HiPhone gets more than a few curious stares at Singapore IT Show

We've seen our fair share of iPhone rip-offs, so naturally the HiPhone didn't come as a big surprise. Here's the deal. PDA Vista is hawking the HiPhone at the IT Show this week for a promotional price of S$399. The touchscreen handset doesn't run on Mac OS, which is expected since it's after all an OEM unit. According to the promoter, the HiPhone has dual SIM card slots and accepts microSD cards for added memory. Accessories that are bundled include a pair of earphones, two pieces of battery and a pouch. Delivery is free to your home within a week if you place your order at the fair. Problem is, would you dare show this off to your friends?

A Croc for your mobile phone

We're of two minds about Crocs. On one hand (foot?), they're just about the ugliest type of hoof-wear we've ever seen; on the other, they're still not as bad as flip-flops. In any case, if you thought the holed shoes were taking over the world, there's some new evidence to support the theory: The ubiquitous footwear maker is expanding into--of all things--phone accessories.

That's right, now you can have your beloved Crocs with you at all times even when it's not summer. These handset holders have their own heel strap that supposedly keeps your celly secure, according to Shiny Shiny, though the holes may be problematic in inclement weather. But we think the real reason for creating these--aside from making its owners look like complete fools--is to grow the true empire in power: Jibbitz.

Via CNET Crave

Security threat discovered in Google's Android software

Researchers have found some holes in Google's Android SDK that could make the software vulnerable to hack attacks. But because commercial Android devices are still months away from hitting store shelves, there's no need to panic.

Core Security published an alert on its Web site on Tuesday stating that it had found eight vulnerabilities related to some open-source image processing libraries in Google's Android SDK, which the group claims are outdated. Attackers exploiting these vulnerabilities could take complete control of Android handsets, the alert said.

It's hardly surprising that some kind of vulnerability would be discovered. And, in fact, it's probably a good thing that groups like Core are discovering problems now. Android, which Google announced in November, is still in beta. Even though several companies showed off prototypes using the Android software at the GSMA Mobile World Congress last month, none of them have built a commercial product yet.

The final version of the software code won't be available until later this year. So Core and other developers and security experts will hopefully find more glitches or problems. That way, Google and the rest of the developer community can fix these problems before the phones hit the market.

Via CNET News.com

MxTube brings native YouTube downloading to iPhones

MxTube is a fantastic new native application for jailbroken iPhones. If you're one of the lucky few with a jailbroken handset and the installer app, you'll find MxTube in the recent packages section as of last night. The app is fairly similar to the iPhone's native YouTube video viewer with the added benefit of being able to download entire clips and save them to your phone's memory for offline viewing.

Downloaded videos don't show up to those in your regular video library, and won't sync up into iTunes the next time you plug in your phone, but they can be deleted one at a time just like regular video files in case you start running short on space.

The app has a search tool that lets you hunt for videos, and each one has the option to download the higher or lower quality version in case you feel like trying to save space. Downloads can be stacked up, although in its current release, having more than one video in the download queue seems to crash it.

Speaking of crashes, the app is has a handful of bugs that make it a little volatile, including one that doesn't let you exit playing videos unless you hit the home button. Otherwise it's a fantastic tool for grabbing a ton of free video content without having to deal with the molasseslike speeds of EDGE or third-party ripping tools that require syncing with iTunes to transfer content.

I've embedded a demo from the creator of the app after the break.
Read more »

i-mate Ultimate series to debut at IT Show 2008

Finally, after months of anticipation and delays, i-mate will begin to sell its Ultimate range of Windows Mobile handhelds. The Dubai-based company will offer them for sale at retail, with all four of them available from tomorrow at the IT Show 2008 in Singapore.

It doesn't seem like i-mate will be tying up with the operators for this, so those hoping to get an operator discount may have to wait-and-see. The company did get a deal done with Australian operator Telstra Down Under--that was announced last month at the Mobile World Congress. We currently don't have information about where else in Asia it will be launched for now, so look out for an update when we do find out.

In any case, the important thing is that you can now get your hands on these PDA-phones. Prices will range from S$998 to S$1,348 for the flagship Ultimate 9502. Check out our IT Show 2008 special for details on the prices and bundles.

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