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T-Mobile Reveals The Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G

Posted by Paul Barraza on January 16th, 2012

T-Mobile made a few announcements during CES and among those announcements they revealed the Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G. The Blaze 4G will be the third smartphone in T-Mobile’s line-up to take advantage of their 4G HSPA+ 42.

The Blaze features a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processor, a Super AMOLED display, pre-loaded with a variety of entertainment features and will be powered by Android’s OS.

The Samsung Galaxy S Blaze 4G is expected to arrive sometime later this year. No additional information has been given at this time, but that’s normal for CES. Just keep checking back in for additional information. Not to step on Android’s toes, but if you’re interested in the Windows Phone series T-Mobile started carrying the Nokia Lumia 710 and it’s available now for $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a new two year agreement.

 

 
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Review: Kingston Wi-Drive

Posted by David Brown on January 11th, 2012

 

With CES in full swing now, and the need for collaboration between our editing and blogging team with all the hundreds of pictures and videos everyone is taking, I was pleasantly surprised when our friends at Kingston let us try out their 16gb Wi-Drive. Essentially a USB flash drive with a wi-fi hotspot built in, this would allow everyone to share the same storage right from their phones. Labeled as iPhone/iPod only, their is also a beta Android app in the market that works surprisingly well, on top of the hidden ability to use it from any web browser on the network.

The Yay:

Battery: The Wi-Drive has a built-in rechargeable battery. I haven’t been able to find any specifics on the length of a single charge, but I haven’t been able to run it out yet.

Simplicity: This really couldn’t be any easier to use. Holding the power button turns it on, doing it again turns it off. That is the only thing you can physically do with the Wi-Drive. After jumping on the Wi-Drive hotspot, the app is very easy to use. You can even navigate to its IP address from any browser on the network, so accessing it from a laptop is just as easy as using a phone.

Configuration: The configuration options of the Wi-Drive are accessed either from the app, or from navigating to its IP on your network, exactly like you would configure a router. Once their, you can configure all your standard Wi-Fi options, including adding WEP/WPA security to it to prevent people from jumping onto it and tampering with your files.

Weight: Despite being essentially the same size as my phone, it is incredibly light, and wouldn’t be a burden at all to leave in your backpack all day.

Compatibility: The Wi-Drive is advertised as compatible only with Apple iOS devices. However, there is a Beta Android app in the Android Market that works fine.

Charger: Although not really a selling point, the Wi-Drive also comes with a 1.2amp USB wall charger. Not only does that charge the drive fast, it also charges whatever else you plug into fast. For comparison, computer USB ports charge at 0.5amps, most Android phones charge between 0.8 and 1amp, and iPhones charge at 1amp.

The Nay:

Connection Method: One fatal flaw that prevents the Wi-Drive from coming with me everywhere now is the fact that it uses Wi-Fi to connect to other devices. This causes a problem because if you’re phone is connected to the Wi-Drive, it no longer has a data connection. This means that anything besides calls and text messages are out of the question while connected to it. This is a big deal because using group chat apps like WhatsApp to collaborate with the rest of your team who isn’t with you is impossible while connected to it. I would have preferred Bluetooth, or at least a Bluetooth option. Also, it is limited to 3 concurrent connections at once, which seems a little low to me. This could potentially be raised in a future firmware upgrade, but right now it’s a little on the low side. Read more

 
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OnLive Brings Cloud Based Windows 7 To iPad

Posted by Troy D. Brown on January 10th, 2012

OnLive has done it again. First they made thin client gaming and now they have created a virtualized Windows 7 environment for the iPad. This development, announced at CES is going to free many iPad users from having to carry a Windows PC in addition to a laptop.

The basic service will be free and includes 2GB of storage with access to Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. A paid version of the service will be available for $9.99 a month and includes 50GB of storage and priority cloud service (faster).

Look for the app on Thursday. We will post when it shows up in the app store. To see OnLive Desktop in action follow this link.

This service will be coming to Android, Mac and PCs in the near future.

 
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CES Unveiled And Startup Debut Pre-Shows Before CES

Posted by Paul Barraza on January 10th, 2012

CES officially starts today and before the fun begans CES Unveiled took place Sunday, January 8th in Las Vegas at the Venetian. CES Unveiled was a pre-show media event that allowed us to take a look at the new products that are being introduced throughout 2012. There were 73 companies that made an appearance and among them were companies like Speck, Line 2, Belkin, LG, Samsung, and Case-Mate. Full list of the companies that showed up can be seen below.

Ending the night was the Startup Debut event that took place at the Mandalay Bay on the 64th floor, which was a much smaller event that only had about 20 exhibitors showcasing their products. Companies that attended the Startup Debut event are:

  • DocBeat
  • Evertune
  • Frequency
  • GENWI
  • HipGeo
  • InsureMonkey
  • Liquipel
  • Multi Touch
  • PlayScreen
  • SnapCuts
  • Swag of the Month
  • Trac.ky
  • TravelDNA
  • TourWrist
  • UberFun
  • Walls360
  • WeVideo
  • Wemo Media
  • Worlize
  • WOWee One

Stay tuned as CES pushes into high gear. We will be bringing you breaking news with in depth follow up and the close of the show.

 
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Review: Huawei Springboard

Posted by David Brown on January 6th, 2012

Huawei is everyone’s favorite brand that they don’t know how to pronounce (it’s WAH-WAY for anyone who needs to know). Historically confined to bargain phones and smaller carriers, Huawei is breaking its own mold with its latest products. The Springboard is one of the products that has the potential to bring Huawei into the big leagues.

At first glance, this does not look like a Huawei product. The build quality is amazing. With the exception of two plastic accents at the top and bottom of the tablet, it is all aluminum and and glass. While not necessarily light or slim, the tablet feels great in the hand, similar to the tank-like build of Motorola’s original Droid. Fans of Samsung phones and tablets will think it’s a monster, however.

Under the 7″ screen lie all the goodies you would expect of an Android 3.2 tablet on T-Mobile: a 1.2 ghz Qualcomm dual-core processor, 768mb of RAM, 8gb internal storage with a micro SD slot for expanding, WiFi/HSPA+/GPS radios, support for 1080p playback, and a gorgeous IPS display.

However, all of this greatness didn’t come without a price. There was one glaring issue that almost made the tablet unusable until I happened to figure out a workaround, and a couple nitpicky things that prevent this tablet from being a true champ.

The Yay:

Build: This tablet is practically dripping quality. A nearly solid aluminum chassis that reaches all the way around the tablet to the glass feels great in the hands, and gives a pleasant heft and sense of sturdiness that some other tablets are lacking.

Screen: The screen on this is amazing. At 227 pixles-per-inch, this IPS display is bright, easy to read in all lighting conditions, and has great color accuracy, with none of the ghosting or weird artifacts that happen with Pentile screens.

Battery: The 4100mAh battery is rated for 6 hours of use, and it easily reaches that. In my testing, pretty constant use with reading and watching Youtube over WiFi brought me to about 50% after 5 hours.

Software: Huawei chose to play it safe and leave a vanilla Honeycomb experience on the tablet, which in my opinion is a great idea. This means that updates can get pushed out much faster, as there is no fiddling with custom skins like MotoBlur or Touchwiz.

Camera: The camera is surprisingly clear for being only 5mp. The 720p video that is records is also pretty good, but does suffer from blur when the camera is moved too fast. Read more

 
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Female Android User? We Do Exist!

Posted by Rachel Alvarez on January 6th, 2012

As a not so “techy” college girl, having used an Android smartphone for the past year has been interesting. For reference, I have been using the R2D2 Motorola’s Droid 2. Initially, my phone intimidated me, as I was converting from an LG EnvTouch that caused me nothing but problems. My decision to go with a Droid 2 was influenced mainly by the fact that it had a keyboard, and the R2D2 back cover was cute too. Within hours of setting up my new Android device, with the help of the very techy boyfriend, I was hooked.

As time went on, my love increased for my cute little Android phone. I downloaded more apps than I’ll ever use, and I even bought a clear case to protect it. Quickly though, I found my battery being drained impossibly fast. A quick stop on eBay and $10 later, that problem was solved with 2 backup batteries I have stashed in my purse at all times. I have heard both the good and the bad sides of Android, but for me, it’s mostly been good. The openness of the Android OS is what I have heard most people rave about, but for me, it’s just a phone that has apps and works. I don’t intend to change the ROM of my phone, nor do I know how. I mostly use my phone to play some of my favorite games (Words With Friends and Tiny Tower have consumed my world), Tweet, and keep myself updated on Facebook. Being in college and perpetually broke, I’ve also turned my phone into a money-saving machine with apps like Groupon, HotelTonight, and Deal Leak. I’m just a simple girl who was looking for a phone that worked, and that’s pretty much what I got, initially.

Now that my little phone’s 1st birthday has come and gone, it has entered a fussy phase. My phone has taken to turning itself off and on, or it throws a freezing tantrum when I try to make a call. While this may be centered around the R2D2 version of this particular Android phone, it is quite frustrating. I’ve had nothing but good things to say about Android until this, however. I have seen other Android devices work perfectly fine compared to mine. I’ve played with iPhones, and while there was nothing wrong with them, there was nothing spectacular about them to me either. The one and only thing I am super envious of Apple users is their abundance of accessories. Unfortunately, Android phones will never be able to compete with that. Many people, myself included, like the idea of being able to change out the case of their phone to something stylish or at least cute, but with my phone, that’s just not possible.

Overall, I would say I’ve had a good run with my phone, but I’m ready for a new device. I am especially interested in the Google Nexus or possibly the Droid 4, as a physical keyboard will always be my preference over a touch screen one no matter how many keyboard apps I have. Have I thought about converting to the iPhone? Yes, but I will most likely stick to the Android system I have grown to love. In a perfect world, I’d be able to have an Android device with a keyboard that had all the accessories of an iPhone, but for now, I’ll settle for a phone that simply works.

 
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ASUS Locks Bootloader on Transformer Prime; Apologizes and Promises Unlock Tool in the Future

Posted by David Brown on January 4th, 2012

ASUS has had a pretty bad start to the New Year. With an update that was meant to bring camera, GPS, and touch screen enhancements, they also decided to make public that the bootloader is locked. Being the first quad-core Android tablet, this came as a huge shock to the Android development community, and triggered a backlash on an epic scale. With a locked bootloader, there is no knowing just how far a Tegra 3 can be pushed. If you remember back to the days of the original Droid, which featured a 550mhz processor, it was comfortably overclocked to over 1.2ghz which thousands of people used daily with no issue.

In the wake of this disastrous PR move, ASUS on their Facebook page basically told everyone to hang tight while a response could be made about their decisions. ASUS Italy, on the other hand, went ahead and basically said “deal with it”. ASUS USA came to the rescue to put all the questions to rest.

“Thank you very much for all of the support you have given to ASUS. Eee Pad Transformer Prime received excellent reviews and great demand when it launched in December 2011. Now, we are continuing to make the Transformer Prime available in the worldwide market, and doing our best to fulfill the incredible demand. ASUS strives to create the best products and provide the best service for our customers, and will be releasing an FOTA update for the Transformer Prime shortly. This update, version 8.8.3.33, will improve the focus of the camera, the fluidity of the touch experience, and the APK capabilities in Android Market.

ASUS has been working hard to make the highly anticipated Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich available on the Transformer Prime, and today, we have good news for you. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich FOTA worldwide update for the Transformer Prime will start from Jan 12th, 2012. Thank you for your patience and support through this process.

In addition, we would like to address your concerns related to GPS and bootloader on the Transformer Prime.

The ASUS Transformer Prime is made from a metallic unibody design, so the material may affect the performance of the GPS when receiving signals from satellites. Please note that this product is not a professional GPS device, and signal performance can be easily influenced by factors including, but not limited to: weather, buildings, and surrounding environments. Please understand there are limitations when using the GPS function. To avoid inconveniencing users who demand a powerful GPS device, we made the decision to remove it from our specification sheet and marketing communications. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

Regarding the bootloader, the reason we chose to lock it is due to content providers’ requirement for DRM client devices to be as secure as possible. ASUS supports Google DRM in order to provide users with a high quality video rental experience. Also, based on our experience, users who choose to root their devices risk breaking the system completely. However, we know there is demand in the modding community to have an unlocked bootloader. Therefore, ASUS is developing an unlock tool for that community. Please do note that if you choose to unlock your device, the ASUS warranty will be void, and Google video rental will also be unavailable because the device will be no longer protected by security mechanism.

Thank you for all the understanding and support for the ASUS Transformer Prime. Happy New Year!”

So there is some silver lining buried in there. Unfortunately, the GPS problem is hardware, and is likely there to stay. The bootloader will remain locked until after January 12th, when ICS is rolled out to the tablet. While there is no timeline on the release of the unlock tool, my guess is pressure from the Android community will make it happen sooner rather than later.

via [Android Community]

 
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RIM Pulls an HP, All Playbooks on Sale

Posted by David Brown on January 4th, 2012

In one of the oddest sale pricing strategies I’ve ever seen, RIM has slashed the prices on all models of the Blackberry Playbook to $299. That’s right, the 16gb is the same price as the 32GB model is the same price as the 64GB model. With a savings of $400 on the 64GB model, this may be the time to buy if you were actually interested in the Playbook. If you are just looking for an inexpensive 7″ tablet, you might be better off checking out the Kindle Fire or Nook Color, priced at $199 each all the time.

The RIM online store seems to be slammed, so it’s pretty hit or miss if you can snatch one up right now before all the 64GB models are gone.

via [Gizmodo]

 
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T-Mobile “New Year, New Phone Sale” This Weekend

Posted by Paul Barraza on January 3rd, 2012

T-Mobile is having a “New Year, New Phone Sale” that will take place this weekend starting January 6th and ending January 8th. T-Mobile will be discounting During smartphones, tablets and mobile hotspots.

“Some people join a gym as a New Year’s resolution while others vow to stay in better touch with friends and loved ones, and T-Mobile wants to help with that resolution,” said John Cleland, Senior Vice President of Marketing, T-Mobile USA. “For consumers who didn’t get the latest mobile phone for the holidays, T-Mobile is giving them a chance to welcome in the new year with the hottest new devices at an affordable price and help them stay better connected in 2012.”

New and existing customers will be able to take advantage of T-Mobile’s weekend sale when they sign up for a new two year agreement. All listed devices require a down payment of $49.99 or less after mail-in rebate. Below is the list of specials. Keep in mind that even though you are paying less to get started, you are still paying a monthly fee for the device, so it may not be quite as good a deal as T-Mobile portrays it to be.

 
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Last Week Of 2011 Sets App Download Record

Posted by William Grampre on January 3rd, 2012

Remember way back when Apple wasn’t sure apps were going to be a big thing and HTML 5 would rule the world? Well HTML 5 has progressed nicely but apps rule the world over HTML 5.

Between Christmas day December 25 and December 31 a record was set for app downloads. Android and iOS had combined app downloads of 1.2 billion as reported by Flurry Analytics. Over this same week over 20 million new iOS and Android devices were activated.

This explains why the app stores were so sluggish in the days around Christmas.

 
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iOS 5.0.1 Untethered Jailbreak Released

Posted by Jason Morgan on December 27th, 2011

iOS 5.0.1 users rejoiced today as the long awaited untethered jailbreak was released by Dev-Team after @pod2g found the required untether.

This jailbreak only works on select devices which include the iPhone 4, iPad, iPhone 3GS, iPod Touch 3rd and 4th generation. iPad 2 and iPhone 4S owners are out of luck for now as the A5 processor has been a challenge for the jailbreak community.

If you want to unleash the full potential on your iPhone you can follow this link to the Dev-Team site and carefully follow the instructions.

We can not stress enough to fully backup your iPhone before starting any jailbreak procedure.

 
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Republic Wireless Redefines “Unlimited” and Means It

Posted by David Brown on December 27th, 2011

 

When Republic Wireless was announced a few months ago, it sounded too good to be true. A no-contract, unlimited smartphone plan for $19 a month, and $199 down for a phone. However, what the early beta users found out is that “unlimited” wasn’t really that at all. They were bound by a “fair use agreement”, which meant that they were allotted very small amounts of minutes or data when on a cell network, and “unlimited” data and VoIP calling when connected to WiFi.

Users of the service quickly let Republic Wireless know how they felt, with some people calling it deceptive advertising, to others offering up suggestions on how to improve the service. Seeing as how the business plan of Republic is to invented a radically new approach to cell contracts and outrageous prices, they listened. And luckily for the users, they delivered. Effective immediately, the fair use agreement no longer exists. The plan is now truly “Unlimited”. Republic Wireless stated this in their blog post:

As part of that legal amendment, everyone who has purchased or purchases a phone during beta will be guaranteed the opportunity to enjoy unlimited service, without fear of cancellation, until the end of beta. We won’t end beta until we either achieve economic sustainability or become convinced that doing so is impossible.

Those are some pretty big words from a cell phone company. So far, they have remained true to their mission statement and have listened to customer input, and corrected their business for the better. Hopefully this will continue, as it could mean some much needed price competition for the larger carriers.

There is a note at the end of their blog post that states the “unacceptable use” clause is still in effect, but will probably be adjusted. What they mean by unacceptable is reselling your service, or leaving the phone ” ‘always on’ as a conduit for other uses obviously beyond what would be normal for a personal smartphone.” By this I’m assuming they mean replacing your home internet with this and tethering to your computer and downloading 500gigs of movies a month.

via[Republic Wireless]

 
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