Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

While the initial announcement that select AT&T stores were getting a Microsoft Surface was exciting, when you think about it, they are just in a mobile phone store. However Microsoft has taken the excitement to a new level, that is assuming you are a fan of Las Vegas and Harrah’s. A newly installed Surface is now located in the Rio iBar ultra-lounge, which makes Harrah’s the first to install the Surface in an entertainment venue. In addition, instead of simply installing the Surface they have also created come customized applications that are said to offer “an amusing social experience.” Guests at the Rio will be able to “flirt, play and have fun,” however I am sure that along with all the drinks that are usually flowing the flirting may not always need the additional help. Still a very cool use, keep reading to check out the latest Microsoft Surface video…

MORE »

As if we have not yet seen enough of all these new touchscreen phones that have been jumping out of the woodwork lately, here comes yet another, featuring the same old touchscreen, and almost the same specifications as well. Although this time, it could have one thing that separates it from the myriad of other touchscreen phones out there - herculean battery life. That’s because this new touchscreen phone falls under the Philips Xenium brand, which, in case you don’t know, has a reputation for churning out gadgets with incredibly long-lasting batteries. And knowing that this same company completed its very own touchscreen phone (Philips Xenium 9@9v) a couple of months back, this new rumor becomes quite believable. But until the day that we see it get official, that’s all that it is: a faceless rumor.

Via [Unwired View]

A Japan-based designer known as Marimo-san is thinking way out of the box with his latest cellphone concept design, featuring a mechanism that allows for a detachable screen. The screen in this cellphone concept design can be removed so the user can enjoy video calls on the go. And aside from that, the slot for the screen should also accept other add-ons such as a widescreen display and a dual screen video viewer, to name a few, turning the cellphone into a number of new devices at any given time.

MORE »

While most of Microsoft’s Zune media events have usually been ho-hum press gatherings lately, the most recent one has sparked speculations that Microsoft could be planning to roll out a Zune-Sidekick mobile phone combo soon. This is based on an offhand comment made by Chris Stephenson, General Manager of Marketing for Zune. According to Chris, MS is currently finding ways to integrate and work with the 250-man staff of Danger. Danger, if you recall, is a consumer handset OS maker that Microsoft bought recently. And if Microsoft is working closely with them, it could mean one thing above anything else: that they are trying to add a few handset capabilities to the already multi-connectivity ready Zune. To be sure, we’ll be keeping a watchful eye over this issue, and will be here to update you with the latest news when it hits.

Via [Zune Boards]

Today, AT&T started offering a new text plan specifically for iPhone users who have disabilities. This text plan will be extremely helpful for people who either have weakened hearing or speaking abilities. It will be officially called the Text Accessibility Plan (TAP) for iPhone, and will be available for both new and old iPhone customers for a fair price - $40 a month. And what exactly does 40 bucks a month get you? Unlimited text messaging, Web browsing and easy access to e-mail, that’s what. You can find out more about this new plan and whether or not you qualify for the said program from AT&T’s web site.

Via [Unwired View]

If you think a $20 disposable cellphone is still way beyond your budget, you might want to take a look at UK supermarket chain Asda’s latest offering. Beating Hop-On Inc. to the punch, Asda has started selling easy to buy “disposable” phones last week. These will set you back a miserly £5 (or about $10) a piece. Only a couple of low-end handsets are available for now, and these are the Nokia 1112 and the Sagem my220x. These certainly beat the circuits out of any new specifically-made-to-be-disposed-of cellphone that Hop-On Inc. and similar ambitious companies are planning to produce with their own version of this gimmick. So that’s bargain bins and landfills: 1, high-technology: 0.

Read [Daily Mail] Via [Wired]

Sprint has begun informing customers that it will soon discontinue its server based Voice Command service. The service, originally offered for free to visually impaired customers in 2003, allowed users to use voice commands to place calls and was available on all of the CDMA phones. Users who currently subscribe to the service have until July 1, 2008 to download their phonebooks and begin using other options that are available. Sprint is encouraging the remaining users to instead use the voice dialing features built into their handsets. While Sprint has not publicly commented on the decision, it’s likely it was yet another cost cutting move.

Read [RCRNews]

LG, like Apple, is slowly taking its time in delivering the second iteration of their super-duper touchscreen phone, the LG Prada. Yes, you read that right, there will be a follow-up to the original “iPhone killer,” and I’m sure you will appreciate some of its newfound features. It retains the original soap bar form factor, of course, although this time it’s touted to possess a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Other goodies include a 3-inch touchscreen, HSDPA network support, Wi-Fi, dual cameras (with the main one being 5-megapixel strong), FM radio and support for up to 8GB of expandable memory. Full HTML browsing is provided by an unspecified browser, and you can let it talk to your computer via Bluetooth or USB 2.0. Is LG going to release it this year? The short answer: yes. The long answer: yes, by the last quarter of 2008. Which by then we would have all probably become zombies under the command of Steve Jobs and his unstoppable 3G iPhone minions.

Read [ePrice]

Just recently we were able to give you some details about Sony Ericsson’s upcoming Z780 handset and now there has been some new and thankfully better images leaked. As we previously mentioned the Z780 is very similar to the current Z770 and these images just further prove that. Overall it looks like the Z780 will be the successor and retain much of the Z770’s features in a new and somewhat more stylish outer shell. Keep reading for another image with both models side by side…

MORE »

Just a little reminder for those lucky enough to live close to one of the five AT&T store locations that is getting a Microsoft Surface installed, that today is the day. Those five lucky stores will be a mix of two locations in New York, two in San Antonio and one in Atlanta.

1. New York City
   381 Madison Ave
   New York, NY 10017
2. New York City
   350 Park Ave
   New York, NY 10022
3. Atlanta
   3429 Lenox Road NE
   Atlanta, GA 30326
4. San Antonio
   13127 San Pedro Ave
   San Antonio, TX 78216
5. San Francisco
   1206 El Camino Real
   San Bruno, CA 94066

As we previously mentioned, the Surface will allow customers to check out the available phones, and also purchase digital content such as ringtones, wallpapers, and videos. If you are planning to head out, make sure you snap a few pics and send them our way.

Via [Boy Genius Report]