Thursday, February 17, 2011

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HTC Thunderbolt launch date slips … now 2/28

Posted: 17 Feb 2011 12:10 PM PST

Word is getting around the launch date for the HTC Thunderbolt has been delayed. Originally scheduled to be available on February 24, the new date is now February 28th. No real reason was offered for the slight delay.

Best Buy has been offering the Thunderbolt through Verizon on pre-order since early February. The rate is advertised at $249.99 with a new two-year contract with an unsubsidized rate set at $749.99. And while Verizon fans are itching to get their hands on the first LTE/4G phone, having to wait a few days longer isn’t so bad.

[via Android Guys]

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HTC Desire S coming to the UK on April 18th

Posted: 17 Feb 2011 11:54 AM PST

Amazon UK has listed the HTC Desire S as being available in Europe on April 18th at a cost is £419.99 ($677.26) unlocked. Amazon is currently taking preorders and is offering free shipping on order.

As mentioned in Slash Gear’s Hands-on, the Desire has unibody construction with a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and sporting a rear mounted 5MP camera and front facing VGA camera for video chat. The Desire S will run Android 2.4 (Gingerbread) out of the box.

[via Amazon UK]

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NEC TouchNote spotted at MWC

Posted: 17 Feb 2011 09:49 AM PST

JKK Mobile has got a hands-on of the NEC TouchNote 7 inch Android laptop at Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona. Basic specs include being powered by an NVidia Tegra 2 chip, a 7″ resistance touch screen at 800×480 resolution, nearly full-sized keyboard, and directional trackpad.

Other specs include a 2 MP rear camera, GPS, and accelerometer. There will be a 4 GB WiFi and NEC claims about 9 hours of battery life as well.

Although referred to as a laptop, it really looks more like a netbook in size. But running Android, presumably 2.2 (Froyo) through that Tegra 2 chip will make it quite useful for those looking for a mobile, yet flexible laptop solution. It’s reported to be really light, and NEC has plans to release it only in Japan. 3G/4G and WiFi only variants starting at about $475.

nec-lifetouch-note-235x174 NEC-LifeTouch-Note-colors-235x147 NEC-LifeTouch-Note-in-hand-235x221

[via JKK Mobile.com]

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Motorola XOOM a Carphone Warehouse exclusive in UK

Posted: 17 Feb 2011 09:35 AM PST

Availability of that slick silver Motorola XOOM for the European market we spotted at MWC 2011 this week may see UK shoppers all headed to the same place, with the news that the 3G/WiFi version of the tablet will be a Carphone Warehouse exclusive. The tablet is expected to be $799 in the US, though European pricing is yet to be confirmed.

It’s not the first Google exclusive Carphone Warehouse have secured, either; the UK retailer snatched the initial deal on the Nexus S. We’re currently chasing up what news of a release date the retailer can give us.

Press Release:

Motorola Xoom 3G with WiFi launches exclusively at The Carphone Warehouse

With 2011 hailed as the year of the tablet, The Carphone Warehouse is delighted to be at the forefront of the market with the exclusive launch of Motorola's Xoom 3G with WiFi. The Motorola Xoom is the first tablet to offer Google's Android 3.0 Honeycomb which has been specially developed for tablets. The Honeycomb user experience improves on Android favourites such as widgets, multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customisation, and also features the latest Google Mobile innovations such as Google Maps 5.0 with 3D interaction. Video, games and other rich web content plays seamlessly with Adobe Flash Player. With a 10.1 inch widescreen HD display, HD video support, and rear and front-facing cameras for both capturing films and enabling video chats, the Motorola Xoom delivers a new type of mobile computing experience.

Graham Stapleton, Chief Commercial Officer at The Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy said, "2011 will be the year of the tablet. Demand for tablets has already been greater than expected and the next twelve months will see them being adopted by more and more people as new products are unveiled. The Motorola XOOM sets the bar incredibly high – its functionality and ground-breaking features means it offers one of the richest user experiences I've ever seen."

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HTC honored as device manufacturer of the year award

Posted: 17 Feb 2011 09:28 AM PST

Smart Phone manufacturer HTC Corporation has been given yet another award to add to their trophy case as the GSMA honored them with their annual Device Manufacturer of the Year award. The award caps off quite a busy past twelve months for the smartphone manufacturer who has released one of the largest selections of Android smartphones in the industry including leading smartphones like the HTC Desire. HTC beat out both Apple and Samsung for the honor and previously, received the Best Mobile Phone of 2010 with the HTC Hero.

"For HTC to be recognized by the industry in this way for the growth and success we have experienced in the last year is truly humbling. Thousands of people at HTC work tirelessly to create the intuitive and deeply personal smartphone experiences for which we have become known. This award is a measure of their passion and dedication," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. "This award also belongs to the tens of millions of customers around the world who enjoy our phones and inspire us each day to create new innovative experiences. To those people, to our partners around the world and to the HTC family, you have my sincere thanks and congratulations."

In awarding HTC, GSMA commented that HTC came out of nowhere and built it’s market clout on fresh branding and a strong portfolio of smartphones across multiple platforms. Additionally, they enjoy good customer service and communication, making the award well-deserved.

HTC AWARDED AS '2011 DEVICE MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR' BY THE GSMA

Device Manufacturer of the Year Award Is Industry's Top Global Honor

BARCELONA, SPAIN – Mobile World Congress – 16 February, 2011 – HTC Corporation, a global designer of smartphones, has been honored this week with the highest industry honor as 'Device Manufacturer of the Year' by the GSMA at its Global Mobile Awards ceremony in Barcelona. The award follows a year of global momentum for HTC, which saw the launch of a large portfolio of industry leading smartphones such as the HTC Desire. HTC was awarded from a list of three finalists that included Apple and Samsung.

"For HTC to be recognized by the industry in this way for the growth and success we have experienced in the last year is truly humbling. Thousands of people at HTC work tirelessly to create the intuitive and deeply personal smartphone experiences for which we have become known. This award is a measure of their passion and dedication," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. "This award also belongs to the tens of millions of customers around the world who enjoy our phones and inspire us each day to create new innovative experiences. To those people, to our partners around the world and to the HTC family, you have my sincere thanks and congratulations."

The GSMA judges commented, "this company (HTC) has built its market presence from nowhere, with fresh branding and marketing and a strong portfolio of devices across many platforms. In particular, it has proven an exceptionally popular and enduring phone manufacturer. With great communication and good customer service, this is a well-deserved award."

HTC previously was awarded for the 'Best Mobile Phone of 2010' with the HTC Hero.

A committee of judges that include industry analysts and consultants, mobile operators, educators and other industry leaders determines the GSMA Awards. For more information on the 2011 GSMA Global Mobile awards please visit – http://www.globalmobileawards.com

About GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry. Spanning 219 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media & entertainment organizations.

About HTC

HTC Corporation (HTC) is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile phone industry. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC creates innovative smartphones that better serve the lives and needs of individuals. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange under ticker 2498. For more information about HTC, please visit www.htc.com.

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AT&T Motorola ATRIX 4G now due February 22

Posted: 17 Feb 2011 08:46 AM PST

AT&T now expects the Motorola ATRIX 4G to arrive in-store almost two weeks earlier than previously promised, with the 4-inch Android smartphone due to go on sale in retail locations on February 22. Previously, AT&T had said sales would begin on March 6.

Meanwhile, existing pre-order customers will have their ATRIX 4G units shipped out to arrive the day before, February 21. The smartphone went on sale on Sunday, February 13, priced at $199.99 with a new, two-year agreement.

[via SlashGear]

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Dell roadmap leaks outing Android schedule

Posted: 17 Feb 2011 06:28 AM PST

A roadmap outlining some of Dell’s Android plans for smartphones and other gear has surfaced online. According to the roadmap, Dell has a 4-inch smartphone codenamed Hancock that will launch in September. The smartphone is supposed to pack Android Ice Cream, dual cameras, and a dual-core processor.

The smartphone would reportedly have 960 x 460 resolution screen, an 8MP rear camera, and a 1.3MP front camera. The roadmap also shows a 4.3-inch Ice Cream phone for Q4 dubbed Millennium with a 960 x 540 screen, DLNA support, and a dual-core processor.

The roadmap also shows four Dell tablets that are in the works with the Gallo coming in April, the Sterling in Q4 both on Honeycomb. In early 2012, the roadmap has the Opus One and Silver running Android. We have heard grumblings about new Android tablets from Dell already.

Via PC World via AndroidCentral

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AmberWatch SafeText for Android helps parents control texts and email

Posted: 17 Feb 2011 04:36 AM PST

Parents teach their kids right and wrong and you may trust what they text or email, but there are hoards of other kids and adults that use the same services as your kids for texting that you can't trust. If you are a parent that wants to be sure that, your child isn't being bullied via texts or getting inappropriate texts a new app for Android has launched called AmberWatch SafeText.

The app comes from Protext Mobility and is design to allow the parent to protect and manage the text ability of their kids. The app allows the parent to see full text of messages and conversations had using the device on a web-based control panel. That means the parent will always know what is being said and sent to and from their kid.

The app will alert parents to texts and emails that have words that trigger custom filters and it uses GPS to tell you where the kid was when the offending text came in. The app also has a dictionary of slag so if a text uses web-speak the parent doesn't know they will still get an alert.

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Radio Disney hits Android with free app

Posted: 17 Feb 2011 03:18 AM PST

If you have kids that use your Android phone or have their own Android phones that want to be able to listen to music on the smartphone there are lots of mobile music apps out there. If you want to know for sure the music they are listening too doesn’t have questionable content or lyrics, Radio Disney might be a good option for you.

The official app for Radio Disney has landed on the Android Market to be downloaded and lets fans of the station have more interactivity. The app allows the user to listen to Radio Disney 24/7 from anywhere, so you don’t need a local Radio Disney station.

Other than allowing the user to listen to Radio Disney music the app also allows the user to request a song, send shout-outs, and see what tracks have been recently played. The app also allows the user to add songs to their favorites list and see local stations and events. The app is free and can be downloaded right now.

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Study: Nearly 70% CIOs to buy Tablets in 2011

Posted: 16 Feb 2011 07:23 PM PST

Morgan Stanley strikes again with yet another interesting study which reflects the trend of CIOs planning to purchase tablet computers for employees in 2011. Over half of companies surveyed stated that they were either in the process of purchasing tablet computers or planning to by year’s end. The trend shows that tablets are not only gaining traction, but reflect the belief by corporate America that they will make workers more efficient in their work.

The study finds that 21 percent of CIOs surveyed were in the process of buying tablets, while another 51 percent expect to begin doing so in the coming year. In total, 67 percent of the CIOs surveyed said they're either planning to deploy tablets or provide support for employee-owned ones this year.

Of those, iPads accounted for 29% of new enterprise activations, a number that is sure to meet some competition once Android tablets like the Motorola XOOM become widely available.

[via All Things Digital]

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T-Mobile to carry the Galaxy Mini

Posted: 16 Feb 2011 02:40 PM PST

T-Mobile has announced it will carry the Samsung Galaxy Mini, a budget friendly little brother of Samsung’s Galaxy. In addition, T-Mobile will carry the T-Mobile Move. Both phones will cost between $50-75 with a standard two-year service agreement.

As noted last month by SlashGear, the Galaxy S will sport a pocket sized display just under four inches but will enjoy a 5-megapixel camera capable of shooting 720p HD video.

The Move, which T-Mobile calls the more affordable Android phone on the market, will have the same 600 Mhz processor and 150MB RAM, as the Galaxy Mini, but with a smaller 2.8 inch screen and 2MP camera.

Look for the Mini to hit markets in the Spring, while the Move will come to Europe in May on it’s way to the States by summertime.

[via AndroidGuys]

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Android Market on pace to outgrow iTunes 3-1

Posted: 16 Feb 2011 12:51 PM PST

According to a recent report by Lookout’s App Genome Project, the number of Android Marketplace apps increased by over 125% since August, putting it on pace to outgrow iTunes apps three to one. Apple still commands a sizeable lead in the total number of apps it offers through iTunes versus AM, the gap is narrowing quickly.

“If apps continue to be developed for each platform at this same rate, said Lookout CTO Kevin Mahaffey, “the Android Market will have more apps than the Apple App Store by mid-2012.”

More developers are writing for Apple, however, since the iTunes store offers a greater ratio of paid apps to free apps, but Android developers are writing more apps per capita than iTunes developers. And more apps are accessing sensitive privacy data like user location and contact information. That may be cause for concern, but Lookout expects the number to drop in future reports as developers feel the heat from privacy advocates. In addition, Lookout has found an increase of malware being packaged with third party apps in alternative app stores raising concern that field is becoming more fertile for smartphone virus distribution.

appreport1 appreport2 appreport3

[viaLookout]

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Google to go head to head with iTunes through Honeycomb

Posted: 16 Feb 2011 11:57 AM PST

Chief executive officer for Motrola Mobility Sanjay Jha let it slip today that Google is arming for war against Apple’s iTunes music service by launching a competitor through their Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) OS. It’s not secret that Google has been looking to topple Cupertino’s dominance in the music download business, having bought Simplify Media last Spring for that purpose. But the acknowledgment that Google is making ready a music service through Honeycomb means that Google Music is likely a done deal.

Just last week, Billboard magazine reported that Google VP of Engineering had been quietly contacting music executives about the new music service and promised an online store and service. In addition, Google VP Vic Gundotra has been reported as saying that Google Music would be used in both a desktop application as well as remote access to music and “unprotected” films on Android phones and tablets.

But with an already crowded field that includes Amazon and others, would Google Music be just another also ran or would it rocket to the top of the food chain and get their piece of the music download pie? Apple recently sold their 10 billionth music download through iTunes, and at .99 minimum a song, so the market is quite lucrative.

[via The Guardian]

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Study: More Tablets, less trees

Posted: 16 Feb 2011 11:15 AM PST

As HP moves to position their TouchPad tablet into the marketplace with wireless printing, they are also seeing that a tablet’s ability to view and edit documents easily is making the demand for printing material drop pretty rapidly. And a Morgan Stanley study reflects that with the expectation that printer supplies revenue will drop by as much as 5 percent annually by 2012. That’s certainly good news for the environment and bad news for printer companies.

"As the installed base of tablets–a digital document viewer that reduces the need to print both standard black and white documents and expensive color presentations–grows, we expect printed page volumes to shrink. What''s more, 90% of iPad users already believe they would print less with access to work documents on their tablets."

With an impact on both commercial and corporate markets, it’s clear that tablets may cause companies like HP to rethink their core business models and it explains at least partially why the company is going all in when it comes to tablet design.

[via All Things Digital]

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