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.

Google isn't a RPG, Its a company.

But you couldn't tell that to Eric Schmidt and Larry Page. Google announced earlier to the world that they would be switching things up with the company at the top. Eric Schmidt, who has led the company for the past decade, will be taking the new position as the Executive Chairman, and co-founder Larry page will take over his CEO duties starting April 4. Doing some leveling up I see. But I don't see this affecting anything. At least not for android. They just changed names of there roles in my opinion. But could it affect Android? I wanna hear your thoughts on this topic.

Source: Droidlife

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Motorola Atrix 4G, a laptop that can fit in your pocket

This phone is awesome. The only other phone I have ever said that about was the Evo 4g. This will be great for those who's business keeps them on the go. You will no longer have to lug your laptop around from one meeting to the next. Now you can just take your phone.
The handset is accompanied by a Motorola HD Multimedia Dock, with three USB ports and an HDMI port, so that one would be able to connect keyboard, mouse, speakers and HDMI-compatible monitor to it. Moreover, Motorola launched another companion for the mobile phone, meant to truly transform it into the laptop that the company claims it might be, namely the Motorola Laptop Dock. Here's what Motorola notes on it:The Motorola Laptop Dock has an incredibly thin design with an 11.6-inch screen, full keyboard, stereo speakers, 36Wh three-cell battery that delivers up to eight hours of battery life and weighs just 2.4 pounds. Users simply dock their Motorola ATRIX 4G into the back of the Laptop Dock to turn it into an active, connected machine to experience true mobility at work, home and playing on-the-go in a form factor that's lighter and smaller than most laptops on the market.

The other specifications of this device are as appealing as well, including a qHD display, front and rear-facing cameras, 48GB of storage (16GB internal and optional 32GB MicroSD card), Wi-Fi 802.11n support, and 1930 mAh battery for extended standby and talk time. This phone will do it all. But let me know what you think.
CHECK OUT THE YOUTUBE AD. http://youtu.be/Sc1N7__UQsg

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Thunder Strikes Twice in Voice and Data together on 4G LTE

Well folks, cross your fingers for this one because if this is in fact true then Verizon Wireless could be getting its FIRST (and I can't stress that hard enough) smartphone with the ability to use voice and data at the same time.

Following the leaked images of training materials for the HTC Thunderbolt, which is to be released under Verizon, is posed to be the first smartphone under the Verizon brand that will be able to use voice and data at the same time. This is something that GSM phones under AT&T, T-mobile, and even Sprint have been enjoying for some time now.

Under 4G, it seems that the voice and data feature will be permitted by if you end up out of 4G coverage and back into 3G, the data will drop but the phone call will continue. I do find that a little alarming only because the 4G network isn't EVERYWHERE just yet. So if there are only limited spots for the 4G service, it might make that feature a little tough to use. But hey at least its a start. Good job Big Red! I might have to end up switching my choice for my next phone. And special thanks to AndroidCentral for leaking the picture of training material first.

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Sprint Jacks Up Prices On Smartphone Plans By $10 Per Month

Riddle me this: how much does it cost to own a smartphone? Answer: it doesn't matter we all will have to pay.
Sprint's smartphone service just got more expensive: The carrier just announced it will charge an extra $10 per month for smartphones to use its "Everything Data" plans.
Sprint, which has been trying to make a big comeback for several years, has tried to undercut rivals like AT&T and Verizon with cheap smartphone plans.
But as smartphones running software like Google Android encourage people to use more data -- which costs more for Sprint to provide -- the carrier is increasing its rates.
The new charge applies to Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Palm, and Instinct devices. Some 4G phones already included the $10 per month "Premium Data" surcharge.
The price hike will only apply to new activations; existing Sprint subscribers aren't affected until they upgrade to a new phone.

My personal view us that this sucks. But that the cost to be.. or to have a smartphone.

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The Great White Hope...Again

"Where's my ding-dang white iphone 4???" I wanted a white iphone 4 at the summer revamp of the popular device. But here we are in January of the year 2011 and NO WHITE IPHONE!! The world is still holding onto hope that a white iPhone 4 will some day become a reality and if a purported screen capture of Vodafone Germany’s inventory system is to be believed, that day may soon be upon us. Verizon Wireless announced the iPhone 4 just last week and it included an image of a white iPhone on its website in the process. While the inclusion of the white iPhone was an accident (yeah right...) and the image was subsequently taken down, the very fact that Verizon’s Web team was working with images of the white iPhone was viewed by many as a promising sign. Monday, a series of images reportedly shows entries for a white iPhone in Vodafone Germany’s inventory system. (How's your German?? Screen grab above) The source of the pictures claims that the albino iPhone should become available soon, so perhaps white iPhone fans will actually have a few months to enjoy the phone before its successor launches this summer.

Later InterWebNet

- DezHuez

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Hey MobBat!

What goes on Mobile Kombat?! Finally, a voice has been given to the other side of the Mobile OS war. I'm here to give you the latest and greatest news from the Evil Empire...no not Walmart. Apple.

Obviously, the biggest news today was that Apple CEO Steve Jobs would be out of the spotlight for a while. A memo from Steve Jobs was sent to all Apple employees today, stating that Jobs will take a medical leave of absence so that the CEO can "focus on his health." Full details below.

"Team,

At my request, the board of directors has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health. I will continue as CEO and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for all of Apple's day to day operations. I have great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011.

I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, my family and I would deeply appreciate respect for our privacy.

Steve"

As when Jobs took six months off in 2009, he'll continue to be CEO and to have a hand in strategic decisions for the company. And, as before, Tim Cook will oversee Apple's day to day operations. There's no indication of how long Jobs will be away from the helm this time.

It's unclear whether this leave of absence is related to his 2009 liver transplant or his earlier battles with pancreatic cancer. Presumably more details will come to light when Apple holds its quarterly earnings call tomorrow. Whatever the case, we certainly wish him a speedy and complete recovery.

Last time Steve-O was on "sick leave" their was serious concern that he was really, really sick and that if anything happened to him Apple's stock and direction would take a dive. We'll have to see how this episode plays out.

Later Internet.


- DezHuez

The LG Revolution has begun

LG Revolution has a respectfully-sized, 4.3-inch touchscreen, while a front-facing camera will let you do video chats. The main camera unit on the rear of the device has a 5MP sensor with autofocus, HD camcorder, and an LED flash. Data speeds that the LG Revolution is expected to achieve on Verizon's LTE network are as follows: 5 to 12 Mbps for download, and 2 to 5 Mbps for upload. The handset is able to act as a Mobile Hotspot, so it'll allow you to share the data network via Wi-Fi with up to 8 other devices. Other goodies on board include Bluetooth 3.0, HDMI port and DLNA.
My personal view on this phone is that it looks great. I hope the hdmi out is now a standard output for new smartphones. Verizon is now making strong waves in the phone waters and it is refreshing. This phone in my opinion is a great upgrade to get if you do not have a smartphone. But let me know if you have it and if you like it. Thanks

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Will iPhone Dominate Android in 2011?

There has been alot of speculation as to whether the iPhone with its iOS would dominate the Android with its Google experience this year because of both the "Exclusive " tag lifted from AT&T and the imminent release in February of the iPhone on the Verizon network. While the iPhone is an impressive device in its own right, but to say that iOS will dominate a OS that has outdone them in the past 2nd half of 2010 doesn't seem accurate. There is no doubt that Verizon will make a pretty penny with the iPhone coming to "America's Favorite Network" but if they replace their flagship device in Android with iPhone, that would be a mistake.
The reason being is because of the specs and features that are coming in the new smartphone 4G devices in the HTC Thunderbolt, LG Revolution, and DROID BIONIC. And lets not forget that Samsung has also released an unnamed 4G device with some sweet specs. The iPhone 4 has neither the muscle of Dual Core nor the overall size of the screen, not to mention the fact that it cant use 4G. Even AT&T has taken notice and has the beast of a smartphone in the Atrix thats suppose to be coming in March.
With all the new hype of Tegra 2 dual core devices, 4G under Verizon, and a host of other great features and phones, the iPhone 4 doesnt seem likely to surpass the Android anytime soon. Some analysts predict good numbers going into the second and third quarters this year for Android. But what do you think? Will iPhone take over on Verizon or will Android turn iPhone into its little brother?

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HTC ThunderBolt

Out of the four major hitters for 4G LTE, the Thunderbolt caught my eye first. Why?
Well lets take a look at a couple of key points:

HTC
HTC Phones are usually open for developers. XDA is a strong community to back up tweaks and such for each phone. Update wise on HTC end they usually update their phones the fastest out of the other manufactures. With new Android versions coming out every 6-8 months its the best company to go with that's not a Google experience phone (i.e Nexus/Nexus S)

HTC Sense 2.0
Currently I have a Droid X and by default it runs MotoBlur and personally I don't like it that much. I have heard very good things about Sense and 2.0 looks really good. If there should be a skin on a phone HTC Sense should be it. It's quickly updated by HTC and bugs addressed pretty quickly.

1Ghz Snapdragon
Its one of the newer Snapdragons and should be snappy, think of the EVO speeds but on Verizon.

More specs courtesy of Engadget


HTC Thunderbolt
• Networks: LTE 700, CDMA EvDO revA
• Operating system: Android 2.2 + HTC Sense
• Display: 4.3" WVGA TFT capacitive touch screen
• Camera: 8MP with autofocus, LED Flash (2x LED), 1.3MP front facing camera
• Memory: 8GB emmc + 768 RAM Memory card, preinstalled 32 GB microSD
• WLAN: 802.11 b/g/n
• Bluetooth: 2.1 with EDR (3.0 when available)
• GPS: GPS/AGPS
• Battery: 1400 mAh
• Special features: Dual mics with noise cancellation, Surround sound, Compass sensor, G-Sensor, Proximity sensor, Light sensor, 3.5mm audio jack, MicroUSB, FM radio, LTE SIM slot , TI audio DSP
• Chipset: Qualcomm® MSM8655, 1GHz, Qualcomm MDM9600

Now most might ask why I would choose this over any of the Dual Core phones. Well first off if you want to call this the second coming of EVO then go ahead. Its basically a refined EVO. But with it being such a good phone spec wise you know your going to get what you want. I doubt you will see any lag or any type of slow down which is why you would go with a Dual Core to begin with. With Dual Core phones coming out you have to remember they will be the first generation Dual Cores. Android wasn't designed to take full advantage of both cores, so its not exactly worth it just yet. The Thunderbolt also has more RAM to help with it having a single core, so that helps there. It seems that with it having 4G it most definitely can stack up to be a great phone and hold you over for the next 2 years while waiting for Dual Core and Android to fully work together.

Personal Thoughts:
I would certainly think the Bionic would be better speed wise in the processor are but I can't help but think of Motorola's past with the Droid X. I currently own the Droid X and while the phone is great I don't like not being able to fully control my phone with the locked bootloader. I don't regret buying it it's a fantastic phone but I'm sitting on a upgrade and at first glance if I had to be forced to use that upgrade I would most definitely buy the Thunderbolt not only does it have the power and features but it will be backed by the community since it's a HTC product. If you can wait and keep your current phone till maybe next year 2012 then I would hold out on this years phones from what was shown at CES for Verizon. If not and you must upgrade I would Choose the Thunderbolt.

Conclusions
If you just can't wait to get that new shiny phone then by all means get it you will be set for the next two years. But at this point it's a little bit too early in the Smartphone game to really show who's really king, heck the phones aren't even out yet. So once they are out I will do a re-review but for now I would say go with the Incredible and wait on Dual Core phones till at least Q4 2011 Q1 2012.

Kiss Your Verizon "New Every Two" Goodbye

Well folks, Android users have something else to gripe about now because Verizon is getting rid of there "New Every Two" program. If you are new to Verizon, the program would allow you to get further discounts on a new phone of your choice when your contract nearly comes to an end. So why would, in particular the Android users have reason to be upset?
Well because of the rumor mills and buzz, then the final announce of the iPhone actually coming to Verizon, Verizon decided to rid the program to counteract all the phone swapping madness that would ensue for the iPhone 4, which is available early next month. The program would give discounts to 1 and 2 year subscribers and extra discount ranging from $30 to $100 going toward the already discounted price of the new phone (Ex: Droid X- $599.99, 2 year contract- $199.99- $100.00 rebate discount= $99.99)
Starting Jan. 16th, the program goes bye bye. Those that are still current customers will still be able to use the credit towards the iPhone and customers under contract before Jan. 16th will be retroed into the credit, but for the last time. So thats it, if you still have your discount then your golden...if not...your up the creek without a boat. Darn iPhone!

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App Review: VEVO: For your music video pleasure

Looking for an app that allows you to view your favorite music video's? Well look no further then Vevo. This app allows you to search for your favorite music video's whether its Ricky Martin or Nicki Minaj. This app also comes with a bunch of nice features like playlists, top video's and a detailed search engine to find your favorite artist video's.

The view quality also has the option to play in gorgeous HQ and it runs on both 3G and WiFi and it plays at full screen which is a definite plus if your using a 4in device or greater. Its available now in the Android Marketplace and the iPhone App Store right now and definitely give this a try.

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This is going to be a Good Year

With the CES just ending last week, we have so much to look forward to in the new year. From new and more powerful smartphones, to the onslaught of new tablets, to even Verizon annoucing just yesterday that in fact the iPhone will be available under their network in February! And this is only the first two weeks of the new year!
Even AT&T has begun to show some love with Android and has gotten some new and more powerful toys after losing the "exclusive tag" on the iPhone. Verizon making policy changes and all too in prep for the iPhones release and Steve Jobs not showing up to the conference for the announcement (was there any surprise there? I mean come on.)
So with that being said, lets dive right in to this year and hope for the best! Smartphones and tablets and netbooks oh my indeed.

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Netflix Promises Android Streaming App… But Not for All Phones

Hey get this early this year, some Android users will get Netflix streaming apps like those enjoyed by iPhone and Windows Phone 7 users — but not everyone.
We knew Netflix was working on bringing streaming to Android, thanks to those job listings that all but declared it, but we didn’t know for sure what prevented it from happening sooner. Now we do.
Netflix product development guru Greg Peters blogged yesterday that “the lack of a generic and complete platform security and content protection mechanism available for Android” has prevented the company from expanding to the rapidly growing smartphone platform. In other words, Netflix is unable to implement on all Android devices the digital rights management tools that would satisfy the film studios and other content providers from whom it licenses all its content.
“We are eager to launch on these devices and are disappointed that we haven’t been able to do so already,” he also wrote. He said the same security issues are cause for concern about software piracy on Android.
Since no universal solution exists, Netflix is working with individual hardware manufacturers to support specific Android phones, and the first batch of those will get their apps in early 2011. Peters also said Netflix is working “to develop a standard, platform-wide solution,” but he didn’t provide a timeframe for that — probably because so much of what needs to happen there is beyond Netflix’s control.

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