Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

Rumors this morning suggest T-Mobile was hoping to spring a fresh white G1 phone for the holidays.  The word is there is a problem with the white paint causing the delay.  The Android phone was launched only in basic black.

Website TMO suggests the white paint is chipping.  Thankfully, the faulty paint was caught by T-Mobile but the delay will push an intro until after Thanksgiving.  This could push the hot phone’s sales downward as Black Friday brings out the masses in a buying mood.

The tipster originally said the white should be in stores by October 22.  We’ve pushed well past that date and now we hear after Thanksgiving.  Surely few are waiting for the white if they desire the G1, but T-Mobile has to wonder how this will hurt them this holiday season.

I like the white option.  And hey, without the iPhone’s cracks, it could be a better deal.

Source: [IntoMobile]

• Who’s On Crack in tech: 11.21.08 edition
• iPhone is number 1 in mobile ads
• HTC Touch Pro now available with Alltel

While it may not be as fun as getting your hands on the real thing, if anyone was itching to give the new BlackBerry Curve 8900 a test run, I have just found a nice simulator that will allow you to do just that.  The simulator may just end up being a little more of a tease, but at least you will get to check out the latest 4.6.1 software.  Of course, these online simulators usually just leave me wanting to make a purchase, but maybe that is the point.  You can begin playing by clicking the “Read” link below and then selecting “BlackBerry Device Simulators v4.6.1′ for the 8900.“

Read [BlackBerry Simulator]  Via [BlackBerryNews]

• iPhone is number 1 in mobile ads
• Who’s On Crack in tech: 11.21.08 edition
• Verizon employees suspended for accessing Obama’s call records

Yesterday, we learned that T-Mobile Germany customers would soon be getting the BlackBerry Curve 8900 for that nice low price of just 4.95 euros.  Now in some good news for those based here in the US, that same Curve 8900 has just made its FCC appearance.  While I would not expect such low pricing here, we can still hold out some hope.

As of now, this is nothing more than an FCC listing, which means RIM is simply playing the approval game.  We are still awaiting information regarding a release date as well as carrier information.  Although it is not expected to make a debut until sometime in Q1 of 2009, we have heard a rumor that it could be available with T-Mobile as early as Black Friday.  Of course, that is not to leave those with AT&T handing, because it is expected to be available there as well.  The Blackberry 8900 Curve will feature quad-band GSM/EDGE, a 3.2-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g , Bluetooth and GPS.

While initially I am a little disappointed by the lack of 3G support, perhaps it is important to point out that 3G may not be as necessary for everyone.  I have plenty of friends that are using a non-3G BlackBerry and are very happy with the speed, mainly because they use it for calendar and email and rarely go online.  Of course, I suppose if you are looking for that extra surfing speed, then the Bold would be the way to go, either way it looks like the Curve 8900 is going to make a welcomed addition.

Read [FCC]  Via [cellphonesignal]

• iPhone is number 1 in mobile ads
• Who’s On Crack in tech: 11.21.08 edition
• Verizon employees suspended for accessing Obama’s call records

RIM, along with T-Mobile Germany have just announced the availability of the BlackBerry Curve 8900.  The new Curve 8900 features a 480 x 360 resolution display, a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus, Wi-Fi, integrated GPS and a microSD card slot with support up to 16GB.

As for pricing, this is where the news becomes even better, the 8900 can be purchased for just EUR 4.95 (around $6.30 US) with a two-year agreement and EUR 359.90 (around $459 US) contract free.  As for a release, it is expected to begin shipping in mid-November.

The Curve 8900 offers a similar look as the BlackBerry Bold, but unlike the Bold it does not have any 3G support.  As of now, nothing has been stated as to when or if the Curve 8900 will be heading to the US market.  Of course, if it does get announced, the question becomes whether it will be available with T-Mobile or AT&T.  Personally I am hoping for AT&T, but either way it should make a welcomed addition, of course I am not sure we will see that low pricing from either carrier here in the US.

Read [MarketWire]

• iPhone is number 1 in mobile ads
• Who’s On Crack in tech: 11.21.08 edition
• Verizon employees suspended for accessing Obama’s call records

Just in case you were feeling left out for not having purchased a Sidekick iD of your own, T-Mobile has re-added the once pulled handset to their website.  It looks like the specs remain unchanged, however, the price is now down to just $50 for those willing to sign a two-year agreement.  The one catch is that while the iD has returned to an available status with T-Mobile it is unclear as to how long it will remain.  Our guess is that this is simply to clear away the extra inventory and it will not be around for very long.

Additionally, this offer is valid online only.  While the $50 iD is seemingly a nice deal, I cannot help but think the Sidekick 2008 for $150 is still a better deal, thanks to the camera and Bluetooth as well as the slightly smaller size and lighter weight.

Via [HipTop3]

• Snow white Android G1 phone delayed?
• Gamefly offering pre-Thanksgiving discounts on select games
• Sharp TV Christmas Tree in Grand Central

Ever since Google Android was first officially released, one question asked by many was which cell phone carrier would use it in their phones.  With the release of T-Mobile’s G1, we knew T-Mobile liked Android and gave it a shot.  From that, another question was developed, which other carriers would follow suit to T-Mobile.  At the Web 2.0 Summit, Ralph de La Vega, CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, was asked about Android being used in AT&T phones. 

Unfortunately for AT&T enthusiasts, AT&T will not be incorporating Google Android into their cell phones anytime soon.  He wants to see Google Android evolve more before they think about using it in their phones.  He also adds that they are looking at it as a possible new platform.  Lastly, he adds that he wants to see Google Android take on more non-Google Apps. 

From what I can infer, I think AT&T will be using Google Android at some point, but not in the immediate future.  Looks like AT&T is just waiting for Android to mature a bit before fully adopting the platform.

Read [SFGate]

• Who’s On Crack in tech: 11.21.08 edition
• HTC Touch Pro now available with Alltel
• Google launches Searchwiki

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

If you are looking around for some great, new cell phones you may want to consider checking out what T-Mobile has to offer this holiday season.  A few notable deals T-Mobile has going on are the availability of the new MOTOZINE ZN5, the T-Mobile Cameo, the Samsung Behold, the Samsung Gravity, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220, the T-Mobile G1 (as expected), and they are even offering free plane tickets to any destination within the United States. 

Keep reading to find out more.

MORE »

Sections: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Gadgets / Other, Household, Imaging, Accessories, Web, Google

Is your G1’s 3G connection just a bit too slow for you?  7.2 Mbps moving at seemingly dial-up speeds?  T-Mobile has you covered—in at least 2 years, maybe more.  T-Mobile has announced that it will be skipping HSPA+ to go straight to 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE).  In the meantime, T-Mobile will upgrade the software to go up to 14.4 Mbps.

Okay, 4G LTE sounds impressive.  That’s 1 more G than the iPhone has, but that doesn’t mean anything unless you know what it can do.  According to a Sepember article from Reuters, when T-Mobile tested the network in a moving car on a German highway, it was able to get 170 Mbps for downloads and 50 Mbps for uploads.  To put that into perspective, the fastest I can get out of my FiOS line is 20 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload.  Needless to say, that’s quite an upgrade.  Continued after the break.

MORE »

SMobile is putting out some software to protect your G1 called VirusGuard.  Android is a very open OS and plenty of people have thought about how to keep it secure.  While Google has a kill switch for apps, that doesn’t stop you from downloading and running malware.  This new application aims to protect Android from malware, spyware and viruses.

VirusGuard only costs $4.99 and you can get it through Handango.com.  Will you need something like this?  Android is built on Linux, but that doesn’t stop people from creating malware apps to make a mess of everything. 

I am curious about what kind of resources VirusGuard will require to run.  A background app monitoring everything that is going on could be a resource hog.  I’m sure many of us have had our bad Norton Anti-Virus experiences.  If you decide to pick up VirusGuard, let us know in the comments.

Read: [SMobilePress Release]
Buy the app: [Handango Link]

• Are you secure? Here’s a “Top 5” list of free security software downloads
• Who’s On Crack in tech: 11.21.08 edition
• Google launches Searchwiki

Sections: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile, Computers, Security, Web, Google

People often try to “tether” their Internet capable devices to their PCs or laptops in order to get Internet on them on the go.  Many tried with the iPhone, but weren’t very successful.  When the T-Mobile G1 first was announced, one of the main questions was if the G1 could support tethering.  Back when it was announced, not many people thought they could tether their G1.  However, some people began posting in the TmoNewsForums on how to tether your G1 over USB.  Continued after the break.

MORE »