Section: Video, Communications, VoIP, Computers, Software / Applications The new version of Skype for Mac has just been released and it’s no longer bears the beta signage. With the software now a full release, Skype also announced that group video calling is now part of their Premium package. This means that the said feature is no longer free. To use it, you need to purchase the Premium package which is either on a daily basis costing $4.99 or monthly for $8.99. If you haven’t tried group video calling on Skype for Mac, you can try it out for free for 7 days, after which succeeding usage of the feature will have to be paid accordingly. So, is that a good news or not? Will you still continue using Skype for Mac even if group video calling is no longer a free feature? Well, why not? If not for the video calling feature, Skype for Mac still a pretty good VoIP client. In fact, the full version has been re-engineered based on the feedbacks of those who tried the software while still in beta. Among the features and issues that were addressed include - downsizing the app’s size, reducing the minimum window size, tweaking the way instant messages are displayed hence reducing the amount of whitespace, making the contact monitor easier to find, bringing back the full screen mode in video calls, and making it easer to chat while on a call. If you haven’t downloaded Skype for Mac, hit the product link below to get it installed on your machine. via [Skype Blog], product [Skype for Mac] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
  Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Netbooks, Wireless 
Exactly one year ago today, we were all glued to a few open browsers following every word dripping from Steve Jobs mouth. Apple introduced us to the iPad, a “new” device that Apple had waited until just this moment to show the world. Several million iPads sold later and the tech world is struggling to build a worthy competitor. Back then, we asked questions like, what is the usage case? Who is going to actually use it? It doesn’t replace anything, so will it build a following? The answers we know now, at least for some of them. I am still not sure we can define its use case. But no matter, the iPad like the iPhone for mobiles before it, changed the way we looked at tablets. There were plenty of tablets before the iPad, like HPs convertable laptop and Archos family of connected tablets; but none grabbed our attention like Apple’s toy. Why is that? I propose, it’s the apps. Last night, I found a sweet algebra app from Wolfram where for a mere $1.99 I can have my equations solved and even the logic behind the solution. Frickin genius for a Dad who really can’t remember what he wore yesterday, much less how to solve for X from 20 years ago… Sure the hardware is great and is married to good software; but its the apps that make the product shine. As an iOS user, I have no issue dropping less than $2 a few times a week. My experience with Android and her apps twist my need to control the device, alter settings and my app use reflects that - and I hate paying for software customization apps. Weird right? A silly anniversary? For sure. But as we look into the future and what the iPad 2nd gen might be, I can’t hope but get excited for when that next announcement will be. Read [Gadgetell] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple, Gadgets / Other, GPS/Navigation Fresh from the ongoing Macworld Expo, leading mobile phone on-board navigation kit provider, Navigon just launched their new design-focused car kit for the iPhone. The new Navigon car kit is an iPhone mounting device, designer suction pad holder and an Apple-certified connection cord and car charger rolled into one device kit that will ensure the your iPhone is powered up while you travel on the road. Style-wise, the Navigon car kit sports a “barely there” appearance. It’s easy to fix to your car’s windshield and when mounted will not distract you while driving your car while at the same positioning the car kit at the best possible position to get the optimum GPS signal. The Navigon iPhone car kit is compatible with iPhone 3G/S and iPhone 4. You can score one of these kits starting February 3, 2011 for $44.99. Read [Market News Wire] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile Did Samsung forgot to include the Samsung Galaxy 551 to the four new Galaxy phones just announced yesterday? Well, probably not because the said Samsung phone which incidentally was previously called Samsung i5510 was spotted up for grabs from Vodafone UK just now. Anyway, if you’re looking to buy a new Samsung Android phone and you happen to be in the UK, you might want to check out the Samsung Galaxy 551. Unfortunately, when it comes to features, there’s nothing much to brag about the Samsung Galaxy 551. It’s an Android 2.2-powered phone with 3.2-inch screen, 3.2MP camera, HSDPA, WiFi and all the works. One makes this Samsung phone pretty interesting is the fact that it has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. In case you’re following Samsung’s releases, it rarely makes this type of smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy 5510 is available for free from Vodafone UK with monthly tariffs amounting to £20.42. This comes with 100 minutes credits and a very “entry level” 250MB data allowance. Via [EuroDroid], Product [Samsung Galaxy 550] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile Last month, the developers of this great fitness app RunKeeper Pro announced that their app will be offered from both the App Store and Android Market for free. The app’s price tag used to be $10. We’re not really sure how many have taken advantage of the gig and downloaded the app to their mobile devices (I did), but the offer was supposed to end by the end of January. So did you get the app? If you haven’t, well no need to rush because it was just announced that the app will remain free from both the App Store and Android Market - indefinitely. That’s right folks, if you’re still planning to buy an iPhone or any Android phone in the next few days be sure to get RunKeeper Pro as soon as you have your phone on your hand. RunKeeper Pro is a great app for sports buff, especially runners. I used it earlier this month during a 10K run and it was a pretty good app for tracking running distance and running phase. It also works well with your own iPod music as it automatically selects music to accompany you during your run. So there. If you’re into running whether indoors or outdoors, check out RunKeeper Pro. via [Lifehacker] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Email / IM, Smartphones, Mobile 
If you bought a smartphone last quarter from AT&T, chances are you’re on an iPhone. According to the companies earnings report, AT&T activated 4.1 million iPhones in Q4 while adding 7.4 million smartphones overall. That some impressive numbers considering the warnings from major news outlets that 2011 would be the year of the Verizon iPhone. "2011 is the year when we'll take mobile broadband to the next level," Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and chief executive officer said. "We're seeing 4G speeds today in areas of key markets, we've accelerated our LTE deployment plans, and we expect to add 20 4G devices to our lineup this year. AT&T has led the mobile broadband revolution, and we are well positioned to drive the industry's next waves of innovation and growth." How will Verizon’s gain of the iPhone affect AT&T? There will be some subscriber loss as AT&T is no longer the only game in town. Without the “if you want an iPhone, you must go to AT&T” draw, those seeking smartphones from the carrier will decline, leaving other models with a higher percent of sales. Next quarter should be very telling for the carrier. Read: [Business Wire] via [TechCrunch] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Websites, Google Just yesterday Google announced that an unread message count icon was now available by way of Labs for Gmail users running Firefox or Chrome. And now they have returned with another Gmail goodie, except this one is only for those running Chrome—desktop notifications for email and chat. The notifications can be turned on in Settings under the “Desktop Notifications” section and can be set to have notifications for email or chat as well as email and chat. Furthermore, in terms of the email message notifications, those can also be broken down by all new messages or only those messages flagged as important. And just like that, another perk for Gmail users running Chrome. Via [Official Gmail Blog] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile Personally I think that the whole ‘cannot use voice and data’ argument is not that big of a deal. I was an AT&T customer for years and rarely found the need to use both at the same time, and then went to Verizon where I cannot use both at the same time and still cannot once remember feeling put out because I could not get data while on an active call. That said, it seems that many AT&T iPhone users are citing this as a reason to not jump ship to Big Red. Anyway, it has always been described as simply not being possible with Verizon using 3G data. And well, it seems that may soon be changing, except not with the iPhone 4, but with an Android smartphone instead. The details are coming by way of a leaked image from Verizon that states how the HTC Thunderbolt will be able to use “3G simultaneous voice & data.” The full statement reads as follows; There is functionality in the Thunderbolt that allows simultaneous voice and data while on the VZW 3G network, however, we cannot promise the experience will be one that is consistent with our brand. As a result, do not reference this functionality as a benefit during your conversations with customers.
Via [Phandroid] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile With Verizon having recently announced their quarterly results, the future expectations have come also come along. And according to a recent Reuters report, it looks like Verizon is expecting a 5 to 8 percent growth in terms of revenue in the coming year because of smartphone sales, with a special emphasis on iPhone 4 sales. “Verizon Communications expects revenue to rise as much as 8 percent this year as customers rush to buy more smartphones, particularly Apple Inc’s iPhone.”
Not that Verizon needed saving or anything like that, far from that point in fact, but it still seems like everyone is counting on the iPhone 4 doing great things for Verizon. Via [Yahoo! News] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, Content, Portable Video, Video Providers, Communications, Smartphones, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers While many are still waiting for a Netflix app to come available for Android, it looks like an answer to when may have come up. Of more specifically, an answer to which Android devices will end up getting to use the Netflix app once it is available. And according to Qualcomm, those devices will be the ones running a Snapdragon processor and using SecureMSM. "We have been working with Netflix to bring their service for the first time to Android phones. Because of our ability to have very sophisticated SecureMSM and all kinds of layers of security we have been able to get Netflix approval. We meet all of the very stringent security requirements of the studios and we have been working with an OEM to have Netflix come pre-loaded."
With that, there is still nothing in terms of when we may actually see this come available, however given Android 3.0 is starting to show in tablets and Mobile World Congress is in just a few weeks—we would not be surprised to see something sooner rather than later. Via [androidandme] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 FROM GAMERTELL - PSOne games are coming to all Android devices running Android 2.3 or greater. Where does this leave the Xperia Play?
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 Section: Apple, Communications, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile 
We have been getting plenty of confirmed information lately in terms of the Verizon iPhone 4. For example we already knew that the release date is February 10th and pre-orders will take place on February 3rd. But now we can add another little bit to that, those pre-orders are set to kick off at 3AM EST. The details are coming by way of an email that reportedly came from a Verizon customer. That said, the details are as follows; - Make sure you have your My Verizon self-serve account set-up online. Orders can only be placed through your my Verizon account. You can register/setup your account at… myaccount.verizonwireless.com - On February 3rd at 3am EST, Verizon Wireless will allow our current customers to order upgrades or new lines to their accounts through your My Verizon online account (make sure you have registered before the 3rd).
With that, if you are planning to try and get an iPhone 4 from Verizon and are eligible to pre-order, you may want to set your alarm and make sure you are up and online at 3AM that morning because further details stated that the pre-order inventory is limited and once it is gone you will have to wait until the 10th to place your order. Via [MacRumors] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 FROM GAMERTELL - The NGP is powerful. Check out what Sony has placed under its hood.
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 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers Mobile World Congress looks to be the time when we see the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 and the Samsung Galaxy S 2 get unveiled. Or more specifically it looks like both devices will be announced during the keynote speech which is scheduled to take place at 6PM on February 13th. Of course, that 6PM is likely Barcelona time as that is where MWC takes place, but still, February 13th should be the day. With that, and given the above graphic goes on to state that there will be an “after show product experience” one could assume that we will see plenty of first impressions and images hitting the interwebs shortly thereafter. Ah, the life of being a geek. Via [SamsungHub] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Hardware, Netbooks, Software / Applications, Wireless 
If you poll a bunch of developers and ask them what Android needs, what do you think they’d say? A more optimized operating system designed for tablets? Nope. Greater hardware capabilities (look it’s a can opener!). Nope. A better marketplace? Nope. The answer, as it usually does, boils down to one thing: money. Over 50% of the developers surveyed say price is the most important factor for Android succeeding. Plain and simple, without a tablet, users can’t download and hopefully pay for the developers work. For developers, tablets are a gateway drug. If Motorola gave away their upcoming Xoom tablet to every man, women and child, these developers would be in be in the money (theoretically, at least). Back here in reality, that isn’t going to happen. In fact, there’s no talk of a subsidy at this point to help chisel down that $799 price point. So now the Xoom has to compete with the $499 iPad (common knowledge says that’s how much an iPad costs, forget the more expensive option - Apple owns the $499 price). Fair? Nope. So what’s the deal with pricing? Motorola, Samsung and all the rest of Android tablets are using a free OS. They’ve got zero R&D tied up in this that they need to recoup. Yet, their tablet pricing isn’t any less than Apple, who has to recoup the investment. Why are these tablets not dirt cheap? With almost no barrier to entry, these companies should be able to teach Apple a lesson on pricing. But that’s not what we see; we see expensive tablets standing toe-to-toe with the iPad. The developers believe the key to Android success is lower prices. Do you agree? Let us know in the comments. Read: [Business Insider] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 FROM GAMERTELL - The Sony PlayStation Meeting 2011 is over! We know now a lot more about the PSP’s successor, currently dubbed the NGP. We also heard a little about the PlayStation Suite, which will bring PS1 emulation to Android devices.
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 Section: Communications, Mobile, Gaming, Mobile In Japan today Sony held a special event to make a few announcements about it’s PlayStation brand. The first big announcement came not in the form of the all-but-officially-confirmed PlayStation Phone, but something very close. The announcement actually came in the form of the PlayStation Suite, a store for Android phones. The PlayStation Suite will be available on Sony-approved “PlayStation Certified” Android phones, as well as Sony’s next portable console (currently codenamed NGP). The service will at first provide emulated PlayStation 1 games. For devices without buttons the controller layout will be placed on the screen, only slightly obscuring the game being played. Sony will also provide a way for developers to create their own games to add to the service. The goal is to provide a “PlayStation quality” experience across all games and devices. Phones that are certified by Sony will carry special branding, or at least that’s the plan. It would be safe to assume that the PlayStation Phone, or Xperia Play as it may be called not, will be one of the first phones to carry that branding. There’s no firm launch date for PlayStation Suite, though it will be coming sometime in 2011. Perhaps we can expect more at Mobiel World Congress next month, or E3 this summer. Read [PR Newswire] Image via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Websites It’s 9:00 PM on Wednesday night; do you know who’s hacking your Facebook profile? Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s fan page was hacked earlier this week by an anonymous evil doer who left a message claiming that Facebook should look to become a “social business.” The comment, which was seemingly posted by Zuckerberg, was promptly removed from the fan page but not before it received 1,800 “likes” and a few hundred comments. Here’s what the hacker had to say about Facebook: "Let the hacking begin: If facebook needs money, instead of going to the banks, why doesn't Facebook let its users invest in Facebook in a social way? Why not transform Facebook into a 'social business' the way Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus described it? [LINK] What do you think? #hackercup2011″
So the founder and CEO of Facebook is getting his page hacked, shouldn’t we be worried about this happening to us? Well, probably not seeing as how we don’t own the largest social networking site in the world. And if you know anything about hacking, it’s only a matter until a security system can be breached. Facebook has yet to comment on the incident. Read [Mashable] Full Story » | Written by Tarun Kunwar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 FROM APPLETELL - iPads are not cheap. No one can deny that. So, protecting your investment in hardware is paramount. And unless you live in a desert, rain is always a possibility.
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 Section: Apple, Computers, Mobile Computers If you’re still looking for a nice case to hold the new iPad you received last Christmas, Speck has something for you. Introducing the new Speck CandyShell case for iPad. I assume that you’re familiar with Speck products, right? This among the top companies which create nice-looking cases for most Apple products. So, what does the CandyShell Wrap case has to offer for our iPads? First, its unique flip-close front cover that gives your iPad ample level of shock-absorbent protection. Thanks to the case’s hard exterior and soft rubberized lining, your iPad is kept securely and unscathed while inside this case. Additionally, this case’s cover folds back into a stand and gives you multiple viewing angles to choose when using your iPad. The Speck CandyShell Wrap case for iPad also has a flip-back panel that allows you to use your iPad with the standard dock and keyboard. This case measures 0.87” x 8.39” x 9.8” and weighs only 14.8 oz. It is made from TPE and Polycarbonate materials. The CandyShell Wrap case for iPad is available now from Speck’s online store for $59.95. Product [Speck] Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Business News, Apple, Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones  AT&T may have simultaneous voice and data capabilities, but Verizon Wireless has unlimited data for smartphone owners. The amount of users who use simultaneous voice and data is sizable, but the amount of users who use/would like unlimited data is even more significant. One of Verizon’s biggest weapons in trying to win over iPhone 4 customers from AT&T is the fact that they still allow unlimited data plans for $30, even though they do plan to move to tiered data eventually. Since last June, AT&T has done away with unlimited data for $30 a month, and instead implemented a $25 monthly fee for 2GB of data with a $10 fee for every 1GB overage.
According to a report coming from the Associated Press, one customer has been successful in switching from a limited data plan (2GB for $25 a month) to the $30 a month unlimited data plan, which was previously restricted to those who were grandfathered. Now, Jose Argumedo, the AT&T customer who succeeded, originally had an unlimited data plan but opted to switch to a limited one. However, being a power user, Argumedo would much rather use unlimited data, and after threatening AT&T to switch to Verizon Wireless, they reinstated his unlimited data plan. However, a similar customer tried to do the same thing but was denied on grounds of never originally having unlimited data. It seems as if there is a discrepancy in AT&T’s contract that most of us aren’t even aware exists. If AT&T is allowing customers who switched from unlimited data to the 2GB cap to switch back, they may be able to salvage some fed up AT&T customers. Naturally, AT&T denied to comment on this matter and merely stated “We handle customers and their situations individually, and we’re not going to discuss specifics.” Via [WSJ] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
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