Video Recording on the BB Curve running 4.3.1 plus Other Enhancements

Technorati Tags:
At&T, Blackberry, T4 Show

DIY iPhone Battery Replacement

From BoyGeniusReport:

Are you getting a bit frustrated with your iPhone’s lack of battery life? Feel like it could use a boost from a new juice pack? Do you have nerves of steel? This new kit allows you to replace your iPhone battery without sending the unit in for replacement by Apple. The only catch? You’ll need to get comfortable with a soldering iron, a pair of scissors, and a pry-tool. This is not for the faint of heart. The process requires you to sever the OEM iPhone battery connection and solder the new one to the existing wires. It’s not easy, and the prospect for a completely powerless / bricked iPhone certainly exists, but if you’re successful you’ll find yourself with a fresh 1400 mAh battery. How much does it cost? $25. Any takers?

Technorati Tags:
apple, iphone, T4 Show

Windows Mobile 7/Photon in Q1 2008?

So we can’t really delve into a lot of specifics, but today Microsoft showed off the next version of Windows Mobile at their annual Mobius conference. Nope, it’s not Windows Mobile 7 / Photon, but what we saw “is an update, not an upgrade”, was running on current hardware, and is due to manufacturers Q108.

Technorati Tags:
T4 Show, Windows Mobile, cell phone

3G iPhone Next Year?

From Bloomberg.com:

Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) — Apple Inc. will introduce a version of the iPhone next year that can download from the Internet at a faster rate, AT&T Inc. Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson said.

The device will operate on third-generation wireless networks, Stephenson said today at a meeting of the Churchill Club in Santa Clara, California. San Antonio-based AT&T is the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the U.S.

“You’ll have it next year,” Stephenson said in response to a question about when the 3G iPhone would debut. He said he didn’t know how much more the new version will cost than the existing model, which sells for $399. Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs “will dictate what the price of the phone is,” he said.

Technorati Tags:
apple, iphone, At&T

Photo and Specs for Cowon A2

For your comparison to the Q5W:

Video Playback File Format : AVI, WMV, ASF
Video Codec : DivX 3.11 1) / 4/ 5 2), XviD 2), WMV9 (MP@LL) 3)
Audio Codec : WMA 4), MP3, AC3 5.1 Downmix
Audio Playback MP3, OGG 10), WMA 4), FLAC 10), WAV with 5 bands EQ, BBE, Mach3Bass, MP Enhance, and 3D Surround 5)
Photo Viewer JPEG 6), PNG 7), BMP Text Viewer TXT (EUC-KR, EUC-JP, GB2312, Big5, ISO-8859-1, UTF-8)
FM Radio 76 ~ 108MHz with preset

TV Recording ASF (MPEG4 video and MP3) : Up to 640X480, 30fps
Line-in Recording MP3 : Up to 44.1KHz, 192Kbps
TV Out NTSC/PAL
DivX Certified Yes
Subtitle SMI Format
Playback Time Video : Up to 10 hours
Audio : Up to 18 hours

LCD 4″ 480×272, 0.183mm pitch, TFT LCD (16:9 Wide)
Storage Hard disk (20GB/30GB) 9)
PC Interface USB 2.0 (Max 480Mbps)
USB OTG USB 1.1 (Max 12Mbps)
USB USB 2.0

Audio Output 32mW + 32mW (16ohm), 95dB
Frequency Range 20Hz ~ 20KHz
Size 5.24 X 3.07 X 0.87 inches (133 X 78 X 22 mm)
Weight 10.5oz (298g)
Speaker Built-in Stereo Speaker
Microphone Built-in Mono Microphone
Battery Li-Polymer Rechargeable 4300mAh.
Charging 5 hours using AC adapter
AC Adapter DC 5.0V, 2A

Technorati Tags:
cowon, pmp, jetaudio, T4 Show

Cowon Q5W Released

The Cowon Q5W, successor to the A2, is released and available for purchase in the US. THe 40GB version will run you $549.99 while the 60GB iteration demands an extra $50. Here are the specs:

Display
(Touch Screen) Size 5 inch 16,700,000 Color TFT LCD – WVGA(800×480)
Contrast ratio 500:1
Brightness 200cd/m2 (candela)
Hardware CPU Alchemy Au1250 600MHz
Memory 64MB NOR Flash, 128MB DDR2 SDRAM
Wirelss Wifi IEEE802.11g/b
Bluetooth Class 2, Ver. 2.0 +EDR
Storage 1.8 inch HDD 40GB / 60GB, FAT 32 file system
Software OS WinCE 5.0 Professional
Multimedia Music, Movie Player
Additional Application Voice Recorder, Photo Viewer, Text Viewer
Audio S/N Ratio 95dB (A-Weighted)
Frequency Range 20Hz ~ 20KHz
Output 34mW + 34mW (with 16 Ohm Earphone)
1W + 1W (with intergrated speaker)
Power Supply Built-in Battery Internal Lithium-Polymer Battery 6500mA
Charge time 5.5 hours by Adaptor
General Dimension 5.46 x 3.48 x 0.79 inch
Weight 13.4 oz (including internal battery)
Playback Audio : max. 13 hours
Video : max. 7 hours
USB Interface USB Device/Host : USB 2.0 High Speed
Music Formats MP3, WMA, ASF, OGG, WAV, FLAC, APE, MPC
Audio Codecs MPEG 1/2/2.5 Layer 3, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, Wave, FLAC, APE, MusePack
Audio Resolution 8 ~ 1.4Mbps (based on MP3 format)
Sound Effect JetEffect (BBE, Mach3bass, MP3 Enhance, 3D Surround) 5 Band EQ
Movie Formats AVI, ASF, WMV, MPG, OGM
Video Codecs DivX, XviD, MPEG4, WMV7/8/9
Video Resolution max. 720 x 480, 30fps
Audio Codecs MP3, WMA, AC3, OGG
Audio Resolution max. 48KHz, 320 Kbps
Subtitle SMI, SRT
TV-Out
COMPONENT, S-VIDEO, COMPOSITE
Recorder Formats WAV : 8, 11.025, 22.05, 44.1, 48 KHz
Microphone Internal Mic. / External Mic.(optional)
Photo Formats JPG, BMP, PNG, NEF(Nikon RAW file) up to 10MB
Text Formats TXT up to 7MB

NOTE:I personally own the A2 and it’s a great PMP. It has 10 hours of battery life for video and 20 hours for audio. If the Q5W is out of your price range, I highly recommend the A2. Just make sure to purchase the 30GB version. That extra 10GB makes a huge difference.

Technorati Tags:
cowon, jetaudio, pmp, T4 Show

Nokia N95 Formware Update Available

Credit: Darla Mack:

New Welcome application
New camera software and tweaks from the 8GB model – FAR faster shot to shot time, with ‘Processing image message’ during any delays
Long press on camera button launches camera if shutter is open
New My Nokia SMS tips and mobile web portal system
Demand paging (for ROM applications) with 30 plus MB free RAM after booting.
Search 4.0 integration on standby screen.
Old multimedia menu still there, i.e. it’s not the new style
N-Gage game previews (FIFA, Asphalt) and portal/shortcut to upcoming N-Gage client, as in N81 and N95 8GB
Nokia Music Store client, although the store server hasn’t been updated to handle the N95 yet – maybe this’ll happen later today

This software version includes battery, stability & performance improvements enabling you to run faster and longer – giving you up to three more hours of music (up to 30% increase, from 9h to 12h of music playback). This release also includes a new version of Nokia Maps which provides faster positioning, faster Map Loader, and free 3-day navigation. Free N- Gage demo games are included and other games are available via Download! With the Nokia Music Store now live in the United Kingdom, users can enjoy the convenience of instant over-the-air downloads, regardless of where they are.

After updating your device software to 20.0.015, and restoring your personal data, you can optimise the menu layout by installing the New_Menu_Structure.SIS file. This file will rearrange your menu layout specifically for SW 20.0.015. Reboot your device to see the menu changes.

Technorati Tags:
nokia

Updated Google Maps

Google made a new beta version of its Mobile Maps application available for BlackBerries, Nokia S60 3rd Edition and Windows Mobile smartphones today. The biggest difference between the new and old versions is that the new version uses cell tower information to generate the user’s location. This has several advantages over GPS in that it uses less battery power, has very fast location times and works indoors to an extent. It is less accurate than GPS, however. Google claims 500 meter to 5000 meter accuracy. Areas with more dense cell tower coverage will provide more accurate results. Google Maps with My Location will work with GPS-equipped devices, as well. The new version of the software can be downloaded for free.

From BoyGeniusReport:

Up until now, Mac users looking for a way to sync their Windows Mobile devices to their OS X-based computers have pretty much had to rely on either Pocket Mac or The Missing Sync to get the job done. Both applications offer a wide array of syncing options, and do a pretty good job of bridging the gap between Redmond and Cupertino. The problem, of course, is that both of these bits of code cost precious $’s. Enter SyncMate. This fully-featured syncing program allows WinMo users to share PIM and address book information with their Macintosh computers. The best part is of course that this baby is free! It supports Windows Mobile 5 and 6, but seems to only run on Tiger-based systems, though we’d imagine that a Leopard upgrade is somewhere in the works.

Technorati Tags:
cell phone, T4 Show, Windows Mobile

New Podcast Almost Recorded

Tonight Robbie and I recorded our first podcast together in weeks. Unfortunately, I forgot to record our Skype conversation, so you only hear me for 63 minutes. We will record another asap.

Seagate Hard Drives Problems in Macbooks

Macbooks that have their hard drives from Seagate need to read the follow from data recovery company Retrodata:

the head in the drive becomes detached from the read/write arms, causing the latter to “gouge deep scratches” in the disk. Unless the user shuts off the computer immediately, then the damage can be so severe that data recovery is impossible.

Apple spokesman Cameron Craig had this to say,

We’ve received a few reports that some MacBook consumer notebooks may have hard drive issues, and we’re looking into it.

If you have a MB then I’d check the Revision under S-ATA in system profiler to make sure it doesn’t read 7.01. If it does then back that up and get a new drive.

Verizon to Open Network to Any Device or App

[Verizon] said it will publish early next year technical standards for the development community, which are necessary for designing software, applications and devices that can run on its network. The carrier said that any device that meets the minimum technical standards will be activated on the network. It hopes to have new devices and applications available to customers by the end of next year.

NJ College Forcing Students to Buy Cell Phones

Students at Montclair State University in Dirty Jersey now must purchase, out of their own pocket, a Sprint cellphone, dubbed the “School Phone” by students. Ostensibly, the plan is designed to ensure student’s safety. The least expensive plan, which includes a paltry 50 peak voice minutes (but unlimited text messages and on-campus data transfer), costs $420 per year.

I have way too much to say about this. We will definitely discuss it on the podcast.

Treo 755p for Verizon

No word on the exact release date, but forums seem to be pointing toward January 2008. Just in time to be late for Christmas. Great job.

Samsung Blackjack Recalls

Samsung Blackjacks manufactured between November 2006 and February 2007 are the subject of a quiet recall due to an antenna issue. You can call AT&T Exchange at 1-800-801-1101 and will be able to exchange your defective Blackjack for another one. No word on if it’s a new or refurbished one.

Blackberry Pearl Available Through Sprint

Apple Quietly Releasing Early Version of iPhone SDK?

This comes from BoyGeniusReport:
This is completely unverified for the time being, but word has it that Apple has let a few “preferred developers” get their hands on a early version of the iPhone SDK prior to the official unveiling in February, 2008. No info on which companies or developers might be the lucky recipients of the most sought-after Software Developer Kit this side of, well, anywhere. The SDK is apparently a bit out of the ordinary, providing a non-traditional development environment in which developers are essentially “mediating” code, providing Apple with final oversight and the apps are a little “sand-boxed”.

Technorati Tags:
apple, At&T, cell phone, iphone

New Hotline Number!!!

Due to PrivatePhone shutting down on December 15th, the T4 Show is changing voicemail services. The new hotline number is 206-888-6281. Until December 15th, you can still call 203-599-1029 as well. Please feel free to leave any questions, comments or suggestions and we will play them on a future podcast.

Happy Thanksgiving from the T4 Show Staff

All 2 of us……….

Blackjack 2 Launching Tomorrow

The Samsung Blackjack 2 will be launching on AT&T tomorrow, retailing at $149.99 with a 2 year commitment. If you’re interested in one, you can email AT&T’s new employee Robbie at T4show@gmail.com and get the details. I’m sure he would be more than happy to sell you one.

T-Mobile Germany to sell unlocked IPhone

I saw this story on Reuters, and EngadgetMobile.com. It looks like if you have a fat wallet you do not have to worry about hacking the Iphone and voiding your warranty, just throw down around $1500.00 and get the German IPhone.

T-Mobile said on Wednesday it will offer the iPhone without a T-Mobile contract for 999 euros ($1,478) at its shops.

It will also allow those customers who bought an iPhone since November 19 to unlock the device free of charge so it can be used with other SIM cards. However, that will not enable customers to make use of all the functions that the music-playing and Web-browsing device offers.

T-Mobile has an exclusive deal with Apple to sell the iPhone in Germany, where Apple has no stores. Until now, customers had to sign up to a 24-month T-Mobile contract costing a minimum of 1,176 euros in order to buy the 399-euro phone.

A German court granted Vodafone a preliminary injunction this week preventing T-Mobile from locking the iPhone’s SIM card to T-Mobile when making a sale.

T-Mobile said it will comply with the injunction until the situation has been clarified by a court.

Vodafone had hoped to win exclusive rights to sell the iPhone in Europe but lost out to T-Mobile in Germany, Telefonica’s (TEF.MC) O2 in Britain and France Telecom’s (FTE.PA) Orange in France.

In Britain the iPhone costs 269 pounds ($555) on top of an 18-month contract costing a minimum of 35 pounds per month. It will go on sale in France at the end of the month.

German mobile phone operator Debitel has also lodged a complaint with Germany’s telecoms regulator about T-Mobile’s iPhone deal arguing it was not acceptable to link the use of the iPhone exclusively to T-Mobile’s network.

A spokesman for the federal network agency said it had asked T-Mobile to respond but declined to give details.

Verizon Announces Flipshot

Robbie here, first off I am able to update a lot more now on the site with a new job and all, so going to hopefully post more, I know I’ve said it before…. But I mean it. Second I hate that IE doesn’t make it easy to get the source of an image!!! Use Firefox…..

But anyway beyond that rant, Verizon has put on their website the Samsung Flipshot. The Flipshot offers a 3 megapixel autofocus camera, TV out capability, microSD slot, stereo Bluetooth, QVGA internal and 128 x 96 external displays, support for VZ Navigator, and a rotating top half. The black version is currently on Verizon’s website while Best Buy should have the red verizon by the 26th of the month for $199.99 on contract.

T4 Show on Facebook

We, now, have an Official Group on Facebook. I will keep it updated with new info via forum posts, pics, etc. Please be sure to join the group and enjoy.

I Was Almost Tempted…………

……to get the Centro with a SERO plan through Sprint until I saw this video:

I almost forgot that I had to put up with the same monthly call to CS.

Technorati Tags:
cell phone, T4 Show, Palm OS

Next Page »