Tag: Mobile Tech

Amazon Kindle Gets Better and Cheaper

Amazon has announced an updated version of its popular Kindle e-reader. While the performance gains are certainly noteworthy, what’s really interesting is the price of the WiFi-only version: $139. Before I get to the ramifications of that price point, let me hit you up with some bullet points on the new Kindle:

  • 21 percent smaller
  • 15 percent lighter design
  • 50 percent better contrast
  • 20 percent faster page turns
  • Up to one month of battery life
  • Double the storage

I’m a big fan of the Kindle and think it’s a fantastic line of products. That said, I readily admit that it’s facing stiff competition from other e-readers (like the Nook) and tablet computers (like the iPad). The e-reader market is crowded and the tablet market will be full by this time next year. One of the ways the Kindle can beat out the competition is by being the first to achieve the magical $99 price point. The $139 WiFi-only model is practically there.

Are any of you interested in the new Kindle? Are you tempted by the $139 price point?

HTC Evo 4G Spotted Running Android 2.2 with Sense

One of my sources got to see an HTC Evo 4G running Android 2.2 (FroYo) with Sense. This particular Evo was a pre-production model being used by a Clearwire (you know, those WiMax people) employee. My source said that the phone was running wicked fast and responsive (yes, I’m imposing the New England slang to protect my informant).

Now that FroYo with Sense is in the wild, hopefully it won’t be too long before Android 2.2 is available for everyone. My Evo 4G has been neglected in favor of the Motorola Droid X. I’m pretty sure it’s just a temporary dalliance, but getting FroYo would help me dive back into the arms of my Evo 4G.

Update: A friend pointed out that Evo 4G users that have rooted their phones and loaded stock Android 2.2 are unable to get 4G (WiMax) to work. With that in mind, a Clearwire employee field testing 2.2 on the phone makes sense.

Coffee Talk #188: Has Technology Ever Gotten You Out of a Jam?

Last night I was at Ralph’s buying some groceries and the Motorola Droid X helped me save $5. You see, I love taking advantage of promotions. Ralph’s currently has this deal that lets you save $5 for buying 10 participating items. I diligently found sale items that were eligible for the promotion. Getting an additional $5 off items that are already on sale is awesome. As I was walking out the grocery, I noticed that two of the items didn’t register for the promotion and I didn’t get my $5 savings.

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, if the media is out to get Dez Bryant, spicy BBQ sauce recommendations, or the desktop vs. laptop argument, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Last night I was at Ralph’s buying some groceries and the Motorola Droid X helped me save $5. You see, I love taking advantage of promotions. Ralph’s currently has this deal that lets you save $5 for buying 10 participating items. I diligently found sale items that were eligible for the promotion. Getting an additional $5 off items that are already on sale is awesome. As I was walking out the grocery, I noticed that two of the items didn’t register for the promotion and I didn’t get my $5 savings.

Naturally I turned around and went to the service desk. Next I was directed to a manager. As she was checking out customers, I explained my situation and showed her my receipt. She insisted that the two tubes of toothpaste I selected were not part of the promotion and that I needed to buy two more items. Annoyed, I went back to the toothpaste aisle, snapped a picture of the toothpaste that showed it was part of the promotion and returned to the manager. For some reason, this wasn’t enough proof for her and she went to check it out for herself (as if I could doctor photos on a phone in two minutes). After seeing she was wrong (and stupid), she gave my my $5.

So yay for the Droid X for saving me $5!!! Too bad it couldn’t get back the 15 minutes I wasted on the situation. I missed a train home and my ice cream got a little melty. Ha! Today I’d like to know if you have any stories of technology getting you out of a jam. It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small. I’m just curious to see if gadgets or tech have helped you catch a break or get out of a silly situation.

T-Mobile USA Teases its First HSPA+ Phone

T-Mobile USA has launched a teaser site for its first HSPA+ mobile phone. While the company has been very aggressive at deploying its “3.5G” HSPA+ network, it only has USB data modems that take advantage of the speeds, which have a theoretical max of 21Mbps down. Some T-Mobile phones get higher speeds with HSPA+, but a specific chipset is needed to reach the 14.4Mbps promised on the teaser site.

As I mentioned earlier in the month, rumors pointed to an HSPA+ phone launching in September. The word on the street is that the September device will be comparable the current crop of high-end Google Android phones. Where it gets really juicy is in November, when the rumored “Project Emerald” is set to hit T-Mobile. The buzz on this phone, allegedly running Android 3.0, is that it will be the first handset in North America to feature a dual-core Snapdragon processor.

I’m extremely interested in T-Mobile’s HSPA+ phones. While I’m a big fan of the Evo 4G, its WiMax performance isn’t the best in buildings due to its frequency. HSPA+ should offer comparable speeds with better building penetration. The thought of a phone with a dual-core processor is also cool…in a that ultra-nerd way.

Jailbreaking iPhones is Now Legal! (Uh…Was it Ever Illegal?)

Great news to all you rogues, villains, and malefactors that enjoying jailbreaking iPhones and using apps that aren’t approved by Apple — you’re all legit now! According to the Associated Press:

Owners of the iPhone will be able to legally break electronic locks on their devices in order to download software applications that haven’t been approved by Apple Inc., according to new government rules announced Monday.

Perhaps I’m missing something here, but was it ever illegal to jailbreak your iPhone and use unapproved apps? Are there prisons full of people that used QuickPWN and Redsn0w just so that they could get Google Voice on their iPhone 3GS handsets? The wording seems funny to me. In related news, the government rules also cover the following:

  • Allow owners of used cell phones to break access controls on their phones in order to switch wireless carriers.
  • Allow people to break technical protections on video games to investigate or correct security flaws.
  • Allow college professors, film students and documentary filmmakers to break copy-protection measures on DVDs so they can embed clips for educational purposes, criticism, commentary and noncommercial videos.
  • Allow computer owners to bypass the need for external security devices called dongles if the dongle no longer works and cannot be replaced.

Seriously, are any of you iPhone felons? Am I going to serve time for aiding and abetting?

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White iPhone 4 Delayed…Again…Until “Later This Year”

Originally delayed until the end of July, the white iPhone 4 has been delayed again — this time until the ultra-specific date of “later this year”. In a statement that’s pretty much the same as the last one, Apple addressed the white iPhone delay:

White models of Apple’s new iPhone 4 have continued to be more challenging to manufacture than we originally expected, and as a result they will not be available until later this year. The availability of the more popular iPhone 4 black models is not affected.

Like an idiot, I want the white one even more now. It’s rare…and precious…my precioussssss!!! I’m sure the delay is a manufacturing deal, but that hasn’t stopped some people from speculating that the white iPhone 4 will arrive later this year — on another carrier. You think there’s any chance of that happening? When do you think the white iPhone 4 will finally arrive?

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80% Chance of the iPhone 4 Hitting T-Mobile in Q3?

In the 597th rumor of 2010 regarding the iPhone 4 hitting a new carrier, Cult of Mac claims that there’s an 80-percent chance that Apple’s magical smartphone will hit T-Mobile. Here’s the deal:

T-Mobile USA is very close to getting the iPhone in the fall, ending Apple’s exclusive relationship with AT&T, according to a highly placed source at the wireless company.

Talks between Apple and T-Mobile are at an advanced stage, our source says, and it’s 80 percent likely that the iPhone will be coming to T-Mobile in Q3.

As I mentioned last month, one analyst believes this will be the easiest transition for Apple since AT&T and T-Mobile are both GSM carriers. Going to a CDMA carrier like Sprint or Verizon would require a redesign to accommodate a different type of radio. That said, I would be exponentially more interested in a T-Mobile iPhone 4 if it had a radio that took full advantage of T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network, which offers wicked fast speeds that rival Sprint’s 4G WiMax network. An HSPA+ iPhone 4 would completely rule!

What do you think of the latest iPhone 4 to “carrier X” rumor? Will it happen this year? Or is that just wishful thinking?

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Evo 4G vs. Droid X Part III: Battery Life, Cameras, and More

My comparison of the HTC Evo 4G (Sprint) and the Motorola Droid X (Verizon) continues! In the third round of this epic smartphone battle I compare the combatants’ battery life, input methods (keyboards), connectivity, and cameras. Let the battle commence!

Battery Life
With their large screens and mercurial processors, the Droid X and Evo 4G require a lot of power. Using both phones with my typical usage pattern (lots of web browsing, some foursquare check-ins, Facebook browsing, text messaging, and around 30 minutes of calls per day), I had two very different results. From a full charge, I got about 12 hours from the Evo 4G and 15.5 hours from the Droid X.

For many users, the extra 3.5 hours could be the difference between making it through the day and coming up short. I usually have to charge the Evo 4G at some point during the day. The Droid X almost always makes it to bedtime. For situations like trade shows, I can’t imagine using either phone without an extra battery. Remember, your results will vary depending on how much or how little you use your phone.

The Droid X easily wins in terms of battery life.

Input Methods
Both phones have virtual keyboards that benefit from their large 4.3-inch screens. The Evo 4G has four directional keys that allow you to move the cursor. Unfortunately, this makes for a cramped keyboard. The Droid X’s keyboard is just roomier and easier to type on. It also has Swype pre-insalled, for users the prefer that input method.

The Evo 4G is fully capacitive, while the Droid X has four mechanical buttons. Aside mechanical buttons preventing you from accidentally entering a command, I prefer good capacitive buttons. It just makes for a more unified experience. The mechanical buttons on the Droid X can interrupt your flow of typing and accessing menus. It’s not a huge deal; I just like the congruous input experience of the Evo.

Lastly, there’s haptic feedback. The Evo 4G’s is pretty subtle, while the Droid X’s is strong as an ox. Some people love haptic feedback and some people hate it. I like it and prefer the hearty feedback on the Droid X.

With its superior keyboard, Swype option, and heavy haptic feedback, the Droid X nudges out the Evo 4G on the input front.

Connectivity
The Droid X uses Verizon’s 3G CDMA revision A network for data. The Evo 4G also uses that tech, as well as Sprint’s 4G WiMax network for even faster data rates. WiMax availability is still relatively sparse, but it’s growing rapidly and should be in most major cities by the end of 2010. The data rates are really impressive. With the Droid X, I often struggled to get 1MB down. With the Evo 4G, I got as high as 4.5MB down on WiMax.

While Verizon’s CDMA coverage is arguably the best across America, it’s also the slowest. AT&T has faster 3G, T-Mobile has its crazy fast HSPA+ 3.5G network, and Sprint has WiMax. A year from now, the Droid X’s data rates will seem sluggish compared to the competition’s.

The Evo 4G beats the Droid X in the connectivity department, especially for users that don’t change phones until their contract expires.

Cameras
Both phones feature good eight-megapixel cameras. I love the Droid X’s daytime shots and preferred its camera software. The Evo 4G is better in low-light situations. I’m going to give the Evo 4G the win here, simply because it has a front-facing camera and the Droid X does not. Video chat is poised to become a big feature; the Evo 4G is ready for it, while the Droid X is not. As a heavy Skype user, I’m anxiously awaiting a proper Skype client with video chat on Android. I truly believe that video chat will be a killer app for smartphones in 2011 (at the latest).

While I’m giving this round to the Evo 4G, I’m going to post picture and video samples so that you can see for yourself. That’ll be the next epic chapter of Robotech the Droid X vs Evo 4G fight.

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Apple Promises More “Amazing Products” in 2010: Any Guesses?

Apple announced its Q3 2010 results…and it was ridiculous. The company posted all sorts of record sales, but also hinted that there were still new products to come in 2010. Before we play the guessing game, let’s take a look at the numbers via Wired:

  • 3.47 million Macs (A record)
  • 8.4 million iPhones (1.7 million were iPhone 4’s, which went on sale only six days before the quarter ended)
  • 9.41 million iPods (The Touch model was up 48 percent year-over-year,)
  • 3.27 million iPads (Went on sale three days into the quarter)

Simply ridiculous. Here’s the curious part: during the earnings call CEO Steve Jobs said, “We have amazing new products still to come this year.” What do you think he was talking about? An iPod refresh is expected in early autumn, but do you think anything else “big” is on the way? A MacBook Air refresh perhaps? Maybe the iPhone 4 going to another carrier? You think an entirely new product is on the way? Let’s speculate!

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Microsoft Drops (Small) Details on Windows Phone 7 and Xbox Live

Engadget posted an excellent preview of the upcoming Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system. One aspect that was touched on (lightly) was the operating system’s connectivity with Xbox Live. The site chatted with Microsoft corporate vice president Joe Belfiore and found out:

We were told by Joe Belfiore during a meeting that there would be two kinds of games on Windows Phone 7 devices — turn based, “app” games, and Xbox Live content which would be full-on arcade experiences. We’re dying to get our hands on something more than just a brief demo of The Harvest, but that’s not possible yet.

Although gaming details were sparse, I highly recommend checking out the article. It reveals a lot of details on what should be an excellent alternative to Apple iOS and Google Android. Whether it’s too late for Microsoft remains to be seen, but the details Engadget revealed are very exciting.

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