Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

Google Search is big, everyone knows that.  But what we may not have know is how big.  According to estimates, Google Search is on track to overtake Microsoft Windows business by this time next year.  But will that be all the Redmond giant loses?

MORE »

After announcing the launch of its latest BlackBerry handset - the BlackBerry Bold, Microsoft and RIM have announced an agreement that will bring Windows Live Messenger and Live Hotmail to all BlackBerry handsets. This would allow users to access both their Windows Live Messenger and Live Hotmail using their e-mail addresses and passwords, just once.

With Windows Live Hotmail and Live Messenger on their BlackBerry devices, users will be able to the following; set an automatic message delivery and message synchronization using push technology, utilize a dedicated inbox for Windows Live Hotmail messages delivered automatically to users’ handsets, display HTML e-mail with graphics, web links and contact photos, send instant message and join group chats, see status and preferences of Windows Live Messenger contacts, customize status message, save conversations, display avatars, send and receive picture and files, and use more than 60 emoticons.

Windows Live Messenger and Live Hotmail will be available for the BlackBerry beginning summer of this year in multiple languages.

Read [Microsoft Press Pass]

Yahoo! may have successfully deterred a Microsoft takeover, but it cannot escape the fact that it still has to work with the software maker in its other products. Barring all indifference’s with Microsoft, Yahoo has quietly made available the new Yahoo! Go 3.0 in beta mode for Windows mobile-powered handsets. And no, Yahoo did not underplay the new version of its mobile web browser to get back at Microsoft. On the contrary, it has transformed Yahoo! Go 3.0 into a powerful mobile web portal with features that even the Microsoft guys would love. These new features are; a new mobile web start up page that displays what’s new since the user’s last visit plus previews of users favorites, an improved oneSearch that now includes up-to-date flight information and content from Yahoo Answers as well as Wikipedia, enhanced design and navigation that gives users an option to use the traditional carousel or the icon display, mobile widgets from eBay, MySpace and other sites that fully support mobile widgets, and other customization features. This is suffice to say that Yahoo has transformed Go 3.0 into a more powerful mobile internet facility for mobile phone users.

MORE »

The recently released Photoshop Express, which is a free web-based photo editor has just added support for Flickr. With the newly added support users can now take images from their Flickr account, edit them in Photoshop Express and place the hopefully nicer images back into their Flickr photo stream for everyone to enjoy. If you are new to Photoshop Express, you can check out the recent review from our own Debbie Cook.

Via [Lifehacker]

Twitter has already taken microblogging to the next level, and now it has just gone a little further with the launch of TwitterFone, a new speech-to-text service enabling Twitter users to update their accounts through mobile phone.

TwitterFone basically eliminates the need to access your mobile Web and type your so-called “tweets”. Just call it in, dictate your message and it will automatically transcribe and post your message to your Twitter account within 5 to 10 minutes.

Though I’m personally not a big fan of Twitter, it is indeed a popular and powerful tool among Internet marketing practitioners and social networking addicts who are always on the go. Integrating this technology enhances its relevance and ease of use for the members of its community.

But it can be useful even if you’re not an active Twitter user. If you think about it, TwitterFone can be a reliable reminder tool for busy people. Just dictate your errands or things to do while on the go and check it online when you get home. It could work well for someone like me who tends to forget so many things. Think about it.

Although free, this service is currently in beta by invitation only, and as of now its working only in US, UK, and Ireland.

Product [TwitterFone] Via [Pat Phelan]

A mobile phone company ad slogan, “it’s all about the network” is being taken to heart by identity thieves.

We’re not just talking about the cellular networks that allow you to send text messages, surf the web and shop from your handy mobile device; if a Los Angeles Times story is any indication, social networks are becoming prime real estate for sleazy personal information harvesters, spammers and just plain mischief-makers.

Some examples: MySpace users who didn’t know they were facilitating the spamming of friends; fake log-in pages for social sites capturing user IDs and passwords; widgets for dressing up profile pages hiding malware for stealing financial information.

Then there are the incidents that fall into the creepy category, according to the non-profit Identity Theft Resource Center, based in San Diego.

MORE »

Remember what we told you about Skype needing to give itself a boost to avoid getting sacked by its mother company, eBay? Well, after successive announcements the past couple of weeks, it looks like Skype is really out to prove itself and hopefully sends the signal that its “synergies are strong.” For its latest buzz creation strategy, Skype has just taken version 3.9 for Windows out of beta.

So, what’s in mean for us, the Skype-using public with this new version? A couple of good features actually, including reduced background noise during calls, less delay, fewer call drops and fewer cut-offs. Plus, changing headsets, headphones and microphone will now be easier as Skype 3.9 will adjust the settings of the devices automatically. Another major improvement made by Skype is the taking out the default profile image that previously shows up when authorization request is incoming. This is in response to users’ demand as some of them encounter offensive profile photos of other Skype users. These plus other improvements which the Skype blog did not mention, are supposed to come with the new version of Skype for Windows.

It’s up to you if you want to be part of Skype’s move towards strengthening its synergies. By all means download the new Skype for Windows version or just continue using the old one.

Via [Skype]

If you have been trying to avoid MySpace but couldn’t just do it because you have accumulated too many contacts in your profile that you don’t want to lose, well soon, you just might ban MySpace from your online life for good. MySpace is set to launch a new feature, albeit an annoying one; MySpace Karaoke.

This could probably be the worst application ever to hit MySpace, not because it is technologically flawed, but because it is definitely a feature that many would find annoying, including yours truly. To be launched on Tuesday, MySpace Karaoke will, heaven forbid, allow users to belt out their favorite songs, record their renditions and stick them up on their MySpace profile, so that their MySpace contacts can rate their performance, no matter how awfully good or bad those performances are.

MORE »

Getting pressured by eBay into proving its worth seems to be working well with Skype. After recently offering unlimited calls to their users at an affordable rate, Skype is making headway yet again with the beta release of their mobile client. The Skype for Mobile now works with around fifty Java-enabled phones worldwide. Yes, this new service works with incoming calls from Skype and SkypeIn features. It also features chat, chat group and Skype presence.

In addition, Skype for Mobile features Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut calls for mobile handsets, but only for Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Sweden and the UK.

If you want to give Skype for Mobile a spin, as I know you really want to just like me, you can either download the application directly into your mobile phone or download it into your computer before transferring it into your mobile phone. And if you are not sure whether your mobile phone supports Skype-for-Mobile, you may check out the Skype-for-Mobile site and look into the directory of mobile phones supporting this Skype mobile client.

Read [Skype]

If you’re reading this blog, then it’s likely you already are a regular rider of the RSS train. But RSS isn’t something everyone in the general public knows about, as only an estimated 5-percent of web users subscribe to websites using RSS. Hence the idea for RSS Awareness Day, which takes place on May 1, 2008 (which happens to be nine days before the first National Train Day, to continue with the train theme). In observance of this day, you can blog about RSS to help get the word out about this technology. 

According to Wikipedia; RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and along with the orange RSS icon became widespread in 2005/2006. RSS is defined as “a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines, and podcasts.” Which when used with either programs such as NewsFire or NetNewsWire or web-based readers such as Google Reader or Bloglines subscribers can have all the content from their favorite blogs available in one location, making it easy to get all the news. 

MORE »