Sprint Launches Samsung Epic 4G (Google Android) Teaser Site

Sprint has gone all official with the Samsung Epic 4G, its seconds 4G handset. A variant of the Galaxy S, the Epic 4G is a Google Android 2.1 phone that has a slide-out keyboard and WiMax radio that differentiates it from other models. The fine features it has in common with its Galaxy brethren are a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, a four-inch Super AMOLED screen, Google Android 2.1, and Samsung TouchWhiz interface. Despite its slide-out keyboard, the Epic 4G is only slightly thicker than the HTC Evo 4G.

Compared to the T-Mobile Vibrant (which I’ll be writing about shortly), the Epic 4G is a better version of the Galaxy S. In addition to WiMax, Sprint’s model also has an LED camera flash and a front-facing camera for video calls. Ultimately, it comes down to which carrier works best where you live/work/play and whether you need a physical keyboard or not.

Pricing and availability of the Epic 4G were not revealed in the press release. Most people are expecting a July launch at the customary $199 (after rebate) price point.

Sprint has made a great move with the Epic 4G. When it launches, the company will have top-notch Android offerings with a keyboard and without. Only Verizon can say it offers the same, but that company’s service is much more expensive than Sprint’s.

Anyone digging the Epic 4G?

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Coffee #166: Is PlayStation Plus a Better Value Than Xbox Live?

Sony made a bold move at E3 2010 with the announcement of PlayStation Plus. A premium addition to its PlayStation Network service, PlayStation Plus launches tomorrow, June 29. It’s available for $17.99 for three months or $49.99 for 15 months (one year + a three-month bonus). For this chunk of change you get free PSN games, the Qore video-magazine, PSN discounts, automatic update downloads, full-game trials, and more. Here’s a PlayStation Blog post with more details.

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, your pending application to be a FIFA referee, the summer of LeBron kicking off this week, or A-Rod + Cameron D, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Sony made a bold move at E3 2010 with the announcement of PlayStation Plus. A premium addition to its PlayStation Network service, PlayStation Plus launches tomorrow, June 29. It’s available for $17.99 for three months or $49.99 for 15 months (one year + a three-month bonus). For this chunk of change you get free PSN games, the Qore video-magazine, PSN discounts, automatic update downloads, full-game trials, and more. Here’s a PlayStation Blog post with more details.

On paper, PlayStation Plus looks like a better value than Xbox Live Gold. Microsoft’s excellent service gives you online play, access to certain content, and discounts on games. It”s different from PlayStation Plus in that gamers are primarily paying for online play with Xbox Live Gold. Sony’s service is more about non-essential (but valuable) content and services. That said, people love console wars and will compare the two no matter how different they are, so I might as well do it here too. Ha!

I’m excited to see how well (or not) PlayStation Plus works. For now, let’s discuss which service offers the better value, on paper. Do you favor Microsoft’s rock-solid and time-tested Xbox Live Gold? Or do you think PlayStation Plus is where it’s at? Kindly vote in the poll and elaborate in the comments section!

[poll id=”56″]

iPhone 4 Reception Details: What’s Bad for Righties and Lefties

It’s almost like a pick-your-poison situation. While the iPhone 4 is a beautifully designed piece of consumer electronics and is capable of excellent things, its novel antenna design has proven to be problematic for some users. I mentioned in a few comments that the issue hits lefties (or people that use their phones with their left hands) more than their right-handed counterparts. The Los Angeles Times explained why this is the case:

Apple redesigned the phone so the steel frame around the handset doubles as its antenna. The left side of the frame is used to broadcast a cellular signal; the right side is for other bands, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

As a result, people who tend to hold their phone in the left hand may be plagued by the signal problems more than those who hold the phone in their right hand.

As a lefty, I’m kind of bummed about the whole thing. I can take solace in the fact that righties making Skype calls through WiFi should have issues too. Ha ha!!!

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T-Mobile Drops Details on the Samsung Vibrant (Android)

T-Mobile has dropped details on the Samsung Vibrant, its upcoming Google Android “superphone” (God, I hate that term). With AT&T rocking the iPhone 4, Sprint selling out of the HTC Evo 4G, and Verizon dropping the Droid X in July, T-Mobile needed to show its superphone cards. Here are some details on the Vibrant:

  • The Vibrant offers a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor which is optimized for superior media viewing and game play.
  • The Vibrant has a 4.0-inch Super AMOLED touch screen display that gives you a bright, vivid viewing experience.
  • The Vibrant benefits from enhanced speeds with T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network, but it’s not an HSPA+ device.
  • The Vibrant is one of the slimmest smartphones on the market. The dimensions are 4.82” x 2.54” x 0.39”; weighs 4.16 oz.
  • The Vibrant’s 5 MP camera is equipped with digital zoom and autofocus. Comes with an HD video recorder too!

The Samsung Vibrant is expected to be available in late July 2010. Anyone hyped for this phone?

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Shigeru Miyamoto Says That Cats Are Like Girls

During a roundtable discussions at E3 2010, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that cats were originally part of Nintendogs, but they didn’t behave quite right. For example, when dogs are happy they wag their tail. Cats…not so much.

As with several Miyamoto games, a lot of the ideas behind Nintendogs + Cats were derived from his personal experience. As many of you know, a lot of his ideas from Zelda came from playing in caves, likewise for Pikmin and gardening, and finally Nintendogs and his family dog. Miyamoto picked up a kitten and was fascinated by the way it interacted with his dog.

Miyamoto jokingly stated that cats are similar to women:

Cats are interesting. They’re kind of like girls. If they come and talk to you, it’s great. If you go and talk to them, sometimes it doesn’t turn out so well.

Too true Mr. Miyamoto. Too true.

Fat Princess DLC Adds Three New Character Classes

Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced that the “Fat Roles” DLC for Fat Princess will be available for download on Tuesday June 29. “Fat Roles” will cost $4.99 in America. The DLC adds three new classes: pirates, ninjas, and giants. Here are more details from the PlayStation Blog:

Pirates can call in cannon ball attacks, Ninjas can hide in the shadows to sneak through doors, and the all-mighty Giants can cause rumbling earthquakes and gain health by chomping on their enemies.

Pirates are cool. Giants are cool. Ninjas frickin’ rule!!! I’m looking forward to checking out this batch of Fat Princess DLC next week. Anyone else down?

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Newer HTC Evo 4Gs Shipping with Inferior Screens?

Newer versions of Sprint’s HTC Evo 4G could have LCD screens that are inferior to those in the first batch. According to Android and Me, the older Evo model (hardware version 002) uses a better screen than the newer versions (hardware version 003). Here’s the skinny:

The newer Evo we had just purchased had a more “washed” out look to it while the older Evo had richer colors and better contrast.

There are two versions of the EVO (002 and 003). It appears the 002 models have a Novatel LCD while most of the newer ones feature an Epson LCD, although I’ve seen reports of these being mixed.

This is a bummer for those that are waiting to get their Evo 4Gs. It’s potentially bad for Sprint too. If the screens are really that different then people might flock to Verizon’s Droid X, AT&T’s iPhone 4, or T-Mobile’s Samsung Vibrant. And just in case you were wondering, my Evo 4G is a 002.

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Fake Steve Jobs Addresses iPhone 4 Reception Issue

In a post titled “You @ssholes need to stop sending emails to me about this antenna issue“, Fake Steve Jobs has hilariously addressed the iPhone 4 reception issues plaguing numerous first-world countries. The post is the funniest thing I’ve read all month and I highly recommend checking it out. Here are some choice clips:

First of all, this is not a big issue. If you’re experiencing this, most likely it’s not the phone at all — most likely you’re just living in a place where there’s bad reception, in which case the solution is simple: you need to move.

Or maybe you’re living in a place with good reception but you just need to buy a bumper for your phone and/or wear latex gloves while holding the phone.

Or you can try going bare-handed and just learn how to hold your goddamn phone properly. Either way, it’s no big deal.

AllThingsD says if it’s really true that all mobile phones have this exact same problem, “why haven’t we heard complaints like this about `every wireless phone?’ Why hasn’t RIM issued instructions for a proper BlackBerry handhold?”

The answer, of course, is that RIM doesn’t care about customers the way we do. Honestly, what other company has a billionaire CEO who will sit at his desk for hours and hours personally answering thousands of emails, one after another, telling people how to hold his product? And can I tell you how hard I am fighting the urge to suggest to people that they try shoving the thing up their butt and see what kind of reception they get then?

It’s just brilliant, brilliant stuff. Head on over to Fake Steve’s site and read it in its glorious entirety!

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Coffee Talk #165: What Game Have You Played the Most?

Today’s Coffee Talk is super simple. I want to know what game you’ve played the most. Easy, hey?

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, all four major American mobile carriers having hot phones in July, the Chicago Bulls getting a ton of salary cap space, or holding your phone properly, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Today’s Coffee Talk is super simple. I want to know what game you’ve played the most. Easy, hey?

As for me, it’s definitely Pokemon Pearl. I spent a year writing a Pokemon column for GamesRadar. I also happen to love the series. Put those two things together and you get 600+ hours of Pokemon Pearl. It seems rather insane after typing that number out.

Now it’s your turn! What game have you played the most? Kindly give a guestimate of the hours you’ve put into it. This will be a fun getting-to-know-you exercise. I can’t wait to see your comments!

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

E3 2010 is finally out of my head (i.e. I’m no longer having flashbacks), so it’s time to get gaming again! I recently picked up Turtles in Time: Re-shelled and want to get my t-u-r-t-l-e power on. My ankle is gimped, so I’m going to use that as an excuse to stay in bed and play Glory of Heracles.

How about you? What’s on you weekend playlist?