Posts in Mobile Phones
Kogan delays Android-powered Agora indefinitely
Joseph Hanlon | Jan 19, 2009
Kogan says the Agora phone, which was previously set to launch Down Under on January 29, must be redesigned.
(Credit: Kogan Technologies)
Australia's first smart phone to run on Google's Android, the Kogan Agora Pro, has been delayed indefinitely with its distributor citing its low-resolution display as the reason for not shipping the handset in its current form.
"It now seems certain the current Agora specifications will limit its compatibility or interoperability in the near future," said Kogan founder Ruslan Kogan in a statement.
"Since the design of the Agora, the Android community has been growing quickly... I now believe that in order to access all the Android platform has to offer, the Agora must be redesigned."
Read more »
ASUS working on a low-cost Eee smart phone?
Bonnie Cha | Jan 16, 2009
ASUS is no stranger to smart phones; check out its ASUS P527.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)
According to a New York Times interview with Asustek's chairman Jonney Shih, ASUS is working on a low-cost smart phone called the Eee Phone. Based on the company's Eee line of affordable Netbooks, Shih envisions the Eee Phone as the "interactive control" for the digital home.
Shih didn't reveal any more details about the smart phone, such as what type of operating system it would run, features, or design. ASUS faces an uphill climb, facing a full market of well-established players. However, as we've seen with the popular Eee Netbook series, if the price is right and the feature set decent, the Eee Phone could be a force to be reckoned with.
Via CNET Crave
Third-party iPhone Web browsers turn up on App Store
Damian Koh | Jan 15, 2009
At least three third-party Web browsers have turned up on Apple's App Store January 13, including Shaking Web (US$1.99) which makes viewing of Web pages easier on the eyes while on the move and Squeaky (US$3.99) which won't keep records of your browsing history. The third one that came back in the search results was WebMate (US$0.99) which enables tabbed browsing on the iPhone.
Third-party apps are added to the store frequently, so what's the big deal here? One, Apple typically wouldn't approve programs with duplicated functionality. In this case, these browsers provide an alternative to Safari already on the iPhone. Two, this group of browsers were released on the same day which could mean there was some backend approval queue in place.
Does this mean we'll see full-fledged Web browsers that support Adobe Flash sprouting up? Brian at Gadget Lab thinks it's not likely, as Apple's terms of service for the iPhone SDK have a clause that specifically prohibits that. What do you think? Have you tried any of these new browsers yet?
Via Gadget Lab
We ask Palm: Where's HotSync and Palm Desktop to go with Pre?
Matt Hickey | Jan 15, 2009
(Credit: Matt Hickey)
While Palm has likely done a notably good job with the new Pre smart phone of reversing its slide into obscurity, the company has said little about the other half of its historical strategy, that of desktop syncing.
With the original Pilot 1000, Palm made handheld devices viable by including a technology it called HotSync with every device. HotSync allowed for one-touch synchronization of personal information data--like phone numbers, to-do lists, and even e-mails--between the organizer and your desktop or laptop software. That allowed you to carry your most up-to-date appointments and contacts around before there were ubiquitous wireless networks.
It also featured the Palm Desktop, custom software that gave users a centralized interface to manage this content. Palm did a reasonable job keeping it updated, but it's looking old by 2009 standards.
The Pre, though, uses Palm's system called "Synergy" to pull multiple address books, to-do lists, and e-mail and calendar sources over the air via the Internet into a single interface in real time. This makes both HotSync and the Palm Desktop redundant.
But don't count the desktop element out yet. I called Palm, which responded that it's not commenting yet on the software end, but there might be more news closer to launch time.
Sounds to us like there might be some desktop or laptop client software involved, but is it HotSync, Palm Desktop, or some other application to work with Synergy? Our guess is the latter, but we can't be sure yet.
Via CNET Crave
BlackBerry Flip and Curve 8900 launched in Asia
John Chan | Jan 15, 2009
Research In Motion (RIM) has announced the availability of its first clamshell phone, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220, in Singapore. This product was first launched last year and since its debut in North America, can soon be purchased on the island state from operator SingTel. It will cost S$488 (US$347.70) with a two-year mobile contract or S$768 (US$547.20) unsubsidized from authorized resellers at the end of January.
This product is already available in Hong Kong, India and Australia. RIM will also be rolling the Flip out in other Asia-Pacific countries but this will depend on when your local operator starts offering it for sale.
The BlackBerry Curve 8900, first announced at the recent CES 2009, has also been confirmed for this region. This smart phone looks like a scaled-down version of the BlackBerry Bold with its sharp display and identical QWERTY keyboard. A big difference is that it won't come with 3G, so users will probably be better off finding a Wi-Fi hotspot when surfing the Internet or downloading large files instead of doing it over the cellular network.
The 8900 will be available from all three operators in Singapore in Q1. Those in other countries should check with their local providers for specific launch dates. No pricing information for this model was given at press time.
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