The audio may be a bit quite on this video, and it may be a bit long for your ADD self at over 6 minutes, but don’t let that stop you from hitting play and being absolutely bloody amazed at what these guys have created. Ben first told IntoMobile readers about the iBand about 2 weeks ago, when it was featured on the BBC1 television program Dragons’ Den. I usually don’t write about accessories because frankly I don’t care, but this is just … wow, just wow:
PCworld.com is carrying an interesting story, reporting on the fact that Nvidia’s Tegra range of chips will be finding their way to lots of mobile devices soon.
Now we’ve talked about the Tegra before (here and here), but the thing that brings this new story up-to-date is that the Zune HD (Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT)’s digi-music player) will be sporting the chip – in fact the one in the Zune will be an APX 2600, which tech-mumbo-jumbo aside, simply means it has the processor grunt to play 720p HD video.
Apparently we are going to see more devices, all in the portability area, finding their way in to the market this year, including smartbooks, MIDs, and smartphones. Some of these will be powered by the higher-end Tegra chips, running at 7-800MHz. However next year’s chip could be running at 4x the performance, so imagine what we’ll see then (hopefully something in a mobile form-factor that does 1080p HD – just a thought!).
Interestingly, by popping 720p in the Zune HD, it means that it outperforms that Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) iPhone/iPod touch, which cap out on VGA resolution video. Rocking the HD on a 3.3 inch OLED doesn’t hurt either, and putting HD on the video output will turn it in to some kind of pseudo-Apple-TV-like competitor.
But the Tegra goodness doesn’t end there – it also enables Flash in the browser, a feat only previously accomplished by the HTC Hero, in terms of the mobile side of things.
From my perspective, it’s great to hear about technical capabilities, but I wonder about two other things – first, the user experience, and second the available content. I guess before the end of the year, we should have a stack of Tegra-powered devices to make our judgements on…
A few weeks ago, OLED-info.com reported that Nokia (NYSE: NOK) are using two OLED panel suppliers – Samsung and TPO. The latest update is that TPO has some technical issues, and are not yet supplying panels to Nokia… oops!
TPO plans to launch their first product later this year – a 3″ (or a bit larger) WVGA panel for mobile phones. This panel is already in development. In 1H 2010 TPO will release a 3″ VGA panel aimed for digital cameras, and in 2H 2010 a 4″ WVGA panel for mobile phones.
Of course, all very nice, but no panel for Nokia in the short-term – ouch, that’s gotta hurt inventory-wise, but I’d imagine Samsung will happily take up the slack!
RIM invited me to hang out with them at the lovely Bryant Park Hotel Cellar Bar in New York City to get a first hand look at their upcoming BlackBerry Curve 8520. Not only was I able to talk about the 8520 with them one-on-one, but they even allowed me to bring one home with me to poke and prod to my heart’s content!
When I first got my hands on the Curve 8520, I was surprised by how light the device was. The last BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) I owned was the good ole 8700g, so to go from that phone however many years ago it was that I had it, to this one is a huge step forward. One of the things RIM wanted to put a lot of effort towards was the 8520’s sleek and streamlined design. RIM did a great job with that as the 8520 doesn’t feel clunky in the hand. The 8520 also has small buttons on the right and left side of the device. The left has one, which by default launches voice command. The right has three: The first two are for volume control, while the third is towards the middle and by default launches the camera program.
The optical trackpad on the 8520 is also something that should be pointed out. When you navigate through the menus using it, it’s rather impressive on how smoothly the 8520 navigates. It’s especially apparent when you’re navigating through the web browser. Rolling your thumb over the optical trackpad puts less wear and tear on your thumb, especially when you’re scrolling down at a fast pace in order to get to a lower part of the webpage.
And finally, let’s talk about the integrated media buttons located at the top of the 8520. The placement of these controls were perfect as most people have their phones located towards their hip. All you have to do to control your music is touch the top of the 8520 and you can easily pause, skip forward or backward while you’re listening to your favorite tunes. I did notice that the buttons needed a bit of force in order to click the buttons in. I guess the purpose of this is so users don’t inadvertently bump into something and accidentally switching tracks, but unfortunately it still needs you to have finger muscles of steel in order to use them.
That’s all that we’ll give you for now. We’ll be working on the review for the BlackBerry Curve 8520, so make sure to check back to IntoMobile to read our full review!
According to OLED-info.com, there are rumors that HP has an upcoming smartphone, called the iPAQ K3 Obsidian. Reportedly it will have a 2.46-inch Touch-AMOLED display, with QVGA 320×240 resolution. Other specs include a 3.2Mp camera, 528Mhz CPU, 256Mb RAM, microSD slot, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, microUSB and GPS.
Sounds OK doesn’t it? There’s nothing outstanding with those specs, but as previous devices have taught us, sometimes the end result can sometimes be greater than the sum of all the parts….
I’ve not had a very good run with my iPhone 3GS – first of all, I found the same rattle that Will found, and now I’ve got screen issues!
What exactly? Well, follow my instructions below and let’s see if you have the same:
-hold the 3GS in the palm (NSDQ: PALM) of one of your hands
-take the thumbnail of your other hand and gently run in from the centre of the screen outwards toward the bezel
-see if your thumbnail slips off from the glass over the bezel, or
-…. if it catches on the bezel
….. basically my screen is higher on one side than the other – and looking at the device in profile, you can just about see this.
I was expecting this to be just my issue, but when I typed “iPhone screen not flush”, I got back a bunch of hits – seems like I am not the only person with this problem! Interestingly, this doesn’t appear to be just a 3GS problem, but prone to occur on other devices too!
Now I’m not commenting on this purely because I am OCD, but for practical reasons – if the screen doesn’t mount flush, I’d guess there would be a higher chance of dirt or fluid ingress? Certainly that’s been the case on other devices I’ve owned.
I’m also a little disappointed that the build quality from Apple (NSDQ: AAPL), a company normally famed for its industrial design, is a bit lacking here – in my opinion that is.
Oh, thank god. The three-in-one extUSB port nonsense that we’ve had to put up with in the Touch Pro 2, Magic, and countless other HTC devices will soon be a funny story to tell our grandkids. HTC has gone on record about their strategy with standard headphone jacks, and we are all thoroughly, thoroughly elated.
The vast majority of devices we launch after Hero will have a 3.5mm jack. Devices that we have already announced but that still come out after Hero will not necessarily be a part of this change.
Gigitty. We’ve seen HTC already wising up to this problem with the Hero, though we might have to trudge through a few more extUSB-only devices in the immediate future. Fine, whatever it takes – you can even keep extUSB on there, if you insist – just give us a plain ol’ 3.5mm headphone jack, too.
Looks like Amazon is officially joining the mobile fray. Today they have announced the beta launch of AmazonWireless, a new site that is offering cell phones and plans. Also unique to this store is a free two-day shipping policy… and, get this… no rebate madness! Yipee! One might have seen this coming, as Amazon has long been offering deals and discounts on phones in recent history.
The devices available at the moment are all on AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ)… no other carriers are on-board at the moment. After taking a quick peek at the site, you can pick up a Samsung Eternity a867 for a penny… Yep, a penny… Actually, quite a few phones are available for a penny (BlackBerry Curve 8900 too!), but all of these deals of course force you to activate a new, or extend an existing contract. You’ll also need to hold on to and pay your monthly bills for a period of 181 days after activation. Policy also stipulates that you can’t change your service plan to a lower monthly rate… Doing so will subject you to additional charges.
Yadda, yadda, you know how it goes. You can check out the full terms and conditions for each device by clicking the T&C link on each device page.
Lots of deals are ready to be had. Check it out for yourself over at wireless.amazon.com.
Everyone’s favourite online gadgets vendor eXpansys is running a competition to celebrate the launch of a new range of Laptops and Notebook devices. The comp is to win a Samsung R510, which is a pretty nice bit of kit!
To launch our new broader range of Laptops and Netbooks eXpansys are running a competition to win a Samsung R510-FAAE Laptop.
You cannot fail to be impressed by the R510 series perfect balance of functionality, style and value. Featuring state-of-the-art Intel processor technology combined with advanced connectivity and an ultra clear 15.4″ widescreen display, the R510 series sets a new standard in optimised performance.
All you have to do to have a chance of winning this great prize is answer one simple question. Don’t miss out, enter now. The closing date for entries is midnight on Friday 31st July 2009.
INQ Mobile has been named “Phone of the Year” at this years Meffys Awards, held by the Mobile Entertainment Forum. The Meffys are considered the industry’s official benchmark for measuring success and rewarding innovation, and the awards honor the most influential players from around the world. This category recognizes the importance of mobile handsets in driving consumer discovery and entertainment, and the INQ1 was recognized by the judges for being a mass market phone that offers social media and mobile internet services in an easy to use, simple way, driving mobile data usage.
MEF’s Executive Director, Rimma Perelmuter, said “We are delighted for INQ Mobile, a new entrant to the market, whose focus on usability and social networking features answers the needs of consumers who seek a fun, affordable and connected experience.”
INQ’s innovative approach – building hardware and software from the ground up with social media and internet services at the core – has caught the attention of the mobile industry and consumers. So far this year, the INQ1 has won the “Handset of the Year” at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the Mobile News Awards “Best Newcomer,” and now “Phone of the Year” at the Meffys.
I reported on the data usage of the INQ1 here, but no harm in recapping the (impressive) stats they recently too:
The company also recently released data on usage of the INQ1 on the 3 UK network. The numbers seen on an entry-level handset and pay as you go tariff were comparable, or in some cases higher, than what operators typically see on much more expensive smartphones.
An average of 65% of INQ1 customers are using Facebook , with the majority of users accessing once a day or more
30% of INQ1 customers are regularly using email
Windows Live Messenger usage is 3-4 times greater than on other 3G phones on the 3 UK network, with around 50% of INQ1 customers accessing the service every month
A few weeks ago, 
RIM invited me to hang out with them at the lovely Bryant Park Hotel Cellar Bar in New York City to get a first hand look at their upcoming 
According to 
I’ve not had a very good run with my iPhone 3GS – first of all, I found the same rattle that Will found, and now I’ve got screen issues!
Oh, thank god. The three-in-one extUSB port nonsense that we’ve had to put up with in the 
Everyone’s favourite online gadgets vendor eXpansys is running a competition to celebrate the launch of a new range of Laptops and Notebook devices. The comp is to win a Samsung R510, which is a pretty nice bit of kit!
INQ Mobile has been named “Phone of the Year” at this years Meffys Awards, held by the Mobile Entertainment Forum. The Meffys are considered the industry’s official benchmark for measuring success and rewarding innovation, and the awards honor the most influential players from around the world. This category recognizes the importance of mobile handsets in driving consumer discovery and entertainment, and the INQ1 was recognized by the judges for being a mass market phone that offers social media and mobile internet services in an easy to use, simple way, driving mobile data usage.
