Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile  Cue the confetti! Get the elephants to stand on hind legs. Hug the person next to you. It would seem AT&T’s exclusive deal for the iPhone is ending according to the companies CFO Richard Lindner, speaking at a conference. While that doesn’t pin the tail on Verizon just yet, Apple has to be itching to get on the biggest carrier in their own backyard.
“Exclusive arrangements end.”- AT&T CFO Richard Lindner While that statement isn’t a surprise in itself, it’s not something a company locked in for the long haul would offer up. Gone are talks of partnership, cooperation, and blue sky. That sentiment has been replaced with words like “end”, higher cancellation fees and loosening of upgrade conditions. If I were AT&T faced with losing the exclusive, these are the things I’d be doing to prepare for the inevitable. We don’t expect to see or hear anything before the New Year. Last year, we saw an iOS event in early April. Our bet is we’ll hear something then but we can hope for a slip of good news at a January event, like the one used last year to introduce the iPad. Read: [Electronista] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Desktops, Mobile Computers, Hardware, Laptops, Netbooks, Networking, Software / Applications, Wireless 
Over at Business Insider, Matt Rosoff wrote an interesting piece reminding us there is more to laptops than just the included hardware. Things like cameras, hard drives, printers, mice; all those things we plug into our laptops make our experience complete. Google seems to have come up short on supporting these. Toward the end of today’s Chrome OS event, Google admitted that it’s still working out how to support hardware peripherals. This is how Chrome OS is most likely to fail.
Rosoff goes on to point out that printers are a particularly troubling problem that will most likely force users of the Chrome OS to have another computer to get that printer installed. Camera connections and webcams pose another problem (though, a webcam is listed in the C48 specs). Google has said they’ve not completed work on USB support yet. Experts are quick to point out that Chrome OS is really just a thin layer on top of Linux and Linux figured all this out a while back. Will peripherals be the downfall of the new OS? Will it find only netbook adoption rates? Read: [Business Insider] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Laptops While we have seen a fair bit on the recently announced Cr-48 notebook from Google, here is a simple listing of the specs that we have so far. - 12.1 inch LCD display
- Wi-Fi 802.11n
- Built-in 3G (Qualcomm)
- Flash based storage
- Webcam
- Full-sized keyboard
- Oversized touchpad
- 3.8 pounds
- 8 hours of run time with 8 days of standby time
- 10 second boot time
- Resume from sleep instantly
And remember, if you want to get hands-on with this model, you are going to have to apply and hope to get accepted in the pilot program—for that, hit the ‘read’ link below. Read [Google] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile For some reason, people seem intent to want the recently announced Nexus S to be the Nexus Two. Or at the very least want to prove that the handset was once called the Nexus Two and almost launched with that name. Needless to say, if you fall into the Nexus Two as opposed to Nexus S category then feel free to check out the below image which s showing off some bits from the official YouTube page for the phone. Ah, Nexus Two, what you could have been. Oh wait, you still can be just with a different name. Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile Despite never having been officially announced (by AT&T or Nokia) there are some images of an AT&T branded Nokia X7 handset that have recently appeared online. Given that it would appear as if an announcement and launch is coming up, but until we hear something official we are going to have to keep the excitement in check. After all, things can, and have in the past changed at the very last minute. That said, assuming this handset does indeed arrive with AT&T, it should make a nice addition to the lineup. In terms of features, the Nokia X7 is sporting a 4 inch display with 640 x 360 pixel resolution, 8 megapixel camera with flash and is running Symbian^3. Read [eldarmurtazin] Via [IntoMobile] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile For reasons unknown to most, the BlackBerry Storm3 9570 has remained with a listing in the Best Buy Mobile Genie system. And given the previous on again and off again history with the Storm3 we would have though this handset would have been removed from internal systems long ago. Needless to say, the only thing we can assume is that someone is still hoping to see the Storm3 released, or someone knows that it will be released some day. Or more than likely, Best Buy has simply not deleted it from the system yet and really need to perform some housekeeping—who knows what other monsters may lurk in there. Read [Engadget Mobile] Via [CrackBerry] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile It looks like Best Buy is now offering another version of the Droid Incredible, and before anyone gets super excited—it is still the same handset in terms of specs. That said, the backing has been changed and is now white. Of course, this is not the first time we have seen the white (or red) backing for the Incredible, but this does seem to be the first time it is shipping pre-installed. With that, if you are looking for a Droid Incredible and not feeling the standard black offering, then it looks like Best Buy is the place you should be shopping. Via [Droid Life] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking  Popular blogging platform Tumblr is back online after an outage that lasted over a day. Rumors flew that the site had been the victim of a DDoS(Dedicated Denial of Service) attack spearheaded by infamous hacking group 4chan, but the company’s blog blamed the outage on database issues. The company says their infrastructure was simply unprepared for the their explosive growth-the site now gets over 500 million page views a month-and promises users they they are working to expand and improve their infrastructure. Do you have a blog on Tumblr? Tell us your thoughts on the outage and how the company handled it!
Read [Tumblr] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile US Cellular has become the latest US carrier to announce an LG Optimus handset. The device is the Android 2.2 running Optimus U and it will be available beginning December 13th. In terms of pricing—free. Well, free on a two-year agreement and after an $80 mail-in-rebate. But still, in the end it will be free. Otherwise, the LG Optimus U will come sporting features to include a 3.2 inch capacitive touchscreen display, microSD card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack and a 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus, zoom and video recording. In addition, the Optimus U will come pre-installed with the Swype virtual keyboard, have hotspot capabilities and will ship with a 2GB memory card included in the box. Read [US Cellular] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Google  The online eyewear retailer who bragged about his scheme to manipulate Google’s ranking system by creating negative publicity about himself has been arrested. , Vitaly Borker was arrested at his Brooklyn home and charged with fraud, cyberstalking and harassment. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Borker sent customers broken or counterfeit merchandise and if they complained began a campaign of abuse and harassment include threats of rape and violence. It was all designed to get people talking about the company,Decormyeyes because of Google’s policy of placing the most talked about sites highest in search rankings even if the talk is largely negative. Because of Borker’s action, Google has since changed that policy. Both he and his lawyer have refused to comment, but really, what can they say? Borker bragged shamelessly about his abusive customer service practices and now those words may come back to haunt him.
Read [PCWorld] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Web, Web Apps, Web Browsers, Websites, Google All of sudden, Amazon has abruptly announces that its Kindle for the Web service which lets you read free first chapters of Kindle books on a web browser, will not let you buy and read full Kindle books. Yes, think of it as your Kindle eBook Reader, except this time you don’t need to spend money to get another device. You can have your ebook fix right in the comforts of your computer’s web browser. There’s nothing extra-ordinary on the full Kindle for the Web service actually. You’ve probably seen the interface before when Amazon rolled out the feature for the first chapters of Kindle books. And even if you’ve checked Google Books before, prior to the big announcement last Monday. But what’s important to note about Amazon’s service is that it will allow you offer Kindle books from your blogs and other sites. Even commercial book retailers can offer Kindle books now just by grabbing the code snippet for an ebook and embedding it to their websites. Successful sales will earn you referral fees through the Amazon Associates Program. Interestingly, Kindle for the Web was demoed on stage during the Google Chrome event today. It will be part of the launch app when the Chrome OS and the Chrome Notebook are launched next year. Kindle for the Web will be available in the coming months. In the meantime, Amazon is letting us try it out here. Read [Amazon] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Netbooks Image courtesy: Shutterstock BILLY MAYS HERE! I WANT TO INTRODUCE GOOGLE’S NEW LAPTOP WHICH WILL BE MANUFACTURED WITHOUT A CAPS LOCK KEY. Let me turn the volume down a few notches; I almost felt like Rill O’Reilly there for a second. According to Google, laptops without caps lock (say that three times fast) are being manufactured in an attempt to improve the overall quality of comments on the internet. Now I won’t disagree that the comments of the web need a bit of a brush up (see any YouTube comment), but isn’t the lack of a caps lock key going to be a hindrance for people who might actually need to use this very basic feature? What happens to the restaurant owner who types in a fancy font in all caps to make his menu more appealing? What about the Powerpoint presenting employee that finds the use of all caps to be easier on the eyes of her co-workers? This seemingly good idea, albeit with a noble cause behind it, will most likely be a nuisance for the majority of consumers. If the removal of the caps lock key actually does somehow improve the quality of comments on the web, my hat will be off to Google. The only question remains is which company will get teenagers to stOp tiPying LIkE dIS? Via [Gizmodo] Full Story » | Written by Tarun Kunwar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Laptops, Software / Applications 
A few weeks ago there were rumors that Google would be launching a Chrome OS notebook for “friends and family” as a sort of beta test, similar to how the company rolled out the Nexus One. Unlike the Nexus One, Google’s Chrome OS notebook won’t just be going out to those who can afford to pay for the device. Instead Google is running what a Pilot Program.
The Pilot Program will give select people a chance to use a special, unbranded Chrome OS notebook, more on that later. If you want a chance to get into the program, you have to apply to Google in a few different ways. The easiest way is to fill out a web form that describes how you use the web and your computer. The second method is to go to the Google Chrome YouTube page, and send them a video about why you should get a Chrome notebook and how you would use it. The notebook being offered in the Pilot Program, the Cr-48, won’t be sold by Google at all, so at the moment these two methods seem to be the only official way to get the machine, unless you were present at the announcement. The notebook that Google is giving away is the Cr-48. the Cr-48 was named after the Chrome isotope, and is a plain black notebook with not branding whatsoever. it features a 12.1-inch screen, a full size keyboard with no caps lock or function key (like the one that was leaked a few days ago), a webcam and an over-sized clickable trackpad that looks similar to what you’d find on a MacBook. For ports there’s VGA output, a headphone jack, SD card slot and one USB port. Inside there’s “no spinning discs” which we can assume means it has a relatively small SSD, a 3G modem, and probably an Intel CPU. Google isn’t too clear on any specifics. If any of this sounds interesting to you, go ahead and apply to Google for a chance to get one of the Cr-48’s. If not, that’s fine too, it just gives me a slightly better chance of getting one of the devices. Read [Chrome Pilot Program] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Laptops, Netbooks, Software / Applications Today during the Chrome event, Google has finally announced the launch date of Chrome OS, and it’s a bit later than expected. While Chrome OS was originally slated for a Fall 2010 launch, the full launch of the OS will come in mid-2011. Along with the launch date, Google detailed a few of the features of Chrome OS. The most obvious feature is that Chrome OS will sync with the Chrome OS that you currently have. That means that all apps from the Chrome Webstore, themes, bookmarks, autofill, preferences and passwords will be able to sync between all instances of Chrome you use. The other obvious feature is speed. Google spent a long time talking about how fast the Chrome browser is, and how exactly it’s capable of being so fast. Chrome OS notebooks can be configured within a minute, just log-in and take a picture. After, the boot time for the notebooks will be incredibly fast, seemingly about as fast as the MacBook Air. A new feature of Chrome OS is called Cloud Print, which works similar to Apple’s AirPrint. The big difference is that Cloud Print won’t require new drivers for printers, and you’ll be able to print at your networked printer no matter where you are. If you’re using the free 3G data, you can still tell your printer at home to print a document. It wasn’t said what device will have to remain on for Cloud Print to work, though it will presumably require at least the printer and possibly a computer on the same network. The first Chrome OS netbooks to be sold will be shipped in mid-2011, and will be produced by Acer and HP, with Intel CPUs. No word about what models will be available or pricing, but those will likely be announced closer to launch. Hopefully this time the launch window sticks. Read [Google Chrome OS] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Laptops, Netbooks While showing off Chrome OS at the tail end of the it’s Chrome presentation, Google announced that every Chrome OS netbook will ship with cellular modems. Unlike current netbooks with cellular modems, Chrome OS netbooks won’t be tied down to contracts, and will instead use a more iPad-like model. Unlike the iPad, which forces users to buy a special 3G model that works on AT&T, all Chrome netbooks will ship with a Qualcomm GOBI modem which will work on Verizon in the US. All Chrome OS users will get 100 MB of data every month, for free for two years. If you need over 100 MB of data, there will be a series of plans starting at $9.99 to give you more. That $9.99 will be for day passes of unlimited data, though you will also be able to buy data in chunks. The GOBI modems will mean that Chrome netbooks will still be usable outside of the US, though it’s not clear if those 100 MB will still be free. It’s a great idea to offer a netbook with 3G data without a contract, and free data is even better. When the netbooks finally ship in mid-2011, it would be almost tempting to buy one just for the free data. Image courtesy: TechCrunch Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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