Remember how we told you about Palm’s rumored upcoming devices? Well, the folks over at WebOS Internals have been pouring through SFR’s webOS 2.0 code and have stumbled upon five device code-names: Stingray, Mantaray, Broadway, Windsor and Roadrunner (Palm Pre 2). The code-names were  found in string of code that displays: “temporarily not restoring logs for newer devices.” The holiday season is fast approaching, and we would love to add some HP-Palm hardware to our respective wish lists.

[Via Engadget]

Read

Remember that Nexus Two handset rumor that caught fire late last week? Well, according to Korean website danawa.com the report was a false alarm. The site is quoting a Samsung official who claims that the reports — which really took off after Gizmodo published the above mock-up — are “simply not true.” In any case, it looks like Samsung will be — as hypothesized — taking the wraps off of the Continuum smartphone at their November 8th media event. Anyone disappointed?

Read

It looks like the Wi-Fi only variant of the Samsung Galaxy Tab — a device Samsung said they were working on that recently made an appearance in a Best Buy advert — has crossed the FCC’s desk. The only difference between the carrier branded Tab and the Wi-Fi only Tab, other than the absence of a cellular radio (duh!), is the device’s model number: GT-P1010. If Best Buy’s advertisement-oopsie was accurate, we should see the Wi-Fi device priced around $499; $100 less than an unsubsidized 3G model. What do you think? Worth it?

[Via IntoMobile]

Read

Santa Ballmer? Steve Claus? Neither nickname has a great ring to it, but Microsoft’s CEO definitely deserves something similar this holiday season. Network World confirmed Thursday that Microsoft will be handing out free Windows Phone 7 devices to each and every company employee — that’s about 89,000 phones. Add to that another 1,000 free WP7 handsets that will be passed out to Microsoft’s Professional Developer Conference attendees, and you’ve got quite an expense (likely over $20 million) that the Redmond giant is swallowing. You can’t put a price on publicity, however, and 90,000 free phones translates into a pretty huge amount of chatter. This is all well and good, but let’s hope the sizable stunt also ends up moving some product.

Read

Apple has a mixed record when it comes to adopting industry standards. For example, the company was the first OEM to install USB and Firewire on its desktop machines but has yet to include HDMI connectivity in its laptop line; the recently refreshed Mac Mini line were the first Apple products to sport an HDMI output. Now, Mr. Jobs has provided us with his two cents in an email response to a request for Apple to adopt USB 3.0:

We don’t see USB 3 taking off at this time. No support from Intel,  for example.

The optimist in you might be hoping that Apple is holding off in favor of Intel’s upcoming Light Peak technology. Light Peak will feature an optical cable with a bandwidth of 10Gb/s (that’s gigabits) and will be a universal replacement for SCSI, SATA, USB, FireWire, PCI Express and HDMI. Are we hoping for too much?

Read

Canesta, a company specializing in motion-sensing and 3D gesture controls, have just announced that they are being acquired by Microsoft; a deal that is expected to be finalized by the end of 2010. Canesta was founded in 1999 and they specialize in “NUI’s” or natural user interfaces. Their technology allows users to do away with the traditional mouse and keyboard combo for most of their computing needs. They are also experts in 3D tracking; a very useful purchase for the  future development of the Kinect platform. The Silicon Valley company holds 44 patents with regard to 3D sensing technologies, which will protect Microsoft in any patent litigation they may find themselves in. The acquisition could usher in a new revolutionary GUI/NUI for Windows 8. Minority Report computing might be around sooner than you think. Hit the break to watch Canesta’s technology in action.

Read

If you’re a current Sprint customer, with an Epic 4G, you might not have had much of a reason to utilize the Media Hub feature included with the Samsung handset. However, if you plan on purchasing an Epic 4G or Galaxy Tab between October 31st and January 8th, Sprint might give you an incentive to explore The Hub a little further. According to blog Androinica, Sprint will be offering a $50 credit to Samsung’s Media Hub to customers who purchase any of their Galaxy S offerings. Vouchers will be issued with a 10-digit promotional code that can be redeemed anytime before March 31, 2011 and must be used within 60-days of activation. Seems like a pretty good deal. Hit the jump for the full article.

Read

Apple didn’t exactly surprise the tech world with a MacBook Air update at its Back To The Mac event a couple weeks ago. The infamously-thin notebook hadn’t been updated in over 500 days, and there were more rumors and leaks on the unannounced product than we could shake a stick at. When the new Air was finally revealed, we got a look at some decent to very-good specifications, an even better and thinner design, and a more functional and useful product; that’s not to mention the device’s 11-inch baby brother which retails for only $999. We did our hands on thing with the 11-inch unit, but, in our eyes, it proved to be too small for daily use, so we’ve gone ahead and reviewed the 13-inch model. Read on for our thoughts!For starters, the new MacBook Air, even though it’s not drastically externally-different from the first one, seems like a completely new product — especially since we only used the first, first generation laptop. The two USB ports, something that should have been standard all along, have finally appeared and — thankfully — on opposite sides of the notebook. This way, you can plug in multiple USB devices without having to worry about them knocking into each other and making only one of them usable at a time. There’s an SD card slot on the right side of the device, a mini display port just next to it, and a headphone jack and a mic on the left.

It feels like Apple has evolved the MacBook Air into a new class of notebooks — one based solely around solid-state parts to give users an “instant” experience — much like how an iPad operates. There is no user-accessible anything on this computer, no hard drive access, RAM access, nothing. This allows the computer to literally boot in around 15 seconds from a powered-down state, wake almost instantly from sleep, and also enter into what Apple calls a “deep sleep.” This new mode will allow the computer to practically stay in suspended animation for up to 30 days. This is also in addition to around 7 hours of “real world usage” battery life, which we can confirm is reasonably accurate.

Now, what have we missed since we switched from a 15-inch Core i5 8GB RAM 256GB SSD MacBook Pro? Honestly, you’re going to laugh, but not much. Sure incredibly intensive tasks take longer on the MacBook Air, but realistically we haven’t noticed a day to day difference in 95% of the work we do. Even something as complex as importing 1GB of HD video into iMovie ’11, editing the footage, and exporting and uploading a movie trailer creation was effortless. It took us around 7 minutes to export and upload a high quality movie trailer.

Aperture also functions very swiftly on the 1.86GHz machine with 2GB RAM that we’re using, and Photoshop — in our normal usage — hasn’t bogged down or hampered our workflow once.

We’re always carrying a notebook to and from the office, covering events in real time, and working from the car. The sacrifice in raw horsepower from switching from a MacBook Pro is dwarfed by the amazingly light and sufficiently speedy Air. We can’t even look at the 15-inch MacBook Pro the same, and this is what the future of all Apple notebooks will be someday. The MacBook Air barely has heated up on us, and we have barely heard the one singular fan within humming away — a real testament to how perfectly engineered the notebook is. We have no doubt that Apple will slowly transition even the MacBook Pro into a much thinner, portable product. If we had to bet, we’d be willing to say that the MacBook Air will replace the MacBook category, be called simply a MacBook, and the MacBook Pro will be left at the top, though slimmed down a bit.

For all our praises, there are definitely a couple things that bugged us about the new unit, though obviously nothing big enough to deter us from making it our main machine. We’re not thrilled with the visibility of the caps lock key — of all things — it’s a very faint green and it’s difficult to see when it’s active or not. It also requires more pressure than the rest of the keyboard, at least on our unit.

We miss the backlit keyboard which existed on the first generation MacBook Air and we miss the ambient light sensor even though we basically would fight it on all occasions. Not having an ethernet port is also a slight bummer, but we understand the port physically wouldn’t fit height wise with the notebook’s design. Still, we’ll have to carry a USB ethernet adapter at all times in the event Wi-Fi isn’t available, and it will take up one of the USB ports.

All things considered, what the new MacBook Air is, is an advancement of the laptop in ways that no other manufacturer has come close to touching. It’s not the least expensive option out there, though we wouldn’t necessarily call the most expensive option either. What the MacBook Air has done, is slowly start to transform the laptop industry much like the iPad and iOS have started to transform the mobile industry. Soon, all laptops will not require moving parts, they will also offer almost instant boot times, run cool, run fast, and they’ll be thin. Because thin is in.

According to Gizmodo, yes. The blog is reporting that a “friend” of theirs actually got some hands-on time with the Samsung heir to the Nexus throne. The device, which is being referred to as the Nexus Two, was described as “black and shiny” with a 4-inch AMOLED display (we would assume Super AMOLED since it’s Samsung), front-facing camera, and roughly the same proportions as the current Galaxy S offerings in the U.S. (not including the Epic 4G). The “friend” also said the device’s software, which was a stock version of Android, was “very buggy.” We have to admit, the thought of Galaxy S hardware running an unmolested version of Android has piqued our interest. Samsung has a media event scheduled for November 8th where, most blogs agree, the company will announce their Continuum handset. Could this be Samsung’s equivalent of “one more thing?” We hope so.

UPDATE: PCMag’s Sascha Segan just posted an article of his own on the rumored device. The post had this to say on the matter: “The unnamed, unlocked Samsung phone is not coming out at an event on November 8, my sources said.” Although earlier in the post he did admit, “Samsung is working on an unlocked Android device that looks like the one in Gizmodo’s pictures. But it may not be called ‘Nexus Two.’”

Note: Above image is a mock-up. Image credit to Gizmodo.

Read

With just a single phone model in its repertoire (two including the iPhone 3GS, which is still available for purchase), IDC reveals Apple has passed RIM to become the fourth largest cell phone vendor in the world. Last quarter, Apple sold 14.1 million iPhone units to snag 4.1% of the global market. RIM rang up about 12.3 million units over the same period and slipped into fifth place globally. Sony Ericsson was displaced from the top five list. The top three manufacturers on the list remained unchanged, with Nokia having sold 110.4 million units (32.4% market share), Samsung unloading 71.4 units (21% market share) and LG hawking 28.4 million phones (8.3% market share). This news, obviously, is not good for the BlackBerry maker. RIM recently introduced its next-generation operating system, BlackBerry 6, and also launched its first touchscreen/QWERTY hybrid handset alongside a good amount of hype. Still, it was passed by Apple, which will only pick up pace in 2011 with the expected introduction of a CDMA iPhone model. IDC’s full press release can be found after the break.

Apple Joins Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors as Worldwide Market Grows Nearly 15% in Third Quarter, According to IDC

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Oct 28, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — The worldwide mobile phone market grew 14.6% in the third quarter of 2010 (3Q10), the fourth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, driven in part by the fast-growing converged mobile device category. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped 340.5 million units in 3Q10 compared to 297.1 million units in the third quarter of 2009.

The growing popularity of converged mobile devices, or smartphones, with consumers and businesspersons is evidenced by the appearance of a second smartphone-only vendor in the top 5 ranking. Apple moved into the number 4 position worldwide in 3Q10, joining Research In Motion (RIM) as one of the world’s largest mobile phone suppliers. RIM has spent three quarters on IDC’s leaderboard. Apple and RIM also posted the highest-growth rates among the top 5 vendors last quarter.

“The entrance of Apple to the top 5 vendor ranking underscores the increased importance of smartphones to the overall market. Moreover, the mobile phone makers that are delivering popular smartphone models are among the fastest growing firms,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker. “Vendors that aren’t developing a strong portfolio of smartphones will be challenged to maintain and grow market share in the future.”

Apple, RIM, and the vendors producing Android-based smartphones have put noticeable pressure on Nokia, the overall market leader. “Nokia still leads all vendors by a significant margin for converged mobile devices and mobile phones as a whole,” said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Devices Technology and Trends team. “However, Nokia’s grip on the traditional mobile phone market has been somewhat loosened, as multiple Chinese vendors have gained ground, especially within emerging markets. To bolster its overall competitiveness, Nokia has been focused on improving its smartphone offerings.”

Market Outlook

IDC believes the worldwide mobile phone market will be driven largely by smartphone growth to the end of 2014. “The smartphone is becoming the focal point of the personal communications experience,” noted Restivo. “As a result, new market growth will be increasingly generated by smartphones. This year, we are expecting the smartphone sub-market to grow 55% year over year.”

Regional Analysis

Competitive forces emerged in the Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) region last quarter to the detriment of market leader Nokia. In emerging markets, brands such as Micromax, Nexian, and i-Mobile chipped away at Nokia’s market share. Android-powered smartphones also gained momentum across the region at the expense of Nokia. Samsung gained ground in South Korea while Huawei, Lenovo, and ZTE launched devices in several markets. In Japan, mobile phone market growth was driven primarily by domestic vendors Sharp, Panasonic, Fujitsu, and NEC. The Western European mobile phone market’s growth was largely attributable to smartphones, which grew thanks to the iPhone 4 and Android-powered devices from HTC and Samsung. Demand was also stoked by large operator device subsidies that helped to keep consumer interest in smartphones high. At the same time, the CEMA handset market grew slowly in 3Q10. As a result, smartphone volumes are growing substantially but still only comprise one-fifth of total shipments for the regions combined. This is modest compared to more economically-developed regions. The United States mobile phone market was characterized by growth in the smartphone market. Grabbing headlines were the Apple iPhone 4, RIM’s BlackBerry Torch 9800, the HTC EVO 4G, and Motorola’s new DROID X and DROID 2, all of which were launched last quarter. Not to be overlooked was Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphone lineup, which were launched at all of the major carriers last quarter. Traditional mobile phones, meanwhile, fought back with smartphone-like functionality, but saw their overall share of the market continue to decline. In Canada, Android-powered handsets gained momentum as Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson and Motorola shipped new models. Huawei and ASUS, low-cost providers of Android devices, entered the market. RIM’s BlackBerry Torch was announced while the iPhone 4 was introduced to great fanfare. Despite continued economic sluggishness in some countries, the Latin American region grew as a result of higher smartphone adoption. Vendors like Alcatel, ZTE, and Huawei have targeted Latin America aggressively with entry-level models in an effort to steal share from Nokia, the overall market leader in the region. These models are lower-cost product offerings designed to meet the needs of basic users. Motorola’s Android-powered devices have also grown quickly in the region due to the popularity of models like the QUENCH, Backflip, and Milestone.

Top Five Mobile Phone Vendors

Nokia maintained the top spot in the overall mobile phone market despite year-over-year unit shipment growth of less than 2% in new chief executive Steven Elop’s first quarter at the helm. The company grew converged mobile device shipments 61% in 3Q10, but average selling prices for the device type dropped to EUR136, compared to EUR190 in the same quarter last year. Nokia attributed the plunge to price pressure from competitors and its stated desire to reach more customers. Nokia hopes the C8 and C7 devices will boost ASPs in future.

Samsung marked a new milestone during the third quarter, pushing through the 70 million unit mark for the first time in the company’s history. In addition, the company more than doubled the number of converged mobile device shipments from the previous quarter. Driving this was the worldwide release of its Galaxy S i9000 converged mobile device, as well as its bada-based Wave model. Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, Samsung appears poised to bring more smartphones to market, with a new Wave 2 awaiting launch and more mass-market devices for emerging markets.

LG Electronics missed its 3Q10 total mobile phone and smartphone shipment growth targets, resulting in an overall double-digit shipment decrease when compared to the same quarter one year ago. LG has yet to make a significant impact in the smartphone category unlike its competitors. Although operating margin returned to the same levels as a year ago, sales and profitability both fell significantly. By the end of the quarter, LG replaced its CEO Nam Yong with Koo Bon-Joon, head of LG’s trading firm, LG International.

Apple leapt ahead of several vendors in 3Q10 including RIM, which it surpassed by 1.7-million units, and Sony Ericsson by 3.7-million units. The company’s record shipment performance can be attributed to the introduction of the iPhone 4 in 17 new countries last quarter. The record performance came despite “Antennagate,” the name used to describe the controversy around alleged iPhone reception problems, in July.

Research In Motion posted a record number of unit shipments in 3Q10. The BlackBerry maker continues to grow in Latin America, for example, due to the success of the Curve 8520 entry-level model, which has helped drive growth in most emerging markets. The vendor’s results were also boosted by the introduction of the higher-cost Torch in the United States, a key market due to the size and intensity of competition.

SonyEricsson, which shipped 10.4 million units in 3Q10, fell off the Top 5 list for the first time since the Tracker was conceived in 2004.

[CHART]

Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, October 28, 2010

Note: Vendor shipments are branded shipments and exclude OEM sales for all vendors.

Read

We’ve just gotten some information confirming that Canadian carrier Bell Mobility will be launching the LG Optimus Quantum Windows Phone 7 handset on November 8; the November 8th date had been rumored — due to the U.S. launch — but not confirmed. The Quantum is a full-QWERTY device with a 3.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display, Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, 5 megapixel camera with flash and 720p video recording, DLNA support, 1500mAh battery, and 16GB of internal storage. The full-retail price is listed as $449.95 without subsidies; look for the device to go for around $100 with a 3-year contract. Anyone up North been waiting for some WP7 love?

Thanks, B!

Fresh news out of Redmond. Software giant Microsoft has just posted earnings for Q1 of their fiscal year 2011, and the vitals all look good as Microsoft raked in $16.2 billion in revenues; a 25% increase from the same period in 2010. The company posted a net income of $5.41 billion which translated into $0.62 earnings per share; a 51% and 55% increase respectively when compared with Q1 of fiscal year 2010.

“This was an exceptional quarter, combining solid enterprise growth and continued strong consumer demand for Office 2010, Windows 7, and Xbox 360 consoles and games,” said Peter Klein, Microsoft’s CFO. “Our ability to grow revenue while continuing to control costs allowed us to deliver another quarter of year-over-year margin expansion.”

Although inconsequential on the balance sheet, this quarter did mark the first time in fifteen years that Cupertino, CA based Apple, Inc. outperformed Microsoft in revenue; Apple reported $20.34 billion in revenues during the same period. Regardless, Microsoft still — through its focus on highly profitable software (not hardware) — did generate more profit than the iPhone maker… and paid its shareholders a dividend.

Read

Today, Verizon Wireless announced a minor update to the Motorola DROID 2 that is currently being rolled out. The update brings with it improved battery life, better proximity sensor accuracy, improved GPS tracking, faster transitions between Wi-Fi and 3G, and a handful of other small fixes. The update — version 2.3.20.A955.Verizon.en.US/BPC01.09.07P — is being pushed out as we speak. Hit the read link to see the full change log and let us know when your handset gets the new bits.

Read [PDF]

It’s not looking good, boys and girls. Late last night, Apple removed the white iPhone 4 from it’s website’s purchase page. No more placeholder with a “not available sign”, nada.

We reported that we had heard Apple might cancel the white iPhone 4 model entirely the same day Apple announced another delay until Spring.

What do you think? Is it gone or just hiberating through the winter?

What’s better than a developer conference? A secret developer conference of course. Business Insider is reporting that Apple, Inc. will be hosting a “secret iOS developer summit next week.” The event, which is being billed as an invite only, could be an effort by the Cupertino handset maker to polish iOS 4.2 applications that will be ready when Apple makes the next iteration of its mobile OS official. Business Insider cites “an industry source” in the report. It’s all speculative at this point, but we’re sure more information about the double-secret meeting will leak out next week… if it does happen to go down.

Read