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The follow up to the Helio Ocean, appropriately dubbed the Ocean 2, has already graced the FCC, and has even been leaked in a live action video. Of course, the video was quickly pulled down, but it remained as an (above) image. However, after Virgin Mobile USA purchased Helio, that release seemed to be up in the air.

Well, the good news is that the Ocean 2 will still be released. According to some details coming from Virgin, it is a “work in progress” and will be hitting the market sometime in 2009. Sadly, other than the leaked image that shows off a dual slider handset, the details are still light. So far we can see the backlit Helio logo on the top of the handset which is new, but otherwise the specs are limited to just a few rumored details that include a touch sensitive navigation pad and 3-megapixel camera with video recording capability.

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A screenshot from a no longer available YouTube video is all that we have left, but its a pretty decent image, as far as leaked images are concerned. Sadly there were few details mentioned and what we can go by is really nothing more than this one screenshot.

Keep in mind, that this is a follow up to the original Ocean, and we cannot really expect a dramatic overall change. However this one does appear to have a cool style as the Helio logo up towards the top seems to be backlit. Otherwise it has what appears to be a touch sensitive D-pad.

Of course with the recent trouble that Helio has been seeing, you have to wonder whether the Ocean 2 will really see the light of day.

Via [CrunchGear]

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Helio has just become the first cellular provider to offer Gmail as a push service. Sure other carriers can take advantage of either POP or IMAP access, but push is so much nicer, because what is better than instant gratification. Helio users with an Ocean, Mysto or Fin will now have access to the “ultimate inbox.“

Setting up push support for Gmail is about as simple as it can be, assuming you already have your Gmail account set-up, then all you have to do is go to the Menu and hit the “Send/Receive” button and it will ask you whether or not you want push support activated.

In addition to the push support for Gmail, Helio also supports push for Helio Mail, Yahoo, Windows Live, and AOL. If email is a high-priority and you are not into the BlackBerry then Helio may be worth checking out.

Via [HelioCity]

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You got to give credit to these guys who have such sharp eyes that they can see even the smallest details of approval documents coming to the FCC. These guys must have really sharp eyes or the FCC is intentionally disregarding confidentiality of information with regards to documents submitted to them by manufacturers seeking their approval.  Thus, we keep on discovering information about new devices even before they are released for official announcement by their manufacturers.

The latest of these FCC sightings is an entry bearing the mark OZ2, and the manufacturer happens to be Pantech, who is the maker of the Helio Ocean. The Ocean had the same mark when it its prototype was submitted before the FCC prior to its release as Helio Ocean. Naturally, we can’t help but deduce that this FCC entry is for Helio Ocean 2.

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