The Chumkee app is a social network built around sharing your videos and photos with others. What I really liked about the app before was the flashy user interface which relied heavily on gestures and motions. Luckily, that’s still here in the 2.0 version and the new features make it an even more impressive app.

The Chumkee 2.0 version will do real-time translation of more than 30 languages for the videos that people post and the comments they write. This is really useful because this app seems to have a strong user base in Korea and Brazil – two languages which I’m not familiar with. The translation feature could be very powerful because it enables global connections through this app, even if it’s based around silly pictures.

Like many apps out there, the Chumkee 2.0 version is filled with really good ideas and technology but it won’t become great until it has a larger user base. I suggest checking it out at the link below.

You can download the Chumkee iOS app here (iTunes link).

Like Skype, users who have the Vongage Mobile app installed can make free calls or texts to each other around the globe (data rates apply). You can also get free calls to Vonage home users around the world and you get low rates to handsets and landlines around the world. There’s also a limited-time promotion where you can get up to 3,000 free minutes to call any mobile or landline in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Vonage is also promising that this includes a high-definition Codec to ensure a good voice quality. I’m very happy to hear this because many of us have had the experience or poor voice quality over VoIP (particularly over 3G/4G), so it’s nice to see Vonage Mobile addressing this problem head on. The iPhone and Android calling app also appears to be well-thought out, as you can use your existing mobile number as your caller ID and even view your credits and international rates before you make the call.

Vonage specifically highlights why its apps are better than its Microsoft-owned rival by saying that its per-minute rates are roughly 30 percent lower than Skype’s rates. Additionally, you don’t have to create a new address book, as the Vonage Mobile app will scan your address book and let you make calls to your existing contacts. This is neat because it will also let you assign your number to your app if you use an iPad or a tablet. You can also look forward to in-app purchases, background notifications and a rather pleasant design.

We’re going to have a full review of the free calling app for you soon and we’ll let you know how this new app stacks up to the competition, which also includes upstarts like Tango. You can download the new Vonage Mobile app for iOS here and the Android version can be found here.

[Via Vonage]

– This post is sponsored by Vonage, and you can download the apps here. For more information about Vonage Mobile, please visit Vonage’s site and you can see it in action on YouTube. Please note that sponsorship will not impact the review.

The game is launching with four tables, including Tales of the Arabian Nights, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Theatre of Magic, and Black Hole. And that’s just a start, with two new pinball tables set to be added to the lineup every month. These upcoming tables will be available through in-app purchases either individually or as “themed” packs.

You can play for your own enjoyment or participate in online tournaments where you’ll be competing with other players.

It’s also important to add that not all tables are equally easy/hard to master. As a matter of fact, there’s an in-depth tutorial for each table which teaches players the most important rules and skills needed to beat all the goals and become a Pinball Wizard.

Finally, aside from smartphones, FarSight Studios wowed to bring the game to the Xbox 360, PlayStation3, Macintosh and PlayStation Vita in March of 2012 and will launch on PC and other platforms later in the year.

Pinball Arcade ($0.99) [iTunes link] [Android Market - couldn't find the link]

Speaking of specs, this fancy fella’ rocks a 2.8-inch WQVGA (240×400 pixels) internal display, external screen comprised of 144 LEDs, 2-megapixel camera with fixed focus, Bluetooth 2.1, FM radio, 3.5mm headset jack, and 50MB of built-in storage that is further expandable with microSD memory cards.

Moto will ask 99 EUR for the unlocked, SIM-free Gleam+, with carriers most likely giving it away to anyone willing to put his/her signature on a new two-year customer agreement. Heck you’ll most likely be able to get the phone for free even with 12- and 18-month contracts.

Personally I like the new phone — it looks like a fancier version of RAZR2 — but since it doesn’t run any smartphone OS, I’m afraid I’ll have to skip it…

Dubbed Dell Voice, the new service is powered by Fongo, providing users with a Canadian phone number and the ability to make free calls to numbers in 30 large metropolitan areas, including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, as well as hundreds of smaller cities. Incoming calls from Canada are free as well, while international calls are competitively priced — i.e. cheaper than Skype. For instance, calls to the U.S. and U.K. cost just 2 c/min.

Aside from the basic phone calls, Dell Voice also offers call display, call waiting, voicemail and even the 911 emergency service. Moreover, users have the option to port their existing phone number over to Fongo for $25.

The free to download application is available for Android, iPhone, Windows desktop and, soon for BlackBerry. It works both over 3G/4G and Wi-Fi networks.

Finally, it’s worth adding that we’re pretty confident Dell is using Canada as a testbed market, and will soon launch its service in the U.S.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

Specs wise, this little fella’ comes with a 3-inch QVGA display, 3.2-megapixel camera, EDGE and Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth 3.0, and a microSD memory card slot. In terms of preloaded apps, there’s a web browser, Samsung’s ChatON messaging service, social networking clients, email app — all easily accessible through TouchWiz Lite UI.

At the moment, we’ve no idea how much the unlocked device will cost, though it’s safe to bet it won’t break anyone’s bank. If I had to bet, various phone retailers will offer it for up to 150 GBP sans any strings attached. Alternatively, users will also be able to get the Toco Lite 2 for free with carrier contracts…

[Via: Unwired View]

And now this handsome device is available in the UK, with the Carphone Warehouse scoring the exclusive launch deal. The 16GB tablet could be yours for 399 GBP (about $633), while the 32GB version is selling for 50 GBP more (449 GBP ~ $712).

Specs wise, Toshiba’s baby rocks TI’s 1.2GHz dual-core OMAP 4430 processor, 1GB of RAM, Wi-Fi connectivity, 10.1-inch 1280×800 pixels screen, mini-HDMI, mini-USB, microSD card slot, while Android 3.2 Honeycomb is running the show. Yep, it will definitely get its serving of the Ice Cream Sandwich, though at the moment we can’t tell when exactly that will happen…

[Via: EuroDroid]

These super-hot deals for 3-star and 4-star hotel rooms are available in cities around the country, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Ft. Lauderdale, Honolulu, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Fe and Washington DC. The inventory is updated at 11:00 a.m. local time, while room reservations can be instantly booked up until 11:00 p.m.

In order to be able to access them, all you need to do is update your existing priceline Hotel Negotiator app and then find hotels in the same-night stay listings. And if you still don’t have Priceline.com’s app installed on your smartphone, simply hit the appropriate link below and take it from there.

priceline Hotel Negotiator (FREE) [iTunes link] [Android Market]

Click on the image above to enlarge it.

Bold words, but the product behind them is bold as well. As a matter of fact, it’s CNC machined from single block aerospace grade aluminum, and can work with just about any smartphone on the market, while allowing access to all phone functions and apps.

Moreover, the PON can receive any 1/4×20 camera accessory stud in three different locations: front, top and bottom; while its patent-pending double locking design ensures greater security to withstand “even the most extremely reckless of uses.”

Of course, in order for PON to reach the market, a number of people must commit their hard earned cash and pre-order the device before it’s even made. The folks behind PON are looking to raise $75,000 and in order to secure your PON unit, you’ll have to pledge at least $79. That may sound a lot for a phone mount, but then again – PON is not yet another mount. It will work with all your existing phones as well as those you’ll be buying in the future.

Check it out from here. (link to PON’s page at Kickstarter)

Carriers pay Apple the subsidy that is able to keep the iPhone down to its $199 price point even after cramming in loads of new features in every release. For Apple, this is good. For consumers, this is good. For carriers, this is very bad.

During 2009 and 2010 before Verizon Wireless was selling the iPhone, its EBITDA margin was at an average of 46.4 percent. Right after the Verizon iPhone became a reality, the profit margin dropped to 43.7 percent. Last quarter, which was the first quarter to include iPhone 4S sales, Verizon’s margin was at 42.2 percent.

Fortunately for Verizon, its margins are comparably high to those of AT&T and Sprint. AT&T’s EBITDA service margin last quarter was 28.7 percent, an 8.9 percent decline year-over-year. Sprint’s margin last quarter was even worse at a sad 9.5 percent. The year before that when Sprint wasn’t selling the iPhone, its margin was 16 percent.

The good news is since Apple sells so many iPhones, carriers are still making plenty of money off of them. Don’t ever lose sleep about them not making money — if something doesn’t add to their bottom line, you can bet carriers will not go through with it.

[via CNN Money]