Google Nexus One Said To Cost $530 Unlocked

With Google poised to unveil its Nexus One mobile phone next week, the $530 unlocked handset ($180 subsidized by T-Mobile) is already taking the wind out of the sails of other exhibitors at next week's Consumer Electronics Show.

Google hasn't said much about the phone, but enough information has leaked out to produce a profile of the HTC-built phone. It will operate on GSM networks, meaning the Nexus One could also work on AT&T's network, but not on Verizon Wireless or Sprint Nextel networks.

Qualcomm's fast Snapdragon processor is slated to power the Nexus One, which raises the question whether Qualcomm's chief operating officer, Len Lauer, will be involved in the Nexus One. Lauer has worked closely with Google on its Android Open Handset Alliance, but is scheduled to leave Qualcomm Thursday to become CEO of another as-yet unnamed firm. Lauer's predecessor in the Qualcomm COO post, Sanjay Jha, left to become co-CEO at Motorola, where he has been directing that firm's Android project.

Previously Lauer said the Snapdragon, which boasts a 1-GHz speed, could eventually operate with Google's new Chrome browser.

New details on the Nexus One were provided by Gizmodo, which reported that it had received information from anonymous sources.

Specs reported for the Nexus One mention Wi-Fi connectivity, a 5- or 6-megapixel camera, and a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen. Broadcom's BCM4329 chip, also said to be included in the Nexus One, is capable of providing 802.11n, Bluetooth, and FM technologies.

The Nexus One could represent a unified design for Google Android phones, thereby eliminating some of the complaints of application developers that existing Android phones are fragmented. A recent survey of 30 developers found that many were dropping Android work and returning to application development for the iPhone because the multiple Android designs made it difficult and uneconomical to develop apps for Android handsets. A unified Android design could attract more developers to the Android.

An unlocked Nexus One Google phone would likely please the Federal Communications Commission, which has been complaining about the exclusive marketing deals that exist between mobile phone providers and carriers. The T-Mobile Nexus One will carry a stipulation that users will pay a stiff fee if they opt out of the phone's contract before its completion.

By: W. David Gardner
Source:http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/smart_phones/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222100268

11:37 AM | 0 comments | Read More

Google sharpens aim on mobile marketing with AdMob

SAN MATEO, Calif. — Four years ago, Omar Hamoui was just another ineffectual entrepreneur trying to spruce up his resume in graduate school.

Now, he's poised to become Google Inc.'s newest weapon as the company aims to extend its dominance of online advertising from computers to mobile devices.

Google is buying Hamoui's expertise in a $750 million acquisition of AdMob, a network for ads on iPhones and similar gadgets. He launched the business while struggling to support his wife and children as a student at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

Hamoui, 32, changed his life by setting up a system for advertising on mobile devices. Though that sounds simple, it was a breakthrough because Hamoui's network got around stifling controls that wireless carriers had imposed on the content their customers could see on their phones. The crack that AdMob opened in the carriers' "walled gardens" made it easier for independent programmers to profit from applications planted on mobile phones.

"It took a lot of guts because (the carriers) were the gatekeepers of the industry," says Rich Wong, an AdMob investor and board member who is with Accel Partners. "Back then, it was sort of like if you said no to the Godfather. Bad things could happen."

More than a year after Hamoui ignited the fuse, Apple Inc. blew up the status quo with the June 2007 introduction of the iPhone - which created a platform for applications chosen by users.

That has spawned more than 100,000 mobile "apps" for doing everything from bird watching to cooking poultry. The revenue from AdMob's ad network is one of the main reasons application developers can give the programs away or just charge a few bucks.

"Omar was absolutely the tip of the spear in this mobile media revolution," says Jason Spero, general manager of AdMob's North America operations.

If Google's proposed acquisition is approved by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Hamoui thinks he and AdMob's 150 employees will be in an even better position to turn mobile phones into moneymaking magnets.


Continue Reading "Google sharpens aim on mobile marketing with AdMob"

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HTC to Launch Windows Mobile 7 Phones in Q2-Q3 Next Year

Taiwan-based mobile phone maker HTC is known to be the largest maker of Windows Mobile-based handsets, and it seems that the company plans on keeping its name. Since the next flavor of Microsoft's OS is under development at the moment, the handset vendor is also set to give a hand at delivering it to the market, and apparently, we might see the first Windows Mobile 7-based devices from HTC reaching the shelves sometimes in the second or the third quarter of the next year.

According to a recent article on WMPoweruser, which cites some posts from the xda.developers forum, HTC plans on launching the first mobile phones running under the next-gen Windows Mobile as soon as the first half of 2010, or the third quarter, the latest. It seems that the recently leaked Windows Mobile-based handsets from HTC, namely the HTC Trophy, HTC Tera and HTC Photon, are only those meant for T-Mobile, and that other phones will also arrive in the first half of the next year with WM on board.

There are two posts on the forum that specifically mention the upcoming mobile phones from HTC:
The second is more interesting, and states that HTC is planning to release a Windows Mobile 7 handset either in late Q2 or early Q3.

Anyway's…I have truly fresh news to share with you which absolutely make sense why in HTC’s portfolio there are no such WM7 phones…and just simple QWERTY or not, WM6.5 ones.
Microsoft, as many of you already know…moved back, the primal release of WM7 and chosen HTC as strategic vendor to launch the first HTC WM7 device late on Q2, start of Q3 2010 (September), so everything up to now, is under discussion and will be finalized till End of April of 2010.

These are quite exciting news, one should agree. HTC is very popular for its Windows Mobile-based handsets, and especially for some high-end devices like the Touch Pro2 or the HD2, both launched during the ongoing year, and it seems that it might bring even more appealing phones to the market. However, since nothing is finalized yet, and is not even official, we'll have to take this with a grain of salt for the moment, especially since the OS has been said to arrive towards the end of the next year, not sooner, but we are still keeping our fingers crossed for this to pan out.

Source:http://news.softpedia.com/news/HTC-to-Launch-Windows-Mobile-7-Phones-in-Q2-Q3-Next-Year-130304.shtml

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INQ Chat 3G launches on Three

Mobile manufacturer INQ has launched the INQ Chat 3G - its first handset with a Qwerty keyboard, similar to that found on many BlackBerry mobile phones.



The INQ Chat 3G is available exclusively on Three mobile, for £99.99 on PAYG tariffs, or at least £15 per month on contract tariffs.

The handset is geared towards social networking, with integrated Facebook, Twitter and Skype applications. According to INQ, there's a new email client with free push Gmail so new emails are automatically sent to the handset.

The phone's software also includes an active address book, showing live status of all your contacts.

The INQ Chat 3G has a 2.4-inch 320x240 pixel resolution TFT screen, arranged in a landscape format above the Qwerty keypad.

Source: http://www.which.co.uk/news/2009/12/inq-chat-3g-launches-on-three-191509

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Apple reveals 2009's best selling iPhone games

Apple has published two 'Top Sellers' charts of games and apps for 2009, which reveals the titles that generated the most cash on its iPhone App Store this year.

Seven of the top 30 games are from EA Mobile, representing a hugely successful year for the publisher, which has brought a succession of its big console brands to iPhone.

Gameloft has three games in the top 30, while Australian independent studio Firemint has entries from both its games: Real Racing and Flight Control. The full list can be seen here.

In the separate apps list, navigation applications are to the fore, with ALK's CoPilot, TomTom, Navigon's Mobile Navigator and Sygic's Mobile Maps Europe all present and correct.

Other apps to have coined it in include chef Jamie Oliver's 20 Minute Meals app, Smule's I Am T-Pain, Arsenal FC's official app, and Sling Media's SlingPlayer Mobile. The full list can be found here.

Source: http://www.casualgaming.biz/news/29582/Apple-reveals-2009s-best-selling-iPhone-games

10:24 AM | 0 comments | Read More

Samsung launched New Galaxy Spica i5700 Android smartphone

The South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung has finally unleashed its i5700 Galaxy Spica, the latest smartphone. This is the fourth product by the company to have an Android operating system. This operating system by Google basically runs on the Linux kernel.

The new phone is embedded with a quick 800MHz processor and this makes it the first Android smartphone that can support DivX videos.

JK Shin, executive vice president and head of the Mobile Communications Division of Samsung Electronics was quoted as saying, “The Samsung Galaxy Spica, powered by Android, is the perfect fit for users who want to enjoy a powerful and fast mobile experience.”

Attractive features

The striking handset offers a wide array of innovative features along with flawless connectivity. It measures 115mm x 57mm x 13.2mm (4.5in x 2.2in x .5in) in size and has a 1500mAh battery for optimum performance.

The phone is also equipped with a 3.2 inch HVGA touch screen display, HSDPA connectivity, Wi-Fi and GPS. It also boasts of a 3 megapixel camera with autofocus feature.
It has Bluetooth 2.1 and a 3.5mm headphone jack for stereo music listening.

Source: http://www.themoneytimes.com/featured/20091116/samsung-launches-galaxy-spica-i5700-android-smartphone-id-1091093.html

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Palm Pixi Available Nov. 15 for Just $99.99 Exclusively from Sprint

Sprint today announced Nov. 15 as the first day of nationwide availability for Palm Pixi, exclusively available on America’s most dependable 3G network1 from Sprint2. It will cost just $99.99 with a two-year service agreement, after a $50 instant rebate and $100 mail-in rebate and be available at Sprint stores, online at www.sprint.com, through telesales at 1-800-SPRINT1, and at Best Buy, RadioShack and select Wal-Mart stores.

“We are excited to offer the new Palm Pixi to our customers in time for the holiday season, and it’s a great addition to Sprint’s industry-leading device portfolio,” said Kevin Packingham, senior vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “Simply put, this phone is fun and easy to use; with its multi-touch screen and full QWERTY keyboard, it’s a great device for messaging and social networking at a price everyone can enjoy, and delivers so many of the great features people love about Palm Pre™ in a fantastic new form factor, making it a huge hit for consumers.

Running the Palm webOS mobile platform, Palm Pixi lets the user keep multiple activities open and move easily between them, like flipping through a deck of cards, using natural gestures. This allows for easy movement between messaging and email or searching the Web while listening to music, and items are rearranged simply by dragging them. Universal search also makes finding things easy, providing results from both the device and the Web.

Source: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20091026005435/en

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HTC's Hero looks like the best Android phone yet

Just days after T-Mobile announced the new myTouch 3G, its second Android phone, manufacturer HTC, which makes the device, unveiled the HTC Hero, yet another Android device that looks even better than the myTouch.

HTC apparently is betting hard on Android, the mobile operating system from Google, and the latest results look impressive. I wasn't at the launch event in London, but details and information coming out of it make for a device that looks like a great competitor to the iPhone and Palm Pre.



Here are some of the highlights:

The Hero's got real Adobe Flash support. It's not Flash 10, which will come out later this year, but it gives you full Internet video, dynamic ads and access to thousands of Flash games. This is a first for an Android phone and among the first for any phone.

The Hero has a thing called HTC Sense, which allows you to personalize your home page and set up profiles for work, weekends or just play. You can also organize more content according to the people in your life. From your contacts list you can see what messages you've exchanged with that person, their Facebook updates and their Flickr photos.

Read More: - HTC's Hero looks like the best Android phone yet

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Sony Pictures Television unveils new iPhone games

Sony Pictures Television (SPT) on Monday announced plans for several games for the iPhone and iPod touch coming in 2009.

Ghostbusters is a new game planned on the hit comedy movie with Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd; it's being developed to tie in to a new Ghostbusters game coming out in June. New York City is facing an invasion of ghosts once again, and you have to save the day by catching them.

Q*Bert is based on the popular coin-op arcade game character first seen in the 1980s. You have to help Q*Bert hop to the top across 50 maps, with bright graphics, new maps and eye-catching animations. It's also coming to the Android phone.

Top Agent is based on James Bond: 007. It's coming in August and it features multi-player play that lets you create your own secret agent who fights against henchmen, famous villains and other players' agents.

Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy are based on the television quiz shows. Both of them have been created specifically for the iPhone, according to SPT.

Source: http://www.macworld.com/article/139711/2009/03/sony.html

12:12 PM | 0 comments | Read More

Google releases YouTube mobile application

You can now access the mobile version of Google's supersite YouTube via your Symbian and Windows Mobile smartphones! Google on Friday rolled out a new YouTube application that enables users to view YouTube's mobile site right on their Symbian and Windows Mobile-based phones.

Google declared that the YouTube application allows the users of most Windows Mobile and Symbian Series 60 devices to access m. youtube. com from their mobile devices. Google stated that the new YouTube application is developed to help fetch the YouTube's mobile site on Symbian and Windows Mobile and for wireless subscribers.

In a Google's Mobile blog on Friday, Andreas Tuerk, product manager, and Stephen Spence, software engineer, both of Google's mobile team, wrote, "We've been working hard to support more devices and to offer better speed, quality and robustness on the YouTube app. So we're excited to announce a new version of our mobile that's optimized for most Windows Mobile and Symbian Series 60 devices."

Google explained that many Symbian phones already have Flash-capable browsers that help viewing on YouTube's mobile site, but the new YouTube application also allows wireless users to view the mobile version of YouTube. The application automatically picks the highest-quality video, according to the user's device and network. According to Tuerk and Spence, "Once installed, no configuration is required outside the application. We've worked really hard to make video playback 'just work.' " Google claimed that the YouTube application lets users watch videos, view a list of the top-rated clips, and search videos. The app plays videos in landscape mode with the standard YouTube controls. It offers better speed, sharper video quality, improved streaming over Wi-Fi and powerful streaming even in weak coverage areas.

According to Google, the YouTube application is compatible with almost all Windows Mobile devices and Nokia S60 3rd edition devices. It is available for most Windows Mobile handsets like the Touch Diamond and for Symbian S60 3rd edition devices. It can be downloaded from m. youtube. com.


Source: http://topnews.us/content/24497-google-releases-youtube-mobile-application

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Apple plans iPhone 3.0 preview next week

Apple Inc. announced today that it will preview a new version of its iPhone software on Tuesday, March 17.

"Get an advance preview of what we're building," read an e-mailed invitation to reporters early Thursday. "Join us at an invitation-only event to learn about the new SDK and get a sneak peek at the iPhone OS 3.0 software."

The event, which will be held on Apple's campus in Cupertino, Calif., is slated to kick off at 10 a.m. PT.

Although there have been rumors that Apple will launch a new iPhone this summer, perhaps at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), little has leaked about an operating system upgrade or the SDK (software developer's kit) necessary to support new features it might have. This year's WWDC has not yet been officially scheduled, but it has been held during the first half of June for the past two years.

Recent reports pegged WWDC as running from June 6 to 12, with the keynote -- where CEO Steve Jobs has traditionally trotted out major new products -- likely on June 8.

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11:23 AM | 0 comments | Read More

Google Mobile Application for Windows Mobile

If you’re already use the Google mobile application via iPhone or BlackBerry device, then this news is not for you. But, if you’re one the many users with a Windows Mobile device, then defiantly this is the news for you.

Following last week’s big news introducing, Google Street View service for Windows Mobile devices that offers street-level images of major cities on to the palm of your hand, but Google has released yet another goody application for Windows Mobile this month.

Google Mobile App gives you faster searching on your Windows Mobile device, with easy access to your favorite Google applications from the Today screen. The application will also allow users to conduct faster searches than before without the need of opening a browser to begin a search. The application also contains search history that will reduce typing and will provide quick and efficient results with fewer clicks.

Moreover, Windows Mobile users can also access Gmail, Google Docs, and Picasa Web albums directly from their ‘Today’ screen. The application is available in US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. It is also available for iPhone, iPod touch and BlackBerry devices.

For more information of Google mobile app on Windows mobile check out this video

11:53 AM | 0 comments | Read More