Not to be left out, it looks like AT&T has plans not only for a Black Friday sale, but a weekend full of sales that was described as “Black Friday through Cyber Monday.” According to the announcement the sales are expected to begin as of 12:01 am EST on Friday November 27 and run through the weekend. Here is what you can expect in terms of the deals;

Friday: Savings Begin.
Incredible deals on some of the most popular touch screen devices go live.

Saturday: 24-Hour Blackberry Sale.
Free Pearl 8110 or Curve 8310; $49 Curve 8320; or $99 Curve 8900. Two-year agreement with a minimum $69.99 plan required.

Sunday: Free Quick Messaging Device Sale.
*Choose from the Solstice, Neon, Magnet, Karma or Propel. Two-year agreement and unlimited messaging or data service required.

Cyber Monday: 1 Cent Sale.
*Purchase for only one penny the Nokia e71x; Sony Cybershot; Curve 8900; Pantech Reveal; or, Samsung Jack. Device offers rotate every three hours. Two-year service agreement required.

Read [AT&T]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

The New York Times seems to have been busy with mobile news today, first we saw the $100 off offer on a Samsung Go netbook and now they have unveiled a free mobile app for select BlackBerry handsets.

The newly released app will allow users to browse the New York Times online or cache the content for offline use, which sounds nice for those who may be traveling. The catch here is that the app is only available for a select few BlackBerry handsets including the Storm (original and 2), the Tour and Curve 8900.

Those interested can download the app by pointing their mobile browser to http://nytimes.com/bbapp.

Read [NYT] Via [CrackBerry]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Possibly my favorite gadget purchase of the year is the MiFi. And it looks like those in Canada will soon be able to get one of their own by way of Bell. I should point out that this is still in the rumor stage, which means we are still awaiting an official announcement.

However, assuming for a minute that the rumor is indeed true, then the Bell MiFi 2372 will be available beginning on November 30. And price wise it will set any would be purchasers back $249.95 or $99.95 with a three-year agreement.

That said, this MiFi has some similarities to the version found here in the US with Sprint and Verizon in that it will allow up to 5 users to connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot that it creates. But there is one nice difference in this model, it comes with a memory card slot that can support cards up to 16GB in size. Portable Wi-Fi is good, but portable Wi-Fi with built-in storage is even nicer.

Via [BGR]

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Quickly becoming the place to buy cellphones on the cheap, Walmart is bringing its low-cost ways to the weary cell phone buyer.  One has to wonder about some of the deals on their site offering up to $100 to take home some very decent phones.  Have they gone too far?

$100 in your pocket #1: Sidekick Slider from T-Mobile

Walmart will send you a check for $100 after you agree to a two year contract with T-Mobile on their LetsTalk site.  Is the Sidekick that bad a phone?  Or is it the recent trouble Microsoft ran into with Sidekick owner information?

The phone was launched back in 2007, and only received 3 out of five stars for most reviews.  The keyboard isn’t fantastic and it is a bit chunky by today’s standards.  It is probably a safe bet that the incident that involved user data being lost is not likely to happen again.

$100 in your pocket #2: BlackBerry Curve 8330 (pink) from Verizon

This BlackBerry, first sold back in 2008 might be an older model, but it is one of the best.  Featuring GPS, 2.0 mp camera and of course, the great BlackBerry messaging service.  Getting paid to bring this one home is icing on the cake.

While there are other phones that offer you a bounty to order them, there are many that are free as well.  Phones like the original BlackBerry Bold, considered to be the best BlackBerry ever by many, Samsung Instinct and lots more.  If you are looking for a new mobile phone this holiday season, check out Walmart’s LetsTalk site.

Product Page: [Walmart]

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It has been a long time since HP released an interesting iPAQ device.  Now, with the release of Windows Mobile 6.5, it looks like the iPAQ is back once again with the Glisten.  The HP iPAQ Glisten is a smartphone heading to AT&T targeted at business users over everyone else.

The iPAQ Glisten looks to be a good alternative to those who like the BlackBerry-esque form factor, but either require or prefer Windows Mobile 6.5.  It has a 2.5” AMOLED touchscreen, along with a QWERTY keyboard and five-way directional pad.  In terms of specs it holds 256 SDRAM/512 MB Flash memory, GPS, 3.1 MP camera, 3G and Wi-Fi (complete with a dedicated on/off switch, which could prove very handy).  It runs stock Windows Mobile 6.5, along with Flash support in the browser, and built in apps for Facebook and HP’s Snapfish.

The iPAQ Glisten may not be the most exciting Windows Mobile 6.5 phone compared to others recent releases, but it does seem like a decent choice.  The combination of a candybar smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard, and a touchscreen makes it fairly interesting, and could put it above popular BlackBerries.  There is also a great brand in iPAQ, with it being one of the better PDAs back when those were still around.  The only thing holding it back is the $180 price tag after the $50 mail-in rebate.  Unless users really need Windows Mobile or a physical keyboard, there’s no reason to pick this up over the 16GB iPhone 3GS.  Unless, of course, you hate Apple’s policies for the iPhone and can’t switch the Verizon for a Droid.

Read [AT&T] Read [HP]

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Plenty of people nowadays are looking to an iPhone, BlackBerry or something sporting Android for their smartphone needs, but that should not rule Windows Mobile based handsets out.

That said, Verizon Wireless and Samsung have recently announced the upcoming availability of the Omnia II. And in a nice twist on numbers, the Omnia II will be available as of December 2 for $200. Well, more specifically it will set you back $199.99, but that price does come AFTER a $100 mail-in-rebate and along with a two-year commitment.

Feature wise, the Samsung Omnia II is running Windows Mobile 6.5 with Opera 9.5 for browsing and has a 3.7-inch “ultra-briliant” touchscreen display, a virtual QWERTY keyboard and a 5.0-megapixel camera with flash, auto-focus and video recording. Additionally, the Omnia II also offers Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, EV-DO Rev. A, Bluetooth, 8GB of internal storage and has a microSD card slot for additional storage.

Read [Verizon Wireless]

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I first saw the LG X120 netbook back in January of this year during CES, and although it looked to be a decent offering design wise there were a few points that kept me from really being interested. First, it was nothing out of the ordinary in terms of specs, and second it was not available here in the US.

That said, things change with time, and although the specs have remained the same as when I first saw the X120, it is now going to be available here in the US.

So moving on, the fortunate or unfortunate part here, depending on who you ask is that the LG X120 will be tied to AT&T. In other words, it is coming 3G-equipped, and that means it will require an AT&T DataConnect plan.

Anyway, the X120 will be found exclusively at Radio Shack and will set you back $179.99. And as I mentioned, the DataConnect plan is required, which means you will sign a two-year agreement at $60 a month.

Feature wise, the X120 has a 10.1-inch display, 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and is running Windows XP. The one nice part here is that the X120 also features the SmartOn interface which means you can boot up and connect quickly.

Basically, if you are looking for a subsidized netbook then this appears to be a nice option, but at the same time I have to offer just three words of advise; “Get a MiFi.”

Keep reading to check out the full press release…

LG Netbook Debuts Revolutionary SmartOn Interface That Takes a Shortcut to the Fun Stuff and Puts Users at the Center of Their Social Universe

AT&T’s 3G Mobile Broadband Service to Help People Stay Connected

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 23 /PRNewswire/—LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc. (LG Mobile Phones) announced today the newest addition to their innovative product line-up with the launch of the LG X120 netbook. The first of its kind from LG, the LG X120 delivers the benefits of netbook functionality and gives users a shortcut to the fun stuff with a unique SmartOn(TM) interface that makes staying connected faster, easier and just seconds away. Available at RadioShack, the LG X120 is the perfect computing companion for social networkers, college students and young professionals on the go.

Weighing only 2.8lbs, the slim and stylish LG X120 provides the computing power of a laptop with the freedom of a mobile device. Equipped with an innovative SmartOn interface that loads in seconds, the LG netbook connects to web and photos, instant messaging and MP3 player with just the touch of a button. Designed with a sleek white matte exterior and fashionable blue trim, the LG X120 delivers 7 hours of battery life and built-in AT&T 3G wireless connectivity. Users can explore the internet, update blogs and download music from just about anywhere, anytime on the nation’s fastest 3G network.

The LG netbook also features 1GB RAM and 160GB hard drive that offers users ultimate storage space for music, photos and gaming while a generous 10.1” screen with crystal clear LED backlighting creates a viewing experience perfect for watching videos and reading e-mails while on the run. A built-in 1.3 megapixel camera and HD stereo speakers provide clear, more precise video chatting and conferencing with friends and colleagues.

“We created the LG X120 to allow consumers to stay connected on their own terms,” said Ehtisham Rabbani, vice president of product strategy and marketing for LG Mobile Phones. “The SmartOn button puts consumers seconds away from the fun stuff such as showing off your vacation photos or picking your fantasy football line-up.”

LG X120 also includes a traditional start up feature booting the complete Windows XP Operating system that allows users to plan a budget or build a basic presentation on professionally based applications. No longer limited to Wi-Fi hotspots, 3G HSDPA provides on-the-go connectivity giving users instant access to all the tools that keep them connected and make them unique.

The LG netbook will be available at select Radio Shack stores nationwide and online at www.RadioShack.com for $179.99 with a 2-year AT&T DataConnect service agreement, a $60 monthly 5GB plan. AT&T DataConnect subscribers also receive access to AT&T Wi-Fi service, which includes more than 20,000 Hot Spots nationwide.

Limited-time offer. Other conditions & restrictions apply. See contract, rate plan brochure and rebate form at store for details. Subscriber must live & have a mailing address within AT&T’s owned wireless network coverage area. Up to $36 activation fee applies. Equipment price & availability may vary by market & may not be available from independent retailers. Early Termination Fee: None if cancelled in the first 30 days, but a restocking fee may apply; thereafter up to $175.

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

In an early Thanksgiving present, Google has rolled out Google Navigation to Android 1.6 users.  Phones such as the T-Mobile G1 and myTouch can all access the free turn-by-turn navigation Google announced with the Motorola Droid.  Be jealous no more, or at least, less jealous.

Also included in the release is layers for these phones.  Now, users can overlay their maps with transit maps (oh so handy!) as well as info from my maps, Wikipedia and more.  Sales of phones still running Android 1.6, like the HTC phones with the Sense UI, will be helped by this addition.  Nice move Google.

Users can download the latest version of Google Maps from the Android Market and begin navigating all over the US (the only place it will work) today.  The service is in beta and is free.

Note: some Android 2.0 functions will not work on Android 1.6.  For example, the “navigate to” voice command will not work on the older Android release.

Read: [Official Google Mobile Blog]

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It’s a bold move on the 23rd of the month to say we are shipping soon, by the end of the month as it doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room.  The Dell Mini 3i must be locked and loaded, ready to explode onto the scene in China where the phone will debut.  China Mobile let loose some interesting specs about the phone.

The Dell Mini 3i runs China Mobile’s OPhone open source OS and comes loaded with localized 139Mail e-mail, Fetion chat and digital maps.  The phone does not feature a 3G radio.  The Mini 3i will come in fashionable Passion Red or Oiled Bronze, hot right?

Specs (from the press release):

Dell Mini 3i OPhone Specifications:   * Form Factor: Tablet/PDA   * Dimensions: 58.35 x 122 x 11.7   * Display: 3.5” nHD, 640x360   * Bands/Modes: Quadband GSM/EDGE   * Weight: <105g (grams) * Bluetooth * GPS * Micro SD (up to 32GB) * Connector: Mini USB

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Yet another BlackBerry is now available with AT&T, this time its the BlackBerry Bold 9700 and it is carrying a $199.99 price tag. Unfortunately that price does come after a $100 mail-in-rebate, which means those interested in the Bold 9700 will need to shell out $299.99. That and, as standard practice you will also need to sign a two-year commitment.

Feature wise, the Bold 9700 offers a 2.44-inch display (480 x 360), 3.2-megapixel camera, 3G, Bluetooth, 256MB of internal storage and a microSD card slot for additional storage.

Additionally the 9700 is sporting the new optical trackpad as opposed to the trackball that many have become familiar with.

Product [AT&T] Via [Engadget]

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Sprint has announced it will kick off the holiday shopping season with the launch of the Sanyo Incognito. The latest offering from Kyocera is a sleek messaging phone with a full QWERTY keyboard. Its selling point however is the glossy Titanium Black mirrored external surface that boasts a glow through keypad and OLED display. The glow through keypad is further set apart by the vibrating feedback it gives as each button is pressed. Inside, along with the full keyboard is a 2.6’ QVGA display. 

The handset is designed for Sprint’s EVDO network and also offers video and music players, a 2.0 MP camera, a MicroSD slot, and provides easy access to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, GPS Navigation, email, and other popular apps.

“I’m sure Incognito will be topping many holiday gift lists this season,” said Atsushi (Andy) Kodera, vice president and deputy general manager at Kyocera Communications Inc. “It’s such a clean, sophisticated looking phone but there are so many features at your fingertips when you turn on the glow-through display and open the QWERTY flip. With its amazing combination of style and functionality for less than $50, it’s about as foolproof a gift idea as you’ll see this year.”

The Incognito will be on sale starting Cyber Monday (11/30) and will sell for $49.99 after a $50 MIR and with a 2 year contract. There’s no word yet if Sprint will require one of their Simply Everything plans as well.

Read [BusinessWire]

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Can any phone hold onto its price longer than one month?  We’ve seen several phones as of late launch at one price only to be blown out of the water by another retailer just weeks or even days.  The price chopper strikes again, this time with the Motorola Droid which is now $119, down from $199.

The Motorola Droid is Verizon’s hottest smartphone of the moment.  Running Google Android 2.0, the phone features several new features not the least of which is Google Navigation providing turn by turn directions for free.  The phone’s slide out keyboard and extreme customization are among its chief stand-out features.

Dell offers the Droid through Simplexity, an authorized reseller and carriers the same restrictions to new customer and 2-year contract.  The price includes the device as well as FedEx shipping.

Interested?  Just drop the Android in the Dell shopping cart, enter in your zip code and the price is shown at $119.  Sweet.

Product page: [Dell] via [IntoMobile]

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Just recently a nice collection of images along with a hands on video of the upcoming BlackBerry Pearl 9100 were made available online. The Pearl 9100 is the successor to the current Pearl 8100, but more importantly it is the first in the Pearl lineup to have 3G support.

Also, in addition to the 3G, the 9100 is also sporting the optical trackpad that we saw on the Curve 8530. Unfortunately we do not yet have a full set of specs to give out, but given the images and video are online I am sure those will not be that far away.

In the meantime check out the video below and then hit the read links below for some more images.

Via [CrackBerry] and [CrackBerry]

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As we expected, and right on schedule, the BlackBerry Curve 8530 is now available with Verizon Wireless. Those interested will can expect to pay $99.99, but that price does come with a two-year agreement and after a $100 online discount. That said, we do have to compliment Verizon for making that 100 bucks as an instant discount as opposed to by mail.

And for those that make the purchase, you will receive a 2.5-inch display, Wi-Fi, GPS, 2-megapixel camera, optical trackpad, Stereo Bluetooth and a 3.5mm headphone jack all in a package that is running OS 5.0 and sporting 256MB of internal flash memory. Additionally, the Curve 8530 also has a microSD card slot for additional storage.

Product [Verizon Wireless]

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Though it is still not yet ready to ship, potential customers can at least take some pleasure in knowing that Amazon has lowered the price of the Nokia N900 down to $479.99. Granted I would still say this is a little on the pricey side, but its hard to argue that $480 sounds much better than the regular retail price of $649. Sadly though, this lower price does come with a little catch in the form of a mail-in-rebate.

Basically the final price is $479.99 but in order to see that you will have to pay $529.99 and then fill out and send in to get your rebate back, which happens to be $50.

Still, all things considered this is not all that bad looking of a device, especially if paired with a T-Mobile SIM for connectivity.

Product [Amazon] Via [Engadget]

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This has got to stop. Holidays have got to stop creeping further and further toward summer.  The nutjobs that scheme, “well, if we get our sale out first we’ll be the richest in the tri-state area” are morons.  Seriously, the ABC Family channel is doing a countdown to the 25 days of Christmas.  A frickin’ countdown to a countdown?  Could it get more ridiculous?  Here are 4 entries that attempt it:

Ah crap, the rumors been delayed.
Prepare for Black Friday
FLO TV for straight to TV movies and straight to sale bin hardware
Palm eats its young

An unannounced product gets an set back from an unannounced launch window.

This is just getting crazy.  I blame everyone in media for this: from the big hitters like CNN Money to countless magazines who are reporting on Apple’s coming tablet.  Apple hasn’t announced anything yet we are chomping at the bit to talk about.  Even if launched yesterday, there is no way this tablet could ever live up to the hype.  Not that we as consumer are even sure we want such a thing.  I propose a month moratorium on not mentioning Apple’s iTablet.  Who is with me? 

Yeah, I didn’t think it would work.

Black Friday sales in the toilet

Anyone want to bet on something with me?  The economic data that will come from Black Friday will be dark and gloomy.  They’ll report consumer spending will skip this Christmas much like Kris Kringle wanted to do in the old TV movie.  It is an all but sure bet.  Why?

The monkeys are messing with the date.  These Pre-Black Friday sales are very tempting and are going to lower how much we spend on that one day we use as an indicator.  By stretching the buying season out, we’ll be so frickin fed up with the holidays we’ll throw in the towel before the season even starts.  My inbox won’t stop the deluge of sale announcements, each one, killing a little bit of Santa.

FLO TV for the masses

Qualcomm’s little TV player sure is cute.  The device plays TV, costs $250 and has a $9 monthly fee with 3-year commitment. That’s a total cost of $574 to watch, you know, free TV.  The device is roughly the size of a cell phone, a cell phone that you can probably play some TV on for a fee.  The cell phone in your pocket is free (at this point) and you know, in your pocket.  So watch TV on that.

Even our ever positive editor, Robert Nelson can’t hold back, ” but thinking positive, 9 bucks a month could be worth it for the simple reason that this little device could serve as a nice entertainment device for the child in your back seat. As long as you do not mind handing them a $250 gadget to play with.”  Nice try Robert.

This brings me right back the awesome gadget that just delivers RSS feeds.  I love gadgets as much as the next idiot but come on, quit repeating stuff that is already out there in a better form factor.  Now get to work on flying cars.

Palm eats its young

How are customers supposed to respect a phone that tumbles in price more than $70 its first 5 days on the market???  The 2nd entry in the webOS world from Palm, the Pixi, is so cute and cuddly, we thought it a smash at $79.  But then anarchy reigned and Wal-Mart upset the apple cart at $29.99, then Amazon one-upped even Wal-Mart with $24.99. 

Why devalue the phone so quickly?  Too much Pre inventory seems to be the root cause. The Pre’s price has fallen down like a drunk senior citizen in the early morning.  The Pre began at a reasonable $149 but now lives at the $79 price on Amazon.  The welcome the sibling Pixi got is move over in the sale bin.  Odd reception, even for a sibling.

At the very least, Palm commercials for the Pixi didn’t give anyone the willies as did the Pre versions.  Bonus points to Palm.

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

That $24.95 Palm Pixi suddenly does not seem like such a great offer now that we learn Amazon has temporarily lowered the pricing for the Palm Pre.

The new price for the Pre is now $79.99, which just to begin with is much nicer than $149.99 (after a $100 mail-in-rebate) that Sprint currently has it priced at.

But additionally, by purchasing your Palm Pre by way of Amazon you will also get free activation (a $36 saving) and not have to deal with any mail-in-rebates. Its just a flat $79.99. Of course, you do still need to sign a two-year commitment with Sprint.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that this offer is only valid until November 23.

Product [Amazon] Via [9to5Mac]

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Pantech’s new Impact is now officially part of the AT&T line up today according to Pantech.  The quick messaging device features a haptic touchpad that side flips to reveal a long qwerty keyboard.  The phone will sell for $99 after rebates and contracts.

Remember haptic feedback?  When users press on a touchscreen the phones buzzes to give the sensation of pushing a button is how it is often described.  Pantech uses haptic feedback to give new users the confidence in using a touchpad .  Almost all phone and messaging functions can be performed on the haptic touchpad or users can flip open the screen to bang on the keys.

Instead of a full screen on the front of the phone, the screen is extremely small and the rest is a large touchpad.  The effect looks like a large touchscreen, common on many of today’s phones.  It is a risky move, looking like something you are not.

The Pantech Impact runs on the AT&Ts 3G network for fast data speeds and comes preloaded with AT&T’s new browser The Impact’s large inner color screen is surrounded by speakers.  The device also takes stills and video.

At the moment, I don’t see AT&T’s page for the Impact.  It should be up sometime today.

Press release: [VPO] and [PantechUSA]

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Sony Ericsson announced their first Google Android based phone yesterday, the XPERIA X10.  The phone sticks with the Xperia slide out qwerty form factor but offers up a new user experience laid on top of Android.  Sony Ericsson showed off a non-retail prototype with an expected release date in Q1 of 2010.

Sony Ericsson needs a hit.  They’ve only two supporting carriers in the US, AT&T and T-Mobile, while they’ve done much better in Europe.  Despite a strong following there, Sony Ericsson continues to lose market share.  Sales were off by 45 percent at the last quarter check-in, year-over-year.  Is this new phone just what the doctor ordered?

Maybe.  The prototypes were running Android 1.6, the penultimate version of Android.  It lacks all the flash and excitement around the newly launched 2.0, but perhaps an update is coming.  The new UI or UX as Sony Ericsson likes to refer to as users experience looks impressive.  Dubbed Nexus, the UI does what all new UIs are attempting to do today: combine social integration into everyday simplicity.  Contacts from Facebook, Twitter, email, and other social interactions are combined and presented in unobtrusive ways to keep you connected to people that matter most.  That is the idea, anyhow.

The phone features Qualcomm’s 1GHz Snapdragon processor and should scream, yet there seemed to be some lag in the prototypes.  Many press and analysts found the UI to be impressive, but less so than competing Android overlays from companies such as HTC (Sense UI) and Motorola (Blur).  The phone didn’t scream unique.  While way too early to judge, using the press and analysts at their announcement yesterday as a sounding board may not have been the best route.  We’ll reserve judgment until we see the full retail product.

At the moment, we’ve no launch date or carrier information to speak of.  The off-contract price is expected to be astronomical, $879, according to the Wall Street Journal, a subsidized price from a carrier should be much less.

Read: [BoyGeniusReports] and [ title="AndroidandMe">AndroidandMe]

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So much for having to head in to Walmart to score a low priced Palm Pixi because Amazon now has an offer of their own. For a limited time, well actually until November 23 customers can get a Palm Pixi for just $24.99. Which means you can save yourself five bucks, but better still, you can do so from the comfort of your own home.

Of course, there are a few catches with that price, but honestly would you expect otherwise. First, like I mentioned that offer is for a limited time only. But more importantly, you will have to agree to and sign a two year commitment with Sprint.

With price drops like this, it seems like it is just a matter of time before the Pixi becomes free on contract. Still $24.99 is not all that bad.

Product [Amazon]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

TechCrunch is stacking up a bunch of rumors and is purporting that Google really does have a phone of its own brewing that they will bring to market on their own.  This pinnacle of Android phone will be all Google power, optimized for every Google service (surely including Google Voice, now with VOIP???) and will be a thing of beauty and amazement for all to drool over.  Forgive my sarcasm and hesitation on this one, I’ve been down this road before.

Way back, in 2007, Google said cell phone should be free, supported by advertising.  That got me to thinking, they could actually pull that off.  After all, Google is an advertising company.  Could they finally be prepping a way to make that happen?

Free phones is nothing new but free service, well that would get some attention.  After all, those of us with smartphones know the high price we pay to walk around with the internet in our pockets.  Could Google be moving to provide free service in exchange for access to our eyeballs?

How could they monetize it?  Ads tacked onto emails sent from the phone, ala hotmail?  Ads texted to you periodically?  I’d put up with that to save the $70+ I spend monthly for service.  With pre-screening surveys, Google could make it extremely targeted and a high value ad buy and we’d all agree to it.  OK, not all.

Telecoms would have to push the privacy issue to compete.  They’d need to raise the fear in handing over all your data and preferences to Google.  Their bread and butter are service charges.  Google would provide a major disruption here.

What do you think?  Is the Google Phone real this time?

Read: [TechCrunch]

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It looks like the price of the Palm Pre has just been lowered for those north of the border in Canada. Wireless reseller WirelessWave has recently lowered the Pre to just $49.95. Of course, that does come with the standard three-year commitment with Bell. But it is hard to argue with a $50 Pre, not to mention that price almost makes that $30 Walmart Pixi seem like a rip-off. Anyway, for those in Canada willing to sign a three-year commitment with Bell—head on over to WirelessWave and pick up your nicely priced Pre.

[via mobilesyrup]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

For those of us who are not following the Sidekick as intently anymore, the fact that they have been unavailable may not have been anything to even think twice about. But that said, there are some pretty loyal Sidekick users and this news should be welcomed news for them—T-Mobile has resumed sales of the Sidekick. And to put a little icing on that cake, the return has also come with lower prices.

Effective immediately, those willing to take the plunge with the Sidekick can pick up the Sidekick or the Sidekick LX for $49.99 or $149.99 respectively.

All things considered though, I would imaging that the data is pretty safe at this point. But the data and that past issue aside, there are so many other great options now available for $149.99 and under that almost make the Sidekick seem a poor choice. But hey, like I already mentioned, Sidekick users are a loyal bunch.

Read [T-Mobile] and [T-Mobile]

Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

New MVNO (mobile virtual network operators) are rare these days.  There was a time when there were many MVNOs, but not any more, let alone new ones launching.  Even rarer among those MVNOs are GSM networks.  Most use CDMA like Verizon and Sprint, with the exception of the newest one, Simple Mobile.

Simple Mobile launched today with a promise to use just about any GSM phone you have and want to use.  There are six phones available from Simple Mobile, including the BlackBerry Pearl Flip, and the network has been tested with 140 other phones including a myriad other BlackBerries, Nokia, HTC, Samsung and Motorola phones among others.  Coverage extends to most major US cities and surrounding areas.  The coverage map looks vaguely similar to T-Mobile’s (minus roaming areas), though that could be coincidence.

With plans starting at $40 for unlimited voice, Simple Mobile looks to be a reasonable choice for some.  Adding SMS brings the monthly payment to $45.  Data can only be bought with 20MB or 40MB caps, making it essentially pointless at $50 and $55, respectively.  Other than the data issues, there’s little reason to choose Simple Mobile over any other MVNO if you live in an area with coverage.  There’s no payment for a phone if you happen to have a GSM phone lying around, or can find a cheap one, and unless you need data it has everything you need for $45 or less.  The plans come out to roughly the same as MetroPCS which requires the purchase of a new CDMA phone.  If nothing else, Simple Mobile is a great option for students who need cheap phone plans with voice and SMS.

Read [Electronista]

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As of this morning, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 is now available with T-Mobile. Price wise, the Bold 9700 will set you back $199.99 on a two-year agreement. Of course, T-Mobile also has the new Even More Plus plans which let you go contract free, but that means you will be paying retail for the handset, which in this case means $449.99.

For the price, you will get the first 3G-capable BlackBerry on the T-Mobile network. But you will also have a device that offers Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS, a 3.2-megapixel camera and an optical trackpad.

Interestingly enough, this release has come in ahead of the AT&T release.

Read [T-Mobile]

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The quirky AT&T Reveal features a slider form factor and is a quick messaging phone.  I got some hands on time with the phone and wanted to share my evaluation.  The Reveal currently costs $79 with a two year contract.

Hands on:

With the keyboard tucked up or unslid, if you will, the phone is a simple, well, phone.  You’ve access to numbers and basic phone function.  Pantech did a great job on the feel of this phone, even though it’s plastic the materials feel high-end.  The phone is relatively narrow and feels good in hand.

The keyboard what separates this phone.  The number keys on the main part of the phone stay active even while the qwerty keyboard is slid down.  I found the keys to be too small and too close to the main part of the phone for my large fingers to reach.  In short, I wasn’t a fan.

Enter the preteen.

Figuring I wasn’t the target market for this phone, I let my daughter give it a go.  She normally uses the Pantech Slate, a super-thin quick messaging phone.  She found the Reveal to be fantastic.

She raved about the Reveals many background choices and better ringtones than the Slate.  She found the number pad to be a huge help when texting and she even found she was a faster typist on the Reveal because of it.

She also found the Reveal fits better in jeans than the Slate.  I am guessing width had something to do with this comment.  She also mentioned the camera has more zoom capabilities over the Slate.

Summary

We both found the operating system to be equally simple.  The Reveal does have GPS which might be nice for some.  The form factor worked for both me and my preteen.  I’ll defer to her recommendation as I am sure Pantech was thinking more about the youth of America than a jaded, smartphone wielding blogger.  We give this one a thumbs up.

I am assured (wink, wink) that this would make an excellent holiday present for a teen or preteen.

Product page: [AT&T]

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I cannot stress one device enough—a MiFi. They allow you to take a 3G connection with you and share it with up to 5 devices at any time and they can be found with Verizon Wireless and Sprint.

That said, there must be something to these 3G-enabled netbooks because the new offerings keep coming in.

The latest is the Samsung Go netbook, which is heading to AT&T on November 22.

As of now, neither Samsung or AT&T have announced the pricing, but feature wise the Samsung Go will offer users a 10.1-inch display, 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive.

Additionally, the Samsung Go netbook weighs in at 2.8-pounds and will come with a 4-cell battery that is said to offer up to 4 hours of battery life. Finally, the Samsung Go will be available with the midnight blue exterior.

Read [Samsung]

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Palm let loose their latest release of webOS, their mobile phone operating system.  The release improves a series of features but seems to have left iTunes syncing and an expected speed boost behind.  The Pixi, Palm’s webOS replacement, goes on sale tomorrow.

This update will be performed OTA or over the air by either Pre phones today and Pixi phones tomorrow.  According to Palm’s website:

With this update, your Yahoo! information (such as contacts and calendar events, and messaging) is now integrated with Palm Synergy, along with info from your Outlook EAS, Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn accounts. If you use Yahoo! to manage your contacts and calendar events, it will be integrated into your Contacts and Calendar applications on your Palm Pre. On Sprint, you can also now use Yahoo! IM in the webOS Messaging app.

According to the Palm website for Sprint users, will see other small upgrades here are the highlights:
back up will now save cookies, so passwords and user names on websites now get saved.
correct Google calendar sync
Better formatting in email
forwarding MMS messages
Unique ringtones for message alerts

All in all a good update but seems much more like bug fixing than ground breaking as many owners were hoping for.  That speed boost continues to be out there.  Rats.

Read: [Palm]

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It seems as if it has been a while since we last heard an MPAA horror story, but not to worry because we have a goodie for you on this fine Friday morning.

It would seem that those living in Coshocton, Ohio have at least temporarily lost their free Wi-Fi. And yes, they had city wide free Wi-Fi, or at least did until the MPAA came into town. The access was set up in the area surrounding the County Courthouse and was noted as serving anywhere from a dozen to one hundred users during a day. Of course it took just one user to prompt the shut down.

And that shutdown came after a notice from Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Unfortunately it looks like the service may also remain offline because although the town has found a way to prevent this from happening in the future that system costs money. But the Commisioners are questioning whether the $2000 setup and $900 annual fee would be worth it for a free giveaway.

But with that comes the moral of the story. First you cannot truly depend on free Wi-Fi. But more importantly—do not be that guy (or girl) that causes this. In other words, use free Wi-Fi responsibly, and treat it like you would at home. And no that does not mean its a pipe for porn, instead use the golden rule. If you would not download said item from your home connection, then it is most likely not a good idea to download it from a publicly available connection.

Its a shame that the town could not identify the person who caused this, it seems that in a smaller town like this a little public shaming would do the trick.

Read [Coshocton Tribune]  Via [Consumerist]

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Sure, we all knew about the Google acquisition of VoIP provider Gizmo5, and we were able to speculate about things that would happen. But now, courtesy of the Google Voice Blog we are getting a look at the first moves.

And in typically Google fashion, they have both officially welcomed Gizmo5 and also shut it down for new users. Anyone visiting the main Gizmo5 web page are forwarded to a new www.google.com/gizmo5 landing page and are greeted with a simple message;

“Gizmo5 Has Been Acquired by Google”

Of course it is also there that any potential new users are made aware that they cannot sign up.

That said, existing users can still sign in and use their accounts. And although I have not used Gizmo in as long as I can remember I am glad I had signed up in the past. Maybe this way I will be able to get a look at the future Google Voice integration a little sooner than some. I should point out though, that existing users will be limited in one aspect, they cannot sign up for a new call-in number.

Additionally, it was also noted that “Gizmo5’s engineers will be joining the Google Voice team to continue improving the Google Voice and Gizmo5 experience.” Unfortunately, they are not announcing any specific features of the merge just yet, but they do close the post with a simple but hopeful hint.

“We welcome the Gizmo5 team to Google and look forward to working together to bringing more useful features to Google Voice.”

Read [Google Voice Blog]

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Anyone thinking about picking up the soon-to-be-released Palm Pixi may want to head on over to the land of interesting things people, otherwise know as Walmart. Thanks to a recent addition on the Walmart Wireless website we now know that the Pixi will be just $29.99 for new customers.

And the nice part here is that price comes after a $170 instant discount. In other words, nothing to fill out and nothing to send in and then wait 8-10 weeks to get back.

Of course, that $29.99 price tag does require you to sign up with Sprint, and that means a two year agreement. But hey, its a $30 smartphone, I guess you cannot really complain.

Now I am going to go out on a ledge here, but maybe the Pixi or future similar models will end up being the savior of Palm. Maybe Palm is going to take up the role of the low priced smartphone company. And if that is that case, I guess being available for a bargain price through Walmart makes sense.

Product [Walmart]

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Innovation is not dead as is oft reported in tech.  Fujitsu is working on a this break-apart phone that allows the screen to detach from the base revealing a keyboard and making way for add-ons.  The idea is clever but trouble for those of us with a knack for losing things.

The Fujitsu F-04B is no longer just the prototype that was shown at last years CEATECH.  The device was announced by Fujitsu during a press conference.  Clearly the device is super thin and has a slide down numberpad, but it has more surprises than just that.

The device can be used in conjunction with a projector (6 lumens) to show movies, pictures or games.  Users can create their own impromptu theater or even, as suggested by the site, watch movies on the ceiling in bed.  We presume that is all the rage in Japan right now.

We expect this phone to be one of those interesting phones for Japan only.  Sorry US readers.

Read: [Akihabara] via [Engadget Mobile]

Image credit: Akihabara

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With the release of the Palm Pixi getting closer and closer we are now beginning to see it surface in the real world. Just yesterday the Pixi was spotted in both Walmart as well as a newly released television commercial. Of course, that release day is not until Sunday, which means that despite seeing the handset around it cannot yet be purchased.

As far as Walmart, the Pixi was spotted by one eagle-eyed PreCentral reader who was kind enough to not only snap a picture, but also dig a little deeper—he actually spoke to the employees. Shocking, but that aside, it seems that Walmart is listing the Palm Pixi at $400 but do not fully have it in the system. In other words, despite it being out in the open and looking available, it cannot yet be purchased. But with that your mileage could vary, so hit up your local Walmart if you are in desperate need of being one of the first to purchase and own a Pixi. Just remember sometimes being nice will help when dealing with big-box employees.

In addition to the Walmart sighting, the Pixi also made its commercial debut, which you can check out in YouTube format below. The commercial is interesting to say the least, and on a nice note it is entirely less creepy as compared to the Pre commercials.

Read [PreCentral] and [PreCentral]

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Fed up with trying to convince other manufactures to use their compression software, Saygus went about building their own phone to show it off.  Last night, Saygus opened up on their plans and showed off their VPhone, an Android powered ODI phone that, fingers crossed, will get approved by Verizon soon.

2-way video is the key feature here (though according to Saygus, “the phone does everything better than everything else out there”) and Sayguys says it flies on even lowly Edge network, so 3G shouldn’t be a problem or worry to Verizon.  Popular everywhere else, 2-way video has yet to make a big impression here in the US.  Saygus is out to change that and the Vphone take 24 to 30 FPS.

Working with Verizon, Saygus has put together a hardware project in just six months.  The phone showed off last night was a little bulky but the features were impressive.  All the standard stuff: GPS, touchscreen, Bluetooth, WiFi, 5MP camera, MicroSD slot (to 16GB), and 624MHz processor.  One more stand out feature was the ability to turn the phone into a WiFi hub for up to 8 devices.

Despite lots of phone on the table and a PR team assembled to show us phone, I sensed there was more to the story.  When pressed, a non-subsidized price of $450 was mentioned; should Verizon approve the device, a subsidy will surely bring down the price to a reasonable level.  I asked Saygus if we’d see a VPhone 2 or is the endgame for Verizon to put the software to work on its other phones and the response was Saygus is a software company.

Company site: [Saygus]

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Anyone looking to pick up a BlackBerry in the next week or so may want to listen up for a minute. It seems that Walmart is going to be offering a $100 gift card to anyone who purchases a BlackBerry between November 14 and November 21.

Of course, just like most of the other special offers involving cellphones, this one also requires you to sign a two-year agreement. But at this point that should almost go without saying.

Anyway, other than the agreement, customers will need to purchase either the Curve 8310 or Bold 9000 with AT&T, the Curve 8330 with Sprint, the 8520 or Pearl 8120 with T-Mobile or the Storm or Storm II with Verizon Wireless.

Also, this offer will be available both in store and online, however those who brave the in store purchase will get their $100 gift card on the spot. As opposed to waiting a few weeks by mail.

Via [Gizmodo]

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If you don’t trust Google, you are not alone.  Why else would Samsung develop an open source operating system for mobile phones on their own instead of using the free Android?  Samsung’s new OS dubbed, Bada should be found on its first phone come mid-2010.

Bada, which according to Electronista, means “ocean” in Korean, but is more commonly seen with it’s back end “bing”, in Jersey at least.  The Bada OS is said to be open, so open in fact that developers will have access to core functions to manipulate and create new ways of accessing data and performing operations.  The OS will compete directly with Google’s Android and LiMo.

It is commonly said in the mobile phone industry that consumers don’t care what OS is on their phone, it is all about usability.  Samsung here is looking to insure it’s phones are not party to Google’s mobile advertising schemes in the future.  It is expected that Samsung will maintain it’s own app store as well for third party applications.

Very vague

Another report on the announcement says Samsung is keeping things very vague.  From Electricpig: “Samsung says that whole ‘ocean’ thing “alludes to [its] commitment to a variety of open platforms in the mobile industry.” While it’s keeping everything nicely vague at this early stage, it could mean a new UI which offers Samsung specific apps on top of Android Market, as well as a whole bada OS on other Samsung phones.”

So, Bada could be both a skin on top of Android as we’ve seen from HTC in Sense UI and from Motorola in Blur.  Or it could be it’s own OS on non-Android phones.  It works with everything is a bit confusing.

Bada will be on phones shipped to over 30 countries and include major markets in Europe.  There is no word on if the US will see such phones.  With so many sketchy details, only one thing is certain: you’ll find Bada only on Samsung phones.

Read: [Electronista]

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The last we heard was that the Nokia N900 Internet tablet was being delayed until November. Well thankfully, at least for those waiting, November has arrived and with that the N900 has begun shipping. This news comes courtesy of Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, which means that those who pre-ordered should be expecting an update to their order status pretty shortly.

Or for those who have been holding out, the N900 is available with Amazon (among other places) and is selling for $559.99. That said, the N900 is still listed as not yet released, but I would imagine that will be changing shortly. After all, the news shipping news was just announced yesterday afternoon.

Finally just as a recap, the Nokia N900 Internet tablet features a 3.5-inch touchscreen display, full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 5-megapixel camera and 32GB of internal storage. Additionally, the N900 is running Maemo 5 and can be used as an unlocked device (phone) here in the US with either T-Mobile or AT&T. Well, can be used with either of those carriers as long as you do not mind shelling out the $559 asking price, because this is not going to be offered as a subsidized price.

Read [Reuters]

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This holiday season, Google is stepping up and covering the WiFi fees in airports across the country as part of a marketing push.  Users will be greeted by Google offering classic marketing techniques such as an offer to change your homepage to Google, download Chrome browser or an offer to donate to three charities.

They advertise, we win

If you’ve traveled enough, you know free WiFi in airports is a rare occurrence.  It seems everywhere I’ve traveled as of late has been blockaded by Boingo or other scheme set to drain my pocket of loose change.  Recently, Google also cut a similar deal on Virgin Airlines where Google will cover the WiFi fees for its new in-flight WiFi service for the holidays.

But Google isn’t the only one jumping on the free WiFi train.  Recently Lexus covered the fees on American Airlines as a way to introduce their new 2010 LS line and eBay covered WiFi on Delta during the Thanksgiving holiday.  Yahoo is providing free WiFi in Times Square and Microsoft is covering the cost for WiFi at several different hotspots as way to get Bing out to more people.

This is a trend we’d like to see continue.

Read: [CNN] and [Search Engine Journal]

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In an announcement that came earlier this morning, Google has purchased Gizmo5. Now for those unfamiliar, Gizmo5 is a VoIP provider similar to Skype. Of course, you may be thinking, Google already has Google Voice, and that is a good point. However, that may only be one piece of the puzzle because while Google Voice allows you to make calls, even calls that can be initiated from your computer—you cannot make computer-to-computer calls. A combination of Google Voice and Gizmo5 could make for a nice all around calling solution, and one that could potentially rival Skype, which is something that Gizmo5 was never really able to accomplish on its own thus far.

With that though, it is important to point out that this is just speculation because while Google has confirmed the purchase of Gizmo5 they have yet to clue anyone else into what their plans for the service are. But when you think about it, that is par for the course. I also would not expect anything to happen quick. After all, look how long it took from the time Google purchased GrandCentral until they rolled out Google Voice. Just as a refresher, Google purchased GrandCentral in July of 2007 and did not roll out Google Voice (in limited beta form) until March of 2009.

Bottom line, while this Gizmo5 purchase is indeed interesting, it is important to keep the past in mind. It likely will be a long time before we see anything come from this purchase.

Read [TechCrunch]

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AT&T has just announced a few more available calling plans, or more specifically two more calling plans—each of which will be beneficial to those who are calling Canada on a regular basis.

The new plans are denoted as “with Canada” and include the Nation with Canada and FamilyTalk with Canada plans. In short, either of these plans will allow the user to call Canada and not have to worry about paying high fees.

The plans include;

• No international long distance charges on wireless calls between the United States and Canada
• Anytime and 1,000 Nights and Weekend Minutes for use in the United States and Canada
• Ability to save unused Anytime Minutes with Rollover

As far as pricing, that depends on the number of anytime minutes you choose. The Nation wide Canada plans range from as low as 450 minutes and go up to 6000 minutes ranging in price from $59.99 up to $219.99 a month. The FamilyTalk with Canada plans range from 500 minutes up to 6000 minutes and begin at $89.99 a month.

Read [AT&T]

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