Ah, Apple rumour time. It’s almost always Apple rumour time these days, what with Apple having so many products and services undergoing constant wizardry and revolution, with new photos now potentially revealing Apple’s first iPhone 4 “World” phone that would theoretically work with all the world’s major mobile networks and break AT&T’s iron-grip of exclusivity in the US. While Steve Jobs may have iBliterated any notion that Apple will produce a 7-inch iPad anytime soon, there was no word on whether a CDMA-based iPhone 4 would be making an appearance in the near future.
As we know, Steve Jobs isn’t in the habit of pre-announcing products with any kind of regularity and said as much a couple of times in answer to analyst questions, but given the ongoing rumours about Verizon finally getting to join the iPhone party on its superior network, this one seems a lot more likely to happen, probably by early next year as the rumours suggest.
What’s the latest piece of news doing the rounds to support Verizon’s iPhone 4 rumourology?
It comes from blogger Richy Rich, who posted an “exclusive” featuring what he claims are “Verizon iPhone 4 photos”.
Rich noted the Boy Genius report which suggested the Verizon/CDMA iPhone 4 could come as both a CDMA and 3G/GSM device, thus turning it into a “world phone”, working on almost all of the world’s major mobile networks and giving more choice in some countries, primarily the US, over which network would be used – especially if the phone was available in a fully unlocked edition.
Rich says he’s “happy to report a follow up to that post with live shots of an “N92DVT” device, which was reported to be the CDMA version of the iPhone 4 back in August by John Gruber.”
Rich adds some mystique to the proceedings by suggested that: to his knowledge, “these shots originated from a repair shop in Vietnam, and according to the “DVT” (Design Verification Test) label, it is in final testing stages before production.”
The Vietnamese shop owners, who presumably have excellent contacts within the iPhone 4 manufacturing plans, or who have excellent contacts with excellent contacts, say that there is indeed a micro-SIM slot on the iPhone 4, but as “the device is no longer in my sources possession, therefore I wasn’t able to obtain photos for proof.” Although it does dovetail nicely with Boy Genius’ report, the slot might just be there because it’s not a final production unit, or perhaps because Apple intends to deploy such capabilities in a future iPhone 5.
Rich’s photos also purport to show a “test operating system” similar to a previous one called “Inferno” from previous “iPhone 4 beta test images and video”.
So… it’s all either yet another elaborate hoax… or underground confirmation (or leakage) of Apple’s secret plans, whether to cause mischief or to unofficially alert the world to the imminent arrival of the iPhone 4 to stave off any as-yet unmade Android or WP7 purchasing decisions.
It also makes me wonder… will Apple launch a CDMA iPhone 4 in January 2011, only to follow it up with a non-CDMA iPhone 5 just only three or four months later?
Or is the CDMA iPhone 4 going to make a surprise 2010 pre-Christmas appearance so there’s still plenty of time between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 5 going out the door?
A final thought – how soon before an LTE iPhone makes an appearance, could it come with the iPhone 5, or will LTE-lovers have to wait until the iPhone 6 to get their kicks?
If you are looking for a Smartphone which does it all, Blackberry just might have the answer.
Measuring 111x 62x 14.6 mm it is relatively compact and lightweight at 161 g. The touchscreen aspect of the phone is in the shape of a 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen which features a pixel resolution of 360x 480 which is capable of displaying up to 16M colours. This is great for viewing photos and videos thanks to the display quality. The slide out QWERTY keyboard offers an efficient method of entering text which is ideal for those more prolific text message or email users, or simply those who prefer to use a physical keyboard.
Both vibration and ringing are utilised in order to alert users to incoming calls and messages with the added bonus of supporting MP3 ringtones, resulting in an aspects of the phone which can be customised. Carrying out handsfree calls a simple thanks to a built in speakerphone system as well as a 3.5 mm headset socket which can be used for both handsfree headsets as well as earphones for listening to music via the internal media player. The media player is versatile and the fact that it supports a whole host of different music and video file formats. In addition to this, there is also a number of pre-installed games (with access to a library of downloadable games) to keep users entertained, whilst social networking fans are catered for thanks to social feeds.
The blackberry brand is renowned for its comprehensive connectivity features, and the Blackberry Torch is no different. Class 10 versions of both EDGE & GPRS provide the handset with its connections to the relevant cellular networks, whilst an HSDPA connection allows users to browse the web in areas covered by 3G. A faster Internet connection can be attained thanks to Wi-Fi connectivity whenever local Wireless Networks are available. To connect to other devices, both Bluetooth and micro USB connections are included.
The Blackberry Torch is equipped with a handy 5 mega pixel camera which does a great job of taking high quality still images thanks in no small part to the inclusion of Autofocus, LED flash and image stabilisation. Should users wish to shoot video footage, they have this option is the camera is also capable of shooting VGA quality footage at a rate of 24 frames per second.
Blackberry handsets are well known as a choice for business professionals thanks to their ability to view the front door connect types. The Blackberry Torch features a document viewer which is compatible with Microsoft Office documents including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. There are additional productivity tools in the form of an organiser as well as voice memo recorder, meaning the Blackberry Torch is an ideal companion for staying productive even when out of the office.
The Blackberry Torch is an ideal choice for many types of user ranging from social networking and multimedia fans 3G the business professional. With software which is equally as impressive as the hardware, it is hard to find anything to dislike about this versatile Smartphone.
New Technology To Integrate Smartphones Into Car Infotainment Systems
The demonstration was carried out by Nokia, its subsidiary, NAVTEQ and Magneti Marelli Electronic Systems.
Connectivity between the smartphone and the car may provide key information such as fuel levels and engine status and combined with GPS information from the smartphone or car, could enable location based services. These services might include the nearest petrol station with the day's lowest prices or even offering an e-coupon for a free coffee if the driver chooses a particular station. In addition, ADAS based safety features may also be supported, for example, to warn drivers to slow down for an upcoming sharp bend. The integrated system mirrors the display of the smartphone on the larger screen and commands can be given either by voice, gesture, touch or traditional in car controls to enable ease of use.
"This collaboration offers Magneti Marelli the opportunity to make its know-how available for the integration of complex systems in the automotive field," stated Giuseppe Rosso, CEO of Magneti Marelli Electronic Systems. "In this case, through specific management of the vehicle's infotelematic node, Magneti Marelli enables communication between the car - and more precisely between certain functions and data concerning the car - and the new generation of smartphone devices. So, by combining the capabilities and functions of consumer devices with the added value of a "graded" automotive system embedded in the vehicle, the best possible system integration is provided, especially from the standpoint of ergonomics and safe use".
Connection from the mobile device to the infotainment system is made either via Bluetooth or USB cable which is a useful choice depending on the length of the journey. For a short distance the driver could leave the phone in a briefcase and connect wirelessly but for longer journeys, the smartphone battery can be preserved by connecting with a cable.
This technology known as "Virtual Networking Computer layer" is in alpha phase and was developed in collaboration with Nokia Research Center, Palo Alto.
LG Electronics has shown off its first Android based mobile phone, just a week after it announced plans for three new Windows Mobile based smartphones. The new android OS based LG-GW620 features a 3-inch full touchscreen and slide out QWERTY keypad.
"The LG-GW620 will appeal to first-time smartphone customers by offering a new and different kind of user experience," said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "Our objective is to provide a wide selection of smartphones to satisfy the diverse preferences of today's consumers. This Android phone is just one of many smartphone models we plan to introduce worldwide in the years ahead."
In addition to the Android model, LG announced in early September that it will be introducing a minimum of 13 new smartphones over the next 16 months that utilize Microsoft's Windows Mobile. The newest release, version 6.5, was announced just last week.
The LG-GW620 will be available in the fourth quarter of this year in select European markets. Pricing and technical specifications are still to be confirmed.
Nokia USA has already put up the Maemo-powered N900 up for pre-order already, but if you’re waiting for an exact release date to be announced, then better listen up because that’s what we’ve got for you right now.
According to The Nokia Blog, the Nokia N900 will hit distribution centers on September 27th. Granted that this is true and no further delays are encountered, this feature-packed QWERTY-equipped touchscreen slider should be available in the first few days of October at best. So, from the looks of it, the US will indeed be among the select markets which the Nokia N900 will become available in by next month.
As expected, the retail price of the Nokia N900 is a dollar short of $650 making it the current most expensive handset from the Finish mobile phone maker in the US. T-Mobile hasn’t announced it yet, but you shouldn’t encounter any problems connecting to this particular US carrier’s 3G network as this version of the N900 comes with T-Mobile friendly WCDMA 900/1700/2100MHz bands.
Iowa senator Tom Harkin, who became the committee head after the death of Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy, said that he was concerned that no one has been able to prove cell phone do not cause cancer.
"I'm reminded of this nation's experience with cigarettes," said Harkin. "Decades passed between the first warnings about smoking tobacco and the final definitive conclusion that cigarettes cause lung cancer."
Some researchers believe that low levels of radiation from cell phone use may cause cancers of the brain and central nervous system -- similar to the malignant brain tumor that Kennedy had been battling with.
Years of research have failed to establish any clear link between their use and several kinds of cancer, including brain tumors.
Four years ago, Danish researchers studied the cell phone usage of brain tumor patients and reported that the two were unlikely connected but said that "we won't be able to make any firm conclusions until we can confirm these results with studies with more long-term and heavy cell phone users."
Studies in France and Norway last year reported similar results.
However, recent worries have been raised by U.S. and British researchers who suggest that many of the previous studies were telecom-funded and had a "systemic-skew" that greatly underestimated the chance of tumors, such as excluding people who "had died or were too ill to be interviewed as a consequence of their brain tumor and children and young adults who are more vulnerable."
While no solid link between cell phones and cancer has been established, studies indicate the likelihood of such a connection calls for a precautionary approach.
An estimated 275 million people in the U.S. and 4 billion worldwide use cell phones.
By Rachel Metz
Struggling phone maker Motorola unveiled its first device using Google's Android system Thursday, banking on it to power features that will attract consumers looking to use their phones to connect with friends, family and colleagues.
The Cliq comes with a touch screen and a standard, "QWERTY" keyboard that slides out from its side. Software on it will let users aggregate contact information from various social networks and e-mail accounts. Small application "widgets" will show such information as your friends' Facebook status updates on the home screen.
The new device also sports a five-megapixel camera, allowing for sharper images than most other phones, including Apple Inc.'s iPhone and its three-megapixel resolution.
The Cliq, which Motorola unveiled Thursday during a GigaOM mobile Internet conference in San Francisco, will be available from wireless carrier T-Mobile in time for the holiday season. Pricing and release details will be announced within three weeks.
Motorola plans to unveil a second Android phone in the coming weeks. It will also be available for the holidays, most likely through Verizon Wireless, which has already said it will be one of the U.S. carriers for a Motorola smart phone.
The company's Android-based phones could be key to luring back customers. The Schaumburg, Ill.-based company hasn't produced a hit since the wildly popular Razr phone in 2005.
Sanjay Jha, Motorola's co-CEO and head of mobile devices, said Google Inc.'s Android software is a modern, well-written operating system that allows people do many different things with their phones. He said a vibrant community of programmers has sprung to build tools around Android. Thousands of applications are already available for free or for sale directly from Android phones.
With Android, which Google encourages manufacturers to use and customize for free, Motorola can also offer distinctive features — something that will be key in convincing cell phone shoppers that the Cliq is more worthy of their dollars than the iPhone and Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry devices.
"I see this as a first step in a long journey where we develop the kind of products which are really relevant for consumers," Jha said in an interview.
Jim Kelleher, an analyst at Argus Research, said the Cliq may be Motorola's best stab at the smart phone market thus far.
"I think for Motorola to retain its tech edge and reputation for engineering, it really has to hit a home run — not necessary with this particular phone, but with its phones in the coming year, including this one," he said.
Outside the U.S., the Cliq will be known as the Dext. It will be available through wireless carrier Orange in the U.K. and France, Telefonica in Spain and America Movil in South America.
Currently, T-Mobile sells two Android-running smart phones made by HTC Corp., and Sprint Nextel Corp. is releasing one also made by HTC on Oct. 11. Samsung Electronics Co. has said it is making an Android phone as well.
By Bonnie Cha
T-Mobile teased us at CES 2009 by introducing the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 but denying us any details on availability date and pricing. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long as the carrier has released the final details and has given us our own review unit.
In short, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 is a solid addition to T-Mobile's smartphone lineup and one of the company's top offerings, in our opinion. It replaces the Curve 8300 series, and brings several notable improvements, including a sleeker design that's bolstered by a more solid construction and an amazingly sharp display, a faster processor, a full HTML Web browser, and a 3.2-megapixel camera. It also has integrated Wi-Fi with UMA support so you can make unlimited calls over a Wi-Fi network. However, our one big disappointment is the lack of 3G support. It's a feature that could really have given the 8900 an edge over its competition.
Despite this omission and some other minor issues, we would absolutely recommend the BlackBerry Curve 8900. It's a solid device that will appeal to both consumers and mobile professionals, offering a nice balance between work and play and all wrapped up in a sweet little package. The BlackBerry Curve 8900 is available now through B2B sales and will be in retail stores nationwide starting February 11 for $199 with a two-year contract.
Design
The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 holds the distinction (though who knows for how long) as being the thinnest full QWERTY BlackBerry to date. The smartphone measures 4.2 inches tall by 2.3 inches wide by 0.5 inch thick and weighs 3.8 ounces compared with the BlackBerry Curve 8320, which comes it at 4.2 inches high by 2.4 inches wide by 0.6 inch thick and 3.9 ounces. It feels comfortable to use a both a phone and messaging device and fit into a pants pocket. We do appreciate the Curve 8900's sleek profile but even more than that, we're fans of the phone's more solid construction. Though the phone's body is still made of plastic, RIM used different finishes and paint applications to make the handset more durable and you can notice the difference as soon as you pick it up. Our only complaint would be that the battery cover can sometimes shift a little.
Also, while style is subjective, we have to say we dig the look of the Curve 8900 over the previous Curve 8300 series. It has tapered edges like the BlackBerry Storm and the metallic paint gives the 8900 a fresh, modern. It's a lot less corporate and masculine looking than the BlackBerry Bold, so it should appeal to a wide variety of users.
The Curve 8900 features a 2.4-inch TFT LCD that supports 65,536 colors at a 480x360-pixel resolution. It's a better screen than the BlackBerry Bold, which isn't too shabby itself with a 480x320-pixel resolution, but there is an extra level of sharpness and brightness to the Curve's screen that's quite impressive. The Curve 8900 also runs the latest version of the BlackBerry operating system so you get an updated user interface. There's no doubt the UI is more aesthetically pleasing, but we do have one minor complaint: a lot of icons look the same, so it's a bit hard to distinguish different folders and applications onscreen just at a glance.
Below the display, you have your standard navigation array that includes Talk and End keys, a menu shortcut, a back button, and the trackball navigator. The layout is simple and spacious, so there were no problems using the controls or navigating the phone. The side controls, which are outlined below, also allows for easy one-handed operation.
The BlackBerry Curve 8900's keyboard is similar to the one found on the BlackBerry Bold. Since the phone is smaller, the keys aren't as big or roomy but we still found it easy to compose e-mails and text with minimal errors. The buttons provide a nice tactile feedback and the keyboard is adequately backlit, with the number keys highlighted in red instead of white.
On the left side, there's a single user-programmable shortcut key (launches voice dialer by default), while there's a 3.5mm headphone jack, a volume rocker, a MicroUSB port, and another customizable side button (assigned to the camera out of the box). The camera and flash are located on the back, and behind the battery cover are the SIM card and microSD expansion slots. We would have preferred that the expansion slot be on the outside for easier access, and we also weren't huge fans of the little plastic piece that held the card in place. It felt flimsy, so we worry if it'll hold up over time. Finally, while not immediately visible, there's a mute button and a lock key on top the unit.
T-Mobile ships the Curve 8900 with a travel charger, a USB cable, a 256MB MicroSD card, a wired headset, a protective case, a software CD, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.
Features
The RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 runs BlackBerry OS 4.6.1.114 so aside from the aforementioned updated user interface, you also get new functionality and improved applications. For example, unlike the Curve 8300 series, you can now edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, thanks to the inclusion of DataViz's Documents to Go Suite. Like the Bold and the Storm, only the Standard Edition is preloaded on the smartphone so if you want the ability to create new documents, you will have to upgrade to the Premium Edition.
The BlackBerry Curve 8900 also ships with a number of personal information management tools, such as a Calendar, a task list, a memo pad, a voice recorder, a calculator, a password keeper, and more. There's quite a catalog of applications available for BlackBerrys, whether you're looking for new games or software for your job. Be aware, however, that if you have third-party applications on an older BlackBerry model, they may not be compatible with the Curve 8900. T-Mobile includes some suggestions and direct download links on its mobile site, or you can check out Download.com for more ideas.
One of the most-needed improvements was in the area of Web browsing, and the Curve 8900 delivers. You now get a full HTML Web browser with support for RSS feeds and streaming media, including YouTube clips. Browsing and navigating sites is made better by the Page and Column view options and onscreen cursor. There are also zoom in/out functions. The experience hardly matches the Web experience on the iPhone, but it's a definite improvement from previous versions of the BlackBerry browser, which was pretty much atrocious. Baby steps, right?
To get connected, you have two options: Wi-Fi or T-Mobile's EDGE network, which is all well and good but what's more newsworthy to us, is what's missing: 3G support. We realize that the addition of a 3G radio affects battery life and size, but still, T-Mobile has finally rolled out its 3G network and could use more 3G smartphones (currently, the T-Mobile G1 is the carrier's only smartphone to offer 3G). Admittedly, we found that surfing the Web on the Curve 8900 over EDGE wasn't that bad but even so, we still would have liked to see the inclusion of 3G.
Fortunately, you do get Wi-Fi as an alternative, and the other upside of the integrated Wi-Fi is UMA support. This means you can make and receive unlimited calls over a wireless network and not have the minutes deducted from your cellular plan. The caveat is that you will need to sign for T-Mobile's Unlimited HotSpot Calling plan, which starts at $9.99 per month on top of an existing T-Mobile plan.
Other voice features of the BlackBerry Curve 8900 include quad-band world roaming, a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, smart dialing, conference calling, speed dial, and text and multimedia messaging. The address book is limited only by the available memory (the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts) with room in each entry for multiple phone numbers, e-mail addresses, work and home addresses, job title, and more. For caller ID purposes, you can assign each contact a photo, a group ID, or a custom ringtone.
Like most of the carrier's handsets, the Curve 8900 supports T-Mobile's MyFaves service, giving you unlimited calls to five contacts, regardless of carrier. Individual plans for MyFaves start at $39.99 a month. You also get Bluetooth 2.0 with support for mono and stereo Bluetooth wireless headsets, hands-free kits, and dial-up networking.
GPS is built in, using both satellites and cellular triangulation to find your position. You can get maps and text-based, turn-by-turn driving directions with applications such as BlackBerry Maps, which is preloaded on the Curve 8900, and Google Maps for Mobile, but if you want any real-time tracking and voice-guided instructions, you'll have to use a location-based service like TeleNav GPS Navigator.
The BlackBerry Curve 8900's built-in media player can play various music and video formats, including MP3, WMA9/WMA9 Pro/WMA20, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, and MIDI music files, and MPEG4, WMV, DivX4, DivX5/6 (partial support), XviD (partial), and H.263 video clips. There's a search function, playlist creation, shuffle and repeat, and you get a full-screen mode for video playback. The included software CD also contains a copy of Roxio Easy Media Creator, so you can create MP3s from CDs and add audio tags as well as the BlackBerry Media Sync application so you can load your iTunes library. The Curve has 256MB onboard Flash memory while the expansion slot can accept up to 16GB cards.
The Curve's camera gets upgraded to a 3.2-megapixel lens (from 2 megapixels) with video recording capabilities, flash, auto focus, 2x zoom, and image stabilization. In camera mode, you get a choice of three picture sizes and three picture qualities. There are white balance settings, and you can add various effects to your photos, such as black and white, and sepia. With the built-in GPS, you can also geotag photos. The camcorder records clips in two formats (normal and MMS) with sound and offers a video light and color effects.
Picture quality was good, as long as we were snapping shots in well-lit areas. Even with the flash or in night mode, we had a hard time getting a photo that didn't look dark or completely blown out by the flash. We also noticed a bit of shutter lag, so be sure not to move to quickly away from the scene after pressing the capture button. Video quality wasn't the best as clips looked pretty grainy, but you can still make out the objects and scenery so it'll be fine if there's a moment that you absolutely must get on film and don't have access to a camcorder.
Despite all these other features, e-mail remains the heart and soul of the BlackBerry. The BlackBerry Curve 8900 can sync with your company's BlackBerry Enterprise server, with support for Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise, to deliver corporate e-mail in real time. There's also an attachment viewer for opening Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Corel WordPerfect, PDF, JPEG, GIF, and more. With BlackBerry Internet Service, you can also access up to 10 personal/business POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts. Set up is nearly instantaneous; we simply input our Yahoo log in and password, and within a couple of seconds, we received a message that activation was successful. The smartphone also comes preloaded with several instant messaging clients, including Yahoo, AIM, Windows Live, and Google Talk.
Performance
We tested the quad-band (850/900/1800/1900; GPRS/EDGE) RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 in San Francisco using T-Mobile service and call quality was satisfactory. There was some minimal background noise that made audio quality a little less pristine than some other smartphones we've tested, but nothing that prevented us from having a conversation or using an airline's voice automated system. There's an Enhance Audio option where you can boost the treble or bass, but we didn't find a noticeable difference. Our friends reported a couple instances of warbled audio, but otherwise no major complaints. We didn't experience any dropped calls during our review period. The speakerphone was also OK. There was plenty of volume, but there was some hollowness to the audio, making it sound as if our callers were talking in an empty room. We successfully paired the Curve 8900 with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset and the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones.
The BlackBerry Curve 8900 is equipped with a 512MHz processor and is a fairly responsive device. There were some instances of sluggishness; for example, we encountered some lag when we were trying to access our photo gallery and a couple of times when we launched the camera. It wasn't anything that stopped us in our tracks or left us completely frustrated, and overall, we're pleased with the general performance.
The Curve 8900's speaker can't rival the BlackBerry Bold's rich output, but most of you will probably be listening to your music through headphones anyway, so it's a not a huge issue. Using the handset's 3.5mm jack, we plugged in a pair of Bose On-Ear headphones for a MP3-like music-listening experience. Video playback was quite impressive. We checked out a couple of clips, including an MP4 file, and found playback to be smooth and the picture looked great on the Curve's high-resolution screen. We also watched a couple of YouTube clips from the Web browser, which looked very mushy and blurry, but that's more about a video quality issue than a Curve issue.
Our review unit had no problem finding and connecting to our Wi-Fi network. On EDGE speeds, it took the smartphone about a minute to fully load CNET's Web site, while it took about 15 to 20 seconds to load CNN's and ESPN's mobile sites. Though we weren't hooked up with TeleNav GPS Navigator for real-time navigation, the Curve's GPS radio was able to pinpoint our location within a couple of minutes on BlackBerry Maps.
The BlackBerry Curve 8900 features a 1,400mAh lithium ion battery with a rated talk time of 5.5 hours and up to 14.5 days of standby time. In our battery drain tests, we were able to get 8.5 hours of continuous talk time from the Curve 8900 on a single charge. According to FCC radiation tests, the BlackBerry Curve 8900 has a digital SAR rating of 1.01 watts per kilogram.
By Bonnie Cha
While it may seem that everyone is obsessed with the latest full-featured phones, there is still the need and want for basic handsets, and the Samsung Glint SCH-u350 answers that call for Alltel customers. The flip phone offers a simple design and ease of use and most importantly, good call quality. Samsung even throws in Bluetooth, but if you're looking for any type of multimedia features or Web browsing capabilities, look elsewhere. The Samsung Glint is purely for those who simply want a handset for making calls, and the best part is that you can get the phone for free with a one-year contract and after a $30 mail-in rebate.
Design
Being a basic phone, the Samsung Glint doesn't have a flashy design. Instead, it's simple and functional with a plain but classic midnight-blue-and-black color scheme. The clamshell handset measures 3.78 inches tall by 1.87 inches wide by 0.76 inch deep and weighs 3.35 ounces, so you'll have no problem slipping this compact phone into a pants pocket. Also, while lightweight, the Glint doesn't feel too fragile, though the battery cover is rather plasticky, and the flip mechanism is solid.
On the front, there's a postage-stamp-size display that shows the usual information (time, date, network strength, battery, message notifications, and photo caller ID. You can also change the contrast, wallpaper, and clock format of the external screen. Above the display, you'll find the Glint's VGA camera while the camera activation/capture key is on the right side along with a dedicated speakerphone button, a 2.5mm headset jack, and Samsung's proprietary power connector. A volume rocker is located on the left side.
Inside, the Samsung Glint offers a 1.9-inch TFT screen that shows 65,000 colors at a 128x160-pixel resolution. With a low resolution, graphics and colors didn't look all that great, but the display was clear enough for dialing numbers and reading text messages. Like the external screen, you can change the wallpaper as well as adjust the backlight and dialing font size.
Below the display, you'll find a standard navigation array of two soft keys, Send and End/power buttons, a Clear key, and a four-way directional keypad with a center select key for navigating through the Glint's menu system, which is easy to use and understand. All the controls are large and roomy so we had no problem with any mispresses. The alphanumeric keypad is also spacious with large and easily readable numbers and letters for dialing numbers and text messaging.
Alltel packages the Samsung Glint with an AC adapter and reference material. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.
Features
The Samsung Glint has a 1,000-contact address book with room in each entry for five numbers and two e-mail addresses. For caller ID purposes, you can assign a photo, group ID, and/or a custom ringtone. Other phone features include a speakerphone, speed dial, three-way calling, voice commands, vibrate mode, and text and multimedia messaging. Also, while mostly a basic phone, the Glint does offer integrated Bluetooth with support for wireless headsets, hands-free kits, serial port, object push, and phone book access.
Moving beyond voice, the Glint includes a handful of tools for personal organization, such as a calendar, a memo pad, a calculator, a unit converter, an alarm clock, and more. You can shop for more apps through Alltel's MobileShop, but be aware that browsing and downloading apps uses up airtime (the phone warns you of this as well). The same goes for using the phone's WAP browser. You can check your Web-based e-mail accounts as well as other social networking sites through the browser, but given its bare-bones nature and the Glint's low-resolution screen, we'd keep this to a minimum.
The Samsung Glint isn't big on multimedia and only comes with a VGA camera. A 1.3-megapixel camera would have been nice. You can shoot photos in one of three resolutions and one of three quality settings. The camera also offers five shooting modes, including series, mosaic, and night, as well as white balance settings, effects, and a self-timer.
Picture quality was subpar, which isn't that surprising considering the VGA lens. Images looked blurry, and colors were drab and gray. It was also hard to get any close-up shots. After you're done taking pictures, you can upload your photos to Alltel MyPics or send them to friends and family via multimedia message. You can also set it as your wallpaper, use it for photo caller ID, or view them in a slideshow on your phone. The Samsung Glint offers about 52MB of internal memory.
Performance
We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900) Samsung Glint in San Francisco using Alltel's roaming service. Call quality was quite good. We enjoyed rich-sounding audio on our end with plenty of volume. There was very little background noise, though on a couple of occasions, the call cut out for a brief second. Our friends also reported good sound quality and didn't have any complaints until we activated the speakerphone at which point they said we sounded a bit tinny. On our end, we were impressed with the clarity and volume of the speakerphone.
We paired the Samsung Glint with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset with no problem. The handset has an M3 Hearing Aid Compatibility rating.
The Samsung Glint has a rated talk time of 6 hours and up to 12 days of standby time. We are still conducting our battery drain tests but will update this section as soon as we have final results. According to FCC radiation tests, the Glint has a digital SAR rating of 1.09 watts per kilogram.
By Bonnie Cha
Sprint has really filled out its smartphone lineup quite nicely this summer, offering a little something for everyone. The Palm Pre brought a touch-screen smartphone to the masses; the BlackBerry Tour gave mobile professionals an international e-mail machine; and the soon-to-be-released HTC Hero will certainly please tech-savvy gadget lovers. And now, for power business users, there is the HTC Touch Pro2.
Like the T-Mobile version, the Sprint HTC Touch Pro2 features a gorgeous touch screen and one of the best QWERTY keyboards we've seen to date. It's also packed with features like HTC's Straight Talk Technology for conference call management, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 3.2-megapixel camera. However, Sprint offers a few more extras on its HTC Touch Pro2 than T-Mobile, such as its various entertainment services, and wait for it...a standard 3.5 millimeter audio jack. Sprint's globetrotting execs will also be pleased to know that it offers world-roaming capabilities. Unfortunately, your wallet will take a hit for all these premium features. The HTC Touch Pro2 costs $349.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate, which definitely hurts, but the powerful smartphone is one the best-equipped devices to meet the needs of the most demanding user.
Design
Sprint's version of the HTC Touch Pro2 more closely resembles the unlocked model of the smartphone than T-Mobile's version, which is fine by us. The tapered edges give the smartphone a more streamlined and smoother look and the charcoal gray color is a classic and attractive choice. The Sprint Touch Pro2 is also actually just a hair shorter and lighter (4.56 inches tall by 2.33 inches wide by 0.68 inch thick and 6.3 ounces) than the T-Mobile Touch Pro2 as well, but overall, this is still a very bulky device.
The smartphone features a gorgeous and spacious tilting 3.6-inch WVGA touch screen. It displays 262,000 colors at 480x800 pixels so whether you're viewing Web pages, photos, or reading e-mails, it all looks good on the Touch Pro2's sharp screen. The touch-sensitive zoom bar below the display also makes it easy to zoom in and out of Web pages and photos.
There is a built-in accelerometer that automatically switches the screen orientation when you rotate the phone, but it only works in certain applications, such as the browser, photos, and e-mail. The accelerometer was fairly quick and didn't freeze up at any point during our testing period. Though we would have preferred a capacitive touch screen versus a resistive one, the Touch Pro2's was responsive overall. The one exception was when we were using the Sprint TV app and had a hard time scrolling through the various channels and program guides.
The Windows Mobile device is easy to navigate, however, thanks to HTC's TouchFlo 3D interface. Sprint added several more tabs to provide easy access to its services, including Sprint Navigation, Sprint Music, and Sprint TV, but you can also remove or add more tabs through the Settings menu. Below the display, you also have a few navigation controls, including Talk and End keys, a Start menu shortcut, and a back button.
The slide-out QWERTY keyboard is largely unchanged, with the exception of some relocated shortcut buttons. It's still a delight to use with its spacious layout and large buttons and remains one of the best keyboards we've used on a smartphone.
While there haven't been too many physical differences among the various versions HTC Touch Pro2, Sprint does offer something the others don't: a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack. Yes, finally! The jack is located on bottom of the device right next to the USB port/power connector, so you're now free to plug in your favorite pair of headphones or earbuds without the hassle of using an audio adapter. There are volume controls on the left side of the device, but if you feel like blasting your music or calls for all to hear, there are dual speakers on back along with a mute button. The camera is also located on back, while the microSD expansion and SIM card slots are behind the battery door.
Sprint packages the HTC Touch Pro2 with an AC adapter, a USB cable, a screen protector, a SIM card, an extra stylus, a software CD, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.
Features
The Sprint HTC Touch Pro2 offers a lot of the same core functionality of the T-Mobile model, including HTC's Straight Talk Technology, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Edition. Though Sprint hasn't officially announced it, a company representative did say the smartphone has the hardware and software requirements to support an upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.5 and that it's foreseeable for Sprint to deliver a software upgrade in the near future. For now, you get the usual Mobile Office Suite and e-mail capabilities as well as some extras, including Opera Mobile 9.5, Facebook app with contacts integration.
You can read more about Window Mobile 6.1 and some of the aforementioned features in our full review of the T-Mobile HTC Touch Pro2, but here we'll discuss some of the more Sprint-specific offerings, starting with the world roaming capabilities.
The Touch Pro2 offers dual-mode functionality, which means the handset supports both CDMA and GSM technology to provide seamless international roaming. Domestically, the smartphone works on Sprint's CDMA network, but will then automatically detect and switch to the international GSM bands when you're traveling overseas. The Touch Pro2 comes with a SIM card for international use, and Sprint offers voice coverage in 185 countries and data coverage in 150 countries. Unfortunately, the smartphone does not offer 3G coverage overseas. Also, before you head off on your trip, be sure to check Sprint's international rates, which range from 59 cents to $5.99, so you're not surprised when you receive your phone bill. You can check rates here (PDF).
The HTC Touch Pro2 also supports a number of Sprint services that take advantage of using the carrier's the EV-DO Rev. A network. Sticking with the theme of travel, there's Sprint Navigation, which is powered by TeleNav, and offers 2D and 3D color maps, voice-guided directions, traffic information, and more. For entertainment, the Sprint Music Store offers music downloads and you can watch clips of your favorite TV shows courtesy of Sprint TV or use the phone's dedicated YouTube app. Sports enthusiasts might also enjoy the NFL Mobile Live or NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile apps.
The camera is the same at 3.2 megapixels. It can shoot images in one of five resolutions and one of four quality settings. Unfortunately, there's no flash but there are white balance and brightness controls. You also get ISO settings, effects, flicker adjustment, panorama mode, and other tools. For videos, the Touch Pro2 can capture clips in H.263, 3GPP2, MEPG4, or H.264 formats in one of three resolutions. The HTC Touch Pro2 offers about 288MB RAM, which is supplemented by the microSD expansion slot, which can accept up to 16GB cards.
Picture quality was OK. While images were sharp and objects were easy to indentify in photos, colors looked bland and somewhat hazy. Videos looked a bit grainy but acceptable if you're in an absolute pinch and need to record something.
Performance
We tested the dual-mode HTC Touch Pro2 in San Francisco using Sprint service, and call quality was excellent on our end. We were happy with how rich and clear voices sounded and with the lack of any background noise. Unfortunately, our callers didn't quite enjoy the same experience. Though they said they could hear us just fine, they mentioned that it sounded as if we were in a tunnel with a bit of echoing. Also, callers reported that parts of our conversation occasionally cut in and out when we were using the speakerphone, but once again, we had no complaints on our side of the call and was wholly impressed the volume and clarity of the speakerphone. Unfortunately, we couldn't test the international capabilities.
We successfully paired the smartphone with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset and the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones, and it was a treat to plug our Bose On Ear Headphones straight into the smartphone without having to fiddle with a cumbersome adapter.
Music playback was rich and loud. Video performance was OK, depending on the format. From our personal library, WMV and AVI files played back smoothly with synchronized audio and images. YouTube clips took a few seconds to buffer, but they also played with no major interruption. Unfortunately, Sprint TV didn't fare well in our tests. There were problems from the get-go and navigating through the various channels and clips was jerky. Also, when playing videos, the picture took a while to render and once again, it would occasionally hiccup and freeze up momentarily--not worth the hassle, we say.
Using Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A network, CNET's full site loaded in a rather zippy 37 seconds, while CNN and ESPN's mobile sites both loaded in 5 seconds. The smartphone's GPS wasn't quite as quick. In fact, it took a little while for the Touch Pro2 to find our location. We weren't in a part of the city that was dominated by tall buildings and it was a clear day, yet we still kept getting this message for about 10 minutes: "GPS signal is weak. Please move to an open are and remain motionless until getting the GPS location." Once locked on though, it tracked our movements accurately and Sprint Navigation provided accurate directions from the Golden Gate Bridge area to CNET's downtown headquarters. Spoken directions were loud and clear, and the app checked for traffic along the way. Route recalculations were also swift and on point when we purposefully missed several turns.
Powered by a 528MHz processor, the HTC Touch Pro2 was a fairly responsive device. We didn't experience any major meltdowns during our testing period, though we did have to exit out of a couple of applications in order to get a video to play. To help with task management, there is a pull-down menu in the upper right corner of the Start screen where you can see all running programs and you can also close out apps now by tapping the X in the upper right-hand corner.
The HTC Touch Pro2 features a 1500mAh lithium-ion battery with a rated talk time of 4 hours and up to 14 days of standby time. We are still conducting our battery drain tests but will update this section as soon as we have final results. According to FCC radiation tests, the Touch Pro2 has a digital SAR rating of 1.41 watts per kilogram. Finally, the smartphone has a Hearing Aid Compatible rating of M3.
By Jennifer LeClaire
Despite Nokia World grabbing the lion's share of the wireless industry news this week, Sony Ericsson stole some of the spotlight with its Xperia X2, a new Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone that focuses on 24/7 multimedia communications. A Windows device marks a shift in strategy for Sony Ericsson.
The X2 lets users synchronize their mail and calendar and open and edit Microsoft Office Mobile documents. It also offers a SlideView feature that gives users a quick overview of missed calls, e-mails and text messages so they don't miss an important contact. The Xperia X2 has QWERTY messaging.
"In the fast-moving world we live in, the need to stay connected has never been so important," said Sumit Malhotra, marketing business manager at Sony Ericsson. "We constantly rely on our mobile phones as an extension to the office, and the Xperia X2, debuting with Windows Mobile 6.5, allows users to work quickly and efficiently while on the move."
Partnering with Microsoft
The communications-centric Xperia X2 hosts Skype, Mytopia, Google, games, CNN, Windows Live, and lots of other application panels to help users stay up to date on their interests. The phone's touch interface has been improved and a new 3D signature panel makes way for categorization of business, fun and communications functions.
"Windows phones allow people to manage their whole world -- from work to home to play -- on a single handset," said Stephanie Ferguson, general manager of product management for Microsoft. "The Xperia X2 taps the powerful messaging and multimedia capabilities in Windows Mobile so customers can be in touch, productive and entertained wherever they are."
Although the X2 focuses on communications, there are plenty of entertainment features, including an 8.1-megapixel camera with instant upload to Facebook. The phone also offers the ability to play music, shoot videos, or play games.
Sony Ericsson's Major Shift
This Sony Ericsson-identified need to stay connected 24/7 drove the launch of Xperia Services, a package designed to help Xperia X2 users get the most out of their mobile phone. Sony Ericsson has a specialized technical team standing by to support users and talk them through the phone's features, from troubleshooting to accessing Web sites.
With always-connected communications in mind, the Xperia Services team will help users if the device stops working while traveling internationally. Xperia Services can replace the phone immediately.
The X2 will be available in selected markets early in the fourth quarter. When it debuts, it will mark a definite shift in Sony Ericsson's mobile-phone strategy, according to Mike Disabato, a senior analyst at the Burton Group.
"Sony Ericsson used to run on Symbian. Sony Ericsson used to be one of the biggest manufacturers in the industry and they made some outstanding phones on that operating system," Disabato said. "If they are going to Windows Mobile, that's a big shift."
By Tarmo Virki
Nokia Siemens Networks, the key equipment vendor to British operations of Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom, has most to lose in the merger of the two mobile networks, analysts said Tuesday.
Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom unveiled Tuesday a plan to merge their British mobile units, looking to save 4 billion euros ($5.76 billion) and aiming to get regulatory approval by mid 2010 for the venture.
Analysts said both carriers were likely to hold off from any major investments until the venture starts.
"I don't think there will be major changes in the short term, but the merger will decrease the cake to be shared," said Pohjola analyst Hannu Rauhala.
Nokia Siemens has been the key network gear supplier for both vendors, while also operating Orange's network.
"Nokia Siemens faces the biggest downside risk on the infrastructure side. In supplying both networks, NSN is exposed to almost all of the planned capex savings," Nomura analyst Stuart Jeffrey said in a note.
Nokia Siemens Networks said it was too early to comment on possible impacts to its business.
"We believe we are in a good position to help the joint venture to succeed," Ashish Chowdhary, incoming chief of Nokia Siemens' services unit, told Reuters.
The telecoms equipment market has seen cut-throat competition for new business during the past few years, driven by Asian vendors, and the outlook remains tough.
Ericsson provides managed services to T-Mobile, while also supplying 2G network.
A spokesman for Ericsson declined to comment.
($1=.6950 Euro)
Manila Bulletin
Giving computer-grade performance with its Linux-based Maemo software, Nokia N900 allows users to multitask with the use of windows that can open and run simultaneously. Thanks to its powerful ARM Cortex-A8 processor, 32 GB of storage that is expandable up to 48 GB via a microSD card, 1 GB of application memory and OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics acceleration. Switching from one application to another is not even a problem as all running programs are available in the dashboard. And with its user-friendly QWERTY keyboard, the experience of computing is not much different from that of the laptop.
"Just as Nokia continues to expand and diversify its device portfolio, so it is deploying multiple platforms to allow it to serve different purposes and address different markets.
"While we have seen continued growth in Symbian as a smartphone platform, Maemo enables Nokia to deliver new mobile computing experiences based on open-source technology that has strong ties with desktop platforms," said Jonathan Arber, Senior Research Analyst in Consumer Mobile at IDC.
Browsing the Internet is a breeze with a fast internet connectivity through 10/2 HSPA and WLAN. It also features a browser powered by Mozilla technology. That means websites will look the way they would on any computer. Online videos and interactive applications are also vivid with full Adobe Flash™ 9.4 support.
Messaging on the N900 is easy and convenient. Setting up email happens with only a few touches and the Nokia Messaging service mobilizes up to 10 personal email accounts.
Text message or IM exchanges with friends are shown in one view and all conversations are organized as separate windows. But like other Nokia phones, the N900 also has fully customizable homescreen that users can fill with their favorite applications and widgets as well as a 5 MP Carl Zeiss camera.
The N900 is so powerful that it even stole the thunder from Nokia's first mini laptop- the Booklet 3G- that was also launched the same day.
The mobile dynamo is set to come out October this year in selected markets for about 500 Euros. Unfortunately for the millions of techie Filipinos, the Philippines is not yet part of that initial market list. But who knows, Filipinos might just have the chance to get their hands on this stunning piece of gadget?
Other phones that were launched in Nokia World 2009 which will be made available last quarter this year in the Philippines are the N97 mini, which is a smaller and much cheaper version of the N97; the X6, which features a TV-out support, video editing capabilities and the first in the Xpress phone series to have a capacitive touchscreen keypad; and lastly the X3, which has two stereo speakers for better sound quality and an internal FM antenna. Both X6 and X3 are packaged with "Comes with Music" which allows users to download all the music they want for free for a certain period of time, normally one year.
By David Coursey
If you believe technology is supposed to become less expensive over time, Nokia has news for you: Prices for the company’s newest products, introduced last week, are simply shocking.
Still, there is a bit of illusion at work here. The prices quoted are for unlocked phones and don't reflect subsidies paid by U.S. cellular carriers.
Subsidies lower what Americans pay for cellular hardware at initial purchase and make Nokia's non-subsidized list prices appear outrageous by comparison. If you think no phone offered in the U.S. costs as much as what Nokia wants for its new models, this is the reason.
In the case of my 32GB iPhone 3GS, AT&T appears to have paid at least $300 to lower its initial selling price. (You can get a handle on how much the subsidies are by looking at pricing for replacement phones bought before the end of a service contract).
In some parts of the world, handsets are sold by themselves, without subsidies, without service contacts, making these list prices more important than they are in the U.S. And, of course, the list prices don't reflect discounts that resellers offer to consumers.
Let's consider the new-model pricing that Nokia has released, mostly last week at Nokia World in Germany:
- N900 "iPhone killer" handset (Yeah, sure it is) Unix phone: $700
- Booklet 3G tablet: $816
- The N97 Mini handset: $640
- X6 handset: $640
In England, there are subsidies but cellular service costs less, too. You can, for example, get a free iPhone 3GS with a $70-a-month service contract.
A English friend looked at the prices for me, however, and said that by the time they make it to High Street shops, the new Nokia products will be priced to compete with other vendors' products.
Just for comparison, an unlocked 32GB iPhone 3GS sells for $799 in Asia, so my $300 subsidy guesstimate could be a good bit too low.
Taken in a global context, Nokia may seem be asking top dollar, but maybe not top Euro. Global handset pricing is a complex and confusing business, and I think the cellular carriers are happy about that.
By Jason Hiner
There’s a lot of hyperbole about the expected growth of smartphones over the next three to five years, especially when you consider that in 2009 smartphones represent just 15% of total mobile phone sales. But, the X factor that’s changing the game and creating one of the hottest new trends in technology is smartphones evolving into an application platform.
The smartphone has arrived where it is today by taking the mobile phone and adding a qwerty keyboard plus “push” email and calendar functionality. But, the success of Apple’s iPhone App Store has demonstrated is that simple, functionality-focused applications can unlock a wealth of additional usefulness in the smartphone. Now, the race is on, as mobile vendors and application developers elbow each other in the ribs to gain an advantage in this potentially massive opportunity to capture audience, influence, and revenue.
Credit Suisse recently projected that total smartphone sales for 2009 will end up at around 176 million units. In the years ahead, Credit Suisse expects the smartphone market to balloon to around 1.5 billion units. By comparison, worldwide unit sales of all mobile phones in 2009 will be about 1.2 billion and worldwide unit sales of all PCs in 2009 will be about 300 million. Credit Suisse commented: “We believe smartphones represent one of the most attractive secular trends in technology.” (In this context, “secular” means not tied to just one vendor.)
Beyond smartphone applications, there are several additional forces at work that are going to drive the growth of the smartphone market:
- Mobile broadband - The rise of 4G on WiMAX and LTE will bring multi-megabit broadband Internet to the same airwaves that people are currently using for mobile voice service and pedestrian Internet services such as EDGE and 3G. This next generation of mobile broadband will unleash a new wave of software applications and video services on smartphones. It will also enable augmented reality software to let smartphones interact with the real world.
- Emerging economies - In countries that have largely missed the PC revolution so far but will be be joining the global civilization in a more connected way, many citizens will not be jumping on the information superhighway with a PC - the power grid and Internet infrastructure are still too spotty and underdeveloped in many areas. Instead, the mobile phone will become their PC, because cellular towers are much easier and cheaper to deploy and there are inexpensive ways to generate small bursts of recharging power (remember the hand crank on the OLPC?).
- All mobile phones become smartphones - The definition and form factor of the smartphone has certainly expanded. It’s no longer just a mobile phone with a qwerty keyboard. There are now smartphones with nothing but virtual keyboards (iPhone, HTC MyTouch) and clamshell smartphones with more traditional keypads (BlackBerry Pearl Flip). Today’s smartphones are more about an advanced mobile OS under the hood. Thus, all mobile phones will naturally become smartphones as their underlying software takes on more advanced functions and vendors become less likely to build their own OS and more likely to use an open source mobile OS like Android or license Windows Mobile or Palm’s webOS.
Made in part from recycled bottles, Samsung's Blue Earth phone boasts various eco-friendly features
Green-tech enthusiasts (myself included) are taking note of a new solar-powered cell phone unveiled by Samsung at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
Dubbed the Blue Earth phone, the touchscreen device has mini solar panels located on its back. Fully charging the phone via solar power takes between 10 and 14 hours and would offer 4 hours of chat time. Users could also plug the phone into a charger and harness solar power to extend talk time.
[ Samsung's Blue Earth phone demonstrates some of the ways phone manufacturers are making their wares greener. ]
The Blue Earth boasts some other notable eco-friendly features. Among them, it's built from plastic harvested from used water bottles, according to Samsung. Also eco-friendly, the phone and high-efficiency charger contain zero toxic chemicals such as brominated flame retardants, beryllium, or phthalates.
Additionally, screen brightness is easy to set, users can adjust backlight duration, and the phone has an energy-efficient Bluetooth mode.
Add to that the phone's "eco walk" function. A built-in pedometer counts the user's steps and calculates many CO2 emissions said users has saved by walking instead of driving. A little gimmicky, perhaps, but hey, it could have its uses.
Children who talk on cell phones while crossing streets are at a higher risk for injuries or death in a pedestrian accident, said psychologists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in a new study that will appear in the February issue of Pediatrics.
"Cell phones clearly offer convenience and safeguards to families, but they also may pose risk," they said, "particularly when children attempt to multitask while conversing on the cell phone and have reduced cognitive capacity to devote to potentially dangerous activities such as crossing streets."
For the study, researchers used a virtual reality software program and three screens to display an actual Birmingham-area crosswalk with simulated vehicles of different sizes traveling on the virtual street. The psychologists found that all of the children - even those who were experienced with talking on cell phones, crossing streets or rated as highly attentive - were more likely to exhibit risky behaviors when they crossed the virtual street while talking on a cell phone.
Specifically, it took the children who were on a cell phone 20 percent longer to begin crossing the street, and they were 43 percent more likely to be hit by a vehicle or have a close call in the virtual environment. In addition, the children looked both ways 20 percent fewer times before crossing the street and gave themselves 8 percent less time to cross safely in front of oncoming traffic when they were on the cell phone.
The study was published by UAB doctoral student Despina Stavrinos, M.S., under the direction of UAB psychologist David Schwebel, Ph.D. UAB graduate student Katherine Byington also contributed to the study.
In this study, 77 children, aged 10-11, completed simulated street crossings in the virtual environment. They were asked to cross the virtual street six times without a cell phone and six times while talking on a cell phone with an unfamiliar research assistant.
The UAB researchers asked the children to cross the virtual street when they believed it was safe. The children stepped from the "curb," onto a pad with a pressure switch electronically connected to a computer, and the system registered the precise moment they entered the "street."
Cell phones are quickly becoming ubiquitous among American schoolchildren, the UAB psychologists wrote. "Commercial interests actively market cell phones for children, and marketing research firms estimate that 54 percent of children 8-12 will have cell phones by the end of [this year,] double the 2006 rate."
Just as drivers should limit cell phone use while driving, pedestrians, and especially child pedestrians, should avoid using cell phone while crossing streets, the UAB researchers said.
More research is needed to determine the impact that texting, listening to mp3 players and talking to peers has on children's ability cross streets safely, they said.
The study was partially supported by the UAB Injury Control Research Center through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a cooperative agreement with the Federal Highway Administration.
Cell phone users are learning that their devices aren't immune to bugs, glitches, and poor construction. The Blackberry Storm, released on November 21, 2008, has been particularly affected by these faults, as Research in Motion (RIM) rushed its device to compete with the iPhone.
Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of RIM, told The Wall Street Journal that these bugs are becoming a part of the "new reality" for cellphone manufacturers. Sources close to the device's creation told the WSJ that the bugs were known but were overlooked for the purposes of getting the Storm out on the market.
RIM should have known better. PC World called the device "underwhelming" and "awkward and disappointing." The New York Times' David Pogue called the Storm "by far the worst product Research in Motion has ever produced." And now consumers are returning the phone in droves. So what is this new reality, and can it be avoided?
As cellular phones become as complex as small computers, bugs and viruses are bound to follow. Before a software fix, the iPhone 3G suffered from a poor battery, lagging keyboard, and spotty 3G reception. Google's Android phone was plagued by glitches in the development stage. Both of these phones were rushed out to the market in order to get a heads-up on the competition, and both, in a way, suffered for the hubris.
RIM could have learned a valuable lesson from both Apple and Google: Make sure the phone is done before throwing it in the coliseum. Instead, the company appears to be twisting reality to its standards of failure by calling it a "new reality."
Perhaps companies are now turning a blind eye to quality construction and functionality in order to slash the throats of their competitors, but here's the "new new reality": the public won't buy it, and you won't get away with it. Future cellphone manufacturers take note: the Blackberry Storm's failure should be your impetus to ensure a product is the best it can possibly be before landing in the eager hands of consumers.
Mobile phone giants dial up entertainment in growth bid: analysts
Mobile phone giants are going beyond their traditional role as handset makers by offering entertainment and lifestyle content to help grow revenues amid tough competition, analysts say.
Mobile phone sales are expected to decline worldwide this year as consumers hurt by the economic meltdown cut down on spending, and phone makers hope the services will help keep existing clients, attract new ones and generate fresh revenue streams.
"The overarching story here is that the various device makers... are looking for ways to go beyond selling just devices into generating revenues from selling multimedia content and services," said Aloysius Choong, research manager at market intelligence firm IDC.
"Right now, especially in Asia, we haven't actually figured out the best way or whether there is a right way to be selling these content and services," he told AFP.
Nathan Burley, an analyst with market research firm Ovum, said bundling content and services into the handsets is also dictated by industry trends as handphones come with more processing power and wireless connection becomes more widespread.
"For the handset vendors, these are ways to reduce churn and to tie the customer to their services," Burley told AFP.
"There is no doubt that they see services going forward as a key part of their competitive arsenal."
Burley said global mobile phone sales are expected to fall between five and 12 percent this year compared with 2008.
"If you look at many companies, in the middle of last year many people were expecting positive growth. Now they expect negative growth in 2009 in terms of total shipment," he said.
Mobile phone makers have come up with different business models on how to package content.
On Wednesday, Sony Ericsson launched a new service called PlayNow Kiosk, which allows its handphone users in the Asia-Pacific region to download the latest movies, television series, games and music from its retail stores.
During the first phase of the launch, the service will be available at more than 80 Sony Ericsson stores in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, the company said.
The stores will feature a station where Sony Ericsson users can plug in their phones, browse from a flat screen panel and download the latest movies within just three to four minutes for a fee.
Popular television series, games, ringtones and music, including more than 1,800 albums and 23,000 individual tracks, are also available.
"The nice thing about the Kiosk idea is that it creates an opportunity for impulse buys and instant gratification," Choong of IDC said.
"It's something like hopping into a convenience store to buy the evening paper before you hop on the train home."
Hirokazu Ishizuka, corporate vice president and head of Asia-Pacific region at Sony Ericsson, said the company launched the service because there was a need to offer something better.
"The competition is getting tougher so therefore we need to differentiate ourselves from our competitors," he said in an interview with AFP.
"This is the solution. We will provide a mobile entertainment experience which nobody can do."
Finland's Nokia, the world's biggest maker of handphones, has already launched its OVI Suite, an "umbrella concept" that allows users to share photos, buy music and access third party services such as Yahoo's Flickr photo site, among others.
Nokia reported last year that its third quarter to September net profit fell 30 percent from a year earlier amid falling sales and lower prices for its handsets.
Burley, the Ovum analyst, said Nokia "has taken the most aggressive approach" among the mobile phone makers in offering content and services.
However, Apple's stylish iPhone, which is bundled as a phone, iPod and Internet device, "has lifted the bar on many levels," he added.
iPhone user Junel Tan, 50, agreed, saying: "There's so much fun using iPhone. Never in my life have I enjoyed a phone as much as this."
IDC's Choong said mobile customers need more than just music, which is why some phone makers are offering movies and television shows for people on the move.
But he said the content should be widened to include Asian movies and TV shows as well.
