You probably heard by now that the Samsung Galaxy S II HD LTE is about to hit Canada via Bell. Word on the street says that the device will be in stores on May 3. This smartphone will feature a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 8MP camera that can capture 1080p HD video, 2MP front-facing camera and runs on Android 2.3 OS which can be upgraded to Android 4.0 ICS later on. The specs of this phone are certainly very enticing and may convince you to get the device no matter what the cost is. Unfortunately, when Bell announced the release of the Galaxy S II HD LTE, there was no mention of its official price. However, MobileSyrup obtained an internal document showing the possible pricing of the handset. And it was listed that it will be priced at $549.95 on a no-contract deal. Sounds like a good price especially since the original Samsung Galaxy S II was priced for $50 more than the Galaxy S II HD LTE. So, who’s getting one? Via [MobileSyrup]  
Thanks to Techblog.gr, there are now leaked images of the Sony Xperia ST21i smartphone, codenamed “Tapioca”. This low-end Android phone will be capable of running the latest version of the Google’s mobile OS, Ice Cream Sandwich, or ICS, and will feature a 3.2-inch 320 x 480 pixel display, 512MB RAM, a Qualcomm MSM7227 800MHz processor and a 3MP camera capable of shooting VGA video. Physically, it has the same lines as the Xperia Sola and it will feature 3 capacitive buttons below the screen. No additional details, such as release date, price or carriers have been announced yet, but it is good to know that Sony is prepping a budget-friendly ICS-running phone. Via [Xperia Blog]  
Phones4u has just released an official statement saying that the Nokia Lumia 900′s release in the UK market won’t happen until May 14. The release of said phone should have happened earlier but due to big demand for the phone in the US, the UK release had to be postponed. However, once the Lumia 900 lands in the UK, Phones4u will still be the first retailer to sell it and will even have the exclusive on the white model. To compensate for the delay and appease those who have pre-ordered the phone on or before April 16, Phones4u has a peace offering by way of bundling a pair of Nokia Purity headphones to the Lumia 900. Sounds like a fair deal in exchange for longer waiting period for you, right? For those who are planning to get the phone, let us remind you that the Lumia 900 features a 4.3-inch AMOLED ClearBlack display, camera with Carl Zeiss Optics with large aperture for improved performance in low-light conditions as well as wide angle focal length for capturing full 16:9 images. The phone also happens to be the first Lumia phone to come with a front facing 1MP HD camera with large aperture and wide-angle lens to produce sharp, bright images and video calling. Via [TechnoBuffalo]  
Meet Hyman Strachman, aka “Big Hy”, a 92 year old World War II veteran who spends his free time copying Hollywood feature films, many still in theaters, and sends them overseas to the courageous men and women of the armed forces, all at his expense. “Big Hy” buys bootleg copies of popular movies such as “The Artist” and “Moneyball”, makes 7 copies at a time using a DVD duplicator connected to his computer, then packs 84 discs into a flat-rate USPS box and sends it away on a 3-month journey overseas to military personnel. He estimates that he’s duplicated and sent over 300,000 discs, an out-of-pocket expense of over $30,000, and he does it as a kind gesture to the brave men an women who serve in the military, just like him. “Before long, the sole evidence of his operation will be on his walls and on a little bookshelf, next to his cholesterol-control pills and a few envelopes of farina, where seven three-ring binders overflow with letters and pictures, most addressed to "Big Hy," from appreciative soldiers.”
Mr. Strachman does not keep copies of the movies for himself, and as far as I can tell, will never be prosecuted: “Howard Gantman, a spokesman for the Motion Picture Association of America, said he did not believe its member studios were aware of Mr. Strachman's operation. His sole comment dripped with the difficulty of going after a 92-year-old widower supporting the troops. "We are grateful that the entertainment we produce can bring some enjoyment to them while they are away from home," Mr. Gantman said.”
Its certainly a relief to see the folks at the MPAA have some dignity and humor left and won’t be taking legal action against Mr. Strachman, a national hero that keeps on giving. Via [NY Times]  
According to Strategy Analytics, a research company, the south Korean electronic giant is now the world’s top phone manufacturer having shipped a 25% of the phones sold in the first quarter of 2012 worldwide. Samsung sold 93.5 million handsets, while Nokia shipped 82.7 million units, a 24% annual decline. “Nokia was the world's largest handset vendor between 1998 and 2011, for 14 years, before finally yielding top position to rival Samsung this quarter.”
Apple has 10% of the world’s market share, shipping 35.1 million devices worldwide in the same time period, thanks to the popularity of the iPhone 4S and the recent launch in China. The firm also estimates the Apple’s share of the worldwide mobile market will continue growing, unless Samsung’s new flagship device, the Galaxy S3 is a hit: We expect Apple to grow further in the second quarter of the year, but the upcoming launch of Samsung's new Galaxy S3 flagship model could slow iPhone's growth in some regions if it is well received by operators and consumers.”
How will these numbers change in upcoming quarters when Nokia releases newer Windows 7 phones, Samsung launches the Galaxy S3, and Apple unleashes the next generation iPhone? Via [Strategy Analytics]  
It was back in February when Dropbox rolled out the automatic image uploading for Android devices, and well, it looks like they have since returned with similar support on the desktop. Yup, Dropbox has announced automatic image uploading for those using a Mac or Windows computer. According to the details coming from Dropbox; “With the newest version for Mac or Windows, you can just plug your camera, phone, or SD card into your computer and with a few clicks of the mouse all your photos and videos are in your Dropbox!”
The images are uploaded to a private Camera Uploads folder. The uploaded images will retain their original size and original quality and from the private folder can then be moved to other folders or shared out as you wish. Otherwise, as one would hope, the uploaded images are broken down in the Camera Uploads folder. The images are grouped by month and will offer a specific upload date when hovered over. And lastly, Dropbox is giving users 500MB of additional space when you upload your first batch of images using automatic upload. Then from that point, you can earn up to an additional 3GB of space for continuing to use the automatic upload functionality. Via [Dropbox Blog]  
Motorola has come forward with some details in terms of the UK release of the RAZR MAXX smartphone. The handset will be available fairly soon, though as of this time a specific date has yet to be announced. According to details coming from Moto, the RAZR MAXX will be available in mid-May. In terms of availability, those in the UK will be able to make a purchase from retailers such as Expansys, Amazon UK and Close. And nicely done, these retailers also have pre-orders available. In terms of the pricing, that is coming in right around £430 with VAT being included. Otherwise, the RAZR MAXX will bring goodies to include a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Advanced display that is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. The handset will also have some protection on the backside, coming from the Kevlar backing. Remaining specs include a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, a thickness of just 8.99mm and a battery life of up to 17.6 hours (of talk time). Via [Motorola]  
It looks like Wolfram Alpha has entered the game of local search. This newly added functionality will be available to those using Wolfram Alpha on an iOS or an Android device and means that users will be able to ask questions such as where the nearest Walgreens is, or if there is a Starbucks open at 10pm in Pittsburg and even where is the Chipolte nearest to Grand Central Station open at 9pm. And just to make it clear, there is also the ability to be a bit more general with questions such as where is the nearest pharmacy. Specifics about what and how you ask aside, Wolfram Alpha has data for 2.4 million retail establishments for 1,300 major chains in 220 different categories including gas stations, restaurants, department stores and more. Additionally, Wolfram Alpha will be able to (in roughly one third of those locations), give you the typical business hours. So how about it, anyone going to begin looking towards Wolfram Alpha for local knowledge? Via [Wolfram Alpha Blog]  
The Skype app on Android has recently been updated. This latest can be found, as one would expect, in Google Play. The update brings the app up to version 2.8.0.920 and perhaps more important — it brings along a few worthwhile goodies including faster start up times. In addition, Skype v2.8.0.920 brings a redesigned instant messaging view and video rotation support for “many more devices.” With that, Skype for Android requires Android 2.1 or later for use and measures in as a 14M file download. Via [Google Play]  
We had known that Republic Wireless was planning to begin rolling out the beta invites, and well, it looks like some of them have been arriving. According to the details that we have seen thus far, those receiving a beta invite are being assigned a wave and then put on a waiting list. Further details state that the actual purchase of a handset should only be about a week after you make the wait list. Exciting times, sure. But on that note, with the requirement of making a purchase so soon — what about the phones. Well, up until this point Republic Wireless has yet to reveal the specific models. So far they have offered up a few hints though. According to Republic Wireless, they will have a $199, $299 and $499 handset available. And keep in mind, these will arrive with a first month of service and perhaps more important — contract free. That said, while Republic Wireless has yet to reveal the specific devices, they have said they will have the following specs; - $199 – 3.5-inch touchscreen, 600MHz processor, 500MB of internal storage, 5 megapixel camera
- $299 – 3.7 inch touchscreen, 1GHz processor, 1GB of internal storage, VGA quality front facing camera, 5 megapixel rear facing camera
- $499 – 4.3 inch touchsreen, dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 8GB of internal storage, 8 megapixel rear facing camera
Via [Engadget Mobile]  | |
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