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Orange says Polish iPhone 3G customers weren't paid actors

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 28th 2008 at 8:05AM


Folks, be honest with us here -- did you really expect Orange and / or Apple to say anything other than this? Amidst reports that iPhone 3G line sitters at Polish Orange stores were actually paid to be there, the carrier has shot back in order to defend its dignity. In an e-mail reply to an Ad Age inquiry on the matter, a spokeswoman proclaimed that as "part of the excitement around the launch of the iPhone, some of [Orange's] team has been joining customers outside [of the] shops." She also noted that "sales were strong" and that Orange "was happy," though actual numbers were not revealed. So there you have it, now make of it what you will.

[Image courtesy of AppleBlog]

Cigarette pack handsfree headset is bizarre, remarkably addictive

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 26th 2008 at 11:09PM


Maybe it's just because we had a rough weekend, but we've yet to piece together what the purpose of this device is. Officially, it's a novelty cigarette pack-shaped earphone headset for Nokia / Samsung / Sony Ericsson mobiles. That's to say it enables you to just talk into the pack rather than into your phone. At just $6.79, we'd love to say this would at least make a good gag gift, but honestly, we can't figure out what's to "get." Hmmph.

[Via Gearfuse]

Diamond-clad iPhone 3G arrives, no one at all surprised

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 26th 2008 at 5:07PM


Given that just about every high-end handset on the market has a diamond-encrusted cousin out there somewhere, it was only a matter of time before Apple's latest got its own stupidly expensive sibling. Knalihs Anthem is offering up 50 iPhone 3Gs with over 475 diamonds weighing 3.75 carats in total. Each mobile will be bundled with all the appropriate paperwork certifying the gems, and while the first ten units will go for a cool $10,000 apiece, the other 40 will be priced in due time. So, any guesses as to whether pricing shoots up or down?

[Via Luxury Launches, thanks Yogesh]

Motorola releases push-to-talk over EV-DO Rev. A solution

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 25th 2008 at 9:48PM

Tired of abysmal sound quality when yapping via PTT? Are your chirps not leading to responses in a timely fashion? Never fear, as Motorola is all over it. For better or worse (though probably better), Moto has released its next-generation push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) solution, which is optimized for CDMA 1x networks with EV-DO Rev. A data capability. According to the official verbiage, the new solution leverages the zippy protocol to provide "low call set-up time latency and improved quality of service (QoS)." Rev. A chirping -- who woulda thunk it?

MediaFLO now serving MSNBC, CNBC and FOX News

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 25th 2008 at 6:50PM

Just in time for the run-up to the 2008 Presidential election, MediaFLO has added in a trio of news sources to give you your fix wherever you are. CNBC, MSNBC and FOX News have all been added to the lineup in order to give you varying views on the same topics at hand. Available to Verizon Wireless and AT&T subscribers, the channels will offer simulcast programming in line with what's happening on the tele, though we'd caution you not to watch too much coverage during your morning board meeting.

[Via phonescoop]

Air traffic controller directs emergency landing via SMS

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 25th 2008 at 2:59AM

Here's something you don't hear everyday ever: an Irish air traffic controller helped guide a seriously malfunctioning plane to a safe landing via SMS. In a story that's admittedly tough to fathom, a pilot with four passengers aboard his twin-engined Piper plane lost all on board electrical power, communications and weather functions soon after he lifted off. In a effort to establish any form of contact with someone back on the ground, he phoned a controller at the Cork airport and spoke only momentarily of his troubles before losing voice signal. The quick-thinking controller decided to switch up his conversation method to texting, eventually providing sufficient details to safely guide the pilot in. Can you say "promotion?"

[Via Slashdot, image courtesy of StarWars Blog]

India's Airtel claims "deadliest hackers" still can't crack its iPhone 3G

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 23rd 2008 at 7:41AM

Hey, hackers! Now that we've got the attention of millions upon millions of incredibly talented individuals, here's your next challenge. India's Airtel -- which is offering Apple's iPhone 3G at a near-stratospheric price -- has claimed that "even the most deadly hackers on the planet won't be able to crack the codes that support the iPhone's Airtel applications with rival company SIMs." Just so you know, it appears that Airtel worked with Apple to develop "operator-specific iPhone applications," which is an interesting tidbit in and of itself. But let's focus on the task at hand here, and that's proving that making ridiculous claims about impenetrability always comes back to bite ya.

[Image courtesy of Zedomax, thanks Akshay]

Zeemote Zeekey enables JS1-controlled Nokia gaming

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 23rd 2008 at 12:40AM

Contrary to what Zeemote is implying with its latest release, this isn't the first time we've seen a handset maker embrace (as in, literally hug) its JS1 Bluetooth controller. Nevertheless, the Zeekey application will enable S60 device owners to play N-Gage games and control S60 apps with the aforementioned JS1. We're told that the program will come pre-loaded on "featured handsets as special gaming bundles," though it'll also be available by its lonesome on Nokia's website. If only you could work up the will to actually buy that JS1, you'd be in business.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Got any tips for Nokia's E71?

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 22nd 2008 at 7:04PM


Hey, Mobile readers. You know that QWERTY-packin' E71 from Nokia? Yeah, that's the topic of discussion over at this week's How Would You Change. We really shouldn't have to tell you what that means, but if you're still stuck, hit this link to head over and drop in your $0.02.

Virgin Mobile formally seals the deal on Helio acquisition

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 22nd 2008 at 1:55PM


We know, the little possibility that the whole deal could fall apart has been keeping you wide awake for months, but at long last, you can push aside your anxiety and hit the sack. Virgin Mobile USA announced today that it had "completed its acquisition of Helio," and all of the terms put forth on June 27th were used in the final close. Aside from garnering all the necessary regulatory approvals, Helio shareholders SK Telecom and EarthLink have received 13 million shares of Virgin Mobile USA Class A common stock, with a value of around $38 million. It's also noted that both SK Telecom and Virgin Group will each invest a cool $25 million in Virgin Mobile USA for preferred shares. And then, there was one.

Soulja Boy plays with Xbox 360 Special Edition Sidekick LX, pleads for attention on video

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 22nd 2008 at 12:20PM


Why lust after a Zunephone when you can have an Xbox 360 Sidekick LX? Based on an admittedly bizarre and entirely painful-to-watch video posted up in the read link, Soulja Boy is seen spazzing out over what appears to be a special edition Sidekick LX. The unit is branded (at least in the software) with Xbox 360 logos, and there's also a copy of Resident Evil: Genesis on there that he toys with momentarily. So, the question here: is this thing legit? On one hand, Danger does have a thing for pumping out limited run Sidekicks like they're going out of style, and plus, it would probably have a hard time convincing an A-list rapper to carry a prototype Sidekick. On the other, we're really inclined to believe this is just a sad way for Soulja Boy to fill up his inbox with soulless emails. "SouljaBoyTellEm@tmail.com -- holla atcha boy!"

LG's KC910 takes over where Viewty left off, packs 8MP camera

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 22nd 2008 at 8:04AM


Nah, it ain't the Prada II or anything, but who's to argue with an 8-megapixel camera? You heard right -- LG's followup to the Viewty is the KC910, a touchscreen-based handset that checks in at 14-millimeters thick and supports quad-band GSM / 7.2Mbps HSDPA. Furthermore, you'll find Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, a 3-inch 400 x 240 resolution display, a microSD expansion slot, Xenon flash (alongside a Schneider-Kreuznach lens), video recording, TV output, a multimedia player (with DivX and XviD support, we're told) and built-in GPS. This feature-packed device is bruited to be on track for an October launch, though we've no idea how costly it'll be (nor what regions it will invade).

Sprint drops Phone-as-Modem plan to $15 per month, adds stipulations

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 21st 2008 at 4:58PM

So there's good news and bad news, and we're not even giving you the option of choosing which you'd prefer to hear first (hint: it's the good). Sprint has dropped the price of its Phone-as-Modem plan (capped at 5GB monthly) to just $15 per month. Now, the rest of the story. First off, you must own a Power Vision phone with connection capabilities to a laptop. Next -- unlike the old PAM plan which ran $49.99 / month all by itself -- this "attachable plan" requires you to have another data plan already on your account. For instance, the BlackBerry Personal Pack ($30 / month) or the Worldwide Data Plan ($70 / month). In the end, it looks as if tethering in and of itself got cheaper, but those newfound strings that are reportedly attached will likely cause some frustration.

[Via phonescoop]

Sony Ericsson's TM506: T-Mobile AWS 3G support included

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 21st 2008 at 9:40AM


When Sony Ericsson's TM506 was leaked earlier this month, there was no mention made of the flip's support of AWS 3G. Thankfully (thankfully!), the official launch brings along confirmed support for the protocol. SE is linking up with T-Mobile USA once again, providing a stylishly small handset that sports a 2-megapixel camera, built-in A-GPS (TeleNav), stereo Bluetooth support, an M2 card slot, multimedia playback, outer / inner displays and 9.5-hours of GSM talk time (250-hours on standby). Curiously, no price is mentioned, but you can find out for yourself when this lands in stores early next month.

Purported iPhone Nike+ screenshots found to be fake

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 21st 2008 at 7:57AM

And to think, we actually believed that Nike and Apple were this close to delivering the long-awaited running application for the iPhone. While it was widely reported that these shots were indeed the real deal, AppleInsider is pointing out a chink in the armor: Cupertino doesn't offer iPhone developers a programming interface for accessing one's music, yet this mysterious program clearly showed someone listening to Chris Martin and friends (an unreleased song, evidently) while attempting to make it to 0.02km. The take away? It's still pretty likely that the two outfits are working to create a fitness program for the App Store, but those screenshots ain't it.

[Thanks, Michael]




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