Hey Guys, Guess What? WE MOVED!

My apologies for not coming back and saying something sooner but we've managed to move the site to a new location under Wordpress.com. We also changed the name of our site as well. We are no longer going under "Mobile Kombat" but we are now The Tech Messenger! Come check out the new look and everything and let us know what you like, don't like, and what you would like added. Here's a link for you guys to come on over and check us out:  http://thetechmessenger.com/

Please let us know what you think of the new look and everything. We are still making some more changes because of the move but if you have any tips or advice please be sure to drop us a thought or two in our mailbox in our contact page. Thanks for the support guys, and when we finish the updates to the site we will be shutting this one down. Please also check out our fan page @ facebook.com/The-Tech-Messenger and become a fan. We update the site on a weekly basis so come check that out as well. Thanks for all the support and stay tuned as we make more updates and changes.

Overview: The HTC Inspire 4G

I can honestly say that I can never get tired of hearing about more Android phones popping up all over the place. HTC especially has been cranking out phone after phone with no stopping in sight. Their latest is the HTC Inspire 4G. This is another smartphone packing a lot of heat in the specs department and I must say that HTC is impressing me very much as of late.

 Its running Android 2.2 and has a 1ghz Snapdragon Processor meaning that you definitely won't have an issue with speed. Its been released on the AT&T network and its been priced at $99.99 with a two year contract. It's also coming equipped with a 8 mega pixel camera with LED flash and a 720p camcorder for HD recording. Here's a few pictures and a full spec release from HTC after the break.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play Coming Soon

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play aka the Playstation phone is coming! This could very well be a big deal in the smartphone world. The Xperia Play is a true gaming phone and the specs on this phone are pretty impressive. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play has the following specs:

Microsoft and Nokia Elop(e)!

We now pronounce you, Phone and OS. On February 11th, CEO's Stephen Elop and Stephen Ballmer announced that both Nokia and Microsoft have entered into a cellular partnership. Nokia will begin to use WindowsPhone 7 as the primary OS for their smartphones, in place of Symbian. Gradually, through 2011 and 2012, Symbian phones will be completely phased out. Nokia's development of Meego will become an "open source project" with an emphasis on exploring future market opportunities.

Motorola XOOM priced at $1,199.99?

Seems a bit much for a tablet expecting to go toe to toe with the iPad, but Best Buy has posted that the price tag is accurate for the new Honeycomb powered tablet. Android 3.0 is the premier OS that will be featured on the tablet and its hoped that the Android tablet will be in direct competition with the Apple's iPad.

AT&T offering 1,000 Rollover minutes to loyal iPhone customers

Competition is a great thing. The Internet is atwitter with reports that AT&T is, without provocation, offering its loyal iPhone customers an additional 1,000 Rollover minutes via text message. What makes you worthy of this offering? We’re not quite sure. What we do know is that texting the word “yes” to 11113020 will help expedite the process… if you know what we mean. Give it a try and cash in, you deserve it.

Source: Engadget.com

- DezHuez

Good News: HTC Thunderbolt Gains Root Access

If your looking for another reason to use your upgrade from Verizon or use all the lunch money you saved to prepare for the release of the HTC Thunderbolt, then here's another definitely good reason to get it. The good folks at XDAforums have managed to do something that most of us Android users have been hoping for since we got wind of all the new phones coming out this year. They have rooted the phone!

iPhone 4...Mini??

Apple is said to be working on a new smaller, less expensive version of the iPhone, according to a new report from Bloomberg today. This new model would be in the $200 range and be about a third smaller than the current iPhone 4. With a lower price point, cellular providers could then give customers the choice of either paying for the phone at full price without a contract or give the phone away for free with a two-year contract.

Currently, Apple has 16 percent of the global mobile market share, while rival Google’s market share has more than tripled to 32.9 percent in the fourth quarter. With a new low-cost iPhone, Apple hopes to increase its overall market share worldwide and surpass Google in the process.

Verizon iPhone Unleashed...and No One Showed Up To Get One?

Verizon finally got what they had been striving for, jumping through hoops and over hurdles with the giants at Apple to gain the fantastic device known as the iPhone...and no one came out to get one. A lot of reports have been circulating that the retail stores that have the iPhone device in stock, didn't have the swarm of crazed iPhone fans and AT&T jumpers that they thought they were going to have. If you think about it though, there are some really good reasons that people would not rush out of their houses to gang up on stores to get the device.

Overview: The Blackberry 4G Playbook

In the world today, tablets are starting to take over in the realm of new technology....and its definitely not a bad thing. These powerful devices are making headlines left and right and the newest one to enter the ring is none other than the Blackberry Playbook. The device is definitely looking to make an impact in the tablet arena and I think it just might be able to do that with the specs that this thing is pushing out. Check out the specs on this machine:

Verizon's First Call Over LTE Successful!

Hooray! Good news indeed to all Verizon/Android users. Now we have another reason to laugh at iPhone users still trapped on AT&T. 02/08/2011 is that date that marks the first successful call made over the Verizon 4G LTE network. The place, Basking Ridge, NJ, is the location. Two Verizon employees in the area placed the call and it was successful!

VZW Says No Take Backs, Delays Thunderbolt

The HTC Thunderbolt has been the hot topic for the past few days, especially with its imminent release date being chucked around like nobody's business as of late. Many rumors have surrounded why the device has yet to have a steady release date most recently being that the 4G Mobile Hotspot feature wasn't ready and that Skype's video chat wasn't ready on launch day. Now while these don't seem like big deals because they could be added with OTA updates, a new one has hit the ground, but I think this one is a little more believable.

Possible Antenna Problems On Verizon iPhone 4's...dum, dum, dummm!!

You'd think that after protracted debacle of the AT&T iPhone 4's attenuation problems, Apple would have made absolutely certain to fix the issue completely before the Verizon version hit. But iLounge may be proving otherwise. Antennagate 2.0?

To be fair, this hasn't been a widely reported issue either in reviews or by word of mouth. So let's take this video—convincing demonstration though it is—with a grain of salt. Like you needed another reason to wait for iPhone 5 anyway. Follow the link after the story.

Source: iLounge.com


- DezHuez

Big Red Sold Either 100K or 500K iPhones On "Soft" Presale Day

The game of guesstimating sales. Or what we should refer to as analysts offering an educated guess in terms of how many units a company has sold when that particular company is vague in terms of numbers. Of course, by that we are referring to Verizon and their “most successful first day sales” announcement for the iPhone 4.

VZW 4G Pricing: $29.99 For Unlimited Plan

Finally some news on the data plans! Droid-life broke this wide open with a reliable source on their end coming in with some good news on the subject. The good news is that the plan could come in at $29.99 which is great news for Verizon customers. Remember also that the current data plan for 3G is also $29.99, so there may be no real change. They also mentioned that this could change when the 4G network finally gets to be fully nationwide. Any changes could happen once everything is up and running with the new phones hitting the market and going 4G.

Drop Your Droids....For iPhones?

Now for all you guys out there on Verizon, don't get upset. If you were smart then you already knew that this was going to happen. Why? Well for starters, the iPhone is a brand that will sell in the market at a fast pace. Remember, the main draw to the iPhone on Verizon is the network. A reliable network with one of the powerhouse phones that have had lots of success despite being plagued with network problems on AT&T. With the release of the iPhone on Verizon, it was only natural that everyone would hop on the iPhone bandwagon and try to get an iPhone despite some having to pay way out of pocket to get one.

Verizon iPhone Broke All To Pieces

"You didn’t think the jailbreak community would leave the Verizon iPhone be did you? BlogsDNA and lots of others have posted the Verizon iPhone with Cydia running nicely over the last few hours." Thats what we got from the good folks at 9to5Mac. Looks like the iPhone community wasted no time cracking the Verizon iPhone, huh?

Source: 9to5Mac

- DezHuez

Naked Verizon iPhone...Rated XXX

Wait...the kids asleep??? Great...lets see what she has going on under the pretty glass:

Well what do we have here. A fresh iFixit tear-down of the Verizon iPhone has yielded a surprise: Apple included the Qualcomm MDM6600 chip; a chip that supports high-speed HSPA and CDMA frequencies.

AT&T's "Answer" To Verizon's iPhone Ad

No this isn't a new Allen Iverson shoe ad. AT&T released their first iPhone ad directly targeting the Verizon iPhone. It's appropriately titled "Answer" and shows a husband having forgotten to make dinner reservations for their anniversary. The man does a search for "fine dining" while on the phone with his wife. The commercial concludes with:
"Only AT&T's network lets your iPhone talk and surf at the same time."

A BlackBerry Minus the Qwerty Keyboard Equals the Curve Touch?

BlackBerry’s low end entry to the CDMA smartphone realm, the Curve Touch, while yet unofficial (this phone was leaked to CrackBerry.com under the codename “malibu”) is further evidence that RIM is taking a new approach to it’s hardware; an approach much more in line with companies like HTC, Motorola and Apple.

HTC Thunderbolt Launching with Hotspot Capabilities ? Rumored Release Date: February 24t

According to sources at AndroidGuys, the HTC Thunderbolt release date on 24th February 2011. There are also rumors about an earlier release, on Valentine’s Day but we will have to wait and see if that is true. It is speculated that the price will be around $249 with a contract, which is a bit on the higher side. However, I believe that it is quite reasonable for a phone which offers 4G speed along with hotspot capabilities.

Source : FreePCGuides

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Moto XOOM tablet Coming February 24th?

The Motorola Xoom has made the rounds to various events, but Moto has yet to reveal the price or release date. But a Grand Rapids, Michigan Best Buy might have just ruined the surprise party. According to a post on their Facebook page, the tablet will hit their store on the 2/24. Now this doesn’t specifically mean that the Xoom’s official release date is the same as Verizon stores could get it a bit earlier, but at least it’s coming this month. For how much, though? Don't know.

It was first shown at CES where it was the headliner for all things Android 3.0. Then just earlier this week, Google used a few Xoom tablets during the Honeycomb developer’s event. Yet Motorola kept to themselves, not stating when the tablet was coming or how much it would cost. Chances are the former of those two would be determined by suppliers and manufacturers while the pricing could still be a game-time decision since Motorola knew the Xoom wasn’t dropping immediately after its debut. They wanted to see what others were going to do.

MY THOUGHTS: it looks beautiful. I hope it performs the same.

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Sprint hires illusionist David Blaine for mysterious press event

.... Now why would they do that?
On Monday, promises the Overland Park-based wireless carrier, illusionist David Blaine “will show you that the impossible is possible” with an “industry first.”The company won’t say what Blaine intends to do at its press event. Sprint has been deliberately coy about what it expects Blaine’s show to promote. Actually, the invitation e-mailed three weeks ago to technology-obsessed journalists doesn't specify that Blaine will even attempt a stunt. But why else bill him above company CEO Dan Hesse?

Could it be an iPhone mated to Sprint’s 4G, or WiMax, high-speed wireless network? Maybe. What about a glasses-free 3-D cell phone? Or a tablet — much like the iPad — with a 3-D screen? This sounds great but in the end could just be a big hype.

Blaine’s Manhattan magic is scheduled the day before Verizon Wireless starts to sell its version of the iPhone. (The Apple gadget has previously been exclusive to AT&T customers.) It wouldn’t be the first iPhone, but it would be the first on a faster 4G network.

MY THOUGHTS: It could be Sprint's way of taking the shine from one party and say " Hey come to my party I am gonna have a magician and he's gonna do tricks and we are gonna have cake and ice cream." I hope they actually have something big to review time will tell.
SO WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FROM SPRINT?

SOURCE : Kansascity.com

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Google's Official Blogger App Released

Google has kept the little blogger in all of us in memory and have released an official Blogger app. It still even has that new app smell too.

I want to say that this app is a little bit on the vanilla side. Alot of the features that were in the Blogger-Droid version of Blogger are not there. Hopefully the developers will try and add those features like custom picture sizing but remember this app was just released. Maybe there will be more add-ons in the coming updates. The UI on this app looks very nice and has some pretty good features starting out.

Untethered iOS 4.2.1 Jailbreak released as Greenpois0n R5 (Mac Only for now)

Follow link below for full instructions:

Link: Redmondpie.com-Jailbreak-How to Guide, iOS-4.2.1-Untethered-iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch

- DezHuez

I Told You To Wake Up At 2:55!

As of shortly after 8:00PM EST on Thursday, Apple and Verizon Wireless have each stopped taking iPhone 4 pre-orders on their respective websites. Neither company has indicated specifically that pre-orders are sold out — only that pre-sale orders are no longer being accepted. Pre-orders became available for current Verizon Wireless subscribers at 3:00AM EST on Thursday, and Apple and Verizon Wireless had each previously indicated that inventory would be limited. No official details have been made available with regard to how many iPhone 4 units were sold today.

Source: BGR

- DezHuez

Say it Ain't So: Verizon To Slow Download Speeds on Massive Data Users

The guys from Androinica dropped a bomb today when they mentioned that Verizon may be slowing down there download speeds against some of the users that use an "extraordinary" amount of data. Once again, in preparation for the masses that will come from AT&T to Verizon for their chance to get the iPhone on Verizon's network, Verizon is trying to find other ways to get ready for the onslaught of data users that the iPhone will bring. Remember, the data monster that is the iPhone is one of the main reasons AT&T has been regarded as one of the worst network services out there.

They go on to mention that the "top 5%" of data users may be hit with this slow down in data but no one has said  just what the amount of data you have to use to be considered in this 5%. They also go on to say that there could be a way to avoid the data slow down. The document that was reported on stated that, "If you subscribe to a data plan or feature on Feb. 3rd, 2011 or after...." so you may have some time if you are trying to get into Verizon's network with no stipulations. 

Verizon also make thoughts on compressing data when being hit with heavy traffic from other data users. This might actually not be a bad idea when thinking in terms of data because a better compression of data could take away the major hurting iPhone's could put on the network if left unchecked. Anyone else thinking that the iPhone coming to Verizon is starting to be more of a head case then a blessing? All these changes are coming from the "Coming of the iPhone". First Verizon customers lost the "new every two" discount, then Verizon is planning to slow download data. What could be next? Are they going to take away your blankets off your bed while your sleeping too? Just seems like a lot to go through just for one phone that isn't even going to get the 4G goodness that the next level phones that should be arriving shortly will have....but that's just my thoughts. What do you think? Is Verizon changing too much?

Tweetdeck Gets a Upgrade, Now With Longer Tweets

Tweetdeck recently got a new update that now allows the users to make longer tweets. This is great considering that other apps have already had this feature (Tweetcaster, Plume to name a few). But its good to see that there is still work being done to make this a good app. The new upgrade puts Tweetdeck at version 1.0.7 and seems to be as smooth as ever. The feature named Deck.ly is what Tweetdeck uses to make the tweets you post through the app longer. When you go past your preset of 140 characters, the Deck.ly feature kicks in and creates a link so that the followers and other Twitter users that view your tweets can continue to read the rest of your tweet. The update also included some bug fixes for both Gingerbread and Honeycomb. Check out the link below if your looking to download this app and give it a try.

Link: TweetDeck App

-FlashSama

I Don't Know...You Might Want Wake Up At 2:55am (EST) If You Just Have To Have A Verizon iPhone

Verizon is once again reminding their employees and family members to put the customers first and refrain from buying a Verizon iPhone themselves, at least for the time being. An email memo sent out today to all employees says:

Focus on Customer Is Key to Verizon iPhone Launch

To help ensure we meet customer demand for iPhones, Verizon is urging employees and their families to postpone purchases of the popular smartphone, whether online or in retail stores, for the time being.

“Customers and non-customers alike have waited for years to see this product on America’s most reliable wireless network,” notes Verizon Wireless Chief Operating Officer John Stratton. “Demand will be unprecedented.

“Now it’s here. This is our chance to show those millions of people what it means to be a Verizon customer — providing them the best network, joined by the very best customer service and support, all adding up to a world-class customer experience.

“Part of that experience is ensuring we’re able to meet our customers’ needs in the midst of what will surely be unprecedented customer demand.

“I know customers aren’t the only ones who are excited – employees are, too. While I share your excitement, over the coming weeks we all need to do our part to meet our customers’ needs — this means putting our customers first.

“After all, that’s the way we do business. That’s the Verizon Credo in action.

“This is an historic moment in time to rally together and show our loyal customers and new ones what our culture is all about.”

Are you happy Verizon brass is putting your Verizon iPhone first, or are you just wondering how many Verizon employees or family members will sneak off to Apple Retail Stores on February 10 to snag a Verizon iPhone on the sly?

Sounds to me like Verizon & Apple are expecting their to be a shortage of the new iPhone. You might want to set that alarm a few hours early if you're a early adapter, such as myself.


- DezHuez

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Early Reviews In On Verizon iPhone

Photo from Macworld

On the evening before the launch of the Verizon iPhone, the embargo for early review units has been lifted. This early set of reviews provides a look at the early verdict on the Verizon iPhone. Reviews and some highlights are listed here.

Macworld
- "With a few minor variations, it looks, feels, and works just like the AT&T iPhone 4"
- iOS 4.2.6
- Good distance on mobile Hotspot
- "if you're using the Internet and your phone rings, your Internet connection immediately drops"

TechCrunch
- "This Verizon version of the iPhone 4 seems to have none of the same antenna issues [as the AT&T model]
- Much better with signal / lack of dropped calls than the AT&T model (in San Francisco)
- "the iPhone 4 can give you a solid 4 hours of hotspot/tethering time"

All Things D
- "the Verizon model did much, much better with voice calls"
- "AT&T's network averaged 46% faster at download speeds and 24% faster at upload speeds."

Engadget
- "Calls were consistently connected and uninterrupted, far more often than our AT&T calls in the same time period in similar locations."
- "data rates on the Verizon iPhone 4 we tested were dramatically slower than those on its AT&T counterpart."

Overall, there seem to be few surprises. Lack of simultaneous voice and data has been known and those in weak AT&T are having much better luck with Verizon, but data speeds are better on AT&T.

- DezHuez

Oops...You Didn't Forget, Did You?!

Apple has reminded the 94 million existing Verizon Wireless customers that they will have an exclusive opportunity to preorder the new iPhone 4 starting Thursday.

Apple issued a press release Wednesday noting that the CDMA variant of the iPhone 4 will be available on Feb. 3 through the Apple online store, as well as Verizon's store online at verizonwireless.com/iphone. Orders will be fulfilled on a first come, first served basis "due to high demand," the company noted.

Apple's press release makes no mention of the initial time of availability on Thursday, though Verizon revealed that information over the weekend with a countdown clock on its site. The preorders will begin at 3 a.m. Eastern, midnight Pacific, making sales available to customers of all continental U.S. timezones on the advertised Feb. 3 start date.

On Wednesday, Feb., 9, all qualified customers will be able to order an iPhone 4 on Verizon through the Apple online store for delivery, or reserve for in-store pick-up beginning Feb. 10.

The Verizon iPhone will be available to all qualified customers at 7 a.m. local time on Thursday, Feb. 10. The new CDMA handset will also be available at more than 2,000 Verizon Wireless Communication Stores across the U.S.

Verizon held a press conference in January to announce that it had secured a deal with Apple to sell the iPhone 4. Apple is building a new version of the handset with a CDMA radio inside, making the phone compatible with Verizon, the largest wireless provider in the U.S.

Apple has steadily prepared for the launch of the Verizon iPhone 4, with an iTunes update and iOS software download released for compatibility with the new device. For its part, Verizon has said that it is prepared for the iPhone 4 launch, and believes its network will be able to handle an influx of new smartphone owners.

- DezHuez

Dear AT&T Customers...Baby Please Don't Go

In a new advertising campaign, which I'm sure has nothing to do with pre-orders for a certain device
beginning tomorrow, AT&T is putting forth a last-ditch effort to attempt a mass exodus of iPhone users to Verizon.

The e-mail, sent to customers, bluntly states that only on AT&T could you "make a call" while you read this email." It is true, AT&T's GSM network does allow for simultaneous voice and data, where Verizon's CDMA technology does not, but AT&T is clearly worried that official end of iPhone exclusivity will see many customers flocking to Verizon for their iPhone 4.

Meanwhile, as Verizon prepares to allow current customers to order iPhones as early as 3:00 AM EST, the idea of a shakeup and a change of customers is certainly not out of the question. It makes sense for AT&T to highlight it's only major advantage over the CDMA iPhone 4, but as AT&T has struggled to offer consistent call quality after an influx of customers during the time of their iPhone exclusivity, many customers who have the option may opt for the promise of better phone service, and choose to give up this feature.

Electronista is quick to point out that an exodus might actually help improve service for AT&T. If enough people leave for Verizon, particularly in heavily congested areas, it ironically could improve call reliability for customers who stay on AT&T, wouldn't that be a strange turn of events…

Alas, time will tell whether a wave of customers move their iPhone allegiance from AT&T to Verizon, and whether it will be immediate or a slow process. Interestingly enough, the simultaneous voice/data will become a non-issue, as both companies launch and expand their 4G LTE service.

Source: Electronista.com

- DezHuez

THE DELL STREAK 7 TABLET

The Dell Streak 7 tablet offers dual-core processing, 4G network compatibility, Adobe Flash 10.1 support, front and rear cameras, and an inventive reimagining of Android 2.2.
But Dell's Stage interface doesn't make up for the stale operating system. Screen quality and responsiveness are not as good as they could be. The Dell Streak 7 polishes Android 2.2 to a tablet-worthy shine, and is the first to deliver 4G compatibility--but it's not enough to distract us from the incoming wave of Android 3.0 tablets.

The Streak 7 is the tablet we've been waiting for Dell to make. It's a device that's worthy of the company. It couples solid, refined hardware with a creative spin on Android 2.2. Granted, we've seen similar 7-inch Android tablets come and go, but this time around Dell is raising the stakes by making the first 4G-compatible tablet (courtesy of T-Mobile), priced at a tantalizing $199 with a two-year contract ($450 without).
SOURCE : WWW.CNET.COM

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New iOS 4.2.1 Jailbreak Soon...

The news today is that it appears GreenPois0n RC5 will be bringing untethered jailbreak to iOS 4.2.1 sooner rather than later. Twitter user @JHackstar tipped the net off to a Wiki showing that GreenPois0n RC5 is ‘coming VERY soon’ and will support all devices.



The reason for the new movement is that Apple has now closed the loophole hackers have been using up until iOS 4.3. Now there’s obviously no point in waiting for the new update to be released it’s been decided that GreenPois0n will go ahead as-is, with a new attempt at 4.3 to be made later. iPhone hacker Pod2g has also confirmed this on Twitter:

The good point is that because of this (and the fact that Apple fixed the kernel exploit in 4.3), we’re all working back on releasing gp.

That’s great news on 3 levels. First, I’m sure plenty of you have been waiting for an untethered jailbreak on 4.2.1 for a long time now. Second, the new GreenPois0n will work on ALL hardware. It’s great to hear that nobody will be left out in the cold this time around. Thirdly, it’s good to hear a release isn’t too far away.

More info coming as soon as we get it, so stay tunes folks!

You can follow us on Twitter or join our Facebook fanpage to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google and Apple.

- DezHuez

Rumor: Web Based Android Market? Yes Please!

Image Source

Apparently Google might be releasing a browser based Android Market tommorrow. Seeing how Google will have their Honeycomb press event on Wednesday this can turn into more than just a rumor.

Source Android and Me

Personally I think this would be a really nice addition to a already awesome OS. I know I use AppBrain like a crackhead and recently with the newest updates Google has been blogging functions like web-install. And if its true that Google Music might be bundled into this its all the more reason to be happy.

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You Don't Know BlackBerry Bold Touch

You think that this is just your ordinary, run of the mill BlackBerry. Just a variation on nothing special. That’s probably because you don’t know that this phone has a capacitive touchscreen to go with it’s qwerty keyboard. That it also has a 1.2GHz Qualcomm CPU processor. You didn’t know that this phone was packing 768MB of RAM with 8gigs of internal storage, and up to 32GBs in it’s MicroSD slot. You didn’t know about the NFC capabilities, the 5GHz mobile hotspot capability, the 2.4GHz b/g/n wi-fi, the 720p HD video recording with image stabilization. You didn’t know it will be RIM’s thinnest BlackBerry to date. And you certainly didn’t know that it will be released as a CDMA and GSM device to various carriers. You thought this phone was normal. You didn’t know it was epic. Well, if you don’t know, now you know.

Source: CrackBerry

Amazon Has The DROID BIONIC Priced at $149.99! Or Does It?

Amazon definitely wanted to get the ball rolling in sales of the Droid Bionic. They recently posted a sale page for the device priced at $149.99. When I first saw this popping up on the web I almost fell out of my seat! This phone, along with other powerhouses like the Motorola Atrix were also seen priced at $149.99. This is good news for those that are looking for a hot new phone but would rather not go broke trying to get one. Now on to the sad part. When I first saw this, I immediately whipped out my OG Droid to access my Amazon app to find the page myself. Unfortunately the page has been pulled. But don't get the wrong idea. The page will most definitely be coming back. That phone is a hot item and Amazon would be crazy not to put that page back up. Also, the Amazon page also priced the full retail value of the phone at $599.99. Check out the picture below, courtesy of the guys at the BGR. Doesn't it make you just want to drool all over your keyboard? You know you want to.

-FlashSama

Source: bgr.com

Blackberry OS6 update Available, Adds Functionality!

Here’s the highlights. Unified twitter feeds and status updates. You can type one status, and send it to one or every network you’re a part of if you feel so inclined. Universal Search, which allows you to access all the media and any data or apps on your phone from one place, and search the web as well. And finally, a faster web browser, with tabbed browsing and more organized page layouts, improving what Blackberry users have long considered a sore spot in the phone’s software.

For those who carry a Blackberry in the pockets, these are welcome improvements. If you own another brand of smartphone, some or all of these features may be old hat. Sure, RIM is still playing catchup, but every improvement is a small step toward achieving the huge goal. Besides, they have a plan.

Source: BlackBerry.com

RIM CDMA Phones Plan On Joining the Current Generation in this 2011

Crackberry seems to have gotten their hands on RIM’s 2011 roadmap for their CDMA phones, and it doesn’t look bad. We can expect a CDMA version of the Playbook, as well as a revamped version of the Bold Touch, and the Monaco Touch, a super sexy smartphone with a 1.2Ghz processor, an 800x400 res screen and support for NFC, Open GL (for better gaming) and HD video recording and “management.” Add to these a full screen Curve Touch with similar specs, and maybe, just maybe, BB fans may have something to be happy about this year. More pics, plus the source link, below.

Source: Crackberry

Microsoft: Sold 2 Million Windows Phone 7 Devices? Really?

You could call their bluff. Really, go ahead. Microsoft recently announced that they had shipped 2 million Windows Phone devices. 500,000 of those were shipped in December. That’s shipped as in “sent to retailers to be sold to people who want new phones.” Now, to be fair, merchandise sent to retailers count as sales. But this number, 2 million, does not represent the number of Windows7 phones in the hands of users right now.

Microsoft has said that, while individual sales are certainly a useful number, customer satisfaction and developer investment were more important leading indicators. "93 percent of Windows Phone customers are satisfied or very satisfied with Windows Phone 7, and 90 percent would recommend the phone to others," Greg Sullivan, Windows Phone 7 Senior Product Manager said. These figures were based on a recent survey of a couple hundred Windows Phone 7 customers.

Mr. Sullivan went on to point out that retailers aren’t contractually required to divulge sell through and activation numbers. "We have a high degree of confidence in the precision of the sell-in numbers, which is why that's what we're providing.”

In light of the fact that Android devices are activating 300,000 a day, is it time to call Microsoft’s effort “too little, too late,” or is this just a slow start to a successful future as a cellular OS competitor? Can Microsoft still provide a phone to "save us from our phones?" Check out the source links, then sound off in the comments section below.

Sources: Cnet, Computerworld

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Sony PSP 'Next Generation Portable'

Sony's codenamed the psp2 the NGP, as in "Next Generation Portable." And it is very accurate, considering the crazy features crammed into this thing.
So what can it do? It has A "revolutionary" user interface, social connectivity, location-awareness, augmented reality, and PlayStation Suite compatibility. The latter refers to Sony's new cross-platform developer tool that facilitates cross-development of PlayStation games for both PlayStation devices and Android phones with 3g capability. Yes Android Phones. ( my evo4g is happy)
When can we expect it? Well it ships this holiday.
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE.............
Let's start with the NGP's new OLED screen, clocking in at 5-inches and running at 960 by 544 pixels. Contrast with Apple's iPhone 4, which employs a 3.5-inch 960 by 640 pixel LCD, or the current PSP, with its 4.3-inch 480 by 272 pixel screen. Sony claims you'll be able to view the NGP's screen clearly from any angle.
That's not all, it's also (capacitative) multitouch capable, allowing you to articulate multiple finger input by touching, grabbing, pushing, or pulling the screen.
Flip the NGP around and, lo and behold, there's another 5-inch multitouch surface (not a screen, but a surface that recognizes touch input) displaying a field of PlayStation geometry symbols (very stylish, Sony). Wrap your hands around the NGP and you'll be able to use your fingertips to interact with the device's back plane as well as its front.
Now imagine touching the front and rear panels at the same time to pull off moves in ways no one's experienced before. It sounds kind of wild, but also kind of cool. Sure, the Nintendo 3DS has dual screens, but they're both front-facing, and only one's capable of touch input.

Sticks Not Nubs:
Sony admitted the most requested feature for its next handheld was dual joysticks. The NGP has them. And not just thumb nubs flush with the surface of the unit like the textured rubber disc on the PSP, but actual thumb sticks, rising above the front plane.
Sony calls these "micro analog sticks," and claims they'll deliver a Dualshock experience. Well, minus the vibration feedback. Maybe I missed it in the presser clang and clutter, but I don't think the NGP includes haptic technology at this point.
The rest of the input layout should be familiar to anyone who's picked up a PSP: The four geometry buttons on the right, the d-pad at left, the shoulder buttons along the top, and the START, SELECT, and PlayStation (menu) buttons tucked off to the side in corners.
Source :
http://www.pcworld.com

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New Sidekick 4G Let Loose In The Wild

Well look what we have here! Pics of the Sidekick 4G have begun to surface! The guys at TmoNews.com posted some pictures of the fabled device and it looks good. It looks nice and sleak from the pictures and it looks to have a front facing camera. It will also be running Android 2.2.1. Samsung is also behind the design of the phone as well. Looks like plus marks all across the board on this one.

When more info surfaces for the deivce, we'll be sure to bring it straight to you.
- FlashSama

(Via TmoNews.com)

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HTC Phone Leaked, Headed To Verizon?

Well there looks like another phone is on the horizon for Verizon (see what I did there). Leaked pictures of a button less HTC device started popping up and have been hitting all the major sites. The phone is still nameless and its unclear when the phone will have a release date but it is pretty exciting to know there could possible be another kick butt phone coming to everyones favorite network.....no not Sprint.... I was referring to Verizon.

As you can see, the photo on the left clearly shows the Verizon logo on the top of the phone. Now remember that at the CES event, Verizon mentioned four new phones that were scheduled to come out between the first and second quarters of the year. The HTC Thunderbolt, LG Revolution, the Unnamed Samsung device, and the Droid Bionic were all mentioned at the CES and were said to be released. So whats this device all about? Well we will be on top of this when more information comes out for this device. Excited? I know I am.

- FlashSama

(Via Erictric.com via @VerizonNews)

AT&T Unlimited Data Back!! (Kinda...)

Were you riding one of AT&T's unlimited data deals until recently? If so, this whole new Verizon iPhone thing is about to work in your favor, as the Associated Press is reporting AT&T iPhone users are being offered a sort of unlimited data amnesty: if they had it before, but switched to a limited data plan since, they can now have it back. This is clearly in response to Verizon's promised $30 uncapped deal, though it remains entirely unofficial and unannounced -- no reason why AT&T would want to advertise its desperation, after all. When asked for comment, a company spokesperson would neither confirm nor deny the news, saying only that AT&T handles "customers and their situations individually." Still, we'd pick up the blower and threaten to start wearing red to see what the incumbent iPhone carrier might offer up as an incentive to stay blue.

Source: MacForum

- DezHuez

Update: Verizon $30 Unlimited Plan for iPhone Might Be Out The Window

I guess Lowell Adams disclaimer about not shooting himself in the foot when he was asked about the unlimited data plans for the iPhone being $30. Smart move because just today Verizon backed off the of the claims but are now stating that the unlimited plans will still be offered, but for a limited time. Kind of sucks to be a iPhone user right about now, doesn't it? Well it only gets a little worse so no reason to blow up at Verizon just yet. Despite stating that the unlimited plan would only be for a short time, no mention of how long that window would be for the plan. That means that if you do get the iPhone but not within the window Verizon is still offering the unlimited data plan, you won't be able to ever get the unlimited plan while your under contract with Verizon.

After that window is closed, it will be more likely that Verizon would move to tiered plans for the iPhone like AT&T did. It does make sense though. The iPhone is good but because of the amount of data customers tend to use on the phone, it may have the chance to consume the Verizon network like it did with AT&T. Just last June, AT&T got rid of their unlimited data plan and put caps on their service, changing their data plans to $25 for 2 gigs and $15 for 250 megabytes. Verizon is expecting a lot of defectors to come over from AT&T when   the release of the iPhone comes in February, but that could change if Verizon does in fact decide to change to tiered plans like the iPhone's predecessor did. 

The Blackberry Playbook and smartphones to run android apps

As crazy as that sounds, we have been told by multiple trusted sources that RIM is seriously considering a feature that will allow BlackBerry devices to run Android apps. Here is what we know… Research In Motion has been trying to figure out the path it wants to take as far as how the existing Java environment will work on its upcoming QNX tablet and smartphones. The company has publicly stated that it is looking at getting a Java virtual machine running on the PlayBook — not so much for app development going forward, but for legacy support, custom apps corporations have deployed and don’t want to recreate, etc — but RIM hasn’t yet decided what kind of Java VM it will use. Hit the break for the rest!

Here is the big news: we have been told RIM is very much considering the Dalvik virtual machine, and we ultimately expect the company to chose Dalvik. If that sounds familiar to you, it’s because it’s the same VM that the Android OS uses, and it would allow RIM’s PlayBook and other QNX devices to run just about any application built for the Android platform.

There are various approaches to this situation — one where RIM uses the open source Dalvik VM and does not involve Google, and another (incredible) scenario where RIM and Google might reach an agreement (basically “certify” the device/platform) that would provide official support to Android apps on RIM’s QNX-based OS, and would feature the Android Market, Google’s Gmail, Maps, and other apps.

With the bold moves RIM has taken lately — QNX, the acquisition of the great UI team at The Astonishing Tribe, and possibly the ability to run any and all Android apps — if the company can hang on just a little longer, it could be poised to attack the market again in a huge way.I think Android is taking over its time to jump on the wagon while theirs still room. What do you think?

Source: BGR

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Data Smart: Smart for RIM, Great for customers

Data plans are becoming deal makers and deal breakers with a lot of customers. Some with tier data plans. Some increasing your data plan costs. And some are just to high to begin with. There must be some phone or app that can help with this? Well there is only one company who has what it takes to combat with data efficiency and its Blackberry and there DataSmart technology!

Whats DataSmart? Well it's sort of like zipping large files on your computer. When data is used on a Blackberry device, DataSmart comes in effect and "Zips" your data up before its sent or received. Therefore using less of your data plan. A study by Rysavy Research showed that DataSmart technology enabled up to 2x more web browsing, 4x more email, and 2x more social networking than other leading smart phones. That should be a kick in the knees to Apple and Google.

But more important is that the consumer gets to reap the benefits of a well thought of feature that not only allows you to do more with your smart phone, but actually makes your fixed data plans manageable. Heck, you could go to a cheaper data plan if you wanted. I guess it's just not the bbm or the keyboard that makes the Blackberry a good buy anymore. But it looks like this is a feature that the latest upgrade"blackberry6" has. Well RIM better get on these updates for these phones. Smart move by the way.

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iPhone 4G In The Works

According to an individual widely seen as a credible source close to Apple - Wang Jianzhou, the chairman of wireless carrier China Mobile - Apple is rapidly working to develop and support the high-speed and long-term evolution OF 4G wireless technology. Jianzhou says that a future update to the iPhone will reflect the progress Apple is now making internally.

"Apple has made it clear they will support TD-LTE," Jianzhou said in Davos, Switzerland. Jianzhou spilled the beans on Wednesday in the Sina Technology news portal, which was later picked up by Reuters. "Apple Inc fully supports China Mobile's next generation TD-LTE technology and talks are ongoing over a possible iPhone tie up with the carrier [China Mobile]," the report reads.

For the time being, the iPhone is only available in China through China Unicom, China's second-largest mobile carrier, which runs on the global 3G standard. China Mobile, however, has been working closely and remaining in talks with Apple for more than a year, a developing partnership that industry analysts believe will eventually yield a deal to expand the iPhone into China Mobile territory, a wireless network with 584 million mobile phone subscribers as opposed to China Unicom's relatively paltry 167.4 million subscribers.

Source:
Modmyi.com


- DezHuez

Verizon iPhone Monthly Pricing

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Verizon is poised to announce a $30 per month unlimited 3G data plan for iPhone users. However, according to a purportedly leaked memo from Verizon, this may be the only option available for any smartphone, as the entry-level data capped plans have all apparently been scrapped.

The Wall Street Journal's Roger Cheng says that the company's chief operating officer Lowell McAdam
told him he's about to inform investors of the new pricing structure, intended to lure away AT&T users who are stuck with that carrier's tiered plans. "I'm not going to shoot myself in the foot," he reportedly said, indicating that without an unlimited plan he thinks customers might not make the switch.

Engadget's Chris Ziegler revealed yesterday what he says is
Verizon's new data package pricing. If a tip from an anonymous source is to be believed, it appears Verizon will no longer offer its $15/month 150 MB data plan. Buyers of any new 3G smartphone, including the iPhone, will have to pay $29.99 per month for unlimited data. The carrier will offer a low-end 75 MB plan at $10/month for feature phones, the still-popular "special-ed" phones that are in between smartphones and dumb handsets.

It's not clear whether this unlimited plan covers Verizon's Personal Hotspot due out with the CDMA iPhone 4 variant running iOS 4.2.5. It is pretty unlikely, however: current smartphone customers pay $30 per month for tethering, and have a 5 GB/month data cap.

Update:
Verizon's Personal Hotspot feature will cost customers an additional $20 on top of the $30 they'll pay for their monthly data plans and come with a 2 GB cap.

Source:
MacRumors

Later Internet!!

- DezHuez

Rumor: Apple Made Verizon Get Rid of the "New Every 2 Years" Discount

Something's should be left alone. Unfortunately, they weren't and the discount Verizon used to offer was one of them. Yesterday, I had to call into the Verizon Wireless Center to check on my available upgrade discount because as most of you may or may not know, Verizon axed the "New Every Two Year" discount effective January 16th. That date was the official cut off date for the discount which means that if you haven't been a customer for more than a year previous to the date mentioned, you would be ineligible to receive the discounted price for your upgrades. I also found out that if you do in fact have a eligible upgrade, you only have 6 months after January 16th to use your discount before it is gone forever.

Hopefully by the time the big name phones like the Bionic and the Revolution come out we all will be able to use our upgrades to get the phone of our dreams. Now I do have to say that even after you use your upgrade, after that, it will be gone forever. No more discounts on top of discounts. But this is where things get interesting. While I was talking to the Verizon Service Rep on the phone, I got the chance to ask them why the discount was being taken away after all this time. Now if you have been following us or any other mobile news channel, you know that Verizon has said that they were getting rid of it to prep for the arrival of the iPhone. Some reasons were stated to possible keep the influx customers in line so that the network wouldn't get hit like the At&t has been getting hit since the dawn of the iPhone on their network. While I was talking to them though, they said something of a little interest.

They said that in order to get the iPhone on the Verizon network, one of the stipulations from Apple was that they had to get rid of their discount plan. Now I know what you may be thinking, "Flash, that doesn't sound right! Why would Apple make Verizon do that? They still have the phone on At&t so whats the difference? Well, if you think about it, normally when Verizon offers a brand spanking new phone, the starting price for the phone for 2 year customers is almost always $199.99. Now if you have a 2 year contract under Verizon you should be eligible for a discount of about $100. Now that $199.99 is the discount rate for 2 year customers, so if you add another $100 to that discount, you end up getting a new iPhone for a cheap $99.99. "But Flash, current customers will already be offered that rate when they use the upgrades they already have?" That may be true but what about the hordes of iPhone fans that may want to change to Verizon? They wont have the 2 year upgrade option.

Now if you think about it, there may be millions more coming from At&t that are willing to come to Verizon for the iPhone 4 instead of a drastic shift inside the Verizon camp itself. That means that millions of dollars will be coming to Apple's way instead of the discounted priced money that they could have received from the Verizon customers if they were able to get the phone at a discounted price. I know this may be a little bit of speculation on my part but it just seems to make sense. Apple definitely is looking to make money in this endeavor with Verizon and what better way to do it then to shut down any discounted rates for the iPhone then to make them get rid of the discount so they can get more money.

It just adds up to me that way, but maybe you think it could have happened for the reasons that Verizon had stated before. But think of it another way. If Verizon had said that they weren't going to get rid of the discount after all the leaks, the statements officials and reps had made about the iPhone coming to Verizon, and then Apple calling off the deal right in the middle would have looked bad. So they had no other choice but to get rid of the discount.

So Steve Jobs managed to screw Android users over right before he went on his exile..... I mean is sick leave. Rats!

Verizon To Offer $30 Unlimited Plans for iPhone 4

Looks lke iPhone users that are switching to Verizon have something else to cheer about. Lowell Adams, President and Chief Operating Officer for Verizon confirmed that iPhone 4 users will be getting unlimited data plans under 3G when the iPhone is launched in February.

It makes alot of sense too. What better way to draw away more customers from At&t, who by the way are still offering only limited data plans to new customers and ones that have switched from the unlimited to tier, then to offer an unlimited data plan of your own?

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Android's Got That Spark

Looking for something new in the realm of the homescreen world? Well look no further than Spark. This little wonder is the latest in homescreen apps and the layout looks pretty good. Its not alot to it right now but its simple and looks great. The UI looks very neat and it links both Facebook and Twitter together nicely. Some other features include:

- Live Twitter and Facebook streaming

- Local daily deals with Groupon

- Real time and up to date News, Sports, and Entertainment streamed to your homescreen via CBS, AP, and SKY news.

- Update Facebook and Twitter at the same time.

- Shows current weather by your location in weather window.

From the looks of things, its just starting to get off the ground but if the Developer continues to work on the app then this could definitely turn into something. One thing I did notice was that there wasn't mulitple screens or a contact window. If you think this is cool but not as your homescreen, you can use it as a separate standalone app. Its a good start to something that can eventually stand amongst the greats in the launcher app department.

iOS 4.2.1 Untethered Jailbreak Newz

It looks like the Chronic Dev Team has confirmed
an untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1. This comes as great news to many current-generation iOS device owners who are waiting patiently for an untethered jailbreak that does not require saved SHSH blobs and the ISPW file for iOS 4.2 beta 3, the latter of which is only available to developers. They've just a released a video showing off an iPhone 4 restarting, and then launching Cydia.



The release comes after a public dispute between @p0sixninja, one of the creators of this jailbreak along with @0naj and @pod2g , and @MuscleNerd.
@MuscleNerd had challenged @p0sixninja to "come up with [a jailbreak] in say, 10 or 20 days," and it looks like he's delivered in even less time with that. Now, I certainly don't want to put myself in the middle of that argument, and I don't think it's good to have the people that so many people in the jailbreak community (including myself) rely on fighting, but regardless, it's very exciting that there appears to be a major breakthrough for an untethered jailbreak.

The demonstration video says to keep checking GreenPois0n.com for an update. I'm sure we'll hear more about this very soon. To all of those waiting for untethered freedom, it appears that the wait should soon be over. It seems like the only issue left is that the wi-fi logo does not show up, but I for one have faith they'll get it worked out quickly.

Update: It looks like MuscleNerd has
congratulated
the Chronic Dev Team. Hopefully it means everyone's getting along a bit better.


- DezHuez

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Review: The Droid Bionic

This is the phone of my dreams... outside of being able to teleport me out of my house and straight to work using the GPS feature, but thats besides the point. The Droid Bionic is a device that is nearly unrivaled when it comes to specs, the only other phone being the Atrix that will be released under At&t, but the Bionic will be coming to Verizon. The specs on this device is very impressive and the list goes as follows:

- 1ghz Dual Core Processor

- 512mb Ram

- 16gb on board storage with an expandable 32gb SD card

- 4.3in qHD display

- 8mp camera

- Front facing VGA camera

- Stock 2.2

- HDMI output

In comparisons to the iPhone 4, it has already completely obliterated the device with its massive specs and processing power. My advice, wait for this bad boy to come out and get this awesome phone. I don't think anyone would be disappointed with using this phone at all.

Will You Be My Valentine.....Angry Birds.

If you have been a fan of Angry Birds then get ready for the next holiday special that are planning to release for the upcoming Valentines day season. For the change, the developers at Rovio are making a pink designed version of the Angry Birds game and that will be available in the Android Market on February 14th. What better way to show your love to the Pigs of Angry Birds then to inflict some pain on them with an aerial assault from a slingshot.

Check out the picture below. A screenshot of the layout of the Angry Birds mobile game. Isn't that sweet? Pigs surrounded by heart shaped glass just waiting to get broken up.

Launcher Pro Gets A New Update...and Crashes the Devs Web Page.

Guess who's back! Launcher Pro just received a pretty nice update which has gone live in the Android Marketplace. Version 0.8.3 allows the home screens to gain cool transition effects when switching from home screen to home screen. But see this is where the dilemma comes in. If you have had the chance to check out ADW Launcher, they have made updates and have added the transition effects to there home replacement app as well. So the question I leave with you guys is....Which one do you think is better? ADW Launcher or Launcher Pro?

To use the update: Go to Menu>Preferences>Homescreen Settings and then pick

the effect you want to use and then your golden. Definitely give it a shot.

In related news, earlier today when the Dev released the update to the app on his personal website

the masses swarmed the website to get a piece of the upgrade, the overwhelming response cause the servers

to collapse. The Dev tweeted this when seeing the servers fail out...

"Damn... guess too many people visiting the website at once brought the server down to its knees again :-S -

Federico Carnales".

Now that's showing your support in waves for a top of the line app. Don't forget to get the Launcher Pro Plus

if you have the cash to upgrade. Its well worth it.