Tuesday, May 24, 2011

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Sharp Plans To Introduce Android AQUOS PHONE Brand Worldwide

Posted: 24 May 2011 05:18 AM PDT

They have been talking about this for years, but Sharp today officially announced they will bring their AQUOS PHONE brand to countries outside Japan. The press release (in English) is rather vague (no dates, prices or exact target markets), but Sharp says there will be a “global smartphone” that can be used anywhere, including China.

Sharp also explains that all AQUOS phones will come with an HDMI connection, DLNA support, and an advanced graphics engine.

This month, the company announced a total of six AQUOS PHONE handsets in Japan across three carriers. The two most interesting models are the AQUOS PHONE SH-12C (with 3D cameras, Android 2.3, and a naked-eye 3D display with QHD resolution/pictured) and the world’s first clamshell Android phone, the so-called AQUOS PHONE THE HYBRID 007SH.

HTC EVO 3D Wears $200 Price Tag On-Contract From The Shack

Posted: 23 May 2011 12:46 PM PDT

While there is still some back-and-forth over when the HTC EVO 3D will finally grace us with its presence, an ad from RadioShack has clarified to what scale this highly-anticipated smartphone will lighten your wallet. On a new or upgraded two-year contract, the 3D-capable handset will cost $199.99, as opposed to $499.99 off-contract.

As with the EVO 4G, EVO 3D owners will have to cough up that mandatory $10 monthly charge for Sprint’s “Premium” Data plan. The RadioShack ad confirmed a few other juicy tidbits, as well, including the fact that a copy of the 3D version of The Green Hornet will come pre-loaded on the handset. Also, if you buy from RadioShack, you'll receive a free download of "Phenomenon," The Black Eyed Peas single. Hurray.

The final note-worthy point of the ad goes out to you EVO 4G owners: If you're in the mood for a change, or have a craving for 3D, you can go ahead and trade in your EVO 4G for a $100 price-cut on the new EVO 3D (at RadioShack only). So potentially, an EVO 4G owner who is eligible for a renewed (or new) 2-year contract can snag one of the Summer's hottest phones for a Benjamin.

[via Good and Evo]

LG Quietly Makes The Genesis Official (Or: The Handset Formerly Known As enV Pro Officially Returns)

Posted: 23 May 2011 09:41 AM PDT

Boom! After rumor broke that Verizon’s then-upcoming Android-powered clamshell, the LG enV Pro, had gotten the ol’ pre-launch cancel treatment, LG gave back nothin’ but radio silence. After months of nothing (we’d honestly figured it was gone for good), the handset rised from the ashes and found its way to the rumormill — but not for Verizon as the enV Pro, but as the LG Genesis for US Cellular.

Sure enough, the LG Genesis has just made its official — albeit quiet — debut. Sans fanfare or even any press release that we can find, the Genesis’ product page is now up for your perusal on LG’s own site, photos and all. Sadly, there’s no pricing or launch date details to be had — but on the upside, it confirms a number of the specs we’d heard before (Android 2.2, the WiFi Hotspot functionality, the clamshell form factor, etc.)

[Via AndroidCentral]

Comcast Xfinity On-Demand Now Streaming To The iPhone, iPod touch

Posted: 23 May 2011 09:06 AM PDT


Comcast just rolled out a major update to its seven month old Xfinity iOS app that brings streaming access to the Xfinity on-demand library just like iPad users have had for several weeks. This opens up a massive database of streaming content for iPhone and iPod touch. But there’s a catch here. Only users that pay for Comcast’s digital TV service for their home will have access to the service.

The revamped app also has access to more shows. There are now 6,000 hours of content from 25 programmers available through the iOS app. Plus, just as before, the app can also change the channel and manage a user’s set-top boxes. Get it free here.

Comcast Now Brings Thousands of Hours of TV Shows and Movies to the iPhone and iPod touch for Free to Customers Through Its Xfinity TV App

Nearly 6,000 Hours of On Demand Content From 25 Programmers Now Available to Enjoy While On-the-Go or at Home; App Also Features New Personalization Capabilities

PHILADELPHIA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) today announced its digital subscribers using the Apple® iPhone® and iPod touch® now can stream thousands of hours of On Demand video on their devices through the company's popular Xfinity TV® app, which has been downloaded more than two million times since it launched in November. Beginning today, customers using these devices and the iPad® can download a new version of the Xfinity TV app, and have access to a vast collection of entertainment in the palm of their hands for free.

"Our development team will continue to add even more choices and personalized options to the Xfinity TV app, giving our customers access to the entertainment they want, where and when they want it."
Comcast introduced On Demand content for viewing both inside and outside of the home on the iPad in February. During the past three months, Comcast has nearly doubled the amount of entertainment available to stream through the app, now totaling almost 6,000 hours. To reach this milestone, Comcast has recently added several new programmers, bringing in top video selections from 25 content partners.

"Whether our customers are relaxing around the house or traveling around the country, we're bringing them a huge selection of great content at their fingertips, all for free," said Matt Strauss, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Comcast Interactive Media. "Our development team will continue to add even more choices and personalized options to the Xfinity TV app, giving our customers access to the entertainment they want, where and when they want it."

The ability to view On Demand content on the iPhone and iPod touch now enables customers to watch Xfinity TV offerings across Apple's smartphone and computer product lineup. Users of Mac® products can view thousands of movies and hit TV shows through Comcast's Xfinity TV online destination, www.XfinityTV.com, also for free.

This latest release of the app is the fourth significant update since it launched only seven months ago. Additional enhancements have also been incorporated into this version to help further personalize the customer's experience, including enabling users to filter their content choices by genre and network. For first-time users, the app will automatically populate with the customer's channel lineup, eliminating the need for a manual set up process.

In addition to these features and its On Demand video streaming capabilities, the Xfinity TV app also can be used as the ultimate remote control and discovery tool – it gives users the ability to browse and discover content across multiple platforms, whether it be available on online, On Demand or on TV; change TV channels in real time; and remotely program and manage multiple DVRs at home.

Comcast will continue to expand the features and functionality of the Xfinity TV app and add even more content on a continual basis. To learn more about the Xfinity TV app, please visit www.xfinity.com/tvapp.

Motorola Droid 3 Specs Trickle Out; June Release Rumored, Possibly Without LTE?

Posted: 23 May 2011 08:56 AM PDT

We've seen a few leaked photos, and heard a couple different rumors when it comes to Motorola's forthcoming Droid 3 smartphone, but TechnoBuffalo claims to have a tipster reliable enough to throw out some official specs.

The rumored 4-inch qHD screen is seemingly good to go, and what was once a four-row QWERTY keyboard now sports a fifth row for dedicated number buttons. TechnoBuffalo's tipster expects a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, though those details are still somewhat shaky. The Droid 3 will also feature HDMI out support, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a unspecified front-facing camera for video chat.

Possibly the most shocking of these freshly rumored specs is the suggestion that the newest member of the Droid family won't feature LTE-support. Verizon’s all about their 4G LTE network right now, so launching a non-4G device at this point in the game seems a bit strange. Nevertheless, the tipster says the non-LTE Droid 3 should launch sometime in june. No pricing info has been leaked, as of yet.

[via TechnoBuffalo]

T-Mobile’s Family, Individual, Pre-Paid Plan Makeovers Go Live

Posted: 23 May 2011 08:35 AM PDT

Last week, a leaked photo led us to believe that T-Mobile would be making some adjustments to its current Family Plan lineup. We've now learned that that leaked image was just the tip of the iceberg, as the pink carrier has given its individual, family, post- and pre-paid plans a makeover.

Individual plans will be offered in three different options: 500 minutes, 1000 minutes, and unlimited. For 500 minutes of talk only, T-Mo will now charge $39.99, bumped up to $49.99 with the addition of text, and depending on the data plan, can reach $109.99. The 1,000 minute plan costs $49.99, but if you're looking for text messaging or data, T-Mo will force you into its Unlimited Plan, which starts at $59.99 for talk and text.

Thanks to T-Mobile's current promotional plan, adding 2GB of data to unlimited talk + text will cost $79.99. Customers can also choose between 200MB, 5GB, or 10GB of data for $69.99, $89.99, and $199.99 respectively.

Family plans will also come with 200Mb, 2GB, 5GB, and 10GB data options, but be offered with either 1,000 minutes, 2,000 minutes, or unlimited talk time. We mapped out those prices for you in last week's post, so I won't get super redundant.

The Individual and Family plan revamps usher in two new Monthly4G pre-paid plans from T-Mobile, as well. For $50 per month, users can enjoy unlimited talk, text, and web, with the first 100MB of data employing T-Mobile's 4G network. Subscribers can bump that up to 5 MB of 4G data for $70 per month.

For a detailed outline of T-Mobile’s new plans, check out the carrier’s web site.


Ballmer: Windows Phone “Mango” Update To Have “Over 500 New Features”

Posted: 23 May 2011 08:06 AM PDT

Much of the CrunchGear/MobileCrunch crew has been hauled out to New York City for TechCrunch Disrupt this week — and whatd’ya know: Microsoft just so happens to have a big ol’ Windows Phone 7 announcement in NYC planned for tomorrow. Good timing, right?

Given that the event invite straight up says that they’ll “lift the curtain on the next major release of Windows Phone 7″, there isn’t much doubt as to what’s to be unveiled: details surrounding WP7′s next big update, “Mango”.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer gave a speech earlier today at the company’s Dev Forum in Japan — and, while he’s not about to spill the beans a day before their big reveal, he did share one little gem: this next update should bring “over 500 new features” to Windows Phone 7. Of course, a “feature” here could be defined as anything from “massively awesome overhaul” to a “slightly louder beepy noise when you receive Facebook requests”, so we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see just how this all plays out.

Take a gander behind the jump for a quick (and dirty) video snippet of Ballmer’s speech.


Foursquare To Power INQ Mobile’s Location Based Services

Posted: 23 May 2011 07:17 AM PDT

INQ, one of the first partners to add the Facebook layer to its Cloud Touch phone has announced today that it will be using the Foursquare location layer to visualize location content for its users.

The Foursquare INQ phone will have all of the requisite Foursquare features, including checkins, places nearby, tips, to do, all powered by the FourSquare API. “Playing with this phone,” said Foursquare “It feels pretty amazing to see what INQ has done with its API. Because it’s built directly into the Android system, you can check in and explore without even firing up the application.

Read the rest at TechCrunch >>
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