Samsung's Pixon Has 8MP Shooter

Today Samsung introduced a new phone called the Pixon. The Pixon's primary feature is an 8 megapixel camera with auto-focus, fast-shutter, face detection, geo-tagging and LED flash. It features a photo browser that interacts with the accelerometer to flip through photo albums. The video camera can shoot at 30 and 120 frames per second, allowing for slow motion playback. It also has a feature that creates a virtual 5.1 channel surround sound audio mix of what you record. The Pixon resembles a camera and has a 3.2-inch touch screen and it measures 13.8mm thick. According to the photos, it uses Samsung's TouchWiz user interface. It has quad-band GSM/EDGE radios, as well as HSDPA 7.2 Mbps at 2100MHz, Bluetooth 2.0 and an FM radio with RDS. It has a TV-out jack and supports microSD cards. The Pixon will be available in select markets starting in October.

Report: Nokia to Launch Touch Device Next Week

According to sources cited by Reuters, Nokia will unveil its first touchscreen phone at an event in London on October 2. Earlier this year, Nokia confirmed that it would offer a touch-based phone by the end of 2008. Reuters did not confirm any details about the phone.

SanDisk to Start Shipping 16GB Memory Cards

SanDisk, maker of Flash memory products and acquisition target of Samsung, will begin shipping microSDHC cards and Memorcy Stick Micro (M2) cards with a capacity of 16GB starting in October. The microSDHC card will cost $100, with the M2 version of the same capacity costing $130. Not all cell phones can accept 16GB cards, so it is wise to check before purchasing additional storage.

Visa to Offer Mobile Banking to Android, Nokia

Today Visa announced that it plans to offer alerts, special offers, and ATM and merchant location services in a software application for phones powered by the Android platform. The application will work with Google maps and location technology to help users find nearby cash machines and stores. To start, the application will be available only for Android phone users who also have Visa cards issued by JPMorgan Chase. Visa will also provide a similar application for the Nokia 6212, which is equipped with a near-field communications radio for contactless payments. The software will be available by the end of the year.

Sharp and Nissan Merge Cell Phone with Car Key

Today NTT DoCoMo and technology partners Sharp and Nissan rolled out the first mobile phone that has an integrated Intelligent Key in it. The Intelligent Key can be used to unlock a car, and also to start the engine. Nissan has already built a number of cars that can use the Intelligent Key system. The technology will be on display this year, and the companies involved hope to have commercial distribution starting in 2009.

T-Mobile Limiting 3G Data Plans to 1GB Per Month

The fine print in T-Mobile's new HTC Android G1 data plan shows that it has a soft cap of 1GB of data transfer per month. If that 1GB limit is exceeded, T-Mobile reserves the right to throttle back the speeds at which the 3G network can be accessed down to 50Kbps.

Samsung and Armani partner for the Armani Night Effect candybar cell phone

Samsung and Giorgio Armani have teamed up for another luxury cell phone, the Armani Night Effect. This black candybar cell phone features a 2.2" AM OLED display for high contrast and a 3 megapixel camera with autofocus around back.
The Armani Night Effect cell phone also features an LED light bar which runs around the middle of the phone, in addition to dedicated music playback keys along one edge. A microSD card slot is available for extra storage, as well. This phone packs quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900MHz) and 3G UMTS (2100MHz) support with HSDPA for high-speed data access.
Pricing details were not released, but the Samsung Armani Night Effect is planned to be available in November throughout Europe, with other regions following closely behind.

T-Mobile unveils the G1, the first Android OS powered smartphone

The T-Mobile G1 is a quad-band GSM/EDGE smartphone that also supports 3G on T-Mobile's new 1700MHz UMTS network as well as the 2100MHz UMTS networks used in Europe. WiFi is also available for times when more speed is needed. The T-Mobile G1 is expected to go on sale on October 22nd for US$179, though it will be available for pre-order for existing T-Mobile customers today.
Keep checking back for more hands-on impressions and video footage of the T-Mobile G1 in action as the day goes on.

HTC, T-Mobile and Google Announce the G1

Today HTC, T-Mobile and Google announced the first phone running the Android platform, the G1. The G1 has a touch screen that swivels out to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. The G1 is highly integrated with Google's services, and includes one-touch access to Google Maps Street View, Gmail, YouTube and others. It has a track ball for navigation, a full HTML browser, an HTML email client, and a beta client for the Android Market with several applications pre-installed. Other hardware features include support for T-Mobile's 3G network, Wi-Fi, and GPS. It can fall back to quad-band GSM/EDGE networks for roaming. It has a 3 megapixel camera with photo sharing capabilities, and Bluetooth. It supports a lot of instant messaging services, such as Google Talk and Yahoo Instant Messenger. It will be boxed with a 1GB microSD card, but the device supports cards up to 8GB. It comes in white, brown and black.

German Company Develops 9-Megapixel Camera for Phones

Digital Imaging Systems announced a new module for camera phones. The DIS6931 has a 9-megapixel CMOS sensor, autofocus, and an advanced optical lens system with mechanical shutter. Maximum resolution for the camera tops out at 3488 x 2616 pixels. It can also shoot HD video at up to 30 frames per second. The camera module is already in pre-production and should be available in volume by the end of the year.

Verizon Wireless Now Offering Month-to-Month Plans

Today Verizon Wireless announced that it is offering no-contract plans. Customers can pay full retail price for a phone (or supply their own), and then activate service that runs month-to-month and doesn't require a one- or two-year agreement. Customers can choose to end their plan at the end of the month and not pay any early termination fees. The month-to-month plans are available for all of Verizon's voice and data services starting today.

SanDisk, Record Companies Plan MicroSD Music Format

Flash memory maker SanDisk is teaming up with the recording industry to offer music on microSD cards. The plan is to put new music, ripped at 320 Kbps complete with liner notes, videos and other extras, onto 1GB microSD cards and sell them at music retail stores as well as locations such as Wal-Mart. The microSD cards will also come with a small USB reader so they can be inserted into a computer. The songs will not be protected by DRM, so they can be moved between phones and other devices. The new format will be called slotMusic. EMI Music, SONY BMG, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group are all participating in the new venture, and all parties involved plan to have slotMusic titles available by the holiday season.

Apple Recalls iPhone Power Adapter

Apple has issued a recall for the compact USB power adapter that comes with the 3G iPhone. Apple has determined that under certain conditions the USB power adapter's metal prongs can break off and remain in a power outlet, creating a risk of electric shock. Apple is recommending that users stop using the compact charger immediately and charge their 3G iPhones via their PC instead. The USB power adapter that came with the original iPhone is still safe to use. Apple has also set up a voluntary exchange program, whereby users can return their 3G iPhone USB power adapters for a new, redesigned adapter free of charge. The new adapters won't be available in retail stores until October 10, but can be ordered via the Web before then.

T-Mobile Expanding 3G Footprint

Today T-Mobile USA touted the progress it is making in its roll-out of its 1700MHz 3G network. 3G voice and data services are available in 13 T-Mobile markets, including Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio and San Diego. By the middle of October, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Orlando, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco and Seattle will also have access to 3G. A handful of other markets will be live by the end of 2008, making for a total of 27 markets served. T-Mobile will continue to roll out its 3G network throughout the 2009 calendar year.

Samsung Breaks Out Its Own BEAT-s

Today Samsung introduced two new music-focused phones, the Beatb and the Beats. The main feature of these phones is what Samsung calls Motion Play. Motion Play lets users control their music with just few simple motions. Tapping the phone will pause music, and flipping it over will silence the phone. Shaking the phone advances the music player to the next track. They also share many core specs, including 2 megapixel cameras, 3.5mm headset jacks, stereo Bluetooth with 2.0, USB 2.0, FM radios with RDS, and slots for mircoSD cards. Both phones will come in bright colors.
M3510 Beatb:This bar-style phone has 900/1800/1900 tri-band GSM/EDGE radios in it. It has Find Music by Shazam preloaded, and uses Samsung's Digital Natural Sound engine for music playback. It will be available later this month.
M3200 Beats: This slider phone has an 850/1800/1900 tri-band GSM/EDGE configuration, making it more compatible with U.S. networks. It also has an ICEpower amplifier from Bang & Olufson for better sound reproduction. It will be available in October.

Report: Android Phone to Cost $200

According to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal, the Google Android phone to be announced by T-Mobile and HTC next week will cost $200 with contract.

Samsung Attempts Hostile Takeover Of SanDisk

Today Samsung made an unsolicited offer to buy Flash memory company SanDisk. It offered SanDisk $26 per share in cash - amounting to $5.8 billion - for the company. The offer comes after months worth of talks between the two companies about a merger/acquisition failed. Rising demand for Flash memory modules is creating pressures in the market. SanDisk and Samsung are two of the world's largest producers of memory products.

T-Mobile Announcing Android Phone Sept. 23

According to informed sources cited by the Wall Street Journal, T-Mobile and technology partner HTC will announce the first phone running the Android platform. Called the Dream, T-Mobile and HTC will publicly unveil the phone next week, though it won't become available until some time in October. The Wall Street Journal reports that the phone will have a large touch display, will have a swivel-out QWERTY keyboard, and will have a trackball for navigation. HTC expects to sell between 600,000 and 700,000 of the Android-powered phones by the end of 2008. The sources didn't provide any indication of what the Dream may cost.

AT&T Plans to Unite iPhone with U-Verse Services

Today AT&T revealed some unannounced products and services at an industry event. In the future, iPhone users who are also U-Verse subscribers will be able to listen to their voicemails through their TVs, or download recorded programs from their DVRs onto their iPhones. They will also be able to use their iPhones as a remote control for switching channels on their TV. No specifics about the services, nor any timeframe for when they may become available, was provided.

Sony Ericsson: Future Xperia Devices May Not Use Windows Mobile

Today, a Sony Ericsson executive commented that devices released under the Xperia brand in the future may not run the Windows Mobile platform. The Xperia X1, Sony Ericsson's first Windows Mobile smartphone, is set to launch in Europe later this month. Magnus Andersson, product manager for the X1, said that the Xperia brand is "not married" to any one technical platform. Sony Ericsson has mentioned that it plans to offer a range of devices under the Xperia brand, with the X1 launching first. Andersson did not say what other platforms Sony Ericsson would consider for Xperia.

Touch HD Spotted on HTC Web Site

A new, unannounced Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional device was seen on HTC's Web site recently. The Touch HD has a large 3.8-inch wide, WVGA (480 X 800 pixel) display and uses HTC's TouchFLO 3D user interface. It has quad-band GSM/EDGE radios and 900/2100 7.2Mbps HSDPA. It has integrated GPS, Bluetooth 2.0 with stereo, Wi-Fi, a 5 megapixel camera and a 3.5mm headset jack. It also includes a slot for a microSD card. It will be available in select markets starting in the fourth quarter, though pricing was not given.

TiVo, RIM to Offer TiVo Access Via BlackBerries

TiVo and RIM have announced that they are teaming up to deliver new functionality to BlackBerry devices. To start, BlackBerry smartphone users will be able to discover what shows are on and schedule TV recordings directly from their BlackBerry. Other ideas on the drawing board will focus on software applications that make access to mobile video content even easier. The first piece of software will be available by the end of the year.

Google Revamps BlackBerry Software

Google has released a new, downloadable software client for BlackBerry devices. The software adds a number of features, including faster search, search histories, and Google Suggest, which offers suggestions to search queries as you type. The new software also supports Google Apps, which means you can access your online Google Docs and Spreadsheets from your BlackBerry. It will also automatically alert users to updated versions of Google products. Google for BlackBerry is a free download.

AT&T Puts the 'A' in A-GPS

AT&T announced that it has enhanced its network to include assisted GPS capabilities. A-GPS uses cell tower location information to narrow down the search area that phone's use to find GPS satellites. The smaller search area leads to a faster time to first fix. AT&T is also bringing two more location-based services offerings to its catalog of applications. MapQuest Navigator and AAA Mobile navigator both offer turn-by-turn directions, local gas price information and more.

Verizon Wireless Dominates Cell Phone Call Quality Rankings

.D. Power and Associates announced the results of its latest study concerning quality of cell phone calls. Verizon Wireless ranked number one in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and West Regions, and tied Sprint for number one in the Southwest. Alltel ranked well in the Southeast and North Central regions. Notably absent from the rankings are AT&T and T-Mobile. J.D. Power surveyed 22,000 people and asked them about dropped calls; static/interference; failed connection on the first try; voice distortion; echoes; no immediate voice mail notification; and no immediate text message notification.