Tag: Mobile Tech

Motorola Pokes Fun at AT&T and Apple in Droid X Advertisement

I love it when giant companies take jabs at each other. The latest case of corporate amusement comes from Motorola, which deftly hit AT&T and Apple with a single blow. With one bit of text a clever copywriter took a shot at AT&T’s shoddy network and Apple’s iPhone 4 reception issues. A recent advertisement for the Droid X phone (Verizon) said:

Most importantly, it comes with a double antenna design. The kind that allows you to hold the phone any way you like and use it just about anywhere to make crystal clear calls.

Aren’t these guys just adorable when they fight? Ha!

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PSA: Free WiFi at Starbucks Starts Tomorrow

Here’s a friendly reminder that starting July 1, unlimited WiFi access at Starbucks coffeehouses in America and Canada will be free. Previously, customers were limited to two free hours that required some goofy login. The new scheme is unlimited and only requires one click to get things going.

While I’m not a big fan of Starbucks coffee (I don’t hate it. I just find it average.), I think it’s cool that the company is offering free WiFi to its customers. I’m sure that the unlimited WiFi will be problematic in places like San Francisco, where’s there’s a high nerds-per-square-inch ratio. Someone will gather a group of friends, start torrenting GBs of data, slowing down speeds for everyone else as they cackle at their prank. Hmmmm, I wonder what my LA freelancer friends are doing tomorrow….

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Coffee Talk #168: Your Console and Electronics Updating Patterns

Yesterday I updated the software for my HTC Evo 4G and PlayStation 3. Both had updates that were released yesterday. I was actually surprised that I updated so soon. Usually I wait a few days to see if there are any bugs or annoying quirks caused by the new software. For various reasons (okay, it was cloudy…and updating firmware makes me happy), I jumped the gun and didn’t following my usual updating pattern.

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, Roger Federer’s upset at Wimbledon, red pandas, or Stumptown’s Costa Rica Brumas Del Zurqui, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Yesterday I updated the software for my HTC Evo 4G and PlayStation 3. Both had updates that were released yesterday. I was actually surprised that I updated so soon. Usually I wait a few days to see if there are any bugs or annoying quirks caused by the new software. For various reasons (okay, it was cloudy…and updating firmware makes me happy), I jumped the gun and didn’t following my usual updating pattern.

How do you handle updates for your consoles, mobile phones, etc.? Do you update straight away, like I did yesterday? Do you wait a few days to make sure everything is kosher? Perhaps you only update when it’s absolutely necessary, like when a certain game require a newer firmware version. Kindly share your console and consumer electronics updating patterns in the comments section.

Bloomberg Says the iPhone Will Hit Verizon in January 2011

In the latest string of iPhone-headed-to-Verizon rumors, Bloomberg has cited two sources that claim Apple’s wildly popular super phone is headed for America’s largest mobile network. Here’s the quote:

Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile-phone company, will start selling Apple Inc.’s iPhone next year, ending AT&T Inc.’s exclusive hold on the smartphone in the U.S., two people familiar with the plans said.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve become immune to these rumors. While I’d love to have a fully functional iPhone 4 on any major mobile network that’s not AT&T, these rumors are becoming a bit much.

How do you ladies and gents feel about the latest iPhone/Verizon rumor? You think this one is legit? Are you still dreaming about an iPhone on a superior network? Or are you tired of being teased?

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Hulu Plus Available on iPhone and iPad, Consoles Coming Soon

Hulu has revealed details on its “Hulu Plus” premium service, which soft launched today for the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. The service costs $9.99 per month and includes hundreds of popular televisions shows, as well as  a broad selection of movies. The teaser site for Hulu Plus says that it’s coming soon for Sony Playstation 3 and is due for Xbox 360 in early 2011.

Hulu Plus seems like a fantastic choice for television junkies on the run. I know a lot of you are high on Netflix for consoles; that service seems like a better choice for movies. That said, I’m sure Hulu will improve its movie selection and as a frequent traveler I love the portability of Hulu Plus.

What do you guys and dolls think of the service? Would a Hulu/Netflix combo be enough for you to cancel your cable or satellite service?

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Apple Sells 1.7-Million iPhone 4 Units in Three Days

As expected, Apple’s iPhone 4 has conquered the world. The company issued a press release that revealed that 1.7-million iPhone 4 units were sold between its launch on June 24 and Saturday June 26. Apple CEO  His Royal Worshipfulness High Commander Steve Jobs said:

This is the most successful product launch in Apple’s history. Even so, we apologize to those customers who were turned away because we did not have enough supply.

1.21 gigawatts 1.7-million units is just a hugely impressive number that’s a testament to Apple’s brand marketing. Despite being saddled with a network that simply blows chunks in New York City and San Francisco, as well as the reported problems with the phone’s display and reception, I completely expect Apple to dominate the consumer smartphone market. Sure, there will several strong competitors that do well and I’m certain Google Android’s installed base will continue to rise, but as far as a single smartphone model goes, I sincerely doubt anything will come close to the iPhone 4.

Samsung On All Four Major American Carriers with the Galaxy S

Samsung has hit a rare grand slam by getting variations of its Galaxy S Google Android phone on all four major American mobile carriers. In addition to the Sprint Epic 4G and T-Mobile Vibrant that I wrote about earlier today, the Galaxy S is hitting AT&T as the Captivate and Verizon as the Fascinate. I’m pretty sure the Galaxy S is the first smartphone to hit all four majors since the HTC Touch Pro 2 (correct me if I’m wrong).

For Samsung, it’s an aggressive move that backs up the company’s stated goal of capturing at least 10 percent of the smartphone market. Being on all four major American carriers is just huge. Furthermore, Samsung hasn’t been doing well in America with its high-end phones. For years I was jealous of the excellent Samsung phones released in Asia and Europe. For various reasons, most of them never made it (in subsidized form) to an American carrier. The Galaxy S should help bolster the company’s image with American consumers.

For Google, it’s another big step in the burgeoning Android market. While a ton of attention is being (deservedly) focused on Apple’s early success with the iPhone 4, the Android space is having an excellent year in 2010.

T-Mobile Differentiates Samsung Vibrant with Avatar and The Sims

Last week T-Mobile unveiled the initial specs on the Samsung Vibrant, its variant of the Google Android Samsung Galaxy S phone. While it’s not the most interesting take on the Galaxy S (see Sprint’s Epic 4G, for better hardware), T-Mo is trying to differentiate the Vibrant through value-added features including Avatar and The Sims. Here are some tidbits from the official site:

  • Preloaded with T-Mobile exclusive The Sims 3 Collector’s Edition from EA
  • Preloaded with James Cameron’s Avatar
  • Watch live and on-demand TV with MobiTV
  • Read the most popular books with Kindle for Android
  • Access to GoGo Inflight Internet and Slacker Radio

Finally, you can watch Avatar the way James Cameron intended — on a four-inch screen in a video format that’s compressed as hell to fit on a 2GB MicroSD card. Ha!

As a T-Mobile customer (that’s on the verge of leaving), I was curious to see what the company would do with the Galaxy S. Unfortunately, the Vibrant is missing some key features. While some people find front-facing cameras to be gimmicky, I’m looking forward to using them through Skype. The curious omission is the camera flash. I have no idea why that was dropped — it just seems silly to me. The Vibrant’s lack of a front-facing camera and LED flash make the Vibrant less appealing to me.

Having said that, this will still be a great phone with a beautiful screen and an excellent CPU/GPU combo. Any T-Mo customers out there drooling over this one?

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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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