Section: Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking  Diaspora was merely an idea from some college students who wanted a social network that protected users’ privacy. With Facebook’s latest blunder with privacy, the idea was definitely supported by the many who were aware of the shady privacy transitions that Facebook was making right under its users’ noses. After a round of impromptu funding from people supporting the movement, the idea has raised over $200,000 which included a little cash from Mr. Facebook himself, Mark Zuckerburg. Notice I called this whole deal an idea rather than a project because as of now, the NYU students have yet to write a line of code, or even buy the domain name for that matter.  I’m sure we would all love to see an alternative to Facebook that is secure and even open sourced. But at this point, trying to take down Facebook might be a little much. But what do I know, they do have 200 grand sitting in their pockets to make a site that could very well be the next Facebook. If anything, these 4 college students have managed to time their idea perfectly. Read [TechCrunch] Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers When Microsoft confirmed and promptly cancelled the Courier, many of us were heartbroken. The idea of a dual screen tablet was enticing, especially with what the product videos showed off. The Kno may not be the Courier exactly, but it does promise a dual-screen tablet that has the chance to make it to market. The Kno is a Tegra 2-powered dual 14-inch tablet running on a custom Linux build. Both screens are IPD with a 1440x900 resolution and accept touch and stylus inputs. The main idea behind the Know is to make a digital textbook for students. Kno already has many textbook publishers like Pearson, McGraw Hill Education, Cengage Learning and Wiley who have agreed to ut their textbooks onto the device. The textbooks will be interactive with video and hyperlinks. Students can use both screens for the texts or just one screen with the other screen a web browser, notes or any other app. Of course this also means students can just have notes on on screen and the web on another. There are claims that the tablet will run for six to eight hours. Each screen will be just over half an inch thick, and it will weigh about 5.5 pounds. The Know will only have 16 GB of flash storage, though that’s probably enough for a few semesters of textbooks. There is one downside, however, the only price Kno will say is “under $1000,” which usually manes $999, though not always. If the Kno does cost $999, the impracticality of the screen sizes paired with the price would likely mean it’ll be dead in the water. Of course, that doesn’t mean there’s no market. Having just left college I can say that the idea of being able to carry all textbooks around as well as a computer without all the extra bulk would have been very nice. It would mean that textbooks would likely be more expensive due to the lack fo used market, but the convenience of having so much less to carry or remember to bring would be much easier. There’s something nice about the idea of just throwing something like the Kno in a bag and not much else and rushing off to class. Read [NY Times] Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers On June 4 those of us in the US can finally buy the EVO 4G from Sprint, while those in the UK can buy the Dell Streak. The Streak has long been said to be coming to the US, with the latest statements from Dell before today being “late summer.” Now we finally have a release month, if not an exact day. Today, at the D8 conference Dell announced that we’ll be seeing the 5-inch smartphone/tablet at the end of July. The Streak will come straight from Dell’s website for $500. Just like the iPhone, the Streak will be unlocked. So, unlike the UK version, US owners fo the Streak don’t have to use it as a phone, and just use it as a small WiFi tablet. For those unaware, the Streak has a 5-inch screen with the same 800x480 resolution of the EVO 4G. It has 3G with 7.2 HSDPA, a 5MP camera with dual LED flash, a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor and 16 GB of internal memory. Given the EVO 4G, the difference could be questionable. The jump from 4.3-inches to 5-inches could be a deal, but the pixel density is a bit lower. Dell is quick to point out that the Streak’s screen is double the size of most smartphone screens. It’s not the same as the size difference between the average smartphone and the iPad, but it is certainle easier to carry around than the iPad. It’s hard to say too much about how good a deal a $500 Streak is without having much to compare it too, but it’s nice to have even a small Android tablet. Read [All Things D] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile On June 4, the highly anticipated Sprint HTC EVO 4G will become available for the general public. RadioShack is making a few preparations for the hyped launch of the latest Android phone on the Sprint network. Over 1,600 RadioShack retail stores will open its doors at 6 A.M. in order to activate the smartphone for those who pre-ordered it. Since the customer took the time to pre-order the phone, RadioShack wants them to be able to enjoy the phone as soon as possible. In addition, all customers that arrive early to their local RadioShack will be eligible for a 15% discount off accessories, but many of these people will already have a $20 discount because they pre-ordered the phone. With such an expensive and innovative phone, accessories become necessary to protect the phone as well as enhance it. Naturally, RadioShack will set aside an unknown number of HTC EVO 4G’s for new or current Sprint customers to purchase with a new two year contract for $199. In case you want to test out the phone before committing to it, some RadioShacks will have the EVO 4G on display and/or an online simulator of the phone. Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile 
Starting tomorrow (6/3), Verizon will be offering the BlackBerry Bold 9650 for sale online. Starting June 10, the latest BlackBerry smartphone will be available in all Verizon retail stores. One of the most notable features of the BlackBerry Bold 9650 is its support of GlobalAccess Connect. Basically, the GlobalAccess Connect service allows you to tether the smartphone to any netbook or laptop to use the wireless Internet service in over 200 countries worldwide. The main features include Push to Talk, VZ Navigator 6, VZ Navigator Global, 2.45 inch display, optical trackpad, and a 3.2MP camera. It is worth noting that a non-camera version of the phone will also be available. It also supports the common BlackBerry services such as BlackBerry App World, BlackBerry Messenger, BlackBerry Media Sync, quick and convenient access to social networking such as Facebook, MySpace, and Flickr. It comes with an on board memory of 512MB, coupled with a 2GB SD card and can be further expanded to 16GB via microSD card. In terms of pricing, the BlackBerry Bold 9650 will be available on a new two year contract for $149 after a $100 MIR. Read [PR Newswire] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile Motorola looks to be showing Microsoft how a square phone with social networking integration is done. While Microsoft has the Kin One as the low-end with social networks built in and no apps to speak of, Motorla is debuting the Flipout, based on Android complete with Motoblur. The Flipout is a square smartphone with a hinge that twists the keyboard out, similar to the Nokia Twist. What the Flipout adds is the power of the Android platform and Market, as well as Motorola’s Motoblur that we’ve seen most recently on the Motorola Backflip. Unlike most phones with a physical keyboard, the Flipout features a five-row keyboard witha separate row for number keys. The square form factor, while providing for that extra row of keys, shrinks the screen to 320x240, which is a strange 4:3 ratio not seen on many phones. Given the screen, it’s questionable how some apps will run on the phone. Chances are most will at least be a tight fit even without the virtual keyboard taking up part of the screen. The smartphone runs on Android 2.1, though it has a special browser with Flash enabled. The integrated music player is also a bit different, allowing for full screen lyrics, which could just mean it has TuneWiki installed, or something similar. The camera is 3MP, tough Motorola is saying it has incorporated Kodak Perfect Touch for “better, brighter pictures.” There’s no price or carrier announced for the Motorola Flipout yet, though it will be launching in Europe in Q2 2010. Maybe Motorola can have more success with the Flipout than Microsoft is having with the Kin. Read [Motorola] Read [Motorola Fact Sheet] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Mobile 
(Image courtesy of Skattertech)
We got our hands on Microsoft’s KIN ONE and KIN TWO and what we found was a unique phone and an even more unique presentation. If there has ever been a device created that does not know it’s own identity, these phones may have single-handedly done it. Both phones present themselves as a share all platform and clearly catering to a specific marketing segment - the budget buyer and ferocious texter. We explain a little more below. From the Outside First off the screens, the KIN ONE shows a 2.6-inch, 320 x 240 QVGA touchscreen and the KIN TWO with 3.4-inch, 480 x 320 HVGA touchscreen. Both are satisfactory in color quality but nothing worth writing home to mom about. Exterior buttons were kept simple with a volume rocker, dedicated camera button, standby/power and bottom set gunmetal Home Key on each phone. Design of the KIN ONE may look eerily similar to the Nokia 7705 Twist minus the awkward rotating face. Slide the ONE’s keyboard up to expose a fully QWERTY keyboard with quick reference search button and convenience emoticon button where 16 expressions on readily available. Take that EMOJI. The TWO brandishes the exact same hardware however with an ugly duckling Palm Pre look. Why the TWO over the ONE - take into consideration your thumb size and storage needs. The KIN ONE limits you to 4GB of non-expandable storage and the TWO 8GB of non-expandable. Software Designed to Share This is where things get tricky. Starting up the phone for the first time you are prompted to enter your account information supporting most popular e-mail clients (Gmail, Yahoo!) assuming this will begin downloading your personal e-mail. Not so fast. What you have done is sent authorization off to KIN which then sends you an e-mail to the provided account that you have now registered a Windows Live account so you may access your KIN Studio backup. Still with me? Your home screen is divided into three sections, navigation screen one of three is your Loop. This is where a feed from Facebook, Twitter and MySpace is displayed and live updated every 15 minutes. At the bottom of this screen something called Spot. Spot serves as a drag and drop point for anything you wish to share that pops up on your Loop feed allowing you to blast out to either a social network, MMS or SMS. Slide right of the home screen and you are presented with your favorites. Displaying in an odd uneven grid pattern, these are the people you choose to talk to most and would like to quickly reference without scanning through your entire address book. Depending on which phone you have, the KIN ONE allows for up to nine favorites where the TWO populates 15. Slide left of the home screen to see the apps. Unfortunately these are not the apps of today’s language as the terminology here is deceptive. Here you will find phone settings, color schemes, access to the Zune Marketplace, your e-mail and even an RSS reader. Regardless of the page, populating the bottom left and right corners are two small buttons one titled Recent and the other showing the clock. Tapping recent allows for quick recall of where you last on the phone for a quick switch over. Touch the clock and battery life, signal strength, date/time and current ringer volume are displayed. Convenient and useful. Camera Both the KIN ONE and TWO have been heavily marketed as media sharing phones so not surprisingly the ONE is equipped with a 5 megapixel and the TWO with an 8 megapixel each supported by a white LED flash. But here is the kicker, the TWO shoots video in 720p - that’s impressive. For the Record The keyboard is plasticy, the in-hand feel is awkward, the side-function buttons are inconveniently placed, the OS feels underdeveloped and the web browser was ported from 1994, but here’s the hook - if you are looking for a reliable phone with long lasting battery life, efficient means to keep up with your friends on most popular social networks, a chronic camera phone user and insist on a QWERTY keyboard for under $100, you really can’t beat the KIN ONE or TWO. Affordability with many extras offered the big guys plus Verizon’s network, you really can’t go wrong. Pricing will run you $49.99 for the KIN ONE and $99 for the KIN TWO with a new two-year contract and $100 rebate but others vendors appear to already be slashing prices. Full Story » | Written by Aaron Thacker for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Mobile  With the Sprint EVO 4G scheduled for release in just a few days, Sprint and Clearwire have decided to roll out WiMAX to another city. The greater Kansa City area is the newest metro area to take advantage of the 4G coverage. Clearwire also saw fit to expand coverage in one of the first cities to benefit from WiMAX 4G.
Baltimore now has a larger coverage area for 4G. The WiMAX coverage now expands all the way to Washington, DC. The coverage in the region actually reaches a 725 square mile area, which is quite impressive. It extends to cities suck as College Park, MD and Alexandria, VA. As always, those in the areas with Clearwire’s 4G WiMAX can subscribe to the service for $60 a month, or just use an EVO 4G when it releases at the end of the week. Clearwire intends to continue rolling out WiMAX coverage to cities in other states. Those states include California, Delaware, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Washington . That is, of course, in addition to other promised cities such as New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. The area covered with Sprint’s 4G network is depressingly sparse, especially considering the fact that the carrier’s first 4G phone is just about set for launch. Perhaps, if the phone’s popularity lives up to the hype, Sprint and Clearwire might make these rollouts happen at a bit faster pace. Paying $10 a month extra with the promise of 4G sometimes soon might be a bit too much for some users. Read [Electronista] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Email / IM, Smartphones, Broadband Cards, Mobile  This morning’s announcement has a lot of folks going through just how much mobile data usage they consume. AT&T released new options for data subscribers with smartphone, potentially lowering the price for 98% of their users.
"To give more people the opportunity to experience these benefits, we're breaking free from the traditional 'one-size-fits-all' pricing model and making the mobile Internet more affordable to a greater number of people," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. The new programs come in two flavors:
DataPlus: $15 per month for 200MB, designed for passive data users (65% of AT&T customers fall in this range). Email, text and web surfers will fit here.
DataPro: $25 per month for 2GB of data designed for heavy web users. Designed for music and video streamers and others who regularly hot bandwidth. Gotchas: DataPlus users who exceed the 200MB cap will be notified (AT&T looks to have included a good set of notifications and user tools so customers can keep track of usage and minimize surprises) and then billed $15 for another 200MB.
DataPro users who exceed the 2GB cap will be notified and then billed for $10 for an additional 1GB. Customers will be bill in $10 increments until the month resets usage. Will it save you money? If AT&T is measuring smartphone customers only in their 98% data usage, then the new plans should save you money vs. an unlimited plan. AT&T provided this handy chart showing how must of us are not data hogs. In fact, I consider myself a heavy user, but AT&T doesn’t. Despite using AT&T navigator for 4 hour car rides, streaming Pandora whenever possible, using GPS navigation at sea while downloading new charts, my data usage is pathetic. I even turned off WiFi to get better battery life and I am still only hitting .4GB per month. Will AT&T save you money with their new plans or do you fear bumping into the cap? Press release: [AT&T] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 FROM GAMERTELL - If you want to check out Nintendo’s E3 2010 press conference on June 15, 2010 but can’t attend E3, then head to Nintendo.com. The website will have a live video feed of the event. Gamertell will also be live-blogging about the conference from E3 2010.
MORE » Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Broadband Cards, Mobile Finally, after years of waiting, AT&T is ready for iPhone tethering. The company announced iPhone tethering would be available for purchase when Apple releases iPhone 4.0 OS “this summer”. The news actually comes as a welcome reflief as many of us started wondering if this day would ever come. Smartphone customers – including iPhone customers – who choose the DataPro plan have the option to add tethering for an additional $20 per month. Tethering lets customers use their smartphones as a modem to provide a broadband connection for laptop computers, netbooks or other computing devices. Tethering for iPhones will be available when Apple releases iPhone OS 4 this summer.
So forget Verizon offerings like the Palm Pre Plus that offer free tethering, AT&T has taken the stance that data is going to cost you. For some users, this news is over due. For others, the news just saved them a bundle of money. For example, if you are considering a new iPad, things just got interesting. Instead of shelling out the extra $120 for a 3G version, users that have an iPad and an iPhone (or other AT&T smartphone) can opt for the WiFi only version and tether the iPad via the iPhone connection. Currently, AT&T is not commenting on how many concurrent connections the iPhone will contact to. Of course, tethering introduces a few potential issues. Battery life on the tethered iPhone tends to burn brightly and quickly. With AT&T’s news 2GB cap, users might bump their heads on a data ceiling or face the $10 for an extra 1GB. Press release: [AT&T] Image credit: CouriorPostOnline Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Computers, Mobile Computers, Networking, Wireless  Today, AT&T announced it will no longer offer an unlimited data plan for $29.99. Instead, the company will offer a 2GB capped data plan for $25. Customers who are already on the $29.99 can keep that plan or change to the new one.
According to AT&T, 98% of it’s customers use less than 2GB of data per month. Clearly this pricing is designed to be competitive while still providing a means for AT&T to single out heavy users. According to AT&T, users that go over the GB max will receive notification and be billed $10 and receive another 1GB of data and continue receiving 1GB data at $10 each until the month is out. AT&T includes access to 20,000 WiFI hotspots across the nation with it’s data plans. Reaction to the news seems genuinely mixed. Some iPad users consuming lots of videos are up in arms with AT&T decision. Others, who seem to have multiple lines with AT&T look forward to saving money with the new plans. Some accuse AT&T of stifling innovation in the name of saving bandwidth. Press release: [AT&T] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers Viliv has been showing off an Android based tablet during Computex. The device is the Viliv X10 and its running Android—wait for it—2.2. As in Froyo. So far it sounds interesting, after all an Android tablet running something other than 1.5 or 1.6 is somewhat of a novelty. Well, to be fair the X10 is being displayed with Android 2.1 but Viliv has stated that it will ship with 2.2. Moving on though, the Viliv X10 is also offering a 16:9 display with a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution, ARM processor, Wi-Fi, SD memory card reader and USB port. Other features include a front facing webcam, HDMI connectivity, accelerometer, the ability to play 720p (and possibly 1080p) quality video and options for built-in 3G or WiMax. In terms of battery life, Viliv has suggested up to 10 hours. But in the end, there is a bit of bad news—as of now there is nothing in terms of pricing or a release date. But hopefully that will change sooner as opposed to later. Read [Laptop] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section:  The kind folks at Powermat sent over their new Wireless Charging for iPhone for us to test out. At $69.99, it’s a very reasonably priced entry to get rid of wires and the hassle of connecting something to the iPhone. We have a full review coming but wanted to give a preview of what the unit is like in hand.
The first thing I noticed is the case for the iPhone. Since the iPhone has no battery door, a special case is used to allow wireless charging. The case has the pin connector built in and slides right over your iPhone, making a pretty good fit. The case adds a bit of weight vs. no case but it seems comparable in weight to most cases I have. What seems a bit odd, is the large rectangular protrusion on the backside that helps the case fit snugly into the nicely sized charging cradle. The same fun sounds that are in Powermat’s more expensive (and versatile) products is heard with this unit, as is the same magnetic pull that guides the case in to the proper position. Unlike other Powermats, there is only one position the iPhone will charge. It’s not a big deal as it’s easy to drop the iPhone onto the pad with the help of the magnet but it’s worth noting. Case fit seems fine and charging time seems about right. So far, it seems like $69.99 well spent. A full review will be up this week. Product page: [Powermat] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Networking, Gadgets / Other, Peripherals, Storage Pogoplug have come back with another welcomed update. The news comes by way of the official Pogoplug Blog which has announced that users will be able to view any document in their my.pogoplug.com account as well as email files to their Pogoplug. The document support means that users will be able to view uploaded documents within their my.pogoplug.com account and removes the need to download and open locally. The document support is wide and covers Office 95 and newer for Word and Excel or Office 97 and newer PowerPoint. Additionally, there is also support for OpenOffice Documents, Drawings, Presentations and Spreadsheet as well as PDF, CSV, TXT, XML and RTF files. Moving on, you can also email files to your Pogoplug. In order to do this, simply email your file to “upload@mypogoplug.com” and it will arrive shortly after on your Pogoplug. As for getting these new features, they will “automatically be rolling out to Pogoplug users later today, without requiring anyone to install or download or configure any new settings.” And just like that, the Pogoplug has become even more useful. Read [Pogoplug Blog] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Email / IM, Smartphones, Mobile  You’ve got to ask the question: why is AT&T lowering pricing on it’s smartphones (and not just the iPhone) data connection days before the expected announcement of iPhone 4? The plans introduced today have the potential to substantially lower AT&T profits, yet they are providing no adjustment to their earnings guidance. Is this a signal that AT&T will need to compete for iPhone customers?
The mythical Verizon iPhone could be a reason why AT&T when on the offensive, announcing lower priced plans days before the official expected announcement that will have everyone talking for at least the next month. Is it finally time for Apple to expand it’s horizons on a new carrier in the US? Or does AT&T still have a lock on exclusivity? From TechCrunch:“When asked if there would be an advantage putting the iPhone on two carriers, Jobs acknowledged that "there might be." Asked if that would happen in the near future, Jobs said he couldn't comment on that. But earlier Jobs noted that they meet with AT&T once a quarter, so the fact that this wasn't a firm "no" or something implying that, is interesting” Is it fair to take “there might be” and push it to “yes, I’ll be on stage in just a few days showing off a beautiful Verizon iPhone,” ? No, but given AT&T’s aggressive stance, something seems afoot. According to AT&T, 98% of AT&T smartphone customers use less than 2GB cap on their new DataPro plan, now priced less than the unlimited data plan. 65% of AT&T smartphone customers use less than 200MB and would benefit by dropping down to the $15 per month plan, effectively slicing in half a customers data bill from the old $30. Does AT&T really expect to hit us hard with the over-the-cap fees ($15 for DataPlus users, $10 for DataPro users)? Or are they counting on current customers to ignore the new plans? AT&T has made it easy: customers who change data plans can do so without any kind of contract extension. So why not make the switch? Which brings us back to competitiveness. This move by AT&T is one they are making to stay competitive. The iPhone continues to sell like hotcakes and coupled with the iPad and iPhone tethering coming in iPhone 4 OS, AT&T would seemingly have a lock on new customers to provide continued growth - so why the price drop? Is it a Verizon iPhone or just wishful thinking? Maybe Apple has two versions of the iPhone 4th generation, one they’ve protected with typical Apple lock-down security and one they were not so crazy cautious with? Let us know your prediction in the comments. Product page: [AT&T] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers The Archos 7 Home Tablet with Android is now officially available by way of Amazon. In other words, the pre-orders are gone and those that place an order can actually have the device shipped. Pricing remains the same as it had been during the pre-order time at $199.99. Specs include a 7-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen display, Android 1.5, 8GB of internal storage, microSD card slot, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and more. Product [Amazon] Via [Twitter @ARCHOS_US] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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