirmed this with a few trusted informants and posted what appears to be a screenshot of a VZW computer detailing the delay. BGR updated the post to confirmed after reaching out to Verizon for a confirmation, suggesting VZW did. So which is it? The only part of the info that both these stories agree on is two-part: an update to Android 2.1 is coming and no one seems to be sure when. We’ll keep waiting. Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile, 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. This week, I am focusing on RIM, the little company from Canada that could. - Is this BlackBerry OS 6? Ack!
- RIM to buy Palm
- RIM name devices after Will Ferrell movies
- 40% ready to bail on BlackBerry
OS help, aisle 4 Purported images of BlackBerry OS 6 have popped up from “trusted, reliable connects”. Oh dear, this isn’t pretty. Can we hope this is just some Photoshop stunt? RIM still has a good hold on the business market, but the gang could use an infusion of elegance and cool with trying so hard. Ryan Hamrick, over at Know Your Cell, has limited hope for BlackBerry saying “by the time the OS finally reaches market, the concepts outlined could already be very dated. Some forward thinking would be nice, rather than a simple game of catch up.” And that is where BlackBerry starts to lose it’s edge. Was BlackBerry ever sexy? Like a 40’s pin up model, once worthy of being painted on the nose of bomber, now walking around her eighties trying to get men to light a cigarette from her aged, cracked but still puckered lips, BlackBerrys just are not sexy anymore. They need to find some sex. 
Palm’s got what RIM needs. PalmBerry. Say it loud, say it proud. That is what the mobile device world needs and it sounds better than the erotic-inspired BlackPalm. Palm isn’t swimming, it’s sinking; fast. Our Robert Nelson reported, “Palm has recently posted their Q3 results, and I hate to say that many people would be surprised by this, but those results were not all that great. In fact, Palm posted a net loss of $22 million dollars.” Ouch. But what if the boys and girls from up north (that’s Canada to you and me) got ahold of Palm. A consumer-focused device that most will agree is the best mobile OS out there, would be RIMs to mold. RIM can rebuild the clumsy QWERTY on the Pre, add some flair to the Pixi and maybe user in a well overdue touchscreen model. Looking at just how many devices RIM has on the market, you know they’ve got hardware down. Palm could bring some passion to design and inspire the hardware RIM puts out. 
The BlackBerry Ron Burgundy. The BlackBerry Blade(s of Glory). The BlackBerry Old School. I am not sure RIMs marketing is clear about what a Will Ferrell movie title brings to the consumers mind. It isn’t all about good times and high fives. It’s quite often, “look what they are making that poor man do this time.” And I am sure I use the word “poor” loosely here. Our Robert Nelson again reports, “Up until now we have seen a decent amount of images of the BlackBerry slider, as well as a rumor that it was going to become available with Sprint. And now the latest in the BlackBerry Slider story is suggesting that it will be available as of next month. Oh, and it also seems as if has been given a codename—Talladega.” Ricky Bobby? Really? Is this the best we can do? Now, from what we’ve seen the BlackBerry slider is no looker, but to slag it with a B-grade movie at best? It just seems mean. 
40% are leaving BlackBerry Earlier this week, I posted on a study that levied 40% of BlackBerry owners are going to leave the OS for an iPhone. I broke the study down into simple numbers (cause I am just not that smart) and found this, “if my math is right, of the people surveyed, 171 of them used a BlackBerry and 69 of those said they'd leave the BlackBerry platform for an iPhone. The question becomes, RIMs had a few years to dream up something that draws users away from the iPhone - where is it?” Indeed, where is it? Reminiscent of that 80s “where’s the beef” commercial, what gives? Was Storm and Storm 2 (the action packed sequel) all the company had up it’s collective sleeve? Can we expect something bold (haha) and new? Or is it tweaks on existing and more of the same? I can’t image the study is accurate, but if it is, and they are seeing 40% drops in user base support, that doesn’t give it long. Maybe it’s time for a variation on the theme, a veritable BlueBerry if you like. A device that is as fun as it is serious, easy to use and of course, a dream to type on. In short a webOS BlackBerry. Long live the dream, crack heads. Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile
Palm has recently posted their Q3 results, and I hate to say that many people would be surprised by this, but those results were not all that great. In fact, Palm posted a net loss of $22 million dollars. Of course, that loss almost seems good as compared to the $98 million loss that they suffered during Q3 in the previous year. Putting money aside for a minute and speaking in terms of something that sounds a little more positive—sales. It seems that Palm was able to ship 960,000 smartphones during Q3. Just as a point of reference, Palm saw almost a 300% increase from the previous year. That was the part that sounded good, which means its now time for the disappointing part. These numbers are what Palm shipped, unfortunately the did not necessarily sell them. It seems that only 408,000 units were actually sold. Overall not a good quarterly report, but perhaps the highlight, or lowlight, depending on whether or not you are rooting for Palm comes in the form of statements from Palm’s CEO Jon Rubinstein. “Our recent underperformance has been very disappointing, but the potential for Palm remains strong,” said Jon Rubinstein, Palm chairman and chief executive officer. “The work we’re doing to improve sales is having an impact, we’re making great progress on future products, and we’re looking forward to upcoming launches with new carrier partners. Most importantly, we have built a unique and highly differentiated platform in webOS, which will provide us with a considerable - and growing - advantage as we move forward.”
Read [Palm] Via [Silicon Alley Insider] and [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking  Another virus attack is targeting Facebook users. An email with the subject "Facebook Password Reset Confirmation" is being sent to users of the popular social networking site and the message body reads:
Dear user of facebook,
Because of the measures taken to provide safety to our clients, your password has been changed. You can find your new password in the attached document.
Thanks,
Your Facebook.
Obviously the message is a complete fake, and the attachment contains a virus. Fortunately most users should be able to spot this as such and avoid being infected. Whoever is behind this attack obviously either couldn't be bothered to make it look the least bit legit or was too ignorant to do so because the poor grammar, generic greeting, and nonsensical sign off are immediate red flags. A legit email from a site you do business with or have an account with will address you by either your full name or username and will NEVER address you as "Dear User". They will also never send you attachments and if they do need to change your password they will direct you to the site to log in and change it. It's important to keep your anti-virus program up to date, and make sure your passwords are unique and hard to guess. Avoid clicking on links that contain mostly gibberish and delete any emails claiming to be from sites you have an account on or do business with if they are badly written with poor grammar and generic greetings. Read [AllFacebook] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile  Up until now we have seen a decent amount of images of the BlackBerry slider, as well as a rumor that it was going to become available with Sprint. And now the latest in the BlackBerry Slider story is suggesting that it will be available as of next month. Oh, and it also seems as if has been given a codename—Talladega.
The details of the rumored release come by way of a CEO of a RIM parts supplier who mentioned that RIM would be releasing a new model next month, and that it was known as the “T.” Of course, nothing here is official, nor has it been confirmed. But by coincidence, RIM does have a trade show that is going to take place in April from the 27th to the 29th. So maybe we will see an official announcement for the Talladega slider. Read [Engadget] Image courtesy [BB Leaks] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks  The ebook war between Amazon and Apple is beginning to heat up, with Amazon insisting publishers agree to a list of demands that includes signing a 3 year contract and guaranteeing that no other book retailer will get a better deal. At the same time Apple's terms for allowing those same publishers to sell ebooks in the upcoming iBookstore mandate that they not sell those same books anywhere else for a lower price. Amazon is the top ebook seller because of its $9.99 price point, which has since begun to deteriorate thanks to Macmillan's insistence on raising the prices of its ebooks to between $12.99-$14.99. For a short time Amazon tried to play hard ball by removing the buy button from every single Macmillan paper and ebook title, but eventually gave in. Now it seems all publishers will find themselves caught in a tug of war between the online retail giant and Apple, and Apple probably has the upper hand because it lets them set their own prices. The publishing industry is still woefully ignorant about ebooks and sees them as some kind of threat instead of a blessing, convinced they hurt sales rather than increase them. Since I and everyone I know who owns an e-reader have actually found themselves buying MORE books since getting it than we did when we were only buying paper books, obviously they're wrong.
It'll be interesting to see what happens in the coming weeks and months because it seems impossible for both Apple and Amazon to get what they want. Read [NYTimes] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile ZipRealty is a popular online real estate brokerage service, and like many other services, it has been quick to expand to mobile phones. They have already launched a successful iPhone/iPod Touch app and now they have released an app for the Android platform. The app allows users to search for actively-listed “for sale” homes and then search for pertinent information and pictures. The database claims to contain information on houses in over 4,000 cities, so as long as you live on a city or town that is decently well known, chances are homes will be listed on it. In addition, it provides information on houses recently sold and the price at which it sold. For new home buyers, it will definitely be helpful to check out how much other houses sold for on the street to make sure you are not being ripped off. All houses are displayed on Google Maps and users can view the house on Google Street View. Like any good app, the ZipReality app is compatible with other third party RealEstate apps, thereby allowing users to use a third party app for pricing information. The iPhone app has already been downloaded 125,000 times, cites VP of Innovation Myron Lo, and he envisions it to reach the same popularity on the Android Market. If you have a ZipRealty account, you can use it with the app and have access to searching within specific criteria and full information on Multiple Listing Service. I’m sure the free Android app will be popular amongst home buyers and RealEstate agents. Read [ZipRealty] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
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