Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Mobile Sprint seems to be learning a bit from Verizon as to how to market your network compared to AT&T. Rather than focusing on 3G or 4G coverage (since Sprint doesn’t have much to boast on either front), however, Sprint is taking aim at the network’s speed, specifically the speed of it’s 4G network. The ad doesn’t feature any of Sprint’s phones, but does feature an iPhone. The new ad is actually for the Sprint Overdrive, a 3G and 4G router. It compares the speed of the Overdrive to that of the iPhone’s 3G speed on AT&T’s network. The argument is apparently that you should buy an Overdrive to make your iPhone work. Sounds like Verizon’s attempt to sell MiFi’s to coincide with the iPad’s release. What Sprint doesn’t say in the ad is how widespread it’s 4G network is at the moment, which could really limit the overall use of the Overdrive. Though having a WiFi access point for the iPhone would make the phone more usable in larger cities, those tend tobe cities without Sprint’s 4G coverage. Also, an extra $60 on top of the already pricey iPhone contract just isn’t that appealing. Not a bad way to advertise a network, but the overall idea seems a bit too pricey for most people.  Read [Electronista] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking  A new rogue app is making the rounds on Facebook and has at least 25 different variations. The app, with names like peeppeep-pro, profile-check-online and stalk-my-profile, claims to allow users to see who has been viewing their profiles. Instead, it leads the user through a set of "configuration" screens that claim to be setting up the app to monitor your profile. Instead, it just sends the user through other apps, which pays off for the scammer in ad revenue. The app also spams the user's friends list with invites to try the app themselves. One variation of the app creates a photo montage of the user's friends, tags them all, and posts it in a sly attempt to get even more users to install the app.
These "who's checking your profile apps" don't damage your computer or steal personal info-they simply trick users into generating ad revenue for the scammers. Want to protect yourself? It's simple. There is absolutely NO app that is able to track who visits your profile. Facebook simply doesn't allow it. So ignore any that come your way and tell your friends to as well! Read [Countermeasures] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Web, Web Browsers  Microsoft has recently made the developer preview of the all-new Internet Explorer 9 available at http://www.ietestdrive.com/. Internet Explorer 9 will be supporting HTML5 video, and it sports a multi-core capable JavaScript engine codenamed "Chakra" (hear that engine roar!), and supporting new web technologies that gives it the edge like CSS3 and SVG2. The Chakra JavaScript engine utilizes up to two cores, with the second core compiling JavaScript down to native machine code, which significantly speeds up the browser.
As we look back on its Acid3 test track record, its predecessor IE8 scored a dismal 20/100. However, IE9 gave a satisfying 55/100 during its preview. That's one major improvement for itself, but it still pales in comparison to Chrome, Opera, and Safari, which scored 100/100 on the Acid3 test. Another JavaScript Benchmark test conducted by PCMag's and ZDNet's SunSpider, indicated a very competitive performance. According to Microsoft, IE9 will not support Windows XP. For those of you who are still hanging on to Windows XP, this may be another reason for you to upgrade. Via [ZDNet] and [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Cheng Hung for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile  Microsoft has decided to drop copy-and-paste support from Windows Phone 7 series. This might be all too familiar to some, as this has happened to the iPhone before, where Apple eventually had to bring back the feature.
You’re probably thinking that Microsoft has somehow forgot to add this essential feature to the OS, but the guys over at Microsoft claim that it’s an intentional design decision. They claim that with the new “smart linking” feature, where you can easily dial a number or view the map of an address without having to copy over these text, it will replace the need for copy-and-paste. What about Office applications users, you ask? Well, Microsoft couldn’t care less about them. Microsoft said that they “wanted to really do well the tasks that 80 percent of users wanted. “, but at the same time blatantly ignoring the needs of the other 20%? They could have included both the copy-and-paste as well as the smart linking feature, but it’s unclear at the moment why they did not choose to do so. Take for example, a BlackBerry. If a BlackBerry can have both copy-and-paste and smart linking features, why can’t Microsoft do the same on its Windows Phone 7 series? Via [Engadget] and [CNET News] Full Story » | Written by Cheng Hung for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile The Nexus One was just announced for AT&T and Rogers yesterday, and today we have a little bit more in terms of upcoming availability. This time the announcement is coming from Sprint. The bad news is that as of now they have yet to announce a specific release date or pricing. Instead it was left as just that a date and price would be “announced soon.” The good news here is that the Nexus One will now be available on all four major US carriers. Additionally and similar to other carriers, it looks like the Sprint capable Nexus One will also be available only by way of the Google Store. Read [Sprint] Keep reading to check out the full press release… Nexus One from Google Coming to Sprint; Availability Date Announced Soon
Nexus One(TM) is planned for the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network with twice the network coverage of AT&T and ten times the network coverage of T-Mobile, both by square miles; Expands Sprint’s Android(TM) portfolio
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Mar 17, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE)—Nexus One, the first wireless phone sold through Google(TM)‘s web store, is planned for Sprint’s 3G Mobile Broadband Network. Sprint (NYSE:S) will announce pricing and an exact availability date soon. Nexus One will benefit from Sprint’s 3G network with twice the coverage of AT&T and 10 times the coverage of T-Mobile, both based on square miles.1
Sprint currently has America’s largest voice calling area of any carrier reaching more than 307 million people in the U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands with a Sprint phone and plan that includes roaming. PC World recently said no one has a more reliable network than Sprint in a 13 city 3G performance test.2 Customers can check the quality of network coverage with street level mapping at sprint.com/coverage. “Nexus One is a powerful device that belongs on a powerful network. This is another step in our continued partnership of innovation with Google,” said Fared Adib, Sprint vice president of product development. “Sprint customers already have the option of two amazing Android devices with Samsung Moment(TM) and HTC Hero(TM). It is a natural fit for us to add Nexus One to the list of choices available for Sprint customers who want the best value in wireless with the best in Android.” Google’s online consumer channel was created to provide an efficient way to connect online users with selected Android phones. Nexus One will not be available in any Sprint retail channels. It will be available directly from Google at google.com/phone. The online experience of Google’s web store is designed with a focus on simplicity allowing consumers to match a phone with the service plan that best meets their needs. “While a pricing plan has not yet been determined for Nexus One, we are confident that it will be consistent with Sprint’s commitment to deliver more value than our competitors and keep pricing simple,” Adib said. “Right now, our Sprint Everything Data 450 plan with Any Mobile, Anytime(SM) gives customers unlimited calling with any mobile phone in America, unlimited text and unlimited Web for just $69.99 per month - the same price AT&T and Verizon charge for just unlimited talk. Our Everything Data plans include unlimited GPS Navigation at no extra charge and annual phone upgrades with Sprint Premier.” Nexus One runs on Android 2.1, a version of the platform’s Eclair software, which offers advanced applications and features including: Google Maps(TM) Navigation: offering turn-by-turn driving directions with voice output.
Email: multiple Gmail(TM) accounts; universal inbox and Exchange support.
Phone book: aggregate contacts from multiple sources, including Facebook(R).
Quick Contacts: easily switch between communication and social applications.
Android Market(TM): access to more than 30,000 applications.
Hardware features of Nexus One include: Display: 3.7” AMOLED 480x800 WVGA display
Thinness: 11.5mm; Weight: 130g
Processor/Speed: Qualcomm Snapdragon(TM) 3G QSD8250 chipset, delivering speeds up to 1GHz
Camera: 5 megapixel auto focus with flash and geo tagging
Onboard memory: 512MB Flash, 512MB RAM
Expandable memory: 4GB removable SD Card (expandable to 32GB)
Noise Suppression: Dynamic noise suppression from Audience, Inc.
Ports: 3.5mm stereo headphone jack with four contacts for inline voice and remote control
Battery: Removable 1400 mAh
Personalized laser engraving: Up to 50 characters on the back of the phone
Trackball: Tri-color notification LED, alerts when new emails, chats, text messages arrive
In addition, Nexus One offers new functionality and software enhancements including: Enter text without typing.
Use a voice-enabled keyboard for all text fields: speak a text message, instant message, tweet, Facebook update, or complete an email.
Tell your phone what you want it to do.
Search Google, call contacts, or get driving directions by just speaking into your phone.
Take personalization to the next level.
Dynamic, interactive, live wallpapers react to the touch of a finger.
More widgets and five home screen panels allow for further device customization.
Capture camera-quality pictures and video with your device.
5 megapixel camera includes LED flash, auto focus, zoom, white balance and color effects.
View pictures and Picasa Web Albums(TM) in the new 3D Gallery.
Record Hi-Res MPEG4 video, and then upload to YouTube(TM) with one click.
Read your voicemail messages.
Get transcribed voicemail with Google Voice(TM) integration, without changing your number.
For more information on Nexus One, please visit www.Google.com/phone. Follow Sprint on Twitter @sprint to keep up with news on Nexus One for Sprint’s 3G Mobile Broadband Network.
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Email / IM, Smartphones, Mobile Beginning Thursday at noon, batches of 250,000 Droid customers will begin to see Android 2.1 rolled out them via an over-the-air (OTA) update. Based on Verizon’s website, the update is finally official and it seems Droid users are besides themselves happy. Will it be worth waiting for? Software highlights: Big ones: - Pinch and zoom now active for Google Maps, internet browser and gallery
- New Weather and News app plus widget
- New voice-to-text entry for text boxes
- New 3D gallery layout
- Live Wallpapers
Smaller fixes: - Yahoo! Mail support
- Google Maps update (desktop sync and night mode)
- Improved pattern-lock
- Better audio when handing off wired headset
- After OTA, email accounts will remain
In all, it looks to be a decent upgrade. Droid users rejoice! Update info page (.pdf): [Verizon] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile Android continues to add apps at a high rate, yesterday Google officially confirmed 30,000 apps in it’s App Market for the Android operating system. The number is a great deal higher than 10,000 confirmed back in September 2009, at the dawn of the Verizon Droid launch. Clearly, having a phone on the nations biggest networks combined with a healthy does of advertising makes a difference. Last month, Google CEO Eric Schmidt mentioned Android phones are now selling at a 60,000 units a day clip. Credit lots of models, on multiple networks and a free operating system that attracts users. Just yesterday I received a mailing from AT&T showing off the Backflip and it mentioned Android twice. Do consumers care about the OS? It seems the OS and it’s apps are a selling point for carriers. According to 148apps, the iPhone OS now features 159,611 apps that are currently available. That’s a good deal above Android’s 30,000. However, with the speedy Android adoption, despite slow Nexus One sales, we expect Android apps to gain ground quickly. Read: [MobileCrunch] Image credit: http://stickandroid.com/ Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Computers, Laptops  ViewSonic has recently added a few new items to their current lineup of available products. The latest include the VNB132 and VNB141 ViewBooks as well as the VPC190 all-in-one desktop computer.
In terms of features; ViewBook VNB132 - 13.3-inch WXGA backlit display (1366 x 768)
- 1.2GHz Intel Celeron SU2300 ULV processor
- 2GB DDR3 SDRAM
- 320GB hard drive
- Windows 7 Home Premium
- 4-cell battery
ViewBook VNB141 - 14-inch WXGA backlit display (1366 x 768)
- 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ULV SU7300 processor
- 2GB DDR3 SDRAM
- 250GB hard drive
- Windows 7 Home Premium
- 6-cell battery
VPC190 All-in-One Desktop PC - 18.5” Color TFT Active Matrix LCD (1366 768)
- 1.6GHz Intel Atom D510 processor
- 2GB DDR2 SDRAM
- 160GB hard drive
- Windows 7 Home Premium
Price wise, you can expect to pay $649, $829 and $629 for the VNB132, VNB141 and VPS190 respectively. All three models are currently available. Products [VNB132] and [VNB141] [VPS190]    Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile  Yesterday we learned that the HTC HD2 will not be seeing the upgrade to Windows Phone 7 when that comes available later in the year, and today T-Mobile has announced the handsets availability. As of now the HTC HD2 will be available with T-Mobile as of March 24. Price wise, expect to pay $199.99 on a two year agreement. In the meantime, T-Mobile has added the obligatory “notify me” style webpage which may give a little more information. According to that page, users will be able to “download and watch the latest movies” from Blockbuster, view MobiTV and check out Transformers and Transformers 2, both of which will be preloaded on the HD2. Other features of the handset include a 4.3-inch display and 1GHz processor. All things considered, and despite not being in the plans for Windows Phone 7, the HD2 seems to be a nice alternative to the other available smartphones.
Read [T-Mobile] Via [Twitter @TMobile_USA] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Mobile, Web, Websites  Fandango was one of the first companies to take movie ticket purchasing online. But now that the rest of the world has caught up with them, Fandango needed to take another step to get ahead of the game. So they came out with mobile tickets. Mobile phones have now become computers in their own right. In fact, if you want to find out what movies are playing in near-by there are more than a dozen applications in Apple’s app store, Android, and Palm that will do the trick. Some might even let you purchase tickets on the fly. But that still required you to wait in line with all of the other people to get your ticket. Fandango’s new mobile ticket program wants to solve that. The new program will allow Fandango users to not only use Fandango like it was intended to be used (finding movies and times in the area), but also to quickly book your tickets, and then flash a barcode when you want to enter your theater, eliminating wait time. This app will not allow you to skip the snack line but it would be a nice thing to suggest to Fandango. Of course this will be released slowly throughout theaters as it gains traction. Here are some of the theaters that will support the technology at the launch date: - New York: City Cinemas 1, 2 & 3, Angelika Film Center, East 86th Street Cinemas, Village East Cinema, Beekman Theatre, The Paris Theatre.
- New Jersey: Manville 12 Plex.
- Houston: Angelika Film Center.
- Dallas/Plano: Angelika Dallas; Angelika Plano.
- San Diego: La Mesa Grossmont Center, Clairemont Town Square Stadium.
- Bakersfield: Valley Plaza 16.
- Sonoma County: Rohnert Park 16.
- Hawaii: Ward Stadium, Kahala Theater, Kapolei 16, Mililani Stadium.
Read [TechCrunch] Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
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