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

PhoneDog is hiring, and we want YOU!  If you’re passionate about wireless technology and have a penchant for writing, keep reading for more information on how to apply!

Here are the things that you need to know:

• We want individuals who can offer engaging, thoughtful content.
• You must be well-versed in how to utilize periods, commas, and how to spell correctly.  Needless to say, that kind of stuff is essential.
• You must be reliable, responsible, and trustworthy.  The position will require reqular research and fact checking, and we’ll be checking your work from time to time as well.  Plagiarism is not acceptable.
• Previous writing/blogging experience is highly desired, but not required.
• A great attitude is essential for the position.

Note: This is not a paid gig at this time. but an opportunity for people who want to break into the online journalism field and/or have a passion for the wireless industry.

Here’s what you need to include in your e-mail:

• Submit three posts in the PhoneDog writing style.  We’re not going to publish them to the website, but we want to get an idea of your writing style and “voice” (i.e. how well you can do this whole tech thing).
• List your top three favorite gadgets/phones (not included in your sample posts), and why you enjoy them.
• Tell us how much time per week you can commit to writing for the website.
• Send us any questions that you may have about the position.
• Tell us where you’re located.
• Tell us your age (note: must be 13 or older for consideration).
• Include your contact information and the best time/way to reach you.

A few additional details:

• DO NOT send attachments.  If you do, we’ll ignore the e-mail.
• Don’t send writing from other websites that you’ve worked with in the past.
• PhoneDog is written in English – please make sure your e-mail is too.
• Due to the large volume of e-mails that we receive, we won’t be responding to everyone.  If we’re interested, we’ll get in touch.  If you don’t hear back, it doesn’t mean that you’re a bad writer – we’re just looking for different writing styles.

Send your e-mail to [email protected].  Good luck!

Before you get excited, the box that you see above is most likely a Verizon Wireless promotional box containing Motorola Devour dummy phones and literature.  That being said, the fact that the stores are receiving these is an indicator that the Devour’s launch is very close.  Looks like the device is packing an optical trackpad, and MOTOBLUR is present on the unit.

As it stands, there’s no information on pricing or availability at the moment.  With informational packets arriving at the stores, could we see a launch in the coming weeks?

Via AndroidCentral

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As the designated person to announce the nominees for Song of the Year, you have to be cool.  And what better way to present than using an Apple iPad?  In typical Steven Colbert fashion, he pulled the device out of his suit and said “Jay Z, did you not get one of these in your gift bag? Am I cooler than you?”

Nice product placement, Apple.  Where will we see the device next?

Via Engadget

The Elite has a new touchscreen, but is it worth the extra money to upgrade? Sydney gives you a full review and her opinion on if this new phone really deserves “elite” status.

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With all of the talk surrounding the iPad, I got to thinking – what started it all?  After doing some digging, I found the first iPod commercial that aired on television.  Talk about a blast from the past!

Firefox for Mobile has made Nokia’s Maemo platform its new (and first) home.  Available for download now, the software features a tool called Weave Sync, which allows users to synchronize bookmarks, tabs, history, and stored passwords between computer and phone.  Flash support is said to be a bit shaky, but given that it’s a new release, we’ll cut it some slack.

Considering that the N900’s browsing experience is already quite good, it will be interesting to see how Firefox will improve it even more.  Download Firefox for Mobile at www.firefox.com/mobile.

Via Engadget Mobile, FoneArena

What’s this? Apple reversed a decision? This doesn’t happen too often, so there’s little wonder then that it makes news. According to the LA Times, Apple has allowed app developers to enable 3G functionality for VOIP apps:

“We revised our Program License Agreement in conjunction with our updated Software Development Kit for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad Apps,” wrote an Apple spokesperson. “Included in this update is the ability for developers to create VoIP apps that utilize cellular networks.”

In general, VOIP (which is short for voice-over-internet-protocol) lets users make calls over a Wifi or data network, instead of over cellular. But Apple only allowed this over Wifi, which seriously limited its usability.

The story goes that, after the FCC got involved last year, reports surfaced of Apple-AT&T closed-door agreements to reject VOIP apps that worked over 3G. The goal was to protect the carrier’s profits, but last fall, Big Blue buckled and agreed to allow this functionality. Now it seems the current situation and revision of Apple’s PLA is the eventual but direct result of all this.

It won’t be long before Skype and Truphone start sending out software updates to take advantage of this newfound freedom, while app developers like Fring and iCall have already hopped on it. (Their new versions are already in the App Store.) 

If you were observant, you probably caught that the quote mentioned the iPad. Yup — this means that instead of the tablet being just a gigantic iPod Touch, it could actually be more like a huge iPhone. The device has a built-in microphone, and can offer mobile phone calls beyond home Wifi and hotspots.

I just wonder how big a hit AT&T’s network is going to take with all this data-intensive stuff. The carrier already complains about us iPhone users as it is. Luckily for them, VOIP use isn’t exactly widespread — yet. But I wonder if that will change when the iPad debuts.

Via: LA Times, Wired Gadget Labs

Despite Google’s attempt to work with the unlocked market by offering an unsubsidized Nexus One for $529, there’s one glaring problem: if you want 3G, you’re forced to sign with T-Mobile (thanks to the device supporting HSDPA in the AWS band, which is exclusive to T-Mobile at the moment).  Needless to say, AT&T customers are less than thrilled.

Take a look at the labels above, found at the FCC.  As Engadget points out, the one on the right is the current Nexus One label, and the one on the left is a new one that’s one digit off.  Further investigation shows that the new device supports 3G on WCDMA Bands I, II, and V.  In other words, that would open up the gates for 3G support on AT&T, Rogers, Bell, and Telus.

it makes sense that Google would want to expand to a far larger customer base (an additional 85 million potential customers on AT&T alone).  The only question: when can we expect an announcement?

Via Engadget

What I like about David over at TmoNews is that he doesn’t mess around with so-called ninjas who don’t know how to focus their point and shoot cameras. Oh, no, when Dave’s peeps at DroidDeveloper send him leaked photos of unannounced handsets, they send him real photos, all focused-like and everything.

To wit, TmoNews has two shots of the purported myTouch Slide, an HTC-made Android phone with a horizontal-slide QWERTY board that’s purportedly coming to T-Mobile with a purported launch date of May 17. Purportedly.

While I agree with Dave – and @ZPower at EngadgetMobile – that the design of the myTouch Slide isn’t exactly eye-catchingly awesome, I do like the overall form factor and the nice, roomy look of that hard QWERTY board. The phone looks every bit the Sidekick replacement it’s pretty obviously intended to be. Touchscreen, optical trackpad, 3.5mm headphone jack, 320 x 480 display, three color options … yup, sounds like a smartphone for the SKLX generation.

My only question now is will this thing run a stock Android install, or will we see some kind of custom UI built around social networking and TXTing?

[Via: TmoNews, DroidDeveloper]

At this point I don’t even care what Apple and Nokia are suing and countersuing one another over. When we get a judgement and one company or the other is forced to stop importing doohickeys to the U.S. (yeah, right) or pay a fine that would bankrupt many an American city but hardly cause either company’s CFO to blink, then I’ll care again.

For now, both companies are all locked up in a patent infringement case. This could have a huge impact on, well, lots of things, but it’s also kind of yawn-inducing from the perspective of a jaded, gadget-obsessed tech blogger/reporter/nerd. What’s far more interesting (i.e. worthy of snarky comments) is that Mark Squires, Nokia’s head of social media, has started poo-pooing Apple on his blog. And he did it under the header, “A Fruit Confused?” Now that’s fun!

Sayeth Squires:

Well you don’t see me putting pen to paper a great deal but sometimes there are articles floating around on the sphere that get my blood pressure rising to what my doctor is prone to call an ‘unreasonable level for a man of your years/weight/physical condition’. Reading coverage of one of our competitor’s much hyped web pad event this week, I was surprised to see that, by revenue, they were claiming in their leader’s keynote to be “the largest mobile devices company in the world.”

I thought we should to set the record straight, with a true, “apples-to-apples”, comparison. 

He then went on to repudiate Apple’s claim with some statistics and quotes and other bits of logic lost on me because I was still chuckling over that “A Fruit Confused” headline. LOLZ!

Okay, okay, I did pay attention.  I agree with this part of what Mr. Squires wrote:

if you use the more common measure: the number of devices sold. By that comparison, Nokia has been the largest mobile devices company in the world for a dozen consecutive years.

But I’m not so sure about this part, in which he quotes Nokia CEO OPK (seriously, he goes by “OPK”):

our devices “already have done more to improve lives at the base of society’s pyramid than perhaps any technology in history.”

I’d contend that fire and electricity and running water have had a far greater impact on “the base of society’s pyramid” than even the mighty Nokia 1100. But I get what you’re saying, Mark. Nokia’s sold a ton of cell phones over the years. A TON.

[Via: Gizmodo, Nokia Conversations]

[Image via: Techblog.gr]

CES, Apple iPad launch, MacWorld … the Winter trade show season is just getting started, folks! Next up (well, after MacWorld) is the grandpapi of them all, if you’re into the whole global mobile thing: Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. MWC 2010 kicks off February 15, and the debut of Windows Mobile 7 is high on everyone’s list of anticipated launches at the show.

Could it be that Toshiba’s prepping a successor to their Snapdragon-powered TG01 for MWC? And could it be that the TG02 will arrive on the scene as one of the first to rock WinMo 7? Honestly, I have no idea … except that the TG02 has been spied in leaked photos and has now passed FCC muster as a Quad-Band GSM handset without US-ready 3G banding. 

What is the TG02? What processor will power it? What mobile OS will it run? Stay tuned – I’ll betcha we find out in a few short weeks. 

[Via: Engadget]

[Image via: Engadget]

Dustin over at DroidDog has the lowdown on Motorola’s busy week of earnings calls, rumors, and rumor confirmations. The part that you probably care most about? Moto is at work with Google on what we’ll call the Nexus Two, aka the next Google-branded smartphone to be sold direct via the fledgling Google online store. During an earnings call, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha had this to say about Motorola, Google, and Android:

“We plan to launch at least 20 devices, including at least one direct-to-consumer device with Google.”

So I take two things from that statement: First, Nexus Two, or whatever it winds up being called, will be a Motorola device.  That based on Dr. Jha’s quote from this week, and the fact that he was at the Nexus One launch even though that phone was made by HTC, not Motorola. As a CEO, you don’t show up for the launch of somebody else’s device unless you’ve got some assurance from a higher power that you’ll be cut in on the action in very short order. And oh yeah, he also kinda said so in an interview with Engadget.

What wil the device look, feel, and be like? Dustin’s got an image of the Moto “Shadow” up on his DroidDog post. So I figured I’d put one on my post, too. Seems reasonable enough.

Second, Motorola’s putting their eggs in the Android and entry-level phone baskets and likely going to abandon – or all but abandon – the whole “messaging phone” segment that AT&T and Verizon are apparently trying to squeeze every last penny out of. Also makes sense, seeing as smartphones are pretty much on the verge of sending messaging phones on that proverbial long walk off a short plank. But Moto can’t turn into an Android-only shop because there’s still a huge market for low-end voice and text phones in many, many corners of the globe.

Oh, and one other thing. Get ready for Blur, Blur, and more MotoBlur in 2010. MotoBlur’s gonna be all over the 18 or so Android phones Motorola’s supposedly set to roll out this year. And Blur is going to expand beyond social networking to media functionality and other applications, too.

[Via: DroidDog, Engadget ]

“It’s not a projector phone, it’s a phone with a projector…”

When you look at the LG eXpo, the first thought that comes to mind may be “c’mon, it’s just another Windows Mobile phone.”  Yes, the device runs Windows Mobile (6.5, to be exact), but there are some welcome improvements to this device that make it a better unit than past Windows Mobile devices.  The projector is quite the neat accessory (though it costs $179 in addition to the device), the 1 GHz Snapdragon processor makes the device snappy at almost everything you throw at it, the fingerprint navigation works well, and the roomy QWERTY keyboard is a good solution for those that e-mail frequently.

Inside, you’ll find the device, battery, an AC adapter, USB cable, hands-free headset, stylus, and an instruction manual. Coming in at 4.45 inches long by 2.16 inches wide by 0.63 inch thick, the device weighs 5.2 ounces, making it slightly heavier than a normal phone but on par with other smartphones.  The left side of the device contains the volume rocker, while the right side offers the microSD card slot, multitasking button, and the camera shortcut key.  The microUSB charging port (which doubles as the headphone jack) and power button are on top of the device.

The eXpo offers a 3.2-inch resistive touchscreen.  If you’re familiar with my preferences, you know that I prefer capacitive displays.  On the eXpo, I’ve noticed that with each attempt to tap on an icon, it often takes me 2-3 attempts before I’m able to successfully click on it.

The device ships with Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional Edition, and offers LG’s S-Class custom user interface.  Microsoft Office Mobile Suite, Microsoft’s new My Phone backup service, and improved internet browsing through Internet Explorer are a few of the improvements seen in the new OS.  Granted, I like the revised design of 6.5 (though I think more needs to be done), but I’ve been very pleased with the tweaks found in LG’s S-Class UI.

As a frequent e-mail user, a good keyboard is crucial, in my opinion – and the LG eXpo’s QWERTY is a winner.  I’ll admit, the on-screen option is a bit cramped, but the physical alternative is comfortable and reminds me of the HTC Touch Pro2.  On the media front, the eXpo has a 5.0-megapixel camera, and while I’m still testing specifics, initial camera quality seemed to be decent.  Features include a 3x digital zoom, flash, and video-recording capabilities.

I’ve been working with the eXpo in the Charlotte market, and I’ve been pleased with the reception so far.  My callers have been able to hear me well, and the device worked relatively well in the two dead spots I tested it in.  There was one “choppy” call, but it seemed to be a one-time occurence.  The LG eXpo is estimated at 4 hours of talk time, and 17 days of standby time.  I’m still working with battery numbers, but I was able to make it through the day on a full charge. 

The eXpo is a 3G device, meaning that browsing speeds were quite fast. The mobile CNN webpage loaded in about 12 seconds, and the full PhoneDog homepage loaded in 36 seconds. Other data-intensive tasks such as AT&T Navigator and the Windows Marketplace have performed well.

Stay tuned for my full review and Dogfight between the LG eXpo and HTC Touch Pro2!

After Verizon’s decision to require data plans on all of their 3G feature phones, it appears that AT&T is following suit.  When purchasing certain feature phones, the following stipulations must be met:

• Individual lines activated must have a combined total of $20 worth of features – that could be $5 in messaging and $15 in data, or $20 of unlimited messaging. 
• Family plans must have a minimum of $30 worth of features (unlimited text messaging).
• If you have an existing “quick messaging” device, you don’t have to do anything at the moment.  You will have to change when upgrading, however.
• Affected phones include the Pantech Reveal, Pantech Impact, Motorola Karma, Samsung Flight, Samsung Impression, Samsung Magnet, Samsung Solstice, Samsung Mythic, Samsung Propel, LG Xenon, LG Neon, and the LG Vu.

As I said with the implementation of Verizon’s data plans, I find this to be very unfortunate.  There are people that purchase these devices and don’t send thousands of messages per month (or consume data).  How do you feel about this?  Do you see it as inevitable, or does it make you want to switch carriers?

Via BGR

After Verizon’s decision to require data plans on all of their 3G feature phones, it appears that AT&T is following suit with a few devices of their own.  When purchasing “Quick Messaging” devices, the following stipulations must be met:

• Individual lines activated must have a combined total of $20 worth of features – that could be $5 in messaging and $15 in data, or $20 of unlimited messaging. 
• Family plans must have a minimum of $30 worth of features (unlimited text messaging).
• If you have an existing “Quick Messaging” device, you don’t have to do anything at the moment.  You will have to change when upgrading, however.
• Affected phones include the Pantech Reveal, Pantech Impact, Motorola Karma, Samsung Flight, Samsung Impression, Samsung Magnet, Samsung Solstice, Samsung Mythic, Samsung Propel, LG Xenon, LG Neon, and the LG Vu.

As I said with the implementation of Verizon’s data plans, I find this to be very unfortunate.  There are people that purchase these devices and don’t send thousands of messages per month (or consume data).  How do you feel about this?  Do you see it as inevitable, or does it make you want to switch carriers?

Via BGR

Uhoh – bad news this morning for Nexus One owners.  According to Engadget’s Josh Topolsky (who’s Nexus One is pictured above) and various reports from across the United States, the Nexus One is experiencing data connectivity issues.  No idea as to a fix just yet, but from what I hear, T-Mobile and HTC are being slammed with calls about the issue.  That has to be frustrating – first, 3G doesn’t work properly, and now, it’s not working at all.

Is your Nexus One experiencing data connectivity issues, or are you rockin’ 3G like normal?  Let me know in the comments section!

Via Engadget

Apps:

I’ve been leaning more towards app-related news lately and since I have a Nexus One on hand and people are asking about compatibility, I decided to put together a post on my favorite apps for use with the N1. It’s 8 pages of images, text and video. Check it out! An app that I’ve been waiting a long time for just might be popping up for public Android use in February. It’s called Fennec, and it’s the mobile version of Firefox. A service that I’m a long and loyal fan of – the go-to to-do, Remember the Milk – is great on Android, but requires a $25 per year membership. If you like free stuff, check out my post on getting the same functionality without the dough.

Yes, More Nexus:

Speaking of my Nexus One, I couldn’t help but order the new dock available from Google. It was $45 plus $10 for overnight FedEx. Too bad they aren’t covering shipping like they did with the phone. Stay tuned to DroidDog for more on the cradle. While also tempting, the custom N1 paint jobs being offered by Colorware are off limits for me. But man, do I love what they’re selling. I call mine, “The Arizona.”

Leaks:

For those of you who dig the juicy leaks, check out the Motorola Zeppelin, which, in my opinion, looks kinda cool. That snap has been almost universally despised. I don’t know if that says more about my taste or yours. Probably neither. A phone that most seem to agree is pretty handsome is HTC’s Bravo. It looks like it’s lost those five crazy Knight Rider LEDs, but it’s still hot in my book. I think the next phone to follow for the super big buzz is the Supersonic.

Hacks and Mods:

I don’t like to end these weekly summaries without a couple of solid hack/mod links, so be sure to check out a *thorough* guide to hacking your G1 by Neil Lund and friends, and Andrew Steffy’s video on Cyanogen 5.0 for the N1!

Take Care:

I’ll leave you with an AndroidHD video demonstrating 50 different games on the Droid. I’m working on my own gaming video (mostly console emulators) for my Nexus One Questions and Requests post. Video number 4 will be up very soon.

In addition to a spectacular fourth quarter, AT&T took the time to address a primary issue in the minds of customers: the network.

The nation’s second largest wireless carrier is working on backhaul renovations, 7.2 Mbps rollouts, and adding new carriers to existing cell sites in an effort to boost coverage in high-capacity areas.  New York City and San Francisco, you weren’t forgotten, as AT&T spent time touting improvements in 3G Voice Composite Quality Index over the past few months.  Both cities have “performance objectives” that the company is working to attain.

Overall, dropped calls appear to have dropped (no pun intended) from 1.41 percent to 1.05 percent network-wide between December of 2008 and December of 2009.  Given that the iPad is on its way, it makes sense that AT&T would be working quickly to address network issues. 

Have you experienced improvements in your coverage?  Sound off in the comments section!

Via Engadget

Remember that random advertisement lending credence to the Nexus One dock?  Turns out the Google ad was true, as the accessory is now available.  It’ll set you back $45, but gives you similar functionality to the DROID’s dock.

Full details from the Google technical specifications page:

“The Nexus One Desktop Dock is an elegant place to charge your phone, on your desk or nightstand.  Just drop your phone in the Desktop Dock, and the Clock app launches automatically, making it easy to:

• Check the local time and weather
• Set and clear alarms
• Watch a slideshow of your photos
• Play music
• Dim your phone’s display for nighttime use

We also include a 3.5mm-to-RCA audio cable that allows you to connect the dock to your stereo, so you can listen to your phone’s music on your stereo system.”

For a YouTube video detailing the dock’s features, click here.  To pick one up, click over to the Nexus One ordering page.  Sure, it’s a bit pricey, but I suppose you could view it as a full alarm clock replacement.  Anyone going to pony up the 45 bones for one?

Via DroidDog

In an earnings call today, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha confirmed that Motorola will launch “at least one direct-to-consumer device with Google” this year.  Given Google’s strategy, this appears to mean that Motorola will offer one of the followup devices to the HTC-manufactured Nexus One.

The Google-Motorola device is only one of 20 Android smartphones that the company expects to launch this year, ten of which will run Motorola’s MOTOBLUR customer user interface.  Formerly geared at consumers, MOTOBLUR has its sights on the business market as well, with a new version due out this year that will address “additional security and device management functionality.”

The company also announced that it continues to back out of the mid-to-high-end feature phone market, stating that the market will likely “decline throughout the year.”  Motorola plans to focus on smartphones and low-end devices.  The low-end devices are slated for China, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, with few models coming to the United States and Europe due to the company’s focus on smartphones in those regions.  The US will “dominate” smartphone sales, Jha said.  Motorola shipped 2 million Android devices in the fourth quarter of last year, and expects to ship 11 to 14 million this year.

With the launch (and subsequent success) of the DROID, has your interest in Motorola been re-ignited?

Via Gearlog