Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers Motorola just went on a shopping spree and announced that it bought start-up Zecter which specializes on synchronization and streaming technologies for on-demand digital media consumption. For your information, two of Zecter’s most popular and commercialized products are ZumoDrive and ZumoCast. ZumoDrive is used for cloud-based content synchronization, access and sharing while ZumoCast is used for personal media streaming. Both of these products make use of innovative virtual file system technologies that make any personal content available instantly even if those contents are not yet stored on a local drive. According to Motorola, Zecter will be used by the company to improve its Motorola Mobility mobile content service as well as MOTOBLUR. Motorola will integrate Zecter with Motorola Mobility to enhance wireless syncing, desktop integration, video transcripting and thin-file retrieval. This will be implemented across Motorola devices giving consumers access to their content in real-time. "Consumers want seamless access to their content and media from wherever they are, while content providers want to ensure that content remains protected and secure," said Christy Wyatt, corporate vice president of software and services.
Details of the acquisition was not disclosed, but Motorola announced that the distribution of Zumocast will be temporarily suspended during the turn-over while ZumoDrive won’t be affected at all. Read [Motorola] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones  Even though Verizon Wireless launched its 4G LTE network earlier this month, smartphones compatible with this faster network are not expected to launch until 2011. In fact, it has only recently been confirmed that Verizon will have on display several 4G LTE Android smartphones. Interestingly, manufacturers of LTE devices have not been confirmed, even though it is reasonable to assume Samsung, HTC, and Motorola would all launch a LTE device. However, the WSJ is reporting with certainty that Motorola will, indeed, launch a LTE device probably in early 2011.
Naturally, the Motorola 4G phone will probably be marketed under the iconic Droid brand, but the nature of the device is still very much unknown. Will it be similar to the Droid X in terms of a large touch screen? Or will it resemble the Droid 2 Global with a slider QWERTY keyboard? I wouldn’t even rule out a Droid Pro resemblance, if Motorola decides to target businesspeople again. Since Motorola has declined to comment on the matter, we will have to wait until CES 2011 for further confirmation on the Motorola smartphone and all others Verizon has up its sleeve. Via [WSJ] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones We have heard of several rumors detailing the launch of Verizon Wireless Windows Phone 7 phones in early 2011 in recent weeks. For instance, the HTC Trophy is expected to launch in early 2011, and Verizon Wireless even accidentally published a tweet claiming WP7 devices to launch shortly after the holidays. In case you need even more evidence of the new OS launching on America’s largest carrier, then check out the Marketplace on WP7. Interestingly enough, the Marketplace now contains Verizon Wireless branded apps, as you can see from the image above. I’m sure this comes as great news if you are planning to purchase a CDMA WP7 device in 2011. Via [BGR] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile The Samsung Epic 4G is definitely one of the best smartphones available on Sprint and in the United States. It’s unfortunate that it, like the other Galaxy S smartphones, launched without Froyo, but it looks like the official version of Android 2.2 will be coming to an Epic near you starting the day after Christmas. I say the official version because several unofficial builds have been leaked in previous weeks, but it’s always nice to have the official version from Samsung. If you take a look at the image above of an internal Sprint memo, it appears the Froyo build—DL11—will become available on December 26 and presumably take several weeks to roll out to every device. The Froyo update brings these notable enhancements: - Upgrade of the OS from Eclair to Froyo (2.2.1)
- Ability to install applications to the external memory
- Improved Bluetooth device support
- Bluetooth Voice Dialing
- Flash Player 10.1
- GPS Enhancements
Unless Samsung or Sprint is going to come out and confirm the Android 2.2 roll out on December 26, it looks like we will have to wait until then to know for sure if this rumor is true. Via [PhoneArena] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones With Christmas just a few days away, Dell has decided to cut the price on the unlocked Dell Streak. Unfortunately, if you hope to get it as a last-minute present for the Android fan in your life, they’ll have to wait until early January to actually enjoy the device. Both the 16 and 32 GB models of the unlocked Dell Streak have been kocked down $180. That brings the unlocked 16GB version to $399.99, and the 32GB version to $498.99. If you opt for the 16GB version, you have to get the OTA update to get Android 2.2, while the 32GB modle has Froyo installed from the get-go. Both models are now slated to ship by January 10, 2011, just in time to possibly regret the purchase after seeing the new Android phones and tablets that will be likely announced at CES. Read [Dell] Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Online Music/Video  For all of you BlackBerry users out there, you’d be glad to know that the music streaming app Rhapsody has just gone out of beta and is now available for download from the BlackBerry App World as a fully-functioning mobile application. Rhapsody, in case you’re not aware is America’s no.1 subscription music service boasting of more than 10 million songs on demand.
Rhapsody for BlackBerry makes it easier to find music you want to hear, anytime, anywhere. Through the app, you can listen to your old favorite as well as check out newly released songs. It also lets you create playlist and listen to ad-free Internet radio. To access Rhapsody’s music catalog, you need to sign up for a subscription which will cost you $10/month. You can access these songs over Wi-Fi or 3G, so that pretty much covers up Rhapsody access anytime you want to, where ever you may be. Additionally, you can buy music tracks that you’ve listened to inside the Rhapsody BlackBerry app. Music tracks costs from $0.69 to $1.29 per track. Anyone here who has subscribed to Rhapsody and uses their BlackBerry to use the service? Tell us your opinion about the app. We pretty much have an experience when it comes Rhapsody on iPhone and Android devices so we’re interested to know how it goes for BlackBerry devices. Product [Rhapsody] Via [IntoMobile] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers 
If you’re looking for an Android-powered ereader right now, well your choice is kind of limited. But if you’re located in Europe, particularly in France, you can score one Android ereader between the end of December and before January 7, 2011. The device we’re referring to is the Archos 70b E-Reader which went up for pre-order one of France’s online retail stores. The Archos 70b E-Reader sports a 7-inch touchscreen WVGA resolution display, 4GB storage on board plus extra storage by way of an SD card slot which is capable of accomodating up to 16GB card, stereo speakers, and a USB port. Interestingly, this e-reader supports video playback. And because of that, its battery life was bumped up a bit - allowing you to use the device for 6 hours when playing video, 18 hours when playing music and 6 hours when reading ebooks. For those living in America, you’d be glad to know that the said e-reader has recently passed through the FCC, so you might want to wait a little longer instead of ordering it from CD Discount and have it imported from France. If you can’t wait any longer, then hit that product link below to get you started in getting this e-reader. Product [Archos 70B] Via [Blogeee] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile Still remember the HTC EVO Shift 4G which was rumored to be launched on January 9, 2011? Well, the folks at Phone Arena managed to get hold of a high-res, real-life photos of the said smartphone. LIke what we we’ve seen before, the HTC EVO Shift 4G is very similar to the previously released HTC EVO 4G, only this time it’s smaller and sports one major difference - the presence of a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard. Aside from this, the HTC EVO Shift 4G will be running on an 800MHz processor instead of the previously rumored 1GHZ clockspeed of its processor. And as we said previously, the HTC EVO Shift 4G will be supporting Sprint’s 4G network where it will be joining the Samsung Epic 4G. That’s all we could give you right now folks. Official information about this smartphone remain to be elusive. But then January is just a few days away, hopefully we’d get more information about this exciting smartphone soon. Via [Phone Arena] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile 
About five days ago, we reported the likelihood of the Motorola Droid 2 Global to receiving an important software OTA update in the coming days. It looks like software 2.4.330 update is occurring now, as reports of the update are coming in. While the update is not bringing Gingerbread to the Droid 2 Global, it will be bringing improvements such as: Improvements: - Device now prepends 011 to Country Code to send SMS messages.
- Device no longer indicates "No Service" after powering up.
- Device no longer resets when changing from Global Mode to GSM/UMTS communication.
- Device now refreshes the user interface display when switching from GSM/UMTS to Global Mode.
- Eliminated the blank screen when dialing the call forwarding string *71 number
- Improved audio during voice calls.
- Reduced user interface lock-ups
Of course with all software updates, if you do not receive it right away, be patient, because these roll outs typically take several days to a week. Read [Verizon] Via [AndroidCentral] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones Remember the dual-core beast LG announced about a week ago—the LG Optimus 2X? At the time, LG did not disclose whether or not the LG Optimus 2X would wash up on American shores, but how could LG miss out on an opportunity to launch a high-end phone in a bustling Android market? According to an unidentified source, the Optimus 2X running a Tegra 2 processor could launch on T-Mobile in the United States in late February or early March. If the LG Optimus 2X launches with Gingerbread, 4G connectivity, in conjunction with the dual-core processor, I think it will definitely be the Android smartphone to beat. Hopefully we will hear an official announcement in the coming weeks, but I am sure we will continue to hear more rumors regarding the highly anticipated Android device. Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers Here’s the latest buzz building around the upcoming Motorola Tablet. We’ve seen the teaser video of this Android-powered, or specifically Honeycomb-powered tablet a couple of days wherein it attacks the shortcomings of both its would-be rivals - iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab. So now, the latest rumor that surfaced has something to do with Motorola apparently registering the trademark for the word “Xoom.” The good folks of Pocketnow.com uncovered this information saying that Motorola has been seeking protection for the word Xoom in Canada, EU and Australia where the company is among six applicants vying for the term. Motorola also filed for patent for such term in New Zealand as well as in Taiwan recently. Based on these filings, Pocketnow speculated that the reason for such applications is that Motorola is preparing something big that will cover worldwide markets. Any guess what Motorola will do if granted patents for the word Xoom? Well, your guess is as good as mine, and perhaps Pocketnow folks’ guesses - It can well be Motorola’s name for its upcoming Android tablet. But then again, this is pure rumors and speculations, which I have to admit are pretty strong that it might actually be true. So, if Motorola name its Android tablet - the Motorola Xoom, does it sound appealing to you at all? Wlll Motorola be able to compete with the iPad and Galaxy Tab? Can the Motorola Xoom become the much awaited - iPad killer? Via [Pocketnow] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers It appears as if Viliv is going to be introducing a trio of new tablets during CES. The details are obviously light at this point, after all, Viliv likely wants to keep the goods in check to make a big splash. That said, we can tell you that they plan to offer up a 7 inch and 10 inch Android device which will be the Viliv X7 and the Viliv X10. The third will be Windows 7 and is described as being “the most slim and light Windows 7 based tablet in the world.” With that, it looks like tablet is going to be the word of the year at CES. Via [jkkmobile] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile, Web, Google  With the holiday season upon us, it only seems likely that at least some new users will make the move to Android and while I am fairly certain any Gadgetell readers will be comfortable doing the basics—there will be those non-technical friends and family members that need some extra hand holding. That said, Google has offered up some tips and tricks and while they may help you out, they can also be passed on to help save you from explaining. With that, the list includes some general tips as well some keyboard tricks and even suggests a few applications. And we could not help to notice the first game on that list—Angry Birds. It seems as if they want to get people hooked on the crack goods as quick as possible. But hey, on the positive side, maybe if they are playing Angry Birds you will have fewer questions being fired in your direction.
Read [Official Google Blog] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple, Computers, Mobile Computers While this image appears to be showing off an iPad along side what could be its younger sibling, the iPad Mini—we are not believing it. Well, not yet anyway. Granted that is not to say we are not hopeful, but lets face it, this is most likely a knock off or some sort of image trickery. After all, the image was posted with the brief description of it being his “new toy iPad Mini” and nothing much else. Read [akihabara] Via [CrunchGear] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 FROM GAMERTELL - The PlayStation phone saga continues with a rumor that claims the PlayStation phone is just a couple months away from being officially announced. We’ve seen some very impressive evidence supporting the existence of the PlayStation phone including photos and video. If a report from Pocket-lint proves to be accurate, the… MORE » Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile The other day we mentioned how the team over at Swype opened up the beta and it is now (for a limited time) available for anyone to download and use. And today we come back with a bit more good news in terms of Swype—it now uses less space on your device. Yup, the Swype team has included two install options in this latest beta—the full version which is 10MB and a second 2.5MB version that only offers two languages, English and Spanish. So, assuming you only need one (or both) of those two languages then make sure you choose that option during the installation and save a nice 7.5MB of storage space. And as an Android user with a handset that does not have a ton of internal storage, all I can say is thanks. Read [Swype] Via [AndroidCentral] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple, Video, Gadgets / Other 
We’ve already heard what the new Apple TV has done to Roku sales, and now Apple is talking about how the device itself is selling. According to Apple, the new Apple TV will sell it’s 1 millionth unit sometime this week, just in time for Christmas.
According to Apple, not only will the Apple TV “top one million units later this week,” but iTunes users are buying and renting TV shows and movies fairly regularly. According to Apple, users are buying or renting 400,000 TV episodes and 150,000 movies every day. Unfortunately there’s no break down of purchases and rentals, but it would be easy to assume that movies are rented more often than TV episodes simply because there are more movies available for rent than TV shows. With 1 million sold, the new Apple TV seems like it’s still a bit of a hobby for the company. The number isn’t bad at all, but it’s hard to believe that Steve Jobs is incredibly happy with the performance. It is easy to blame TV for the somewhat slow sales, as it’s still hard to find TV shows that are available for rent. With that gone, the biggest draw is for AirPlay, which was already hacked into XBMC for Windows. If AirPlay finds its way into something like the Boxee Box or Roku players, then it’s easy to assume the Apple TV would sell even more slowly. Read [Apple] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers While many are waiting for the Wi-Fi only version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab to come available, that wait may not be quite as necessary as it once was. No, Samsung did not roll-out a new Galaxy Tab, however Best Buy has lowered the price of the Verizon 3G model down to $499.99 (contract-free). Sure it is not super low, but given that, we are unsure what a Wi-Fi only Galaxy Tab will be priced at anyway. And if nothing else, the 3G will be there just in case you ever change your mind. Via [AndroidCentral] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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