No new TouchFLO for HTC Touch with 64MB RAM

HTC used a new version of its TouchFLO interface in the Touch 3G and offered it as a downloadable upgrade for those using the older Touch. In our earlier report, we contemplated if this could possibly be too taxing for the very first Touch handheld, which came with just 64MB of RAM.

That question was answered by a reader who alerted us that this upgrade is not meant for the 64MB version. Signing in to the HTC support page as a registered user of the first-generation Touch, there was no option to update the firmware to one that includes the new TouchFLO. We contacted the company and it confirmed that the update is meant only for the second-generation HTC Touch which comes with 128MB RAM.

Additionally, if a user is not happy with the new TouchFLO, it is possible to download and restore to an earlier version which makes use of the original interface. Head on over to the HTC Asia site to download the update if you are a second-generation HTC Touch user.

Thanks, Alvin

Moto's 5-megapixel VE66 enables widget interface

OK, we are not entirely sure what's in it for us here, but Motorola has announced its new VE66 slider that sports a widgets interface. As we all know, the widgets interface which lets users drag-and-drop mini apps onto the screen has already been extensively employed on a few Samsung and LG handsets. The key difference is, the VE66 doesn't have a touchscreen display. So as far as we can guess, Moto's widget implementation could be similar to WidSets, a widget enabler program that works on Java MIDP 2.0-enabled phones.

The company also announced a Widget Developer Challenge that aims to engage developers to create more apps. The competition runs until February 27 next year, so it'll still be a long while before we see a steady stream of downloadable apps for the handset. Other features of the VE66 include a 5-megaipxel autofocus camera (though the Kodak branding is ostensibly missing) with LED flash, Wi-Fi connectivity, CrystalTalk technology and a FM radio. The phone is expected to be out this quarter though there's no word on whether it will be available in Asia Pacific.

LG Prada II Web site comes alive, we discover a matching Bluetooth watch

Not that the LG Prada II will make it stateside any time soon, but LG has recently launched a celebratory microsite for the Prada II, officially welcoming it into the world (Flash haters beware; the site is very Flash heavy).

As you might recall, it has some pretty impressive features--dual-band HSDPA, quad-band GSM, Wi-Fi, full HTML browser, stereo Bluetooth, FM radio, TV-out, a document viewer, 60 MB internal memory plus a microSD card slot, a 5-megapixel camera, and a luscious-looking 3-inch capacitive multi-touch(!) display with active flash UI (We're almost certain the iPhone has a patent on that multi-touch thing, but maybe LG is referring to something else). In other words, we're looking forward to this.
Read more »

Google "Voice Search" hands-on verdict: Awesome

The new voice-activated Google Mobile app for the iPhone is finally here. Whatever the reason for the delay, it was worth the wait. As we wrote last week, the search app knows when you bring the phone to your face to speak into it. It beeps, you talk, and it executes a Google search on what you said. (If you're using a headset, you have to press a button. You can type in your queries, too, if you want.)

It is freakishly accurate. It's not perfect, but it's extremely good. Good enough to be used frequently, I'd say, although this review is based on only 15 minutes of experimentation.

I searched for names of people I know, businesses nearby, airline information, and other miscellaneous data. The service bungled one nearby restaurant, but got everything else right. It uses the phone's location data to narrow down results. Try searching for "sushi" and you'll get your closest sushi restaurants at the top of your search results.
Read more »

New game brings iPhone into Wiimote territory

The Social Gaming Network, a company best known for its Facebook Platform apps, has launched a new iPhone app that uses the handset as...a gaming controller.

Called "iFun," the app is a takeoff on the Social Gaming Network's existing sports apps: iGolf, iBowl, iBaseball, and the like. But instead of playing on your iPhone, you use your iPhone or iPod touch much like the "Wiimote" device for Nintendo's Wii console. (Both gadgets use accelerometer technologies.) It connects via Wi-Fi or cellular network to your PC. You can then play against friends--remotely, and in real time.

Currently, iFun is restricted to a golf game but will soon expand--as well as to other devices with accelerometers in them, like the Android-powered G1. It also uses Facebook Connect for authentication.

Social Gaming Network CEO Shervin Pishevar told CNET News that the company is currently "lining up advertisers" and is interested in turning iFun into a platform for external developers to create their own games. The Social Gaming Network raised a US$15 million investment round last spring, followed by more funding from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' venture firm.

And--wait for it--here's the recession angle. Playing the free iFun game on an iPod touch is "significantly cheaper than buying a Wii for Christmas," Pishevar said.

Via "The Social" blog at CNET News

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