Thursday, February 26, 2009

Verizon LG Versa Announced, Ships Soon

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Verizon and LG officially announced yesterday their latest soon-to-be-released device: The LG Versa. The name is short for "versatility", pretty fitting since the Versa will allow for different attachments for maxiumum customization. It will come with a full QWERTY keyboard to get you started - great for those (including myself) who prefer a tactile keyboard over a virtual touch screen keyboard. Many seem to be making a big deal about the fact that it can be used as a modem as well, but this is not exactly a new innovation in the mobile world. Verizon, however, often blocks this ability (they are known for crippling devices in many ways). It's called tethering, for those who are unfamiliar, and just means that you can connect your phone to your computer and acces the internet through your device's connection. It is great, since you can basically get on the 'net wherever you have cellular service. Oh yeah... to use the Versa as a modem, you're going to have to dish out an extra $59.99 per month for Verizon's Mobile Broadband Connect plan, and is also limited to 5GB of data transfer. More features supported that are associated with an extra charge: V Cast Music using Rhapsody, V Cast Video, Visual Voice Mail, VZ Navigator GPS. That's not to say that other carrier's don't charge for similar services, but it would be nice to see that modem feature at least offered for a little less.

All in all though, the device is actually quite innovative, with a nice feature set. Here's the rundown:
  • Customizable animated 3D interface
  • EV-DO Rev. A
  • 3" touch screen display
  • 2.0 megapixel camera with face detection
  • Image editor
  • Full HTML Browser
  • Flash Support (= Awesome!)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), supports stereo sound
  • 2.5mm headset jack (= too bad)
  • microSD card slot supporting up to 16GB of additional memory
  • Accelerometer
  • Drawing pad
The release date is set at March 1, 2009, and it will cost $199 after a $50 mail-in rebate. According to press release slides, a game controller attachment will be available soon! For more info and some more press release pictures, check out Engadget.


WinBook WB-8321 HD Digital Video Camcorder Awesome Price

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Recording in high definition on-the-go has never been easier. The WinBook WB-8321 is a small digital video camcorder with a flip-out 2.4" LCD display. Recording in AVI video format (H.264 codec) and WAV audio format, it sports a 5MP CMOS optical sensor. JPEG is used for still images, which can be captured in resolutions of 3744 x 2808, 2592 x 1944, or 1600 x 1200. It has four recording modes, all at 30 fps (frames per second): 1280 x 720, 720 x 480, 640 x 480, 320 x 240. White balance modes include auto, daylight, fluorescent, tungsten, with exposure compensation of ±1 EV range in 1/3 EV steps. Storage is taken care of with 64MB of built-in flash memory (part of which is used for the firmware), expandable using the SD card slot. Multiple flash modes and 8x digital zoom round out the feature set.

Not only does the WinBook support HDMI, Mini USB 2.0, and TV Out, but it also includes the necessary cables in the box. You'll get: a box with color sleeve, HDMI cable, AV cable, USB cable, stereo earphones, NP-60 Li-ion rechargeable battery, power adapter, strap, pouch, CD with driver, AP, and a user's manual.

Now for the catch... actually there isnt one! Buy.com is currently offering it for $69.99 with FREE shipping! The normal retail price of this baby is $199.99, but I have seen it on sale elsewhere for around $90 to $120.

So, snag one for yourself here at this great price while you still can! There is currently a limit of 5 per customer.

Blackberry Storm and iPhone Internet Speed Test

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Wondering how fast your nice new BlackBerry Storm or iPhone is letting you browse the internet? Many people want to know if their nice new toy is living up to the hype and their own expectations. Cisco Global Internet Speed Test (GIST) for iPhone & Blackberry Storm is a neat little tool to test your mobile bandwidth. It actually includes speeds over WiFi as well, which are likely to be limited by the hardware and OS, and not the internet connection. The program quantifies your speed under three different classifications:
  1. Web 2.0 Grade: surf the web and collaborate, you’re on a solid wave (150 – 449 kbps)
  2. Music Grade: download/listen to your favorite tunes, you’ve got the bandwidth (450 – 749 kbps)
  3. Video Grade: get your popcorn—it’s showtime, you’re in the fast lane (750+ kbps)
blackberrynews had a few posts made by people who tried out the program, and to be honest, the speeds did not seem very impressive.

Download the program from Cisco for free here!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Amazon Kindle 2 Dissassembly and Specs

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As many know, the Amazon Kindle 2 was released just yesterday for $359. Already, some brave souls at ifixit have done a complete teardown of the unit. They have a pretty detailed guide on how to do it in case you happen to be crazy enough to attempt it too. The good part? Some of the specifications revealed are interesting:
  • Processor: 532 MHz 90nm ARM-11 Freescale MCIMX31L multimedia processor. Clocks faster thant the iPhone 3G, slower than the BlackBerry Bold, and a bit quicker than the BlackBerry Curve 8900
  • It is actually thinner than the iPhone 3G!
  • 1530 mAh lithium polymer battery, Model No. S11S01A. It's a 3.7 V. The battery weighs about 10% of the total weight of the Kindle.
  • Samsung K4X1G323PC 32MB mobile DDR SDRAM chip
  • moviNAND package: 2GB flash and controller
  • A secretive Amazon subsidiary by the name of Lab126 designed both the Kindle 1 and Kindle 2
  • The E-Ink panel is not protected by any extra covering
  • The E-Ink display still displays a crysal clear image when the battery is removed
  • Freescale, Samsung, and Epson are the manufacturers of most of the relatively larger chips in the Kindle
  • MC13783VK5 battery management chip
  • The E-Ink chip is branded by Epson as well
  • An outline of a SIM card might have been for development and debugging... perhaps a future international release

Well there you have it. Want to see for yourself? It apparently only entails removing 26 screws and disconnecting 4 connectors. Keep in mind that this is usually not a good thing to do if you ever have to go through the warranty department...

More info here, and here

Get Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack early

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While the Halo Wars Mythic Map Pack is scheduled for a release date of March 3, 2009, you can get a sneak peak at the real deal when you purchase the Limited Collector's Edition. You can play games of 4 vs. 4 on three new maps: Orbital, Assembly, and Sandbox. It also includes a graphic novel entitled Halo Wars: Genesis. While I'm not too keen on the game in general, this seems like a pretty good deal if you really want to check out the new maps early.


Check Bungie.net for some more screenshots of Orbital and Assembly.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Keurig Mini Coffee Maker

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Sometimes you need a quick coffee fix, all for yourself, but don't want to go through the preparation. Let's face it: pouring the water, finding a coffee filter, opening the coffee container, scooping the coffee, etc... it can be a mess and a hassle, especially when you're in a rush (and the mobile individual always seems to be in a hurry). Keurig has long been a leader in hassle-free coffee makers. They have great, reliable commercial lines, as well as lasting personal ones. The Mini is a relatively recent product release that puts Keurig's innovative brewing system into a significantly smaller package.

The Keurig brewing system uses special K-cups: small containers of ground coffee that you simply place into the machine, and brew great tasting coffee at the press of a button. There are many options to choose from when shopping for K-cups. You can order them online or even buy them in your grocery store in the coffee isle. They come in all sorts of brands and flavors, including Green Mountain Coffee, Gloria Jean's, Emeril's, Caribou Coffee, Diedrich Coffee, Newman's Own, Tully's Coffee, kona, extra bold, organic, and many more. Did I mention you can brew tea and hot cocoa as well? ... Well you certainly can. Another great feature is that you can purchase an optional filter piece for around $15 or so, which allows you to use any coffee you want, loose, without a K-cup.

All you need to do is fill the machine with 8 oz of fresh water, put in your K-cup, and out comes a great cup of freshly brewed coffee. It only takes 3 minutes to heat up, and then brews right away. Larger and more commercially-oriented models have large water tanks, but I think the Mini makes sure you are always using fresh water, and not just letting it sit in a reservoir. Whether you're space is a home, dorm, apartment, or even a boat, the Keurig specialty brewing system is a great addition. It comes in black, red, and white, so it is sure to fit in nicely. It is currently going for $79.95 with free gound shipping on Keurig's website. However, you can find them in most any related store, often for cheaper with coupons.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Netbook Deal

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Continuing with the apparent great deals theme for today, it seems that Sam's Club is offering a Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Netbook for only $245 with shipping INCLUDED! Mobile computing really doesn't get any better than a netbook. I use one that I carry around with me all day long and just can't say enough for the convenience it provides. This model comes well-equipped with an 8GB solid state drive (SSD), 8.9" glossy LED screen with 1024 x 600 resolution, Intel® Atom Processor® N270 at 1.6GHz, 1GB of DDR2 RAM (1 DIMM), integrated 802.11g WiFi card, integrated webcam, and more. Hard-wired connectivity doesn't suffer despite the Mini 9's small size. It has an integrated 10/100 network card, 3 USB 2.0 ports, a 3-in-1 media card reader, microphone and headphone jacks, and VGA video connector. The 4-cell 32WHr Li-Ion Battery will last about 4 hours. All of that weighing in at only around 2.28 pounds!

Want one? Check it out here for the $245 price.

Oh, and if you want a Mini 9 with high speed internet connectivity wherever 3G wireless service is available, you can get one with AT&T service here for $99 after a $350 mail-in rebate and 2-year contract with AT&T.

Update: It looks like one of The Boy Genius' ninjas has uncovered some information supporting availability of the Dell Mini 9 and Mini 12 in AT&T stores soon.
More info and pictures

Magellan Maestro 3200 Great Deal

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Looking for great deals on a GPS device for your car? Look no further... Buy.com is currently offering the Magellan Maestro 3200 for $59.99 and with FREE shipping! It's ultra thin compact design makes it easy to move from car to car with ease, and hardly obstructs the view through your windshield. It sports a 3.5" QVGA color touch screen with map coverage for the continental United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. 1.3 million points of interest come pre-loaded, so finding the nearest gas station, coffee shop, ATM, restaurant, and more will be a snap. You have the option to use 2D or 3D views, as well as Map View, TrueView 3D split screen, and Maneuver List. If you make a wrong turn or find yourself in some dense traffic, SmartDetour will guide you in the right direction, or even around the traffic. GPS accuracy won't be a problem with the acclaimed SiRFstarIII chipset and internal antenna, accurate within 3 to 5 meters. The 1GB of internal memory is expandable using the built-in SD memory card slot. In the box will be the GPS receiver/unit, windshield mount, USB cable for computer connectivity via USB 2.0, a cigarette lighter power adapter, and cigarette ac/adapter.

It seems they are being limited to five per customer. Grab one here while you can!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

AT&T Dell Smartphone Imminent?

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According to a statement made earlier today at Mobile World Congress, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de La Vega stated, "Dell announced they're entering the smart phone market." There have been rumors about this device for a while now, but without any solid confirmation, especially not from a CEO. While de la Vega now claims he was misquoted, it might very well be that he simply slipped. I always thought their PDA lineup was great and ahead of the rest in terms of hardware, so a smartphone could be a great addition. The connection could mean that a Dell smartphone might be heading to AT&T in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled.

From Gearlog

Monday, February 16, 2009

Lenovo ThinkPad with BlackBerry email

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Ever wish you could be out and about and just pop open your laptop having the most recent email waiting for you? Well, Lenovo and Research in Motion (RIM) have developed a way to do this using a laptop ExpressCard, with 'Constant Connect'. The card stays connected to your BlackBerry via Bluetooth and the email goes right to your computer as it comes in. It has 500MB of built-in storage for your messages, allowing them to be saved from your 'Berry even when your ThinkPad is off. Sure, you could tether your device or just get a laptop card with your cellular service provider, but technically you need an expensive tethering/pc data plan to do that. With Constant Connect, not only do you get email on your laptop as quickly as your BlackBerry, but it might be a way around the tethering plans... unless the terms somehow cover this.

More info over at engadget

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Buying a BlackBerry Help (continued)

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BlackBerry's are designed to work great with email, and most people are aware of this. You first want to consider if you are going to be using the device primarily for email, or mostly for media. ALL of the models currently offered do email well, but only the newer ones have the better media capabilites. In addition, all of the models previously mentioned do have media features, but the newer models work better in that area.

Again, here is a recap of the newest:

-Pearl Flip 8220: SureType Keyboard, with WiFi, no GPS, GSM provider
-Curve 8900: QWERTY Keyboard, with WiFi, with GPS, GSM provider
-Bold 9000: QWERTY Keyboard, with WiFi, with GPS, GSM provider
-Storm 95xx: All Touch Screen, no Wifi, with GPS, GSM and CDMA

These have newer and more capable operating system versions than their predecessors. Also, they have faster processors, with an exception of the Flip, which has the same as the previous models at 312MHz. The 8900 will clock at 512MHz, the Storm at 528MHz, and the Bold at 624MHz. The combination of the revamped OS and higher processor speeds allow the unit to work faster in general, especially with high-speed browsing, loading media (pictures/videos/music), saving media, playing media, and fast forwarding and rewinding media. There will be less lag time and a nicer, more user-friendly interface to work with. The Flip and Bold have 2 megapixel cameras, while the 8900 and storm have 3.2 megapixel cameras with AutoFocus. Of course, neither will take breathtaking shots, but it's nice to have something decent to snap a few quick pics with when you don't have your SLR handy!

As for the keyboard on the Storm, I am not a fan of a virtual keyboard, but it is certainly innovative the way RIM implemented this one. You have to click in the screen to 'press' keys. I prefer a tactile keyboard but many find they can type just as fast, if not faster, on a Storm or iPhone. The SureType keyboards are great, as they only have one or two characters per key, making the predictive text more accurate. Still, there will be some corrections that have to be made as you 'thumb' through those emails.

Well, that about wraps up the basic guide for buying a BlackBerry. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments. Also check out a great review at engadget comparing the Bold, Curve 8900, and Storm here: "BlackBerry Blowout: Storm vs. Bold vs. Curve 8900".

Buying a BlackBerry Help

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The BlackBerry has been growing in popularity a lot lately, and not just in the corporate setting. With that, many individuals looking to use the BlackBerry as a personal device are not sure what to look for. So, I decided to write up a brief 'Buy BlackBerry' guide.

The first thing to consider is some of the key differences between BlackBerry models. Immediately before the newest generation of BlackBerry's, there were basically 3 models to choose from: 81xx series (AKA Pearl), 83xx series (AKA Curve), and 88xx series. Understanding this will help you pick between these and some of the newer generation devices. The model numbers can correspond to the service provider type, as well as the features of the model. Here is an example:

-Pearl 8100: SureType Keyboard, no WiFi, no GPS, GSM provider
-Pearl 8110: SureType Keyboard, no WiFi, with GPS, GSM provider
-Pearl 8120: SureType Keyboard, with WiFi, no GPS, GSM provider
-Pearl 8130: SureType Keyboard, with WiFi, no GPS, CDMA provider

Here is another example:
-Curve 8300: QWERTY Keyboard, no WiFi, no GPS, GSM provider
-Curve 8310: QWERTY Keyboard, no WiFi, with GPS, GSM provider
-Curve 8320: QWERTY Keyboard, with WiFi, no GPS, GSM provider
-Curve 8330: QWERTY Keyboard, no WiFi, with GPS, CDMA provider
-Curve 8350i: QWERTY Keyboard, with WiFi, with GPS, CDMA, iDEN provider

See the pattern? A key thing to consider is the keyboard type. The 88xx series follows a similar pattern, but has a different type of QWERTY keyboard. The 88xx has larger keys, but they are also close together. It ends up being a personal preference issue between which BlackBerry keyboard is best.

As you can see, there is a greater variety of BlackBerry device models available for service providers that work on the GSM network than ones that work on the CDMA network. Keep this in mind, as well as what service providers are available in your area. iDEN is a popular network for walkie-talkie style use, also known as Push to Talk. This is supported heavily on Sprint-Nextel. It also works on other providers such as AT&T, but not through iDEN. Here are some of the bigger and more popular service providers and their primary network type:

AT&T: GSM
Verizon: CDMA
T-Mobile: GSM
Sprint-Nextel: CDMA, iDEN
Rogers: GSM (Canada)
Alltel: CDMA (acquired by Verizon)

Now, here are the new generation models:

-Pearl Flip 8220: SureType Keyboard, with WiFi, no GPS, GSM provider
-Curve 8900: QWERTY Keyboard, with WiFi, with GPS, GSM provider
-Bold 9000: QWERTY Keyboard, with WiFi, with GPS, GSM provider
-Storm 95xx: All Touch Screen, no Wifi, with GPS, GSM and CDMA

More information will follow about the newer models and other factors to consider. Thanks for reading!

Mozilla Fennec “Milestone Release”

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It is no secret that people are looking for something new to boost their mobile browsing experience. We all want to be fast and efficient when browsing on the go. I know my BlackBerry browser just doesn’t cut it anymore with today’s internet content (especially on the EDGE network). OperaMini is great, but there is still much room for improvement. While it will surely be quite some time before we see a release for the BlackBerry platform (if we do, that is), Mozilla has made a .CAB file available for the HTC Touch Pro. It is not the finished product, but it will calm the anticipation for some for... a couple hours or so. I have not had the opportunity to try it myself, but for those who have - please share your thoughts!

More info

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Welcome!

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Hello and welcome to the Mobile Mogul Report! On Mobile Mogul, you can expect to find all kinds of news for the connected individual. Cellular communication devices will be a big part of what makes its way to the posts here. BlackBerry smartphones in particular will be covered often. Random other tidbits might be thrown into the mix here and there too. So, whether you're looking to keep up with some of the latest gadgets, read some helpful reviews, or just want to see what's going on in the technology world, chances are you'll find some cool stuff here. Stop by often and feel free to leave some comments!