Section: Video, Content, Web, Downloads We are still be (im)patiently awaiting the release of the Boxee Box which is set to come soon, but the people behind Boxee aren’t resting. Today we see a new version of Boxee which includes 100 bug fixes, and more media option. The new option comes in the form of thousands of free (some ad-supported) movies. The movies come from a collection of four services that Boxee has partnered with. Those services are EZTakes, Indie Movies Online, MUBI and OpenFilm. The services feature mostly independent films, so they won’t be for everyone at the moment. Although, between the four services there’s bound to be somethings that interest you. The services will be added to a section called Movie Library where you can build a queue of films to watch between them all. Boxee hopes to add more movies to the section over time, both from other services and directly from movie studios. Adding the new services, to some likely won’t be all that interesting, but to a film buff, or just someone who took a few film courses in their life, it is a great addition. A quick look through MUBI alone (the only one which requires you to have an account to use on Boxee) shows some rather interesting films, though most of them seem to coast $3 to watch, which isn’t too bad. Again, some of these movies won’t be for everyone, though others will find some enjoyment out of them. Plus, Boxee could always land some deals with major studios to bring some bigger movies to the service. Read [Boxee Blog] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Web Apps, Google A VoIP option for Google Voice has been rumored for quite some time now. There was even that leaked desktop client that showed up on TechCrunch a while back to show that Google was working on it. Today’s announcement isn’t precisely a Google Voice VoIP desktop client, but it is certainly close. Google today has announced that any Gmail user will be able to call any phone right from the Gmail. The feature is free in the US and Canada for the moment, and will continue that way for “at least the rest of the year.” Calls to other countries will be really cheap, with many countries’ rates as low as 2 cents per minute. For those who have Google Voice, that number will be the number showed when placing a call from Gmail. There is even a way to receive calls to your Google Voice number through Gmail. This might be the closest we’ll ever come to getting a Google Voice VoIP client. As it stands, it is a nice thing to have, but it would be nice to have a dedicated desktop client that can do the same thing for those of us who don’t keep Gmail open at all times. As with all Google features, this will be rolled out over the next few days. The feature will show up as “Call Phones” when it does appear. If you want to use it, you will have to install the voice and video plug-in if you haven’t already, though it’s likely that most people already have. The feature won’t be available to Google Apps accounts, though Google promises it is working on getting it to more users soon.  Read [Gmail Blog Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple We knew it had to be coming soon. Apple is set to hold a special event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco next Wednesday, September 1. If the time of year doesn’t give it away, perhaps the image on the invitation sent out to some bloggers will. The event will most likely be about the announcement of the next generation of iPod from Apple. The only thing we know is what we should probably expect from the iPod touch. If the rumors and leaks prove to be true, we should be expecting an iPod touch with a Retina Display (that much should have been obvious), a front facing camera and FaceTime. Of course, Apple will likely update the rest of the iPod line, though those products tend to pale in comparison to the iPod touch. The others rumors we keep hearing about the tv, which may or may not be rebranded with it’s first name or iTV, might also come to pass at this event. It would be good timing to get the new version out in time for the holidays, and to get to market before the Boxee Box ships in a few months. The more likely rumored announcement would be the iTunes-in-the-cloud service that Apple is supposedly working on. That would actually fall in line with some of the tv rumors of a box that relies on the cloud and has no storage. It would also make sense given that it would be used by many for music alone. We can always hope Apple will make the announcement, but there’s no guarantee that Apple even plans on rolling out such a service, despite how great it could be. Apple also needs to announce something about the iPad’s iOS 4 upgrade sometime soon. The update was promised to come out sometime this fall, so even just a quick update on when to expect that would be nice to see. Read [TechCrunch] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Web, Websites 
Interested in purchasing the Samsung Captivate on AT&T? Consider checking out Amazon Wireless’ latest deal on the Galaxy S smartphone as it is offering the phone for a mere penny. Similar to the deal Amazon offered for the Samsung Vibrant, the Captivate is available for a penny on a two year agreement and Amazon Wireless will even waive the activation fee. However, the Vibrant deal expired a few days later and is now available for $69.99, therefore I expect Amazon’s latest deal on the Captivate will expire shortly as well. The Samsung Captivate is arguably the best Android smartphone on the AT&T network, so I’d recommend looking into this phone if you’re on AT&T and interested in Android. Check it out [Amazon Wireless] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Web Apps, Websites  The team over at Evernote have announced a new milestone, they now have 4 million registered users. Pretty impressive, and I can happily say that I have been one from the beginning. In addition to sharing the impressive number, the team also offered up a few charts detailing the total amount of Evernote users, the mobile usage by platform and desktop usage by platform. All interesting to check out (which you can see below) and show some fairly expected results. For example, there are more Windows users than Mac users, which breaks down 46.4% Windows and 36.7% for Mac. Interestingly though, only 14% use the desktop web access as opposed to an app. Personally, I always use the web access—I guess I am in the minority on that one. And in terms of mobile, the iPhone and iOS devices are taking top honors with Android taking second. Then a distant third, fourth, fifth and sixth include the BlackBerry, Mobile Web, Windows Mobile and Palm OS with a lowly 0.5%. With that, if you have not already become one of the 4 million Evernote users, I would highly suggest checking the service out—it is great. And on top of that, I did mention that I have been a user since day one, but on top of that I have been a paid Premium member, that is how much I like, use and depend on the service. But remember, they also have a great free account available.
Read [Evernote Blog] Via [IntoMobile] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks, Web, Websites Jeff Bezos is smiling as he reads the latest figures from the third generation Amazon Kindle sales. According to the latest Amazon press release, the third generation Kindle is the “fastest-selling ever” on the Amazon.com web store as well as the Amazon.co.uk web store. In the first four weeks of availability for the WiFi only model and the 3G + WiFi model, more orders have been placed across the two websites than any product ever —making it once again the best-selling product on Amazon for the second year straight. In case you happened to place an order for the Kindle, you’ll be pleased to know the device has begun shipping two days early. The Amazon Kindle with WiFi only costs $139, while the model featuring 3G connectivity costs $189. The new devices feature 50% better contrast, 20% faster page turns, 15% lighter, and boasts one month of battery life. Of course, I wish Amazon released some figures so we could accurately gauge how popular the device truly is, but at the end of the day, it just goes to show the iPad and other tablets have a hard time cutting into the market the Kindle has created for itself. Read [BusinessWire] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones 
Nearly a week ago, T-Mobile announced through Twitter that the Motorola Charm would be officially released on August 25. And as of today, T-Mobile updated its product listing for the Charm with pricing details and the ability to purchase the candybar Android smartphone. For $74.99 on a two year contract, you can purchase the compact Motorola Charm complete with a MOTOBLUR skin on top of Android 2.1. In addition, it sports a 2.8 inch touch screen, BACKTRACK, physical QWERTY keyboard, 3MP camera, WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth. Anyone thinking about picking up the Charm? Check it out [T-Mobile] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile It looks like the FCC has just offered the approval on yet another Windows Phone 7 smartphone. The model is the C900, which comes courtesy of LG and it will be heading to AT&T here in the US. According to the details found in the listing, the LG C900 will come sporting support for the WCDMA bands II and V. As for the C900, this is a landscape slider style handset. Read [FCC] Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones It looks like Motorola is preparing to launch another low-range Android smartphone according to a leak by Cellpassion, which features an image and various specs. The Motorola Quench XT5 features a 3.2 inch HVGA touch screen, 5MP camera, flash, 256MB RAM, 512MB ROM, and it runs Android 2.1. It’s unfortunate that the device is only running Android 2.1, but since it’s a low-range Android smartphone, the OS isn’t surprising. Additionally, it sports a 1270 mAh battery, FM radio, and DivX video playback. Based on the Bands, it looks like the Quench XT5 is a European Android device, which means it is doubtful to see an American launch. Unless the Motorola smartphone is competitively priced, I don’t think it will sell all that well considering many of its features are mediocre at best. Via [Cellpassion] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile, Reviews, Features, Originals The Samsung Epic 4G is Sprint’s variant of the Galaxy S smartphone and it is set to be available on August 31 for $250 on a two year agreement. I’ve been fortunate to spend a little bit of time reviewing Sprint’s version of the Galaxy S phone and I like the phone a lot. Without getting into the whole review, the Epic 4G represents an upgraded version of the Galaxy S by featuring a stellar combination of a physical QWERTY keyboard, front facing camera, and 4G connectivity. While I cannot comment on the 4G network (because I don’t live in an area with 4G coverage) the slider keyboard has exceeded by expectations and the front facing camera works just as billed. Feel free to check out several unboxing pictures of the Epic 4G and stay tuned for the full review shortly. Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, VoIP, Web, Web Apps, Websites, Google According to some of the latest internet chatter, you will soon be able to make voice calls from within Gmail. As you would expect with any rumor, Google has not offered anything official as of yet, however according to CNET; “Google is testing a Web-based service within Gmail that will allow users to place phone calls from their in-boxes. It’s launched from the Google Chat window on the lower left-hand side of a Gmail page and allows users to place and receive calls from within their contacts through a user interface that strongly resembles the one used in Google Voice.”
Of course, in reality, this could be the reasoning behind last years purchase of Gizmo5. Then again, this is not the first time we have heard word of voice calling in Gmail and given that I am going to reserve me excitement until this actually begins rolling out. Read [CNET] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile Nothing really new in terms of this FCC listing, we have already seen the device before. And as a result of this FCC listing, we can see it again thanks to the internal and external images having been posted. That said, we do have this nice image of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8, which some of you may recognize as the Shakira. In terms of features and specs, the Xperia X8 will come touting a 3 inch display and running Android 1.6. In addition, you can also expect to find the usual goodies including a 3.2 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and an FM Radio. And just like any of the other FCC listings, this did not clue us in on a release date for this US market. But like any other device, this FCC stop is just one step closer. With that, for those hoping to make a purchase and looking to study up before hand—the compete user manual was also included in the listing. Read [FCC] Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile And just like that, another Windows Phone 7 smartphone has been revealed, the latest device is the T8788 from HTC and it comes in the form of a slider. Though, with some accuracy, I suppose the HTC T8788 should be described more of a semi-slider because the handset does not slide all the way open and it also does not offer what most sliders do—a keyboard. Instead the T8788 slides to reveal a speaker. Otherwise we are left with few other details, however it was noted as having a kickstand on the back which seems to fit in perfectly with the speaker slider. I am all for a media centric smartphone, after all that is how I often use mine but this still seems like an interesting design choice. Read [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Web Browsers We first saw Tab Candy a few weeks ago when it was only a feature that might be brought into Firefox 4. Since then we’ve gone through two more Firefox 4 betas. Now, we finally have confirmation that Tab Candy will be in Firefox 4. Although, it won’t be going by that name. The new name for Tab Candy is now Firefox Panorama. The feature set is the same as we saw before, letting users break their tabs into groups that can be organized in anyway the want. The feature set will be enhanced further, and it seems extension developers are excited about the prospects of Panorama. The post announcing the feature also includes some of the ideals behind the project. One of the biggest concerns with Panorama is spatial recognition. By organizing tabs into groups and placing those groups in specified location of the window, it allows us to access them more easily. Rather than having to recall information about the group, or hunt for it like in Exposé, it is thought that we will just remember where the group is naturally over time, just like we always know where everything is on a desk despite how messy it may be. Panorama also helps with multitasking, or rather the lack thereof. The idea is that humans are bad at multitasking, and allowing users to just focus on the tabs at hand rather than the dozens that can build up in the tab bar is great for keeping on task. The other big addition in Firefox 4 beta 4 is hardware acceleration. There rest of the features for Firefox 4 are not yet set, but we still have until September 10 until it’s all decided. Now that Panorama is standard, I know I’ll be at least trying to switch from Chrome to Firefox. Firefox Panorama: How To from Aza Raskin on Vimeo. Read [Aza Raskin] and Read [Web Monkey] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple, Audio, Portable Audio, Video  The Apple event rumors have kicked off once again, and the latest are suggesting that we could see an iPod and iTV event on September 7th. According to the details coming from Bloomberg, this launch will fall two weeks before the kick off of the fall television season. As for why that is important—the rumor of $0.99 television rentals in iTunes. The rumor states that the episodes will be online within 24 hours of the original air time and come commercial free. Furthermore, it is also expected that the Apple TV is going to be replaced/updated with the iTV and that a fourth generation iPod touch will be unveiled.
Read [Bloomberg] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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