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All posts tagged "phone"


Saturday, January 28, 2012

Flygrip Will Ease Your One Handed Fears

Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad" @ 03:00 AM

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2012/01/fl...e-handed-usage/

"So you're walking with your iPhone in one hand, and a Starbucks latte in the other, and granted it is possible to use the iPhone in one hand, it could prove to be "fatal" since one hand tends to offer less support compared to two, and we all know that heart wrenching feeling when your brand new gadget slips out of your hand and onto the hard pavement."

Basically very simple, as all this does is attach to the iPhone case or the iPhone itself and you slide your fingers in and can start using your iPhone one handed without fear of dropping it. I can also be attached to the back of your iPad, or any other tablet for that matter. As you can see from the photos, it doesn't have to be an Apple product to work. Three sizes (small, medium and large) depending on the finger size and you can get them for $29.95 USD each from the Flygrip store located here. That seems a bit spendy to me, and I think I would rather just spend that on a better case. What are your thoughts?


Saturday, April 30, 2011

Win an LG Quantum Windows Phone 7

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Windows Phone Events" @ 10:00 AM

Just a quick reminder that we're running a free phone give-away: there's an unlocked LG Quantum up for grabs. It's fast and easy to enter; all you need is a YouTube account. Check out this post for more details.


Friday, January 14, 2011

Windows Phone 7 Ads Come True: Girls Walks into Water Fountain at Mall

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 04:49 PM

You know those Windows Phone 7 ads that Microsoft has been running where people are so absorbed using their phones that the walk into things, including other people? Looks like one came true in real life - silly woman walks right into a water fountain! As someone who has dodged more than a few phone-zombies who stumble forward while texting or emailing, heedless of anyone around them, I have basically no sympathy for this person. Makes for a funny video though.

Have a great weekend everyone!


Friday, November 12, 2010

Back From the Dead, It's Microsoft's Kin! Sort Of...

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Windows Phone News" @ 01:03 PM

http://www.electronista.com/article...erizon.roadmap/

"Microsoft's ill-fated Kin One and Kin Two are returning to Verizon, a leaked fall roadmap revealed tonight. Despite having sold just 8,810 phones, the phone designer is bringing the two devices back as the OneM and TwoM. PPCGeeks' copy of the roadmap would have both sold as basic feature phones and consequently dodging the $30 smartphone plan requirement widely credited for killing the popularity of the devices in their brief six-week initial run."

It's hard to say who's driving this - seems like Verizon - but it's interesting to note that in this re-incarnation, the phone will be usable without a data plan; and a $15/150 GB plan would be a much cheaper option if someone did need data. What about all that rich, back-end/cloud functionality? I hope we see the Kin Studio get resurrected as a Windows Phone 7 cloud service ASAP...


Friday, November 5, 2010

An Interview with Andrew Brown About Windows Phone 7 Update

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Windows Phone Articles & Resources" @ 07:00 PM

http://blogs.technet.com/b/keithcom...drew-brown.aspx

"Windows Phone 7 launched in Europe last month and is launching in North America next week. You've seen the commercials. You've seen the demos. But have you heard much about the update infrastructure we've put in place for the devices? Probably not. It's isn't as sexy as the glorious AMOLED screens some of these devices have to show off the "Metro" interface. There has however been some discussion on the update process, especially after it became apparent we'll be releasing some features after the devices are already in the field. You've probably heard about Copy/Paste, right?"

If you've already read my article on the new Windows Phone Update process, you'll know most of this, but it's an interesting interview nonetheless. What I didn't realize is that while Microsoft controls the update process, it sounds like the wireless carrier, or the device OEM, can bundle up whatever fixes they want, they hand if off to Microsoft for distribution. Likewise, if Microsoft wants to fix some code with one of their own apps - or the core OS - they put it in the pipeline. Like I said in my original article, this is the update process we've been wanting for, oh, a decade now...


Monday, October 11, 2010

Windows Phone 7 Keynote Now Available for Viewing

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Windows Phone Events" @ 11:44 AM

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/.../liveevent.aspx

If you missed the Windows Phone 7 live launch like I did, you can check out the complete event via video.


Friday, September 17, 2010

Verizon Will Not Offer Windows Phone 7 Handsets at Launch...Nor Will Any CDMA Carrier

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Windows Phone News" @ 11:30 AM

http://www.businessweek.com/news/20...7-at-start.html

"Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile-phone carrier, won't sell handsets with Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Phone 7 operating system when it debuts this year, a blow to the software maker's efforts to reach a broad market."

Oh snap! It looks like earlier reports were on target: Verizon will not be launching a Windows Phone 7 device when the new platform has its big day. Initially I thought this was happening because Microsoft royally screwed their relationship with Verizon with the debacle that was KIN, but it's looking like the real reason is that the CDMA version of Windows Phone 7 just isn't done yet. Sorry all you Verizon/Sprint customers in the US, and Telus/Bell customers in Canada. Does this change your plans for your next phone? Were you a CDMA customer hoping to get a Windows Phone 7 device?


Wednesday, August 4, 2010

HTC Universal Car Kit including Handsfree

Posted by Don Tolson in "Windows Phone Accessories" @ 07:00 AM

Product Category: Phone Accessories
Manufacturer: WirelessGround
Where to Buy: WirelessGround
Price: Starts at $49.95USD regular price (but it may be on sale!)
Specifications: The car kit as provided was specific to the HTC line of phones. A full list of compatible models is available at WirelessGround. Car kits for other manufacturers are available.

Pros:

  • Good snug fit for the HTC Touch Pro 2 and Touch Diamond 2 tested;
  • Having the speakerphone built into the lighter charger unit is a good solution;
  • Easy to install and use.

Cons:

  • No instructions provided on how to hook up and/or use the speakerphone;
  • Microphone is either located too far away or not sensitive enough;
  • Flexible arm mount allows too much sideways movement.

Summary: By now, car kits for mobile devices are becoming pretty ubiquitous and seem to have roughly the same construction features: suction cup, (slightly) flexible arm, power unit, and an adjustable cradle for the unit. WirelessGround has introduced a Universal Car Kit for the HTC line of phones with an interesting extra -- a speakerphone built into the cigarette lighter charger unit! With the advent of new cellphone use laws for drivers here, I was looking for some sort of speakerphone option for the van, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Read more...


Monday, April 12, 2010

Microsoft's Project Pink is now Kin

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Windows Phone News" @ 10:23 AM

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/...sskits/webcast/

I'm in the midst of watching the stream of the live keynote on this event, so will report back later, but wanted to share this news as soon as possible. This isn't a Windows phone - it's a highly-focused feature phone that's targeted at a certain group of users. It integrates the full Zune client as well...more to come! The Kin Web site is also live.


Friday, April 9, 2010

SanDisk Can't Keep a Secret: Microsoft "Pink" Phones Being Announced on Monday

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Windows Phone News" @ 03:58 PM

http://www.phonescoop.com/news/item.php?n=5797

"Today SanDisk confirmed that the 'Project Pink' device(s) to be announced on Monday by Microsoft will have memory card slots and will be compatible with SanDisk's microSD cards."

And just like that, SanDisk's over-eager PR people have blown Microsoft's launch announcement. And for what? No one cares if a phone has a microSD card slot SanDisk - they'd only care if it didn't have one. This is PR at its worst - bumbling, useless efforts that only serve to embarrass the company doing it. Somebody needs to go back to PR school and get taught the basics again: you don't screw up your partner's launch.

UPDATE: SanDisk contacted me with a statement. "The SanDisk PR team sent a handful of reporters some information about our microSD cards today referencing a widely anticipated Microsoft announcement on Monday. While we reiterated a launch date that has been widely reported this week, it was not our place to do so. However, to be clear, SanDisk has no specific information on Microsoft's plans and we did not confirm any details, card slot or otherwise, about a potential Microsoft product in the pitch we shared. SanDisk is very excited about the opportunities in the mobile category and consumer's growing demand for increasing amounts of flash storage memory on their devices. Our pitch was designed to demonstrate that enthusiasm and nothing more." - SanDisk PR Team


Monday, February 15, 2010

Chat with Windows Phone Designers at the TED Conference

Posted by Pete Paxton in "Windows Phone News" @ 11:00 AM

http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/wi...conference.aspx

"Here is a brief chat with Microsoft's Joe Belfiore and designers about how they think about design overall and how TED inspires them to utilize the ideas they take away from the conference to influence the design of products at Microsoft. The featured Windows Phone product members include Joe Belfiore, Albert Shum, Jae Park, Don Coyner, and Teresa Goertz."

You can either click here or on the banner above to head over to the Windows Phone Blog and check out the video chat with some Windows Phone product members at the TED conference. I heard the word beautiful, simplicity, and experience several times. I wonder how many of us are going to use those words after experiencing Windows Mobile 7. I sure hope so. I think Microsoft knows they have to come up with something that has an integrated but awesome feel to it as well as productive. I'm excited and I think it's going to happen.


Monday, October 19, 2009

phoneArena Reviews the Acer beTouch E200

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Pocket PC Articles" @ 04:31 PM

http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Ace...iew-r_2288.html

"Having seen Acer´s first Windows phones (the DX900, X960, F900 and M900), it´s time we had an all round look at the first Windows Mobile 6.5 devices of the manufacturer. Brace yourself and get ready for a most exciting adventure full of unexpected twists and breathtaking moments. Let´s get started on our journey to Acer´s world by taking a closer look at the Acer beTouch E200, a device aimed at people on the lookout for a Windows phone with numeric keypad."

phoneArena takes a look at the Acer beTouch E200, a phone that can be purchased from our hardware partner Expansys for a fairly reasonable $409.99 USD. As far as new Windows Mobile 6.5 phones go, this one brings something a bit different to the table: a 12-key keypad. What shocked me? Apparently Windows Media Player Mobile can actually handle Xvid and Divx files. Stunning - I never thought I'd see the day. Is this the norm with other 6.5 devices, or just some secret sauce that Acer added?


Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Dressed to the Nines - the ACER F900 Windows Mobile Phone

Posted by Doug Raeburn in "Pocket PC Hardware" @ 07:00 AM

Product Category: PDA Phone
Manufacturer: Acer
Where to Buy: Expansys [Affiliate]
Price: $479.99 USD
Specifications: From the Expansys site

Pros:

  • Elegant design;
  • Large, sharp and vibrant screen;
  • Very good speakerphone.

Cons:

  • 128 MB of RAM isn't sufficient for such an advanced device;
  • Screen isn't as touch sensitive as many competitors;
  • Acer Shell touch interface lacks the pizazz and depth of HTC's TouchFlo.

Summary: Will we ever be able to write another touchscreen phone review without mentioning the iPhone? Its phenomenal success and near-iconic status have sent the manufacturers of phones using the more "venerable" operating systems, such as Windows Mobile and Blackberry, scrambling to come up with iPhone alternatives. I haven't seen much from Acer in phones in the past, but its F900 has impressive specs and looks to have the potential to challenge the iPhone as well as other WinMo contenders such as the HTC Touch Diamond 2. Does the F900 have what it takes to bring iPhone shoppers into the WinMo fold?

Read more...


Thursday, April 2, 2009

iZel Universal Device Stand

Posted by Chris Gohlke in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 01:00 AM

http://www.myizel.com/

"The iZel is a totally unique and innovative way to support your device for hands free use. Its remarkable design supports a wide range of the world's most popular devices. It has a clever method for adapting its shape to landscape or portrait orientations and it is easily adjusted to position your screen for the optimal viewing angle. Best of all, it folds flat and travels easily. The iZel's durable construction is made possible by using a sophisticated slip-resistant elastomer that helps to keep your device in its place and looking new. Use the iZel when you want to watch a video, make a hands-free call, monitor your email, surf the web, or to simply use your device as a digital picture frame."

This is certainly one way to go about things, but it seems a bit larger than what I want to carry around. Personally, I keep a few paperclips in my bag and just make myself a quick stand on the few occasions that I need one.


Friday, March 13, 2009

Unboxing & First Impressions of the Pantech Matrix Pro

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Other Windows Phones" @ 06:00 AM

This is my unboxing and first impressions of the Pantech Matrix Pro, a Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard smartphone offered by AT&T for $179 USD on a two-year contract.

This phone has the distinctive feature of having two keyboards (12 key and QWERTY), both hidden away via a slider. It weighs 4.3 ounces, has a 2.4 inch display at 240 x 320, comes with 256 MB of ROM, and 128 MB of RAM. It also features a microSDHC card slot for expandability up to 32 GB. It's a GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA phone, functioning on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz bands for GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 850/1900/2100 MHz for 3G data. The battery is 1320 mAh, giving 3 hours of talk time and 10.4 days of stand-by time.

Jason Dunn owns and operates Thoughts Media Inc., a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys photography, mobile devices, blogging, digital media content creation/editing, and pretty much all technology. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his lovely wife, his son, and his sometimes obedient dog. He quite liked the Pantech Matrix Pro and used it as his primary phone for a few months.

Do you enjoy using new hardware, software and accessories, then sharing your experience with others? Then join us on the Thoughts Media Review Team! We're looking for individuals who find it fun to test new gear and give their honest opinions about the experience. It's a volunteer role with some great perks. Interested? Then click here for more information.


Thursday, February 26, 2009

Microsoft: "Understanding Phone Design Decisions"

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Articles" @ 08:45 PM

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmob...one-design.mspx

"In January, I had an opportunity to hear a presentation by Eric Lin, the Online Community Manager at HTC. Many of the Windows Mobile smartphones on the market today are made by HTC, even if they don't have the HTC name on them, so when it comes to smartphones, HTC is a market leader. The presentation covered several different topics, but the one I found most interesting was the question of how specific hardware design decisions impact the usability of the phone. When you pick up a Windows Mobile smartphone, the shape, size, weight, and feel of it give you an impression about the product - but did you know what kinds of decisions went into the final product you're holding? The answer may surprise you."

Read Jason's column on tethering? Well, here's another one. It discusses the design decisions that go into the phones you're carrying today - from the size of the screen to the feel of the keyboard and the sound it makes. Who knows? You may learn a thing or two that will help you choose the right phone the next time you're in the market for one.


Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Feel In Touch: The Samsung Omnia Reviewed

Posted by Jon Westfall in "Pocket PC Hardware" @ 09:00 AM

http://omnia.samsungmobile.com/

Product Category: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Smartphone
Manufacturer: Samsung
Where to Buy: Expansys [Affiliate]
Price: $689 USD (16 GB), $634 USD (8 GB)
Specifications: 5 MP Camera, 3.2 TFT WQVGA Touch screen (240 x 400), Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11g, Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, HSDPA 7.2 Mbits, TV-out, FM Radio, Integrated GPS, microSDHC, 1440mA battery

Pros:

  • Fun to use & responsive;
  • Sleek design;
  • Innovative value-added features (e.g. flashlight, haptic feedback).

Cons:

  • Widget Bar: full of promise, low on usability;
  • No multitouch ability;
  • Price and availability.

Summary: I've posted news on the Samsung Omnia over the last few months and found it to be interesting enough to purchase. What I found when I opened the box got me excited to be using Windows Mobile again, something I doubted could ever happen. Read on for my experience re-discovering the OS through Samsung's vision of usability. Read more...


Monday, September 15, 2008

HTC Touch 3G and HTC Touch Viva Made Official

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Pocket PC Hardware" @ 09:33 AM

Today is a big day for HTC: they've officially announced three new products. These two don't quite measure up to the raw coolness of the HTC Touch HD, but it's great to see HTC continuing to broaden their product line and drive for new price points in the market. According to HTC, both of these devices will be available in early October.

Above we have the HTC Touch 3G. Dimension-wise, it's 102 x 53.6 x 14.5 mm and weighs in at 96 grams. Quad-band GSM/EDGE, and Euro/Asia 3G frequencies with full HSDPA 7.2 Mbps. It's got a 2.8 inch QVGA screen, a 3.2 megapixel camera, 256 MB ROM and 192 MB RAM. A microSD card provides expansion, and the package is rounded out with 802.11 b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, a Qualcomm CPU at 528 Mhz, GPS/AGPS, and an 1100 mAh battery. Nothing terribly exciting there, but I expect this to be offered for quite a bit less than the HTC Touch Diamond, so it will get broader market penetration. Oh, and it will come in four colours, as described by HTC: sophisticated black, noble gold, sparkle blue and modern brown.

Pictured above is the HTC Touch Viva. It looks a lot like the original HTC Touch, doesn't it? Size-wise, it's going to be 104.5 x 59 x 15.75 mm and weigh in at 96 grams. Unlike the HTC Touch 3G above, this is a quad-band GSM/EDGE phone only, there's no 3G. It has a 2.8 inch QVGA screen, a 2 megapixel camera, 256 MB ROM, 128 MB RAM, a microSD card slot for memory expansion, 802.11 b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, GPS/AGPS, a 201 mhz TI OMAP processor, and an 1100 mAh battery. The HTC Touch Viva will come in one colour: "storm grey". Is the Viva under-powered? Pretty much - but I'd also expect it to sell unlocked for $299 USD or less, and with carrier rebate this might end up free. This is HTC's "value play" in the touch-phone market, and while most people here might not be interested in it, getting the price point down is an important part of breaking into new markets.

The full press release for both new products is after the break. Read more...


Saturday, August 2, 2008

"Zune Phone" a Nokia?

Posted by Adam Krebs in "Zune News" @ 12:30 PM

http://www.zunescene.com/nokia-zune-phone/

"Nokia is currently working with the Zune team on integration of Zune Marketplace content according to a well placed source within Microsoft. The joint development is directed at content delivery rather than a hardware device according to the source. It has long been assumed by many tech followers that Zune content and software would find it's way onto Windows Mobile devices, thereby offering competition to the unfortunately popular iPhone. The interesting thing about the Nokia Zune partnership is that Nokia does not support Windows Mobile. It appears Microsoft may be developing a two front war against the iPhone, namely Windows based smart phones and more abundant 'non-smart' phones."

Take it or leave it, but Zune-Scene's reporting that if and when the Zune team releases a media player client for a mobile phone (a.k.a. the "Zune Phone", "zPhone" or "Pink and Purple project"), it won't be on Microsoft's own Windows Mobile platform as widely speculated, but on rival Nokia's series of smartphones. As with past Zune-Scene reports, this one is short on detail (e.g. no release date, lots of plausible deniability) and high on outlandish claims. While keeping this in mind, I should also point out that Zune-Scene's sources have been right on a number of these scoops in the past. This should be fun to watch as it develops.


Thursday, June 5, 2008

Windows SideShow for Windows Mobile Developer Preview

Posted by Darius Wey in "Pocket PC Software" @ 06:08 AM

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...&DisplayLang=en

"Windows® SideShow™ for Windows Mobile® is an application for Windows Mobile 5 and Windows Mobile 6 Pocket PCs and Smartphones that allows you to use your Windows Mobile device as a Bluetooth SideShow-compatible device. This enables you to use your phone as an extra window into your PC. You can both access your computer’s information from your Pocket PC or Smartphone, and control the computer through a gadget interface. While the phone is out of range, or when your computer is off, you can continue to view content sent to the phone previously. This makes it easy to send information to the phone that you'll need later on."



Last year, I trekked over to Beijing with fellow MVPs and other technical community leaders to meet with the Microsoft Research and Windows Vista teams. There, we discussed the direction that Windows Vista was going to take over the next few years. Microsoft obviously wanted to make the user experience better, but they wanted (needed?) ideas. While a great deal of the week-long meeting focused on the product itself, we did spend some time discussing how it could better communicate with the rest of Microsoft's products, and most importantly, take advantage of them. For the most part, it was all about Windows Mobile, and I was brimming with ideas. Can you see where this is heading?

Yes, we discussed Windows SideShow, which at the time was one of Windows Vista's most impressive features, yet sadly, one of the most underused, too. Not everyone has a digital picture frame or a laptop with an in-lid display. But a lot of us have phones, and if you're reading this, it's probably a Windows Mobile phone. I often wondered why Microsoft didn't endow its own mobile product with SideShow support right off the bat. Some third parties cooked up their own solutions, but adoption was far from widespread, and I was sincerely hoping that Microsoft would realize their oversight and rectify the situation by releasing an official solution to bring SideShow to Windows Mobile.

So, here we are, a year later and Microsoft has heeded advice and finally released a developer preview. It's at v0.01, so don't expect it to be rock solid, but it'll still give you a taste of things to come. Our pal, Arne, has given it a test run and likes what he sees. Maybe you will too. Download it, install it, and let us know what you think.


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