Sneak Peek: Google Phone Picture and Features!

We mentioned last time that Google is finally entering the market with its Google Phone. although it was manufactured by HTC, we are expecting that it will fully embrace everything Google--and that usually means good. Cool thing that Engadget was able to get some photos of the now named Nexus One.

Just like we've heard before, the updated OS features new 3D elements to the app tray, as well as an extended amount of homescreens, though it looks like the lock screen / mute is the same as in Android 2.0.1. Additionally, there's now a new grid icon at the bottom of the homescreen, which when pressed brings up a webOS card-style preview of all homescreen pages -- which raises some interesting possibilities.

According to the article, it is running under T-mobile and has Wi-Fi capabilities. It lacks any buttons to push and looks thin and sleek. And oh by the way it supposedly runs on Android 2.1.

This phone has a lot of tech gadget fans salivating for it considering that there are other excellent phones out there right now (yep, don't count out the iPhone and Droid yet). Will this mean that similarly powered smartphones will have decreasing sales after this Google phone rolls out of production? In my opinion, one should never buy a version 1.0 because there's bound to be a lot of bugs (even if it was quality tested for a long time) and problems. Another to be concerned about is the security of the phone itself. Since it's going to be the first Google Phone, a lot of hackers will want to get in on the action and do some foolery on your phone (Google should learn from Apple's mistakes on this one).

Nevertheless, this phone will be in a lot of tech stories in the coming weeks. Count on it.

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Droid: Jailbroken and Beats iPhone in Time Mag List!

It's been a long time since I wrote about the Motorola Droid. The last time I did was when it launched, after that there was nothing. A lot of people praised the Motorola Droid as the one to beat Apple's iPhone 3GS and if Time's correct, it already did. However, with such a high profile phone, there's bound to be people who want to break it like they did the iPhone, and they just did.

Droid is Jailbroken!

There have been reports going around that the Motorola Droid has been finally "rooted" or for those not technically inclined--the Operating System has been opened up and anyone can muck around with it. The one who announced it was Cyanogen who tweeted it. However the one who hacked it was a person named Zinx Verituse.

So what does this mean for current Droid owners who wants to root their phone?

A rooted Droid means the user will have administrative rights and the ability to control every aspect of the phone, not just those that Motorola or Verizon have provided access to. A person will be able to download widgets that allow them to overclock their processor or install themes that dramatically change the appearance of their phone. Cyanogen offers custom builds that truly customize a device and provides easy access to hidden features.

Just remember that rooting your phone has also a great chance of totally bricking it.

Droid Beats iPhone in Time List!

According to Time Magazine, the Motorola Droid is the number one gadget of 2009, beating the iPhone (who sits at a lowly four).

"The Droid is a hefty beast, a metal behemoth without the gloss and finish of the iPhone, but you don’t miss it. The Droid’s touchscreen is phenomenally sharp and vivid, it has an actual physical (not great, but good enough) keyboard, and best of all, the Droid is on Verizon’s best-of-breed 3G network. It’s Android’s first credible challenge to the iPhone."

Congrats to Motorola for beating the iPhone on this list!

Jailbreaken Droid Source
Time Magazine Top 10 Gadgets of 2009

Dell to Dive Into Smartphone Market

Being successful in business means going out on a limb a lot to ensure that your company will be able to develop new products and services for the current and potential customers. This is what Dell's going to do with their intent on making it on the mobile phone market.

Dell, one of the best desktop computer makers out there, has decided to try their hand on the booming smartphone market. They've created a mobile division with the reorganization of the company. Although they failed before with the Axim, they're going to try again with the Mini 3i.

Dell’s new mobile phone division will be run by one Ron Garriques, a former Motorola boss who was leading Dell’s consumer computer division. When Garriques was brought to Dell (reportedly personally by Michael Dell) in 2007, it spurred rumors that Dell would reattempt something in the mobile product line.

Dell’s PDA line, Axim, was produced from 2002 to 2007, but sold poorly in the ‘BlackBerry era’ of smartphones with well designed e-mail and other business features. Dell’s Mini 3i is their first phone attempt, although it is only going to be sold (at first) in China and Brazil. Dell said that in addition to phones, Dell will also produce MIDs (mobile internet devices) and possibly a tablet.

Good luck to them as the market for smartphones is really getting rough and tough with all the hoopla with Apple's iPhone 3GS and the various Android phones (most prominent as of the moment: Motorola's Droid).

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Maemo: Linux Powered OS for Future Nokia Smartphones

Image via Wikipedia

Although the Symbian OS for the Nokia N-series has been profitable to both parties, there seems to be a Linux powered OS coming over the horizon in the next few months: the Maemo. We reported last time that Nokia is thinking of dropping Symbian for Maemo but it will do so in a very slow and deliberate way. We're reading reports now that are saying that only one Nokia will carry Maemo next year. Actually there's already one in production: the Nokia N900.

The question begs: why not just continue with Symbian and help develop it further? According to Reuter's:

"Nokia's Linux Maemo operating system is seen as a key for the top cellphone maker in its battle against Apple's iPhone, and many analysts and industry players have expected the firm to roll out numerous Linux models already next year."

What makes the iPhone OS such a hit with the "in" crowd is not just its Operating System but also its technology. Unless Nokia does better at that category, it doesn't matter what OS they use on their smartphones. Another to look into would be the applications that are one of the selling points of having an iPhone in the first place. Although Symbian does have its fair share of applications available for its user base, some are just way too expensive or cumbersome to be used on such a small screen as Nokia's. Lastly, it's the "coolness" factor. You look better with an iPhone on your hand rather than a Nokia's. In this case, it's a marketing problem that has been haunting Nokia for a long time in the US.

Hopefully with the new Linux powered Maemo, they also take a step back and look at the overall Nokia phone as something to overhaul.

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Rumors: iPhone 3GS 8GB by Xmas and XBox 360 New Adapter

Welcome to the part of the tech blogging life where we take a look at leaks and rumors. We've got two excellent of each with the Xbox 360 802.11n adapter and the Apple iPhone 3GS 8GB.

AT&T releasing an iPhone 3GS 8GB before Christmas?

It seems that Verizon's Motorola Droid special have a lot of people in AT & T quaking in their digital boots. Although I never thought that Motorola's Droid would make such an effect on the mobile phone landscape, but I'm willing to bet it's no the hardware rather it's the Android 2.0 that's really moving and grooving the hype on this phone.

This has obviously gotten attention from AT& T, the official carrier for Apple's iPhone 3GS and as early as now, they're already making moves to make sure that people go for their phone over Verizon's. The move? As reported by BGR:

"Definitely not confirmed, but rather interesting nonetheless. We’ve heard now from two sources that AT&T, and we guess Apple, are contemplating launching an 8GB iPhone 3GS at the $99 price point before Christmas. One source said this was AT&T’s way of combating the DROID madness."

If this is true, they'll likely get a lot of people go for their phone over Verizon's. That is, until Verizon matches their pricing and service; then it would be a very interesting Christmas indeed.

Peek a boo, I see an Xbox 360 802.11n adapter!

We're not really sure if this one is a leak, a misprint, or the real deal but it sure is interesting: an Xbox360 802.11n was put up at Costco's site for a few minutes then eventually pulled down. Reason? No one's sure.

"After discretely showing up on US retail sites and subsequently managing to drop off into internet obscurity, the 802.11n-compliant peripheral has returned to the scene via Costco's site, this time with a November 10th shipping date and a more attractive than before $88 price tag."

We'll see on November 10 what this whole thing is really about.

iPhone 3GS 8GB Source
XBox 360 Adapter source

Spotify has been approved!

When we wrote about Spotify a few weeks ago, we were concerned that Apple might not approve this application for the iPhone 3GS because it will be going up against the iTunes Store. Well, lo and behold! It was approved!

Apple’s Cupertino spokesperson tells us it has approved the iPhone app from Spotify, the music service that many people believe represents a threat to iTunes: “The current status as of right now is it’s been approved and we hope to add the app to the more than 65,000 apps on the app store very soon. We’ve been in constant communication working with the developer and have already notified Spotify that the app will be in the app store very soon.”

However, this will only be available in the following countries: United Kingdom, Finland, Spain, and France. So if you live in the United States and other parts of the world, you may have to wait awhile. Besides, just because Apple approved it for Europe doesn't mean that it's a shoe in here as well.

So how has Spotify affected Apple so far?

Universal Music in Sweden is already reported as saying it’s earning more now from Spotify than from iTunes. Some cynics had even wondered whether Apple was delaying Spotify approval to unveil its an unlimited music service of its own in its upcoming September 9 event.

Wow! Hopefully Apple will be able to survive Spotify's reign by creating a superior product. If they ever do, we'll be covering it!

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iPhone 3GS: SMS weakness and Android potential problem

The iPhone's image in the media, especially to most tech bloggers, have been dipping as of late. I guess when you reach the top of the mountain, there's nowhere else you can go to but down, butApple seems to be intent on remaining on the top despite these challenges. Just some of the challenges facing it right now can be read below.

iPhone 3GS SMS vulnerability still not patched?

Image via Wikipedia

There's an iPhone 3GS SMS vulnerability that can give a hacker total control over your iPhone and it was discovered by OS X Security Specialist Charlie Miller. He reported to Apple a month ago and was hoping for a patch--but it never came. Now he's going to unload on how to do it on a Black Hat conference this week.

We'd stop short of suggesting iPhone owners all turn off their handsets and take themselves firmly off the grid and into a completely disconnected underground bunker the moment the attack becomes public, but if it's as serious as Miller claims, it definitely bumps up the pressure on Apple to get a fix out on the double -- preferably before 3.1 drops.

What could push an OS X expert to reveal details on how to hack someone else's iPhone? We can only ascertain that this is this Charlie Miller's way of saying to Apple that they'd better patch it up soon. So far, there's been no patch coming from Apple and time's running out.

Pre vs. iPhone vs. Android?

We've been reporting on a lot on how the iPhone and the Pre has been edging each other out, but according to Matt Asay of CNET, there's another up and coming enemy coming up in the guide of Android.

Importantly, Android is growing in the area that defines the iPhone's success more than anything else: applications. BusinessWeek's Stephen Wildstrom says that "Android is now a contender" in large part due to its growing array of third-party applications:

The Android Market is surprisingly well-stocked, considering the relatively small number of Android phones in use....[W]ith support fromGoogle and from handset makers desperate to come up with something that can mount a serious challenge to the iPhone, Android could become a major player.

With a third player coming in the game, it just may make the fight between Apple and Pre more interesting. Will Android stand with one party or will it stand on its own? We'll see when the phones come rolling out of production.

Source for iPhone 3GS not patched vs. SMS vulnerability
Source for Android going against Apple's iPhone?

iPhone Apps: Spotify and RE4!

Monday mornings usually mean traffic on the way to the office, and there's nothing better to then play around with your iPhone 3GS (that is, if you have one). So far, the available Apps at the iTune Store are good, but we'll be looking at two productivity killing apps that just may make your Monday morning commutes a bit better.

Spotify: the app that can rule them all

Spotify for the iPhone 3GS seems to have caught the attention of a lot tech bloggers/tweeters and has been hailed as a music app that can "kill Pandora, Last.FM, Slacker, and iTunes" in one fell swoop. If it's that good, we hope Apple will approve it and place it in their iTunes Store. And it's on Europe only-basis, and that means still waiting a bit even after Apple approves it (if ever).



It's a great app as you can see, however the problem now is will Apple put a competing product on iTunes? Hmmm...with their history of being tightly closed to 3rd party apps that may affect their sales--there's a slight chance we might not even see this coming, but there is hope that they'll change their minds about this.

Resident Evil 4 on the iPhone

Next on the list is a game that most of you will most likely want to play in the morning with a lot of people around: Resident Evil 4 on the iPhone.

The iPhone version of Resident Evil 4 is based off another mobile version originally created for a Japanese mobile phone company. The game features the usual over-the-shoulder third-person shooter gameplay that you have come to expect from the series, and with that comes the usual “stop and pop” shooting mechanic. Resident Evil 4 also features some decent looking 3D graphics, location-based damage, shake to reload, and a mercenary mode, which was first introduced on the mobile version of the game.

It's a port from Gamecube so don't expect a lot: no voice overs, and trimmed down story to fit in a 37.3 MB downloadable file. Although it is still considered a classic, so whether you played it before or not--it's something worthwhile to download and try out. Available now at the iTunes Store for $7.99.

Source for Spotify app on the iPhone 3GS

Source for Resident Evil 4 on the iPhone

Palm vs. Apple is Inevitable

Palm's update of Pre's WebOS to 1.1 is pretty significant in a lot of ways. It shows that the company listens well to its customers and is actively patching and improving the OS. However, it also shows that the OS has a lot of holes to be fixed.

Palm updates WebOS to sync with iTunes again

Is it just us, or do we feel that there's an inevitable battle between Apple's iPhone 3GS and Palm's Pre? A few weeks ago, the Pre was able to use iTunes and was even registering as an iPod. We believe that the Apple people didn't like this as they upgraded their iTunes a few hours later after this news broke out. Palm reacted by putting out their latest update that circumvents Apple's iTune patch to block the Pre. And yes, even Palm's management people got in the act:

Oh, and one more thing: Palm webOS 1.1 re-enables Palm media sync. That’s right — you once again can have seamless access to your music, photos and videos from the current version of iTunes (8.2.1).

John Traynor

VP, Business Products

So far no response yet from the Apple side of the fight, but nonetheless someone's fuming like heck there now (like say the one who created the update to block the Pre in the first place perhaps?). With such statements coming from a Palm VP, it seems that the battle for mobile phone supremacy has begun between these two giants: and it's all because of WebOS 1.1.

Palm Pre's WebOS 1.1 update extras?

WebOS 1.1 had an official list of updates in their site, but did you know that there were even more improved under the OS hood because of this update?

• Changed sound for notifications - You still can’t change them yourself, but the new sound is much richer, if a little quieter
• Animated drop down menus - they look really slick and really change the experience. The Context menus also have some nice animation.
• Additional photo upload options - you can now upload a photo to either Facebook or Photobucket
• Lots of Photo app improvements. A more distinct bar between all photos and your albums in the photo app, plus they’re calling the Screenshot album “Screen Captures.” The preview thumbs also slide in from the right. Faster photo rendering. Overall the Photos app feels much more fully baked.
• Emailing Memos - The memo app now has a menu option to email a memo.
• A new font for the Browser - uses Palm’s system font and, truly, it looks fantastic.
• Disabled the key combo in browser to open in a new card. Boo-urns.
• Javascript interpreter Performance upgrades - this will speed up virtually everything and is great news
• Sporadic reports of speed improvements both in the browser and system-wide, but it’s always tough to know if these are real or just perceived
• Seems to have better Gmail handling - not failing when you tap on a notification for an email you’d already archived on the desktop
• A new icon for AIM
• More auto-complete / auto correct entries in the dictionary.
• With the slider open, the Center button now turns on the screen, where as before you had to hit a keyboard key or the power button.
• It’s a little finicky, but you can double-tap to start text selection in editable fields (note, however, that cursor placement in the Memos app is buggy)

Source for Palm Pre syncs with iTunes again
Source for Palm Pre WebOS 1.1 additional updates