Motorola Backflip
(Credit: Motorola )LAS VEGAS--On Wednesday, Motorola introduced its latest Google Android smartphone to the world, the Motorola Backflip. Scheduled for a global release at the beginning of Q1 2010, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha said the device would be available in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and North America but would not disclose any carriers. Oh gee, it couldn't possibly be , which announced five upcoming Android smartphones, including one from Motorola, could it?
The Motorola Backflip is a quad-band GSM phone with support for the 850/1900/2100MHz 3G bands (coincidentally, AT&T's 3G bands), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. The smartphone's design is really what sets it apart, however. At first glance, the Backflip looks like a sleeker, smaller version of the Motorola Cliq, but instead of a slider design, the opens up like a book. In addition, in its closed state, the full QWERTY keyboard is located on the back. For those concerned about durability, Motorola said the keyboard is strong enough to take a beating and keep on clicking but ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
LAS VEGAS--Boost Mobile announced at CES a new $50 "Monthly Unlimited" plan on Sprint's nationwide network to start on January 13, 2010. Only a few handsets are eligible for this plan at launch, and they are Kyocera's Sanyo Mirro SCP3810 and the Sanyo Incognito SCP6760. Boost Mobile is also offering a $60 BlackBerry Monthly Unlimited plan for the BlackBerry Curve 8330. The Sanyo Mirro is the only one on the list we have yet to review; it's a simple flip phone with a glossy finish, a 1.3-megapixel camera, GPS, and Bluetooth. The Mirro is $99.99, the Incognito is $149.99, and the Curve 8330 is $249.99. Boost Mobile does not require a contract for its phones.
Lenovo has announced a new smartphone today called LePhone specifically for the Chinese WCDMA market. It has a really nice 3.7-inch 480x800 pixel display plus a completely touch-based interface for navigation -- no buttons here. It also boasts a 1 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 3.5-mm headset jack, 3G data, WiFi, A-GPS, plus a 3.0-megapixel camera and camcorder. The big news however is that the LePhone runs a specially customized version of Google's Android operating system which Lenovo is apparently calling the OPhone. It has integrated Twitter and Facebook applications plus an interesting proprietary 9-pin dock connector that lets you latch on an optional external keyboard. We don't know too much else about the Lenovo LePhone, but we probably won't get to get too close to it anyway -- a representative from Lenovo has said that it has no plans to release it in the U.S. market.
HTC HD2
(Credit: HTC)LAS VEGAS--Ever since the HTC HD2 was first introduced at CTIA Fall 2009, the big questions on everyone's mind has been when will it be available in the U.S. and who will the carrier be? Well, we finally got the answer on the eve of CES 2010.
During his keynote address, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced that the HTC HD2 will be coming to T-Mobile but didn't really provide specific details about availability date or pricing. The smartphone, however, is expected to ship some time in the Spring and you can sign up for alerts on T-Mobile's Web site.
The HD2 runs on Windows Mobile 6.5 and is the first Windows phone to feature the HTC Sense interface. In addition, the device offers an impressive 4.3-inch capacitive touch screen, a 1GHz Snapdragon Qualcomm processor, a 5-megapixel camera, and all the other features you'd expect in a high-end smartphone. We'll be meeting up with HTC later this week so hopefully we'll get some ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
Nexus One
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)In the brief run-up to the announcement of its Nexus One phone, Google was doing nothing to quash the hype. Phones given to employees were quickly popping up all over the tech universe with promises of the "best Android phone yet" not far behind. And when the phone was finally unveiled on Tuesday, a Google executive billed it as not only a "superphone" that exemplifies what Google Android can do, but also as "the meeting place of Web and phone."
But as is usually true in the tech world, things aren't always what they seem. Don't let the dull candy bar design fool you: the Nexus One brings welcome new offerings to the Android table. The Snapdragon processor is undeniably zippy, the AMOLED display is gorgeous, and we welcome both the enhanced voice dialing capabilities and the noise cancellation feature. Missing features means that it's not the greatest Android phone around--that's a difficult call to make in such a diverse and crowded field--but it adds ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
Jabra Extreme
(Credit: Jabra)LAS VEGAS--Jabra announced a brand-new Bluetooth headset at CES 2010, dubbed the Jabra Extreme. It's named after Jabra's new noise-canceling technology called Noise Blackout Extreme, and it has dual microphone noise cancellation, automatic volume control, background noise reduction, acoustic shock protection, and an overall improvement in call quality.
The Extreme also features multipoint technology, A2DP music streaming, and new "ultimate-fit" ear gels that promise long-lasting comfort. It has a talk time of 5.5 hours. The Extreme will launch this month at Best Buy and BestBuy.com for $79.
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a cheapskate. (I even have a blog that says so.) Needless to say, when it comes to buying games for my iPhone, I tend to choose titles that are free or supercheap.
In fact, my buying habits work like this: If a game I want costs 99 cents, I'll usually grab it without a second thought. If it's $1.99 or $2.99, I'll sometimes pull the trigger, though not without some hesitation. Anything that costs more, I rarely pony up for it.
Am I alone in this regard? To find out, I created this poll. Cast your vote, then read on for more discussion.
I suspect most people will choose, "It depends on the game." And, sure enough, some games offer relatively limited replay value, and therefore should be priced lower than games you're likely to play endlessly.
On the other hand, why should I balk at spending, $5 for an iPhone game that's every bit as good as a $50 PlayStation game? (PlayStation 2, anyway.) I'll drop five bucks for a Starbucks coffee and cookie, which last all of 10 minutes, but not on a game I might play for weeks. Why?
Maybe it's because I'm spoiled by all the great freebies, like Tap Tap Revenge 3, Unblock Me, and Traffic Rush. Or perhaps there's less perceived value in a game that runs on such a small screen.
... Read More
(Credit:
iWave)
LAS VEGAS--Despite my jaded, bitter facade, there are times when I am easily impressed. Now is one of those times. A new, graffiti-inspired line from iWave is turning my head, and all the company did was splash a flashy exterior on to some otherwise pretty standard products.
The products in the Urban Collection include iPod/iPhone cases, earbuds, headphones, and speakers, which range in price from $9.99 to $39.99. Such budget pricing doesn't bode well for sound quality, but they sure do look purty! I'm especially fond of the speakers pictured above. Look for them on virtual shelves in Q2 of this year.
LAS VEGAS--LG kicked off the preshow media day at CES 2010 on Wednesday with an early-morning news conference that was chock full of new-product announcements.
TV
LG's best plasma adds Wii-like remote control
LG's best plasma adds Wii-like remote control
Thin LG LED-based LCD gives 'basic' dimming
LG local dimming LED-based LCD stays slim
LG flagship TV's styling goes 'all picture,' ultra-thin
Home theater
LG's new Blu-ray players get Picasa, better Netflix interface
LG's Blu-ray HTIBs get built-in Wi-Fi, HDMI inputs
LG's flagship Blu-ray player skips 3D, rips CDs
Cell phones
LG to have stronger smartphone offerings in 2010
(Credit:
AT&T)
LAS VEGAS--It's proving to be a big day for AT&T. In addition to announcing five upcoming Android devices, committing to more app development, and launching the Nokia Ovi Store, AT&T President Ralph de la Vega said the carrier would offer two Palm WebOS devices soon. He didn't elaborate beyond that, but perhaps we'll learn more at the Palm press conference on Thursday?
(Via Phone Scoop)
