BGR has an interesting post regarding AT&T’s offering of free WiFi to laptop users with a laptop card. Here is the quote:
Effective tomorrow, May 20th, the long-awaited FREE WiFi Access to over 17,000 WiFi locations throughout the U.S. launches for Laptop Connect Customers with plans $60 or higher. This exciting new feature will allow customers unlimited access to over 17,000 WiFi locations at no extra charge including locations in Starbucks and McDonalds. Customers will need three things for this free access:
* A laptop card. FREE WiFi for Smartphones is not available yet, but will be later in 2008.
* The latest version of Communication Manager (version 6.8). Once loaded this version will automatically log onto AT&T hotspots.
* A Laptop Connect plan of $60 or greater.
If you’ll notice the first point, it says “FREE WiFi for Smartphones is not available yet, but will be later in 2008.” So I guess there you have it, AT&T may be giving out free WiFi to Smartphone users later in 2008.
The Treo 800w has shown itself for the first time on PhoneMag and aesthetically it’s not looking great but the specs are really decent. With Windows Mobile 6.1, EV-DO Rev. A, GPS and a 320 x 320 touchscreen the phone is stellar. Expect the phone to hit Sprint around late July.
BGR knows whats up when it comes to most things and he’s got a quick pic of the Sidekick Gecko’s browser. The browser is fully functional and when the phone drops it will come with a Sharp Aquos-influenced screen, 2 MP camera with video, interchangeable bumpers, and more. Release date isn’t pegged but we’re thinking July 30th.
The Nseries by Nokia are famous for their superior and unique design. They have the look and feel of a camcorder, messenger and phone all in one. The camera quality is superior to all others with a 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss lens on the N96. Unfortunately, according to a reliable Nokia Blog source, it could be more than two years before a flip-and-swivel successor makes its way to market. The source placed the time line at 2010 but failed to specify a quarter or any additional details.
BGR has some great news and a fake pic of the upcoming BlackBerry Thunder. The device is supposed to launch in Q3 of this year but we’re highly sceptical seeing as though the BlackBerry Bold has just been released. How many hardware launches can RIM have? Anyways, the BlackBerry Thunder is a full touchscreen BlackBerry, with only 4 physical keys. The 4 keys represent the send / end phone keys, the BlackBerry menu key, and the back key.
The Thunder is expected to launch worldwide on Verizon and Vodafone as a hybrid CDMA EV-DO Rev. C as well as GSM HSPA for traveling internationally. This means 4G is a must baby!
At about 33 seconds into this Windows Live Mesh commercial, we get a glimpse of a new version of Windows Mobile 7 running on an HTC Touch Slide handset. The media sharing is the best part of Live Mesh and it allows you to send your content from Mac, to Windows, to mobile.
The Nokia E71 is a long awaited smartphone and it seems that more details regarding the phone will come in the form of an announcement by Nokia as soon as Thursday May 8. So far, we know that the E71 comes with a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera, 3G, WiFi and is really slim at 112 x 57 x 10 mm. Expect the US version to be 3G too.
A memo forwarded to Engadget Mobile supposedly from a retail store, suggests that the 3G iPhone could be released this summer some time around June 15 to July 15. The rationale is that the memo is telling employees not to take vacations during this time, which tells us that this might be AT&T gearing up for a big product launch. Although the information isn’t completely reliable and the clues are a little bit of a leap of logic, the date would coincide with iPhone’s one year anniversary.
Hank Nothhaft, CEO of Danger which is producing the new Hiptop, was rocking the unlreased device during a recent interview with the Financial Times. Nothhaft described the device as “thinner and less wide but has a bigger keyboard.” Nothhaft also mentioned that he considers Tessera Technologies, a mobile camera manufacturer, a “company to watch,” and therefore may find its way onto the unreleased device.
[Image via horrible photoshopping done by yours truly]
British Telecom is likely to reveal a “BlackBerry-styled” deice that will do everything a typical smartphone can do and more. According to the Times Online, the device device will “switch from BT’s wireless Home Hub indoors to Vodafone’s network on the move,” and it’s expected to be sold with a broadband package. If you have pictures of the device send them to kyle at smartphonecool dawt com.
Mobile-ent.biz’s most recent editorial is about the amount of choice available in the mobile industry. The article uses Sociology professor Barry Schwartz’s book The Paradox of Choice, whose thesis is that too much choice makes consumers unhappy, as the basis for the article. Personally, I have to disagree and say that I will never [...]
The BlackBerry has always been a really unsatisfying device in terms of media. Getting a movie on your BlackBerry involves downloading 3rd party software and although music is a simple drag-and-drop, there aren’t any dedicated keys. To make up for this, RIM is working on a new application for the BlackBerry that will “transfer your [...]
I just recently got an HTC Dash from T-Mobile but in order to use it in Canada I’m going to have to get it unlocked. Here is a QuicklyBored Guide to getting your HTC Dash by T-Mobile unlocked. Executive summary: Check the criteria for unlocking before starting.
The Nseries by Nokia are famous for their superior and unique design. They have the look and feel of a camcorder, messenger and phone all in one. The camera quality is superior to all others with a 5 megapixel Carl Zeiss lens on the N96. Unfortunately, according to a reliable Nokia Blog [...]
