Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Google  The T-Mobile G2 was known to feature a new iteration of the Google Voice app for Android, which basically featured two new widgets. Today, Google pushed out that update to the Android Market, so users can update their Google Voice app or download it for the first time. Basically, the widgets are known as Inbox and Settings and are designed to make the app run more efficiently.
The Inbox app adds your text messages and voicemails to the home screen and from there you can read through texts and voicemails to find the one you want. If you take a look at the picture above, you’ll seen an example of how the Inbox widget works. The second widget is the Settings widget, which gives you quick access to Google Voice, the ability to compose and send text messages, change dialing preferences, and a “Do Not Disturb” option which sends all Voice calls straight to voicemail. For the avid Voice user on Android, these new widgets should definitely be helpful in improving Google Voice efficiency. Read [Google Voice Blog] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Business News, Gadgets / Other, ebooks Best Buy will soon become the place to shop for ereaders when it adds the Amazon Kindle to its already impressive lineup of ereaders. In fact, Best Buy already sells the Barnes & Noble Nook, the Sony Reader Touch, Pocket, and Daily editions, and several other ereaders. Of course, the most popular device—the Amazon Kindle—is notably missing, but coming this Fall, Best Buy will also sell the Kindle. The only other physical store to sell the Kindle is Target, but Target is not nearly as popular as Best Buy in terms of electronics. The third generation Amazon Kindle will first be available in Best Buy with the higher-end Kindle DX set to be available “later in the season.” The Wi-Fi Kindle will sell for $139, while the 3G + W-Fi model will sell for $189. Both prices match what Amazon currently offers the devices for, so don’t expect Best Buy to give you any exclusive discounts. The fact that Best Buy will soon offer the top ereaders available on the market today means anyone considering an ereader will have the opportunity to compare a variety of devices. Specficially from the press release: Beginning this fall, Best Buy will make it even easier for consumers to compare all of the most popular reading devices by installing new end-caps that display its e-Specifically selection side-by-side, supported by helpful information about each device’s key features.
Read [MarketWatch] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple, Communications, Smartphones, Mobile, Computers, Software / Applications As if there was any doubt the tricky minds at iPhone Dev-team have already released an update for those who cannot stand living in the software confines that Steve Jobs asks. This round of jailbreak targets the low level boot sequence of the device and according to Dev-Team member pod2g Apple won’t be able to fight back “without making significant hardware changes.” All devices shipped since November of 2009 are capable of using this exploit which include iPhone 4,iPhone 3GS, iPad and the iPod Touches. Currently this new break is the only available method as previous PwnageTool and 24kpwn vulnerabilities have been sealed up by Apple. Play at your own risk from here. Redmond Pie is posting live updates from iPhone Dev-Team as they come in. Full Story » | Written by Aaron Thacker for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Gaming, Mobile There is nothing better than an simple addicting game that if you have a spare 10 minutes, you can fire it up, gain several moments of satisfaction or defeat and continue on about your day. No one has captured that as well as the folks over at Firemint when they gifted the gaming marketplace with Flight Control. Since launch in 2009, Firemint has reported users successfully landing over 2 billion planes, 2 billion. The US within a given year, an estimated 13.5 million commercial and non-commercial planes take flight which totals about 27 million flights in two years. With that said, Flight control has landed 1.9 billion more flights that what the FAA has logged in two years. Math is fun. Flight control is currently available on in the Apple App store, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii online and coming to PS Network next week. If you haven’t given Flight control a go, we strongly recommend you give it a shot but be sure to allot two to four hours that you will never get back. Read [thenextweb] Full Story » | Written by Aaron Thacker for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Google Amidst the flurry at Google’s Search event one announcement that rocked everyone was the release of Google Instant. This next step in search actively predicts what are you going to type and scan the web right in front of your eyes. If you haven yet to try it out, venture over to Google.com come and simply type “W” into the search bar, results will likely display weather in your area. Not what you’re looking for, add one more letter and Google with continue to play the “I know what you’re thinking game.” But how much time is Google Instant really saving? They are predict that by anticipating your search and showing results before you finish typing, Google Instant can save 2-5 seconds per search, notes the blog. Those numbers roughly account to 350 million hours of time saved per year. Whoa. Now you can’t make a claim like that and expect someone not to dive into it. Over at Lifehacker, they put the new instant to the test - here’s the setup: we restricted our typing speed 240 key presses per minute. That’s four key presses per second, or what comes out to somewhere around 50 words per minute—a moderate typing speed for the average person. Key presses mean any key, so invoking a shortcut counts. The winner was determined when Google was sure it found the correct result.
 Results are as follows and some pretty impressive numbers: Overall it saved 17 seconds over all ten searches combined. That’s only 1.7 seconds per search on average, but let’s say you perform 40 searches per day—that’s 24,820 seconds, 413.67 minutes, and nearly 7 hours per year
Read [Lifehacker] Full Story » | Written by Aaron Thacker for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Computers, Mobile Computers, Netbooks, Software / Applications 
So which is it? Google Chrome OS on tablets or Google Android OS on tablets? We’re not sure and it would seem Google may not be either. Google Chrome was crafted for use on instant-on netbooks, a segment that is being bitten into by tablets. Many have already called for the death of the netbook as Google still isn’t done with its Chrome OS project (not to be confused with the Chrome browser, oh, wait, yes that is confusing). Google CEO Eric Schmidt, talking at IFA said that Chrome OS will be “targeted at the netbook space, but because it’s free and open source, people will also use it for tablets, But it’s too early to say exactly how it will play out and we’re looking forward to the partnership announcement’s later this year.” How will Google keep Android off tablets? Will it merge Chrome OS and Android for tablets? Will Chrome leverage games created for Android? Then there is the whole issue of fragmentation - customize for one device and you’ve created issues for updating. Could this be the partnership announcement Schmidt was referring to? Read more: http://www.itproportal.com/portal/news/article/2010/9/8/chrome-os-used-primarily-tablets-says-google-ceo/#ixzz0z25Pi0aq Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, Content, HDTV, Video Providers 
Dealing with cable companies can be a hassle: long hold times, missed service calls, confusing options. Comcast seems to be changing at least some of this with their new Comcast4U text service. This new service allows you to text commands to Comcast to make dealing with them a whole lot easier. "We developed COMCAST4U using feedback we heard from our customers, who want more control of their own accounts and service requests, and who have grown to rely on the ease, convenience and immediacy of sending and receiving text messages to get information, entertainment and alerts," said Bill Connors, president, Comcast's East Division. "Then we added innovative features and functionality to take it a step further, so our customers can now communicate with us wherever, whenever and however they prefer." Customers can text Comcast the following commands:
Command Response
NOW Provides a list of what's on TV at that point in time
PRIMETIME Lists that night's primetime TV lineup
VOD Offers highlights of On Demand content
SPORTS Delivers sports schedules and scores
CALLME Places the customer in queue to receive a call back from Comcast
BAL Provides current account balance
OUT Advises if the address is experiencing a known service interruption
HIT Sends a reset signal to equipment
NOAPPT Allows customers to cancel scheduled service calls
LOC Offers the address of the nearest payment center What’s more, Comcast also added a texting service for important service announcements. Things like service alerts, appointment reminders and payment due. All of these alerts can be managed by the user and the company has a privacy policy in place. Product page: [Comcast] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers  The announcement came simple sounding, a Droid 10 tablet had been announced and while I first though of the 10 inch tablet that Motorola is rumored to be working on—I was quickly let down and now sit waiting to see news of the lawsuit. You see, the Droid 10 tablet was not coming from Motorola or from Verizon as you would have expected given the name, but instead by way of a company called Haleron Technologies. Of course, I am not a lawyer, nor have I ever played one on television, but that aside I would have chosen another name. Either way though, those interested can now buy the 10.2 inch (1024 x 600) resistive touchscreen display having and Android 2.1 running Droid 10 tablet. Well, you can as long as you are willing to shell out $249. In terms of features, the Droid 10 tablet is sporting a 1GHz ZT-180 processor, 256MB DDR RAM, 2GB of storage space, TF card, Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi and a 1.3 megapixel camera. Other feature include built-in stereo speakers and the SkyFire web browser which has Flash enabled browsing. Sorry, but this is one that I will pass on. Hey Motorola, where is your Droid 10 tablet? Read [Haleron Technologies on Twitter] Product [Haleron Technologies] Via [Droid-Life] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers  Amazon has listed another Android tablet, and while it is not yet shipping you can still plunk down your hard earned cash for a pre-order. The tablet is the eLocity A7 and it is priced at $369.99. As of now there is no mention of a shipping date but there are specs listed which include a 7 inch capacitive touchscreen (800 x 480) display, 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 T-20 processor, 4GB flash memory, 512MB DDR2 RAM, microSD card slot, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB 2.0, a 1.3 megapixel webcam and Android 2.2. As for the device itself, the A7 measures in at 8.2 x 4.8 x 0.5 inches with a weight of 1.02 pounds. Furthermore, the A7 has an HDMI out which means 1080p video output. All said and done, the eLocity A7 seems to be a nice offering, of course we would be remiss if we did not point out the lack of access to the official Android Market. That said, it was noted as having pre-installed apps to include Facebook, Twitter, Documents To Go and an Adobe PDF Reader as well as the Amazon Store and Amazon MP3 Store. Product [Amazon] Via [Netbook News] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Reviews, Features, Originals What is it? Like other writers hear at Gadgetell, I tend to use headphones quite often. Unlike our editor Robert Nelson, I don’t mind spending a relatively high price for good headphones. I have gone through several pairs of higher-quality earphones because I appreciate having better sound quality. Not to say I am an audiophile by any stretch, I just appreciate more accurate sound performance. The Etymotic Research hf3 headset + earphones are billed as “the world’s most accurate noise-isolating headset + earphones under $200.” In this case, under $200 means the earphones will run you $180. For this review, I also had a set of CUSTOM•FIT earmolds. The earmolds will cost an extra $100, bringing the total price of the earphones to $280, which is probably a bit steep for many people. In addition to the extra cost, the earmolds need to be done by an authorized audiologist (Etymotic gives you a voucher, so you only end up paying the $100) who sends your ear impressions off to make the molds, which should take about 2-3 weeks to arrive. The hf3 headset + earphones also came with a selection of other tips, though most of my testing was done with the custom molds. The Good To start, the custom earmolds were fantastic. There was a bit of resistance to get them in place at first, and then they took about a week to be fully comfortable. After that week the molds felt very natural, and they sealed much better than any other earphones I’ve used in the past. While the standard tips I’ve found in other earphones tended to unseal after a period of time, or sometimes even just fall out my ear, these had non such issues, though that is to be expected. As for the sound that came through those custom made, it was pretty fantastic. The earphones certainly have better sound than the Apple In-earphones I was using previously. Testing the two headsets against each other showed that the hf3 was better at reproducing the myriad bass and noises in Deadmau5 songs as well as the complicated progressive metal of Dream Theater. The bass was more satisfying without overpowering everything, and treble came out just fine, if not a bit more defined than in the Apple headset. Overall, I’d have to say that the sound the hf3 headset + earphones produced has been the best in a pair of earphones I’ve ever owned. The only set of earphones I’ve heard that produced a comparative sound were the Monster Turbine Pro Copper which I had only a few brief minutes to listen to at CES last January. The Bad There really isn’t much I can personally say against the Etymotic Research hf3 headset + earphones on the side of the sound. The only complaint I’ve had is the sound it blocks out. I would use the earphones to listen to music while blogging, which caused at least a few arguments with my fiancée. I just couldn’t hear her through the earphones, no matter how many times she called my name. I’ve also tested this in New York City, and they blocked out most ambient noise around me save for a few loud or persistant noises (of course, I would never recommend anyone use sound isolation earphones while walking in busy city sidewalks). The Crux The Etymotic Research hf3 headset + earphones are a great set of earphones, hands down. The price is a bit up there, but they definitely seem worth it to me. If you don’t feel as if you need, or can’t use the microphone and control buttons the hf5 are essentially the same without the controls for $30 less. (I personally love having both inline so I don’t have to take out my iPhone to pause the music, or answer a call). If you’re like me, and have trouble with typical in-ear tips, the custom earmolds are a godsend, and are definitely worth the price of admission. Product [Etymotic Research hf3 headset + earphones] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile  The R2-D2 Edition of the Droid 2 is not expected to come available until the end of this month, however that does not seem to have stopped the special Star Wars live wallpapers from coming available online. In total there are four including the Millenium Falcon, Lightspeed, R2D2 and Spaceslug. And as one would hope, they can all be downloaded as a nicely packaged zip file. As for using them, once downloaded you should be able to transfer them over to your Android 2.1 (or later) running smartphone and install the .apk file. While we wait for the end of September and the availability of the phone itself you can either hit the download link below or check out the video of the live wallpapers in action above. Download [r2d2wallpapers.zip] Via [Droid-Life] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Business News, Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile It has been a little while since we last heard anything in terms of the number of apps that can be found in the BlackBerry App World. That said, and coming as a little bit of good news for BlackBerry users, the App World now has more than 10,000 available apps. The news comes by way of the official BlackBerry Twitter account; BlackBerry #AppWorld is 10,000 apps strong and growing – what apps do you love? http://bbry.lv/cOzbhf (AK)
Granted, this is fairly small as compared to that of the Apple App Store or the Android Market, but on the flip side it is rather large as compared to the webOS App Catalog. Either way though, with 10,000 apps you should be able to find most of what you are looking for. Via [Blackberry on Twitter] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Google  Google has been making some rather eye catching Doodle logos as of late. Apparently the logos created some serious waves for a specific toy manufacturer. Google threw up an homage for the 25th anniversary of the Buckminsterfullerene molecule on September 4th. When Googlers clicked the logo, it brought up a search for the term “Buckyballs.” As it just so happened to be, the top three results were for a magnetic desktop toy that went by the same silly name.
I’m not going to lie, I would always find myself clicking on Google’s colorful designs commemorating the death of a pioneer, the anniversary of a historic battle or a national holiday. Luckily for one company, the curiosity of millions of Googlers worldwide lead to huge benefits as the toy company wound up selling more than $250,000 in orders that day (or more than 10,000 units). Ahh the power of Google is astounding is it not? 
What I would like to know is what exactly was the selling point on this item for those 10,000 enthralled customers. What was really going on in their minds when they saw the magnet being inadvertently boasted on Google? Was it something along the lines of: “Holy crap, this thing would really look great on my desktop,” or was it more like “If Google is boasting this little doohickey, it must be worth buying!” In any case, serious props to the Buckyballs manufacturer. Via [betanews] Full Story » | Written by Tarun Kunwar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile Assuming this latest (and still rumored) date is accurate then it looks like we can expect to see a Windows Phone 7 launch come next month. The details are coming by way of Pocket-Lint, who are citing “multiple sources familiar with the matter.” As for what they are saying, Microsoft has plans for a global Windows Phone 7 launch to take place at a New York event on October 11th and then have the actual phones available later in the month. Via [Pocket-Lint] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile T-Mobile has finally and officially unveiled the G2 Android smartphone. Except while they gave up the details in terms of specs they were fairly vague on the release timeframe and failed to mention the price all together. That said, according to the details in the press release, the G2 will come available for pre-order sometime “later this month.” And it will be available in “limited quantities.” In terms of specs, the G2 will come touting a 3.7 inch WVGA touchscreen display, an 800MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM7230 processor, HSPA+, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and autofocus, 4GB internal memory, 8GB microSD card and Android 2.2 Froyo. Other features include Adobe FlashPlayer, the Swype virtual keyboard, a hardware QWERTY, optical trackpad and 3.5mm headphone jack. Product [T-Mobile] Keep reading to check out the full press release… Introducing the T-Mobile G2 with Google — the First Smartphone Delivering 4G Speeds on T-Mobile's Super-Fast HSPA+ Network T-Mobile, Google and HTC re-team to deliver the groundbreaking successor to the T-Mobile G1; Exclusive preorder for current T-Mobile customers begins later this month BELLEVUE, Wash. — Sept. 9, 2010 — T-Mobile USA, Inc. today unveiled the T-Mobile® G2™ with Google™, delivering downloads at 4G speeds1, a blazing fast web browsing experience and tight integration with Google services. The G2 breaks new ground as the first smartphone specifically designed for T-Mobile's new HSPA+ network2, which covers 100 million Americans in more than 55 major metropolitan areas across the country. The G2 is an ultra-powerful smartphone designed by HTC and is the highly anticipated successor to the T-Mobile G1, the world's first Android™-powered mobile phone, pairing a large 3.7-inch screen with a unique hinge design that opens to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. Current T-Mobile customers will get exclusive access to preorder the G2 starting later this month. "T-Mobile ignited the spark that set the Android world ablaze two years ago with the launch of the world's first Android-powered mobile phone, the T-Mobile G1, which remains an important milestone for both T-Mobile and the Android operating system," said Cole Brodman, chief technology and innovation officer, T-Mobile USA. "Now, with the launch of the T-Mobile G2, we are re-teaming with our partners at Google and HTC to provide T-Mobile customers with another first — the first Android smartphone designed to deliver 4G speeds on our new network." "One of the advantages of an open platform is the opportunity for developers to create rich mobile experiences and seamlessly get those experiences into the hands of consumers," said Andy Rubin, vice president, engineering, Google. "From new services, such as Voice Actions, to mobile applications, developer-led Android innovation is flourishing. On Android Market alone, the number of applications available to consumers has grown from just 50 applications two years ago to more than 80,000 applications today." "Two years ago, HTC and T-Mobile worked together to deliver the world's first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1. From that start, Android has grown to be the leading smartphone platform in the U.S., and one of the most popular globally," said Peter Chou, chief executive officer, HTC Corporation. "With today's announcement of the G2, HTC and T-Mobile are once again bringing a breakthrough Android product to market." The first smartphone specifically designed to deliver 4G speeds on T-Mobile's new HSPA+ network, the G2 is optimized for performance to provide customers with blazing fast access to a world of information through websites, applications, videos, file downloads and more. Built on Android 2.2, the G2 offers seven customizable home screen panels, including a dedicated panel with one-click access to your favorite Google applications such as Android Market™, which currently offers more than 80,000 applications. The T-Mobile G2 delivers a powerful mobile data experience that is tightly integrated with Google Voice™, as well as packed with Google applications such as Voice Actions™ from Google, Google Goggles™ and more. It is one of the first smartphones in the industry to offer the new Voice Actions feature of Google Search™, which allows you to control your phone with your voice for calling contacts and businesses, sending messages, browsing the Web, listening to music and completing common tasks. It is also the first smartphone to offer integrated access to Google Voice™, allowing customers to create a new account using their current mobile number right from the home screen. Google Voice then automatically transcribes voicemails to text so customers can read them like an e-mail or text message from their phone or online. Additional pre-loaded Google services include Google Search, Gmail™, Google Maps™ with Places and Navigation, YouTube™, Google Talk™ and Google Earth™, among others. Adding fuel to the G2's speed is its Snapdragon™ MSM7230 mobile processor which combines Qualcomm's new HSPA+ capabilities and second generation applications processor. The Snapdragon MSM7230 offers an 800 MHz CPU and is optimized to deliver exceptional performance, long battery life and leading edge multimedia and web browsing — with download speeds faster than other solutions currently in the market. The G2 delivers advanced smartphone features including an HD video camera for recording crystal-clear, high-definition (720p) videos that can be automatically uploaded to your Photobucket account and a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and autofocus. The G2 also offers smartphone essentials such as easy access to personal and work e-mail, including support for Microsoft® Exchange e-mail, contacts and calendar; social networking; and instant messaging. In addition, the G2 features a pre-installed 8GB microSD memory card with support for up to 32 GB, as well as a music player. Additional features of the G2 include the following: · Dedicated Quick Keys for one-touch access to your favorite Google shortcuts and applications * Adobe FlashPlayer enabled Web browsing experience
* Pinch and zoom functionality for Web browsing and photo gallery · 4GB internal memory with pre-installed 8GB micro SD card, with support for up to 32 GB of external memory · Built-in 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo headset and Bluetooth support · Swype® text input for fast, accurate communication Availability The T-Mobile G2 with Google will be available in the U.S. exclusively from T-Mobile, and current T-Mobile customers will have the opportunity to preorder the G2 in limited quantities later this month. Additional availability details will be shared in the coming weeks. Visit http://g2.t-mobile.com to register for updates. About T-Mobile's HSPA+ Network T-Mobile continues to expand its super-fast HSPA+ mobile broadband network, which now covers 100 million Americans in more than 55 major metropolitan areas. T-Mobile's new HSPA+ network — which offers theoretical peak throughput speeds of 21 Mbps — offers today's available 4G speeds to more people than any other wireless network in the country, with plans to reach more than 200 million people this year. For more information on where T-Mobile's HSPA+ network service is available, please visit http://t-mobile.com/coverage.
Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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