Author: PhoneDog.com – Latest videos, reviews, articles, news and posts

Palm has been struggling to move handsets as of late, but they are definitely pushing for developer support to create apps that will sell Pres and Pixis.  In order to try to bring some of the iPhone’s killer apps to webOS, Palm has decided to host a “San Francisco PDK Party” on June 9th, which just so happens to be right in the middle of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, where Apple is expected to announce the next-gen iPhone.  Since webOS apps can be ported from the iPhone in a “matter of days,” the event is a well-timed move by Palm.  If they are able to get devs to actually attend, I could see some of them porting their applications to webOS if the process really does only take a few days.  We’ll find out what happens with both WWDC and Palm’s PDK party in less than two weeks, so stay tuned!

Via Pre Central

Palm has lost several key employees since the company put itself up for sale and HP’s purchase of Palm doesn’t look like it has helped stop the bleeding.  All Things D has reported that Matias Duarte, Palm’s Senior Director of Human Interface and User Experience and a huge part of the creation of webOS, has left the company and may be heading to Google to work on Android.  Palm confirmed Duarte’s departure but would not say where he was headed. However, John Paczkowski of All Things D reports that “multiple sources say it’s Google.”  Before working for Palm, Duarte was a major part in creating both the Helio and Sidekick devices.  This could be big for Google and Android as there have been many complaints of UI issues with the mobile OS, and Duarte could could certainly help increase the look and the usability of Android.

Via All Things D

The Acer Liquid Stream (now simply Acer Stream) literally only popped up on our radar last week and in a matter of days cleared the FCC and got certified by the Bluetooth SIG.  That’s pretty fast by most standards, considering rumors and leaks usually begin to occur a few months before a device gets officially launched.  This morning, Acer dropped a press release (below) giving us more detail on some of the features you can expect to see in the Stream.  The device will have a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 512MB RAM, and will be running Android 2.1.  It also comes with a 5MP camera which is capable of 720p video recording, 2GB internal memory, comes with an 8GB microSD card and supports up to 32GB of external storage.  The device is being classified (by Acer) as the “Perfect Entertainment Machine” as it will have many media-friendly options.  No word on pricing or availability, but you can be sure we’ll keep you posted.  Who’s getting excited about this shiny new device?

Via Engadget

 

Acer Stream the Perfect Entertainment Machine

2010-05-27 – 

Powerful. Spectacular. Cutting-edge technologies. State-of-the-art connectivity. Ultra-fast. Highly sensitive. These are just some of the words that best describe Acer Stream, the latest technological jewel of the Taiwanese company. Defining it a smartphone would be reductive. In fact, Acer Stream is the utmost expression of technology, design, performance and entertainment.

Acer Stream is a high-end multimedia smartphone, optimized for watching movies, listening to music and enjoying web browsing like at home. Perfect for most demanding users who look for the best in entertainment.

Elegant and minimalist in design, Acer Stream is made from highly resistant materials and offers truly outstanding user interface and technical features, all in just 11.2 mm, ensuring users a unique and unrepeatable experience.

The completely brand new user interface has been totally redesigned in order to focus on what is essential to users and guarantee a simple and quick access to what matters to them. 

Enjoy smooth animations and fine graphics: surf between photos and video thanks to the stunningly fluid 3D interface and unlock the phone by a ‘peeling’ gesture, assure a cool but very functional detail! 

– Read information straight from the lock screen widget: accessing ambient information on the idle screen gives the user what he needs before he even asks for it. 

– Quickly start your favorite applications with one tap: the status bar appears as an innovative divider between logical spaces. It shows all the essential information, providing shortcuts to most frequently used settings and its position allows a very easy access to the settings or notifications. 

– Easily switch applications with the History panel: the top part of the Home screen has been dedicated to applications history, with the benefit of reducing complexity and providing significant cues for navigation.

– Reorder applications across several pages at their convenience: Apps can be moved around from one page to another or easily uninstalled by simply dragging them to the bin.

– Customize the phone according to specific needs:a simple customization page accessible from the Home screen will be a pleasant surprise, enabling customers to tailor their smartphone through wallpaper and sound personalization.

Coupled with three types of predictive keyboards, a smart dialer and a redesigned contacts list, the Acer user interface makes using the smartphone an efficient and delightful experience.

Social and entertaining: All the most popular applications are pre-installed: Nemo player to enjoy multimedia content to the fullest, Acer UrFooz to create your virtual “look-a-like”, add your profile and bookmarks and post it to your social networks, Facebook™ and Twidroid perfectly integrated into the address book.

And for music addicts Acer Stream features Spinlets™, a completely free streaming service that lets you browse and listen to major music labels and record companies for great music and instantly post what you find to your favorite Social Networking sites.

Main features:

Superb display quality: the touch screen with Amoled technology boasts 1.67 million exceptionally bright colors, through a generous 3.7″ WVGA display. Furthermore, its incredible contrast (superior 2000:1) makes for clear images and perfect legibility in any environment and light condition. Moreover, this type of display consumes less energy to help increase battery life.

Ultrafast connectivity 3G+ for streaming: HSDPA 7.2 Mbps in download, Bluetooth and WiFi n, enabling faster transmission of multimedia content than ever!

Power and performance: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor, with its 512 MB RAM, makes the Acer Stream one of the fastest and most reactive phones on the market. The operating system behind Stream is Android version 2.1, better known as Eclair.

Unique and high-quality multimedia features, enabling the recording of HD videos up to 720p. Listening to your favorite music or the radio with RDS has never been so pleasant; enjoy the Dolby Mobile quality, with powerful bass and crystal-clear clarity for an unparalleled purity of sound. UPnP technology enables content sharing with other devices. Furthermore, a 5MP photocamera and integrated GPS system allow photos and videos to be geotagged. Last but not least, you can connect the Acer Stream to your home TV with HDMI port and watch a movie on a larger screen.

2GB of internal Flash memory is ideal for downloading tons of applications and 3D games, while an 8GB memory card as free bundle and a micro-SD card slot support up to 32GB enables users to enjoy their favorite multimedia content at all times.

 

The Good: Quick access to movies and show times based on GPS or manually input location.  Ability to watch movie trailers (in most cases) in advance of purchasing tickets.  Ability to purchase tickets from the palm of your hand while on the go.  In select areas, the ability to use your phone as a ticket (Mobile Ticket).

The Bad: With ticket prices being what they are now, paying a service fee on top of ticket prices can get to be expensive, though the convenience might be worth it.  There were a few times where the screen froze up when trying to play trailers, but overall it performed well.  There were a few occasions where the movie lists wouldn’t load for an extended period of time.

The Verdict: There really is no question that everyone should have this app.  Even if you don’t think you’ll ever use it, it’s fun to watch the trailers from your phone on a boring day.

Background

Fandango is a service that has been around for several years.  If you’ve not heard of it, it provides moviegoers the opportunity to purchase tickets in advance of actually going to the theater.  Features of the website include access to information about theaters, show times, synopsis of movies, ability to watch movie trailers, and the ability to purchase tickets online for a surcharge.  Now, all the great features of the website are available on four of the main smartphone operating systems: iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, and Palm – making the movie-going decision-making process much more convenient for today’s active consumer.  This review will be specific to the Fandango App for BlackBerry devices.  It is currently compatible with the “Bold (9000 and 9700), Curve (8900 and 83xx), Tour 9630, 88xx and Storm 95xx all running OS 4.5 or higher,” according to the Fandango website.

Review

I’ve actually had Fandango loaded on my phone for a while now, so I thought it made sense to review the app.  Strangely, it can’t be found on BlackBerry’s App World, so you need to download it directly from Fandango’s website at http://www.fandango.com/blackberryapp.  I’ve been using Fandango on my BlackBerry Bold 9700 in the metro Atlanta area on T-Mobile’s 3G network as well as my Wi-Fi network at home.

     

     

Using Fandango is relatively straight forward.  To start up the app, simply click on the Fandango application icon (little red ‘F’) and it will load and take you to the home screen which consists of two main tabs: “In Theaters,” and “Coming Soon.”  Each of the main tabs has their own sub-tabs.  The first time you start up Fandango, you will be asked how you want your location information to be identified.  You’ll have the option to “Enter Location” or “Find your location.”  If you select “Find your location,” the app along with your internal GPS (assuming your device has one) uses GPS coordinates to determine your location, or you can input your zip code if you are in an area where the GPS is unable to connect with satellites.

Once your location is set, the app remembers it and every time you login thereafter (though you can change your location at any time) you’ll start out with the “In Theaters” tab, which as you might expect shows listings for movies that are currently playing in theaters.  As I mentioned earlier, each of the main tabs has sub-tabs.  The first sub-tab for “In Theaters” is “Opening This Week.”  The names of the tabs in this app are clearly marked, so under the “Opening This Week” sub-tab, you’ll find movies that are opening in the coming week.  As you scroll through the listings under this tab, you’ll notice the rating of the movies along with their runtime and release dates.  There is also a section on fan ratings, if anyone has rated the movie. 

       

     

When you select the movie you want to see, Fandango opens a new page for you.  This page includes some of the things you’ve already seen such as: the title of the movie, rating, runtime, release date, fan rating, and a brief plot.  Below that you have a link to play the trailer for the movie (one of my favorite features) along with two additional tabs, “Showtimes” and “Movie Details.”  The “Showtimes” tab is the default tab and displays times that your selected movie is playing organized by the varying theaters in your area.  You also have the option to change the date for your search (if you’re searching in advance) as well as your location.  From here you can go through the motions of buying a ticket at a selected theater and specific time.  As you go further in the process you will have the opportunity to enter your credit card information and save it for future use.  In select locations you can use Fandango’s Mobile Tickets feature where your ticket gets sent directly to your device and can be scanned by the ticket-taker.

The “Movie Details” tab contains an overview of the movie you are considering.  It has information on the cast of characters, director of the movie, genre, and a synopsis of the movie.  These features are both important and well executed.  Fandango isn’t just about offering you the where and when, it’s also about the why.  Much of what we’ve seen so far has been the information you need to get you to a movie at a specific location, with a ticket already in hand, but one of the biggest benefits of the Fandango app is that it gives you the ability to make an informed decision on what movie to see by giving you the details and option to watch a trailer.

     

      

As we return to the main screen (the “In Theaters” tab), there are two more sub-tabs to cover.  There are only a few differences in the second and third sub-tabs.  When you select the “Top Box Office” sub-tab, you see movies that have had the most success in theaters over the past few weeks.  The only real difference here is how the movies are categorized (in order of gross revenue generated), and that the amount of money the film has made is added to the brief information you see for each movie.  Beyond that, once you select a movie, the process and information mentioned above is the same.  The third sub-tab under the “In Theaters” tab is “Near Me.”  This sub-tab contains movies that are organized alphabetically and based on your current location.

The next of the two main tabs is the “Coming Soon” tab.  Here you’ll find movies that are coming out generally within the next month or so.  There are two sub-tabs here, “In the spotlight” and “Near Me.”  The “In the spotlight” sub-tab highlights movie titles that will be coming out roughly within the next month based on the anticipated popularity of the movie, whereas the “Near Me” sub-tab display’s movies that are coming soon based on location.  For some reason, the “Near Me” sub-tab seemed to have some trouble loading the movie list on occasion.

Lastly, at any time during your use of the Fandango app, you can always press the menu key to access the “Theaters” option which is good for determining what movie you want to see based on what’s playing at any given theater.  You also have access to a search function, and the ability to view “My Account” where you can add your fandango account if you have one, add a saved credit card, and view your purchase history.

     

Conclusion

The Fandango App for BlackBerry has a specific purpose in mind, to assist moviegoers in their decision making process by offering everything you need to know to make an informed decision.  The app is easy to navigate because everything is clearly defined, and aside from a few minor glitches from time to time, it operates very smoothly.  My favorite feature of this app is the ability to watch trailers for most of the films listed.  The quality of the trailers seems to be pretty high and I had no problems streaming the video provided the connection was good.  I did not have an opportunity to purchase tickets through the app, but on two separate occasions, aside from the testing I did specifically for this review, I found myself using the app to look up movies and times on the fly.  Overall it seems well thought out and put together, and I would highly recommend this app to anyone with a BlackBerry that meets the minimum requirements.

For more information on Fandango for BlackBerry, go here.

Overview

What’s Good: Additional system memory helps general performance; trackpad and Wi-Fi are also welcome improvements.

What’s Bad: More of a revision than an entirely new model.  At $199, it’s also way too expensive.

Verdict: If you’re using an older BlackBerry, the Bold 9650 is worth considering.  If you’re working with the Tour 9630 or Curve 8500 series, it’s not worth the jump.

Introduction

Shown off at WES 2010 in Orlando, the BlackBerry Bold 9650 has landed on Sprint, with a Verizon version in the works.  Featuring Wi-Fi, a trackpad, additional system memory, and a few cosmetic changes, the device is more of a revision of the Tour 9630 than it is an entirely new model.  Still, the improvements are welcome changes that die-hard BlackBerry users have been asking for.  The real question – is the Bold 9650 worth purchasing if you’re using a Tour 9630 or Curve 8500 series?

Design & Features

The Bold 9650 measures in at 4.41 inches tall by 2.44 inches wide by 0.56 inch thick and weighs 4.8 ounces, making it slightly heavier than the Tour (4.5 ounces).  Continuing the trend, the screen on the Bold 9650 is beautiful. Measuring in at 2.4-inches in size, it offers 65,536 colors at a 480×360-pixel resolution.  The left side of the Bold houses the speaker and a customizable button, while the right side sports the 3.5mm headphone jack, volume rocker, another customizable button, and the microUSB charging port. The lock and mute buttons can be found on top of the device.  Cosmetically speaking, little has changed outside of the trackpad.  Sprint opted for a rubberized battery door versus the glossy one found on the 9630, and the center houses a new design versus the carbon fiber design from before.  “Bold” is now written above the 3.2-megapixel camera.

Though the exterior design has been modified slightly, the Bold 9650 ships in the same box as the Tour 9630 did.  Sprint and RIM were generous with accessories – in the box, you’ll find the device, battery, SIM card for international travel, USB cable, charger, swivel holster, AC adapter, 2 GB microSD card, earbuds, and instruction manuals.  From a design perspective, the phone is virtually identical to the Tour 9630.  Buttons are in nearly identical locations (save for the charger, which is just slightly higher), the chrome looks exactly the same, and the keyboard is the same.  Overall functionality is a bit faster thanks to the 512 MB of internal memory.

Usability & Performance

As with the other trackpad-equipped BlackBerrys, using the new navigation method is flawless.  I can’t even begin to count how many trackball issues I’ve seen over the past few years, and the addition of the trackpad completely removes the problem.  The trackpad is always fluid, and I’ve had no issues to date with it.

The keyboard is a bit of a mixed bag for me.  Though it looks nearly identical to the QWERTY on the Tour, I’ve found that the keys are a bit smaller and the row that houses the space bar has shrunk in size.  What’s more, it you place your finger on the trackpad and move from right to left, the keyboard appears to be domed (right around the trackpad).  It’s a strange feeling – it’s as if they packed a bunch of stuff under the keyboard, and tried to cram the keyboard over it.  As a result, using the keyboard makes me feel like it’s going to pop off and motherboard components are going to go everywhere.  Over the course of a few days, I got used to the keyboard, but was never able to type as quickly as I did on the Bold 9700, 9000, and Tour 9630.

The Bold 9650 offers the standard music player found in BlackBerry OS 5.0.  Offering a progress bar along with the option to shuffle, repeat, or add to playlist, it’s simplistic and easy to use.  The speaker worked well, though the actual speaker placement was a bit frustrating at times. When typing on the device, I found that my finger constantly blocked the speaker, making music and ringtones muffled.  The device offers a 3.2-megapixel camera, and in my testing, pictures were decent.  Like BlackBerrys of the past, there is a shutter lag, making it difficult to take pictures of moving objects. The device also supports video recording.

I’ve been working with the Bold in the Charlotte market, and call quality has been very good.  Callers said that audio sounded good, and I was able to hear them just fine as well.  Speakerphone was loud and clear, and worked without issue in a busy coffee shop.  Additionally, I paired the Plantronics Voyager Pro Bluetooth headset to the device without issue.  In addition to CDMA, the Bold 9650 supports the GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and WCDMA 2100 MHz bands, meaning that the device can be used in numerous countries across the world.

As with many of Sprint’s smartphones, the Bold offers EVDO (3G) and A-GPS.  The Bold also ships with Sprint TV, Sprint Navigation, NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, and a plethora of other Sprint-themed programs. Through the BlackBerry App World (installed), users can download a variety of additional applications. While somewhat functional, I was disappointed by the web browsing experience on the device.  Here’s to hoping that RIM’s upcoming WebKit browser provides a better experience.

For a CDMA BlackBerry, the 9650’s battery life is decent.  Though estimated talk time is five hours, I was able to use the device continuously for just under four hours before it shut down.  With moderate to heavy use including calling, text messaging, instant messaging, browsing the web, use of Sprint Navigation, and use of Sprint TV, I was able to make it just over one day before the device powered down.  Though it offers a smaller screen, battery life is slightly better than media-centric devices like the Nexus One, Incredible, and DROID.

Conclusion

The BlackBerry Bold 9650 is a nice addition to RIM’s CDMA lineup.  Strong signal strength, combined with decent battery life and international capabilities will make for a great device for any individual that travels regularly.  Despite that, it’s more of a revision than it is an upgrade, so if you’re using a Tour 9630, Curve 8500 series, or Bold 9700, the Bold 9650 isn’t anything new.  What’s more, at $199.99, it runs a dangerous risk of being flanked by the EVO 4G and iPhone 3GS.

What’s Good: Another good Android device on Verizon, tactile and responsive physical keyboard, Android 2.1 out of the box.

What’s Bad: Sluggish at times, camera is ho-hum in comparison to the 5 and 8-megapixel alternatives on the Android market today.

Verdict: Though the lack of a Snapdragon processor and the 3.2-megapixel camera firmly entrench this device in the mid-range category, the LG Ally is a welcome addition to the Verizon lineup of Android devices.

The Ally ships in a small box with the device, battery, AC adapter, USB cable (which doubles as the charging cord), and instruction manuals.  Though it ships with a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen display, it wasn’t nearly as responsive as I would have liked.  In the time that I’ve worked with it, I’ve had to tap several icons two or more times to get the screen to work properly.  The device is pretty packed on the button side, with the volume rocker and microUSB charging port on the left, and microSD card slot and camera on the right.  The 3.5mm headphone jack is on the top, and the camera is on the back.

The LG Ally offers a QWERTY keyboard, and though I’m not a huge fan of sliding keyboards, the keys on the Ally are tactile and quite responsive.  Like a lot of the condensed QWERTY devices on today’s market, I wish there was an additional row for the space bar and some of the symbols.  The phone sports Android 2.1 out of the box, a welcome improvement over Android 1.5 and 1.6 that is often found in the mid-range category.  Though LG offers a custom “theme” to go with it, it can be easily turned on and off, leaving the device highly customizable for those that choose to take advantage of it.

Surprisingly, the LG Ally offers a 3.2-megapixel camera, and while it takes decent pictures, it’s no comparison to the 5-8-megapixel alternatives on the market.  Complete with flash, autofocus, and digital zoom, it’s well equipped.  Editing options include eight effects, white balance, and and ISO settings.  There’s a slight shutter lag, but it’s not nearly as bad as other smartphones.  The Ally also offers video recording, and quality was equally decent.

I’ve been testing the Ally in the Charlotte metropolitan area, and in my testing to date, call quality has been good thus far.  I’ve experienced no dropped calls, and overall call quality is very clear and crisp.  Speakerphone is on par with most other smartphones, and my Plantronics Voyager Pro Bluetooth headset connected without issue.  Though I haven’t conducted formal testing just yet, overall data speeds seem to be reasonably fast.  The mobile CNN homepage loaded in seven seconds, and other data-intensive apps like Google Maps, the Android Market, and the Amazon MP3 Store loaded without delay.

The Ally can be pre-ordered online at VerizonWireless.com for $99.99 after a $100 online discount.  While the rumored launch date (and ship date for those pre-orders) is May 27th, nothing has been set in stone as of yet.  Stay tuned for my full review of the device!

We’re sure that the Verizon DROID Eris users were ecstatic to finally receive the update to Android 2.1 recently, but it sounds like not all is going as planned.  Users are reporting issues with the weather widget, missing call audio, and message notifications.  The good news is that Android Authority spoke with a Verizon rep recently and they said that the company is working to address the problems with the weather widget, but the other issues are not well-documented enough to warrant attention from Verizon techs.  If you’re a DROID Eris user that is experiencing problems with the update, you should get in touch with Verizon Customer Service or stop into your local corporate store and let them know what’s up so that they can work on a fix.  Are any of you having problems with your Eris update?  Tell us about them!

Via Android Authority

T-Mobile sent out a press release today announcing the pricing and availability of the Android-powered Garminfone.  The device will be available online and at select T-Mobile stores and authorized dealers on June 9th for $199.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate.  Of course, you’ll have to sign up for a two year contract and qualifying voice and data plans to receive that price.

If you aren’t in contract and still want a Garminfone, then T-Mobile has a contest for you.  Titled the “T-Mobile Garminfone Navigate Your Life Sweepstakes,” customers can follow T-Mobile’s twitter account (@TMobile_USA) and tweet at the company about a time in their life when they got lost without a GPS.  Interestingly, customers must also include the hashtag #needgarminfone, leaving only 111 characters for the customer’s story, which could lead to some strange tales.  So are any of you planning on picking up a Garminfone? Tell us below!

Following up on the news that we posted yesterday about Verizon’s DROID Incredible disappearing from the Verizon Wireless site, it seems that the device is back up after a short delay.  Customers can once again order the Incredible, but the site says that the phone won’t ship until June 16th.  Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam was at the Barclays Capital Global Communications, Media & Technology conference in New York today and explained the situation, saying that HTC is suffering component shortages, specifically with the screen that is made by Samsung.  McAdam continued by saying that Samsung has ramped up production and that Verizon should be able to meet demand for the Incredible within 30 to 60 days.  The offer for an included 2 GB microSD card with the purchase of an Incredible is still available, so while you may have to wait a few weeks for a device, now is still a good time to get yourself one of the best Android devices on the market.

Via Fierce Wireless

 

Just yesterday the FCC cleared a device that seems to have appeared out of nowhere in a display case at Google I/O – the Acer S110 Liquid Stream.  We don’t know a ton about it other than it’s expected to launch with Android 2.1 sometime in October, and is sporting a 5 megapixel camera capable of recording 720p quality video.  Today, the same device popped up on the Bluetooth SIG site having received Bluetooth certification.  The Bluetooth certification page describes the devices as follows: “This product is a 3.5G mobile phone with 5M auto focus camera and MP3 player, vedio recorder, Bluetooth connection functions, WLAN connection functions, GPS fixed functions and HDMI.”  So far so good, no?  I’m liking the thought of 3.5G and I’m assuming that means HSDPA+.  The Liquid Stream has now made it passed two of the hurdles necessary to come to market, so it’s interesting that it’s not expected to launch until October.  As usual, time will be the judge on this one.  Any thoughts?  Share them below!

Via Bluetooth

With multiple carriers raising their early termination fees as of late, the Federal Communications Commission has decided that it would be good to educate consumers on ETFs and how to avoid paying the outrageous prices.  The FCC explains that customers should talk to the sales people about how and when the ETFs are applied, as well as how much the fee goes down each month.  Consumers should also consider purchasing a device for the full retail price to avoid incurring an ETF.  The FCC went on to say that customers should be aware of the trial period that carriers offer at the beginning of a contract as well as any changes made to plans that could possibly reset the ETF.  Finally, the FCC tells us to consider signing up for a pre-paid service if we don’t necessarily need full on unlimited talk, text, and web plans, although most pre-paid carriers offer unlimited options for a reasonable price lately.  Have any of you had to pay an early termination fee in the past?  Share your ETF experience with us!

Via Phone Scoop

It seems that Motorola is pumping out a lot of Android handsets as of late, and another new phone has been outed thanks to the Bluetooth SIG.  The new Motorola XT502, titled Greco by the file name on the Bluetooth SIG, is a touchscreen device running Android, though we’re unsure which version of the OS is on it.  The quad-band GSM device has a touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, and a camera, possibly with a flash.  The model number of the device suggests that it will launch in China since many other Moto devices with model numbers XT have launched there in the past.  However, it has 3G bands compatible with AT&T here in the States, so we may see a launch here some time in the future.

Via Unwired View

Is this the last Windows Mobile 6.5 phone ever? Noah gets the LG Fathom for Verizon out of its box and into the wild.

If you’re a fan of the BlackBerry 9700 but black just doesn’t go with your outfit, I’ve got some good news for you today.  The “Flash White” colored T-Mobile branded BlackBerry 9700 is now available to purchase online via T-Mobile.  If you want to sign your life away, you can get the phone for $99.99 after a $50 mail in rebate, or if you’re like me and don’t want to be tied down, $449 will get you the phone with no strings attached (just a dent in your wallet).  I just checked out the Best Buy website and they are also carrying the device, though it appears to be on backorder already.  The site claims the device will ship from the warehouse in 1-2 weeks (if I read it right).  Chances are when it’s no longer on backorder you’ll be able to get similar pricing sans the $50 MIR (they usually take care of that for you instantly).  Now if only I had the right shoes and belt to go along with it.  If a white BBerry is your thing, let us know in the comments!

Via TmoNews

Not that we really needed it, but it appears that the new iPhone (HD?) is indeed coming to AT&T next month.  Boy Genius Report has stated that AT&T has confirmed to its employees that the new iPhone will indeed be available next month and not in July.  BGR went on to say that they’ve heard that the device will go on sale earlier in June rather than later, which is good news for everyone who can’t wait to upgrade to the iPhone and its new design.  There’s not much else to report here, so we’ll see you all at WWDC at 10:00 AM on Monday, June 7, where we’re sure that we “won’t be disappointed.”

Via Boy Genius Report

The HTC Wildfire – which has the sleek look of a miniature HTC Desire with lesser specs – took us by surprise last week after being announced for the Europe and Asia markets somewhere in the Q3 timeframe.  The name of the device was actually picked by consumers when HTC announced they were “working on something new…that is playful and full of youth.”  Wildfire was the name chosen over Festi, Jovi, and Zeal, a good choice if you ask me.  In any case, all that was announced last week was that it would drop in Q3, no pricing or specific availability was mentioned – until today.  According to Pocketnow, Clove – an online wireless retailer based out of the UK – has the Wildfire listed for £210 (£246.75 inc VAT) and availability expected in late June, though they also mention that the “Official Price and Availability [is yet] To Be Confirmed.”  So, while on the one hand this gives us a ball park, there’s certainly enough jargon attached to the site that you shouldn’t be too surprised if things change.  Who’s looking forward to this cute little phone?

Via PocketNow

It appears that all of the cries of scam and vaporware about Zer01 Mobile have turned out to be true as the company has been ordered to pay $43 million to marketing firm Global Verge.  Zer01 must pay for breach of contract, tortious interference with contractual relations and long-term profit losses.

Global Verge sued Zer01 and its CEO Ben Piilani late last year for breach of contract, claiming it had lent Zer01 over $170,000 to get the business going.  Piilani has 20 days to respond with an appeal, but that seems unlikely as he has all but disappeared.  Since Zer01 never really got off the ground, Global Verge doesn’t believe they’ll see much, if any, money from the judgment.  The company may be able to collect on some assets, such as a patent that Piilani and Zer01 allegedly applied for, but it’s unsure if the patent application was legitimate.

Zer01 had planned to provide unlimited VOIP talk time and web use for $70 per month through AT&T’s network, similar to how an MVNO like Virgin Mobile operates.  The service also allowed users to sell products and services to others, and users were charged $40 per month for “back-office support” to help sell the service.  Many people claim that they signed up and paid for services and signed up others, but have yet to be compensated for their work.  Global Verge’s CEO Tim Robbins says that these claims are not true and that anyone who had signed up for Zer01 has already been given a refund.  Still, there have been 24 customer complaints, most about pyramid scheme activities, filed with the Missouri attorney general, where Global Verge is located.  Global Verge says its attorneys have responded to the claims, but the attorney general’s site says the opposite.

As of now, Global Verge has moved on and has an agreement with Sprint to sell services under the brand GlobalMobile1.  The services will be sold exclusively by Global Verge members.  Also, it appears that someone has hacked the Zer01 website, so check it out here for a good laugh.

Via PC World

Who doesn’t love a little frozen yogurt? While our own Nate Allen may enjoy Costco’s froyo more, you and I are all much more interested in the less edible kind. Android 2.2, or Froyo, is a huge update for Google’s market-sweeping operating system. While it may not look very different to the untrained eye, it definitely has some underlying changes that really make a difference when you begin to use it.

If you follow my Twitter feed (@BBCasper), you will know that I’ve been flaunting my Froyo for roughly three days. Google announced Froyo at their I/O conference last week on May 20th, and started rolling Froyo out to review devices on the 22nd. Since the Nexus One is now the “Google” phone and does not have any direct ties the supporting carrier, when Google releases Android 2.2 officially (to the public, not review devices), the OTA updates will go directly to the devices. Of course, until that time, the wonderful hackers of the Android world have graced us with a rooted version of Froyo to help calm the impatient masses.

Home Screen

The first thing you will notice when you upgrade to Android 2.2 is the modified home screen. Before there was solely a square icon at the bottom of the screen for the application drawer. Now on the left of the icon is a phone icon, to the right is a browser icon, and to the far left and far right of the screen you will see a marker that shows what screen you are currently on. Personally, I love this setup. Before, if you wanted quick access to the browser and/or phone on your home screen, you would have to setup some icons on your home screen. This modification more efficiently uses the home screen and makes some of the more commonly used features of the phone more quickly accessible.

Task Switcher

Another thing that you might notice that looks a little different is the most recent tasks page. Prior to the 2.2 update, when you long press on the home button of your Android device, the last six applications you have used will appear in the middle of the screen as shown below. With froyo, they have changed this page from six to eight of the most recently used applications. Honestly, between six and eight applications I don’t care, but it is a change nonetheless. These minor changes plus the addition of a Market widget are essentially all of the visual changes in Froyo, but the real changes lie underneath, hidden within the settings and within a few applications that need to be downloaded.

Flash

Possibly the most anticipated update brought in Froyo is (nearly) full flash support. In Android Market, you will see the newly available download for Flash Player 10.1 BETA. I must say, it works exactly like it should. Mind you, it is still in the BETA phase and does have some minor issues, most websites that run any standard flash will render quite well on my Nexus. Sites like Hulu are quirky, complicated, and different. They will not work yet, unfortunately. In all honesty, flash is very important to me; I don’t plan on watching any flash videos within my browser. It is very cool to have and a nice bell or whistle (whichever you consider it to be), but it is not a make-or-break factor to me. For many, it is, and I’m glad to see the Android development team working with Adobe to make it happen.

Tethering

The other long-awaited update found in Android 2.2 is the built-in wireless and wired tethering, a carrier’s nightmare. Being on an unsubsidized device, there isn’t a lot AT&T or T-Mobile can do to the Nexus One updates. When other phones such as the Motorola Droid or the HTC Desire get this update, the carrier will more than likely remove that feature and try to force you to pay their $30/month (it may vary) tethering fee. For those of you that load custom ROMs onto your device, you will likely see this in the various ROMs that will soon flood the Android forums. I’ve been using both wired and wireless tethering for some time now, and it is definitely a cool feature to have. It’s nice for those emergency situations that you may need internet on your computer, or when you’re in the middle of an online quiz for one of your classes and your home internet goes out; not that I would know anything about that.

Install apps on SD card

Undoubtedly, my favorite function of Android 2.2 is the ability to move your installed applications to your SD card. As of right now, there is no support for this within the applications. For the impatient (me), there is a workaround to enable this feature, which I took the liberty of doing to my phone. I will include some information about that if you are interested in it at the bottom of this review. The official version will require the developer to decide whether they want to allow the installation of their application on the SD card or not. In a way this is good and in another, just as bad. It can help the prevention of the piracy of paid applications (along with some encryption I read about), and some applications simply will not work from the SD card. What I have found from manually enabling the moving of applications to the SD card is that any application that has a widget will not work if installed to the SD card. Initially, the widget will work until you mount your phone to your computer, or unmount the SD from the phone. At that point, you will have to reinstall the application again before you will be able to add the widget back to your home screen. Hopefully this will not be the case when the developers enable the SD card support, but for now I can live with my widgets and applications containing widgets being saved to internal memory.

Market

Within the Market application, there have been some tiny improvements, but they go miles in my book. The first thing that you will notice upon viewing application details in Market is that the comments are no longer visible in the initial application about page. There are now two tabs at the top of the page, “About” and “Comments.” I love the separation as it is now much easier to view more comments on an application and everything is just ever-so-slightly more organized. The next major update to Market is the ability to update all applications at once. Rather than updating each individual app at a time, you can now press “Update all” at the bottom of the Downloads page to quickly update all applications that need updating. Before, you would have to click on each application, select “Update”, then select “Ok” just to update one app. That got to be very frustrating considering how often Android developers update their applications.

Car Home

From what I can tell, the changes to the Car Home app are nothing beyond aesthetics. Although, nothing major has changed, Car Home is now very slick looking, and much easier to use. Bigger buttons make for easier use while in the car, and the way it works flows more like Android than it did before. It used to be a curved line flowing across the screen in a fancy layout. Now, it’s much more simple, but looks heaps better, and you have two screens that you can slide between, but like your home screen. Also, if I do recall correctly, the old version of the Car Home acted more like an application. This new version is more like a temporary home replacement for in-car use. When you press the home key, it takes you back to Car Home. Before, (this is where I could be wrong because I rarely used it) I believe it took you back to your home screen.

Call Logging

Another intuitive change is the call log. Before, the call log would list every call you made or received, one after another. The change was rather smart in a “save screen space” kind of way. Now, the calls are grouped by contact and day. Although, it may be a tiny change, it was the little, insignificant details that turned me into a BlackBerry fiend. I’m glad to see that Android is now starting to focus on the little things and refine their gold mine of an OS.

Miscellaneous

Along with all of the major updates, there are some minor changes that have been made within the general settings in 2.2. One of these more minor changes is the ability to better customize when you want to enable/disable vibrate. You now have the options to enable it always, never, only in silent mode, and only when not in silent mode. Also, you have more options for passwords now as well. Rather than just pattern lock and you have the choice between a pin, a alpha-numerical password, and a pattern lock. There are also some other changes that have been made in the security department, but I’m not fully aware of their significance. Again, these are all part of the tiny details that refine an OS and make it more and more reliable for the end user.

Verdict

Rather than dragging this out any further and putting everyone to sleep, I will get straight to the point. Froyo is exactly what Android needed. They were already climbing the ladder to the top of the cell phone industry, and Froyo is just another rung in that ladder. It tells us that the Android development team is focused on what matters and is heading in the right direction. I’ve been using Sense UI on my Nexus and the stock ROM (rooted) for a while now. I loved them both, but after using Froyo, I will not be looking back anytime soon. It is lightning fast, more reliable, and overall more refined.

Even the multi-touch is more reliable. I’ve been using the Swype alternative keyboard since I got my Nexus One. After updating to Froyo, I installed Swype again, but have ultimately been using the stock Android keyboard. It seems to be much more accurate and easier to type with that what I can remember.

With huge upgrades like Flash support, built-in tethering options, and application storage on external memory, Android has swept the carpet out from under the competition. Mind you, the carriers are not going to be too accepting of the tethering options, it does show us that Google has a more consumer-friendly mindset than carrier-friendly, which is amazing.

So far I have only encountered three tiny handicaps to Froyo. First and foremost, no application support for the application storage on the SD is a little disheartneing. I’m aware that it is coming, but like I said before, I am impatient. When it does finally make it to my Nexus, I hope the widget issue will be resolved. The second drawback is definitely the open availability of one of greatest features of 2.2 being restricted by carriers. Meaning, only people with an unsubsidized Android phone (Nexus One) will get to reap the full benefits of Froyo. For everyone else with a carrier branded device, those carriers will play their cards and bully the customers like they’re known for doing. Last, some applications seem to not want to work with 2.2. This is nothing more than a developer updating their application, but it was a tiny little hiccup that got on my nerves. At least when all the developers do update, I can update all of my applications at once. 😀

One thing to expect is that if you do not have a Nexus One, your version of Android 2.2 will be slightly changed by each carrier. The Motorola Droid will probably (don’t hold me to this) keep its stock app drawer since it didn’t get the cubed one with its 2.1 update. Hopefully minor things like that won’t ruin your day when your 2.2 update does finally come. We all hope 2.2 comes sooner rather than later, and rolls out much more quickly than 2.1 did is.

If you want a hands-on look at Froyo, you should head on over Andrew’s (from DroidDog) YouTube channel for his three part series on Froyo. Acsteffy87’s YouTube channel can be found here.

If you were one of the ones interested in manually enabling application storage on your SD card here are the two ways to do it.

(Note: PhoneDog is not responsible for any damages you may incur to your phone during this process. Only do this if you know what you are doing.)

1. Using a computer:

• Connect your Froyo’d phone to a computer and open command prompt. (I’m only fluent in the world of Windows. For Mac and Linux users, you will have dig deeper to figure out how to connect to ADB or try option 2.)
• Go to the directory where you have the Android SDK installed on your computer. (IE mine is at C:\Casper\Documents\Android\android-sdk-windows\tools)
• Type these commands: adb shell [Enter] pm setInstallLocation 2

2. Using a Terminal Emulator on your phone: (Must be rooted)

• Download the application Terminal Emulator from Market.
• Open the application and type: su [Enter] pm setInstallLocation 2

3. To disable the application installation to SD card repeat the process but exchange the 2 with a 1.

While Sprint has already launched their version of the BlackBerry Bold 9650 and we’ve gotten hands-on time with it, Verizon has yet to say anything about their own Bold 9650.  If you’re on Big Red and have been waiting to get your paws on the Tour successor, you won’t be waiting much longer.  The BlackBerry Zone has received a tip that Verizon has begun training on the new ‘Berry, along with photo proof.  The phone looks to be exactly the same as the Sprint version, but as a sign of good will, it looks like you’ll be receiving a 2GB microSD card along with the device.  Still no word on an exact release date, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it landed within the next couple of weeks.  So, are any of you planning on picking up the Verizon Bold 9650?

According to the folks over at AndroidGuys, a tipster notified them that the Samsung I897 – a device that seems to closely resemble the Samsung Galaxy S – would be launching with Android 2.1, a 5-megapixel camera, 2GB of internal storage, and 800×480 resolution.  The phone got certified by the Bluetooth SIG back in late March and shares the same exact description as the Samsung I9000 (the model number for the Galaxy S).  The description is as follows “I897 is a Full Touch phone with reinforced features, 4.0 inch AMOLED screen perform expading full touch to follow TouchWIZ 3.0.  It embedded Android OS.  It supports EDGE/GSM Quad-Band (850/900/1800/1900).”  Switch out I9000 with I897 and you’re looking at the exact same device.  The thing that bothers me about AndroidGuys’ informant is that last I checked (and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong) the Galaxy S was going to come in two variants an 8GB device and a 16GB device.  So, forgive me if I’m a little thrown (read: underwhelmed) by the 2GB version that said tipster has claimed.

Truthfully, at this point,as long as it’s pretty close to what we saw at CTIA I’m going to be a happy camper, so let’s just get this thing launched already, shall we?

Via AndroidGuys