Posts in Handhelds
Skype's latest beta: A worthy Windows Mobile update
Jessica Dolcourt | Dec 10, 2008
(Credit: Skype)
The application's display is compact, intuitive, and full-featured.
The mobile version places tabs for your various actions at the bottom of the app. By switching among them, you'll be able to change your online status and see missed calls and instant messages, initiate IMs, or place a call to your contact's Skype account, mobile number, or land line if you've purchased Skype Out. There's also a dialing pad to directly dial a call using an international format.
Like Skype's desktop beta, this Windows Mobile version highlights instant messages. It supports emoticons, but file transferring is what we'd really like to see, and what competitor Fring (downloads) already offers on Symbian phones.
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Symbian looks west for future growth
Tom Krazit | Dec 08, 2008
One of the most important factors that will dictate the long-term success of the Symbian Foundation will be its ability to make inroads in North America, which has been a bit of a enigma to London-based Symbian and Nokia, its former controlling partner. Think about it: Symbian has the lion's share of the worldwide market for smartphone operating systems, but new Symbian Foundation executive director Lee Williams agreed that if we walked outside the Symbian Partner Event in San Francisco, we'd be hard-pressed to find a passerby familiar with the mobile operating system.
It's a new era for Symbian, as it transitions from its past as an independent software developer controlled by Nokia into an industry consortium responsible for creating an open-source mobile operating system. The Symbian Foundation plans to release its first distribution to members during the first half of 2009, and phones with the operating system should follow in 2010.
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Non-G1 Android phone to hit Australia in January
Suzanne Tindal | Dec 05, 2008
The Agora phone is set to launch Down Under on January 29 (Credit: Kogan Technologies)
The first mobile phone running Google's Android operating system will hit Australia next month, with a company called Kogan Technologies announcing the imminent release of an Android-based handset it calls the "Agora".
The phone, which can be ordered from Kogan's Web site, will be shipped to Australian and international customers on January 29. The price to buy the standard handset has been set at A$299 (US$193.90), with a more featured version called the Agora Pro going for A$399.
Standard features of the Agora include a full QWERTY keyboard with a central navigation key, a 2.5-inch touchscreen, a microSD slot, and 3G connectivity. The Pro adds a 2MP camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, and GPS navigation.
There has been no news yet as to when the other Android phone, the HTC Dream, also known as the G1, will reach Australia.
Via ZDNet Australia reported from Sydney.
Bluetooth 2.2 to be released in mid-2009
Nicole Lee | Dec 05, 2008
The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG)
recently announced that it will release a new version of Bluetooth in mid-2009.
Bluetooth 2.2 promises to be much faster than previous versions, allowing
transfer rates at higher speeds.
According to the SIG, the new High Speed Bluetooth specification will work in conjunction with WLAN or USB for improved data rates, and will be known as Bluetooth 10x and Bluetooth 100x, respectively. It will hopefully allow for wireless video streaming, wireless printing, and more. For this to work, your cell phone will have to have WLAN or UWB radio. It's said that Bluetooth 10x will be used first, since a lot of handsets have Wi-Fi capabilities now.
Since we don't have any news of devices that will use this new Bluetooth specification, we can't tell if it delivers its promises. But once we have some compatible devices on hand, we'll try it out and let you know.
Via Crave CNET
HTC focuses on phone design; acquires One & Company Design, Inc.
Bonnie Cha | Dec 04, 2008
(Credit: One & Company Design Web site)
On Monday, HTC, the manufacturer of many of today's popular smart phones, announced its acquisition of San Francisco-based design firm One & Company Design, Inc (One & Co). A design company? Weird, right? Actually, not really.
If you've followed HTC over the years, you might have noticed its smart phones taking on a new look recently. The company has gone from the traditional Pocket PC-phone form factor of the HTC Mogul and the smaller but still bulky HTC SMT5800 to the sleeker Touch Diamond and sexier Touch Pro, and this is in large part due to One & Co, whose client list includes Adidas, Sony, K2 Snowboards, Coca-Cola, Kodak, and the North Face. (One & Co will continue to serve its current clients in addition to the consultancy work for HTC.)
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