Apple Press Con. Called – No iPhone 4 Recall?
Posted by ParaCAD @ 8:43 pm in Apple News iPhone.
Although Apple has called a press conference tomorrow to discuss well-documented problems with the iPhone 4's antenna and reception, a new report claims that a recall of the handset won't be among the announcements.
Citing a person familiar with the matter, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple doesn't plan to instate a recall of the more than 2 million units it's shipped worldwide thus far.
That same person echoed an earlier report from Bloomberg in claiming that hardware engineers warned chief executive Steve Jobs about the risks of the phone's new external antenna design nearly a year ago, but that Jobs "liked the design so much that Apple went ahead with its development."
The report went on to document how Apple's immense secrecy over new iPhone masked the problem during the company's evaluation process with its carrier partners, as design verification units were disguised as "stealth" phones that obscured their design and some of their functions.
"Those test phones are specifically designed so the phone can't be touched, which made it hard to catch the iPhone 4's antenna problem," the Journal said. The paper added, citing people familiar with the matter, that Apple afforded carriers "limited time to test the iPhone 4 before its June 24 launch" and equipped them with "fewer devices to test than other handset makers."
Although Apple declined to comment on its development methods......................Read More
(SOURCE)
--@ParaCAD
Press Release Motorola: #DroidX Announced #VZW #Android #Motorola
Posted by ParaCAD @ 12:59 pm in Android Motorola Droid News Verizon.
As I type this the VZW Event is under way. So much is being learned about this new Motorola Android device from Verizon Wireless.....
Below is a portion of the press release from the Motorola Media Center:
July 2010: DROID X By Motorola Lands On The Nation's Largest & Most Reliable 3G Network
DROID X Delivers More Browsing, More Connectivity, Personal HD Video and Enterprise Features – All on a 4.3” Widescreen
June 23, 2010
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Verizon Wireless, the company with the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless 3G network, and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT), a pioneer in the mobile industry, today unveiled DROID X by Motorola. DROID X does more with ultra high-speed Web browsing; a fast 1GHz processor; 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities; loads of memory; intuitive social messaging; Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 ready; and access to Android Market™, which has more than 65,000 applications, along with a host of unique Verizon Wireless applications such as NFL Mobile, Skype mobile™, V CAST Video, EA Need for Speed Shift™ and more.
“Nine months ago, we made a commitment to our customers to bring the openness of Android to the Verizon Wireless network,” said John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “Since then, we have introduced the top-selling Android phone in the marketplace today – the DROID by Motorola. DROID X takes that commitment to another level with exclusive content, faster processing speeds, and, of course, the reliability of our network.”
Sanjay Jha, co-chief executive officer of Motorola and chief executive officer of Motorola Mobile Devices and Home business added, “Motorola designed DROID X to push the extreme limits of Android innovation, and enable you to do even more with your mobile device. We are breaking down barriers so that you can experience the Web the way it was meant to be and create, share and view content like never before, either in your hand or in your home. Enterprise users will also find DROID X appealing with features including push e-mail and live widgets for e-mail and calendar updates.”
DROID X gives customers a 4.3-inch high-resolution screen for viewing the latest movies and video from BLOCKBUSTER On Demand® presented by V CAST Video, the newest addition to the Verizon Wireless V CAST application, which also includes access to favorite TV shows. The DROID X video capabilities let customers capture spontaneous fun, combining a dual-flash, 8-megapixel camera, HD camcorder, as well as DLNA and HDMI connectivity to download, stream and share personal HD content.
Read the rest of this press release over at the Motorola Media Center
More articles will follow from TSP.net, so stay tuned!
--@ParaCAD
#Flash 10 for Android, Leaks #Android 2.2 Upgrades
Posted by ParaCAD @ 8:27 am in Android Apple News iPad iPhone iPod Touch.
Adobe today started shipping Flash 10.1 for Mobile. The initial release is targeted at devices running Android 2.2 and, initially, will only work with the Nexus One. However, it did inadvertently confirm a number of Android 2.2 upgrades for a handful of other devices that would let them run Flash, including the Dell Streak, Motorola's Droid and Milestone, HTC's Desire, Droid Incredible and Evo 4G, and the Samsung Galaxy S.
The company is noticeably low-key on its other platform releases and says it has handed Flash 10.1 to hardware and OS makers for BlackBerry OS, LiMo, MeeGo, Symbian, webOS and Windows Phone 7, but wouldn't say when it expected these to ship. It only anticipated releases in both over-the-air and preloaded installs over the "coming months."
The launch nonetheless represents Adobe's first opportunity to live up to its promises for Flash on mobile platforms, which have seen the release delayed by several months or more. Flash 10.1 has needed several optimizations to reduce its overhead on phones and tablets; the plugin only loads when Flash content is visible on the page, shuts down when switching tasks, and can automatically curb processor or memory use for content that isn't efficient.
Apple is the notable holdout on Flash and has argued that the tricks so far aren't enough to make it effective. This may have been proven in a recent hands-on test as the beta made Android 2.2 the slowest platform for web browsing even though its processor and OS would otherwise have made it one of the fastest.
(Via Source
This is very interesting news. So what are you're thought on this readers? Adobe has released Flash 10.1 to the many mobile platforms available. Of course Android fans are excited about this update and will take full advantage of it.
But we still see no love for Apple, since Steve Jobs is dead set on HTML5 and will not allow Flash on his iDevices.
As I was typing this short paragraph here, I recalled a letter on the Apple site from Jobs, that decribed in detail his thoughts on why no Flash. Give it a read, then leave your comments below....Thoughts on Flash
Motorola Droid Froyo 2.2 ROM Released #android #froyo
Posted by Vazguard @ 1:16 pm in Android News.
If you haven't already heard, one of the big news bits in Android today is the release of an early Moto Droid-compatible 2.2 ROM. It is not a fully-featured setup, but it does allow innovators and Android enthusiasts a taste of what's to come for Froyo on the Droid. One major setback is the loss of WiFi use, which was purposely removed to protect the source of the ROM. But the build is super smooth and who doesn't like that? If you have been waiting anxiously to try out Froyo and have a rooted Droid, the ROM can be installed like any other Nandroid backup. Nothing like some frozen yogurt to start the weekend!
UPDATE: The troopers working on the ROM have just released a slew of overclocking kernels, complete with a WiFi fix. Check them out here.
Instructions and download links can be found on the release post from the hard-working folks over at MyDroidWorld.
AT&T News Room – Press Release #iPhone #iPad #Mobile
Posted by ParaCAD @ 7:20 pm in AT&T Apple Misc. News iPad iPhone.
AT&T*, the U.S. smartphone leader, today introduced new wireless data plans that make it more affordable for more people to enjoy the benefits of the mobile Internet. Customers can pick the new data plan that best meets their needs – either a $15 per month entry plan or a $25 per month plan with 10 times more data. Current smartphone customers are not required to switch to the new plans, but can choose to do so without a contract extension.
“AT&T helps mobilize everything on the Internet – your favorite web sites, TV shows, music, games and social networks. Virtually everything previously done while sitting at a computer can now be done on the go,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “To give more people the opportunity to experience these benefits, we’re breaking free from the traditional ‘one-size-fits-all’ pricing model and making the mobile Internet more affordable to a greater number of people.”
Each plan includes unlimited access at no additional charge to more than 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots in the U.S. Customers can also use unlimited Wi-Fi at home, in the office or elsewhere if available. AT&T will also help customers manage their wireless data usage by sending free text messages after customers reach different usage intervals and by providing online tools, including a smartphone app that shows monthly usage information.
The new wireless data plans – including a new tethering option – will be available beginning June 7. Current AT&T voice and texting plans are unchanged.
More Choice
The new AT&T plans provide large amounts of data to enable people to enjoy their favorite online activities:
DataPlus. Provides 200 megabytes (MB) of data – for example, enough to send/receive 1,000 emails (no attachments), plus send/receive 150 emails with attachments, plus view 400 Web pages, plus post 50 photos on social media sites, plus watch 20 minutes of streaming video – for just $15 per month.** This plan, which can save customers up to 50 percent off their wireless data charges, is designed for people who primarily like to surf the web, send email and use social networking apps. If customers exceed 200 MB in a monthly billing cycle, they will receive an additional 200 MB of data usage for $15 for use in the cycle. Currently, 65 percent of AT&T smartphone customers use less than 200 MB of data per month on average.
DataPro. Provides 2 gigabytes (GB) of data – for example, enough to send/receive 10,000 emails (no attachments), plus send/receive 1,500 emails with attachments, plus view 4,000 Web pages, plus post 500 photos to social media sites, plus watch 200 minutes of streaming video – for $25 per month.** Should a customer exceed 2 GB during a billing cycle, they will receive an additional 1 GB of data for $10 for use in the cycle. Currently, 98 percent of AT&T smartphone customers use less than 2 GB of data a month on average.
Tethering. Smartphone customers – including iPhone customers – who choose the DataPro plan have the option to add tethering for an additional $20 per month. Tethering lets customers use their smartphones as a modem to provide a broadband connection for laptop computers, netbooks or other computing devices. Tethering for iPhones will be available when Apple releases iPhone OS 4 this summer.
With the new wireless data plans, pricing for a smartphone voice and data bundle now starts at just $54.99 per month for an individual plan, or $24.99 per month for an additional line on a FamilyTalk plan, $15 per month less than the price of the previous entry level bundle.
For new iPad customers, the $25 per month 2 GB plan will replace the existing $29.99 unlimited plan. iPad customers will continue to pre-pay for their wireless data plan and no contract is required. Existing iPad customers who have the $29.99 per month unlimited plan can keep that plan or switch to the new $25 per month plan with 2 GB of data.
Wi-Fi at 20,000 AT&T Hot Spots
The vast majority of smartphones that AT&T offers have built-in Wi-Fi, which lets the devices automatically switch from the wireless network to a Wi-Fi hotspot without prompting, making Wi-Fi even more convenient and easy to use. This enables customers to use Wi-Fi in the home, office and at public locations where available. Wi-Fi will generally provide consistently fast speeds and does not count against a customer’s monthly data plan usage total. In addition, virtually all AT&T smartphone customers have access at no additional charge to more than 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots in the U.S. Customers can get more information on how to use Wi-Fi and find the location of AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots at www.att.com/wifiaccess.
Monitoring and Managing Usage
To help customers easily check their data usage, AT&T has made the information readily available in a number of ways***:
--Customer Text Notifications On Data Usage. When customers begin to approach their monthly usage limit, AT&T will send three text notifications – after they reach 65 percent, 90 percent and 100 percent of the threshold. Customers will also be sent emails if AT&T has their email address.
--Data Usage Monitoring. Additionally, customers with iPhones and other select devices can use the free AT&T myWireless application to check data usage. The application is available for download in several smartphone app stores. Also, AT&T customers can call *DATA# from their wireless phone to check their data usage for the current billing period. They receive a free text message with their usage information. Customers can also go online to www.att.com/wireless to see all of their usage information, past and present.
--Data Calculator. The easy-to-use online data calculator enables customers to estimate their mobile data usage and get a better sense for which data plan is right for them. It’s located at www.att.com/datacalculator.
Customers can learn more about the new plans online at www.att.com/dataplans, by contacting AT&T customer service at 1-800-331-0500, or by visiting an AT&T retail store.
AT&T expects these new data plans to have minimal revenue impact this year and to not affect previous guidance for 2010.
(via AT&T News Room)
Opera Mobile Preview Build – #Nokia #N900 #Opera_Mobile
Posted by ParaCAD @ 3:15 pm in Apps News.
We’re proud to present the first preview build of Opera Mobile 10 for Nokia N900 and N800/N810.
Back in 2005, Nokia released the Nokia N770. The included web browser was developed by Opera Software. In 2008, Nokia chose to stop including Opera with Maemo, switching instead to a browser developed internally. Today’s preview build marks our unofficial return to the Maemo platform, after a little over 3 years of absence.
This Maemo version of Opera Mobile 10 was created as a hobby project by a small team of developers in their spare time. In total, about 6 man-weeks were spent on creating the release. It’s worth pointing out that this is not an officially-supported release. As such, it has not undergone our usual quality assurance processes, and at times may not feel as polished or complete as an official release. This also means that there may never be a “final” release of Opera Mobile 10 for Maemo devices, since it’s just that much more fun to add shiny new features rather than fixing boring old bugs...........
Read more HERE from Opera Labs.
Report: Google Android surpasses iPhone in U.S. #Android #iPhone
Posted by J K @ 10:37 am in Android News iPhone.
Google's Android operating system edged out Apple's iPhone operating system for the No. 2 spot in the U.S. consumer smartphone market in the first quarter, research firm NPD Group reported Monday.
According to NPD, devices running Android accounted for 28 percent of the units sold to U.S. consumers in the first quarter of 2010.
BlackBerry devices made by Research In Motion, which use RIM's homegrown operating system, took the top spot with 36 percent of the U.S. market. Apple's iPhone, which had been in the No. 2 spot previously, fell to third place with 21 percent of the market.
NPD's figures are based on self-reported consumer surveys and they estimate the number of devices sold to consumers. The figures do not include sales of devices to business customers through enterprise contracts.
Android is an operating system that is available on several different models of phones made by different manufacturers, such as Motorola, HTC, and Samsung. Meanwhile, Apple's operating system is used only on Apple's own iPhone.
Ross Rubin, an analyst with NPD, attributed the strong growth in Android to the fact that devices using Android software are now available on all major U.S. carrier networks.
Verizon Wireless, in particular, has helped fuel success for the operating system. Verizon launched a major marketing campaign for devices, such as the Motorola Droid, last year. And Verizon, the largest U.S. wireless operator, has also been including Android devices in its buy-one-get-one free smartphone promotion.
T-Mobile USA also features Android phones as its flagship smartphones, and AT&T has begun selling Android phones.
"The wireless carriers in the U.S. are still the king makers in the mobile market," said Rubin. "Verizon in particular is what is making the Android so successful right now with its promotions and marketing."
Rubin said that strong sales of the Motorola Droid, HTC Droid Eris, and RIM's Blackberry Curve via these promotions have helped keep Verizon's smartphone sales on par with AT&T in the first quarter.
NPD's data suggests that smartphone sales at AT&T account for nearly a third of the entire smartphone market, about 32 percent. Verizon Wireless accounted for 30 percent of smartphone sales. T-Mobile made up 17 percent of all smartphone sales and Sprint brought in 15 percent of all smartphone sales.
There is no question that Apple's iPhone is still very popular. Last month, AT&T reported that it had activated about 900,000 iPhones for new customers during the first quarter. It also sold another 1.8 million iPhones to people who were already AT&T customers. Without the iPhone, AT&T's subscriber growth for contract customers would have been negative.
But the NPD findings suggest that sales of the phone could be even higher in the U.S. if the device was available on other carrier networks, such as Verizon Wireless. Reports surfaced in March that the iPhone could be coming to Verizon soon. But definite plans for a Verizon iPhone have still not been announced.
"If the iPhone was available today on Verizon, Apple would certainly grow market share," Rubin said. "But it's harder to say what will happen in the long term. It's difficult to know what the feature-set will look like on phones in a year. But it's clear the iPhone still has enough cachet today to pick up market share."
[via CNN.com]
WWDC Coming June 7-11 #iPhone #iPad #WWDC10
Posted by ParaCAD @ 11:24 am in News.
Apple has, at least a month later than usual, announced the dates for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. WWDC 2010 kicks off on June 7—five days of iPhone, iPad, and Mac OS X developer goodness at San Francisco's Moscone West conference center.
In addition to the usual hobnobbing among developers and Apple engineers, this year's WWDC will feature training sessions and labs that focus on five different areas:
Application Frameworks covers all the built-in frameworks that developers can easily leverage to build applications, such as Core Animation and Core Data. It will also cover new iPhone OS 4 frameworks like multitasking services, Game Center, Event Kit, and the new Core Location features.
Core OS will cover under-the-hood stuff like networking, I/O Kit drivers, security, and optimizing multitasking.
Developer Tools covers getting the most out of Xcode, Interface Builder, Instruments, and advanced techniques with Objective-C 2.0.
Graphics and Media touches on OpenGL, OpenGL ES, AV frameworks, editing media, game design, and HTTP Live Streaming.
Internet and Web will focus on tools for developing and deploying Web-based apps, including HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, using Safari's developer tools, Dashcode, and adding touch and gesture detection for mobile Web apps.
(Read More via ars technica)
--@ParaCAD
Fennec for Android, Pre-alpha #Android #Firefox #Fennec #Google
Posted by ParaCAD @ 10:15 am in Android Apps Google News.
Seems that (Firefox) Fennec for Android can be downloaded and installed! Grab it HERE The first place Fennec was seen was on Maemo with the Nokia N900.
I know we at TSP have a number of members that are fans/users. So you guys/gals need to install it ASAP and report back via the comment box below or the forum post that will follow this blogpost.......I'm not kidding....Do it! 
We anxiously wait your impressions of this pre-alpha Fennec browser. And remember with any beta, pre-alpha what-have-you, there's always bound to be gliches, bugs. But who cares right, thats part of the fun? Be the first to check this out.
--@ParaCAD
Sprint Announces BlackBerry Bold 9650 #BlackBerry #Sprint #RIM
Posted by ParaCAD @ 3:22 pm in BlackBerry News Sprint.
Press Release
Advanced Features and Refined Style of BlackBerry Bold 9650 Smartphone Coming to Sprint
Available in all Sprint sale channels May 23, the new BlackBerry Bold
9650 offers international roaming for a global smartphone experience
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–With an extensive array of
high-end communications and multimedia features, compact and highly
refined design and international roaming capabilities, the new
BlackBerry® Bold™ 9650 smartphone will be available from Sprint (NYSE:
S). It will operate on Sprint’s nationwide 3G Network domestically,
and roams on other high-speed wireless networks around the world for
reliable voice and email communication.
The BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone will be available for $199.99 with
a new two-year service agreement, after a $100 mail-in rebate (taxes &
surcharges excluded). It can be purchased in all other Sprint sales
channels, including Web sales (www.sprint.com), Telesales
(1-800-SPRINT1), Sprint Business Sales, Sprint stores, national
retailers and third-party dealers, Sunday, May 23.
BlackBerry Bold 9650 provides instant access to email, calendar,
contacts, robust business and entertainment applications and
location-based services, leveraging the best performing wireless
networks in the United States and abroad. It is also ideally suited
for those who want to stay socially connected and share moments
through pictures and videos over MMS and popular IM services like
BlackBerry® Messenger. It also offers easy access to social networking
sites like Flickr®, MySpace™ and Facebook®, with smooth integration,
providing a great view of what’s happening both personally and
professionally.
“BlackBerry Bold 9650 extends Sprint’s position of offering the best
portfolio of BlackBerry smartphones in the industry with a powerful
mobility tool for those who want to stay connected, both domestically
and abroad,” said Fared Adib, vice president – Product Development,
Sprint. “Our customers will appreciate its fast Web browsing,
downloads and streaming as well as social media and productivity
enhancing applications. This is an ideal smartphone for juggling busy
personal and professional lives.”
“The BlackBerry Bold 9650 is a sophisticated and feature-rich
smartphone with uncompromising performance that lets you stay
connected to the people and content that matter most, whether at home
or travelling the world,” said David Smith, vice president of Handheld
Product Management, RIM.
In addition to top-of-the-line performance, functionality and
features, the BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone comes with BlackBerry®
OS 5. It is also designed with a smoothly integrated optical trackpad
and a distinctive, highly tactile, fretted keyboard and features a
large, high-resolution display (480 x 360 resolution at 245 ppi).
Additional features include:
-Access to up to 10 supported email accounts (including most popular
ISP email accounts such as Yahoo!®, Windows Live™
-Hotmail®, AOL® and Gmail™), plus BlackBerry® Enterprise Server
support offering advanced security and IT administration capabilities
for corporate deployments
-Built-in GPS and Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g)
-3.2 MP camera with flash, variable zoom, image stabilization,
autofocus and video recording
-Advanced media player for enjoying pictures, video and music
-512 MB Flash memory and an expandable memory card slot that supports
up to 32 GB microSDHC cards, with a 2 GB microSD card included
-3.5 mm stereo headset jack
-Support for the Bluetooth® stereo headsets (A2DP/AVCRP)
-Sprint Music Store, Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV®, Sprint Football
Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile
-BlackBerry® App World™ for access to thousands of applications
The 3G Sprint Mobile Broadband Network (inclusive of data roaming)
reaches more than 269 million people, 18,652 cities and 1,838
airports. The Sprint Mobile Broadband Network (inclusive of data
roaming) have twice the coverage of AT&T’s current 3G network and 14
times the coverage of T-Mobile’s current 3G network, both based on
square miles1.
According to Sprint performance data, Sprint Mobile Broadband
connections are successfully connected and maintained better than 99
out of 100 times. According to a recent independent network test
conducted by PC World, no one has a more reliable network than Sprint
based on a recent 13 city 3G performance test 2.
BlackBerry Bold 9650 for most customers requires activation on an
Everything Data plan or a Business Advantage Messaging and Data plan.
Additional plan options are available for business customers. For just
$69.99 per month, Sprint’s affordable Everything Data 450 plan with
Any Mobile, AnytimeSM gives customers unlimited calling with any U.S.
wireless user, unlimited text and picture messaging, unlimited Web,
email and social networking, and unlimited GPS navigation for the same
price AT&T and Verizon charge for unlimited talk only. Sprint
Everything Data plans also automatically enroll customers in the
Sprint Premier loyalty program, which provides annual device upgrades,
discounted accessories and other benefits.
Sprint’s Simply EverythingSM plan offers nationwide unlimited calling,
unlimited text and unlimited data, including email, social networking,
Web browsing, Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, streaming music, Sprint
Football Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, for only $99.99 per month
(plus taxes and surcharges). That is a $480 savings over two years vs.
a comparable AT&T iPhone(R) plan3. (Prices exclude taxes and
surcharges. Both Everything Data and Simply Everything plans are
available to existing customers without extending their service
agreement. New lines of service require a two-year service agreement.)
International Travel
The BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone operates domestically on the
Sprint 3G network, and globally on 2100 MHz UMTS/HSPA and quad-band
EDGE/GSM/GPRS networks where Sprint has international roaming
agreements. With this smartphone, Sprint customers have the power to
make or receive phone calls in more than 185 countries and access
BlackBerry® data services including email, apps and Web browsing in
nearly 150 countries.
Sprint offers clear value and simplicity with its Worldwide
BlackBerry® service plan. The Worldwide BlackBerry plan gives
customers unlimited BlackBerry email and Web access in the United
States, Canada, Mexico, and other locations using CDMA technology, and
with UMTS and EDGE/GSM/GPRS carriers abroad where Sprint has
applicable roaming agreements. The plan is available to corporate
customers for $69.99 per month, or an additional $40 per month
(excluding taxes and surcharges) as an attachable to Simply
EverythingSM, Everything Data, Everything Data Family or Business
Advantage with Messaging and Data plans.
Sprint international voice roaming rates range from $0.59 to $5.99 per
minute, depending on where customers are calling. Customers making
frequent calls while in Canada can take advantage of a specific
service plan for $2.99 per month which allows calls to be made and
received at $0.20 per minute. Additional pricing plans are available
exclusively to enterprise customers.
Customers also have the option of using a third-party SIM for
international voice and data services.
--@ParaCAD