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AT&T revs up with 7.2Mbps HSPA tests in Chicago

by Sean Cooper, posted Dec 18th 2008 at 5:44PM


While we're still all dreaming of the joy that will be LTE, the Long Term part of Long Term Evolution is still weighing pretty heavily on us. AT&T's Mark Siegel went on record saying that AT&T is currently testing -- unlike Rogers completed rollout in Canada -- some 7.2 Mbps speeds in Chicago that may eventually speed up to 14.4 Mbps. Sadly, there's no mention if this is a closed-door affair, or if anybody in Chicagoland can get in on the fun, so do us a favor and holler if you're suddenly getting blazingly fast speeds where they were previously lacking. Here's hoping for a 7.2 rollout nationwide on the soonish side, huh AT&T?

AURA in stock at Motorola store, still fiercely expensive

by Sean Cooper, posted Dec 12th 2008 at 12:34PM


So the moment you and your second mortgage have been dreaming about is here -- though sadly, the price cut you might have wished for is not. For all those clamoring for the $2,000 AURA, Moto's store has it listed as in-stock and we've a sneaking suspicion that unlike the BlackBerry Storm, these aren't going to sell through in hours. So take your time, ponder just how many Xbox 360s, PS3s, or robots you could get instead, then, like we know you will, buy it and start showing it off.

[Via phoneArena]

HTC S740 lands on Orange's Business Services site

by Sean Cooper, posted Dec 11th 2008 at 7:37PM


Well, whaddaya know, HTC's S740 arrived at the Orange Business site today after a quick cameo in Orange's in-store magazine last week. We've no clue when this set's going to be boxed and ready to ship out as Orange's not giving up much more than the fact it's pretty and hopefully just around the corner. Of course we'll be watching out for more news on date and pricing, but if we miss it and you don't, please share.

Rogers toots its own horn and 7.2 Mbps network update

by Sean Cooper, posted Dec 11th 2008 at 6:15PM


Canada's Rogers Wireless made official today what some of us had already noticed: its coast-to-coast 3.5G HSPA network (read: 7.2Mbps of fast) lives. Of course, while we may never see "real world" speeds that even get close to this -- nor will the Europeans be particularly impressed -- we're sure Rogers is loving the fact that it's the first wireless network in North America that can brag about it at wireless operator conventions, or something. Rogers currently lists the HTC Touch Diamond, the LG Vu T915, the Novatel MC950D Rocket Stick, and the Novatel X950D Express card as 7.2 Mbps-ready. So start hitting Speedtest already, and let us know how the bits are flowing.

Bell Canada cell tower in Calgary confused, thinks it's in Edmonton

by Sean Cooper, posted Dec 11th 2008 at 3:03PM


If you live in the 7 Street and 7 Avenue, S.W.,area in Calgary, Alberta, are a Bell Mobility subscriber, and noticed a pile of long distance calls to Edmonton on your current bill, feel free to blame Bell. Apparently a new tower in that area was not set up properly and thought it was in Edmonton, so calls placed through it during October and November could result in long distance charges. Bell has patched up the problem, but the onus is on you, dear subscriber, to find any billing errors and phone them in for a credit. We'd love to hear about your outrageous bills, so if your wallet's hurting this month, or a teenager's in the doghouse because of yet another $300 phone bill -- when it really wasn't their fault, this time -- please drop us a line.

[Via HowardChui]

Google Street View lands on S60 and Windows Mobile

by Sean Cooper, posted Dec 10th 2008 at 10:22PM


Nokia's S60 and Microsoft's Windows Mobile were both treated to a Google Maps for Mobile update today with Google Street View. Apparently the popularity of S60 and Windows Mobile in new Street View markets like France, Italy, Spain, and Australia helped drive the 2.3 update, that also includes walking directions, transit alerts, and a revamped user interface. BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android users have had this functionality for a short spell, but it is refreshing to see the feature rolling out into other handsets. So, if you want to give it a run just pop over to google.com/gmm, follow the instructions, download, and pop back with your stories.

Bell gets in on BlackBerry Storm, one city at a time

by Sean Cooper, posted Dec 10th 2008 at 4:14PM


Not to be outdone by rival CDMA provider Telus, Bell also saw fit to launch the BlackBerry Storm in Toronto today -- literally, the rest of the Canada will have to wait for tomorrow. The PR only lists $249 on a three-year term with a minimum $45 a month service agreement, though we suspect they'll get their ducks in a row with shorter commitments soon enough. No word on if Bell's stock cupboards are as bare as they are chez Telus but we'll keep our eyes peeled for chanting angry mobs and post back when we can.

Nokia tables v31 firmware for aging N95

by Sean Cooper, posted Dec 4th 2008 at 11:13AM


Nokia's aging N95 has gotten an early holiday gift in the form of a firmware update bringing it up to v31. Aside from being one "vee" higher, mum's the word on what exactly is getting overhauled with this massive 140MB update. So if you're sitting on an N95 and feel inspired to drop us a line with your update observations, we'd welcome the info. Though, remember, all manner of things can go wrong while performing firmware surgery, so please back up your goods before getting to work.

Update: Seems the N85 getting the same update treatment as the N95 with a v11 refresh. Items addressed include key handling for missed keys -- telepathy improvements, maybe? -- short and long presses on the hotkeys, various power handling tweaks, and various issues with video calling.

Motorola launches the ROKR EM35

by Sean Cooper, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 12:38PM


Not to be upstaged by Nokia's never ending stream of goodies today -- well, honestly, nothing's going to stop that -- Motorola has seen fit to push out a new music-centric device dubbed the ROKR EM35. On the sonic front, it packs audio-enhancing CrystalTalk (which features two microphones to help filter out background noise), virtual stereo surround sound, the MOTOMUSIC player, dual speakers, and an RDS-enabled FM radio. Hardware specs give us quad-band EDGE, a 3.1 megapixel camera, 110MB of onboard memory that's expandable to 32GB, in a fairly tidy 116 gram package. Carrier availability and pricing is missing here, though, we'll likely hear something soon enough.

Microsoft and Blockbuster hook up to offer mobile media content

by Sean Cooper, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 12:06AM

Just about a year ago today we heard whispers that Blockbuster was shopping hardware manufacturers to launch a mobile video service. Leveraging Microsoft's Live Mesh network, Blockbuster hopes to get video out to average joe consumer's portable media device -- which we will assume includes Windows Mobile sets -- initially through Airport kiosks that'll offer quick downloads while you wait for your flight. Blockbuster's CIO, Keith Morrow went on to say "Eventually, we'll give customers instant access to any movie on any device with an Internet connection and a screen" and to that we say, cool beans! This all seems to still be in the demo-app stage, and while we know these ventures really have to fight to get consumer attention, we're sorta hoping this takes off.

Motorola's Attila and Alexander set to launch Q1 '09?

by Sean Cooper, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 3:20PM


Motorola's dandy duo seem set to have their debutante ball sometime in Q1 2009. DigiTimes is reporting that Compal Communications has apparently already received the order for the two new sets that were originally meant to ship this quarter. Of course, we'd also like to see Motorola launch these two things in a more official manner, and with both CES and MWC just around the corner, we'll hopefully get a little more intimate with them soon. Still no word on pricing, but if we hear anything, we'll holler.

[Via Unwired View]

Fido's rebrand complete, yellow figures prominently

by Sean Cooper, posted Nov 4th 2008 at 8:58AM


Fido, Canada's other GSM carrier -- though, wholly owned by Rogers Wireless -- has finally found its new identity. The faithful, straightforward, and trust-inspiring pooch is still present in the new look and feel as well as the hammer-like subtle use of yellow. New plans being launched include "all-in" price plans starting at $15, a $25 deal with unlimited text messaging, and all feature per-second billing and no system access fee. The new site's up now if you're inspired to switch up your plans a bit and we have to say, if the fine type's not too fine, things are definitely looking rosy for budget-minded consumers up north.

Philips offers up Xenium X500, new name, same face

by Sean Cooper, posted Sep 25th 2008 at 8:10PM


If you happened to catch the oddly -named 9@9k about a year ago, you'll likely notice that the "new" X500 seems like a twin with a minor bit of cosmetic work. The X500 features two-month standby and 16 hour talk time, tri-band EDGE, 1.3 megapixel camera, microSD expansion, and an FM radio with RDS support. The only bit of cool we see going on here is the nifty "Up to 2 months standby" written on the screen, and we expect that's not a feature the phone actually has. The Philips Xenium X500 is set to ship to Russia, Turkey, and Romania, at some point in the future, and honestly, with the care-o-meter registering about zero on this set, we may just never find out.

Leak Sauce: is this Sony Ericsson's new Cybershot "Kate"?

by Sean Cooper, posted Sep 25th 2008 at 5:30PM


Now this is what we call a proper spy shot! While we can plainly make out Cybershot branding, nothing else is apparent as the photographer is seemingly attempting to capture the essence of blur and shake. Evidently Sony Ericsson's Kate is set to replace the K770 in the Cybershot line, though sadly, we lack any info about just what exactly its specs will be -- if, indeed, it's real. The folks at cellphonesail mention that it has a unique lens cover a la Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T2, and that's really all that is mentioned, though being a Cybershot, we can expect a decent cam. Typical of Sony Ericsson leaked sets, we'll likely start to see a flow of info in the near term as this is purportedly shipping in Q4 this year.

[Via SEMC Blog]

HTC's Touch HD gets official for O2 Germany

by Sean Cooper, posted Sep 25th 2008 at 10:37AM


That didn't take long, we only got wind of this set a couple weeks ago and it's already landed in exclusive-style at the O2 Germany's feet. Arne over at the::unwired had a chance to play with the device -- sans branding -- and while nothing is divulged as to date and pricing, we're betting on pricey. Interesting to note that the Touch HD won't be branded as an XDA device, this is apparently a first for O2 and its smartphone line. Of course we're sure our mail will balloon with news as we get closer to the yet-unknown release date, so please, do check back.
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