Tag Archives: black

UK: Sony Tablet S launching at 7.00am tomorrow; Free BRAVIA TV for first 100 buyers

Sony’s Tablet S is launching tomorrow at 7.00am in the UK. Japanese giant has teamed up with the Currys/Dixons & PC World chain to start selling the device a couple of hours before everyone else. As a result, the Tottenham Court Road PC World store in London and the Black Store in Birmingham will both be opening early to offer the first PlayStation-certified tablet before everyone else. What’s more, the first 100 buyers at each location will get themselves a free BRAVIA TV, worth 400 GBP! To be honest if there were not for the free Bravia TV part, I doubt anyone would show up that early for yet another Android tablet, no matter how cool it looks (or not, depending on your taste). However, that free TV will definitely help make some buzz for Sony’s baby. Furthermore, from 5am, staff will be giving out drinks and mini-pastries to early-bird customers and a magician will be on hand to entertain and keep spirits high as they queue while the rest of the capital wakes up. Nice! [Via: EuroDroid ] UK: Sony Tablet S launching at 7.00am tomorrow; Free BRAVIA TV for first 100 buyers originally appeared on IntoMobile.com on 2011-09-15T11:01:52Z. FV1gMYsz9b5j

Sprint LG Marquee, better known as the Optimus Black in Europe and Asia, press shots leak

Several days ago, at a RadioShack Business Summit in Dallas, the folks from AndroidCentral were able to capture a blurry photo of a device called the LG Marquee that’s due to come out on Sprint. We’re pretty sure that the Marquee is nothing more than the Optimus Black, but with a slightly modified body, thanks to a Sprint roadmap that leaked in July that said the “LG LS855″ was coming. Now thanks to press photos that have hit the internets today , we’re 100% sure that the Marquee is the Optimus Black. We just need to find out when exactly it’ll come out and how much it’ll cost. For those who are less familiar with the Black, you’re looking at a single core 1 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, and a 5 megapixel camera. That’s not too exciting when you compare those specs to the super phones that are currently on the market and the rumors about the total monsters that are due to hit this fall, but what makes the Black special is the ultra bright screen and super slim body. Rumors say the Marquee will hit in early October, just around the same time as the iPhone 5, and likely when we’ll start hearing about the next Nexus device featuring Ice Cream Sandwich. Without knowing how Sprint plans to price this thing, it’s hard to say whether or not it’ll be a hit. Frankly, if they can manage to offer it for less than $100, preferably less than $50, then expect it to fly off store shelves. That being said, we can’t really recommend LG smartphones. They’re buggy, they don’t really get firmware updates, and you’re simply better off getting the equivalent device made by Samsung. If you want a slim smartphone, check out the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc or the Samsung Galaxy S II. Sprint LG Marquee, better known as the Optimus Black in Europe and Asia, press shots leak originally appeared on IntoMobile.com on 2011-09-14T09:57:54Z. FV1gMYsz9b5j

Live Your Android Life Tangle Free With Sinch

This is going to sounds a little crazy but — one of the reasons I don’t fuss around with earbuds is simply because of how gosh-dang easy those things tangle up in my pockets. Seriously. It drives me crazy! I’ve never been one for puzzles and trying to untangle those things is is enough to make me convert primarily to using the speaker on my phone. Thankfully, I came across Sinch which just might get me using my headphones again. As you can see, Sinch aims at keeping your life tangle free with this simple, “why-didn’t-I-think-of-that” accessory that attaches to your existing smartphone, MP3 player or whatever. Simply wind up your cord and Sinch snaps into place thanks to powerful magnets found on both ends. Its clever design is owed in part to frog who apparently had something to do with Imerj’s dual-screened Android powered smartphone we saw not too long ago. If you like what you see, you can grab your own Sinch in either black or white varieties from their site here for $15.99 . [Via Gizmodo ]  

Sprint keeps drivers safe too with its Drive First app/service

About 10 days ago we told you about the AT&T DriveMode , the carrier’s mobile app that makes sure drivers keep their hands behind the wheel. Now Sprint has launched a similar offering, which too starts to work when the phone detects any kind of movement faster than 10 M.P.H. Once started, user can only access three apps (i.e. navigation, music playback and so on) and dial up to 5 phone numbers, plus 911. Those who call you in the meantime we’ll get a text message explaining them you can’t respond while you’re driving. Then once you’re stopped, Drive First will unlock the device and let you use it regularly. And that’s not all – the application also comes with parent controls, which allows them to monitor and tweak the Drive First features and usage from the web. Sprint’s Drive First app is available now for Android smartphones, while the BlackBerry version will be released soon. It is free to download though it requires a $2 per month subscription fee. The app will be pre-installed on all future Android smartphones from Sprint. [Via: MobileBurn ] Sprint keeps drivers safe too with its Drive First app/service originally appeared on IntoMobile.com on 2011-09-13T10:54:34Z. FV1gMYsz9b5j

Layar now augments reality on BlackBerry

Now that compass-equipped BlackBerry smartphones are gradually hitting the streets, augmented reality app developers can now start setting up shop on RIM’s handsets. Layar launched their offering on App World today, which lets you browser nearby points of interest, like restaurants, hotels, and helpful data like geo-located Wikipedia articles and tweets just by point your phone’s camera in a given direction. Layar for BlackBerry lets you share items you discover on the 2,000-odd layers of data through Facebook and Twitter, if you’re so inclined. Layar uses GPS to figure out your location, the magnetic compass to figure out which way you’re facing, and overlays an image from the phone’s camera with data depending on what you’re looking at. With this scheme, you can find your way to restaurants, see what people are tweeting about within a certain radius, and generally enhances what you’re able to see in the world. Wikitude, a Layar competitor in the augmented reality world, snagged the launch partnership with RIM , so I’ll be curious to see if Layar will bring enough alternative functionality to get people to switch. Layar has done a few things that set it apart, like 3D model support in their developer API , and Google Goggles-style object recognition , so they’ve got a few tricks up their sleeve. If you’re interested in giving Layar a go, it’s available in BlackBerry App World over here . [via BerryReview ] Layar now augments reality on BlackBerry originally appeared on IntoMobile.com on 2011-09-12T19:18:23Z. FV1gMYsz9b5j

RIM licenses patents from Dolby, BlackBerry can now legally rock your eardrums

After a spat over audio compression patents , BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion has entered into a licensing agreement with Dolby. The specifics of those licensing costs haven’t been disclosed, though I’m sure it’ll sting less than RIM’s big patent infringement loss against NTP  a few years ago. RIM was apparently infringing on Dolby’s HE AAC technology with on BlackBerry smartphones and the PlayBook tablet. The standard can apparently reduce the size of a file to one-tenth its original, while maintaining twice the quality of a standard 48 kbps MP3. Unfortunately, that relationship doesn’t scale upwards in bitrate, but still, it seems like a solid format for small audio files that would otherwise be pretty low quality. RIM is still duking it out with Kodak , though that may be on hold until Kodak decides if they’re going to start selling off their patents . The middle-man in charge of handling some of Dolby’s technologies, Via Licensing, also deals with NFC, LTE and WiMAX patent pools, so this very well may not be the last time RIM has to deal with these guys. RIM’s next quarterly results will be announced this Thursday, and I’ll be curious to see how or if this licensing agreement will affect their financial outlook for the immediate future. Is RIM doing well enough to be able to comfortably dole out licensing fees? [ via ] RIM licenses patents from Dolby, BlackBerry can now legally rock your eardrums originally appeared on IntoMobile.com on 2011-09-12T16:17:18Z. FV1gMYsz9b5j

BlackBerry 9980 gets videoed, doesn’t look any better

Last week we got a closer look at a bizarre-looking BlackBerry bearing the model number 9980 . A fresh video giving us a the tour shows it’s not that different from the Bold 9900, and all of the real changes are cosmetic. On top of that, new information is suggesting the BlackBerry 9980 may be code-named Knight / R47, and that it will be Porsche-branded. This seems likely enough considering the blocky design falls in with the other two Porsche phones out there, and the font used on the keyboard is identical to the one they use on their site . Aside from the change in casing, the BlackBerry 9980 looks like it’s got the same specs as the 9900: 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, 2.8-inch 640 x 480 touchscreen, and OS 7 software complete with the new version of App World . That’s certainly a load off, since there was a lot of worry that RIM had lost their aesthetic sensibilities. For those that are really into the Porsche lifestyle and are willing to shell out exorbitant sums for a luxury phone, this could be a solid partnership for BlackBerry. Nokia dabbled in luxury phones through Vertu , though I’m dubious that such a big investment paid off in the long run. Now that that’s all figured out, hopefully we won’t have to look at this thing again until an official announcement. [via BerryCN , CB ] BlackBerry 9980 gets videoed, doesn’t look any better originally appeared on IntoMobile.com on 2011-09-12T14:28:16Z. FV1gMYsz9b5j

Sprint BlackBerry Curve 9350 launch pushed back to October

While T-Mobile might be lining up to launch the new BlackBerry Curve soon , Sprint is falling a bit behind schedule. They’ve recently posted on their community forums that “due to unexpected circumstances, Sprint shifted the launch of the BlackBerry Curve 9350 smartphone beyond the planned Sept. 9 availability date. It will now go on sale in October with a specific availability date shared at a later time.” Though the BlackBerry Curve 9350 / 60 is RIM’s latest entry-level device, it beats the snot out of their top-end phones last generation; it’s got an 800 MHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, and a 2.4-inch 480 x 360 non-touch display. It’s running OS 7, which includes a new graphics rendering engine, and a few added features, like augmented reality support and voice-activated universal search. I had my hands on a Telus unit recently , where you can see just how slim and pocketable the thing is. We should have a review going up next week. It’s a little crazy that it’s taking so long for the new BlackBerry Curve to come out in the U.S., seeing as we’ve had it up here in Canada for about two weeks now , but at least sprint is offering the higher-end Torch 9850 and Bold 9930 . Considering AT&T isn’t due to get some of the newest BlackBerry devices until November , I suspect RIM’s OS 7 lineup won’t be available in its entirety across all U.S. carriers until just before the holidays. [RT @Sprint ] Sprint BlackBerry Curve 9350 launch pushed back to October originally appeared on IntoMobile.com on 2011-09-09T14:41:54Z. FV1gMYsz9b5j

BlackBerry Curve 9360 and Torch 9860 show up in T-Mobile system

Sprint and Verizon have been getting a lot of attention from RIM with various launches over the last few weeks, but T-Mobile isn’t far behind. On top of recently launching the Bold 9900 , the all-touchscreen Torch 9860 and Curve 9360 should both be headed to T-Mobile shortly, as the Torch has been spotted internally as a trade-in option, and the Curve 9360 elsewhere in marketing material on prepaid devices. The new Curve will be going fro $229.99 without a contract by the looks of things, though there’s no information on whether T-Mobile will match Verizon’s $199.99 pricetag or Sprint’s $149.99 . The Torch 9860 keeps up with the BlackBerry 9900 on most of the important specs, like 1.2 GHz processor, 768 MB of RAM, 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and 720p video recording (and even has a one-up with continuous autofocus), and a magnetic compass for augmented reality apps. The Curve is slightly lower-end, which you might have guessed given the pricetag. It’s running on an 800 MHz processor with 512 MB of RAM, and is packing a 2.4-inch 480 x 360 display. It’s very slim and pocketable, which you can see in my hands-on video here .  If you’re looking for something higher-end, you can see my Torch 9850 / 9860 review here . Before long, I’m sure all of the major U.S. carriers will have RIM’s full range of OS 7 devices, but by the time they’re all out and prices have settled down, I can’t help but think RIM will have announced their first QNX-based phone. Don’t get me wrong, these ones will be fine for those who predominantly concern themselves with e-mail and don’t have much concern for the bleeding edge of mobile technology, but for those that want something high-end, competitive, and with a rich app ecosystem, I have a feeling most shoppers will hold out until 2012. [via TMoNews ] BlackBerry Curve 9360 and Torch 9860 show up in T-Mobile system originally appeared on IntoMobile.com on 2011-09-07T21:22:12Z. FV1gMYsz9b5j

Twidroyd is no more: engineers join forces with UberSocial

Well, another third-party Twitter app bites the dust as popular Twitter app Twidroyd is no more. It appears that the group over at UberSocial have combined forces with the Twidroyd team for their own release of UberSocial in the Android Market. For years, UberSocial has been called one of the best Twitter clients for iPhone and BlackBerry users. On the other hand, Twidroyd has been one of the best Twitter clients on Android, but for whatever reason Twidroyd has decided to throw in its towel, and be rebranded as UberSocial with a few tweaks and enhancements. If you are a loyal and long time Twidroyd user, don’t worry. UberSocial has a “Twidroyd theme” for those of you that liked the old look, and if that’s not enough, you can still grab the old version of  Twidroyd Legacy  from the Android Market, although it will no longer get any updates. For Twidroyd Pro users, UberSocial had these ensuring words to say on its blog: If you are a former Twidroyd Pro User: please leave Twidroyd Pro on your phone so that when we make changes to UberSocial for Android in the next few weeks, your phone’s device # will automatically trigger the premium version of UberSocial for Android. Currently, there is no difference between regular and premium versions of UberSocial for Android. As a long time Twidroyd user, I’d have to say that this will only make the platform stronger. Twidroyd has some pretty awesome engineers whose introduced many features way ahead of the official Twitter app. A year ago, I remember having the access to multiple accounts, trending topics, and auto-complete hashtags (to name a few) way before the official Twitter app offered it. Hopefully, as a customer I can expect the best is yet to come; with a UberSocial partnership. [ Twidroyd blog via Phandroid ] Twidroyd is no more: engineers join forces with UberSocial originally appeared on IntoMobile.com on 2011-09-02T18:59:20Z. FV1gMYsz9b5j