Samsung Galaxy S II sign-up page closer to being live for U.S. fans

A lot of information about the U.S. iteration of the Samsung Galaxy S II has been released over the last few days. We have passed along what apparently are pictures of the AT&T version of the phone, the Samsung Galaxy Attain, complete with a side sliding QWERTY. We also showed you a prototype of the same model sans the QWERTY, and another picture of what could be the version of the phone for Sprint.

Another sign that we are getting close to the U.S. launch of the hottest smartphone on the planet is Samsung's U.S. web site. Search for the Galaxy S II on the Korean manufacturer's web site, and instead of being told that no such phone exists, you are sent to a placekeeper page for the Galaxy S II sign-up site. Unfortunately, the sign-up page is not yet live.  But soon, you will be able to register your email address with Samsung and get the word when the handset becomes available for your carrier (assuming you are not a T-Mobile customer). Note that the placeholder page has the first image of the Galaxy II on the Korean manufacturer's U.S. site. Does that picture of the Samsung Galaxy S II look like the AT&T or Sprint models to you?

source: Samsung via droidmatters

Click on the link to the Samsung Galaxy S II's sign up page (L) and the site is not yet up (R)

Motorola DROID X2 now getting its Gingerbread update

The Motorola DROID X2 has received its Gingerbread update

Many an eyebrow was raised when Verizon launched the Motorola DROID X2 with Android 2.2. After all, considering that the first-generation of the phone had a nice run as Verizon's flagship handset, you would expect the sequel to come out dressed in its Sunday best. But as it turned out, DROID X2 owners didn't have to wait terribly long as on Tuesday, the Gingerbread update was rolled out to the handset.

Besides Android 2.3, the update brings some enhancements to the phone such as a Download Manager app, a new app that manages the downloads on your phone from web browsing, email attachments and from other apps. When inputting numerals from the keyboard, shortcuts can be used instead of having to change to the numeric function mode. Word selection and copy/paste are both improved. Press-hold on the screen will now help you select a word. Press twice and the word can be copied. Although the device is too new to be boring for its owners, the update brings a revised UI and a new color scheme as well as new widgets and icons.

Some new features are now available to the Motorola DROID X2 calendar. When traveling, you can view events in your home time zone. Other changes allow you to dial one number to set up a conference call, Google Books is now pre-installed and lastly, any images captured with your camera app can be geo-tagged. Check the sourcelink for a complete list of changes that the download brings. And DROID X2 owners, please let us know what you think of Gingerbread on your device by leaving some comments below.

source: Verizon via AndroidCentral

Alleged schematics of Apple iPhone 5 case shows larger home button, curved back

While the design of the Apple iPhone 4 has received high praise, if some schematic designs for an Apple iPhone 5 case obtained by MobileFun are for real, the next generation model of Apple's touchscreen phone looks to be taking a step back in time. With the back of the device curved like the Apple iPad 2, the rounded back design brings back memories of the iPhone 3GS.

But that doesn't mean that Apple is bringing back an older model. The screen size appears to be increased to a range of 3.7 to 4 inches, up from the current 3.5 inch display size. As expected, the screen will be edge to edge allowing Apple to use every possible inch of real estate to increase the size of the screen while keeping the phone a decent size. Back in May, we reported that a prototype of the phone showed such a screen design.

New video shows off typing using the BlackBerry Torch 9860 virtual keyboard

With the upcoming BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860, you can tell that RIM is really opening up to using the touchscreen much more with its next-generation devices, which they’re hoping to be used more for inputting lengthy text.

Lucky for all of us, a new video shows off the typing experience with the upcoming BlackBerry Torch 9860 using its virtual keyboards. Based on the video, both the layout of the portrait and landscape keyboards appear to be uniform with their square size – and since it’s rumored to be running a 1.2GHz processor, its operation is nearly effortless. Additionally, you’ll know when you hit a specific button because of the superimposed character seen when something is pressed.

Aside from that, we’re presented with some other multimedia centric functionality with the handset – like watching videos. With such a responsive rate in its typing operation, inputting text is undoubtedly looking to be a piece of cake with this one.

via CrackBerry

AT&T might still be getting a QWERTY-less version of the Samsung Galaxy S II

It’s quite apparent, but not everyone is a fan of QWERTY devices, but in the case of the upcoming version of the Samsung Galaxy II coming to AT&T in the near future, it loses some of its svelte appearance due to the addition of a physical keyboard.

Needless to say, there are some people bummed out by the news this morning that we reported, but we might still see a QWERTY-less version of the handset. Apparently there is a prototype currently in testing which appears to be a version of the same handset, but without a keyboard packed on of course. So far, the only thing mentioned about the handset is that it’s running Android 2.3.4, employs a WVGA display, and is detailed as being “really sexy” according to the Android Central tipster.

As much as some people might be excited by this new revelation, it’s still rather difficult to say if this one will actually make it to market – though, it doesn’t hurt to hope, right?

source: Android Central

Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook v2.0 adds on Places & Events features

Fortunately for any BlackBerry PlayBook owners out there, the official Facebook app for the tablet is being updated to version 2.0 and brings forth some exciting new features that further deepen its functionality.

Although it’s still very rare to find official tablet-optimized versions of the app on other platforms, PlayBook owners will now find popular features like Facebook Places and Events that further provide an engaging experience. With Places, users will be able to share locations with friends and even get directions to specific places with Bing Maps integration. Additionally, Facebook Events allows you to view and receive notifications of new invitations and get detailed information as well pertaining to the specific event.

Instead of seeing how many people “like” a certain post, you’ll now be able to actually view the actual names of friends who "like" it. And lastly, more control is given to the user seeing that there is now a new privacy control that allows you to maintain who can see each update users share.

If you haven’t done so already, you can download the update right now through the BlackBerry App World – or if you have a previous version, you’ll more than likely get a notification to update it.

source: RIM

Google Shopper for iPhone gets Offers

Google Offers is Google's answer to Groupon, Facebook Deals, Yelp Deals, and Foursquare Specials, LivingSocial, and any other e-coupon services that you can think of. The trouble is that Google Offers is still in limited release. It began life in Portland, Oregon, then spread out to the San Francisco Bay area, and New York City area, but those are still the only places you can find and use Google Offers. But, regardless of where you live, if you've got the Google Shopper app for iPhone, you now have Offers in your pocket. 

Google Shopper for iOS has been upgraded to version 1.5 which brings Offers. Users can view Offers either in list view, or in map view. And, the app will also keep track of any Offers you're interested in or have purchased. 

The Google blog post says that Shopper 1.5 is available for users in the US and UK with iOS 4.0+. Of course, Offers are only useful for those living in the areas listed above. Although, Offers are scheduled to come to Austin, TX, Boston, MA, Denver, CO, Seattle, WA, and Washington DC soon. 

source: Google Mobile Blog

iTunes install link

Verizon to display the Motorola Droid Bionic on July 29 and selling it on August 4

The ever elusive Motorola Droid Bionic. We first saw you in Etna form at CES earlier this year, but you were scrapped months later and replaced by the new Targa version.

Up until now, there has been little solid info regarding the release date, though there was some rumors and an earlier screen-shot pointing to August 4th. Now it appears that Verizon stores have received official notification informing them that they will receive the Droid Bionic later this month and to have it on public display starting July 29th, and will most likely be placed here. The email also points to August 4th as the release date. It does not give a price, though most believe it will be around $299 with contract.

Hopefully this will all happen, and the Droid Bionic will hit on August 4th, as the it will be the first dual-core smartphone to run on Verizon's 4G LTE network.

source: Droid-Life and Android Forums

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty for Android Review

Introduction:

Although he isn't the most well known, popular, or even iconic of Marvel Comics' characters, Captain America is really the heart of the company. He is equal parts Superman (personality) and Batman (no true super-powers), and best of all, he once punched Hitler in the jaw. Now, Cap has his own movie, and of course with a movie comes games. Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty is the first mobile game from Marvel Entertainment, and is made by SEGA.

Story & Presentation: 

The game is a side-scrolling action platformer where you play as Captain America (of course) and attempt to take down HYDRA, a group led by the Red Skull, which is making weapons that could turn the tide of World War II. The story was written by Marvel's Chris Gage, and is told through cut-scene cinematics that bookend each stage which feature art by Ron Lim and Christopher Sotomayor, and text blurbs at the beginning of each level within a stage. Unfortunately, the story just isn't very compelling, and it's easy to miss any subtlety that may be there.

The game is presented with HD graphics, and looks great. Captain America looks perfect, and the environments are well detailed. The HYDRA soldiers are a bit repetitive, but luckily Marvel wrote that into the comics a long time ago, so we can't really fault the game for that. The game is made up of three stages with eight levels each and along with collectables in each stage should offer hours of gaming. The collectables lead to unlockables like extra costumes and comic book covers. 

The menus are easy to navigate, although some have reported problems with the menus on qHD screens. The biggest trouble we found in navigation is that the physical back button doesn't do anything, and there's no "quit" option on the main screen. This means the only way to exit the game is to hit the home button, which doesn't actually quit the game, it just pushes the game into a background process. This is nice if you want to jump out and jump back in, but otherwise it can make your phone a bit sluggish. Or, at least, it makes the game menus sluggish when resuming. 

It's also a bit annoying that the game doesn't save your sound preferences, so you have to lower the volume after each launch. And, even if you have the sound levels set to off, the sound will come on anyway during cut-scenes as you move from world to world, so be careful if you're playing in a quiet area. 

Gameplay: 

The key of the game, as usually is the case with touch screen games, is all in the controls. The game uses gesture controls, which actually work fairly well most of the time. Swiping in a direction makes Cap auto-run in that direction. While running, Cap can slide, jump and attack. Early on, this seemed like it could get repetitive, but the game does well to add in extra moves like wall jumping, wall running, throwing Cap's shield, and attack combos. These extra moves and combos help keep the controls from getting too repetitive, but the controls aren't the most accurate. 

There were enough times where a swipe would be ignored or there would be a delay in action to make the game a bit frustrating at times. Of course, the game is an action platformer, and the worst part about inaccurate controls is when you get to those platforming areas. For the most part, you can avoid the harder platforming sections if you want to because most only lead to collectables, but you may really want to get that Bucky Barnes costume. The platforming can get frustrating when you swipe to jump and end up running straight through some trip wires. Although, even with those frustrations, the game isn't very difficult. We were able to get through most levels without dying at all. 

Conclusion: 

Captain America is a really good game. The gesture controls work well enough most of the time, and are varied enough to keep the game from being too repetitive. The visuals are very nice, and the levels are easy to navigate. There aren't a lot of them right now, so this game easily makes our top 5 list for best platformers on Android.

Fair warning for EVO 3D users, there have been a number of users in the Market comments that say the game just doesn't work on that handset. The game worked well on the Nexus One we used for testing, mostly just issues with slow text scrolling. Although we did hit a couple crashes at the start to level 10.

It's definitely worth a try, and will normally cost $4.99. The game was supposed to jump back to $4.99 after opening weekend, but the Android Market is still listing the game for 99 cents, so grab it while you can.  

Install Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty (Android Market link)

Gingerbread over-the-air update for the T-Mobile G2x is being sent out right now

For those who couldn’t wait any longer, some T-Mobile G2x owners out there might have already downloaded and installed the Gingerbread update for their phone using the LG Mobile Support tool method, which requires you to install the update the old fashion way by connecting it to a PC.

Well, for those others who prefer a less cumbersome route, you’re method is finally available today as T-Mobile started rolling out the update using the preferred over-the-air process. Naturally, that notification will eventually arrive indicating that it’s ready for download. Besides the updated facelift, owners can also expect to find the addition of these other goodies with the update:

• Improved battery life
• Improved front-facing camera operation when using Qik record and share
• Improved disabling Car Home
• Helps address unexpected reboots

Without a doubt, we’re sure that this will please many people out there, and combining the fact that the handset recently came back into stock online boasting one impressive price, there’s no arguing that smiles are going to be plentiful everywhere.

Thanks Joshua!

source: T-Mobile via mydaily-gadget & TmoNews

New markets are being graced with Verizon's 4G LTE presence starting on August 18

Bringing along plenty of big smiles, news about Verizon’s intention to grace new markets with their 4G LTE presence will undoubtedly be greeted with open arms by customers. Additionally, it’ll give them a big reason to now pick up any of Verizon’s 4G LTE device offerings to take advantage of the peppy data speeds that come with the next-generation network.

Starting on August 18th, there are a bunch of new markets across the country gaining 4G LTE connectivity – these include Bakersfield, Salinas, and Monterey, Ca.; Collins, Co.; Council Bluffs, Iowa; Worcester, Mass.; Omaha, Neb.; Ithaca, N.Y.; Columbus, Ohio; Altoona and Johnstown, Pa.; and Provo/Orem, Utah. Moreover, Big Red is also planning on expanding their footprint in current markets that include MetroWest, Mass.; Nyack, West Nyack, Orangeburg, Pearl River, and Spring Valley, N.Y.; and Cincinnati, Ohio.

So there you have it folks, it’s more of a reason why customers in these areas should plan ahead and think about scooping up any of their 4G LTE devices because we’re confident that they’ll be impressed by the results.

via Mobileburn

BBM integration is on board with the latest update for the BlackBerry Foursquare app

To add support for BlackBerry Messenger, or not to add it, that’s the question being asked by the official Foursquare app for BlackBerry of late. In fact, a recent alpha version of the popular app was made available not too long ago offering support for it, but soon later after that an official update was rolled out omitting the feature.

Well, now the app has been updated yet again, but thankfully enough this time around, it’s sticking for good to appease long time handset users. Version 3.1 of the Foursquare app for BlackBerry is now available, and of course, the one major noteworthy item found with it is the useful integration of RIM’s popular messaging service – thus, making it much easier to send pertinent Foursquare information to friends.

Besides that, it’s hard to say what else is included with the latest update, but it wouldn’t surprise any of us to find some sort of bug fixes and enhances along for the ride as well.

source: RIM via CrackBerry

Samsung smartphone display to have 768 x 1280 resolution

According to a Korean web site called MovePlayer, Samsung is working on a smartphone that is equipped with as display offering resolution of 768 x 1280 (WXGA). The handset is known only by its model number, which is SHV-120S. Not much is known about this phone except that it will run Android 2.3 and have a Qualcomm MSM8250 single-core 1GHz processor under the hood. The display handles 16 million colors. The information was discovered in a registration made to SK Telecom's T Store Developer Center. If Samsung uses this display on a 4.5 inch screen, the pixels per inch would come in at 332, topping the 326ppi reading of the Retina Display on the Apple iPhone 4.

One possibility is that the model is the Nexus Prime which would use the Ice Cream Sandwich build of the Android OS. That build does away with hardware buttons on the front of the phone, allowing for a larger sized screen. As we hear more about the SHV-120S, we will pass it on to you. After all, a display offering such high resolution will be easy to keep an eye on.

source: TStoreDeveloperCenter via electronista

This registration for a new Samsung Android device includes a 768 x 1280 resolution display

Toshiba Regza IS11T slider gets video preview

Toshiba has not had a lot of success selling mobile devices outside of Japan, but the Thrive tablet may end up leading the way for more exports. The Toshiba Regza IS11T smartphone (which would no doubt get a name change if it makes it to the US or EU) could be one of the first Toshiba handsets to find some marketshare outside of Japan.

The phone looks fairly nice in a new video preview. The phone features a full QWERTY slide-out keyboard, a 4" VGA display, an "upgraded" 1.4 GHz Snapdragon CPU (no word on number of cores, but we'd hope the word "upgraded" means dual core), an 8 MP camera, and best of all, it ships with Android 2.3.4. Given that most phones receiving updates still only get to Android 2.3.3, it's nice to see a phone ship with 2.3.4. No word on if the phone has a front-facing camera to take advantage of the video chat in GTalk in 2.3.4, but at the end of the video Skype is launched for half a second. The UI overlay looks smooth for the most part as well. 

What do you guys say? If this phone made it to your area, would you give it a shot?

source: DigInfo via Android Authority

Motorola XOOM finally getting LTE upgrade... in September

The saga may almost be over for Motorola XOOM users waiting to upgrade their tablets to LTE. Originally, word had the upgrade process starting in the summer, and last month there were even e-mails sent out accidentally telling users about the upgrade process starting. And, a couple weeks ago, we saw what appeared to be a XOOM with built-in LTE pass through the FCC, but still no word about the upgrade process. Now, it looks like the process will begin in September. 

Droid Life has come across a leaked Verizon memo which states that starting today XOOM users should receive an e-mail regarding the upgrades, which will begin in September, although no specific date is given. As always, the upgrade process will be free, and will require that users send in their XOOMs for the upgrade. Unfortunately, the memo also doesn't mention if Verizon & Motorola have figured out a way to shorten the reported 6 day turnover required to install the LTE radios. 

We'll let you know if any more info comes through. Sound off in the comments if you got the e-mail about the upgrade!

source: Droid Life

T-Mobile offering coupons for 50% discount on an accessory purchase

T-Mobile customers are getting a nice holiday present from the carrier-a coupon good for a 50% discount on an accessory purchased at a T-Mobile store. Starting today, fans of the carrier on Facebook can pick up the coupon in their news feed and the coupon will also be posted on the carrier's Facebook wall. The Facebook coupon expires on July 31st 2011.

Additionally, 14 million T-Mobile customers will receive an insert with their latest invoice mailed July 1st, also offering 50% off an accessory purchase. This coupon can also be obtained through a customer's SCOOP email and expires August 31st 2011. While the Facebook offer is good only in T-Mobile owned stores, the coupon that comes with the invoice or obtained from SCOOP email can be used at T-Mobile retail and branded stores. Each coupon is good for one accessory purchase only.

The information came from a leaked photo of a T-Mobile Field Sales News Update. The Update says that the idea behind launching the coupons is to increase traffic into the stores by as many as 140,000 potential customers, each one a target for a T-Mobile salesman to sell or cross-sell to. One bad news for T-Mobile reps was mentioned in the Update; because the 50% discount requires a price override, no commissions will be paid out from this promotion. It sounds like a bummer if you're a salesman for the nation's fourth largest carrier. But don't worry. T-Mobile says that this promotion is a great way for reps to build relationships with potential customers for future sales.

Besides the lack of immediate commission dollars for T-Mobile salesmen with this promotion, reps using the discount for their own purchase will have the 50% applied to the sticker price of an accessory, not the employee discount price. Sounds like someone is trying to get his house in order before the new homeowner moves in.

source: TmoNews

This News Update leaks out the information behind T-Mobile's 50% off accessory coupon

Nokia 3D World Gaze puts the World in the palm of your hand

If you happen to have a Symbian^3 smartphone like the Nokia N8, for example, this neat app will probably keep you occupied for quite a while. Nokia 3D World Gaze lets you roam the Earth, albeit only virtually, by giving you a three-dimensional, see-through view of the planet, which you can “travel” back and forth across with a touch of a fingertip.

Now, some of you will probably think that the app is a Google Earth wannabe, but that does not seem to be the case. Nokia 3D World Gaze is a tool that lets you browse recent geotagged media from the regions that you are viewing, and according to its developers, its would suit those who are interested in exploring and learning new things about the world that we live in. That being said, see if the video that we have embedded for you below might not wake up the explorer that hides inside of you.

Nokia 3D World Gaze is still in its beta stage so it may not be perfect just yet. However, that does not stop you from giving it a try if you are interested. We have provided a download link for you below so feel free to check it out.

Nokia 3D World Gaze [download page, registration required]

source: Nokia

HTC sees a 87.8% year-to-year increase in its June sales

Last month we reported that HTC has more than doubled its May sales year-on-year, and it seems the company is keeping up with this impressive performance. Not really over 100% better, but for the month of June, HTC has again achieved some pretty good sales figures, with a reported 87.8% increase, compared to last year's June.

Most of HTC's success in recent history is attributed to its wonderful Android-based smartphones, which are renowned for their premium construction, competitive specifications and polished software in the form of the Sense user interface, which has also managed to differentiate the company's products from those of rival Android phone manufacturers.

Will HTC continue to impress us with such great results? Do you find offerings like the HTC Sensation 4G and EVO 3D good enough to compete with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S II and LG Optimus 3D? Don't miss to tell us in the comments!

source: Electronista

Russell Brand promotes the HP TouchPad

The HP TouchPad is facing some tough competition in tablets – the ubiquitous iPad, heaps of Android pretenders, and even small yet promising BlackBerry PlayBook. You might think that's as serious of an environment as it gets for HP's webOS tablet, but that's when British comedian Russell Brand pops in to do some of the explaining and promoting.

First, you'll get to deeply understand how flicks and swipes on a tablet are different than dealing with boogers, but then you'll also learn how to handle multitasking and get informed about Brand's only great idea. If that's not enough, a brilliant line explains notifications on webOS: “Here's a message now, I'm just ignoring it.” And quite frankly, with mails, notifications from social networks, microblogs and just about every other website, ironically, that seems more important than ever.

Finally, if you're thinking “I'm bored now, breathing in and out, on a planet with the Amazonian rainforest, animals, natural wonders, the pyramids,” you know what you can do, right? Brand suggests to grab an HP TouchPad, but we'd advice you to stay tuned for our in-depth review which is coming soon.

source: HP via ElectricPic

Sony Ericsson Xperia ray listed online for pre-order with August 15 shipping date

The Sony Ericsson Xperia ray was among the trio of smartphones that the manufacturer announced a few weeks ago, and thanks to its slim profile and attractive design, the handset probably managed to grab the attention of the ones who prioritize style over substance when it comes to their gadgets. Little was said, however, regarding the smartphone's availability, and all that we knew after the announcement was that the Xperia ray would hit the market at some point within the third quarter of 2011.

Fortunately, the British online retailer Play.com can shed some light on the matter as it already has the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray, unlocked and contract-free, up for pre-order. The smartphone has an expected shipping date set for August 15 meaning that it will most probably be available through the U.K. and maybe even some other European countries around that time. Purchasing the smartphone in advance would set you back about 560$, which some would argue that is a bit too high of a price to pay for a device with somewhat average specs. However, the Xperia ray seems to be made to impress with looks and design rather than breaking Quadrant high scores.

As far as the Sony Ericsson Xperia ray's availability in the U.S. goes – all we can do is hope to see the smartphone launch along with its European counterpart.

source: Play.com via Android Authority

Tablets to completely replace textbooks in South Korea by 2015

Wave goodbye to your paperback textbooks if you're a student in South Korea – the country's Ministry of Education approved the digital revolution replacing them with tablets or ebooks completely by 2015. The initiative translates into $2 billion of spending, but the end result will mean that all textbooks will be digitalized and additional multimedia resources be made available.

To access the textbooks, students will get free tablets, while the books themselves will just be a download a way, much like the way books are now sold on online retailers like Amazon or Barnes&Noble. And while the initial investment might seem big, after all it will free parents of the growing burden of pricey textbooks. 

“It will be up to schools to decide which digital textbooks to choose for students in what year in what subject. We don't expect the shift to digital textbooks to be difficult as students today are very accustomed to the digital environment,” a ministry official said. There were no details about the devices that will be used, but Korean companies like LG and Samsung look like the most likely candidate brands. 

While such a transition is not widely planned stateside, we've seen some states like Maine already approve spendings of some $200,000 bringing iPad 2s to kindergarteners in an attempt to increase literacy.

source: Chosunilbo via ITProPortal

LG Optimus Black likely headed to Sprint, U.S. Cellular, Alltel and Virgin Mobile

The LG Optimus Black has been available in the U.K. for nearly two months now, yet little has been said regarding its launch in the U.S. Well, what if we told you that we have a few reasons to believe that the smartphone is almost definitely coming across the ocean and that it might be up for sale on the shelves of four different wireless carriers?

The first clue to back up that claim comes from the Tera-WUFRL database where the LG Optimus Black is already listed with a US855 model name. For those of you who do not know what the Tera-WUFRL database is, it is an online catalog containing technical information about pretty much every cellphone that can connect to the Internet in some way. Although we cannot be absolutely sure at this time, the US prefix of the model name may mean that U.S. Cellular is planning to launch the Optimus Black at some point this year. The database entry itself does not reveal any spicy details except for the fact that the smartphone is listed with Android 2.3 Gingerbread as its operating system, which is great news considering that its European counterpart still runs 2.2 Froyo with no official update available yet.

However, while digging through the FCC, the guys at PocketNow revealed three additional LG smartphones with similar model names – LS855, AS855, and VM855, which appeared to be variants of the Optimus Black tailored for Sprint, Alltel, and Virgin Mobile respectively. Unfortunately, our search showed that only the Sprint-bound model is listed right now so you might want to take the existence of the other two devices with a grain of salt.

With its single-core TI OMAP3630 chipset, the Optimus Black may not be capable of competing with all the latest Android heavyweights, but it stands out with its low weight and its bright and beautiful NOVA display. Feel free to take a look at our LG Optimus Black review and see whether it might not be the next smartphone that will make its way to your pocket.

Thanks, anonymous tipster!

source: Tera-WUFRL, FCC via PhoneDog

Now you can get an early prototype iPhone 4 on eBay

If you've ever wondered how a possibly early build of the iPhone 4 looks like, despite not being able to activate it or operate it in any way, now you can get yours on eBay for over $1,700. 

The device carries a product number DF1692, a unique identification given to each Apple employee, so you might also expect to get contacted by Apple, but for the time being the auction is alive and well.

Visually, the prototype iPhone 4 mimics the looks of the final device with the only notable difference being the lack of “+” and “-” signs on the volume buttons. No activation also means that the amount of memory on the handset is a guessing game. The seller, Jtmaxo, claims to be a licensed phone repairmen, registered on eBay since March 2004. Feel free to place your bids at the source link below, but don't get your hopes too high – the price goes up quickly.

source: eBay via Thisismynext

More evidence writes off possible cancerous cell phone radiation

Just over a month ago, the World Health Organization shocked pretty much everyone with a scary message declaring cell phone radiation “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” There was no conclusive evidence then as there isn't now, but the journal of Environmental Health Perspectives argues:

"Although there remains some uncertainty, the trend in the accumulating evidence is increasingly against the hypothesis that mobile phone use can cause brain tumors in adults." 

Now that's confusing. Who should you trust? Well, the latter study on one hand reevaluates previous research and stresses the fact that there is no conclusive evidence, nor there is an established biological mechanism explaining how could cell phone radio signals possibly damage the human brain. The WHO on the other exercises more caution. It did also note the possible carcinogenic effect of caffeine, working night shifts or even wrongly preserved vegetables. 

But you might wonder – if phones caused cancer shouldn't we be suffering a pandemic right now? Similarly, however, atomic bomb survivors in Japan showed no signs of increased brain cancer until some forty years after the war. This proves that carcinogenic agents might remain inactive for many years and only trigger cancer development after decades. This uncertainty is exactly what lies under the WHO's scary summation as its aim seems to be prevention and caution.

Finally, Anthony Swerdlow of the British Institute of Cancer Research concludes:

"We are trying to say in plain English what we believe the relationship is. They were trying to classify the risk according to a pre-set classification system."

Feel free to also check out our in-depth article looking at how cell phones might affect your health and what previous studies have concluded.

source: Reuters and Huffington Post

Amazon UK says the BlackBerry Bold 9900 will be available in white on October 15th

If the continued existence of RIM and its fabled BlackBerry name comes down to just one device to turn around the company, that device would have to be the BlackBerry Bold 9900. The sleek handset is the thinnest 'Berry ever manufactured and borrows its form factor and physical QWERTY keyboard heavily from the original Bold 9000. That should please both BlackBerry fans and those using another platform as the initial version of the Bold felt great in the hand and featured what many still consider one of the best physical keyboards ever to be placed on a handset.

RIM has really tried to make the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and its CDMA cousin, the BlackBerry Bold 9930, a handset that can compete with Apple and Android. Above the QWERTY keyboard is a 2.8 inch touchscreen with resolution of 480 x 640. A single-core 1.2GHz processor is expected to be under the hood, along with 768MB of RAM. The model should come with 8GB of memory that can be increased with the addition of as much as a 32GB microSD card. A 5MP camera  on back will capture video at 720p. BlackBerry 7OS is pre-installed on the phone and RIM has been blowing its own horn about its new WebKit based browser which is a big improvement over the WebKit browser found on the BlackBerry Torch 9800. Whereas prior BlackBerry browsers would choke on JavaScript, the new browser eats it up alive.

If you are going to produce a model to compete with the Apple iPhone, you need to make sure that every little thing about Apple's touchscreen phone, including color, is available for your device.. So it is not a surprise then that Amazon UK is already taking pre-orders for the BlackBerry Bold 9900-in white. According to the online retailer's site, Amazon will be launching the white variant of the Bold 9900 on October 15th at a price of  549.99 GBP, which is equivalent to $885 U.S. Dollars. But don't worry about the price because by the time the phone is rolled out in the U.S., it will be subsidized by a carrier just as long as you sign the two year contract.

source: AmazonUK via Crackberry

Amazon's UK web site already lists the BlackBerry Bold 9900 in white, available October 15th

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 getting TouchWiz soon with Honeycomb update

Having a custom skin on top of the vanilla Android build has often proven to be more of a hassle than a real benefit. But while Samsung's TouchWiz UI won't appeal to Android purists, even they'd admit it does extend Android's functionality. The skin is now coming to Samsung's ultra slim Galaxy Tab 10.1 bringing advanced copy-paste storing images and links in the clipboard for easy sharing, a panel for quickly controlling settings like Wi-Fi and notifications, but also a new visual approach to multitasking with mini apps tray and live panel widget for magazine-like view of your most recent updates including weather and email.

The update also delivers Media Hub, a service allowing you to purchase and rent movies and TV shows, which you can subsequently share with other Media Hub devices. Samsung's Social Hub message aggregator, Reader Hub and Music Hub are also on board. The latest version of Swype comes preinstalled as well. With even more accessories like an SD card adapter, which the tablet has been notably missing, the Tab 10.1 should look even more appealing. Finally, if you lose your device, you'll be able to look for it, lock it or wipe out personal information. The update is coming soon, so it might arrive even sooner than the 4G LTE Galaxy Tab 10.1, expected to ship in the next couple of weeks.

source: Samsung via Engadget

Windows Phone 7 version of the Samsung Galaxy S II could be on the way

We just reported that the Samsung Galaxy S II has been selling at a rate of 1 every 1.5 seconds and the Korean based manufacturer recently celebrated the 3 millionth unit sold (even without a U.S. launch)-a feat that took all of 55 days. So you can imagine what the conversation was like in the Samsung boardroom when someone came up with the idea of making a version of the device that runs on Windows Phone 7 instead of Android.

The Samsung SGH i-937 has been appearing on the Bluetooth SIG which has started speculation that this is the Samsung Galaxy S 2-the hottest smartphone currently known to man-but with Microsoft's mobile OS on board. Because it has the same exact profile as a Mango flavored Windows Phone 7 stack and has appeared on a list of Windows Phone 7 devices playing games from Occasional Gamers, it can be deduced that the SGH i-937 is a Windows Phone 7 powered handset. Add to this the fact that the model number is just 10 above the Samsung Galaxy S II, and you might have enough circumstantial evidence to start a decent rumor.

With the response that the Android powered Samsung Galaxy S II has received in the marketplace, it would be a good business decision to see if that success could be repeated with an OS that is looking for a jump start anyway. Of course, we wouldn't expect to see anything resembling a Galaxy S II with Windows Phone 7 running the show until after the Mango update takes the OS to the next level promised by the gang at Redmond.

source: Bluetooth, OccasionalGamer via WMPU

The Samsung SGH i-937 has been spotted on the Bluetooth Sig (L) and on Occasional Gamers list (R), fueling the speculation that the model is a Windows Phone 7 version of the Samsung Galaxy S II