Motorola Announces First Push-to-Talk Android Phone
Motorola has just announced the first push-to-talk, Android OS-powered smartphone. Known as the Motorola i1, the phone’s features include the following:
- Android 1.5 OS.
- 3 bands/ modes: 800/ 900 (i) 2400 (w).
- Up to 4 days standby time; 210 minutes (3.5 hrs) talk time.
- 3.1″ full touch screen; 320×480 HGVA resolution.
- 5 MP camera with auto-focus, flash, 4x digital zoom.
- Video recording; storage on included microSD card. Supports H.263, H.264, WMV.
- Removable 2GB memory card, with support up to 32GB.
- WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.
- Internal antenna.
- Opera Mini 5 default web browser.
- Automatic sync.
- Integration with office & personal information.
- Microsoft Document Viewer.
- Android standard virtual keyboard.
- Swype virtual keyboard.
The Motorola i1 phone is available through Motorola or Sprint. See Motorola Media Center for full spec sheet.
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Contract-free iPhones Coming
Contract-free — but non-jailbroken — iPhones will soon be available. No AT&T 2-year contract is required, but you have to pay full prices ($499, $599 and $699 for 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models, respectively). Of course, you’re also not going to have 3G coverage unless you add it, and you can only do so through AT&T (officially) and T-Mobile (unofficially). Since AT&T subsidizes the phones, unless you’re planning to jailbreak a contract-free phone, this is a great way to waste $400. There’s apparently a limit on the purchase of these phones of one per person per day, to a max of 10 phones. (Seriously, who is going to buy 10 full-price iPhones, unless they run some sort of jailbroken apps lab?) You can read more at 9 to 5 Mac and Engadget. Techcrunch believes this is a sign of a new iPhone coming.
Have a mobile device, platform, application, service, accessory or related news you want to share? Email info/ press releases to callstyleblog at gmail.com.
Universal Mailbox Coming to iPhone?
A TUAW article suggests that a universal mailbox IS coming to the iPhone — something Apple’s Steve Jobs confirms. If you’ve used the email on the iPhone, you know that you can add multiple email accounts and access messages from each account, albeit separately. A universal mailbox would aggregate all those messages into a single stream, ordered by date & time. According to the TUAW article, you can also expect some kind of syncing of “office” type documents on the upcoming Apple iPad device.
Have a mobile device, platform, application, service, accessory or related news you want to share? Email info/ press releases to callstyleblog at gmail.com.
Palm Not Switching OS from WebOS to Android
Beleaguered mobile device maker Palm, Inc’s stock may have dropped to $4 (should we buy stock?), but there is no plan to switch platforms from WebOS to Google’s Android, despite recent rumors of an internal memo suggesting CEO Jon Rubenstein is showing support for Android. If this switch does happen, it would be more of an integration of the two mobile platforms, not a replacement.
This is a relief, considering I just bought a Palm Pre Plus a few days ago, both for development use and for its MiFi feature that — for an extra monthly fee — allows me to use the phone as a mobile hotspot to connect five devices. This feature came in hand the very next day after purchase, and it’ll be a boon when I get my hands on a WiFi-only iPad soon, also for development. While I’d personally prefer to program in C++ over Java (Android), but if integrating/ switching to Android keeps Palm alive, I support the move. On the other hand, there are some other things that Palm can do to stay alive, including using some of their $500M in cash reserves for better marketing. Also, educate developers with the same massive quantity of video tutorials and college courses that Apple has been doing for the iPhone SDK. Show developers and consumers that you plan to stay with WebOS for the long haul.
Have a mobile device, platform, application, service, accessory or related news you want to share? Email info/ press releases to callstyleblog at gmail.com.
Sexy: iClooly Aluminum iPhone Stand and UBoard Monitor Stand
While browsing one of the Apple Stores in Palo Alto, CA, a couple of months ago, it struck me that despite average store size, a lot of these outlets were lacking in many ways. For example, why aren’t the Apple stores selling any good iPhone stands, given how many iPhones have been sold? I’ve been in two stores (main employee store and downtown Palo Alto) and nothing. I’ve looked at Apple’s online store and nothing there either. Then I stumbled across Pyramid Distribution’s sexy aluminum iClooly stand, and a few other computer accessories.
Sure, iClooly is nearly US$30 (25% off of $39.99 list price) but it looks worth the price. It also makes your iPhone 3G/ 3Gs sort of look like a miniature iMac. Now, if you browse their site, Pyramid does have a few less expensive stands, but even at US$17.95, they look a bit wobbly. I guess the idea with all these types of stands is to give you hands free viewing of your iPhone when you can’t touch. Though given how firmly some iPhone apps require you to touch or tap the screen, I’m not sure you can use this setup like a small touch-screen computer. One push from a finger is could possibly knock your phone over or simply push it away from you. Has anyone had any experience with this iPhone stand?
[Via Buzz Beast]
UBoard Monitor Stand
One of the reasons I was looking around for accessories was to optimize my mobile apps development lab, which involves too many laptops, computers and screens – not to mention, phones, external hard drives, USB hubs and media readers. Things are extremely crowded on my work desk, and there’s no room to add another desk to expand onto. So I’ve been looking for multi-tier monitor stands that could let me slip two laptops underneath when they’re not in use, but still allow access. There’s nothing out there that I’ve seen so far, and I ended up improvising with two wire dish rack stands from Target. They seem to work fine for now, but if you want a stylish monitor stand, Pyramid has the UBoard, which has a glass top and a built-in USB hub for either Mac or Windows computers.
From the dimensions given, you probably cannot put a Mac Mini or a Dell Zino (a bit bigger than a Mini in size, but of a similar form factor) under near the glass ledge, but you could put them on top, slide a closed laptop underneath, and setup a monitor or iMac behind the stand. Or you can put a monitor or iMac on top. The glass top does looking fragile, but specifications say that it will support up to 15kg of weight. Since a 24″ iMac is 11.3 kg (25 lbs), you have some flexibility of configuration. The only setback is the US$50 price, which is not conducive to any bootstrapping apps developer on a small budget. On the other, if you saw how flimsy my current monitor stands are, it might be worth the expense of a couple of UBoards, to prevent the loss of a monitor falling over from accidental bumping.
How have you got your mobile development lab set up? Found any innovative accessories that optimize your workspace?