Samsung used paid actors to play the role of Galaxy Tab buyers

Three people who claimed to be buyers of three different Samsung manufactured Android flavored tablets were actors. According to a story in Technologizer, it has been revealed that Samsung's Galaxy Tab Interview Project, created to show the different types of customers that were buying the manufacturers tablets, were actually actors paid by Samsung to pretend that they had purchased the device.

On the video of the Interview Project, Freelance Travel Writer Joan Hess said about her Samsung Galaxy Tab, "I would mostly use it communicating with people all around the globe when I'm on the move. It's sexy, like me!" Film director Karl Shefelman was featured in a second spot for the unreleased Galaxy Tab 10.1. A third alleged Samsung customer, Real-Estate CEO Joseph Kolinski, said he used the Galaxy Tab 8.9, a third Samsung tablet with a display in between the 7 inches of the Galaxy Tab and the 10.1 inches of the bigger model. "I'm not very tech savvy," noted Kolinski but he said that the Galaxy Tab 8.9 helped him to stay on top of his busy schedule and said that he was "surprised how productive he was able to be with it." It might be more surprising to learn that at the time, the unit in Kolinski's possession did not yet turn on and the device isn't expected to launch until June. Further investigation revealed that Hess and Kolinski are actors living in New York, while Shefelman works for a production company that has done work for Samsung. Play the video below to see the three stories.

But wait, there's more. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 was revised as we reported, once Apple introduced the iPad. After chief product and technology officer Omar Khan praised the comments of Hess and Shefelman, which he ironically called "true life stories", the revised Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 was introduced as being .2 mm thinner than the iPad 2 by the Korean based manufacturer. However, pictures from Information Week (see below) appear to show that the latter tablet is thinner.

This all shows how competitive the tablet business is becoming so early in its life. Already, such features as being the thinnest, the lightest and the most productive are being used by manufacturers to promote its products even before consumers know for sure if they even really need a tablet.

source: Technologizer via AppleInsider

Pictures from Information Week show that despite Samsung's boast that its Galaxy Tab (R) is .2mm thinner than the Apple iPad 2 (L), the latter is actually thinner

Sprint advises those interested in the Kyocera Echo to pre-order early

Sprint has put up a web page for those who want to pre-order the dual-screen Kyocera Echo. The handset will launch on April 17th for the price of $199.99 after a $100 instant rebate. The buyer needs to activate a new line, or be eligible for a handset upgrade. The device must be signed up for the Everything Plan with Data, a Premium Data add-on and a signed 2-year contract.

Although the phone's introduction brought only a half-hearted cheer from the Sprint faithful, the carrier is hoping that the dual-screen captures the attention of those in the market for a new smartphone. And on the same page is a contest that gives you the opportunity to duel for a dual-screen phone. The winner gets a free Kyocera Echo.

The web site also gives you a view of the four different modes available on the Echo's dual screen including Tablet Mode, Optimized Mode, Simul-Task Mode and the Single-Screen Mode that adds up to a 4.7 inch display, the largest screen available on any current Sprint handset.

The Kyocera Echo is powered by Android 2.2 and has a 5MP camera on the back and under the hood is a 1GHz Snapdragon processor. Unfortunately, the Echo will not have 4G connectivity. But what it does have is a dual-screen that makes it a unique device for those who like to be different.

source: Sprint

Pre-order the Kyocera Echo from Sprint now and you will be guaranteed to receive the handset on April 17th

Chinese OEMs plan their expansion in the U.S.

Taiwan's HTC was recently a relatively unknown OEM, whose devices were only branded by the carriers that sold them. But that changed, and HTC has become one of the most powerful brands in the smartphone industry. And Chinese manufacturers like Huawei and ZTE are looking to follow suit.

According to the Wall Street Journal, ZTE hopes to quadruple their global smartphone shipments to 12 million devices in 2011. And one such model is reportedly destined for a top-tier U.S. carrier. Huawei, the other major Chinese OEM, says that they are in talks with all 4 major U.S. carriers.

And while their quality is steadily improving, cost will be the major motivating factor for adoption in the U.S. Carriers are eager to get customers on the more profitable data plans, and cheaper devices will make those plans accessible to a wider audience. ZTE's Lixin Cheng says that they will attempt to prominently tie their brand with the unknown device bound for a Big 4 carrier.

Particularly on prepaid plans, where the device cost can't be subsidized, cheaper Chinese devices carry a significant advantage. Huawei currently sells the U8150 IDEOS through T-Mobile, and the Ascend through both Cricket Wireless and MetroPCS.

Adding to the drama is the history of ZTE's and Huawei's attempts to expand in the U.S. In 2010, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke convinced Sprint to remove them from their telecom bidding, citing security concerns. But since Google's Eric Schmidt might be the next Secretary of Commerce, the Pentagon-paranoia might fall away.

source: The Wall Street Journal

T-Mobile's Rocket 3.0 USB modem shows 25Mbps download speeds

Maybe it's just our imagination, but it feels like T-Mobile has only become more impressive since the announcement of their potential sale to AT&T. At CTIA, the crew from Laptop Magazine decided to put T-Mobile's HSPA+ 42 network to the test.

With the T-Mobile Rocket 3.0 USB modem, they achieved impressive download speeds of 42Mbps, and upload speeds of 2.7Mbps. Much to Verizon's disappointment, that download speed is better than their LTE modems. To Verizon's credit, LTE upload speeds were faster, at 5 to 12Mbps. Also, Verizon's LTE enjoys wider coverage.

While these results might not be enough to make Verizon tremble, they should be sufficient to make Sprint sweat, as their WiMax peaks at 10Mbps. T-Mobile reports that the HSPA+ 42 coverage will expand to Chicago, Long Island, and northern New Jersey in the near future. By mid-2011, they expect to cover 140 million Americans in 25 cities.

Considering the potential sale to AT&T, we're curious to see how T-Mobile's sales will fare when consumers know that T-Mobile is delivering top-notch products, but are wary of future price-changes and data caps/throttling.

source: Laptop Magazine via IntoMobile

Asus launches the Eee Pad Transformer with 16-hour battery life and Android 3.0

At the last CES event, Asus showed off a quartet of new tablets, meant to compete with the iPad and Android leaders. Then in February, rumors circulated about a secret weapon that Asus was preparing to dethrone Apple's iPad. And we're inclined to believe that they were referring to the Asus Eee Pad Transformer tablet, which was officially announced on Friday.

The most unique feature of the Eee Pad Transformer is its docking capability, which resembles that of the Motorola Atrix 4G. But instead of the device plugging into a display/keyboard combo, the Eee Pad Transformer merely connects to a keyboard. That keyboard, we might add, boosts the tablet's battery life to an impressive 16 hours. The tablet alone has a battery life of 9.5 hours.

Beyond its novel keyboard/battery dock, the Eee Pad Transformer has a compelling set of specs. It is the first Asus device to feature Android 3.0, and run on the NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor. It also features a 10.1-inch, 1280x800 resolution screen, equal to that of the Motorola XOOM. The tablet has a 5MP rear-facing camera that shoots HD video, and a 1.2MP front-facing camera.

Included are features like Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi, GPS, HDMI output, digital compass, 3.5mm headset jack, and accelerometer. You can also choose between 16GB and 32GB versions. There's no official word on pricing, but a European retailer leaked a €399 ($565) pricetag. The Eee Pad Transformer is available for pre-order in Taiwan, will go on sale on March 30th in the U.K., and is expected in the U.S. some time in April.

source: SlashGear

Dry Case's Waterproof Vacuum Seal keeps your iPhone dry in up to 100 ft of water

By now, we’ve all probably been exposed to some kind of rugged tough case for the iPhone that enables you to use the handset under water, but with most solutions, they’re priced so steeply to make you altogether forget about it.

Well, don’t be too discouraged about it seeing that DryCase is here for the rescue in providing an inexpensive solution that allows you take your favorite gadgets under water. Sure you can go old school and rely on a mere Ziploc bag, but you’re riding on that thin line of danger.

Luckily, the DryCase is vacuum-sealed and allows you to still use touchscreen devices, like the iPhone, in up to 100 feet of water. Additionally, you’re still able to interact with the touchscreen of the iPhone while it’s inside of the case. And with the addition of the optional DryBUDS, which is waterproof as well, you can continue to listen to your favorite tunes while in the water. Unlike some of the rugged tough cases out there in the market, the DryCase is priced at a reasonable $40 and will work with most popular devices out there.

Not convinced yet about its potential? Well, you can check out the video demonstration below at CTIA to see what it’s all about.

source: Dry Case

Motorola ATRIX 4G users get changelist for upcoming software upgrade

The Motorola ATRIX 4G may be the "world's most powerful smartphone", but it does have some bugs. Thankfully, a software upgrade is coming that will fix these problems. The new build will be 4.1.57 and will improve the fingerprint reader, increase the life of the battery, improve the performance of the 3.5mm earphone jack and the car dock, and reduce the number of times a program is unresponsive and has to be force closed. Once the 17MB upgrade is installed, you will also notice that the display on the ATRIX 4G will turn off when the charger is plugged in.

The upgrade is coming OTA and Motorola suggests that you have your handset set on Wi-Fi "to avoid large data charges".  The company also recommends that you have your battery charged to at least 50% of capacity and have an active SIM card installed prior to downloading the upgrade. For more information, check out the source link.

One bug that won't be addressed with this upgrade is the problem that we reported yesterday with the phone's call quality. While earlier information made this problem appear to be widespread, Motorola released a statement that says the call quality problem is an issue affecting a small number of ATRIX 4G users and the company is already working on a solution for a future "maintenance release." Motorola also suggests that those who own an ATRIX 4G with a call quality problem should contact a customer support center.

source: Motorola via AndroidCentral

The upcoming software upgrade for the Motorola ATRIX 4G will fix many of the issues that users have been having with the device

New iPad most expensive in Denmark, cheapest in U.S.

Apple's new iPad went on sale in 25 countries internationally on Friday, but the United States is still the cheapest place to buy the latest version of the tablet computer.
Prices in the United States, where the iPad 2 has been on sale since March 11, start at $499 for the most basic model -- with 16 gigabytes of storage and Wi-Fi only connectivity -- while the same model in Denmark costs the equivalent of $702.

GRAPHIC: IPad 2 global prices: r.reuters.com/zed78r
Customers lined up in their hundreds outside Apple stores in Europe and Asia, many waiting overnight or longer, to get their hands on an iPad 2 amid fears of shortages.
In Hong Kong, where the iPad 2 will not officially go on sale until next month, enterprising Chinese businessmen were already selling devices bought in the United States for up to HK$ 15,000 ($1,900).
In the United States, sales tax varies from state to state between zero and 13.725 percent, giving a maximum price to the consumer of $567 and an average of $547.
In the euro zone, the basic iPad 2 is selling at 479 euros ($678) in most countries, although it is slightly more expensive in France and cheaper in Luxembourg.
Unusually, it is cheaper in Britain than in continental Europe, selling for 399 pounds ($642).

Nokia to use Symbian and Windows together for long time

Nokia said it will continue to sell smartphones using its legacy Symbian software for a long time after its first phones using Microsoft's Windows go on sale.
Symbian is due to be replaced by Microsoft's Windows Phone over the coming two years under a plan announced in February, raising concerns Nokia could drop Symbian phones -- which have lost market share, but generate strong profits -- too early.
"We will be selling (Symbian) devices long after Windows Phone devices from Nokia have already started to appear," Purnima Kochikar, head of developer relations at Nokia, said in an open letter developers, published late on Friday.
Nokia has promised to introduce its first models using Windows Phone platform at the latest in 2012.
Nokia didn't specify how long it would continue to offer Symbian.
Earlier this week research firm Ovum forecast that Symbian phones will continue on some markets into 2016. Kochikar said coming Symbian models would focus on strong integration of services, as well as have faster processors than so far in the Symbian product line.
"Over the past weeks we have been evaluating our Symbian roadmap and now feel confident we will have a strong portfolio of new products during our transition period -- i.e. 2011 and 2012," Kochikar said.
"They will also include improvements in hardware performance such as GHz+ processing capabilities and faster graphics speeds," she said.
Nokia's current top models, the N8 and the E7, use 680 MHz (megahertz) processors, while rivals top models already use 1 GHz (gigahertz) and faster processors.

Harry Houdini Google doodle celebrates his 137th birthday

It's time for yet another Google doodle and this time it's in Harry Houdini's remembrance. Google's logo on the search engine giant's homepage today commemorates the fabled magician and escapologist, Harry Houdini's 137th birthday.

Who is Harry Houdini, I hear you ask? Well, this is what Wikipedia has to say on Harry Houdini -- incidentally, if you click on Harry Houdini's Google doodle on Google's homepage, the first search result pops up a Wikipedia entry on Houdini:
Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts. He was also a skeptic who set out to expose frauds purporting to be supernatural phenomena.

Houdini's legacy as a performer and entertainer has been kept alive through popular culture even after all the years after his death. Death Defying Acts starring Guy Pearce and Catherine Zeta Jones chronicles Harry Houdini's life and even Assassin's Creed II had paid a small homage to Harry Houdini in the game.
Today's Harry Houdini Google doodle is a static image of Houdini shackled in chains.

Much Maligned Intel Insider Launched in India

Intel launched their ‘Intel Insider’ service in India yesterday at a press conference in Mumbai. Intel Insider is a feature that lets users stream HD movies from content providers on the same day of the movie’s release. Insider is built into Intel’s new Sandy Bridge chips that sets up a secure layer that content providers can make use of to stream high quality videos directly to the users. In India, Intel has announced a tie-up with Hungama.com wherein the website will act as the platform from where users can stream/download Indian/foreign movies.

Intel Insider was first unveiled at CES 2011 in January and the feature quickly came under criticism for being very familiar to DRM (Digital Rights Management). Intel has defended the technology stating that all Insider does is provide an “extra layer of content protection” so that content providers (such as movie studios, distributors etc.) are willing to stream high quality content straight to the end user. However, detractors have accused Intel of hard-coding DRM into machines that come with Sandy Bridge processors and also “attempt(ing) to control what you can and can’t do with the media and hardware you’ve purchased.”
Another variant of criticism leveled at Intel Insider (at least in the U.S.) is that it would amount to monopoly if content providers such as Hulu embrace the service. If such an event happened, then only machines with Intel Sandy Bridge processors would be able to view the content, leaving machines running on AMD, VIA and older Intel chips out of the loop. However, it is unlikely that Intel would approach content providers until Sandy Bridge chips gain a major foothold in the market and it’s also a possibility that Intel could license its technology to the competition to escape monopoly accusations.
via Technology@Intel & Thinq_

iPhone 4 falls off plane, survives

Photo: Courtesey iLounge

Ever tried throwing your iPhone from an aircraft? In most scenarios we would not recommend doing that, but if you have a Griffin Motif TPU case, chances are that your iPhone might just survive the drop.

You don't believe me then ask Ron Walker, an US Air force Combat Controller whose iPhone 4 took a 1000 feet trip from the heavens and survived. Walker shared the tale of his phone with iLounge and gave a detailed account of the incident.

According to Mr. Walker, who was ensuring that the airplane was in the correct position when he sent parachute jumpers out of the aircraft, the plane was traveling at 130 knots (roughly 150 mph) when he stuck his body out of the plane door to look for landmarks. At that point, one of his pockets opened and his iPhone took flight before plunging to the ground. "Well, guess I'll be buying a new phone," he thought to himself, and continued on with his duties.

When he finally reached the ground Walker shared the story with his colleagues. He then downloaded the find my iPhone app, which detected his iPhone 4 to be two miles away in an area between a two-lane highway and a lake.  After triangulating the position of the device Walker along with friends decided to head out on ATVs and recover the device. Ultimately after a long search they found the phone in complete working order, with a tiny scratch and some dirt on it.

Walker claimed the device only had the Griffin Motif TPU case and an after market metal backing on it for protection. He also believed the phones fall might have been slowed by tree leaves and branches.

Technology of the future shown on glass

Good old 2002 when Minority Report released and changed what we wanted from technology. We all dreamt of the day when we will have glasses-free 3D projection as home entertainment, the full glass computer in Tom Cruise's office and who can forget the virtual shopping experience at the mall.

Today with the advancement in technology, all fictional technology can become a reality. A video released by Corning demonstrates how glass will evolve in the future. Some of the technology already exists, such as mirror LCDs produced by ad notam. The rest of it is..... well on the way.

Libyan rebels regain key city after airstrikes

Ajdabiya, Libya:  Libyan rebels regained control of the eastern gateway city of Ajdabiya on Saturday after international airstrikes crippled Moammar Gaddafi's forces, in the first major turnaround for an uprising that once appeared on the verge of defeat. In a western city the opposition lost to Gaddafi, a resident said security agents had lists of rebel sympathizers and were dragging them from their homes.

Drivers honked in celebration and flew the tricolor rebel flag. Others in the city fired their guns into the air and danced on burned-out tanks that littered the road. Inside a building that had served as makeshift barracks for pro-Gaddafi forces, hastily discarded uniforms were piled on the floor.

"Without the planes we couldn't have done this. Gaddafi's weapons are at a different level than ours," said Ahmed Faraj, 38, a rebel fighter from Ajdabiya. "With the help of the planes we are going to push onward to Tripoli, God willing."

Ajdabiya's sudden fall to Gaddafi's troops spurred the swift U.N. resolution authorizing international action in Libya, and its return to rebel hands on Saturday came after a week of airstrikes and missiles against the Libyan leader's military.

NATO airstrike kills civilians in Afghanistan

Kabul:  A NATO airstrike on two vehicles believed to be carrying Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan accidentally killed and wounded an unspecified number of civilians, coalition forces said Saturday.

The international alliance said it was investigating the strike, which occurred on Friday in the Naw Zad district of Helmand province. The helicopter airstrike followed intelligence reports that suggested a Taliban leader and his associates were in the vehicles, NATO said.

In the aftermath of the strike, coalition troops found bodies of civilians in the wreckage, NATO said. It did not released the number of the dead and wounded.

The deaths came only two days after the international coalition accidentally killed two civilians in the eastern province of Khost. The two were walking near a car with suspected insurgents and were not seen until after a NATO helicopter gunship launched Wednesday's strike, NATO said.

Opposition no confidence vote triggers elections in Canada

Ottawa:  Canadian opposition parties brought down the Conservative government in a no-confidence vote on Friday, triggering an election which polls show the Conservatives will win.

The opposition parties held Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government in contempt of Parliament in a 156-145 vote for failing to disclose the full financial details of his tougher crime legislation, corporate tax cuts and plans to purchase Stealth fighter jets.

Opinion polls expect Harper's Conservative Party to win re-election but not a majority, meaning he likely will continue to govern with a minority in Parliament, dependent on opposition votes to stay afloat.

The opposition parties combined hold the majority of the seats in Parliament with 160, while the Conservatives have 143.

US rushes freshwater to help Japan nuclear plant

Sendai, Japan:  US naval barges loaded with freshwater sped toward Japan's overheated nuclear plant to help workers who scrambled Saturday to stem a worrying rise in radioactivity and remove dangerously contaminated water from the facility.

Workers at the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi plant have been pumping seawater in a frantic bid to stabilize reactors overheating since a tsunami knocked out the complex's crucial cooling system March 11.

Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. is rushing to use freshwater instead because of the corrosive potential of the salt in seawater, Hidehiko Nishiyama of Japan's Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency said at a briefing Saturday.
The switch was the latest tactic in attempts to regain control of the nuclear power plant near the coast, 140 miles (220 kilometres) northeast of Tokyo.

Global supply lines at risk as shipping lines shun Japan

Hong Kong:  The economic disruptions from Japan's crisis have cascaded into another, crucial link in the global supply chain: cargo shipping.

Fearing the potential impact on crews, cargo and vessels worth tens of millions of dollars, some of the world's biggest container shipping lines have restricted or barred their ships from calling on ports in Tokyo Bay over concerns about radiation from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Meantime, ports in China are starting to require strict radiation checks on ships arriving from Japan. And in California on Friday, the first ship to reach the Port of Long Beach since Japan's earthquake was boarded and scanned for radiation by Coast Guard and federal customs officials before being allowed to dock.

Big Japanese ports much farther south of Tokyo, like Osaka and Kobe, are still loading and unloading cargo. But the Tokyo Bay ports of Tokyo and Yokohama are normally Japan's two busiest, representing as much as 40 percent of the nation's foreign container cargo. If other shipping companies join those already avoiding the Tokyo area, as radiation contamination spreads from Fukushima Daiichi 140 miles north, the delays in getting goods in and out of Japan would only grow worse.

As more nuclear plant damage is found, Japan presses repair efforts

Tokyo:  With new signs having emerged about the severity of the damage and contamination at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, workers resumed repair efforts Saturday with plans to pump in fresh water after days of spraying the reactors with salt water. At the same time, a new reading of a sample of seawater adjacent to the facility showed an increase in contamination from several days ago.

The developments followed a decision by Japanese officials on Friday to begin encouraging people to evacuate a larger band of territory around the complex, amid signals that bringing the plant under control anytime soon would be difficult.

Speaking to a national audience at a news conference on Friday night, two weeks after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and the devastating tsunami that followed it, Prime Minister Naoto Kan dodged a reporter's question about whether the government was ordering a full evacuation, saying officials were simply following the recommendation of the Japan Nuclear Safety Commission.

"The situation still requires caution," Mr. Kan, grave and tired-looking, told the nation. "Our measures are aimed at preventing the circumstances from getting worse." The authorities said that they would now assist people who wanted to leave the area from 12 to 19 miles outside the plant, and that they were now encouraging "voluntary evacuation" from the area.

Newly homeless in Japan re-establish order amid chaos

Rikuzentakata, Japan:  Koji Yamaguchi, a 76-year-old survivor of the tsunami that all but eradicated this town on March 11, was unavailable for interviews. He was out walking his dog.

Which would be unsurprising, were Mr. Yamaguchi not an evacuee himself, living on a 9-by-9-foot grass mat in a junior high school gymnasium here with 1,000 other people.

To an outsider, much is striking about Japan's response to two weeks of serial disasters: the stoicism and self-sacrifice; the quiet bravery in the face of tragedy that seems almost woven into the national character. Just as striking, however, is that evacuees here live in a place that can kennel your dog, charge your cellphone, fix your dentures and even provide that non-negotiable necessity of Japanese life, a steamy soak in a hot tub of water.

There is a free laundry service, too, although they are still working out clothes-drying kinks.

Libya government: Over 100 civilians killed in coalition fire

Tripoli:  In Tripoli later on Friday, a Health Ministry official Khaled Omar said a "total of 114 Libyans" have died and 445 were injured in the international airstrikes, but he did not provide a breakdown of how many were soldiers or civilians.

US and British officials insisted civilians have been spared and retort that the Libyan leader has engineered his own atrocities.

Myanmar earthquake: Over 70 people dead

Naypyidaw, Myanmar:  Still pictures of the aftermath of a powerful earthquake that toppled homes in northeastern Myanmar and killed more than 70 people were shown on Myanmar television on Friday.

The pictures showed collapsed houses, cracked roads and other damaged structures in the Tarlay and Tachileik towns in the Shan State near the Thai border.

There were fears on Friday that the toll would mount as conditions in more remote areas became known.

The Thursday night quake, measured at magnitude 6.8 by the US Geological Survey, was centred just north of Tachileik in the Shan State.

Tech companies' new perks: Luring whiz kids with iPads, meals

San Francisco:  Eric Firestone began a new job at a Web start-up here three weeks ago, and he's already thinking about what he might do next. But that's just fine with his new employer.

The company, a service to turn cell phones into credit card readers, lured Mr. Firestone from Apple partly with an unusual pitch: it promised to give him weekly lessons about starting his own business someday, including how to find venture capitalists to finance it.

Mr. Firestone, a 28-year-old software engineer, said he could try to get financing for a start-up from venture capital firms now, "but I feel like I'd be having a hard time. Here you get to learn."

Computer whiz kids have long been prize hires in Silicon Valley. But these days tech companies are dreaming up new perks and incentives as the industry wages its fiercest war for talent in more than a decade.

Free meals, shuttle buses and stock options are de rigueur. So the game maker Zynga dangles free haircuts and iPads to recruits, who are also told that they can bring their dogs to work. Path, a photo-sharing site, moved its offices so it could offer sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay. At Instagram, another photo-sharing start-up, workers take personal food and drink orders from employees, fill them at Costco and keep the supplies on hand for lunches and snacks.

U.S. Cellular's Samsung Mesmerize gets upgraded to Android 2.2

The Samsung Mesmerize, U.S. Cellular's version of the Samsung Galaxy S, can now be upgraded to Android 2.2. The Korean based manufacturer sent out a tweet that confirmed the availability of the upgrade, which must be done manually for the time being, through Samsung's Kies mini desktop software.

Android 2.2 brings a multitude of improvements to the handset such as Adobe Flash, the ability to store some apps on a microSD card, automatic upgrades of certain apps, sharing a connection to U.S. Cellular's network using a Mobile Hotspot with 5-8 other users (this requires signing up for a tethering plan), the addition of Google's News and Weather application and being able to enjoy faster download speeds on the Android Browser.

The Samsung Mesmerize joins the HTC Desire and the Samsung Acclaim as the three devices offered by the carrier to be powered by Android 2.2.

source: U.S.Cellular via AndroidGuys

The Samsung Mesmerize can now be upgraded to Android 2.2 through a manual upgrade by U.S. Cellular customers

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark: the price of the Apple iPad 2

It's not everyday that we get to quote Shakespeare, but the launch today of the Apple iPad 2 in 25 more countries has given us this rare opportunity. According to Reuters, the U.S. is where you can buy the sequel to the hugely successful Apple tablet for the least amount of money. The most expensive location to buy the iPad 2 is in Denmark.

For example, in the States, a 16GB model limited to Wi-Fi connectivity-the most basic model of the iPad 2 available-costs $499. In Denmark, the same exact iPad 2 is priced at the equivalent of $702 USD. This does not include areas where the tablet is not officially on sale and where black market prices for the device have soared. For example, in Hong Kong where the Apple iPad 2 is not scheduled for launch until next month, the device is being sold as high as the equivalent of $1,900 USD. These prices do not include any taxes.

Over in Europe, the price for the basic iPad 2 set-up is approximately equal to $678 USD while in the U.K. the price tag reads the equivalent of $642 USD.

Some of the differences in pricing from location to location has to do with the value of the U.S. Dollar. Since January, the currency has been in a major decline against most of the major trading partners of the country. A lower dollar allows Apple to drop prices overseas and still produce higher profits when foreign currency is converted to dollars. On the other hand, any contracts written in dollars for parts bought from foreign suppliers will cost the Cupertino based company more because of the sliding buck.

source: Reuters

Apple releases iOS 4.3.1 to correct minor bugs with cell network connectivity, and more

All of those Apple iPhone 4 users getting today's upgrade to iOS 4.3.1, please take one step forward. Uh, not so fast you Verizon customers. Outside of Big Red's Apple iPhone 4 users (who are still using iOS 4.2.6 launched in January), those using the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch (3rd and 4th generation) the original iPad and iPad 2 can upgrade to the newly launched iOS 4.3.1.

The upgrade includes a fix for a graphics bug on the 4th generation iPod touch, repairs a bug relating to connectivity on some cellular networks, fixes a bug that created a flickering image when using Apple Digital AV Adapter with some television sets, and fixes an issue relating to authenticating with some enterprise web services.

The release of the upgrade is somewhat of a surprise to iOS owners as it had been rumored that the 4.3.1 upgrade would not be released for another two weeks. While the software was released earlier than expected, an upgrade was expected after researcher Charles Miller discovered a flaw in mobile Safari during the Pwn2Own hacking contest. During the contest, Miller shared the flaw with Apple in an effort to have the problem repaired.

source: AppleInsider

Despite being thinner and more flexible, display on Apple iPad 2 is stronger than on the original

Repair firm "iFixYouri.com" decided to test which Apple iPad had the stronger display. So they grabbed a video camera, a glass display from the original tablet and one from the sequel model, picked up some tools of torture, and took a real hands-on approach to determining which of the two iPads had the stronger display.

The glass display on the Apple iPad 2 is 27% thinner than the one used on the original model, and is more flexible. If you were a gambling man, those stats might make you run out to Las Vegas and put a bet down that the original display would outlast the new one. For the results, click on the video below. We just need to warn you that because "torture" is involved, those with squeamish stomachs might want to sit this one out.

source: 9to5Mac

Research firm says the global smartphone market will double by 2016, led by Android

Research firm Ovum says it sees the future of the global smartphone industry-and the future is green. According to Ovum, by 2016 the global smartphone market will have doubled from current levels, led by Android devices. Phones powered by Google's open source OS will control 38% of the world's smartphone market. Ovum analyst Adam Leach says the reason for the expected domination by Android over the next half a decade is, "...the sheer number of hardware vendors supporting it at both the high and low ends of the market."

Behind Android will be Apple with a 17.5% slice of the global smartphone pie. The research firm has the Windows Phone platform in third place by 2016, passing BlackBerry's forecast 16.5% share, on the strength of Nokia's use of the Microsoft produced OS. That should be enough to give Windows Phone  a 17.2% share of the market in 5 years, according to Ovum. Analyst Leach also said that another platform could find itself becoming a mainstream success during the 5 year period of the forecast. He says this could be an existing OS like webOS, MeeGo or Bada or it could be a completely new platform not yet developed.

The researcher noted that Nokia's deal with Microsoft will reduce the number of Symbian flavored handsets coming to market although some areas of the globe will still be getting Nokia phones with Symbian as late as 2016. Ovum noted that Nokia's use of the Windows Phone platform could put pressure on some manufacturers to not use Microsoft's mobile OS so as not to compete with the Finnish cellphone giant.

The whole global smartphone industry is expected to ship 653 million units by 2016. By that year, smartphones will control 40% of the overall global cellphone business. In five years, the largest number of smartphone users will come from the Asia-Pacific region with 200 million phones being shipped to the area. Western Europe will see shipments of 175 million handsets followed by 165 million expected to head to North America in 5 years.

source: BGR

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Upcoming Sony Ericsson phones ”may arrive on any US carrier”, LTE devices planned

Sony Ericsson has decided to shed some light on its near-term plans for the US smartphone market, as well as to reiterate its commitment to Android and to mention that some LTE devices are planned.

And while Sony Ericsson is about to launch the much anticipated Xperia PLAY in some parts of the world, it's yet unknown when it will be available in the US. In fact, all that's confirmed is that the gaming-optimized phone will be offered to Verizon's customers. However, it seems there is every chance that some other Xperia smartphones may also appear in the States - and on different carriers. Sony Ericsson product marketing manager Stephen Sneeden's words on the matter:

"You could see Xperia smartphones arrive on any U.S. carrier."

He went on to say that the upcoming devices by the Japanese-Swedish joint venture may not be high and mid-end only, noting that "we might provide affordable tier Android phones". On a different note, it’s reported that the US version of the handset previously known as the PlayStation Phone won't feature the custom Sony Ericsson UI called Timescape.

We don't know about you, but it seems to us that Sony Ericsson really wants to convince the mobile community that it has a better understanding of the Android game compared to what they knew a year ago, and that the company is focused to learn from its past mistakes, i.e. no more delayed updates:

"We learned a few lessons on what's important. Android is so compelling in itself, it's important to be first, fresh out of the oven."

Probably the next big challenge for Sony Ericsson is to create an Xperia PLAY-focused ecosystem of PlayStation Certified games. Because Google's Marketplace doesn't allow app purchasing in some countries, the joint-venture is aiming to create carrier-branded apps stores - the company will use their billing systems to allow you to buy games - and charge you at the end of the month as part of your bill.

Sneeden also commented that LTE is firmly on  Sony Ericsson's agenda:

"We haven't announced LTE yet, but it's definitely in our roadmap."

Will Sony Ericsson succeed in the US market?

source: PC Magazine

Cellular South to offer Wi-Fi only version of the Motorola XOOM 'soon'

Regional carrier Cellular South put up a web page on its site to promote the fact that the Motorola XOOM is 'coming soon' to the carrier. And while the site lists all of the features of the Honeycomb flavored tablet, it also gives us a clue that it will be the Wi-Fi only variant of the XOOM that Cellular South customers will be able to purchase.

On the web page is a number of bullet points including one that mentions that Cell South customers can connect the XOOM to the internet via Wi-Fi or through a Cellular South Mi-Fi device. While the Wi-Fi only Motorola XOOM does not require a signed contract, the Cellular South Mi-Fi requires a signed 2 year pact. 

Unfortunately, the web page fails to display a price tag for the Motorola XOOM, Mi-Fi combo although we know it can't be lower than the $599 price that the carrier is asking for the Wi-Fi only version of the XOOM.

source: CellularSouth via AndroidCentral

What's your opinion of AT&T's plans to purchase T-Mobile US from Deutsche Telekom: Results

On March 20 a shocking announcement shook the mobile community in the US - AT&T publicly stated it plans to acquire T-Mobile USA, the fourth largest carrier in the States.

It will be some time before we know for sure whether FCC will approve or reject this merger, but nevertheless we were wondering what's your opinion on that matter. Here are the results:

Almost 50% of you (48.04% or 869 votes to be precise) voted that it's yet to be seen whether FCC will approve the deal, but the prospect of AT&T buying T-Mo is not a pleasant one, simply because the former will become too big for the greater good.

27.81% of the people who voted in this poll also voiced their concern over the deal - but for no other reason than the fact T-Mobile offers something different - affordable handsets and data plans.

And then, there are these guys who think the AT&T-T-Mobile merger will benefit everyone, because, according to them and some analysts, prices will go down, while we will see better data plans and faster LTE deployment. These folks are a minority of 24.16%.

HTC starts locking down its Android phones from now on?

When a manufacturer wants to prevent its smartphones from being tampered with, it usually adds some sort of a software solution to the problem, which prevents fundamental modifications to a device's operating system. Manufacturers like Samsung and Motorola have already become infamous for implementing such restrictions against rooting of their Android devices and now it seems very likely for HTC to be already following their footsteps.

Usually known as developer-friendly manufacturer, HTC may have committed to adding signature checks to at least some of its Android smartphones from now on, starting with the HTC ThunderBolt. Such checks prevent a custom ROM from being loaded on a device as it would not contain the manufacturer's proprietary signature key, which would act as a “stamp” verifying the legitimate origin of the software. Rooting upcoming HTC Android devices may also prove impossible at first, or at least until a workaround to the limitation is discovered.

When asked about the motives behind its decision to turn its back on developers by locking its Android smartphones, HTC responded that it was only serving in interest of wireless carriers. However, not everybody seems to have bought into this excuse. The same signature checks have been reported to exist on the HTC Incredible S, which is available as an unlocked GSM device, meaning that there was no carrier to have anything against the alteration of the smartphone's software.

At the end of the day, HTC may be merely trying to save itself the trouble of assisting in servicing smartphones, which have been bricked as a result of an unsuccessful modification. Whatever the true reason behind the manufacturer's move may be, we suppose that it will not take that long before a devoted hacker cracks the restriction and brings back the joy of tinkering to HTC devices.

source: Android Police via Gadgetsteria

Sports Tracker fitness app coming to iOS and Android

If you have followed phones in recent years, you know that Nokia were scoring big with their handsets roughly all the way until the iPhone came out. And if you've followed apps, you know that Sports Tracker was the ultimate sports app for your fitness-obsessed folk out there – giving you all possible stats about your walk, run or cycle. All of this beauty was available for Symbian – the hot platform of the time – and backed by Nokia. But as Espoo slowly shifted away from the platform, the engineers that are behind Sports Tracker decided to start their own company and now announced their decision to port the fitness application to iOS and Android.

So much for our retrospection, but a quick look at the actual functionality of Sports Tracker reveals that it basically transforms your cell phone into a GPS sports machine and also makes you a part of a bigger active community. One, which shares everything sports-related like interesting cycling or skiing routes. The app will be entering final testing stages soon, so expect to see it soon on the App Store and the Android Market.

source: Sports Tracker via Nexus404

Palm Pixi lives after spending 45 minutes in an oven

In continuation to the trend of smartphones surviving after being mistreated, we present you a story of a smartphone, which got brought back to life right after spending 45 minutes of “baking” inside of an oven. Inspired by the story of the iPhone 4, which survived after falling to the ground after unintentionally being dropped off from a plane, The Consumerist reader Jim decided to share the tale of his wife and her resilient Palm Pixi.

My wife was cooking last month. She set the oven to 450 degrees. When that temperature was reached, she inserted a baking sheet with the food she had prepared. After 45 minutes, she opened the oven and found her Palm Pixi phone in the oven just inside the door. It had apparently fallen out of her pocket as she bent down to insert the food into the oven.

She immediately grabbed the phone and when it had cooled enough, she removed the battery, which was distorted by the heat. Figuring she had nothing to lose, she placed a spare battery into the phone. It immediately came to life and has not given her a problem since.

We strongly suggest you to restrain yourself from treating your gadgets to anything similar to the story above, but if you have already cooked your smartphone in the past, either by accident or on purpose, feel free to share the results with us by posting a comment below.

source: The Consumerist via Pre Central

Quickoffice 4.0 for Android gets PowerPoint editing and text-to-speech

One of the best document editors on Android received its latest 4.0 update, and the changelog is just what the doctor ordered.

It is now possible to edit PowerPoint files, not only view them, and you can have docs read to you with the new text-to-speech capability.

Just in time for the barrage of Android tablets to hit the shelves we'd add. Here's the full changelog for the free version, and for the $7.99 Quickoffice Pro:

•    
  Create, open, & edit PowerPoint® Files (.ppt & .pptx)
•     Clipboard access (cut/copy/paste in app and between apps)
•     Insert and resize images from gallery or camera
•     Text-to-speech document recital and voice input dictation
•     Edit and format table text in documents
•     Undo / redo most user actions
•     Thumbnail preview scrolling for multi-page documents
•     Improved toolbar and performance enhancements
•     Paragraph alignment in documents
•     Edit speaker notes in presentations
•     Share files from via e-mail, SMS, Bluetooth, and others
•     Support for advanced formulas more charts in Excel files
•     Edit in page layout mode and thumbnail page navigation in documents
•     Add, delete, and rename worksheets in Excel files
•     Apply formulas to multiple cells by tapping and dragging
•     Move & resize text boxes, images, and shapes
•     Install to SD card and save storage space on your device

Quickoffice Pro

•    
  Create, edit, and share Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files
•     Get continuous and convenient mobile access to remote storage services
•     Access and manage email attachments with the most popular file formats
•     Experience advanced PDF viewing
•     Save files locally, on your remote storage provider, or to an SD card
•     Browse and open zip folders
•     100% data integrity - guaranteed Microsoft compatibility
•     Localized in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese

After it got updated for iOS, Android users can now take full advantage of the rich Microsoft Office docs management capabilities of Quickoffice, making it one of the most functional apps for Google's mobile OS in that respect.

source: Quickoffice