I have to admit, all of the TELUS Motorola Milestone rumors have been coming fast and furious lately… and the latest batch going ’round that it would launch on February 18th left me scratching my head. Don’t get me wrong, it still very well could launch on the 18th… But to this point I’ve been unable to get any sort of verification from the folks at TELUS (NYSE: TU), which was why I was reluctant to post any release dates for the Milestone.

Today, it looks like Best Buy has changed their tune, perhaps in reaction to TELUS bonking them on the head for spilling the beans. As you can see in the shot above (via MobileSyrup), Best Buy has removed the so-called launch date and have replaced it with a much more vague (and date free) pre-order blurb.

What you make of this is your own business. Could be the launch is delayed… Could be it’ll still launch on the 18th. Only thing I know for sure is I’ll let you know the moment I find out the real scoop from TELUS!

The Pearl 9100 ‘Stratus’ is getting more than its fair share of face time. In fact, for an unreleased device, we’ve already caught it on video (here and here), spotted it rocking T-Mo and WIND 3G bands, and got a glimpse of it via the typical Mr. Blurrycam photos here, here… and here. Lots of coverage, lots of video, and lots of pics. The amount of coverage is a bit unusual, but perhaps this is only a sign of increased interest in the device? Nah.

At any rate, TODAY we’ve got some more BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) 9100 love to share. Originating from the Indonesian site Feedberry, more images have arrived (I mention that the site is Indonesian, because it brings about an important point… Leaks are coming from international locations now!). Surely the Pearl 9100 is almost ready for prime time, no? Last I heard the 9100 was rumored to be out by April 2010. We’ll see. I hope it comes out sooner, I can’t take these leaked shots and videos anymore… just give us the device already!

[Via: CB]

Early, early this morning I posted a pre-requisite ‘Mr. Blurrycam’ image of the new Pearl Stratus 9100. The image showed off 3G bands 1, 4 and 8 (AWS bands), which translates into good things for T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) and WIND customers. That is, if they have a hankering for a new trackpad-packing Pearl.

Now, we’ve got new pics via the Cellular Guru that give us a much clearer look. Nothing too surprising here… OS 5.0, check… GPRS, WiFi, check… same 3G bands? Check! As I said earlier, expect the Pearl 9100 to make its way to all of the major carriers in due time (with T-Mobile, AT&T (NYSE: T), Rogers (NYSE: RCI) and WIND almost being a lock). For now, enjoy a few more shots below.

Some interesting iPad news for you all this morning. Upon popping open a new article from Wired, it looks like the iPad may indeed ship with a webcam in-place. They detail a small dot above the screen, which, they presume is for a camera tucked away inside the black bezel. On top of that, Wired also provides a screenshot from the iPad emulator in the new SDK (below)… a screenshot that clearly shows an option to take a photo or choose a photo for your address book… Just like you can do on your iPhone.

Also, earlier this morning the folks at Mission Repair have somehow managed to miraculously get their hands on replacement parts for fixing iPads. Do not ask me if this is legit, or how they did it… I’m just reporting what they’ve posted… But the short of it is, the iPad frame seems to have space for a camera to fit within it (top). After noticing this, they pulled a camera from a unibody MacBook, and, what do you know… it fit just perfect.

Interesting, no? Take this for what it is for now… Rumor. But it sure is interesting to think about what Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) may be holding close to the chest for the official release. A new camera, perhaps iPhone OS 4.0? What else are they not telling us?

We’ve been hearing about the next gen Pearl series, aka ‘Pearl2′, aka ‘Striker’, aka ‘Stratus’ for some time now. We’ve seen leaked pics, a video here and here, and now a little more news.

If the Mr. Blurrycam image above is to be believed, it looks like there will be at least one version of the Pearl 9100 setup to rock 3G bands, 1, 4 and 8… aka ‘AWS’ (Advanced Wireless Services) bands. Translation, the 9100 should be compatible with T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) in the US and WIND Mobile for the great folks up in Canada. While that’s good news for sure, I think we’ll see a lot more of the 9100 in the days and weeks ahead… and me thinks the latest version of the Pearl, complete with trackpad will be making appearances on all of the major carriers when the time is right.

[Via: CB]

The Motorola Milestone, aka DROID has been a tightly guarded secret in Canada. With knowledge that the Milestone will indeed be making an appearance on the TELUS (NYSE: TU) network, all of my contacts within the company have been tight-lipped at best… and I have to give them all credit for being consistent on the topic. My most recent correspondence with TELUS regarding the Milestone resulted in this reply:

TELUS doesn’t comment on rumors and speculations but as previously mentioned when TELUS and Moto announced the upcoming release of the Milestone with TELUS, the device will be available in early 2010. We are as excited to bring this product to Canadians as many of your readers are and we will let everybody know when it’s launching officially as soon as we can.

A pretty stock answer, and consistent with their position all along.

With that said, the evidence is starting to pile up that the Milestone may be coming soon. In an upcoming edition of the Best Buy Mobile Buyer’s Guide, you can clearly see a the Moto Milestone emblazoned on the cover. While no pricing or launch date is given, this is surely good news for those eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Milestone in Canada.

Stay tuned for more.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

Final Fantasy fans will no doubt be frolicking with fervor following the Final Fantasy news I’m about to put forth! Over at The Appera, screenshots of Final Fantasy I and II for iPhone had appeared. While the screenshots were solid proof, no confirmation that FFI and FFII were indeed coming to the App Store had hit us… Until Now. The developers over at Square Enix have posted on their Twitter feed and Facebook Page that yes, Final Fantasy I and II are headed to the iPhone (and iPod Touch). The release date and pricing is still TBA, but this is great news for any fan of this legendary RPG series.

Note: If you’re a fan, you may want to bookmark the official Final Fantasy for iPhone mini-site. It’s simply a coming soon page for now, but I hear the site will be launched real soon.

Stay tuned for more news as it hits us, and in the meantime enjoy a few more screenshots below.

Picture of the day brought to you by Boston.com’s The Big Picture. The caption reads: “A man rents mobile phone chargers by the hour in downtown Port-au-Prince January 17, 2010. (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)”

Please donate to the cause by going to Clinton Bush Haiti Fund or (if you’re in America) text “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross.

CES 2010 is officially over, but we’ve still got videos to show you. The biggest consumer electronics show in the world was filled with all kinds of eye-candy to drool over. The Las Vegas Convention Center was brimming with gadgets, apps, cars and, of course, beautiful women to catch every geek’s attention. We’ve already showed you mobile gadgets aplenty from CES 2010, so we figured it’s about time we showed you the “booth babes” of the show. Enjoy our “Women of CES 2010″ video clip in full HD!

Only a few days back, the BlackBerry Tour2 9650 (aka ‘Essex’) made a guest appearance in Verizon’s inventory. Since then, it’s been clear the 9650 will be making its debut on ‘big red’… But I wondered when we were going to see our first Sprint (NYSE: S) inventory shots, ever since Simon told about the 9650 that was spotted with Sprint branding.

Wouldn’t you know it, a little earlier today I stumbled upon a leaked inventory shot from Sprint, and much like the ditties from Verizon (NYSE: VZ)… these leaked beauties show off the fact that the Tour2 9650 is indeed in Sprint’s system as well. Cool beans.

The second coming of the Tour will be welcomed with open arms, as it is set to come with an optical trackpad, WiFi, and a faster processor. Definitely an upgrade for anyone currently packing the first gen Tour. Stay tuned for more.

[Via: BBOS]