Verizon, who has always been a strong supporter of BlackBerry phones, has announced today that they will be carrying the BlackBerry Torch 9850. This new Device from RIM will be running the latest operating system Blackberry 7. On the last Simple Mobile Review Podcast we started wondering if some of these BlackBerry 7 phones would be able to upgrade to the new QNX OS. It is tough to tell anyone to get a BlackBerry today, however the phone is nice enough that perhaps some will take the leap (aks RIMarkableRobb) . For our Blackberry readers the new device is available online at www.verizonwireless.com on Sept. 8 and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on Sept. 15. [click to continue…]
Barnes and Noble is rumored to be releasing a new version of the Nook Color this month, according to a source close to the folks at DigiTimes.
If the report is to be believed, the Nook Color 2 will ship this month (September), and the Taiwanese manufacturers responsible for producing the components are primed to supply enough parts to accommodate as many as 3 million units by end of year 2011. The form factor should stay the same with a 7-inch color touchscreen, and you reportedly will still be able to email, use apps, play games, and listen to music and audio books.
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I recently broke my loved hated and now sort of missed G2x Android phone from T-Mobile. I figured I’d buy a Windows Phone 7 (WP7) device to test drive for a month or so before I deploy for Korea. I made this decision because I was going to pay $130 for a replacement G2x anyway, so if I could find a HD7 for T-Mobile for cheap on EBay, I’d pick one up and just chalk up the extra $100 or so as a learning experience so I can see what all the fuss is about for WP7. I listen to Simple Mobile Review (SMR) every week and Chris Ashley from the show is a diehard Windows fanboy and Rod Simmons has WP7 as his flavor of the month. Because of the SMR guys and Brandon Watson’s Challenge to Molly Wood and Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, I felt like I could take on a WP7 device and use it as my only phone for a month or so. I’d like to say I went into it unbiased but after using a BlackBerry for almost 4 years and now Android for 2 years, I knew it would be hard not to compare the operating systems.
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A few weeks ago HTC surprised many people when they announced a partnership with Beats Audio, Dr. Dre’s brand of headphones. HTC spent $300 Million to acquire a majority stake in Beats, and it looks like they have not been idle since dishing out the massive sum of money.
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Lenovo IdeaPad A1 has officially been announced. The tablet will be running Android 2.3 and be powered by a single core Cortex A8 chipset. The device will have dual camera’s, 1024×600 7-inch display, and the 8 GB model will be priced at $199. The 16 GB and 32 GB will be priced at $249 and $299 respectively. It is unclear is this tablet will receive and update to Honeycomb but we can suspect the rooting community will provide some options.
The price of the Lenovo IdeaPad A1 is going to be compelling compared to the Galaxy 7.7. The GPS on the device may be another selling point for those that care about that feature
After the speed at which HP sold the cancelled HP TouchPad you would think AT&T and HTC would not charge 7x the price for a newly launching tablet. Consider we are all expecting and aggressively priced Android Tablet from Amazon it would got to reason that the HTC JetStream be priced properly. Now as if it matters, given the price, the JetStream has a 10.1 WXGA capacitive touch screen, 1.5 GHz, HSPA+/LTE, and is running Android 3.1. The device will will ship with the HTC Scibe Pen but I cannot imagine that is what is driving the price into the nose bleed section. Did I mention you also need a monthly contract starting at $35. If you are richer than you are smart the HTC JetStream is for you.
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If you live anywhere near the Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico, you know that along with the sun and fun of summer comes the constant eye cocked towards the horizon, waiting for the inevitable storm to appear. Even a near-miss can bring a LOT of excitement and a direct hit might be as life-threatening as we ever see during our lifetimes. The most important factor in successfully dealing with the huge Atlantic tropic cyclones generated by the hot sun and the warm ocean waters is preparation. And crucial to that preparation is information and planning. It’s really hard to purchase gas cans, batteries, non-perishable foods, etc. when you are behind the information curve and store shelves are already bare! In fact, that close to a storm is totally the wrong time to begin preparations. However, that’s a whole different story. For several years, living on the Gulf Coast of the US, I have relied on technology to give me a heads-up as far out as possible so that I can prepare, change plans, and make that crucial decision of evacuate or stay put as needed. I want to introduce you to some of the top contenders in mobile applications to help you do this.
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I have been listening to the Nosilla Cast for 4-5 years now and it is one of my favorite podcasts. Allison Sheridan, the host of the Nosilla Cast, was kind enough to ask me to participate in a segment on the podcast called Chit Chat across the Pond. When she initially told me I could come on her show that has an “ever so slight Macintosh bias,” and talk about Windows Phone I was floored. I had the pleasure to speak to Allison for almsot 1 hr 30 min but the podcast segment was only about 45 minutes. She gave us many tips as new podcasters and there is no doubt she is an amazing person.
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Samsung has announced the Galaxy Tab 8.9 along side of the launch of the Samsung Galaxy SII in the US. The Galaxy Tab 8.9 should land on Verizon given it is LTE equipped. The Super AMOLED screens found in Samsung devices is likely the best display available. The devices is more along the size of the BlackBerry PlayBook. The 1.5 GHz processor in the Galaxy Tab 8.9 is calling your name.
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We didn’t think you were allowed to retire from the mob but apparently you can as today Steve Jobs announced he is stepping down as CEO of Apple. In his resignation letter to the Apple Board of Directors he also stated that Tim Cook should take over as CEO. [click to continue…]