Touch Diamond update to quad-band GSM

If you look at the specifications of the HTC Touch Diamond, you'll notice that the GSM radio supports 900/1800/1900MHz, which is great for use in most countries in Europe and Asia. If you travel to the US often though, a quad-band radio with the 850MHz frequency can come in handy (it's a bonus--tri-band phones can already roam in the US). In a surprising move, the Diamond's latest ROM update gives the handheld that fourth band, an unlocking of a hidden feature of sorts. The last time we remember something like that happening from HTC was when it was still selling its products under the Dopod brand and activated GPS navigation in the D810 after first selling it without that feature advertised.

According to user reports from message boards and other enthusiast sites, some have noticed performance improvement in the device after the update, too. That's another bonus point for current Diamond users. This new ROM is already available for Hong Kong customers. According to HTC Asia, the rest of us should be able to download it in early/mid-August.

Via WMExperts

Dirty hands-on with the Nokia 5800 "Tube"

And we mean finger smudges dirty. The rule is this: You know an impending release of a new phone whenever hands-on pictures start sprouting up on the Internet. This time, miyaliu from digi QQ did the honors of posting 14 pictures of the Nokia 5800 "Tube" which made a brief cameo on the recent Dark Knight movie. According to what was reported on the Web site, the "Tube" will be announced in August and the latest set of pictures suggests that the touchscreen handset will sport the XpressMusic label instead of the previous XpressMedia.

Other specifications of the "Tube" that were mentioned in the five-page article include a 3.2-inch 1.6 million colors TFT LCD with 640 x 360 (16:9 aspect ratio) resolution, haptics feedback, built-in accelerometer, 3.2-megapixel camera, dual-LED flash, geotagging ability, onboard GPS, 3.5mm audio jack and TV-out. Wireless radios are also aplenty with the phone supporting HSDPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Now, the official word from Nokia is that it doesn't comment on speculations or unannounced products (duh). But, not to worry, these pictures should whet your gadget fanboy appetite for the time being until Nokia decides to make things official.
Read more »

Cancer doc urges cell phone precaution

A prominent cancer researcher's warning to limit cell phone use has rekindled anew the longstanding question over mobile-phone health risks.

The media is abuzz with news of the memo from Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. He sent it to faculty and staff Wednesday, saying, among other things, that children should use cell phones only for emergencies, since their developing organs are the most likely to be sensitive to possible effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields.

In his 10-point advisory, Herberman also urges adults to keep phones away from their heads and use speakerphones or wireless headsets.

He suggests that people try to avoid constantly carrying their cell phones on their bodies and also try not to keep the devices nearby at night under the pillow or on a nightstand. He even warns against using cell phones in public places like buses because it exposes others to the phone's electromagnetic fields.

Herberman notes that the precautions have been reviewed by UPCI experts in neuro-oncology, epidemiology, and neurosurgery, as well as and the Center for Environmental Oncology.

The tumor immunologist's words are grabbing widespread attention both because of his professional position and because they contradict numerous studies that don't find a link between cancer and cell phone use.
Read more »

iPhone 3G + US$9.95 a month = lots of iPorn

Last year, Playboy made the original iPhone sexier with iPlayboy, a package of Playmate-featuring wallpapers and photos for the Apple handset. But what if sexier is still not sexy enough?

Taking advantage of the new iPhone 3G's fast mobile-data connection, iRoticNet announced plans to premiere an adult video destination designed specifically for the iPhone 3G.

The company said it would offer a huge amount of content from dozens of studios at a much lower cost than other services. For about US$10 per month, subscribers will get unlimited access to hundreds of full-length movies and more than 1,000 clips. Now that's a lot of pornography.

The service is available worldwide to anyone who can legally view adult material. It's also compatible with the original iPhone. However, iRoticNet recommends that due to the lack of 3G speed, users of the original iPhone would probably want a Wi-Fi connection.

Personally, I am not surprised by this new offering. Currently, mobile adult content is a US$1.7 billion business, and considering the ubiquity of the phone, this is just inevitable. By the way, when I volunteered to write about this, my co-worker Joseph Kaminski--a longtime iPhone owner--immediately asked: "Are you trying to get a free subscription from this blog?" Well, that sounds like a good deal, but I really need to be able to get an iPhone 3G first.

Via CNET Crave

ReQall's iPhone app saves brain cells, cell phone minutes

If you're not the type of person to carry around a notepad or voice recorder with you, there are a handful of Web services raring to help you out if you've got a mobile phone. ReQall, a service that launched back at Demo 07 has a great new iPhone application that does just that. I got in touch with Sunil Vemuri, ReQall's chief product officer, who showed it off during one of today's CEO pitch sessions at the AlwaysOn Summit.

The application's killer feature is that it saves your notes both locally and to the cloud. It also sends these notes to ReQall's servers without using your voice minutes--that is as long as you can note down everything you want to say within the 30 second allotment. Previously you had to type them in to nix having to make a phone call. Vemuri says the service will transcribe them in just a few minutes, but since launching with the app store a few weeks ago, that time has gone up drastically--leading to some negative reviews. Vemuri told me they're working to get the time back to just a minute or two.

Another nice feature is the "Memory Jogger", which will pop up one of your upcoming reminders when you shake your phone in order to get you to start thinking about it ahead of time. It's fun, silly, and makes use of the device's accelerometer. I honestly doubt many people are going to use it, except by accident, but it sort of doubles like a flash card tester.
Read more »

Crave is...

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about cool gadgets and other crushworthy stuff.

Drop us an email if you have tips or suggestions.

Crave for...

» Mobile Phones (2230)

» Digital Cameras (982)

» Notebooks (1233)

» PC & Peripherals (1310)

» Handhelds (584)

» Printers (82)

» Home AV (1145)

» Music & Play (893)

» Gadgets (1484)

» Future Tech (394)

» Green Tech (172)

» Lifestyle (157)

» Luxury (22)

» Home Appliances (57)

» Cars (99)

» Games and Gear (247)

» Software (94)

» Web (116)

Previously...

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

Hot Topics

Subscribe to
Crave

What's Hot

apple apple inc. apple iphone apple ipod asia battery camera game google inc. iphone microsoft corp. microsoft windows mobile phone photograph singapore smart phone software sony corp. video

Today on CNET |  Reviews |  Crave |  Blogs |  CNET TV |  Digital Living |  Downloads