Carrier News

Wirefly and AT&T have teamed up to offer you a chance to win a trip for 2 to L.A. to see American Idol live on May 5 and May 6. There will be 6 winners total – 5 will win American Idol Family Viewing Packs & the grand prize gets the trip.

To enter head over to http://sweeps.wirefly.com and fill out the form – it only takes seconds to submit.

While no purchase is necessary, any customer purchasing a new AT&T phone through Wirefly by the deadline of April 23rd will be automatically entered. This sweepstakes runs from April 8, 2009 through April 23, 2009, winners will be notified on April 24th.

Let’s face it, Windows Mobile needs a lot of help in the layout & design sector, even after 7 versions, they couldn’t get it right! I think Microsoft realized they were a little behind when handset device manufacturers like HTC created TouchFlo & TouchFlo 3D which totally re-skinned the Windows Mobile interface for a better user & touchscreen experience. With the strong demand for Microsoft to step it up a notch, another major update has been added to the Windows Mobile family— Windows Mobile 6.5.

What you can look forward to:

• Improved touchscreen experience
• Honeycomb-style “Today” or home screen layout (again, easier to the touch)
• New lock screen with added support for texts & voicemail access.
• Completely restyled IE Mobile (new touch-zoom slider, frequently used commands)

The screenshots:

The bad:

If you are like me, you’re running a current version of Windows Mobile – Microsoft is saying that no devices in the market today will receive 6.5 updates. Boo. Oh yeah— you’ll also have to wait until Q4 to “officially” play with it.

It’s not too late to submit your entry to win one of five fantastic prizes worth a whopping total of $1600 from Wirefly. All it takes to enter is a video, photo, or story of your most embarrassing moment with your mobile phone. There’s no limit on the number of entries you can submit and the winners will be highlighted on our site. To enter, visit http://www.wireflycontest.com right now. The deadline is November 14th, so act fast!

• FIRST PRIZE – Samsung BlackJack II smartphone from AT&T with no annual contract commitment, plus Bluetooth accessory bundle (Bluetooth Headset, Car Charger & Case)

• SECOND PRIZE – Samsung BlackJack II smartphone from AT&T with no annual contract commitment, plus Media accessory bundle (1GB Memory card, Car Charger & Case)

• THIRD PRIZE – Unlocked Samsung D900 Slider Phone + 3 Piece Accessory Bundle (1GB Memory Card, Car Charger & Case)

• FOURTH PRIZE – Unlocked Samsung D900 Slider Phone + 2 Piece Accessory Bundle (Car Charger & Case)

• FIFTH PRIZE – Unlocked Samsung D900 Slider Phone + 4 GB Memory Card

*First and second place prizes operate on AT&T network. Winners can exchange their prizes for a similar or like device that will operate on Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile or Sprint.

I’m writing this post using Windows Mobile… on my 42” TV screen. It’s made possible by using the VGA output on the REDFLY mobile companion from Celio. What is it, you ask? The REDFLY device is like a miniature laptop without the hard drive or processor. Well, heck, it’s pretty much just an 8” screen with a keyboard, two USB ports, VGA output, and Bluetooth connectivity.

Although this device is only as powerful as your Windows Mobile phone, it will still impress mobile-heads who are content with the power of their devices. Think of the REDFLY mobile companion as something that could help make your next flight more enjoyable. Browsing the web and writing or replying to e-mails on an 8” screen makes a big difference. The bottom line is if your phone can do everything you need, a laptop is unnecessary and the REDFLY device should serve you well for only $199.

I enjoyed using REDFLY with Google maps while driving; I installed it on my HTC Mogul 6800 and it worked surprisingly well. With the device in my passenger seat, I was able to glance at it occasionally (without squinting at my phone this time) and navigate the infamous one-way streets of Washington D.C. without getting the bird! Thanks Celio.

Read more…

It’s finally here: the Google phone. As most observers know by now, the “Google” phone is actually just the first of a family of cell phones which will support Google’s new mobile operating system, Android. Since it’s the first, though, it’s certainly the most anticipated. We got our hands on a preview model over the weekend, and offer some thoughts:

Form/Design

The G1’s shape and form factor is… utilitarian. The iPhone proved that simplicity sells, and, in that sense, the G1 succeeds, with one large display, four small buttons, and a trackball on its face. It’s a very clean presentation. But it doesn’t quite grab you. It’s just a little too plain, lacking the glossy finish or unique tapered edges of other devices.

The spring-loaded slider mechanism, however, is excellent. The beautiful screen slips sideways to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard; when open, the display hangs off the body of the phone while still feeling solidly attached. It’s a nicely designed element that leaves the G1 feeling spacious while in use.

The G1 is relatively heavy, weighing in at 5.6 ounces. It’s also fairly thick, thanks to the QWERTY keyboard. Neither of these facts are a strike against it, though; the G1 isn’t intended as a super-slim phone that disappears in your pocket. I rather liked its heft, since this is such a high-functioning device. I’d rather handle a sturdy smartphone than a featherweight.

In the end, the physical look and feel of the G1 is solid, but not nearly as alluring as some of HTC’s other recent efforts, like the Touch Diamond. Read more…

It appears that, with the release of the T-Mobile HTC G1, Google is taking its first meaningful step into the wireless world. The search giant will be releasing its Android Mobile Operating System in October – it’s an OS that offers attractive flexibility to the user, but, from Google’s perspective, it represents a chance to grab some mobile advertising dollars. The G1 is the first of its kind, but there will be more Android devices; each of them will grant Google the ability to integrate itself in the mobile experience. How Android will stack up remains to be seen, but it’s been billed as a consumer app… which means it goes right after the iPhone.

Getting music from Amazon and applications from the Google Market will really help the Google loyalists, but being on the T-Mobile network and not having great interfacing to Windows Mobile may keep the business users out of it (see “New Google phone is no iPhone killer“). It will be interesting to see how it evolves.

Apple and the iPhone can rest easy for now, but Google has now entered the cell phone and wireless game and with T-Mobile and HTC the G1 may be a hit.

I’ve been online for 837 hours straight … now that I have Nimbuzz.

This all-in-one communication tool has convinced me that it’s the miracle mobile app of 2008.

If being able to login to Skype, Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk, Yahoo IM, AIM, Jabber and ICQ all at once from your phone isn’t enough for you already, how about being able to login to an additional 23 social networks, including MySpace and Facebook?

At the time of this writing, Nimbuzz is growing at the speed of light, supporting over 500 phone models from 20 different manufacturers. It’ll be interesting to see how Digsby, another booming all-in-one communication client, deals with their lack of mobile support.

I can’t stress how much I’m impressed with the performance of Nimbuzz on my HTC Mogul.