Nokia Maps 2.0 goes gold, lost pedestrians rejoice

After a pleasingly brief public beta, Nokia's glazing its Maps 2.0 navigation app with a thick coating of gold and sending it off into a waiting world of S60-toting fiends to fend for itself. The new version underpins the GPS receivers in Nokia's 2008 smartphones but is also available as a free download for a variety of existing devices, offering key improvements that make it a totally viable nav system -- satellite view, traffic data, and a significantly retooled UI, most importantly, plus the addition of a dedicated pedestrian mode for those times when geographical confusion strikes while on foot. Optional packs add goodies like city guides and the all-important voice guided car navigation and ultimately make Maps 2.0 a non-free venture, but really, no full-featured nav system is -- and the initial download does quite a bit out of the box. Hit the read link to kick off the download.

[Via: All About Symbian ]
[Tag: cellphone,maps,maps 2.0,Maps2.0,nav,navigation,nokia,phone ]

iPhone line forms at Apple's flagship for absolutely no reason

So word on the street (literally) is that a large number of people are queuing in line outside of Apple's flagship store on 5th Avenue in New York City (see above) -- keep in mind the Cube is open 24 hours a day. Our intrepid girl-on-the-scene reports that the group is more than 60-deep, though most people seem confused about what they're waiting for, while some believe they're actually camping out for a 3G iPhone. Meanwhile, Apple reps tell us they're crowd-controlling iPhone buyers because otherwise they would be "screaming" at employees and clogging up the store. See what happens when you get short on stock? More pics after the break.
Update: For those of you convinced this is an Improv Everywhere stunt, here's a post from Charlie Todd -- the group's founder -- denying involvement.
[Thanks, Laura and Abiade]

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: apple,features,iphone,line,queue ]

Sprint's instincts tell it Instinct will be available come June 20

Samsung's latest volley in the iPhone's general direction -- the Instinct -- had been promised for a June launch, but beyond that we hadn't gotten a specific date. That changes today with news that we should all be able to run our fingers over the Instinct's glossy front (and back, and sides, and wherever else you should choose to do so) starting on the 20th of the month. Availability in all channels won't be guaranteed initially, but that's when Sprint wants to at least start the flow of Instincts into the market for an as-yet-to-be-announced price -- so get ready to either speed from store to store in search of your new love on day zero, or just remain nude in front of your computer and scope it out on Sprint's website.

[Via: Phone Scoop ]
[Tag: breaking news, BreakingNews, cellphone, instinct, phone, samsung, sprint ]

Rural wireless carriers file FCC petition opposing handset exclusivity

If you thought you were annoyed when one of the big wireless carriers locked up a phone you were after, you have no idea how frustrated small and rural wireless carriers are -- they've just filed a petition with FCC seeking to ban the practice. The 80 companies in the Rural Cellular Association serve small markets not well-covered by the big guys, like parts of New Mexico, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming, and they say that carrier exclusivity deals not affect their bottom line, but also deprive consumers of desirable phones like the iPhone and upcoming Blackberry Bold. They've actually got a pretty good point: lots of rural customers can't purchase and use an iPhone without technically breaking the AT&T service agreement. We'll see how this one goes -- although we'd love nothing more than to use any phone we wanted on any carrier, there are plenty of reasons it won't happen, and exclusivity is the easiest way for carriers to differentiate themselves to consumers.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: fcc,rca,rural wireless,rural wireless association,RuralWireless,RuralWirelessAssociation ]

RIM allows Indian government to monitor Blackberry network

Well, it took longer than 15 days to reach a resolution, but apparently RIM is going to back down and allow the Indian government to monitor the Blackberry network in that country. What's worse, it appears that RIM was more interested in covering its own ass than protecting user data during the negotiations: the only concession the company received from the Indian government was a promise that it won't be held liable if there's a leak of users' personal information. Yeah, that ought to provide a sparkling incentive to keep things safe. There's no word on when monitoring might begin, but we've got a feeling privacy-loving Indians might suddenly be in the market for a new smartphone.
[Thanks, Rishab J.]

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: india, monitoring, rim, snooping, spying, user data, UserData ]

iPhone 2.0 beta gets geotagging?

Here's a nice little tidbit: word on the street is that the most recent version of the iPhone 2.0 beta has added a "Location Services" feature that encompasses what appears to be GPS-based Google Mapping, along with geotagging for the phone's camera app. Sure, even if these shots are legit, Apple is late to the party here -- other featurephone users have been geo-tagging their shots for years -- but that doesn't mean we can't condescendingly congratulate Apple for these "achievements" while simultaneously pinning screenshots to the fridge alongside that 3G preferences pane and the hand-traced picture of a turkey in crayon.
[Thanks, SuperSaf]

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: geotagging,gps,iphone,iphone 2.0,Iphone2.0 ]

Microsoft bringing ads to your Zune: everybody panic

Microsoft turned a few heads at its Advance '08 advertising conference by announcing a type of ads for its Zune platform, in addition to those web, TV and Xbox "branding experiences" it already delivers. The primary method described merely involved corporate sponsorships of celebrity playlists, with the "ad" being consigned to branding on that musician's Social card -- and you'd have to have friended the musician to see any of it at all. Apocalyptic stuff, eh? Microsoft also promises to keep the ads appropriate for the audience, so we're not going to start panicking just yet, but the first DAP builder to make us sit through a minute of ads every time we try to sync with our computer is sure score the (oh, hey, thanks for the $100, Microsoft!) scorn and vitriol love and affection of its customers for years to come.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: ads, advertising, microsoft, zune ]

N-Gage users N-Raged by Nokia handset lock-in

N-Raged... see what we did there? Sigh. Anyway, Nokia's strategy of handset lock-in has its N-Gage subscribers in a fit. Seems somebody didn't read the EULA and now is upset that they must re-purchase N-Gage titles when they switch Nokia handsets. The terms and conditions do state that, "Content shall be... limited to one private installation on one N-Gage compatible Nokia device only." Forever. Come on Nokia, we're all for reading, but purchased games should at least be transferrable to newly purchased, substitute Nokia devices. After all, that's what you claim for music downloaded from your forthcoming Comes with Music service. Don't turn N-Gage v2 into another sidetalkin' fiasco.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: n-gage,nokia ]

iPhone / BlackBerry Bold get close on video, are clearly uncomfortable together

It was simply inevitable: someone was going to lay the iPhone and BlackBerry Bold down beside one another, and if John Mayer won't stop sending himself emails long enough to do it, CrackBerry's sister site will. There's really nothing here that you couldn't put together yourself from checking out galleries and videos of each device separately, but feel free to humor your sick mind by glancing over the comparative images in the read link below or examining the vid waiting after the jump.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: 9000,apple,bold,comparison,iphone,rim,video ]

Inrix announces "third generation" traffic routing system for GPS devices

It looks like those relying on GPS to find the quickest route possible could soon be getting a boost, with Inrix now touting its new "third generation" routing platform, which promises to bring with it all sorts of new traffic jam avoidance measures. One of the key components of that, it seems, is Inrix's so-called Total Fusion system, which the company claims to be the very first traffic data service that "intelligently combines real-time, predictive and historical traffic information for over 800,000 miles of roadways across the U.S." That gets backed up by Inrix's Connected Services platform, which'll let navigation companies integrate all sorts of other aggregated data, including weather information, fuel prices, and movie times, to name a few. There's no word as to when we'll actually see any of that in an actual product, however, although Inrix has apparently already signed up at least one automaker that'll apparently remain nameless until later this year.

[Via: Autoblog ]
[Tag: inrix, total fusion, TotalFusion, traffic jam, traffic routing, TrafficJam, TrafficRouting ]

RIM's BlackBerry Bold gets previewed

RIM's hotly-anticipated BlackBerry Bold has only been received by a select few, but the fortunate folks over at Howard Chui managed to snag a pre-production unit and give it a good lookin' at. Aside from showering us with a plethora of snapshots from a variety of angles, we're also told that the plastic used "feels a little cheaper" than that on the 8800, outgoing sound quality "is terrific," incoming sound quality could use some work and reception seemed much improved from the 8800. We know, it's not a full-blown review or anything, but it's still apt to whet your appetite until the real deal shows up en masse.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: 9000, blackberry, bold, preview, review, rim ]

Survey: 74% of US Americans say NO to in-flight calling, YES to data

In a Harris Interactive survey of 2,030 US adults of whom, 1,778 have actually flown in an airplane, a full three quarters say that cellphone usage on airplanes should be restricted to "non-talking features." In other words, email, texting, and surfing the Web. That's a pretty significant majority seeing as how the EC has cleared the way for calls within European airspace. 69% of consumers agreed that if voice calls are permitted, a special "talking zone" should be established so that other passengers are not interrupted. While the survey reflects our own opinions, take note that the results benefit sites like Yahoo! Mobile, the very company which commissioned the survey. It's also worth highlighting a comment made by a certain Miss Teen, South Carolina who said, "That some US Americans should be unable to do so, because, uh, some-a people out there in our nation don't have cellphones, and such as, maps." Good point.
[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: airplane,cellphone,harris interactive,HarrisInteractive,in-flight,in-flight calling,In-flightCalling,survey,yahoo,yahoo mobile,YahooMobile ]

OQO 02 gets official Garmin GPS accessory

We've always wondered exactly what people were supposed to use UMPCs for, and now we have at least one answer: as GPS units. Yep, that's right: OQO and Garmin have released an official kit to turn your $2,000 OQO 02 into a $400 Garmin GPS unit. For $237. No, we have no idea who would buy this, but if you're feeling like throwing some bills around, you'll find a Garmin Mobile PC unit, car mount, and power adapter in the box, as well as a small note from us with an address you can send your additional silly money to for proper disposal.
PS. - Yes, we know you can also buy the Garmin adapter for $99 and the mount for $59, but it's the ridiculous bundle pricing that's got us all hot and bothered.

[Via: Boy Genius Report ]
[Tag: garmin,garmin mobile pc,GarminMobilePc,oqo,oqo model 02,OqoModel02 ]

Palm throws Virtual Developer Lab doors wide open

For the legions of developers anxious to use their talents to build for Palm (yes, all four of you), listen up. By partnering with DeviceAnywhere, Palm has opened up its Virtual Developer Lab, which enables devs to remotely access actual Treo / Centro handsets in order to test out software, capture screen shots / video of processes, create an audit trail through the capturing of keystrokes and share data / collaborate with colleagues online. If you're swearing up and down that this stuff isn't new, you're not (entirely) crazy -- DeviceAnywhere has been offering up this remote demo access on a variety of handsets for quite some time. Palm's just making the extra effort to ensure you and your three pals know about it.


[Via: CNET ]
[Tag: application,developers,deveop,DeviceAnywhere,palm,software,software development,SoftwareDevelopment,Virtual Developer Lab,VirtualDeveloperLab ]

California Senate votes to legalize windshield GPS mounting

Though it's typically common practice to suction that new GPS unit to your windshield just as soon as you whip it from the box, folks in California have long been unable to enjoy such luxuries outside of their own driveways. Currently, it's illegal to have navigators stuck to one's front window, and police have been handing out "obstructed view" citations for those who disregard the law in the Golden State. Now, however, the California Senate will be voting on Senate Bill 1567, which would "add an exemption for the use of a seven-inch GPS screen mounted on in the lower corner of the passenger-side windshield or a five-inch screen on the driver's side." Of course, there's still oodles of red tape (and you know, a vote) to pass through before gridlocked drivers are able to toss that NAV up at eye-level, but you've got to start somewhere, right?
[Image courtesy of RVTravel, thanks Richard]

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: california, gps, law, legal, mount, Windshield, Windshield mount, WindshieldMount ]

Palm Treo 850 spy shots leak out

It's finally, really happened. The Boy Genius has gotten his hands on pictures of a brand-spanking-new Palm device -- a heretofore unknown model called the Treo 850. As you can see in the above photo, this is a whole new look for the ailing smartphone maker, though it certainly bears a resemblance to the Centro and Treo 500. Apparently the Windows Mobile device will sport a 400MHz CPU and a 100MB of RAM, though other details are sketchy at the moment. Honestly, not a bad turn for Palm at all -- now if you can just whip up that new OS and some new form factors and...

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: 850, breaking news, BreakingNews, leak, palm, spy pic, spy shot, SpyPic, SpyShot, treo, treo 850, Treo850 ]

AT&T offering free WiFi to Laptop Connect and smartphone users?

According to the Boy Genius, it's not just iPhone users that will be getting / not getting the telco's WiFi on the house -- the company has plans to offer use of its hotspots for free to Laptop Connect and smartphone users. An internal memo from the provider appears to state that effective May 20th, anyone with a $60 or higher Laptop Connect plan will be able to take a ride on AT&T's networks in 17,000 locations, and the service will be extended to smartphone users later in the year. Of course, the company hasn't exactly wowed us with its rollout of this service for iPhone customers, so don't be surprised if nothing goes the way it's planned.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: att, hot spots, HotSpots, iphone, laptop connect, LaptopConnect, smartphones, wifi ]

$5,000 Dior phone: so upscale it doesn't require specs

Look, we're not Russian oil tycoons with a taste for trophy wives one-third our age. That's true. Nevertheless, no matter how hard we try, we just can't understand how spending $5,000 on these new Christian Dior phones will substantially increase our lot in life. Then again, we're afraid of robots. The new line of boutique phones manufactured in partnership with ModeLabs feature a touchscreen display, camera, and novel, mini-phone extender dubbed My Dior (pictured after the break). About the size of a USB key, My Dior is meant to clip onto the outside of your wo/man bag thus avoiding any frantic rummaging when the favorable divorce settlement call finally arrives. Sorry, that's about as detailed as the specification list gets... not that specs matter when couture is at stake.

[Via: Textually ]
[Tag: christian dior,ChristianDior,dior,modelabs,my dior,MyDior ]

Twitter supposedly used to control house lights

We'll preface this by saying this whole thing could be one giant hoax, but it's most certainly within the realm of possibility. We're told it's a mixture of Insteon, SMS and Twitter, all of which are utilized in order to give one particular homeowner the ability to activate / turn off lights remotely by sending a specific message to the latter. If your interest is unquestionably piqued, click on through to check out the video -- 'tis a shame there's no how-to guide to be found.

Control Lights with Twitter from Justin on Vimeo

[Via: Digital Tech News ]
[Tag: insteon,light,lighting,lights,twitter ]

Apple's Top Designer Explains Design [Jonathan Ive]

Most of you probably know Jonathan Ive even if you don't recognize the name—he's Apple's head of design (otherwise known as the company's Senior Vice President of Industrial Design). And he's chiefly credited for designs of the iMac, iPod and iPhone. In an interview with The Independent, he shared some of his philosophies on designing for Apple, and just how Apple "does it."

We have a very clear focus that all the development teams at Apple share, a focus around trying to make really great products. That can sound ridiculously simplistic, almost naive, but it's very unique for the product to be what consumes you completely.

Later in the piece, Ive talks about Apple's place as a cultural icon.

I'm not driven by making a cultural impact. That's just a consequence of taking a remarkably powerful technology and making it relevant. My goal is simply to try to make products that really are meaningful to people.

We could easily pull the entire interview and paste it here for you to read, but you should really hit up the original article instead. There's plenty more interesting stuff left. [The Independent via psfk]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[Tag: ]

Cowon gets official with upgraded A3, Q5W PMPs

We'd already heard that the Cowon A3 would be getting a bump to 80GB, and the company has now not only gotten official about a US release for it, but dropped word of new 80GB Q5W as well. You can look for the upgraded A3 to land in the US first on May 26th for $440 (a good deal less than the $691 Euro-to-dollar conversion we heard about initially), with the 80GB Q5W following in late June for $600. Both models are otherwise identical to their less capacious counterparts.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: a3,cowon,cowon a3,cowon q5w,CowonA3,CowonQ5w,q5w ]

Refurbished iPhones are an excellent source of previous users' data

It looks like you might have to think twice before flipping that old iPhone on eBay when the 3G version finally hits -- it appears that restoring the phone doesn't actually erase the contents of the flash, meaning that your data is available to anyone with the proper tools until it's overwritten. Making matters worse, it appears that Apple doesn't do a low-level format when refurbishing iPhones either -- an Oregon State Police detective was able to use forensic software to pull files, emails, and screenshots off an out-of-the-box refurbished iPhone. This actually shouldn't be surprising to anyone -- we've seen several utilities that access "deleted" portions of storage -- but since Apple doesn't provide users direct access to the iPhone's filesystem, it's basically impossible to clear your personal data off the device short of restoring and filling the disk with junk data. Hopefully iPhone 2.0's Exchange-based "remote wipe" feature is a bit more secure, eh?

[Via: TUAW ]
[Tag: apple, exploit, iphone, security, user data, UserData ]

Nokia "definitely" preparing Linux-based phones, flavor unknown

With Nokia's dedication to Maemo and the recent Trolltech acquisition, it's no secret that Espoo has its eyes firmly locked on the Linux prize -- but outside the whole Internet Tablet phenomenon, there hasn't been a lot of product to show for it. Looks like that's all about to change, with CFO Rick Simonson commenting this week that the company will "definitely" be releasing some Linux-based cellphones in the future, marking a pretty big move for a company with strong tradition in its long-lived Series 40 dumbphone and S60 smartphone platforms. Simonson refused to get into the nitty gritty details about what flavor of mobile Linux would be used; borrowing from its tablets might make sense, but the Android and LiMo juggernauts seem like they're going to be pretty hard to ignore as well -- not to mention that Google is said to have chatted briefly about Android with Nokia in the not-too-distant past. So what does this all mean? Is S60 Touch in danger here?
Update: A closer look-see at Reuters' report (ignoring the misleading headline) indicates that Nokia has not specifically committed to rolling out Linux on phones -- rather, it has simply said that it intends to expand its use of Linux across its product portfolio. We figure that handsets are bound to get swept into the mix at some point, but technically, we could just be looking at other kinds of devices. Always room for another Internet Tablet or three, we suppose. Thanks, Eric!

[Via: Thumb Report ]
[Tag: cellphone,linux,maemo,nokia,phone ]

iPhone theme sullies Vista's good name

For those with identity crises, great senses of humor, or serious cases of Vista Fever, Spec-Works' VistaPerfection theme for the iPhone brings all the splendors of Windows Vista -- well, the important visual aspects, anyway -- to your pocket in a way that we can safely say Microsoft never intended. If the wow hadn't already started, ladies and gentlemen, it certainly has now.

[Via: IntoMobile ]
[Tag: apple, cellphone, iphone, phone, theme, vista, vistaperfection, windows, windows vista, WindowsVista ]

3G iPhone Case Shows Thicker, Curvier Backside (and Front-Facing Camera Too?)

This isn't the first time we've heard that iPhone case manufacturers have gotten an early peek at the 3G iPhone, but this rendering on XSKN's site for the EXO mask iPhone 3G is obviously a bit more detailed than the rough sketches from a couple weeks ago. It lines up with them though, as well as what we've heard earlier: It's a bit thicker, with a more pronounced curve to the back, though it's hard to tell if the headphone jack is flush now. The earpiece hole spans almost the whole width of the phone—could it be for a front-face camera? Apply the usual skepticism here, but this could be plausible, given that cases will have to be ready in time for launch, so manufacturers likely already have the specs.

 [XSKN via Mac Rumors]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[Tag: ]

Brightonnet iPhone Stylus has Bendy Tip for Better Dragging Action

In December, JesГєs brought you news of the first stylus designed particularly for the iPhone, or iPod touch: but time has passed, and here's a new one from Brightonnet with an extra trick. It's designed to bend at the neck, facilitating touch-and-drag functions for those with iPhones and chunky fingertips, or who just prefer carrying around a stylus. The nib is made of a special resin that won't damage the screen, and it'll be available in black or silver but sadly doesn't double as a pen. No info on pricing or availability yet. [Brightonnet via Akihabarnews via Oh Gizmo]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
[Tag: ]

New Sidekick model PV210 passes FCC muster

Rumors swirling around Danger's upcoming Aspen and Gekko Hiptops are approaching a rolling boil at this point, and seeing a new model fly through the FCC's testing procedures certainly isn't going to help to quell them. Honestly, we probably would've passed this one right over had it not been for the big "Powered by Danger" label on the FCC approval sticker here, detailing a new Sidekick known internally to Sharp as the PV210. We've gone through the test reports and we're sorry to report that there still isn't any 3G here -- so despite the device's perfect form factor for consuming gobs and gobs of data, EDGE is going to have to continue to suffice. We imagine we'll be seeing this one announced before too long.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: aspen,cellphone,danger,gekko,hiptop,nv210,phone,sharp,sidekick ]

Apple looks to OTA downloads for 3G iPhone, record labels look for cash

According to a churning rumor-mill, Apple desperately wants to make over-the-air downloads of iTunes content a reality on the 3G iPhone. Apparently, a record label executive "familiar with the discussions" states that the Cupertino gang is hoping for a "big launch in June" which includes OTA music downloads, ringtone sales, and ringback tones (the substitute music you hear instead of a ring when calling someone). There's only one problem: the labels want a higher premium for those services than a typical MP3 download. Of course, Apple's iTunes pricing has been a point of contention for some time, though its recent rule-bending for HBO could lead to upped charges for the new services. Something tells us Apple has the tenacity and bullheadedness to make this work -- let's just hope they can temper the labels' greed with the end user's economic realities.

[Via: AppleInsider ]
[Tag: 3g iphone,3gIphone,apple,downloads,iphone,itunes,ota,over the air,OverTheAir,pricing,ringback tones,RingbackTones,ringtones ]

3G iPhone revealed in third-party case render?

Look, we're not saying this means anything, but the above rendering from iPhone case-maker XSKN sure does look like those supposed design changes we've been hearing about. You'll note the larger, more curvy back, space opened up near the earpiece for the rumored front-facing camera, and what appears to be a non-recessed headphone jack. Sure, this could be a ploy to get eyes on their pages, but even if they're citing the specs we've heard, this is still the first case design we've seen for anything other than the original iPhone.
[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: 3g iphone,3gIphone,apple,exo,iphone,xskn ]

Video: Willcom's D4 Vista MID previewed

Akihabara News had the chance to take the Atom-based Willcom D4 / Sharp WS016SH for a spin in Tokyo. Although they only got hands-on with a near-final, engineering prototype, the kids at Aki came away impressed. Sure, the yet-to-be-optimized hardware still struggled a bit with Vista. Nevertheless, Aki remains enthusiastic about the OneSeg device toting a sliding / tilting 5-inch, LED-backlit 1,024 x 600 touchscreen display with WiFi and Japanese W-SIM. With this, Lenovo's ideapad U8, and other Intel Atom-based MIDs on the immediate horizon, these bigger than a cellphone smaller than a laptop handhelds look to be fulfilling the ultra-portable 2006 Origami promise... finally, in the second half of 2008. Lengthy video available after the break.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: atom,d4,mid,sharp,vista,willcom d4,WillcomD4,ws016sh ]

Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 vs HTC Touch Diamond... fight!

We're not sure how they pulled it off, so kudos to CNMO for snapping the HTC Touch Diamond up against the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. Undoubtedly the world's most hotly anticipated cellphones this side of the still fictional 3G iPhone and Nokia Tube. While the Xperia X1 definitely sports some extra chub, remember, there's an arc sliding QWERTY tucked beneath that WVGA display. Hit the read link for bigger pics.
Update: Ah, so that's how CNMO did it. They stole the pics from WMExperts and added their watermark. Crafty. Post updated with proper source.

[Via: Engadget Spanish ]
[Tag: diamond,htc,sony ericsson,SonyEricsson,touch diamond,TouchDiamond,x1,xperia,xperia x1,XperiaX1 ]

AUO unveils curved, slim and an 8-inch multi-touch display

AU Optronics (AUO) is tooting the "world's first" horn this morning with its new curved TFT-LCD process on glass substrate. They've also got the world's slimmest -- 0.63mm -- TFT-LCD available in both 1.9-inch and relatively massive 8-inch versions, the latter boasting a 400cd/m2 brightness and 2.1-gram weight. Not bad, but they can't hold a candela to future generation OLEDs. Perhaps most interesting, though, are a pair of in-cell, multi-touch displays offered at 4.3- and 8-inches. The panels are said to offer superior anti-glare properties while manufacturing the multi-touch feature directly into the LCD cell without necessitating any additional glass. The 4.3-inch panel hits mass-production this quarter. Feel free to speculate on which MID devices might sport 'em.

[Via: DigiTimes ]
[Tag: 1.9-inch,4.3-inch,8-inch,au optronics,auo,AuOptronics,in-cell,multi-touch,slimmest,thinnest ]

US handset sales droop in Q1, RIM rides into top 5

Unless you've been squarely camped out under an atypically large boulder the past few months, you aren't apt to be taken aback by this news. Sure enough, handset sales declined 22-percent in Q1 2008, though the industry did move some 31 million mobiles during the post-holiday quarter. It was noted, however, that smartphones comprised 17-percent of all mobile sales, which marks a 10-percent increase from the prior quarter. When taking a look at the top five handset manufacturers, you'll find Motorola shakily perched at the top (27-percent), while RIM slipped past Sanyo to grab the five spot with 5-percent. Check the read link for all the gory details.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: american,americans,business,consumer,industry,phone sales,PhoneSales,sales,spending,study,us,usa ]

Palm CFO keeps cards, products, anything interesting close to the vest

We're not certain why Palm CFO Andy Brown was being so cagey about the company's next-gen Linux-based platform during a "fireside chat" at a recent JPMorgan tech conference, but his devotion to secrecy is almost as interesting as if he had dished out some details on upcoming devices. Wait, no, it's not. Of course, Palm's new OS is being developed by Jon Rubenstein, former Apple hardware and iPod veep, so maybe the paranoia is contagious -- but Brown probably didn't convince anyone when he openly compared Palm to Apple because both companies make both the hardware and the software. That's a pretty hard head-to-head to be in when you're talking about the Centro running Garnet -- maybe some actual products might help that pill go down easier, you know? Brown did say that we'd been seeing the fruits of all this labor sometime "this summer," but didn't mention what it might actually be -- let's hope it's got more design behind it than that nasty Zeppelin prototype.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: andrew brown,AndrewBrown,andy brown,AndyBrown,linux,nova,palm,zeppelin ]

Major wireless carriers all slapped with text-messaging class-action lawsuit

Text messaging rates have always been a little ridiculous, but a new class-action suit filed in Mississippi alleges that virtually every wireless carrier you can think of is basically cheating you by charging you for received texts and not allowing you to turn the service off. The suit names AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, Alltel, US Cellular, Cellular South, and Virgin Mobile (surprisingly, T-Mobile didn't make the cut), and says that members of the class are entitled to relief for the unauthorized charges, wrongful collection, and unjust enrichment. Of course, this will all likely end in a useless settlement that nets subscribers like three extra text messages and a 20 percent discount on an "approved accessory," while the plaintiff's law firm banks millions, but we'll see how things go.

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: alltel,att,cellular south,CellularSouth,lawsuit,legal,sprint,sprint nextel,SprintNextel,text messaging,texting,TextMessaging,us cellular,UsCellular,verizon,virgin mobile,VirginMobile ]

ASOCS unveils MP100 Multicomm processor -- add LTE or mobile WiMax via software update

Remember how the BlackBerry Thunder (RIM's rumored touchscreen device) was said to possibly come LTE-ready? An eye-brow raiser for sure since the US networks won't deploy LTE until 2010. Nevertheless, here's how it could be done. ASOCS and Fujitsu just announced what they are calling the "world's first wireless Multicomm processor." The system-on-chip can run up to three wireless air interfaces such as GSM/EDGE/GPRS, WiFi, HD Mobile Digital TV, and GPS concurrently. Better yet, device manufacturers "using ASOCS ModemX technology can ship a single-chip mainstream MultiComms baseband solution in parallel with LTE development and later add LTE as a low-risk software upgrade." Get that? LTE or pretty much any other wireless service added via software update. Hot damn!

[Via: Thumb Report ]
[Tag: asocs,fujitsu,lte,modemx,mp100,processor,thunder ]

Sony Ericsson video shows two new handset renderings

A video doing the rounds on the interblogs is apparently showcasing not one but two new Sony Ericsson handsets. It's unclear just exactly what models we're seeing in the clip, nor do we know if they're prototypes or actual production versions, though they do bear a few similarities to the forthcoming X1. One thing is for sure, Sony is definitely pushing the convergence angle on its new phones, highlighting lots of multimedia, data sharing, and a suspiciously familiar chat app. Check out another pic and the full video after the break.
[Thanks, Dion]

[Via: Engadget ]
[Tag: clip,handsets,sony ericsson,SonyEricsson,video,x1,xperia ]

Nokia fesses to looming N95-3 software update, fails to mention specifics

It's been a solid tick since the North American N95, also referred to as the N95-3, received a software update. For those clamoring for a little love from Nokia's dev team, listen up: an administrator over at the outfit's forums has admitted that the Software Update crew has a new version in the works. We're told that they've heard the demands for a fresh release, and they're toiling away in order to bring it to N95-3 owners by early June. Unfortunately, we're not told what new features we can expect, and even worse, "early June" seems like eons away, doesn't it?


[Via: Symbian-Guru ]
[Tag: firmware,firmware update,FirmwareUpdate,n95,n95-3,nokia,software,update,us ]