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

According to leaked pictures circulating on the internet, the LG Arena (a version of it) is on its way to AT&T.  Neither LG or AT&T have announced it by any means, but the GT950 shown in the picture above distinctly carries the logo of the nation’s second largest wireless carrier.  Specifications include a 3.0-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, a 5.0-megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, 8 GB of internal storage, and the manufacturer’s S-Class UI.

Another good feature phone in the carrier’s lineup – perhaps we’ll hear more at CES next week.  Anyone interested in this device?

Via Engadget Mobile

I’d be willing to wager that nearly everyone reading this article (including the person writing it) has messaged, e-mailed, eaten, or done something distracting while in the car, causing you to lose your focus for a split second.  While most states have banned certain forms of communication while driving, the issue is still a concern for advocacy groups nationwide.

Enter Distraction.gov, a website created by the US Department of Transportation to promote awareness of the dangers of messaging – and really anything, for that matter – while driving.  Loaded with statistics, frequently asked questions, research, and more, the website is intended to provide hard facts on what distracted driving actually does to our communities.

Distraction.gov is worth a look, and I imagine it will be the first of a long list of educational resources as messaging continues to increase nationwide.

Via PhoneArena and Distraction.gov

From all of us to all of you, Happy New Year!

2010 promises to be an exciting year in the world of mobile technology, promising everything from 4G to tablet computing to the rise of Google as a mobile phone powerhouse. PhoneDog and the PhoneDog family of websites – BBerryDog, DroidDog, and soon, Today’s iPhone – will be right here to bring you all of the latest news, reviews, and discussions about cell phones and mobile technology, whatever comes our way this year – starting with Google’s Android Press Conference next Tuesday and CES from Las Vegas next Wednesday.

All of us here at The Dog wish you and yours a very, very Happy New Year. May your 2010 be filled with health, happiness and joy and entirely devoid of people who forgot to turn their ringers off before they came into the movie theater!

It’s been an eventful week for Android, if only you look at the leaks that I’ve posted below. It’s also been a busy week for DroidDog, as our team of contributors continues to grow. It’s been a huge year for Android as well, though I think the next will be more significant in the eyes of mainstream America. Here’s to the end of a rough but exciting year, and to smoother and more exciting 2010!

Leaks

Nexus One is just around the corner and the decent leaks are finally crawling out of the woodwork. We’ve seen some high quality images and a 3G benchmark, a video of those interactive animated backgrounds, and another review that makes previous leaks look pretty scrawny.

While not everyone is happy about the expected pricing of the device – $530 outright and $180 subsidized – I think there’s more to the story than we’ve heard so far. And while people are buzzing about what else HTC may have in store in the coming days, everybody is looking to CES for some big Motorola news.

Also in the works are an LG Android for Sprint and 2.x OTA updates for G1 owners!

Hacks

We’ve seen some cool hacks since Christmas, including an Espresso ROM running on Hero, the coming of a Hero 1.5 ROM for Cliq, and the rooting of the not-yet-released Nexus One.

Carlos posted a video review of the Darkstar theme, and a tutorial on getting an extra 10MB of RAM on hacked G1s.

Lastly, check out what this guy did to his Inspiron Mini.

Year End

In the spirint of year-end review type stuff, check out Softpedia’s top five Androids of 2009, Droid’s dominance of the Market on Christmas, and Dustin Earley’s look at a year of Android advertizing.

Take care, everyone. Be safe.

Aaron takes a gander at the BlackBerry Storm2’s physical hardware and tests out the voice capabilities in part two of the BlackBerry Storm2 multi-part video series.

Following the lead of Consultancy Accenture, AT&T has terminated its relationship with Tiger Woods.

“We are ending our sponsorship agreement with Tiger Woods and wish him well in the future,” said AT&T spokesman Fletcher Cook, in an e-mailed statement to CNN.

While ending sponsorships has been the trend since Woods’ marital infidelity was brought to light, several organizations are retaining ties, including Gillette (though advertisements have been temporarily removed from airwaves), Nike, and Gatorade.

Via Gizmodo, CNN Money

MiFi be darned – the Sprint Overdrive is coming to town. 

As a result of the 4G WiMAX rollouts taking place across the country, internal training has begun for what is said to be a dual WiMAX/EVDO portable hotspot.  The Sierra-made unit is said to offer a microSD card slot, support for location services, and a 100 foot range.  Pricing and availability is unknown, but with CES coming next week, I’m sure we’ll hear more about it. 

4G WiMAX internet with 3G as a backup.  Sounds good to me!

Via Engadget Mobile

MiFi be darned – the Sprint Overdrive is coming to town. 

As a result of the 4G WiMAX rollouts taking place across the country, internal training has begun for what is said to be a dual WiMAX/EVDO portable hotspot.  The Sierra-made unit is said to offer a microSD card slot, support for location services, and a 100 foot range.  Pricing and availability is unknown, but with CES coming next week, I’m sure we’ll hear more about it. 

4G WiMAX internet with 3G as a backup.  Sounds good to me!

Via Engadget Mobile

Noah goes in-depth with Nokia’s first Maemo OS smartphone – the N900. Question is, is it a smartphone or a computer that also makes phone calls? Part 2 of 2

Noah goes in-depth with Nokia’s first Maemo OS smartphone – the N900. Question is, is it a smartphone or a computer that also makes phone calls? Part 1 of 2

It’s not a groundbreaking device by any means, but the Pantech P9020 that was spotted over at the FCC shows that the QWERTY trend is far from being over.  Offering a 2.0-megapixel camera, full QWERTY keyboard, touchscreen, and 850/1900 MHz 3G connectivity, it appears to be a decent mid-range device.  What’s more, FCC documentation and the user’s manual show that the device is indeed headed to AT&T, making it a good option for text-centric teenagers on the nation’s second largest wireless carrier.

What say you – is this something that you would carry?  Let me know in the comments.

Via: Engadget Mobile

What I’ve learned from FPS computer games (and a recent outing to see Avatar) is this: When tech meets military maneuvers, things are bound to get bloody. But this is no game or work of fiction, says the UK’s Daily Mirror: In real life, soldiers in Afghanistan are using an iPhone app called BulletFlight to get an edge in combat against actual Taliban fighters.

Born out of computer game technology, the military grade ballistics program helps sharpshooters calculate how various factors — like wind and earth rotation — affect the trajectory of their bullets. BulletFlight even estimates the potential collateral damage (meaning, the app predicts the wounds the combatant will suffer), as well as helps the user lock onto long-range targets.

This isn’t the first time game tech has been used out in the field. Allied forces are already using modded Xbox 360 game controllers to drive robotic vehicles, and new kinds of radar are being developed from cheap supercomputers made out of chips harvested from PS3 consoles. British experts at BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, Airbus and the Williams Formula 1 motor racing team are collaborating on a project that involves using computer game consoles to test new gadgets.

“Historically the military have invested in developing technology to meet their specific requirements,” says Stuart McDougall of BAE. “This technology has then filtered down to everyone else… But increasingly, modern consumer gadgets are so powerful and so highly competitive that they’re often ahead of the game — and much cheaper to buy in and adapt.” BAE itself is looking into 3D graphics technology borrowed from the PS2 to power next-gen military engineering designs.

The BulletFlight app was created from game software and developed for military use. There are three versions of program in the App Store, ranging from $4 to $30, and these are just a few examples of the dozens of apps endorsed by the US military for use in Iraq and Afghanistan. Others include maps, survival books and tactical guides.

Among the many things I am grateful for, as 2009 comes to a close, is the fact that I will (hopefully) never need to use an iPhone app like this. But for those who do — I hope 2010 will see you home safely.

Via: MaxConsole, The Daily Mirror

With a $99 price tag, the Apple iPhone 3G is perfect for the person that doesn’t need the extra storage space, processor enhancements, or other goodies that come with the 3GS model.  That being said, another model is rumored to launch in June, so it’s assumed that the low-end model will be refreshed.

According to a report by Gizmodo, a German user reported receiving a replacement for his 8 GB iPhone 3G.  Though the device was in fact a standard 3G model, the box clearly indicated “iPhone 3GS, 8GB.”  So we’re either looking at a typo on the box, or a complete mismatch between old and new packaging.  One thing is for sure: launching the 3GS at the $99 price point would re-raise the bar on other sub-$100 smartphones in the arena. 

Perhaps we’ll hear more at the Apple event on January 26th.  Any speculations out there?

Via: PhoneArena

With a $99 price tag, the Apple iPhone 3G is perfect for the person that doesn’t need the extra storage space, processor enhancements, or other goodies that come with the 3GS model.  That being said, another model is rumored to launch in June, so it’s assumed that the low-end model will be refreshed.

According to a report by Gizmodo, a German user reported receiving a replacement for his 8 GB iPhone 3G.  Though the device was in fact a standard 3G model, the box clearly indicated “iPhone 3GS, 8GB.”  So we’re either looking at a typo on the box, or a complete mismatch between old and new packaging.  One thing is for sure: launching the 3GS at the $99 price point would re-raise the bar on other sub-$100 smartphones in the arena. 

Perhaps we’ll hear more at the Apple event on January 26th.  Any speculations out there?

Via: PhoneArena

Coinciding with the recent Nexus One news out there and pulling a page out of Apple’s playbook, Google has scheduled a press conference in Mountain View, CA on January 5th, 2010.  The text reads:

“With the launch of the first Android-powered device just over a year ago, we’ve seen how a powerful, open platform can spur mobile product innovation. And this is just the beginning of what’s possible.

Please join us in Mountain View on January 5, for an Android press gathering.”

I’d be very surprised if it wasn’t directly related to the Nexus One device.  Stay tuned for more information as we get it!

Via: Engadget Mobile

It’s a well known fact that the Palm Pre (Plus?) will grace Verizon’s shelves at some point; the remaining question boils down to the timeframe for launch.  It’s widely believed that the “P101” moniker seen in several leaked documents refers to a Verizon version of the device.  On the Wi-Fi Interoperability Certificate, the unit is referred to as a “P101EWW,” and received certification on December 18th, 2009.

Call me crazy, but I think the leaked training slides, documents, and Wi-Fi certification that we’ve seen all make for a nice announcement at CES next week.  Are there any Verizon customers itching to pick up the Pre (or Pixi, since we know it’s coming as well)?

Via: Engadget Mobile

Are we really on the verge of the Apple tablet? Seems so, as the rumor mill has been working in overdrive lately.

First the mobile device has recently been outted as the iSlate — that is, if you believe the bloggers who’ve made like Robert Downey Jr and put on their Sherlock Holmes hats. Thanks to some super-sleuthing by MacRumors and TechCrunch, the investigation has exposed that the URL www.islate.com has been bought up by a company that may be a cover for a mega corporation known as (you guessed it) Apple.

And the name ISLATE is trademarked by another company, whose business dealings have been impossible to pin down, but whose description and other details matches Cupertino like a glove. Naysayers are commenting that this is just a diversion, and doesn’t necessarily mean that the iSlate name is official. This could be true, but factor in that Bill Keller from the New York Times (which has been in bed with Cupertino for ages) referred to something called an “Apple Slate” two months ago, and suddenly this rumor has an air of authenticity around it.

The tablet, or iSlate, was once expected to be released by now, but the gossip mongers are now looking to Q1 2010 (with some sort of announcement possibly happening next month, in January). The reason was seemingly an issue with the touchscreen.

Apparently, the device was delayed due to weaknesses in the glass display. According to DigiTimes, Innolux, a subsidiary of the Foxconn Group that assembles the iPhone, is on deck to manufacture the tablet. It will be the main plant for the tablet touchscreens. (Another company called Wintek might become an alternate supplier later on.) G-Tech Optoelectronics, Foxconn’s glass-processing subsidiary, has a process for strengthening the display and will implement it with Wah Hong Industrial, a Taiwan-based company that makes optical film.

Next month, all eyes will hopefully be on those glass screens, as the tablet — which has been the subject of rumors, including a 7-inch model or a 10-inch version (depending on which blogs you follow) — is expected to be unveiled by Apple late next month. March or April are pegged as the ship dates, thanks to a DigiTimes analysis of shipping schedules for Apple component vendors.

It looks like the Yerba Buena Center of the Arts in San Francisco has been booked for a few dates in late January, presumably by Apple. The stories are swirling around January 26th as an announcement date. And the New York Times spoke to current and former Apple employees, who claim that Steve Jobs is “extremely happy with the new tablet,” which has apparently “hit the sweet spot.”

On an interesting note, one former Apple staffer says that the ways users will interact with the tablet will be very surprising. Could that have anything to do with the reports that two Apple patent applications involved a tactile feedback keyboard? I can only hope. A keyboard with tactile feedback on an Apple tablet would be ridiculously sweet. So would an OLED screen, though there’s nothing resembling confirmation on that yet. Maybe that’s for the best. The price would be jacked up pretty high for that. And yet, I can’t help but daydream.

Now this doesn’t mean all the questions have been answered, far from it. What operating system will this sport? An iPhone OS or a variation on Snow Leopard? How much will this daydream cost? Will it be 3G-enabled or available via carrier subsidy? What carrier could it possibly go to?

I know we’re about to see 2009 come to a close, but the new year still just can’t seem to get here fast enough.

Via: BoyGenius Report, Phone Arena

Every day, there’s always some piece of tech news or rumor that excites, frustrates or baffles people en masse. But this weekend takes the cake.

AT&T temporarily stopped selling iPhones online to people in New York City. Why does an AT&T-NY connection ring a bell? Because it’s one of Blue’s two most data-intensive areas in the country. (The other is San Francisco.) And not that long ago, the carrier admitted that “Gotham” suffered bad service on its network and vowed to address this — while notably pinning the trouble on the data-heavy habits of iPhone users in the region.

So this was their fix? Wow. It’s like saying, “Well that’ll teach you NY iPhone users to complain. You’re the worst offenders in the bunch, so we’re going to thin your numbers for the good of everyone, you cry babies.” (Note: To be fair, the company didn’t actually say that. This is just my own imaginary musings starring AT&T’s Ralph De La Vega, twirling his mustache and throwing iPhone hopefuls under a bus, one after another.) What’s strange about this is it only affected online shoppers. Brick-and-mortar customers were still able to buy them at retail stores, so as a defensive strategy, it wasn’t exactly logical.

The Consumerist actually went to try and find out the truth. The site confirmed over the weekend that online shoppers with NYC zip codes were prevented from purchasing iPhones via the AT&T website. Then blogger Laura Northrup contacted the carrier customer service department directly. Things only got more baffling from there:

Daphne: Welcome to AT&T online Sales support. How may I assist you with placing your order today?

Daphne: You don’t have enough towers to handle the phone.

But AT&T released a statement by spokesman Fletcher Cook, who simply gave a ho-hum explanation to The Consumerist that contradicted these remarks while actually illuminating nothing: “We periodically modify our promotions and distribution channels.”

Ooookay…

I guess it’s AT&T’s network and services, and I suppose they are at liberty to do what they want with it (within legal limits). Not that I agree with the company’s approach here, but I suppose it’s not a crime. A weird, wacky, nearly inexplicable course of action, yes, but not a crime.

Alright, PhoneDog readers — In all honesty, here’s where this post was going to end, with a conclusion in the vein of one of those “Waddayagonnado?” type of articles. But things keep getting weirder, and I can’t seem to look away. Since the story broke all over the webs, AT&T reps started telling people the following: “Due to increased fraudulent activity, the Apple iPhone may not be available to purchase online in certain ZIP codes.”

Is it me, or does none of this make any sense? Earlier on, some blogs hinted that the strange drama could’ve been due to some sort of New York–based online sales fraud, but that theory was (and still is) full of holes. First, the shutdown was completely iPhone-centric — none of AT&T’s other equally costly handsets were singled out. And even if some sort of scam targeted the iPhone only, why does it make sense to target only one region? Meanwhile, the handsets are still being sold in stores. (As a response, the AT&T customer service rep quoted above added: “We do have others at similar prices, you’re right, but nothing else that is as popular… sometimes popularity leads people to make poor decisions.”)

But in the 2008 Internet Crime Report (PDF), from the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, New York isn’t the No. 1 state for internet fraud; that’s California. New York is No. 2, and Florida is No. 3.  But residents in neither California (including San Francisco) nor Florida have had trouble purchasing iPhones online.

At this point, online iPhone purchasing has been restored to New York. So I guess that internet fraud thing must’ve sorted itself out at lightning speed, or perhaps the carrier’s modified its promotion and distribution channel again. Or maybe Big Blue just decided that the bad press wasn’t worth its crazy scheme to “fix” the area’s network.

Whatever the real truth is, I can’t help but wonder one thing: Would AT&T ever dreamed of pulling this stunt if it wasn’t about to lose iPhone exclusivity? I doubt it. (No wonder the carrier hired Luke Wilson to give a celebrity recorded pep talk/holiday greeting to its own, probably demoralized, ranks. If I had to work there and deal with upset people when I didn’t know what the heck was going on, I’d be demoralized too.)

Via: Consumerist, Gizmodo, BoyGenius Report

Noah checks out Nokia’s N97 Mini – the little brother to the trainwreck that is the N97. Can a smaller form factor and redesigned QWERTY board make the mini a winner?

If you’re displeased with Verizon’s new $350 early termination fee (ETF) on “advanced devices,” don’t worry – the FCC is too.  Last week, FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn sent out a letter to Verizon’s reply, and in short, she’s not pleased. 

Among other arguments, she makes the point that ETF’s have migrated from being tied to the true full retail cost of the device to being something that foots “the bill for advertising costs, commissions for sales personnel, and store costs.”  She implies that the costs to advertise and operate retail locations can be (and are) recouped in high monthly fees for voice and data.  A higher penalty isn’t needed in her book, particularly a high penalty near the end of the agreement.

What’s more, she claims that phantom fees are being charged, despite Verizon’s reports that state otherwise.  Citing “press reports and consumer complaints,” she has vowed to investigate the matter further with her colleagues next year.  Sounds like some bad news for Verizon.  Anyone agree?

Via: Engadget