Sony Ericsson “Twiggy” Walkman phone strikes a pose

We’re not exactly sure this upcoming handset from Sony Ericsson is deserving of renowned 90lb supermodel’s name — even as a codename — but slender form or not, the SE Twiggy is the star of a new round of live shots. Rumored to have been canceled (and it very well still might be), the Twiggy is a Walkman phone with a thin flip above the keypad common to various Sony Ericsson handsets over the years. In this new iteration, the face of the flip cover is home to a single touch-sensitive play/pause button. Nifty, but we would’ve liked to see forward and back buttons as well of course, as are present on the face of the W350. Beyond that, little is known about the music phone other than the fact that it has a 3.2 megapixel camera on the back.


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Orange to finally launch LG GD910 watch phone next month

More interesting news from the UK today as it looks like LG’s would-be-highly-anticipated-if-not-for-the-insanely-high-rumored-price-tag GD910 watch phone is set to become a reality next month. Orange has reportedly confirmed that LG’s Dick Tracy-esque wrist gear will hit store shelves some time in August as an exclusive, though Orange exclusivity will only be for “a limited time”.
The carrier hasn’t yet pinned a price on the touchscreen GD910 watch phone and we don’t blame them considering it’s rumored to be in the £1,000 range (about $1,612 at today’s exchange rate) on a pay-as-you-go plan or SIM-only. And you thought the Nokia N97 was expensive. For the sake of our British friends’ wallets, let’s hope the rumored price is way high and this little HSDPA-ready wristwatch drops with a slightly less ridiculous price tag. As for availability on this side of the Atlantic — don’t hold your breath.
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Sony Ericsson’s first Android handset “Rachael” and the transparent display-rocking “Kiki” get pictured

It’s July 4th — America is celebrating its independence at the grill, policemen across the country are turning a blind eye to fireworks, liquor store owners are swimming in the day’s take… And two new Sony Ericsson handsets are getting detailed. Maybe. Consider these unconfirmed rumors for the time being, but it looks like SE’s first Android handset could be a gem and its first transparent display-equipped handset could be the ugliest thing we’ve ever seen. Let’s start at the top… After the jump.

Pictured above is a sleek full touchscreen handset codenamed “Rachael”, reported to be the Sony Ericsson’s first Android offering. According to rumor, it will bear the Xperia brand and will feature a big ‘ole touchscreen resting atop Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon processor, an 8 megapixel camera with auto-focus, a 3.5mm audio jack, 7.2Mbps HSDPA and 3D graphics capabilities. Hot. It will be announced later this year and, if all this holds up, could very well be the first truly drool-worthy SE handset we’ve seen in quite a while.

Next up from the mill, a hideous handset reportedly codenamed “Kiki”. Beyond the unique design, the Kiki is said to feature a glass display that can be viewed from either side of the device. The handset doesn’t seem to feature anything resembling a traditional keypad so we’re not sure how interfacing is going to work. Bottom line — this is likely a very early mock up that will be changed drastically if and when it ever reaches market.
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Samsung i7500 Galaxy hits UK this month

Sure, we might be a bit more anxious for the Hero, G1 v2 or the Morrison at this point, but let’s not forget Samsung’s first Android-powered handset — the Galaxy i7500 — has yet to see the light of day. Though it might not be the most exciting handset in the world, the i7500 certainly will be the best-spec’d Android handset when it launches. While we know it will be hitting T-Mobile at some point here in the US, it looks like our friends across the pond will be first to enjoy this sweet smartphone with an O2 release coming some time this month. Big bright touchscreen, 8GB of internal storage, 5 megapixel camera with flash, 3.5mm audio jack and Android 1.5 all wrapped in a 12mm-thin case… Fair enough. So what say you — disappointed that our Euro pals get first crack at another sweet phone or did you start day dreaming as soon as we mentioned the Hero?
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Cemetery in a Pocket

Cemetery is for the dead and the living has no business carrying it around. But visiting the cemetery can be a difficult ordeal if a loved one is buried in a different town or if the deceased is an international celebrity like Michael Jackson. While only a selected few get to attend Michael Jackson’s memorial, fans can now choose to hold their own mini memorial for the King of Pop.

Pocket Cemetery is a rather morbid gadget that lets users create virtual tombstones on the iPhone and iPod Touch. Users can use the application to post photos, share memories, write biographies, send prayers, and place virtual flowers on the tombstone of the departed. It makes death less distant and keeps alive the memories of loved ones. For $2.99, the Pocket Cemetery allows users to have a virtual cemetery right in their pockets to be visited whenever they want.

Check out an introductory video below, and get the application from the Apple App Store.

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Vobis Computers Unveiled First Android-based Highscreen PP5420 for Russian Market

You may have seen many Android-based products being released to market space. Not to be left behind, Vobis Computers has just unveiled a new Android-based mobile phone just recently. Named as Highscreen PP5420, it is claimed to the first Android-based mobile phone targeted for Russian market.

The mobile device appears to be almost similar one in terms of hardware specification and physical appearance to Mobinnova ICE smartphone except that the Mobinnova ICE is powered by Windows Mobile OS (Operating System) while the new Highscreen P5420 will be preloaded with Linux based Android OS. Similarly, both of them are powered by Qualcomm MSM7201ATM processor running at 528MHz with 128MB RAM and 256MB Flash ROM (with MicroSD expansion slot) which is sufficient enough to handle basic mobile computing while on the move. Besides, they are enhanced with GPS (Global Positioning System), WiFi wireless technology, accelerometer, 3-megapixel camera as well as dual display screen with normal 3-inch WQVGA display screen and an OLED small display simultaneously. As expected, it supports GSM, WCDMA/HSDPA, HSUPA cellular network that makes it a good companion to be brought around the world with roaming capability.

The Highscreen PP5420 will be preloaded with a modified Russian based Android version 1.5 and retailed at 360 Euros (or around $507), it is considered quite affordable as the first Android mobile phone for Russian market.
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Rogers Wireless Offers Nokia 7510

Nokia and Rogers Wireless recently have unveiled the Nokia 7510 at Rogers TalkSpot. The Nokia 7510 is an Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) enabled phone which offers convenient accessibility between cellular and wireless home internet connection to the Canadians. The mobile phone has been enhanced for supports on Wireless GSM and Wi-Fi which enable customers to experience greater mobility and enhanced connectivity.

Featured with a 2-megapixel camera with flash function, Nokia 7510 is also integrated with OSS browser that offers users a graphic rich PC-like browsing and comes with 512MB external memory. Additionally, it supports up to 8GB of microSD card, comes with a battery that provides up to 6 hours of talk time and 12 days of standby time.

The Nokia 7510 together with Rogers TalkSpot provides consumers the flexibility of using their cellular and wireless home internet connections, without the inconvenience of switching phones. The Canadian availability of this handset is another example of the wide range of fashionable and functional devices available in Nokia’s product lineup that offer the best technology to consumers,” mentioned Richard White, GeneralManager of Nokia Canada.

The handset is available in two trendy Xpress-on changeable covers, fatal red and storm blue enabling users to customize their gadget. Nokia 7510 is priced at $49.99 with a three-year contract at Rogers Wireless.
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EpicTilt Launches TapStar Rhythm Game For iPhone And iPod Touch

Good news for Tap Tap Revenge fans! One of the publishers of iPhone applications, EpicTilt has launched its new TapStar for iPhone and iPod Touch, the Tap Tap Revenge-like rhythm game which offers gamers an exclusive music content from Sony Music Entertainment’s superstar artists, including Lit – My Own Worst, Enemy Romantics – What I Like About You, John Mayer – Say, Britney Spears – I’m A Slave 4 U, P!nk – Get the Party Started, Sarah McLachlan – Fallen, Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Warrant – Heaven, TLC – Creep and more.



According to EpicTilt, TapStar offers players a natural controller feel to navigate the 4 virtual touchpoints in the corners of the screen, thanks to its unique landscape view layout, featuring powerful gaming engine and high resolution, smooth graphics aimed to deliver an accurate playback experience that never loses a beat.

The new TapStar rhythm game is now available for download through App Store at a special promotional price of $0.99.

Watch demo video of EpicTilt’s TapStar game for iPhone below!

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Land Rover S1 Phone Tested By Elephants: It Really Is The Strongest Phone

This is why the Sonim/Land Rover S1 phone is the toughest phone yet: it can stand an elephant stomp, being run over an actual Land Rover and being tossed out of a second floor window. Plus...

...it was dunked in mud, put inside a 300 degree oven, and soaked in beer. What finally did it in is being crushed by a three ton forklift, which is pretty above and beyond the duty of any phone we'd normally use.

As for the specs, it has 1500 hours of battery (standby or talk, we're not sure) and a 2-megapixel camera. And, most notably, it has an "extra loud" ringtone so you can hear it under elephants.
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LG guns for Samsung; iPhone competitor, Prada III , Android phones and new high end brand all in the works

LG continues to prove itself as a force to be reckoned with and following a story from the Korean Yohap News Agency, it’s plenty clear that the handset manufacturer has no intentions of slowing down any time soon. LG’s head of Mobile Ahn Seung-kwon reportedly coughed up a hell of an interview with Yohap, during the course of which several tasty morsels came to light:

* LG, currently holding the number three position where global cell phone market share is concerned, plans to slide into the number two spot by 2012. That’s two and a half years from now for those of you keeping score at home. Samsung — consider yourself on notice.
* In Q4 of this year, LG will release a “Black Label” phone that will supposedly do battle with the iPhone. We’ve never heard that claim before of course, so we’re very excited to see what shapes up.
* LG is currently working on the third iteration of its Prada phone, though no release timing was specified.
* Smartphones are a particular area of interest for the company moving forward and it will focus on Windows Mobile and Android as far as OSes are concerned.
* The company plans to attack the ultra high end market with a new premium line of handsets “similar to Toyota’s Lexus and Nokia’s Vertu”. We’re not sure how that will help LG in its quest for the number two spot in terms of market share but hey, at least BG will have a few more toys to play with.

Ok, deep breaths. LG clearly has its sights set high and the continued quality of the handsets it churns out is promising. At the same time, the manufacturer has yet to shine where innovation is concerned — something it will certainly need to do if it plans to make a real run at passing Samsung for the number two spot.
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Sprint gets ready to rock out with its 3G femtocell out

Following AT&T’s recent and repeated claim that it is on schedule with a 3G femtocell solution to be released before the year is out, Sprint’s VP of device and technology development Mathew Oommen has officially thrown down the gauntlet:

Just like Sprint was the first with 2G, we’ll definitely be the first in the 3G space as well. We’re not talking about trials; we’re talking about full commercial service.

Pow… Take that, AT&T. For those unfamiliar with the technology, a femtocell is basically a small base station that provides a bridge between cellular and wired broadband connections. Long story short: It’s your own personal cell tower. Sprint’s Airave was indeed the first 2G femtocell to hit the scene and according to Oommen, Sprint’s 3G offering will follow suit. What’s more, Sprint is apparently prepping both a consumer solution and an enterprise solution. EV-DO Rev. A femtocells at home and at the office? Mmmm.
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Rogers drops the price of the HTC Dream and Magic to $99.99

Though they have only been on sale in Canada for one month, Rogers Wireless has just lowered the 3-year contract price of both the HTC Dream and Magic by $50. This means anyone who wants to pick up either device will be able to do so for $99.99, a very good price for such capable and feature-rich smartphones. As for the reasoning behind the quick price drop, we’re hearing it’s twofold: 1) Rogers wants to make it easier for people to pick up smartphones along with the required (and highly profitable) data plans. 2) The carrier is apparently also having a hell of a time convincing Canadians to snag a smartphone that isn’t made by Apple or BlackBerry — the two most sought after and coveted smartphone brands in Canada.
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Nokia 12-megapixel cameraphone with optical zoom in the works

We’ve just caught-wind that the Nokia boffins are working on a 12-megapixel monster-snapper handet with optical, rather than digital, zoom.nokia-logo

If the report at RegHardware.co.uk is correct then the Finnish giant will be getting world renowned optics firm Carl Zeiss on board to ensure a high quality end product.

Other specs are currently non-existent, but if the rumour is to be believed we could be seeing this sure-fire king of the cameraphones before the year is over, failing this, at the start of next year.

We’re certainly excited by the prospect of such a highly-specified cameraphone. Do we need it? No, but boy do we want it.

We think the handset will hit the market in the midst of the 12-megapixel showdown with handsets from Samsung, LG and Sony Ericsson due to hit the market in the next 9 months.
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Toshiba TG01 Launch Getting Close

The Toshiba TG01 looks set to be seen on the high street relatively soon with Toshiba staging a launch event on July 9. The actual date of the handset hitting the shops hasn’t been unveiled, but we can’t have to wait much longer.tg01

Feature-wise, the phone will come with a sizey 4.1-inch WVGA touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera and 1Ghz Snapdragon processor throwing it directly in competition with the iPhone and Palm Pre.

The handset will be powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, which may be a bone of contention for some.

Earlier this week, the TG01 was announced to be exclusively on O2 in Germany, but again there is no news on which carrier will be used in Blighty. We’ll keep you posted though.
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Touchscreen Phone LG GT500 Comes to the UK Exclusively at T-Mobile

According to Crave the LG GT500 Touchscreen phone will be available in the UK via T-Mobile. The LG GT500 is a neat mid range phone for those on a budget. Along with the 3 inch 240 x 400 pixels screen it has GPS and a 5 megapixel camera.

The LG GT500 was announced at the CommunicAsia expo in Singapore recently and as expected will soon be available in the UK via T-Mobile. The phone will be free for those on a £25 month contract which is a really good deal. If you have iPhone envy but can’t afford the large monthly bills, maybe this LG will help.

The GT500 has a whole boat load of features including WisePilot navigation software and built-in GPS, Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash, and Geo-tagging, Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth and of course and MP3/MPEG4 player.

On the connectivity side the GT500 supports 3G as well as WiFi so it should be easy to connect and use the Internet while out and about and also when near a WiFi hotspot. The phone also supports bluetooth v2.0 and A2DP (A2DP allows your music to be sent wirelessly to a set of stereo earphones/headphones).

The phone doesn’t come with much internal memory but the memory capabilities are expandable via a Micro SD (Secure Digital) slot which means you can but 8GB in the phone relativity cheaply.

Digital cameras are the norm in mid to high range phones today and the GT500 is no exception with a 5 megapixel camera capable of taking 2592 x 1944 pictures. It also has autofocus, digital zoom and an LED flash. Since the phone has a GPS receiver it also supports geotagging.
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ARCHOS 9 PC Tablet

I’m not certain if the UMPC (Ultra-mobile Personal Computer) market has been overshadowed by the netbook industry, but ARCHOS is making a bold move into the miniPC market with the ARCHOS 9 PCtablet.

The ARCHOS 9, presumably named for its 9 inch screen, and it is quite a piece of work. It is also very thin at just 0.63 inches, and weighs in at 22.29 ounces.

It has internal power of the Z515 Intel processor, plus Microsoft Windows 7 Operating system. It also features Bluetooth 2.1 and 802.11b/g connectivity for all email and web-surfing needs.

The user is able to navigate with the full touchscreen, as well as optical trackball with buttons. Typing is performed with a built-in virtual keyboard, and the ARCHOS 9 includes Microsoft Office, as well as Web TV and Radio, video conferencing, plus antivirus protection, parental control, and more.

I mentioned earlier about how the UMPC market has been nearly overshadowed by the netbook market, but I think we all envisioned PCs of the future as being handheld with a full touchscreen. It would appear that ARCHOS is on the cusp of the portable PC market. The ARCHOS 9 PC tablet will be available in the Fall, but there is no word on the price.
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New Apple patents include tactile/haptic feedback, fingerprint ID and RFID tag readers

A trio of Apple patent applications unearthed this morning may help shed some light on future features and functionality headed to a new crop of iPhones. Then again we all know how easy it is for patents to lead absolutely nowhere. The first and most notable of the bunch is a haptic feedback concept employing a “grid of piezoelectronic actuators” that combine to form a fully tactile touchscreen. In theory, the device could vibrate these actuators in different combinations and at different frequencies to provide a variety of tactile responses. Interesting as it may be, this isn’t the first apple patent to cover a haptic feedback solution for a touchscreen — another notable concept came in late 2007 and has yet to bear fruit.

At the same time, it’s good to see that Apple recognizes the downsides of touchscreen-only devices and is working on creative solutions for the problem. From the application:

However, one of a touchscreen’s biggest advantages (i.e., the ability to utilize the same physical space for different functions) is also one of a touchscreen’s biggest disadvantages. When the user is unable to view the display (because the user is occupied with other tasks), the user can only feel the smooth hard surface of the touchscreen, regardless of the shape, size and location of the virtual buttons and/or other display elements. This makes it difficult for users to find icons, hyperlinks, textboxes or other user-selectable input elements that are being displayed, if any are even being displayed, without looking at the display.

The other two patents covered this morning are also of interest, the second covering fingerprint identification as an input method. This concept also addresses the usage of a touchscreen without the need to look at it during operation — providing a system whereby a device will be able to identify different fingers by fingerprint and the mere touch with a specific finger will result in a corresponding function. In other words, while in a certain mode an iPhone might perform the following functions when touched anywhere by the following fingers:

Last up this morning is an application that places an RFID tag reader in the actual display panel of a device, allowing it to read RFID tags. We’re not sure exactly how a device will benefit from having the RFID antenna in the screen as opposed to in another area of the case but hey, patent attorneys need something to do on slow days, too.
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Apple iPhone OS v3.1 Beta Version SDK for DevelopersApple iPhone OS v3.1 Beta Version SDK for Developers

Not long after Apple Inc releasing its OS v3.0 to market, the company is already starting the new development of version OS v3.1 and the latest beta version of OS v3.1 readiness has been announced with invitation emails being sent to its developers to try on the latest SDK.



Some of the new features include improved version of video editing, which allows 3G S users to have option whether to save as an extra copy without overwriting the original copy automatically. Besides, the beta version supports MMS feature as well as the voice control function through Bluetooth enabled headset. Another useful feature that worth to be mentioned here include the capability to paste the number directly into the dialing box, besides allowing the auto translation of alphanumeric numbers for fast dialing mode whenever there is a need. That is not all, there is a fancy feature being added that triggers vibration effect when users try to arrange icons on main screen.

One thing to note here, the iPhone Dev team warned all the existing 3G iPhone users that were unlocked using ultrasn0w not to do any firmware update beyond 3.0 versions, which include this 3.1 OS beta version until a further tool release that allows firmware updates without affecting the original baseband.
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Hoping to have some solid bug fixes and a few new additions in place on your shiny new Nokia N97 before you start partying this weekend (or even today if you live North of the border)? Well we told you it was coming and this morning it dropped — say hello to 11.0.021. Even the most staunch Nokia fanboys seemed to take issue with the release firmware on Nokia’s latest flagship handset and as such, this update is most definitely a welcome one. The firmware should be available in most regions and if you can’t get it OTA, fire up Nokia Software Updater and give it a go. As for what you can expect from this release, hit the jump for the change log. If you’ve installed it already, let us know what you think in the comments.
* USB detection error fix
* PC does not detect N97 or USB charging connection not detected.
* Widget
* Home screen online/offline widget crash fix
* Fix for “Alphabetical and Number input are mixed in facebook until end key is pressed.
* Widget UI improvement - New facebook widget fixes a problem of Home Screen background visible on soft-key area.
* Browser fixes to improve widgets stability.
* MfE related fixes
* Partial fix for Messaging/calendar entry lost.
* Mail for exchange calendar entry synchronization error fix.
* UI transition error fixes (Portrait <-> landscape transition, there is a home screen corruption.)
* UI transition (Slowness and bad effects)
* Slow Touch UI response
* Picture of the device lock appears half of the screen when transitioning the UI sometimes
* Landscape: in some cases the soft buttons on touch (right hand) show the Home Screen in background (install maps.google.com)
* Photos thumbnail performance and stability improvements
* Device performance deteriorates when lots of content in the device - especially photos
* Partial fix no display backlight illumination when unlocking lock-key - CAP Genius reported already
* New version of Accueweather to improve the “Connection error” situation
* Device reset when browsing with high speed packet access (for Malaysia)
* “Browser soft key UI doesn’t work after putting Chinese character with qwerty keyboard”
* Java fixes (TCK, Pre-install app disappearing, *#7370#*)
* Operator fixes (CMCC, Hutchson and Telefonica, Vodafone)
* Ovi store client now embedded in the core image

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Zer01 Mobile launches nationwide

If you’ve always wanted unlimited voice and data on the smartphone of your choice but VOCE disappeared before you could jump on board, Zer01 Mobile might just be the way to go. After all, $69.99 per month gets you unlimited voice (MoIP), data and messaging on AT&T’s data networks and an extra $10 gets you unlimited international calling to around 40 countries.

The only catch is that Zer01 has to install its proprietary software on your phone (or you can purchase a device from the company itself with software preloaded) because it uses data networks for all connectivity. This means that voice, not just data, is also carried through the data networks — yay MoIP. Zer01 assures us that its call quality doesn’t suffer when your data connection is weak thanks to the proprietary technology it uses. Right now Windows Mobile phones are being supported but BlackBerry, Android and other OSes are going to get support soon. Lastly, there are no contracts involved as the service is entirely prepaid.

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