Thursday, April 28, 2011

MobileBurn.com

MobileBurn.com

Microsoft finally schedules WP7 updates for HTC Surround

Posted: 28 Apr 2011 04:48 AM PDT

Microsoft has dusted off the February and March Windows Phone 7 updates for the HTC Surround and has finally scheduled them for release. The February update preps the phone for the March NoDo update that adds copy and paste, among other enhancements. Microsoft says the update has been scheduled for AT&T users as well as Deutsche Telekom customers in Europe and Optus customers in Australia. Users should receive a notification on their phones when the update is ready to be installed through the Zune software.
Read the full story here.


Fring launches group video calls for iOS, Android

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 02:01 PM PDT

Fring has released an update to its mobile chat application that allows group video calls between Android and iOS devices. Fring claims that this is the first cross-platform group video calling service.
Read the full story here.


Google introduces Docs for Android app; we show you how it works

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 01:38 PM PDT

Google has finally released a long-awaited Google Docs app for Android to the delight of many users of its cloud document services. Docs for Android allows access to all the documents stored in a Google account, as well as easy creation and uploading of files directly from a smartphone or tablet.
Read the full story here.


U.S. Army launches custom app store

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 01:35 PM PDT

The U.S. Army has launched a custom app store filled with iOS and Android apps tailored to military personnel. In addition, soldiers can request apps that are not yet available to be created.
Read the full story here.


Apple issues FAQ regarding location data on iPhone, promises fix

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 12:45 PM PDT

Apple has released a series of frequently asked questions in regards to the recent location tracking debacle, as it hopes to nullify the PR issues that have arisen. The company also claims to have fixed the bug, which allows the data to remain after location tracking has been disabled, in an upcoming software update.
Read the full story here.


T-Mobile's $1000 says Samsung Galaxy S 4G faster than iPhone

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 10:58 AM PDT

If you happen to live in the greater Seattle, WA area and need some extra cash, T-Mobile is hosting a "speed challenge" this weekend. T-Mobile will award $1,000 to anyone who can prove that their iPhone is faster than a Samsung Galaxy S 4G.
Read the full story here.


Apple rumored to be using next-gen Sharp LCDs for iPhone 6

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 10:13 AM PDT

Apparently Japanese newspapers can't make up their minds as to who Apple will use for the LCD screens in its future iPhones, as Nikkan is now reporting that the company will select next-generation LCDs from Sharp for the iPhone 6.
Read the full story here.


Malls enter 2009, start building smartphone apps

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 09:27 AM PDT

Threatened by the tremendous popularity of online shopping, malls have started to experiment with mobile applications as a way of keeping shoppers engaged in the mall, helping them navigate to particular stores or through parking lots, and even offering discounts and locating sales.
Read the full story here.


Motorola readying quad-core Jet, Bullet smartphones for 2012 debut?

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 08:55 AM PDT

According to a report from Droid-Life, preliminary specs for two different Motorola handsets have been leaked, and though neither will appear before 2012, the hardware is certainly worth gossiping about now.
Read the full story here.


Verizon responds to LTE outage complaints

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 08:22 AM PDT

Users of Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network have been complaining of outages all morning and Verizon has responded via Twitter, acknowledging the issue. Posted on the official Verizon Wireless account, the company says "We're aware of an issue with #4G #LTE connections & our network engineers are working to resolve quickly." Not very comforting to hear when your brand-new ThunderBolt will only connect to 1xRTT data, but at least the company is aware of the issue. Users can utilize the LTEOnOff app to switch their phones to 3G in the meantime while Verizon sorts out its 4G issues.
Read the full story here.


Video: Samsung Galaxy Tab (Wi-Fi only) unboxing and video tour

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 08:18 AM PDT

Samsung sent us the Wi-Fi only version of its Galaxy Tab tablet, so we put together a quick unboxing and feature tour. The Galaxy Tab has a 7 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel screen and a 1GHz Hummingbird processor. It offers 16GB of built-in storage and supports microSD cards up to 32GB in size for further expansion. The Galaxy Tab runs Android 2.2 Froyo with Samsung's custom TouchWiz interface on top of it.
Watch the video here.


Android smartphones in China to offer Baidu as default search

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 08:03 AM PDT

Chinese search engine Baidu has announced that Baidu search will be set as the default search engine on Android devices in China, a move that surely strengthens Baidu's fight to push Google out of the country. General manager of Baidu's wireless business unit Yueguo Feng said that 80 percent of Android smartphones sold in China will be pre-loaded with Baidu as the default search, according to a report from TechWeb. Currently, Baidu holds about 75 percent of the search market, whereas Google's search business fell from 21.6 percent in Q4 of last year to 19.6 percent in the same quarter this year. In either case, Google is making up for lost ground with Android itself, despite the fact that the platform's openness is what nudged Google out of the default search spot in the first place.
Read the full story here.


Apple's iPad 2 hits Asia, Middle East this week, China on May 6

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 07:52 AM PDT

Apple has announced that its next-generation tablet, the iPad 2, will hit 12 more countries in Asia and the Middle East this week. The company has also revealed that China will receive the Wi-Fi edition on May 6.
Read the full story here.


Samsung Galaxy Prevail (Boost Mobile) review

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 07:43 AM PDT

The Samsung Galaxy Prevail for Boost Mobile is the first Android smartphone to utilize Boost's CDMA 3G network (provided by Sprint). Dan Seifert tests it out for us in this review.
Read the full story here.


Three UK teases new smartphones for May, June

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 07:34 AM PDT

Three UK has a new teaser page that shows off new smartphones and tablets that are due to hit the carrier in the next two months. The HTC Flyer, Wildfire S, and Samsung Galaxy S II will arrive in May, while the Nokia X7, HTC Sensation, LG Optimus 3D, and HTC ChaCha are due to show up in June. Interested customers can head over to Three's site to try and glean as much info as they can about the upcoming devices.
Read the full story here.


Nokia's hammer falls: 4,000 jobs to be cut, another 3,000 transferred

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 07:22 AM PDT

Nokia has been promising job cuts for some time now, and finally the company has announced its official workforce reduction plans. The Finnish phone giant will eliminate 4,000 jobs, and send 3,000 workers over to Accenture.
Read the full story here.


iPhone PAYG on Three now enjoys unlimited data

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 07:05 AM PDT

In a surprising move, Three UK is now offering unlimited data to its pay-as-you-go (PAYG) iPhone customers. Customers will still pay 15 GBP per month for 300 minutes and 3000 texts, but now they will get to benefit from unlimited data as well. Post-paid customers get unlimited data on the 35 or 40 GBP per month plans. A PAYG iPhone 4 will cost customers 499 GBP for the 16GB version, or 599 GBP for the 32GB model. Maybe a shiny new white iPhone 4 would go well with that, don't you think?
Read the full story here.


Verizon preps Unleashed pre-paid wireless service

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 07:00 AM PDT

Verizon Wireless, the largest wireless carrier in the U.S., is poised to launch its new Verizon Unleashed service, which will offer prepaid unlimited wireless calling, texting, and data for just $50/month on three of Verizon's feature phones: the LG Cosmos for $99, the QWERTY Pantech Caper for $79.99, and the LG Accolade flip-phone for $39.99.
Read the full story here.


RIM purchases calendar service Tungle.me

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 06:56 AM PDT

RIM has made yet another acquistion, and this time it is social calendar service Tungle.me. Tungle.me offers a web-based calendar syncing service that allows users to share their calenders regardless of the platform. It syncs with many calendar apps, including Outlook, Google Calendar, and Apple iCal. Tungle.me was one of the first apps on the PlayBook that allowed users to access their calendars on the tablet, so it will be interesting to see how RIM uses the newly acquired service in the future. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Tungle.me did say that its entire team would be going over to RIM>
Read the full story here.


Angry Birds tops 140 million downloads

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 06:33 AM PDT

Rovio's immensely popular bird-flinging game, Angry Birds, has hit a new milestone with 140 million downloads recorded. This is quite a leap from the 100 million reported just a over month ago in March.
Read the full story here.


HTC including Swype-like keyboard in Sensation

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 06:30 AM PDT

According to a hands-on report from Android Central, HTC's upcoming Sensation smartphone will include a new HTC on-screen keyboard that has a trace functionality, much like Swype. The version that Android Central saw was disabled by default but could be easily turned on in the settings menu. HTC is calling this function Trace, and has bundled some customization options, such as line thickness, with it. We would expect to see this new keyboard on other phones that get the HTC Sense 3.0 treatment, though it is unknown if older phones will get an update for it.
Read the full story here.


LG Mobile Communications posts loss for Q1 2010

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 06:28 AM PDT

Today LG Electronics' Mobile Communications group, which is responsible for building all LG branded phones and tablets, posted a quarterly loss of 101 billion KRW ($93.5 million).
Read the full story here.


White iPhone 4 hits shelves tomorrow

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 06:12 AM PDT

Apple today announced that the availability of the mystical white iPhone will begin tomorrow. "The white iPhone 4 has finally arrived and it's beautiful," said Philip Schiller, senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing at Apple. The VP also expressed his gratitude for the patience of Apple consumers. Customers interested in the white iPhone 4 can pick up the smartphone at Apple retail stores, AT&T and Verizon Wireless stores, Apple authorized resellers, or by ordering the phone from Apple's online store. The white-model iPhone 4 will be available in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Macau, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, UK and the US, beginning Thursday, April 28. As far as pricing is concerned, the 16GB white iPhone will go for $199, and the 32GB model will cost $299 with a new two year agreement.
Read the full story here.


UK's Three to offer white iPhone 4

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 06:03 AM PDT

Jumping on the bandwagon, the United Kingdom's Three has announced it will begin offering Apple's iPhone 4 smartphone in white. Starting tomorrow, customers can purchase the handset online or in any Three store.
Read the full story here.


Nokia transfers Symbian development to Accenture

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 05:55 AM PDT

Today Nokia announced that all of its Symbian development activity, along with the 3000 employees associated with those efforts, will be transferred to the consulting firm Accenture.
Read the full story here.


White iPhone 4 headed to UK on O2

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 05:52 AM PDT

Starting tomorrow, Thursday April 28th, users on O2 in the UK can pick up Apple's uber-phone in white. The white iPhone 4 will be available in O2 stores for Pay Monthly customers.
Read the full story here.


Mike Vick doesn't like dog fighting app in Google's Android Market

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 05:36 AM PDT

In a twist of irony, former dog-fighter and sometimes professional quarterback Michael Vick has issued a statement regarding a new app in the Android Market that depicts dog fighting. Vick, along with the Humane Society of the United States, blasts the app for portraying animal cruelty. "I've come to learn the hard way that dog fighting is a dead end street. Now, I am on the right side of this issue, and I think it's important to send the smart message to kids, and not glorify animal cruelty - even in an Android app," said Vick in a statement this week. Google has yet to respond to the complaints, though the app's developers claim that the app does not violate terms of the Android Market.
Read the full story here.


Autograph capabilities headed to B&N's NOOK Color e-reader

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 05:33 AM PDT

An update to the NOOK Color from Barnes & Noble will allow authors to autograph e-books if one children's book author is to be believed.
Read the full story here.


Amazon updates MP3 app for Android

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 05:27 AM PDT

Amazon has released a small update to its MP3 app for Android that adds lock-screen music controls and other features. The Amazon MP3 app allows users to play back music stored both locally on their Android phone or tablet and on their Amazon Cloud Drive. In addition to the lock-screen controls, Amazon MP3 will now utilize the equalizer modes found in Android 2.3 Gingerbread and 3.0 Honeycomb, as well as remembering the last playing song after the device goes to sleep. Bluetooth headsets can now skip back to the previous song with their on-board controls. Amazon MP3 is free and now available in the Android Market.
Read the full story here.


AT&T, Verizon duke it out with regionals over 700MHz roaming

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 05:12 AM PDT

The FCC held a workshop yesterday to discuss how devices will be able to work on the various bands of 700MHz spectrum. Large carriers such as AT&T and Verizon Wireless claim that forcing phones to work on all the bands will lead to costlier, bulkier devices and more expensive base stations. Smaller regional carriers want the FCC to mandate the interoperability so that they won't get pinched out of roaming deals. There are three major bands of 700MHz spectrum in use and chipset maker Qualcomm claims that making radios that work on all the bands would be extremely complicated and take a long time to develop. The FCC has not yet released its decision on the matter.
Read the full story here.


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