Toys & Gadgets

RIM no doubt got a boost of confidence from AvianResearch’s sales numbers a few days ago, but it looks to be in a bit of a gloomier mood today, as it has been forced to slightly lower its third quarter profit and revenue outlook. Apparently, instead of the previously forecast revenue of $2.95 to $3.10 billion, RIM now says it’s expecting to rake in just $2.75 to $2.78 billion, with its adjusted earnings now expected to be 0.81 to $0.83 per share, and not $0.89 to $0.97 per share, as previously forecast. According to RIM’s Jim Balsillie, the company is laying most of the blame on “product launch timing, general economic conditions and foreign exchange volatility,” but it has nothing but good things to say about the Storm, which it says has “experienced particularly strong momentum in recent weeks.” It further added that the Storm’s first day of sales drew a record number of new net subscribers for the company, and that it also managed to pull in a record number of weekly net subscribers additions in the last week of the third quarter. Those interested in such things can look for the final numbers to be released on December 18th.

[Via mocoNews.net]

Filed under: Cellphones

RIM lowers third quarter outlook, touts Storm sales originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Written by Syd Tash
Do you have one of those newer iPhone 3G cellphones? It comes with a USB power adapter, and that is a problem. Apple says the prongs could snap off, giving you a nasty electric shock. Apple goes on to advise that you should not use the …

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Section: Communications, Accessories, Cellphones, Mobile

Recently, Motorola introduced two new universal Bluetooth headsets dubbed MOTOPURE H15 and H780. Motorola says that both headsets feature groundbreaking noise cancellation technology, stylistic and functional design as well as Motorola’s CrystalTalk technology which enables the headsets to produce clear sound.

If you have both a business and a personal phone, the headsets take advantage of its multipoint technology and pair one headset to both lines.  In addition, the MOTOPURE H15 features a flip design that comes with RapidConnect technology which Motorola claims makes the headset not only easy-to-use but saves battery life as well.

Motorola also says that you can get an hour of usage time from the headset even if you charge it for only 15 minutes.  And when you are recharging using the desktop stand, you can still accept calls without needing to pull out the headset from the stand. As for the MOTOPURE H780, the headset can give up to 7 hours of talk time per battery charge and features a 9mm speaker. The headset features a brushed, carbon fiber finish made of spun metal and textured side band.

Motorola will start shipping the MOTOPURE H15 and H780 headsets by the fourth quarter of this year.

Read [Motorola News Release]

Full Story » | Written by Arnold Zafra for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Filed under: Cellphones

We’ve seen most everything about the BlackBerry Storm that Verizon wanted us to see, but this is the first real (clear) glimpse at what the UI is apt to look, taste and smell like whenever it decides to ship. Of course, we’d still caution you to take all of this with a grain of salt until Vodafone comes clean, but the screen shots captured in the read link do look fairly believable. Can you stand any more teasin’? If so, you know where to head.

[Via The Boy Genius Report]

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Filed under: Cellphones

Hot on the INNOV8’s trails comes another 8-megapixel phone out of Samsung’s frighteningly fast-paced labs, this one dubbed M8800 Pixon (is it just us, or does that sound like a great name for an alien life form?). They’re really mixing it up here, too — unlike the S60-based INNOV8, the Pixon packs a full-on 400 x 240 touchscreen and settles for Samsung’s proprietary non-smartphone platform. The OS seems to be the only place it’s settling, though, since we’ve got triband HSDPA, GPS, an FM radio, microSD expansion — and, oh yeah, there’s the little matter of that whopping cam with face detection, geotagging, and WVGA video recording. Sadly there’s no WiFi on board, but it’d be just a little less useful than normal without an honest-to-goodness smartphone OS as your playground — and at least you’ve got global 3G on your side. It looks like we can expect shipments of this one sometime in November for €550 (about $805).

[Via GSMArena]

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Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Email / IM, Smartphones, Mobile

How do you get the new Treo Pro free?  Two easy steps:  1. Move to the UK.  2. Sign up for Vodaphone.  In a move that is sure to have Treo fans jealous, Vodaphone is offering the new sexy black Treo Pro to its customers with different plans ranging from free to 340 pounds.

My hands on

Last week, we got to play with the Treo Pro.  My initial thoughts were quick response time, decent touch screen, thinner than I’ve seen a Treo (ever I think) and great looking.  While Microsoft does not have a Windows Mobile 6.1 fan in me, the OS is bearable for straight up business use.  Our Executive Editor, Adam Berger, thought Palm didn’t use the space on the phone wisely and with a few simple adjustments, could have offered up a much larger screen.

WiFi on a Palm

The Treo Pro is the first Treo to have WiFi.  Frankly, WiFi was lacking on the first Treo back a million years ago (give or take) and I find it kind of shocking it has taken this long.  Whatever.  It is here now and Treo fans can rejoice.  Other fancy specs include: high-speed data with UMTS/HSDPA3, instant-on Wi-Fi button, GPS, plays well with MS files & PDFs, functions as a high-speed modem for your laptop, chat-style view for SMS and MMS6, and a 2.0 megapixel camera with video capture round out the mix.

Back in the USA

Currently, Palm continues to duck my questions about a US carrier that might throw a subsidy in like a young flyweight fighter in the ring ducking my punches.  For now, we’ll have to be content coughing up $549 for an unlocked version; bulk buyers should contact Palm or their partners for bulk pricing.

If anything, Vodaphone’s offering should inspire hope in those wishing to see this phone become a hit at a US carrier.  Couple it with a low price, you’d think it would have to be higher than the $0-$99 Centro, so let’s say $149-$199 and you’ve got yourself a very competitive workhorse phone.

More as it comes.

Check it out at [Vodaphone] and [Palm]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

It’s going to be a few weeks yet until your unwashed hands are touching an actual G1, so how’d you like some reading material to pass the days in the meantime? T-Mobile has trotted out its first Android phone’s user’s manual — probably not on purpose, if we had to guess — and there are some interesting little morsels in there that’d be even more interesting if you actually had the phone in front of you. For example, did you know the G1 had a status light? Don’t see those too often these days. You’ve also got a full rundown of the notification icons, apps (including the Android flavor of T-Mobile’s myFaves app), and — get this — procedure for battery removal. Fancy that! [Warning: PDF link]

[Via TmoNews, thanks Jose]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops

For those who’ve managed to avoid hearing about Celio’s REDFLY up until now, we hate that you’ve been absent for so many laughs. Essentially, this here is a Foleo wannabe that somehow made it into production, and no, you can’t even use the thing without your smartphone. Still down for throwing away $199 for a handset companion? Be our guest.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

How many Google and HTC engineers does it take to build an Android phone? We don’t have the punchline to that one, exactly — but at least we have a pretty good idea of how long it takes. HTC’s Chief Marketing Officer has revealed that it kicked off negotiations with Google some five years ago — before it had even acquired Android, interestingly — and has been deeply embedded in the Android team for the past three years. That’s a long frickin’ time, but we figure the first model’s probably ten times harder to throw together than its successors are, so hopefully we’ll see a nice cadence of “HTC Innovation” from here on out. We know it’s been said many times before, but it probably bears repeating: Touch Pro and Touch HD with Android, guys. Please.

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Filed under: Cellphones

Engadget editor-at-large and gdgt co-founder Ryan Block contributes Engadget Cares, a friendly advice column for the people who make your technology.

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/How_the_App_Store_is_Hurting_Devs’; It’s not hard to argue that the App Store’s inspired success for the mobile software world, with over 100 million programs downloaded on only a few million phones in just a matter of months. Palm, Nokia, Microsoft must all be simmering (and understandably so). But Apple, if you’re having trouble getting buy-in from passionate developers with a serious creative vision for iPhone apps beyond the dozens of me-too calculators and to-do lists — and you know you are — the writing’s on the wall, and you’re the one who put it there.

But it’s not just about the draconian SDK agreement (which we’ll get to in a minute), or the uncertainty that runs through every developer — large and small — as they wonder whether you’ll give the all-important thumbs-up to the app they’ve just invested all that blood / sweat / tears / money into (we’ll get to that, too). What seems to the rest of us like nefarious intent may simply be Apple coming to grips with its own successes by reacting with the same kneejerk response it plies to most everything else: control and micromanagement.

Let’s rewind for a moment though, and go back to what Steve said at this Spring’s iPhone roadmap event, where the SDK was introduced for the first time. As Steve’s introduction reached its crescendo, he excitedly declared, “The developers and us have the same exact interest, which is to get as many apps out in front of as many iPhone users as possible,” but “there are going to be some apps we’re not going to distribute: porn, malicious apps, apps that invade your privacy…” The slide listed “malicious,” “illegal,” “porn,” “privacy,” “bandwidth hog,” and “unforeseen.” Ah, unforeseen — glorious wiggle room. I suppose “apps that might compete with our own” wouldn’t have gone over as well with the crowd. Read on.

Continue reading Engadget Cares: save us from Apple’s groundbreaking, developer-shackling App Store

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