Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

So, you like football and you like your Sprint cellphone.  Unfortunately, you are not always home during the big game, or you don’t get the NFL channel where they broadcast a bunch of games per season and so you miss those big games.  Now, you can enjoy all the football games on NFL’s exclusive channel straight from your Sprint phone. 

The deal signed by NFL and Sprint started back in 2005 and they have now reached another agreement for Sprint to carry the 40% of games the NFL channel shows.  The first game available on a Sprint phone will be tonight (11/6/08) with the Cleveland Browns playing the Denver Broncos.  It’s unfortunate that the NFL season has already started, and so Sprint won’t be able to carry every game, but they will continue carrying the 8 games on the NFL network over the next 7 weeks. . . .

MORE »

A decently known cell phone manufacturer, Hop-on, has recently decided to create a phone running Google’s Android platform.  In case you are not familiar with Hop-on, it is basically a company that creates cell phones as well as accessories for diverse and new markets.  They are probably most known for creating the world’s first disposable phone.  One of the special things about Google’s Android that makes it so appealing is the fact that anyone can create apps for it, as it is open source.  Plenty more after the break.

MORE »

Sections: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Web, Google

We’ve all seen it happen time and time again. What was hot and happening even six months ago, is suddenly a dinosaur. It’s the nature of the ever-evolving technology game. Which is why industry giant Intel may just be well served by sitting up and taking note that the maker of cell-phone chips Qualcomm, just may be a major force to be reckoned with these days. 

With a latest innovation, the Snapdragon, Qualcomm packs a rather mighty punch in a tiny package. An engineer for the company demonstrated a palm-sized circuit board capable of displaying high-definition video. While a fairly high quality video image is nothing new to write home about, what did make it pretty special was it’s microprocessor chip, the Snapdragon. This micro-chip drives the display with less than half the power of a similar chip recently introduced by Intel. Qualcomm designers further sweeten the deal by saying that it will also cost less.

MORE »

Does the keypad lock on your phone annoy you? Well, you just might think different after you hear this. A soldier in Afghanistan accidentally called his parents while he was in the middle of a heated battle. The result was a terrifying voicemail that included the son yelling about needing more ammo and his gun having problems-and cutting off just as another soldier yelled “INCOMING!”  His parents were understandably shaken but managed to get a hold of their embarrassed son, who assured them he was okay. Thank goodness there was a happy ending, but am I the only one wondering which provider offers battlefield coverage? Talk about great cell coverage! We also have to mention the thanks that should go out to the soldier, hopefully his next call will be a little less stressful for those at home. Keep reading to listen to the chilling call…

MORE »

Startup BillShrink aims to assist cell phone users in finding the cheapest available plan with various add-ons to suit your individual personal needs. With so many cell phone plans available on the market, users often find themselves ending up with something that they don’t actually need. Often times wasting tons of money for add-ons they paid for and will not actually use. BillShrink hopes to address that problem and aims to help users avoid spending money they do not need to.

So, how does BillShrink plan to help users minimize cost on cell phone plans? By analyzing individual usages and needs. Users will be asked to enter their cell phone number and password associated with the account. BillShrink’s technology will then analyze usage patterns of that particular mobile account, taking into consideration the most-called contacts and networks, user’s average phone bills, calls per minute made by users, and some personal information such as user’s home zip code. After analyzing these data, BillShrink will then present a comparative list of less expensive plans available for the users.

MORE »

Sections: Communications, Cellular Providers, Mobile, Web, Websites

You’ve got to hand it to the Japanese, their passion for weird gadgets is really boundless. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at this new SoftBank 815T PB mobile phone introduced by Softbank and TV Tokyo.

Developed by Toshiba, it’s practically the first Transformers-inspired 3G mobile phone equipped with 2.0-megapixel camera, a secondary 0.3-megapixel camera, 2.4-inch QVGA screen, music player, IrDA, and a microSD card slot.

MORE »

ZTE, the largest telecom equipment manufacturer in China, has officially entered the competitive U.S. mobile phone industry with an entry-level mobile handset, ZTE C88. Its subsidiary ZTE USA Inc. will carry this flip phone in partnership with MetroPCS. Just like any Chinese company entering the market, it is positioned as a “cost effective option for consumers who want a high quality, full featured handset at an affordable price point.”

The cost of ZTE C88 ranges from $129 to $149, depending on the promotions being offered. Unfortunately, it is not available nationwide as MetroPCS only operates in Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, Sarasota, Orlando, LA, San Francisco, Tampa, Detroit, and Sacramento.

MORE »

Perhaps one of the simplest mobile phones to show its sleek, proud face at the Consumer Electronics Show is the Sanyo S1 Palmtop. It can hold its own even in the face of the amazing and dazzling strides made in the world of wireless technology. The Sanyo S1 Palmtop is for those among us who believe in simplicity and desire a phone that geeks might consider primitive; one whose primary selling point is reliability in getting connected for voice and basic e-mail.

Sanyo’s goal is to provide to all consumers a more comfortable life; a life in harmony with the environment. The S1 Palmtop lives up to that standard with every little breath that it takes. It is ultra sleek and weighs only 2.5 ounces. It is just 11mm thin, wrapped in a silky, soft-touch finish and feels like it belongs in your hand. Despite its size, the S1 Palmtop boasts a robust 24mm speakerphone, integrated Bluetooth wireless technology, large, colorful LCD screen and a voice-activated Wireless Backup allows users to easily manage the phone’s contacts list in case the phone is lost, stolen or damaged.

The Sanyo S1 Palmtop is ultra-slim, stylish and sophisticated and reflects Sanyo’s commitment to becoming an indispensable element in the lives of people all over the world.

Read [New Launches]

• The disruptive spectre of a $99 Wal-Mart iPhone
• RIM announces re-launch of Mobile BlackBerry website
• Gadgetell Review: TeleNav Shotgun

GPS has just recently delved into the realm of child locator systems and the like. As a byproduct, we have the SafeTrack GPS Child Locator. Brought to you by Gemini, this child locator functions as both a tracker and a cell phone. You can program two emergency contacts into the cell phone, once a child activates the SOS button both phone numbers are alerted. Additionally, the device feathers emergency remote monitoring - in the event of an emergency activate this feature and listen in on whats going on. As you’ve probably predicted these security measures come at a price, a hefty $399.95 for the device plus a minimum $19.95 per month for the service.

• The disruptive spectre of a $99 Wal-Mart iPhone
• “Put down the Wise Man and slowly back away with your hands up” - GPS tracking devices now free
• Cyber Monday deals on tech from 6ave.com