VisualBoyAdvance turns your Palm Pre into a Game Boy emulator

A certain UK bank operates a delightfully dorky advertising campaign whose slogan is "we give you extra." Well, in the case of mobile software communities, that's exactly the case. From jailbroken Apple iPhone to PS One-emulating HD2s to multitouch-enabled browsing on the Nexus One, the one group of people we know we can truly rely on are other geeks. So let's salute those heroes once more, in recognition of the VisualBoyAdvance -- a webOS-based emulator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games. The former two categories are said to play smooth as you like, whereas the Advance stuff suffers from slight slowdown at present. We've only seen it playing on a Pre, but there should be no reason why your Pixi wouldn't be allowed in on this party.

All credits and information was found on boygeniusreport.com

Motorola will 'broaden the scope' of Blur, sell a phone through Google this year

Earnings calls tend to be about as exciting as a stale piece of white bread, but every once in a while something juicy falls through -- and morsels are filtering out of the earnings call that Motorola held this morning. Here are the biggies:

* We hope you like Blur, because it's not going anywhere. CEO Sanjay Jha says that "the majority of our new smartphone [sic] this year will feature" the platform, and that it'll "include enhancements to address the prosumer segment of the market." They're looking to rope in media (music, photos, and so on) the same way they did social networking, boost enterprise compatibility for white collar types that only have one phone, and improve network efficiency to ease up on battery drain. All good things, we reckon.
* Feature phones in Moto's range will "meaningfully decline" as it heads toward planned profitability in the fourth quarter through higher-margin smartphones. Android isn't the only game plan, though -- it'll continue to develop its ultra low-end handsets for emerging markets.
* Following the Nexus One's lead, Jha said that it'll launch "at least one direct-to-consumer device with Google." That matches up nicely with a statement he made during our CES interview that "there will be multiple devices [launched through Google] and I think that we said 'yes' today that probably this next device is our device."

All told, we have every reason to believe that this'll be an exciting year for Moto fans -- and that HTC needs to keep a close eye on these guys.

All credits and information was found on engadget.com

Nokia launches 16GB X6

A somewhat tame version of the X6 has been announced by Nokia today and will become available this quarter. The new 16GB X6 has half the memory capacity of the 32GB version, and it’s also missing the Comes With Music feature. If you think you can live with that, the 16GB X6 has an impressive battery life of 11.5 hours talk time and 18 days of standby, 4.5 hours of video playback and 35 hours of music playback. Of course, Nokia doesn’t cut any corners with cameras on its high-end devices, and this one features a 5 megapixel shooter with Carl Zeiss optics and a dual LED flash — pretty much par for the course on Nokia devices these days. The new X6 also has in-phone video editing capabilities and TV out support so you can watch your amateur cinematography on a big screen. No details on pricing, but we’d imagine it to be less than the full-fledged 32GB version.

All credits and information was found on boygeniusreport.com

Apple reports record revenue and profits for Q1 2010

Apple reported its financial results for Q1 2010 which ended December 26, 2009 and the results were nothing short of impressive. Apple posted its all time highest quarterly revenue, its all time highest quarterly profit and when annualized, these numbers will push Apple into a $50+ billion per year company. Dollar figures that are so impressive they don’t require an explanation, so we will let the numbers speak for themselves:

• Revenue of $15.68 billion ($11.88 billion in Q1 2009)
• 58% of revenue derived from international sales
• Net quarterly profit of $3.38 billion or $3.67 per diluted share ($2.26 billion, or $2.50 per diluted share in Q1 2009)
• Gross margin of 40.9 percent (37.9 % in Q1 2009)
• $5.8 billion generated in cash

Sales of Macintosh computers and iPhones went through the roof in Q1 2010 with Apple selling 3.36 million computers and 8.7 million iPhones, representing a 33% unit increase for Macintosh sales and 100% unit growth for the iPhone when compared to Q1 2009. The only blotch on an otherwise stellar performance was the iPod which sold 21 million units in Q1 2010, an 8% unit drop from the same quarter last year. Estimates for Q2 2010 remain equally as optimistic with the Cupertino company expecting another quarter of impressive revenue that will top out at an expected $11.4 billion. And oh yeah, Steve Jobs said, “The new products we are planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product that we’re really excited about.”

All credits and information was found on boygeniusreport.com

Sony Ericsson reports Q4 losses, but is slowly picking up the pace

Things aren’t looking so pretty at Sony Ericsson as the handset maker a little while ago posted its fourth-quarter earnings showing a loss of $270 million, pre-tax. Of course, this should come as no surprise to anyone since SE’s earnings reports the past few quarters, six to be exact, were just as disappointing. The company also recently had major layoffs and restructuring the past few months. However, SE is remaining cautiously optimistic for 2010. While other manufacturers are expecting a big rise in the cell phone market in 2010, SE sees things a little more modestly. Since smartphones and high-end devices are Sony Ericsson’s overall weakness right now by comparison to Apple, HTC and BlackBerry, we’re thinking that there is a lot riding on the XPERIA X10 with Android due out very soon.

All credits and information was found on boygeniusreport.com

Nexus One Multitouch Available Now; Floodgates Open for Hackers

For every Android phone, the hacking process comes in waves: it's tinkered with, then rooted, then flashed with totally new ROMs. At under a month old, the Nexus One's landed its first native multitouch hack, and soon, much, much more.
Virtuoso Android hacker Cyanogen, who maintains the definitive custom Android ROM for the G1 (among others) just posted an installable version of the native Android browser with multitouch enabled. (If the ADB install instructions don't make sense to you, just read this—they're not as complicated they looks.) This is big news! But not nearly as big as what's coming next, probably within a matter of days. Says Cyanogen, echoing the sentiments of other Nexus One developers:
I won't be releasing a full ROM until Google drops the 2.1 source code into AOSP.
The AOSP is the Android Open Source Project, which Google has been slow to update, and which will give modders the information and code they need to issue a full Nexus One overhaul, including multitouch for all the stock apps. The Nexus One has already been rooted, so Google's tardiness is the only thing standing in the way. And, uh, guess what!
Google's been making Android 2.1 code available all morning, so the first custom ROMs worth downloading could be here by this weekend. As is, the Nexus One is a spectacular phone. But man, just imagine what'll happen when modders can open the hood on its software.

All credits and information was found on gizmodo.com

T-Mobile cuts BlackBerry Bold 9700 and Curve 8520 prices

AT&T isn’t the only one enjoying lower prices on BlackBerry’s latest handsets. T-Mobile is now offering the Bold 9700 for $129.99 and the Curve 8520 for $79.99, like we reported in aWhisper a little whle back. If you’re a hardcore BlackBerry user and you haven’t upgraded to a trackpad-equipped device yet, now is the best time to jump on the bandwagon. Of course, T-Mobile’s pricing is still slightly higher than AT&T’s at $30 a piece, but if you’re tied to T-Mobile either for coverage, loyalty or love, it sure beats the original pricing. Keep in mind that new contracts and all the bells and whistles apply, but you already know that. Enjoy!

All credits and information was found on boygeniusreport.com

Verizon Removes 10 Phones from $350 ETF List

Verizon Wireless has silently taken 10 multimedia devices off the list of phones that require its new $350 early termination fee. The original list submitted to the FCC in December 2009 featured 10 models that don't appear on the current list, and included devices such as the Motorola Krave and Samsung Rogue. It's not clear when or why Verizon removed these 10 devices from the list, and Verizon Wireless hasn't officially commented on the matter. The devices that do appear on the list require an ETF of $350 -- double that of standard phones -- if the customer chooses to break their contract early.

All credits and information was found phonescoop.com

22-inch touch screen Apple iMac on the way?

Details are scarce, and, as with most Apple grumblings, the rumor factor is sky high on the rumor Richter scale. The Chinese paper Commercial Times is reporting that Apple has signed a deal with Korean company Sintek Photronic to provide touch panels for a 22-inch, full touch screen iMac. The Times also cites a deal with long time partner Quanta for production of the new product, predicted to be released in 2010. Now, none of this has been substantiated, but we’re happy to report on an Apple rumor that doesn’t involve the word “tablet.” Hopefully we’ll find out on or around January 27th!

All credits and information was found on boygeniusreport.com

T-Mobile rolls out Windows Mobile 6.5 for Touch Pro2 and Dash 3G, Sprint waits for 6.6 ?

Following closely on the heels of Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile has rolled out Windows Mobile 6.5 for its Touch Pro2 and Dash 3G handsets. The update rolled out earlier than the target date of January 20th and is accessible from T-Mobile’s website once you enter in your handset’s IMEI. While AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile customers now enjoy the new experience offered by Windows Mobile 6.5, Sprint customers are left waiting in the wings. Their patience may be rewarded as Sprint customers may be getting something more than the plain jane Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrade. A statement from Sprint suggests that the Sprint flavor of Windows Mobile 6.5 may offer “significant enhancements to the Touch Pro2 user interface which will allow additional customization / personalization options and more integration with the applications users access most.” Is Sprint promoting this upgrade with over-hyped marketing speak in order to placate Touch Pro2 owners or is Sprint really alluding to the mythical Windows Mobile 6.6 which is rumored to be unveiled at MWC 2010 next month?

All credits and information was found on boygeniusreport.com

MobileMe Gallery app now available for Apple iPhone

Apple today launched a new application called MobileMe Gallery. The app lets anyone with a MobileMe subscription view their images and videos stored in the cloud directly on their iPhone. It also lets subscribers view content that friends share publicly.
The software acts much like the iPhone's photo gallery in that you can view different albums and pinch and pull to view photos. Once you've viewed a photo, you can access it when your iPhone is offline as well.
MobileMe Gallery is available in the iTunes App Store for free.

All credits and information was found on mobileburn.com

LG Electronics Aiming To Move 140 Million Mobile Units In 2010

LG today unveiled a raft of ambitious plans for its mobile business, including a goal of selling 140 million units in 2010. Plans also include details of a concerted drive into the global smartphone market in an effort to become one of the top two mobile device manufacturers in the world by 2012.

This year, LG plans to unveil about 20 smartphones based on operating systems including Android, Windows Mobile and Linux. Hopes are especially high for Android phones, which, with their user-friendly and open-access OS, are expected to make up more than half of all LG’s new smartphone releases. In the first half of 2010, LG will focus on producing easy-to-use smartphones aimed squarely at first-time owners before moving into premium handsets with cutting-edge designs later in the year. Through these efforts the company is confident it can introduce its first 10-million-unit smartphone sometime this year.

This eagerness to adapt to consumers’ needs is a theme running through LG’s entire push into the smartphone market. With its 3 Screen Service, set for release this year, users will be able to view identical content on their handsets, PCs and TVs without converting to different formats. LG will unveil its new device supporting 3-Way Sync technology in February, which will allow seamless viewing of all mobile, PC and web content over a wireless network.

“We are facing another revolutionary change in the mobile industry thanks to the rapid growth of smartphones and demand for more content and better services,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “We will continue to make breakthroughs in 2010 as we strive to maintain our trendsetter status and become one of the global top two by 2012.”

All credits and information was found on slashphone.com

Google charges its own ETF for Nexus One in addition to T-Mobile’s ETF

Here’s a bit of interesting news on the purchasing and cancellation process for the Nexus One. If you buy the device subsidized, and you decide to cancel your contract after the 14-day period (30 days for California) but before 120 days into your contract, Google can charge a termination fee of its own — on top of the carrier ETF. Shocking? Yeah, a little bit. You’d imagine that if you’re paying for a subsidized device and you cancel your contract, you’d just be paying the remainder of the subsidy. Why isn’t this completely surprising? Well, if you purchase a handset with a wireless data plan from an authorized third party, like an electronics store, you sometimes end up getting into the same agreement. Many third-party retailers charge their own fees on top of carrier fees. Still, it doesn’t make it right. Here’s what Google has to say:

Please note that the Equipment Recovery Fee is imposed by Google and not your chosen carrier and is in addition to any early termination fees that may be charged by your chosen carrier in connection with termination of your wireless plan prior to fulfillment of your chosen carrier’s service agreement term.

BGR decided to get in touch with T-Mobile and it is pretty much confirmed: if you cancel after 14 days (again, 30 in California), T-Mobile will charge $200 for breaking the contract, and Google will charge the difference between the subsidized cost of the phone and its full price. Think long and hard before you make the purchase with a service plan: $200 ETF for T-Mobile, $350 for Google and $179 for the device itself will cost you $729 in the end if you cancel. At that rate, you might as well buy it at the unlocked, unsubsidized price.

All credits and information was found on boygeniusreport.com

Finally got my Google Nexus One

Just got in mail yesterday my order on the Google Nexus One. I was so fascinated by the phone all night that I played the game Bejeweled on the Nexus one till 5 am. The touch screen works really smoothly. When I drag icons across, the pointer really follows my finger tips. I do need a case for my phone though. I already dropped it once. Was thinking about going to a place for Nexus One accessories.

Lenovo Lephone Looks Prettier Than the Nexus One

When I saw the Lenovo's Android-based 3.7-inch touchscreen Lephone last week I was all smleh'ed. "Yet another touchscreen Android", I thought. Now, looking at the shiny marketing shots, I want to lick it, pant it, and rub it all day.
It seems to me that, it has more personality than the Nexus One superphone. I like how the keyboard attachment looks too, although I don't see myself using it. No announcement about its potential worldwide introduction yet. For now, it's China only.

All credits and information was found on gizmodo.com

Stuart Hughes goes low-end with $160k Nokia Supreme

Stuart Hughes aficionados take note. The luxury bedazzler is now back with an entry-level alternative to its $3.2 million iPhone 3GS Supreme. Of course, the new Nokia Supreme will still set you back a suitably ridiculous £99,995 (or $160k), which will get you a Nokia 8800 encrusted with 12.5 cts of pink diamonds, some handmade veneers made from 83 grams of platinum, a navigation button topped off with a single 3 ct diamond, and the usual granite box to store it in. Only three have been made, but it looks like today's your lucky day -- it's still in stock.

All credits and information was found on engadget.com

RIM Introduces BlackBerry Presenter to Connect BlackBerry and Projector

Research In Motion (RIM) today introduced BlackBerry Presenter, the latest accessory for BlackBerry smartphones. BlackBerry Presenter is a conveniently small and light device that easily plugs into a projector or monitor, then lets the user display a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation wirelessly from their BlackBerry smartphone.
BlackBerry Presenter gives users easy control of their presentations, allowing them to navigate their presentations, view speaker notes, loop presentation slides and even reference information on one slide while displaying another. Thanks to a wireless (Bluetooth) connection between the BlackBerry smartphone and BlackBerry Presenter, users can also walk around freely while presenting (supports roaming up to 30 feet between the devices).

Specifications

• Conveniently small and light — 3.4″ x 2.4″ x 0.9″ and 140g
• Video Formats Supported: NTSC, PAL
• Video Cable Support: S-Video, VGA
• Power Connection: Micro USB
• Display Resolution Support: 640×480 (VGA), 800×600 (SVGA), 1024×768 (XGA)
• Bluetooth Version 2.0 + EDR, Class 1.5
• Carrying Case: Synthetic Leather
• Support for most PowerPoint animations and transitions
• No additional file processing required – present files directly without having to pre-process the file on the PC
• Languages Supported: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish

BlackBerry Presenter is being demonstrated by RIM at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week and will be available at a later date on ShopBlackBerry.com for $199.

All credits and information was found on slashphone.com

Lenovo Announces Lephone

Lenovo today announced "Lephone", a new smartphone with a touch slab form factor and a very rounded design only 12mm thick. Below the 3.7-inch, 480x800-pixel touch display is a secondary touch area for navigation; there are no buttons on the front. Other features include a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 3.5mm audio jack, 3-megapixel camera, and 3G data. The software includes Twitter and Facebook integration. Lephone runs a heavily-customized version of Android. It will be released late 1st quarter or early 2nd quarter, starting in China.

All credits and information was found on phonescoop.com

Google Nexus One: Everything You Need to Know

The Nexus One, the Google Phone, is really here. And everything you need to know about it? Right here.

What Is It?

It's the latest, maybe greatest, Android phone. Google calls it a "superphone" that's an "exemplar" of what you can do with Android. It was designed by Google and HTC, who designed the G1 and the Ion.

How Much Does It Cost and Where/When Can I Buy It?

At Google's new web store, where you can shop for Android phones and do live demos of them over the internets to see if you like it. You need a regular Google account and a Google Checkout one to actually buy the phone.

You can buy it today on T-Mobile for $180 with a 2-year contract. Or you can buy it unlocked, without any service, for $530. Shipping's free.

The standard plan T-Mobile is offering for $80 a month includes 500 voice minutes, unlimited messaging (SMS and MMS) and unlimited internet.

UPDATE: Reader Ryan points out that if you buy an unlocked Nexus One, you should be able to sign up for a non-contract "Even More Plus" plan from T-Mobile. This offers the same 500 voice minutes, unlimited messaging and unlimited internet as the above contract plan, saving you about $150 in the 24 month long haul.

Oh, and you can get it custom engraved.

It's Coming to Verizon in a Few Months

Verizon's getting it in 2010, though we don't know for how much yet. (Probably $200.)

The web store is launching today in the US, and will be shipping to test markets: UK, Singapore and Hong Kong. The Nexus One is just the first phone Google's selling with this new model, with more phones, operators and countries coming in the future.

Will It Work on AT&T?

Yes, but you won't get 3G, because it only supports the bands for T-Mobile's 3G in the US: UMTS Band 1/4/8 (2100/AWS/900) and GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz).

What's Inside?

A really fast 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, with a 3.7-inch, 480x800 AMOLED screen. The camera's 5 megapixels with an LED flash—it also shoots MPEG-4 video with one-click YouTube upload, which should be quick over its wireless N Wi-Fi. The trackball's got a multicolor LED for different notifications, and of course it's got a compass, GPS, stereo Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack, two mics for "active noise suppression," light and proximity sensors, and an accelerometer onboard. It's got a 1400mAH battery, from which they promise 5 hours of 3G browsing and 7 hours of 3G talk time. Oh, it's skinnier than a #2 pencil.

All credits and information was found on gizmodo.com

Nokia continues legal assault on Apple, files suit with ITC to ban Apple imports

Back in October we told you about Nokia filing suit against Apple over the iPhone, claiming that Apple’s mobile offering violated Nokia patents pertaining to GSM, UMTS and wireless LAN (WLAN) standards. Perhaps some legal posturing, we thought; a public and principled shot across the bow aimed at the Cupertino based tech company? Apparently not, as Nokia has taken off the gloves. In a December 29th filing with the International Trade Commission, Nokia seeks an immediate injunction that would ban the import of anything with a camera and an Apple logo on it: iPhones, iPod Touches, iMacs, Macbooks – you get the idea. The suit claims Apple is violating Nokia patents in its use of a combined camera chip which keeps the size and power usage of devices down, a voltage controlled oscillator (VOC) that “increases the efficiency of the wireless device and uses less power than traditional VCOs, thereby increasing battery life,” and the sensor technology used in the iPhone that turns the screen off when it is within proximity of your face to prevent accidental input. We’re not sure if Nokia’s strategy is a sound one, but we’ll stay on top of this one as the filings continue to mount. You can hit up the link to read the original article translated from Finnish.

All credits and information was found on boygeniusreport.com

Pantech Touch Slider Appears on FCC Site

The unannounced Pantech P9020 appeared on the FCC web site today. This small touch-screen phone sports a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and HSDPA 3G data suitable for AT&T's network. Other features appear to include Bluetooth, GPS navigation, memory card slot, and music player. The draft user manual mentioned numerous AT&T services, such as AT&T Navigator, AT&T Radio, YPmobile, and AppCenter, indicating the phone is planned for release by AT&T.

All credits and information was found on phonescoop.com