The Verizon Samsung Omnia II’s launch isn’t going to be exciting just for Windows Mobile fans, it’s going to be exciting for anyone that’s been  to Swype’s continuous finger-motion typing interface. That’s because Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s Samsung Omnia II will be the first production device to support the innovative Swype typing interface, which Samsung has dubbed “Genius Texting.” Rather than having you tap our individual letters on an on-screen keyboard to form words, Swype allows the user to trace paths between those letters. The software analyzes your finger’s path to determine your desired word, increasing accuracy and increasing your typing speed.

The Swype-powered “Genius Texting” feature will be built into the Omnia II when it launches next month. The innovative keyboard still allows you to tap out words like you’re probably used to doing on a touchscreen smartphone. Should you feel so inclined, you can start tracing your word with a single continuous “swipe” motion. Gestures are also supported for tasks like capitalizing a letter – just swipe an upside down “V” motion onto the keyboard and off you go!

Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional might not be enough to get you to buy the Omnia II, but Swype’s new keyboard sure makes a strong case for putting an Omnia II in your pocket. Or, if Android’s more your style, we’re hearing that Swype will soon make its way to your favorite Google (NSDQ: GOOG) mobile OS. Word on the street has Swype hitting the Android platform in the first quarter of 2010.

Say good-bye to the decades-old typing paradigm and make room for the new wave of Swype-powered keyboards!

This is how Swype works:

[Via: MocoNews and MobileCrunch]

The growing popularity of the iPhone platform can only mean one thing. Nope, it has nothing to do with the flakiness of AT&T (NYSE: T)’s 3G network in San Francisco. It means that we’ll be seeing more iPhone security threats rearing their ugly heads. A new variant of the original “Ikee” iPhone worm, dubbed “Ikee-B,” targets jailbroken iPhones with unsecured SSH passwords. The new Ikee-B worm infects susceptible iPhones and lies hidden until the user visits Dutch bank ING’s website. Once logged in, Ikee-B steals passwords and financial information.

To be clear, only jailbroken iPhones with default SSH passwords are vulnerable to the Ikee-B worm. Previous iPhone attacks demonstrated the need for jailbroken iPhone users to change the default password, but it’s apparently still a big enough security hole to inspire this new bit of malware. Even worse, this version of the worm isn’t just going to “Rick Roll” your homescreen, it has the potential to drain your bank account.

Now, before you panic, keep in mind that Ikee-B is only being reported in The Netherlands. It’s possible that the worm could make its way to other European countries and Australia. More importantly, you can close your jailbroken iPhone’s vulnerability by changing your default SSH password. We have instructions on how to do that here.

Seriously, change your SSH password now!

[Via: MobilitySite]

There’s an iPhone infection going around, so we thought it would be a good idea to post a quick “How-to” guide for changing your jailbroken iPhone’s SSH password. Unlike the Swine Flu, no amount of hand-washing or coughing into the bend in your arm is going to prevent your jailbroken iPhone from contracting a malicious infection. On the plus-side, changing the default password on your jailbroken iPhone should inoculate your handset from current iPhone worms.

If you’re using a jailbroken iPhone, iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS, and you’ve messed around with SSH before, we highly recommend you change your SSH password.

Here’s how:

1. Since you’re jailbroken, you have Cydia installed on your iPhone. Fire up Cydia.
2. Find the “MobileTerminal” app and install it.
3. Fire up the “MobileTerminal” app from your homescreen.
4. Type in the command “su root” and hit enter (without quotes).
5. When prompted for your password, type in “alpine” and hit enter.
6. Type in the command “passwd” and hit enter.
7. You’ll be prompted for a new password. Enter something you’re likely to remember. Seriously, don’t put down something obscure that you’ll forget – that might come back to bite you later on.
8. Repeat your new password.
9. That’s it! You are now protected from all current SSH backdoor security threats.

The entire process takes maybe a minute, depending on how long it takes for you to download/install MobileTerminal and how long it takes you to type in the above commands. There’s really no excuse for not changing your password.

The iPhone is a data hog. Just ask AT&T (NYSE: T) and their strained 3G data network. Data-hungry iPhone users seemingly aren’t able to satisfy their thirst for online information. They’re so ravenous for the all things internet that, according to AdMob, the iPhone accounts for 50% of all smartphone web traffic around the globe. Here, in the US, the iPhone pulls down 55% of all smartphone traffic, mostly through AT&T’s 3G network. That’s a lot of data!

It’s not just the iPhone, either. The smartphone boom has raised Android awareness high enough to boost traffic from Android smartphones to 11% worldwide. In the US, the effect is even more pronounced – Android handsets are responsible for 20% of all smartphone traffic in America. Compelling new Android offerings like the Sprint HTC Hero and T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) myTouch 3G (as well as their European variants) have helped drive up Android market share. Android is fast closing the gap between itself and the iPhone platform.

But, it’s not all roses and rainbows in the smartphone sector. Nokia (NYSE: NOK) has long led the mobile phone market in terms of market share, but has recently been losing share to the likes of iPhone and Android smartphones. The Finns (Nokia) are responsible for 24% of worldwide traffic, with the Symbian platform sending out 25% of all worldwide smartphone web requests. The BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) OS dropped to just 7% of global smartphone requests. Windows Mobile fared even worse, claiming just 3% of global requests. Palm (NSDQ: PALM)’s webOS, despite a European launch of the Palm Pre, dropped down to 2% of the world’s smartphone traffic.

The moral to this story? Smartphones are on the rise. But, it’s not enough to just run a smartphone operating system – consumers are flocking to intuitive touchscreen platforms with desktop-class web browsers. The iPhone and Android platforms obviously meet these criteria. Nokia, BlackBerry, Palm and Microsoft should be asking themselves why their offerings don’t.

[Via: AdMob] (PDF link)

Previously, there were rumours that Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE)’s X1 would get an update to Windows Mobile 6.5 after a supposed leaked ROM hit xda-developers. Well, sources close to the matter are apparently dashing those hopes, saying that no official update is actually in the works. Considering the X1 already has a customized user interface, you aren’t really missing out on the facelift, and Marketplace is coming to 6.1 anyway, so the only substantial feature X1 owners won’t be enjoying is My Phone. Big loss? Not really.

[via CNET]

Smartphones are going to be hot sellers this holiday season. With the holidays fast approaching, HTC will be pushing hard to cash in on the smartphone boom. How, you ask? By giving $100 to anyone buying a qualifying HTC handset between November 27th and December 31st! If you’re shopping for a new smartphone, better deals will be hard to find.

As part of HTC’s “YOU” marketing campaign, the smartphone maker will mail you a $100 check for buying an HTC smartphone from Verizon (NYSE: VZ), T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) or AT&T (NYSE: T). The only catch, you have to send your old smartphone to HTC – think of it as a trade-in program for your aging mobile phone.

Details after the break.

Read the full article »

The Motorola (NYSE: MOT) droid launched rolling large with Android 2.0, but for those with older Android devices, you can shelf away your jealousy; the biggest feature, voice-prompted driving directions in Google Maps, is now available on all Android 1.6 devices. Aside from a nice robot lady telling you when to turn, you can also set shortcuts for regular destinations, making it even easier to get to where you’re going. The update also includes Layers support, so you can keep an eye on specific points of interest, even when you’re on the way to your destination. The service is technically only available in the U.S, but there are workarounds. The Android 2.0 launch was hard enough on TomTom and Garmin, who make their business with premium versions of this service; I wonder how they’ll recover from this blow…

[via Official Google Mobile Blog]

You might have seen Stefan’s post recently, mentioning that the Nokia (NYSE: NOK) E72 is finally in stores (and long while after it was announced, judging by the dates given) – well, eXpansys have just pinged me an email to let me know that they have the Nokia E72 in stock – at a pretty reasonable £349.99!

Rather than repeat the specs for the device, I’ll note what eXpansys say is in the box:

- Nokia E72
- Battery BP-4L
- Stereo Headset WH-601
- Data cable CA-101
- 4GB Memory Card (MU-41)
- Carry Case & Strap
- Clean Cloth
- Mains charger (AC-8)
- User guide

That’s a decent size memory card, and it’s nice to see the inclusion of a cleaning cloth – most devices these days are grease and dust magnets, so something to clean them off with is always appreciated!

If you want to grab the E72 for yourself, you can reach eXpansys by clicking here.

[Via: eXpansys]

Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) (and Sony in fact) have been right out there in recent years, with their Marketing campaigns – largely they have focused around the use of colour, relating to Sony (Bravia) TVs being great at displaying it, and Sony Ericsson cameraphones being great at capturing it.

The recent campaigns for the Satio and Aino devices featured people on hoppers (check it here) – and now they’ve gone one step further in the land of weird, by asking people to visit their site, and take a look at a webcam focused on room full of empty hoppers. To inflate the hoppers, you need to Tweet #pumpt – now of course you might be asking why you should want to inflate the hoppers, and the answers would be that apparently they are going to release the hoppers somewhere if you suggest it whilst Tweeting – see, I told you it was Leftfield!

ANYWAY – back to the mobile-related bit – whilst you are on the site you can check out their Satio and Aino devices – or you could just go to any other Mobile News site (say, for example, IntoMobile) and read stuff about the handsets!

If you’d like to see what’s going on in the room full of hoppers, and/or check out some device info, click here.

O2 has announced that the HTC HD2 will be on sale in-store (in the UK) from today. Available from free on O2 Pay Monthly, the HD2 packs in a pretty massive 4.3-inch touch screen, fast processor and camera with LED flash – all into a package just 11mm thick and weighing in at 157 grams!

“The HTC HD2 is the first HTC branded phone to be sold on O2. We love the large screen and combination of Windows Mobile 6.5 with HTC Sense,” said Steve Alder, General Manager Devices for O2 in the UK. “We are proud to be the home of smartphones and the HTC HD2 adds a new dimension to the range of devices we offer to our customers.”

The HTC HD2 is powered by a 1Ghz processor and has built in Wi-Fi, GPS, and FM radio. It also has YouTube, Facebook and Twitter integration and a MicroSD card slot, along with a standard 3.5mm audio jack, Bluetooth and microUSB charging port. ??The HTC HD2 will be available in-store and over the phone. To find your nearest O2 retail store, visit http://www.o2.co.uk/shop/retailstores.