Engadget Mobile

Chris Ziegler

Chicago, IL - http://zpower.zieglerc.net

Germany ousts BlackBerry for government VIPs

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 30th 2009 at 4:36AM

RIM may have recently opened a facility in Bochum, but that apparently wasn't enough Bavarian love to save it from being canned as the German government's platform of choice for its high-security needs. Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Systems has been selected to lead up an effort to procure "several thousand" customized handsets with mega-uncrackable encryption, winning the deal over the old BlackBerry standby thanks to concerns that state secrets are being transmitted overseas -- to Canada, specifically. Canada has always struck us as a pretty trustworthy bunch of good, hard-workingfolks, but then again, it's all fun and games until Canadian Motor Works, Canadawagen, Canada-Benz, and Canadorsche all come out of nowhere.

[Thanks, Toby]

Multifl0w project teaches Apple a thing or two about iPhone multitasking

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 30th 2009 at 12:03AM

Though it's relented on MMS and copy / paste, Apple has stubbornly, steadfastly continued to hold the line on the multitasking issue throughout the iPhone's two and a half-year career. Though it has a point about traditional multitasking burning through power, competing smartphone platforms -- scratch that, every competing platform -- has proven that it's still plenty possible to get a full days' life out of a battery while running a full host of apps in the background. Of course, the jailbroken iPhone community knows this full well, which is why there are a number of utilities available for backgrounding apps, but maybe none quite as slick as the just-released multifl0w. Taking a cue from the Pre, multifl0w adds backgrounded apps to a horizontally-scrollable gallery of cards; the only thing it's missing is a swipe gesture for quitting, but it's a minor point. Apple, we know you're seeing how good this is -- is there a defensible reason for why we still have to h4x0r our handsets to get this?

[Thanks, Jai]

Continue reading Multifl0w project teaches Apple a thing or two about iPhone multitasking

Dolphin browser for Android adds multitouch support on Droid

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 29th 2009 at 6:56PM

We've already seen that the Droid is perfectly capable of implementing multitouch gestures in third-party apps, and the most high-profile (if not the most important, period) implementation of that is in a good web browser where non-stop zooming is a way of life -- especially when browsing sites designed for desktops. Dolphin -- which has been kicking around for a couple months in the Market -- has just added multitouch support on the Droid, which automatically makes it an interesting alternative to Android's mediocre (well, mediocre by WebKit standards, anyhow) built-in fare. Follow the break for a video overview -- or better yet, if you're running Android and you've got a couple fingers to spare, just check it out yourself.

Continue reading Dolphin browser for Android adds multitouch support on Droid

FCC Fridays, Saturday Edition

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 28th 2009 at 8:02AM

Every so often, technical difficulties stop us from delivering FCC Fridays on time, but the way we see it, it's not Friday until we say it is. So on that note, this ain't FCC Saturdays -- it's just FCC Fridays, Saturday edition. As always, enjoy!

Phones
Read - Samsung SCH-R330
Read - Samsung SCH-F219
Read - Samsung S7070
Read - Sagem OT 8x0
Read - LG GU295
Read - LG L-03B
Read - Huawei C2828
Read - Huawei G2157
Read - Haier M560C
Read - Alcatel OT-305A / OT-508A

Peripherals
Read - Samsung HM1500

SoftBank prepping bid for Willcom?

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 27th 2009 at 5:52PM

PHS is in a bit of a pickle right now -- the niche wireless standard has no path for technological growth, has just a handful of supporting carriers around the world, and frankly, was never intended for wide-area deployment to boot. That leaves Japan's PHS-powered network, Willcom, in the lurch, which explains why they've recently hooked up with HSPA giant NTT DoCoMo to launch modern data devices. Mooching off someone else's network isn't a long-term strategy for survival, though, so what's next? Reports are flying in Japan today that rival SoftBank may look at scooping up Willcom's assets in exchange for its debtors waiving some percentage of its $1 billion in IOUs; what SoftBank would ultimately do with that extra spectrum is unclear, but presumably they'd continue to run PHS for some predetermined period of time before transitioning it to HSPA or LTE. Of course, Willcom has a rep for releasing wild devices that avoid the beaten path set by its larger rivals, so here's a preliminary word to the wise, SoftBank: if you make this happen, keep the product people on board.

Wronged i8910 HD buyer prepares doctoral-quality thesis on issues

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 27th 2009 at 1:16PM

What do you do when you're unhappy with a product you've bought? Return it? Complain on an online forum? Write to the company? Well, for one Mr. Panashe Ngwerume, the answer's a little more complicated than that. You see, this particular gentleman was so incensed by the Samsung i8910 HD's problems and lack of continued development that he felt compelled to write a 25-page -- yes, 25-page -- report detailing the issues and proposed solutions. Unfortunately for Ngwerume and other i8910 HD buyers, Samsung seems to have effectively abandoned Symbian in favor of Android, Windows Mobile, and the company's own bada, but the report suggests that Samsung throw the phone and its firmware to the hacker community for further development, possibly on Maemo or bada. Knowing what we know of giant, global firms like Samsung, the blood, sweat, and tears that went into this Nobel-worthy work were probably for naught, but it makes for a riveting read and a great rallying point for i8910 owners around the world.

Samsung Forever comes to Rogers, cue 'it took Forever to launch' joke

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 26th 2009 at 3:05AM

Samsung's a manufacturer of many smartphone platforms, and odds are good you can find at least one of 'em you like -- between S60 (for now, anyway), WinMo, and Android, they've pretty much got the major bases covered. Say you're the particularly picky type, though, and you want your full-touch widget experience delivered sans the open operating system for some odd reason. Well, turns out Samsung has that angle figured out perhaps better than any other company out there -- and Rogers is adding yet another one to the lineup this week with the introduction of the Forever with a WQVGA LCD (no AMOLED here, sorry), 3.6Mbps HSDPA, a 2 megapixel camera, and naturally, TouchWiz. Interested parties are welcome to sign on the dotted line to the tune of CAD $79.99 (about $77) on a three-year deal, so... you know, you'd better be darn sure you're not going to have the urge to install any third-party apps designed to simulate bodily noises over the next three dozen months.

Amazon selling Samsung Moment for $100 less than Sprint

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 25th 2009 at 8:02PM

Amazon is continuing its fabulous tradition of making carriers look like money-grubbing jerks this week with a solid deal on Samsung's Android-powered Moment for Sprint, which can now be yours for $79.99 on contract. That's versus a considerably more finance-destroying $179.99 figure if you were to walk into a brick-and-mortar Sprint store -- and even bests Best Buy's deal by $20. Considering that OLED display and the fact that the Sammy's core clips along at 10 times the megahertz of Amazon's price, $80 out-of-pocket sounds pretty reasonable. Unfortunately, Android 1.5 doesn't sound as reasonable these days -- so here's hoping that 2.0 trickles down to this sucker on the double.

[Thanks, Ron]

Motorola registers 'Backflip' name, could be for the Motus

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 25th 2009 at 3:13PM

We think there's probably a really good reason why landscape QWERTY handsets don't hinge in reverse, but hey, everyone gets a little wild and crazy once in a while, right? Cellpassion has discovered that Moto has recently secured rights to the "Backflip" name in Europe, which would dovetail nicely with that allegedly leaked image of the upcoming Motus a few days back -- we hadn't really considered it the first time around, but on second look, we can imagine how this wouldn't be your average mechanism here. Sadly, the latest rumors have this thing based on Android 1.5 when it hits next quarter, suggesting that Motorola's having a hell of a time updating BLUR for newer builds -- and that could be a huge sticking point for 'em going forward.

SFR becomes second Euro carrier to launch femtocell service

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 25th 2009 at 12:05PM

Following Vodafone's lead, France's SFR has now become the second network operator in Europe to launch femtocell service for its signal-strapped customers. The Ubiquisys-sourced unit is being sold under the SFR Home 3G brand and runs €199 ($300), so you'd better really need a couple extra bars before you take the plunge -- though the good news is that they're not laying down any arbitrary restrictions requiring you to use it with SFR's DSL service. Coincidentally, SFR is minority-owned by Vodafone, so the move makes some sense -- so whether femtocells take off in Europe among any carriers without Voda interest remains to be seen.

Samsung Galaxy looking confirmed as Bell's first Android phone

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 25th 2009 at 8:58AM

Canada's Bell and Telus are going hog wild with handset selection since the launch of their new Rogers-matching (if not beating) 21Mbps HSPA network -- one need look no further than the launch of the LG BL40 for evidence of that -- but there's at least one glaring issue: Bell's yet to launch an Android set. That puts 'em at a distinct disadvantage against Telus, which already has an HSDPA 860 / 1900 cut of the HTC Hero on shelves -- but it looks like that won't be an issue for long. A scanned poster that's apparently already up in Bell stores has turned up on the ever-reliable interwebs this week clearly showing Samsung's Galaxy posing alongside the already-launched Omnia II and Impact; the carrier doesn't do us the favor of mentioning a date here, but it can't be long -- wouldn't want to lose the Google lovers to Telus and Rogers, right?

Judge sides with Telus, says Rogers' 'most reliable' claim reeks of half-truths

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 24th 2009 at 11:54PM

Wireless networks in the States have a storied history of throwing fits over each others' "most" and "best" claims -- and now they're really getting into it up north, too, seeing how Telus just lit up a shiny new 21Mbps HSPA network that seems to be matching or besting Rogers' existing infrastructure in many ways. As is all too often the case, the spat has ended up down in the court system where Telus is bellyaching that Rogers' claims of running "Canada's most reliable" and "fastest" airwaves have been invalid as of November 5, when its competing hardware went live (funny -- and telling -- that it didn't bother levying any complaints back in the CDMA days). Anyhow, a judge has just ruled -- apparently after analyzing paperwork filed by both sides -- that "the present network technology is at least equivalent between Rogers and Telus," invalidating Rogers' reliability claim. Rogers isn't too happy about this (though they've tiptoed away from speed claims in their latest advertising, smartly) and intends to appeal with new courtroom drama getting ready to roll on Friday. So, we turn it over to our Canadian readers: who's really offering the best service right now in the trenches?

Nokia's 6700 slide and 7230 make up in price what they lack in excitement

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 24th 2009 at 12:18PM

No one's going to accuse Nokia of going after the high end, the fanboys and girls, or the fashionistas with its latest pair, but they've got at least two things going for 'em: 3G and blowout pricing. Starting on the left, the S60-powered 6700 slide marks a distinct break for the company, shedding its tradition of Xpress-on cover compatibility for permanent shells available in six loud shades; it's supposedly pretty tiny (Nokia touts that it'll fit "in even the smallest pocket or bag") and still manages to offer up a 5 megapixel cam with Carl Zeiss optics. Next, the 7230 (pictured right) kicks up the style a notch (okay, really, they just rounded the edges and chromed them up) and offers a 3.2 megapixel camera to go along with its 2.4-inch display. Look for them both to hit retail in the first quarter of next year for around €160 and €100 ($240 and $150) respectively.

BlackBerry Media Sync hits version 3.0 with 2-way photo management

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 24th 2009 at 10:00AM

Even after years of consumer-facing products and marketing, it's still tough to use words like "media" and "BlackBerry" in the same sentence -- but the fact of the matter is that RIM got out ahead of the 3.5mm headphone jack trend long before many other manufacturers did and currently offers cameras (not awesome cameras, but cameras nonetheless) on every modern model it sells. To that end, its Media Sync software has been helping suits get loose after the 9-to-5 with music management for well over a year now, and the latest version -- available later today -- adds some comprehensive photo capability to match. Media Sync 3.0 for Windows now includes automatic downsizing for pictures transferred from PCs to devices (wouldn't want to chew through your microSD card too fast, after all) and can automatically prompt users to pull in new photos snapped with the onboard camera after connecting. Makes you wish one of these things had a 5 megapixel sensor with decent optics, doesn't it? Look for the download to go live on RIM's site around noon today.

Pantech Impact now available on AT&T for $100

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 24th 2009 at 8:17AM

That trick Impact -- the better half of Pantech's two-phone combo for AT&T this fall -- has finally hit AT&T in the past couple days after we had a chance to play with it way back at CTIA at the beginning of October. Though it's not much of a monster on paper, the Impact has one of the more unique looks of anything currently in AT&T's lineup thanks to a touch-sensitive "hidden" external keypad paired with an internal color display and full QWERTY keyboard. That all matches up nicely with 3G capability and a 2 megapixel camera -- and buyers of all genders, tastes, and moods are welcome to this party thanks to availability in blue and pink. Grab it for $99.99 on contract after rebate, if you're so inclined.