Now this is an odd one. Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) New Zealand has reportedly pulled the HTC Magic from their website. Calls have been put in to Vodafone in the region, and the response was somewhat ominous: the Magic can be purchased for $1,099 NZD, but no more are in stock and it isn’t clear when more will be available. Very strange indeed. Blogger Ben Gracewood has also reported that not only is the device no longer available online, but all stock has been removed from stores. If you’re in the region and are hoping to pick up a Magic, looks like your best bet would be to either call Vodafone or pop down to a local store to see if you can nab the now elusive device. (Either that or catch a flight to Australia).

Something isn’t right here for sure. The Magic was launched only last week in New Zealand at a large party with many celebs in attendance. One thing is for certain, time will tell us what’s going on here.

Note: It’s interesting to note that the HTC Magic in New Zealand is a ‘Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Experience’ device. I suppose it’s possible Vodafone is having some issues with Google? Who knows. Let’s wait and see.

[Via: AndroidAuthority]

Chances are if you were one of the eager beavers signing up on the T-Mobile myTouch 3G mini site, you have received an email to add fuel to the fire…. Pictured above, T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) has sent out this mailer to help build some much needed anticipation for device launch. Nothin’ too crazy here, but the mailer does point out that myTouch 3G pre-orders should arrive and be in-hand by August 3rd.

In case you missed it, a press event is scheduled for July 8th in New York City, where the myTouch 3G will be formally announced. From that point pre-orders for existing customers will be available. Latest rumors have the device available for general consumption on August 5th, but we’ll see. These dates have a way of changing.

[Via: TMoNews]

T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) has announced a July 8th myTouch 3G media event in New York City. It’s no surprise that this event comes on the same day that pre-orders are to become available. What a co-inky-dink, right?

At any rate, one thing is for sure… after this event we’re going to see many more leaks and spy shots of the myTouch 3G. Get ready for all of the black, white and ‘merlot’ myTouch 3G goodness you can handle. Again, the myTouch 3G media event will take place Wednesday July 8, at 11:00 AM EST.

[Via: SlashGear]

eXpansys are always quick-to-market with the best and latest deal, and today is no exception:

HTC Hero with £30 worth of eXpansys vouchers
Now only £399.99

Buy the Android-powered HTC Hero from eXpansys and we’ll give you £30 of eXpansys vouchers to spend on accessories. Why not use them to get yourself a HTC Car Charger or a HTC International Travel Charger so you have power wherever you are? Follow this link for full terms and conditions.

The HTC Hero is the world’s first Android-based phone with a customised user interface. With HTC Sense technology, the HTC Hero is focused on putting people in the centre, by making your phone work in a more simple and natural way. The 3.2-inch HVGA display is optimised for Web, multimedia and other content while maintaining a small size and weight that fits comfortably in your hand. It boasts an in-built GPS receiver, digital compass, gravity-sensor, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, a 5 mega-pixel autofocus camera and a microSD memory slot.

You can place your order for the HTC Hero today!

The resistive touchscreen goes "SQUISH"

We can only hope.

The iPhone helped popularize the smartphone. The iPhone’s user-focused UI and more natural capacitance-based touchscreen has changed the mass-market’s expectation of what a smartphone should be. It’s just too bad Windows Mobile has yet to catch on - it’s still fully backing resistive touchscreens (you might know them as “squishy” touchscreens). Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) has been making excuses for not overtly supporting capacitive touchscreens by spouting higher hardware costs and lesser hand-writing recognition accuracy. Given Windows Mobile’s ancient UI and fairly disappointing user experience, a squishy touchscreen is the least of Redmond’s problems.

That doesn’t mean a capacitance touchscreen wouldn’t go a long way to making Windows Mobile work and feel more like a modern day touchscreen smartphone. In fact, Microsoft seems to be aware of “some device manufacturers” that are “considering options to ship capacitive screens” on their Windows Mobile smartphone.

A recently-posted developer article first makes a case for using capacitive touchscreens:

Capacitive technology has several advantages: zero pressure is required to make an input because nothing needs to be deformed and this leads to a much more natural interface experience; although additional material is laid onto the screen, there is no air gap so optical clarity is much improved reducing the need for backlighting making power draw lower; multiple touch points can be supported; things like touch size and pressure can be extrapolated from the capacitive data.

Microsoft then makes excuses for Windows Mobile smarpthones using resistive touchscreens:

However they do suffer in other areas: in general the cost is currently higher than the equivalent resistive screen; supporting a stylus is hard because it must be made of conducting material and must make sufficient contact to change the capacitive property of the screen; in several areas the accuracy tends to be lower than resistive e.g. around the edges of the screen, combined with the lack of a stylus and lower sample rates makes things like handwriting input very hard.

But, there’s hope yet. The article clearly states that a Windows Mobile 6.5-powered handset featuring a capacitance-based touchscreen is at least an option that’s being considered by hardware manufacturers:

Windows Mobile 6.5 has primarily been designed for resistive screens because some input areas still rely on small controls and require a high level of input accuracy that can’t be easily achieved with a finger and require a stylus; however some device manufacturers are considering options to ship capacitive screens.

HTC showed the world that Windows Mobile smartphones don’t have to suffer from small-buttons-and-awkward-UI Syndrome. HTC’s TouchFLO 3D II UI not only replaces the traditional WinMo homescreen, it also replaces many of the awkward UI elements that makes resistive touchscreens necessary. With enough customization to the WM6.5 UI, it’s possible that HTC will roll out Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphones equipped with capacitive touchscreens running HTC TouchFLO 3D II!

[Via: MSMobiles]

The HTC Snap has already proven itself a top choice for cost-conscious smartphone fans looking for a Windows Mobile smartphone with a good QWERTY keyboard. But, with Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard running the show, the HTC Snap is going to feel a little dated when Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) launches Windows Mobile 6.5 later this year. Unless, that is, HTC decides to bless the Snap with a Windows Mobile 6.5 update - as hinted at by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG).

For those of you that don’t yet know, the Bluetooth SIG is a Bluetooth certification body that, well, certifies, uh, Bluetooth. Anyway, the Bluetooth SIG website can be a goldmine for leaked tid-bits on upcoming mobile phones. The latest leak makes reference to the HTC Cedar (HTC Snap’s codename) running “WM6.5.” It’s not clear if HTC intends to release a WM6.5 update for both HTC Snap/Cedar variants, or if the update will only be available for the recently spotted HTC Cedar100. Still, the mention of an OS upgrade for the Snap is intriguing.

With a little luck, HTC Snap owners might be treated to a Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrade in the near future.

[Via: WMPowerUser]

The US Census Bureau is getting ready to conduct the most wireless, high-tech census in US history. And, they’ve tapped none other than No. 3 US wireless carrier Sprint (NYSE: S) as the exclusive wireless provider for all their “census-ing” needs. The wirelessly connected Decennial Census will kick off in 2010, and promises to be the most accurate account of the US population in the history of the US Census.

You might recall seeing the HTC Census passing through the FCC, on it’s way to some half million (500,000) Census enumerators. HTC created the HTC Census specifically for the US Census Bureau’s Field Data Collection Automation (FDCA) project, which aims to collect and transmit census data back to a central database.

Armed with this EVDO data-only Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC, and integrated GPS, the enumerator’s job of collecting absentee census information will get nice and streamlined. As a high-tech plus, the built-in GPS unit also keeps the enumerator honest.

Makes me wish I had an HTC Census during my stint as a US Census enumerator back in 2000.

[Via: CN]

With the launch of the myTouch 3G coming at us fast on T-Mobile (pre-orders July 8th, availability in August), more and more spy shots are due to leak out. Case in point, the shots of the ‘Merlot’ myTouch 3G I happened to stumble upon today. If you’re sick of the never-ending flow of black and white devices, the red, errmm, sorry, ‘Merlot’ version of the myTouch 3G might be a worthwhile change for the Android fanatic in you.

There she is, the T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) Magic in Red… Oops, sorry, I mean the T-Mobile myTouch 3G in Merlot. My bad.

[Via: TMoNews]

Are you in the UK and can’t wait another moment to get your hands on the HTC Hero? If this is the case, there is some good news for ya, but be prepared to drop a few hard earned dollars, ermmm, I mean, pounds in order to make it happen.

Unlocked HTC Hero handsets are now available for pre-order via Amazon.co.uk. With a price tag of £429.99, the Hero’s offered up here are unlocked and sim-free. Apparently these devices will be released/shipped on July 15th.

If you don’t mind waiting just a little bit longer, both Orange and T-Mobile will have the HTC Hero up for grabs within the next few weeks. Both carriers are gearing up to offer the device free of charge if they can lock you into a new contract for a few years.

Still can’t wait huh? Check out the HTC Hero at Amazon.co.uk.

[Via: Phandroid and TalkAndroid]

A little tidbit of news here for all the folks over in Portugal. Seems as though the Android-powered HTC Magic will be arriving in your country very soon! No hard date has been set, but the TMN network has made an announcement that they will start pushing the Magic in the near future. Of course, to go along with no launch date, TMN hasn’t launched any pricing info either.

If you’re interested in pre-ordering, head on over to the TMN to do so. You’ll see a fancy HTC Magic banner square in front of your eyes when you check out their site (at least, u should).

[Via: tek]