Cell Phone News

This week is fake devices: 5 totally different clones

By Dusan Belic on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 8:14 AM PST
In Devices, Fake

And we’re continuing with our “this week in fake devices” series. We have 5 different phones to talk about:

  • Nokia (NYSE: NOK) 5730 clone – check out that stylus. It’s a clear mark we’re talking about a clone here, as the original 5730 doesn’t have a touchscreen.
  • Ferrari flip phone ripoff – this is far from being the first fake Ferrari-branded device. This time, however, we’re talking about a clamshell-shaped phone.
  • Aston Martin mobile phone ripoff – this is new, as we’ve haven’t seen Aston Martin-branded phones in the past.
  • Micky Mouse mobile phone ripoff – although it looks like your child’s next mobile, we urge you to skip the purchase.
  • Winnie the Pooh mobile phone ripoff – similarly to Micky Mouse phone, this clone lacks quality.

And that wraps it up. Again, we cover fake devices to warn you NOT to be tricked into buying them. Stay safe. ;)

[Via: JampBLOG]

Texter-friendly Pantech Impact launched by AT&T; Could be yours for 100 bucks on a contract

By Dusan Belic on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 7:31 AM PST
In AT&T, Devices, Pantech

Pantech Impact - AT&T

AT&T (NYSE: T) has added a new texter-friendly device in its portfolio – Pantech Impact. The phone comes with both full QWERTY keyboard and numeric keypad, which [numeric keypad] interestingly sports haptic-enabled keys. Rest of the specs include a 3G radio, GPS, music player, camera that can take both photos and videos, email and IM clients.

As for the availability, AT&T will start selling the Impact starting from tomorrow, November 22nd, when interested users will be able to grab it for $99.99 on a contract and after $50 mail-in rebate, in either bright blue or soft pink…

[Via: Unwired View]

Deal: Nokia N900 available for $480 on Amazon!

By Dusan Belic on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 7:30 AM PST
In Devices, Linux, Nokia

Deal: Nokia N900 available for $480 on Amazon!

Despite the fact Nokia (NYSE: NOK) announced that its N900 will sell for $649 in the U.S., the good ol’ Amazon is offering the Maemo-powered device for $480 ($479.99 to be more precise). As you probably already know that money buys you one of the most capable smartphones on the market today with features that include tons of storage (32GB), GPS, WiFi, great 5-megapixel camera, and so on. Exact shipping date is unknown at the moment, but I assume you won’t have to wait for too long to grab the N900, in case you want to. ;)

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

Samsung unveils S5150 Olivia and S7070 phones, part of the new Diva series

By Dusan Belic on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 7:28 AM PST
In Devices, Samsung

Samsung has unveiled two new phones, part of the (again) new “Diva” series, that targets female consumers.

First comes the clamshell-shaped S5150 Olivia, which reminds me on some Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and Sony Ericsson (NYSE: SNE) models. The device prides itself with a 2.2-inch QVGA screen, 3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth connectivity, music player, and a microSD memory card slot.

As for the S7070, it’s yet another Samsung’s all-touchscreen-er, rocking a 3-inch WQVGA resistive display, 5-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, media player, FM radio, and a microSD slot.

Both devices are expected to be available during the first quarter of 2010…

[Via: SamsungHub]

Pizza Hut’s iPhone app scores to MMA awards

By Dusan Belic on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 5:03 AM PST
In Applications, iPhone

Pizza Hut iPhone app

We’ve already reported about Pizza Hut’s success with its iPhone app. Well, in addition to the numbers achieved ($1 million in sales), the company is all proud to announce that it also won two MMA’s (Mobile Marketing Association) global awards: Mobile Display Campaign in North America, and Emerging Technology Campaign in North America.

Commenting on tha announcement, Pizza Hut’s Bernard Acoca said: “It’s an honor to be recognized as a mobile marketing leader by the MMA with wins in two categories. The Pizza Hut iPhone App continues to be an applauded breakthrough digital innovation that connects with consumers and industry organizations.”

Now I’m hoping other restaurants will follow Pizza Hut’s example and make the food ordering as simple and convenient as it should be, and ultimately make more money along the way. ;)

Sprint offering YouMail visual voicemail service to BlackBerry and Android smartphone users for free

By Dusan Belic on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 4:58 AM PST
In Android, BlackBerry OS, Services, Sprint

YouMail for BlackBerry and Android

Sprint (NYSE: S) users with BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) and Android smartphones can now use YouMail-powered visual voicemail service free of charge. You know how it works, right? Just like on the iPhone, plus more:

  • You can scroll through incoming voicemail messages to see caller information including caller name, time of call, and length of message
  • Play voicemails by simply clicking on them
  • Share and forward voicemails as an email or post to a blog
  • Delete, archive or save voicemails, forever

In order to use YouMail on your phone, you’ll need the YouMail application. Search for it in the BlackBerry App World or Android Market, depending which device you use. Then go to YouMail’s website, sign up for a YouMail account and follow the brief instructions for forwarding unanswered calls to YouMail. It’s that easy. ;)

BBC launches mobile English language courses in Bangladesh

By Dusan Belic on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 4:56 AM PST
In General

Bangladesh mobile phoneThe BBC World Service Trust has developed English language courses for mobile phones and is currently offering them to over 50 million mobile phone users in Bangladesh. The idea behind the project is to extend BBC’s existing learning tool to mobile, in addition to TV and Internet, and reach more people.

For the endeavor, BBC has teamed up with all six of Bangladesh’s networks, which have agreed to cut the cost of calls to the service by up to 75%. Speaking of the course, it consists of over 250 audio and SMS lessons, and each lesson is a three-minute phone call, costing about 3 taka.

According to The Financial Times, more than 300,000 people have already signed up for the service, which is great!

[Via: textually]

North Korea reaches the 70,000 mobile phone users mark

By Dusan Belic on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 4:54 AM PST
In General

North KoreaIt was back in April when we reported that North Korea has reached 20,000 mobile phone users. Now, 6 months later, we’re glad to see that them number is approaching the 70,000 mark. As of the end of September, the sole mobile operator in the country koryolink, which BTS is majority owned by Eygpt’s Orascom Telecom, reported that its subscriber base has reached 69,261 users. Meaning that in the time you’re reading this, the 70,000 mark has been reached and even surpassed.

In the 9 months ending September 30, 2009 – koryolink reported revenues of $18.5 million with EBITDA of $10 million, representing a margin of 54%.

Currently, the carrier is working to extend the network coverage to the whole country…

[Via: CellularNews]

Smart Thermostat lets iPhone/iPod Touch users remotely regulate temperature in their homes; Special equipment required, of course

By Dusan Belic on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 4:50 AM PST
In Applications, iPhone

Smart Thermostat for iPhone

A company called ecobee has released a new application in the AppStore called Smart Thermostat, allowing users with compatible (i.e. expensive) systems to remotely adjust the thermostat’s temperature, schedule or update vacation events, change the system and fan operating settings. In addition, the application alerts users about the status of the system.

See where that’s going? Soon enough every iPhone user will be able to have all the benefits of Bill Gates’ famous digital home. The problem, however, is not in the available apps, it’s the high-end equipment that costs fortune that keeps many folks, myself included, from pushing our homes into the digital age. :(

Anyway, AppStore link is here, and no, I don’t hate you if you can use it. :)

[Via: renewbl]

Surf your Windows Phone with Remote Access

By Will Park on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 7:11 PM PST
In Announcements, Applications, Windows Mobile

xbap wpf web browser app Surf your Windows Phone with Remote Access

There are plenty of apps out there that allow you to control your computer from your smartphones, but what if you want to browse your Windows Phone from your desktop computer? Well, then you’ll want to check out WiFi Remote Access for Windows Mobile. The new Windows Mobile app installs itself on your Windows Phone and acts as a bridge between the phone and your computer, allowing you to connect to your handset via WiFi and browse its contents through a web browser (like the one you’re using to read this very sentence).

Remote Access is still in beta, but doesn’t skimp on features. You can view photos, complete with thumbnails. You can listen to the music you have stored on the phone. You can even edit your Windows Phone’s registry through the app.

There’s no desktop installation required. Simply install the Windows Mobile app on your smartphone and point your desktop computer’s browser to the handset’s IP address. It’s that simple.

Find more information on Remote Access here. Grab Remote Access here.

[Via: FuzeMobility]