Posts tagged Smartphone at Switched

Posts with tag smartphone

First Look: Nokia's Touchscreen-Enabled N97

by Jason Rowan, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 3:30AM

We are so tired of touchscreens, especially since most of 'em don't really work that well, but we were certainly curious to see the touchscreen on the Nokia N97, which was shown off last night at a small gathering in New York. The N97's 3.5-inch, 16:9 touchscreen (think iPhone) slides up at an angle to reveal a handy QWERTY keyboard that essentially gives you the best of both worlds (sort of like the T-Mobile G1 already does). As with other N series phones, the N97 has many high-end features, including a 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, A-GPS sensors and an electronic compass (both of which allow you to share your exact location with friends on your favorite social networks), and an extremely generous 32-gigabytes (GB) of onboard memory (with the ability to expand up to 48-gigabytes).

Besides the location-based-social-networking features, the N97 has a built in camcorder, built-in widgets for easy updating of, say, your Facebook status, and -- unlike the iPhone and its ilk -- the ability to stream Flash videos.

Unfortunately, it's not coming out until the first half of 2009, and only in Europe, and for a whopping 550 Euros (about $700). But if you've got the funds, you can probably just buy an unlocked version of the phone from an import phone site and use it with your T-Mobile or AT&T service, since it works on those carriers' high speed HSDPA networks.

We were able to get an early look last night and took some shots of the N97, which you can check out in the gallery below, or check out this video on Engadget. [From: Nokia]

Gallery: First Look: Nokia N97

How a Smartphone Could Save You Money When You Shop

by Tim Stevens, posted Nov 6th 2008 at 2:52PM

Smartphones are getting cheaper and cheaper every day, with the simple ones like Palm's Centro available for well under $100 now, and the fancier new ones like the Apple iPhone or Android-toting G1 for well under $200. Yes, that's not exactly loose change for most, but did you know that today's intelligent handsets might just help you save some money in the long run?

The idea is that an Internet-capable phone enables you to shop online while you're shopping in a store. The G1 is particularly good at this, enabling you to take a picture of the bar code of any product and then run it through an application called ShopSavvy, demonstrated in the video above. That application will bring up reviews of whatever it is you're holding and even find you the best price, so you can know whether or not you're getting a good deal without driving all over town. It's the same sort of thing you'd do when comparison shopping online before ordering something from a given retailer, so why not do it when out in the real world, too? Besides, it's not like you really need much of an excuse to get a new phone, right? [From: The New York Times]

Could Your iPhone or BlackBerry Ever Replace Your Laptop?

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Oct 28th 2008 at 11:28AM

Computers are progressively getting smaller -- at this point it's a good chance that your cell phone is more powerful than the machines used to send the Apollo missions to the moon. The move from desktops to laptops occurred first in the workplace, and the shift towards smaller and lighter laptops has been primarily driven by business users.

The Wall Street Journal is now reporting that some business users (though a relatively small portion) are even starting to phase out the laptop entirely. As smart phones have gotten more powerful and loaded with more features (full QWERTY keyboards and large touch screens), mobile professionals are beginning to leave the laptop at the office (or hotel) and rely on these souped-up handsets while on the move.

While the iPhone, BlackBerrys, Android, and Windows Mobile handsets have given cell phones surprising amounts of power and versatility, they're still fairly limited when compared to a full sized laptops. Professional tools like Salesforce and Office have made their way to handsets, but with limited feature sets. The tiny keyboards (or touch screen keyboard, in the case of the iPhone) are fine for text messages and quick e-mails, but really aren't ideal for lengthy editing of text or spreadsheets.

Could smart phones one day replace laptops? Perhaps, but the limitations of the form factor pose a major roadblock. Viewing large spreadsheets on even the relatively large screen of the iPhone requires far too much scrolling to be practical and writing even brief blog posts on a BlackBerry is just asking for thumb cramps. [From: Wall Street Journal]

35% of Business Travelers Would Choose BlackBerry Over Spouse

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Sep 17th 2008 at 2:26PM

We're a little frightened to find out how many of you out there would choose your BlackBerry over your spouse. A new survey from StudyLogic finds that over 35-percent of business travelers would choose the ol' CrackBerry over their significant other.

Additionally, 87-percent of those surveyed said they brought their smart phones and BlackBerrys into the bedroom with them. It appears business travelers are obsessive about their e-mail: An astounding 84-percent said they checked their BlackBerries before going to sleep, and 80-percent checked their handhelds first thing in the morning. Even creepier: 62-percent said they 'loved' their smart phones. Not a word we'd use very often to describe our relationship with our gadgets.

We already know that some of you are having less sex in order to spend time online, but we're wondering how much time you could possibly you could possibly spend actively on a BlackBerry.

So what do you say, would you choose your BlackBerry over your wife? [From: TG Daily]

RIM Unveils Flip Phone Version of the BlackBerry Pearl

by Darren Murph, posted Sep 10th 2008 at 9:31AM

We'll be honest -- KickStart just had a nicer ring to it, but we suppose Pearl Flip will do. RIM's long-awaited (and not-at-all veiled) BlackBerry flip phone has finally arrived, weighing just 3.6-ounces and boasting a 320 x 240 internal display, Bluetooth 2.0, built-in multimedia player, 802.11b/g WiFi and a SureType keypad. The battery promises four hours of talk time / over a fortnight of standby life, and while pricing and exact release details are still hush-hush, Americans can count on seeing it "this fall" exclusively on T-Mobile. In related news, RIM also announced support for AIM / ICQ on all BlackBerry smartphones, though it's only available for USers at the moment. Feast your eyes on the links below for more, more, more.

Read - BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 release
Read - AIM / ICQ for BlackBerry
Read - BlackBerry Flip dedicated site

Mobile Phones Next Big Target For Hackers

by Will Safer, posted Jun 24th 2008 at 4:09PM

There's a downside coming for users of do-it-all mobile phones, according to tech security analyst firm IDC.

Though increasingly popular and mainstream, multi-function iPhones, Palm Treos and Blackberrys are expected to become ever more ripe targets for hackers, scammers and virus coders, who until now have seen personal computers and networks as the most enticing targets.

Considering how much personal and sensitive information (addresses, e-mails, documents, passwords, pictures) people keep on their smartphones, this growing threat is a major concern.

The change is coming with the open access environment of applications that are being written for these smartphones, say experts from the top security labs. While it's a boon for the folks who write programs, and the consumers who plan to use them, the open access also means it'll be easier for hackers to make malicious software available. (Programs for smartphones can be written by pretty much anyone.)

Trend Micro and Symantec, as well as other security firms, are already seeing a growing business supplying protection to businesses and individuals who use smartphones. IDC says businesses and consumers will spend $958 million by 2011, up from $214 million in 2006, on security. For an individual user, $30 buys a year's worth of protection.

These firms consider smartphones the most vulnerable link the complex chain of communications devices on the market today.

The attacks have already begun. Users of Windows Mobile smartphones have already found themselves subject to the InfoJack program, which knocked out their phones' security settings and connected the devices to a server in China.

So how do you protect yourself? Well, for starters, don't download anything that doesn't look familiar (like something in an e-mail that comes from someone you don't know). Also, consider installing an anti-virus protection program for mobile phones. Just take care to use the same precautions you use on your computer to avoid viruses and you should be okay.

Here's the good news for people who don't own smartphones (essentially, most clamshell and flat-phones that don't run Windows Mobile, Symbian OS, or Palm OS (or iPhones): You don't have to worry, since non-smart-phones don't allow for independent third-party applications to be installed, making them virtually virus-proof (and, also, of course, more boring, since they only allow apps from your mobile carrier to be installed). [Source: USA Today]

Internet Phone Calls at Risk for ID Theft?

Smartphones Growing In Popularity Among Women

by Will Safer, posted Jun 11th 2008 at 2:54PM

The pink Blackberry Pearl has proven to be popular among women consumers.

What do women want?

Yes, the age-old question with no single set answer becomes even more complex with the advent of technology that is geared now toward more than just functionality but also form and style.

So, add smartphones to the list of possibilities that will satisfy the people carrying around double-X chromosomes, because, as handset makers have discovered during the past year, the capabilities of these mobile devices have an ever greater appeal to women.

The new iPhone, announced Monday, certainly taps into this growing trend that says women want more capable devices that let them stay connected to friends and family – and also get some work done along the way.

But the iPhone is not the only solution, as the makers of BlackBerrys and Treos have learned. Models like the Blackberry Pearl (pictured above) have come along in sizes that are easy to put away in pockets or purses and – without being condescending in their marketing approach – colors that are more pleasing than standard silver or black, which previously was typical of most handheld devices.

Last October, according to Nielson, one in four iPhones was owned by a woman. By March, that number had risen to one in three. According to Verizon Wireless, 71 percent of women make the decisions about their families wireless products and plans, a fact not lost on BlackBerry's manufacturer Research In Motion, which has guided advertising dollars toward magazines such as Elle and Martha Stewart Living.

Samsung is getting in on the new trend with its Instinct, which by design and functionality is clearly intended to compete with the iPhone. Research In Motion will this summer introduce the BlackBerry Bold, which while not as stylish as the iPhone promises to be able to access much faster wireless networks. [Source: The New York Times.]

Smart Phones a Bigger Security Risk Than Laptops, Survey Says

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jun 3rd 2008 at 12:32PM

Laptops have long been a top concern for Information Technology (IT) security experts, but recent surveys have shown that the newest top priority is securing smart phones, such as BlackBerrys and even iPhones.

According to the survey conducted by data protection supplier Credant Technologies, a whopping 94-percent of senior IT staff fear that smart phones and PDAs present a security risk. That is more than the 88 percent that considers portable storage devices like flash drives a threat, and the almost 80 percent who think laptops pose a security problem. IT executives are bothered by the fact that most handsets are not password protected, yet still given full access to company networks.

Experts say it is essential for companies to get the phones and PDAs under control, before they lead to massive compromises of sensitive data. How about you, smart phone owners -- do you password protect your BlackBerry or handheld device?[Source: Computer World]

What's 4G and Should You Even Care?

by Will Safer, posted Apr 9th 2008 at 5:23PM

When people talk about the future of wireless communication, they sometimes speak of 4G, which is short for Fourth Generation Communications System. This is a still pretty much undefined area of wireless communications, but simply put, it means fast data, voice, and streaming content everywhere you go at any time. And so its also the topic of much interest for wireless companies, such as AT&T and Verizon, which just announced some of their goals for the bigger, better, faster wireless Internet.

The FCC is starting to let these companies talk about their plans for the standard, which they say will allow better applications to be developed for wireless gaming, smartphone functionality and remote control of digital video recorders, among other tasks.

While 4G functionality and devices are still a ways off from being available (and 3G is still really in the implementation stage, as well), the fact that the wireless spectrum is being made available for use and development is a big step that could lead to powerful applications being created for personal and business use -- and, of course, to new revenue streams for the service providers (and we all know that's one of the biggest motivating factors for these companies).

The 4G standard will be able to provide speeds from 100 megabits per second to 1 gigabit per second both indoors and outdoors, with the promise of greater quality and security (and we all know that's something personal and business users want).

What could this mean for you, dear reader? Well, right now, not a whole lot. But soon you'll start to see devices and products, both wireless and plugged in at home, that are more completely integrated.

From BetaNews.

Related links:

Google Announces gPhone? Not Quite.

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Nov 5th 2007 at 1:28PM

Well after months, -- nay, years of rumors the Google Phone (or gPhone) is upon us... almost. On a conference call this afternoon, Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google; Andy Rubin founder of Danger, the company behind the Sidekick and founder of Android, a mobile software company gobbled up by Google; and representatives of Motorola, HTC, T-Mobile, and many others revealed an open-source mobile platform that may actually, finally, live up to the title "iPhone Killer."

Today's announcement was not the unveiling of an actual gPhone, but the announcement of a mobile platform, called Android, to be used by the 33 companies that make up what is called the Open Handset Alliance.

The Android mobile OS is built on Linux and comes packaged with a user friendly interface and applications. In addition, the open nature of Android means plenty of powerful third-party applications will follow.

The software will be made freely available within a week and we can expect to see phones sporting the OS in the second half of 2008. Part of the draw of Android is a "very robust HTML web browser," according to Eric Schmidt, likely based on Firefox.

Schmidt also left the door open on the question of whether Google is still planning on developing its own branded cell phone. "We're not announcing anything, but this is THE (perfect) platform for building a gPhone."

Oh Google, will you ever stop playing coy?

Contrary to speculation, the platform will not be completely ad-driven (note the "completely"). Instead we expect Google is hoping that by giving away a full-featured OS with a "very robust" browser they can draw more users to their web services where they will be served advertisements.

Using Android will save handset makers money that would normally be used on purchasing licenses for Symbian or Windows Mobile, or for developing their own platform. We can only hope that this will allow them to spend more on phone hardware or cut the price of the handsets.

Android sounds promising, but only time will tell if Google has another Gmail on its hands, or a failure like its lagging social network Orkut.

From Engadget

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Gallery: First Look: Nokia N97

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